The Type 73 is an
artillery tractor
An artillery tractor, also referred to as a gun tractor, is a specialized heavy-duty form of tractor unit used to tow artillery pieces of varying weights and calibres. It may be 6x6, wheeled, continuous track, tracked, or half-tracked.
Trac ...
of the
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
.
History
The first production of the Type 73 was in 1974, built by Hitachi as a domestic replacement for the American
M4 and
M8 high-speed tractors. It was never produced in large numbers, as
self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mo ...
became the new focus.
Construction
The cab and gun crew compartments of the Type 73 are fully enclosed steel, with ammunition carried in a separate compartment at the rear. A 400
hp Mitsubishi
The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries.
Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
powers
full tracks, and armament is a single
12.7mm
This is a list of firearm cartridge (weaponry), cartridges which have bullets in the to caliber range.
*''Length'' refers to the cartridge casing (ammunition), case length.
*''OAL'' refers to the overall length of the cartridge.
*''Bullet'' ref ...
anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
.
Usage
The Type 73 was intended to tow weapons such as the
155 mm Long Tom
The 155 mm gun M1 was a 155 millimeter caliber field gun developed and used by the United States military. Nicknamed "Long Tom" (an appellation with a long and storied history in U.S. field and naval artillery), it was produced in M1 and M2 ...
gun and the
M115 203 mm howitzer
The M115 203 mm howitzer, also known as the M115 8-inch Howitzer, and originally the M1 8-inch Howitzer was a towed heavy howitzer developed and used by the United States Army during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
Histo ...
. It can also be fitted with a
dozer blade
A bulldozer or dozer (also called a crawler) is a large, motorized machine equipped with a metal blade to the front for pushing material: soil, sand, snow, rubble, or rock during construction work. It travels most commonly on continuous tracks, ...
, or alternatively, the Type 92
mine roller
A mine roller or ''mine trawl'' is a demining device mounted on a tank or armoured personnel carrier, designed to detonate anti-tank mines. It allows engineers to clear a lane through a minefield which is protected by enemy fire.
The device is ...
.
Further reading
* {{cite book , last=Trewhitt , first=Philip , title=Armoured Fighting Vehicles , year=1999 , publisher=Dempsey-Parr , location=p 312 , isbn=1-84084-328-4
Artillery tractors
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
Cold War military equipment of Japan