David Doyle profiles a pair of lesser-known US half-track variants
Even before WW2 the need for modern anti-aircraft defences was apparent. However, the lethal blow delivered by the Luftwaffe early in the conflict pointed to a requirement for faster, more mobile and more powerful anti-aircraft defences than had been previously developed by the United States. At the request of the Chief of the Coast Artillery, four experimental multiple gun motor carriages were built in September 1941. The four vehicles, designated T28, were based upon the M2 half-track with the rear armour removed and, although with different gun mountings, each was armed with a pair of water-cooled .50cal machine guns and an M1A2 37mm cannon.
Tests at Aberdeen Proving Ground were deemed successful, although it was recommended that future vehicles utilise the longer M3 half-track chassis, rather than the M2. However, subsequent tests by the Coast Artillery Board deemed the T28 unstable and hence inaccurate and concluded by recommending the development of a vehicle armed with quad .50cals instead.