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White M2 Halftrack

White M2 Halftrack in The War of the Worlds, Movie, 1953

Class: Others, Tracked vehicle — Model origin:

White M2 Halftrack

00:36:51 Minor action vehicle or used in only a short scene

Comments about this vehicle

Author	Message
garco ◊ 2006-10-09 14:08
4x4peru ◊ 2006-10-09 15:02	White M3A1 Scout Car
antp ◊ 2011-04-13 15:12	Info received from Tom Z. a few days ago: Quote IMCDb.org identifies it as "White M3 A1 Scout Car", but if one looks where the only standing "Marine" (see photo) is resting his hand, that's a half-track tread & drive sprocket! I suspect that someone was confused by the (incorrectly done) SFX mask that omitted the rear portion of the track which makes it look like there's a rear tire. (Never trust a photo that's been touched by a computer or a Special Effects Department.) Quote I've been digging deeper (see below): The half-track in War of the Worlds was definitely a White M2 (NOT an M2A1). M2s are much rarer than IMCDb's original identification of "M3 A1" — there were (all figures approximate) 21,000 M3 A1 Scout Cars built compared with 43,000 M3A1 Half-Tracks, 13,000 M2A1's Half-Tracks, and less than 600 M2's Half-Tracks! That's RARE! I've attached two of the frames in the disintegration sequence to back-up what I wrote about a sloppily cut SFX mask. Also I've included a top view you may want to post that shows the interior during the rocket launch. A half-track restorer, Jon P., told me: The Halftrack in the picture is an M2. The mine rack on the side ends behind the Marine and in front of the mine rack is the outside storage locker. The M2 is about 9 inches shorter then the M3 and was out of production by late 1942. The M3 also did not have external storage lockers. Quote One final dump and I’ll let this go: the missile rack on the half-track appears to be a piece of Hollywood hokum. It’s not a T-34 tube rack; too few tubes, wrong kind of support. Half-tracks have been configured with nearly everything lethal from howitzers down to 30-cals, but as far as I can determine, no US Army half-track ever mounted anything like it. IMNSHO, Paramount’s Property Department kludged the rocket launcher based as much on what was “doable” in terms of SFX as what somebody remembered about tube artillery. The supports look a little like a kid’s swing set. Movie trivia: The tank “disintegrated” (scene 141 - SFX changed the color to red, then to redblue, afterwards the burnt areas around the area where the tank had been was photographically “dodged in”) by a Martian war machine is the same M4A1(76)W Sherman that Ann Robinson (Sylvia Van Buren) & Gene Barry (Dr. Clayton Forrester) dodged in the later bug-out sequence (scene 151). Good old “USA 30126777”. -- Last edit: 2011-04-13 15:13:06
punkrockpub ◊ 2018-03-05 21:56	Not Hollywood Hokum. The Rocket Launcher in question has been identified as a T27E2 ROCKET LAUNCHER armed with 24 rocket tubes! I just want to learn how to build one in a scaled model kit form!
humungus ◊ 2025-06-01 13:37	Fires at the Martians and is disintegrated in return, so not a vehicle as originally listed. -- Last edit: 2025-06-01 13:46:14

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