Cruiser Tank Ram Mk.II

[David]

Cruiser Tank Ram Mk.II

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German military successes in the early days of WWII led to a realization that British tank production would be stretched to the limit to equip their own army, let alone Canadian Army requirements. With the fall of France and the danger of an invasion of Great Britain, it was further decided that more military production should be concentrated in Canada. With plans to mobilize two armoured divisions herself, Canada's cruiser tank requirements would be in the area of 1,000 vehicles, and there was absolutely no hope that Britain would be able to supply the necessary tanks. British and Canadian Army officials saw serious design flaws in the U.S. medium M3 tank with its hull mounted main gun of limited traverse. To overcome those design flaws, the design and production of a cruiser tank in Canada was therefore undertaken. The design team appreciated the robust reliability of the M3 chassis and chose to incorporate it in the Canadian cruiser, in combination with a hull and turret that would meet Canadian/British requirements. A running prototype was completed in June 1941. As the 6pdr main gun drawings had not arrived from Great Britain, it was decided to mount the 2pdr gun in the first fifty vehicles which would be called the Ram I. In the summer of 1941, the Ram I prototype underwent trials at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in the U.S. Whether or not the Ram design influenced the U.S. T6 (M4 prototype) is still open to debate. The two tanks certainly shared similarities in design. One notable difference however, was that the driver's station in the Ram followed British practise and was on the right side of the tank. The Americans eventually gave the Ram Cruiser the paper designation M4A5. By the end of 1942, 40 of the original 50 Ram Is had been shipped overseas to Great Britain to partially equip Canadian armoured units. In January 1942, after the completion of the first fifty Rams armed with 2pdr guns, full production started with Rams equipped with the 6pdr gun. These were all designated "Ram II". During its production life, the Ram II went through a variety of modifications, mostly as a result of user reports from the field. It was never to see action as a gun tank, and was used strictly for training purposes.

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Country :	Canada
Role :	Medium Tank
In-Service Date :	February 1942
Manufacturer :	Montreal Locomotive Works
Number Produced :	1899
Crew :	5
Rado :	No. 19
Road Speed :	40 Kilometers per Hour
Rough Speed :	32 Kilometers per Hour
Road Range:	232 Kilometers
Off-Road Range:	Unknown Kilometers
Engine Name:	Continental R-795 EC2
Coolant :
Cylinders:
Capacity:	Liters
Horsepower :
Power / Weight Ratio :	hp per tonne
Transmission :	Synchromesh
Gears :	5 Forward / 1 Reverse
Suspenion :	Vertical Volute Springs
Fuel Type :	Gasoline
Fuel Capacity:	673 Liters
Road Consumption:	2.9 Liters per Kilometer
Off-Road Consumption:	Unknown Liters per Kilometer
Length :	5.79 meters
Height :	2.667 meters
Width :	2.77 meters
Weight :	29484 kilograms
Ground Clearance :	43.2 centimeters
Ground Pressure :	Unknown kg/cm²
Track Links :	79 per track
Track Width :	40 centimeters
Track Ground Contact :	373 centimeters
Gradiant :	30°
Vertical Obsticle :	0.61 meters
Fording Depth :	0.91 meters
Trench Crossing :	2.26 meters
Turning Radius :	18.9 meters
Main Gun :	57mm Q.F. 6 Pounder Mk.V L / 50
Gunsight :	No.33 Mk.II S
Traverse :	360° (Hydraulic)
Elevation :	+20° / -7.5°
Main Gun Ammo :	92
Secondary Weapons :	1x 7.7mm M1919A4 (Coaxial - 2000 rounds) 1x 7.7mm M1919A4 (Hull - 2440 rounds) 1x 12.7mm HB M2 (AA - 300 rounds)
Hull Front (Upper) :	50mm
Hull Front (Lower) :	75mm
Hull Sides (Upper) :	65mm
Hull Sides (Lower) :	30mm
Hull Rear :	38mm
Hull Top :	15mm
Hull Bottom :	12mm
Turret Front :	75mm
Turret Mantlet :	None
Turret Sides :	65mm - 75mm
Turret Rear :	65mm
Turret Top :	15mm