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Armor/AFV
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
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Long tom
robonth
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Haute-Savoie, France
Joined: February 01, 2006
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Posted: Monday, July 30, 2018 - 10:16 PM UTC
Hello,
I was wondering if when the long tom and 8" Howitzer where towed by a Bulldozer they used the guns brakes or only the dozer ones. It's difficult to see on photos. If yes, where could I find pics of the connections at the back of the dozer please? Thanks for the help
Robert-Jan Bonthond
sgtreef
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Oklahoma, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, July 31, 2018 - 11:05 AM UTC
Don't why they would tow with a Dozer.

M4 high Speed tractor usually as carried the Ammo.

Marines might of in their war with the Japanese????
HDSC2D
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Indiana, United States
Joined: March 12, 2013
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Posted: Tuesday, July 31, 2018 - 11:20 AM UTC
Early on before the advent of the High Speed Tractors, they did use crawler tractors to move the 155mm and 8 inch. I think they were International Harvesters.
KurtLaughlin
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Pennsylvania, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, July 31, 2018 - 11:56 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hello,
I was wondering if when the long tom and 8" Howitzer where towed by a Bulldozer they used the guns brakes or only the dozer ones. It's difficult to see on photos. If yes, where could I find pics of the connections at the back of the dozer please? Thanks for the help
Robert-Jan Bonthond


The tractors had an air compressor for the carriage's braking system. The connections would depend on the particular tractor model in use. For a trailer load like this the carriage brakes had to be used to prevent "jackknife" accidents.

By the way, a "bulldozer" has an earthmoving blade attached. Without a blade the vehicles are called crawler tractors, as Mike noted.

KL
robonth
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Haute-Savoie, France
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KitMaker: 12 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, July 31, 2018 - 05:36 PM UTC
Thanks for the help! Sorry, you're right of course, they where crawler tractors! I want to use the Mirror Caterpillar D7 crawler (not sure if they where used with the inter ones) so some artistic license will have to be used.
Robert-Jan Bonthond
HDSC2D
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Indiana, United States
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Posted: Friday, August 03, 2018 - 02:15 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks for the help! Sorry, you're right of course, they where crawler tractors! I want to use the Mirror Caterpillar D7 crawler (not sure if they where used with the inter ones) so some artistic license will have to be used.
Robert-Jan Bonthond

According to Fred Crrismon’s “U.S. Military Tracked Vehicles” there were several crawler tractors under the M1 designation: Caterpillar D6 and D7, Allis-Chalmers HD7W and HD-10W and International Harvester TD-9 and TD-18. All but the TD-9 had winches fitted to the front end to assist in positioning the gun/howitzer.
barkingdigger
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ARMORAMA
#013
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England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
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Posted: Saturday, August 04, 2018 - 04:14 AM UTC

Quoted Text

For a trailer load like this the carriage brakes had to be used to prevent "jackknife" accidents.


Hard to believe a crawler went fast enough for it to happen! Still, I guess steep downhill runs could result in trailer "over-run" when stopping...
Kevlar06
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Washington, United States
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Posted: Saturday, August 04, 2018 - 09:17 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

For a trailer load like this the carriage brakes had to be used to prevent "jackknife" accidents.


Hard to believe a crawler went fast enough for it to happen! Still, I guess steep downhill runs could result in trailer "over-run" when stopping...


Don’t forget slippery road conditions in rain, snow, ice and mud. The difference between a slow moving tractor and the lack of traction on carriage wheels could be rather dramatic. Even with the Mack NO and the HST, when speeds were low. There’s a couple of good pics of “Long Tom” and 8” accidents in Ampersands “Long Tom and HST book” articles from a few years back if I recall correctly.
VR, Russ
Kevlar06
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Washington, United States
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Posted: Saturday, August 04, 2018 - 09:23 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Don't why they would tow with a Dozer.

M4 high Speed tractor usually as carried the Ammo.

Marines might of in their war with the Japanese????


As someone else mentioned, crawlers were used as a prime mover early on, and could be found in artillery units as late as the Spring of 1944, especially in Italy. Once the Mack NO and HST became widespread as the prime movers, the crawlers were phased out.
VR, Russ
robonth
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Haute-Savoie, France
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Posted: Monday, August 06, 2018 - 02:23 AM UTC
Hello,
Now I need to figure out where the compressor is located. Probably near the accessory belts.
Robert-Jan
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