{{Use American English|date=October 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox weapon | name = M74 armored recovery vehicle | image = Sherman at Sinsheim.JPG | image_size = 300 | caption = A M74 in the Sinsheim Museum | type = Armored recovery vehicle | origin = United States | is_vehicle = yes <!-- Service history -->| service = | used_by = United States<br />Belgium<br />Spain<br />Portugal<br /> Yugoslavia<br /> Greece<br /> | designer = Bowen-McLaughlin-York | design_date = 1953 | manufacturer = Bowen-McLaughlin-York | developed_from = M32 tank recovery vehicle | unit_cost = M74B1 - $45,000 for conversion | production_date = 1953-1958 | number = 1126 | variants = M74, M71B1 | crew = 4 | length = {{convert|7.95|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | width = {{convert|3.10|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | height = {{convert|3.11|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | weight = 42.5 tons | armour = 108 mm maximum | primary_armament = 1× .50 caliber Browning M2HB machine gun <br /> 1× .30 caliber Browning M1919A4 machine gun | secondary_armament = | transmission = Synchromesh transmission<br /> (5 forward and 1 reverse gears) | engine = Ford GAA V-8 gasoline engine | engine_power = 450 hp | pw_ratio = 10.6 hp/tonne | suspension = Horizontal volute spring suspension (HVSS) | speed = {{convert|34|km/h|abbr=on}} | vehicle_range = 160 km | fuel_capacity = 168 U.S. gallons (636 litres) }}
The '''tank recovery vehicle''' '''M74''' (M74)<ref name=":0" /> was an engineer vehicle used by the U.S. Army in the 1950s. It was designed to cope with the heavier weights of the M26 Pershing and M47 Patton. It could also be suitable for light dozing, since it had a hydraulic, front-mounted spade.<ref name=Berndt193 /> 1126<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Joshua |date=2024-03-23 |title=M74 Tank Recovery Vehicle |url=https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/usa/m74-tank-recovery-vehicle/ |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=Tank Encyclopedia |language=en-US}}</ref> were produced by Bowen-McLaughlin-York by converting M4A3 Sherman tanks starting in 1954. From 1956, 60<ref name=":0" /> M32B3A1s were converted by Rock Island Arsenal until 1958.<ref name=OD1 />
== Development == After the Korean War the M74 was designed to cope with the heavier weights of the new vehicles that were being introduced.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/trvm74.html | title=Medium Tank Recovery Vehicle M74 | publisher=Chris Conners | date=2011 | accessdate=5 April 2015 | author=Conners, Chris}}</ref><ref name=Skaarup172 />
Designed in 1953,<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygqNt3ra-vYC&q=m74+armored+recovery+vehicle | title=Historical Dictionary of the U.S. Army | publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group | author=Brown, Jerold E. | year=2001 | location=Santa Barbara, CA | pages=27 | isbn=0-313-29322-8}}</ref> it was based on the M4A3 HVSS medium tank and it was developed to cope with the heavier M26 Pershing and M47 Patton tanks which were entering service, which the M32 armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) was unable to retrieve. Using the standard Ford GAA and HVSS suspension<ref name=":0" /> the chassis would be rebuilt. It was replaced in service with the U.S. Army by the M88 Hercules.<ref name=OD1>{{cite web|title=M74 Tank Recovery Vehicle – Olive Drab.com|url=http://olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_recovery_m74.php|date=12 October 2011 |accessdate=5 April 2015|publisher=Olive Drab.com LLC}}</ref><ref name=Skaarup172 />
== Design == The M74 was fitted with a main {{convert|60000|lb|kg|abbr=on}}<ref name=OD1 /><ref name=Skaarup172>Skaarup, Harold (2011), p. 172.</ref><ref name=":0" /> hydraulic winch, a lighter-duty general purpose secondary winch, a hydraulic A-frame, and a hydraulic front-mounted spade, which was suitable for light dozing, as well as serving as an anchor for heavy winching operations.<ref name=Berndt193>Berndt, Thomas. ''Standard Catalog of U.S. Military Vehicles, 1940–1965'' (Krause Publications, 1993), p. 193.</ref><ref name=Chant21>Chant (2014), p. 21.</ref><ref name=":0" /> It had a .50-caliber M2 machine gun atop the hull and a .30-cal M1919A4 machine gun in the right bow.<ref name=":0" />
== Variants == The M74B1 was a M32B3 HVSS converted to M74B1.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tank Recovery Vehicles |url=http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/tankrecovery/postwar_trv.html |access-date=2023-11-02 |website=the.shadock.free.fr}}</ref>
== Production == 250px|left|thumb|A M74 near Ulm, Germany, in 1954 1126 M74 ARVs were produced between 1953 and 1955 by Bowen-McLaughlin-York.<ref name=":0" /> The conversion of M4A3 Sherman tanks into M74 recovery vehicles was started by Bowen in 1954.<ref>{{cite book |last=Doyle |first=David |date=2011 |title=Standard Catalog of U.S. Military Vehicles |edition=Second |location=Iola, WI |publisher=Krause Publications |isbn=978-1-4402-2572-7 |pages=417–418}}</ref> Some were also converted from obsolete M32A1B3 by Rock Island Arsenal until 1958.<ref name=OD1 />
== Operators == * {{flag|United States}} – Used in post-World War II Germany. It was the standard recovery vehicle of the U.S. Army in the 1950s.<ref name=Skaarup172 /> * {{flag|Belgium}} - Used in 1954-198x, 56 in 1976<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.cairn.info/revue-courrier-hebdomadaire-du-crisp-1981-10-page-1.htm#no73 | title=Le renouvellement des transporteurs de troupes de l'armée belge | journal=Courrier Hebdomadaire du Crisp | year=1981 | volume=915 | issue=10 | pages=1–25 | last1=Arcq | first1=Pierre }}</ref> * {{flag|Germany}}<ref name="Marx">{{cite book|language=de|last=Marx|first=Stefan|title=Die Bergepanzer der Bundeswehr und die deutsche Bergetechnik|series=Tankograd Militärfahrzeuge Spezial|volume=5004|publisher=Tankograd Publishing|year=2004}}</ref> * {{flag|Greece}}<ref name=":0" /> * {{flag|Spain}} – Lent by the United States from 1953 to 1968.<ref>Manrique, ''La Brunete'', p. 69</ref> * {{flag|Portugal}} – Operated 13 units, probably from the United States, were replaced in the 1980s by 8 M88A1/A2G.<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=SIPRI Arms Transfers Database (PortugueseTransfers)|publisher=|year=2019|isbn=|location=|pages=6}}</ref> * {{flag|Turkey}} * {{flagcountry|SFR Yugoslavia}} - some received during the Informbiro period<ref>{{cite magazine|first1=Iztok |last1=Kočevar|title=Micmac à tire-larigot chez Tito: L'arme blindée yougoslave durant la Guerre froide|trans-title=The Yugoslav armored arm during the Cold War|magazine=Batailles et Blindés|language=fr|date=August 2014|publisher=Caraktère|issn=1765-0828|issue=62|pages=66–79}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Vollert |first=Verlang Jochen |title=7023 Armoured vehicle of the Yugoslav armies 1945-present |publisher=Tankograd |year=2011 |asin=B008C0RQ3O |edition=1st |location=Germany |publication-date=2011 |pages=15}}</ref>
== See also == * List of U.S. military vehicles by model number * List of U.S. military vehicles by supply cataloge designation (SNL G281) * M4 Sherman variants
== Notes == {{reflist}}
== References == * TM 9-7402 M74 Recovery Vehicle (1956) * TM 9-7403-2 M74 Recovery Vehicle Misc. Components (1956) * {{cite book |last=Berndt |first=Thomas |date=1993 |title=Standard Catalog of U.S. Military Vehicles |location=Iola, WI |publisher=Krause Publications |isbn=0-87341-223-0}} * {{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygqNt3ra-vYC&q=m74+armored+recovery+vehicle | title=Historical Dictionary of the U.S. Army | publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group | author=Brown, Jerold E. | year=2001 | location=Santa Barbara, CA | isbn=0-313-29322-8}} * {{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zUu4AwAAQBAJ&q=M74+Armored+Recovery+Vehicle&pg=PA21 | title=A Compendium of Armaments and Military Hardware (Routledge Revivals) | publisher=Routledge | author=Chant, Christopher | year=2014 | location=London, UK | pages=21 | isbn=978-1-134-64668-5}} * {{cite book | last = Manrique | first = José María |author2=Lucas Molina | title = La Brunete: 1ª Parte | year = 2002 | publisher = Quirón Ediciones | location = Valladolid, Spain | page = 80 | isbn = 84-96016-27-7 | language = Spanish}} * {{cite book |last=Skaarup |first=Harold |date=2011 |title=Ironsides: Canadian Fighting Vehicles and monuments |location=Bloomington, IN |publisher=iUniverse |isbn=978-1-4620-3465-9 }}
== External links == {{commons category|M74 Tank Recovery Vehicle}} * [http://www.primeportal.net/recovery/marcel_von_hobe/m74_recovery/index.php M74 Tank Recovery Vehicle – Primeportal.net]
Category:Armoured recovery vehicles of the United States Category:Tracked armoured recovery vehicles Category:M4 Sherman tanks Category:Military vehicles introduced in the 1950s