The M4 High Speed Tractor was an American tracked artillery tractor from the Second World War. The first prototypes of the vehicle were created in 1942, and serial production continued in the years 1942-1945, ending with the production of approximately 5,500 vehicles of this type. The M4 High Speed Tractor was powered by a single engine Waukesha 145GZ with a power of 210 hp. It was armed with 1 machine gun: Browning M2, cal. 12.7 mm.
The M4 High Speed Tractor was built on the chassis of the M3 Stuart light tank, which significantly shortened the analytical work and the implementation of the vehicle into serial production. The vehicle was characterized by good off-road mobility, reliability and easy operation in field units. It was also relatively cheap to produce. In the US Army, it was used primarily as a tractor for heavy cannons and field howitzers (e.g. the M1 / M2 Long Tom) or heavy anti-aircraft artillery (e.g. the 90mm M1 AA Gun). The vehicle could also take up to 10 gun crew members. The main development version was the M4A1, which had a reinforced suspension. The M4 High Speed Tractor was used by American troops both in the Pacific region and - above all - during the fighting in France and West Germany in 1944-1945. After the end of World War II, many of this type of vehicles found their way to the US allies, including Greece, the Netherlands, Japan and Pakistan. The M4 High Speed Tractor cars were withdrawn from the US Army in the 1960s.
Lielgabals M59 (iepriek¹ apzīmēts kā M1 vai M2) ir amerikāņu 155 mm velkama haubice no Otrā pasaules kara un pēckara. Sākotnējais nojauk¹anas čaulas ātrums no ¹ī pistoles bija līdz 853 m / s, ar maksimālo diapazonu aptuveni 23 700 metri. Sērijveida ra¾o¹ana tika veikta 1940.–1945. gadā, un tās rezultātā tika izveidoti aptuveni 1880 ¹ī ieroča gabali.
ASV armijas jauna smagā lielgabala projektē¹anas darbi sākās 1918. gadā, taču tos pārtrauca, palēnināja Lielā depresija un beidzās tikai 1938. gadā! Viņu galvenais mērķis bija izveidot lielgabalu, kas aizstātu līnijā ilgi kalpojo¹o Cannon de 155 mm GPF, kas datēts ar Pirmā pasaules kara laiku. Salīdzinot ar tā priek¹gājēju, jauno lielgabalu bija vieglāk transportēt, tam bija arī ievērojami lielāks darbības rādiuss un čaulas sākotnējais ātrums. Lielgabals M59 (joprojām ar apzīmējumu M1-M2) tika ra¾ots 1940. gadā un tika pla¹i izmantots Otrā pasaules kara laikā - gan Eiropā, gan Tālajos Austrumos. Tā tika pakļauta ugunskristībām Ziemeļāfrikā 1942. gada decembrī. To ļoti bie¾i vilka M4 kāpurķē¾u traktors. Lielgabals M59 izrādījās veiksmīgs ierocis un tika izmantots arī Korejas (1950-1953) un Vjetnamas (1964 / 1965-1975) karos. Ierocis tika eksportēts arī uz daudzām valstīm, tostarp Dienvidkoreju un Turciju.