What the devil is this?

[patches]

Found this, a still from the 1966 movie What Did You Do In The War Daddy, I know it's not U.S. or is it LOL, but what is this a Italian tankette mocked up to U.S.? By the way thats Dick Shawn in the turret, and Giovanna Ralli in the driver seat.

 

Sorry about only posting link, image will not copy and save as.

 

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3947398144/tt0061176

[1canpara]

Found this, a still from the 1966 movie What Did You Do In The War Daddy, I know it's not U.S. or is it LOL, but what is this a Italian tankette mocked up to U.S.? By the way thats Dick Shawn in the turret, and Giovanna Ralli in the driver seat.

 

Sorry about only posting link, image will not copy and save as.

 

http://www.imdb.com/...98144/tt0061176

 

 

It kinda looks like a heavily modified Bren Gun Carrier, but most have 5 bogies not 6...in any case other than guessing at a humped up Bren Carrier, I'm not sure what else it could be, I'm not that familiar with armoured vehicles, but my Uncle has a couple of Bren carriers so it looked familiar to me

 

here's a photo I found online of a 6 wheeled Bren carrier

 

 

Rick

[Big Al]

It is a US Marrmon-Herrington CTLS light tank mocked up with a fake turret and gun. They were built for export before WWII. I think some were taken into service with the Marines before the war. Some saw action in the Dutch East Indies when the Japs invaded. After the US entered the war, the Army bought some and sent them to Alaska and also used them for training.

 

Info here:

 

http://mailer.fsu.ed...LightTanks.html

 

http://en.wikipedia....Herrington_CTLS

[Jim Baker]

Good job!! I was looking all over for that photo!

 

I also remember somewhere seeing an early Sherman with those odd looking road wheels.

 

[patches]

Great detective work Annihilator, I was checking 1930s Italian AFVs This 1966 movie was actualy filmed in Cailfornia, so maybe these types were laying around one of the Marine Corps bases like Pendelton or 29 Palms, and aquired as surplus? It states in the IMDB that they goofed at one point and used M113 APCs, that they could be seen briefly parked in a grove of trees. I have the DVD, I have to watch again too see this, also watch to see if this tank in the image was actully used in the film, I don't seem to remember seeing it. But they did use for the Americans at least some M4 Shermans and M7 Priests, Halftracks. The Germans? well you know, this being the 60s, total mock ups.

[Kration]

The same type mock up was shown on an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies... Jethrow traded the "truck" for it, dressed up like Patton.. So we know at least one was in Cal in the 60's.. It was probably the same one used in both shows.

 

Kration

[patches]

WEE HEE!

 

And here it is Kration, parked outside the Clampets mansion

 

[ordnance]

This vehicle still exists in the collection of the American Military Museum in South El Monte, CA and has been used many movies since the 1940s. It does look to be Marmon-Herrington based with a large dose of pre-war "combat car" added for a more proper tank look. The telltale feature on this vehicle is the small window of vertical and horizontal metal strips beside the driver and co-driver locations.

[Cobrahistorian]

Looks like it uses the drive sprocket, idler wheel and tracks from a halftrack!

[Johan Willaert]

Rick,

 

The one you posted is a US made T16 Carrier

 

http://www.mapleleafup.net/vehicles/carriers/t16.html

 

 

 

[Jim Baker]

Looks like it uses the drive sprocket, idler wheel and tracks from a halftrack!

 

I was thinking the same thing the first time I saw that running gear. I looked at my references to see if any early halftracks were set up this way and didn't see anything. I'll look at some of my photos.

[Sabrejet]

Was that also the "German" tank featured in the movie "Attack"...or was that a "nazified" M3 /M5? (It's been some time since I last watched it.)

[Big Al]

That was indeed a dressed-up M5 in the movie "Attack". I saw it recently on TV.

[willysmb44]

That converted vehicle was used in a lot of films and TV shows in the 60s. I had no idea it was still around today!

[vostoktrading]

The Marines had a very few of these starting in 1937. Here's some pictures I found on the internet.

First two from Samoa very early in WW2.

The next from loading trials on landing craft (pre-war).

Last one a real odd-ball picture... It must be a fake gun on a turret? In a bone yard somewhere...

[Big Al]

Maybe it was a mockup in the hopes of actually mounting a gun on it? But you are probably right, most likely a fake turret.

[1canpara]

Rick,

 

The one you posted is a US made T16 Carrier

 

http://www.mapleleafup.net/vehicles/carriers/t16.html

 

Thanks Johan, that's an interesting site! I kinda rushed to judgement on picking this T-16 as the modified one in the movie, but of course I can see now that it was a Marmon Herrington based vehicle.

 

I wasn't aware of the American made carriers, so you learn something every day!

 

Thanks,

 

Rick

 

[Sabrejet]

The period name for such vehicles was "tankettes". Most western armies developed their own types in the 30s....some even made it into WW2 though they were pretty much obsolete by then.

[vostoktrading]

Here's an interesting picture. I believe this is a Japanese tankette on the back of a Sherman tank.

A prank, a joke? They went to some trouble to set this small tank on the back of this Sherman.

Jon.

[Big Al]

It looks like a Type 95 Ha-Go with the turret blown off/in a general state of blown-the-hell-up. I think the pic was taken near the end of the war, possibly on Iwo Jima.