The First World War quickly came to the so-called. positional deadlock. The armies created various obstacles that impeded the advance of the enemy, and in order to organize a breakthrough through such obstacles, the troops needed some kind of engineering means. A variety of options have been proposed for the destruction of wire or other barriers, including original and bold ones. In particular, it was for the fight against engineering structures that "land torpedoes" were proposed. The first known product of this class was the Schneider Crocodile torpedo.
Explosives were a very effective means of dealing with non-explosive obstacles, but the delivery of an engineering charge to the target was a very difficult task. Various ways of solving it have been proposed, but they all had certain disadvantages. Almost always, the transportation and installation of the engineering charge was entrusted to people, which led to certain risks. The way out of this situation could be the mechanization of this process with the help of certain technical means, which, however, were absent at that time.
At some point, the idea of the so-called. land torpedo - a special compact self-propelled vehicle equipped with a simple power plant, remote control facilities and a warhead of sufficient power. The first projects of this kind, brought, at least to the test, appeared in France. As a consequence, the original idea was originally called Torpille Terrestre in French. Also, such products can be called self-propelled explosive charges.
Land torpedoes Schneider Crocodile
The first successful land torpedo project was proposed by Schneider. She already had some experience in the creation of weapons and military equipment, but the creation of a fundamentally new engineering tool was a specific task. Nevertheless, the designers of "Schneider" managed to find the most successful appearance of the product, corresponding to the available technologies and meeting the requirements.
The promising Torpille Terrestre project received the working designation Schneider Crocodile (Crocodile). Subsequently, as the project developed, additional designations Type A and Type B appeared. Looking ahead, it can be noted that only the second modification, marked with the letter "B", went into the series, while the torpedo "A" was used only during testing and development of the appearance products.
It did not take long to form the general appearance of the new land torpedo. It was determined that the urgent tasks of breaking through obstacles can be solved using a self-propelled tracked vehicle equipped with an electric power plant. In addition to the necessary electrical equipment, a high-explosive charge of sufficient power should have been present on board the vehicle. It was proposed to supplement the torpedo with the necessary means of remote control of the most simple design. At the same time, the product had to be distinguished by its minimum dimensions, contributing to a covert approach to the target.
In the first months of 1915, the design of the first version of the Crocodile torpedo was completed. For this project, designated as Type A, several prototypes were built, necessary for testing. Checking products not equipped with a real warhead showed that the proposed engineering ammunition may be of interest to the army. Self-propelled land torpedo, maneuvering at the commands of the operator, could really approach the enemy obstacle and undermine it. Nevertheless, at this stage, certain problems could be identified, for the correction of which it was necessary to rework the existing project.
Based on the test results, Schneider made certain changes to the existing project, the exact list of which, however, is unknown. Probably, improvements could affect the power plant, chassis and controls. Some other torpedo devices should have been changed accordingly. The result of the revision of the existing project was the appearance of the Crocodile Type B product.
Within the framework of the second project, the designers of the Schneider company formed the final appearance of the self-propelled ammunition, which fully met the requirements. After testing, the "Crocodile" version "B" could be adopted and put into production.
The main design element of the land torpedo was a fairly simple frame, which was proposed to be assembled from small-diameter tubes. The frame had a pair of side units that served as the basis for the chassis. Each such unit had the shape of an irregular quadrangle. The two front tubes of short length were connected in an angular structure, connected to a vertical post, as well as horizontal and inclined parts of large dimensions. The front, lower middle and rear joints of the tubes were equipped with mountings for the axles of the chassis elements. Two onboard units of complex shape were connected to each other using several transverse elements.
In the central part of the frame, it was proposed to install all the necessary devices. The frame had to carry its own battery with the required characteristics, a pair of electric motors and a warhead of sufficient power. It was not planned to mount any shields on top of the frame. A full-fledged body was also not provided. Probably, the open placement of the main devices was associated with the need to reduce the mass of the structure as much as possible.
The electrical propulsion system was simple enough. The Schneider Crocodile had its own battery on board, connected to a pair of electric motors. With the help of a simple mechanical transmission, the engine was connected to the drive wheel of its own caterpillar. A wired system was proposed to control the operation of the engines. Own cables of the power plant were led out to the stern device with terminals, designed to secure the control cables. An important feature of the vehicle was the sealing of the on-board electrical systems. Subsequently, this made it possible to increase the combat potential in a certain way.
It should be noted that some sources describe a different design of the power plant. According to this data, the battery or other source of electricity should have been at or near the operator's position, but not on board the self-propelled vehicle. In this case, the cables connecting the console and the torpedo were not only a control channel, but also a means of supplying current. Nevertheless, the version about the use of an external power source does not have worthy confirmation.
The Crocodile project proposed the use of the simplest running gear. In the front, middle and rear parts of the frame, it was proposed to install unified wheels-rollers. No elastic suspension elements were used, and the wheel axles were the frame elements. The front wheel was raised above the ground and acted as a leading wheel. The other two rollers were below it and were road wheels. At the same time, the rear one solved the problems of the steering wheel. All roller wheels were of the same design. They were equipped with a hub, on which side discs of a larger diameter were mounted, which prevented the displacement of the track. The latter was distinguished by the most simple design. It was based on a canvas tape of the required size. On it, at regular intervals, it was proposed to fix rectangular wooden bars used as lugs.
The original French torpedo Torpille Terrestre was supposed to carry a high-explosive warhead. In a light case, which did not provide a sufficient fragmentation effect, 40 kg of explosives were placed. The type of explosive is unknown. To detonate the warhead, it was proposed to use a remote-controlled electric fuse.
Torpedo tests. The product has moved away from the operator, only the control cables are visible
For the combat use of the Crocodile Type A / B land torpedo, the operator was supposed to be responsible, who had at his disposal a simple electrical control panel. Simple controls made it possible to turn on or off electric motors, as well as give a command to detonate a warhead. The simultaneous inclusion of two engines ensured forward movement, and for maneuvering it was proposed to turn off one of the engines. The explosion was carried out by simply applying an electrical impulse to the fuse.
The connection of the console and self-propelled ammunition was carried out using three cables. They had to be transported using a separate reel, which had to be placed near the operator's position. Moving to the target, "Crocodile" had to unwind the wires and pull them along.
According to available data, the Schneider Crocodile Type B combat-ready engineering ammunition had a length of 1.66 m. The width was 0.82 m, the height was only 0.6 m. The combat weight reached 142 kg, of which 40 kg accounted for the explosive charge. Relatively low-power electric motors made it possible to reach speeds of no more than a few kilometers per hour. The power reserve was also not great, but it allowed to destroy obstacles within a radius of several hundred meters - in the line of sight.
The method of combat use of a land torpedo was extremely simple. Arriving at the position, the crew had to deploy the console and the reel with cables, as well as bring the product "Crocodile" to the starting position. Target detection was carried out visually using available optical instruments. Further, the operator could turn on the engines and send self-propelled ammunition to the target. Tracking the position of the machine, which is necessary to correct the direction of movement, was proposed to be determined using the available means. Having brought the torpedo to the target, the operator could give a command to detonate the warhead. An explosion of 40 kg of explosive could make a fairly large passage in any non-explosive obstacle. In addition, the goal of a self-propelled system with such a warhead could be any enemy fortification that does not have serious protection.
Several of the first self-propelled land torpedoes of the Schneider Crocodile Type B were manufactured in the early summer of 1915 and submitted for testing. Testing of prototypes was carried out by the development company with the participation of representatives of the military department. The testing ground was the Maison-Lafite test site. All the necessary tests were carried out in just one day, July 15th. In the shortest possible time, the military and representatives of the manufacturing company determined the real characteristics and capabilities of the original weapon.
Self-propelled engineering ammunition could develop a low speed and move a distance limited by the length of the existing cable. With all this, he successfully carried out the operator's commands and made simple maneuvers. Operator training was not particularly difficult. The used warhead was supposed to show sufficiently high characteristics suitable for solving the assigned tasks.
The electric power plant and tracked chassis made it possible to move off-road, both on flat and rough terrain. In addition, "Crocodile", as if justifying its name, was able to cross shallow water bodies along the bottom. The sealed enclosures of the electrical equipment prevented water ingress and short circuits. Thus, a land torpedo could work in a variety of conditions, without requiring special indulgences. In particular, she was able to move along funnels filled with water.
However, there were some problems. First of all, the reliance on electrical systems has led to higher production costs and increased operational complexity. The absence of any corps, not to mention the reservation, negatively affected survivability in a combat situation. Similarly, the actual results could have been affected by the use of wire-based control. Only one random splinter could take the torpedo out of the battle.
Observing the movement of the item was a serious problem. The small size made it difficult for the enemy to detect the torpedo in time, but at the same time hindered the operator. In certain conditions, he could lose sight of the car. At the same time, even constant visibility did not facilitate the operator's work, since he would have to rise above his cover, risking becoming a target for enemy shooters.
Despite all the existing problems, the new invention of the French designers could give the troops certain advantages over the enemy. The Schneider Crocodile Type B product allowed troops to destroy non-explosive obstacles relatively quickly and with minimal risk, making a passage for the infantry. The existing disadvantages were considered insignificant and acceptable for practical use. Just a few weeks after conducting a short test, the French military department decided to adopt a new land torpedo into service.
It is known that the development company, having received an order from the army, produced several small batches of new products. Production lasted a little less than a year. Until the early summer of 1916, the customer received up to several hundred self-propelled vehicles with the required additional equipment. Finished products were supplied to various formations of the French ground forces. In addition, there is information about the supply of such weapons to Great Britain, Belgium, Italy and even Russia. The volumes of such deliveries and the results of the use of self-propelled explosive charges by foreign countries are unknown.
According to various sources, since the fall of 1915, the French troops actively used the original ground torpedoes to destroy the barbed wire or some enemy fortifications. Perhaps there were some difficulties, but there is reason to believe that, on the whole, the unusual equipment coped with the assigned tasks and helped the troops in offensives. Naturally, given the level of technology development, there was no hope of getting one hundred percent reliability.
Torpedo "Crocodile", justifying its name, could overcome shallow water bodies right along the bottom
In June 1916, the Schneider company ceased production of self-propelled Torpille Terrestre Crocodile Type B. The order for the production of such weapons was canceled due to successes in other areas. The main task of the "Crocodile" was the destruction of non-explosive obstacles in front of enemy positions. At the same time, such a task was solved at the cost of the "life" of a rather complicated and expensive apparatus. After breaking through the obstacle, the vehicle was no longer able to support the troops.
By this time, the designers of several enterprises proposed new tank designs. Such a technique could also break through the defense lines, but at the same time it did not die near the first obstacle. In addition, the tanks had to carry machine-gun or cannon armament, which gave certain advantages. In the light of future combat use, promising tanks with a crew and weapons looked more profitable than disposable land torpedoes with a warhead of sufficient power.
The French command, having studied the available results and prospects for the development of military equipment, decided to abandon land torpedoes in favor of full-fledged armored combat vehicles. The production of Schneider Crocodile was then phased out. The troops used all the products that remained in stock, after which their operation ceased. In the near future, the first French tanks entered the battlefields. One of them was developed by the Schneider company, which produced land torpedoes just a few months ago.
There is reason to believe that all Crocodile Type B products manufactured and delivered to customers were used on the battlefield to defeat certain targets. This assumption is supported by the fact that not a single similar land torpedo has survived to our time. An interesting development of a century ago can now be seen only in a few surviving photographs.
As follows from the available data, the Schneider Crocodile Type B self-propelled explosive charge, assigned to the Torpille Terrestre class, coped with the tasks and - taking into account certain limitations and characteristic problems of its time - performed well. In addition, it became the first weapon of its kind. Later, in France and in a number of other countries, attempts were made to create remotely controlled self-propelled engineering torpedo ammunition. Only a part of such samples was brought to serial production and operation, but all of them are of great interest in the context of the development of military equipment.
