The T-1 tractor (also known as DT-1, ''Direcția Tehnică 1'') was a project developed by the
Romanian Army
The Romanian Land Forces () is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. Since 2007, full professionalization and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Land Forces.
The Romanian Land Forc ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. A total of 1,000 were ordered. It was designed to tow a Romanian 75 mm gun. After five prototypes were produced, the project was canceled due to the lack of priority.
Specifications
The T-1 weighed 7 tons (7.7 short tons) and could carry up to 4 tons and tow as much as 6 tons. It had a 4-cylinder 56 kilowatt (75 hp) engine and transmission consisting of five gears. It could go up to 32 km/h (20 mph) and had a
power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio (PWR, also called specific power, or power-to-mass ratio) is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measurement ...
of 10.7 hp/tonne.
[Romanian Government, p. 217.]
Development
The Romanian General Staff ordered the construction of 1,000 tractors between 1944 and 1945 at the
Ford truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construct ...
plant in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
. The vehicles were officially designated as T-1 (Tractor 1).
It was also named the "DT-1".
[Tudor, p. 126] It was going to be used as a
prime mover
Prime mover may refer to:
Philosophy
*Unmoved mover, a concept in Aristotle's writings
Engineering
* Prime mover (engine or motor), a machine that converts various other forms of energy (chemical, electrical, fluid pressure/flow, etc.) into ener ...
towing the Romanian-built 75 mm antitank gun
Reşiţa Model 1943.
Production
The vehicle was based on the
STZ-5 agricultural tractor. Only five prototypes were built, because the "
Mareşal"
tank destroyer
A tank destroyer, tank hunter or tank killer is a type of armoured fighting vehicle, predominantly intended for anti-tank duties. They are typically armed with a direct fire anti-tank gun, artillery gun, also known as a self-propelled anti-ta ...
project had more priority.
[Axworthy, p. 149]
Notes
References
*Axworthy, Mark; Scafeș, Cornel; Crăciunoiu, Cristian (1995). ''Third Axis. Fourth Ally. Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945,'' Arms and Armour, London.
*Romanian Parliament (1990). ''Monitorul oficial al României. Partea a III-a, Publicații și anunțuri''. Bucharest: Romanian Government.
*Tudor, Gheorghe (1982). ''Forța de șoc. Schiță istorică a trupelor de tancuri din armata română'', Editura Militară, București.
{{WWIIRomanianAFVs
Artillery tractors
World War II armoured fighting vehicles of Romania
Military history of Romania during World War II