On the basis of the tracked chassis of a serial tank, you can build equipment of one class or another. Usually, tank chassis are used in the military sphere, but they can be useful for the civilian sector as well. There are various cases of rebuilding armored vehicles into tractors, tractors, etc. non-military samples. For example, shortly after the end of World War II in Great Britain, the original Vickers Shervick heavy tractor was created on the basis of an existing tank.
As you know, despite all the efforts of agriculture and the food industry, Great Britain until the end of World War II and in the early post-war years faced problems in terms of food supplies. To solve these problems, various ideas were proposed and implemented, one of which became the reason for the development of an interesting sample of multipurpose equipment suitable for use in construction and agriculture.
Shervick machines at the manufacturing plant. Photo Flickr.com / Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
Among other things, the British needed adequate amounts of dietary fat. This problem was proposed to be solved by growing peanuts with the subsequent production of peanut butter. The cultivated plant was planned to be planted on the territory of Tanganyika (now the continental part of Tanzania), which at that time belonged to Great Britain. Growing a new crop in Africa was believed to reduce the pressure on British fields and solve food problems more quickly.
According to the calculations of the authors of the new program, for cultivation of peanuts in Tanganyika it was possible to allocate fields with an area of 150 thousand acres - 60,700 hectares or 607 square meters. km. However, at that time, the future fields were occupied by various wild vegetation, which first had to be removed. In addition, the selected terrain had to be leveled. To solve such problems, agriculture needed heavy tracked tractors and bulldozers with high performance, which at that time were a real shortage.
In 1946-47, the British authorities managed to find a certain amount of conditionally free equipment and send it to Africa to develop new lands. However, the scarce cars did not last too long. Poorly trained drivers and mechanics could not cope with the operation of the received equipment, and therefore by the beginning of autumn 1947 two-thirds of the park was idle due to breakdowns and the impossibility of immediate repair. The peanut-growing program for the metropolis is under threat.
Medium tank M4A2 Sherman. Photo Wikimedia Commons
In the same 1947, in the context of an important agricultural program, a new idea appeared that made it possible to obtain the required number of tractors and bulldozers within an acceptable time frame. Vickers Armstrong, which previously participated in the construction of armored combat vehicles of various classes, proposed to rebuild existing tanks into agricultural equipment. During this period, the British army was actively writing off excess tanks and armored vehicles, and therefore the production of tractors did not risk being left without "raw materials". Responsible persons studied the proposal and determined that its implementation allows solving the assigned tasks with minimal costs. Soon, the proactive company received an official order for the development of a multifunctional heavy-duty tractor.
The project of a tracked agricultural vehicle provided for the use of components and assemblies of existing serial M4A2 Sherman tanks. Such combat vehicles were in service with the British army, but were gradually written off due to the end of the war. The choice of the base tank was reflected in the name of the project. The tractor was named Shervick - from Sherman and Vickers. As far as is known, no other designations have been used.
The easiest way to convert a tank into a tractor is to remove the turret and various equipment associated with solving combat missions. However, the simple chassis of the M4 tank without a turret did not fully meet the requirements for new agricultural equipment. In order to obtain the desired results and special characteristics, the existing machine had to be significantly reworked. Changed the design of the hull and superstructure, the power plant, etc. The habitable compartments have undergone the most serious improvements.
One of the serial "Sherviks", view on the port side. Photo Shushpanzer-ru.livejournal.com
The Sherman tank was too large and heavy to be used as a tractor. For this reason, the Shervik project provided for the abandonment of the existing building in its original configuration. Instead, a new welded steel unit of a special design should have been used. As a result, the new tractor lost its external resemblance to the base tank, and now only some chassis and hull units gave out its origin.
The basis of the new building was a metal "bath" of reduced dimensions. Its front part received a vertical bottom sheet connected to the front sloping section of the bottom. On each side of them were vertical sides. The aft cut of the hull was formed by a cast armored transmission casing, which was originally the lower frontal part of the Sherman tank. Several load-bearing elements were placed inside a relatively light body, made mainly of structural steel. The structure of such a frame included a cross beam for mounting bulldozer equipment. Its ends were in the center of the sides and were brought out through the chassis.
In front of the hull, an engine was placed, covered with a light "tractor" -type casing. Its front wall had a large grille for the radiator, and the engine compartment was covered with panels with ventilation holes on the side and on top. An open cockpit was placed directly behind the engine. All instruments and controls were located on the rear wall of the engine compartment. The simplest tractor driver's seat was installed inside a U-shaped body. For greater convenience of embarkation and disembarkation, there were small fenders on the sides of the cockpit.
According to known data, the Shervick tractor retained the power plant and transmission of the serial M4A2 tank, but the placement of these units has changed. In front of the hull, under the casing, were placed two General Motors 6-71 diesel engines. The engine rotated a propeller shaft that passed through the inner compartment of the hull and connected it to the aft transmission units. The latter were responsible for the drive of the aft drive wheels. Thus, the units of the tank were actually deployed backwards. The muffler and exhaust pipe of the engine were located on the roof of the hood, enhancing the resemblance to other tractors.
Tractor in bulldozer configuration. Photo Shushpanzer-ru.livejournal.com
The undercarriage of the Shervik tractor was built on standard Sherman tank bogies with a VVSS type suspension, which had a vertical spring. On each side, two bogies were mounted with a pair of road wheels on each. The trolleys were also turned backwards, with the result that the upper support rollers were in front of their bodies. Between the bogies on board the hull, the ends of the transverse beam with assemblies for the installation of bulldozer equipment were brought out. In front of the "deployed" chassis were standard idler wheels, in the stern - leading. The caterpillar remained the same, but it was noticeably shortened.
A promising multi-purpose tractor, as conceived by its creators, could solve various problems, but first of all it had to become a carrier of bulldozer and earthmoving equipment. It was this role that was taken into account in the design of the chassis, which received a special frame with power elements brought out on the sides.
To install additional equipment for one purpose or another, it was possible to use a cross beam or new mounts placed on the cast transmission casing. The beam was intended for a bulldozer blade, while any towed equipment could be attached to the rear of the tractor.
It is known about the creation of several options for attachments specifically for new tractors. In its simplest form, bulldozer equipment was used. It was a dump on the longitudinal beams. The blade was fixed at the desired height using a rigid connection with the machine body.
Rooting equipment tests. Photo Classicmachinery.net
We also tested lifting equipment designed specifically for the Shervick bulldozer. In this case, a complex structure of several frames and a full-fledged roof was placed above the hood and cab. On the transverse beam, in turn, a system was fixed with a pair of additional frames, including a blade. Moving the working body and uprooting stones or stumps was carried out using a winch and a cable pulled over a system of blocks.
In fact, a significant part of the Shervik tractor designs were created from scratch. In addition, he did not need the armor of the base tank. Due to all this, it was possible to reduce the dimensions and reduce the weight of the structure. The tracked tractor of the new type was only 15 feet (4.6 m) long and 9 feet (less than 2.8 m) wide. The vehicle's own weight was 15, 25 tons. After the installation of the target equipment, the tractor weighed 18, 75 tons. The maximum speed of such a machine was determined at 7.5 miles per hour (12 km / h). At the same time, a significant increase in thrust-to-weight ratio in comparison with the base tank made it possible to effectively solve new problems.
After completing the design work, Vickers Armstrong began assembling the first new type of tractors. For their construction, she ordered several M4A2 tanks from the Ministry of Defense, the units of which were soon supposed to be installed on equipment for earthmoving and agricultural work. The necessary elements of the hull, engines, transmission and undercarriage assemblies were removed from the tanks. At the same time, the assembly of completely new units was required, but in general, the construction of tractors was not particularly difficult and was not excessively expensive.
Vickers Shervick at work in the Netherlands. Photo Classicmachinery.net
No later than 1948-49, the first Shervik vehicles were tested. It is known that they were tested at test sites simulating a future place of work, in the configuration of a tracked chassis-towing vehicle, a bulldozer and a grubber. In all cases, the characteristics of such machines were, at least, not worse than those of similar equipment of that time. In general, the new heavy tractors were of interest to construction and agricultural organizations. They could be used not only in Africa, but also in other regions, not only for the preparation of fields for peanuts, but also in the framework of other projects.
However, the existing plans could not be fully realized. The fact is, soon after the start of testing new technology, the most severe news came from Tanganyika. Small areas already cleared for planting cultivated plants showed the futility of the whole project. A few months after the harvesting of wild vegetation and test plantings, they were not like fertile fields, but like a desert. The sun literally burned the earth, and it rained extremely rarely. As a result, the selected 150,000 acres were not suitable for industrial peanut cultivation. They could not be used for other cultures that are not adapted to such difficult conditions.
Messages from Tanganyika negatively affected the Vickers Shervick tank project. This machine was created specifically for work in Africa, but now its real prospects are in question. However, before making a final decision on tractors, the authorities should have decided on the future of an ambitious program for growing peanuts and supplying the population with edible fats. Disputes at different levels took a lot of time, and only at the beginning of 1951, official London decided to curtail all work in this direction. By this time, almost £ 50 million had been spent on a critical program without any return.
The former tanks made a significant contribution to the restoration of hydraulic facilities. Photo Shushpanzer-ru.livejournal.com
By the time this decision was made, Vickers-Armstrong had assembled several serial heavy tractors of a new type. The equipment was ready to be shipped to future fields, but the customer refused to buy it back. British merchants had to look for a new customer interested in obtaining such special equipment. Fortunately, it didn't take long.
Several serial Shervik tractors were purchased by the Netherlands. In the early fifties, a large-scale program of repair and renovation of dams and other hydraulic structures damaged during the recent war was being implemented in this country. Tank tractors were used in such jobs in a bulldozer configuration. Dutch builders have been using the received equipment for a long time. Later, as the resource was depleted, the few Shervicks were replaced with newer equipment. Interestingly, during the execution of an international treaty, the equipment received light glazed cabins.
According to known data, in total, at the end of the forties, Vickers Armstrong assembled no more than a few dozen new tractors. Moreover, according to some sources, their total number may be noticeably less. The original order, which provided for the dispatch of equipment to Tanganyika, was canceled, and therefore it was not fully executed. Subsequently, the manufacturer had to look for new buyers. There is no information on any new contracts other than the Dutch one.
There is reason to believe that some of the assembled tractors still managed to be sold to one or another commercial or government organization. However, now it was exclusively about the sale of "warehouse leftovers". Before the refusal of government structures, the development company managed to build a certain number of tractors, and it was not planned to keep them for itself. In addition, it cannot be ruled out that a certain portion of the Sherviks was dismantled as unnecessary. In the end, units for M4A2 tanks could be sold to third countries and not as part of full-fledged complete vehicles.
Remains of the last known "Shervik", mid-90s. Photo Shushpanzer-ru.livejournal.com
As far as is known, all Vickers Shervick tractors built have been scrapped over time. The last of them, after many years of inactivity and obscurity, was found in Belgium in 1995. This machine carried lifting equipment and had long been taken out of service. Unfortunately, no one was interested in the unique car, and therefore a sad fate awaited her. At the beginning of the last decade, the only known sample of "Shervik" was disposed of as unnecessary.
After the end of World War II, a significant number of tanks that were no longer needed were converted into equipment of the required type. The Vickers Shervik project used such principles, although it did not mean rebuilding a finished tank, but assembling a new vehicle from existing units. From the point of view of mass production, it had quite great prospects and could be of interest to some customers.
However, the Shervik tractor was designed specifically for a specific agricultural program. The abandonment of plans to grow peanuts in Africa hit the special equipment project and did not allow it to fully show its potential. The original tractors based on the M4A2 Sherman nevertheless reached full-fledged operation, but their small number did not allow them to show outstanding results. Nevertheless, the Shervick project remained in history as an interesting option for converting military equipment into civilian ones.
