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The M3 Gun Motor Carriage (GMC) was a United States Army tank destroyer equipped with a 75 mm M1897A4 gun, which was built by the Autocar Company during World War II.
After observing the new and often decisive, uses of armored vehicles on both sides during the French campaign of 1940, the US Army decided that it required a 75 mm self-propelled gun, based on the chassis of the M3 Half-track. This was initially known as the T12. However, after the addition of features such as the gun shield from the M2A3 (a carriage for the M1897A4), the new vehicle entered production under the name M3 Gun Motor Carriage (or M3 GMC).
The T12/M3 first served in the Philippines Campaign in 1942 with the Provisional Field Artillery Brigade in the anti-tank and the fire-support role. It then served in North Africa in tank destroyer battalions. It also served in the Allied invasion of Sicily but was eventually superseded by the M10 tank destroyer. A total of 2,203 were produced, of which 1,361 were converted back into M3A1 half-tracks.
The M3 GMC also served in the Pacific theater, starting with the Battle of Saipan. It proved effective against the Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go and Type 97 Chi-Ha tanks. It later served in the Battle of Okinawa, the Battle of Peleliu and many other island battles.
The M3 was armed with one 75 mm M1897A5 with 59 rounds, had 0.25–0.625 in (6.4–15.9 mm) of armor, and a crew of five consisting of a commander, gunner, two loaders, and a driver. Firing the M61 armor piercing round, the gun could penetrate up to 3 inches (76 mm) of armor at 1,000 yards.
You can see the American Heritage Museum’s M3 interior is embellished with supporting artifacts that help give it an authentic “in the field” appearance.
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The United States is one of the most diverse countries on earth, jam packed full of amazing sights from St. Patrick's cathedral in New York to Mount Hollywood California.The Northeast region is where it all started. Thirteen British colonies fought the American Revolution from here and won their independence in the first successful colonial rebellion in history. Take a look at these rolling hills carpeted with foliage along the Hudson river here, north of New York City.The American south is known for its polite people and slow pace of life. Probably they move slowly because it's so hot. Southerners tend not to trust people from "up north" because they talk too fast. Here's a cemetery in Georgia where you can find graves of soldiers from the Civil War.The West Coast is sort of like another country that exists to make the east coast jealous. California is full of nothing but grizzly old miners digging for gold, a few gangster rappers, and then actors. That is to say, the West Coast functions as the imagination of the US, like a weird little brother who teases everybody then gets famous for making freaky art.The central part of the country is flat farmland all the way over to the Rocky Mountains. Up in the northwest corner you can find creative people in places like Portland and Seattle, along with awesome snowboarding and good beer. Text by Steve Smith.
