Tag: wrecker

This is an armored, self-propelled crane designed to retrieve damaged A.F.V.’s up to a weight of about 12 tons. The manufacturing date of one recovered specimen is given as 1941. The crane is mounted towards the rear of the chassis on a platform traversing through 360° on an electrically powered turntable. The crane is prowered by the main engine through a drive shaft from the transmission to a gear box and thence through another box to the cable drums. The crane is controlled by three hand levers and three foot control clutches. When not in use, the boom which has a total length of 18 ft., 2 ins., rests on the top of the drive compartment and is held in place by two screw clamps. The conventional Japanese type of suspension is used. Four bell cranks are resisted by four armored compression springs per side. Eight-and-one-half-inch dual steel bogie wheels per side are mounted four inches apart and paired to each bogie. An 18 13/16-inch diameter double-tooth front drive sprocket, a rear idler, two 10 3/4-inch diameter rubber-covered return rollers, and the center guide steel track complete the suspension.

The driver’s compartment measures 45 1/2 x 59 inches, and is fitted with a door on the right side. The 6-cylinder, in-line, air-cooled, Ikegai gasoline engine delivers 60 horsepower. The steering system is of the clutch brake principle, a separate spring-loaded clutch being fitted to each track. Two pressed steel fuel tanks are located at the right rear of the hull; an additional one is utilized as the driver’s seat. They have a combined estimated capacity of 40 gallons.

SPECIFICATIONS

Japanese: p. 18.5 (August 1, 1945)

This vehicle, in addition to its function as a prime mover and wrecker, may have been used as a tank recovery vehicle. It has a total seating capacity of thirteen men. Two front booms are provided, and a removable boom at the rear. The latter can be attached in such a manner as to act as a brace for the vehicle. The front booms, which are traversed by gears, are moved and operated independently by two different operators. There is a large towing winch behind the driver’s seat, and two smaller winches near the front end.

The prime mover/wrecker has been derived in part from components of the Japanese Medium Tank. There are five bogies on each side, four of which are mounted in pairs. Each pair connects to a coil spring, and the front bogie wheel is independently sprung by a separate coil spring. The drive sprocket is smaller than that employed in the Medium Tank.

The vehicle is powered by a 6-cylinder, valve-in-head, air-cooled Diesel engine located in the rear. The engine head is made of aluminum. There are two fuel tanks which have a capacity of thirty gallons each. The clutch, a single plate type, is housed in an aluminum clutch housing. The transmission provides four speeds forward and one in reverse. The power takeoff of the winches is from the transmission. The final drive system is quite unusual in that there are two separate drive shafts, and each track is driven by an independent final drive mechanism. Removable track grousers are supplied for use in difficult terrain.

SPECIFICATIONS

Japanese: p. 18.2 (April 1, 1945)