Specifications

GENERAL DATA
Manufacturer:	White
Weight	9 tons
Length	19 ft 7 inches
Width	7 foot 3 inches
Crew	2 + 7
Armor	6-12 mm
Armorment	.50 Cal machine gun
Engine	White 160x In-line Six
Suspension	Wheeled fron axle, rear track
Range	220 miles
Speed	45 mph

History

The M-2 halftrack was built in 1942 by the International Harvester Company. It was also produced by Auto Car, White & Diamond T. It was supplied to artillery units to be used as a prime mover and ammunition carrier for the 105 Howitzer and for armored infantry units to carry machine gun squads. It was also used as armored reconnaissance units. The production runs for the M-2 numbered 13,500 units.

A lightly armored half-track vehicle was a requirement for the burgeoning US Army and there was a deeper need for this vehicle to maintain a dual-purpose role within the ranks. First it would replace the horse and mule as the prime mover for both artillery and supplies and, second, it would serve as an Armored Personal Carrier (APC) with reconnaissance capabilities. The contract went to the White Motor Company who used their own in-house engine for power and took the rear assembly from the T9 half-track truck, connecting it to their existing M3 Scout Car. This clever use of existing components made the assembly much cheaper and allowed the final product to be issued to the Army on schedule. The new vehicle was called the "T7 Half-Track Car" but testing in the field proved it was underpowered for the prime mover role as an artillery tractor. After additional upgrades, including fitting ever larger engines, the final product became the well-known "Half-Track Car M2".

As soon as the M2 entered production and began shipping to US Army posts, the war in Europe had exploded. Requirements for the M2 skyrocketed (via Lend-Lease) to the point that the International Harvester Company received a contract to build the M9, an offshoot of the base M2. The White Company continued what production it could but was already hard at work in designing and developing a newer, larger, and heaver version of the M2 to become the more famous "M3" half-track. Unlike the M2, the M3 would be able to field an entire rifle squad into combat. As the war in Europe, North Africa and the Pacific progressed, there proved the need for a more mobile and adaptable force. As such, the M2 would receive a number of modifications to her armor protection, drive train, engine, and equipment stowage options. Some served as test beds for anti-aircraft systems that ultimately evolved into production forms on the M3 chassis.

Though the initial M2 offering was a relatively limited one, it served the United States and allies well throughout the World War 2 effort. The M2 saw combat action in North Africa, Europe and the East Front, supporting both offensives and retreats against a stellar German foe. Similarly, the US Marine Corps in the Pacific utilized the M2 to good effect in their island hopping campaigns, attempting to dislodge a stubborn Japanese defense. With some 13,500 M2´s delivered along with an additional 3,500 M9 copies produced, the vehicle showcased fifty years of dedicated service worldwide.

This particular unit was located on a farm north of Sacramento, California. It was restored by Gary Corippo and the Estrella Warbird Museum Restoration crew. It took a total of 750 manhours!

The M2 was a rear track-driven vehicle with a wheeled front axle. She was assigned a base 2-man crew made up of a driver and an assistant driver. A mount for an M2 Browning heavy machine gun was fixed above the forward cab and up to 1,000 rounds of ammunition was generally carried. Seats for seven passengers including applicable field gear could fit in the rear area. The M2 had up to 12mm of armor thickness protecting the crew and passenger areas and up to 6mm of armor around the engine block. The light armor coverage would only protect the crew and passengers from small arms fire and remained open-topped, exposing the passengers to plunging fire or hand thrown explosives. The 147hp engine was powerful enough to move the 9-ton vehicle with nine onboard personnel with supplies some 220 miles at 45 mph.