Pennsylvania Military Museum

Open topped half-track personnel carriers in use during World War II did not adequately protect occupants from small arms fire and shrapnel. The U.S. Army developed APCs, or armored personnel carriers, to solve the problem. These sturdy vehicles were built like small tanks. In them, infantry soldiers could travel into battle in relative safety.

About the M59 APC
Date accepted: 1953
Total built: 6,300
Manufacturer: FMC Corporation
Crew: 12 men (Driver and Commander in the front; squad of ten men in the rear)
Armament: .50 caliber machine gun at Commander's cupola
Armor: .625" at front, rear, and sides
Engine: Twin GMC Model 302; 6 cylinder, 4 cycle, inline gasoline
Horsepower: 254 @ 3350 rpm
Maximum speed (road): 32 mph
Maximum speed (water): 4.3 mph

The M59 APC could carry a squad of ten infantry soldiers over land or through water. The vehicle's fully enclosed body protected the forces within from small arms fire. With the seats folded up, an Army jeep could drive right into the carrier compartment.

The M59 series APC was an improvement over earlier, more costly models. But the cheaper domestic engines installed in the vehicles left them underpowered. As a result, the M59 never saw combat. It was replaced by the M113 series in the 1960s.

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