Today in WW II: 9 Jul 1940 Battle of Calabria [Battle of Punta Stilo, the toe of Italy] fought between the Italian Royal Navy and the British/Australian Royal Navies, 30 miles [48km] east of Punta Stilo.  More ↓
9 Jul 1943 US-British invasion of Sicily begins [night of 9-10 Jul].
9 Jul 1944 British and Canadian forces capture Caen from the Germans, a critical post-D-Day objective in Normandy, France.
9 Jul 1944 US forces reach the northern end of Saipan, finding thousands of Japanese civilian men, women, and children who commit suicide by leaping off the cliffs rather than be captured.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

M-1000 HETS Trailer

The US Army Heavy Equipment Transport System (HETS) consists of the Oshkosh Truck M-1070 Truck Tractor and the M-1000 Heavy Equipment Transporter Semi-trailer manufactured by Systems & Electronics, Inc., St Louis, MO. The HETS transports payloads up to 70 tons – primarily M1 Abrams tanks.

HETS operates worldwide on highways, secondary roads, and cross-country. The HETS has a number of features that significantly improve the mobility and overall performance of the system in a tactical environment. The M1070 tractor has front- and rear-axle steering, a central tire-inflation system, and cab space for six personnel to accommodate the two HETS operators and four tank crewmen. The M1000 semi-trailer has automatically steerable axles and a load-leveling hydraulic suspension.

The M-1000 Trailer is 622 inches long (51.8 feet) and 144.8 inches wide at the rear bumper (12.1 feet). The trailer has a curb weight of 50,000 pounds and can carry a payload of 140,000 pounds.

Find additional photos and hi-res versions of the M-1000 HETS Semitrailer at the Olive-Drab Military Mashup.

M-1000 HET Trailer Photo Gallery

U.S. Army Heavy Equipment Transport System (HETS) M-1000 Semi-trailer and M-1070 Truck Tractor carrying M1 Abrams MBT
U.S. Army Heavy Equipment Transport System (HETS) M-1000 Semi-trailer and M-1070 Truck Tractor carrying M1 Abrams MBT.

M-1000 Semi-trailer
M-1000 Semi-trailer.

U.S. Army Heavy Equipment Transport System (HETS) at 180th Transportation Battalion Motor Pool
U.S. Army Heavy Equipment Transport System (HETS) at 180th Transportation Battalion Motor Pool.

M-1000 Semi-trailer dataplate. Photo: Courtesy Bob Pettit
M-1000 Semi-trailer dataplate. Photo: Courtesy Bob Pettit.