Mack NO 7-1/2 ton 6x6 Artillery Tractor

[S C]

Having gotten a hold of the diary for my Grandfather's unit, my planned Scammell Pioneer R100 + 7.2" Howitzer build just hit a wall.

 

They reequipped Sep 43 - Mar 44 to the 7.2" after the Tunisian campaign, in theatre, in preparation for Italy. Then... "Scammells were replaced by American Macks as gun towers".

 

Seems (1/35) models of the Mack NO 7½-ton 6x6 truck (G-532) are somewhere between hens' teeth and rocking horse siht. The only one I find is Wespe Models. Before I sell a kidney - am I missing anythings? Any issues with these folks? Thanks!

 

 

[Hardcastle]

Hi

 

Never built one myself, but heard good things about Wespe in general. Resin is rein!

 

Tim

[Circloy]

Wespe's looks to be the only one currently available. Adzimut used to do a resin kit but that's long out of production.

 

Unfortunately all resin is not the same that used by Wespe is of the harder type and is more brittle than resin's used by some other companies. The hard resins tend to warp a little more but nothing that's not rectifiable by hot water. The main problem is that small parts are brittle and can break when removing from the casting blocks  - Wespe appear to have acknowledged this and the Leyland retriver kit I've in the stash has the smaller parts already detached. Detail looks cleanly cast - Credit to wespe.

 

If you don't feel you can build in resin Wespe also offer a 'factory' built option - there's one on the bay now.

 

Being of US origin there's plenty of resources available at Armorama, including some scratch/heavy conversions.

Edited July 19, 2020 by Circloy
Wespe ready build

[S C]

Thank you both!

[Seahawk]

I don't know if this helps but there is an article by Gerald Scarborough in Airfix Magazine Annual For Military Modellers (PSL, 1978) on how to build one of these in 1/76.  4-view 1/76 drawings and 23 photos of  various details.

[S C]

Thanks Seahawk!

[Circloy]

On 17/07/2020 at 18:57, S C said:

"Scammells were replaced by American Macks as gun towers"

Is there a specific reference to Mack NO's.

 

IWM online has a few pictures of your grandfathers unit equiped with the US 155mm Long Tom's in Italy

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205532910

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205532912

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205204699

 

which show them being towed by trucks of US design and in US service this would normally be the NO type. However the NO used a special hitch to tow the gun directly by the carriage which negated the use of the two wheel limber. The limber then being towed behind the gun.

 

The pictures on the IWM site show the limber in use between the gun tractor and the gun carriage which suggests the trucks are not NO's. Additonally the NO had fixed lifting gear at the rear by which the carriage hitch was lifted and lowered, again there's no sign of this in the pictures further suggesting these are not NO's.

 

Checking the HMSO book on 'Army Transport 1939 - 1945' which lists, with few exceptions, all vehicles used by the British, the Mack NO is not listed however the Mack NM is - reference snce found. This is shown as The Mack NM is shown as being a 6 ton truck also used as a gun tractor is it possible that the Macks referred to in the diary are NM's?

 

That said there's no model of the NM either so doesn't by itself appear to help. Hobby boss however make the White 666 which is almost idential dimensionally to the Mack and a possible starting point for conversion.

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/hobbyboss-83802-us-white-666-cargo-truck-soft-top--253872

 

I guess the key is finding proof of which model of Mack the unit was issued with.

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Circloy
Entry found or Mack NO in referenced book

[Six97s]

I've found a few references to the NM being used to tow the Mk6 howitzer and the Long Tom, so that seems most likely.  The third post here shows one:

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9568

[S C]

Here's a summary of some references I found on the NO specifically:
..."with some supplied to the British, Canadian, and Free-French Armies"... "Supplied through Lend-Lease to the British and Canadian Artillery Regiments"...

..."All 1097 NO3 and NO6 produced were supplied to Lend-Lease"...

So this suggest that we shouldn't immediately exclude the NO.

I agree I'm not seeing the crane mount.

But why would a newly designated Heavy regiment (one of only a few), equipped with new 155mm and 7.2" guns, get rid of their Scammells for NRs that were designated as "troop transports", if indeed the more capable and purposed-designed NOs were available? (also found reference to them specifically being used in the Italian campaign).

 

[Circloy]

Have since located the entry for the Mack NO which puts it back into the frame however the photographs lack key features of the NO.

 

Official (British) designation for the various models are:

NM - 6 ton Heavy Artillery tractor (fitted with gun cylinder in British use)

NO - 7.5 ton Artillery tractor

NR - 10 ton General Service or Tank Transporter depending upon body style

 

Both the NM & NO would be capable of handling the 155mm along with crew and amunition. As the NR lacked the same adaptation as the NR can be ruled out.

 

As to why? Probably comes down to availability & expediency at time the guns were needed in theatre.