Halftrack ambulance overview

Photos courtesy NARA

That the G-102 White/Autocar/Diamaon T and G-147 International Harvester half-track chassis went on to be used as the basis for an array of gun motor carriages and fighting vehicles is well known. Less well-known are the variations of the base vehicles, the M2, M3 and M5, shown in the following pages, which include ambulance, ammunition carrier, radio carrier and aircraft refueler.

Work to use the M3 half-track as an armored evacuation vehicle to remove wounded personnel was begun by the Armored Force in 1941. By 20 March 1942 the Armored Force Board had generated a report on an M3 equipped with attachments for carrying four litters. The attachments, consisting of three brackets and six chains, could be installed without welding or drilling. That report concluded with the recommendation that such a kit be adopted as Standard, and “be provided for all half-track personnel carriers, M3, used by the medical detachments of the Armored Divisions.” Further, it recommended “That immediate steps be taken to procure sufficient sets of these attachments locally to equip the required number of halftrack personnel carriers for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Armored Divisions.”

On Nov. 23, 1942 International Harvester was asked to quote on 1,000 similar kits to convert M5 personnel carriers into ambulances. A further revision of the kit was made by the Armored Medical Research Laboratory, providing additional strength. Tests by the Armored Board pointed to the desirability of removing all stowage boxes and brackets to the rear of the fuel tanks in order to provide greater aisle width, allowing better care from the attendant. Various WWII Tables of Organization and Equipment indicate that such ambulance vehicles were widely used.

An M3 half-track converted to use as an armored ambulance was photographed at a desert base. This vehicle was U.S. Army registration number 4028218. The entire top of the hood was painted white with the Red Cross superimposed. NARA

The same M5A1 half-track ambulance is viewed from the left side. To the rear of the driver’s door is the insignia of the U.S. Army Medical Department. On the rear of the body are racks containing 5-gallon liquid containers. NARA

In Project 136-8 in early 1943, the Armored Force Board at Fort Knox, Kentucky, tested the stowage provisions for a 4- Litter Carrier (Evacuating), Half-Track, M3. This view to the rear shows the equipment stowed; to the right are the litters. NARA

The 4-Litter Carrier (Evacuating), Half-Track, M3 as tested at Fort Knox is seen from the rear with equipment stowed. The rifle racks had been removed from the rear of the vehicle, and the seat-back frames had been straightened to permit more storage space. NARA

In the summer of 1944 the Armored Force Board tested a four-litter carrying arrangement on an M3A2 halftrack. This photo was taken to illustrate a simple, folding step that was added to facilitate entry to the vehicle, although the step is difficult to discern. NARA

In this view, four litters have been loaded into the evacuating carrier, two per side, and G.I.’s simulating patients are lying in them. There was still enough room for two medical attendants between the cab and the fronts of the litters. NARA

Four empty litters are installed in the M5A1 half-track ambulance. Sockets attached to chains are used to hold the rears of the rails of the litters. Baggage is secured to racks on the rear of the body by webbing straps. NARA

The same M3A1 half-track ambulance is now loaded with loads simulating litter patients. Aisle space between the litters was virtually nil, with a maximum of 8 3/8 inches available between the two upper litters. NARA

Medical attendants load a litter patient into an M3 half-track ambulance during an exercise. The flap in the rear curtain of the tarpaulin was especially handy for personnel when handling heavy loads such as this one. NARA

In Project 233 in early 1942, the Armored Force Board at Fort Knox, Kentucky, developed attachments for carrying four litters in an M3 half-track, including sockets on chains attached to the body frame, and racks along the centerline. NARA

Another view showing the spring-loaded litter rack in an M5A1 half-track ambulance, as tested during Project 431 by the Armored Force Board at Fort Knox, Kentucky, during World War II. NARA

{For additional information, see “US Half-Track, Volumes 1 & 2”, available from DavidDoyleBooks.com – advertised elsewhere in this issue.}

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Half-track Ambulances WWII

David DoyleAuthor

David Doyle's earliest published works were occasional articles in enthusiast publications aimed at the historic military vehicle restoration hobby. This was a natural outlet for a guy whose collection includes several Vietnam-era vehicles such as M62, M123A1C, M35A2, M36A2C, M292A2, M756, and an M764.

By 1999, his writing efforts grew to include regular features in leading periodicals devoted to the hobby both domestically and internationally, appearing regularly in US, English and Polish publications.

In 2003, David received his a commission to write his first book, The Standard Catalog of U.S. Military Vehicles. Since then, several outlets have published more than 100 of his works. While most of these concern historic military hardware, including aircraft and warships, his volumes on military vehicles, meticulously researched by David and his wife Denise, remain the genre for which he is most recognized. This recognition earned life-time achievement in June 2015, when he was presented Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) bestowed on him the coveted Bart Vanderveen Award in recognition of “...the individual who has contributed the most to the historic preservation of military vehicles worldwide.”

In addition to all of publishing efforts, David is the editor of the MVPA’s magazine, History in Motion, as well as serving as the organization’s Publications Director. He also maintains a retail outlet for his books online and at shows around the U.S.

Halftrack ambulance overview

Yup, halftrack ambulances existed during WWII – and they were definitely unique.

David Doyle