info M2 modified M16

[prestone]

hi

'm looking for pictures of the insides of adaptation M2 / M16
several photos exist but I'd like to know if it is a trailer or M45 only turret is mounted??

[WayOffTrack]

Supposedly that modification was known as the 'WASP'. I'd like to find some interior shots also, so far none have shown up.

[steve1973]

I have a couple Polish books on halftracks. In volume 2 there is a section on the M16B halftrack along with 5 line drawings of the front, rear, each side and top view. I think I saw another post of yours asking about gas tank locations. They are the same M2 tanks but moved forward as in an M3. Their is a rack of four tomb stone ammo cans up front behind driver and center seats, no radio. Here is what the book says on the M16b's.

Before the invasion of Normandy Colonel John B. Medarisa, Chief of Armament of the First United States Army, ordered the reconstruction of Half-Track Car M2 vehicles as self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. Turrets with M2HB machine guns were dismantled from the Machine Gun Trailer M55 and Multiple Machine Gun Trailer Mount M55 units and installed in the cargo compartmants of M2 vehicles using a special ring which compensated for the lack of opening upper parts of the cargo compartment armor plates. The new vehicles were unofficially designated M16B. They were assigned to twenty anti-aircraft battalions previously equipped with towed artillery pieces and were used in combat since the beginning of the Normandy invasion. When the danger of enemy air strikes subsided the vehicles were used to provide fire support to fighting infantry.

I think volume 1 of this set may have some photos of the M16B and will have to check next time I'm at the shop. I currently do not have a scanner to post the line drawings but can take pictures of them to post. I'm also having problems uploading to the G503albums site. I'm at the point that I can't even get one photo to post.

Hope this info helps.

Steve A.

[prestone]

hey

genial

possibility when you take pictures, will be wonderful to see inside
and then the references of books


regards

prestone

[WayOffTrack]

What i've wondered is if they put a plate steel floor on top of the m2 troop seats and then bolted the ring to that. You could fit the later style quad trailer in between the vertical track armor if the wheel supports for the trailer were cut off.

[steve1973]

I got my G503 album account working again so I will take a picture of the top view and post later tonight. I will also check in vol. 1 of the polish halftrack set for photos. Here is a photo of the cover to the Polish vol. 2 halftrack book. It can be found on eBay.



Steve A.

[steve1973]

Here are the drawings. Sorry for the delay in getting them posted.

Steve A.

[Dave65]

Hello guys

Heres a good pic of a M16B with the side ammo door open, but no fuel tank there? Also if you look at the drawings top view there just doesn't seem to be room for the gun mount to rotate without it hitting the corners of the fuel tanks, The original test vehicle for the M16 was the T1E2 which was an M2 with the quad mount, it had only one fuel tank mounted behind the cab just like the M15....its hard to say just where the fuel tank or tanks were moved too, we may never know.....

Dave

[Dave65]

Heres a pic of the T1E2...

[prestone]

thank you for the info

to see the photo and the space available, I would tend to say that the tank is positioned as the M15 and on each side two chargers.

continue the recheches

best regard

prestone

[steve1973]

I think I found a photo of the rear of an M16B. I can't tell much from the sides but the set up look simular to the drawing.

[WayOffTrack]

I think that is an M13, notice the twin .50's. It also has one of the grenade boxes mounted on the top inside of the side armor that are unique to M13-M16-M16A1.

[WayOffTrack]

I think just about every picture I've seen of a wasp so far shows a skate rail still mounted.

[prestone]

this is interesting

In your opinion,
the rear floor of M2 is completely replaced for this change?
it is the same model as the M16?

prestone

[WayOffTrack]

I think the overhead shot from the book is a complete guess. My personal opinion is they probably did remove the m2 floor and set up a mount system similar to that in the m16 and then left the skate installed so they would not have to make a new perimeter rail.