"Corrigan" Weasels?

[Chris_Dresbach]

Has anybody here ever heard of the "Callaghan" model of Weasel? Supposedly it was built in 1942 and predates the T-24 model. Does anybody have any information on them?

*Edit. It's Corrigan, not Callaghan.

[gordr]

You might be thinking of the so-called "Corrigan" Weasels, which were the T-24s, IIRC. They had the engine in the rear, and drove the tracks from the front sprocket, which proved to be less than ideal for climbing snow-covered slopes. "Corrigan" was a reference to "wrong-way Corrigan" an early airplane pilot who took off from the eastern seaboard, ostensibly on a flight to California, and landed instead in Ireland. Apparently it was all a big, planned publicity stunt.

[Chris_Dresbach]

You might be thinking of the so-called "Corrigan" Weasels, which were the T-24s, IIRC. They had the engine in the rear, and drove the tracks from the front sprocket, which proved to be less than ideal for climbing snow-covered slopes. "Corrigan" was a reference to "wrong-way Corrigan" an early airplane pilot who took off from the eastern seaboard, ostensibly on a flight to California, and landed instead in Ireland. Apparently it was all a big, planned publicity stunt.

I think you got it right. It just sounded like "Callaghan" in Studebaker's promo film and talked about it briefly. Corrigan sounds more likely, because the Weasel "Looks like it's going the wrong way"

[JBOYLE]

The story of "Wrong Way" Corrigan gets even weirder. He comes across as the kind of guy who would be in the SDC.
He was denied permission by the government to fly the Atlantic because his airplane was too old. It was a eight year-old Curtiss Robin, a popular monoplane of the era.
Well some CAA (FAA today) bureaucrat said no, so Corrigan said he's fly back to Caliofornia with his newly installed long-range fuel tanks that he himself intalled..
Appearently the government could stop a tran-Atlantic flight, but not a trans-contenental flight (which would be more difficult because he's be going against prevailing winds, which is why Alcock & Brown, Lindbergh, et al went west to east).
Anyway, in 1938 he took off from New York and landed in Ireland...when asked, he claimed he read his compass backwards (which I guess was easy to to, though I've never had any trouble in the lightly equipped helicopter I used to fly).

The Irish loved him as did the media. He wrote a book* and starred as himself in a film.
He found some fame and some fortune.
He died in 1995 at age 88. He kept the Robin until his death and I believe it's still in the family.

*That's My Story. I have an autographed copy in my library.

[Commander55]

You might be thinking of the so-called "Corrigan" Weasels, which were the T-24s, IIRC. They had the engine in the rear, and drove the tracks from the front sprocket, which proved to be less than ideal for climbing snow-covered slopes.

Nope! It was the T-15 model Weasel that has the engine in the rear. The T-24 model is pretty much like the M-29 except that it has a body plug on the front for an engine hand-crank and does not have the fender flares like the M-29.

[Commander55]

You might be thinking of the so-called "Corrigan" Weasels, which were the T-24s, IIRC. They had the engine in the rear, and drove the tracks from the front sprocket, which proved to be less than ideal for climbing snow-covered slopes. "Corrigan" was a reference to "wrong-way Corrigan" an early airplane pilot who took off from the eastern seaboard, ostensibly on a flight to California, and landed instead in Ireland. Apparently it was all a big, planned publicity stunt.

You must be referring to the earliest Weasel, the T-15. I've Never-Ever heard it called that before. Doesn't make any sense to me since the first Weasels had the engine in the rear and the later models were actually the ones that were "turned-around" versions. You can check out all 6 versions (including the 2 prototype machines) on my Webshots page.
http://rides.webshots.com/album/5520...cY?vhost=rides

[r1lark]

Wow......Commander55, those are some really great Weasel pics. I went thru the first 20 pages <G>

[Roscomacaw]

You can believe ol' Loy, He's a no bull sorta guy IIRC

[Chris_Dresbach]

You must be referring to the earliest Weasel, the T-15. I've Never-Ever heard it called that before. Doesn't make any sense to me since the first Weasels had the engine in the rear and the later models were actually the ones that were "turned-around" versions. You can check out all 6 versions (including the 2 prototype machines) on my Webshots page.
http://rides.webshots.com/album/5520...cY?vhost=rides

There is an archival film put out by Studebaker just called "The Weasel". It was a promo for the military and is only 11min long. They show all of the different variations driving together on a beach somewhere and they refer to the one in the rear and being a pilot model "Corrigan" because it looks like it's going backwards. (though it sounds like he says Callaghan, I think he really says Corrigan b/c of the going backwards comment)

[gordr]

Loy, you are certainly right about the T-15 vs. the T-24. My mistake.

[Commander55]

Loy, you are certainly right about the T-15 vs. the T-24. My mistake.

I knew that you knew, Gordon. You've probably forgotten more about Weasels than I've ever learned!

[JRoberts]

Several years ago there was reunion of members of the 1st Special Service Force. One of the museums at Fort Bragg had two Weasels on display, one a T-29 and the other a T-15. I understand the T-15's shortcommings, but it looked like the seating arrangment might be better. Ironically the T-15 was painted white like the one in the pictures. I did get to drive the T-29. What a blast! Starliner62 actually got the T-29 up and running when it was moved for a temporary display in Fayetteville's Airboren and Special Ops Museum.

[Commander55]

Several years ago there was reunion of members of the 1st Special Service Force. One of the museums at Fort Bragg had two Weasels on display, one a T-29 and the other a T-15. I understand the T-15's shortcommings, but it looked like the seating arrangment might be better. Ironically the T-15 was painted white like the one in the pictures. I did get to drive the T-29. What a blast! Starliner62 actually got the T-29 up and running when it was moved for a temporary display in Fayetteville's Airboren and Special Ops Museum.

Joe, I know its just a typo, but it is an M-29...not T-29. <g> Likely that the "Special Service Force" you're talking about was the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division. Several of the old B/W photos on my Webshots site are of the 10th Mountain Division training in the snow at Camp Hale in Colorado.

From what I understand, all of the T-15s and T-24s were white when they left the [Studebaker] factory. I've been doing some reading on the T-15s and I don't think they had "shortcommings' so much as there were just some design changes brought about as the roll of the Weasel changed as the theater of the war changed. The Weasel's original objective in WWII was for the purpose of a transport vehicle that could be air-dropped in with commando forces for a quick strike in alpine conditions to knock out the Nazi's heavy-water plant (for Germany's A-bomb). This "Special-Op" mission never took place. The plant was knocked out by Allied bombers and the Weasel had to evolve to be used for other purposes.

[comatus]

Nothing against the 10th, but I think that "Special Service Force" would have been the joint Canadian/US "Devil's Brigade." They were formed for invading Norway, and ended up as a solution to a problem nobody had. The Weasel was originally meant for Norway.

Thanks for remembering Wrong Way Corrigan. He was a great aviator, and by all accounts a heck of a guy.

[JRoberts]

This was the 1st Special Service Force and yes it was a joint Canadian-U.S. unit. The U.S. part of this outfit was the early predecessor of the U.S. Special Forces. These guys spoke very highly of the Weasel with many stories of hunting trips and such forays using the little vehicle. I always thought the movie, "The Devil's Brigade" might have been a bit more authentic if there had been a Weasel or two somewhere in the training sequences. The members I spoke with told me that the movie was pretty accurate. Some of these vets were still a bit bitter about not being included in the operation scheduled for Norway. It was a delight to talk with members of this unit at their reunion.








(Yes, I mistyped it is an M-29)