Landships II

Tim R · Hero

Looking for Information on the Knox Artillery Tractor

Roger Todd · Legend

Hi Tim! Not sure if this is any help, but having used Google Books, I found the attached from Motor Truck Design�& Construction by Clemens Thomas Schaefer (1919) and Dyke's Automobile and Gasoline Engine Encyclopedia by Andrew Lee Dyke (1916).

Did you get the picture of the tractor hauling the gun from the online Field Artillery Journal? I saw it there while searching.

Roger Todd · Legend

Also, from The Bulb Horn by Veteran Car Club of America, I attach a tantalising glimpse of a book I can't download... From it, I surmise that the vehicle you're after was a 10-ton capacity Knox Tractor introduced in 1915.

Roger Todd · Legend

I'm on a roll now! Attached is an advert from Motor Age on�eBay...
http://tiny.cc/ECIrH

And another one from ebay...
http://tiny.cc/DVBMh

Elsewhere, I've seen tantalising glimpses of information which suggest that the vehicle was not regarded as a success in its capacity as an artillery tractor, partly because the chain drive clogged with mud very easily.

BTW, this is what the Field Artillery Journal for Jul-Sep 1916 said of the Knox Tractor:

In this country there are at present one hundred and fifty tractors on the market, no two of them alike. Out of these may be taken two general types, the caterpillar and the wheeled. Up to the present time the former is the only one which has been tested out by the government, but both kinds are being sent abroad in great quantities. Plate II [the photo of the tractor pulling a big gun which you posted, Tim] is a photograph of the Knox tractor which represents the main features of the wheeled type as developed in this country. It is comparatively new and was selected because so many have been shipped to the European nations. The load is supported on three axles, two on the tractor and one on the trailer. The photograph shows a 20-ton gun being drawn by the Knox tractor, thus distributing the load which makes it easier on bridges and tires. In 1914 the same company designed what they termed a motor limber to be used in hauling guns of large calibre. It was essentially the same type as above except that the rear end of the tractor had limber chests mounted on it and a pintle placed on the rear to which the gun was limbered. This did not prove satisfactory and was never adopted. The Knox has a chain drive by side chains on the rear wheels only. This is a great disadvantage in many ways; the chains become clogged and the machine cannot apply enough power to the two wheels to get it out of difficult places. The bearing surface on the wheels is not great enough and they sink so far into the ground that when the power is applied they simply slip and cannot pull the machine out of the mud. All these faults are corrected in the caterpillar; the wheeled type, however, has a greater maximum speed and weighs 5000 pounds less.

-- Edited by Roger Todd at 11:44, 2008-05-09

Ivan · Field Marshal

Knox in Russian mperial army.

Tim R · Hero

Hello Roger & Ivan

�� Thank you both for your information, I appreciate it.

All the Best

Tim R.

Ivan · Field Marshal

Tim R wrote:

Hello Roger & Ivan

�� Thank you both for your information, I appreciate it.

All the Best

Tim R.

Tim, you can find others Knox broshures here:
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?word=%22Automobiles%20%2D%2D%20Catalogs%22%20title_id_list%3A454055

Great War Truck · Brigadier

Do you have the Wheels and Tracks artcile on Knox tractors? I can send you a scan if you like.

The Smithsonian has a restored 3 wheel version ( the same as used by the Greek army in WW1). I saw it in Washington about 10 years ago.

Tim (too)

Tim R · Hero

Tim

�

�� Great name by the way!!!� biggrin �� I would really appreciate you doing that, I am very interested in the Knox.

�� It is one of those obscure vehicles, I love to study.

Do you have any information on the three wheeled version used by the Greek Army as you stated?��

All the best

Tim R.

Great War Truck · Brigadier

I dont have much info on the three wheel version�apart from what Bart stated is that Greece had some in service. Here is a picture of one of them and that is probably as much information as we will ever know.

It would seem that they ceased manufacture of these in 1915 and went over to the "sturdier" 4 wheel type 35.

Here are a couple of pcitures of those, both in French army service with an interesting load (which you of course will quickly identify as ......?

Tim (too)

philthydirtyanimal · Commander in Chief

Retrokits kit available

http://www.retrokit.net/96.html

will look great with a Schneider CA on the back!

James H · Legend

Fantastic pictures. Is this Knox connected with Blaw-Knox of the present day, or just coincidence?

fran�ois vauvillier · Sergeant

Great War Truck wrote:

Here are a couple of pcitures of those, both in French army service with an interesting load (which you of course will quickly identify as ......?

Tim (too)

Hello everybody,

The full-tracked artillery tractor appearing on this view is the Schneider CD, ordered at 500 pieces by the French Army at the turn of 1916-1917, under the name of " caterpillar remorqueur "�(in French ; odd enough, the English word of caterpillar was officially used for the tractors, but never for the tanks). They were used by the artillery to tow the heavy guns of the RALTs (r�giments d'artillerie lourde � tracteurs) from the road where they were towed by Latil TAR and Renault EG 4x4 road tractors, to their firing position. When this was done, the Schneider CDs were used as shuttles between the road and the firing position to carry ammunition over all-terrain.

The Schneider CDs were mechanically similar to the Schneider CA tanks : same Holt-type suspension, same engine.

The complete assembly shown here (US Knox tractor + La Buire trailer in semi-trailer configuration+ Schneider CD transported) is fully regulation.

To transport a Schneider CA tank on a La Buire trailer was more accidental, as the tank was, on principle, far beyond the maximum weight normally allowed to the trailer (nominally, not to exceed 8 tons ; in fact, the CD caterpillar weighed 10 t, and the CA tank 13,5 t approx.).

Regards

Fran�ois

�

-- Edited by fran�ois vauvillier at 17:16, 2008-12-30