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AMERICA ' IN ACTION—i- — ——i r' AMPHIBIAN TRACTORSThe . amphibian ■ tractor used by the United States marine corps, although a potent instrument of war, is actually not an offensive weapon-:Its principle ■value' is in. Its multiple - uses in landing. party, operations ;in. enemy territory. • Am all-purpose vehicle,-the .“alligator,” as ibis pop-, ula^ly referred to, is capable of swiftly .transferring :troops and. equipment from :ship to.: shore in heavy seas and a pounding surf. It then emerges from the watsc, wades up the beach,: and continues its journey on land..Just; as the Leathernecks who man it, the “alligator” is equally , at home at sea or; on land Ashore, it negotiates mud, swamps and bogs with equal ease, and readily disposes , of thick-trunked trees and other obsta-: ,cles.:;‘Next in importance to the shuttling of troops is the landing of supplies and ammunitions ana the ferrying . of light artillery pieces.In addition to its landing : party' functions, the amphibian tractor is ideal for the evacuation of wounded from beachheads to hospital ships in that the cargo space can be rigged to accommodate stretcher cases.Curiously, the amphibian tractor was originally conceived to fulfill a : peacetime role as a machine of mercy'. The somewhat, ironical transformation came about through the machine’s versatility.:It was first designed to navigate the treacherous bogs and creeks of the Florida Everglades.When a devastating . hurricane swept the Everglades in 1933, leaving hundreds marooned and inflicting widespread; damage, there were many difficulties encountered during rescue operations. Theddea for the creation of a vehicle, capable of both land and water performance was bom. ..After six years of tedious experimentation, the amphibian tank was developed and proved a great success. Its inventor was Donald Roeb-ling, of Clearwater, Fla., member of the New Jersey bridge building family.Released fay Western Newspaper Union,
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Renwick Times
Renwick, Iowa, US
Thu, Dec 24, 1942
Page 2
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USA 20 Apr 2025
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