In Box Review of Tamiya 1/35th Scale
U.S. Half-track 81 mm Mortar Carrier M21
By Ray Mehlberger
Kit no. MM-183-800
Out of production
Copyright 1976
I paid $8.50 for my kit back in the 70's at a local shop that went out of business.
Kit no. MM-183-800
Out of production
Copyright 1976
I paid $8.50 for my kit back in the 70's at a local shop that went out of business.
HISTORY:
The M21 Mortar Motor Carriage (MMC) was a self-propelled artillery mount on a half-track chassis used by the United States Army during World War II.
It was equipped with an 81 mm M1 mortar and an air-cooled M2 Browning machine gun. It was produced by the White Motor Company in 1944. Only 110 examples were produced.
It mainly served on the Western Front in Normandy, and Southern France, and then later in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge.
It was deemed to have been outclassed in 1945 when the 81 mm M1 mortar was found to have insufficient power to provide effective artillery support.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Self-propelled artillery
Place of origin: United States
In service: 1944–45
Wars: World War II
Designer: Ordnance department
Designed: 1942–43
Manufacturer: White Motor Company
Produced: 1944
No. built: 110
Mass: 9 tons
Length: 20 ft 9 in (6.32 m)
Width: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Height: 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m)
Armor: Front:12 mm (0.47 in), sides: 6 mm (0.24 in)
Main armament: 81 mm M1 mortar
Secondary armament: 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) M2 machine gun
Engine: White 160AX, 6,330 cc (386 in3) 6-cylinder, gasoline (petrol) compression ratio 6.3:1 of 128 hp (95 kW)
Power/weight: 15.8 hp/ton
Suspension: tracks with vertical volute springs; front leaf spring
Fuel capacity: 60 US gal (230 l)
Operational range: 150 mi (240 km)
Speed: 45 mph (72 km/h)
The M21 Mortar Motor Carriage (MMC) was a self-propelled artillery mount on a half-track chassis used by the United States Army during World War II.
It was equipped with an 81 mm M1 mortar and an air-cooled M2 Browning machine gun. It was produced by the White Motor Company in 1944. Only 110 examples were produced.
It mainly served on the Western Front in Normandy, and Southern France, and then later in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge.
It was deemed to have been outclassed in 1945 when the 81 mm M1 mortar was found to have insufficient power to provide effective artillery support.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Self-propelled artillery
Place of origin: United States
In service: 1944–45
Wars: World War II
Designer: Ordnance department
Designed: 1942–43
Manufacturer: White Motor Company
Produced: 1944
No. built: 110
Mass: 9 tons
Length: 20 ft 9 in (6.32 m)
Width: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Height: 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m)
Armor: Front:12 mm (0.47 in), sides: 6 mm (0.24 in)
Main armament: 81 mm M1 mortar
Secondary armament: 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) M2 machine gun
Engine: White 160AX, 6,330 cc (386 in3) 6-cylinder, gasoline (petrol) compression ratio 6.3:1 of 128 hp (95 kW)
Power/weight: 15.8 hp/ton
Suspension: tracks with vertical volute springs; front leaf spring
Fuel capacity: 60 US gal (230 l)
Operational range: 150 mi (240 km)
Speed: 45 mph (72 km/h)
THE KIT:
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan.
They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a M21 and it's mortar crew posed against one of Tamiya's signature all-white back grounds that they use for the majority of their box arts.
The M21 is overall olive-drab, with a white star in a circle on top of the hood, a white star on the sides and on the grill. It has a white U.S.A. over 40138752 serial no. on the sides of the hood. A white 10A771 triangle on the left side of the front bumper and a choice of a white HQ22, HQ23 or HQ24 on the right side.
The 3 man crew, next to the M21 all wear steel helmets and khaki uniforms, with their pants cuffed at the ankles over low shoes.
The standing man is loading the mortar. The second man beside him is kneeling on one knee and holding his ears. The third man is behind them and also kneeling on one knee. He is talking on a field telephone.
On the ground by the second man is 2 ammo rounds. Next to the third man there is stacked two ammo boxes.
One side-panel has a small color repeat of the box art, followed by the history of the M21 in Japanese and Tamiya's street address in Shizuoka City, Japan.
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan.
They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a M21 and it's mortar crew posed against one of Tamiya's signature all-white back grounds that they use for the majority of their box arts.
The M21 is overall olive-drab, with a white star in a circle on top of the hood, a white star on the sides and on the grill. It has a white U.S.A. over 40138752 serial no. on the sides of the hood. A white 10A771 triangle on the left side of the front bumper and a choice of a white HQ22, HQ23 or HQ24 on the right side.
The 3 man crew, next to the M21 all wear steel helmets and khaki uniforms, with their pants cuffed at the ankles over low shoes.
The standing man is loading the mortar. The second man beside him is kneeling on one knee and holding his ears. The third man is behind them and also kneeling on one knee. He is talking on a field telephone.
On the ground by the second man is 2 ammo rounds. Next to the third man there is stacked two ammo boxes.
One side-panel has a small color repeat of the box art, followed by the history of the M21 in Japanese and Tamiya's street address in Shizuoka City, Japan.
The other side-panel has 4 color box arts of other 1/35th scale kits that Tamiya makes: a U.S. APC M3A2, a U.S. M16 half-track, a U.S. Jeep Willys MB and a U.S. command post M577.
No kit numbers are provided for these 4. Tamiya's address is repeated and the kit was made in Japan.
No kit numbers are provided for these 4. Tamiya's address is repeated and the kit was made in Japan.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 4 dark-green trees, a black vinyl tree and the decal sheet in 3 stapled-shut chear cello bags and the 2 instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format. Printed all in Japanese.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up, over the history of the M21 in Japanese.
Pages 2 through 6 give a grand total of 16 assembly steps.
Page 7 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up, with the mortar crew aboard, over a 4-view showing 2 schemes.
The box art scheme and one also in overall olive-drab with white U.S.A. 40138846 on the sides of the hood, a circled white star on top of the hood, a white star on the sides, front and rear.
It has white 1 triangle 25-1 on the left side of the front bumper and a choice of either H-S-55, H-S-56 or H-S-57 on the right side.
Page 8 has a parts names listing, all in Japanese and the parts trees illustrations.
Trees are alphabetized.
Dark-green letter A tree holds: the frame, leaf springs, axles, wheels, exhaust pipe etc. (65 parts)
The kit holds 4 dark-green trees, a black vinyl tree and the decal sheet in 3 stapled-shut chear cello bags and the 2 instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format. Printed all in Japanese.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up, over the history of the M21 in Japanese.
Pages 2 through 6 give a grand total of 16 assembly steps.
Page 7 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up, with the mortar crew aboard, over a 4-view showing 2 schemes.
The box art scheme and one also in overall olive-drab with white U.S.A. 40138846 on the sides of the hood, a circled white star on top of the hood, a white star on the sides, front and rear.
It has white 1 triangle 25-1 on the left side of the front bumper and a choice of either H-S-55, H-S-56 or H-S-57 on the right side.
Page 8 has a parts names listing, all in Japanese and the parts trees illustrations.
Trees are alphabetized.
Dark-green letter A tree holds: the frame, leaf springs, axles, wheels, exhaust pipe etc. (65 parts)
Dark-green letter B tree holds: the cab sides, hood, grill, driver figure, cab doors, seats, steering wheel, shift levers, dashboard, jerry cans, tools etc. (46 parts)
Dark-green letter C tree holds: the cargo area's floor and walls, bench seats, machine guns, door, antenna, spare tire, jerry cans etc. (70 parts)
Black vinyl letter D tree is the 2 track runs, tires and poly-caps (9 parts)
Lettering jumps to the dark-green letter Z tree. It holds: the mortar crew figures, the mortar and it's tripod and ammo, a Thompson machine-gun, shovels in pouches, helmets etc. (62 parts)
There is included a clear plastic sheet with 2 die-cut windshields on it.
The decal sheet completes the kit's contents.
Highly recommended.