Artillery wheels: a touring car for Uncle Sam's finest

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We found this photograph recently, and it seems to raise a lot of questions. The first, of course, is what is the car? From appearances alone, we haven't got much of an idea, but its application might give us some useful hints. We know that Overlands were used by the U.S. Army during the First World War, so perhaps that's what we're looking at here? Other guesses are welcome.

The other main question would be what exactly is going on? It looks very much like a round of artillery practice for the U.S. Army, though we know not exactly where. Dating it is a little easier, however. Apart from the car, the uniforms must predate America's entry into the Great War, as even if troops were mishandled or poorly provisioned, we can't imagine any being sent into the trenches with felt hats. We think we'd be correct in saying that these soldiers are wearing M1910 uniforms, as issued between 1910 and 1917, when the M1917 took over and with it the steel Brodie helmet.

Beyond that, the circumstances are anyone's guess. In 1912, black sugar plantation workers in Cuba revolted against the Cuban government, and the American government despatched soldiers to Guantanamo Bay to assist the Cuban government with suppressing them. Perhaps these troops were preparing for that? At the same time, America had been ruling the Philippines since 1898 and faced recurrent armed opposition from the Moros until 1913, so it may be that these men were bound for the Pacific. Then again, American troops were also engaged in Mexico against the revolutionary forces of Pancho Villa from March, 1916. It is no less likely that this training session took place in the months preceding America's entry into the Kaiser War, which became inevitable from 1916 when German agents blew up a munitions factory in New York Harbor. In short, Uncle Sam was a busy fellow and there could be countless explanations for what's going on here.

The car, we note, does not bear any of the markings one would associate with a military staff car, so we imagine it might have been the private transport of a high-ranking officer.

Words: Zack Stiling

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