the field artillery journal - Fort Sill - U.S. Army

MOTOR TRANSPORT FOR FIELD ARTILLERY
3½-ton truck. In Appendix are listed points of more or less
importance that should be investigated in selecting motor
vehicles for field use, although no one commercial vehicle is
liable to be found having all the features listed as desirable.
Trucks were tested at Rock Island with a view of
determining their probable suitability under field conditions for
towing ammunition vehicles of light field batteries, for towing
guns and ammunition vehicles of heavy batteries, for carrying
ammunition as a load, for use as battery and store wagons and
for use as armored automobiles. Practically the tests narrowed
down to determining how much if any load could be towed
under field conditions with or without load on the truck, and
how much could be carried without a tow.
Two makes of two-ton four-wheel drive chassis were
purchased. The bare chassis averaged 5700 pounds and were
guaranteed to carry a body allowance of 1200 pounds, 4000
pounds load and an overload of 1000 pounds if necessary. As a
suitable body weighs about 700 pounds one of these trucks
would normally carry 4500 pounds of net load and 5500
pounds without danger. Recently advertisements have been
issued for trucks with body, weighing not to exceed 6500
pounds, guaranteed to carry a load of 5000 pounds for truck
equipment of one heavy field battery for test at Fort Sill. These
trucks are intended to replace six caissons and the battery and
store wagon.
The fifty-six rounds of 4.7-inch gun ammunition, now
carried in a limber and caisson, weigh in original boxes about
5200 pounds and twenty-eight rounds of 6-inch howitzer
ammunition 4700 pounds. This total load of 11,000 to 12,000
pounds seems rather heavy, but it is to be presumed that some
sort of roads and bridges will exist for any extensive movement
of heavy field artillery. If not, loads will have to be reduced to
suit conditions, especially bridges. Figs. 5 and 6 give an idea of
the capabilities of this style of truck and compared with the
behavior of the ordinary truck performances are remarkable.
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