Landships II

In this otherwise terrible doco, a very short clip of one of the Best Tracklayers, with a accompanying infantry,  can be seen at 6' 55". I don't think the makers have any idea what it is.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CrxCZcNRF7Q

 

 

It's a mock battle somewhere near San Francisco, 1917.

I would treat Dark Roasted Blend with considerable caution. The Steam Tank, for example, wasn't "battlefield ready" - it was a mild steel prototype. The page is rather error-strewn generally. The C.L. Best Tracklayer and the Holt/Caterpillar G9 were different things. The latter was a tin/plywood mockup on a Holt tractor, built for an episode of the film serial "Patria". It was later demonstrated to the US Army, but fell in a ditch and overturned. There were 2 models on Best tractors, used for recruitment and in mock battles. I should have thought that would have been clear from reading Briefly Famous.

I brought the 1917 film to Jack Alexander's notice. It sounds as if he's revised the book and included it. If anyone ordered 50 of either of these vehicles, I suspect it would have been for transport purposes.

Mike - if you search round the Forum you'll find plenty of refs to the Holt and Best. Try also googling "Our Forts on Wheels". And see if this link works:

https://chillicothe.newspaperarchive.com/chillicothe-constitution/1917-06-20/page-3/pageno-114248661?tag=tank+patria&rtserp=tags/tank-patria?pd=20&pm=6&py=1917

Which site?

I would assume that's the one to which the Bunkermeister is referring.

BTW, this is something JA sent:

 

"Best Busy Bunch" Best company newspaper, August 1918

Best Tractors Are Shown in Movies

CL Best and Jack Evans Stars with Best Tank

Considerable publicity has accrued to the benefit of the Best
Tracklayer Tractors through the moving picture theaters. The larger
percentage of the theaters in the United States and many in foreign
countries have shown pictures of our tractors in their news weeklies
during the past 18 months. In most of these instances the name Best
has appeared, and in one picture, with a circulation of 15,000
theaters, Mr. Best appeared as the inventor of the tractor, and Jack
Evans as the operator.

This was in connection with our Tank in the sham battles which were
staged last year in conjunction with the U.S. Army. Pictures of these
two* battles appeared in upwards of 60,000 theaters scattered
throughout the world. They were taken and circulated by six motion
picture news weeklies. That they aroused interest of nationwide
proportions was demonstrated by the fact that numbers of letters were
written to the company from various sections of the United States.

Aside from this publicity, we have two motion pictures of our own,
known as a Tracklayer Tidings number 1, which tells the story of the
reclamation of Lake Tulare, showing what Best tractors do in that
great country. At the present time three films of this picture are in
circulation.

Tracklayer Tidings number 2 is a fire prevention picture produced
under the direction of the Forest Industries Committee of California.
This film shows how to produce food with Best tractors, and how to
prevent fires in grain-fields and warehouses. It is being handled in
an educational way by the University of California which is releasing
it through its farm advisers in each county of the state.

Both of these films give the Best Tractor and excellent boost, at the
same time telling an educational story of unusual interest.

One of these films was thrown on the screen at that Best Red Cross
Benefit, and as soon as the University will release one of the number
2 films it is probable that will be exhibited for the benefit of the
employees of the Company.

*NB Two battles.

Acc to Jack, several news services filmed the Best Tracklayer Tank battle,
including "Internat. Film Service," but he doesn't know anything more about them.

Another pic you might be interested in:

 

-- Edited by James H on Thursday 23rd of March 2017 05:30:16 PM

Since we can't find a rear view or a motion picture of the vehicle, perhaps we can speculate about the color of it?

I am thinking a rather light battleship grey. What do you think?

Mike Bunkermeister Creek

www.militarymuseum.org/CLB75Tank.html

James H. There are two port side views of the tank and it clearly shows some kind of hatch between the rivet lines near the front of the turret area.

I am trying to determine if there is another hatch at the rear or if the rear is straight across the back.

Thanks.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek

James H you may be correct. That could be an inspection hatch, or it could be an opening for the crew to enter and exit. Without a closer view, a decent blueprint, or a view of the rear of the tank it's hard to tell.

I also wonder if the turret rotates or not? How does the crew man the weapons?

What are the two rectangular holes in the front hull, it looks as if they have gun barrels poking out of them in at least one photo?

My attempts to build a reasonably accurate model are confounded at every point!

If only we had more photos!

Mike Bunkermeister Creek

The Renault FT only used one man to crew the turret and operate the gun. Perhaps only two and the driver were intended to operate inside the turret.

I suspect the turret does not rotate, and I suspect the guns were intended to be moved from port hole to port hole to gain the proper firing position.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek

Oh, come along. This isn't a tank. It's a mock-up. A carnival float. It's no more a working tank than the Caterpillar G9. There might have been a second man standing in the turret, waggling the guns about, but don't imagine this was a potential fighting vehicle.