Fordson Super Major - Danish Tractor with a 75mm Recoilless Cannon!

Til_Dovre_Faller · January 19, 2025, 7:05pm

FORDSON SUPER MAJOR M20 RFC

TYPE: Tank Destroyer

ARMAMENT

Spoiler

1x 75mm M20 M/50 Recoilless Cannon
-Rangefinder: M1917 Browning machine gun
-Placement: On a modified platform attached to the hydraulics on the tractor
-Armor penetration: Up to 100mm
-Mass: 47 kg
-Length: 2.1 m
-Barrel length: 1.7 m
-Shell: 75 x 408 mm R, HE, HEAT, Smoke
-Shell weight: 9.3–10.3 kg
-Caliber: 75 mm
-Recoil: Recoilless
-Elevation: −27° to +65°
-Traverse: 360°
-Muzzle velocity: 300 m/s
-Maximum firing range: 6.3 km

TECHNICAL DATA
Weight: 2417 kg
Wheelbase: 203 cm
Eigne: Ford 3.6L 4-cyl diesel 54hp
Top speed: 21.17 km/h
Fuel tank: 75.7 L
Transmission: 6-speed sliding gear
Front tire: 6.00-16
Rear tire: 12.4-38
Rear PTO: independent
Rear PTO Type: 540rpm
Type: open center
Pump flow: 22.7 lpm
Wheel drive: Rear wheel drive
Crew: Driver, gunner and a loader

HISTORY
This vehicle is a Fordson Super Major operated by the Danish army in the 1960’s, the exact dates of service i don’t know, but it has served the army for quite a while after the end of ww2 and probably remained in use until the end of the 1960’s or early 1970’s. But, the picture above were taken the 25th of June 1960 during the “animal” show/Dyrskun in Maribo, Dernmark where the Heavy Company - HJVK 8203 Lolland of the Danish home defense participated and demonstrated and showed off their equipment.

This is quite an interesting vehicle, the platform where the 75mm M20 Recoilless cannon is mounted on were built by the Weapons Mechanic K.P.Andersen in landowner M.E.Hovmand Hansen’s workshop and costed DKK 246.04 per piece in materials. The platform is attached to the 3 points on the tractor (The tie rods and the top link) and can thus be lowered and raised with the hydraulics. The cannon can be aimed and shot 360 degrees with some limitations (DOn’t want to kill the driver…). The cannon has a M1917 Browning machine gun as rangefinder as well. Two tractors like this were made.

The Fordson tractor was designed and produced by Ford Motor Company Ltd from 1917 to 1964. In 1952 the New Major was introduced, in 1958 the Power major with an 51.8 hp eigne was introduced and finally in 1960 the Super Major was introduced with many improvements over the previous models. the Super major was produced until 1964 when it was discontinued.

IN GAME
This could be an unique and awesome vehicle to be added with Denmark somewhere in rank 1-2 considering its speed and firepower are severely limited. It could come to the Swedish tree as a subtree or as a part of a Norwegian/Danish combined Tec tree. The vehicles performance is far from the worst, and relative to its weight it is quite powerful, although it is quite backwards heavy and will highly likely tilt backwards in certain situations if you for example try to drive straight up an hill. Anyways, it would be a cool vehicle!

NICE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PLATFORM