According to US Navy records, the 1943 Evinrude model #4375 Navy Heavy-Duty LightFour 9.7 hp, four-cylinder outboard, was responsible for the rescue of over 700 men from bombers or fighters forced down in the North Sea or Pacific.

designed for military use , the shaft was 15" longer than the standard shaft and could be spun 360 degrees allowing it to reverse. 

It came with a rebuild kit, which consisted of many key parts for "in-the-field" repairs. As noted in the ad, this outboard was used by the Navy in drop-type lifesaving boats – boats that were dropped from bomber bays as survival equipment to rescue aviators forced to ditch at sea.

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