Holt gas–electric tank
| Holt gas–electric tank | |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Holt Manufacturing Company and General Electric Company |
| Produced | 1917-1918 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 25.4 t (25.0 long tons; 28.0 short tons) |
| Length | 5.03 m (16 ft 6 in) |
| Width | 2.76 m (9 ft 1 in) |
| Height | 2.37 m (7 ft 9 in) |
| Crew | 6 |
| Armor | 6–15 mm |
Main armament | Vickers 75 mm mountain howitzer |
Secondary armament | two 7.62 mm (0.300 in) M1917 Browning machine guns |
| Engine | 4-cylinder Holt gasoline 90 hp (67 kW) |
| Power/weight | 3.5 hp/tonne |
| Transmission | G.E.C. generator powering one electric motor per track |
| Suspension | vertical coil springs |
Operational range | 50 km (31 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 10 km/h (6.2 mph) |
The Holt gas–electric tank was the first prototype tank built in the United States in a collaboration between the Holt Manufacturing Company and the General Electric Company. The transmission was petrol-electric with gasoline engine coupled to generator driving electric motors connected to the tracks. Only a single example was built during 1917–1918, as testing proved it lacked the agility and maneuverability required. The crew number is often given as six, on the assumption there would be two machine gunners, a gunner and loader for the main gun, a driver and a commander.