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Every U.S. Vehicle Used in WWII | Statewide USA | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: Every U.S. Vehicle Used in WWII
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This content details the diverse array of American military vehicles, from tanks and tank destroyers to artillery, armored cars, halftracks, amphibious craft, trucks, and motorcycles, that were instrumental in the Allied victory during World War II.
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Jeeps, Shermans, Hellcats, and more.
These are the American machines that
rolled, fought, [music] and won World
War II. From the front lines to the
supply routes, every vehicle played its
part in history. Let's begin with tanks.
M2 light tank. Before the war fully
erupted, the M2 served as the training
ground for America's armored force. With
its peculiar twin turret design on early
models, it was quickly outpaced by
technology, but laid the mechanical
foundation for the tanks that followed.
M3 Stewart, known affectionately as
Honey by British crews, the M3 Stewart
was the first American [music] tank to
see combat in North Africa. While its
37mm gun was light, its exceptional
speed and mechanical reliability made it
a legendary scout. M5 Stewart. An
evolution of the M3. The M5 Stewart
featured a sloping hull and twin
Cadillac engines. It was quieter, cooler
running, and provided the Allies with a
fast reconnaissance platform right until
[music] the end of the war. M22 Locust,
designed to fall from the sky. The M22
Locust was small enough to fit inside a
heavy glider. Though its combat service
was limited, it represented a bold
experiment in providing airborne troops
with their own armor support. M3 Lee. A
strange stop gap measure. The M3 Lee
mounted a 75mm gun in the hull and a
37mm gun in a turret. It had a high
profile and limited traverse, but it
brought crucial heavy firepower to the
British Eighth Army when they needed it
most. M4 Sherman, the icon of American
industrial might. The Sherman wasn't the
biggest tank on the field, but it was
reliable, easily repaired, and produced
in overwhelming numbers, [music] serving
as the backbone of the Allied armored
spearhead. Now, let's look at tank
destroyers. M3GMC, one of the earliest
attempts to mobilize anti-tank fire.
This was essentially a 75mm gun dropped
onto a halftrack. It was a makeshift
solution that managed to punch holes in
enemy armor during the Philippines and
North African campaigns. M6 GMC,
nicknamed Fargo. This was a light truck
carrying a 37mm anti-tank gun. While
nimble, it lacked protection and punch,
quickly relegating it to training or
infantry support roles as German armor
grew thicker. M10, the Wolverine. Built
on a Sherman chassis with an open top
turret, the M10 relied on angular armor
and a 3-in gun to hunt panzers. It was
the most widely used American tank
destroyer of the conflict. M18, the
Hellcat, was built for one thing, speed.
Hitting 50 mph, it was the fastest
tracked vehicle of the war, using
hit-and-run tactics to outmaneuver heavy
German tanks. M36. When the Allies
encountered heavy Tigers and Panthers, [music]
[music]
they called for the Jackson. Armed with
a massive 90mm gun, the M36 was the only
American vehicle that could reliably
knock out heavy German cats from long
range. Let's move on to self-propelled
artillery. M7 Priest, named for the
pulpit-like machine gun ring on its
superructure. The Priest mounted a 105mm
howitzer on a tank chassis, allowing
artillery to keep pace with the rapidly
advancing armored divisions. M8 HMC the
Scott by placing a 75mm pack howitzer on
a light steward chassis, the M8 provided
close-range indirect fire [music]
support, blasting bunkers and machine
gun nests to clear the way for infantry.
M12 GMC nicknamed King Kong for its
sheer power. The M12 mounted a 155mm gun
on an older tank chassis. It was
designed for long range destruction and
famously used to crack the Ziggfrieded
line bunkers. M40 GMC arriving late in
the war. The M40 was the successor to
the M12. It paired the devastating
long-tom 155mm gun [music] with the
wider, more stable chassis of the latest
Sherman variants, creating a potent
mobile artillery piece. M43 HMC. The big
brother to the M40. This variant swapped
the 155mm gun for a massive 8-in
howitzer. [music] It produced incredible
destructive power, leveling
fortifications with ease during the
final push into Germany. M4 105mm
assault gun. This wasn't a tank
destroyer, but a bunker buster. By
fitting a 105mm howitzer directly into a
standard Sherman turret, commanders gave
tank platoon their own high explosive
sledgehammer for demolition work. Moving
on to armored and scout cars. M3 scout
car, the white scout car was the wheeled
chariot of early war commanders,
including General Patton. Armored,
reliable, and bristling with machine
guns, it served as a reconnaissance
staple before being replaced by
halftracks. M8 Greyhound. Fast, quiet,
and deadly to infantry. The Greyhound
was a 6x6 armored car that served
[music] as the eyes and ears of the
cavalry, racing ahead of columns to spot
the enemy before vanishing. M20.
Essentially a Greyhound without the
turret, the M20 served as an armored
utility car. It fied commanders, carried
cargo, and moved troops quickly through
dangerous territory under the protection
of light armor. Moving on to halftracks.
M2 halftrack. Shorter than its famous
cousin. [music] The M2 was designed
primarily as an artillery prime mover.
It hauled guns and ammunition, ensuring
the big batteries could move through mud
that would trap a standard truck. M3
Halftrack, the definitive armored
personnel carrier of the war. With
tracks in the back and wheels in the
front, the M3 carried squads of armored
infantry into the heart of battle,
protecting them from shrapnel and small
arms. M5 halftrack, visually nearly
identical to the M3. The M5 was produced
by international harvester, mostly for
lendley. It featured a different engine
and slightly rolled armor fenders
serving faithfully with British,
Canadian, and Soviet forces. M9
Halftrack. Similar to the M5, the M9 was
international harvesters version of the
utility halftrack. It was widely
exported to Allied nations, proving that
American industrial capacity [music]
could supply the entire free world.
Moving on to amphibious vehicles, M29
Weasel, originally designed for a covert
mission [music] into snowy Norway, the
Weasel was a fully tracked amphibious
cargo carrier. It could traverse deep
mud, snow, and swamps that no other
vehicle could touch. LVT1, the
Alligator. The first of the landing
vehicle tracked series. It used
paddle-like tracks to swim through water
and crawl up beaches. It was the crucial
key to unlocking the Pacific Island
hopping campaign. LVT2, the water
buffalo. Improving on the Alligator, the
LVT2 featured a better suspension for
hard ground. It became the workhorse of
the Marines, fing supplies from ship to
shore under heavy fire. LVT4. A massive
improvement in amphibious design. The
LVT4 moved the engine forward [music] to
add a large rear ramp. This allowed
troops and jeeps to exit directly onto
the beach under cover rather than
scrambling over the tall sides. LVTA1
and Amtrak with teeth. This variant
mounted a 37mm turret from a light tank,
effectively turning the landing craft
into an amphibious tank hunter to
support the first wave of Marines.
LVTA4. Recognizing the need for bigger
booms, the LVTA4 swapped the small
anti-tank gun for a 75mm howitzer
turret. It acted as [music] floating
artillery, blasting beach defenses at
point blank range. DUKW pronounced duck.
This was a masterpiece of logistics. A
six-wheel drive truck encased in a boat
hull. It could ferry supplies from a
transport ship directly to a depot miles
inland without ever stopping to unload.
[music] Let's move on to trucks and
prime movers. Willy's MB, Ford GPW, the
Jeep. General Eisenhower listed it as
one of the three tools that won the war.
Small, rugged, and capable of going
absolutely anywhere, it became the
universal symbol of American liberation.
Dodge WC, [music] the beep or big Jeep.
The Dodge WC series were rugged 3/4tonon
trucks that served as weapons carriers,
[music] ambulances, and command cars. If
a Jeep was too small, the Dodge was the
answer. Chevrolet G506, the 1 and 1/2ton
ton Chevy. Often overshadowed by larger
trucks, the G506 was a critical
logistical link, hauling troops and
towing artillery in every theater of the
war, including the freezing Eastern
Front via Lendley, GMC, CCKW, the Deuce,
and a half, the backbone of the Red Ball
Express. Over half a million of these
trucks were built, creating the endless
river of supplies that fueled the Allied
race across Europe. M4 high-speed
tractor. When artillery became too heavy
for trucks, the M4 high-speed tractor
took over. A fully tracked prime mover,
it dragged heavy anti-aircraft and field
guns through the worst terrain
imaginable. Diamond T980981,
the heavyweight champion of recovery.
This massive 12ton truck was designed to
haul tank transporter trailers, moving
damaged or operational armor to where it
was needed most without wearing out the
tank's tracks. Now, let's look at
engineering and recovery. M32 TRV, the
tank recovery vehicle. Essentially a
Sherman tank with a fixed turret and a
massive crane, the M32 braved the front
lines to winch damaged tanks out of the
mud and tow them back to safety. M1
Heavy Wrecker, a beast of a truck
equipped with a heavyduty crane and
winches. The M1 Wrecker was the
mechanic's best friend, capable of
lifting engines, riding overturned
vehicles, and clearing the roads for the
convoy. Finishing off with liazison and
staff vehicles. Harley-Davidson WLA the
Liberator. Modified for military use
with scabbards for submachine guns and
blackout lights. These motorcycles
carried couriers and MPs swiftly through
the chaotic traffic of the war zones.
Indian 741. While Harley took the
spotlight, the Indian 741 was a vital
player. Smaller and lighter, thousands
were produced with many sent to British
and Commonwealth forces to keep the
lines of communication open. Ford Staff
Car. Based on the standard civilian
sedan, the Ford Staff Car offered
high-ranking officers a relatively
comfortable, albeit unarmored ride
between headquarters. Painted in drab
olive to blend in with the war Chevrolet
staff car, the rival to the Ford, the
Chevy staff [music] car was a
militarized version of the Master
Deluxe. It fied generals and VIPs across
safe zones, serving as a reminder of
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