The US M75 Tracked Armoured Personnel Carrier

The US M75 Tracked Armoured Personnel Carrier

The US M75 Tracked Armoured Personnel Carrier is a former US Army APC capable of carrying 10 troops. Development started in 1946 with the production of a small number of prototypes  with various cupola and heavy Machine Gun mounts by US Firm International Harvester Corporation (IHC) under the designation T18, based on the chassis of the earlier M41 Walker Bulldog Light Tank, which was in service with the US Army at the time.

Prototype number T18E1 was the version selected by the US Army and ordered into production in 1952 as the M75. Although the vehicle was developed by IHC, an order for 1,000 were placed with IHC and for 730 at the Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation.

Numerous changes were made during the production run to reduce cost and complexity. The number of shock absorbers was halved from four per side to two, and an auxiliary generator/heater was deleted. The two 75 gallon rubber fuel tanks were replaced by a single 150 gallon metal one.

The approximate cost of the vehicle was $72,000 which contributed to the early halting of production in 1954. The high profile (height) of the vehicle was also a negative factor. Additionally the engine air cooling vents were considered to be vulnerable to small arms fire.

1730 vehicles were built for the Army who used the vehicle during the Korean War. The vehicle had a relatively short service life of under 10 years and were given as military aid to Belgium who used them until the early 1980’s.

Specifications

Weight 18 tonne
Length 5.2m
Width 2.5m
Height 2.8m
Main armament .50 cal M2 Browning Machine Gun
Engine 295hp Continental AO-895-4 6-cylinder air-cooled gasoline
Suspension Torsion bar
Operational Range 185 km
Top Road Speed 69 km/h