Battling Beast Of Burden: Why The M26 Dragon Wagon Was The Greatest Heavy Duty Truck Of WWII

I was blessed to have the opportunity to actually operate one of these awesome vehicle systems. In my time in the military and for 17 years afterward I was a Army Transporter. In 2010 the US Army Transportation Museum at Fort Eustis VA acquired an M26A1 and the M15 semitrailer. This vehicle actually ran. The other two newer tank transporters also displayed do not run. I was there for the unloading of the vehicle from lowboys. No one wanted to drive it off the trailer, so I volunteered. After some work (battery/gas) we finally brought the beast to life. The power steering squeaked but worked. As I was backing off the lowboy, I quickly discovered it had NO BRAKES. However, the friction in the chain drive system made it stop with little effort. I got it coupled with the semitrailer (it took some doing due to lack of lubrication on anything). I backed out of the parking lot and drove it to the far side of the museum to where it now stands proudly for all to see. This vehicle only had 2860 miles and was delivered to the Army in Nov 44 (info on the data plate). Lots of great memories there.

My dad was a tracked vehicle mechanic with the 4th Armored Division. He spoke the praises of the big wreckers and the "Dragon Wagon". In fact, the file photo that accompanies just about every book video or movie of the mechanics changing a motor in a Sherman tank was taken while still training in the States. How do I know this? Look on the tank. There is a guy sitting on the forward edge of the Sherman's engine compartment. That guy, with his back to the camera, is my dad. Dad thought the guys were kidding around when they said, "Hey look they're taking our picture!" That was the standard way to get some rube to turn and look, with great amusement to the other guys. Understand everyone wanted their picture to get in the paper back home. Dad was in the war until the battle for Metz, when his team got hit by an artillery shell. Dad was the only one of his 4 man team to survive, although in a coma for over a year. That's another story in itself. Dad did recover and died on his 70th birthday in 1979. He was my best friend, and yes, my hero. Cheers Terry

I used to build military trailers for a company called Loadcraft Industries. Once the contract ran out, they laid all of us off. It was insanely hard work, but I enjoyed every minute of it. To test the trailers, they had an M1 Abrams with an inactive gun to make sure the trailers could hold them. It was so awesome watching that monster roll up on the stuff that I had created.

Thanks for shining a light on this great transporter of World War Two! As a tank commander in the Army in the 1990's I would often load my Abrams tank onto the Dragon Wagon's modern successor, the M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter for hauling to distant locations. I salute the heavy transporter operators who made it happen, then and now.

Your diatribe on war machines is absolutely one of the best.

I’m a lifelong automotive enthusiast, career mechanic, and I love anything to do with WW2! You pretty much checked all my boxes, thank you Brian

14:15 When I started working on big trucks, my boss told me to service a truck. He said it had a V-6 in it. No problem. I got to work then noticed it was much larger than a V-6. I asked him about it. He said it is a V-6. 6 down one side and 6 down the other side. I loved working with those guys.

Truly a killer hunk of steel! And the best name ever.

I was enthralled the whole time. Awesome as always. Now I’m going to look around and see if there’s many original or restored examples. I miss machines that were simple, intuitive and perfect.

That armoured cab version is the most Mad Max spec truck ive ever seen. Lord Humungous approves.

The move Red Ball Express was about truck convoys in WWII. Very good movie

Another masterful video from Brian Lohnes! Not just accurate facts but fantastic photo and historical videos to seal the deal. Good stuff Brian! -Steve Magnante

WOW. Thanks for making 25 mins feel like 3 mins. The armoured version looks like straight out of a movie. Love it.

Fantastic video. I remember seeing pictures of this truck in a book on WWII and thought it was so modern looking for its time. I loved learning about all the practical, bullet proof yet elegant engineering behind it.

Absolutely awesome video !!! I grew up 4 blocks away from one of the engineers who worked on the hydraulic system for the tower that NASA used, specifically the arm of the tower that retracted and turned away from the rocket prior to launch. Although he passed away a few years ago his son is still one of my good buddies who still bracket races the Camaro that he and his Dad built together. Although about 5 years younger than his boy I always enjoyed hearing stories from Senior along with some of the after hours antics when the racing was over and spectators had gone home. The first gen Camaro is still consistently a 5 second eighth mile car with a normally aspirated small block, still brings a smile every time I see it and think of my buddies Dad and some of the pranks that have been pulled. It’s funny to hear about walking beam suspension in the video as well. When I started my stint as a truck driver I drove an R model Mack with the walking beam suspension and their base 5 speed transmission. The truck rode rough even with the aftermarket air ride cab upgrade. The only time it ever saw over 58mph was when leaving the quarry south east of where I live now. As soon as you left the gate onto the 2 lane road leaving there you began a drop which would allow the truck to coast up to around 75 at the bottom of the hill and worked out perfectly to click the trans into high gear at almost the top of the next hill with the engine revved out against its governor.

My dad worked in the motor pool during WWII. He used to tell me of the many different engines/vehicles he worked on including this beast. Thanks for the video.

Thank you for honoring the troops that manned these trucks of service to our country.

Brian, you've done the M26 story an absolute credit with this video.🍻

Until I watched this video, I didn't know this vehicle ever existed. Thanks once again, as always Brian, for a very interesting, educational & entertaining experience. From a Canadian fan who is always on the look out for your next video.

There's an M26A not far from me. I had no idea about what the story was about that thing. Now I want to go see if they'll let me go check it out up close. It might even be running since it's not always in the same spot on the farm where it sits Thanks for another great mechanical history lessen