My late father (2nd Lothians and Border Horse, B sqdn; N. Africa and Italy) had great praise for these utilitarian, rugged vehicles. Many thanks, again, David.
there were a few around in England used on farms I recall. I think the cost of fuel here, especially after the oil crisis of the 1970s caused their demise!
At 03:30 is my dad’s squad on the way to Rome, June 5, 1944; 19th Engineer Combat Regiment, “B” Company, 2nd Pltn, 4th Squad, US II Corps, under Major General Keyes. They are towing a 37mm gun. These men are featured in a documentary named, “The 19th Engineers No Longer Exist.” here on RU-vid.
Sounds like an ideal vehicle for that sort of thing at the time. Now where I live they use Haggelund track vehicles for some of their "hard to reach" lines.
Yeah and it got strafed and destroyed by one of their own fighter planes while they were resting on a hill top..but the real heroes of course were the Sherman tanks and 'Oddball' outwitting the Tigers
White Corp. Half-Track...My grandfather, Alexander Linke was a service man for White Steam Cars (same company) in Canada... and earlier had driven a steamer from Cleveland , Ohio to St, Louis, Missouri as a reliability test. As steam cars phased out White turned to trucks and buses (later Half -Tracks as well). Special note: IDF obtained a wide selection of these from salvage yards in Europe in the late 40's & early 50's. All were made operational, many can be seen in extensive use on all fronts in the Middle East.
Every year for the Thanksgiving parade in Plymouth, Massachusetts, there's a guy who drives one of these as part of the parade. It has the quad gun mount, super impressive seeing and hearing it roll down the street.
It is an M16 halftrack. There’s also one in the American heritage museum in Hudson, Ma. Amazing tanks and vehicles there, if you haven’t been you should make the trip.
@@trailrunnah8886 That sounds like a fun time, I want to see that ship at some point in my life! They have a great RU-vid channel as well. I keep thinking about the tanks in the heritage museum, I might have to go today lol
I have seen a real on at the Cole land transportation museum in Bangor Maine, the founder of the museum Mr. Cole served in Europe during ww2 and while riding in a half track he had traded seats with another GI, after doing so an German 88mm shell hit the vehicle killing everyone but Mr. Cole. Had he not changed seats he would have been killed too. I heard that story from the man himself.
The last place you would want to be when being fired upon by anti-tank guns was in a half-track. The Lord was watching over him that day for sure. Purely luck that anyone survived that hit at all.
I'm going to have to take a trip to the Cole Land Transportation Museum some day. I've driven by it quite a few times. As an aside, just down Route 1-A from Bangor, in Hermon, is the Maine Military Supply store. In the back of their parking lot is a MIG 21 jet with Polish markings. They also have a Dodge WC 3/4 ton truck and a Daimler scout car.
There was an extremely popular and highly sought after Airfix M9 Half Track Kit back in the early 1970's. I made lots of these Models. Then Matchbox produced their Variant along with the Hanomag.. Suddenly Table-Top Wargames had a whole new level of realism. As a 10 year-old child, I thought this Vehicle was the Bees Knees. Obviously, I wanted a Real One! Having researched the M9, M16 and White Scout Vehicles since then; I think I will stick to my Trusty, Rusty old Jag, thank you very much.
@@strontiumstargazer103 You are correct. Thank you for correctly me. All I can tell is what I have read on Wikipedia, if that is even worth a damn. The M3 was an updated version of the M2. The M9 was an improved M5: Larger fuel capacity etc. Basically, they all look very similar (Except the M2 "Car"). Different Manufacturers were involved and this could account for minor differences. It has been 50 years since I was an enthusiastic Wargamer.
@@tomsenior7405 Thanks Tom. I had that model 45 years ago and loved it. I’m after the Tamiya 1/35 version but cannot find it. Maybe it needs another manufacturing run.
@@strontiumstargazer103 Happy Hunting. Rare, out of production Tamiya kits appear on eBay from time to time. I have had to wait 5 years in some instances. A quick glance shows several already built Tamiya US Half Tracks on eBay. If you are none too fussy, there are a few "Dragon" Kits as well. I have only ever built one Dragon kit and it was pretty good. No flashing, clean crisp mouldings and decent instructions. However, they are made in China.
@@tomsenior7405 I have been wondering who will bring to market first the Queen Elizebeth aircraft carrier, UK’s Airfix or China’s Dragon. My money is on the Chinese.
Another great video, Mr. Fletcher! American troops, at least in North Africa, used to call this thing a Purple Heart Box because the armor protection was very thin.
@@kyle857 It wasn't enough to stop an 8mm MG round from coming in but it was(the armor) enough to stop the round from going out the other side, so it tended to ricochet about inside the troop compartment.
@@shanepatrick4534 I see you get your information from old movies (Patton). The 1/4 armor plate used on the half track could stop 7.92 ball ammo (8mm Mauser). Germany used the same cartridge in both machines guns and infantry rifles. They DID have AP rounds though. Don't know if they were loaded in MG belt like in the US though
As an aside, International Harvester did build 1000 anti-aircraft halftracks called M17s, mounting the same Maxon turret. These were all export to the Soviet Union and around 920 arrived there. The Red Army used these extensively for air defense in 1944-45. The quad-HMG variant of the post-war BTR-152 was based on the M17.
They were used by the 825th Tank Destroyer Battalion in North Africa quite well against the Africa Korp Panzer 4 Special that carried the 75mm long gun . There is a Video on it
My father recieved his second Purple Heart and a Silver Star in Tunisia, the first Purple Heart and a Bronze Star was during the landings in Morocco. They retired him, after he recovered enough, in 1944! He was fighting in the new mechanized units, halftracks.
White created 2 versions of the half-track: M2 & M3. The M2 was shorter, carried 6-8 men and was generally used to pull light artillery or anti-tank guns. The M-3 was, I believe, a foot longer and could carry 13 men. 12 was the size of an American infantry squad, the 13th man being the driver. You're M9 might be an International copy M3A1, although A1's usually had the bustle for a .50 cal Ma Deuce. There were a few minor upgrades on the A-1's, but the bustle was the big one.
My grandfather commanded a recon and repair unit from the .50 cal gunner's spot on a half track. 5th Armored. "Find em, fix em, fight!" was their motto. Thanks for this video, and good on ya, Brits!
In the earliest days of tracked vehicles they came up with the notion of steering the things with wheels, before they worked out track steering. There was an agricultural machine called the Gyrotiller which had a large iron wheel on the front to guide it. That's why WWI tanks were fitted with a pair of wheels behind, as steerage. They soon found they were superfluous but the idea hung around.
I still have about the 1/72 Hasegawa M3 half tracks where I shaved of the mud guards, filed the back corner edges and scrapped our some of the rivets on the side. Rather than looking like an M5/M9 they look like, ‘what the heck happened here?’😂
''White trucks you don't stear, you aim! was the slogan i think? Was able to ride in one a while ago. Thanks for the vid, appreciate it a lot! Greets from the Netherlands 🌷, T.
The version I always liked was the motor howitzer one. These trucks lead to the armored deuce and a half gun trucks of Viet Nam era and the current armored fighting vehicles used by the military.
There is the NDQSA, National Dusters Quads Searchlights Association which is about the Air Defense Artillery units deployed to and in Vietnam. Also includes the Vulcan minigun system and Hawk missile batteries. Extensive material about the M42 Duster and the M55 Quad 50 which was often in a Gun truck configuration on 2 1/2 tons, M35s ( Deuce and a Half) and later 5 ton trucks M54s. The Quad 50 half track also saw extensive service in the Korean War. When the Quad 50 was paired with the twin 40mm of the tracked Duster, it was a formidable system of complimentary interlocking fire.
From what I understand the TD versions of these weren't entirely useless. There were a couple of instances where they were used as intended and did well.
@@lamwen03 They used an older version of the 75mm, with slower operation, but otherwise was pretty similar. Plenty good enough to destroy any tank in the German inventory at the time.
Had a squadron of M9s for my backyard army. Always won every battle against neighbor kids' forces they went charging into (helped along be several M26 Pershing tanks and my awseome ATOMIC CANNON, of course!). 💥
"It's only a small detail; hardly worth bothering with really..." - This has now been identified by NASA as the moment when global weather patterns changed significantly, due to thousands of model-makers simultaneously taking a sharp intake of breath and then reaching for their keyboards in unison...
To whomever decided upon the much louder adverts in the middle of the video, jarringly louder and much more frenetic than David Fletcher's presentation, I lay the following curse upon thee: *I hope you are assigned to drive an A38 Valiant for the rest of your days*
If I could have a wartime vehicle, but have to maintain it on my own budget, it would be one of these halftracks. I think they've always looked cool as it is.
Nice! Half-tracks are very cool looking. Hopefully we'll see more soon, like the Hanomag (or one of the German's at least). I suddenly forgot if other nations manufactured / designed their own.
My uncle had one of these on his ranch in Oklahoma. We painted white crosses on the side and used it for target practice. We were surprised when my dad's new 220 swift punched a neat little hole through the side.
Fort Lewis in the US state of Washington has a military museum. One of the objects on display was a truck, with a sign advising that the soldiers frequently mounted "wenches" on the front bumper. I don't dispute that description of GI behavior, but in a visitor comment card I noted that "winches" were also mounted on the bumper, for more official military purposes. Yes vowels are important. Nitpicking museums and postings is one of my hobbies, but I don't do it orally.
I saw one of these for sale on eBay some years ago that somebody had replaced the original cab and bonnet with that of a regular pick up truck. Kind of nifty!
A few months ago took a ride in Glaciers National Park on a 1936 White open topped tour bus. (It had been rebuilt, of course.) I told the tour guide that White also built scout cars and half tracks in WWII and she seemed delighted to know that.
The Wright Museum of WWII in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire has a White Scout Car, an M9A1 and an M16. Check it out if you are nearby. US tank destroyer personnel wear a half track with a 75mm gun as a collar device.
if this man isn't knighted soon, there's a problem with the honours system. Whenever the world becomes too much for me, I turn on a Tank Chat. DFs voice calms me down instantly and there's always a tidbit of information you missed the first time.
7:19 one of the main advantages of half-tracks is that they require much less training than a full-track vehicle. This is a big plus for nations who have conscription. Half-tracks fall out of favour as nations more to professional armies, but some countries don't
@@Dutch_Uncle From the instructors point of view it probably did. But he doesn't have the wider perspective of training times and costs, and factory costs (half tracks are much cheaper than tracked vehicles). Think of it like all those german tanks. Sure, each individual one was a brilliant vehicle, but there are wider problems in a war.
Germany had a "almost 500.000 guys" conscript army till 1990 but only used the M16A1 half track for a very short time. So there must be more to the switch
Tanks taking out half tracks as a past time. Classic Fletcher. First time I saw one of these I had to do a doubletake on the tracks as I had not realised they were rubber. I have thought they would have been like those on a tank. But then thinking about it I could see why rubber would have been used rather then metal.
Many of these flooded the local US Government scene after WW2. The Philadelphia ,PA fire dept converted one as a fire engine.I guess for winter work. Parts availability and maintenance costs doomed most to the scrap yard in civilian use.
@@kenbrown2808 I love them I feel like vehicles like this do not get the recognition in history they deserve. Much like a dagger when compared to a sword.
These halftracks were good vehicles as long as their limitations were understood. These halftracks were fine at hauling infantry close to the front or keeping up with the friendly tanks then dismounting them within range of the enemy giving some protection. It was important to have some mechanized infantry with armor for the infantry in armored units to keep close to the tanks at all times. These halftracks also made excellent 81mm mortar carriers or 4.2" mortar carriers. So these were excellent vehicles as long as the commander understood their limitations of open tops and light armor. These halftracks were NOT assault vehicles but could take infantry and support weapons into combat zones giving some protection against small arms and shrapnel. The 75mm gun version on the halftrack as a talk destroyer were a failed concept. Yet, these 75mm guns had some ability to support infantry with moveable artillery support. The howitzer version probably was the most useful version for this sort of thing in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. But you didn't want to think you could knockout Tiger or Panther tanks with such vehicles. Overall, the mortar carriers were the most useful version. The 81mm mortar was a battalion mortar in the US Army. It would have been a Godsent to have the 81mm mortar on a halftrack with all the mortar shells towed in a trailer. The weight this would save some poor GI soldier from lugging it around would have been a real labor saving device. I know 105mm guns were put on halftracks but I don't know if such things were successful or not. Again, if properly used to engage the enemy from the reverse slope for cover the halftrack with a 105mm or 75mm gun would have been okay. But these halftracks with guns on them were NEVER going to be successful assault guns. These 75mm gun halftracks had good utility as scout support vehicles with the shoot and scoot concept. I always wondered why the American Army didn't develop an enclosed version of the Lee/Grant tank or Sherman tank with a 105mm gun loaded in the front without a turret in an assault gun variant. A .30 caliber and .50 caliber machine gun turret could have been put on top of the assault gun. I think three or four 105mm assault guns per battalion could have been quite useful during WW2 as infantry support vehicles. A shortage of shipping space was probably the answer to my question. The Germans made good use of these Stug vehicles on a chassis of a Panzer III or Panzer IV tank. The US Army could have used a "Sherman105mm" Stug in WW2 with four in every infantry battalion. These Sherman assault guns would have been ideal for close quarters infantry support against dug in enemy machine guns, pillboxes, trenches and defensive strong points.
There was a half track at Gutersloh in the late '60's, it had RAF markings. I'm not sure what it would be used for on an airfield. It was the only one I've seen in service.
I saw one only once in lower saxony early /mid 60s , he came out of a Farm yard and drove down the Road and out of the Village, dont know which Army used it during this time Belgium , Brits , german or Germ. Border guard? In late 60s i saw sometimes in BAOR columns some Trucks/Tractors (with short flatbed) and Wreckers ( all long nose Vehicles not Cab over engine) they looked like US WW2 Types.
@@Sturminfantrist I was an army child and spent most of the '50's in Germany. Considering my dad was mechanised Infantry you'd think I'd have seen them, but I have no recollection of them at all. I remember a lot of other stuff universal (bren) carriers, DUKW's, Austin Champs etc.. But not them. Strange.
Was hoping he could tell us what the round heavy cylinder did on the front. Most did not have a winch in ww2 photos just the steel rolling pin looking thing.. Did the steering wheel steer by the tracks or front wheels or both?
It’s was built with either a winch which was ment for self recovery. Of course it could be used for a lot more . Or a anti ditch roller it would help the front keep from digging in when going down into a ditch. The roller turned/ rolled on the opposite side of the ditch till the front wheels could make contact. All American half track were steered by the front wheels only.
There is alot to be said for a vehicle that is reliable, available in quantity, and good enough for purpose. Today we tend to go overboard in search of perfection and end up with overly complex, hard to maintain vehicles that are too expensive to purchase in quantity. And then find out that what we created isn't suitable for the current conflict situation.
At 2:22 is that pic taken in South Korea ? Because there are at least 2 Centurians in the background. I know they were used Very late in 1945, Just curious, Tank Chats.
At least one German Afrika Corps unit under the command of Colonel Hans Dietrich used those half-tracks. Dietrich survived the war, emigrated to the USA, changed his name and moved to Genoa City.
The decal on the mudgaurd of the halftrack in the video seems to be the insignia of the 15th Scottish Infantry Division, does anyone know if this vehicle was used by them or that I'm just confused.
Wonder why there isn’t much of a use for a vehicle like this. I imagine the tracks hamper speed and maneuvering, but they seem pretty nifty for getting through rough terrain.
If i understand it correctly modern wheeled vehicle are much better cross-country than before. So you dont need the extra compication of a mix of wheeled and tracked system to work with. Another part is maybe that tracked vehicle get more reliable, so you can use a fully tracked one instead. I think the chieftain has a video about that topic.
Let the contest between the "Upvote Vultures" begin with their effusive and over-the-top praise for our host! Interesting and informative video, as always. Thanks.
I have seen images of Israëli halftracks with a rocket/missile system callen the nord ss.11, did they accually exist? The thing that i find unique is that these have an armoured roof over the driver/passenger compartiment..
