I beleive the IDF used this vehicle for many years.

Years ago, I read a Fine Scale Modeler article that covered this subject. The author had also built a convoy escort halftrack model to go along with the article. I liked it so much that I built one too. I haven't seen any actual proof that it did indeed happen.

Hey Guys, I remember the artical in F.S.M. and did my own early gun truck. I can not remember where I read about them but a few half tracks were modified for duty after being borrowed from the V.N.A. units. If I remember correctly, key word being correctly, they had two 50's mounted, one on either side and a 60 up front. Extra plate weilded on the sides for R.P.G. protection and sandbaged floors. They were supposedly mixed in with the convoy trucks for a nasty suprize for Charlie. Now, as to wether or not this info is correct or not, I can't tell. I have moved 4 or 5 times since then, still have the model but would be hard pressed to locate where the info came from or if I still have the write up. Anyway, as fact or fiction, it would not surprize me that some inspired troops would have done it. After all, there are photos of army dump trucks with 50's mounted on the sides for convoy duty and 2.5 trucks with the quad 50's on them. So, anything could be possible. Would be nice to know one way or the other.

Did the French use half tracks in North Vietnam back in the 1950's?

Paul,

Not out of the question at all. In fact, there weren't enough M16s to go around late in WWII, so they took standard M3 halftracks, added a 6" pedestal and mounted the M45D turret. 700 M16A1s were converted, thereby increasing the quad-50 halftrack production run to 3400 vehicles. The rear troop door was seen as a beneficial addition, so several M16s had their rear panels removed and panels with troop doors added. Those became M16A2s.

Actually,

the M16A1 wasn't built until Korea and Bowen and McLaughlin Incorporated converted 1662 M3 half tracks using the M45F, which aside from the 6" extension, it also had a slip ring to allow communication from the gunner to the cab.

The official designation (classified as Substitute Standard) was OCM 34189, dated April 24th, 1952.

Paul,

Not out of the question at all. In fact, there weren't enough M16s to go around late in WWII, so they took standard M3 halftracks, added a 6" pedestal and mounted the M45D turret. 700 M16A1s were converted, thereby increasing the quad-50 halftrack production run to 3400 vehicles. The rear troop door was seen as a beneficial addition, so several M16s had their rear panels removed and panels with troop doors added. Those became M16A2s.

While possible, I think the trucks available were more flexible in their employment than the halftracks were, and so they were used (along with Dusters) for convoy escort. Dave Hanselman (Transpo Museum) and I sat down last week and discussed the evolution of gun trucks, since Transpo and ADA split that heritage.

The problem with quad-50s was simple. They're mono-directional. When an ambush is hitting you from all sides, having four .50s pointing in one direction puts a hellish amount of firepower on one point, but leaves your back exposed. Gun trucks like "Eve of Destruction" and others allowed significant firepower to be brought to bear on any target. Plus, those gun trucks could be loaded down with sandbags, extra armor, etc. A halftrack with that much extra stuff on it would have a VERY difficult time moving with a convoy. Plus, in an ambush I'd want to take out the quad-50 turret as fast as possible and an RPG would slice right through an M16.