G503 Halftrack Data DISCUSSION (serial numbers, etc.)

Tracked, Halftrack, etc... Military Vehicles, Wanted, For Sale (NO AUCTION or EBAY), and Knowledge Base

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Kevin Lockwood
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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by Kevin Lockwood » Mon Oct 23, 2017 10:20 am

Added M2-7324 Autocar to the list. It has a Bowen & McL data plate showing rebuild to M2A1.
42 Ford GPW
42 Oshkosh AAF Snowblower
41 White M2 halftrack
42 Autocar M2A1 was M2 halftrack
42 Autocar M3-75 halftrack
42 White M4A1 was M4 halftrack
43 Diamond T M3A1 halftrack
43 White M16 was M13 halftrack
44 LVT-3 Landing Vehicle Tracked


653HT
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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by 653HT » Wed Dec 13, 2017 10:52 am

Great database. Now can we include Internationals?????
Noisy Bugger

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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by airborne-53 » Mon Dec 18, 2017 6:49 am

hello
sold today in france M3A1 serial 48057 motor open and stuck


Image
Image


olivier

Kevin Lockwood
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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by Kevin Lockwood » Mon Dec 18, 2017 7:21 am

653HT; Please add any US made half-trac info. IHC included. Photos of data plates are most helpful.
airborne53- Thanks for the post. Any chance you have data plate info? The ordnance numbers on the data plate are very helpful. Also the serial number stamped in frame with or without a - would help ID manufacturer.

Thanks
42 Ford GPW
42 Oshkosh AAF Snowblower
41 White M2 halftrack
42 Autocar M2A1 was M2 halftrack
42 Autocar M3-75 halftrack
42 White M4A1 was M4 halftrack
43 Diamond T M3A1 halftrack
43 White M16 was M13 halftrack
44 LVT-3 Landing Vehicle Tracked

airborne-53
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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by airborne-53 » Mon Dec 18, 2017 7:29 am

hello
no data plate , french rebuild and no pic of frame number

olivier

Kevin Lockwood
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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by Kevin Lockwood » Sat Dec 30, 2017 7:58 am

Added White M2 Ser#233107 Ord#3835. Interesting I own Ord#3836. Only a couple other consecutive numbers have surfaced.
Happy New Year to all !!!
42 Ford GPW
42 Oshkosh AAF Snowblower
41 White M2 halftrack
42 Autocar M2A1 was M2 halftrack
42 Autocar M3-75 halftrack
42 White M4A1 was M4 halftrack
43 Diamond T M3A1 halftrack
43 White M16 was M13 halftrack
44 LVT-3 Landing Vehicle Tracked

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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by David_4x4 » Sun Dec 31, 2017 6:22 am

For track M2-7324, 4020255 is stamped in bogie casting.
M2A1 Halftrack
M20 Armored Car
M35A2
M151A1

Kevin Lockwood
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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by Kevin Lockwood » Tue Jan 02, 2018 7:10 am

Great find on the bogie casting. I added the info to the master. Part of a 1942-43 PO#T3339 and fits the hood # fits with the key number.
42 Ford GPW
42 Oshkosh AAF Snowblower
41 White M2 halftrack
42 Autocar M2A1 was M2 halftrack
42 Autocar M3-75 halftrack
42 White M4A1 was M4 halftrack
43 Diamond T M3A1 halftrack
43 White M16 was M13 halftrack
44 LVT-3 Landing Vehicle Tracked

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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by djljeep » Sun Jan 28, 2018 5:09 pm

So I helped work on one of Joe Hall's (formerly of VWOM) M2s over the summer at Copeland's in Warren Maine, and TJ Copeland acquired a M3 from Joe that he is working on re-building. I believe they have all made it on to the database already, but I have the actual data plate for the M3. I'll have to grab the data plates on the 2 parts trucks next weekend.
For giggles the collection: Parts/Parts/Joe's M2/TJ's M3
Image

I honestly can't remember which one this data plate came from:
Image

The M3:
Image
Image

Is the key number for that run available? If I'm reading the database correctly it looks like it is in a gap. It would be nice to find the Hood Number to assist in figuring out where it went. I'll look next weekend when I head down there for frame numbers and luckily he just sand blasted the bumper parts. While he was pressure washing he came across a mangled shell casing that came back as 1941 Italian 9mm. We're figuring that puts it in the European theater somewhere, circumstantially North Africa or Italy perhaps (I'm aware this is a sloppy assumption and that it likely came from a captured MP40 and could have been anywhere)
Image

For giggles - current state: It had been lengthened and converted to a crane at some point so he cut the frame at the splice so he can remedy that and now it fits more snugly in the corner.
Image

Kevin Lockwood
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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by Kevin Lockwood » Mon Jan 29, 2018 6:37 am

djjeep: Thanks for the data plate info. I added the M2A1 was M2 Autocar M2-6496 to the list. The M3 is already on the list. Perhaps Joe D. can clarify a PO. Key number, and start stop ordnance numbers for that group of M3s built by Diamond T. There is another vehicle on the list that most likely has a correct hood number M32705. If we take that as good info I think your hood number would be 4043151.
Thanks
42 Ford GPW
42 Oshkosh AAF Snowblower
41 White M2 halftrack
42 Autocar M2A1 was M2 halftrack
42 Autocar M3-75 halftrack
42 White M4A1 was M4 halftrack
43 Diamond T M3A1 halftrack
43 White M16 was M13 halftrack
44 LVT-3 Landing Vehicle Tracked

Joe DeMarco
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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by Joe DeMarco » Tue Feb 06, 2018 2:57 pm

Hi Kevin,

Hope you've been well.

I think Ord Serial Number 5982 would have been built on PO T-3145 for 636 units, all M3s.

SN 5524 / USA 4042693 thru SN 6159 / USA 4043328. Key Number = 4037169.

So 5982 + 4037169 = 4043151 as you thought.

>mangled shell casing that came back as 1941 Italian 9mm.

FWIW, I have an historical listing for 4043151...

Memo to CO, 123 Ord Mnt Bn, 1AD, 8/10/44, 27th FA, GOH

This translates to the 27th Armored Field Artillery Bn, 1st Armored Division, & GOH means that the track was in for a General Overhaul.

Of course the 1st AD was in Italy at the time, & the 27 AFA Bn would have had maybe 30 HTs.

Anyway, assuming we are correct with this Production Order, this HT could well have picked up a 1941 Italian 9mm.

Would there be any chance of finding traces of the USA Number or any tactical markings on that?

Kevin, can you confirm that the owner of SN 5941 reported he found the USA Reg Number 4043110 painted (or stamped) on that?

This range would have been produced in 1942.

If you want the month of production for these serials, someone will have to go to National Archives II, & get the monthly production figures by Production Order, repeat by Production Order (not total monthly production).

Joe

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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by djljeep » Tue Feb 06, 2018 3:25 pm

Joe DeMarco wrote:
Tue Feb 06, 2018 2:57 pm
Hi Kevin,

Hope you've been well.

I think Ord Serial Number 5982 would have been built on PO T-3145 for 636 units, all M3s.

SN 5524 / USA 4042693 thru SN 6159 / USA 4043328. Key Number = 4037169.

So 5982 + 4037169 = 4043151 as you thought.

>mangled shell casing that came back as 1941 Italian 9mm.

FWIW, I have an historical listing for 4043151...

Memo to CO, 123 Ord Mnt Bn, 1AD, 8/10/44, 27th FA, GOH

This translates to the 27th Armored Field Artillery Bn, 1st Armored Division, & GOH means that the track was in for a General Overhaul.

Of course the 1st AD was in Italy at the time, & the 27 AFA Bn would have had maybe 30 HTs.

Anyway, assuming we are correct with this Production Order, this HT could well have picked up a 1941 Italian 9mm.

Would there be any chance of finding traces of the USA Number or any tactical markings on that?

Kevin, can you confirm that the owner of SN 5941 reported he found the USA Reg Number 4043110 painted (or stamped) on that?

This range would have been produced in 1942.

If you want the month of production for these serials, someone will have to go to National Archives II, & get the monthly production figures by Production Order, repeat by Production Order (not total monthly production).

Joe
Joe, that's awesome. We were loosing hope of finding out more. Very little hope of getting USA or tactical numbers, but attention will be paid to those areas as they get stripped and prepared for new paint. It was bastardized, converted to a crane, and painted an awful orange color at some point.

Edit: Any way to get a copy of that maintenance record?
Based on the database on the first page we're looking at a 08/42 delivery date.

Thanks,
David Lawrence

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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by Joe DeMarco » Wed Feb 07, 2018 4:29 am

Hi David,

>Any way to get a copy of that maintenance record?

Sure, I could email it to you if you care to provide an address.
Keep in my that this math stuff is an exact science, so if our figures are off by even one, we could be talking about a track that was on the other side of the world.

>Based on the database on the first page we're looking at a 08/42 delivery date.

From the photo of the dataplate that you posted, the MFRs Serial No. looks to be 2746, not 2745.
If so, M3 2746 should be stamped on the frame behind the wheel on the driver's side.

As best I can tell from recording these along with known Ord SNs from surviving DT dataplates, that is an EXACT build sequence number, so that should be the 2746th M3 produced by Diamond T. We know the total monthly production figures, & the 2746th M3 would have been accepted in Aug, 1942 as you have mentioned.

The reason I brought up "monthly production figures by Production Order" is that in some cases the Production Orders overlapped, so you can have a certain number of M3s produced in August on PO X, and some others produced in the same month on PO Y.

Another fellow on G503 reported he had ORD SN 5941 / MFRs SN 2705.
From "counting heads," DTs certainly appear to have a math relationship between the ORD & MFRs SNs.
I have only recorded two dataplate examples within the Ord SN range 5524 thru 6159, but think it should be...

ORD SN 5524/ MFRs SN 2288 / USA 4042693 thru SN 6159 / MFRs SN 2923/ USA 4043328

This gives an SN vs MFRs Key Number of 3236.
So if you didn't have a DT dataplate, but did have a readable frame stamping, I'm pretty sure you could derive the Ord SN using math.
The key number varies with the Production Order.
Anyway, MFRs 2746 + 3236 = Ord 5982.

Hope any of that makes sense,

Joe

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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by Kevin Lockwood » Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:24 am

Joe,
Good hearing from you.
Upon close inspection it does appear that the "5" bottom stays flat MFRS SN probably is M32746. DJ can you verify from the frame stamping? I have it listed as M32746 but I see how it could be a "5".

Thanks
Adding two more:
M15A1-1370 Autocar rebuilt by Bowen & McL. to M16A1 being restored in Texas as M3.
M2A1 was M2 White " " " " " from ebay offering 02/18
42 Ford GPW
42 Oshkosh AAF Snowblower
41 White M2 halftrack
42 Autocar M2A1 was M2 halftrack
42 Autocar M3-75 halftrack
42 White M4A1 was M4 halftrack
43 Diamond T M3A1 halftrack
43 White M16 was M13 halftrack
44 LVT-3 Landing Vehicle Tracked

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Re: G503 Halftrack Database

Post by djljeep » Wed Feb 07, 2018 1:37 pm

>Any way to get a copy of that maintenance record?

>Sure, I could email it to you if you care to provide an address.
Keep in my that this math stuff is an exact science, so if our figures are off by even one, we could be talking about a track that was on the other side of the world.
Understood - I know that there is very little conclusive proof with projects like this. My email is djljeep at aol.com for any info you feel like sending over.
From the photo of the dataplate that you posted, the MFRs Serial No. looks to be 2746, not 2745.
If so, M3 2746 should be stamped on the frame behind the wheel on the driver's side.
Upon close inspection it does appear that the "5" bottom stays flat MFRS SN probably is M32746. DJ can you verify from the frame stamping? I have it listed as M32746 but I see how it could be a "5".
I have another picture of the data plate on my phone and it looks like a 6 to me. Again, the HT belongs to a friend of mine so I don't have immediate access to it, but next time I'm down there (next weekend I suspect) I'll try to locate the frame numbers. I did briefly look for them this weekend, but I think I was looking in the wrong place.

I have another M2A1 dataplate to post later when I get home, in addition to another picture of the M3 dataplate.


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