M9 Half-track

M9 Half-track
Preserved M9A1 Half-track.
Type	Half-track armored personnel carrier
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1943–present
Wars	World War II Arab-Israeli War of 1948 Korean War Suez Crisis Vietnam War Six-Day War Yom Kippur War
Production history
Designer	International Harvester
Designed	1940–41
Manufacturer	International Harvester
Produced	1942–44
No. built	3,500
Specifications ()
Weight	9.3 short tons (8.4 t)
Length	20 ft 7 in (6.28 m) wheelbase 135.5 in (3.44 m)
Width	7 ft 3 in (2.22 m)
Height	7 ft 5 in (2.26 m)
Crew	3
Passengers	10 troops
Armor	8–16 mm (0.31–0.63 in)
Main armament	1 × 0.50 inch (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun
Secondary armament	2 × 0.30 inch (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns
Engine	IHC RED-450-B 141 hp (105 kW)
Suspension	wheels at front single bogie vertical volute spring tracks at rear
Fuel capacity	60 US gal (230 l)
Speed	42 mph (68 km/h)

The M9 Half-track was a half-track produced by International Harvester in the United States in World War II for lend-lease supply to Allies. It was designed to provide a similar vehicle to the M2 Half Track Car. It had the same body and chassis as the M5 Half-track (also built by International Harvester for lend-lease) but had the same stowage and radio fit as the M2 Half Track.

The M9 served for a significant amount of time. 3,500 were produced by the end of World War II. It was used during World War II, the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, the Korean War, the Suez Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Six-Day War, and the Yom Kippur War. It had been used by eleven different countries by the end of its service.

The United States adopted half-tracks in large numbers as they could be built more quickly and cheaply by civilian vehicle producers than vehicles from the established armored vehicle manufacturers. The M2 Half Track Car had first been intended as an artillery tractor, but was also used for carrying the machine gun squads of armored infantry regiments and for reconnaissance units until faster and better-armed M8 Greyhound armored cars were available.

In order to supply U.S. allies, much more production was required than was possible through the firms producing the M2 (and the larger M3 Half-track). International Harvester (IH) could produce half-tracks, but some differences had to be accepted due to different manufacturing methods and components. This led to IH producing for lend-lease the M5 Half-track and M9 as equivalents for the M3 and M2 respectively.