M5 Half-track

M5 Half-track
A preserved M5 Half-track
Type	Half-track armored personnel carrier
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1943–67
Used by	See list of operators
Wars	World War II, 1948 Arab-Israeli war, Suez Crisis, Six-Day War
Production history
Designer	Ordnance Department
Designed	1942
Manufacturer	International Harvester
Produced	1942–43
No. built	7484 (not including M9 or anti-aircraft variants)
Specifications
Weight	21,500 lb (9.8 t) loaded
Length	20.8 ft (6.3 m)
Width	7.3 feet (2.23 m)
Height	9 feet (2.74 m) overall
Crew	3+10 troops
Armor	79–15.8 mm (3.11–0.62 in)
Main armament	1 × 0.5 in (13 mm) M2 machine gun
Secondary armament	2 × 0.3 in (7.6 mm) M1919 machine gun
Engine	IHC RED-450-B, 451 in3 (7,390 cc), 6-cylinder, compression ratio 6.35:1 142 hp (106 kW)
Transmission	Constant mesh
Suspension	Semi-elliptical longitudal leaf springs (wheels) vertical volute springs (rear)
Fuel capacity	60 US gal (230 l)
Operational range	125 mi (201 km)
Speed	42 mph (68 km/h)

The M5 Half-track (officially the Carrier, Personnel Half-track M5) was an American armored personnel carrier in use during World War II. It was developed in 1942 when existing manufacturers of the M2 Half Track Car, and M3 Half-track could not keep up with production demand. International Harvester (IH) had capacity to produce a similar vehicle to the M3, but some differences from it had to be accepted due to different production equipment. The M5 was produced by IH from December 1942 to October 1943.

Using the same chassis as their M5, IH could produced an equivalent to the M2, which was the M9 Half-track. There are also variants of the M13 and M16 MGMCs based on the M5. The M13 and M16 were exported to the United Kingdom and to Soviet Union respectively. The M5 was supplied to Allied nations (the British Commonwealth, France, and the Soviet Union) under the Lend-Lease. After the war, it was leased to many countries in the NATO. It served with Israel in multiple different wars and was developed by the country into the M3 Mark A and the M3 Mark B.

The specifications of the M5 were almost identical to the specifications of the M3 Half-track. It was 20.8 feet (6.3 m) long, 7.3 feet (2.23 m) wide, 9 feet (2.74 m) high, and weighed 21,500 pounds (9.8 t). It had vertical volute springs for the tracks and semi-elliptical longitudal leaf springs for the wheels. It was powered by a 142 hp (106 kW) White 160AX, 386 cubic inch (6,330 cc), 6-cylinder engine, with a compression ratio of 6.35:1. It had a fuel capacity of 60 US gallons (230 l), a range of 125 miles (201 km), and a speed of 42 miles per hour (68 km/h). It had constant mesh transmission, 6.5–13.5 mm (0.26–0.53 in) of armor, one 0.5 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine gun and two 0.3 in (7.6 mm) M1919 machine guns, and crew of three with up to ten passengers.