TM 9-755 76-mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 Hellcat and Armored Utility Vehicle M39

The M18 Hellcat was an American tank destroyer during World War II. As a result, Buick nicknamed it the Hellcat. Armed with a 76-mm cannon, it was the fastest tracked armored fighting vehicle during World War II with a top speed up to sixty mph.

Hellcat crews took advantage of the vehicle's speed to minimize the enemy's ability to pierce its thin armor.The M18's new design incorporated several innovative maintenance features. The fast speed was reached by keeping armor thickness to a minimum. The Wright R-975 engine was mounted on steel rollers, allowing maintenance crews to disconnect it easily from the transmission, roll it out onto the lowered engine rear cover, service it, and then reconnect it again.

The transmission could also easily be removed and rolled out onto a front deck plate to enablequick inspection and repairs. The M18 carried a five man crew as well as forty five rounds