FWD SU-COE Medium Artillery Tractor

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Richard Farrant
I think that it is questionable that the Prime Mover is the Medium Artillery Tractor. The displayed publication on Oliver's message just says SU. If you go to Bart's original bible, on page 68, he lists the SU (G638) amongst a number of other makes of 5-6 ton trucks with short ballast bodies to tow semi-trailers. I would class a prime mover as a vehicle to tow semi or drawbar trailers. Further on, on page 83, the SU-COE MAT is shown less body and alongside is steel bodied cargo and if you look at the description it lists one role as "truck-tractor", which does sound a little like a prime mover.

Richard,

Had a closer look at both the 1969 and revised 1972 editions of Bart Vanderveen's The Observer's Fighting Vehicles Directory Word War II. Of the SU (with diesel engine, shorter wheelbase and GarWood winch behind the cab), only "85 were supplied to Britain, under Lend-Lease, in 1942".

The SU-COE came as a "Tractor Chassis, w/Winch", of which "many [were] supplied to UK and fitted with British Medium Artillery Tractor body (as AEC Matador). Similar chassis were equipped with augers for bomb digging; these had smaller tyres (dual rear)".

There also was a "Cargo" variant, which was "also used as tractor truck (smaller tyres, dual rear), snow-plough, etc." The Transporter, 16-ton, (Tractor) shown in Gregg's Canada's Fighting Vehicles Europe 1943-45 was based on the Cargo variant.

Based on these facts, I think we can assume the 500 "Cargo, FWD-SU" and 2,148 "Prime Mover, FWD-SU" supplied to the "British Empire" were FWD SU-COE's, in Cargo and Tractor Chassis variant respectively.

I wonder if the 85 diesel engined SU's, which were supplied to the UK according to Vanderveen, could actually have been 90 examples shipped to the USSR?

Further to Geoff's original query, I'd place my bet on a Cargo variant as it is located in the US - only a third of those ordered was supplied to the UK. Geoff, do you know if the survivor was fitted with a winch?

Regards,
Hanno