Artillery tractor is a kind of
tractorA tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
, also referred to as a
gun tractor, a
vehicleA vehicle is a mechanical means of conveyance, a carriage or transport. Most often they are manufactured , although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks.Vehicles may be propelled or pulled by...
used to tow
artilleryArtillery is a military combat Arm that employs weapons capable of discharging large projectiles in combat. They are generally capable of adding considerable fire power to the military capability of an armed force...
pieces of varying weights. The first such devices were designed prior to the outbreak of
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, often based on agricultural machines such as the
Holt tractorThe Holt tractors were a range of caterpillar tractors built by the Holt Manufacturing Company.- Military Use :They were most famously used by the British and American armies in World War I for hauling heavy artillery: including BL 9.2 inch Howitzer and the 8 inch Howitzer Mk 1...
. Such tractors allowed the tactical use of heavier guns to supplement the light horse drawn
field gunA field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances...
s. For example in the British Army it allowed the heavy guns of the
Royal Garrison ArtilleryThe Royal Garrison Artillery was an arm of the Royal Artillery that was originally tasked with manning the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division, and the guns of the siege...
to be used flexibly on the battlefield.
In
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the horse was still the most common source of motive power in many armies.
Artillery tractor is a kind of
tractorA tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
, also referred to as a
gun tractor, a
vehicleA vehicle is a mechanical means of conveyance, a carriage or transport. Most often they are manufactured , although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks.Vehicles may be propelled or pulled by...
used to tow
artilleryArtillery is a military combat Arm that employs weapons capable of discharging large projectiles in combat. They are generally capable of adding considerable fire power to the military capability of an armed force...
pieces of varying weights. The first such devices were designed prior to the outbreak of
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, often based on agricultural machines such as the
Holt tractorThe Holt tractors were a range of caterpillar tractors built by the Holt Manufacturing Company.- Military Use :They were most famously used by the British and American armies in World War I for hauling heavy artillery: including BL 9.2 inch Howitzer and the 8 inch Howitzer Mk 1...
. Such tractors allowed the tactical use of heavier guns to supplement the light horse drawn
field gunA field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances...
s. For example in the British Army it allowed the heavy guns of the
Royal Garrison ArtilleryThe Royal Garrison Artillery was an arm of the Royal Artillery that was originally tasked with manning the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division, and the guns of the siege...
to be used flexibly on the battlefield.
World War II
In
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the horse was still the most common source of motive power in many armies. Most nations were economically and industrially unable to fully motorise their forces. One compromise was to produce general purpose vehicles which could be used in the troop transport, logistics and prime mover roles, with heavy artillery tractors to move the heaviest guns. The
Royal ArtilleryThe Royal Artillery is the common name for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, an arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
however, persisted with specialist artillery tractors throughout
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, rather than adopt a general purpose vehicle. This was in order to prevent their vehicles being taken from them for other tasks.
Traction
There are two main types of artillery tractors, depending on the type of traction. Wheeled tractors are usually variations of
lorriesA truck or lorry is a motor vehicle - more specifically a commercial vehicle commonly used for transporting goods and materials. Some light trucks/lorries are similar in size to a passenger automobile...
adapted for military service. Tracked tractors run on
caterpillar trackContinuous tracks are large tracks used on the so-called caterpillar tanks, construction equipment and certain other off-road vehicles. Unlike the Kégresse tracks which use a flexible belt, most continuous tracks are made of a number of rigid units that are joined to each other...
, and in some cases are built on a modified
tankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility and tactical offensive and defensive capabilities...
chassisA chassis consists of a framework that supports an inanimate object, analogous to an animal's skeleton, for example in a motor vehicle or a firearm.- Examples of use :...
with the superstructure replaced with a compartment for the gun crew or
ammunitionAmmunition, often informally referred to as ammo, is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
. The idea of
half-trackA half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering, and caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cross-country capabilities of a tank and the handling...
tractors was mostly discontinued after the
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Modern warfare
In modern
warfareWar is a reciprocated, armed conflict, between two or more non-congruous entities, aimed at reorganising a subjectively designed, geo-politically desired result...
towed artillery has given way in part to
self-propelled artillerySelf-propelled artillery vehicles are a way of giving mobility to artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery...
, it is also common to find auxiliary power units built into the gun carriage to provide limited battlefield mobility. Traditional towed artillery can still be found in units where complexity and weight are liabilities: e.g. airmobile, amphibious and other light units. In such units, where organic transport is usually limited, any available transport can double as artillery tractors in order to reposition guns when needed. For example engineer vehicles of a different primary purpose such as the U.S. Marines' Light Capacity Rough Terrain Forklift (LCRTF), a versatile telehandler forklift capable of towing gear from either end.
Tank chassis
- Dragon, Medium Mark IV'
The Vickers 6-Ton Tank or Vickers Mark E was a British light tank designed as a private project at Vickers. It was not purchased by the British Army, but was picked up by a large number of foreign armed forces and was copied almost exactly by the Soviets as the T-26. It was also the direct...
– British army, 1928; developed from the Vickers 6-Ton mark E.
- T-24
The T-24 was a Soviet medium tank built in 1931. Only twenty-four tanks were built, and saw no combat. This was the first tank produced at the KhPZ factory in Ukraine, which was later responsible for the very successful T-34 and T-54 Soviet tanks...
chassis
- M3 Lee
The Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called "General Lee", named after General Robert E. Lee, and its modified version built to British specification, with a new turret, was called "General Grant", named after General Ulysses S...
chassis
- M33 Prime Mover - converted by removing turret and recovery gear from M31 TRV
An armoured recovery vehicle is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to repair battle- or mine-damaged as well as broken-down armoured vehicles during combat, or to tow them out of the danger zone for more extensive repairs...
. 109 converted in 1943-44.
- M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. It was also distributed to the Allies via lend lease. Evolved from previous medium and light tanks, it was the first American medium tank with a fully traversing turret for the main gun...
chassis
- M34 Prime Mover - converted by removing recovery gear from M32B1 TRV
An armoured recovery vehicle is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to repair battle- or mine-damaged as well as broken-down armoured vehicles during combat, or to tow them out of the danger zone for more extensive repairs...
(M4A1 Sherman tank chassis) and adding air brakes to tow heavy artillery. 24 converted by Chester Tank Depot in 1944.
- M35 Prime Mover - converted by removing turret from M10A1
The M10 tank destroyer, formally 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage, M10 was a United States tank destroyer of World War II. US troops also called them TDs...
tank destroyer (M4A3 Sherman tank chassis) and adding air brakes to tow 155 mm and 240 mm artillery.
- Sherman Gun Tower - British field conversion in Italy by removing turrets from old M4A2 Sherman tanks to tow 17 pdr AT gun and carry crew with ammunition
- Wolverine Gun Tower - British M10 (M4A2 chassis) or M10A1 (M4A3 chassis) converted by removing turret, 1944-45
- Crusader II, Gun Tractor Mk I – British army, variant of the Crusader tank
The Tank, Cruiser, Mk VI Crusader was one of the primary British cruiser tanks of the Second World War and perhaps the most important British tank of the North African Campaign. However, due to its reputation for unreliability and relatively thin armour, it was replaced by American tanks for the...
Other full-track
- pre- and First World War
- Hornsby tractor
Richard Hornsby & Sons was an engine and machinery manufacturer in Lincolnshire, England from 1828 until 1918.-Formation:The company bearing the name of Richard Hornsby , the agricultural engineer, was founded when Richard opened a blacksmithy in Grantham, Lincolnshire in 1815 with Richard Seaman,...
– British army, 1910
- Holt Tractor
The Holt tractors were a range of caterpillar tractors built by the Holt Manufacturing Company.- Military Use :They were most famously used by the British and American armies in World War I for hauling heavy artillery: including BL 9.2 inch Howitzer and the 8 inch Howitzer Mk 1...
- Best
The Best Manufacturing Company of San Leandro, California was a manufacturer of farm machinery, now probably most well known for its steam tractors....
- Renault UE Chenillette – France, 1932
- C7P
C7P was a Polish tracked artillery tractor, used by the Polish Army before and during World War II...
– Poland, 1934
- Universal Carrier
The Universal Carrier, also known as the Bren Gun Carrier is a common name describing a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrong. Produced between 1934 and 1960, the vehicle was used widely by Allied forces during the Second World War...
– British, 1936; "Bren Gun Carrier", armored utility tractor
- Lloyd carrier - UK, 1940
- M4 High Speed Tractor
The M4 High-Speed Tractor was an artillery tractor used by the US Army from 1943.-Construction:The M4 was based on the chassis and drive drain of the obsolescent M2 Light Tank...
– USA, 1943
- M5 High Speed Tractor
The M5 High-Speed Tractor was an artillery tractor used by the US Army from 1942.-Construction:The M5 is a full-track design designed to tow 105mm and 155mm howitzers and carry the gun crew and ammunition. A winch and roller system allows the M5 to pull vehicles to the front or rear...
– USA, 1942
- M6 High Speed Tractor
The M6 High-Speed Tractor was an artillery tractor used by the US Army in World War II to tow heavy artillery pieces such as 8 inch Gun M1 and 240 mm Howitzer M1.- References :* TM 9-2800 Military vehicles* SNL G184* TM 9-788* TM 9-1785A* TM 9-1788...
– USA, 1944
- M8 High Speed Tractor
The M8 High-Speed Tractor was an artillery tractor used by the US Army from 1950.-Construction:The M8 is a full-track tractor based on the chassis of the M41 Walker Bulldog light tank. It was used to tow cargo trailers and artillery such as the Skysweeper 75 mm anti-aircraft gun and the M59 Long...
– USA, 1950
- Snow Trac
The Snow Trac is a small personal Snowcat that is roughly the size of a modern compact car.-Origins and description:In 1954, Lars Larsson, the chief design engineer for a Swedish farm equipment...
– 1957, UK Royal Marines Light WOMBAT gun carrier
- AT-L
Artilleriyskiy Tyagach Lyogkiy, or AT-L was a Soviet Cold War era artillery tractor....
- Soviet Union
- ATS-59
Artilleriyskiy Tyagach Sredniy - 59, or ATS-59 was a Soviet Cold War era artillery tractor.*...
- Soviet Union
- AT-T
Artilleriyskiy Tyagach Tyazholiy, or AT-T was a Soviet Cold War era artillery tractor.Vehicles based on AT-T include:*BAT-M obstacle removing vehicle.*BTM-3 high-speed trench digging vehicle....
- Soviet Union
- MT-LBT
The MT-LB is a Soviet multi-purpose fully-amphibious armoured personnel carrier which was first introduced in the late 1960s...
- Soviet Union, mid 1970's, variant of the MT-LB armoured personnel carrier.
- Hitachi Type 73 – Japan, 1974
Half-track
- Unic P107
-History:In the 1920s and 1930s Citroën developed a long line of half-tracks based on the Kégresse patent. In 1934, the company introduced its newest and more powerful P107 model as a successor to the Citroën-Kégresse P17. But before mass production could take place, Citroën went bankrupt and its...
– France, 1934; towed the French 75 and short 105 mm field guns
- SOMUA MCG
The SOMUA MCG was an artillery tractor and recovery vehicle of the French forces during World War II.It was used to tow medium artillery pieces such as the 155 mm mle 1917 howitzer and the 105 mm mle 1936 field gun, as well as their specific ammunition trailers...
– France; towed the French long 105 and short 155 mm field guns
- SdKfz 7
The Sd.Kfz. 7 was a half-track military vehicle used by the German Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and Waffen-SS during the Second World War....
– Germany, 1938; 8-ton half track often towed the Flak 36 88 mm
- SdKfz 10
The Sd.Kfz. 10 was a German half-track that saw very widespread use in World War II. Its main role was as a prime mover for small towed guns such as the 2 cm FlaK 30, the 7.5 cm leIG, or the 3.7 cm PaK 36 anti-tank gun...
-
- M2 Half Track Car
The M2 Half Track Car was an armoured vehicle used by the United States during World War II.-History:The half-track design had been evaluated by the US Ordnance department using Citroën-Kégresse vehicles...
– USA, 1940
- M3 Half-track
The Carrier, Personnel Half-track M3 was an armoured vehicle used by the United States and its allies during World War II and the Cold War.-History:Between the world wars, the US Army sought to improve the tactical mobility of its forces...
– USA, 1940
Wheeled
- Thornycroft "steamer" - UK, Second Boer War
The Second Boer War , commonly referred to as The Boer War and also known as the South African War , the Anglo-Boer War and in Afrikaans as the Anglo-Boereoorlog or Tweede Vryheidsoorlog , or the Engelse oorlog was fought...
- Thornycroft
Thornycroft was a United Kingdom-based vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977.-History:Thornycroft started out with steam vans and lorries. John Isaac Thornycroft, the naval engineer, built his first steam lorry in 1896...
Gun Tractor - UK, World War I
- Thornycroft Hathi
The Hathi was an early four wheel drive lorry built by Thornycroft in the 1920s. It was used by the British Army as an artillery tractor.- Development :...
- UK, 1924; early 4x4
- Krupp Protze
The Krupp "Protze" was a six-wheeled German truck and artillery tractor used by German forces in World War II. It was powered by a 60 hp Krupp M 304 4-cylinder engine. Its main purpose was to tow artillery, especially the PaK 36...
– Germany, 1933; towed the 3.7 cm PaKThe Pak 36 was a German anti-tank gun that fired a 3.7 cm calibre shell. It was developed in 1936 by Rheinmetall and first appeared in combat that year during the Spanish Civil War. It formed the basis for many other nations' anti-tank guns during the first years of World War II. The Kw. K...
- Scammell Pioneer
The Scammell Pioneer R100 was a British vehicle that was used in the Second World War. The basic vehicle was used as an artillery tractor for heavier pieces such as the 7.2 inch howitzer...
– British, 1937; lorry used for the largest guns
- Morris C8
The Morris Commercial C8 FAT commonly known as a Quad was an artillery tractor of the British and Commonwealth forces during World War II....
– UK, 1938; the "Quad" British lorry; towed the QF 25 pdr
- AEC Matador
The AEC Matador was an artillery tractor built by the Associated Equipment Company for British and Commonwealth forces during the Second World War.AEC had already built a 4 x 2 lorry, also known as the Matador ....
– UK, WWII; lorry used for pulling intermediate artillery such as the 5.5 inch gunThe BL 5.5 inch Gun was a British artillery gun introduced during the middle of the Second World War to equip medium batteries.-History:In January 1939 a specification was issued for a gun to replace the 6 inch 26 cwt howitzers in use with most medium batteries...
- Laffly V15T
The Laffly V15T was a French light 4WD artillery tractor used during World War II. It was used to tow the 25 mm SA anti-tank guns. A personnel carrier and reconnaissance vehicle based on the same chassis was designated as V15R...
– France, WWII; towed 25 mm AT guns
- Laffly S15T
The Laffly S15 was a familty of all-terrain military vehicles from French manufacturer Laffly that shared the same six-wheel drive chassis. They were used by French forces during World War II.-Variants:...
– France, WWII; towed the French 75 and short 105 mm field guns
- White Scout Car
The M3 Scout Car was an armored car in U.S. service during World War II. It was also known as the White Scout Car, after its manufacturer, the White Motor Company. It was used in various roles including patrol, scouting, command vehicle, ambulance and gun tractor.-History:The vehicle was developed...
– USA, 1941; 4x4 utility armored car
- CMP FAT
The CMP FAT , officially the Chevrolet 8440/CGT Tractor, 4x4, Field Artillery, was an artillery tractor of the British and Commonwealth forces during World War II...
– Canada, WWII
- Karrier
Karrier is a marque of car and commercial vehicle, the origins of which can be traced back to Clayton and Company, a 1904 company from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK. In 1908 they started making Karrier cars and in 1920 changed the company name to Karrier Motors Ltd.In 1929 Karrier started...
KT4 – UK; for the British Indian ArmyThe Indian Army , now sometimes called the British Indian Army to distinguish it from the modern army of the Republic of India, was the principal army of the British Raj in India during the last half-century before the partition of India in 1947.The Indian Army served both in India and,...
- Pinzgauer High Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle
The Pinzgauer is a family of high mobility all-terrain 4x4 and 6x6 military utility vehicles. They are manufactured in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom, by BAE Systems Land Systems. The vehicle was originally developed in the late 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch of Graz, Austria, and was named after...
– UK, 1971
- Land Rover 101 Forward Control
The 101 Forward Control was a vehicle produced by Land Rover for the British Army.The vehicle was primarily produced to meet the Army's requirement for a gun tractor, and was designed to tow a field gun with a ton of ammunition and other equipment in the rear load space, giving it the alternative...
– UK, 1972
See also
- Self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery vehicles are a way of giving mobility to artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery...
- G-numbers