Vehicle Description
To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at Auctions America's Auburn Spring event,
May 11-13, 2017.
Chassis No.
BILL OF SALE
Estimate:
$ 15,000 - $ 25,000 US
The Diamond T 980 12-ton Prime Mover (Later designated M20 by the
U.S. Army), was originally designed to meet a British requirement
for a vehicle capable of recovering and transporting tanks. The
design and testing was completed in 1940, and production commenced
in 1941. The Diamond T 980 first saw action with the British Eighth
Army in North Africa. The 980 featured a heavy ballast body behind
the cab and a 20-ton winch with a 300-foot cable. Later, a 981
version was introduced to meet U.S. requirements as well. It
featured a 500-foot winch cable with winch-cable roller sheaves
added to the front (the 980 only had winch-cable roller sheaves at
the back). The front cable rollers gave the 981 self-recovery
capability. Starting in August 1943, the 981s were fitted with a
wider three-seat open cab (as displayed) with provision for the M36
anti-aircraft, .50 caliber machine gun ring-mount. The Diamond T
981 in this new configuration was designated the M20. The M9
trailer was capable of transporting the 38-ton British "Churchill
tank" (their heaviest tank) as well as the U.S. built, 32-ton
"Sherman" tank. A total of 5,871 Diamond T 980/981/M20s were
manufactured during World War II.
