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M4Tractor wartime.jpg

An old WW2 era American M4 'High Speed' Tractor named 'Schermon', used originally for towing artillery guns converted into a technical used for troop transport and also fire support, as a 20MM cannon was fitted to the rear tray. The vehicle was originally used during WW2 by the Yugoslavian armed forces, who after WW2 sold it to a civilian logging company, where it was used in heavily wooded areas as a tree hauler before it was lost during the post-war period. 

 

It was re-discovered in the forest near Sisak, Central Croatia during the summer of 1991, where it was hauled out of the woods despite it's bad condition and re-built into a technical by the company Sisački Autopromet, who repaired the vehicle and added a new interior, the added armour and weapons, and modified the engine so it was back in working condition. The weird appearance for the engine and exhaust was because the armoured shell was already being prepared before the engine was, so they just cut holes in it to allow the exhaust to vent outside rather than inside the troop compartment to prevent the passengers asphyxiating from the engine fumes.  

'Schermon'

M4Tractor.jpg

The very wide rubber armoured skirt was added for additional protection but was designed to be removeable in urban areas, and the vehicle itself was fitted with 15-20MM's of armour plating and used as a troop carrier, with it's primary armament being a 50. calibre NSV heavy machinegun with a coaxial 7.62 MM light MG. The black and white photo also shows an additional weapon mounted in the rear, a Zastava M55 autocannon mounted on it, a triple barrelled 20MM Anti-aircraft gun fed by rather large and distinctive looking drum magazines.

 

Firing ports have also been added to the sides of the vehicle, and the front also has armour that can be used to cover the driving slits. Behind the armoured skirts is a second layer of the 10-20MM thick armour, so it has got some small amount of spacing for additional protection against light infantry weapons, as it was only designed to be protected against 7.62x54R or smaller rounds, as well as shrapnel. The small square hatch at the front side of the vehicle is one of the doors. (1)

1- Vokislav Jereb, English by David Spencer, Croatian Improvised AFV's 1991-1995- A Pictoral History, Adamic, (2002)

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