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.
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M-916 Light Equipment Transporter

The Truck, Tractor: 20-Ton, Light Equipment, 6x6, 56,000 GVW M916, M916A1, M916A2, and M916A3 are used primarily with to tow compatible semitrailers -- low bed type M172A1, 25-ton payload and M870, 40-ton payload -- to transport engineer construction equipment in the local, line haul and maintenance evacuation missions on primary, secondary and off-road conditions. They have an on-board winch capable of pulling engineer construction equipment onto the M870 semitrailer. The maximum GCVW, when towing the M870 40-ton semitrailer, is 130,000 pounds. Freightliner delivered more than 1,070 of these vehicles to the Army from 1990 to the 2000s.

The M916 Tractors are employed at the platoon level in essentially all engineer TOEs except ABN/AMBL. The NSNs are:

  • M916 LET (NSN 2320-01-028-4396)
  • M916A1 LET (NSN 2320-01-272-5028)
  • M916A2 LET (NSN 2320-01-431-1163)
  • M916A3 LET (NSN 2320-01-488-6962)

Some documents refer to another variant, the M916A3E1 Boat Hauler, but none appear to have been manufactured.

The engine, transmission and other components are shared with the other M915 series trucks.

Find additional photos and hi-res versions of the M-916 Light Equipment Transporter at the Olive-Drab Military Mashup.

M-916 Light Equipment Transporter Photo Gallery

M916A2 Light Equipment Transporter. Photo courtesy Freightliner LLC
M916A2 Light Equipment Transporter. Photo courtesy Freightliner LLC.

M916A3 Light Equipment Transporter. Photo courtesy Freightliner LLC
M916A3 Light Equipment Transporter. Photo courtesy Freightliner LLC.

After 160 inches of snow, an M916 20-ton tractor of the 827th Engineer Company (NY Army National Guard) joins a convoy to Mexico, NY during Operation Empire Response, 14 February 2007.
After 160 inches of snow, an M916 20-ton tractor of the 827th Engineer Company (NY Army National Guard) joins a convoy to Mexico, NY during Operation Empire Response, 14 February 2007.

US Navy Seabee engineering unit delivers a Caterpillar bulldozer on its trailer, towed by an M916A2 tractor, Camp Coyote training range, Kuwait, 20 Feb 2003.
US Navy Seabee engineering unit delivers a Caterpillar bulldozer on its trailer, towed by an M916A2 tractor, Camp Coyote training range, Kuwait, 20 Feb 2003.

Thanks to James Grein for help with this page.