Chart of Military Cranes

Military cranes are used for construction activity, similar to their civilian roles, as well as military-specific duty such as artillery barrel replacement, ammunition handling and other assignments. See also Wreckers.

Rough Terrain Crane, 20 ton, American Hoist Model 2380, March 1972
Rough Terrain Crane, 20 ton, American Hoist Model 2380, March 1972.

Today in WW II: 24 May 1941 Battle of the Denmark Strait: German battleship Bismarck sinks British battlecruiser HMS Hood, flagship of the Home Fleet, killing all but 3 of the 1418 crew.  More ↓
24 May 1943 Dr. Josef Mengele, German SS officer and physician, becomes the medical officer at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

Military Use of Cranes

In the U.S. military, Engineer units use a wide variety of cranes as lifting and loading equipment. The cranes are of three basic types: crawler, truck mounted, and wheel mounted. They are capable of operating various attachments. The 12 1/2-ton crawler cranes and 20- to 25-ton truck- and wheel-mounted cranes are capable of operating with hook, 3/4-cubic yard clamshell and dragline, concrete bucket, wrecking ball, and 7,000-pound diesel-operated pile driver. The 40-ton crawler crane is capable of operating a hook, 2-cubic yard clamshell and dragline, and a 12,000-pound diesel-operated pile driver. In addition, crawler cranes are capable of operating backhoe and shovel front attachments. The 25-ton truck-mounted crane is hydraulically operated, whereas the 20-ton truck- and wheel-mounted cranes and crawler-mounted cranes are hoist/drum operated.

The truck- and wheel-mounted cranes are employed by units that have material-handling and excavating capability to support combat support missions. The crawler cranes are employed by construction support units that have a primary mission to operate quarries or construct port facilities.

Crawler cranes are authorized in the U.S. Army equipment platoons and quarry sections of the Engineer Construction Support Company, Engineer Equipment Maintenance Company (Combat Heavy), Engineer Port Construction Company, and in various Engineer Teams. The 25-ton hydraulic crane is found in the same TOEs. The 20-ton wheel-mounted crane is authorized in the Engineer Combat Battalion (Corps), Engineer Bridge Companies, and in supply/support TOEs. U.S. Navy and USMC usage is similar but adapted to the service-specific needs of the U.S. Naval Construction Force (SeeBees) or Marine Corps Combat Logistics Engineers for building airfields, emplacing pads for vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft, clearing landing zones, creating fuel berms, and general construction.

This section adapted from: FM 5-104 General Engineering.

Chart of Military Cranes

In this chart of military cranes, click on the photo link to go to the page of photos and information for the specific vehicle.

Vehicle Description Photo Link
  Crawler Cranes  
WW II Crawler Crane Crawler cranes were used for many tasks including construction, bridging, port operations, and logistics. Crawler-mounted cranes are similar to truck-mounted cranes, but their crawler treads spread the weight more evenly over the surface so they can track over weaker soil areas. They have about the same handling capacities as the truck-mounted cranes, 5 tons up to 40 tons. US Army WW II Crawler Crane
BE 22BM Bucyrus-Erie Model 22BM Crane, Shovel, Crawler Mounted, 12 1/2 Ton, 3/4 cu yd Bucyrus-Erie Model 22BM Crane, Shovel, Crawler Mounted 12 1/2 Ton 3/4 cubic yard
855B Crane-Shovel Unit, Crawler Mounted, 40-ton, 2 cubic yard. P & H Diesel Division-Harnischfeger Corp, Model 855B Crane-Shovel Unit, Crawler Mounted, 40-ton, 2 cubic yard. P & H Diesel Division-Harnischfeger Corp, Model 855B
1125 Crane, Crawler Mounted, 60 ton, DED Harnischfeger Model 1125 Crane, Crawler Mounted, 60 ton, DED Harnischfeger Model 1125
5060 Crane, Crawler Mounted, Self-propelled, 40 ton Harnischfeger Model 5060
NSN 3810-01-145-8288 		 
  Truck Mounted & Wheeled Self-Propelled Cranes  
WW II Truck Cranes Truck mounted cranes were widely employed by Engineers and maintenance units.Truck-mounted - cranes. Military truck-mounted cranes are a little more versatile than crawler cranes and come in capacities from 5 tons up to 40 tons. US Army WW II Truck Mounted Crane
1950s Truck Cranes Truck mounted cranes used in the 1950s were often units built during World War II, along with newly acquired equipment. 1950s US Army Truck Mounted Crane
MT250 Crane, Truck Mounted, 25 ton. P & H Diesel Division-Harnischfeger Corp, Model MT250 Crane, Truck Mounted, 25 ton. P & H Diesel Division-Harnischfeger Corp, Model MT250
2380 Rough Terrain Crane, 20 ton, American Hoist & Derrick Company Model 2380 Rough Terrain Crane, 20 ton, American Hoist Model 2380
M320T2 Crane, Truck Mounted, GED 6x6, 20 ton capacity. Harnischfeger Corp, Model M320T2 Crane, Truck Mounted, GED 6x6, 20 ton capacity. Harnischfeger Corp, Model M320T2
AT422T All Terrain (ATEC) 22T Crane, Truck Mounted, Wheeled. Grove Manufacturing Co. Model AT422. All Terrain (ATEC) AT422 22T Crane, Truck Mounted, Wheeled Grove
TMS-300-5 Crane, Truck Mounted, 25 ton, Grove Manufacturing Co. Model TMS-300-5. Crane, Truck Mounted, 25 ton, Grove Manufacturing Co. Model TMS-300-5.
H446 & H446A Crane, Wheel Mounted, 5 ton, Model H446 and H446A, made by Hanson Mfg. Co. Crane, Wheel Mounted, 5 ton, Model H446 and H446A, made by Hanson Mfg. Co.
LRT-110 U.S. Marine Corps LRT-110 Air Mobile Crane, 7 1/2 ton capacity. U.S. Marine Corps LRT-110 Air Mobile Crane, 7 1/2 ton capacity
RT41AA Crane, Truck Mounted, 4-Ton Aircraft Maintenance Grove Model RT41AA (SCAMP) Crane, Truck Mounted, 4-Ton Aircraft Maintenance Grove Model RT41AA (SCAMP)
RTCC Rough Terrain Container Crane (RTCC) Rough Terrain Container Crane (RTCC)
RTCH Rough Terrain Container Handler (RTCH)
Caterpillar and Kalmar 		Rough Terrain Container Handler (RTCH)