View Single Post
  #1066  
Old 27-02-19, 18:43
tankbarrell tankbarrell is offline
Adrian Barrell
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Suffolk, UK
Posts: 843
Default

The brake is released when you squeeze the grip trigger on the hand traverse handle. This allows you to turn the handle and hence the turret. It also helps prevent the turret moving around.
This system was also used by Powered Mountings on all of their hydraulic traverse systems in nearly all British tanks and was also used by the US in their Oilgear traverse system. That is a very close copy of the PM design and was possibly the only feature of the Matilda II that impressed the Americans!
The main change was the US used iron for the castings, the British boxes all being in bronze. Many of the parts, including the brake and handle assembly will interchange between Oilgear and PM.
__________________
Adrian Barrell
Reply With Quote