The Ford Model T is an American passenger car from the First World War and the interwar period. The first copies of this vehicle appeared in 1908, and serial production continued in 1908-1927. About 14.68 million cars of this type were created in its course! The vehicle was powered by a single 22.5 HP engine.
The Ford Model T is a true legend of the American automotive industry - it was the car that literally motorized the United States, it was also the first mass-produced passenger car in history on the assembly line. Thanks to the application of this production innovation and its improvement in the 1920s, the average production time of a single Ford T dropped to approx. 90 minutes! As production increased, the price of a single car also fell: from $ 950 in 1909-1910 to $ 360 in 1916-1917. The Ford Model T was a great success for several reasons: first of all, despite being mass-produced, it was made of high-quality components, which translated into its almost legendary durability and reliability. It was also very suitable for driving in moderately rough terrain, and was insanely easy to handle and repair. Its advantages also made it widely used by the American armed forces in 1917-1918 as a light truck, ambulance or reconnaissance vehicle. The last Ford Model T rolled off the assembly line in 1927, and the Ford model was replaced by the A model.
The American infantry participating in World War I served in operations in Europe US Expeditionary Force American Expeditionary Forces), which was formed in July 1917, shortly after the US joined the Great War. Units of this Corps fought primarily on the Western Front, in France with the German army, but it is worth adding that the few American troops also supported the Italian army in its fights with Austro-Hungarian troops in northern Italy. The commander-in-chief of the American expeditionary forces was General John Pershing, who emphasized the best possible training of his subordinates, which meant that American troops began to actually support their allies in combat only from January 1918! However, by May 1918, the number of American soldiers stationed in France reached a million, of which around 500,000 were it was already in service at the front. The first major advance of the American army in this war took place on May 28, 1918. Later, American troops took part in such battles as, for example, at Belleau Wood, Chateau-Thierry or Saint-Mihiel. It is estimated that during World War I, American troops fighting in Europe lost about 320,000 people, including about 120,000 killed and about 200,000 wounded. It is worth noting that the American infantry at that time relied primarily on equipment of French origin, such as the 75mm Mle 1897 cannons, 155mm Schneider howitzers and Renault FT-17 tanks.