Website Theme Change

On October 9, 2025 I changed this site's theme to what I feel is a much better design than previous themes. Some pages will not be affected by this design change, but other pages that I changed and new pages I added in the last several days need to have some of their photos re-sized so they will display properly with the new theme design. Thank you for your patience while I make these changes over the next several days. -- Ray Merriam

Pictorial: M24 Light Tank with Tracks from a German Sd.Kfz 8 Half-track

In 1944, the U.S. military began to equip units with the M24 "Chaffee" light tanks. However, during use, the U.S. military discovered that the track of the M24 light tank was too narrow, resulting in insufficient mobility. In 1946, the United States installed a track used by the German Sd.Kfz. 8 half-track on its M24 light tank to conduct tests.

 

Rear view. The turret was removed to bring the overall weight down to approximately 32,500lb which is roughly the capacity of the suspension as used on the prime mover.

 

The test results showed that after the M24 light tank’s tracks were replaced with the German tracks, its maneuverability was improved on hard surfaces. However, due to the poor matching between the German track and the U.S. weighted wheels, and the fact that the tracks were thrown off when the vehicle was steered in mud, the plan was abandoned.

 

This photo is a fake. The M24 was never tested with a turret. This photo is a composite of the above photo and a turret taken from a side view photo of an M24 light tank.

 

The Sd.Kfz. 8 in the process of having its suspension removed.

 

The M24 being fitted for the German torsion bars.