35070 Tamiya - 1/35 U.S. Armored Personnel Carrier M3A2 Half-Track WWII [35070]

AD4980

About the U.S. M3A2 Personnel Carrier

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The half track first appeared as a regular weapon in World War II and served rn as the main personnel carrier of U.S. and German armoured divisions. It adorned rn war histroy with its numerous variations and characteristic designs. As an accompanying rn vehicle of the tank, it showed its mobility to the full.

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There were big differences as follows between the U.S. and German half tracks. rn In the U.S. half track, engine power was transmitted also to the front axle rn and steering was made only through the front wheels. In the German half track, rn the front wheels had no brake, and the vehicle controlled the direction of travel rn by changing the angle of the front wheels or by fractionally idling the sprocket rn wheel on one side throught the link according as steering angle was under or rn over 15 degrees. These differences arose because the Americans originally made rn their half track by replacing the rear wheels of a truck by tracks, while the rn Germans originally made theirs by adding wheels to the front of a full-track rn vehicle in order to make its body longer. The Americans designed their half rn track as an armoured fighting vehicle from the beginning. On the other hand, rn the Germans used the very same chassis both for their non-armoured vehicle and rn armoured disadvantage. Although it showed desired performance on European roads, rn its mobility was much limited in the field, particularly in muddy places, because rn the front wheels were not driven and the engine did not offer sufficient power.

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It had been known since World War ! that the tractive force of a truck with rn two rear axles would remarkably increase if tracks were fastened round its rear rn wheels. A number of nations had continue their own efforts to study and develop rn the half track, rear suspension for the tracks being the main object of their rn study. Under these circumstances, a Citroen-Kegresse half-track vehicle succeeded rn in running across the Sahara Dessert, which renewed their enthusiasm for developing rn the half track.

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In the United States, the Ordnance Bureau of the Department of the Army started rn earnest study and development of the half track in 1925 when it purchased two rn Citroen-Kegresse vehicles from France. The P17 half-track tractor purchased rn from France in 1931 had a very great influence on the American designs and ideas rn of the half track. The first U.S. military half track was the T1 experimental rn half-track reconnaissance car made in December 1932 by Jos. Cunninghams, Son rn & Co., of Rochester, New York which was then developing the T1 experimental rn light tank. The new half-track vehicle has an open-top body and an improved rn version of Citroen-Kegresse running gear.

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By 1937, non-armoured half tracks, T1 - T9E1, for reconnaissance, hauling weopons, rn carrying personnel and transporting material were trial-manufactured by Cunningham, rn Linn, GMC and Marmon-Herrington. These were intended to be used mainly by mechanised rn cavalry and artillery. The half tracks T9-T9E1 trial manufactured by Marmon-Herrington rn were based on the chassis of the Ford 1 1/2 ton 4 x 2 truck of model 1936 and rn combined front drive with rear-bogie tracks. These half tracks had kegresse rn type bodies which were full of faults. In the meanshile, Marmon-Herrington, rn and one other manufacturer jointly developed suspension for rubber tracks of rn one-piece belt type devised by B.F. Goodrich. The suspension achieved very good rn results in tests and was adopted by the Department of Defense. It later became rn the basic suspension of the M2 and M3 half track series and further the standard rn equipment of all U.S. half tracks.

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Realizing that the German mobile troops for the blitzkrieg tactics at the beginning rn of World War II mainly consisted of full and half-track vehicles, the Americans, rn who already had the suspension with high productivity, started, manufacturing rn half tracks in large quantities. There were a great variety of American half rn tracks. Their basic types mass-produced and actively used were as follows:

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Half Track M2: The first production half track officially adopted by the U.S. rn Army. In 1939, an experimental vehicle named "T14 Half Track APC" rn was made by Diamond T. Motor on the basis of the body of a wheeled armoured rn car which was vehing used by armoured cavalry. In September 1940 to 1943, Autocar rn manufactured 2,992 and White Motor Company 8,423, which made a total of 11,415.

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Half track M2A1: A modified version of the Half Track M2. On the upper right rn of the driver seat, it carried a ring mount M45 (often called "Pulpit") rn for a 0.50-inch (12.7 mm) Browning heavy-barrelled machine gun M2. From October rn 1943 to March 1944, a total of 1,643 were manufactured.

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Half Track M3: This was intended to carry personnel and material of various rn units in armoured divisions. Autocar and Diamond T. Motor Car Company produced rn a total of 12,499 in parallel with the Half Track M2. Both the M3 and M2 were rn supplied to the Allies including the Soviet Union and Britain as well as to rn the U.S. Army.

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Half Track M3A1: A modified version of the M3. Like the M2A1, it carried an rn anti-aircraft ring mount M45 (for a 0.50-inch Browning) on the upper right of rn the driver seat. From October 1943 to March 1944, a total of 2,862 were manufactured rn by White, Autocar and Diamond T. Like the M3, the M3A1 was used in World War rn II by units in U.S. armoured divisions as an armoured command car, armoured rn ambulance car, armoured radio car, and armoured general purpose car. The M2A1 rn was also used by British armoured troops. Avariation with a recovery jib on rn the front was also used by the British as an armoured recovery car.

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The M3A2: The final production version of the M3. This was an M3-based "general rn purpose car" intended to be used in place of the existing M2, M2A1, M3, rn and M3A1. In July, 1943, a prototype named "T29" was completed and, rn in October 1943, accepted for production as the Half Track M3A2. This was a rn much polished vehicle. From 1944 on, the M3A2 saw active service as the main rn vehicle of armoured infantry in armoured divisions. The M3A2, like the M2 and rn M3 series, was a light armoured fighting vehicle with open-top body, to which rn hard-faced armour plates were welded or bolted. Armour was 6.25 - 12.7 mm in rn thickness, the nose of the vehicle being protected with relatively thick steel rn plate. The M3A2 accommodated 5 - 12 men i.e. one fully equipped platoon.

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The M3A2 carried the standard weapons consisting of an anti-aircraft 0.50-inch rn Browning heavy-barrelled machine gun M2, 0.30-inch Browning machine gun M1919A4, rn 2.36-inch rocket launcher (bazooka) M9 or M9A1, 0.45-inch submachine gun M3, rn twelve 0.30-inch rifles and twelve Garand rifles. In stowage boxes inside the rn vehicle, the following ammunition was carried: 330 rounds of 0.50-inch machine-gun rn ammunition, 2,000 rounds of 0.30 inch machine-gun ammunition, 6 A/T rockets rn M6, 24 mines M1, 48 hand grenades and 180 rounds of 0.45 inch machine-gun ammunition. rn When necessary, additional machine-gun ammunition(600 rounds for the 0.50-inch rn Browning and 6,000 rounds for the 0.30 inch Browning) was carried in place of rn two seats.

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The M3A2, like the M2 and M3 series, had a White 160 Ax, 4-cycle, series 6-cylinder, rn watercooled, gasoline engine offering 143 hp/3,000 rpm. Engine power was transmitted rn through the dry-type single-plate clutch, constant mesh transmission with 4 rn forward and 1 reverse speeds, 2-speed transfer case and banjo-type rear axle rn to the sprocket wheels. The vehicle used all-wheel drive system in which the rn front axle of the split type received power from the transer case if necessary. rn The vehicle carried 227 litres of fuel and fuel consumption ratio was 1.49 km/l. rn Maximum cruising range was 320 km and maximum speed on good road reached 72 rn km/h.

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Front suspension was the same in construction as that of a usual car. Rear rn suspension had the following construction: Two rows of four road wheels - each rn wheel had a rubber tyre, 305 mm in diameter and 105 mm in width, which was peculiar rn to American half tracks - were connected through links to the bogie assembly rn eequipped with vertical volute springs. The belt-type rubber track was supported rn by top rollers at the top of the bogie assembly and by the idler wheel serving rn as rear body support. The sprocket wheel engaged with guides in the centre of rn the track to drive it.

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From May 1941 to 1945, the United States produced as many as 45,044 half tracks rn including the officially designated versions and experimental versions of self-propelled rn mortars, self-propelled cannons, self-propelled howitzers, self propelled multi-barrelled rn guns, etc. as well as the M2 and M3 series. This total was made up as follows: rn 37,164 personnel carriers and 7,880 self-propelled guns. These vehicles were rn used in all theatres of war by 16 armoured divisions, independent mechanized rn cavalry groups, independent armoured groups and some units in infantry divisions.

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In the case of the M3A2, 448 vehicles were used per armoured division at the rn approximate rate as follows: 72 to each of the three armoured infantry battalions; rn 20 to each of the three rifle companies; 11 to the headquarters; 11 to the headquarters rn company; and 1 to the service company. Details of vehicle allotment tot he rifle rn companies in the armoured infantry battalion of the armoured division in 1944 rn are tabulated as follows:

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The rifle squad vehicle accomodated the driver and nine squad members consisting rn of one squad leader, one assistant squad leader, five riflemen, one automatic rn rifleman and one ammunition carrier. The platoons leader&39;s vehicle carried 12 rn men including the platoon leader and his sergeant. The mortar squad vehicle rn accommodated eight men consisting of one squad leader, two gunners, two ammunition rn carriers, two riflemen and one driver. The anti-tank squad vehicle carried seven rn men consisting of one squad leader, two gunners, two ammunition carriers, one rn riflemen and one driver.

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From the Korean War on, the United States gradually replaced their half tracks rn with fulltrack M113 series vehicles. Today, about 30 years after the end of rn World War II, armies of many countries including the Self Defense Forces of rn Japan are still using half tracks as fighting vehicles. We often receive the rn news that these half tracks were running about in the Mideastern war, Vietnam rn War and riots in South America. In the United States, however, these vehicles rn are merely kept in museums or by enthusiasts.

Required glue and paints to complete.