M-16 Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack

The Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (MGMC), Halftrack, M16 consisted of the M3 Halftrack as a platform for Quad-50 antiaircraft machine guns, consisting of four M2 HB .50 cal. machine guns in an electrically powered turret.

M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage Halftrack of Battery B, 15th AAA Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, fires its Quad 50 machine guns at Chinese Communist-held positions, as men of the 3rd Battalion, 32nd RCT, 7th Inf. Div., prepare to launch an attack north of Chae-jae, Korea, 12 March 1951
M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage Halftrack of Battery B, 15th AAA Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, fires its Quad 50 machine guns at Chinese Communist-held positions, as men of the 3rd Battalion, 32nd RCT, 7th Inf. Div., prepare to launch an attack north of Chae-jae, Korea, 12 March 1951.

Today in WW II: 18 Aug 1944 Submarine USS Rasher [SS-269] sinks the highest tonnage of any WW II submarine patrol to that date, a record exceeded only once.   

M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack

The Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (MGMC), Halftrack, M16 was based on the reliable M3 Halftrack chassis. The M16 carried the Quad-50 antiaircraft machine guns, consisting of four M2 HB .50 cal. machine guns in the electrically powered M45 turret. The rear box side armor panels had a hinged upper section, with a centered notch to allow the guns to fire horizontally when the armor was raised.

A total of 2,877 M16 Halftracks were produced in 1943-1944. As noted on the Quad-50 antiaircraft machine gun page, some units created their own "M16B" by bolting Quad-50 mounts taken from trailers to halftracks.

The 9.5 ton vehicle was powered by a White 160AX 6 cyl. 128 hp gasoline engine that moved it at up to 40mph on the road. They were used in World War II and the Korean War for air defense and infantry support. It was superceded by the M-19A1 Twin 40mm Gun Carriage and the M42 gun carriage (Duster).

Find additional photos and hi-res versions of the M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack at the Olive-Drab Military Mashup.

M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack Photo Gallery

M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, 21 AAA, Korea, 1953
M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, 21 AAA, Korea, 1953.

M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack
M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack.

M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack
M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack Photo: Courtesy of John Buckley

M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack
M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack at 4th Infantry Division Museum, Ft. Hood, TX, 2 December 2005. Photo: Courtesy of Bob Pettit

M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack
M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack at 4th Infantry Division Museum, Ft. Hood, TX, 2 December 2005. Photo: Courtesy of Bob Pettit

M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack
M-16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage, Halftrack at the Ft. Bliss, TX Air Defense Artillery Museum.