African Queen 1943 M16A2 MGMC Half-Track

[Mandalore]

Thats AWESOME man!!

 

[1943ht]

Quick Update: The Queen has been sitting in storage for the last two years due to deployments with the exception of Touch A Truck and several other events... as I jokingly say, my buddy Todd has driven the Queen more than I have .. That is not say that I have not been busy... have had several 3-4 day passes (Home on the Weekend) and have managed to start rewiring my dash and installing my rebuilt dash components (Cluster, Speedometer, Volt Meter etc)... wiring has been a challenge with the dash in but I've had lots of advice from other HT owners and things are progressing nicely ...

Installed my radio table, chest, mount and have almost completed wiring in the radio mount. My radios are rebuilt and working, Seat-backs are installed on the gas-tanks and winch repairs are completed with the exception of winding on my new cable (200ft). Have collected 2 original WWII CAMMO nets (one for the 1943 M10 Ammo Trailer) and have much GI equipment to include packs, sleeping bags, flashlights, helmets, etc etc etc... Have my Garand’s, my Carbines and my Thompson, grenades and a couple of bazookas (2.5 / 3.5) with rounds, bags etc... Ammo crates ration crates and a very sweet little South-Wind hand crank heater (working) that was used to pre-heat vehicles in WWII and Korea.

Progress on my Maxon Turret has been very minimal... but I now have the Bat-Wing Armor and have collected 50 Cal cleaning gear and an original armores tool box with goodies. I have many of my wrenches; jack, tools etc and am on the search for more... any opportunities (Flea-markets, Farm Auctions, and Garage Sales etc) are exploited to the MAX. My challenge right now is getting back home so that I can spend time installing goodies and finishing up my turret. In the meantime I will have to be content with the occasional weekend for any shop time.


Attached a PIC of the nose-art my kid brother did for the Queen... JD is working on the turret art and I will provide Pac’s when he is finished. There is a PIC of the Queen at the Touch-A-Truck event in Jun (sans turret) with her 1943 M10 Ammo Trailer, and a Pic of a M16 Model with the Queen's logo on the door … that’s just for S/G.

//R//
Mark

 

[Digger09]

Thats awesome that you were able to get that piece of history back to the states. My grandfather was a squad leader, gun crewman of a M16A2 in WWII in the ETO. The picture is of his M16 in central europe. The name in the picture was my grandmothers and he pointing it out to her where he had it painted on.

 

[datadawg]

Marc,

I saw some photos in other threads of your HT and just wanted to chime in what a great journey you have made. Deep bow to you for effort and determination to bring this baby back and restore it. And thanks for serving.

It looks like you are in York PA? Do you attend any shows in Eastern Pennsylvania? I would definitely try to make a trip with my son to see your Halftrack. Also wondering if you have finished the Maxson turret rebuild. If you need additional tombstone boxes, I have stumbled on a place in France that sells them.

 

[1943ht]

DD, just attending school in PA (2 year Horology Program, I graduate Aug 2015) and unfortunately my collection remains in WI with the exception of 1 53-M37 that I brought with me to ease my anxiety of not having my vehicles with me. The Maxson was 90% restored when I left for PA in May 2013, and all I had left was the 2 power distribution boxes and the slip ring. Time compresses and I have not attended any programs to date, but hope to get to the Red Ball show this spring.

 

[datadawg]

DD, just attending school in PA (2 year Horology Program, I graduate Aug 2015) and unfortunately my collection remains in WI with the exception of 1 53-M37 that I brought with me to ease my anxiety of not having my vehicles with me. The Maxson was 90% restored when I left for PA in May 2013, and all I had left was the 2 power distribution boxes and the slip ring. Time compresses and I have not attended any programs to date, but hope to get to the Red Ball show this spring.

Are you studying to be a watchmaker?? I think there's a place in PA, forgot the name... I actually collect watches, and you should have no trouble getting a job (assuming that's the field you are going into). It's impossible to find anyone good these days (and the factory overhauls are getting insane).

I am looking to buy an M16 with a Maxson turret and it's not 100% working. If I get it, I will definitely PM you for advice.

 

[vesman]

That beast looks awesome!

 

[1943ht]

Thank you Vesman

 

[68t]

Hello mark, I have not been around for a while, maybe new computer will make me hi speed , I sent you email address, let me know. thanks for all the great pictures, vj or 68t

 

[Super Warrantman]

My ride ... Recovered from East African Desert APR 07..

Preservation Pics:
http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/mkoloc/?action=view&current=HT4thofJuly.flv

http://mkolocsM16A2HT.MyPicGallery.com

These links appear to be dead now,but from the one picture that is posted here, it looks like a nice half-track, Sir. Quite an adventure you had in recovering it too, it sounds like.I hope you're still able to drive it now and then.

 

[1943ht]

sorry about the outdated links ...try this one ... https://youtu.be/2wYJ7N7nvCw

 

[68t]

Mark , the engine sound,s great .Just think of all the years it has not run, and now its going. thanks wendell

 

[Ram1911]

It's amazing that the machine hadn't been used for target practice.

I see that it was in Vietnam for a while. While serving as a surveyor with the 1/11th Field Artillery, I set up the firing position for a deuce mounted quad 50 at FSB Moore. They fired it on map coor’ds, just like their big brothers, the 105s and 155s. They would reach out over 5 mi. when fired on high trajectory. The rounds, no tracers, wound come in on the target at a steep angle and the VC only heard “thump, thump” as they impacted; they were too far away to hear the muzzle reports. The VC called them "Whispering Death". They were also very effective when used as direct fire against dug in positions.

See http://www.mystae.com/reflections/vietnam/duster.html

I really commend you for going to the trouble of restoring it. I know that there are magazines that would like to do articles on your adventures through the sand of Africa and the red tape of the governments involved.

What a project!! Thanks for sharing it with us and I will watch for more.

If you dig, you can still find Tabular Firing Tables (TFT) for 50 BMG for indirect fire, similar to mortars and howitzers, which is how they determined aiming. I can't imagine they'd be super effective on small groups of soldiers, but if you're a young Vietnamese insurgent with no experience, you might need to change the underwear you don't wear.