Landships II

philthydirtyanimal · Commander in Chief

Tracked tractors

James H · Legend

I'm pleased to say I can return your favour. This is a�5-ton Artillery Tractor M17, a military version of the Holt 5-tonner.

It was deigned in collaboration with the Ordnance Department, using many parts from the Liberty Truck Engine, and intended to pull Divisional Artillery such as the 155mm Howitzer. They were built by Holt and by The Maxwell Motor Car Company. The basic tractor was clad with light armour capable of stopping .30 rounds. Some were fitted with a cab, and, interestingly, the lower track frame�was hinged for better ground contact. Almost 10,000 were built. I think the one in�your pic is a Holt. The one below is a Maxwell. Both were camouflaged, but the Maxwell had a brighter camo pattern.

Production began in July, 1918, so that fits with them being at what is obviously a�Zeppelin shed, post-War.

There was also a 10-ton version.

Sorry about quality of photo - it's a scan of a photocopy.

Thanks due to Fred Crismon, US Military Tracked Vehicles. There's a section on Prime Movers. The book's very useful, but, again, expensive.

philthydirtyanimal · Commander in Chief

thanks james. what an interesting little vehicle. and what an interesting sounding book!

James H · Legend

You're welcome, my old buttered scone.

Actually, I've just had a look for the book, and there are a few on the Net at quite reasonable prices now. I know things from the US are cheaper in ��, but you can find one for �15-20.

It covers pre-WWI to the 1980s or 90s, and there is great info on all manner of WWI stuff: early tracklayers, prime movers, SPGs, all the early US Tank prototypes, cargo & personnel carriers, gun motor carriages - far more than I thought existed. Well worth it if you can spare the cash. Try Alibris.

And his name really is Crismon, not Crimson.

Capitan Print · Captain

Hello, All!

I have a question about tracked tractors too!

It's about a tractor, called "Bolshevik" in Russia. They used it as prime movers in Red Army AA artillery in late 20s and early 30s. AFAIK it was Holt design, but I haven't any data on its original model and performance.

May be anybody whould be so kind to help me?

James H · Legend

They look like Holts or Holt copies.

http://www.steel-wheels.net/holt.html

Capitan Print · Captain

Hi,all!

These tractors were the Russian copies of a Holt 5 ton crawler.

James H · Legend

This looks interesting:

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/89thdivision/89th-history.htm#Chapter%206:%20Army%20of%20Occupation

Haven't had time to go through it yet, but it might help to identify where the 89th were stationed and the location of the airship shed.

CharlieC · Legend

I'm not sure about the "copies" of the Holt - from http://www.caterpillar.com/company/history

"1929
The Soviet Grain Trust purchases 2,050 Caterpillar machines.
The Soviet Grain Trust farming organization purchased 1,300 Caterpillar tractors and 750 Holt Caterpillar combined harvesters for use on its large farm cooperatives.� This sale helped to keep Caterpillar's factories busy during the Great Depression."

Later in the 1930s the Red Army had a number of types of specialised artillery tractors, e.g. the Komintern, Voroshilovets, T-20 and T-26T.

Regards,

Charlie

Ironsides · Legend

Some more here see tractor pg60

http://www.archive.org/details/regimentalhistor00chub

Another history of the 89th Divison

http://www.archive.org/details/historyof89thdiv00engl

Cheers wink

-- Edited by Ironsides on Monday 10th of January 2011 03:00:58 PM

LincolnTanker · Commander in Chief

philthydirtyanimal wrote:

hi all,

i am curious about this photo

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=2062326401&size=o

it shows camouflage painted tracked tractors, and claims to be of U.S. tractors.

If you have red/cyan 3d glasses you can see it in glorious 3D, maybe not too glorious, lack of pixels

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