M3AI General Stuart Light Tank

M3AI General Stuart Light Tank. . The Stuart light tank was the first American-designed and built, ground combat weapon battle tested in World War Il. Stuart light tanks went into action with the British 8th Army in the North African desert before the United States entered the war in December of 1941. Developments dating back to the 1920s brought about the U.S. Army Stuarts - the M2A4, M3 series and M-5 series. Innovative design elements, including the rubber-bushed tank track, a power train with a compact engine in the tank's rear section, and the front transmission, contributed to the success of all U.S. tanks and related vehicles in World War II. , Designated the Light Tank M3, production began in March of 1941 on an improved model of the older M2A4. The M3's main armament consisted of the new 37mm antitank gun. The British version, dubbed the Honey, astounded British tankers with its ability to sustain speed of 20-30 miles per hour, as their older model tanks could only reach speeds of 10-20 m.p.h. The M3 could often go more than 1,000 miles on a set of tracks without any major mechanical work - the British tanks required new tracks every 500 miles and frequent major mechanical repair. Impressed with the M3, the British named it after the famous Confederate Cavalry General, J.E.B. Stuart. The M3 Stuart was the first American tank with a name., By August 1941, enough changes had been made in the M3 for a new designation, the M3A1 Stuart Light Tank. These changes included a new turret and an elevation stabilizer for the 37mm gun, When production of the M3A3 ended in 1943, more than 13,000 M3 Stuart tanks had been built, including 4,621 of the M3A1 series., Because of its weak gun and thin armor, many considered it an obsolete combat tank at the end of 1943. Yet, the Stuart continued to be used for combat operations and as a training vehicle until the end of World War II because they were mechanically reliable, easy to maintain, and fast. In the Pacific, the Marines used the M3s against any and all Japanese tanks throughout the War., This M3A1 Stuart, nicknamed "Miss Staten Island," was manufactured by American Car and Foundry Co. The tank has a riveted hull, a. welded turret, and a Wright radial air-cooled 7-cylinder Model W-670 gasoline engine; rated at 242 horsepower at 2,400 rpm. This Stuart has been painted to resemble Stuarts used by American forces in the invasion of French North Africa in November 1942. The U.S. flag was painted on the side in the hope that the French would hesitate to fire on U.S. troops., Specifications: , Weight: 28,500 pounds , Armament: 37mm Gun M3, one .30 caliber M1919A5 Browning machine gun, two .30 caliber M1919A4 Browning machine guns , Crew: four , Speed: 31 mph, maximum on road , Armor: varies from 1 to 1.5 inches, (captions) , In Germany in 1945, this World War II photograph shows a crewman firing the turret-mounted .30 caliber machine gun on a Stuart tank. (US Army), This rare photograph shows a Stuart tank formation during the early days of World War II in North Africa. (Library of Congress), Somewhere in the South Pacific, an M3A1 Stuart came ashore during a Marine amphibious landing. (U.S. Marine Corps), During fighting near the Tenaru River in the Solomon Islands, a tank commander stood guard over his M3A1 with a Thompson sub-machine gun. This tank was an early model with sponson machine guns. These were eliminated on later models. (U.S. Marine Corps), A 4-ton ordnance wrecker towed a M3A1 Stuart during Operation Somewhere in England during world war two.