Vehicle, Tank Recovery, T2 (M31)The Vehicle, Tank Recovery T-2 was an armored tank retriever made by modification of the M-3 Lee Medium Tank chassis. The designation T-2 was later changed to M-31.
The turret of the Tank Recovery Vehicle T-2 (M31) mounts a Gar Wood power boom crane with 10,000 to 30,000 lb. capacity, depending on how supports are deployed. There is also a 30 ton winch mounted inside the hull which can operate with its cable over the boom crane or hooked directly to a load. The M3 Lee 75mm main gun was replaced by a hatch with a dummy gun barrel attached to obscure the identity of the vehicle. The T-2 (M31) also mounted two .30 cal. M1919 machine guns.
Vehicle, Tank Recovery, T2 (M31) (G-169)Although this M3-based Tank Recovery Vehicle was initially designated as the T-2, after standardization the nomenclature changed to M31 with these variants:
Just over 800 of the Tank Recovery Vehicle T-2 (M31) were produced in all variants, in service through 1945. The T2 (M31) was slowly replaced by the M32 Tank Recovery Vehicle, based on the M4 Sherman tank, starting in 1944. The British converted M3 Lee tanks (called Grant in the UK, with minor modifications) to armored recovery vehicles, known as the Grant ARV I. This is similar to the T-2 (M31) but of simpler design. When M31 vehicles were obtained by Britain under Lend-Lease, they were referred to as Grant ARV II. About 125 T-2 (M31) vehicles were sent to the Soviet Union during WW II. Other Allies also received units or converted their own M3 tanks. The M33 Prime Mover (for towing artillery) was based on the Vehicle, Tank Recovery, T2 (or M31) minus the crane, turret and recovery equipment. As the M31 TRV was being replaced by the M32 Tank Recovery Vehicle, over 100 of the M31 TRVs were converted to the M33 Prime Mover in 1943-1944 to be used as an alternative to scarce high speed tractors. Vehicle, Tank Recovery T-2 (M31) Characteristics
Manuals for the Vehicle, Tank Recovery T-2 (M31)
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