M6 GUN MOTOR CARRIAGE
Figure 1
The M6 gun motor carriage (GMC) was conceived as a quick expedient to get some kind of tank destroyer into the field as
the U.S. Army was grossly under equipped to counter enemy armor at the early stages of WWII. The Ordinance Department standardized the design (Figure 1) and
5380 M6 GMC's were built in 1942. The first units were used with limited success in Tunisia in late 1942 with the 601st and 701st
Tank destroyer battalions. The unit suffered from several deficiencies. The 37mm gun, although high velocity, was having difficulty penetrating frontal armor of the
more recent German tank designs. The crew was exposed to small arms fire while servicing the weapon. If the 37mm gun was fired perpendicular to the long axis
of the truck, it would almost roll it over. With large caliber weapons coming on line, the M6 GMC was considered ineffective, the guns removed and the trucks converted
to WC52 weapons carriers.
The M6 GMC saw use with the Marines in the Pacific. In WWII, the Marines were last on the "totem pole" in obtaining tanks and tank destroyers.
Several M6 GMC's were used effectively against Japanese tanks, which were lightly armored, and to knock out Japanese bunker and machine
gun nests. The M6 GMC was declared obsolete at the end of WWII
Figure 2
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Technical Data
Weight 7,350 lb
Length 14.83 ft
Width 7.33 ft
Height 6.90 ft
Crew 4
Gun armor shield 0.25in.
Main Gun 37mm M3
Dodge T-214, 99 hp 6 cylinder flat head engine
Top speed 55mph
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