M5 Tractor
| M5 High-Speed Tractor | |
|---|---|
|
M5 tractor in Fort Lewis Museum | |
| Type | Artillery tractor |
| Place of origin |
 United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | US Army & Belgian army |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1942 |
| Manufacturer | International Harvester |
| Variants | 5 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 13.791 t |
| Length | 5.03 m (16 ft 6 in) |
| Width | 2.54 m (8 ft 4 in) |
| Height | 2.69 m (8 ft 10 in) |
| Crew | 1 + 10 |
|
| |
| Armor | none |
Main armament | 1 x M2 Browning machine gun |
| Engine |
Continental R6572 six-cylinder petrol engine 207 hp (154 kW) |
| Power/weight | 15.0 hp/t |
Operational range | 290 km (180 mi) |
| Speed | 48 km/h (30 mph) |
The M5 High-Speed Tractor was an artillery tractor used by the US Army from 1942.
Construction
The M5 is a fully track vehicle designed to tow the 105 mm Howitzer M2, and the 155 mm Long Tom field artillery, and carry the gun crew and ammunition. A winch and roller system allows the M5 to pull vehicles to the front or rear. Armament is a single anti-aircraft M2 Browning machine gun.
History
The M5 was standardized in October 1942 from the T21, a vehicle based on the tracks and suspension of the Stuart tank. International Harvester started production in 1942. The M5 did not serve in US Army for long after World War II, but Japan, Austria, Yugoslavia and Pakistan continued to use it.
Variants
- M5 soft top, center driver, Vertical Volute Spring
- M5A1 hard top, left driver, Vertical Volute Spring
- M5A2 soft top, center driver, Horizontal Volute Spring
- M5A3 hard top, left driver, Horizontal Volute Spring
- M5A4 Half top, center driver, side ammo boxes, Horizontal Volute Spring
Surviving artifacts
- Marshall Museum
- 1 at 45th ID Museum
- Museum of the American G.I., College Station, TX (unit is fully functional)
- 1 M5A2 at Armourgeddon Tank Driving, Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, UK Armourgeddon
- 1 M5 at the Kansas Museum of Military History in Augusta, Kansas, USA unit is fully functional
Many M5 Tractors were used in British Columbia, Canada, as carriers for rock drills. The Chapman "Drilmobile", manufactured by Chapman Motor & Machine Shop of Delta, BC was designed specifically for logging road construction, and was quite popular.
See also
- List of U.S. military vehicles by supply catalog designation
- List of U.S. military vehicles by model number
- M4 Tractor
References
- Trewhitt, Philip (1999). Armoured Fighting Vehicles. p 308: Dempsey-Parr. ISBN 1-84084-328-4.
- TM 9-2800 OCTOBER 1947, page 170: http://www.scribd.com/doc/188375301/TM-9-2800-1947
- TM 9-2800-1 February 1953: http://www.scribd.com/doc/183017787/TM-9-2800-1-1953-INCLUDING-C1-EN-C2-pdf
- TM 9-786 Operating and Maintenance Instructions, 13-Ton, High Speed Tractor M5
- TM 9-1786A Ordnance Maintenance for power train, tracks, 13-Ton, High Speed Tractor M5 (1944)
- TM 9-1786B Ordnance Maintenance for engine, 13-Ton, High Speed Tractor M5 (1944)
- TM 9-8627 Electrical equipment, Delco-Remy. 1953. Generators, regulators, distributors, starters, etc.
- TM 9-1829A Speedometers, tachometers, recorders
- TM 9-2430-201
- SNL G162
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to M5 High Speed Tractor. |