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The short body and thick fenders indicate this vehicle was based on the half-track car M2, and the rearward-pointing mortar in the passenger compartment and rear stowage boxes further define it as an M4A1 mortar carrier. The side ammunition compartment door can be seen in front of the mine rack, and the skate rail for the machine gun is visible above the cab. This vehicle is fitted with the demountable headlights and anti-ditching roller. The battery box is positioned on the passenger-side running board.
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The rear stowage boxes flank the door added to the passenger compartment. The skate rail would make entry and exit from the rear door more difficult, as can be imagined. More mortar bombs were stowed just behind the usual side ammunition compartments, and these racks can be glimpsed at the side of the passenger compartment. A mortar bomb is visible on the passenger compartment floor, and the holes on the floor are the traversing arc of the mortar.
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The mount M1 for the 81mm mortar is shown here. On the M4 the mount was fixed, but the M4A1 provided a traversing arc that allowed the bipod's legs to be secured in holes in the rear passenger compartment floor.
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Stowage for mortar bombs was provided along the sides of the passenger compartment. The machine gun skate rail is visible to the rear, and a fuel tank is visible in the vehicle's rear corner.
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This half-track is fitted with the single-coil spring-loaded idler wheel. The single-coil spring appears visually thinner and less substantial than the double-coil design, and was an interim fix until the double-coil idler wheel could be put into production.
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© Copyright 2003-07 Chris Conners
