half-track, motor vehicle that has wheels in the front and tanklike tracks at the back. Rugged armoured all-terrain half-tracks were widely used by American and German forces in World War II as armoured personnel carriers and for other purposes. They usually had open tops, armoured sides, and engine coverings.
The German army used half-tracks primarily to transport troops in step with their fast-moving panzer (tank) formations. Half-tracks were thus an essential element in German panzer and motorized infantry divisions. The Germans built a great variety of specialized half-tracks ranging in weight from 1 to 18 tons. Their tracks were long, which gave the vehicles good traction but reduced their speed. Half-tracks could be armed with a machine gun, a small howitzer (artillery piece), an antiaircraft gun, rockets, or even a flame thrower, and they might also be used as radio and command cars or as ambulances. A typical type was the 8t SdKfz personnel carrier, which weighed almost 12 tons, could carry 12 soldiers, and had a top speed of 50 km (31 miles) per hour.
American half-tracks had shorter tracks and tended to be capable of faster road speeds. Some types functioned as armoured personnel carriers, while others were used to carry ammunition and tow guns. The M2 armoured personnel carrier accommodated a crew of 12, mounted a .50-calibre machine gun, and had a road speed of 76 km (47 miles) per hour. Half-track production declined late in the war as both Germany and the United States switched to using either all-wheel or all-track vehicles.