US Half-Tracks - Pro & Con Comments By Various US Units - NWE 1944 & 1945

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Richard Stone
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US Half-Tracks - Pro & Con Comments By Various US Units - NWE 1944 & 1945

#1

Post by Richard Stone » 16 Sep 2022, 11:11

The attached series of short reports discuss the positive and negative issues of the US half-tracks reported by different US infantry, armored, recon and tank destroyer units during the NWE 1944 and 1945 campaigns. Several of the reports discuss modifications made to the half-tracks to improve performance and discuss different methods of use, including to provide infantry fire support and as an improvised infantry fighting vehicle.

The first series of reports are from the US Army Combat Notes report series for the European Campaign. The publication date of each report is listed in the title caption above the report attachment and in each attachment title. In some reports the unit making the report is listed in the text heading. Where necessary, the text obscured by the ‘Unclassified’ stamp can be read by enlarging the attachment.

The following series of reports are from the US Army Battle Experience report series. I posted the majority of these reports in my previous posts in the USA 1919 - 1945 section under the titles 'US Armor Tactics’ and ‘US Weapons Improvisations'. I've included them here to provide a comprehensive collection to aid researchers.

The majority of the reports from both series are posted in order in the order of their publication date to show how the opinion, problems with and the use of the half-tracks changed over time, with experience and during different periods of the campaign.

I will post the remaining reports in additional posts later today and tomorrow.

8th Infantry - July 1944
Combat Notes - Half Track - 8th Inftry - 7 July 1944-1.png

102nd Calvary - 17 September 1944
Combat Notes - Half Track - 102nd Cav - 17 Sept 1944-2.png

113th Calvary - 24 September 1944
Combat Notes - Half Track - 113th Cav - 24 Sept 1944-3.png


486th AAA Battalion - 28 September 1944
Combat Notes - Half Track - 486th AAA Bn - 28 Sept 1944-4.png

823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - 29 September 1944
Combat Notes - Half Track - 823rd TD Batt - 29 Sept 1944-5.png

Richard Stone
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Posts: 680
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Location: USA

Re: US Half-Tracks - Pro & Con Comments By Various US Units - NWE 1944 & 1945

#2

Post by Richard Stone » 16 Sep 2022, 11:17

These are the next series of the half-track Combat Notes reports.

10th Infantry - 6 October 1944
Combat Notes - Half Track - 10th Inftry - 6 Oct 1944-6.png

5th Infantry - 14 October 1944
Combat Notes - Half Track - 5th Inftry - 14 Oct 1944-7.png

7th Armored - 16 October 1944
Combat Notes - Half Track - 7th Armored - 16 Oct 1944-8.png

1st Infantry - 25 October 1944
Combat Notes - Half Track - 1st Inftry - 25 Oct 1944-9.png

28th Infantry - 29 January 1945
Combat Notes - Half Track - 28th Inftry - 29 Jan 1945-10.png


Richard Stone
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Posts: 680
Joined: 22 Mar 2020, 00:27
Location: USA

Re: US Half-Tracks - Pro & Con Comments By Various US Units - NWE 1944 & 1945

#3

Post by Richard Stone » 16 Sep 2022, 11:25

These are the next series of half-track Combat Notes reports.

5th Armored - 25 February 1945
Combat Notes - Half Track - 5th Armored - 25 Feb 1945-11.png

761st Tank Battalion - 28 February 1945
Combat Notes - Half Track - 761st Tank Batt - 28 Feb 1945-12.png

80th Tank Battalion 8th Armored Division - 11 March 1945
Combat Notes - Half Track - 8th Armored - 11 March 1945-13.png

4th Armored Division - 29 April 1945
Combat Notes - Half Track - 4th Armored - 29 April 1945-14.png

4th Armored Division - 30 April 1945
Combat Notes - Half Track - 4th Armored - 30 April 1945-15.png

Richard Stone
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Posts: 680
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Location: USA

Re: US Half-Tracks - Pro & Con Comments By Various US Units - NWE 1944 & 1945

#4

Post by Richard Stone » 16 Sep 2022, 11:35

These are the final half-track Combat Notes reports and the first of the Battle Experience reports.

4th Armored Division - 6 May 1945
Combat Notes - Half Track - 4th Armored - 6 May 1945-16.png

4th Armored Division - 7 May 1945
Combat Notes - Half Track - 4th Armored - 7 May 1945-17.png

66th Armored Regiment - 16 September 1944
BattExp- US Armor Tactics -16 September 1944 -Misc -XXX - HalfT-1.png

6th Armored Division - 24 October 1944
BattExp- US Armor Tactics -24 October 1944 - Armrd Infty -XXX - HalfT-2.png

12th Army Group AAA Section - 26 October 1944
BattExp- US Armor Tactics -26 October 1944 - M16 -XXX1 - HalfT-3.png

Richard Stone
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Location: USA

Re: US Half-Tracks - Pro & Con Comments By Various US Units - NWE 1944 & 1945

#5

Post by Richard Stone » 16 Sep 2022, 15:23

These are further half-track reports from the US Battle Experience series.


5th Armored Division - 14 December 1944
BattExp- US Armor Tactics -14 December 1944 -TD & Village -XXX - HalfT-4.png

447th AAA Battalion - 29 December 1944
BattExp- US Armor Tactics -29 December 1944 -AA Ground -XXX - HalfT-5.png

10th Tank Battalion - 25 January 1945
BattExp- US Armor Tactics -25 January 1945 - Armrd Infty -XXX - HalfT-6.png

82nd Recon Battalion - 8 February 1945
BattExp- US Armor Tactics - 8 February 1945 - Retriever -XXX - HalfT-7.png

35th Tank Battalion - 5 May 1945
BattExp- US Armor Tactics -5 May 1945 - Armrd Infty - Part 1 -XXX - HalfT-8.png

Richard Stone
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Location: USA

Re: US Half-Tracks - Pro & Con Comments By Various US Units - NWE 1944 & 1945

#6

Post by Richard Stone » 16 Sep 2022, 15:27

This is the final two Battle Experience reports.


51st Armored Infantry Battalion - 5 May 1945
BattExp- US Armor Tactics -5 May 1945 - Armrd Infty - Part 2 -XXX - HalfT-9.png

635th AAA Battalion - 7 February 1945
BattExp- WeaponImprovUS -7 February 1945 - M16 Half Track -XXX - HalfT-6A.png

Richard Stone
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Posts: 680
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Location: USA

Re: US Half-Tracks - Pro & Con Comments By Various US Units - NWE 1944 & 1945

#7

Post by Richard Stone » 22 Sep 2022, 11:03

The attached report by the 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion (Towed) discusses the use of their half-track machine guns to provide fire support during action in Colmar, Germany in early February, 1945.

The report is copied from the April 1945 issue of the US Army 'Tank Destroyer Information Letter’.

Combat Notes - TD NL April 1945 - HalfT-1.png
Combat Notes - TD NL April 1945 - HalfT-2.png

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