The M25 Tank Transporter (G160) was a combination

6x6 Six-wheel drive (6WD or 6×6) is an all-wheel drive drivetrain configuration of three axles with at least two wheels on each axle capable of being driven simultaneously by the vehicle's engine. Unlike four-wheel drive drivetrains, the configurat ...

M26 armored heavy

tank transporter A tank transporter is a combination of a heavy tractor unit and a mating full trailer or semi-trailer (typically of the "lowboy" type), used for transporting tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles. Some also function as tank recovery vehi ...

/ tank recovery

tractor A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most common ...

and companion 40-ton M15 trailer introduced into

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

service in Europe in 1944–45. Manufactured by Pacific Car & Foundry Co., it was a substantial upgrade over the

Diamond T The Diamond T Company was an American automobile and truck manufacturer. They produced commercial and military trucks. History The Diamond T Motor Car Company was founded in Chicago in 1905 by C. A. Tilt. Reportedly, the company name was creat ...

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.

Development

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

tractor unit. Designed by the

Fruehauf Trailer Company Fruehauf Trailer Corporation, previously Fruehauf Trailer Company (1918–1963) and Fruehauf Corporation (1963–1989), was an American company engaged in the manufacture and sale of truck trailers, and other machinery and equipment, with headqua ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, 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 Hall-Scott Motor Car Company was an American manufacturing company based in Berkeley, California. It was among the most significant builders of water-cooled aircraft engines before World War I. History 1910–21 The company was founded in 1910 ...

440 6-cylinder gasoline engine developing at 2000 rpm and at 1200 rpm. Developed for the M26, it was used to uprate the

. 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. A later unarmored version of the M26 tractor was designated the M26A1. An experimental

ballast tractor A ballast tractor is a specially weighted tractor unit of a heavy hauler combination. It is designed to utilize a drawbar to pull or push heavy or exceptionally large trailer loads which are loaded in a hydraulic modular trailer. When feasible ...

conversion was evaluated by the British

Fighting Vehicle Proving Establishment Combat (French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

After the war, some of them (both armored and unarmored) were bought as surplus and used to carry

oversize load In road transport, an oversize load (or overweight load) is a load that exceeds the standard or ordinary legal size and/or weight limits for a truck to convey on a specified portion of road, highway, or other transport infrastructure, such as a ...

s such as

transformer A transformer is a passive component that transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another circuit, or multiple circuits. A varying current in any coil of the transformer produces a varying magnetic flux in the transformer' ...

locomotive A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the Power (physics), motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, Motor coach (rail), motor ...

s and heavy equipment.

Gallery

File:M_26,_Pacific_Dragon_Wagon_pic4.JPG, M25 with M26 Armored semi-tractor File:M25_Tank_Transporter.jpg, Display of M25 with M26 armored semi-tractor File:Pacific_Car_%26_Foundry_Tractor_M26A1_from_Wo-II.jpg, Display of M25 with M26A1 unarmored semi-tractor File:M26-tractor-1.jpg, M26 semi-tractor (LR view) File:M26Pacific rearwheels.JPG, M26 semi-tractor showing rear wheel drive by chains.

Specifications

* Crew 7 * Armament 1 .50 cal. machine gun * Armor, front 3/4 inch, sides and rear, 1/4 inch. * Top speed 26 MPH * Fuel capacity 120 gallons

Users

* :

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 ...

* :

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

* :

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

* :

Yugoslav People's Army The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodna armija; sl, Jugoslovanska ljudska a ...

Notes

References

* ''TM 9-1767A'' * ''TM 9-1767B Power Train for Tractor Truck M26'' * * * * * * *

External links

Short story of the M26 and pictures of a restored vehicle in 2004Article and photo at milweb.net
* https://web.archive.org/web/20090204121541/http://realmilitaryflix.com/public/378.cfm training film * http://www.forum-auto.com/automobile-pratique/modelisme-modeles-reduits/sujet7051-5495.htm pictures of M26 used as oversize loads tractors {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Military trucks of the United States Tank transporters Wheeled armoured recovery vehicles World War II vehicles of the United States Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944 Fruehauf Trailer Corporation