Half-Track Car M9

History of the M9 Halftrack

Half-tracked military vehicles gained considerable fame during World War II (1939-1945), although the concept of a combined truck and tracked vehicle was born decades ago. Three major manufacturers emerged in the United States during the war, led by the White Motor Company, and joined by Auto Car and Diamond T. About 43,000 half-tracks were produced, many of which were loaned and sent to the Soviet Union for 5,000 copies.

The M9 Half-Track is an evolution of the classic M2 series produced by the White Motor Company from the 1940s. International Harvester (IH) provided US allies with an equivalent model in the M9 for lease and began building the design for lease in August 1942 using the same chassis and body as another IH product, the M5 Half Track . Total production of more than 3,400 units in two main configurations - the M9 and M9A1. According to one source, 2,026 M9s and 1,407 M9A1 versions were completed, while another source said that no M9 models were actually made and that the entire inventory consisted of M9A1s.

As we all know, half of the winches provided are mounted on the bow, the rest are supplemented by simple ditch pulleys.

The final product looks very much like an American half-track part, with a truck-like front end (including a protected cab) and a tank-like rear end showcasing the track and wheel system. The rear top of the vehicle is open and the side armor is thin, providing only basic small arms fire protection. Cargo compartments can carry almost any type of cargo, as well as infantry on call. Some forms even have weapons installed. The vehicle is usually defended by a heavy 12.7mm machine gun, while up to 2 x 7.62mm machine guns (or equivalent) can be added to the pivot mounts depending on the operator's request.

Power comes from a 141-horsepower IHC RED-450-B Series gasoline engine, capable of reaching speeds of up to 42 mph on paved roads. The wheels at the front are suspended with the usual vehicle feel, while the track units at the rear are in a VVS (single bogie vertical volute spring) arrangement. Dimensions of the vehicle include a length of 20.6 feet, a width of 7.2 feet and a height of 7.4 feet. The standard operator is usually three people, with ten seats in the rear.

Weight is in the 9.3 (short) ton range.

The M9 was in service during WWII as it was jointly operated by the US and the USSR (413) as well as Canada and the UK. Other operators include Brazil, China, Czechoslovakia, France, Israel, Japan, Pakistan and Poland - meaning examples from post-war conflicts such as the Arab-Israeli War (1948), the Korean War (1950-1953) and Vietnam War (1955-1975).

The Israelis used the M9 to participate in their history during the Six Day War (1967) and Yom Kippur War (1973).

Ultimately, the days of half-tracks are numbered as the armed forces move from their designs to more protective armoured full-track vehicles.

Specification Half Track M9

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on weapon. Changing.

Changes