German Screw Drive tractor

[sapper740]

The original screw propulsion vehicle was designed in 1944, by Johannes Raedel, a member of the German Army and veteran of the Eastern Front. He noticed how tanks would dig out the snow under the tracks and the bottom of the tank became high centered. Raedel convinced Berlin to allow him to build a prototype of a machine that wouldn't get stuck in snow and still be able to tow a substantial load. At that time, Austria was annexed to Germany so Raedel was sent to the Austrian Alpine vehicle test centre at St. Johann in Tyrol. Using only materials at hand he worked from Feb. 10 to April 28, 1944 building his prototype. It was tested extensively and although it was very slow it would pull 2,000 lbs and had good climbing capabilities. I don't know if it ever saw use operationally but it spawned similar designs after the war.

CHIMO! Derek.

[George McKenzie]

I have the working modle of the first anfibeous army tank , that was used to get a patent in 1918 It has two screws and a chain under neath in the center to move it when the screws wouldn't .This modle is about 30 inches long George

[Snowy]

Very interesting indeed, but the Archimedean screw vehicle was not unknown to the Allies during the war. Post-war the most well-known ASV was the Chrysler Marsh Screw Amphibian which was prototyped in the mid-late 60's for potential use in Vietnam.

Here is a frame grab from the OSS film on the T-15 Weasel, from the fabulous RealMilitaryFlix website showing an ASV being trialled in the USA. It looks like a converted tractor. Given that this design was trialled and found wanting (as part of Operation Plough, which lead to the development of the Weasel itself) I would hazard a guess as to it being 1942 perhaps.



References:
http://www.realmilitaryflix.com/public/441.cfm?sd=61
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffre...eration_Plough

Steve.

[George McKenzie]

I will get a picture of my 1918 modle and try to post it . All so I was up in the Youkon and saw a machine that was made to go on the water to look for gold .That would have been made in 1898 The screw was made of wood .It was about 3 ft high and 10 ft long A great bit of engineering and craftsman ship It's in a museum in Atlan BC. George

[sapper740]

Originally Posted by George McKenzie

I will get a picture of my 1918 modle and try to post it . All so I was up in the Youkon and saw a machine that was made to go on the water to look for gold .That would have been made in 1898 The screw was made of wood .It was about 3 ft high and 10 ft long A great bit of engineering and craftsman ship It's in a museum in Atlan BC. George

Please do George, I'd love to see any pictures you have of your model. Your reply to this thread goes to show that there isn't much new in the world when you come to think about it.


CHIMO! Derek.

[George McKenzie]

This is the screw that is in ths town of Atlin .Made in 1898 george