From: Dave Merchant (kosh@nesys.com)
Date: Fri Feb 21 2003 - 11:58:41 PST
The smallest I know of that was actually used is the Clarkair air
transportable dozer.
I have 1 photo on my site:
http://www.nesys.org/HCEA/PONY/H000716K.JPG
...on page http://www.nesys.org/HCEA/hcea_erie.html
It wasn't air droppable, but could be shoehorned into a cargo aircraft,
probably a C47 or C46, or hauled in a glider.
This was a combined product between Clark Equipment and Cletrac.
The military liked Cletrac due to their controlled differential steering,
which was easier to operate than the steering clutches + brakes
used by bigger dozers, cutting down on training time.
Cletrac was much less successful in the big-machine area,
dominated by Cat, IH, and A-C.
There were several other air transportable runway construction machines,
a pull pan scraper for use with the Clarkair dozer, a self propelled
pan scraper, and a sheepsfoot roller.
Also, the little Cletrac crawler parked next to the bomber nurse on the
Oliver Gang site
is painted military, but don't know where it was used...
http://www.olivergang.org/gallery/gallery/album11/MVC_777S
More from the AFM site:
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/vfe/vfe3.htm
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/vfe/vfe3-1.jpg
Their description:
This Clarkair Crawler Model CA-1 tractor was developed by the Clark
Equipment Company for the Army during WWII. Its
small size permitted airlift by glider or other large cargo aircraft to
locations where it could be used to construct landing strips or
other facilities. After Clark developed the prototype and manufactured 13
production vehicles, the Cleveland Tractor Co. built
about 145 more. It is powered by a four-cylinder gasoline engine and has a
hydraulic bulldozer attachment for moving earth.
An example of the use of these tractors was following the airborne landing
of Allied forces behind Japanese lines in Northern
Burma. On the night of Mar. 5 1944, more than 30 gliders carrying men, pack
animals, lighting equipment, and tractors of this
type landed at a jungle clearing designated as "Broadway." In 24 hours,
airborne engineers had prepared a landing strip ready
for use by more gliders and troop Carrier Command C-47s landing more men,
animals, and supplies.
This tractor was donated to the USAF Museum by members of the 876th
Airborne Engineer Aviation Battalion reunion
association. It was restored for the Museum by the Clark Equipment Co.,
Cassopolis, Mich.
-Dave Merchant
At 01:51 PM 2/21/2003, Bill Chambers wrote:
>Ok,
>The Clet tractors are great, but makes me wonder...
>
>What was the smallest tracked vehicle used by the US forces in WW2?
>And the same with the Commonwealth?
>
>I know the Germans had the remote controlled "tank" that was a rolling bomb,
>anything else?
>
>Regards,
>Bill
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Dave Merchant [mailto:kosh@nesys.com]
>Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 11:43 PM
>To: mil-veh@mil-veh.org
>Subject: Re: [MV] army clet track
>
>
>The AFM display...
>
>http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/vfe/vfe5.htm
>
>Here's one at a tractor show...
>
>http://www.olivergang.org/gallery/gallery/album11/MVC_776S
>
>Corners of it in:
>http://www.olivergang.org/gallery/gallery/album11/MVC_777S
>http://www.olivergang.org/gallery/gallery/album11/MVC_780S
>
>Parts:
>http://www.oliverinformation.com/zimmerman.html
>
>Dave Merchant
>
>
>At 11:50 PM 2/20/2003, Buck & Rami Sharp wrote:
> >got pictures on webshots of the clet track 2 of them what the heck does
>this
> >thing look when its all there anyone have pictures of army ones like these
> >regular ones arnt as neat
>
>
Dave Merchant
kosh@nesys.com
nesys_com@ameritech.net
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