Nicholas Straussler

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Nicholas Straussler
Born 1891
Hungary
Died 3rd June 1966
London
Occupation Engineer

Nicholas Straussler (1891–1966) was an engineer mainly remembered for devising the flotation system used by Allied amphibious DD tanks during World War II. Born in Hungary, he developed a reputation as an innovative automotive engineer before moving to Britain during the interwar period.[1]

[edit] Biography

Between 1928 and 1933, Straussler ran Folding Boats and Structures Ltd and patented a number of flotation devices, including collapsible ones[2][3][4].

Throughout the 1930's, he worked with Alvis Cars, Vickers-Armstrong and Hungarian companies on a variety of projects. His work for Alvis involved designing armoured cars such as the Alvis Straussler AC2 and the Alvis Straussler AC3. The prototypes were built by his own company Straussler Mechanisation Ltd. and the production vehicles by a new joint company, Alvis-Straussler[5] that was formed in July, 1936. [6].

Short Stirling bomber being loaded with 250 lb bombs, carried on Alvis Straussler bomb trolleys.
Short Stirling bomber being loaded with 250 lb bombs, carried on Alvis Straussler bomb trolleys.

He later improved the AC2 design and it was built in Hungary as the 39M Csaba. A tank, the Light Tank V4, was built in Hungary to his design but never got past the prototype stage. One of his designs that did see widespread use was the Alvis Straussler Bomb Trolley. Around 10,000 were made for the Royal Air Force to transport bombs, mainly within airfields. Each carried four 250 pound bombs, although large versions were later produced.[7]

Straussler's work for Vickers-Armstrong, included designing accessories for tanks. The engineering solutions he produced tended to be innovative, though sometimes at the expense of practicability.[1]. He used his flotation device experience to develop collapsible floats for Vickers-Armstrong that could be used to construct a pontoon bridge or could be mounted on either side of a light tank to make it amphibious. Trials conducted by the British War Office showed that such a tank, propelled by an outboard motor, 'swam' reasonably well[1].

Straussler was not satisfied with this system, mainly because of the unwieldy bulk of floats that were big enough to float a tank (each was roughly the size of the tank itself). In practice, there would be severe difficulties in transporting by truck enough floats, even collapsed ones, to move a large unit of tanks across a body of water. Also, such floats made a tank too wide to launch itself into the sea from an off-shore landing craft, making their use in amphibious landings impractical.[8] Instead, he devised an alternative, the flotation screen. This was a folding canvas screen, supported by horizontal metal hoops and vertical rubber tubes filled with compressed air. The screen covered the top half of the tank and provided buoyancy in the water. When collapsed, it would not interfere with the tank's mobility or combat effectiveness.

Straussler was allocated a Tetrarch tank for experimentation and it was fitted with a screen together with a marine propeller that took its drive from the tank's engine. The two forms of propulsion - propeller and tracks - gave rise to the term Duplex Drive or DD for such tanks.

Front portion of Surviving DD tank with its canvas flotation screen. Bovington Tank Museum , Dorset
Front portion of Surviving DD tank with its canvas flotation screen. Bovington Tank Museum , Dorset

The first trial of the DD Tetrarch took place in June 1941 in Brent Reservoir (also known as Hendon Reservoir) in North London[1] in front of General Alan Brooke, who was an early enthusiast for the idea[9]. Coincidentally, this was also where trials of a floating version of the British Mark IX tank took place in November 1918. Satisfactory sea trials of the Tetrarch took place near Hayling Island and the go-ahead was given to develop a production DD tank based on the Valentine tank. This version never saw combat and was mainly used to train crews who subsequently served in the DD versions of the M4 Sherman, one of a number of unusually modified, special purpose tanks (Hobart's Funnies) that saw action during and after D-Day.

He continued to work on adapting the DD system to other British vehicles, including the Churchill tank, the Cromwell, the Centurion and even the Ronson Carrier, a flame-thrower equipped version of the Universal Carrier[10] although none of these went into production. Post-war tanks were generally too heavy to be made amphibious with a flotation screen, but lighter military vehicles continue to successfully use the system to the present day.

Straussler became a British citizen and worked on a variety of automotive projects after the war. Although many were connected in some way with amphibious vehicles, they included the Lypsoid Tyre — a very low-pressure, off-road, run-flat tyre that saw some use with military and construction vehicles. In October 1957, Straussler was charged with violating United Kingdom export controls. A "semi-military" truck fitted with his off-road wheels was sent, with permission, to the Netherlands for demonstration purposes. But it was then sent from there to Hungary - this was illegal as that country was behind the Iron Curtain [11]. Straussler was given a Conditional discharge and he and his company were fined £500 each. [12].

He continued working into his old age — the last of his 30 patents was filed in 1964 [13]. He died on 3rd of June, 1966[14] in London [9].

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Fletcher, David (2006). Swimming Shermans: Sherman DD amphibious tank of World War II (New Vanguard). Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1841769835. 
  2. ^ US patent 1567555 "Float or raft for swimming purposes and the like" publication date 12/29/1925
  3. ^ US patent 1650914 "Collapsible floating structure such as a boat, pontoon, seaplane float, and temporary bridge" publication date 11/29/1927
  4. ^ US patent 1720701 "Collapsible structure such as pontoons and seaplane floats divisible into boats" publication date 07/16/1929
  5. ^ Alvis-Straussler Armoured Cars in the Netherlands East Indies (1999). Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  6. ^ "Alvis-Straussler Ltd: New Mechanized Velicle Company", The Times, 1936-07-14. 
  7. ^ Bomb Trolley. Newcastle Upon Tyne Military Vehicle Museum (2003). Retrieved on 2008-01-16.
  8. ^ Developing the DD Tank. The Bovington Tank Museum (2003). Retrieved on 2008-01-12.
  9. ^ a b "Obituaries", The Times, 1966-06-06. 
  10. ^ Fletcher, David (2007). Churchill Crocodile Flamethrower. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1846030838. 
  11. ^ "Illegal Export Alleged:Semi-Military Type Lorry", The Times, 1957-10-16. 
  12. ^ "Alleged Export of Lorry:Absolute Discharge for Inventor", The Times, 1957-11-29. 
  13. ^ US patent 3234990 "Straussler Vehicle Wheel" publication date 2/15/1966
  14. ^ "Deaths Column", The Times, 1966-06-04. 

[edit] External links