The 3-inch gun motor carriage T40, later given the production model number M9 was a US
tank destroyer
A tank destroyer, tank hunter or tank killer is a type of armoured fighting vehicle, predominantly intended for anti-tank duties. They are typically armed with a direct fire anti-tank gun, artillery gun, also known as a self-propelled anti-ta ...
(a
self-propelled anti-tank gun
Self-propelled may refer to
* Human-powered transport, humans moving themselves (and their cargo) via their own muscle energy
* Machines that power their own movement:
** Automobile (from ''auto-'' + ''mobile'', "self-moving")
** Locomotive (from ...
), of the early part of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
It mounted a
3-inch anti-aircraft gun on a
M3 medium tank hull. A small production run of 50 tanks was planned in 1942. This was cancelled due to the unavailability of suitable guns, and the entry into production of a similar vehicle, the
M10 GMC tank destroyer which used a later version of the gun.
History
The M3 hull was used as the basis for a tank destroyer mounting the 3-inch gun, a reworked World War-era weapon - by removing the turret, sponson gun and hull roof. It was developed in September 1941 but in tests the resulting vehicle was judged to be too tall and the gun mount was not suitable for mass production so the T24 project was cancelled in 1942.
[Chamberlain Ellis (1981) p 111]
The T40 was the T24 prototype rebuilt by
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) was an American manufacturer of railway locomotives from 1825 to 1951. Originally located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it moved to nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania, Eddystone in the early 20th century. The com ...
in 1942
on the existing M3 Lee chassis to use redundant 3-inch M1918 anti-aircraft guns. The gun mounting was lower than the T24; on the T24 the gun had been level with the original hull roof. Fifty guns were thought to be available, and following successful trials of the T40, the design was standardized with designation M9 GMC with a "limited standard" production of fifty vehicles in April 1942. However only 28 guns were available and the M9s were not expected to be complete by the time the superior
M10 tank destroyer
The M10 tank destroyer, formally known as 3-inch gun motor carriage M10 or M10 BBC, was an American tank destroyer of World War II. After US entry into World War II and the formation of the Tank Destroyer Force, a suitable vehicle was needed t ...
design was in production, so the M9 was cancelled in August 1942.
[
As well as doubts in the ]Ordnance Board
The Board of Ordnance was a British government body. Established in the Tudor period, it had its headquarters in the Tower of London. Its primary responsibilities were 'to act as custodian of the lands, depots and forts required for the defence ...
about the design, the Tank Destroyer Board felt that the vehicle was too slow.[Zaloga p6-7]
See also
* List of the United States military vehicles by model number
* Tanks of the United States
The United States has produced tanks since their inception in World War I, up until the present day. While there were several American experiments in tank design, the first American tanks to see service were copies of French light tanks and a ...
References
Sources
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External links
World War II tank destroyers of the United States
Self-propelled artillery of the United States
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