Help me name my halftrack project

[big44maghunter]

Need to give a proper name to my project!  Eventually to be added to the vehicle when completed.  I know a lot of guys have names or paintings on military vehicles, usually it meant something to the crew of that vehicle.  I would like something that is period correct and since I'm 43 some of the phrases I come up with may not be great for a ww2 vehicle.  This is just for fun, not hardcore on historical significance or anything.  Just think the project needs a name.  I also am trying to stay away from names other halftrack owners have used, so please comment if you know of any that are taken.  Below are some of the names that flashed into my brain with only a few minutes thought, let me know what your opinion.  Or please throw a catchy name out there.

Lead Slinger, Commie Killer, Just In Time, Bone Collector, Pay Up, Times Up, Out of Time.

Track is an M3 converted to M16 that I eventually would like to have set up as an M3A1

Thanks,

Brad - Big44maghunter

[Tapper02]

Definitely make it mean something to you, or at least that's my suggestion.  Kind of like a tattoo...don't just pick one off the wall because you want one.
My grandmother meant a lot to me and had one of those old school two first names name that we like to dole out in the South...I'm from Alabama.  So, when mine is done she'll get the name "Melba Jean" in her honor.
A friend of mine has a jeep and named it "Francis" after the wife of the first WWII veteran that he interviewed for his book and ended up being close friends with.
If not named after someone, try to think the way a GI would have when naming his ride back then.  Put yourself in his circumstances when facing a D-Day landing, a second or third vehicle/crew, attitude/hard feelings towards the enemy (German/Italian/Japanese), etc.  I'd stay away from the cheesy names...unless it means something to you.  A name that doesn't fit the time period will detract from the result of your hard work

-Tom

[big44maghunter]

Great comments!  I agree, I need to spend some more time thinking about it.  I'd like to find something referring to my cousin.  I was never in the military, just love guns and stuff.  But my cousin has to be my military inspiration - USMC 2nd tank battalion for the 1st gulf war and US Army for the second.  I'll have to think about that for a while.

Brad

[big44maghunter]

Haven't done much to it yet.  Just been taking parts off and buying things I need.

Big44maghunter

[steve-0]

i like the names you came up with.
you have to realize during ww2 the average age of a solider was probably 20. if you are 43 (same age as me) then you are old in comparison.
they where there to kick ass and most of them where focused on kicking ass.

if you hate someone and want to kill them it would reflect on your weapon.

[big44maghunter]

Good point.  Thanks Steve.

[47lincsled]

 If you look at a lot of WW2 period pictures you will notice that most half-tracks didn't have aggressive names, you would see those more on tanks and aircraft, girls name were very popular, and if you remember we weren't fighting commies that time, they were our friends,or at least allies. Spend a couple ours looking at period pictures and you will get a better feeling for half-track names. I found a nice pin up that I was going to use with the name "war weary" but I could never bring myself to actually paint it onto my half-track.

[big44maghunter]

Here are a couple good original ones.

"Rough Night"                "Ten Hits and a Miss"  Both had pin ups.

I like the rough night one, doesn't need to have a pin up, could have a 1919 or M2 painting or just the name.

There are a lot of good ones from ww2, most are a little too dirty! lol

Thanks for the comments!

Big44maghunter

[47lincsled]

 I went thought all my half-track books last night and found these, another good place to find half-track pictures is in books about Patton and the 4th armored.
 At Ease.
Copanhagen
Rough rider
Cathy
Roseland
Bull
Cochra
Prowler
 Frances, this name comes up several times
Lucelle B
 Hitler's hearse, this was on a M-16
 Holy devils
 Battering Ram, this was on a 105mm
 Grenadier
 Ababa
Evelyn
Lord Eppie, I'd like to know what this one meant!

[spec4don]

Like Tom said, find something that means something to you. In my case my bumper numbers were for the 8th infantry/12th Engineer Battalion. They served together in WW2. I was in the 12th Engineers when I served. So that was a natural. Now the name I came up with was an interesting story. A friend I worked with was in the IDF and I was telling him about rebuilding a halftrack. He goes "you mean the one with the wheels in the front and tracks I n the back?" I said "yes" and he said "Oh a Zelda, that's what we called them!" (I know they call the 113's Zelda's now but back in the day it was the halftrack) So I got the name! For me between the bumper numbers and the name, it tie's the past, my past and the halftracks after WW2 service all together. So ZELDA it is! 

Don G.

[halftracknut]

your post made me remember that my mother wrote in her journal of my fathers time in the 611TD under the heading of familiar phrases the following...Get on the Ball...That Did It...Sad Sack...That's a good lick...Some Stuff...Right... These are  WWII common Phrases. They may or may not be fitting for your machine but they are the real thing....htn

[big44maghunter]

Great comments guys!  Thanks for the input.

Big44maghunter

[67tank]

Big44
First of all it's your halftrack and you can name it whatever you want.  That being said, here is my .02. 

First you need to decide what unit and what time period you are going for.  "Commie Killer" would be appropriate if you decided to have your HT modeled after a unit in Korea.  However, since most HT owners generally are marking their battle wagon for an Army unit, WW2 in the ETO, I will assume that you will probably head in that direction as well.  Nicknames on the HT were generally along the lines of what company the vehicle was assigned to - A Co uses names that started with A, B company used names with B, etc.   BN HQ or Regiment HQ used names that started with either "H" or "T" (why "T"  I have no idea) 
There are two 66/2d Halftracks (Battalion unknown) on a Critical Past film (M2 “Tornado”) and 10 (M2A1 “Topper”)

If you choose to use a unit assigned to the two "Heavy" Armored Divisions of WW2 (2nd and 3rd Armored) you get a lot more choices - they remained under the regimental system (hence "heavy" division) so instead of A,B,C Company, you have A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H and I Company's and have a lot more options.  Since you are restoring a M3A1 - either the 41st Infantry Regiment or the 36th Infantry Regiment could be a good choice??? 

Although not historically accurate,  I went with "Hell Hound" on mine since that is the Battalion's Motto (3rd/67th Armor) and I wanted to capture the spirit of the Battalion.  Some of the Battalion or Regimental Mottos are a good way to honor the soldiers who fought - for example "Death Dealers" (1/67 Armor), "Straight and Stalwart" (3/41st Inf), "To the Utmost" (101 Cav Group)

"Saber" is always a great choice for a Recon unit - Universal call sign of every scout platoon or Regimental recon unit. 

Whatever you decide, have fun with it.  Steve and Tom are right - think like a 20 year old and be inappropriate.  My first M1A1 tank was named "Christy Canyon" after the 70's porn star - painted with pride along the 120mm smoothbore cannon, and her pinup was taped to the ammo doors for 4 years. 

[67tank]

Big44

As discussed I’m going to give you a lot of information and some links for further reading
First pick the type of unit (armor, armored infantry, armored engineers etc) then pick the Armored Division (or a cavalry Group, Separate Tank Battalion, etc - basically an armored unit that would have a HT...).   From there go on line and research the units assigned to that division/unit during the war.   

In WW2, a total of 16 armored divisions were organized (1st-14th, 16th, and 20th).   In 1943, the US Army reorganized the Table of Organization and Equipment (TO&E) for the Armored Divisions from  a “Heavy” regimental system to a “Light” battalion system.  Of these, only two, the 2nd and the 3rd retained the "heavy" organization throughout the war. All of the other divisions were reorganized as light divisions prior to leaving the US (except the 1st, which converted to the light organization while in Italy during July 1944). All of the armored divisions served in the ETO or in Italy.

1st Armored Division “Old Ironsides”: Formed in 1940, the 1st served in North Africa from November 1942 to May 1943 and in Italy from October 1943 to the end of the war.
2nd Armored Division “Hell On Wheels”: Formed in 1940, the 2nd served in North Africa from November 1942 to May 1943, landed in Sicily in July 1943, and participated in the liberation of France from June 1944 to the end of the war.
3rd Armored Division “Spearhead”: Formed in 1941, the 3rd served in NW Europe from June 1944 to the end of the war.
4th Armored Division: Formed in 1941, the 4th served in NW Europe from July 1944 to the end of the war.
5th Armored Division “Victory”: Formed in 1941, the 5th served in NW Europe from July 1944 to the end of the war.
6th Armored Division “Super Sixth”: Formed in 1942, the 6th served in NW Europe from July 1944 to the end of the war.
7th Armored Division “Lucky Seventh”: Formed in 1942, the 7th served in NW Europe from August 1944 to the end of the war.
8th Armored Division “Thunder Herd” or “Iron Snake” or “Tornado”: Formed in 1942, the 8th served in NW Europe from January 1945 to the end of the war.
9th Armored Division “Phantom” (I’ve also seen this unit called “Remagen” : Formed in 1942, the 9th served in NW Europe from December 1944 to the end of the war.
10th Armored Division “Tiger”: Formed in 1942, the 10th served in NW Europe from September 1944 to the end of the war.
11th Armored Division “Thunderbolt”: Formed in 1942, the 11th served in NW Europe from December 1944 to the end of the war.
12th Armored Division “Hellcat”: Formed in 1942, the 12th served in NW Europe from November 1944 to the end of the war.
13th Armored Division “The Black Cats”: Formed in 1942, the 13th served in NW Europe from January 1945 to the end of the war.
14th Armored Division “Liberators” : Formed in 1942, the 14th served in NW Europe from October 1944 to the end of the war.
16th Armored Division “Armadillo”: Formed in 1942, the 16th served in NW Europe from February 1945 to the end of the war.
20th Armored Division “Armoraiders” or “Liberators”: Formed in 1942, the 20th served in NW Europe from February 1945 to the end of the war.

As first organized, the armored regiments medium tank was the M3A1 or M3A4 Grant, the light tank was the M3 or M3A1 Stuart, and the assault gun was the T30 Howitzer Motor Carriage. In early 1943 the M4 Sherman replaced the M3 series. Later in 1943 the M5 Stuart replaced the M3 and a purpose designed assault gun, the M8 HMC 75mm, replaced the T30. The M4 105mm assault gun in turn replaced the M8 in early 1944, except in the light tank battalions.

The light armor division organization (TO&E 17-2, dated 15 September 1943) included a Division Headquarters and Headquarters (H&H) Company, two Combat Command Headquarters (CCA and CCB), a Reserve Combat Command Headquarters (CCR), three tank battalions (of three medium and one light tank companies), three armored infantry battalions, three eighteen-gun artillery battalions, a cavalry reconnaissance squadron (battalion), an engineer battalion, and division services. The division included 77 light tanks, 168 medium tanks, 18 M4 105mm assault guns, 54 M7 105mm SP artillery pieces, 54 M8 armored cars, 450 halftracks, 1,031 motor vehicles, and 8 light observation aircraft. Total personnel strength was 10,754.

The heavy armored division organization (TO&E 17-1, dated 1 March 1942, with Changes 1 & 2, dated to 29 October 1942) included two three-battalion tank regiments (the 1st battalion was light, with three light tank companies, the 2nd and 3rd battalions were medium, each with three medium tank companies), a three-battalion armored infantry regiment, and only two combat commands, the rest of the divisional units were nearly identical to those in the light division. The heavy division included 158 light tanks, 232 medium tanks, 24 M4 105mm assault guns, 17 M8 assault guns, 54 M7 105mm SP artillery pieces, 54 M8 armored cars, 640 halftracks, 1,242 motor vehicles, and 8 light observation aircraft. The total personnel strength of the division was 14,664.

One-hundred-and-eighteen tank battalions were eventually formed.  Sixty-one of those were separate tank battalions and not assigned to the Armored Divisions. 
I pulled a lot of the above from this link – excellent source of the TO&E. 

http://www.warandtactics.com/smf/toe-world-war-2-allied/us-armored-divsion-toes/?wap2

For Tank Battalions, (they would have 13 Halftracks) - U.S. Army's T/O & E (Table of Organization and Equipment) 17-25. The last wartime update for this table was November 18th, 1944.  One should note that a T/O & E was a guide. During the war, the battalions usually fought with less. Less personnel, less tanks, and some variations in equipment to what was required by the T/O & E.

For Armored infantry Battalions  - (they would have over 72 halftracks)  T/O&E 7-25 Armored Infantry Battalion (15 September 1943) Notes: Three of these battalions were assigned to each Armored Division. This type of battalion could also be a separate battalion attached to a separate Armored Group, or attached directly to a Corps or Army, although this was very rare.

For a List of TO&E (and free downloads of the tables) and how each type of unit was equipped (including armored engineers, artillery etc) go here to MRS archive of ‘41-45 TO&E: 

http://www.militaryresearch.org/freebies.htm

[yd328]

Thanks for the links to the information. I would like to mark mine up with my grandfathers infantry division and regiment.

Gary