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| M6 High-Speed Tractor | |
|---|---|
Wartime photo of a M6 Tractor
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| Type | Artillery tractor |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | US Army |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Allis-Chalmers |
| Produced | February 1944-August 1945 |
| No. built | 1,235 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 76,000 lb (34.5 t) |
| Length | 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m) |
| Width | 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) |
| Height | 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m) |
| Crew | 11 |
Main | .50 cal (12.7 mm) M2 machine gun |
| Engine | 2 × Waukesha 145GZ 6-cylinder gasoline engine 2 × 190 hp (140 kW) at 2,100 rpm |
| Suspension | Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension |
Operational | 110 mi (180 km) |
| Maximum speed | 21 mph (34 km/h) |
The M6 High-Speed Tractor was an artillery tractor used by the US Army during World War II.
Manufactured by Allis-Chalmers, it was used to tow heavy artillery pieces, such as the 8-inch Gun M1 and 240 mm howitzer M1. Its G-number was (G-184).
Although in the late 1930s the US Army lacked a clear mechanization policy, the success of the "blitzkrieg" in 1939-40 highlighted the need of motorized vehicles for both tactical and strategic maneuver, which meant that towed artillery would need to move at a speed comparable to that of the armored fighting vehicles.
To achieve this, a series of “high speed tractors” was planned, which would tow the different artillery pieces existing (or planned) in the US Army inventory. The “high” speed was considered in comparison with horse-drawn artillery rather than that obtainable with wheeled prime moversorballast tractors. The models considered in the series included: 7 ton, 13 ton, 18 ton, and 38 ton.
Intended to tow heavy artillery pieces as the 240 mm howitzer M1 and the 8-inch Gun M1, the M6 artillery tractor was larger and heavier than the M4 Artillery Tractor, although they had a similar layout. The main differences between both were in the following areas:
It was powered by two six-cylinder, in-line, Waukesha 145GZ gasoline engines with an engine displacement of 13.4 L (820 cu in), each of which gave 190 hp (140 kW) at 2,100 rev/min. The running gear consisted on six rubber-rimmed wheels per side, with the drive wheel located at the front and a large tensioning wheel at the rear; a layout similar to the one used in the M3 Light Tank and later in the M4 Tractor.
The M6 tractor was chiefly used in the European theater only in the last months of World War II. Until then large caliber artillery was moved by the M1 Heavy Tractor, heavy trucks, or vehicles such as the M33 Prime Mover, M34 Prime MoverorM35 Prime Mover derived from the M3 Medium Tank, M4 Medium Tank, and M10 GMC hulls respectively
Use of this tractor in the Pacific theater seems to have been limited to training at Oahu, (Hawaii). [citation needed]
Some vehicles were sold to Israel after being replaced by self-propelled artillery. [citation needed]
National Military Vehicle Museum, Edinburgh, South Australia
Media related to M6 High Speed Tractor at Wikimedia Commons
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