Terrapin (amphibious vehicle)
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Terrapin (to the left) during the Battle of the Scheldt in the Netherlands, 1944. |
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| Terrapin | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 2 |
| Length | 7.01 m |
| Width | 2.67 m |
| Height | 2.92 m |
| Weight | 7 tonnes |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | mm |
| Main armament | none |
| Secondary armament | none |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | 2 x Ford V8 190 hp ( kW) in total |
| Suspension | |
| Road speed | 24 km/h 5 mph in water |
| Power/weight | hp/tonne |
| Range | 240 km |
The Terrapin "4-ton amphibian" was a British manufactured, amphibious armoured transport of the Second World War. It was first used at Antwerp in 1944, and to great effect during the Battle of the Scheldt.
The Terrapin served with the assault teams of Royal Engineers as part of the 79th Armoured Division. They were used to carry infantry units (Canadian and British) over the rivers.
[edit] Design
Some 500 Terrapin Mark 1, were built by Morris Commercial, the commercial vehicle side of the Morris Motor Company but the design was by Thornycroft
The Terrapin was a high open topped vehicle; high because of the size of the tyres. The steering position was in the middle and troops could ride in the front and the rear. The vehicle had full drive to all 8 wheels powered by two Ford V8 engines each motor driving one side. The leading pair of wheels were clear of the ground on level surfaces but would give a better grip when the vehicle reached the opposite river bank. However, it used lever steering, which made it very difficult to handle in rough water. The 4 ton of the name indicated that it could carry a load of 4 long tons but the physical size of the load was limited as the load space was split into a front and rear area - the engines having been placed in the centre of the vehicle for stability. A Mark 2 Terrapin with a number of improvements was designed but the war ended before it was needed.
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
- DUKW
- Landing Vehicle Tracked known as Buffalo in British service.
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