[sci.military] M46 and M24

Martin-Charles@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Charles Martin) (06/29/90)

From: Martin-Charles@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Charles Martin)
Could someone describe for me the M46 tank and M24 quad-50 track, both
of which saw action in Korea?  In particular, I'm interested in armor,
speed, armament, and capacity (for the track).  Perhaps comparisons to
WWII models.
-- 
Charles Martin // martin@gargoyle.uchicago.edu

military-request@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (07/05/90)

From: military-request@att.att.com (Bill Thacker)
In article <1990Jun29.025756.7509@cbnews.att.com> Martin-Charles@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Charles Martin) writes:
>
>
>From: Martin-Charles@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Charles Martin)
>Could someone describe for me the M46 tank and M24 quad-50 track, both
>of which saw action in Korea?  In particular, I'm interested in armor,
>speed, armament, and capacity (for the track).  Perhaps comparisons to
>WWII models.


From _Tank Data_ (WE Inc, Greenwich, CT):

Tank, Medium, M46 and M46A1

Weight: 48.5 tons loaded
Speed: 30 mph
Crew: 5
Armor: Front 4" at 46 degrees, sides 3" and 2" at 0 degrees; turret
	front 4", turret side and rear 3" at 0 degrees
Armament: 90mm M3A1 with .30 cal M1919A4 coax, another .30 cal in
	a flexible hull mount, and a .50 cal M2 on a turret top pedestal
70 rounds 90mm, 525 rounds .50 cal, 500 rounds .30 cal.

The only real difference in the two is the engine.


I find no record of an M24 halftrack.   There was the M24 Chaffee light
tank, as well as the M42 Duster twin-40mm AA tank.

From _British and American Tanks of World War II_ (Peter Chamberlain 
	and Chris Ellis):

The quad-.50 cal halftrack you mention was probably the M16/M17.
(The M16 had a Maxson turret with 4 .50 cal M2 MG's on an M3 halftrack;
the M17 was the same installation on an M5 halftrack).  I can't
provide any particulars, except that about 1700 were produced between
1942 and 1944, when production ceased.

Stats for the M3/M3A1 halftrack:

Weight: 10 tons (the M16 would be heavier)
Armor: 1/2" max, 1/4" min
Speed: 45mph

The M5 had slightly thicker armor.

The normal M3 was armed with a .50 cal M2 and a .30 cal M1919, with
700 and 7750 rounds, respectively.  I'm sure the M16 carried lots more
.50 cal ammo, and I don't think it carried a .30 cal.



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