Halftracks In World War II

Halftracks were used extensively in World War II, especially by the Germans with their SdKfz 250s and SdKfz 251s, and by the Americans with their M2s and M3s. Halftracks were widely used as mortar carriers, self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, self-propelled anti-tank guns, armored fighting vehicles and in other tasks.

American M3 Half Track (Museum of the Battle of Normandy in Bayeux, France)

Order Digital Image 12.404 on A4 scale

Halbkettenfahrzeugen im Zweiten Weltkrieg

Semiorugas en la Segunda Guerra Mundial

Autochenilles en Seconde Guerre Mondiale

Halfrupsvoertuigen in de Tweede Wereldoorlog

Veicolo Semicingolati nella Seconda Guerra Mondiale

In America, 43,000 halftracks were produced by three primary manufacturers; the largest being the White Motor Company, the original designer, with a total of 15,414 accepted by the War Department. The other manufacturers, Autocar and Diamond T, built 12,168 and 12,421, respectively. These designs were produced under license in Canada, and were widely supplied under the Lend Lease program, with 5,000 supplied to the USSR alone.

Halvbeltekjøretøy i Andre Verdenskrig II

The Germans used a small 2 seater 1/2-ton class half-track “motorcycle” Sd.Kfz. 2 (better known as the Kleines Kettenkraftrad HK 101 or Kettenkrad for short (Ketten = tracks, krad = military abbreviation of the German word Kraftrad, the administrative German term for motorcycle)) to pull small artillery guns, for ammunition haulage, general transport and as a ground towing vehicle for the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Built by NSU Motorenwerke AG Neckarsulm and Stoewer Werke Stettin, a total of 8,345 vehicles were produced between 1940 and 1944.