Christie M1931
The Christie M1931, known as the Combat Car, T1 in US Cavalry use and Medium Tank, Convertible, T3 in Infantry branch, was a wheel-cum-track tank designed by J. Walter Christie for the United States Army using Christie's ideas of an aero-engine and the novel Christie suspension to give high mobility.
| Christie M1931 T1 Combat Car T3 Medium Tank | |
|---|---|
 Christie M.1931 during a demonstration | |
| Type | Cruiser tank/medium tank |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1932–1936 |
| Used by | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | J. Walter Christie (US Wheel Track Layer Corporation) |
| Designed | 1930 |
| Manufacturer | US Wheel Track Layer Corporation |
| Unit cost | $34,500 (without armament, turret, engine, muffler or radio) |
| Produced | 1930–1931 |
| No. built | 9 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 22,220 lb (10 tonnes) [1] combat weight |
| Length | 5.55 m (18 ft 3 in) |
| Width | 2.23 m (7 ft 4 in) |
| Height | 2.28 m (7 ft 6 in) |
| Crew | 2 (Gunner, driver) [1] |
| Armor | 5⁄8 in (16 mm) maximum[lower-alpha 1] [1] |
Main armament | 37mm M1916 (T3 Medium) 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun (T1 Combat Car) |
Secondary armament | .30 in (7.62 mm) M1919A4 Browning machine gun |
| Engine | Liberty L-12 12-cylinder gasoline engine 449 hp (335 kW) at 2,000 rpm |
| Suspension | Christie suspension |
| Maximum speed | 40 mph (64 km/h) on wheels 25 mph (40 km/h) on tracks [1] |
The M1931 was Christie's first tank to be accepted for production by the US Army and was used briefly by experimental tank units. Christie's design had more influence in Europe, with the USSR and the UK developing Christie's ideas in the form of Bystrokhodny (fast) tanks and cruiser tanks respectively.
Development
The Christie M1931 originated as the M1928, which used Christie's suspension, and had the ability to run on its tracks or the wheels. The M1928 was demonstrated unofficially to the US Army by traversing a route at an average speed of 45 km/h (28 mph); by contrast the US Army's T1E1 tanks – expected to replace their WWI-era M1917 light tanks – averaged 16 km/h (9.9 mph) over the same route. This prompted sufficient interest to properly consider Christie's ideas.
In 1930, after protracted negotiations, a contract was signed with Christie's US Wheel Track Layer Corporation to build an improved version of the M1928 at a cost of $55,000.
The prototype M1931, without armament, was delivered in March 1931. An order for seven more was placed in June; these were delivered by 1932. Officially called the "Convertible Medium Tank T3", three went to Company F, 67th Infantry (Medium Tanks) at Fort Benning. The remaining four were passed to the 1st Cavalry Regiment (Mechanized) at Fort Knox. With the gun replaced by a heavy machine gun they were renamed "Combat Car T1".[2][3][lower-alpha 2] The prototype was returned to Christie.
Notes
- on hull front
- The Cavalry were not allowed - by the National Defense Act of 1920 - to possess "tanks" which were defined as limited to the Infantry, so the renaming was a way to circumvent the prohibition
- Hunnicutt 1978, p. 24.
- Hofmann 2006, pp. 174–175.
- Hunnicutt pp. 23–24
References
- Hofmann, George F. (2006). Through Mobility We Conquer: The Mechanization of U.S. Cavalry. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-2403-2.
- Hunnicutt, R.P. (1978). Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank. Presidio Press. ISBN 978-1-62654-862-6.
- Neal, R. J. (2009). A Technical & Operational History of the Liberty Engine: Tanks, Ships and Aircraft 1917–1960. United States: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-149-9.
- Ellis, C.; Chamberlain, P. (1972). Pictorial History of Tanks of the World, 1915–45. United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-1261-3.
- Zaloga, Steven (2015). Armored Champion: The Top Tanks of World War II. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-1437-2.
External links
- "Christie M1931/ Medium Tank T3/ Combat Car T1" at History of War
- "Christie M1931" at Tank Archives