Are they dead or is there a chance of reactivating them for modern combat, what are their (dis)advantages, which make them inferior/superior to full tracks/full wheeled vehicles ? Regards, Che.
I haven't seen half tracks in modern service outside the 60's and I assume most of those where throw backs to ww2. half tracks like all tracked vehicles are poor performers on metalled surfaces and the tracks require significant maintenance over short milage compared to wheeled vehicles. I suppose the increase in metalled surfaces throughout the world means that if you want a vehicle for support, it being all wheeled is not always a dissadvantage. This is more so with the improvements in heavy transport, gearing, engines and 4 or 6 wheel drives. However i don't beleive half tracks were exceptionally good on rough terrain anyway as their front wheels either sank or failed to grip to allow steering. so the question is why bother with half tracks? If you need a truck, get a truck. If you need an APC get an all tracked, roofed APC or a 4 or 6 WD roofed modern APC. FNG
Because they look awesome! You're right, though; the halftrack was basically an attempt to find a perfect mix between the all-terrain capacity of tracked vehicles and the speed and ease of maintenance of wheeled vehicles. This would allow nimble, multi-purpose vehicles to actually enter the battlefield to support the troops. However, technology has advanced enough so that wheeled vehicles with four- or six-wheel propulsion can actually enter most types of terrain without failing, and since they do not require as much maintenance as tracked vehicles and are much faster and more efficient on-road as well, there really is no reason to use halftracks anymore. PP actually asked this question three years ago; loads of interesting stuff in that thread. http://www.fun-online.sk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1155
Nice read indeed, I should use the search option sometimes the Halftracks would have been developed as well until now, don´t know how a modern one would look like, especially how effective it would be. I guess Roel mentioned the most important point that wheeld vheicles are able to enter successful most types of terrain and that the APCs are more suitable for their job. Another point would be the douple effort for the maintenance for wheels n tracks of the halftracks. I see the M113 murdered the Halftracks^^ Regards, Che.
Tyre technology is also MUCH improved from the days of the halftrack... Look at the FENNEK and you'll see what I mean... It can adjust tyre pressure according to terrain... I'll wager that modern military tyres would actually be a better choice than tracks in all-but-the-most-extreme offroad situations
I recall seeing pictures of the Citroen half-tracks of the 1920s and 1930s. During this time, Citroen sponsored/underwrote scientific expeditions to explore North Africa and Central Asia. The vehicles of choice for these expeditions were the "Autochenilles" of Citroen. I believe they were also studied by the US Army and the result was of course the famous M2/M3 series of half-tracks. Tim
woody: Absolutely. How did Russian soldiers ride into battle? On folding chairs welded to the back-decks of T-34s? The British utilized M3 halftracks, but they also had the Bren Carrier. How about the Japanese? Did they ride around in Studebaker trucks captured in the Phillipines? It appeared they were without APCs. Tim
Half tracks In the Summer of 1943 preparing for the Italian campaign it was decided to back up the armoured cars of the KDG with a SPG Sqd. These were American International Half Tracks mounting old French 75mm. It was found that the No19 sets were knocked about too much in the half tracks and could not stand up to the shock of firing. This was solved by giving the troop Sgt. a 3ton Dodge with the radios. The SPG Squadron went all through the Italian campaign and had its last shoot in the Greece ELAS revolt in January 45. New guns , Alectos were drawn up in Egypt in 46 and we left these to the 13th/18th Hussars in March 48. So, half tracks mounting 75's, there's a new one for you. (But it's not Non World 2 History!)
I know these aren't half tracks, but they are probably the closest modern equivalent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAV_25 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASLAV
Interesting that all of the main Axis nations had armies which were only partially mechanized. Could this be attributed to lack of industrial capacity? Or is lack of imagination a better solution?
A mix, really. Germany practically invented mechanised, combined-arms warfare, but did not have a sufficiently well-organised structure to produce enough actual vehicles as were needed. Japan designed a very comprehensive set of Armoured vehicles, with a wide selection of specialist vehicles for all possible roles it would encounter in the Far East (including AFV lumberjacks!) but couldn't produce enough. Italy was never really mechanised - and did not have the industrial base to become mechanised. The world's only fully mechanised army in 1939? Britain.
That is ironic, all things considered. Of course, the British Army was quite small, so its mechanization was somewhat easier.
