M4 tractor
| M4 High-Speed Tractor | |
|---|---|
 M4 high speed tractor with 90-mm ammo box | |
| 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 | Allis-Chalmers |
| Variants | Anti-aircraft and howitzer towing variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 14.288 t |
| Length | 5.232 m (17 ft 2 in) |
| Width | 2.464 m (8 ft 1 in) |
| Height | 2.515 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Crew | 1 + 11 |
| Armor | none |
Main armament | M2 Browning machine gun |
| Engine | Waukesha 145GZ six-cylinder inline petrol engine 210 hp (156 kW) |
| Power/weight | 14.70 hp/t |
| Suspension | Vertical volute spring |
Operational range | 290 km (180 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 53 km/h (33 mph) |
The M4 High-Speed Tractor was an artillery tractor used by the US Army from 1943.[1]
Design and development
The M4 was based on the chassis and drive train of the obsolescent M2 Light Tank. This common practice of re-using old vehicles simplified design, allowed for easy production, and made maintenance in the field easier.
One variant was designed to tow anti-aircraft guns and another for howitzers.[1] The rear compartment carried the gun crew and other equipment and some later variants included a crane to assist with heavier projectiles.[1]
History
The M4 was manufactured by Allis-Chalmers of Milwaukee, starting in 1942 and was in U.S. military service until approximately 1960.[1] Under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program, the M4 was supplied to The Netherlands, Japan, Brazil, Yugoslavia and Pakistan after World War II ended.[1] In the 1965 Indo pak war the Pakistani Army used the M-4 Tractor to haul M115 Howitzers to the battlefield of Chamb and then to Lahore front.[citation needed]
Variants
- M4, base model
- M4C, The "C" designation indicates spare ammunition racks configured in the crew compartment.
- M4A1, The "A1" modification designates the wider suspension used for the "duck bill" tracks mirroring the E9 modification on Sherman tanks.
- two types of ammunition boxes were used on all models. a 90-MM box with side "tailgates" to access 90-MM shells pigeon-holed in the sides, and a combination box for 155-MM / 240-MM with a rear tailgate, and hoist.
Surviving artifacts
After the war many types of these tractors were stripped of their military components and used for log skidders, and power line construction.
- one at the Marshall Museum [1]
- one at grand Prarie Texas [2]
- one at the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles.[2]
- one at the Batey ha-Osef Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Armed Forces Military Museum, Largo Florida, [3]
See also
- List of U.S. military vehicles by supply catalog designation (G150)
- List of U.S. military vehicles by model number
- M5 Tractor
- M6 Tractor
References
- Notes
- Bibliography
- "US Army M-4 High Speed Tractor". olive-drab.com. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
- TM 9-2800 Military vehicles
- TM 9-785 18-Ton High Speed Tractors M4, M4A1, M4C, M4A1C
- SNL G150
External links
