When by chance you find yourself on the race track, eyes involuntarily rush to the horses, who will participate in the race. beautiful, well-groomed, stately. Under beautiful cloths. can say, ideal horse tribal representatives.
A close working horses, which brought hay, waste removal… perform routine, no front operation, for which has been designed and horses for the most part. they are ordinary. They have no blankets. Often combed. Drawn carts. And we do not look at them. Laborers are not very interesting man in the street.
Good, that our TV series it did not happen. We continue to talk about the, who "participates in the race", not forgetting the "workhorse" of the war. It seems to be interesting is the common man. Seen hundreds of times in the chronicle. Even something heard or read about it.
In short, our today's hero is known to many unknown and an even greater number of readers. This representative is widely developed in the US half-track vehicles car-polutrek M2A1. APC half-track of numerous family «half-tracks» Americans.
One such light armored vehicles we have described in one of his articles. This is the famous M3A1 «scout what». Our hero was born around the same time, that this «scout what». But here in the "about" sitting is not the devil in the details, and more.
You, probably, You will be very surprised, but the ancestor of the armored personnel carrier, rather, grandfather, must be sought in the Russian ...!
At all, Development of such machines began in the US back in 1932 year. Engaged in the design firm James Cunniagham and Sons, Linn, GMC и Marmon-Herrington. But talk about, that the very idea of such APCs belongs to Americans, must not.
We look at the photo. Who is it?
This Frenchman. Release of the 30-ies of the last century.
this?
This purebred Russian. "Austin Putilovets-Kegress".
The brainchild of Adolf Kegressa, collected on the basis of the truck "Austin" on Putilov. On the patented suspension Kegressa, if anything.
Adolf Kegress, French engineer, engineer and inventor.
In 1909-1917 he lived and worked in Russia. And not just somewhere nuts twisted, and was the personal chauffeur of Emperor Nicholas II and head of the technical part of the Imperial garage with the rank of ensign.
invented, properly, suspension of a name, used including armored cars "Austin Putilovets-Kegress".
AT 1917 year, not appreciating the revolution began in Russia (like a true Frenchman, he knew, what it all might end), Kegress left back France. And he entered the service of the well-known manufacturer in Paris shrapnel and ball bearings Andre Citroen ...
AT 1919 the couple opened a car plant "Citroen", and 1931 , the US War Department bought in France a few chassis models Citroen-Kegresse. It was the French idea and became the impetus for the creation of the US «half-tracks».
That's the backstory ...
To tell, that Americans once all happened, must not. Prototype was not satisfied with the military. establishment only 1938 year car Scout "Scout Car" M3 has pushed the company's designers Diamond T Motor Company to accelerate the work.
In general, the family looks very impressive — M2, M3, M5, M9 and modifications thereof. All were released a huge amount of half-track armored personnel carriers - more 41 thousands of units!
maybe, is the huge number of cars, their versatility and use in the most improbable circumstances and has caused too much interest in these combat vehicles. Meanwhile, as shown by «boy-scout», These machines are very interesting.
Cars, belonging to the family «half-tracks» created on the same principle. First of all, this is the maximum possible use of automobile aggregates.
In the chassis with caterpillar used Coated metal fitting. The drive wheel housed in the front portion, caterpillar and she relied on small diameter rollers.
Even the weight and load capacity were approximately the same. Machines have weight 8-9 tonnes, and the limited capacity 1,5 tons. Generally, similarities machines can transfer enough.
We can recall a winch for self, the presence of the stern door landing, in addition to the side doors in the cabin, etc.. But today we have a specific character. so, an overview of the armored vehicles are not particularly interested in.
AT 1940 , two prototype future cars were created: T14 and T8. Machines have been standardized in October 1940 year and adopted by the US Army. T14 became semi-tracked artillery tractor Half-Track Car M2, T8 and an armored personnel carrier Half-Track Personel Carrier M3.
so, what is the artillery tractor M2? Try to understand the car components on.
Let's start with the body. tractor layout was the same, and how the "Scout" M3A1. Furthermore, forebody, including the driver's cab was completely borrowed from the M3A1 "Scout Car".
Frontal armor plate body has two bronestvorki, reinforced hinges, which can be folded forward to increase driver and passenger survey. Besides, in hatches are peepholes, which, if necessary, close the valves.
Interesting as armored shutters, who took the front radiator. They are not static, and made swing. During combat machine "hide" behind the radiator armor, and in the normal mode, just shutters protect the radiator from getting any mechanical bodies. I.e, The procedure of the radiator grille of the truck.
the housing itself has a simple box-like shape with vertical walls and feed board. Rolled armor plates fastened to the frame of the corners. Self mounting and connection bronelistov carried out by conventional screws.
Interesting as the door of the tractor, that in the absence of the rear doors were almost the only way out of the troop compartment, except for skipping over the top side. Doors were not monolithic. The upper part of the door were folding. In this case, the driver and the passenger gets reviewed, A similar survey in the car.
Since M2 is designed to work with artillery systems, designers have significantly increased body size. The machine can be transported not only the artillery crew (6 human), but also part of the gunfire.
To do this, two special crate for transportation shots were located in the back. Specifically, to speed up the launch of calculation, boxes in the locations in the board there are special folding doors. In this way. the loader has the ability to take shots directly from the transport space.
If you look at the body from the top, the picture is really interesting. Actually, in the body may not be placed quite comfortably 6 calculating man, a 7. And if you add the driver and passenger in the driving compartment, the 9.
But it is difficult to say, in what department gets one more chair. In short, between the seats of the driver and passenger, but offset ago, in the troop compartment, It is 10th seat! It was near this seat is already described boxes shots.
Interesting location for fuel tanks. They are two and they are located behind the right and left seats. In this case, no armored tanks. Made of normal structural steel, but provided with self-locking rubber. After contact with bullets, tires tightens a hole and prevents the fuel flow.
The same body was ground and the tractor arms.
This 7.62-mm machine gun Browning M1917A1 water-cooled for early versions of the machine, or 7.62-mm machine gun Browning M1919A4 for later versions. The second gun was 12.7mm gun Browning M2HB.
Both guns were mounted in the rail by means of movable machine M22, which we mentioned in other articles. This mount allows to use machine guns and an air defense systems.
White Engine 160AH, which was mounted on a tractor, 4-stroke, 6 cylinder, carburettor. Engine power 147 HP. at 3000 rev / min.
In one housing with a gearbox installed dropbox, which had two gears - forward and slow-motion. Besides, transfer case and at the same time was a splitter. It transmits the torque front and rear driving axles. it also produces the same power takeoff on the winch.
Control of the machine and its front axle are made almost the same, like a truck. Transmission 5-speed. Four forward gears, one ago. Steering similar lorry. located on the left. Brake shoe type hydraulically.
Front and rear axles made by Timken. Front Axle Timken F-35-HX-1 was not only manageable, but also leading. by the way, trucks and similar APCs German manufacture leading front axle had.
Rear Axle Timken 56410-BX-67 - Senior, crawler. Here it is worth noting, that the differentials were car type. What is very important for field repairs, they were interchangeable!
It is worth considering and caterpillar mover tractor. The machine had on each side 4 paired balancer two trolleys supporting roller. Both balancing unit connected to the transverse tube with the same units other side. In this way, the repair trolley is disconnected from the tractor frame and retreated (as the rail pairs).
The front wheel was the leading mover. Rear - guide. To prevent sagging tracks located exactly in the middle supporting roller.
Caterpillar tractors M2, basically, They do not differ from the caterpillars of this family of machines. rubber steel, one-piece, width 300 mm engagement with ridges, which are parallel and the guide tracks.
In the autumn-winter and spring, in case of need, on the tracks can be attached special lugs, which increase the permeability of decent machine. The front wheels in this case are equipped with special snow chains garter-type.
In front of the machine features a traditional American cars for this family of buffered diameter of the drum 310 mm. by the way, Installation of the drum caused much debate among our readers. Does this make any sense?
There's a meaning. Armored personnel carriers and trucks, so fitted drums, overcome trenches and scarps much larger, than those machines, which is equipped with single-drum winch. Trench width for such a machine is equal to 1,8 m.
Tractor M2 had combat weight 7,99 tonnes. Maximum speed 69 (72 other sources) kmh. Could be towed artillery gun weight before 3,5 tons at a speed of up to 36 km / h on the highway. Stock walking tractor - 290 km.
M2 tractors produced by two companies - "White Motors" and "Autocar" with spring 1941 until the end 1943 of the year. "White Motors" proyzvel 8 423 cars, and "Avtokar» 2 992. in total, the total number of M2 - 11 415 units.
And further. Tractor M2 often used not as a tractor, but as an armored personnel carrier. The American army lacked it in the APC. but, original purpose played havoc not only with the machine, but with a whole army.
Capacity M2 could not be reconciled with… the organization of the US Army. US Army infantry squad simply physically not fit in the back of the M2. A transport department in two APCs threatened with the loss of that part of the management department, which moves separately from the commander.
Command of the US Army took the unprecedented step. It changed the tactics of American infantry action. M2 has become not carry infantry squad, and machine-gun. And later became a general reconnaissance vehicles (before adopting M8).
attentive readers, probably, We notice how much attention was paid to the authors of the "father" M2A1. And what about the "son"? What is it like to half-track conveyor M2A1.
The emergence of a new modification is largely due to the same reasons, and that the change in the US army tactics. the, what is good for prime mover, not always good for armored personnel carriers.
M2 operation conditions as APC has revealed the inability of the perfect machine for fire support of infantry. Rails-rails in combat were not just uncomfortable. They were deprived of the possibility of a quick change of the machine-gunners areas of work.
The first experience of change in the situation was the installation of a machine gun turret ring M32. he only, that was mounted on trucks. M2 on this turret was installed in place of the passenger compartment control (M2E6 prototype). But in this case, I lost the second gun.
The improved turret M49 was created during the further development. It was a circular turret, which made it possible to use both guns at the same time. The problem was solved by armored armament!
It is this machine and received the designation M2A1. The BTR series launched at the end 1943 of the year. Issue stopped only at the end 1944 of the year.
properly, produced armored vehicles was not so much. both firms ("White Motors" and "Autocar") year produced 1 643 cars.
The reason for this low performance lies not in the low power production firms, and set them the task to upgrade to the existing A1 M2. Here we must pay tribute to American workers. During the same period, (to end 1944 of the year) they upgraded more 5 000 M2 trucks to armored vehicles M2A1!
Specifications M2:
years: 1943-44
combat weight: 7,99 tonnes
Crew: 2 + 6 (8)
Engine power: 147 HP.
full speed: 69 (72) kmh
Power reserve: 290 km
booking:
— housing: 6,3 mm
— frontal armor and doors: 12,5 mm
weaponry:
7,62-mm machine gun Browning M1919A4
12,7-mm machine gun Browning M2HB
On lend-lease program in the Soviet Union fell 342 M2 units. Basically tractors used for towing anti-tank guns. Quick and having no problems with off-road tractor and anti-gun with ammunition and calculation - which may be unpleasant for the tanks?
M2A1 armored personnel carriers arrived in the Soviet Union is somewhat less, Total 118 units. Instead, they were equipped with a very original: each APCs were: 9-mm submachine gun Thompson 4 disk with ammunition, 10 hand grenades and 14 antitank mines. So to speak, a gift to the driver. Shovels for laying mines, as seen in the photo, Efforts were also.
In general, the grandchildren «Austin-Putilovca» It proved to be a very, very worthy descendants, dragging guns, scouts, mortar, maintaining guns fighters.
Good granddaughter came, fighting.
/Alexander Staver, Roman Skomorokhov, topwar.ru/