What's the rope for? - Off-Road Forums & Discussion Groups

Jim_Lou · #1 10-07-2009, 11:28 AM

Lately I've seen several pictures of WW II and Korean War era Jeeps and other military trucks with a piece of heavy hemp rope wrapped around the front bumper between the frame rails. It isn't a good place for a tow rope since it would need to be removed one wrap at a time to use it, and besides it's on the short side for that. A soft bumper? Not something the military would likely be worried about. Surely some of you vets know why it's there.

LEVE · #2 10-07-2009, 12:48 PM

1. Tow rope.. both ends should have had eyelets on them.
2. Wheel Capstan winch rope.
3. Cushion for push bumper.
4. Plain ol' rope storage.

MTPockets · #3 10-07-2009, 12:48 PM

I have often wondered the same thing. I concluded it was for push starting other vehicles. That's just a guess.

Bryan · #4 10-07-2009, 02:12 PM

My brother just asked me a couple days ago why some people wrap rope around the front bumper. I didn't have a good answer.

sweetpea · #5 10-08-2009, 05:32 PM

My Dad a WWII vet said it was indeed used for towing and anything else they needed, like tying up prisoners.. He also said they would weld a piece of angle iron on the front of their Jeeps to catch the piano wire the Germans would tie head high across the road to decapitate the soldiers in Jeeps.

TeamRush · #6 10-08-2009, 06:07 PM

Towing was the main reason, since EVERYTHING is muddy in a war zone not fought in the desert...

Same with pioneer tools and grab/lift handles on the sides of the jeep...
Rope/cordage is just plain HANDY!
And having utility rope was a VERY good thing.

You have to remember, every pound that jeep carried, was a pound the foot soldiers didn't have to.

One of the GI issue lists for Europe during WW II was a 100 foot of 1-1/4" general purpose rope...

100 Foot of 1-1/4" rope was what each jeep needed to load/unload it off the transport ships,

So I assume that would be where the guys put the rope when they unloaded the Jeep...
Since it was issued T&OE.

Jim_Lou · #7 10-08-2009, 06:36 PM

It just doesn't seem like there could be a very long piece wrapped around the bumper like that. And it sure isn't very handy to have to unwrap it a coil at a time when the enemy is shooting at you. Why not wrap it in a figure eight? Get a lot more on and get it off much faster. We'll probably never know why they did it the hard way.

LEVE · #8 10-08-2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

And it sure isn't very handy to have to unwrap it a coil at a time when the enemy is shooting at you.

There was an "improvement" made. Word got around. Do you like this better?

Jim_Lou · #9 10-08-2009, 07:29 PM

Yeah, that's better, but what's wrong with a figure eight? So the wheels throw mud on it, it's going to get muddy anyway, and you can carry a lot more that way.

sweetpea · #10 10-08-2009, 10:20 PM

I wish you could hear some of my Dads war stories.Late in the war he was a courier for the Nuremberg trials. He's in his 80's but still sharp as a tack. Tater loves to hear them.