Meyenheim Half-track

At the northern entrance of the village of Meyenheim, an M3 half-track, a symbol of the Liberation, is on display. This lightly armored, all-terrain capable half-tracked vehicle represents 20th-century military innovation. Its development dates back to the 1920s-1940s, when French and American staffs sought vehicles suited to battlefield needs. The M3 model, produced in about 54,000 units between 1941 and 1945, was notably used under the Lend-Lease program to equip allied nations. Armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun and sometimes 7.62 mm machine guns, it could carry up to 13 men (3 crew and 10 soldiers). Powerful and agile, it was vulnerable to mines and projectiles due to its light armor and open body. The unit displayed in Meyenheim is a gift from the Régiment de marche du Tchad (RMT), a key unit of General Leclerc's 2nd Armored Division, created in 1943 and involved in the Liberation of France.