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Tank, Cruiser, Ram Mk. II
In January 1942, after the completion of the first fifty Rams armed with 2pdr guns, full production started with Rams equipped with the 6pdr gun. These were all designated "Ram II". During its production life, the Ram II went through a variety of modifications, mostly as a result of user reports from the field. The following tables, using War Department numbers, illustrate the major modifications the Ram underwent.
| Ram II Modifications | From |
| Side doors removed from hull | CT-40131 |
| Pistol ports added in hull in place of side doors | CT-40131 |
| Pistol ports eliminated | CT-40546 |
| Access plate in turret rear eliminated and belly hatch provided | CT-159502 |
| Auxiliary machine gun turret eliminated | CT-159502 |
| Improved 6pdr gun mantlet | CT-159599 |
| Improved R-975-CI engine, new mufflers, improved air cleaners, improved clutch, and transmission cooler | Late production |
| Improved volute suspension brackets with trailing return rollers and heavier springs, C.D.P. tracks | Very late production |
| Ram II | CT-39831 - CT-40937 (1107) CT-159402 - CT-160193 (792) |
6pdr gun with gyro-stabilizer; splash beading added around turret |
The majority of the Rams were shipped to the United Kingdom where they equipped the Canadian armoured units for training purposes. The Ram never saw use in action as a cruiser tank as it was superceded by the Sherman series in Canadian useage. The decision to terminate Ram production was made as early as August 1942, when it became apparent that U.S. production of the M4 series would be adequate to cover Canadian needs. A decision was made to produce the M4A1 tank in Canada, in the interests of standardization, but ultimately, production of the Ram continued until July 1943.
The Ram is perhaps best remembered as the basis for the Kangaroo conversion, and as the Ram Observation Post in Canadian Sexton SP artillery units. It saw action in North-West Europe in both these guises.
While the Ram cruiser proved to be a robust design, it was limited to further development by a turret ring that was too small to easily mount a 75mm gun turret. Interestingly enough, certain Canadian calls for a larger turret ring in the initial design had gone unheeded by the design team, which faithfully followed British practise of the day whereby all cruiser tanks would need only be armed with the 6pdr main gun. Such lack of vision was to restrict development of not only the Ram, but of several British cruisers also.
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© Chris Johnson, 1997
