Nicholas Straussler
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Straussler (1891–1966) was an engineer
mainly remembered for devising the flotation system used by Allied
amphibious
DD tank
s during World War II
. Born in Hungary
, he developed a reputation as an innovative automotive engineer
before moving to Britain
during the interwar period
. His work was mainly to do with amphibious, off-road and military vehicles.
Throughout the 1930s, 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. that was formed in July, 1936.
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. Another project he was involved with was the Garner-Straussler G.3, a 4×4, off-road truck that was later used in small numbers as an artillery tractor by the Germans during World War 2.
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. 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.
The system was unsatisfactory, 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.
Instead, Straussler 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.
The first trial of the DD Tetrarch took place in June 1941 in Brent Reservoir
(also known as Hendon Reservoir) in North London in front of General Alan Brooke, who was an early enthusiast for the idea. 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
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 continued to successfully use the system into the 1980s.
Another of his wartime projects was the Straussler Conversion. This was an experimental modification of the Ordnance QF 17 pounder
and Ordnance QF 32 pounder
anti-tank guns. The guns were fitted with a motorized gun-carriages. A modified ammunition limber would be attached to the gun's trails, effectively making a four-wheeled, self propelled vehicle and removing the need for a truck to tow the gun.
The idea of equipping large artilery pieces with engines, to give a limited amount of independent mobility, would be eventually adopted post–war with guns like the FH-70
.
Straussler 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, including the Fabrique Nationale AS 24
lightweight transport vehicle. 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
.
Straussler was given an absolute discharge (i.e. found guilty, but no punishment was imposed); his company was fined £500 and he and his company shared the costs of the prosecution.
He continued working into his old age — the last of his 30 patents was filed in 1964.
He died on 3 June 1966 in London.
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
mainly remembered for devising the flotation system used by Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
amphibious
Amphibious vehicle
An amphibious vehicle , is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water – just like an amphibian....
DD tank
DD tank
DD tanks , were a type of amphibious swimming tank developed by the British during the Second World War...
s during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Born in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, he developed a reputation as an innovative automotive engineer
Automotive engineering
Modern automotive engineering, along with aerospace engineering and marine engineering, is a branch of vehicle engineering, incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the design, manufacture and operation of motorcycles, automobiles,...
before moving to Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
during the interwar period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
. His work was mainly to do with amphibious, off-road and military vehicles.
Biography
Between 1928 and 1933, Straussler ran Folding Boats and Structures Ltd and patented a number of flotation devices, including collapsible ones. In February 1933, he became a British citizen.Throughout the 1930s, he worked with Alvis Cars
Alvis Cars
Alvis Car and Engineering Company Ltd was a British manufacturing company that existed in Coventry, England from 19191967. In addition to automobiles designed for the civilian market, the company also produced racing cars, aircraft engines, armoured cars and other armoured fighting vehicles, the...
, 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. that was formed in July, 1936.
39M Csaba
The 39M Csaba was an armoured scout car produced for the Royal Hungarian Army during World War II.Hungarian expatriate Nicholas Straussler designed several armoured cars for Britain while living there between the two world wars...
. A tank, the Light Tank V4
Light Tank V4
The Light Tank V4 was one of Nicholas Straussler's earlier armoured vehicle projects. The V4 had a cross-articulated three-point suspension with leaf springs and rubber bogie rollers. The V4 was actually used experimentally to develop pontoon devices for ferrying purposes. The tank remained in...
, 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
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
to transport bombs, mainly within airfields. Each carried four 250 pound bombs, although large versions were later produced. Another project he was involved with was the Garner-Straussler G.3, a 4×4, off-road truck that was later used in small numbers as an artillery tractor by the Germans during World War 2.
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. He used his flotation device experience to develop collapsible floats for Vickers-Armstrong that could be used to construct a pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
or could be mounted on either side of a light tank to make it amphibious. Trials conducted by the British War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
showed that such a tank, propelled by an outboard motor
Outboard motor
An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom and are the most common motorized method of propelling small watercraft...
, 'swam' reasonably well.
The system was unsatisfactory, 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.
Instead, Straussler 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
Tetrarch tank
The Light Tank Mk VII , also known as the Tetrarch, was a British light tank produced by Vickers-Armstrong in the late 1930s and deployed during World War II. The Tetrarch was originally designed as the latest in the line of light tanks built by the company for the British Army...
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.
Brent Reservoir
The Brent Reservoir is a reservoir which straddles the boundary between the London boroughs of Brent and Barnet and is owned by British Waterways...
(also known as Hendon Reservoir) in North London in front of General Alan Brooke, who was an early enthusiast for the idea. Coincidentally, this was also where trials of a floating version of the British Mark IX tank
Mark IX tank
The Mark IX tank was a British armoured fighting vehicle from the First World War, the world's first specialised Armoured Personnel Carrier .-Development:...
took place in November 1918. Satisfactory sea trials of the Tetrarch took place near Hayling Island
Hayling Island
-Leisure activities:Although largely residential, Hayling is also a holiday, windsurfing and sailing centre, the site where windsurfing was invented....
and the go-ahead was given to develop a production DD tank based on the Valentine tank
Valentine tank
The Tank, Infantry, Mk III, Valentine was an infantry tank produced in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. More than 8,000 of the type were produced in 11 different marks plus various purpose-built variants, accounting for approximately a quarter of wartime British tank production...
. This version never saw combat and was mainly used to train crews who subsequently served in the DD versions of the M4 Sherman
M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...
, one of a number of unusually modified, special purpose tanks (Hobart's Funnies
Hobart's Funnies
Hobart's Funnies were a number of unusually modified tanks operated during World War II by the United Kingdom's 79th Armoured Division or by specialists from the Royal Engineers. They were designed in light of problems that more standard tanks experienced during the Dieppe Raid, so that the new...
) that saw action during and after D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
.
He continued to work on adapting the DD system to other British vehicles, including the Churchill tank
Churchill tank
The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV was a heavy British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple bogies, and its use as the basis of many specialist vehicles. It was one of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war...
, the Cromwell
Cromwell tank
Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell ,The designation as the eighth Cruiser tank design, its name given for ease of reference and its General Staff specification number respectively and the related Centaur tank, were one of the most successful series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second...
, the Centurion
Centurion tank
The Centurion, introduced in 1945, was the primary British main battle tank of the post-World War II period. It was a successful tank design, with upgrades, for many decades...
and even the Ronson Carrier, a flame-thrower equipped version of the Universal Carrier
Universal Carrier
The Universal Carrier, also known as the Bren Gun Carrier is a common name describing a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrong. Produced between 1934 and 1960, the vehicle was used widely by British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War...
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 continued to successfully use the system into the 1980s.
Another of his wartime projects was the Straussler Conversion. This was an experimental modification of the Ordnance QF 17 pounder
Ordnance QF 17 pounder
The Ordnance Quick-Firing 17 pounder was a 76.2 mm gun developed by the United Kingdom during World War II. It was used as an anti-tank gun on its own carriage, as well as equipping a number of British tanks. It was the most effective Allied anti-tank gun of the war...
and Ordnance QF 32 pounder
Ordnance QF 32 pounder
The Ordnance QF 32 pounder or ' was a British 94 mm gun, developed as a replacement for the Ordnance QF 17 pounder anti tank and tank gun....
anti-tank guns. The guns were fitted with a motorized gun-carriages. A modified ammunition limber would be attached to the gun's trails, effectively making a four-wheeled, self propelled vehicle and removing the need for a truck to tow the gun.
The idea of equipping large artilery pieces with engines, to give a limited amount of independent mobility, would be eventually adopted post–war with guns like the FH-70
FH-70
The FH-70 is a towed howitzer in use with several nations.-History:In 1963 NATO agreed a NATO Basic Military Requirement 39 for close support artillery, either towed or tracked. Subsequently Germany and UK started discussions and design studies and in 1968 established Agreed Operational...
.
Straussler 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, including the Fabrique Nationale AS 24
Fabrique Nationale AS 24
The AS 24 was a military tricycle produced by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal during the 1960s. A single vehicle was evaluated by the US Army in 1973...
lightweight transport vehicle. 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
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
.
Straussler was given an absolute discharge (i.e. found guilty, but no punishment was imposed); his company was fined £500 and he and his company shared the costs of the prosecution.
He continued working into his old age — the last of his 30 patents was filed in 1964.
He died on 3 June 1966 in London.
External links
- Flotation screen patent, 1945, Canadian Patents Database.