M25 Tank Transporter
| M25 Tank Transporter | |
|---|---|
M26 tractor
|
|
| Type | 40 ton (36,287kg) 6x6 Tank recovery truck-trailer |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1941–1955 |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Knuckey Truck Company |
| Manufacturer | M26: Pacific Car & Foundry Co. M15: Fruehauf Trailer Co. |
| Variants | M26A1, M26A2 |
| Specifications (M25) | |
| Weight |
Empty |
| Length | M26: 25 feet 4 inches (7.72 m) M15: 38 feet 5 1⁄16 inches (11.71 m) |
| Width | M26: 10 feet 10 3⁄4 inches (3.32 m) M15 12 feet 6 inches (3,810 mm) |
| Height | M26: 11 feet 5 inches (3.48 m) |
| Crew | 7 |
|
|
|
| Armor | front 3⁄4 in (19 mm) sides, rear 1⁄4 in (6.4 mm) |
|
Main
armament |
.50 cal M2 machine gun |
| Engine | Hall-Scott 440 gasoline 240 hp (180 kW) |
| Transmission | 4 speed x 3 speed |
| Fuel capacity | 120 US gal (450 l) |
|
Operational
range |
120 mi (193.1 km) |
| Speed | 28 mph (45 km/h) |
Empty
M26: 48,000 lb (22,000 kg)
M15: 36,600 lb (16,600 kg)
M25: 84,300 lb (38,200 kg)
Loaded
M26: 103,000 lb (47,000 kg)
M15: 36,600 lb (16,600 kg)
The M25 Tank Transporter (G160) was a combination 6x6 M26 armored heavy tank transporter/tank recovery tractor and companion 40-ton M15 trailer introduced into US Army service in Europe in 1944–45. Manufactured by Pacific Car & Foundry Co., it was a substantial upgrade over the Diamond T M19 transporter/trailer duo introduced in 1940.
Nicknamed the Dragon Wagon, it was replaced by the 10 ton 6x6 M123 semi-tractor beginning in 1955.
In 1942 a new 40 ton semi-trailer tank transporter was needed with better off-road performance than the M9 24 small-wheel trailer, and greater capacity than the 30 ton 8 large-wheel Shelvoke and Drewry semi-trailers used by the Diamond T tractor unit. Designed by the Fruehauf Trailer Company of Detroit, Michigan, it was heavier than the Diamond T could manage. A companion M26 tractor was designed by the San Francisco-based Knuckey Truck Company. When it could not keep up with the Army's demands production was awarded to the Pacific Car & Foundry Co. of Seattle, Washington.
Designated TR-1 by Pacific Car, the chain-driven 12-ton 6x6 M26 tractor was powered by a Hall-Scott 440 1,090 cu in (17.9 L) 6-cylinder gasoline engine developing 240 hp (180 kW) at 2000 rpm and 810 lbf·ft (1,098 N·m) at 1200 rpm. Developed for the M26, it was used to uprate the Diamond T. Some 2,100 Type 440s were built. Baxter notes "over 1,300" M26 and M26A1 being built.
Unusually, the tractor unit was fitted with both an armored cab and two winches with a combined pull of 60 tons, allowing it to do light battlefield recovery work.
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