Existing comment:
Experimental Light Tank, 1918, aka Skeleton Tank or Spider Tank.
The U.S. Army recognized the need for a light, fast tank following the successful inauguration of the British "Land Battleship." The Pioneer Tractor Company of Winona, Minnesota, under the direction of Mr. Edwin M. Wheelock, submitted this prototype. The "light" tank was tested in mid-1918 and a contract was awarded to Pioneer for 1,000 vehicles. However, the war ended before any were built and the contract was canceled. Even though the U.S. Government never put the skeleton tank to use, it did recognize the significance of Wheelock's contributions in the development of the tank. The frame is constructed from threaded pipe and fittings so that it could be disassembled and shipped abroad and be repaired with standard tools and materials. The armored box in the center housed the two-man crew and the tank's two engines. The box was to have a turret with a .50 cal. machine gun. This small crew compartment ensured light vehicle weight while the skeleton frame provided a chassis large enough to cross the ditches and trenches of a World War I battlefield. This is the original prototype used for evaluation at Aberdeen Proving Ground and is the only "Skeleton Tank" in existence. |