Ian M Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Is there anyone out there that can suggest a few suitable options for what was used to tow a 2Lb anti tank gun in Northern Africa? Oh! Which is available as a kit in 1/35 scale Ian M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackG Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Probably the most easiest to find will be two Tamiya kits, the Quad Gun Tractor and their Universal Carrier. Italeri has a Chevrolet 15CWT Truck. There might be some resin kits out there I'm not familiar with, but will be very pricey. regards, Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanguin Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Dear Ian, You might find these two links helpful: http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208/threa...+anti-tank+gun- http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208/threa...w+Vulcan+2+pder As far as I can see, on a smooth road surface it was practicable to tow the gun, but it was too fragile to tow cross country. It was put on the back of either 15cwt or 30 cwt trucks to transport them and they were meant to be offloaded for firing..... As to using carriers to tow them, well that depended on the carrier having a towing hook and these were not introduced until '43. All the best, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackG Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 John, are you certain the 1943 date you mention is not actually the one associated with the T-16 Carrier as manufactured by Ford in the USA? I've found many references stating the Mk. II was quipped with a towing hitch. If fitted with the "Stacey tow bar" the 6 pdr would be it's maximum limit. ww2talk.com regards, Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanguin Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Oh, what a tangled web we weave..... First, I must apologise for seeming to be rather dogmatic when I did not mean to be. I claim no expertise, just an interest in some of the dustier and more obscure bits of militaria. However, the Missing Lynx site has a huge number of threads about both towing and towed guns and my own feeble library has very little on the topic. So, after a further series of searches using different criteria, try these threads and see how they sometimes conflict and sometimes agree. They are from a range of dates and the contributors vary: http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208/threa...British+Army--- http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208/threa...he+2+pdr+AT+gun http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208/threa...tank+gun--++n-t http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208/threa...r+AT+when+towed http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208/threa...ritish+2pdr+gun http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208/threa...Carrier+Options I know it is a lot to read, but I would add two things; my poorly explained reference to 1943 was linked to the introduction of the Stacey bar; and any vehicle with a towing hitch will, in any military service, be asked to tow anything that needs a tow, irrespective of its weight or suitability. My father was a gunner in 1937-39 and their 3 inch AA guns were towed by anything that would cope-not much did cope on hills, and virtually nothing did when it was muddy. His brief experience of the 3.7inch gun wasn't much better. Hooking a 2 pounder to a carrier of some sort (other than a Dragon) was done, but almost certainly not by choice once the fragility of the gun carriage became obvious. In North Africa (which was the original question) the roads were not of the best and much of the travel was cross country on rough rock and varying grades of sand. The guns needed to be carried rather than towed under those circumstances if they were to survive as pieces of artillery. As to the BEF, whilst most British major roads were relatively smooth tarmac, those in the Pas de Calais part of France and the Belgium towns and villages were predominantly setts or Belgian blocks and their rural main roads were often poorly surfaced in what was a predominantly agricultural area. Heavy military traffic took a toll of these roads and I believe their surface left much to be desired. This would be another incentive to only tow the 2 pounder if it was not possible to carry it. However, military expediency meant that when necessary it was towed by anything that moved and had a tow hook. I hope that this has been helpful, the topic is still quite poorly researched and in general artillery and its supporting soft skin transport is nowhere near as well known as armour. However, if you Google '2 pounder anti tank gun portee' you will find quite a lot of very useful information, including an excellent 1/35th build: http://planetarmor.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7307 All the best, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian M Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 Thank you all and especially John for his long and helpful reply. I will go and have a read of those links soon. I did find a bit about the Portee and have some suitable trucks for the job. Right then, I'm off for a read. Ian M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now