T55E1 gun motor carriage

T55E1 motor carriage
Type	Gun motor carriage
Place of origin	United States
Production history
No. built	1
Specifications
Mass	30,200 lb (13.7 t)
Length	23 ft 5 in (7.14 m)
Width	9 ft (2.7 m)
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Crew	4
Main armament	3 inch gun 90 rounds
Secondary armament	.50 M2 Browning Machine Gun 400 rounds
Engine	2 x Cadillac. 8-cylinder V type, water-cooled engines 110 hp x 2
Power/weight	16.04
Suspension	8x8 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 ]}

References

• Crow, Duncan; Icks, Robert Joseph (1976). Encyclopedia of armoured cars and half-tracks. Chartwell Books. ISBN   978-0-8900-9058-9.
• Haugh, David. Searching for Perfection: An Encyclopaedia of U.S. Army T-Series Vehicle Development (1925-1958).