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62-625: The M3 half-track was an American armored personnel carrier half-track widely used by the Allies during World War II and in the Cold War . Derived from the M2 half-track car , the M3 was extensively produced, with about 15,000 standard M3s and more than 38,000 variant units manufactured. The M3 was extensively modified with several dozen variant designs produced for different purposes. During World War II,

124-727: A "Kangaroo" is the heavily armoured Israeli Achzarit , converted from captured T-55s tanks, the concept culminating in the Namer . Meanwhile, the Warsaw Pact developed their own versions of the APC. The Soviet Union termed theirs the Bronetransporter ( Russian : бронетранспортер ), better known as the BTR series. It comprised the BTR-40 , BTR-152 , BTR-60 , BTR-70 , BTR-80 , and

186-452: A Mk 19 grenade launcher) are in fully enclosed turrets (turrets typically have optics which make them more accurate). More recently, APCs have been equipped with remote weapon systems . The baseline Stryker carries an M2 on a Protector remote weapons system. APCs may be used as armoured ambulances , to conduct evacuations of wounded personnel. These vehicles are equipped with stretchers and medical supplies. According to article 19 of

248-597: A comeback in the 1930s, with development occurring in several countries that would use them in World War II. The White Motor Company, which had designed armored cars for the United States Army and United States Marines , continued after the First World War to develop armored cars and added tracks for the M2 half-track car and M3 half-track . There were many civilian half-track experiments in

310-662: A dispute between Linn and Lombard, led Linn to create the Linn Manufacturing Company, builder of the Linn tractor , for building and putting onto the market his own improved civilian half-track–style machines. Lombard attempted to follow but, for the most part, remained a pulling machine. Linn would later register "Haftrak" and "Catruk" as trademarks, the latter for a half-track meant to convert hydraulically from truck to crawler configuration. Tractors used to tow artillery and designs with front wheels and tracks at

372-533: A distinction between infantry units that use APCs and infantry units that use IFVs, with the latter being known as armoured infantry. One of the first armored vehicles to be used in combat was the Spanish Schneider-Brillié , which saw action in Morocco. It was built from the chassis of a Schneider P2-4000 bus and could carry 12 passengers. The genesis of the armoured personnel carrier was on

434-527: A gross weight of either 17,650 pounds (8.01 t) (M3) or 18,425 pounds (8.357 t) (M3A1). The wheelbase was 135.5 in (3.44 m) long. The suspension consists of a leaf spring for the two front wheels, while the rear treads had vertical volute springs . With a fuel capacity of 60 US gallons (230 L), the M3 could carry its crew (one driver) and a squad of 12 soldiers 220 miles (350 km) before refueling, while protecting them from small arms with light armor (6–12 mm of armor). The vehicle

496-589: A licence to produce them. This resulted in the Army Ordnance Department building a prototype in 1939. In September 1940 it went into production with the military M2 and M3 half-track versions. With the snow and ice of Canada in mind, Joseph-Armand Bombardier developed 7- and 12-passenger half-track autoneiges in the 1930s, starting what would become the Bombardier industrial conglomerate. The Bombardier vehicle had tracks for propulsion in

558-402: A motor home/traction engine run by an underslung four-cylinder Brennan gasoline engine to travel the unimproved roads of the day, with wheels at the front and tracks at the rear: the first payload-carrying half-track. By 1909 this was replaced by a smaller machine with two wheels at the front and a single track behind, since rural wooden bridges presented problems. Stability issues, together with

620-568: A number of cars from the personal car pool of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia to half-tracks in 1911. His system was named after him: the Kégresse track , which used a flexible belt rather than interlocking metal segments. He applied it to several vehicles in the imperial garage, including Rolls-Royce cars and Packard trucks. The Imperial Russian Army also fitted the system to a number of their Austin Armoured Cars . From 1916 onward, there

682-702: A roof to protect the passengers and crew from shrapnel, it was used by most of the Allies during the war. In the Cold War era, the vehicle was used by a variety of state and non-state operators in conflicts in South America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, remaining in service until as late as the mid-1990s. The M3 half-track was 20 ft 3 in (6.17 m) long, 7 ft 3.5 in (2.223 m) wide, 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) high and had

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744-442: A two-speed transfer case. The front suspension uses leaf springs, while the tracks use vertical volute springs . Braking was hydraulic assisted while steering was manual. Onboard electronics run on a 12-volt system. The vehicle uses two tracks made of molded rubber over steel cabling with metal track guides. Infantry rifles were held in brackets behind the seats while ammunition and rations were generally stored underneath. In 1942,

806-413: Is a great advantage over fully tracked vehicles, which require specialized training. Half-tracks thus facilitate moving personnel and equipment successfully across varying terrain. The main disadvantage is the increased maintenance to maintain track tension, and the reduced life span of tracks (up to 10,000 km) compared to tires (up to 80,000 km). The French engineer Adolphe Kégresse converted

868-503: Is designed and equipped to transport a combat infantry squad and which, as a rule, is armed with an integral or organic weapon of less than 20 millimetres calibre." Compared to infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), which are also used to carry infantry into battle, APCs have less armament and are not designed to provide direct fire support in battle. Infantry units that travel in APCs are known as mechanized infantry . Some militaries also make

930-420: Is either wheeled or tracked , or occasionally a combination of the two, as in a half-track . Wheeled vehicles are typically faster on road and less expensive, however have higher ground pressure which decreases mobility offroad and makes them more likely to become stuck in soft terrains such as mud, snow or sand. Tracked vehicles typically have lower ground pressure and more maneuverability off-road. Due to

992-704: The Allied nations, International Harvester produced several thousand of a very similar vehicle, the M5 half-track , for Lend-Lease . Various attempts were made to mate the 40 mm Bofors L/50 gun to the M3 chassis. In most cases the weapon's recoil was too severe or the mounting too heavy, and the attempts were finally stopped with the adoption of the M19 MGMC on the M24 light tank chassis . Background: British armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II , Tanks in

1054-608: The BTR-90 , which as a whole were produced in large numbers. Czechoslovakia and Poland together developed the universal amphibious OT-64 SKOT . The BMP series is termed as infantry fighting vehicles , but it has a designed role of carrying troops to the battlefield. The BMP-1 , 2 , and 3 all possess the ability to transport troops. By convention, armoured personnel carriers are not intended to take part in direct-fire battle, but are armed for self-defence and armoured to provide protection from shrapnel and small arms fire. An APC

1116-669: The Geneva Conventions , "mobile medical units of the Medical Service may in no circumstances be attacked, but shall at all times be respected and protected by the Parties to the conflict". Although article 22 allows them to carry defensive weaponry, they are typically unarmed. Under Article 39, the emblem of the medical service "shall be displayed ... on all equipment employed in the Medical Service." As such, armoured ambulances are marked with International Committee of

1178-455: The KPV , PKT and NSV machine guns are common options. In "open top" mounts the gunner sticks out of the vehicle and operates a gun on a pintle or ring mount. Ring mounts allow the gun to traverse 360 degrees, a pintle mount has a limited field of fire. It can be preferable to an enclosed gunner because it allows a greater field of view and communication using shouts and hand signals. However,

1240-591: The Western Front of World War I. In the later stage of the war, Allied tanks could break through enemy trenches , but the infantry following—who were needed to consolidate the territory acquired—still faced small arms and artillery fire. Without infantry support, the tanks were isolated and more easily destroyed. In response, the British experimented with carrying machine-gun crews in the Mark V* tank , but it

1302-567: The 1920s and 1930s. The Citroën company sponsored several scientific expeditions crossing deserts in North Africa and Central Asia, using their autochenilles . After World War I, the US military wanted to develop a semi-tracked personnel carrier vehicle, so it looked at these civilian half-tracks. In the late 1920s the US Army purchased several Citroën-Kégresse vehicles for evaluation followed by

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1364-420: The 1943-introduced Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper , was meant to replace the 3-tonne and 5-tonne capacity models – only some 825 examples were built before the war's end. A common feature of virtually all German World War II half-tracks was the so-called Schachtellaufwerk overlapped/interleaved roadwheel arrangement with a "slack track" system possessing no return rollers under the return run of track, used from

1426-608: The Americans with their M2s and M3s . Half-tracks were widely used as mortar carriers , self-propelled anti-aircraft guns , self-propelled anti-tank guns , armored fighting vehicles and in other tasks. The Germans used a small 2 seater 1/2-ton class half-track "motorcycle", the Sd.Kfz. 2 (better known as the Kleines Kettenkraftrad HK 101 or Kettenkrad for short – Ketten meaning tracks, and krad being

1488-508: The Army. Throughout 1939 and 1940, the M2 half-track car was prototyped and developed by the Army at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. The M3 was developed as a larger version of the M2 equipped with two M1919 machine guns and an M2 Browning machine gun for combat usage. The M3 also added a rear door and five additional seats in the rear. The M3 was tested at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in the summer of 1941 and

1550-608: The British Army Armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier ( APC ) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I , APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. According to the definition in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe , an APC is "an armoured combat vehicle which

1612-487: The French VAB . Armoured personnel carriers are designed primarily for transport and are lightly armed. They may be unarmed, or armed with some combination of light , general-purpose , heavy machine guns, or automatic grenade launchers . In Western nations, APCs are frequently armed with the .50 calibre M2 Browning machine gun , 7.62mm FN MAG , or 40mm Mk 19 grenade launcher . In former Eastern bloc nations,

1674-549: The Israeli IDF Namer has as much armour as Merkava main battle tank . Armour is usually composed of steel or aluminium . They will also use ballistic glass . Many APCs are equipped with CBRN protection, which is intended to provide protection from weapons of mass destruction like poison gas and radioactive/nuclear weapons. Generally APCs will be lighter and less armoured than tanks or IFVs, often being open topped and featuring doors and windows, as seen in

1736-498: The M3 and its variants were supplied to the U.S. Army and Marines , as well as British Commonwealth and Soviet Red Army forces, serving on all major fronts throughout the war. The M3 and its variants were produced by many manufacturers including Diamond T , White Motor Company , and Autocar . They were adapted for a wide variety of uses, such as a self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon or self-propelled artillery . Although initially unpopular due to its lack of significant armor or

1798-401: The M3, but had larger front wheels and a shorter front clip. The armor consisted of 1/4-inch thick hardened armor plate, and it was armed with two M1919 machine guns and one M2 Browning machine gun operated by a crew of eight. Tests at Aberdeen Proving Ground in 1938 demonstrated unsatisfactory performance due to the front-wheel drive. The T7 was converted back into a scout car and returned to

1860-544: The Philippines. The M3s first use in its intended role was during Operation Torch . Each armored division had 433 M2s or M3s, 200 in the armored regiments and 233 in the armored infantry regiment. The half-tracks were initially unpopular and nicknamed " Purple Heart boxes" (a grim reference to the US Army decoration for combat wounds) by American troops. The chief complaints centered on the complete lack of overhead protection from artillery shells bursting overhead and that

1922-510: The Red Cross ( ICRC ) recognized symbols . The infantry fighting vehicle is a derivative of the APC. Various classes of infantry fighting vehicles may be deployed alongside tanks and APCs, in armoured and mechanized forces. The fundamental difference between an APC and IFV is the role they are designed for. The CFE treaty stipulates an infantry fighting vehicle is an APC with a cannon in excess of 20 mm, and with this additional firepower

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1984-607: The Spicer 4-speed transmissions used by the other manufacturers; had IHC Model FOK-1370 front drive axles instead of the Timken front axles used by their competitors; used IHC Model RHT-1590 axles in the rear instead of the Timken axles used by their competitors; and were constructed with fully welded armor with rounded rear corners instead of the bolted armor with square corners used by the other three manufacturers. In August 1944, Allied forces liberated Paris . The first vehicle to enter

2046-696: The Springfield Works; and in 1945 they built 589 M5A1 and 1 M5A3 units at Springfield Works. The IHC half-tracks differed visibly from the White, Diamond T, and AutoCar units in several ways. The IHC units had flat front fenders instead of fenders with compound curves; used the International Red Diamond 450 engines instead of the Hercules 160AX engines used by the other manufacturers; used IHC Model 1856 4-speed transmissions instead of

2108-448: The armor was inadequate against machine gun fire. Omar Bradley quoted in his report about half-tracks that it was "a competent and dependable contrivance. Its bad name resulted from the inexperience of our troops who attempted to use it for too many things". Another major issue with the M3 was its fixed rear idler, which often broke on rough terrain. Commanders in North Africa bought parts to build spring-loaded rear idlers that could handle

2170-520: The battlefield. In England, starting in 1905, David Roberts of Richard Hornsby & Sons had attempted to interest British military officials in a tracked vehicle, but failed. Holt bought the patents related to the "chain track" track-type tractor from Richard Hornsby & Sons in 1914 for £4,000. Unlike the Holt tractor, which had a steerable tiller wheel in front of the tracks, the Hornsby crawler

2232-666: The city was an M3 named "España Cañí" and driven by Spanish soldiers fighting under the French tricolor. There followed several days of parades in late August. One parade of 25 August 1944 was down the Champs-Élysées , with Charles de Gaulle leading throngs of Parisians, and French soldiers driving IH half-tracks. Half-tracks were used extensively in World War II, especially by the Germans with their armored Demag -designed Sd.Kfz. 250s and Hanomag -designed Sd.Kfz. 251s ; and by

2294-576: The early wars of the Arab–Israeli conflict . Half-tracks continued in use by the Israeli Army where they were deemed to outperform fully tracked and fully wheeled vehicles for non-combat payload tasks such as carrying telecommunications equipment. As of March 2008, 600 half-tracks were still officially listed as on active duty. Many Second World War half-tracks were sold off to civilian users either as surplus stock or later due to obsolescence when

2356-461: The engine radiator, and adjustable bulletproof panels with vision slits for the windshield, driver windows, and passenger windows. The development of an armored half-track began with ordnance directive OCM 14188 to convert an M3 Scout Car into a half-track. The prototype was built at Rock Island Arsenal with help from White Motor Company and was designated the T7. It had the same chassis and engine as

2418-430: The front seats that mounted a .50-caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun . The later M3A1 adopted a raised, armored "pulpit" mount for the .50-caliber machine gun over the front passenger seat, and additional mounts for .30-caliber (7.62 mm) machine guns along the sides of the passenger compartment. Many M3s were later converted to M3A1s. The vehicle body was fully armored, with an adjustable armored shutter for

2480-566: The gunner is poorly protected and at risk of injury in the event of vehicle rollover. During the Vietnam War , M113 gunners often suffered heavy casualties. Enclosed vehicles are equipped with turrets that allow the crew to operate the weapons system while protected by the vehicle's armour. The Soviet BTR-60 has an enclosed turret mounted with a KPV heavy machine gun with a PKT coaxial machine gun. The U.S. Assault Amphibious Vehicle, Personnel ( AAVP7 's) machine guns (an M2, .50 caliber MG and

2542-604: The hauling of logs in the northeastern US, with the Lombard Steam Log Hauler built by Alvin Lombard of Waterville, Maine , from 1899 to 1917. The vehicle resembled a railway steam locomotive, with sled steering (or wheels) in front and at the rear, crawlers driven by chains instead of the driving wheels of a locomotive. By 1907, dog and pony show operator H. H. Linn abandoned his gas-and-steam-powered four- and six-wheel-drive creations and had Lombard build

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2604-552: The integrity of the hull and folding down a trim vane in front. Water traverse speed varies greatly between vehicles and is much less than ground speed. The maximum swim speed of the M113 is 3.6 mph (5.8 km/h), about 10% its road speed, and the AAVP-7 can swim at 8.2 mph (13.2 km/h). Armoured personnel carriers are typically designed to protect against small arms and artillery fire. Some designs have more protection;

2666-716: The largest being the White Motor Company , the original designer, with a total of 15,414 accepted by the War Department. The other manufacturers, Autocar and Diamond T , built 12,168 and 12,421, respectively. These designs were produced under license in Canada, and were widely supplied under the Lend Lease program, with 5,000 supplied to the USSR alone. The fourth manufacturer of American-made half-tracks

2728-449: The latter especially evident when using narrow European streets. The unique design of the track, made up of steel bands with a rubber contact surface vulcanized to them, made replacement difficult; if the track became damaged or the steel bands stretched out, the entire track had to be replaced. A track with replaceable blocks was suggested as an alternative. Total production of the M3 and its variants ran to nearly 54,000 vehicles. To supply

2790-443: The limited service life of their treads , and the wear they cause on roads, tracked vehicles are typically transported over long distances by rail or trucks . Many APCs are amphibious , meaning they are able to traverse bodies of water. To move in water they will often have propellers or water jets , be propelled by their tracks, or driving on the river bed. Preparing the APC to operate amphibiously usually comprises checking

2852-1019: The military abbreviation of the German word Kraftrad , the administrative German term for motorcycle), to pull small artillery guns, for ammunition haulage, general transport and as a ground towing vehicle for the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Built by NSU Motorenwerke AG Neckarsulm and Stoewer Werke Stettin , a total of 8,345 vehicles were produced between 1940 and 1944. Other Wehrmacht models were: Larger German half-track tractors were used to tow anti-tank and field artillery pieces. The largest of these were also used by mechanical engineers to retrieve bogged down vehicles or perform repairs such as engine maintenance. Maultier half-tracks used to transport supplies to forward units were essentially civilian trucks which had had their rear axles replaced by Panzer I or Panzer II running gear. A replacement half-track design introduced later in World War II,

2914-500: The rear and skis for steering in front. The skis could be replaced with wheels in the summer, but this was uncommon. The Red Army also experimented with half-tracks, such as the BA-30 , but found them expensive and unreliable. Although not a feature on American World War II vehicles, steering could be assisted by track braking, controlled by the steering wheel. In the US, 43,000 halftracks were produced by three primary manufacturers,

2976-628: The rear began to appear prior to the outbreak of war, often based on agricultural machines such as the Holt tractor . The basic half-track concept was originally showcased by the British during the war. With such tractors, the tactical use of heavier guns to supplement the light horse-drawn field guns became feasible. For example, in the British Army it allowed the heavy guns of the Royal Garrison Artillery to be used flexibly on

3038-464: The roof or sides of the vehicle. Many feature a remote weapon system . Usually four-wheel drive, these IMVs are distinct from 8-, 6-, and 4-wheeled APCs (such as the VAB ), being closer in appearance to civilian armoured money and gold transporters . Half-track The main advantage of half-tracks over wheeled vehicles is that the tracks reduce the pressure on any given area of the ground by spreading

3100-628: The rough terrain, which the Ordnance Department then approved as an official fix. In 1943, the M3 served in Sicily and Italy and received positive reports of it in action. It operated in Operation Overlord and served in Europe for the remainder of the war. The vehicle was generally considered very mechanically reliable, although there were two major complaints: the vehicle had a wide turning radius and lacked power steering,

3162-683: The small Kettenkrad to the nine-tonne capacity Sd.Kfz. 9 vehicle, and most famously used on Henschel's Tiger I and MAN's Panther main battle tanks. Half-tracks were extensively used after World War II until the late 1960s, mostly in form of surplus World War II vehicles. Half-tracks saw combat in the French colonial empire in the First Indochina War and the Algerian War ; in the Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts ; and

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3224-402: The uparmoured M1114 HMMWV is a clear example of this. The addition of armour provides protection to passengers. M1114s have been largely replaced by purpose-built Mine Resistant Ambush Protected ( MRAP ) vehicles. IMVs generally feature a v-shaped underbelly designed to deflect mine blasts outwards, with additional crew protection features such as four-point seat belts, and seats suspended from

3286-575: The various " Kangaroos " converted from M7 Priest self-propelled guns and from Churchill , M3 Stuart and Ram tanks . During the Cold War , more specialized APCs were developed. The United States introduced a series of them, including successors to the wartime Landing Vehicle Tracked . The most numerous was the M113 armored personnel carrier , of which more than 80,000 were produced. Western nations have since retired most M113s, replacing them with newer APCs, many of these wheeled. A cold war example of

3348-535: The vehicle is more involved in combat, providing fire support to dismounted infantry. "Infantry mobility vehicle" (IMV) is a new name for the old concept of an armoured car, with an emphasis on mine resistance. They are primarily used to protect passengers in unconventional warfare . The South African Casspir was first built in the late 1970s. In the 21st century, they gained favour in the post-Cold-War geopolitical climate. Identical to earlier High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) in design and function,

3410-415: The vehicle's weight over a larger area, which gives it greater mobility over soft terrain like mud and snow, while they do not require the complex steering mechanisms of fully tracked vehicles, relying instead on their front wheels to direct the vehicle, augmented in some cases by track braking controlled by the steering wheel. It is not difficult for someone who can drive a car to drive a half-track, which

3472-411: The vehicles were fitted with small racks for land mines on the outside of the hull, just above the tracks. In combat, many squads found it necessary to stow additional rations, rucksacks and other crew stowage on the outside of the vehicle. Luggage racks were often added in the field, and later vehicles were fitted with rear-mounted racks for this purpose. Early vehicles had a pintle mount just behind

3534-667: Was a Russian project by the Putilov Plant to produce military half-tracks (the Austin-Putilov model), along the same lines, using trucks and French track parts. After the Russian Revolution and the establishment of the Soviet Union , Kégresse returned to his native France, where the system was used on Citroën cars between 1921 and 1937 for off-road and military vehicles. The concept originated with

3596-564: Was accepted into service soon after. In US service, it was intended that the M3 would be issued to armored infantry regiments. It was also quickly put into action with the Provisional Tank Group when the Japanese Army began their invasion of the Philippines . At first, there were multiple complaints due to several mechanical difficulties. These were rectified by the Ordnance Department after receiving field reports from

3658-528: Was found that the conditions inside the tanks rendered the men unfit for combat. During World War II, half-tracks like the American M3 and German Sd.Kfz. 251 played a role similar to post-war APCs. British Commonwealth forces relied on the full-tracked Universal Carrier . Over the course of the war, APCs evolved from simple armoured cars with transport capacity to purpose-built vehicles. Obsolete armoured vehicles were also repurposed as APCs, such as

3720-633: Was powered by a 148 hp (110 kW) White 160AX, 386 in (6,330 cc), 6-cylinder gasoline engine. The design, which used many commercial components to improve reliability and the rate of production, was standardized in 1940 and built by the Autocar Company , Diamond T Motor Company, and the White Motor Company. With a White 160AX engine, the M3 was driven through a manual constant-mesh (non- synchromesh ) transmission with four forward and one reverse gear, as well as

3782-450: Was steered by controlling power to each track. When World War I broke out, with the problem of trench warfare and the difficulty of transporting supplies to the front, the pulling power of crawling-type tractors drew the attention of the military. With tanks coming onto the scene, however, the combination of tracks and wheels seemed impractical when fully tracked or six-wheel, four-wheel drive vehicles were available. The half-track saw

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3844-478: Was the International Motor Truck Corporation division of International Harvester . IH built approximately 12,853 half-tracks, which were shipped to Europe for use by British and French troops. In 1942, they produced 152 M5 units and 5 M14 units at the Springfield Works; in 1943 they produced 2,026 M9 units, 1,407 M0A1 units, 4,473 M5 units, 1,600 M14 units, and 400 M17 units, all at the Springfield Works; in 1944 they produced 1,100 M5A1 units and 1,100 M17 units also at

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