M3 tank with a welded turret. Tested in the USSR

Already the first months of hostilities in Europe showed the futility of purely machine-gun weapons, which forced the Americans to speed up the development of a new light tank. It was the M2A4, which was essentially an M2AZ, with one riveted octagonal turret with a hexagonal commander's cupola installed instead of two turrets. The turret housed a 37-mm M5 cannon with a coaxial M1919A4 machine gun. In addition, the tank was armed with four more machine guns of this brand: one course, one anti-aircraft and two rigidly mounted in the side sponsons. The ammunition consisted of 104 artillery rounds and 7900 rounds of ammunition. Compared to the M2AZ, the armor protection of the hull has increased slightly - up to 25.4 mm and significantly for the turret - up to 32...38 mm. The combat weight of the tank reached 10.95 tons. The crew included 4 people. The design of the hull has not undergone significant changes. The engine, transmission and chassis remain the same.

The first copies of the M2A4 light tank rolled off the assembly line of the American Car and Foundry plant in May 1940, and its production ended in March 1941, after the production of 365 vehicles. Another 10 units were manufactured by Baldwin Locomotive in April 1942. The M2A4 carried features of both pre-war American tanks (archaic for 1940, for example, five primitive inspection hatches along the perimeter of the turret) and light combat vehicles of the Second World War. Without leaving a noticeable mark on the history of tank building, the M2A4 became an important milestone in the history of the American army.

The design elements of the M2 combat vehicle and the M2A4 light tank were used as the basis for the creation of a new light tank. At the beginning of 1940, the War Department developed technical requirements for the new tank. The first prototype was converted from an M2A4 at the Rock Island Arsenal.

The vehicle received a riveted turret, similar in shape to the previous one, but with fewer inspection hatches. The M20 mask mount was replaced with a new one - M22, with thicker armor. And in general, the armor protection of the tank has increased - the thickness of the frontal armor of the hull was increased to 45 mm, and the thickness of the turret was increased to 38 mm. The chassis and the shape of the rear hull were borrowed from the M2 combat vehicle. The combat weight of the tank was 12.43 tons.

On July 5, 1940, the new light tank was standardized under the designation M3 (M3 Light Tank). However, he gained greater fame under the name “General Stuart”, or simply “Stuart”. It was given its proper name by the British, who received most of the combat vehicles of this type in 1941-1942 under the Lend-Lease program. General J. Stewart commanded the Southern cavalry during the American Civil War. Production of M3 tanks began in March 1941 at the American Car and Foundry plant

Description of the design.

Tank body assembled from rolled armor plates on a frame of corners and strips using riveting, and in late-production tanks - partly using welding.

Inside, the hull was divided into two sections: the combined control and the combat and engine sections. Between them there was a partition installed directly in front of the fan. Engine and transmission oil coolers were built into it, through which powder gases were sucked out of the fighting compartment by a fan. Clean air for engine cooling entered the engine compartment through a mesh-covered hole in the roof of the housing located above the fan. The removal of contaminated air from the fighting compartment, as well as exhaust gases, was carried out through a pocket between the upper and lower aft sheets. Air filters were installed on the sides of the hull, behind the sponsons.

The entire front sheet of the turret box was occupied by viewing windows for the driver and his assistant, which were closed by armored doors that folded upward. The doors had observation slots with triplex glass. The driver's viewing window was connected to a rectangular hatch in the upper armor plate.

In the front view, open covers of inspection hatches in the walls of the tower and the frontal plate of the hull are visible. Its lid folded forward and down, which made it possible to enter the tank.

The first 100 vehicles were equipped with a riveted octagonal tower, bearing the index D37812. It had a hexagonal commander's cupola, two walls of which were a continuation of the walls of the tower. On each side of the commander's cupola there was a viewing slot with a glass block. There were three such gaps in the walls of the tower. Under each of them there was a hatch for firing personal weapons.

Since April 1941, riveted towers were replaced by octagonal welded ones of type D38976, and from October - welded ones D39273, the so-called “horseshoe” shape. Their side walls consisted of one bent armor plate. In October, a new commander's cupola was introduced in the shape of a “pointed” ellipse, closed with a double-leaf lid, instead of the previous single-leaf one. On these same vehicles, the viewing slots of the driver and his assistant began to be covered with additional armor protection. The inside of the tank's hull and turret were lined with 12 mm thick Celotex insulating material, which, in turn, was covered with 0.8 mm thick steel sheets.

Only the seats of the driver and his assistant, who also served as a gunner from the course machine gun, were equipped quite comfortably. Their seats had backrests, were adjustable in height and even equipped with seat belts! Since the MZ turret did not have a rotating pole, the gunner and loader (who is also the tank commander) did without seats. During the campaign, they were placed on boxes with ammunition for 37-mm shells, the lids of which had soft cushions, and in battle they served the gun while standing.

Despite its relatively small size, the car carried quite powerful weapons. In the turret, in the M22 mask mount, a 37-mm M6 cannon was installed (on early production vehicles - M5) and a coaxial 7.62-mm Browning M1919A4 machine gun. The length of the gun barrel was 53.5 caliber, the initial speed of the armor-piercing projectile was 884 m/s. At a distance of 500 yards (457 m), the armor-piercing projectile penetrated homogeneous armor 53 mm thick, located at an angle of 30 ° to the vertical, at a distance of 1000 yards (914 m) - 46 mm and at a distance of 1500 yards (1372 m) - 40 mm. Vertical guidance was carried out manually using a sector mechanism in the range from - 10° to + 20°. Rough horizontal guidance was also carried out manually, with the flywheel located at the loader's position. After turning the turret in the required direction, the gunner could accurately point the gun at the target using a shoulder rest in a range of up to 10° to one side. Sight - telescopic M5A1.

Another 7.62 mm machine gun was mounted in a ball mount on the upper frontal plate of the hull. The driver's assistant fired from it. Two more Brownings were located in the side sponsons. The ball mounts of these machine guns and their machines allowed for minor manual adjustment in the vertical and horizontal planes. The machine guns were lowered from the driver's seat using cables in a Bowdoin casing, and aimed by turning the tank hull. Finally, the fifth Browning M1919A4 machine gun, intended for firing at air targets, was mounted on a special M20 bracket mounted on the side of the turret behind the commander's cupola. Ammunition consisted of 103 artillery rounds and 8,270 machine gun rounds. As auxiliary weapons for the crew, the tank carried an M1 Thompson 11.43 mm submachine gun with 500 rounds of ammunition and 12 hand grenades.

The tank was equipped with a 7-cylinder star-shaped carburetor aircraft engine air-cooled Continental W670-9A with 250 hp at 2400 rpm. Engine displacement is 9832 cm3. Cylinder diameter 130.2 mm. Piston stroke 117.5 mm. Compression ratio b.1. Engine weight 325.6 kg. The fuel used was aviation gasoline with an octane number of at least 92. In case of emergency, other gasoline could be used, but with an octane number of at least 82. The tank had two fuel tanks with a capacity of 102 liters each, located on both sides of the engine. Fuel supply is forced, Ivens fuel pump B91146 or B9151. Carburetor - Bendix-Strom-berg NA-R6B. The lubrication system is circulating, under pressure, with a “dry” sump.

The cooling system was air, using a 12-blade fan, which was a solid aluminum casting mounted on a flywheel mounted on the splined end of the crankshaft facing the front of the tank. To clean the air entering the engine cylinders, two Handy Perfection model T-8 oil-type air cleaners were used. They did not require special care, with the exception of periodic oil changes, performed after 25 hours of normal engine operation or after 8 hours of operation in a heavily dusty atmosphere.

The engine was started by an inertial electric starter. The ignition system is double, provided by two Scintilla type magnetos model MN 7DFA or VMN 7DFA, which had automatic ignition timing and full radio shielding.

At the end of 1941 - beginning of 1942, due to a shortage of standard Continental gasoline aircraft engines, some tanks were produced with a 9-cylinder radial air-cooled diesel engine Guiberson T-1020-4 with a power of 265 hp. at 2250 rpm. The engine weight was 328.9 kg. In its design and installation method in the tank, it was largely similar to the Continental engine, with the exception of components characteristic only of a diesel engine. Externally, tanks equipped with a diesel engine could be identified by air purifiers from the Vortex company, which were connected to the air intake pipes of the engine by flexible pipelines longer than those of a carburetor engine. These vehicles were usually designated M3(diesel) and were not widely used in the American army. The British gave them the name Stuart II.

At the end of 1941, tanks began to be equipped with two cylindrical external fuel tanks with a capacity of 102 liters each, connected to the engine power supply system. After running out of fuel, the external tanks could be dropped without the crew leaving the tank. The use of external tanks made it possible to double the power reserve. It would not be amiss to note that only cars with carburetor engines were equipped with additional tanks. A multi-disc main dry friction clutch was placed inside the flywheel. The torque from the main clutch was transmitted to the gearbox using a driveshaft enclosed in a casing, on which, like on the charging boxes, a soft seat cushion was attached.

Transmission- synchronized five-speed (5+1) with built-in differential. The latter, in addition to transmitting rotation to the drive wheels of the tank, also served to brake either one or the other axle shaft. This process was carried out by the driver using two levers that tightened the brake bands on the differential drums. As a result, the rotation speed of the left or right axle shaft decreased, which led to the car turning. The smallest turning radius was 6.3 m. Turning on the spot was impossible.

The last elements of the transmission were simple single-row non-coaxial final drives with an unbalanced driven shaft. The hub of the drive wheel, which had two removable ring gears with 14 teeth each, was bolted to the latter. The chassis of the tank included four single rubber-coated road wheels on board, interlocked in pairs into two balance bogies, suspended on two vertical buffer springs; three rubberized support rollers; non-rubberized guide wheel, also suspended on a buffer spring and equipped with a screw-type tensioning mechanism. The MZ tanks used double-ridged T16E1 or T16E2 lantern tracks with 66 rubber-coated tracks each. Track width - 194 mm, track pitch -140 mm. To improve cross-country ability when the tracks have poor adhesion to the ground, the tank's transportable equipment included 34 removable lug spurs. All tanks were equipped with the SCR245 radio station.

Modifications.

In April 1942, production of “Stuarts” of the M3A1 modification began.

The main changes affected the design of the tower. Externally, it was a “horseshoe-shaped” MZ tower, but without a commander’s cupola. Two triangular hatches in the roof of the tower were used for landing crew members. The gunner and loader had periscope observation devices at their disposal. The rotation of the turret was carried out using a hydraulic drive, unlike the M3, which was equipped only with a manual drive. The increased rotation speed of the tower required changes to its design. In particular, she received a license, and the workplaces of the crew members located here were equipped with seats.

The M23 mask mount was equipped with a 37-mm Mb cannon, stabilized in the vertical plane, which made it possible to significantly increase the accuracy of fire on the move. True, this required long-term training of gunners, which was difficult to implement in real conditions. The fixed M1919A4 machine guns in the sponsons were removed. In their place, additional ammunition was placed. As a result, the tank's ammunition load amounted to 116 artillery rounds and 6,400 rounds of ammunition.

From April to August 1942, production of the M3A1 was carried out in parallel with the M3. Changes were made gradually, so some later-production MZs featured welded hulls and new turrets, but without a floorplate and hydraulic rotation drive (these vehicles were called Stuart Hybrid). On some M3A1 early releases one could see machine guns in sponsons (on intermediate vehicles their embrasures were welded with round plugs) and riveted hulls. In total, until February 1943, 4621 M3A1 tanks were produced, of which 211 were equipped with a Guiberson T-1020-4 diesel engine (English designation Stuart IV). It should be noted that M3A1 tanks with welded hulls were supposed to receive the designation M3A2, but in reality it was never used.

M3A3

In April 1942, the military issued technical specifications for the development of an improved version of the M3A1 tank. One of its main drawbacks was its tall and short hull, which had remained virtually unchanged since 1935. The archaic nature of this design has long become obvious. The crowding in the fighting compartment was incredible - the driver and his assistant were located almost at the feet of the gunner and loader. In addition, the entire frontal plate of the hull was occupied by hinged hatch covers, which significantly reduced projectile resistance.

The new modification featured a fully welded body with a frontal plate shifted forward and located at a large angle of inclination. The side sheets were installed at an angle of 20° to the vertical. By changing the configuration of the frontal part of the hull, it was possible to move the seats of the driver and his assistant forward and equip them with two hatches in the roof of the hull. They could monitor the terrain using two periscopes installed in the hatch covers. The side sponsons were eliminated, the frontal sheet was joined to the side inclined chines. The habitable compartment of the tank has become much more spacious. In addition, the assistant driver stopped servicing the radio; he retained only the functions of a machine gunner. The radio was moved to the tower, and the commander of the vehicle became responsible for maintaining external communications.

The tower also increased in volume - it had a rear niche in which the radio station was located. Two hatches, larger than before, made it easier for the crew to board the tank. For the cannon and coaxial machine gun, a new cast M44 mask mount was used. The anti-aircraft machine gun bracket was moved forward, and now it was located in the middle of the right side of the turret. The security of both sides was increased by placing spur lugs for the tracks on them. At the same time, they abandoned the hydraulic drive for turning the turret, returning the manual mechanism. However, now it has become duplicated - both the gunner and the commander had flywheels for turning the turret. Due to the increased reserved volume, the tank's ammunition load was increased to 174 artillery rounds and 7,500 rounds of ammunition. Since it was assumed that most M3A3s would be sent to North Africa, they were equipped with British-style anti-dust wings.

The weight of the tank, compared to the M3A1, increased by 2 tons. Because of this, the gearbox ratio had to be changed from 2.41:1 to 2.57:1. Otherwise, the engine, transmission and chassis remained the same as the M3 and M3A1. Production of the MZAZ by American Car and Foundry formally began in September 1942. But by the end of the year, only a few cars were assembled here. Mass production began only in January 1943, and was completed in September. During this time, 3,427 M3A3 tanks left the factory floors. Moreover, only the version with a gasoline engine was produced. The US Army received a relatively small number of MZAZ tanks, and they were used mainly for training purposes. Already in April 1943, this tank was recognized as “limited standard” and was produced mainly for export under the Lend-Lease program, primarily to Great Britain, where it received the designation “Stuart V”.

Further modernization led to the creation of the M5 Stuart.

Designations of modifications of the MZ/M5 series tanks in the British army.

• Stuart I - M3;
• Stuart II - M3 with diesel. 1829 units of both modifications were delivered.
• Stuart III - M3A1;
• Stuart IV - M3A1 with diesel. 1,594 units of both modifications were delivered.
• Stuart V - M3A3. 2045 units delivered.
• Stuart VI - M5 and M5A1. 1421 units delivered.

Combat use.

In His Majesty's service.

British "Stuart" from the 7th Tank Division. Egypt, March 1942

The M3 received its baptism of fire not under the American, but under the English flag. The defeat of His Majesty's troops on the European continent and the loss of almost two-thirds of their tanks forced the British to turn to an overseas ally for help. The British did not have the opportunity to quickly make up for losses through their own production.

At the end of June 1940, England sent a special mission to the United States to resolve this issue. Initially, it was planned to launch the production of British tanks in American factories, but this option did not arouse any enthusiasm among the Americans. We could only talk about the purchase of American combat vehicles. This was facilitated by the adoption of the Lend-Lease Act on March 11, 1941, which was extended to Great Britain on the same day. The British were primarily interested in medium tanks, but their mass production had not yet begun, so the only tank they could actually get was the light MZ. Moreover, the British even agreed to supply M2A4 - an order for 100 such vehicles was agreed upon. But since their production was curtailed in favor of the Ministry of Health, the British army received only four units for testing. As for the MZ, out of 538 tanks of this type manufactured in April, May and June 1941, 280 were sent to North Africa, where the British “desert army” experienced an acute shortage of military equipment.

It should be noted that all American tanks were equipped with English radios, boxes for spare parts and equipment of the English standard, and smoke grenade launchers. Tanks that fought in North Africa, in addition, were equipped with specially shaped wings that reduced the cloud of sand dust that the tracks raised. Naturally, their coloring and markings were completely different from those in the US Army.

The first “stuarts” were received in July 1941 by the 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars. By November, all three regiments of the 4th Tank Brigade were armed with American tanks. On November 18, 1941, 8 km from Gabr Saleh, the 8th Hussars and 5th Royal Tank Regiments (5th RTR) of this brigade collided with the 5th German Tank Regiment. As a result, the British lost 11 and the Germans lost 7 tanks (according to other sources, 23 and 8). In December, the brigade was withdrawn to the rear and some results could be summed up. It turned out that during two months of intense combat operations, out of 166 “Stuarts” of the 4th Tank Brigade, only 12 vehicles failed due to technical reasons! The British, who constantly struggled with their capricious tanks, were delighted. English tank crews gave Stuart the nickname “Honey”. In Russian this word is translated as “darling”, and in relation to a man. But, most likely, to translate the nickname of the tank so beloved by British tank crews, a soldier’s rude one would be more suitable - “milyaga”

M3 on the offensive.

In the following months, the number of "Stuarts" in the British 8th Army, which fought in North Africa, continued to increase. However, the organization of the regiments has undergone changes. In the spring of 1942, medium American General Grant tanks began arriving in Africa. The British tried to distribute these vehicles, armed with 75-mm cannons, among all regiments, so their structure became mixed. "Stuarts" were preserved in no more than one squadron out of three. At the end of May, on the eve of the battle at El Ghazala, they were available in the regiments of the 1st Tank (75 “Grants”, 70 “Stuarts” and 5 “Crusaders”) and the 4th Tank (72 “Grants” and 72 “Stuarts”) brigades Taking into account the headquarters units, there were 149 “Stuarts” in the British first-line troops on May 26, 1942. In addition, at least 70 vehicles of this type were in reserve.

The Battle of El Ghazala ended in a crushing defeat for the British. At the very beginning of the battle, the already mentioned 8th Hussar Regiment was defeated. The 4th Tank Brigade, of which he was a member, occupied the Blenheim position (Named after the British army's victory over the Franco-Bavarian forces in Germany in 1704). In anticipation of the advance of the Italo-German troops, the British dug trenches and dugouts and equipped artillery positions. Guns and tanks were placed at key points, and a system of fire interaction was organized. However, these positions contained only combat guards; most of the brigade's personnel were located six miles north of Blenheim. It was planned that the soldiers would take up positions immediately before the start of the enemy's attack.

On the evening of May 25, the brigade was alerted, but nothing happened during the night. By 7.30, the headquarters of the 7th Panzer Division learned that enemy forces were 25 miles to the southwest. At 8.45, the division commander, General Messervey, ordered the 4th Tank Brigade to take its positions, but the hour-long delay in making the decision turned out to be fatal.

The first to act were the "Stuarts" of C Squadron, 8th Hussars, under the command of Major John Hackett. The remaining squadrons of the regiment were equipped with Grant tanks, and the Stuarts quickly outpaced them. But as soon as squadron "C" set off, a message came over the radio that the Germans had already passed the Blenheim. Hackett made a blunder and continued driving. At 9.07, having climbed a small hill, he saw a huge cloud of dust and both tank regiments of the German Afrika Korps. The major reported to the command that he was fighting and ordered his tankers to hold the enemy until the “grants” warmed up their engines and lined up in battle formation. But it was already too late. In a matter of minutes, Hackett’s tank and several other “stuarts” were shot down, and the remnants of the squadron hastily retreated. The 8th Panzer Regiment of the German 15th Panzer Division crushed the flank of the Irish Hussars and shot down most of the Grants before they could move. The 8th Hussars ceased to exist as a combat-ready military unit.

After the battle at El Ghazala, it became clear to the British that the “Stuarts” were only capable of effectively fighting light German Pz.II tanks and Italian combat vehicles of the M11\39 or L6\40 type. By the start of the Battle of El Alamein on October 23, 1942, the 4th Tank Brigade was reorganized into the 4th Light Tank Brigade. It consisted of two regiments: the combined 4th/8th Hussars, formed from the remnants of these two regiments, and the 2nd Scots Grays. The first was staffed exclusively by “stuarts”; in the second, at least one squadron out of three was armed with Grant medium tanks. In addition to the 4th Brigade, one squadron in the 1st Royal Tank Regiment (1st RTR) of the 22nd Tank Brigade was equipped with "milies". Both of these brigades were part of the famous British 7th Armored Division, nicknamed the Desert Rats. It turns out that out of almost 1000 tanks of the 8th British Army prepared for the offensive, there were no more than 80 “Stuarts”. A few more tanks of this type were available in the reconnaissance cavalry squadrons of the 2nd New Zealand (29 vehicles) and 9th Australian (5) infantry divisions. Of course, such a small number of tanks of this type did not have any influence on the course of the battle, which ended in the defeat of Rommel’s troops. However, when on November 4 the British broke through the front and brought their tank formations into the breach, turning them to the northwest to cut off the Germans’ retreat along the coastal highway, the high-speed “Stuarts” of the 4th Tank Brigade and the 2nd New Zealand Infantry were ahead. divisions. However, due to excessive caution and gross mistakes made by the British command, the “Desert Fox” (Rommel’s nickname) managed to escape from the trap.

On November 8, 1942, Operation Torch began - Anglo-American troops landed in Morocco and Algeria. Thus, the German and Italian divisions in Libya and Tunisia found themselves squeezed on both sides. One of the first to be delivered to the African continent was the 1st American Tank Division, a powerful formation consisting of 390 tanks. Of these, 158 were “stuarts” of MZ and MZA1. Somewhat later, the 2nd Tank Division arrived in Africa, armed with M5 light tanks. Several separate tank battalions were also equipped with the latter. The first American tank battle with the Germans during World War II took place on November 26, 1942. The day before, Lieutenant Colonel Waters' 1st Battalion from the 1st American Tank Regiment, moving east, reached the German Jadeida airfield, which was covered only by a battery of light anti-aircraft guns. The Stuarts rained down 37mm shells on the German planes on the runway. The airfield turned into one giant fire.

The day after the successful attack on the airfield, Waters' tanks encountered a company of the 190th German Tank Battalion moving along the highway from Matira to Tebourba. This unit included Pz.IV Ausf.F2 and Pz.III Ausf.J tanks. First, the Germans were fired upon by three M3 half-track armored personnel carriers with 75 mm howitzers, without causing them much harm. Return fire from German tanks forced the Americans to hastily retreat. Then a company of “stuarts” went on the attack, six of which were shot down in the very first moments of the battle. But the second company, under the cover of an olive grove, was able to bypass the Germans and hit them in the flank and rear. From these angles, the fire of the 37 mm guns turned out to be more effective. The Germans lost six Pz.IVs and one Pz.III. True, the damage to the combat vehicles was limited to broken tracks and broken engine compartment shutters. Not a single American shell could penetrate the main armor of German tanks.

While the British were already using Stuarts only in reconnaissance units, removing the turrets from some of them and converting them into the Stuart Recce variant, the Americans continued to keep these vehicles as part of linear tank regiments. The lack of combat experience affected. Only after the massacre in the Kasserine Pass, which Rommel inflicted on them in February 1943, did they realize that something had to change.

There is no point in describing in detail the defeat inflicted on the Americans by the battle groups of the 10th and 21st German tank divisions, as well as the “tigers” of the 501st heavy tank battalion. Suffice it to say that the 1st American Tank Division bore the brunt of the blow. Lieutenant Colonel Waters' light tanks entered the battle first and were literally wiped off the face of the earth. When hit by a German 88-mm shell, the Stuart was torn to shreds. During seven days of fighting in the Kasserine Passage, the Americans lost 183 tanks of all types, 194 armored personnel carriers and 208 self-propelled and field guns. German losses during this period amounted to only 20 tanks, 67 other combat vehicles and 14 guns. Only the joint efforts of almost half of all Anglo-American troops in Tunisia could stop the German offensive. However, despite the obvious tactical success, the Germans were already powerless to change the course of events. On May 13, 1943, the remnants of German and Italian troops in Tunisia capitulated.

Pacific Ocean.

M3, Guadalcanal 1942.

The “Stuarts” received their baptism of fire as part of the American army in the Philippines in December 1941. Even before the start of the war with Japan, the American command decided to strengthen its troops on the islands, which were US mandated territory. On October 26, 1941, the 194th separate tank battalion unloaded at the port of Manila, and a month later the 192nd. Both units were armed with M3 tanks (54 vehicles each) and half-track armored personnel carriers. Just before the start of hostilities, the battalions were united into the Combined Tank Group under the command of Colonel Weaver. A few days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the 193rd Separate Tank Battalion, also armed with MZ tanks, was sent to Hawaii.

On December 22, five M3 tanks from the American 192nd Tank Battalion collided with a group of Japanese Ha-Go tanks in the Philippine jungle. The result was disastrous - the Americans lost four vehicles. Subsequently, the Combined Group covered the retreat of defeated American troops to the Bataan Peninsula, and then participated in its four-month defense. After the surrender of the American troops, all serviceable “Stuarts” located in the Philippines were captured by the Japanese and used by them in combat operations. An interesting detail: impossibly cramped for the Americans and British, these vehicles turned out to be even too spacious for the Japanese tank crews. In February 1945, the “captured” tanks returned to the Americans.

The next time the “Stuarts” went into battle in the Pacific theater of operations was in June 1942. M2A4 and MZ tanks of the 1st Tank Battalion of the US Marine Corps took part in the landing on the island of Guadalcanal occupied by the Japanese and in further heavy battles to liberate it. Light MZs supported American and Australian units during the fighting in New Guinea. In 1943, M3 and M3A1 stormed the large Japanese stronghold of Rabaul and, together with units of the 27th Infantry Division, landed on Tarawa. Despite the fact that the Marine tank battalions already had a sufficient number of much more powerful Sherman medium tanks, the Stuarts continued to be successfully used by American troops in this theater. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, in terms of their characteristics, the "Stuarts" were practically not inferior to Japanese tanks, including even the medium "Chi-Ha", and could freely fight them, and secondly, they were superior to the "Shermans" in maneuverability in the jungle. In addition, more Stuarts were placed on landing boats than Shermans, which was also an important factor. It should be noted that, as in the case of the Shermans, the Marines preferred the diesel versions of the M3 and M3A1 tanks.

Since the high-explosive effect of 37 mm shells was significantly less than 75 mm, the Marines converted some of the light tanks into flamethrower ones. The initial option of installing the M1A1 flamethrower instead of the front-mounted machine gun did not take root. The Americans preferred the placement of the Canadian Ronson flamethrower in the turret instead of the cannon. The flamethrower was protected by a round armored mask. It was paired with a 7.62 mm Browning machine gun. The M3 and M3A1 converted in this way received the nickname Satan (“Satan”, “Devil”). A company of flamethrower vehicles was added to the staff of Marine tank battalions. Their use turned out to be very effective - where even Sherman guns could not cope with Japanese fortifications, the “devils” simply burned Japanese soldiers out of bunkers. As a result, by the time of the landing on Saipan in the summer of 1944, almost all M3A1s of the Marine Corps had been converted into flamethrowers.

Southeast Asia.

In Southeast Asia, the British were the first to use “Stuarts”. The 7th Tank Brigade was sent from Egypt to help the British troops in Malaya, one of whose regiments - the 7th Hussars - was equipped with Stuart I tanks. While the brigade was on the way, Singapore fell, the remnants of the British troops retreated to Burma. Therefore, the “stuarts” unloaded in Rangoon. The fighting in Burma ended with the defeat of the British, they had to retreat again, this time to India. In May 1942, only one tank was transported across the border river Chindwin; the rest of the tanks had to be blown up or burned.

The 7th Indian Light Horse Regiment, armed with Stuart III tanks, took part in further battles with the Japanese in Burma in 1944 - 1945. These combat vehicles were used by the Indian Army until 1950.

USSR

M3l ​​in the Red Army.

After the American and British armies, the Red Army received the largest number of Stuart tanks (modifications MZ and MZA1). Under the Lend-Lease program, 1,232 combat vehicles of this type were delivered to the USSR: 977 in 1942 and 255 in 1943. The first 46 “stuarts” arrived in the USSR in January 1942, and the last 16 in April 1943. In Soviet documents of those years it is impossible to find either the designations M3 or M3A1, or the name “Stuart”. In the Red Army the tank was called MZ “light”, or M3l for short.

M3L entered service with light tank battalions as part of tank brigades and individual tank battalions. The latter could have either a mixed composition - from medium M3s and light M3l, or homogeneous. For example, on September 6, 1942, the 75th separate tank battalion consisting of 30 M3l tanks arrived at the disposal of the command of the Northern Group of Forces of the Transcaucasian Front. From September 7 to 22, 1942, fighting in the Kizlyar area in cooperation with the 11th Guards Rifle Corps, the battalion destroyed 18 tanks, 28 anti-tank guns, 34 mortars, 25 machine guns, 11 guns, 3 vehicles, up to 1,700 soldiers and officers. During this period, the 75th Regiment lost 28 tanks (of which 9 were evacuated), 33 people were killed and 36 were wounded. Of the 18 enemy tanks that were destroyed, most were accounted for by Lieutenant Pavkin’s platoon. On September 19, 1942, while conducting reconnaissance in the area of ​​the city of Malgobek, he discovered a column of 16 German tanks. Having organized an ambush with his platoon (three M3l tanks), “Lieutenant Pavkin attacked the enemy and, acting boldly and decisively, destroyed 11 vehicles. Lieutenant Pavkin’s platoon had no losses in personnel or equipment.” It should be noted that in 1942, the majority of M3l tanks were concentrated precisely in units and formations of the North Caucasus, and then the Transcaucasian Front. On November 1, 1942, in addition to the already mentioned 75 brigades, M3l tanks were available in 249 brigades (30 units), in the 15th (16) and 140th (16) tank brigades. The 5th Guards Tank Brigade also fought in these vehicles.

On the Western Front, as part of the 31st Army, which in August 1942 fought positional battles in the Sychevsky direction, 92 tank brigades (M3s - 30, M3l - 20) and 101 tank brigades (M3s - 30, M3l - 20) operated. The 61st Army was assigned the 192nd Tank Brigade (as of August 10, 1942, it included five KB, eight Matildas, six Valentines, 14 M3s, 31 M3l). During the Rzhev-Vyazemsk operation in August 1942, the 153rd Tank Brigade of the 30th Army consisted of 51 tanks: 24 medium-sized tanks and 27 light tanks. There were “stuarts” as part of other fronts - Voronezh and North-Western.

MZL was not particularly popular with our tankers. Despite its excellent dynamic qualities and good armor protection, the vehicle was distinguished by its rather large overall dimensions, which made it difficult to camouflage, and was equipped with an aviation gasoline engine that ran on scarce high-octane fuel. In addition, the tank required regular and thorough maintenance, which was not in the tradition of our deputy technical engineers. The reasons for the rather high losses of M3l tanks lie not so much in their design flaws, but in the illiterate tactical use of tank units and subunits, characteristic of the Red Army during this period. The last circumstance can be illustrated by the following examples. In July 1942, the 61st Army of the Western Front carried out the Bolkhov offensive operation, the ultimate goal of which was the liberation of the city of Bolkhov, Oryol region. Among the tank formations that took part in this operation was the 192nd Tank Brigade (14 M3s, 31 M3l, 2 Matildas). You can get information about its actions from the corresponding report.

“On July 5, at 5:50 a.m., after aviation and artillery preparation, the 149th Infantry Division, in cooperation with the 192nd Tank Brigade, went on the offensive. By 06:40, tank units captured the Kabala and Bliznovo points. The infantry, having come under heavy enemy flank fire, fell behind and moved behind the tanks very slowly. This forced the tank units to return to the infantry several times, resulting in additional tank losses. The commander of the 192nd Tank Brigade, Colonel Petrov, in order to develop success, brought his reserve (light tanks) into battle, but this time the infantry was cut off from the tanks by enemy fire, and the latter were forced to engage in single combat with the enemy’s tanks and anti-tank artillery that had arrived by this time. In the current situation, when the infantry lagged behind the tanks, it was advisable to bring into battle a motorized rifle battalion, which was in the reserve of the brigade commander. However, this was not done, and the tanks found themselves in a difficult situation. In addition, instead of helping our ground forces, aviation, having lost its orientation, despite the identification marks on the tanks, struck the units of the 192nd brigade occupying Bliznovo. As a result, 6 tanks were disabled. At the same time, the 68th Tank Brigade (11 KB, 6 T-34, 15T-60), attached to the neighboring 342nd Infantry Division, when going on the attack, took the tanks. 192nd Tank Brigade, returning to their infantry from Bliznovo, for the enemy and fired at them for 30 mines, as a result of which several tanks were damaged.

By the end of the day on July 5, the 192nd Tank Brigade, which had suffered heavy losses (it lost 40 tanks out of the 47 it had in service from enemy fire, on its mines, as well as from bombing by our aircraft and shelling of the 68th Tank Brigade), was withdrawn from the battle and retreated to its original positions. positions." At the beginning of 1943, the “stuarts” took part in the Novorossiysk landing operation, and landed in the first echelon.

As is known, on the night of February 4, two landings were carried out near Novorossiysk: the main one - in the area of ​​​​the village of Yuzhnaya Ozereyka and a distracting one - near the village of Myskhako. Large forces were involved for the main landing: two marine brigades, an infantry brigade, the 563rd separate tank battalion and reinforcement units. The 563rd brigade was formed in the early summer of 1942 in the Sumgait tank camp. He entered the combat ranks of the Transcaucasian Front on August 31 and took part in hostilities in the Mozdok and Nalchik areas. In December, the battalion was transferred to Gelendzhik and equipped with the same type of equipment - 30 M3A1 light tanks. During January, tankers underwent intensive training for the landing operation.

On February 3, the tanks were loaded onto landing craft - non-self-propelled bolinder barges with folding gangways. Each one housed 10 tanks and 2 GAZ vehicles, as well as 300 - 350 marines. Due to miscalculations in preparing the operation, aviation and ships of the Black Sea Fleet struck the shore an hour and a half before the landing party arrived, blindly, without adjusting the fire. As a result, the enemy's firepower was not suppressed, and the bolinders were met with heavy artillery and mortar fire. Only 7 tanks were unloaded from the two bolinders that approached the shore first, after which the barges were smashed by shells and caught fire. The tanks on them also burst into flames. The third bolinder was thrown by a tug and stopped 30 - 40 m from the shore. The unloading of combat vehicles began directly into the water. As a result, only 5 tanks reached land; the rest had to be blown up. For three days, the landing tanks, as best they could, supported units of the 140th and 142nd battalions of the 255th Marine Brigade in battle with superior enemy forces. At the same time, no reinforcements arrived either from the sea or from the air, since the command came to the conclusion that the operation ended in failure. Having used up fuel and ammunition, the crews blew up their tanks and, together with the sailors, began to make their way to the bridgehead at Myskhako, captured by the auxiliary landing force. During the landing and fighting in the South Ozereyka area, the 563rd brigade lost all its tanks, and the entire battalion personnel were killed. It is quite obvious that in the above episodes the type of material part did not matter at all. If instead of the “stuarts” of 192 TBR and 563 TB there had been, say, T-34 or KB tanks, then, in the author’s opinion, with such an organization of the battle, the result would have been just as disastrous.

Since May 1943, on the initiative of the Soviet side, deliveries of Stuart tanks were stopped. However, they continued to be used in a number of tank units on the Soviet-German front in 1943, 1944 and even 1945. So, for example, as of March 25, 1945, the 1st Cavalry Mechanized Group of the 2nd Ukrainian Front had 20 M3l tanks.

Sicily.

The combat experience acquired in Africa was not in vain for the Americans. For the landing in Sicily in July 1943, they changed the organization of their tank divisions. The Light and Medium battalions were abandoned; their structure became mixed and included a company of light tanks and three companies of medium tanks. As a result, the number of “Stuarts” in the line battalions of an American tank division was reduced from 126 to 51. In addition, these vehicles were used in headquarters units in tank destroyer battalions and in armored cavalry reconnaissance squadrons of tank divisions.

Second front.

M5A1 greeted by residents of a French town. France, September 1944. The tank is equipped with a device for overcoming hedges.

By the time of the landing in Normandy, the US Army mainly used “Stuarts” of the M5A1 modification. They had a hard time in the hedgerows of Normandy. Even when equipped with special devices to overcome them, light tanks often got stuck - there was not enough power - and became easy prey for German anti-tank artillery. Thinner armor than medium tanks made them especially vulnerable to fire from faust cartridges. In the battles of the summer of 1944, losses in light tank companies were so high that the headquarters of the 12th Army Group of General O. Bradley demanded that all M5A1s be withdrawn from combat units and replaced with new M24 light tanks. However, this proposal was rejected by the command, partly due to the fact that there simply were not enough M24 tanks yet, and partly due to the fact that supply bases in England were filled with brand new M5A1s. By August 1944, there were over 1,000 “Stuarts” in American troops in Northwestern Europe. In the fall, their losses decreased somewhat, mainly due to limited use - commanders tried not to bring light tanks into battle where they could encounter a serious enemy.

Unlike the Americans, the British, in addition to the M5A1, used MZAZ and even MZA1 modifications in battles on the European continent. They were mainly concentrated in intelligence and headquarters units. Thus, the headquarters squadron of each tank regiment of the British tank division had a platoon of “stuarts”, and the reconnaissance regiment had a company. A significant number of tanks of this type had their turrets removed, after which the vehicles were converted into Stuart Recce reconnaissance tanks, armed with a Browning M2НВ heavy machine gun. Moreover, this option was the most popular in the British units at the final stage of the war in Europe. The turretless "Stuarts" were used as armored personnel carriers, command vehicles and artillery tractors. According to some reports, the latter were in service with the British army until the mid-1950s. “Stuarts” of the MZAZ and M5A1 modifications were part of both Polish corps that fought in the West. Polish tank units, as well as French, Belgian, Canadian and Czechoslovakian ones, had an organization similar to the British one. 1st Polish Tank Division under General St. Macheka, formed in England in 1943, received its first "Stuarts" at the end of 1943. These were vehicles of early modifications and were used for training personnel. On the eve of the landing in Normandy, all units of the division that were supposed to have light tanks received M5A1 Stuart VI vehicles. The "Stuarts" of the 1st Division fought in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. During the fighting, the Poles lost 24 vehicles of this type.

In the 2nd Polish Corps, which fought in Italy, “Stuarts” of the MZAZ modification were in service. They were located not only in the corresponding units of the tank units of the 2nd Tank Division, but also in the regiments of self-propelled anti-tank artillery, as well as in the Uhlan (armored vehicle) regiments of the 3rd Carpathian Riflemen Division and the 5th Infantry Division.

In 1944, the 1st Czechoslovak Separate Tank Brigade was formed in Great Britain, which, in addition to British combat vehicles, was armed with about 30 M5A1 tanks. In 1945, the brigade took part in battles with German troops as part of the 22nd American Army Corps. In the first half of May, Czechoslovak tank crews reached the Pilsen area, and on May 30, in their Cromwells and Stuarts, they paraded through the streets of Prague. Western-made armored vehicles were in service with the Czechoslovak Army until the mid-1950s. As for the “Stuarts”, in the late 1940s they were, in particular, used in the liquidation of Bandera in Eastern Slovakia.

In the summer of 1944, the British transferred 56 MZAZ tanks to the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia (NOAU). These tanks were included in the 1st Tank Brigade of the NOAU, formed in Italy. In November 1944, the brigade was landed on the Dalmatian coast. After the Yugoslav partisans captured the German arsenal in Sibenik, some of the vehicles were converted into self-propelled guns, with the turrets dismantled. One battery was armed with German 75-mm Pak 40 anti-tank guns, and the other with quadruple German 20-mm Flak 38 anti-aircraft guns.

The tank units of Fighting France received 651 Stuarts. These vehicles entered service with all four French tank divisions formed by the summer of 1944. On July 31, the 2nd French Tank Division began landing in Normandy under the command of General Leclerc. Equipped with American-made materiel, it consisted of 165 Sherman medium tanks, 95 M3A3 and M5A1 Stuart light tanks, 33 M8 self-propelled guns and many other armored vehicles. Operationally, the division was subordinate to American command and was transported to Normandy separately from the French 1st Army, which landed at Marseilles and Toulon on August 15, mainly for political reasons: on August 25, 1944, General Leclerc's tanks were the first to enter Paris.

M3 (English Light Tank M3) is a light American tank of the Second World War period, included in the name “Stuart”, which was given to it already in Great Britain in honor of the American Civil War general Jeb Stewart. This tank is the most popular and most famous light tank of the Second World War period and the most numerous light tank in the history of world tank building. This combat vehicle was a direct development of the American M2A4 light tank. The tank was developed and mass-produced by American Car and Foundry and Cadillac Car Division (a branch of General Motors). Between March 1941 and June 1944. The tank was mass-produced and modernized several times. A total of 23,685 tanks of this type were assembled in the United States.

Background to the appearance of the M3 tank

By the time World War II began, the US Army had two types of light tanks. The infantry units were armed with 292 tanks of the M2A2 and M2AZ modifications. These were double-turret tanks with machine gun armament, with a 12.7 mm machine gun in one turret and a 7.62 mm machine gun in the other turret. Along with them, the motorized cavalry units had 112 M1 and M1A1 tanks. In these tanks, exactly the same machine gun armament was located in the same turret. Structurally, such tanks had the same chassis, which consisted of 4 road wheels for each side. Interlocked in pairs with each other in two balancing carts, the support rollers were suspended on vertical buffer springs. It was the chassis that was, perhaps, the main advantage of tanks that were not particularly remarkable, and by the time the Second World War began, they were quite obsolete. But the performance of the chassis really amazed the imagination. In November 1934, the T5 tank, which was a prototype of the M1, safely completed a test run from the Rock Island Arsenal to Washington, with a total length of 1,450 kilometers. During the run, the average speed of the tank was 48 km/h. Starting from the Rock Island Arsenal on November 14, the tank crew found itself in Washington within 3 days, thereby breaking all speed records for tracked vehicles. Subsequently, this chassis design was used on all American-made tanks until 1945.

Light tank M2A4

The fighting that began in Europe on September 1, 1939, quickly demonstrated to American generals the futility of solely machine gun armament, which forced them to accelerate design work on the creation of a new light tank equipped with artillery weapons. This is how the M2A4 tank was born. The first light tanks of this type rolled off the assembly line of the American Car and Foundry plant in May 1940. The production of these combat vehicles was completed in March 1941; a total of 365 tanks of this type were assembled. Another 10 tanks were produced by Baldwin Locomotive Works in April 1942. The M2A4 combined features of both pre-war American tanks (archaic for 1940, for example, were 5 primitive inspection hatches located along the perimeter of the turret) and light tanks of the Second World War. Without leaving any noticeable mark in the history of tank building, the M2A4 light tank became a very important milestone in the history of the American army. The appearance of this tank among the troops in the United States coincided with the formation of tank divisions. On July 15, 1940, the formation of the 1st and 2nd tank divisions began in the United States, which received the new M2A4 light tanks.

At the same time, M2A4 light tanks were initially used mainly for training purposes. These vehicles saw combat only once - this happened at the end of 1942 on the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific Ocean, where they fought the Japanese as part of the 1st Marine Tank Battalion. The UK received 4 more of these tanks under the Lend-Lease program. Moreover, soon after the release of the first M2A4 tanks in the United States, the design of an improved version of this combat vehicle began. In particular, the thickness of the frontal armor of the turret and tank hull increased, which resulted in an increase in the weight of the combat vehicle to 12 tons. At the same time, in order to somehow reduce the specific pressure, they decided to place the sloth on the ground. This decision by American engineers made it possible to increase the stability of the tank. For more reliable engine protection, the rear part of the tank hull was also redesigned. The first prototype of the new light tank was created on the basis of the M2A4 at the Rock Island Arsenal, and already on July 5, 1940, it was put into service under the designation “M3 light tank.” American Car and Foundry produced the first production M3 tanks in March 1941, immediately after the completion of production of the M2A4 tank.

Light tank M3

Structurally, the M3 Stuart light tank repeated its predecessors, incorporating a number of shortcomings that were inherent in all American tanks of the 1930s. For example, the width of the tank was limited by the dimensions of the standard American floating bridge of the pre-war years. And the short and high hull did not allow placing an artillery system with a caliber greater than 37 mm in the tank turret. Narrow tracks, which were borrowed from lighter tanks, resulted in high specific pressure and limited maneuverability of the combat vehicle on soft soils.

The main advantages of the M3 light tank included its very high operational reliability, as well as excellent dynamic characteristics. At the time of its creation, the armament was also quite powerful, which consisted of a 37-mm M6 cannon and five 7.62-mm Browning M1919A4 machine guns (one machine gun was coaxial with the cannon, the second was a course gun, two machine guns were located in the side sponsons, and the last one was anti-aircraft).

During mass production of the combat vehicle, changes were constantly made to its design, mainly of a technological nature. So, for example, the multifaceted riveted turret on the first batch of vehicles was replaced by a similar-shaped but welded turret, which was then replaced by the so-called “horseshoe-shaped” turret, the side walls of which were formed by one bent armor plate. On later production M3 tanks, the hull began to be assembled using partial welding. Starting from the second half of 1941, a light tank was equipped with a vertical guidance stabilizer for the 37-mm cannon, which greatly increased the accuracy of firing the gun while on the move, but in reality this rather complex mechanism, which required special training from the crew, was most often simply turned off.

The hull of the M3 Stuart light tank was made of rolled armor plates on a frame of corners and strips using riveting, while in later tanks it was partially welded. The layout of the tank was as follows - with a rear-mounted engine and front-mounted transmission units. The crew of the combat vehicle consisted of 4 people - a driver and his assistant (gunner), located in the control compartment, as well as a loader with a commander, who also served as a gunner, located in a double tank turret.

The entire front sheet of the turret box hull was occupied by viewing windows for the driver and his assistant; these windows were completely covered by armored doors that folded up. Triplexes were installed in the doors. The driver's viewing window of the Stuart tank was connected to a rectangular hatch located in the upper frontal plate of the hull. The lid of this hatch folded forward and down, which allowed the crew to board the tank.

At the same time, only the seats of the tank driver and his assistant, who also served as a gunner from a front-facing machine gun, were quite comfortable. The seats of these two crew members had backrests that were adjustable in height and were even equipped with seat belts. Since the turret of the M3 light tank did not have a rotating floor, the loader and gunner (aka commander) did without seats at all. During the campaign, they were located on shell boxes with ammunition, the lids of which were specially equipped with soft cushions, and in battle, both served the gun in a standing position.

The tank's main armament was a 37-mm M6 cannon with a 53.5-caliber barrel. The initial speed of an armor-piercing projectile fired from this gun was 884 m/s. At a distance of 500 yards (457 meters), an armor-piercing projectile could penetrate homogeneous armor 53 mm thick, located at an angle of 30 to the vertical; at a distance of 1000 yards (914 meters) - 46 mm and at a distance of 1500 yards (1327 meters) - 40 mm. Vertical aiming of the gun at the target was carried out manually using an installed sector mechanism in the range from 100 to +200. Rough horizontal guidance was also carried out manually, with the flywheel located near the loader's position.

The 37 mm gun was paired with a 7.62 mm Browning М1919А4 machine gun. There were 5 machine guns on the tank in total. Another tank machine gun was installed in a ball mount on the upper frontal plate of the hull. The driver's assistant fired from it. Two more Brownings were placed in the side sponsons. The ability to adjust these machine guns in the horizontal and vertical planes was greatly limited; in fact, guidance was carried out by turning the tank body. These machine guns were fired in the sponsons by the tank driver (or the crew member who took his place) using cables in a Bowden sheath. The fifth 7.62-mm machine gun was anti-aircraft and was intended for firing at air targets; it was installed on the side of the turret immediately behind the commander's cupola.

The undercarriage of the M3 Stuart light tank (on each side) included 4 single rubber-coated road wheels, which were interlocked in pairs into two balance bogies, which were suspended on two vertical buffer springs; 3 rubberized support rollers; a non-rubberized guide wheel, which was also suspended on a buffer spring and equipped with a screw-type tensioning mechanism.

The M3 Stuart light tank received its baptism of fire in North Africa and not under the American, but under the British flag. The defeat of the British troops on the continent and the loss of almost 2/3 of their tanks forced the British to turn to their overseas ally for help. The British could not quickly make up for the losses incurred in tanks through their own production. Great Britain received the first Stuarts in July 1941; they entered service with the 8th Royal Irish Hussars. By November of the same year, all 3 regiments of the 4th Tank Brigade were armed with American vehicles.

On November 18, 1941, 8 kilometers from Gabr-Saleh, the 8th Hussars and the 5th Royal Tank Regiment of this brigade met with the 5th German Tank Regiment. As a result of the ensuing tank battle, the British lost 11 and the Germans 7 tanks (according to other sources, the outcome for the British was worse, 23 to 8). In December 1941, the brigade was withdrawn to the rear, which made it possible to summarize some of the results of the use of American light tanks in combat conditions. It turned out that during two months of intense combat operations in the desert, out of 166 “Stuarts” of the 4th Tank Brigade, only 12 vehicles failed for technical reasons. The British, who constantly suffered with their very capricious tanks, were delighted with the Stuart.

The third after the American and British armies in the number of Stuart tanks was the Red Army, which, as part of the Lend-Lease program, received 1232 light tanks of the M3 and M3A1 modifications: 972 tanks in 1942 and 255 in 1943. In our country, these tanks were called M3 “light” or simply M3l. At the same time, the vehicle never enjoyed much success among Soviet tankers. Despite its excellent dynamic characteristics, the tank stood out due to its large dimensions, which made camouflage difficult. In addition, the tank ran on high-octane fuel, which was scarce in the Soviet Union. It had to be filled with aviation gasoline with an octane number of at least 92, or, in case of emergency, other gasoline, but with an octane number of at least 82. In addition to all of the above, the tank required careful and regular maintenance, which was not in the traditions of Soviet deputy technical engineers.

Main modifications of the tank:

M3. The very first modification of the tank, a version with a riveted hull and turret. During mass production, the tank's turret became welded, and its shape was changed - from multifaceted to horseshoe-shaped. Late production tanks were distinguished by the presence of a partially welded hull. Some of the tanks were distinguished by the presence of a gun aiming stabilizer in the vertical plane, as well as a Guiberson T-1020-4 diesel engine with a power of 220 hp instead of a gasoline engine with a power of 250 hp. A total of 5,811 M3 tanks were produced.

MZA1. The version differs in that the tank's commander's cupola, as well as the machine guns located in the side sponsons, were eliminated. The body, chassis and power plant have not undergone any changes. A total of 4,621 tanks of this type were manufactured, of which 211 were equipped with a Guiberson T-1020-4 diesel engine.

M3A3. The version featured a fully welded hull, which received a new shape with beveled chines. The tower acquired a developed aft niche in which a radio station was installed. The armament, chassis and power plant are the same as those of the MZA1 tank. A total of 3,593 tanks of this type were produced (including additional production).

M5. The version featured a new power plant, which consisted of two carburetor 8-cylinder Cadillac Series 42 V8 engines with a total power of 220 hp, as well as the presence of a Cadillac Hydra-Matic automatic gearbox. It also featured a new fully welded hull with a maximum frontal armor thickness of 63 mm. The tank's turret and chassis remained the same as the M3A1. A total of 2,076 tanks of this type were manufactured.

M5A1. version of the M5 tank with a turret from the M3A3. In addition, armored cover for the installation of an anti-aircraft machine gun was introduced, an equipment box appeared at the rear of the turret, and the road wheels became stamped. A total of 7,585 tanks of this type were produced (including additional production).

M3 tank evaluation

Low ratings of the Stuart's combat qualities were largely due to its improper use. The Second World War demonstrated the unsuitability of all light tanks of that period for combat even with medium enemy vehicles. Already by 1942, the 37-mm gun of the M3 tank turned out to be almost powerless against the increased frontal armor of the new modifications of the German PzKpfw III and PzKpfw IV tanks. This forced the use of “Stuarts” during flank attacks and from ambushes, since the weaker side armor of “threes” and “fours” could still be penetrated by the gun of the M3 tank at short distances. The M3 Stuart light tank could only penetrate the side and rear armor of the Tigers and Panthers that appeared later, at point-blank range. The small caliber of the gun also limited the capabilities of the combat vehicle to support infantry; fragmentation shells for the 37-mm cannon were powerless even against enemy field fortifications. For this reason, in the Pacific theater of operations, American military units converted the Stuarts into flamethrower tanks.

The armor, which was originally intended to be exclusively bulletproof, also caused criticism. The tank's armor provided full protection for the crew from fire from large-caliber machine guns, and at some distances from 20 mm cannons. Only in the frontal projection was there a possibility of repelling a shell from a German 37-mm cannon or heavy Japanese anti-tank rifles. It did not protect at all from fire from guns of larger calibers. According to eyewitnesses, if the tank was hit by an 88-mm Tiger shell, the M3 Stuart was literally torn to pieces. The situation was aggravated by the relatively large dimensions of the light tank, which made it a convenient target on the battlefield and made it difficult to camouflage on the ground.

Much better mobile, maneuverable, fast and reliable, the Stuart was adapted to the role of a reconnaissance tank. But high speed also had its price - high gasoline consumption by an aircraft engine. Before the appearance of additional discardable fuel tanks on the M3, the highway range did not exceed 113 kilometers. The situation was slightly better with diesel engines, but these options were almost never used in the American army.

Performance characteristics of the M3 Stuart:

Overall dimensions: length - 4.43 m, width - 2.47 m, height - 2.64 m.
Combat weight - 12.68 tons.
Reservations: hull front - 16-44 mm, turret front - 38 mm, sides and rear of the hull and turret - 25 mm, roof - 13 mm, bottom - 10-13 mm.
Armament is a 37 mm M6 cannon and 5x7.62 mm M1919A4 machine guns.
Ammunition - 103 shells and 8270 rounds.
The power plant is an aviation 7-cylinder radial gasoline engine “Continental” W-670-9A with a power of 250 hp.
Maximum speed (on the highway) - 58 km/h.
Cruising range (on the highway) - 113 km.
Crew - 4 people.

Sources of information:
http://las-arms.ru/index.php?id=465
http://vspomniv.ru/Stuart.htm
http://armor.kiev.ua/Tanks/WWII/stuart/stuart1.php
http://pro-tank.ru/bronetehnika-usa/.../152-m3-stuard
Open source materials

M3 "Stuart"

M3 (English: Light tank M3) - American light tank of the Second World War. He is also widely known by the name "Stuart", given to him by the British troops in honor of the American Civil War general J. Y. B. Stuart.

In World War II, the Stuart was actively used by US troops, and was also supplied in significant quantities under the Lend-Lease program to the UK, USSR, China, the troops of the Free French and the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia. After the war, outdated by that time, but still numerous, the Stuarts were sold to many other countries, in some of which they were in service until the 1990s.
History of creation and production
Predecessors of "Stuart"
The Stuart traces its history back to the British Vickers 6-ton tank, one of the most common tanks in the world during the interwar period. It was on the basis of its design that the American T5 tank was created in 1933-1934, which became the ancestor of the entire line of US serial light tanks.
The developments that led to the creation of the M3 began in 1938, when the experience of the Spanish Civil War showed that the development of small arms made lightly armored vehicles extremely vulnerable even to conventional infantry weapons, not to mention specialized anti-tank weapons. On April 15, 1938, a meeting was held on the further development of the tank program, at which it was formulated that the M2 light tanks in service with a maximum armor thickness of 15.8 mm were vulnerable to heavy machine gun fire at distances of 700 meters, and in the near future the development of machine guns can increase this distance to 900 m. The armament of the M2, limited to one 12.7 mm and two 7.62 mm machine guns, was also considered completely insufficient; the army clearly needed a qualitatively new machine.


The initial version of the future tank, proposed by Lieutenant Colonel G. M. Burns, was characterized by extreme simplification and cheaper design, caused by the meager funding of the army in those years. According to the plan, it was supposed to be a light 7-ton turretless tank with a crew of two, protected by armor up to 38 mm thick and armed with a 37 mm cannon and a 7.62 mm machine gun located in the front hull. This arrangement made it possible to use many components of civilian vehicles in the design of the tank and significantly reduce the cost of the vehicle, but this project was never developed.
Two other proposals for the layout of the new vehicle were presented by Major D. K. Christmas in July of the same year. The first option was similar to Burns's proposal, although it weighed two tons more. After modifications, the project received the designation T6 on August 3, 1938. The only copy of this tank was assembled in June 1939, but soon all work on this version was stopped. The second project proposed by Christmas was developed - a 10.5-ton tank, armed with a 37-mm cannon in a single-seat rotating turret with a coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun, as well as a second machine gun in the front hull. The tank was supposed to be driven by a Continental W-670 radial aircraft engine and be protected by 25 mm armor. It was this concept that later served as the starting point for work on the new tank.
The result of the developments was a modification of the M2 light tank - M2A4, put into production by order of December 29, 1938. The new vehicle was distinguished from its predecessors by a double turret equipped with a 37 mm M3A1 cannon and a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun, vertical armor thickened to 25 mm and two additional 7.62 mm machine guns in the hull sponsons. From May 1940 to March 1941, 365 tanks of this version, which became the direct predecessor of the M3, were produced.
M3


Despite the successful operation of the M2A4, the tank clearly needed to rework its outdated chassis. In addition, the order of June 3, 1940 recommended that tanks with frontal armor thickness increased to 38 mm be produced starting in 1941. A modified version of the tank was designated light tank M3 on July 5, 1940. In addition to enhanced armor and a redesigned suspension that better distributed the load and reduced ground pressure, the tank received a riveted hull and turret. From March 1941, when this tank replaced the M2A4 in production, until mass production ceased in July 1942, with a single additional tank of this modification produced in October of the same year, 4,525 tanks of this variant, also known by its British designation, were produced Stuart I. In addition, during serial production from June 1941 to August 1942, with an additional 4 vehicles released in January 1943, 1285 Stuart M3s with the Giberson diesel engine were produced, officially designated light tank M3 (diesel), and in the British troops known as Stuart II. The 5,810 tanks of this type produced also include so-called “hybrid” versions, which were produced with improvements accumulated during production.
Even before the start of production of the Stuarts, the experience of combat operations in Europe showed a very dangerous drawback of riveted hulls - when they were hit by a projectile, and sometimes even a large-caliber bullet, due to the deformation of the armor plates, the rivets bounced inside the tank, becoming additional damaging elements. Moreover, the armor could completely reflect the projectile, but the rebounding rivets hit the crew as reliably as its explosion inside the tank. In this regard, after testing the M3 hulls with artillery fire, the research committee on December 27, 1940 recommended the production of the M3 tank with a welded turret, since it was the least vulnerable in this regard. A version with a faceted welded turret with a riveted commander's cupola and a gun mantlet thickened to 51 mm, produced from April 1941, is known as the Stuart Type 2. Similar tanks, but with a diesel engine, are known in the literature as Stuart Type 3. In addition to increasing crew protection, the welded structure, by eliminating strips and corners of the frame, reduced the weight of the tank and also slightly increased the internal space.


An order dated 27 March 1941 required a speedy replacement of the turret, which was assembled from surface-hardened armor plates, and the M3 soon received a new fully welded turret made of homogeneous steel with a characteristic horseshoe shape; The sides and rear of the tower were made from a single bent part. The turrets of this variant still had a commander's cupola, but now it had acquired a round shape and got rid of viewing slits; observation of the battlefield began to be carried out using periscopes. This variant, produced from October 1941, is known in the literature as the Stuart Type 4, and its diesel version as the Stuart Type 5.
Improvements gradually accumulated during the production and operation of the early Stuarts led to the appearance of a redesigned version, designated the M3A1, known in the UK as the Stuart III, and in the literature as the Stuart Type 10, which entered production in May 1942. A total of 4,621 tanks of this modification were produced before the end of serial production in February 1943, including 211 vehicles equipped with a diesel engine, which received the name Stuart IV in the British Army, and in the literature known as Stuart Type 11. . The tanks of this version received a new horseshoe-shaped turret with side and rear armor thickened to 32 mm, a rotating turret floor known as the turret “basket”, an electric turret drive, a gun stabilizer in the vertical plane and many other improvements. In addition, the M3A1 received a new hull, assembled mainly by welding, and a redesigned fighting compartment without machine guns in the hull sponsons. The fully welded hull version of the M3A1, which began production soon after, is known in the literature as the Stuart Type 12 or "late" series M3A1, and its diesel-powered version as the Stuart Type 13. .Stuart Type 13). It was also planned to use the M3A2 index for this variant, but in the end it remained unclaimed.
In addition, before the start of mass production of the M3A1, 4 so-called “hybrid” variants of the Stuarts were produced, which received a new turret along with other improvements accumulated during mass production, with the goal of introducing them into production vehicles as soon as possible. However, often, partial changes only complicated the tank without giving the desired effect, and the “hybrid” Stuarts were not particularly popular among the crews.


Early M3 tanks were classified as "limited standard" in May 1943, although in reality they were largely replaced by newer vehicles by 1942, and the following month the M3A1 was also relegated to this category. In July of the same year, the early M3s, as well as the diesel version of the M3A1, were relegated to the "obsolete" class, due to difficulties in providing army units with two types of fuel.
In April 1942, Tank Command submitted a request to equip the M3A1 with an inclined armor plate hull similar to the M5 being developed. The new version of the tank was designated M3A3 and during mass production from January 1942 to September 1943, 3,427 tanks of this variant, known in the British Army as the Stuart V, and in the literature as the Stuart Type 14, were produced 14). In addition to the new hull with inclined upper frontal and upper side plates, which significantly increased the internal volume and improved the working conditions of the crew, the tank received a modified turret with an aft niche that housed a radio station and anti-dust bulwarks that covered the upper part of the tracks. Almost all M3A3s produced were delivered to other countries under the Lend-Lease program.
M5


By 1941, the industry could no longer cope with providing the M3A with aircraft engines, which forced them to look for a suitable replacement. On June 6, 1941, production of a prototype equipped with two Cadillac automobile engines with an automatic transmission, designated M3E2, was approved. The prototype's turret was similar to that of the M3A1. The new car was designated M4 on November 13 of the same year. The M3E2 prototype was later equipped with a welded homogeneous steel armor hull with a sloped front plate, designated M3E3, and in this form served as the basis for the production tank. Meanwhile, production of the new M4 Sherman medium tank began in February 1942, and to avoid confusion, the light tank received a new name - M5, under which it went into production in April 1942. In total, before the end of mass production in December of the same year, 2074 tanks of this modification were produced, including 1470 at the Cadillac plants in Detroit and Michigan, 354 at the General Motors plants in Southgate and 250 at the Massey Harris plants.
In the meantime, production of the M3A3 modification began, which, in addition to the M5-type hull, received many other innovations, including a new turret with a rear niche. A variant of the M5 equipped with it was designated M5A1 on September 24, 1942, and soon began replacing the M5 on assembly lines. Before the end of serial production in April - June 1944, 6,810 tanks of this modification were produced, which became the most popular version of the Stuart.
With the advent of the M5A1, the M5s were classified as "limited standard", the M5A1s themselves moved into this category in June 1944, with the advent of the more modern M24 Chaffee light tank, but despite this they were actively used until the very end of the war.
T7


Based on the M3/M5 tanks, the T7 light tank was developed in January 1941, which was supposed to be their further development. The tank differed from its predecessors in having thicker armor with rational hull angles, but its armament consisted of the same 37 mm cannon, with a future replacement for a 57 mm one. By 1942, the weakness of such a weapon became clear, so the 75-mm gun began to be considered as the main weapon. In the process of all these improvements, the vehicle's weight increased to 27 tons, which led to its reclassification as the M7 medium tank on September 6, 1942. Testing of the first three prototypes, completed by October 1942, showed that their weight had increased even more than the design one. As a result, it turned out that the new tank, which gradually became a medium tank, was inferior in its characteristics to the M4 Sherman already in production, so the order for the production of the M7 was cancelled. The “successor” of the M3 eventually became the M24 “Chaffee” light tank, which largely determined the appearance of the post-war light tank - a vehicle with bulletproof armor, but a powerful gun capable of effectively hitting enemy medium tanks.


Where can you see


Having been produced in huge quantities during the Second World War, the Stuart remains in service to this day in the Paraguayan army, as well as in the reserves of the armies of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Uruguay. In addition, in many countries that once used these tanks, they are preserved in museums. In Russia, the Stuart can be seen in the exhibition of the armored tank museum in Kubinka, where the M3A1 and M5A1 are preserved.
Modifications
M3
M3, Stuart I, "Stuart" Type 1 - Basic version with riveted turret.
M3, Stuart I, "Stuart" Type 2 - Version with welded faceted turret.
M3, Stuart II, "Stuart" Type 3 - Type 2 with diesel engine.
M3, Stuart I, "Stuart" Type 4 - Version with welded horseshoe turret with commander's cupola.
M3, Stuart II, "Stuart" Type 5 - Type 4 with diesel engine.
M3, Stuart Hybrid, "Stuart" Type 6 - "Hybrid" version with the turret from the M3A1, but with a manual turret rotation and without a turret "basket".
M3, Stuart Hybrid, Stuart Type 7 - Type 6 with diesel engine.
M3, Stuart Hybrid, "Stuart" Type 8 - "Hybrid" version with riveted-welded hull and turret similar to Type 6.
M3, Stuart Hybrid, "Stuart" Type 9 - Type 8 with diesel engine.
M3A1, Stuart III, "Stuart" Type 10 - Version with a new electric turret and turret "basket", as well as a mixed riveted and welded hull.
M3A1, Stuart IV, "Stuart" Type 11 - Type 10 with diesel engine.
M3A1, Stuart III, "Stuart" Type 12 - Similar to Type 10 version, but with a fully welded hull.
M3A1, Stuart IV, "Stuart" Type 13 - Type 12 with diesel engine.
M3A3, Stuart V, "Stuart" Type 14 - "Stuart" with a completely redesigned enlarged hull with sloping vertical armor, a new turret with aft niche and dust-proof bulwarks over the tracks.
M5
M5, Stuart VI - Basic version with a turret from the M3A1.
M5A1, Stuart VI - Improved version with a turret from the M3A3.
Performance characteristics



The layout of the tank is with a rear-mounted engine and front-mounted transmission units. The crew of the tank consisted of four people - a driver and a gunner, located in the control compartment, and a loader with a commander, who also served as a gunner, located in a double turret.
Armored hull and turret


"Stuarts" had differentiated bullet-proof and projectile-proof armor protection. The armored hull of the tank had a simple box-shaped shape and was assembled from rolled armor plates and armor plates, with the exception of the cast lower frontal part and gun mantlet.
On early M3 modification Stuarts, the hull was assembled using rivets from surface-hardened armor plates and armor plates, on a frame made of backing strips and angles. Then, on the M3A1 tanks of the early series, the hull began to be assembled partially by welding, using homogeneous steel plates, and starting with the M3A1 of the later series, they switched to fully welded hulls. The frontal part of the tank had a stepped shape and consisted of a vertical upper frontal part with a thickness of 38 mm and an angle of 17° to the vertical, a middle strongly inclined part with a thickness of 16 mm, located at an angle of 69°, and a cast bent lower part, located at an angle of 23°. up to 90° to the vertical. The side sheets of the body had a thickness of 25 mm and were installed strictly vertically. The rear part of the tank was assembled from armor plates 25 mm thick and consisted of a large lower part located at an angle of 20°, and a visor consisting of upper and middle parts located at angles of 59° and 0°, respectively. The roof of the tank had a thickness of 13 mm, and the bottom - from 10 mm in the engine compartment to 13 mm in the front. Starting with the M3A1 modification, the Stuart hulls were equipped with internal upholstery, which softened the frequent impacts of the crew on the vehicle body when driving on uneven surfaces caused by the hard suspension.
“Stuarts” of the M3A3 modification received a new fully welded hull made of inclined rolled homogeneous armor plates with increased internal volume. The stepped upper frontal part, which consisted of two parts, was replaced by a single part 25 mm thick, located at an angle of 48 ° to the vertical. In addition, the gunner's and driver's hatches were moved to the roof of the tank, which further increased the shell resistance of the frontal part. The upper side parts, located at an angle of 20°, also became inclined. The armor of the rear and lower side parts of the tank remained unchanged.
The M5 hull was similar to the M3A3 hull, differing in the upper frontal part thickened to 29 mm, strictly vertical side plates and changed angles of inclination of the upper and lower aft parts - 60° and 17°, respectively. The M5A1 hull differed from the M5 by a new cast lower frontal part of variable thickness, from 38 to 64 mm, as well as a newly changed angle of inclination of the aft parts - 49° and 17°.
The embarkation and disembarkation of the commander and loader was carried out through a hatch (starting with the M3A1 - two individual hatches) in the turret roof, and the driver and gunner - through hatches in the upper frontal part of the hull (on modifications with an inclined frontal plate - in the hull roof).


The tank turret of the early M3 series was octagonal, assembled on a frame made of backing angles made of surface-hardened rolled armor plates. Soon after the start of serial production, we moved on to the welded assembly of the turret. The thickness of the frontal plate of the tower was 38 mm at an angle of inclination of 10°, and the thickness of the strictly vertical side and rear plates was 25 mm. The roof of the tower had a thickness of 13 mm. The maximum thickness of the cast gun mantlet was 38 mm. Already starting with the M3 of the later series, they began to install a new “horseshoe-shaped” turret, assembled by welding from rolled homogeneous armor plates - a bent “horseshoe” 32 mm thick and a frontal part 38 mm thick, with the same angles of inclination. The maximum thickness of the gun mantlet on such turrets was increased to 51 mm.
The rotation of the turret on tanks of the M3 modification was carried out manually, using a shoulder rest, and starting with the M3A1 - using an electric drive. On early Stuarts, the commander and loader stood on the floor of the fighting compartment and were forced to move in accordance with the rotation of the turret, which was quite difficult, given the driveshaft passing through the fighting compartment. Therefore, starting with the M3A1 modification, the Stuart received a so-called “turret basket” with seats for the commander and loader, which rotated with the turret. Despite its obvious convenience, the “basket” reduced the already small volume of the fighting compartment, so some crews preferred to remove it from their new tanks. On the M3A3 modification, a rear niche appeared at the turret, which was used to house a radio station.
Armament
The main armament of the tank was the 37 mm M6 cannon, which was a tank version of the M3 anti-tank gun. The gun barrel length was 53.1 calibers / 1965 mm on early vehicles, but was soon increased to 56.6 calibers / 2094 mm. The gun was equipped with a semi-automatic vertical wedge breech with a mechanism for removing the spent cartridge case, a hydraulic recoil brake and a spring knurl. Starting with the M3A1 modification, the M4 or M5A1 telescopic sight began to be installed on the gun. The theoretical rate of fire of the gun reached 30 rounds per minute, but in reality it was much less. Due to delays in the delivery of M6 guns, some early production Stuarts received 37 mm M5 model guns in the M20 mount, similar to those installed on the M2A4 tank. M3s with such guns are easily distinguishable by the recoil devices placed under the barrel, located outside the turret and covered with an armor casing.
The gun was mounted in a coaxial machine gun mount M22 (early M3), M23 (late M3, M3A1 and M5) or M44 (M3A3 and M5A1). Vertical aiming, within -10...+20°, and on the M3 with manual rotation of the turret and precise horizontal aiming, within ±10°, were carried out using a sector mechanism; it was also possible to aim by swinging the gun using a shoulder rest. On modifications with an electric drive of the turret, horizontal aiming was carried out exclusively by turning it. Starting with the M3A1 modification, the gun was equipped with a stabilizer in the vertical plane, which greatly increased the accuracy of shooting while on the move, but in reality this complex mechanism, which required special training for the crew, was most often turned off. To aim the gun, an M40A2 telescopic sight was used (field of view 9°, magnification 1.44X). On tanks of the M3A3 and M5A1 modifications, the M70D periscope sight was used (field of view 12°19’, magnification 3X).


The gun's ammunition range, depending on the modification, ranged from 103 to 174 unitary rounds with armor-piercing, fragmentation and grapeshot shells. Initially, the ammunition stowage was located on the floor of the fighting compartment under the turret, but on modifications M3A3, M5 and M5A1 the ammunition load was significantly increased by placing additional shells in the fender niches.




In addition to the cannon, the tank's armament on the M3 modification consisted of five 7.62 mm Browning M1919A4 machine guns. One of them was located in a mounting coupled with the gun and was controlled by the commander, the other was located in a ball mounting in the frontal plate of the hull and was serviced by the shooter. Two more were located in the side sponsons; fire from them was carried out remotely by the driver using release cables. The pointing angle of the ball mounts of these machine guns was limited, and they were usually aimed at the target by turning the entire machine. The fifth, anti-aircraft, machine gun was placed on a turret on the roof of the tower. Starting with the M3A1 modification, they abandoned the installation of on-board machine guns and replaced the machine gun coaxial with the cannon with the M1919A5 variant, more suitable for installation in tanks. The ammunition load of the machine guns, depending on the modification, varied from 6250 to 8470 rounds, mostly located in the fender niches.
For self-defense of the crew, the tanks were equipped with a Thompson submachine gun with a caliber of 11.43 mm, 350-540 (depending on the modification of the tank) cartridges for it and 14 hand grenades (4 defensive MkII, 2 offensive MkIIIA2, 4 smoke M15 and 2 incendiary ).
Surveillance and communications equipment


Observation of the battlefield on the M3 modification Stuarts was carried out through ten viewing slots covered with armored glass, of which four were located in the frontal part of the hull, and the remaining six in the commander's cupola. On vehicles with a “horseshoe-shaped” turret, the viewing slots in the turret were initially eliminated, and observation of the battlefield began to be carried out using a periscope. However, its installation in the turret roof turned out to be unsuccessful, and already during mass production, four viewing slits again appeared in the commander's turret. The problems with observation devices were finally resolved only for the M3A1 modification, the turret of which lost the commander's cupola and received two M4A1 periscope observation devices, for the commander and the loader. In addition, observation could be carried out through viewing slots in the armored shutters of the three ports for firing personal weapons located on the sides and rear of the turret, which were removed only on the M3A3 and M5A1 modifications. The driver and radio operator had their own observation devices.
All Stuarts were equipped with a radio station. On early modifications, it was located in the front part of the hull and was serviced by the driver, and on vehicles of the M3A3 and M5A1 modifications, the radio station was moved to the rear niche of the turret, where it was operated by the tank commander.
Engine


The Stuart modifications from M3 to M3A3 were equipped with an aviation 7-cylinder radial air-cooled gasoline engine "Continental" W-670-9A with a displacement of 10.95 liters and a power of 250 hp. With. at 2400 rpm. The fuel for it was aviation gasoline with an octane rating of at least 92, and in case of emergency - other gasoline with an octane rating of at least 82. On parts of the M3 and M3A1, a 9-cylinder radial four-stroke air-cooled diesel engine "Giberson" T- was installed instead. 1020-4 with a displacement of 16.73 liters and a power of 220 hp. With. at 2200 rpm.
Four fuel tanks, each with a capacity of 51 liters, were located in the engine compartment and fender niches. The high fuel consumption of the aircraft engine led to testing in September - November 1941 of the installation of additional external tanks. Soon, “Stuarts” equipped with such engines began to have two 94.6-liter cylindrical tanks installed on the fender niches, dropped from inside the tank, which made it possible to almost double the tank’s cruising range. Exhaust gases were discharged through a pocket between the lower and middle rear armor plates.
On the Stuarts M5 and M5A1, the propulsion system consisted of twin automobile 8-cylinder in-line liquid-cooled Cadillac Series 42 gasoline engines with a displacement of 5.67 liters and a power of 110 hp. With. at 3400 rpm each. The twin block of these engines was placed similarly to the radial ones, the radiator of the cooling system was located above the engine.
Starting with the M3A1 modification, the Stuart was equipped with an additional gasoline generator designed to provide power to the tank’s numerous electrical equipment when the main engine was turned off.
Transmission
M3s were equipped with a manual transmission, which included:
multi-disc main dry friction clutch installed directly on the engine;
cardan shaft;
a five-speed synchronized gearbox located in the front of the tank;
a differential enclosed in a single housing with a gearbox, which also served to brake one of the axle shafts or the entire tank;
M5 tanks, in addition to automobile engines, also received a Cadillac Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. The transmission of tanks with such engines included:
two hydraulic couplings installed on the engines;
two automatic five-speed transmissions with hydraulic control;
two cardan shafts;
a two-stage planetary gearbox that connected power flows from both engines;
two-stage differential;
single-row final drives with double-disc dry friction clutches.
The use of an automatic transmission on the tank complicated the maintenance and repair of the transmission, but facilitated the training and work of the driver.
Chassis
The Stuart's chassis remained the only component that did not change at all during the mass production of the vehicle. Four single rubber-coated road wheels on each side of the hull were grouped in pairs into bogies suspended on vertical buffer springs. The non-rubberized sloth of large diameter had a similar suspension and was lowered to ground level, acting as a fifth road wheel. This design increased the contact area of ​​the track with the ground, improving traction and helping to better distribute the load. The upper part of the track was supported on each side by three small rubberized support rollers. The drive wheels are front, the track engagement is lantern.
Each of the double-ridge rubberized tracks consisted of 66 tracks, with a pitch of 140 mm and a width of 194 mm. To improve cross-country ability, in case of insufficient adhesion of the tracks to the surface, the standard transportable kit of the tank included 34 removable lugs, installed on every sixth track.
Cars based on "Stuart"


Serial
M8
The only serial self-propelled gun based on the Stuart. The M8 was developed in 1941-1942 from the M5 and was equipped with a short-barreled 75 mm M116 howitzer in an open top rotating turret and a 12.7 mm M2 machine gun. During serial production from September 1942 to January 1944, 1,778 M8s were produced, which were actively used during World War II in Italy and Northwestern Europe.
M3 "Satan"
The name “Satan” was assigned to flamethrower tanks converted in 1944 from the M3 and M5, which were obsolete by that time. The 37-mm gun was removed from the Stuarts, and a British Ronson flamethrower was installed in its place, firing a stream of napalm at a distance of 60-80 meters. The crew of the vehicle was reduced to two people - the driver and the gunner-commander. The total production of these machines was 24 copies.
Crazy "Stuarts"
After the decline in the value of the Stuart as a battle tank, many of them, which were in service with the British Army, were converted, by removing the turret and roof of the fighting compartment, into armored personnel carriers (Stuart Cangaroo), reconnaissance vehicles (Stuart Recce) , command and other specialized vehicles.
Prototypes and projects
Prototypes of self-propelled guns on M3 and M5 chassis
In 1941-1942, the M3 served as the basis for many self-propelled gun projects that were hastily developed since the beginning of World War II. Work on most of them was curtailed in 1942-1943, and projects recognized as promising were transferred to the more modern chassis of the M24 Chaffee light tank in 1944:
T20 - An anti-tank self-propelled gun project based on the M3, armed with a 75 mm T9 cannon, developed in September-October 1941. Work on it was stopped because the 75 mm gun was considered too powerful for installation on a light tank.
T29 - Tank destroyer project with the turret of the M4 Sherman medium tank on the M3 chassis. Developed between December 1941 and April 1942, but was canceled due to lack of interest from the army.
T50 - Proposed in May 1942, an anti-tank self-propelled gun project with a 75 mm cannon in a large rotating turret open on top.
T56 and T57 - differing mainly in the propulsion system, armed with 75 mm

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  From the book of 100 great plagues author Avadyaeva Elena Nikolaevna

  MARIA STEWART Mary Stuart ruled Scotland. She actually ascended to the throne in 1561 and during the six years of her reign she so alienated the lords that they accused her of complicity in the murder of her second husband, Lord Darniel. The lords forced her to abdicate the throne. Besides

By the beginning of World War II, the American army had two types of light tanks. The infantry was armed with 292 tanks of the M2A2 and M2AZ modifications. These were double-turret vehicles with a 7.62 mm machine gun in one turret and a 12.7 mm machine gun in the other turret. Motorized cavalry units had 112 M1 and M1A1 combat vehicles in service. Exactly the same weapons were housed in one tower. Structurally similar tanks had the same chassis, which consisted of four road wheels on one side. Interlocked in pairs into two balancing trolleys, they were suspended on vertical buffer springs. The chassis was, perhaps, the main advantage of these, unremarkable and by 1939 quite outdated combat vehicles. Her performance was amazing! In November 1934, the T5 tank (prototype M1) made a test run from the Rock Island Arsenal to Washington, 1,450 km long. The average speed was 48 km/h! Starting on November 14, Captain T. Nixon and J. Proske reached Washington three days later, breaking all speed records for tracked vehicles. Subsequently, this chassis design was used on all American tanks until 1945. The fighting in Europe showed the futility of purely machine gun weapons, which forced the acceleration of the development of a new light tank with artillery weapons.

The first copies of the lightweight M2A4 rolled off the assembly line of the American Car and Foundry plant in May 1940. Its production ended in March 1941 after the production of 365 vehicles. Ten more were manufactured by Baldwin Locomotive Works in April 1942. The M2A4 carried features of both pre-war American tanks (archaic for 1940, for example, five primitive inspection hatches along the perimeter of the turret) and light combat vehicles of the Second World War. Without leaving a noticeable mark on the history of tank building, the M2A4 became an important milestone in the history of the American army. Its appearance coincided with the creation of tank forces of the US Army. This significant event occurred on July 10, 1940. The first commander was Brigadier General Adna Chaffee, and the headquarters remains at Fort Knox. On July 15, 1940, the formation of the 1st and 2nd tank divisions began, which were mainly armed with M2A4s. These formations became the first of sixteen American tank divisions formed during the Second World War. (Almost all allied tanks and self-propelled guns are shown in detail in the documentary "Allied Tanks")

M2A4 tanks were used mainly for training purposes. They only saw combat once - at the end of 1942 on the Pacific island of Guadalcanal as part of the 1st Marine Tank Battalion. The UK received four tanks under the Lend-Lease program.
Soon after the release of the first vehicles, the design of an improved version of the M2A4 began. The thickness of the armor was increased to 38 mm, which entailed an increase in weight to 12 tons. In order to somehow reduce the specific pressure, the sloth was placed on the ground. This solution made it possible to increase the stability of the machine. For more reliable protection of the power plant, the rear part of the hull was also redesigned.
The first prototype was created on the basis of the M2A4 at the Rock Island Arsenal, and on July 5, 1940 it was accepted into service under the designation “M3 light tank.” American Car and Foundry released the first production M3s in March 1941, immediately after the end of production of the M2A4.

Structurally, the new vehicle repeated its predecessors, incorporating a number of shortcomings inherent in American tanks of the 30s. Thus, its width was limited by the dimensions of the standard American floating bridge of the pre-war years. The high and short hull did not allow placing an artillery system with a caliber larger than 37 mm in the turret. Narrow tracks, borrowed from lighter vehicles, resulted in high specific pressure and limited maneuverability on soft soils.

The main advantages of the Stewart M3 tank include high operational reliability and excellent dynamic characteristics. The armament was also quite powerful, consisting of a 37-mm M6 cannon and five 7.62-mm Browning M1919A4 machine guns (one coaxial with a cannon, the second course-mounted, two in the side sponsons and one anti-aircraft).

During mass production, changes were constantly made to the design of the tank, mainly technological. Thus, the multifaceted riveted turret on early production vehicles gave way to a similar shaped but welded one, and then it was replaced by the so-called “horseshoe-shaped” turret, the side walls of which consisted of a single bent armor plate. On tanks of later production, the hull was assembled using partial welding. From the second half of 1941, a stabilizer was installed on the M3 for aiming a 37-mm cannon in the vertical plane.

In 1942, due to a shortage of standard Continental W670-9A gasoline aircraft engines, some tanks were produced with the Giberson T-1020-4 diesel engine. It should be noted that diesel tanks did not take root in the American army; they were used mainly for training purposes and were exported. In total, from March 1941 to August 1942, 5811 M3 tanks were produced, 1285 of them with diesel engines.

In April 1942, production of the M3A1 modification began. The commander's cupola was replaced with two triangular hatches. The machine guns in the sponsons were eliminated and additional ammunition was placed in their place. (As for M3 tanks, this was often carried out in the army.) Until August 1942, the M3A1 was produced in parallel with the M3. Its production ceased in February 1943; a total of 4,621 units were produced, of which 211 were diesel.

The M3 received its baptism of fire not under the American, but under the English flag. Of the 538 vehicles produced from April to June 1941, 280 were sent to North Africa, where the British 8th Army experienced an acute shortage of armored vehicles. In the British Army, the M3 (and later M5) series tanks were named “General Stewart” - in honor of the American general who commanded the Confederate cavalry during the American Civil War. Depending on the modification, the tanks were called: M3 - “Stuart I”, M3 (with diesel) - “Stuart II”, M3A1 - “Stuart III”, M3A1 (with diesel) - “Stuart IV”. The first Stuarts were received in July 1941 by the 8th Royal Irish Hussars. By November, all three regiments of the 4th Tank Brigade had American tanks. On November 18, 1941, eight kilometers from Gabr Saleh, the 8th Hussars and 5th Royal Tank Regiments of this brigade collided with the 5th German Tank Regiment. As a result, the British lost 11 and the Germans lost 7 vehicles. In December, the brigade was brought to the rear and some results were summed up. It turned out that during two months of intense combat operations, out of 166 “Stuarts” of the 4th Tank Brigade, only 12 units failed due to technical reasons. The British, who constantly struggled with their capricious tanks, were delighted. And in general they liked “Stuart”. In terms of armament, armor and maneuverability, the light American vehicle was in no way inferior to the British “heavy cruisers” A9, A10 and A13. The only thing that did not suit the British was the small power reserve. However, the next batches of Stuarts arriving in the UK were equipped with two additional fuel barrels. The English tank crews nicknamed “Stuart” in a soldierly rude and at the same time affectionate manner - “milky”

In the Royal Tank Corps, tanks of both modifications - M3 and M3A1 - were used mainly in North Africa and Burma until the end of 1943. In total, from 1941 to 1943, 1829 and 1594 M3 and M3A1 tanks were sent to the UK under Lend-Lease from the USA, respectively. During the same period, the Soviet Union received 1,676 M3A1 units.

The Stuarts' baptism of fire as part of the American army took place in the Philippines in December 1941. On December 22, five M3s from the US 192nd Tank Battalion encountered a group of Japanese Ha-Go tanks in the jungle. The result was disastrous: the Americans lost four vehicles. Subsequently, all the Stuarts in the Philippines were captured by the Japanese. In February 1945, they again fell into American hands.
As part of the 1st and 2nd Tank Divisions of the US Army, the M3 and M3A1 were used in 1942-1943 in North Africa, and as part of the tank battalions of the Marine Corps - until 1944 in the Pacific Islands. Moreover, the Marine Corps preferred tanks equipped with diesel engines.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the Stuart MZ
Combat weight, t 12,428
Crew, people 4
Length, mm 4531
Width, mm 2235
Height, mm 2515
Ground clearance, mm 420
Armor, mm 10-45
Speed ​​(on highway), km/h 48
Cruising range (on highway), km 113
Rise, deg. 35
Wall height, m ​​0.61
Ditch width, m 1.83
Fording depth, m 0.91
Engines
Option Type Model Quantity Power, hp
1 K "Continental" W670-9A, 7-cylinder, star-shaped, air-cooled, power 250 hp. With. at 2400 rpm 1,250
Armament
Option Type Caliber, mm Model Quantity Ammunition / 1
Gun 37 M5 1 103
Machine gun 7.62 "Browning" М1919А4 5 8270

Country of origin USA
Developer, American Car and Foundry
Number of copies released: 22743
Year of adoption 1941