were modified into the T41E1 configuration for testing, although they were never standardized. M39s saw combat during the last days of World War II in Europe and during the Korean War, primarily as armored personnel and munitions carriers and were finally declared obsolete on February 14, 1957. About 100 M39s were transferred to the West German Bundeswehr in 1956, where they were used to train the reestablished Panzergrenadier armored infantry units. A number of other variants were proposed, including a mobile command post, howitzer carrier, and flamethrower carrier. Known variants include: T41 Prime Mover: One Hellcat with its turret removed and internal changes made, converted into a prime mover for the 3-inch Gun M5; project cancelled. T41E1 Command and Reconnaissance Vehicle: One Hellcat with its turret removed and internal changes made, meant as a replacement for the M20 Armored Utility Car in tank destroyer battalions. This design could be used as both a prime mover or command vehicle, and in the prime mover configuration it was redesignated T41 and standardized as the Armored Utility Vehicle M39, with 640 converted (see above). 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T88: M18 with the 76 mm gun replaced with a 105 mm T12 howitzer. A pilot was built in 1944 but project cancelled after the end of the war. 90 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18: M18 with the 76 mm gun replaced with a turret from an M36 tank destroyer mounting a 90 mm gun; cancelled after the end of the war. 76 mm Gun Motor Carriage T86: M18 with the T7 flotation device, using its tracks for water propulsion. The T86E1 variant used propellers for propulsion. 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T87: The T86E1 showed that track propulsion was better and this was used for the T87, which had the same 105 mm T12 howitzer of the T88. See also List of U.S. military vehicles by supply catalog designation M36 tank destroyer References Bibliography External links 76mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 (with photos), AFV Database Armored Utility Vehicle M39, AFV Database M18 Tank Destroyer, Hellcat: World War II Vehicles (photos and video) "WWII tank to join in parade". Daily Herald (Utah), 3 July 2008 M18Hellcat.com, a website dedicated to the history and preservation of the M18 Hellcat Hellcat, M18 Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944