Vincennes in Knox County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

M3 Halftrack

Photographed by Jason Voigt, July 23, 2021

1. M3 Halftrack Marker

Inscription. The Half-track M3 personnel carrier was an armored vehicle used by the United States, the British Empire and the other Allies during World War II and the Cold War. Nearly 43,000 were produced, and supplied to the U.S. Army and Marines, as well as British Commonwealth and Soviet Red Army forces, serving on all fronts throughout the war. Early vehicles had a pintle mount just behind the front seats mounting a .50-caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun. The body was armored all around, with an adjustable armored shutter for the engine's radiator and a bulletproof windscreen. Halftracks were initially extremely unpopular and dubbed "Purple Heart Boxes" (a grim reference to the US Army's decoration for combat wounds) by American troops. Chief complaints centered on the complete lack of overhead protection from air bursting artillery shells and that the armor was inadequate against machine gun fire. International manufactured a small number but the vast majority were made by White Motor Company.

Combat weight - 20,000 lbs.
Length - 20 ft. 3 in.
Height - 7 ft. 5 in.
Width - 6 ft. 7 in.
Max speed - 45 M.P.H.
Range -

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

200 miles
Crew - 13
Powered - White Flathead 6 cylinder

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • War, Cold • War, World II.

Location. 38° 40.374′ N, 87° 32.261′ W. Marker is in Vincennes, Indiana, in Knox County. It can be reached from South 6th Street Road west of Willow Street (Business U.S. 41). Marker is on the grounds of the Indiana Military Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 779 S 6th Street Rd, Vincennes IN 47591, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Tri-State Region,

in Southern Indiana,

and in the Wabash Valley.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: M-8 Armored Car (a few steps from

Photographed by Jason Voigt, July 23, 2021

2. M3 Halftrack Marker

Outside the Indiana Military Museum

this marker); Sexton Mark II (a few steps from this marker); M2A1, 105mm Howitzer (a few steps from this marker); MiG-17F (a few steps from this marker); M-114 (a few steps from this marker); M1 57mm Antitank Gun (a few steps from this marker); M-211 (within shouting distance of this marker); McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vincennes.

Also see . . . M3 half-track on Wikipedia. (Submitted on December 2, 2021, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 2, 2021, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 441 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 2, 2021, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.