Small Scale Military Headquarters

Is the packaging for this different than the original M3A3 packaging? The same?

Does this version include the .50 caliber mount? Or has that entire piece of the vehicle been removed?

Mike

Macvsog - good to see you around.
We don't know how it will be packaged but the forward M2 and ring mount have been removed according to the photos:
http://www.21stcenturytoys.com/area21/a ... newsID=189

Hey thanks digger.

I've always been around.

Just haven't been posting much at all.

You answered my questions perfectly. Weird though because I went looking for info on the 21st site and could find it. Guess I missed it.

Thanks again,

mike

I don't recollect that the production M16's had the ring mount. Some may have had a pintle mount at the cab, though.

The M16 quad-50 was usually paired with the similar M15 in air defense operations. The M15 had an armored turret which held a single 37mm gun with a pair of .50 cals. They were even complimentary in their front bumper equipment: the M16 had the winch and the M15 had the ditch roller. That way they could help each other traverse rough terrain. The quad-50 weapon system was very popular and appeared on towed trailers and was adapted for the Navy for shipboard use.

These AAA vehicles saw good use in air defense of Allied operations at the Ludendorf Bridge, 7-17 March 1945, as the Luftwaffe sent everything they could spare to try to knock out the bridge. Check out:
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/art/P-P/USAIA/remagen.htm

JimBob

huh.....very interesting. I believe several sorties of Arado 234's were flown against the bridge, as well as Mistels and more conventional airstrikes as well. They were also considering using the piloted V-1 'semi-suicide' attack aircraft to fly into the bridges (with the pilot bailing out just before impact). The missions were vetoed by uncle Adolf though.

Remember guys, that as WW2 progressed and the quad .50 cal showed how valuable a weapon it was, as triple A and also as anti-personel, a lot of different model half-tracks were converted to M-16.

The 1/1 half-track was like a big erector set, very easy to unbolt panels, floors and make changes.

My buddies half-track started life as a M3A1. The Army converted it to be used as a M-16. The vehicle was surplused in the 50's and the buyer threw away the bed sides and mounted a huge hook to the floor and the vehicle spent some time as a house mover in the Memphis area. My buddy bought it and converted it back to M3A1 over a number of years. It went full circle.

The White half-track is a great vehicle.

TTT

I believe that more M-15s were made than M-16s.....

-Ski

Ski:

I believe you are mistaken. I'm gonna check it out.

TTT

You do just that! Actually, I got that from the rarity value given to them in Squad Leader. You are probably right.....

-Ski

The M-16 was more common.

Ski:

During WW2 there were 2,877 M-16 half-tracks made with the quad .50 cal mount

There were 680 M-15's made and 1,652 M-15A1's made. Both models of the M-15, had the 37mm quick firing AA gun with two ,50 cal (one on either side) in the mount.

The differences between the M-15 and the M-15A1 only deal with the size of the turret that held the guns. The M-15A1 slightly reduced the weight of the vehicle so the mechanics of the turret worked easier.

To confuse the issue a little, as the war progressed and unknown number of the 12,499 M-3 half-tracks t hat were made, were converted to a model M-16.

And, if that isn't confusing enough, an unknown number of M-15A1's took out the 37mm and inserted a 40mm quick firing Borfors gun. A few left the .50 cals but most of them only had the 40mm. The 40mm were mostly field mods in the PTO.

It means nothing but a hundred years ago, when I was in the market for a 1/1 half-track, I visited Memphis Auto Supply, in TN, a famous half- track surplus dealer, in the days, and their yard had about 150 half-tracks, all but one was an M-16 and all but about a dozen was an M-3 that had been converted to M-16. When were they converted? Who knows. Data plates on the vehicles would tell the story, but in those days I was only interested in converting one back to M-3A1. Even, in those days, it cost a fortune alone for four good quality deactivated, or replica .50cals, and a working quad mount..

Sorry for the delay in responding, but my half-track books got buried under 1/6 stuff in my bunker.

TTT

Thanks for the numbers! I stand officially corrected. I'll retreat back into my library now, hehehehe....

-Ski