Terrapin Mk I.
| Terrapin Mk I. | |
|---|---|
Terrapin Mk I, 1944 |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 2 (commander, driver) |
| length | 7.00 m |
| width | 2.67 m |
| height | 2.97 m |
| Dimensions | 12 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | 8 mm |
| Main armament | no |
| Secondary armament | no |
| agility | |
| drive | 2 × Ford V8 petrol engines 2 × 85 PS (2 × 64 kW) |
| Top speed | 24 km / h (road), 8 km / h (water) |
| Power / weight | 14.6 hp / t |
| Range | 240 km |
The Terrapin Mk I was a British amphibious transport vehicle of World War II .
history
The British developed the Terrapin Mk I vehicles under the impact of the landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944. While the American engineers relied on tracked vehicles such as LVT 2 , the British looked for a wheeled vehicle. Morris Commercial manufactured approximately 500 Terrapin Mk I.
For the first time the vehicles were used in the battles around Antwerp . There were still a number of errors to be seen, but the vehicle proved itself in battle.
An improved variant Mk II was developed but did not reach series production before the war was over.
technology
The Terrapin Mk I was an all-wheel drive eight-wheel transport vehicle with a four-ton load capacity. It had two motors, each of which drove the wheels on one side. The front axle was raised so that the Terrapin could easily negotiate embankments. The engines were arranged in the middle. This led to a division of the cargo space.
disadvantage
The arrangement of the engines divided the hold. making it impossible to transport bulky or large material such as guns . With each engine driving one side of the wheels, the vehicles had a tendency to roll violently if one engine failed. In addition, the vehicle was very slow both on the water and on the road.
literature
- Philip Trewhitt: tanks. The most important combat vehicles in the world from World War I to the present day . Neuer Kaiserverlag, Klagenfurt 2005, ISBN 3-7043-3197-X , ( Worth knowing - Technology ).
