World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe M6 Gun Motor Carriage tank destroyers were built by mating 37-millimeter M3 light anti-tank guns with Dodge-built WC-55 3/4-ton light trucks. The guns were mounted facing the rear, and typically fired Armor Piercing Capped (APC) M51 Projectile shells and High Explosive (HE) M63 Projectile shells. Each vehicle could carry up to 80 rounds of ammunition. Between Apr and Oct 1942, 5,380 examples were built at the cost of US$4,265 each. Deployed to 601st and 701st Tank Destroyer Battalions of the US Army, they saw action in Tunisia in late 1942 and early 1943 with limited success largely due to the guns' inability to penetrate the armor of heavier German tanks. Beginning in 1943, these tank destroyers also saw some service in the Pacific War. In Sep 1943, they were superseded by tank destroyer vehicles with larger caliber guns, thus some, but not all, of them had their guns removed to revert them back to cargo-carrying trucks. Those still serving combat roles were withdrawn from the front lines in Jan 1945 when the M6 Gun Motor Carriage design was finally declared obsolete.

ww2dbase37 examples of M6 Gun Motor Carriage tank destroyers were given to the Free French forces during the war.

SPECIFICATIONS

M6 Gun Motor Carriage

Machinery	One Dodge T-214 engine rated at 99hp
Suspension	Semi-elliptic
Armament	1x37mm M3 gun (80 rounds)
Armor	0.25in gun shield
Crew	4
Length	4.52 m
Width	2.24 m
Height	2.11 m
Weight	3.3 t
Speed	53 km/h
Range	290 km

Photographs