M3

M3 (Eng. Half-Track Personnel Carrier M3) is a semi—tracked armored personnel carrier of the United States during World War II.

It was created in 1940-1941 in parallel with the almost identical semi-tracked armored artillery tractor M2. Serial production of the M3 lasted from 1941 to 1944, a total of 26270 M3, M5 and M9 armored personnel carriers developed by the International Harvester Company and not counting almost fifteen thousand special purpose vehicles based on them were produced.

During World War II, M3 and vehicles based on it were supplied in significant quantities to the US allies under lend-lease, a considerable number of armored personnel carriers were sold to other countries in the post-war period [1]. Although almost all countries that used the M3 have decommissioned it, as of 2007, some countries still have armored personnel carriers of this type in their armies[2].