The M76 Otter was an

amphibious Amphibious means able to use either land or water. In particular it may refer to: Animals * Amphibian, a vertebrate animal of the class Amphibia (many of which live on land and breed in water) * Amphibious caterpillar * Amphibious fish, a fish ...

cargo carrier used by the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

(USMC).

History

It was designed and built by Pontiac Motor Division in the late 1940s and intended as a replacement for the

M29 Weasel The M29 Weasel is a World War II tracked vehicle designed for operation in snow. Built by Studebaker, Weasels were also used in sandy, muddy, and desert terrains, including towing loads over terrain wheeled vehicles could not negotiate as in the ...

. It entered service with the USMC in the early 1950s and many saw action in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. It was replaced in USMC service by the M116 Husky.

Preserved vehicles on display

There are Otters on display at the following locations: *

Pacific War Museum The Pacific War Museum is on Guam. It contains exhibits related to the military in the Pacific theater of World War II with a focus on the U.S. Marines.Brent, P.T. "One determined Marine: John Gerber and the Pacific War Museum", ''Leatherneck ...

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

* Marine Corps Mechanized Museum, Camp Pendleton

References

External links

Video of M76 used as a firefighting vehicle
{{Post-WWII US Soft Vehicles Military vehicles of the United States Tracked amphibious vehicles Armored personnel carriers of the United States Amphibious armoured personnel carriers Military vehicles introduced in the 1950s