Jump to content

Which model of halftrack is this? 342nd Armored Field Artillery


Garandomatic
 Share

Recommended Posts

Garandomatic

First off, I apologize for the blurry picture. I plan to scan this image to try to see what nickname is written on the side, but haven't gotten around to it yet. What I would like to know, is, which halftrack is this? I sat and couldn't make hide nor hair out of it, and figured some pros might be able to tell me immediately. I think after my M5A1 Stuart is done, this guy is next. A friend sold me a nice grouping with lots of documentation, some WWI family pieces, and photos of everyone, and I think I'd like to make a small diorama of this man's halftrack (it's labelled as the one he drove) next to one of the unit's M7 Priests.

 

On that note, anybody got an idea for what my guy could be doing next to a Priest? Delivering ammo? Food? I'd just like to come up with something believable.

post-9670-0-10285900-1431635447.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks to me like an M2. It appears to have the storage boxes on the side just behind the driver's door, and the .50 cal.

mounted on a skate rail.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hbtcoveralls

To my eye it appears to be the M-4 mortar carrier halftrack. The primary differences between the M-2 and the M-4 is that the M-2 had no rear door while the M-4 had a rear door and the halftrack in the photo seems to have the rear door. The M-4 halftrack carried an 81MM mortar in a rear facing mount in the rear of the fighting compartment.

id_m4_halftrack_01_700.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It does not seem to have a rear door.

If it has one, you can't open it anyway because the stowage rack seems to be in the way.

I also see no mortar tube sticking out.

My bet is that it is an M2 halftrack.

 

Erwin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Linedoggie

First off, I apologize for the blurry picture. I plan to scan this image to try to see what nickname is written on the side, but haven't gotten around to it yet. What I would like to know, is, which halftrack is this? I sat and couldn't make hide nor hair out of it, and figured some pros might be able to tell me immediately. I think after my M5A1 Stuart is done, this guy is next. A friend sold me a nice grouping with lots of documentation, some WWI family pieces, and photos of everyone, and I think I'd like to make a small diorama of this man's halftrack (it's labelled as the one he drove) next to one of the unit's M7 Priests.

 

On that note, anybody got an idea for what my guy could be doing next to a Priest? Delivering ammo? Food? I'd just like to come up with something believable.

It's an M2 note the "Step" on the rear plate with the added stowage and no rear door.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hbtcoveralls

It's hard due to the quality of the photo. The stowage rack/platform is non-standard. I think I see a door which would make it an M-4 but, I agree with Erwin , if there is no rear door it's an M-2 halftrack.

Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Garandomatic

The original picture is fairly clear, I just haven't gotten a chance to scan it. Long day at school... In the original, you can see that one of the light lines that look like a door frame is actually a strand of wire or cable. I wonder if this wasn't the battery radio halftrack... there's about three or four strands of it over the side facing the camera. It also looks like there are handles, but not hinges or a seam in the back. I'll get it scanned for all to see, and you can weigh in again. I sure appreciate it. I knew there were differences, but never got that into these things before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Garandomatic

I am pretty sure it's an M2. You can see something in this picture (straps???) in the right spot to look like hinges in my picture. To my naked eye, itlooks like double vertical handles there, but two loose dangling straps would look a lot like that. I'll still post the actual scan when I get it.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M2_Half_Track_Car#/media/File:Halftrack-production-4.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Garandomatic

Here's the resized shot. I can almost make out the track's nickname. Looks like A_ _ LER. So I suppose it could be Antler, Angler, hard to tell.

post-9670-0-00542000-1431953441.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Garandomatic

Nickname and numbers. Any guesses on the name?? A fellow posted recently a helmet from a man in this outfit, and a picture of his M7. It was named CRUSHER, so I assume he was with Battery C. I know my guy was with Battery A, so any guesses are welcome!

post-9670-0-66834100-1431953969.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Garandomatic

Man, ARBITER makes sense, but I am pretty sure there is a T after the A, and the last three letters are LER.... ANTLER might just be it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Garandomatic

I never thought of that... good call. I doubt I'll ever find it out for sure, but that's as good a guess as any I suppose.

 

I can't wait to get started with this project. I think I'll go with the Dragon M2A1. It's funny, for something as ubiquitous as a halftrack, pickings are slim. It seems like it's either Tamiya's M3A2 (which apparently didn't exist), or the Dragon M2. Oh well, back to painting the tracks on my M5 so I can justify ordering another model!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Garandomatic

I'm leaning even harder toward ABNER. I used a pen, outlined the A and the ER, and measured the letters. Looks like there is just enough space for two other letters in the middle. Shame a random dot obscures the second letter! Barring locating a veteran or a copy of "On The Way," the unit history for the 342nd, I think ABNER is the best we'll come up with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Hopefully some folks see this now that I've revived it. I am working here and there on the halftrack model, and have been giving some thought to the back shelf. It sure doesn't appear to be the fold-up shelf I see on other half tracks, and available in the million-piece photoetched kits you can buy. Does it look to you fellows like it's a field modification, maybe welded out of angle iron??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's what I thought too, but wasn't sure. The boards are faintly visible, aren't they? The good news is that I can probably save some money by making it out of something rather than spending big bucks on a custom kit, but the bad news is that I sure don't know what!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't there something called "plastistrut" or something like that in the modeling arena? Different shapes and scales to do what you want.Maybe model rai roading.Years ago I used to use the thin veneer from a cigar box for the wood in a pick up truck bed. Always enjoy the modeling section on here.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Bob

 

Looked it up."Plastruct".They have the "angle iron" you need.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...