AMPHIBIAN TRACTOR USED IN WORLD WAR II HONORED
Contact: John Varrasi [email protected] 212-705-8158
May 16, 1997
The tracked vehicle that spurred the production of the military ship-to-shore amphibian tractors used in the assault on Normandy during World War II, has been cited for historic significance by ASME International (American Society of Mechanical Engineers).
The Alligator amphibian tractor has been named an ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark, reflecting its contribution to humanity and to the progress of mechanical engineering technology. An awards ceremony is set for May 21, 1997, at the U.S. Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum in Quantico, Va., where the tractor is on display.
The Alligator tractor was built in 1935 by Donald Roebling, grandson of the designer of New YorkÃs Brooklyn Bridge. The vehicle originally was used for rescue work in regions of Florida struck by severe hurricanes. It featured paddle-tread tracks to navigate swampy terrain and access areas cut off by floodwater.
Donald Roebling was marketing the Alligator as a vehicle for oil exploration when it came to the attention of the U.S. Marine Corps. With World War II looming and threatening to involve the United States in major battles on land and sea, military leaders and strategists recognized the potential for a tracked amphibian vehicle like RoeblingÃs for ship-to-shore movement of troops and supplies.
The Marine Corps. requested minor design changes to the Alligator to increase the vehicleÃs capabilities in hostile military situations. During the initial stages of World War II, the tractor was used extensively in ship-to-shore operations in the Pacific. The Alligator was later pressed into service at Normandy, helping the Allied forces to their famous victory on D-day.
By the end of World War II, 15,000 amphibian tractors, in seven different configurations, were produced. In 1946, President Harry S. Truman awarded the Medal of Merit to Roebling, citing the Alligator for rendering ìvaluable service during the landings on the Pacific Ocean islandsî and ìunique ability to negotiate surf and beach terrain and move supplies and equipment to otherwise inaccessible locations.î
Today, a modernized version of the tractor, called LVTP-7A1, is available to the Marines.
Landmark status of early machinery and other mechanical engineering achievements is designated by the History and Heritage Committee of ASME International, which develops programs to illuminate the publicÃs technological heritage and encourage the preservation of the physical remains of historically important works. Other landmarks include the Saturn rocket and Dash-30 airliner which is the forerunner to the Boeing 707.
The 125,000-member ASME International is a worldwide engineering society focused on technical, educational and research issues. ASME conducts one of the worldÃs largest technical publishing operations, holds some 30 technical conferences and 200 professional development courses each year, and sets many industrial and manufacturing standards.
RSS