Academy 13409 U.S. TANK TRANSPORTER DRAGON WAGON

The M26 Dragon Wagon is an American military armored heavy truck from the Second World War. The first cars of this type entered service in 1941/1942 and remained in service until the 1950s. The vehicle was powered by a single engine Hall-Scott 440 with a power of 240 hp. The maximum speed was up to 45 km / h. The armament of the car consisted of a single 12.7 mm machine gun. The M26 Dragon Wagon was developed for the needs of the US Army, which, along with the development of its own armored component, realized that it needed new trucks to transport damaged tanks or to transport them faster by road. Moreover, the new tractor unit was also to have a slightly armored driver's cab. The new car was to complement the M19 line, which entered service in 1940. The M26, compared to the M19, had a clearly more powerful engine, an armored driver's cabin, and was also able to carry much heavier loads. The M26 Dragon Wagon vehicles were used primarily in North-Western Europe in 1944-1945. They were replaced in line by the M123 cars, starting in 1955.