M5 half-track
The M5 half-track (officially the Carrier, Personnel, Half-track, M5) was an American armored personnel carrier in use during World War II. It was developed in 1942 when existing manufacturers of the M2 half-track car, and M3 half-track could not keep up with production demand. International Harvester (IH) had capacity to produce a similar vehicle to the M3, but some differences from the M3 had to be accepted due to different production equipment. IH produced the M5 from December 1942 to October 1943.
| M5 half-track | |
|---|---|
A preserved M5 half-track | |
| Type | Half-track armored personnel carrier |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943 to early-1990s |
| Used by | See list of operators |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Ordnance Department |
| Designed | 1942 |
| Manufacturer | International Harvester |
| Produced | 1942–1943 |
| No. built | 7484 (not including M9 or anti-aircraft variants) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 18,900 lb (8.6 t) (M5), 19,050 lb (8.64 t) (M5A1) loaded |
| Length | 20.8 ft (6.3 m) |
| Width | 7.3 feet (2.23 m) |
| Height | 9 feet (2.74 m) overall |
| Crew | 3+10 troops |
| Armor | 7.9–15.8 mm (0.31–0.62 in) |
Main armament | 1 × 0.5 in (13 mm) M2 machine gun |
Secondary armament | 2 × 0.3 in (7.6 mm) M1919 machine gun |
| Engine | IHC RED-450-B, 451 in3 (7,390 cc), 6-cylinder, compression ratio 6.35:1 142 hp (106 kW) |
| Transmission | Constant mesh |
| Suspension | Semi-elliptical longitudinal leaf springs (wheels) Vertical volute spring suspension (rear) |
| Fuel capacity | 60 US gal (230 L) |
Operational range | 220 mi (350 km) |
| Maximum speed | 42 mph (68 km/h) |
Using the same chassis as their M5, IH could produce an equivalent to the M2, which was the M9 half-track. There were also variants of the M13 and M16 MGMCs based on the M5. The M13 and M16 were exported to the United Kingdom and to Soviet Union respectively. The M5 was supplied to Allied nations (the British Commonwealth, France, and the Soviet Union) under Lend-Lease. After WWII, the M5 was leased to many NATO countries. The Israel Defense Forces used it in several wars and developed it into the M3 Mark A and the M3 Mark B.