Is that roller to assist the M3 chassis in driving over obstacles instead of driving the obstacle into the engine or under the vehicle?
thx - craig
Roller on Bumper of M3A2 Halftrack What's it for?
Jun 16, 2004
2 Replies
Yes, exactly. Remember when the M3 half-track was designed, we were still expecting to re-fight WW1 and it would help the vehicle roll up over obstacles and cross trenches.
Rob Gronovius Modern US armor at
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It's to keep the bumper from nosing in when crossing a ditch. The US halfracks were actually a bit more mobile than the German ones due to a driven front axle but could still bury their front ends if not careful when crossing a shallow ditch.
Cookie Sewell
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