US M2 Armored Transport Vehicle

By Crusader1307

An iconic piece of World War II Military Americana, The Firestone Company designed Armored Transport Vehicle was seen in various prototypes as early as the 1930s. By America’s involvement in World War II (1941), over 13,000 Models were produced for both American and Allied use. The Vehicle combine both Armored Tracked and standard axled Vehicle control very effectively. Using a White In-Line 6-Cylinder Engine, The M2 was capable of 148-HP and was capable of speeds of up to 50-mph. The Armor Plating was rated around 6 to 12-inches throughout. It was 20-feet long and weighed close to 9-Tons. The M-2 was designed to transport as many as a Squad of Infantry (10 Soldiers) with a Driver and Gunner. The Armament was formidable with a Browning Heavy .50 Caliber Machine Gun (Forward Mounted) on a ‘’Gun Ring’’ (offering full 360-traversing range). The Vehicle could also support a (10) round Grenade Launching System with the ability to carry up to 14 Anti-Personnel Mines. The M-2 was a fixture in The European Theater of World War II, used heavily after D-Day (1944), The Battle of The Bulge (Belgium) and The Push for Berlin (1945). Over 800 M-2 Armored Transports were sold to The Soviet Union in their War endeavors. Even after The War, the popular M-2 (although de-commissioned in US Service), was sold to many Countries for use in their Military. The last version of The World War II Transport was still in use with France during The Indo-Chinese War (1950s). The M-2 is still a popular Museum piece throughout The World.