Which version of Half-Track are you building ?

[Adrian Harris]

As this is the first multi-version vehicle from our friends at Armortek, I thought it might be interesting to see which model people have decided to go with, and whether they are making it "out of the box" or customising it further.

Personally, I'm going with the M2 and hopefully detailing it to become an M4 mortar carrier.

Adrian.

[Tony Read]

Don't forget for you M16 fans you can build a field-expedient version based on a M2. This has the advantage that the folding armour is not required, just a spacer drum to lift the Maxson mount. There would appear to have been quite a few of these built. I have one or two photographs I can post if you need them. Also there is photographic evidence to indicate that most M16's in AA units had two-tone camouflage of black over OD.

[Tony Read]

Hi David,

Around 332 M2 halftracks were converted to M16's prior to D-Day for beach-head defence. They then supplemeted normal AAA battalions afterwards. They were unoffically dubbed M16B's. Below is a good shot of one and its crew.



This photo is of a 377th AAA AW Bn M16B in action July 1944.



This photo was taken on the 18th December 1944 near Seareinsming.



I don't really know if the maxson mount was bolted to a raised floor in the halftrack, or as here, an official modification during the Korean war to turn M3's into the M16A1 by using another spacer ring. Further investigation is required.



Finally drawings of the M16 and M16B for comparison.





I hope this has been of some help. If I was building an M16 I would go for the M16B just to be different!

[Tony Read]

David,

I've been giving a lot of thought to the interior of the M16B whilst walking my dogs, well you've got to do something when they are sniffing every blade of grass!

I would put good money on a simple mod of raising the floor to the level of the bottom of the fuel tanks. This would achieve two things: it would raise the maxson up, but most importantly give space for floor lockers, lets face it space in a M16B would be at a premium!!! By doing this it may give you enough space for a drive motor for the maxson. By the time you have shoe-horned the maxson in, repositioned the fuel tanks, added a few tombstone mags and stowage I don't think there would be much space left!

I do prefer the look of the M16B over the M16. Mind you, if I had the money I would buy a M16 and fit it with 4 x 50cal gas-firers, just think of it, blam!-blam!-blam!-blam! etc etc, phworrrrrrr!!!!!

[Tony Read]

Right,

Been looking through all my books on halftracks, no interior shots of the M16B. Then I had an eureka moment. I remembered that the test-bed vehicle for the M13 and M16 was the T1E2, which was based on the M2.

The following photos are of the T1E2 equipped with the Maxson mount and various weapons. The side armour is missing due to it being experimental so you can now see how it goes together. The mount is sitting on a raised floor which seems to be supported by I sections. The fuel tank is behind the drivers compartment much like the M15 (the M15 had an additional flatfuel tank under the floor). I would put good money on this being similar to the M16B, which was, afterall, field expedient. Their primary purpose was beach-head defence so maybe they were not expected to drive very far, thus one fuel tank would suffice. One book I read says that they were nicknamed 'Wasps' - well they certainly had a sting in their tail!!!!!

All of the following photos are of the short-frame M2, rather than the long-frame M3:









For more information you could possibly give Gary Hebding an email. He sells halftracks and parts, therefore knows his beans - he may have more info on the M16B. He's a very nice bloke as well! His website is:

http://www.halftracks.com/index.cfm

[Tony Read]

No worries David, glad you liked them.

If you look at the rear idler in the above pics you will notice that it is fixed, not sprung. This makes it a VERY early halftrack. The earlist I have is the T19, with its single spring idler.

[Tony Read]

Sure would, Hi Gary if your reading this!!

You could also try posting on mil-veh, I did a year or so back and got some fabrication drawings for my T19. To activate an account send an email to mil-veh@googlegroups.com. The down-side is that you will get a load of messages about different tail lights, brakes, bridges (I kid you not!) paints etc, etc. Worth a try for a couple of months though.

[Tony Read]

I believe this is another picture of the M16B near Seareinsming. You can clearly see from this shot that it is based upon a M2. Space inside is so cramped that one of the loaders has to stand on the mine racks!!!!

[Tony Read]

David,

Reading the Tankograd book 6010 it says that in the M16B the M45 Maxson mount was mounted on a raised platform. This confirms my suspicions. All you need to do is to run some scale looking I beams or channels across the rear body only where the mount sits, using the previously posted drawing to get the height right. Sit a plate on top and bolt the M45 down. Place the fuel tank behind the driver/commander, add some mags and bingo! A M16B. Add some crew and you have one sexy looking halftrack!!!

[Tony Read]

Hi David,

Could you post a link to the five-by-fives forum?

Thanks!

[Tony Read]

David,

There was a discussion on the G503 forum about whether this halftrack was a M16B. Not sure myself. If the dataplate is correct it might just have been an M16, but still worth a read at : http://www.g503.com/forums/viewtopic.ph ... 13278ebbff

Could try posting here as well.