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| Ram tank | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ram tank |
| Caption | Canadian-built cruiser tank used during WWII |
| Origin | Canada |
| Type | Cruiser tank |
| Length | 5.64 m |
| Width | 3.05 m |
| Height | 2.69 m |
| Weight | 29.94 t |
| Armour | 6–60 mm |
| Primary armament | 40 mm 2-pounder or 57 mm 6-pounder (later practice) |
| Secondary armament | 7.92 mm coaxial and hull machine guns or .30 Browning |
| Engine | GMC 6046 diesel (twin 6-71 Detroit Diesel) |
| Power | 350 hp |
| Speed | 30 km/h |
| Range | 160 km |
Ram tank
The Ram tank was a Canadian cruiser tank developed during World War II as an indigenous armoured fighting vehicle to equip Canadian Army formations, supplement British Army requirements, and support Allies of World War II production efforts. Conceived amid debates over tank doctrine and industrial allocation, the Ram combined elements of U.S. automotive powertrains, British armour layout, and Canadian manufacturing to produce a medium tracked vehicle used primarily for training, reconnaissance, and conversion into specialized engineering platforms. Although never deployed in its original tank role in major combat theaters, the Ram influenced later Canadian and Commonwealth armoured vehicle development and saw varied post-production adaptations.
Design work began after the fall of France when the need for a domestically produced armoured vehicle became acute for Canada and United Kingdom rearmament plans. The initiative was driven by the Department of National Defence (Canada), the Canadian Armoured Corps, and industrial stakeholders such as Montreal Locomotive Works and Canadian Pacific Railway workshops adapting skills from locomotive and rolling-stock manufacture. The basic hull and turret concept drew on the layout of the U.S. M3 Lee and the British Cruiser tank philosophy advocated by figures associated with the Royal Armoured Corps and some proponents within British Expeditionary Force analyses. Powertrain selection used the General Motors GMC 6046 twin-diesel arrangement, a configuration influenced by Detroit Diesel engineering and cross-Atlantic supply considerations under Lend-Lease discussions.
Armour shaping and castings used practices from Vickers-Armstrongs and incorporated riveted and welded techniques common to Royal Ordnance Factory production. Firepower originally mirrored British standards, employing the 40 mm 2-pounder designed by Ordnance Board committees and later experimentation with 57 mm pieces considered elsewhere in North Africa Campaign experiences. Suspension and tracks reflected influences from Canadian National Railway workshops and consultations with designers familiar with US Army and British Tank Board developments.
Production took place primarily at Montreal Locomotive Works with subcontracts to firms such as Canadian Car and Foundry and components from General Motors of Canada. Industrial mobilization coordinated with the Department of Munitions and Supply and involved workforce recruitment parallel to policies enacted by Wartime Industries Control Board equivalents. The basic Ram chassis spawned several variants: command versions for Canadian Corps signals use, OP (observation post) models for artillery liaison with Royal Canadian Artillery, and training versions used by Canadian Armoured Corps regiments in the United Kingdom. Specialized engineering conversions included armoured personnel carrier adaptations and bridgelayer concepts examined by Royal Canadian Engineers schools.
A significant derivative was the Ram Kangaroo armoured personnel carrier conversion undertaken to support operations in Northwest Europe during the later stages of Second World War combat, reflecting interoperability requirements with British Second Army and First Canadian Army formations. Other projects attempted to mount more powerful guns influenced by experiences from the Battle of El Alamein and the evolving demands of the European Theatre.
While the Ram chassis was never employed as a frontline medium tank with major armoured brigades in the same role as Sherman firefly-equipped units, it saw operational use after conversion. The 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade and regiments attached to 1st Canadian Army formations used Ram-derived Kangaroos and armoured recovery vehicles during operations in Northwest Europe including actions associated with the Rhineland Campaign and the Crossing of the Rhine. Training regiments in United Kingdom used Rams extensively to prepare crews destined for Sherman and other tanks, giving practical experience in gunnery, manoeuvre, and maintenance.
Ram-based armoured vehicles occasionally participated in support roles during combined operations with Royal Air Force ground liaison elements and Royal Engineers bridge and demolition tasks. Operational assessments by staff officers from Canadian Military Headquarters in London and tactical reports circulated to War Office planners influenced decisions to divert production toward more immediately combat-effective platforms under Combined Operations directives.
Key specifications reflect the Ram's cruiser lineage and Canadian industrial constraints. The hull used rolled and cast armour up to approximately 60 mm on front plates following recommendations from Armoured Fighting Vehicle Committee reviews. Crew composition mirrored contemporaneous designs influenced by the Royal Tank Regiment and the British Army training syllabus: commander, gunner, loader, driver, and co-driver/radio operator. Armament options originally included the 40 mm 2-pounder developed under Ordnance Board programs; proposals for 57 mm main guns paralleled shifts observed after North African Campaign armoured engagements. Mobility relied on the twin GMC 6-71 diesels producing roughly 350 hp coupled to a sprocket and bogie suspension system reflective of US truck and armoured vehicle component standardization efforts. Maximum road speed and operational range were consistent with cruiser expectations, supporting tactical moves with elements from Canadian Armoured Divisions.
Several Ram vehicles survive in museums and private collections across Canada and United Kingdom, preserved by institutions such as the Canadian War Museum, regimental museums associated with Royal Canadian Dragoons and Lord Strathcona's Horse, and private preservation groups that collaborate with Imperial War Museum researchers. Restored Rams and Kangaroo conversions appear at commemorative events related to D-Day anniversaries and VE Day observances, where heritage trusts and museums display them alongside Sherman examples and period vehicles from Commonwealth collections. Conservation efforts often involve partnerships with universities and technical schools that trace metallurgical and mechanical lineages back to wartime industrial programs managed by Department of Munitions and Supply.