Throughout WWII, the USA employed halftracks in a variety of roles. One need was for mobile artillery able to keep pace with armored formations, and one such vehicle was the T19 Howitzer Motor Carriage (HMC). The “T” designation (rather than a standardized “M”) indicates the vehicle was only an expedient measure. Indeed, it was an interim solution until the M7 Priest came on stream in 1942.

The T19 was essentially an M3 halftrack mounting an M2A1 105mm howitzer in the rear compartment. A total of 324 T19 HMCs were produced by Diamond T in January-April 1942. A halftrack was not the best carriage for the howitzer as the vehicle was cramped and overloaded, so much so that the T19 could carry only eight 105mm rounds. Despite drawbacks such as minimal armored protection, the T19 served with the U.S. Army in North Africa and Sicily, and even in Italy in limited numbers. With the arrival of the M7 Priest, many T19s were converted back into standard M3 halftracks.