Landships II

this is a translation of an article from the website http://armor.kiev.ua/, this is the first part of three instalments ( its too big to do all in one turn)


Armored Tractors Part 1



Without having official papers, you write on plain paper. When you don’t have tanks, you armor tractors. This article is dedicated to the early trials of Russian armored tractors built during WWI.





By September 1915 the Russian army had plenty of experience with armored cars. It was seen that regular car chassis were unfit for armored cars. This was from their low performance on unpaved terrain, and non existent cross country travel. Many military personnel saw the solution to this problem in changing the car chassis to tractor chassis.

One of the most active proponents of this idea was the artillery colonel Gulkevich. In June 1915 he received a patent on an invention of a new way to armor and arm a tractor, which was able to travel on the most difficult terrain. On March 3 1916 the colonel submitted his design to the commission dealing with armored cars. At the same time he informed that on his own funds he is already constructing a prototype at the Obuchov factory. The project was approved and funded. The construction of the armored tractor was relocated to the putilov works. By November 1916 the armoring of the tractor was finished, the tractor was named “ilya muromets”.

As the base for this armored tractor Gulkevich picked the Allis Chalmers tractor truck. Ten such vehicles were bought in spring of 1916 for testing as gun carriers. The tractor had a 68 h.p. engine, 4 forward gears, and 1 reverse gear. The running gear was attached independently regarding each other; the tractor also had a second driver seat for more security during combat. A starter was installed and the front wheels were strengthened which served the role of controlling the tractor in motion. The armor body was made out of riveted 6.5mm sheets; the body was split into two compartments. In the front compartment the drivers seat was located, ammunition storage, gas tank, and the rotating turret with two maxim machineguns. The second compartment had the second command post, more ammunition and a 76mm howitzer with 90 degree horizontal traverse. Like all Russian armored vehicles “ilya muromets” would go to battle in reverse thus being able to get out of fire without having to turn around, thus the biggest armament was in the back. The weight of the tractor was 12 tones, speed 12-15 Km/h. Trails of the vehicle done during November/December of 1916 showed the vehicle in a very good light. During the end of 1916 the Putilov factory received an order for a similar armored tractor called “Ahterets” which was built in March 1917. Both tractors were stationed in Petrograd. Gulkevich planned to use 40 armored tractors per army corps to break through enemy positions; these tractors were to tow 107mm guns with their ammunition to be used to consolidate the gains made by the armored tractors.

Judging from the construction and purpose of these armored tractors they can easily be called Russia’s first tanks. Especially since the first French tanks were built on the Holt tractors.
After the October revolution both tractors fell into the hands of the Bolsheviks. In October 1917 “ilya muromets’ was renamed “Red Petrograd.” “Ahterets” was sent to Moscow on the 29th of October 1917. On November 1-2 the armored tractor took part in street fighting in Moscow. “Ahterets” participated in several battles during the Russian Civil war, while the “red Petrograd” remained in reserve, due to the lack of spare parts by 1922-1923 both cars were scrapped.