T55E1 gun motor carriage

Last updated

T55E1 motor carriage
T55E1-motor-carriage-haugh.jpg
Type Gun motor carriage
Place of origin United States
Production history
No. built1
Specifications
Mass30,200 lb (13.7 t)
Length23 ft 5 in (7.14 m)
Width9 ft (2.7 m)
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Crew4

Main
armament
3 inch gun
90 rounds
Secondary
armament
.50 M2 Browning Machine Gun
400 rounds
Engine2 x Cadillac. 8-cylinder V type, water-cooled engines
110 hp x 2
Power/weight16,04
Suspension8x8 wheel
Maximum speed 60 mph (97 km/h)

The T55E1 3-inch gun motor carriage was a prototype vehicle developed by the Allied Machinery Manufacturing Company in 1943 for the US Army. An eight-wheel drive vehicle, the T55E1 was armed with one three-inch gun in a limited traverse mounting and a supporting .50 caliber machine gun.

Development

Cook Brothers had developed an unusual vehicle for desert conditions. This had two four-wheel-drive bogies each with its own engine. Steering was by pivoting the front bogie. They then developed their design into a tank destroyer with two engines at the rear. There was sufficient interest from the Army for a contract for development as the T55. Testing led to modifications to the pilot as the T55E1. Further testing confirmed that it was not suitable and the T55E1 was cancelled.[ citation needed ]

Power was from two Cadillac eight-cylinder water-cooled engines. Production began in 1943, however by this time preference had shifted to tracked anti-tank vehicles, and the T55E1 was cancelled.[ citation needed ]

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