Book Review of
Armoured Personnel Carrier
M3/M5/M9 Half-Track
Author: Sławomir Zajączkowski
Kagero Polish-English Publications
Top Drawings 120
ISBN: 978-83-66673-63-2
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $24.95
Top Drawings 120
ISBN: 978-83-66673-63-2
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $24.95
HISTORY:
The M3 vehicle was a 13 person armoured transporter that could be used to transport mechanized infantry or as an artillery tractor, ambulance, communications vehicle etc. It was,also used as a carrier for various types of guns.
American factories producing the M2 and M3 armoured personnel carriers were overloaded and could hardly meet orders for the army. That’s why, in 1942, the International Harvester Company stated that it was capable of producing a combat vehicle similar to the M3, but due to some differences in the plant’s machine park, not all components could be made in the same way.
Therefore, it required slight changes in design of the new transporter. Thus the Half-Track Personnel Carrier M5 was born, which was almost identical to the M3 version. The M5 were created primarily for the needs of foreign customers.
They were used by the British Army, as well as Polish, Czech and Free French units. The British used them primarily to tow various types of anti-tank guns. These vehicles also found their way to the USSR under the Lend Lease agreement. After WWII, they were also used by the Israeli Army.
The first production series of the M5 cars was launched in December 1942, and production was stopped in October 1943.
The M9 version was based on the design of the M5 vehicles. It had the same transport compartment, access to the radio station from inside the vehicle and the rear door. The car featured an elevated position of the 0.5 inch Browning M2 machine-gun. Towards the end of the war, a standardized version of the M9A1 was developed that combined all the improvements used in the M2, M3 and M5 cars.
THE BOOK:
Kagero Books is located in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft-cover of 20 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¼” page format. It is printed in English and Polish.
The cover art shows a color side profile of a M5 with a color side profile of a M9A1 jammed atop the M5.
The M5 is in a base of sand color with wide dark green wave pattern camouflage. It has a white triangle with a black letter Y on it and a red, white, red flag insignias on its sides.
The M9A1 is over-all olive-drab, with a white star and TARNOW, followed by a blue letter L on its sides.
These 2 profiles are repeated inside the book. More about them later.
They are posed over a grey line-drawing of the top of another half-track and a very faded, almost invisible half-track with a white square with a red cross on its side, ambulance. The ambulance is not shown in the book though.
The book begins with the history of the M3/M5/M9’s in English and Polish. Over black and white cover-arts of 6 other books that Kagero publishes: T-154, Tornado, Clemenceau, Me-163 Komet, B6N Texan and Ju-188/388.
There is a 5-view line drawing of a M3A1-final version, equipped with winch, rotary gun-ring mount M49, M35C MG mounts on the sides and the rear of the transport compartment, in 1/35th scale.
Another 5 view line drawing of the M3A1 with its canvas roof up, also in 1/35th scale.
A 7 view 1/35th scale line drawing of a M3A2, with additional armour of a Browning O.5 inch station on a foldable platform in the rear, with extra handles for the spare equipment on the sides of the hull. Also there was an option to remove the seats from the transport compartment, which helped to arrange the interior for carrying different types of weapons and ammunition.
Next is a color side view profile of the half-track shown on the front cover with the white triangle with black letter Y on it.
It was a M5 vehicle from the first Lend-Lease batch from the 8th Army, Tunisia, North Africa, January 1943.
Followed by a color side view profile of a M5 vehicle that is over-all olive-drab with its canvas roof up. It has a white diamond on its sides with black FRANCE D’ABORD on it and 3 jerry cans in a rack along its side.
It was from General’s de Lattre de Tassigny, “Free French”, 1st Army Provence, South France, August 1944.
Next is a color 5 view profile-illustrations of the M9A1 that is on the cover art, that has white TARNOW on its sides. It further shows a stenciled white star in a circle atop its engine hood. On the front of its right left front fender there is a yellow circle with a black no. 9 on it. On its rear there is a white circle with black PL on it on the left side and on the right there is a small white 74 followed by a large white 8.
It was used by the 1st Motorized Artillery Regiment of General Maczek 1st Polish Armored Div., Normandy France, 1944.
A final color 2-view profile is of a M9. It is over-all olive drab. It has a square, with red and blue corners, outlined in white and a black illustration of a flaming grenade over FRANCE D’ABORD on its sides, with a white small stripe with black LORRAINE on it on its sides. The square is repeated on the center of the vehicle’s rear, over a small red.white and blue flag, followed by stenciled white no. 404968. It has a .50 cal machine gun mounted over the cab and a .30 cal machine gun mounted over the cargo compartment.
It was with the French 5th Armoured Div., North France 1944.
Next is a 3-view line drawing of a M5 initial production vehicle. In 1/35 scale.
A 10-view line drawing of a M5A1. In 1/35th scale.
A 7-view line drawing of a M9A1. In 1/35th scale.
There is a folded sheet inserted into the book that is 16 ½” x 11 ¾” format, printed on both sides and folded in the center to fit the book.
The face side shows 3-view line drawings of the M3A1, the M5, the M5A2 and the M9, all in 1/48th scale.
The reverse side shows these same four 3-view line drawings in 1/72nd scale, over a 3-view line drawing in 1/35th scale of M9A1.
This is a neat small picture book of these vehicles and an decent price.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review copy. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Kagero books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
www.casematepublishers.com
Highly recommended.
The M3 vehicle was a 13 person armoured transporter that could be used to transport mechanized infantry or as an artillery tractor, ambulance, communications vehicle etc. It was,also used as a carrier for various types of guns.
American factories producing the M2 and M3 armoured personnel carriers were overloaded and could hardly meet orders for the army. That’s why, in 1942, the International Harvester Company stated that it was capable of producing a combat vehicle similar to the M3, but due to some differences in the plant’s machine park, not all components could be made in the same way.
Therefore, it required slight changes in design of the new transporter. Thus the Half-Track Personnel Carrier M5 was born, which was almost identical to the M3 version. The M5 were created primarily for the needs of foreign customers.
They were used by the British Army, as well as Polish, Czech and Free French units. The British used them primarily to tow various types of anti-tank guns. These vehicles also found their way to the USSR under the Lend Lease agreement. After WWII, they were also used by the Israeli Army.
The first production series of the M5 cars was launched in December 1942, and production was stopped in October 1943.
The M9 version was based on the design of the M5 vehicles. It had the same transport compartment, access to the radio station from inside the vehicle and the rear door. The car featured an elevated position of the 0.5 inch Browning M2 machine-gun. Towards the end of the war, a standardized version of the M9A1 was developed that combined all the improvements used in the M2, M3 and M5 cars.
THE BOOK:
Kagero Books is located in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft-cover of 20 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¼” page format. It is printed in English and Polish.
The cover art shows a color side profile of a M5 with a color side profile of a M9A1 jammed atop the M5.
The M5 is in a base of sand color with wide dark green wave pattern camouflage. It has a white triangle with a black letter Y on it and a red, white, red flag insignias on its sides.
The M9A1 is over-all olive-drab, with a white star and TARNOW, followed by a blue letter L on its sides.
These 2 profiles are repeated inside the book. More about them later.
They are posed over a grey line-drawing of the top of another half-track and a very faded, almost invisible half-track with a white square with a red cross on its side, ambulance. The ambulance is not shown in the book though.
The book begins with the history of the M3/M5/M9’s in English and Polish. Over black and white cover-arts of 6 other books that Kagero publishes: T-154, Tornado, Clemenceau, Me-163 Komet, B6N Texan and Ju-188/388.
There is a 5-view line drawing of a M3A1-final version, equipped with winch, rotary gun-ring mount M49, M35C MG mounts on the sides and the rear of the transport compartment, in 1/35th scale.
Another 5 view line drawing of the M3A1 with its canvas roof up, also in 1/35th scale.
A 7 view 1/35th scale line drawing of a M3A2, with additional armour of a Browning O.5 inch station on a foldable platform in the rear, with extra handles for the spare equipment on the sides of the hull. Also there was an option to remove the seats from the transport compartment, which helped to arrange the interior for carrying different types of weapons and ammunition.
Next is a color side view profile of the half-track shown on the front cover with the white triangle with black letter Y on it.
It was a M5 vehicle from the first Lend-Lease batch from the 8th Army, Tunisia, North Africa, January 1943.
Followed by a color side view profile of a M5 vehicle that is over-all olive-drab with its canvas roof up. It has a white diamond on its sides with black FRANCE D’ABORD on it and 3 jerry cans in a rack along its side.
It was from General’s de Lattre de Tassigny, “Free French”, 1st Army Provence, South France, August 1944.
Next is a color 5 view profile-illustrations of the M9A1 that is on the cover art, that has white TARNOW on its sides. It further shows a stenciled white star in a circle atop its engine hood. On the front of its right left front fender there is a yellow circle with a black no. 9 on it. On its rear there is a white circle with black PL on it on the left side and on the right there is a small white 74 followed by a large white 8.
It was used by the 1st Motorized Artillery Regiment of General Maczek 1st Polish Armored Div., Normandy France, 1944.
A final color 2-view profile is of a M9. It is over-all olive drab. It has a square, with red and blue corners, outlined in white and a black illustration of a flaming grenade over FRANCE D’ABORD on its sides, with a white small stripe with black LORRAINE on it on its sides. The square is repeated on the center of the vehicle’s rear, over a small red.white and blue flag, followed by stenciled white no. 404968. It has a .50 cal machine gun mounted over the cab and a .30 cal machine gun mounted over the cargo compartment.
It was with the French 5th Armoured Div., North France 1944.
Next is a 3-view line drawing of a M5 initial production vehicle. In 1/35 scale.
A 10-view line drawing of a M5A1. In 1/35th scale.
A 7-view line drawing of a M9A1. In 1/35th scale.
There is a folded sheet inserted into the book that is 16 ½” x 11 ¾” format, printed on both sides and folded in the center to fit the book.
The face side shows 3-view line drawings of the M3A1, the M5, the M5A2 and the M9, all in 1/48th scale.
The reverse side shows these same four 3-view line drawings in 1/72nd scale, over a 3-view line drawing in 1/35th scale of M9A1.
This is a neat small picture book of these vehicles and an decent price.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review copy. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Kagero books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
www.casematepublishers.com
Highly recommended.