- Scammell Pioneer Semi-trailer
Infobox Weapon
name=30 ton Semi-trailer Scammell Pioneer
caption=Preserved 1941 Scammell Pioneer tractor unit
origin=UK
type=Tank recovery vehicle
is_vehicle=yes
is_UK=yes
length=with trailer 10.97
width=2.20
height=3.27
weight=2.87
suspension=Wheel, 6 x 4
speed=
vehicle_range=
capacity=one 30 ton weight or less tank
armour=none
engine= Gardner 6 cylinderdiesel
engine_power=
crew=1 +The Semi-Trailer Scammell Pioneer was a British vehicle that was used to recover tanks from the battlefield and transport them over rough ground during the
Second World War .History
The
Scammell Pioneer was anoff-road design from the late1920s , built for the Imperial market where made-up roads were scarce. The combination of a suspension with a lot of movement while maintaining traction and a low-revvingdiesel engine gave it impressive pulling power on rough ground although at low speeds. Its capabilities and performance matched that needed for military vehicles. TheBritish Army would take the Pioneer for many uses during the war but their firsttank transporter based on the Pioneer was a 20-ton capable unit delivered by Scammell in 1932. This led to later 20 and 30-ton tractor/trailer combinations. The trailer was more-or-less fixed to the tractor and not demountable like modernsemi-trailer truck s. Hinged ramps were used to get the tank onto the trailer, which if immobilised could be pulled on with the tractor unit's winch. Pioneers fitted with tank transporting trailers had a longer chassis for an extended cab to accommodate the tank crew as passengers, and larger rear wheels.ervice
About 500 tractor-trailer units were provided to the British Army and they were effective recovery vehicles. One problem was found when carrying American tanks on British roads. The higher profile of the US tanks meant that on occasions the vehicles could not pass under bridges. This meant that the trailers were undesirable post war and most were scrapped while the tractors were retained for use with other trailers or sold into civilian use.
References
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