M15 half-track

M15 Half-track
The M3, the base of the M15
Type	Self Propelled Anti-Aircraft gun
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1942-1945
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	White Motor Company
Designed	1940-1942
Manufacturer	White Motor Company
Produced	1942-1944
No. built	~1,900
Specifications
Mass	9.3t
Length	6.18 m (20 ft 3 in)
Width	2.22 m (7 ft 3 in)
Height	2.26 m (7 ft 5 in), wheelbase 135.5 in (3.44 m)
Crew	3
Main armament	2x 37mm Gun M1
Secondary armament	2x M2 Browning machine gun
Engine	White 160AX, 386 in3 (6,330 cc) 6 cylinder, petrol, compression ratio 6:3:1, 147 hp (110 kW)
Power/weight	15.8 hp/pound
Suspension	half track, vertical volute springs; front tread 64.5 in (1,640 mm) to 66.5 in (1,690 mm)
Fuel capacity	60 US gal (230 L)
Operational range	150 mi (240 km)
Maximum speed	45 mph (72 km/h)

The M15 Combination Gun Motor Carriage was a self propelled anti aircraft gun (SPAAG) produced by White Motor Company and used by the United States in World War II during Operation Overlord, Battle of the Bulge and the Invasion of Germany. It often supplements the M16 Half-track in missions and convoys. It was a variant of the T28E1 project. It was accepted into service in 1943.

History

(If you want earlier history see M13 Half-track). The M15 originated with the T1A2 MGMC which evolved into the T28 were they added a 37mm Gun M1 and based it on the M2 Half Track Car. It was canceled in the July of 1942 and was replaced by the T28E1 later on that month. The T28E1 passed the project stage to see service in Sicily and North Africa. It evolved again into the M15 in 1943.

Variants

• T28 First version of the M15. It was based on the M2 ahot-track. It was immediately rejected by the army.Was just a prototype.
• T28E1 Same thing as the T28 except based on the a M3 halftrack and was accepted into service. Saw action in North Africa and Sicily (a few made it to Italy and Southern France).~80 were produced in total.
• M15 MGMC The original version. Served with the M16 in Europe in World War II. 680 of them were produced in total.
• M15A1 A version of the M15. The only change was the moving of the twin MG's from the top of the vehicle to the bottom of the vehicle. 1,652 produced.

See Also

• M16 Half-track
• M3 Half-track
• M-numbers

Refrences

• Berndt, Thomas (1993). Standard Catalog of U.S. Military Vehicles.Iola, WI: Krause Publications ISBN 0-87341-223-0
• Rickard, J (16 May 2014) M15 Combination Gun Motor Carriage , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_M15_CMGC.html