M39 Armored Utility Vehicle

M39 Armored Utility Vehicle
An M-39 Armored Utility Vehicle in the Korean War
Type	Artillery tractor
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1945-1960
Used by	United States, West Germany
Wars	World War II, Korean War
Production history
Designed	1944
Manufacturer	Buick division of General Motors
Produced	October 1944-March 1945
No. built	640 converted
Specifications
Weight	33,450 lb (15.17 metric tons)
Length	17 ft 4 in (5.28 m)
Width	9 ft 5 in (2.87 m)
Height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Crew	3
Armor	4.8-12.7 mm (0.19-0.5 in)
Main armament	.50 caliber (12.7 mm) Browning M2HB machine gun 900 rounds
Engine	Continental R975-C4 9 cylinder radial gasoline engine, 400 hp (298 kW) at 2,400 rpm
Power/weight	26.37 hp/metric ton
Transmission	900T Torqmatic 3 speeds forward, 1 reverse
Suspension	Torsion bar
Fuel capacity	165 US gallons (625 litres)
Operational range	100 miles (160 km) on road
Speed	50 mph (80 kph) on road

The M39 Armored Utility Vehicle (T41) was an American armored vehicle designed during the Second World War, which saw service in that conflict and in the Korean War. Like a number of vehicles of this type, it was built using an existing chassis, that of the M18 Hellcat.

The M39 was originally designed as a prime mover for the 3-inch Gun M5. Approximately 650 (640 utility/APC variants, 10 command and reconnaissance) were modified from M18 chassis between October 1944 to March 1945. They saw service in Europe during the last months of World War II and were widely used during the Korean War, where they were employed in variety of roles, including as troop transports, medevac ambulances, and ammunition carriers for 155mm M41 Gorilla self-propelled howitzers'. M39s played a vital role in supplying and ferrying troops to isolated outposts during the later defensive phase of the Korean War, though their thin armor and open tops meant the crew were vulnerable to enemy fire, and the fully enclosed M75 armored personnel carrier would eventually replace it in this role. The M39 was withdrawn from service in 1957.

M39s were employed as ammunition carriers in the African American 999th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, which fought in the Battle of the Imjin River, where it provided artillery support for the 1st Republic of Korea Infantry Division. During the battle, Battery B was forced to evacuate its position after neighboring units withdrew. Because the M39s carriers had .50 caliber machine guns, unlike the unit's M41 self-propelled howitzers, they led the retreating column. During the retreat, it was ambushed by Chinese forces; in the battle, the unit lost 7 killed in action, 2 M39 Armored Utility Vehicles and had two M41s damaged and 31 wounded. However, the unit broke through the ambush, inflicting an estimated 100 casualties on the ambushing forces, and promptly resumed providing artillery support afterwards.

In 1956 the Bundeswehr was offered 100 M39 by the United States. Only 32 were put into Service and were assigned to the Panzergrenadier-Lehrbataillon in Munster. After four years of service they were replaced in 1960 by the Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30 due to a shortage of spare parts.