Been to this museum twice now. My dad came and said it was the most impressive museum he's ever been too in his 65 years of life. Definitely worth the trip!
It's a shame half-tracks went out of style; taking a reliable truck and slapping a set of tracks on the back is such a wonderfully simple (both from the overall concept but also on the pointy end of things), reliable, and elegant solution to off road capability. The US WW2 half tracks in particular have such a rugged yet stylish look with the long and boxy hull that is sorely missed these days EDIT: 16:38 Hello puppy!
A local scrap yard had one of these with an "A" frame boom on back. They had it up until the 1990's. After they parked it and stopped using it, I began pestering them to sell it to me. They eventually cut it up for scrap. They never sold it because they had an idea of "Fixing it up".
Enjoyed our visit to your collection immensely. Thanks again for letting my grandson explore the easy 8 Sherman. I can't wait to bring my other grandkids. Thanks again, Mr Stark. Give Jack a pat on the head from us.
Ah, was that who was wandering around in the background for a little bit? Kinda looked like he was looking for something. A small 4 legged critter possibly? But a kitty cat would probably be better for a mouser.
My uncle was assigned to a half track as a 50 cal. machine gunner. They ran out of fuel, and then it was hand to hand combat. I need to look further into his history. My Dad was in C-47s as a crew chief,& he felt bad because the weather made it impossible to support his brother. Another brother fought the Japanese,wounded. All three made it home. I really appreciate this video. Thank you.
Nothing says you love your daughters like having a convoy of wwii trucks stop by the house in the morning, including a haltrack and taking them to school in one of the trucks and showing the whole school the wwìi vehicles, little kids love halftracks. One of those moments I wish I could share pictures here.
This museum is in the middle of no-where, but well worth the trip. It is so extensive and so interesting that you'll need a whole day to take it all in. We visited in June 2024 and we are definitely going back. Thank you to the founder and donors for preserving the history of service and sacrifice of our military people.
In 2002 I was on a MEU that stopped in Djibouti. On a range we used was a very shot up halftrack and early model M4 Sherman. That was the first time I had seen the "racetrack" machine gun ring. Now I know it was an M2. On another deployment we stopped in Israel, who still had hundreds of halftracks in storage. Great video.
I was stationed at Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility, Boardman (Boardman Bombing Range) Oregon '79-80. The Umatilla Army Depot had autioned off some equipment years before i got there, one of which was an old Army HalfTrack. Some of the boys got together and each chipped in enough to win the bid on it. They decided to drive it down to the range and play with it there in the sand and sagebrush. They got about a third of the way there on the frontage road and ran out of gas. Ran back, grabbed a few cans of gas and it was enough to go about another third of the way before they ran out again. Repeated the process and were able to enter through the North gate ( not an official gate, just a barbed wire / post that could be pulled aside ) and drove over to the old MainCom buildings. They ran around with it a bit, but said it got gallons per mile rather than miles per gallon. Couldn't afford to drive it too much and eventually they dug a pit at the old dump and drove it in and buried it. Far as i know, it's still there... ☆
We don't have access to WWII American vehicle museums here in South Africa, so this video was extremely enlightening and informative. Thank you. Being a short bugger, I struggled to mount and dismount from our Buffel series of APCs during my military service, and wondered why modern technology seemed to ignore effective easy deployment. A later version of the mine resistant Buffel came out with a roof and rear doors for ease of access, thereby simplifying deployment. Of course when I did my final 'Camp' or deployment, we were led past hundreds of the later covered Buffel variants to the crappy open topped original series which effectively turned me into a mountain climber for embarkation, and a paratrooper upon dismounting.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting your Facility. Having a life long interest in WWII history and equipment, I was thunderstruck by the size and scope of your collection. I Thoroughly enjoy your videos, and am Anxiously awaiting the next installment.
I have a M15A1 halftrack registered and insured. I drive it around town all the time. They like 30-35 mph, but I had it up to 50 mph once, very VERY noisy, and the floor gets hot. Easy to drive, but you need to learn how to “double clutch” when shifting, like an old tractor.
My dad was a tracked vehicle mechanic for the 4th Armored Division He had a love-hate relationship with the half track. I guess its because half the track was missing. LOL! He did prefer the half track over the jeep for travel. It was hard to get him to talk about the war. Cheers Terry
Wow, very interesting and cool video! I work in Tulsa, OK and seeing one of the Tulsa Winch products on there got me excited. I work at a 100 year old manufacturing company, and have seen a few Tulsa Winch devices in the shop that look about the same age as these. Very cool!
There were some M15 specials (with the 40mm bofors) in use in New Zealand. They were intended to be used by the 3rd New Zealand Division which fought in the pacific, but it appears that they were never deployed outside of New Zealand. I interviewed a 3rd Division veteran in the mid 1990's at the Rannerdale war veterans home here in Christchurch, New Zealand and as we went through his photographs of his time in service he showed me several photos of US supplied halftracks including some 'specials' as he called them, he said that some were cast offs from units in Australia. This included some M15 specials. He thought that 6 were on strength but were never deployed overseas, they were used for gunnery training in New Zealand instead. I know that one of the M15 specials was sold off after the war to a North Canterbury farmer (it was eventually scrapped). The same farmer also purchased several Bren gun carriers (Universal carriers) which were used on the farm until the early to mid 1990's. *Note: North Canterbury is the Northern part of the province of Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand. Christchurch city, were I live is New Zealand's second biggest city.
I never forget my dad learning me, how to pronounce Half-Track...im Dutch. We use several type Half-track's in a Battlefield 1942 Modification, called: Forgotten Hope Secret Weapons. This is what is mentioned about the Bofors versions on their FHSW Wiki page: The T54 AAGMC was a self propelled anti-aircraft gun variant of the M3 half track mounting the 40 mm Bofors. It was tested in 1942, the gun mount proved to be unstable when fired so only the prototype was built. The model in the game has the traits of the T54E1 which was the second design for the concept that put cylindrical armor plating around the gun position. The T54E1 also added outriggers & jacks that could be deployed for additional stability for firing the gun. Nevertheless, none of the five designs for a M3 Half-track with an 40 mm Bofors were successful enough. Thank you for the great Video!
Another commnet to your M16A1. During WW2 in the ETO, some units mated their M45 Maxon "quad-fifty" trailer mounted systems with extra M2 halftracks that were in the depots. A similar situation to the later M16A1. A "new" halftrack Multiple Gun Motor Carriage was created. Usually referred to as the "M16B" in some histories. By the way, that 37mm gun on your M15A1 is NOT the anti-tank gun M3A1. It is the 37mm anti-airctaft gun M3 (the delightful confusion of US Army WW2 weapon designations. This was an automatic gun intended for AA fire. Developed by Browning and Colt. These were deployed prior to WW2 and early in the war on mounts that were very similar to the wheeled cruciform mounting of the later Bofors. The superior 40mm Bofors gun replaced the 37mm as production allowed. There was also a 37mm AIRCRFAT gun, sometimes called the "Oldsmobile 37mm" that was used in the P39 fighter and on some USN PT boats in the Pacific.
Reading WWII letters sent from my dad to his mom and dad he said he was a radio key operator riding in a halftrack. He said once their 3rd Army column was being strafed and everyone jumped off their vehicles and scattered into the woods. He saw this as his opportunity to fire the machine gun so he jumped back in and returned fire. He did say that he did not hit anything but was thrilled to fire the machine gun. So where would the radio key have been located on the recon half track? He joined the 3rd Army as relief after the Bulge.
As a man that cannot get enough of military vehicles, i must compliment you on possibly the most interesting delivery of the American half track. I cannot wait for more. Well done and thank you from South Africa.
I had 5 uncles who were marines serving in Viet Nam, and one of them sent me the giant box of little green army men! For an 8 year old boy in the 60s, that was awesome! It had everything, tanks, planes. But what fascinated me most were the half tracks. Still get excited when I see one in a parade or at a museum.
Very interesting and informative video. As a side note, in the '50's, growing up in the Texas Panhandle, I saw war surplus halftracks being used to switch railcars at small, rural grain elevators. A couple of years ago I saw one of them fully restored by a local restoration shop....very nice.
Very interesting video, and a great presentation. One error, is that the 37mm gun on the M15/M15A1 is not an anti tank gun, but a dedicated anti aircraft gun (the 37 mm gun M1/M1A2) that is capable of automatic fire. The anti tank version was the M3 37mm gun.
As a kid I used to see a couple of these working 3 or 4 times a month sometimes. Our friends had a couple of them , they built a boom on the front and used them to move houses. I grew up outside of joiner Arkansas. Our family's both farmed and they moved houses in their spare time. All ways wanted one
Last time I went by my hometown I remember seeing one of them close to their shop. Guess it's tge only one of the 2 they have left. Looked pretty ruff but they took really good care of their equipment. Might not take a lot to get it running. Sure could use one sometimes where I moved to in the mountains. In the winter and sometimes after we get a big rain and wash the roads out here.
The half-track was the king of the infantry in the Six Days War in Israel. Motta Gur, the commander of the paratroopers brigade, broke into the old city of Jerusalem, through the Lion's Gate, on a half-track. His famous words to his driver: Go Ben Tzur go! have become Israeli folklore. A famous comedy trio coined the phrase: Have fun, ride the half-track!
My dad took a picture of an 8 year old girl next to his halftrack. She and her mom had until then been held in slavery after t h e war est July 45. It took me a while to identify it from a fender and part of the hood.
Will put on my Bucket List!…. My grandfather was a Platoon Leader and eventually Company Commander with the 10th Armored Infantry Battalion , 4th Armored Division… rode point of the Third Army in an M3A1. Patton personally pinned his Silver Star on him after the Battle of the Bulge. Later his Silver Star was upgraded to a DSC…. It came with a hand written note from Patton himself saying that after reading my Grand Father’s Citation, he was embarrassed to only have the SS as it was totally inadequate. Grand Dad was the MAN!
Striking how much easier it would have been to answer some of the questions on how these vehicles were used/etc. 20-40 years ago (by just asking the people) than today.
I worked for large rice farmer in northern calif. He had a half track bought surplus fron the navy at Pittsburg, Calif. Naval Munitions area in the early fifties. It was a White engine, it had a 10,000 lb 360 crane mounted on a flat deck and powered from a pto with a 3 roller chain drive. There was a tractor metal seat mounted on the turntable with controls. We used it for a field crane , it had a 20 ft. boom with the saddle where the machine gun mount would be. Drove this infernal machine on the county roads many times to tepair land planes and other field equipment. If you weren't deaf, you were rattled at 35 mph. It was a trip to drive, but it got the job done. Only got stopped once by CHP, because he had never seen the version with crane. He said he was 4th Armored during WW2 TANK driver/ mechanic. He laughed and said only the Navy would do that. Enjoyable trip back down memory lane. Fantastic collection, excellent video and information.
A prime mover might want a little extra automatic firepower in case they're attacked. They're not carrying an infantry squad that can demount and provide defensive fire. Just a guess.
Very informative! I loved learning more about our half tracks. I have wanted one since I was a kid growing up in the 1950's. As an old gun bunny I would say that the prime movers were also used for antiaircraft fire. That is what was standard procedure when the M109/M548 series were current.
I was just riding a Portland Oregon Trimet bus. Ironic that each passenger in a WW2 halftrack had a 4 inch seat cushion. Trimet busses have Zero suspension, hard seats and square steel tires. The only cushion is the pavement between potholes.😅😅 And no machine gun 😢
Excellent info, thanks. My father toured Europe on an M-16 with the 5th Armored Division, and it was good to see one. Now, I have to add this museum to my list. CAVU
Thanks so much for the video. I go to the WWII weekend in Reading, PA every year and there are always drama for groups with different half tracks, both Diamond T and White Autocar. Side note: my dad drove a half track in WWII. He was in the 36th tank battalion of the 8th Armored Division. The Thundering Herd. I would love to see your museum sometime.
THE M15 and M15A1 were designed as antiaircraft guns using semi rimmed cartridges feeding from 10 round clips. They also had a tube to stick down the barrel to flush the barrel to cool it off fast after firing. Later the 37 mm T250 six-barrel Gatling gun was tested for T249 Vigilante mounted on a variant of the M113 APC. Two serious barrel ruptures lead to the cancelation of the project. I looked a surviving example back in the mid 1970's at Aberdeen proving ground. Same problem as the one you have overheating in rapid fire.
We continue to have a TTP to place our machinegunners at the front of the LMTV beds for the same reason. Probably not as effective as it used to be, but it's something.
I really appreciated the expertise of the speaker during the presentation. The Half Track, their crews and passengers were the unsung heroes of the armored infantry during WW2 and Korea. I know that there are some who may have commented on the M-15 Special HT. I am no expert, but here is a quote I found on Wikipedia: The M15 "Special" was the unofficial name for an M15 (and probably other CGMCs) adapted in depots in Australia to carry only a single Bofors 40 mm gun.[1][16][17] To enhance ground support firepower during the Korean War, depots in Japan were searched for vehicles that could be refurbished for possible combat use. A shortage of 37 mm ammunition and relative abundance of 40 mm ammunition resulted in conversion of some M15s into "T19s", later officially designated model M34.[19] So it came about in the PTO as a development to take advantage of the greater availability of 40mm weapons and ammunition apparently. Fascinating presentation which led me to subscribe.
I never even knew there was a M-2 version. And the roller on the front makes sense to me now. Fascinating information. Unfortunately, in today's drone environment, these wouldn't last a day on the battlefield. Ironically back in WW2 you could get 11-13 guys into combat and now you're lucky to get 5-7 in an APC. Fantastic collection and I would love to see all of them used in WW2 movies (Tom Hanks) Your M-15 Special version you have should be painted up in Australian Army colors and give then the credit they deserve in history.
Antes de la aparición de los actuales MIRAP existieron los semiórugas siendo los más conocidos los norteamericanos y los alemanes hoy día son vehículos muy exóticos y sirvieron en diferentes propósitos .son asombrosos.😮😮😮😮
A Logger I once worked for, came home to no jobs available but he was not bothered. He had bought a used m-3 half track as military surplus for $100, and as he owned 60 acres of Oregon coastal swamp timbered acreshe went logging. Did well enough he got private and corporate logging contract using that same M-3. After awhile he bought catterpillars for logging. Tben after a couple years he got contract with Bonnieville power, hauling supples along remote power lines. Sadly the m-3 endedupbrusting for years until a junk dealer bought and scrapped.😊
Slight correction- At 30:02 you referred to the gun on the M-3 75mm Tank destroyer as a "french howitzer". It was actually classified as a "field gun" and fired on a relatively flat trajectory and at a relatively high velocity, which imparted its anti-tank capabilities. The original M-2 75mm gun mounted first in the M-3 Medium and later in the M-4 Medium was based on the same gun, but with upgraded recuperators and recoil compensators.
Just subscribed! Learned more about halftracks watching this than every other source. I have many of those radios in the command vehicle. It was my understanding those were all post WWII. The reference to the SC-300 and SC-536 was puzzling since those are the infantry backpack walkie talkie, and handy talkie as in: "Checkmate King 2, this is White Rook, over." "Combat!" Sgt. Saunders.
Excellent ! I subbed . Particularly like the bits of historical info , but the technical side is great too . I think I might have built a Tamiya kit of one variant or another many moons ago . Cheers
Good video. The quad 50s were effective in NAM too. The Army Regiment on the east side of the frozen Chosin survived because they had a bunch of the quad 50s and twin 40s. Good Luck, Rick
Absolutely LOVE what you Gentlemen are doing!! If you ever need a hardworking laborer, I'd gladly send you my resume and seeing as Im buying this here RV Im currently living in/rebuilding. The second I'll have rebuilt, it won't be too long until I'm mobile and able!!
One thought on the extra machine gun mount (and this is just an uneducated WAG) -- This was meant as an artillery prime mover, which would also imply that it likely had to supply local defensive (and anti-aircraft) support for the artillery. Along a similar thread, the M-4 is carrying a squad with all of their personal rifles, etc. This is carrying an artillery gun crew, whose concept of "caliber" is a measure of barrel length, not diameter.
Many M15A1s were converted to M16A1s for the Korean War as such was mine. Also, “bat Wings” was an additional armor added to the quad 50s turret as well. There are also pics and documentation showing M2s with the quad 50s. Obviously a field modification.
Regarding the M4A1 with the mortar reconfigured to fire forward, did it also come from the Smith collection in Utah? There are some pictures that show several M4's configured this way in Europe during the war. This is the first one I've seen with a plate instead of the rear door. If that plate that replaced the door has a factory heat stamp on it then it must be an original conversion. From my research it seems the Army kept M4's in reserve storage up thru the mid 50's. I'm really into half-tracks I operate Classic Half-track Rescue. Great collection you have there I hope to visit one of these days and see all those great half-tracks.
