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Armored Recovery Vehicles (ARVs) were introduced during the Second World War. They were built on the hulls of existing armored vehicles, removing the main armament and the turret and installing specific equipment for the recovery or repair of armored fighting vehicles damaged in battle. The American M32 ARV was based on the chassis of the well-known Sherman A-4 medium tank and it was used by the U.S. Army in the European Theater of Operations during the Second World War. It was characterized by the superstructure that permitted it to lift and to trail the damaged tanks. M32 also featured a wide set of repairing tools and spare parts on board, cementing its role of a real “mobile armored workshop” capable of operating on the front line. The M32 was even able to perform complex operations such as the replacing a tank’s engine. After the War ended the M32 served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was used by many other countries until the ‘90s.