M3 light Soviet premium tank of tier III. Tested in the USSR

Do you want to get a Tier 3 M3 light Soviet tank? Then we present to your attention an invite code that allows you to get this promotional vehicle into the hangar absolutely free. Note that the link is reusable, which gives the offer a certain charm and attractiveness. According to many gamers, this tank does not deserve close attention.

The vehicle does not belong to the class of premium equipment and has very mediocre armor penetration indicators:

• Armor-piercing shells - 48 mm.
• Gold - 70 mm.
• High explosive - 19 mm.

An undeniable advantage is the speed that the tank is capable of developing. If you want to get a sea of ​​adrenaline rushing around the map, highlighting opponents and cutting out enemy art, this car is literally created for you.

In addition, you can simultaneously throw land mines at the sides and stern of unwary opponents, systematically reducing the amount of HP and earning bonuses in the form of silver credits and experience. How to get a Tier 3 M3 light tank?

Just follow the link and complete the simple registration.

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 unremarkable and, by the time the Second World War began, 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 at 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 only saw combat 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 light tank M3 "Stuart" 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 cover 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-line 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 due to 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 rating of at least 92, or, in case of emergency, other gasoline with an octane rating 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 drop-off 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.

Information sources:
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

This tank was removed from the game store and received promotional status. But at the moment it is issued to all players who have recently registered in the game. That is, it will be distributed exclusively for certain promotions. He is a prototype of a representative; he was brought to the USSR under a special support program and took part in a real battle. Mainly used against infantry.

Profitability M3 light World of Tanks

Few people can be surprised by the profitability of low-level equipment, but the information will still be useful to many. With this representative you can earn credits: without a premium account, from 10,000 to 13,000 silver, and with a premium account, from 15,000 to . The accounting is carried out with an emphasis on the fact that the player has excellent command of this battle monster.

General information.

For M3, the light world of tanks became a real arena of survival. This representative has many disadvantages compared to similar models. This combat vehicle has weak combat power and weak armor, but it has excellent speed and dynamics. Combat power is provided by a 37 mm gun with a penetration of 48 mm and damage of 40 hp. Quite good penetration rates, but with fairly low damage. The rate of fire reaches 24 rounds per minute.

The light M3 tank reaches 61 km/h, which is the maximum speed, and the reverse gear reserve is 20 km/h. The view reaches 280 meters. The engine power is 268 hp, and the tank weighs 12.5 tons.

The armor of the tank is:

• Body: forehead - 38 mm, sides - 25 mm, pocket - 25 mm.
• Turret: front - 38 mm, side - 25 mm, rear of the turret - 25 mm.

• Toolbox - increases the speed of repairing modules;
• Anti-fragmentation lining - allows you to quickly repair modules;
• Improved ventilation - improves crew skills.

• repair kit;
• fire extinguisher;
• first aid kit

Crew.

The crew is an important element of a combat unit; a well-trained crew is the key to a successful battle.

• Commander: light bulb, repair, military brotherhood, camouflage;
• Driver: repairs, smooth running, brotherhood, camouflage;
• Gunner: repair, smooth rotation of the turret, combat brotherhood, camouflage;
• Radio operator: repair, inventor, bb, camouflage.

Weak spots.

In the World of Tanks game, sandbox level battles are not distinguished by special drive and tactical use, the fact is that in such battles it is very easy to destroy tanks due to their weak armor. Therefore, the study of weaknesses at this level is more theoretical knowledge than practical.

M3 light World of Tanks video guide

The frontal projection is quite difficult to penetrate with small-caliber machine guns and very well with serious guns. But in order to inflict damage on small-caliber machine guns, it is necessary to fire a series of shots over a rectangular area. It houses the driver's viewing window. A lucky shot will concuss him. It’s also worth firing at the bottom of the tank; you won’t be able to cause much critical damage, but penetration will be guaranteed. Plus, it’s worth paying attention to the large observation hatch on the turret; it stands out very much and is guaranteed to let damage through, the more likely it is to concuss the crew commander.

The side projection has a huge size and perfectly penetrates into any area with absolutely any caliber of gun. The priority for shelling should be the tower. It contains an ammunition storage, a successful shot explodes all the ammunition. Also, by shooting at the central area of ​​the body, there is a high probability of concussing the radio operator.

The stern projection also penetrates perfectly into any area. It is recommended to shoot at the bottom, which can cause a fire, and at the turret, which can cause an explosion of the ammunition rack, and subsequently the destruction of the tank.

World of Tanks battle tactics.

There are no special combat tactics on this steel monster; it is on it that you need to act solely on the situation that developed in the battle.

M3 light is not suitable for breaking through flanks, they mainly need to support allies. The best option would be to choose an advantageous position on the map, since, having huge dimensions, it becomes a priority for attack.

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Another interesting article by the respected Yuri Pasholok.

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

In Russian literature, M3 vehicles are often described as lightly armored and poorly armed. Such characteristics look surprising - especially if you compare the M3 with the Soviet T-70 light tank produced at the same time. To clarify the true state of affairs with the assessment of the American tank in the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War, let us turn to archival documents.

Deliveries at intervals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Light Tank M3 during testing, May 1942

The tanks that arrived in the Soviet Union belonged to almost all production series, with the exception of vehicles with riveted turrets D37182. Tanks equipped with Light Tank M3A1 turrets also came to the USSR, that is, with gun stabilizers, but without a pole and an electric motor for the rotation mechanism. The British army called these vehicles Stuart Hybrid, but in the USSR they were simply not singled out from the general flow. Deliveries began in August 1942, and a fairly large number of such tanks arrived (at least 40 units). This was determined by one defect: the fact is that the tanks of this modification arrived without the commander’s periscope in the turret roof, instead of which there was a gaping hole. They didn’t begin to figure out why there were no periscopes, but simply sealed the holes with metal.

Lightweight leader

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rubber-metal tracks developed by Harry Knox presented a very unpleasant surprise during testing. The fact is that the supporting surface of the tracks was smooth, without any hint of lugs. On clay soils and, especially, on inclines, the track design played a cruel joke on the tank. Due to insufficient grip on the ground, the M3l was unable to overcome the 25-degree incline. At the same time, it was obvious that the engine power was sufficient with a large margin.

Another problem for the American tank was overcoming a 25-degree slope. During its passage, the caterpillar collapsed, the reason for which was also in the design of the track. Overheating of the engine was also observed, which had very interesting consequences. After a 40-minute march, the engine, whose ignition was turned off, continued to run. Sweetening the pill was the fact that the tank's controls turned out to be easy, and the visibility from the driver's seat was very good.

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

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

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

Tests in summer conditions showed that the American light tank still has the same problems on climbs. Even installing spurs did not help, after which the car began to dig into the ground instead of sliding. However, the lifting characteristics of the other tanks were not particularly good. On climbs steeper than 40 degrees, the M3l experienced insufficient traction with the ground.

When moving through a ford 1.4 meters deep, the tank was able to get ashore only on the second attempt, and again due to insufficient adhesion to the ground. Meanwhile, the Medium Tank M3 completely stalled when trying to exit the water, and had to be pulled out with a tractor. The same thing happened with Valentine VII. But the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.H could not do even this, since its engine compartment was flooded with water while passing a ford 1.3 meters deep, and the tank traveled only 30 meters. The Pz.Kpfw.38(t) Ausf.E was a little luckier, covering 35 meters.

The result of tests for movement with a roll. Judging by the report from the front, they got off lightly - the car could have capsized

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

Later, a second stage was carried out, in which light tanks T-60 and T-70 were used instead of Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.H and Valentine VII. The results were the same. M3l ​​was again the leader. As for the “newbies,” they, in principle, overcame the swamp, but grass became clogged in the undercarriage, which was the reason the T-70 got stuck during one of the attempts.

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

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

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

Fast, but big. And it burns well

American light tanks were first used by the Red Army in May 1942, during the Kharkov operation. Subsequently, the M3l began to spread to other sectors of the front, and they really began to be used en masse towards the end of July 1942, when the saturation of these machines was high. The topic of using the M3l in the Red Army is itself quite extensive, so in this article we will focus on the issues of operating and evaluating the vehicle in the army.

A tank is walking through a swampy area

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

The first reviews from units mastering the M3l began to arrive in March 1942. Among the detected defects, the most serious were problems with the engine. To begin with, due to poor adjustment, the engine speed limiter did not work. What was more serious was that when the exhaust backfired, the hoses often caught fire. This defect was attributed to the lack of fire protection mesh. There were problems engaging first gear.

In addition, cracks were found on the turret of one tank, and the hatch hinges on two were torn off. The problems that arose were resolved with the help of American specialists. The operating instructions were translated by Amtorg. By the way, it turned out to be more complete than the American one, and it was different in structure. At the same time, control over the configuration of incoming tanks was increased. This was especially true for radio stations, which simply were not found on some of the tanks. The issue of spare parts was quite acute, and there was extensive correspondence on this matter.

Tank with turret D38976 took part in the second run through the swamp

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

The People's Commissar of the Tank Industry, Malyshev, spoke quite harshly regarding American tanks, whose letter to Stalin was dated May 2, 1942:

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

American tanks have the following serious defects:

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

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

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

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

The hull's armor made it possible to withstand being hit by a 37-mm German cannon shell at long distances. At the same time, the tank turned out to be too high, which made it a good target. The tall and narrow hull, combined with a narrow track, meant that the tank was prone to capsizing at roll angles of 20 degrees or more. Due to the vertical arrangement of the sheets, ricochets were rare. According to Tamruchi, the power reserve made it possible to install additional shielding on the tank. He also had complaints about the engine, which generally repeated those described above.

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

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

Reservation scheme from the report on the study of M3l armor

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

Additional negativity towards the “American” is also due to the fact that by 1943 there were still a lot of these tanks in the army. Moreover, even as of January 1, 1944, there were 424 tanks in the units, that is, a third of the delivered tanks of the Light Tank M3 family. By June 1, 141 tanks were lost, and the surviving vehicles continued to be used. In some units they fought until the very end of the war. It’s easy to imagine what rating a tank developed in 1941 would receive in 1944.

Sources and literature:

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