T30 Howitzer Motor Carriage

The T30 Howitzer Motor Carriage (HMC) was a United States Army self-propelled gun used in World War II. It was based on requirements for an assault gun issued by the Armored Force in 1941 and was built as an interim solution until a fully tracked design was complete.

It was simply a 75 mm Pack Howitzer M1 mounted on a M3 Half-track. The fuel tanks were moved to the back of the M3 Half-track and it was produced by the White Motor Company. It was first used in combat in the North African Campaign in November 1942. Some were leased to French forces and the type was used as late as the First Indochina War in the 1950s.

Specifications

The specifications of the T30 were similar to those of the M3 Half-track. The dimensions were 20 ft 7 in (6.28 m) long, 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) wide,^[1] 8 ft 3 in (2.51 m) and high, and the weight was 20,500 lb (9.3 t).^[2] The suspension consisted of vertical volute springs for the tracks and leaf springs for the wheels, while the vehicle had a fuel capacity of 60 US gallons (230 l). It had a range of 150 mi (240 km) and had a speed of 40 mph (64 km/h),^[3] and was powered by a White 160AX, 147 hp (110 kW),^[2] 386 in³ (6,330 cc), 6-cylinder, gasoline engine, with a compression ratio of 6.3:1. It had a power-to-weight ratio of 15.8 hp/ton.^[3]

Gun specifications

The T30 was a conversion of the M3 Half-track to carry a short barreled 3.0 in (75 mm) pack howitzer. The 75 mm Pack Howitzer M1 as mounted could depress 9 degrees, elevate 50 degrees, and traverse 22.5 degrees to each side. The vehicle had stowage for 60 rounds of 75 mm ammunition, and although it was not designed for anti-tank use, it had a high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shell that could penetrate 3 in (76 mm) of armor at normal ranges. The gun shield had 0.375 in (9.5 mm) thick armor, designed to stop a .30 cal (7.62 mm) bullet from 250 yards away.^[4]

Development

The T30 HMC was originally conceived in 1941 as an interim^[5] design to fulfil the Armored Force's requirement for an assault gun to equip tank and armored reconnaissance units. The Ordnance Department design was based on the M3 Half-track in order that it could be brought into service quickly. The pilot vehicle was authorized in October 1941 armed with an M1A1 75 mm Pack Howitzer and its mounting designed to fit on a simple box structure in the back of an M3 Half-track.^[6][7]

Authorization for production of two pilot vehicles was made in January 1942;^[8] first deliveries of the vehicle were made the following month from White Motor Company.^[9] As it was seen as a temporary solution it was never given type classification.^[6] In September 1942, the T30 was partially replaced by the Howitzer Motor Carriage M8 (the same gun on a M3 Stuart). After that, it was declared as substitute standard.^[10] Around 500 were produced,^[11] by the White Motor Company.^[7]

Service history

The T30 HMC entered service in November 1942. In one encounter in North Africa, the T30 was used in an attempt to destroy German tanks. Although the T30s fired several volleys, the German tanks were barely damaged.^[12]

In the 1st Armored Division, each armored regiment was issued twelve T30s. Of these, three were used in each battalion headquarters platoon and three were used in each regimental reconnaissance platoon. In addition, the 6th and 41st Armored Infantry Regiments were each issued with nine T30 HMCs, with three of them being allocated to the headquarters platoon in each armored infantry battalion.^[6] Most infantry divisions in the North African Campaign deployed a "cannon company"^[13] with six T30s and two 105 mm T19 HMCs per cannon company. The T30 also served during the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 and the war in Italy in 1944.^[14] It was removed from infantry division use in March 1943, because of the reconstruction of infantry battalions, and replaced by towed howitzers. The T30 was eventually replaced by the M8 HMC which was based on the M5 Stuart light tank. Deliveries of the M8 began in November 1942. Only 312 T30 HMCs were delivered in their original configuration, as the last 188 were converted back into M3 Half-tracks before they were delivered. Later on, the US leased several to French forces and some were used as late as the First Indochina War before the vehicle was retired from service in the 1950s.^[6]

See also

• List of U.S. military vehicles by supply catalog designation

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Berndt, Thomas (1993). Standard Catalog of U.S. Military Vehicles. Iola, WI: Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-223-0. 
• Bishop, Chris (1998). The Encyclopedia of Weapons of WWII. London, UK: Orbis Publishing and Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 0-7607-1022-8. 
• Chamberlain, Peter; Ellis, Chris (1969). British and American Tanks of World War II. New York, NY: Arco Publishing Inc. ISBN 0-668-01867-4. 
• Doyle, David (2011). Standard Catalog of U.S. Military Vehicles (Second ed.). Iola, WI: Krause Publications. ISBN 1-4402-2572-9. 
• Green, Michael; Green, Gladys (2000). Weapons of Patton's Armies. Minnesota, MN: MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7603-0821-7. 
• Hoffman, George F.; Staary, Donn A. (2013). Camp Colt to Desert Storm: The History of U.S. Armored Forces. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-81312-878-1. 
• Hunnicutt, R.P. (2010). Half-Track: A History of American Semi-Tracked Vehicles. Navato, CA: Presidio Press. ISBN 0-89141-742-7. 
• Ness, Leland L. (2002). World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles. London, UK: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-711228-9. 
• Yeide, Harry (2008). Steeds of Steel. Minnesota, MN: Zenith Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-3360-0. 
• Zaloga, Steven J. (1994). M3 Infantry Half-Track 1940–1973. New Vanguard. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-467-9. 
• Zaloga, Steven J. (1999). M3 and M5 Stuart Light Tank 1940–1945. New Vanguard. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-911-5. 
• Zaloga, Steven J. (2011). U.S. Field Artillery of World War II. New Vanguard. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-78096-205-3. 
• Zaloga, Steven J. (2013). M7 Priest 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-78096-024-7. 

External links

• 75 mm HMC T30
• T30 75mm Howitzer Motor Carriage, History of War website