Since the appearance of the first guns in Europe and up to the beginning of the 20th century, their movement on the march and on the battlefield was carried out by the crews or draft animals, primarily horses. Naturally, artillery for centuries remained the weak link for their armies in the matter of mobility, moving many times slower than cavalry and even infantry. This was especially true for heavy weapons.
Already in the First World War, solutions appeared to increase the mobility of artillery. The first of them was to install cannons directly on the vehicle, which led to the appearance of tanks and self-propelled artillery. The second solution was more traditional and allowed to do without the fundamental complication of the design of the guns, leaving them on the usual carriages. Only the place of horses and crew when moving artillery on the march was now to be taken by vehicles.
The role of the first artillery tractors was played by ordinary civilian vehicles — tractors and cars. The fact that they are not always suitable for performing army functions became clear quite quickly, and constructors from different countries began to create specialized tractors for the needs of their armies. Unlike the tanks and self-propelled guns, which in the second half of the 20th century became quite monotonous in terms of layout and choice of the propulsion unit, artillery tractors were not able to come to a common denominator until now.
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Holt tractor (USA) is towing a British 8-inch Mk I howitzer. It was produced since 1908 as a civilian tractor, but it was most widely used as a tractor for heavy guns – by the end of the First World War, there were about 10 thousand tractors in the Allied forces. Weight 8.2 tons, engine 75 hp, speed up to 24 km/h
Thornycroft Hathi, United Kingdom. In operation since 1924. Weight up to 5 tons, engine 80 hp, wheel formula 4×4
Krupp Protze, Germany. It was produced since 1934. Weight 2.6 tons, engine 53-60 hp, speed up to 70 km / h, wheel formula 6×4. About 7 thousand vehicles were produced
C7R, Poland. It was produced since 1934 with wide use of components and assemblies of the 7TP tank. Weight 8.5 tons, engine 115 hp, speed up to 26 km/h. About 150 vehicles were built
Laffly S15T, France. It was produced since 1934. Weight 2.85 tons, engine 55 hp, speed up to 72 km/h
The British artillery tractor Scammell Pioneer is towing an 8-inch howitzer Mk 8. January 12, 1940, Northern France (Calais region). These machines, adopted in 1935, with a mass of 8.4 tons, were equipped with 102 hp engines (speed – up to 30 km/h, wheel formula 6×4). A total of 980 such tractors were built
Pioneer, the USSR. Weight 1.5 tons, engine 40 hp, speed up to 50 km/h. A small batch (25-50 vehicles) was built in 1936-1937
Komsomolets, the USSR ( there is a captured vehicle of the Finnish army in the photo). It was produced since 1937. Weight 3.5 tons, engine 50 l / s, speed up to 50 km/h. About 7780 vehicles were built
Sd. Kfz. 7, Germany. In operation since 1938. Weight 11.5 tons, engine 133 hp, speed up to 50 km/h. 12,187 vehicles were buil
Somua MCG, France. It was put into service shortly before the beginning of the Second World War. Weight 6,8 tons, engine 60 hp, speed up to 31 km/h. 345 vehicles were built
Morris C8 FAT (Quad), Great Britain. In the photo a tractor is towing an English 25-pounder cannon. In operation since 1939. Weight 3.4 tons, engine 70 hp, speed up to 80 km/h, wheel formula 4×4. About 10 thousand vehicles were built
«Voroshilovets», the USSR. There is a captured tractor in the photo, against which a Hungarian soldier is posing, 1942. The vehicle was produced since 1939. Weight 15.5 tons, engine 375 hp, speed up to 42 km/h. A total of 1123 such vehicles were built fortepan.hu
American armored artillery tractor Minneapolis-Moline GTX 147 of the Brazilian army. In production since 1941. Weight 7.5 tons, engine 105 hp, speed-up to 50 km/h, wheel formula 6×6. About 100 vehicles were built
Radschlepper Ost, Germany. Four-wheel drive tractor designed by Ferdinand Porsche with all-metal wheels (without tires). It was produced since 1942. Weight 7 tons, engine 90 hp, speed up to 16 km/h. About 200 of these vehicles were built
Raupenschlepper Ost (pictured — RSO/1), Germany. It was produced since 1942. Weight about 5 tons, engine 66/85 hp, speed up to 20 km/h. About 23 thousand such tractors were built in three modifications
RSO/3, Germany. A late, simplified version of the Raupenschlepper Ost tractor, produced at the end of World War II
M4 High-Speed Tractor, the USA. Towing a 155-mm gun «Long Tom» in the photo. In production since 1943, it was created on the basis of the M2 Light Tank. Weight 14.2 tons, engine 210 hp, speed up to 56 km/h. 5552 vehicles were built museumofamericanarmor.com
Soviet artillery tractor AT-L of the Egyptian army. Developed in 1947. Weight 8.5 tons, engine 135 hp, speed up to 42 km/h
British artillery tractor Leyland Martian FV1103A. In production since the late 1950s. Weight 10 tons, engine 215 hp, wheel formula 6×6
ATS-59G, USSR (also produced in Poland). It was adopted in 1970 (before that, since 1959, a similar ATS-59 tractor with a smaller hood cab was produced). Weight 13.8 tons, engine 300 hp, speed up to 45 km / h dukecz.deviantart.com
Since the appearance of the first guns in Europe and up to the beginning of the 20th century, their movement on the march and on the battlefield was carried out by the crews or draft animals, primarily horses. Naturally, artillery for centuries remained the weak link for their armies in the matter of mobility, moving many times slower than cavalry and even infantry. This was especially true for heavy weapons.
Already in the First World War, solutions appeared to increase the mobility of artillery. The first of them was to install cannons directly on the vehicle, which led to the appearance of tanks and self-propelled artillery. The second solution was more traditional and allowed to do without the fundamental complication of the design of the guns, leaving them on the usual carriages. Only the place of horses and crew when moving artillery on the march was now to be taken by vehicles.
The role of the first artillery tractors was played by ordinary civilian vehicles — tractors and cars. The fact that they are not always suitable for performing army functions became clear quite quickly, and constructors from different countries began to create specialized tractors for the needs of their armies. Unlike the tanks and self-propelled guns, which in the second half of the 20th century became quite monotonous in terms of layout and choice of the propulsion unit, artillery tractors were not able to come to a common denominator until now.
If the background of the photos interferes with reading the reference information of the photos, you can hover your mouse over the text — this will darken the background of the caption
Holt tractor (USA) is towing a British 8-inch Mk I howitzer. It was produced since 1908 as a civilian tractor, but it was most widely used as a tractor for heavy guns – by the end of the First World War, there were about 10 thousand tractors in the Allied forces. Weight 8.2 tons, engine 75 hp, speed up to 24 km/h
Thornycroft Hathi, United Kingdom. In operation since 1924. Weight up to 5 tons, engine 80 hp, wheel formula 4×4
Krupp Protze, Germany. It was produced since 1934. Weight 2.6 tons, engine 53-60 hp, speed up to 70 km / h, wheel formula 6×4. About 7 thousand vehicles were produced
C7R, Poland. It was produced since 1934 with wide use of components and assemblies of the 7TP tank. Weight 8.5 tons, engine 115 hp, speed up to 26 km/h. About 150 vehicles were built
Laffly S15T, France. It was produced since 1934. Weight 2.85 tons, engine 55 hp, speed up to 72 km/h
The British artillery tractor Scammell Pioneer is towing an 8-inch howitzer Mk 8. January 12, 1940, Northern France (Calais region). These machines, adopted in 1935, with a mass of 8.4 tons, were equipped with 102 hp engines (speed – up to 30 km/h, wheel formula 6×4). A total of 980 such tractors were built
Pioneer, the USSR. Weight 1.5 tons, engine 40 hp, speed up to 50 km/h. A small batch (25-50 vehicles) was built in 1936-1937
Komsomolets, the USSR ( there is a captured vehicle of the Finnish army in the photo). It was produced since 1937. Weight 3.5 tons, engine 50 l / s, speed up to 50 km/h. About 7780 vehicles were built
Sd. Kfz. 7, Germany. In operation since 1938. Weight 11.5 tons, engine 133 hp, speed up to 50 km/h. 12,187 vehicles were buil
Somua MCG, France. It was put into service shortly before the beginning of the Second World War. Weight 6,8 tons, engine 60 hp, speed up to 31 km/h. 345 vehicles were built
Morris C8 FAT (Quad), Great Britain. In the photo a tractor is towing an English 25-pounder cannon. In operation since 1939. Weight 3.4 tons, engine 70 hp, speed up to 80 km/h, wheel formula 4×4. About 10 thousand vehicles were built
«Voroshilovets», the USSR. There is a captured tractor in the photo, against which a Hungarian soldier is posing, 1942. The vehicle was produced since 1939. Weight 15.5 tons, engine 375 hp, speed up to 42 km/h. A total of 1123 such vehicles were built fortepan.hu
American armored artillery tractor Minneapolis-Moline GTX 147 of the Brazilian army. In production since 1941. Weight 7.5 tons, engine 105 hp, speed-up to 50 km/h, wheel formula 6×6. About 100 vehicles were built
Radschlepper Ost, Germany. Four-wheel drive tractor designed by Ferdinand Porsche with all-metal wheels (without tires). It was produced since 1942. Weight 7 tons, engine 90 hp, speed up to 16 km/h. About 200 of these vehicles were built
Raupenschlepper Ost (pictured — RSO/1), Germany. It was produced since 1942. Weight about 5 tons, engine 66/85 hp, speed up to 20 km/h. About 23 thousand such tractors were built in three modifications
RSO/3, Germany. A late, simplified version of the Raupenschlepper Ost tractor, produced at the end of World War II
M4 High-Speed Tractor, the USA. Towing a 155-mm gun «Long Tom» in the photo. In production since 1943, it was created on the basis of the M2 Light Tank. Weight 14.2 tons, engine 210 hp, speed up to 56 km/h. 5552 vehicles were built museumofamericanarmor.com
Soviet artillery tractor AT-L of the Egyptian army. Developed in 1947. Weight 8.5 tons, engine 135 hp, speed up to 42 km/h
British artillery tractor Leyland Martian FV1103A. In production since the late 1950s. Weight 10 tons, engine 215 hp, wheel formula 6×6
ATS-59G, USSR (also produced in Poland). It was adopted in 1970 (before that, since 1959, a similar ATS-59 tractor with a smaller hood cab was produced). Weight 13.8 tons, engine 300 hp, speed up to 45 km / h dukecz.deviantart.com
