M56 Scorpion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| M56 Scorpion | |
|---|---|
 M56 Scorpion preserved at the American Armored Foundation Tank Museum in Danville, Virginia. |
|
| Type | Self-propelled gun |
| Place of origin |  United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United States,  Spain,  Morocco |
| Wars | Vietnam War |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Cadillac Motor Car Division of General Motors |
| Produced | 1953 - 1959 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 7.1 tonnes |
| Length | 4.55 m (excluding gun) |
| Width | 2.57 m |
| Height | 2 m over gun shield |
| Crew | 4 (commander, gunner, loader and driver) |
|
|
|
| Armor | unarmored except for blast shield |
| Primary armament |
90mm M54 29 rounds |
| Engine | Continental A01-403-5 gasoline engine 200 hp |
| Transmission | Allison CD-150-4, 2 ranges forward, 1 reverse |
| Suspension | Torsion tube over bar at wheels 1 and 4, torsion bar at wheels 2 and 3 |
| Ground clearance | 0.32 m |
| Fuel capacity | 210 l |
| Operational range |
230 km (140 mi) |
| Speed | 45 km/h (28 mph) |
The M56 Scorpion was an unarmoured American self-propelled anti-tank gun, which featured a 90mm M54 gun with a simple blast shield, and unprotected crew compartment. It was meant to be transported by helicopter or by air drop.
The M56 was manufactured from 1953 to 1959 by the Cadillac Motor Car Division of General Motors for use by US airborne forces, though the vehicle was eventually used by the Spanish Marines and Morocco as well. With a crew of four (commander, gunner, loader and driver), the M56 weighed 6.4 tons empty and 7.7 tons combat-loaded. It had infrared driving lights but no Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) protection system and was not amphibious.
The M56 was a fully-tracked vehicle with rubber-tired run-flat road wheels and front drive sprocket wheels. It was powered by a Continental A01-403-5 gasoline engine developing 200 brake horsepower at 3,000 rpm, allowing a maximum road speed of 28 mph (45 km/h) and a maximum range of 140 miles (230 km). Twenty-nine rounds of main gun ammunition were carried, and only the blast shield was armored.
The M56 saw service with U.S. forces in the Vietnam War, where its function (air portable, self-propelled, anti-tank vehicle) was replaced by the troublesome but effective M551 Sheridan which had a fully armoured turret.
The USMC used the Ontos which had an armoured cabin and recoilless rifles, and was based on the running gear of the M56. The current Stryker gun system has a similar role as lightweight gun support, but is too heavy and large to be dropped by parachute or carried by helicopter, or even by C-130. Current US airborne troops do not have a self-propelled gun system that can be delivered by air drop with the retirement of the Sheridan.
A well preserved example can be found in a city park in Auburn, Washington and next to a park in Elmwood Park, NJ. A restored M56 is at the American Armored Foundation Tank Museum in Danville, Virginia, along with a diorama of a destroyed M56.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Foss, Christopher F. [1974]. Jane's Pocket Book of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles. Collier Books, 153. 73-15286.
- 90 mm Self-propelled Gun M56 Scorpion
