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United States' M31 tank recovery vehicle:
Patton Museum in Ft Knox, Kentucky
Chris Bobo
Patton Museum in Ft Knox, Kentucky
Chris Bobo
Aberdeen Tank Museum
Based on M3. Dummy gun replaces 75 mm.11 Simulated turret installed. 60,000 lb winch installed. It could tow light, medium, and heavy tanks across country. It could remove a medium tanks turret. Used a Continental R-975-C1 engine and was riveted.
M31B1 Tank Recovery Vehicle:
Based on M3A3. Used a G.M. 6046 Diesel engine and was welded.
M31B2 Tank Recovery Vehicle:
Based on M3A5. Used a G.M. 6046 Diesel engine and was riveted.
| M31 Tank Recovery Vehicle | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 611 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 32.8 tons11 |
| Length w/gun | 18.5'11 |
| Length w/o gun | |
| Height | 10.25'11 |
| Width | 8.95'11 |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | 15"11 |
| Ground contact length | 147"11 |
| Ground pressure | 13.9 psi11 |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament | |
| Main | 2: .30 cal MG11 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | |
| Secondary | |
| MG | |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | Front: 2"11 Side: 1.5"11 |
| Hull Front, Upper | |
| Hull Front, Lower | |
| Hull Sides, Upper | |
| Hull Sides, Lower | |
| Hull Rear | |
| Hull Top | |
| Hull Bottom | |
| Turret Front | 2"11 |
| Turret Sides | 2"11 |
| Turret Rear | |
| Turret Top | |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Wright Whirlwind11 GMC11 Guiberson11 |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | Wright, Guiberson: Air11 GMC: Water11 |
| Cylinders | Wright, Guiberson: 911 GMC: 2x611 |
| Capacity | |
| Net HP | GMC: 420@2,000 rpm11 Guiberson: 350@2,400 rpm11 |
| Power to weight ratio | |
| Compression ratio | |
| Transmission (Type) | Synchromesh in 2nd, 3rd, 5th11 Constant mesh in 1st and reverse11 5 forward, 1 reverse11 |
| Steering | Controlled differential11 |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | Electric11 |
| Electrical system | 24-volt11 |
| Ignition | |
| Fuel (Type) | |
| Octane | |
| Quantity | Gasoline: 185 gallons11 Diesel: 175 gallons11 |
| Fuel consumption - Road | Gasoline: 0.6 mpg11 Diesel: 0.8 mpg11 |
| Fuel consumption - Cross country | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | Hydraulic or hand11 |
| Max speed | 25 mph11 |
| Cross country speed | 4-20 mph11 |
| Road radius | Gasoline: 120 miles11 Diesel: 140 miles11 |
| Cross country radius | |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | |
| Fording depth | 42"11 |
| Trench crossing | 6'11 |
| Vertical obstacle | 24"11 |
| Climbing ability | 31° (60%) slope11 |
| Suspension (Type) | 3 two-wheeled bogies on vertical volute springs11 |
| Wheels each side | 3x211 |
| Return rollers each side | 311 |
| Tracks (Type) | Rubber block, rubber bushed double pin shoe11 |
| Track length | |
| Track width | 16"11 |
| Number of links | 7911 |
| Pitch | 6"11 |
| Tire tread | Rubber11 |
| Track centers/tread | 6.9'11 |
| Production | Baldwin Locomotive Works11 |
| Production | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| M31 Conversion |
M31B1, M31B2 Conversion |
M31B1 | |
| 12/42 | 1013 | 113 | |
| 1/43 | 4013 | 1613 | |
| 2/43 | 2313 | 3 | 1413 |
| 3/43 | 4513 | 1713 | |
| 4/43 | 4613 | 1813 | |
| 5/43 | 4013 | 1813 | |
| 6/43 | 5613 | 3013 | |
| 7/43 | 5013 | 1713 | |
| 8/43 | 3313 | 3713 | 1813 |
| 9/43 | 4213 | 4913 | 013 |
| 10/43 | 5013 | 4013 | 013 |
| 11/43 | 4613 | 1613 | 113 |
| 12/43 | 2813 | 113 | |
| Total | 50913 | 14613 | 15013 |
Sources:
- The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
- Panzer Truppen The Complete Guide to the Creation and Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1933-1942, Thomas L. Jentz, 1996
- Panzer Truppen The Complete Guide to the Creation and Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1943-1945, Thomas L. Jentz, 1996
- British and American Tanks of World War Two, The Complete Illustrated History of British, American, and Commonwealth Tanks 1933-1945, Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis, 1969
- Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
- Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles The Complete Guide, Leland Ness, 2002
- Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
- Battle Winning Tanks, Aircraft & Warships of World War II, David Miller, 2000
- AFV 11: M3 Medium (Lee/Grant), Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis
- Tank Data, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, 1968?
- Tank Data 2, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, E. J. Hoffschmidt and W. H. Tantum IV, 1969
- M3 Lee/Grant Medium Tank 1941-45, Steven J Zaloga, 2005
