In the United States, as in all other countries, the military reacted very coolly to the creation of tanks at the beginning, especially since until the spring of 1917 they officially adhered to neutrality. But among civilians, this idea was very popular. For example, a certain K. Schafer, an American of German origin, approached the German consul with a project to create a single-seat armored vehicle based on a garden tractor, the consul did not like the idea.

In 1915, along with proposals for the sale of M. Willock tractors, businessman S. Lowe offered Willy Wilson ready-made drawings of a 30-ton armored vehicle based on the same tractors. There was no answer. Later, Willock and Lowe will accuse the British of copying heavy tanks from their drawings, but a commission specially created for this established the authenticity of the English invention.

In 1917, the Holt Tractor Company introduced a machine that looked like the Little Willie: a box with caterpillars around the perimeter, a cannon in the nose compartment and machine guns in sponsons. It is impossible not to mention the so-called "skeleton" - the caterpillar contours are connected by beams, and between them is a cubic armored cabin topped with a conical turret.

As often happens, they did not pay attention to their samples, but fought to produce other people's models. It was planned to produce 4440 pieces of "6-ton tanks of the 1917 model of the year" Renault FT and 3000 British Mk VIII which were called "Liberty" were the model. Until the end of the war, only 3 pieces were produced first, and 7 pieces second.

US tanks during World War I

During the time, the American military corps received from the allies not only materiel, but also a certain tactical concept of tank troops. According to her, the troops should consist of light and heavy vehicles. Light for reconnaissance tasks, and slow heavy for direct support of the attacking infantry. This not entirely correct understanding led to an act of the government in 1920, which categorically forbade the organization of tank troops. All work on improvement fell on the tank commission created under the head of the infantry.

Consequences - before 1935, only (!) 31 tanks were created and not one serial one. The created samples, hiding from the command, are given over to the cavalry, but since the tanks must be with the infantry, these are called "combat vehicles".

It was the intervention of the cavalry that shifted the matter; during maneuvers, they clearly demonstrated the combat effectiveness of the unit only with combined use. This is the official version, behind the scenes - they came to such conclusions by observing the exercises of the Red Army. Be that as it may, in 1932 the General Staff of the Ground Forces adopted a program for the mechanization of the army. It must be said that all samples of tanks that are standardized receive the letter "M", and the experimental models "T".

Until the 40th, only the M1 light tank and the M2 medium tank were adopted, later the developments for both tanks were used to create the medium M3. The design of the brilliant engineer W. Christie, which was used in the tanks of many countries, was very much liked by the military, but due to misunderstanding by the generals, only a few samples were sent to the troops.

US tanks from World War II

In the summer of 1940, when war broke out in Europe, there were 300 light and 20 medium tanks in the ranks of the United States, there were no heavy tanks at all.
The command was already well aware that they would not succeed in not being involved in this meat grinder. Having no developments in new tanks, the troops at first began to be equipped with only light and medium armored vehicles, and some went into series without even passing tests. The breakthrough infantry tank developed before the war, which received the M6 ​​during standardization, became heavy.

Attempts to modernize old samples lead to nothing, and a decision is made to create new samples. The first tanks had weak armor and weapons, in the new models they are trying to solve these problems in the first place. The light M3 Stuart and the medium M3 Grant/Lee appear. But even these tanks are rather mediocre, they cannot stand up to the German vehicles on an equal footing. After the appearance of the medium M4 Sherman, the situation changes somewhat.

The use of the Tigers by the Germans forces the United States to produce the heavy M26 Pershing, which ended the M2 series. Simultaneously with the advent of the M26, light tanks of the first sample are being replaced by the M24 Cheffee.

Until the end of the war, the Americans designed and produced M22 Locast airborne tanks and floating LVTs. Tank destroyers and anti-aircraft self-propelled guns were produced in large numbers. In total, during the war years, US industry produced 103,096 tanks and self-propelled guns.

Modern US tanks

Based on combat experience, the American command in 1946 adopted an extensive program to improve tanks and their units. Mandatory conditions were: reduction in size, weight and standardization of spare parts in order to increase the possibility of using tanks in a wide variety of climatic zones and terrain with a minimum use of additional devices, to increase the ease of field repair and maintenance in general, as well as to achieve savings in the manufacture of tanks . The tasks set define the features of future combat vehicles.

The troops planned to use light, medium and heavy tanks. The lungs were intended for reconnaissance and airborne troops, as well as for use in security. In order to increase mobility, they had bulletproof armor and weapons sufficient for self-defense. For these purposes, the M1 Walker Bulldog is used. The medium tank M46 "Paton" becomes the main medium, and the last heavy American tank becomes the M103.

The experience of combat operations in the conflicts of the 50s shows the discrepancy between the characteristics of the first generation tanks to the new military requirements: they cannot conduct aimed fire on the move, with a large weight and large dimensions they cannot be air transportable (M21), they have poor protection against radioactive radiation and shaped charges , a rather limited power reserve, etc. Analyzing the above problems, a new qualification appears, no longer by weight, but by firepower. Tanks began to be divided into light guns, medium guns and heavy guns.

The tank building program adopted by the United States in 1957 consisted of two parts. The first part involved the creation of three types of tanks:

• Light-gun for reconnaissance and outposts.
• Improved medium cannons (main type).
• Heavy-gun to fight enemy tanks.

During the second, longer phase, it was planned to create two types of tanks:

• Combat (main).
• A new type of reconnaissance airborne tank.

During the implementation of the first part of the program, the light M55 Sheridan and the medium M47 Paton II come to replace.

Without waiting for the end of the second stage, in the early 60s, military theorists propose a new concept for the use of tanks, and, accordingly, a new qualification in accordance with the combat mission. According to the new theory, there should be three types of tanks:

• to fight,
• for protection,
• for reconnaissance.

The “battle tank” is maneuverable, well-armored and, most importantly, has powerful weapons for firing at the enemy in any conditions.
"Recon Tank" should be characterized by high mobility and have reliable means of long-distance communication.
"Security Tank" to fight enemy tanks, it must first of all have powerful cannon armament.

Based on these requirements, since 1960, medium and light tanks have been replaced by the main combat M60, and armored infantry vehicles have been used for reconnaissance purposes.

After 1980, the third-generation M1 Abrams tank became the main battle tank.

Serial US tanks

Name of the tank	release year
M1	1934
M2	1935
M3 Stuart	1940
M3 Grand	1941
M6	1941
M22 Locast	1942
M5 Stuart	1942
LVT	1943
M4 Sherman	1943
M24 Chaffee	1944
M 26 Pershing	1945
M 46 Paton	1948
M41 Walker Bulldog	1951
M47 Paton II	1951
M47 Paton III	1953
M103	1956
M60	1959
M1 Abrams	1980
Stingray	1984
TCM	1985

Light tank M3 Stuart.

The tank was created in 1940 on the basis of the so-called "cavalry" M1 and light M2A4. The combat vehicle had the following layout: the power compartment is located in the rear of the hull, the fighting compartment and the control compartment are in its middle part, the transmission and drive wheels are in the bow. In the chassis, 4 small pairs of interlocked track rollers on board and sprung guide wheels are used. The hull and turret are made of rolled sheet armor by welding and riveting.

The armament of the tank consisted of a 37-mm cannon coaxial with a 7.62-mm machine gun and three 7.62-mm machine guns mounted in the bow of the hull - two in the side compartments and one next to the driver. Fire control from the cannon and the machine gun coaxial with it was carried out using a telescopic sight, the gun aiming mechanisms were mechanical. In addition to the base model M3, its modifications M3A1 and M3A3 were produced. They had round turrets without a commander's cupola and were equipped with gun stabilization systems in the vertical plane. On the last modification of the M3A3, released in 1942, of the three bow machine guns, only the machine gun mounted next to the driver was retained. The body of this modification has already been made with a rational slope armored sheets, in its manufacture mainly welding was used. In machines of all modifications, radio stations and intercoms were installed. Tanks of the M3 series were used as the main armament of reconnaissance units. In 1943 the M3 was replaced in production

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Another interesting article by the respected Yuri Pasholok.

The USSR became the second country after Great Britain, where the United States began to supply armored vehicles under the Lend-Lease program. Among these deliveries were M3 light tanks. According to American data, 1,336 tanks of this type were sent to the USSR, which accounted for almost a quarter of the total output of the Light Tank M3. 440 units of the total number of tanks sent (including the Light Tank M3A1) were lost during transportation by convoys.

In domestic literature, M3 vehicles are often called weakly armored and poorly armed. These characteristics look amazing - especially if you compare the M3 with the Soviet T-70 light tank produced at the same time. To clarify the true state of affairs with the assessment of the American tank in the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War, let's turn to archival documents.

Deliveries at intervals

As in the case of British tanks, as of the summer of 1941, information about the types and technical characteristics of American tanks from the Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army (GABTU KA) was sketchy and outdated. At least some semblance of reliable data appeared in September, and in the case of information about the Light Tank M3, it turned out to be a rather comical story. The fact is that in the data on this vehicle, the Light Tank M3 and Light Tank T9 (the future M22 airborne tank) were inexplicably combined. Its combat weight was estimated at 7 or 10 tons, armor thickness - 30 mm, the crew was supposed to consist of 3-4 people. The maximum speed of this "combined" tank was 80 km / h, and the armament was represented by a 37-mm cannon and three machine guns.

At the same time, the Light Tank M2A4 was considered the main American light tank in the USSR at that time, although in reality the mass production of this vehicle ceased as early as March 1941. This assumption led to confusion, which became the cause of one historical error, which was subsequently cited by many historians of armored vehicles. But we will return to it a little later.

The real characteristics of the Light Tank M3 were obtained in the Soviet Union only on November 13, 1941. Colonel Faymonovil (Philip R. Faymonville), an employee of the US Embassy in Moscow, voiced them to the Deputy People's Commissar for Foreign Trade A. D. Krutikov. Faymonovill, by the way, played an important role in the history of the supply of American armored vehicles to the USSR, he later rose to the rank of brigadier general.

According to the documents, on October 9, 1941, an agreement was reached on the purchase by the Soviet Union of 94 Light Tanks M3, as well as ammunition and spare parts. For every 3 tanks, a full set of spare units relied, for every 20 tanks there was 1 spare gun, a machine gun and a set of optical instruments. A month later, the issue of American military specialists who were supposed to ensure the operation of the supplied tanks began to be discussed. This was also beneficial for the United States, since one of the results of the activities of such specialists was information that was used in the further improvement of tanks.

One of the documents that served as the source of the myth about the supply of Light Tank M2A4 to the USSR

They began to direct the tanks along the northern route, along which the American vehicles went along with the British. The first such convoy was PQ-6, which consisted of eight transports. On December 8, 1941, he left Iceland, and on the 20th arrived in Arkhangelsk without loss. On board the transports of this convoy were 31 Light Tanks M3. It is with these machines that the historical incident mentioned above is connected. The fact is that some documents indicate the arrival of 31 light tanks ... M2A4. This gave rise to a rumor that supposedly such tanks were supplied to the USSR.

In fact, even the Americans refute this theory, and an analysis of the serial numbers of vehicles received by the 176th separate tank battalion suggests that this is a typo. Another confirmation that this is not an M2A4 is a complaint dated January 12, 1942. According to it, 31 M3 light tanks arrived in Arkhangelsk with summer oil and reduced electrolyte density. This, however, the list of claims was exhausted.

Scheme with a hole left from the periscope in the Stuart Hybrid tower

I must say that at first the supply of American light tanks was more than modest. In March, only 26 vehicles arrived, in April another 13. The tanks arriving in northern convoys were sent to the Gorky training center. The situation began to improve in May, when 201 tanks arrived immediately in a PQ-15 convoy. In June, another 147 tanks arrived with a PQ-16 convoy. A serious blow to supplies was the defeat of the PQ-17 convoy, whose surviving ships were able to deliver only 39 tanks to their destination. As a result, the supply of tanks was organized along the southern route, through Baku.

As of September 1, 1942, 504 tanks were delivered to the USSR by Arctic convoys, another 104 vehicles came through Iran. The vehicles coming from there were sent to the Baku Tank School. In September, 57 tanks arrived, in October - 15, in November - 130. In total, in 1942, 977 American light tanks arrived in the Soviet Union, 298 of them by the southern route. In the latest deliveries, there were already Light Tanks M3A1, but since they were not separated from the total mass in the documents, it is impossible to determine the exact number of vehicles of each type that arrived.

Light Tank M3 on trials, May 1942

The tanks that arrived in the Soviet Union belonged to almost all production series, with the exception of vehicles with riveted turrets D37182. Tanks equipped with Light Tank M3A1 turrets, that is, with gun stabilizers, but still without a polyk and an electric motor for the turning mechanism, also came to the USSR. These machines in the British army were called Stuart Hybrid, but in the USSR they were simply not singled out from the general stream. Their deliveries began in August 1942, and a fairly large number of such tanks arrived (at least 40 pieces). We managed to find out this by one defect: the fact is that the tanks of this modification arrived without the commander's periscope in the roof of the tower, instead of which there was a gaping hole. To understand why there are no periscopes, then they did not, but simply closed up the holes with metal.

Lightweight leader

Despite the fact that the first Light Tanks M3, which were called “M-3 light” or M3l in Soviet correspondence, arrived in December 1941, they were in no hurry to test them. This was due, among other things, to the fact that the Research Institute of Armored Vehicles (NIIBT Polygon) was partially evacuated to Kazan, and the organization of work at the new location took time. Testing began only in May 1942, when one of the tanks with the D38976 turret was received at the Research Institute.

The NIIBT took the testing of the American light tank very seriously. In addition to the usual program, comparative tests were carried out with the Medium Tank M3, Pz.Kpfw.38(t) Ausf.E, Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.H and Valentine VII. Separately, tanks were tested for patency in swampy areas, where they were joined by the T-60 and T-70. Sea trials were supplemented by a study of the tank's armament, which included shelling captured vehicles with its 37-mm cannon. In conclusion, a study was made of the design of the tank hull, as well as the materials from which it was made.

Light Tank M3 front. It is clearly visible that the car lacks some parts, including headlights.

First of all, the tank went on a run, the length of which was supposed to be 1000 kilometers, of which 300 on the highway, 500 on country roads and 200 off-road. In reality, from May 1 to May 13, the car traveled 420 kilometers (225 on the highway, 132 on the country road and 63 in off-road conditions). This turned out to be quite enough to evaluate the driving performance of an American light tank.

At the same time, the maximum speed of M3l was determined, which in one case was 58 km / h, and in the other - 59.2 km / h. This turned out to be at the level of the Light Tank M2A4. The American car turned out to be the fastest of all the tanks tested along with it. The average speed of the tank on the highway was 37.5 km/h, on the dirt road 22.1 km/h, and off-road 17.3 km/h. At the same time, the M3l consumed a lot of fuel, especially for a light tank. On the highway, 135.5 liters were consumed per 100 km, 198 on the country road, and as much as 347 on the road! Given that the volume of the fuel tank was only 200 liters, there was a serious reason for reflection. The tank consumed, by the way, gasoline with a higher octane rating than fuel for Soviet cars.

Light Tank M3 on the left. Judging by the absence of an antenna, this tank does not have a radio station either.

A very unpleasant surprise was presented during the tests by the rubber-metal tracks developed by Harry Knox. The fact is that the supporting surface of the tracks was smooth, without any hint of lugs. On clay soils, and especially on hills, the design of the track played a cruel joke on the tank. Due to lack of traction, the M3l was unable to overcome the 25-degree slope. At the same time, it was obvious that the engine power was enough with a large margin.

Another problem for the American tank was to overcome the 25-degree slope. During its passage, the caterpillar fell off, the reason for which was also in the design of the track. There was also an overheating of the engine, which had very interesting consequences. After a 40-minute march, the engine, whose ignition was turned off, continued to work. The pill was sweetened by the fact that the control of the tank turned out to be easy, and the view from the driver's seat was very good.

In the rear view, you can see that the only entrenching tool on the tank is a shovel. All this is not the result of local “grabbing”, but the initial incompleteness of the supply, which caused proceedings between the GABTU and the Americans

The next step was a comparative test conducted in July 1942. During it, the M3l accelerated even faster - up to 60 km / h. The average fuel consumption on the highway, dirt road and off-road this time was 136, 176 and 246 liters, respectively. This suggests that there were probably some problems at the first stage. However, the off-road cruising range still turned out to be less than 100 km. It is not surprising that the British in 1942 requested additional tanks for the Stuarts. In fairness, we note that the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.H during tests showed fuel consumption of 215, 280 and 335 liters, respectively, and its off-road cruising range was only 95 kilometers, which corresponded to passport data.

Lift tests. Due to the poor adhesion of the tracks to the ground, it was not possible to climb the slope immediately.

Tests in summer conditions showed that the American light tank still had the same problems on hills. Even the installation of spurs did not help, after which the car began not to slip, but to dig the ground. However, the lifting characteristics of the rest of the tanks turned out to be not very good. On climbs steeper than 40 degrees, the M3l had insufficient grip.

When driving along a ford 1.4 meters deep, the tank was able to get ashore only on the second attempt, and again due to insufficient traction. Meanwhile, the Medium Tank M3 completely stalled when trying to get out of the water, and had to be pulled out by a tractor. The same thing happened with the Valentine VII. But the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.H couldn't even do that, because its engine compartment was flooded with water while passing a ford 1.3 meters deep, and the tank only traveled 30 meters. The Pz.Kpfw.38(t) Ausf.E turned out to be a little more successful, breaking 35 meters.

Roll test result. Judging by the report from the front, they got off lightly - the car could tip over

A separate program was testing for movement in marshy areas. For them, a section 100 meters long was chosen, passable by a person, difficult for a horse and impassable for wheeled vehicles. An American light tank overcame it in both directions, getting stuck in the course of moving along its own trail. Medium Tank M3 got stuck after breaking 30 meters; Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.H overcame 50 meters and also got stuck. The swamp was not a problem for the Valentine VII and Pz.Kpfw.38(t) Ausf.E, they also passed through fresh swamp.

Later, the second stage was held, in which T-60 and T-70 light tanks were used instead of Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.H and Valentine VII. The results were the same. M3l ​​was again the leader. As for the “newcomers”, they basically overcame the swamp, but grass was clogged into the undercarriage, which caused the T-70 to get stuck during one of the attempts.

The tank is trying to get out of the water, it succeeded on the second attempt. Pay attention to the driver's windshield. This attachment was very useful, especially when riding in the mud and in winter.

The final test was the shooting. In their course, it turned out that the Soviet 45-mm gun, as well as the English 2-pounder (40 mm) gun, did not penetrate 50 mm thick plates with armor-piercing shells. As for the 37-mm American gun M5, from a distance of 100 meters it quite easily pierced both the 50-mm StuG III Ausf.B frontal plate and the 50-mm (25 + 25 mm) Pz.Kpfw.38 (t) forehead Ausf.E. The power of the gun was enough to successfully fight all enemy tanks produced in 1941.

The study of the design and chemical composition of the hull of an American tank did not impress Soviet engineers. The hull had a large number of riveted joints, and due to the high specific gravity of scarce nickel and molybdenum additives, the steel from which the tank was made did not arouse interest either.

Fast but big. And it burns well

For the first time, American light tanks were used by the Red Army in May 1942, during the Kharkov operation. Subsequently, M3l began to spread to other sectors of the front, and they began to be used on a truly massive scale towards the end of July 1942, when the saturation of these machines was high. The topic of using the M3l in the Red Army is itself quite extensive, so in this article we will focus on the operation and evaluation of the vehicle in the troops.

The tank goes through the swampy area

When negotiations were still underway in November 1941 on the supply of the Light Tank M3, in the USSR it was compared with the T-50. The Soviet tank was superior to the American tank in terms of power reserve and armor, but at the same time it was slightly heavier and slower. According to the papers, the cost of the American tank was 42,787 US dollars, or 226,771 rubles at the exchange rate of 1940. The T-50 on these papers cost only 150 thousand rubles, but it should be noted that its production has not yet been deployed, and in June 1941 it was estimated at almost 2 times more expensive. As a result, the T-70 became an analogue of the M3l, which by the spring of 1943 cost a little less than 64 thousand rubles. True, at the same time, the T-70 was inferior to the American car in almost all respects, and the GABTU KA was not very happy with this tank with a single turret.

The first responses from the units mastering the M3l began to arrive in March 1942. Among the defects found, the most serious were problems with the engine. For starters, due to poor adjustment, the engine speed limiter did not work. Much more serious was the fact that during reverse exhaust, hoses often caught fire. This defect was associated with the lack of a fire net. There were problems getting into first gear.

In addition, cracks were found on the turret of one tank, and hatch hinges were torn off on two. The problems that arose began to be solved with the help of American specialists. The operation manual was translated by Amtorg. By the way, it turned out to be fuller than the American one, and it differed in structure. At the same time, control over the configuration of incoming tanks was increased. This was especially true of radio stations, which simply did not appear on part of the tanks. The issue of spare parts was quite acute, and extensive correspondence was conducted on this subject.

Tank with turret D38976 participated in the second swamp run

The results of the tests, during which a large consumption of scarce fuel was revealed, did not go unnoticed. On May 23, GABTU received a request for the supply of tanks with Guiberson T-1020-4 diesel engines. Judging by information from American sources, tanks with diesel engines were never delivered to the USSR. As for cars with gasoline engines, instead of American gasoline with an octane rating of 80, it was proposed to use B-78 gasoline, or B-70 with R-9 additive. The problem of the engine not turning off was proposed to be solved by reducing the speed to 800–900 rpm for 3–5 minutes, and then lowering it to 400–500 rpm for 2–3 minutes. When starting the engine, it was necessary to prevent the pouring of gasoline into the suction pipes, as this threatened with fire. In addition, gasoline corroded durite hoses.

Malyshev, People's Commissar for the Tank Industry, spoke rather harshly about American tanks, whose letter to Stalin was dated May 2, 1942:

“After getting acquainted with the American tanks of the M-3 (light) and M-3s (medium) types that arrived in the Union, it is necessary to conclude that these tanks have low combat qualities and will quickly fail and be destroyed in battle.

American tanks have the following serious defects:

1. Tanks will be easily set on fire, since the gasoline engine is easily accessible for throwing flammable liquid.
2. Rubber tracks when driving on cobblestone pavement, clay and stone soil in dry weather will quickly fail, and a tank with such tracks will not be able to move through the mud (road or virgin lands) at all or will move very badly, at a speed of 3-5 km/h.

Practice has shown that fears about caterpillars were largely unfounded. Another concern about the difficult working conditions of the driver due to the location of the transmission in the bow was not confirmed. In a word, Malyshev's initiative that instead of tanks the Americans should be asked for heavy tractors was not supported. And the assertion that in their development American cars lagged behind Soviet ones by several years should be left on Malyshev's conscience.

The M3l gun was effective when firing at any German tanks produced in 1941

An objective assessment of the M3l was received by the GABTU on June 23, 1942. She arrived from Lieutenant General V.S. Tamruchi, who was removed from the post of commander of the armored forces of the Southwestern Front after the Kharkov operation. According to his report, the American light tank had good maneuverability and controllability. Malyshev's attacks on the rubber track turned out to be largely groundless, since in dry weather it provided the possibility of climbing a slope with a steepness of up to 30 degrees. At the same time, she made the course of the tank much less noisy. True, in general, the undercarriage was considered weak, and in wet weather, rubber tracks led to slipping and slipping off course.

The hull armor made it possible to withstand a 37-mm German cannon projectile at long distances. However, the tank turned out to be too high, which made it a good target. The high and narrow hull, combined with a narrow track, led to the fact that the tank was prone to capsizing at bank angles of 20 degrees or more. Due to the vertical arrangement of the sheets, ricochets were rare. According to Tamruchi, the power reserve made it possible to install additional shielding on the tank. He also had complaints about the motor, which on the whole repeated those described above.

Another important drawback was the presence of a large amount of rubber inside the fighting compartment, designed to protect the crew from injury. In practice, this same rubber often caused a fire, so the troops tried to remove it from tanks. The armament was recognized as powerful, but at the same time, the expediency of placing machine guns in fenders caused reasonable doubts. In addition, when installing a radio station on a tank, it was necessary to remove one machine gun and stack for 48 shells.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that the accusations of weak armor and armament of the M3l look untenable. The level of armor of the American vehicle was quite consistent with other light tanks of that period, and the gun had the best armor penetration characteristics compared to the armament of similar vehicles. However, the tank had a number of other shortcomings.

Booking scheme from the M3l armor study report

To a large extent, the negative that accompanies the American car is related to the time of its delivery and combat use. By the summer of 1942, German tanks with thick armor and more powerful weapons appeared at the front. Against their background, almost all light tanks are outdated. Only the British were able to carry out a decent modernization of their Valentine, equipping it with a new turret and a 6-pounder (57 mm) gun.

An additional negative in relation to the "American" is also due to the fact that by 1943 there were still a lot of these tanks in the troops. Moreover, even on January 1, 1944, there were 424 tanks in the units, that is, a third of the delivered tanks of the Light Tank M3 family. By June 1, 141 tanks were lost, and the surviving vehicles continued to be used. In some parts they fought until the very end of the war. It's easy to imagine how the 1941 tank will be rated in 1944.

Sources and literature:

• TsAMO RF
• Stuart History of the American Light Tank, Vol. 1, R.P. Hunnicutt, Presidio Press, 1992

Armored vehicles Photo album part 2 Bryzgov V.

AMERICAN LIGHT TANK M3 "STUART"

Designed in 1939. It was mass-produced since 1940. It was in service with the US Army, and was supplied to the USSR. Used in the battles of World War II.

Performance characteristics

Weight, t. 12.7

Crew size, persons 4

Overall dimensions (length x width x height), mm.. 4445x2465x2490

Armament

gun, pcs. one

caliber, mm. .. 37

ammunition, shots 103

machine gun, pcs. 5

caliber, mm... 7.62

ammunition, ammo... 14000

Armor protection, mm

forehead of the body... .. 38

Engine power, hp 250

Maximum speed, km/h.48

Power reserve on the highway, km .. 130

Depth of water obstacles to be overcome by fording, m 0.8

Design features

The base is original.

The general layout - the transmission is located in the bow of the hull, the power plant - in the stern.

Armament - a cannon and a coaxial machine gun are equipped with a telescopic sight; two machine guns are placed in the side niches of the hull; gun aiming mechanisms are mechanical. Protection - the hull and turret are made of high and low hardness armor, the roof and bottom are made of non-armoured steel; Installed a manual fire extinguishing system.

Chassis - engine - air-cooled seven-cylinder star; transmission - a manual gearbox is connected to the engine by a cardan shaft; turning mechanism - double differential; suspension spring, blocked; sprung guide wheel; a radio station and a tank intercom were installed.

From the book History of the Tank (1916 - 1996) author Shmelev Igor Pavlovich

American light tank M3 "Stuart" The light tank M3 was a development of the M2A4. The increase in the thickness of the armor and, consequently, the mass required the strengthening of the undercarriage. A large-diameter sloth was lowered to the ground to increase the length of the track's bearing surface. In running gear

From the book Armored vehicles Photo album part 2 author Bryzgov V.

American light tank M5 Since July 1943, an improved version of the M3 light tank, designated M5 (modifications M5 and M5A1), began to be produced. At first glance, they looked like the M3, but received a new power transmission and engine, slightly modified hull and turret,

From the author's book

American medium tank M3 In June 1940, the American command ordered the industry a new medium tank, which was a development of the small-scale M2 with enhanced armament and armor. Since there was no experience of installing a 75-mm gun in the turret, it was placed in the hull

From the author's book

American medium tank M48 "Patgon" III This tank, created in 1951, has a long history. Back in May 1941, the Americans decided to create a tank that would be stronger than the Sherman. In 1943-1944 prototypes of 30-ton tanks were built. One of them, T26EZ, in September 1944

From the author's book

American light tank M41 (Walker Bulldog) gun with an initial velocity of an armor-piercing projectile of 620 m/s). The tank had a very

From the author's book

American main battle tank M60 The new tank, created in 1959, was a development of the M48 tank and differed from it in armament, power plant and armor. Since 1960, it has been mass-produced by Chrysler. It retained the layout of the M48, many components and parts of both

From the author's book

American light tank M551 "Sheridan" The need for an airborne tank led to the development of the T92 light tank by 1954. He had many interesting design solutions, but he turned out to be difficult to manufacture and did not enter service. Since the late 50s,

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AMERICAN MEDIUM TANK M3 "General Lee" Designed in 1938. It was mass-produced since 1939. It was in service with the US Army, supplied to the USSR. It was used in the battles of the Second World War, in regional conflicts.

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AMERICAN LIGHT TANK M3 "STUART" Designed in 1939. It was mass-produced since 1940. It was in service with the US Army, and was supplied to the USSR. It was used in the battles of the Second World War. Performance characteristics Weight, tons 12.7 Crew size, people 4

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AMERICAN MEDIUM TANK M 4A4 "SHERMAN" Designed in 1941. It was mass-produced since 1942. It was in service with the armies of the USA and Great Britain, it was supplied to the USSR; after 1945, he was in service with the armies of many states of Western Europe and Asia. Used in the battles of the second

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AMERICAN LIGHT TANK M-24 "CHAFFEY" Designed in 1943. It was mass-produced since 1944. It was in service with the armies of the USA, Canada, Great Britain; after 1945 it was supplied to France, Italy, Turkey, Iran, Japan. Used in the battles of the Second World War. Tactical and technical

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AMERICAN MEDIUM TANK M46 "PATTON-1" Designed in 1948. It was mass-produced from 1948 to 1952. Was in service with the US Army. Used in battles in Korea. Tactical and technical characteristics Weight, t. 44 Crew size, people 5

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AMERICAN LIGHT TANK M 41 "WALKER BULLDOG" Designed in 1949. It was mass-produced since 1950. It was in service with the armies of the USA, Germany and the states of the Middle East. Used in battles in South Vietnam, the Middle East.Tactical and technical characteristicsWeight, t..

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AMERICAN MAIN TANK М48А3 Developed in 1958. It was mass-produced from 1958 to 1964. He was in service with the US Army and the armies of other NATO countries, as well as Israel. Used in battles in South Vietnam and the Middle East.Tactics -technical characteristicsWeight, t..

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AMERICAN MAIN TANK M60A1 Designed in 1962. It was mass-produced from 1962 to 1980. It is in service with the armies of the United States, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey. Used in battles in South Vietnam and in regional

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AMERICAN MAIN TANK M 485A5 Designed in 1975. It was mass-produced from 1975 to 1980. He was in service with the US Army and the armies of other NATO countries, as well as Israel. Used in battles in the Middle East. Tactical and technical characteristics Mass, t. 47.6

Comfortable shooting, decent visibility and other little things have earned American vehicles a reputation for being flexible and easy to use. Light tanks also follow this principle to the fullest. In no other research tree will you find vehicles as unique and versatile as the M41 Bulldog and T49. By the way, during the test we received a huge amount of feedback about them. Taking them into account, we decided to keep the distinctive features of these vehicles: magazine loading system and howitzer. This is only a small part of what American light tanks have in their arsenal.

Today we will look at each vehicle and dwell on the new top LT - the Sheridan tank. Go!

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Game process

Thanks to the successful combination of speed, maneuverability and firepower, the tank M24 Chaffee(Tier V) can run around the map, changing flanks depending on where he is needed. Excellent visibility and camouflage allow this tank to be equally effective in both "active" and "passive" reconnaissance. At the same time, it remained vulnerable to enemy fire if it came under fire; the vehicle's survivability, especially under fire from Tier VIII tanks, was low. The good news is that after switching to standard battle levels (±2), this fast "American" will not encounter them in random battles. In addition, we have made changes to the tank's performance characteristics to better match the level of enemy vehicles, while retaining its distinctive features.

Fast and compact M7 always "played" as a light tank disguised as a medium. In Update 9.18, this tank will officially become a Tier V LT. It received the standard “firefly” set: good camouflage, a more powerful engine to get to key positions on the map in time, and the accuracy of the gun was also significantly improved. The rate of fire, for the sake of balance, has been reduced.

Like other Tier VI light tanks, T37 will not play against "nines", which will significantly increase his influence on the outcome of the battle. The vehicle will maintain its speed and become an excellent firefly and fire support tank, able to support the attack with accurate shooting and pulling the attention of the enemy so that the allies can go into a breakthrough.

Engine T21 has become more powerful, mixing is faster, and accuracy has become better. However, these improvements will be balanced by a reduction in the rate of fire. A large gun depression angle allows you to play from the terrain, a good view will provide “light” to the allies, and an increased speed will make it possible to perform flanking maneuvers and quickly get to positions.

If you've ever "rolled" on T71(Level VII), you know the unpleasant sensations of meeting such machines as Maus, IS-7 or T57 Heavy. The combination of a 6-round drum, good camouflage and mobility makes T71 a dangerous opponent for cars of the same level, but not for "tens". However, after the transition to the standard battle level of ±2, this tank will no longer play against "tens" and will be able to fully prove itself if used correctly. To balance the vehicle, the armor penetration of armor-piercing shells has been slightly reduced.

Legendary M41 Walker Bulldog moves to a higher level, will receive an increase in durability and engine power. He will be able to perform different roles depending on the current situation: transmit intelligence, playing the role of both an “active” and “passive” “firefly”, spin crazy anti-tank guns or destroy artillery. He also still has a gun with a magazine loading system, but the number of shells has decreased from 10 to 6.

Equally "fun" and complex, the tank T49 advances to level IX and will receive an increase in strength, mobility and vision. The average armor penetration of HEAT shells, the infamous accuracy and rate of fire of the powerful 152-mm high-explosive gun remained unchanged. So what is "fan"? Correct answer: in HE shells. You load one, run from bush to bush, wait for the moment to approach from the flank and shoot at the "Grills" and "Bat-Shats" of the enemy.

A new tank will appear at Tier X Sheridan . Reinforced with screens, he is able to do everything thatT49, but much better. Like its predecessor, there are two guns to choose from: 105mm and 152mm. High-explosive shells are still more preferable for 152mm guns. Unlike the T49, a high explosive fired from a Sheridan will hit a target with a higher probability and send a weakly armored enemy into the Garage due to the increased comfort of shooting. If you don't want to leave it to chance and prefer to have a stable and predictable result, just install an alternative 105mm gun.

Rules for replacement and compensation

Modules: If you have vehicles that will change their level in Update 9.18 and have been researched to the top modules, all modules will remain researched after the transition.

The crew will remain trained for the same vehicle: the crew, trained to 100%, landed in the Barracks and retrained to 100% on the same vehicle they were on before the update. If you have a crew trained up to 100% for a light tank that moves to a higher level, but the vehicle itself is not in the Garage at the time the update is released, the crew will still be retrained to the same light tank that “moved” to the level.

Emblems and camouflage: Emblems and camouflages purchased with gold for tanks that upgrade from Tier VIII to Tier IX will be removed. Don't worry though, their full gold value will be refunded. Temporary emblems and camouflage for a tank that moves up a level will also be removed. In this case, compensation is issued in credits, and the amount will be proportionally calculated from the remaining time. Unique emblems and camouflage remain: they will be removed from the vehicle, but you can reapply them to any vehicle.

Recently, a review of changes in the branches of light tanks and . Follow the news on the forum and expect new articles about the global rebalancing of Chinese and German light tanks in the near future.

Read the article dedicated to 9.18 for all the details of Update 9.18: in particular, the new balancer, new mechanics for artillery, and changes to the light tank branches.Participate in testing all these changes and let us know your opinion !