Deere's Armored Tractor Built During World War II

Deere's Armored Tractor Built During World War II AG WORLD Ag World 18-5-21 Few people know that Deere and Co. made armored tractors designed for use in World War II. Two-Cylinder magazine, a publication for two-cylinder tractor enthusiasts, recently dug out photos from Deere's archives to show how the company converted a general purpose Model "A" into an Armored Tractor, or Mobile Machine Gun Unit. Development began in 1940, and testing to determine the tractor's military suitability was conducted during the winter of 1941. Tests showed that the armored tractor held the most promise as a transport vehicle or as a trainer for tank operators and gunners. As a combat unit, it apparently couldn't compete with built-from-theground-up fighting machines. The tractor was never used in the war, and all prototype machines were reportedly destroyed. The armored tractor was equipped with steel plate and had two hydraulic powered machine gun turrets, one on each side of the tractor. Each machine gun operator sat on a seat facing backward. A set of steel-lugged skeleton "duals" mounted alongside each of the 12 by 38 rear tires to provide extra traction in soft ground. Firing tests showed that driver visibility was hampered by the turret-rotation mechanism. And, while the steel-lugged duals did help on soft ground, they caused a rough ride on irregular hard surfaces. Several other problems were discovered. The tractor's silhouette and center of gravity was too high, and the two-cylinder engine was found unacceptable for a combat vehicle, with power too low at 7 hp per ton. Instead of the conventional narrow front end, a full-width front axle and larger tires were recommended for better maneuverability across obstacles. The tractor was rebuilt with a lower center of gravity and a wide front axle. The intake and exhaust stacks were removed and better tires with more aggressive tread were added. The steel-lug duals were eliminated and the tractor's height reduced several inches. However, by the time the project was finished in the spring of 1941, the division at Deere Tractor Works in Waterloo, Iowa, that had been working on the armored tractor had begun manufacturing transmissions and final drive assemblies for armored tanks. The Armored "A" was put on the back burner. According to Two Cylinder magazine, "it's unlikely, due to scrap drive efforts, that so much as a fragment of an Armored "A" is still in existence - and it is now up to some dedicated enthusiast to replicate the historic war wagon to preserve its place in history."

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