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| Tank Cruiser, Ram Mk II |
Early production Ram Mk II displayed at CFB Borden |
| Type |
Medium tank |
| Place of origin |
Canada |
| Specifications |
| Weight |
29.5 t |
| Length |
5.79 m |
| Width |
2.67 m |
| Height |
2.9 m |
| Crew |
5 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver, co-driver/hull gunner) |
|
| Armor |
87 |
Primary
armament |
Mk III QF 6 pdr
92 rounds |
Secondary
armament |
2x 0.30 cal machineguns
4,440 rounds |
| Engine |
Continental R-975 9-cyl radial petrol engine
400/340 hp (298/254 kW) |
| Suspension |
vertical volute spring |
Operational
range |
232 km |
| Speed |
25 mph, 40 km/h (off road: 20 mph, 32 km/h) |
The Tank Cruiser, Ram was a Cruiser tank designed and built by Canada in the Second World War, based on the U.S. M3 Medium tank.
[edit] Development
Tank production in the UK at the start of the war was insufficient to supply Canada as well, so it was decided to manufacture locally. The Montreal Locomotive Works, which was a subsidiary of the American Locomotive Company, was designated the Canadian Tank Arsenal. The current U.S. tank, the M3, was chosen as the basis for the design, but changes would be made to correct some of its shortcomings. Although the ability to mount a large 75 mm gun was suggested, the current British cruiser tank specification of a two pounder gun was adhered to. However the turret was designed to take a larger gun when one became available as battlefield experience was already showing that the 2 pdr was insufficient.
A prototype Ram was completed in June 1941. General production of the Ram I began in November of the same year. By February 1942, production had switched to the Ram II model with a 6 pounder gun and continued until July 1943, when a decision was made to adopt the Sherman tank for all British and Canadian units. By that point production was 1948 vehicles, including 84 artillery observation post vehicles.
[edit] Combat history
Ram Mk.II - late production
As built, the Ram was never used in combat as a tank, but for crew training in Great Britain up to mid 1944. The observation post vehicles and conversions of the Ram did see active service in Europe. The tanks were rebuilt in army workshops near the front line.
In 1945 the Royal Netherlands Army got permission from the Canadian government to take possession for free of all Ram tanks in army dumps on Dutch territory. Those not already converted into Kangaroos were used to equip the 1st and 2nd Tank Battalion (1e en 2e Bataljon Vechtwagens), the very first Dutch tank units ever. These had a nominal organic strength of 53 each. However it proved to be impossible to ready enough tanks to attain this strength, as the vehicles were in a very poor state of maintenance. In 1947 the UK provided 44 Ram tanks from its stocks, that were in a better condition. Forty of these had been rebuilt with the British 75 mm gun; four were OP/Command vehicles with a dummy gun. This brought the operational total for that year to just 73, including two Mark Is. In 1950 only fifty of these were listed as present. The Ram tanks (together with the Sherman tanks of the three other tank battalions, in part simply taken without permission) were replaced by Centurion Tanks leased by the U.S. Government in 1952. Some Ram tanks were used in the fifties as static pillboxes in the IJssel Line, their hulls dug in and embedded within two feet of concrete. One Dutch Ram tank, an OP/Command vehicle, survives at the Amersfoort Cavalry Museum.
Ram tanks can also be seen at the Canadian War Museum, in Worthington Park at Canadian Forces Base Borden, in front of the Beatty Street Armoury in Vancouver, and at the Bovington Tank Museum (Ram and Kangaroo).
[edit] Variants
A RAM encased in the Dutch IJssel Line, still present in 2007
RAM OP/Command tank at Amersfoort
- Tank Cruiser, Ram Mk I
- Ordnance QF 2 pounder gun (171 rounds).
- Tank Cruiser, Ram Mk II
- Early production: Mk III QF 6 pounder gun (92 rounds).
- Late production: Mk V six-pounder. Auxiliary turret and sponson door removed. Browning .303 in (7.7 mm) machine gun fitted in ball mount.
- Badger
- A flamethrower equipped tank. The first Badgers were Ram Kangaroos with the Wasp II flamethrowing equipment (as used on the Universal Carrier) installed in place of the bow MG. Later models were turret rams with the equipment in place of the main gun.
- Ram Kangaroo
- An armoured personnel carrier for 11 men plus 2 crew. See Kangaroo.
- Ram OP/Command (84)
- An armoured vehicle to function as a mobile observation posts for the Forward Observation Officers (FOO) of Sexton self-propelled gun units, based on Ram Mk II. The gun was replaced by a dummy, and two Wireless sets were fitted. Crew of 6. 84 were built in 1943.
- Ram GPO
- Like OP but with special equipment for gun position officers of SP artillery regiments. Had Tannoy loudspeakers mounted.
- Sexton
- Self-propelled artillery vehicle armed with QF 25 pounder gun in open-topped superstructure.
- Wallaby
- Armoured ammunition supply vehicle, carried 25 pdr ammunition for Sexton.
- Ram ARV Mk I
- Armoured recovery vehicle based on Ram Mk I. Winch added.
- Ram ARV Mk II
- ARV based on Ram Mk II. Jib and earth spade added, turret replaced by dummy.
- Ram Gun Tower
- Armoured artillery tractor for use with Ordnance QF 17 pounder towed Anti-tank gun.
[edit] References
- Chris Ellis, Peter Chamberlain - AFV No. 13 - RAM AND SEXTON, Profile Publications, England
- Roberts, Paul - The Ram - Developments and Variants, Vol. 1, Service Publications, Ottawa, Canada 2002
- Roberts, Paul - The Ram - Developments and Variants, Vol. 2, Service Publications, Ottawa, Canada 2004
- Law, Clive - Making Tracks - Tank Production in Canada, Service Publications, Ottawa, Canada 2001
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
[edit] See also
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Scout Cars and Armoured cars |
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| Scout Cars |
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| Light Reconnaissance Cars |
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| Armoured Cars |
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| Armoured Trucks |
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| Armoured Command Vehicles |
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