Massey Discussion Forums > Massey Talk > M-H Tanks/Racine
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RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

Sorry guys, I am struggling figuring out the posting/reply process for this forum!

Sincerely,
David Doyle

RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

johnfarnworth wrote: Here are a couple more shots of the Racine M-H tank manufacturing in progress.

One sees the installation of, I presume, the engine fans in an MH tank - remember they had two engines.  The other shows the track assembly line

John


The photo at right shows the fan installation during the M10A1 to M36 conversion.
 
While the Massey-Harris (and Cadillac and American Car and Foundry) M5 and M5A1 Stuart light tanks were powered by twin Cadillac V-8 gasoline engines, the M10A1 and M36 were powered by a single Ford-built model GAA V-8 engine developing roughly 500 horsepower.  It was cooled by two belt-driven fans.
 
Hope this helps,
David Doyle
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RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

johnfarnworth wrote: To the guts of the tanks tonight - fitting the Cadillac engines into M5 tanks.  Beefy things two per tank.  V8s of 148 gross engine hp per engine at 3200 rpm giving a maximum level road speed of 36mph.  Bet they really sounded smooth -  quite a jump up from the old Wallis style tractor engines and even the Continental engines that had come in by this time - and of course some Chrysler engines were also used in the war time tractors

John


This is actually another photo of the Ford GAA engine installation during the M10A1 to M36 conversion. 

The GAA is substantially larger then the Cadillac V-8 (and, the Cadillac is a flat-head as well).
 
Hope this helps,
David Doyle
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RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

David,

Thanks for bringing the tank thread back to life and huge thanks for the additional info.  I have only very limited knowledge of the tanks so your addition to knowledge is more than welcome and appreciated.  You say you have written books about tanks - have you material in these on MH tanks and if so could you give us the references then we could learn more?

My e mail is johntractor@tiscali.co.uk

Thanks again
John

RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

Hi John,
Thanks for your response and kind words.

Massey-Harris produced

M5 Stuart light tank - 250 units
M5A1 Stuart light tank - 1084 units
T24/M24 Chaffee light tank - 990
M41 155mm Howitzer Motor Carriages
M44 155mm Howitzer Motor Carriages
M10 turret trainers - 155 units

and converted M10A1 Gun Motor Carriages (tank destroyers) to T71/M36 Gun Motor Carriages (tank destroyers) - 500 units

With regard to your query - I have written or co-authored - books about the Chaffee, Stuart and M10.

I am working on additional books concerning several of these vehicles, and would welcome the opprotunity to obtain high-resolution scans of a few of the photos that have appeared in this thread.

Best wishes,
David Doyle
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RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

MasseyH wrote: So once I discover one of these beasts, just how will I be able to tell if it was made in the MH plant in Racine and not in the Cadillac or GM plant in Detroit?  Will it have a big "Massey Harris - Better Built Military Equipment" sign on it???  Is there a tag? will it say Racine?  I know my tank bag box does say"Massey Harris Racine WI - Tank Division"

GTE


Knowing for certain that a M5A1 was built by MH (rather than Cadillac or American Car and Foundry) is really pretty easy.   Look closely at the trapezodal armor plate on the right front of the tank.  MH-bulit tanks are fittingly stamped "M-H" in that plate.  Also stamped into that plate is the construction number of the tank.

There are a variety of numbers associated with US tanks - and this is good time to discuss these.  The M-H construction number stamped into the tank pretty much means nothing to anyone but MH.  

Painted on the side of the tank (and other US Army vehicles) is the Army registration number.  This is the number that begins "USA".

The registration number can be compared to a non-expiring license plate number - this is the number that typically the army uses to keep track of the vehicle.  Under normal circumstances, these numbers do not change during the vehicle's military service (however, preserved/restored tanks are often painted with erroneous numbers).

Thus, if the number is visible in a vintage photograph, by matching it with the data below, you can tell if it is a M-H tank.  If the registration number visible on a Stuart does not fall in the ranges below, then the Stuart in the photo was built by Cadillac or American Car and Foundry.

Embossed into the tank is the Ordnance Serial Number - this number too is sometimes used by military accountability, and normally it too does not change.

The model/registration/serial numbers for the MH-built Stuarts are:

M5     3064984-3065233       3268-3517
M5A1 3065234-3065483       3518-3767
M5A1 3059072-3059571       9768-10267
M5A1 30102715-30103048   15501-15834

By the way, none of these numbers are the same as the M-H construction numbers.

Hope this helps!

Respectfully,
David Doyle

RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

I can't wait until Gary get's his first Massey tank!!   :-)

RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

If anyone should have photos of armored vehicle production or modification at Racine, please drop me a note, as I am seeking such images for an upcoming book.

Any help appreciated.

Sincerely,
David Doyle

RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

So where is the ebay or craigslist for MH tanks?  How do you go about finding them so John F or Gary can buy one of these things and take it to shows?

Drew

RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

Reuhlz wrote: So where is the ebay or craigslist for MH tanks?  How do you go about finding them so John F or Gary can buy one of these things and take it to shows?

Drew


Well, the largest international organization for historic military vehicle enthusiasts is the Military Vehicle Preservation Association (www.MVPA.org ).  There are links on the site to upcoming events.

Outside the USA - the annual War and Peace show (https://warandpeacerevival.com ) is THE place for such things in the UK.  In the USA, there are numerous events (though none as large as War and Peace) at various around the country.  

Hope this helps!

Sincerely,
David