Dragon Wagon - Tank Transporter M25, by Jochen Vollert
Published by Tankograd in 2011, 96 pages. Large rectangular softback - c.21cm by 29.5cm. (N7039)
Brand New Book
Brand New Book
Published by reknown military vehicle publisher Tankograd, this booklet provides a fascinating pictorial account of the M25 Tank Transporter. The book is packed full with over 210 colour photographs showing the vehicles themselves, as well as numerous close ups of specific parts, and all photos are accompanied by captions. All text is in English.
Reflecting on the development and active wartime service of the M25 makes it clear why the Dragon Wagon finally made it into the hall of fame for trucks and why it became a legend: It was the first mass-produced (1,372 in armoured and unarmoured versions) tank transporter and the first vehicle in its class solely developed to haul tanks and to recover them from the battlefield. All other heavy trucks that also served this purpose were either built in smaller numbers, were technically not that well advanced, or were not so well suited for either task. The M25, either with the armoured M26 or unarmoured M26A1 tractor truck, was the first of its kind at a time when tank transport was still in its infancy, certainly compared to what eventuated after World War Two. While the wartime M25 can be considered the ancestor of all modern tank transporters, the post-war M26A1 with M15A1 semitrailer would set the ultimate standard. All post-war designs are principally based on technical parameters the Dragon Wagon set, and indeed the overall design is still valid today, if the development of engines is taken into consideration.
This publication closes one of the major gaps in the Dragon Wagon's bibliography: it is a technical high-quality photographical walk-around of excellently restored M26 tractor trucks and M15 / M15A1 semitrailers.
This publication closes one of the major gaps in the Dragon Wagon's bibliography: it is a technical high-quality photographical walk-around of excellently restored M26 tractor trucks and M15 / M15A1 semitrailers.