Landships II

d_fernetti · Hero

Tracked Ford T

d_fernetti · Hero

Here's something to get used to driving a tank.

James H · Legend

IIRC that was in 1921. Some details are at the back of my mind -� the track is the Chase Track System, but that's all I can remember at the mo.

Rob · Legend

Definitely a post-17 Model T

d_fernetti · Hero

The RPM ambulance kit has the same type of scuttle in it!

CharlieC · Legend

�

The tracked Ford Model T was one of a number of vehicles designed to give the US Army cross-country motorised mobility.

There had been a three artillery Boards (Hero, Lassiter and Westervelt) conducted at the end of WW1 tasked with examining the lessons from WW1 and to map

future directions. Both boards concluded that the age of the horse transport was ending and the Ordnance Dept should devote

considerable further efforts to mechanise the artillery. The Ordnance Dept had been investigating mechanisation of the artillery since 1916.

There was also a less formal examination in the other branches of the Army with similar conclusions. The tracked Ford Model T was

one of many prototypes developed just after WW1 to develop a mechanised Army. The Ford Model T was tested in 1921 at Aberdeen,

although it proved to have quite good cross-country capability it proved to be somewhat fragile.�

Within a few years the combined effect of conservative factions within the US Army and severe budget constraints killed off most of the

mechanisation projects.

Regards,

Charlie

d_fernetti · Hero

Thanks for the info... I recall seeing a TV movie several years ago, about the exact opposite decision taken by the US Army to get rid of the surplus horses of the cavalry once the process for mechanization was finishing. The movie was not memorable, except for the odd old car (and I guess that were some pseudo armored vehicles) and Gabrielle Anwar.