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Easy 1 Productions CD Technical Manuals:
T030: TM9-768 45-Ton Tank Transporter Truck-Trailer M19
T042: TM9-738 Tank Recovery Vehicles M32, M32B1, M32B2, M32B3, and M32B4
T043: TM9-755 76-mm GMC M18 & Armored Utility Vehicle M39
Easy I Productions
837 S Stephenson,
Iron Mountain, MI 49801
PC CD format, .JPG images with slide show format available, hundreds of B&W photos, plus colour photos
of preserved vehicles
Prices vary, but most are $20USD to $25USD
While American armour modellers may have it tougher than their German counterparts in most respects, one huge advantage
they have is the outstanding technical documentation of their subjects. During the Second World War, the U.S. War Department
produced detailed, lavishly illustrated technical manuals for every piece of equipment that the US military used.
From what I have seen of other countries' equivalent documents, the American manuals represent the Gold Standard of military
technical writing.
One of my most prized pieces of reference material is an original copy of TM9-735, the Technical Manual for the Medium
Tanks M26 and M45, which I was very fortunate to acquire at a military vehicle swap meet for a reasonable price. That
manual is, short of having a Pershing in your driveway, the ultimate technical reference on that tank. Unfortunately,
that is the only original World War II-era tech manual that I own. Fortunately, there is a cheaper alternative available.
Mike Powell of Easy 1 Productions produces CDs with scans of US Army tech manuals for quite reasonable prices. This is a real boon for the
modeller, since these manuals are far and away the best reference for a subject; very few technical questions about a vehicle
will remain unanswered after looking through its tech manual. (indeed, in some cases they are the only real reference
available; I have yet to find any other resource that covers the M32 TRV in any depth at all, for instance). Reading
these manuals also gives one an understanding of how things work on a miltary vehicle, and this can provide real inspiration
for diorama builders.
Aside from the pages of the manual itself (which runs from approximately 150 pages for the M32 TRV to over 450 pages
for the M19), each CD also contains higher-resolution scans of the photographs on each page, plus a number of photographs
of preserved vehicles (the number of these can range from 20 or less to well over 100). Additional related
manuals are often also included on the disks, especially those with shorter manuals. For instance, the M32 CD includes
the 154 page manual itself plus 71 closeup scans of images from the manual and also 19 scans from the M32 Parts Manual and
a fascinating postwar manual, "Vehicle Recovery and Field Expedients," 121 pages of photographs, diagrams, and information
on how to recover and repair military vehicles in the field.
Above: Why tech manuals are great resources for modellers. This photo from the M19 45 ton Diamond
T tank transporter manual illustrates how the engine is pulled from the truck. Aside from giving a good impression of
the size of the engine, this photo shows in great detail particulars of the engine, hood, firewall, fenders, and cab
of the Diamond T. Clicking on the picture will show it at the size each image is supplied in on the Easy 1 CDs.
These documents are provided in JPEG format, and so can be read from any computer. There is a slide show utility
included for those who wish to peruse the manuals that way. I have to commend Mike for the amount of work that he has
put into this project. I can well imagine how long it would take to make high-quality scans of 500 page documents!
The scanning is impeccable. In some ways, this digital format is preferable to my original, even, from a usability standpoint.
Tech manuals are an essential resource for anybody embarking upon a major detailing or conversion project of the
subject vehicle, and still extremely useful and informative even for modellers who do not necessarily plan to add every nut
and bolt to their model. The CD format is an ideal solution for modellers who may not need a hard copy of every
single page in a tech manual, but may want to manipulate and print out individual images for reference. It is also a
much more affordable option than trying to acquire original manuals or reprints. The extras that are included on these
CDs only makes them more attractive. Highly recommended for anybody building one of the vehicles that a CD is available
for. Be sure to check out Easy 1 Productions' website regularly for new manuals to become available.
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