So I Was Looking Up M8’s And It Stated That The USMC Used Them Along With The Priest.I Cant Find Any Articles About Them Or Pictures.And Was Wondering If Marines Did In Fact Use These Vehicles And What Battles Were They Involved In.
As far as I know they were not.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marine_M7_HMC_at_Okinawa_12_May_1945.png
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WWII-US-Marine-Corps-USMC-M8-Armored-Vehicle-Photo-/121372237688
The serial number on the back of the M8 photo; B17445, would seem to indicate the date, but perhaps not?
Steven Zaloga states in Osprey’s M8 Light Armored Car, 1941-91 that both the M8 and M20 were used in the PTO, in both the Philippines and Okinawa, but neither was used by the USMC. So much for the photo… despite the fact that “USMC” is painted on the front of the vehicle and plainly visible. [^o)] Maybe the Marines “acquisitioned it” or found it on the roadside dead, I don’t know…
Sorry for the paucity of information, but this is outside of my normal range of references.
Yes, both were used by the USMC in the Pacific Theater. My sources are vague as to actual dates and locations of deployments beyond vague references to “late 1944.” The piece regarding the M-8 states that due to armor improvements in later production blocks of Germany’s Puma armored car, the Greyhounds were sent off to the Marines.
“Subsequently, many of them were shifted to the Pacific theater in late 1944, soldiering in the Philippines and Okinawa, where they even reverted back to tank-hunters. Around 1000 were also sent, through Lend-Lease, to the British, Free French, and Brazilian forces.”
The case is similar with the M-7 Priest. Changing technology was shortening its service life in Europe, so it too began Marine Service in “late 1944”, in time to see service in the Philippines and Okinawa.
Edit: __The 105mm M7 self-propelled howitzer was first used by the Marines on Okinawa. (G-Series Table of Organization and Equipment states that “__each infantry regiment (was) equipped with four M7 HMC’s in the regimental weapons company” at Okinawa.
This page has a decent table which lists the USMC tank battalions of the Second World War by campaign and type. Hopefully, it helps with your future research.