| Carrier, Personnel, Half-track, M3 | |
|---|---|
 Three M3 half-tracks at Fort Knox | |
| Type | Half-track armored personnel carrier |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Wars | World War II Chinese Civil War 1948 Arab–Israeli War Greek Civil War Korean War First Indochina War Costa Rican Civil War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Algerian War[1] Cambodian Civil War Suez Crisis 1958 Lebanon crisis Six-Day War 1973 Arab–Israeli War Lebanese Civil War Salvadoran Civil War Nicaraguan Revolution |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1940–1941 |
| Manufacturer | Autocar Diamond T White Motor Company |
| Unit cost | $10,310[2] |
| Produced | 1941-1945 |
| No. built | 53,000 (including variants) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 17,650 pounds (8.01 t) (M3), 18,425 pounds (8.357 t) (M3A1) |
| Length | 20 ft 3 in (6.17 m) with roller |
| Width | 7 ft 3.5 in (2.223 m) |
| Height | 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) |
| Crew | 1 |
| Passengers | 12 |
| Armor | 6–12 mm (0.25–0.50 in) |
Main armament | .30 caliber Browning M1919A4 machine gun (M3, M3A1), .50 caliber Browning M2HB machine gun (M3A1) |
| Engine | White 160AX 148 hp (110 kW) at 3,000 rpm |
| Power/weight | 18.5 hp/metric ton (M3), 17.7 hp/metric ton (M3A1) |
| Transmission | Spicer 3461 constant mesh |
| Suspension | Front: semi-elliptic longitudinal leaf spring Rear: Vertical volute spring |
| Fuel capacity | 60 US gallons (230 litres) |
Operational range | 200 mi (320 km) |
| Maximum speed | 45 mph (72 km/h) on road |
The M3 half-track was an American armored personnel carrier half-track widely used by the Allies during World War II and in the Cold War. Derived from the M2 half-track car, the M3 was extensively produced, with about 15,000 standard M3s and more than 38,000 variant units manufactured.
The M3 was extensively modified with several dozen variant designs produced for different purposes. During World War II, the M3 and its variants were supplied to the U.S. Army and Marines, as well as British Commonwealth and Soviet Red Army forces, serving on all major fronts throughout the war. The M3 and its variants were produced by many manufacturers including Diamond T, White Motor Company, and Autocar. They were adapted for a wide variety of uses, such as a self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon or self-propelled artillery. Although initially unpopular due to its lack of significant armor or a roof to protect the passengers and crew from shrapnel, it was used by most of the Allies during the war.
In the Cold War era, the vehicle was used by a variety of state and non-state operators in conflicts in South America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, remaining in service until as late as the mid-1990s.