Lee/Grant Tractor
 

I ran cross this uncredited photo on the web the other day and am wondering who was using this vehicle, what is it towing and where and when this photo might have been taken.

Looks like a chalk, or hand painted. loading code on the right front fender but not much else in the way of markings and looks like a sizeable superstructure added to the outer sides of the rear deck area. Stowage perhaps.


David

M33 Prime Mover
 

One source states the photo above was made in Italy in 1944.

An internet search yielded this:

Thank you Hanno,
My first reaction (based on memory) was that it was a recovery vehicle based on the dummy gun and the rear deck stowage but I didn't have references to back this impression...

That one is fairly easy: the barrel of a 240 mm howitzer M1:

Attachment 137639
(source)

To move it, this weapon was carried on two trailers, one with the barrel like here, and another with the mounting.

Those are standard stowage bins for an M31 tank recovery vehicle:

Attachment 137640

(The bins are open here, they’re normally closed with lids.) The M33 prime mover is basically an M31 with its turret (which carried the crane) and much of the recovery equipment removed.

Hi Hanno,

This official file says "no winch" but we can see a little bit of the winch on the photo, so ???
For more infos (browse to the middle of the page) : http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_m...y/m31_trv.html

Cheers,
Patrice.

Well, it is a recovery vehicle converted into a towing vehicle, so in a sense you're right.

Hi Patrice, indeed the version of the photo on Sherman Minutia clearly show the winch was left fitted in the hull. It most likely came in handy to position the gun.

Attachment 137663

more M33 Prime Movers in Italy
 

Some more photos found on facebook, posted by World War Pictures:

To which José-Daniel Cabanilles added: