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A halftrack with chains?


Jim Baker
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Well, I noticed something in a photo last night I have never seen or noticed before. A halftrack with chains. On it's tracks!!

 

The photo is on page 64 of Stanton's US Army Uniforms of WWII. I don't have a scanner, so if anyone is able to scan and post, that would be great.

 

Was this a common practice that I've just never noticed? I've looked at a lot of halftrack photos and never seen this, or just not noticed. I might not have noticed it in this photo except that the picture is taken from the rear and you just notice the slack in the chains at the idle wheel.

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Well, I noticed something in a photo last night I have never seen or noticed before. A halftrack with chains. On it's tracks!!

 

The photo is on page 64 of Stanton's US Army Uniforms of WWII. I don't have a scanner, so if anyone is able to scan and post, that would be great.

 

Was this a common practice that I've just never noticed? I've looked at a lot of halftrack photos and never seen this, or just not noticed. I might not have noticed it in this photo except that the picture is taken from the rear and you just notice the slack in the chains at the idle wheel.

 

Here is the photo from U.S. ARMY UNIFORMS OF WORLD WAR II that you requested.

post-264-1287846949.jpg

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Thanks Retired! That's the photo.

 

I've seen the wheels chained up, but never the tracks. Anyone else seen this? Any other photos out there??

 

Thanks.

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That's certainly unusual Jim. That said, I suppose the "rubber band" track of M2/3 half-tracks was really just like a big tyre and, like tyres do, was probably prone to lose traction in icy conditions...hence the snow chains?

 

Sabrejet

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That's certainly unusual Jim. That said, I suppose the "rubber band" track of M2/3 half-tracks was really just like a big tyre and, like tyres do, was probably prone to lose traction in icy conditions...hence the snow chains?

 

Sabrejet

 

 

My thoughts too. This is just the first time I've ever noticed them. I'd love to have a better photo of them in use if anyone has one.

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Every so often, AFN shows commercials with old military footage. One scene is during a winter ice storm and in the video, a Sherman tank's tracks are obviously going forward, but the tank is sliding down the hill backwards as GI's are getting out of the way. What you have to remember is that a tank or tracked vehicle has fewer pounds per square inch than a regular vehicle, so loosing traction is not out of the question on a really slick surface, especially if you are running road tread instead of combat track, or rubber bands like the half track.

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Every so often, AFN shows commercials with old military footage. One scene is during a winter ice storm and in the video, a Sherman tank's tracks are obviously going forward, but the tank is sliding down the hill backwards as GI's are getting out of the way. What you have to remember is that a tank or tracked vehicle has fewer pounds per square inch than a regular vehicle, so loosing traction is not out of the question on a really slick surface, especially if you are running road tread instead of combat track, or rubber bands like the half track.

 

I understand that, I've just not seen chains on the tracks before.

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OK, I went through all my archived halftrack photos and nothing.

 

Then I open up Concords "US Half-Tracks in Combat 1941-1945", and immediately see 2 M15's with chains on their tracks. They are fitted so tightly you wouldn't even notice if you weren't specifically looking for them. And as Hoovie said, those would be a pain to put on.

 

Got to be more observant.

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Every so often, AFN shows commercials with old military footage. One scene is during a winter ice storm and in the video, a Sherman tank's tracks are obviously going forward, but the tank is sliding down the hill backwards as GI's are getting out of the way. What you have to remember is that a tank or tracked vehicle has fewer pounds per square inch than a regular vehicle, so loosing traction is not out of the question on a really slick surface, especially if you are running road tread instead of combat track, or rubber bands like the half track.

 

In the mid 80's, I had the pleasure of watching a M-88 doing just that in Germany one winter, on a REFORGER. From the top of a hill, ice slicked road, and swisshhhhhhh. Straight to the bottom...into a house B) oopsss. Luckily the only injuries was to the Armys image and the home owners cashed in on the monies handed out with the Maneuver Damage funds!

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All US halftracks were supplied with chains for their tracks as standard OVM (on vehicle material). If you look at a set of tracks on a restored or preserved H/T you will see projections around the outside of the tracks, these were to keep the chains on and to allow the tracks to grip the chains. H/T tracks are somewhat slick and don't grip well on some surfaces like snow or ice. Chains increased the traction of the H/T.

Tom Bowers

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Interesting information. Thanks guys. I guess I will get Hunnicutt's book on the halftrack. Anyone here have it?

 

That film clip Hawkdriver was describing is really something. How helpless can a track driver feel sliding down a road and unable to stop??

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How helpless can a track driver feel sliding down a road and unable to stop??

 

There's usually a small patch of driver's seat covering missing afterwards. ;)

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On my 1st field problem at Hohenfelds 2nd brigade 3rd AD(jan 84)I watched a tank start up beside my 113 and promptly slide off the road and overturn. I also had the experience on the same field problem off doing a 360 in my 113 and comming damn close to taking out a guard shack. We used to take off every other track pad for traction

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Wouldn't they have used the chains to plow through heavy mud too?

 

Erwin

 

Most of the Armored force vets I talked to said that the halftrack was the only vehicle that they had that had no trouble with mud. But I imagine that if the mud was that extreme, like spring in Italy, then chains would be needed. I've never tried a set on a halftrack, but Gary Hebding used to sell the NOS tracks from time to time.

Tom Bowers

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I watched an 88 lose traction, slide down a hill at Camp Howze Korea, and took out the front of our movie theater. No chains on any of our tracked vehicles. We had 113s, 88s, and M60s in our motor pool.

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Thanks, Tom, that's what I meant.

Some areas in Western Europe during October and November 1944 were "muddy hellholes".

Lots of vehicles got bogged down in the deep, heavy mud.

 

Erwin

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No chains on any of our tracked vehicles. We had 113s, 88s, and M60s in our motor pool.

 

When I crewed M60A2's in the late 70's there was talk about removing track pads in intervals to increase traction in mud and snow.

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In Korea we used to mount cut center guides on our infantry rails (take a center guide and torch off the tines, leaving a very rough stub of metal). In extreme conditions (snow/ice) the idea was to mount them on the outside of the track, providing better traction by them biting into the ground. Of course, these would be applied only if war came because extreme damage to roads would occur if used in this manner.

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Henrik,

 

Thanks for posting these pics. After looking at these pictures, the installation of the chains looks like it might have been pretty easy after all.

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  • 1 month later...
Well, I noticed something in a photo last night I have never seen or noticed before. A halftrack with chains. On it's tracks!!

 

The photo is on page 64 of Stanton's US Army Uniforms of WWII. I don't have a scanner, so if anyone is able to scan and post, that would be great.

 

Was this a common practice that I've just never noticed? I've looked at a lot of halftrack photos and never seen this, or just not noticed. I might not have noticed it in this photo except that the picture is taken from the rear and you just notice the slack in the chains at the idle wheel.

Back in the good ol days when I was restoring halftracks, Southern Parts in Memphis, was the mother load of HT's and parts in America. While they sold "wartime" complete and working type HT's (crane models, dump truck, etc), they also sold a lot of parts. Among those parts were track chains. In the 1970's you could buy a pair of track chains for $150.00. Just wish I would have bout a set then. Hell of a deal!

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