Holt tractor
{{short description|American tractor models, 1892-1925}}
File:15-08-historischesRaupenfahrzeug IMG 1446.JPG
File:Holt 75 Gun tractor replica 8 inch2.JPG
The Holt tractors were a range of continuous track haulers built by the Holt Manufacturing Company of Stockton, California which were named after company founder Benjamin Holt.
Between 1908 and 1913, twenty-seven of the first 100 Holt caterpillar track-type tractors were used on the Los Angeles Aqueduct project, which provided a good proving ground for these machines.{{cite web | url=http://www.caterpillar.com/en/company/history.html | title=Caterpillar company history}}
Military use
File:Holt tractor hauling a 9.2 inch Howitzer to a forward area.jpg July–November 1916]]
They were widely used by the British, French and American armies in the First World War for hauling heavy artillery including the BL 9.2-inch howitzer and the BL 8-inch howitzer. Around 2,000 Holt 75s along with 698 Holt 120s and 63 Holt 60s saw military use during the war. The French Schneider CA1 and Saint-Chamond and German A7V tanks were based on Holt tractors.
Specification
{{Anchor|2 Ton|5 Ton|10 Ton}}
There were at least three models used for military purposes: the Holt 75, the Holt 120 and to a lesser extent the Holt 60. The Holt 75 was first produced in 1913. It used two tracks for steering. It had a maximum speed of {{convert|15|mph}} and had a gasoline engine.{{cite web | url=http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacunithistories/Vehicles%20of%20the%20AEF.html | title=Vehicles of the A.E.F. During WWI}} In addition to US production 442 Holt 75s were built in Britain by Ruston & Hornsby in Lincoln. Production of the Holt 75 was to continue post war until 1924.
The {{convert|120|hp}} model had a tiller-type steering wheel at the front that was usually covered. It weighed about {{convert|18000|lbs|kg|sp=us}}.{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1916/09/19/archives/british-tanks-of-american-type-officer-of-holt-manufacturing-co.html | title = British 'Tanks' of American Type; Officer of Holt Manufacturing Co. Says England Bought 1,000 Tractors Here | date = 1916-09-16 | page = 1 | work = The New York Times }} It was developed in direct response to a request for a heavy artillery tractor. The prototype was produced in 1914 with production beginning in 1915.
The Holt 60 which saw limited use in the war was introduced in 1911.{{cite book |last=Orlemann |first=Eric C. |last2=Haddock |first2=Keith |date=2001 |title=Classic Caterpillar Crawlers |publisher=MotorBooks International |pages=[https://archive.org/details/classiccaterpill0000hadd/page/20 20-22] |isbn=0760309175 |url=https://archive.org/details/classiccaterpill0000hadd/page/20 }}
Literature
- Holt Tractors Photo Archive: An Album of Steam and Early Gas Tractors, {{ISBN|978-1-882256-10-5}}
File:8inchHowitzerMk1BeingTowedSomme1916.jpg being towed by a Holt tractor at the Battle of the Somme, 1916]]
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Holt tractors}}
- [http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/tractor-brands/holt/holt-tractors.html Holt tractor models]
{{Caterpillar}}
{{WWI US Soft Vehicles|state=collapsed}}
{{WWI British Soft Vehicles|state=collapsed}}
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Category:Caterpillar Inc. vehicles