The M25 Tank Transporter - known as the "Dragon Wagon" with the alternate U.S. Army designation of "G160" - was an American World War II-period (1939-1945) heavy truck design utilized to ferry very-heavy cargo loads. The "complete" vehicle encompassed the M26 6x6 wheeled tractor as its primary drive component coupled with the M15 trailer unit rated for 40-ton loads. The vehicle was developed by the Knuckey Truck Company of San Francisco, CA. Due to Knuckey lacking serious quantitative production capabilities, Pacific Car & Foundry was tapped for serial production of the tractors (where it was known as the "TR-1") - leading the truck to be known by the nickname of "Pacific". The tractors were joined by the accompanying trailer units constructed by Fruehauf Trailer Company (Detroit, MI).
These large, powerful military systems were in service from 1941 until 1955, seeing action in World War II as well as the Korean War (1950-1953) with notable variants of the family line being the unarmored M26A1 and post-war M26A2 types. Total production is believed to have reached around 1,300 vehicles.
The M25 was adopted and used concurrently with the competing Diamond T "M19" 45-ton tractor-trailer of 1940 in same role.
The complete M25 system featured an operating crew of seven with the M26 tractor component powered through a chain-driven arrangement, the engine in play being the Hall-Scott 440 6-cylinder series gasoline unit outputting 240 horsepower while mated to a 4-speed / 3-speed transmission system. The engine had origins in an earlier Hall-Scott marine type of the 1930s and operated roller chains attached to the rear axles (visible from the rear view). The powerful vehicle could make headway on paved roads at 28 miles-per-hour and reach out to a rather modest range of 120 miles. Armor protection of the military trucks was up to 19mm at the frontal facing though this dropping substantially to just 6.4mm along the sides and rear of the driving cab.
For self-defense, the truck could be fitted a single Browning M2 air-cooled, belt-fed heavy machine gun over the driving cab roof to contend with low-flying enemy aircraft and lightly-armored enemy vehicles. This is in addition to any personal weapons carried by the operating crew. Armor protection was rated against small arms fire and shell splinters but nothing more.
As completed, the truck design was given a running length of 25.3 feet with a beam of 10.10 feet and a height of 11.4 feet.
Externally, the driving cab featured a slanted frontal face with hinged armored plates set over the windshields and at the passenger seating areas. The overall appearance of the driving cab was primarily boxy in nature. Spare road wheels and pioneering tools are held externally. The front axle sported single road wheels while the two rear axles offered twin-wheeled mountings for improved displacement and enhanced traction across soft and uneven terrain types (the outer wheels on the two rear axles could be removed as needed, reducing the beam measurement of the truck considerably). When hitched to the trailer component, the vehicle became a critical tank-moving battlefield asset, able to load and transport a single M4 Sherman Medium Tank and ferry the system to where it was needed next. A pair of powered winches on the tractor unit allowed the truck to pull heavy vehicles out of ditches and off roadways or onto transport trailers.
The unarmored M26A1 was easily identifiable when compared to the wartime battlefield M26 and intended for non-direct combat operations (though it could still carry a ringed 0.50 caliber HMG for self-defense in an open-air placement). Unlike the hard top of the original, a canvas tarp was set over the driving compartment and windows could be folded down to improve visibility and comfort. The changes instituted to the M26A1 over the M26 resulted in a vehicle that weighed some ten tons lighter.
From 1955 onward, the Dragon Wagon was eventually superseded on paper in the U.S. Army inventory by the M123/M125 10-ton 6x6 tractor from Mack. This new design was manufactured into 1969 to the tune of 3,580 units.
For its part in military history, the M25 managed a post-war existence in heavy industries where its hauling talents could be of further use. The truck was used beyond the United States by the forces of Japan (JGSDF), Britain, and the former Yugoslavia.
Power & Performance Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the M25 Tank Transporter 40-ton 6x6 Wheeled Heavy Cargo Truck.
1 x Hall-Scott 440 series 6-cylinder gasoline-fueled engine developing 240 horsepower to conventional, all-wheeled 6x6 drive arrangement. Installed Power
28 mph 45 kph Road Speed
121 miles 195 km Range
Structure The physical qualities of the M25 Tank Transporter 40-ton 6x6 Wheeled Heavy Cargo Truck.
7 (MANNED) Crew
25.3 ft 7.72 meters O/A Length
10.9 ft 3.32 meters O/A Width
11.5 ft 3.5 meters O/A Height
84,217 lb 38,200 kg | 42.1 tons Weight
Armament & Ammunition Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the M25 (G160 / Dragon Wagon) 40-ton 6x6 Wheeled Heavy Cargo Truck.
OPTIONAL:
1 x .50 caliber Browning air-cooled, belt-fed Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) on trainable mounting set over driving cab.
AMMUNITION: Dependent upon armament fit.
Variants Notable series variants as part of the M25 (G160 / Dragon Wagon) family line.
M25 Tank Transporter - Complete System Designation.
G160 - Alternative U.S. Army designation.
M26 - Tractor component.
M26A1 - Unarmored version.
M26A2 - Variant.
M15 - Trailer component.
Operators Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the M25 (G160 / Dragon Wagon). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.
Total Production: 1,300 Units Contractor(s): Pacific Car and Foundry (tractor); Fruehauf Trailer Company (trailer) / Knuckey Truck Company (design) - USA
[ Japan (post-war); United Kingdom; United States; Yugoslavia ]
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Rear left view of an M26 Dragon Wagon tractor truck unit.
Similar Developments of similar form-and-function, or related, to the M25 (G160 / Dragon Wagon) 40-ton 6x6 Wheeled Heavy Cargo Truck.
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