Jeeps, Shermans, Hellcats, and more. These are the American machines that rolled, fought, [music] and won World War II. From the front lines to the supply routes, every vehicle played its part in history. Let’s begin with tanks. M2 light tank. Before the war fully erupted, the M2 served as the training ground for America’s armored force.

 With its peculiar twin turret design on early models, it was quickly outpaced by technology, but laid the mechanical foundation for the tanks that followed. M3 Stewart, known affectionately as Honey by British crews, the M3 Stewart was the first American [music] tank to see combat in North Africa. While its 37mm gun was light, its exceptional speed and mechanical reliability made it a legendary scout. M5 Stewart.

 An evolution of the M3. The M5 Stewart featured a sloping hull and twin Cadillac engines. It was quieter, cooler running, and provided the Allies with a fast reconnaissance platform right until [music] the end of the war. M22 Locust, designed to fall from the sky. The M22 Locust was small enough to fit inside a heavy glider.

 Though its combat service was limited, it represented a bold experiment in providing airborne troops with their own armor support. M3 Lee. A strange stop gap measure. The M3 Lee mounted a 75mm gun in the hull and a 37mm gun in a turret. It had a high profile and limited traverse, but it brought crucial heavy firepower to the British Eighth Army when they needed it most.

 M4 Sherman, the icon of American industrial might. The Sherman wasn’t the biggest tank on the field, but it was reliable, easily repaired, and produced in overwhelming numbers, [music] serving as the backbone of the Allied armored spearhead. Now, let’s look at tank destroyers. M3GMC, one of the earliest attempts to mobilize anti-tank fire.

This was essentially a 75mm gun dropped onto a halftrack. It was a makeshift solution that managed to punch holes in enemy armor during the Philippines and North African campaigns. M6 GMC, nicknamed Fargo. This was a light truck carrying a 37mm anti-tank gun. While nimble, it lacked protection and punch, quickly relegating it to training or infantry support roles as German armor grew thicker. M10, the Wolverine.

 Built on a Sherman chassis with an open top turret, the M10 relied on angular armor and a 3-in gun to hunt panzers. It was the most widely used American tank destroyer of the conflict. M18, the Hellcat, was built for one thing, speed. Hitting 50 mph, it was the fastest tracked vehicle of the war, using hit-and-run tactics to outmaneuver heavy German tanks. M36.

 When the Allies encountered heavy Tigers and Panthers, [music] they called for the Jackson. Armed with a massive 90mm gun, the M36 was the only American vehicle that could reliably knock out heavy German cats from long range. Let’s move on to self-propelled artillery. M7 Priest, named for the pulpit-like machine gun ring on its superructure.

 The Priest mounted a 105mm howitzer on a tank chassis, allowing artillery to keep pace with the rapidly advancing armored divisions. M8 HMC the Scott by placing a 75mm pack howitzer on a light steward chassis, the M8 provided close-range indirect fire [music] support, blasting bunkers and machine gun nests to clear the way for infantry.

M12 GMC nicknamed King Kong for its sheer power. The M12 mounted a 155mm gun on an older tank chassis. It was designed for long range destruction and famously used to crack the Ziggfrieded line bunkers. M40 GMC arriving late in the war. The M40 was the successor to the M12. It paired the devastating long-tom 155mm gun [music] with the wider, more stable chassis of the latest Sherman variants, creating a potent mobile artillery piece. M43 HMC.

 The big brother to the M40. This variant swapped the 155mm gun for a massive 8-in howitzer. [music] It produced incredible destructive power, leveling fortifications with ease during the final push into Germany. M4 105mm assault gun. This wasn’t a tank destroyer, but a bunker buster. By fitting a 105mm howitzer directly into a standard Sherman turret, commanders gave tank platoon their own high explosive sledgehammer for demolition work.

 Moving on to armored and scout cars. M3 scout car, the white scout car was the wheeled chariot of early war commanders, including General Patton. Armored, reliable, and bristling with machine guns, it served as a reconnaissance staple before being replaced by halftracks. M8 Greyhound. Fast, quiet, and deadly to infantry.

 The Greyhound was a 6×6 armored car that served [music] as the eyes and ears of the cavalry, racing ahead of columns to spot the enemy before vanishing. M20. Essentially a Greyhound without the turret, the M20 served as an armored utility car. It fied commanders, carried cargo, and moved troops quickly through dangerous territory under the protection of light armor. Moving on to halftracks.

M2 halftrack. Shorter than its famous cousin. [music] The M2 was designed primarily as an artillery prime mover. It hauled guns and ammunition, ensuring the big batteries could move through mud that would trap a standard truck. M3 Halftrack, the definitive armored personnel carrier of the war. With tracks in the back and wheels in the front, the M3 carried squads of armored infantry into the heart of battle, protecting them from shrapnel and small arms.

 M5 halftrack, visually nearly identical to the M3. The M5 was produced by international harvester, mostly for lendley. It featured a different engine and slightly rolled armor fenders serving faithfully with British, Canadian, and Soviet forces. M9 Halftrack. Similar to the M5, the M9 was international harvesters version of the utility halftrack.

 It was widely exported to Allied nations, proving that American industrial capacity [music] could supply the entire free world. Moving on to amphibious vehicles, M29 Weasel, originally designed for a covert mission [music] into snowy Norway, the Weasel was a fully tracked amphibious cargo carrier. It could traverse deep mud, snow, and swamps that no other vehicle could touch.

 LVT1, the Alligator. The first of the landing vehicle tracked series. It used paddle-like tracks to swim through water and crawl up beaches. It was the crucial key to unlocking the Pacific Island hopping campaign. LVT2, the water buffalo. Improving on the Alligator, the LVT2 featured a better suspension for hard ground.

 It became the workhorse of the Marines, fing supplies from ship to shore under heavy fire. LVT4. A massive improvement in amphibious design. The LVT4 moved the engine forward [music] to add a large rear ramp. This allowed troops and jeeps to exit directly onto the beach under cover rather than scrambling over the tall sides. LVTA1 and Amtrak with teeth.

 This variant mounted a 37mm turret from a light tank, effectively turning the landing craft into an amphibious tank hunter to support the first wave of Marines. LVTA4. Recognizing the need for bigger booms, the LVTA4 swapped the small anti-tank gun for a 75mm howitzer turret. It acted as [music] floating artillery, blasting beach defenses at point blank range. DUKW pronounced duck.

This was a masterpiece of logistics. A six-wheel drive truck encased in a boat hull. It could ferry supplies from a transport ship directly to a depot miles inland without ever stopping to unload. [music] Let’s move on to trucks and prime movers. Willy’s MB, Ford GPW, the Jeep.

 General Eisenhower listed it as one of the three tools that won the war. Small, rugged, and capable of going absolutely anywhere, it became the universal symbol of American liberation. Dodge WC, [music] the beep or big Jeep. The Dodge WC series were rugged 3/4tonon trucks that served as weapons carriers, [music] ambulances, and command cars.

 If a Jeep was too small, the Dodge was the answer. Chevrolet G506, the 1 and 1/2ton ton Chevy. Often overshadowed by larger trucks, the G506 was a critical logistical link, hauling troops and towing artillery in every theater of the war, including the freezing Eastern Front via Lendley, GMC, CCKW, the Deuce, and a half, the backbone of the Red Ball Express.

 Over half a million of these trucks were built, creating the endless river of supplies that fueled the Allied race across Europe. M4 high-speed tractor. When artillery became too heavy for trucks, the M4 high-speed tractor took over. A fully tracked prime mover, it dragged heavy anti-aircraft and field guns through the worst terrain imaginable.

 Diamond T980981, the heavyweight champion of recovery. This massive 12ton truck was designed to haul tank transporter trailers, moving damaged or operational armor to where it was needed most without wearing out the tank’s tracks. Now, let’s look at engineering and recovery. M32 TRV, the tank recovery vehicle.

 Essentially a Sherman tank with a fixed turret and a massive crane, the M32 braved the front lines to winch damaged tanks out of the mud and tow them back to safety. M1 Heavy Wrecker, a beast of a truck equipped with a heavyduty crane and winches. The M1 Wrecker was the mechanic’s best friend, capable of lifting engines, riding overturned vehicles, and clearing the roads for the convoy.

 Finishing off with liazison and staff vehicles. Harley-Davidson WLA the Liberator. Modified for military use with scabbards for submachine guns and blackout lights. These motorcycles carried couriers and MPs swiftly through the chaotic traffic of the war zones. Indian 741. While Harley took the spotlight, the Indian 741 was a vital player.

 Smaller and lighter, thousands were produced with many sent to British and Commonwealth forces to keep the lines of communication open. Ford Staff Car. Based on the standard civilian sedan, the Ford Staff Car offered high-ranking officers a relatively comfortable, albeit unarmored ride between headquarters. Painted in drab olive to blend in with the war Chevrolet staff car, the rival to the Ford, the Chevy staff [music] car was a militarized version of the Master Deluxe.

 It fied generals and VIPs across safe zones, serving as a reminder of civilian life amidst the machinery of