World of Tanks (W.O.T.)

[Aristaeus]

For the Soviet Union, the Stuart M-3 Light Tank.

The M3 Stuart, formally Light Tank M3, was an American light tank of World War II. It was supplied to British and Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. into the war. Thereafter, it was used by U.S. and Allied forces until the end of the war.

The name General Stuart or Stuart given by the British comes from the American Civil War Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart and was used for both the M3 and the derivative M5 Light Tank. In British service, it also had the unofficial nickname of Honey after a tank driver remarked "She's a honey". To the United States Army, the tanks were officially known only as "Light Tank M3" and "Light Tank M5".

The M3 Stuarts were the first American-crewed tanks in World War II to engage the enemy in tank versus tank combat.

Observing events in Europe, American tank designers realized that the Light Tank M2 was becoming obsolete and set about improving it. The upgraded design, with thicker armor, modified suspension and new gun recoil system was called "Light Tank M3". Production of the vehicle started in March 1941 and continued until October 1943. Like its direct predecessor, the M2A4, the M3 was initially armed with a 37mm M5 gun and five .30-06 Browning M1919A4 machine guns: coaxial with the gun, on top of the turret in an M20 anti-aircraft mount, in a ball mount in right bow, and in the right and left hull sponsons. Later, the gun was replaced with slightly longer M6, and sponson machine guns were removed.

Internally, the radial engine was at the rear and the transmission to the driving sprockets at the front. The prop shaft connecting the two ran through the middle of the fighting compartment. The radial engine compounded the problem, having its crankshaft high off the hull bottom. When a turret floor was introduced the crew had less room. The rear idler sprocket was moved to a trailing (ground contact) position.

To relieve the demand for the radial aero-engines used in the M3, a new version was developed using twin Cadillac V-8 automobile engines and twin Hydra-Matic transmissions operating through a transfer case. Such installation produced a quieter, cooler and roomier variant and was easier to train on the automatic version. The new model (initially called M4 but redesignated M5 to avoid confusion with the M4 Sherman) also featured a redesigned hull with sloped glacis plate and driver's hatches moved to the top. Although the main criticism from the units using it was that the Stuarts lacked firepower, the improved M5 series kept the same 37 mm gun. The M5 gradually replaced the M3 in production from 1942 and was, in turn, succeeded by the Light Tank M24 in 1944.




Type
Light tank

Place of origin
United States

Production history

Produced
1941–1945

Specifications

Weight
32,400 lb (14,700 kg)

Length
14 ft 2.4 in (4.33 m)

Width
8 ft 1.2 in (2.47 m)

Height
7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)

Crew
4 (Commander, gunner, driver, co-driver)

Armor
13–51 mm (0.51–2.01 in)

Main armament
37 mm M6 in M44 mount
174 rounds

Secondary armament
3 × .30-06 Browning M1919A4 MG
7,500 rounds

Engine
Continental W-670-9A, 7 Cylinder air-cooled radial
250 hp (190 kW)

Power/weight
17.82 hp/tons

Suspension
Vertical volute spring

Operational range
74 mi (119 km)

Speed
36 mph (58 km/h) (road)
18 mph (29 km/h) (off-road)

 

[Aristaeus]

For China the M5A1 Stuart light tank.
To relieve the demand for the radial aero-engines used in the M3, a new version was developed using twin Cadillac V-8 automobile engines and twin Hydra-Matic transmissions operating through a transfer case. This variation was quieter, cooler and roomier. Owing to its automatic transmission it also simplified crew training. The new model (initially called M4 but redesignated M5 to avoid confusion with the M4 Sherman) also featured a redesigned hull with sloped glacis plate and driver's hatches moved to the top. Although the main criticism from the units using it was that the Stuarts lacked firepower, the improved M5 series kept the same 37 mm gun. The M5 gradually replaced the M3 in production from 1942 and was, in turn, succeeded by the Light Tank M24 in 1944.

The M5A1 was the second production version of the M5, which was distinguished by the extended M3A3 turret model. Its main feature was to protect the gunner, which was now inside of the turret rather than behind. Many experimental gun carriage and special purpose models were also tested. Another feature was the large protective panels protecting the upper tracks, which were used by some models. In all, 6810 M5A1 were produced until the beginning of 1945.

After the war, some countries chose to equip their armies with cheap and reliable war surplus Stuarts. The Chinese Nationalist Army having suffered great attrition as a result of the ensuing civil war, rebuilt their armored forces by acquiring surplus vehicles left behind in the Philippines by the U.S. forces, including 21 M5A1s to equip two tank companies. They would have their finest hours during the Battle of Kuningtou in 1949, for which the tanks came to be known as the "Bear of Kinmen".





Specs:

Dimensions :
4,33 x 2,47 x 2,29 m

Total weight, battle ready :
14,7 Tons

Crew :
4

Propulsion :
Twin Cadillac V8
250 hp - air cooled

Speed :
36 mph (58 kph) road
18 mph (29 kph) off-road

Range :
120 km at medium speed (30 kph)

Armament :
Main : 37 mm M5 or M6
sec. 3 to 4 Cal.30 M1919 Mgs.

Armor :
From 13 to 51 mm

 

[Aristaeus]

For Japan the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank.
The Type 95 Ha-Gō was a light tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army in combat operations of the Second Sino-Japanese War, at Nomonhan against the Soviet Union, and in the Second World War. It proved sufficient against infantry; however, like the American M3 Stuart, it was not designed to fight other tanks. Approximately 2,300 units were produced, making it the most numerous Japanese armored fighting vehicle of the time.
From early 1930s, the Japanese army began experimenting on a mechanized warfare unit combining infantry with tanks. However, the Type 89 Medium tank could not keep pace with the motorized infantry, which could move at 40 km/h (25 mph) by truck. In combat, motorized infantry could only hope to achieve 40 km advance per day. For transport, tanks could be loaded on train platforms like in any other army of the times. To solve this problem, the Army Technical Bureau proposed a new light tank of 7 tonnes or less capable of 40 km/h speed and started development in 1933. The prototype of the new tank was begun in 1933 and completed in 1934 at the Army's Sagami Arsenal.
Production was started in 1936 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. By 1939, 100 units had been built. Mitsubishi would go on to build a total of 853 in their own factories, with another 1,250 units built by the Sagami Arsenal, Hitachi Industries, Niigata Tekkoshō, Kobe Seikoshō, and Kokura Arsenal.
The Type 95 was a 7.4-tonne vehicle with a complement of 3 crewmen: a commander, a hull machine gunner, and a driver. Only the commander was seated in the turret, hence he was responsible for observation, loading, aiming, firing the main gun, as well as decision-making and commanding the crew. The hand-operated turret was small and extremely cramped.


Specifications

Weight
7.4 t (7.3 long tons; 8.2 short tons)

Length
4.38 m (14 ft 4 in)

Width
2.06 m (6 ft 9 in)

Height
2.18 m (7 ft 2 in)

Crew
3

Main armament
Type 98 37 mm gun

Secondary armament
2 × 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun

Engine
Mitsubishi A6120VDe air-cooled inline 6-cylinder 14.4 L diesel
120 hp (90 kW) at 1800 rpm

Suspension
Bell crank

Operational range
250 kilometers

Speed
45 km/h (28 mph) on road

 

[Aristaeus]

For China the M5A1 Stuart light tank.

 

[Aristaeus]

For the United States, the M2 Light Tank.

The Light Tank M2 was an American pre-World War II light tank that saw combat with the US Marine Corps 1st Tank Battalion on Guadalcanal in 1942, during World War II. Its service with the 1st Tank Battalion during the Pacific War was its only U.S. combat use during the war; however, it is believed that M2A4s served in Burma and India with the British 7th Hussars and 2nd Royal Tank Regiment during their engagements with the IJA 14th Tank Regiment. The M2A4 was the immediate predecessor of the M3 Stuart series of light tanks, which saw widespread combat throughout the war, and the M2 Medium Tank, which was itself an unsuccessful design but served as predecessor for the M3 Lee and M4 Sherman.

As the Light Tank T2E1, the M2 was developed in 1935 by Rock Island Arsenal for the infantry branch of the U.S. Army. The design coming from the earlier T1 and T2 was somewhat inspired by the famous Vickers 6-ton. Its main weapon was one .50-caliber machine gun, installed in a small one-man turret. After only 10 units were delivered, the Infantry branch decided to switch to a twin turret configuration, with a .30-caliber machine gun in the second turret. These early twin-turret tanks were given the nickname "Mae West" by the troops, after the popular busty movie star. The twin-turret layout was inefficient, but was a common feature of 1930s light tanks derived from the Vickers, such as the Soviet T-26 and Polish 7TP.

Following the Spanish Civil War, most armies, including the U.S. Army, realized that they needed "gun" armed tanks and not vehicles armed merely with machine guns. The cavalry branch had already opted for a single, larger turret on its nearly identical M1 Combat Car. In December 1938, OCM #14844 directed that a single M2A3 be removed from the assembly line and modified with heavier armor and weapons, to meet the standards of the U.S. Infantry. This vehicle, after conversion, was re-designated as the M2A4. The new light tank was equipped with an M5 37 mm main gun, 1 inch (25 mm) thick armor, and a 7 cylinder gasoline engine. Other upgrades included improved suspension, improved transmission, and better engine cooling. Production of the M2A4 began in May 1940, and continued through March 1941; an additional ten M2A4s were assembled in April 1942, for a total production run of 375 M2A4 light tanks.



Specifications

Weight
11.6 tonnes (11.4 long tons; 12.8 short tons)

Length
4.43 m (14.5 ft)

Width
2.47 m (8 ft 1 in)

Height
2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)

Crew
4 (Commander/gunner, loader, driver, co-driver)

Armor
6–25 mm (0.24–0.98 in)(Hull:Front-25mm Sides-25mm Rear-25mm)(Turret:Front-16mm Sides-16mm Rear-16mm)

Main armament
1x 37 mm Gun M5
103 rounds / .50 cal Gun MG HB M2 1800 rounds

Secondary armament
5x .30-06 Browning M1919A4 machine guns
8,470 rounds

Engine
Continental W-670-9A, 7 Cylinder
220–245 hp (164–183 kW)

Suspension
Vertical Volute Spring Suspension (VVSS)

Operational range
320 km (200 mi)

Speed
58 km/h (36 mph)

 

[Aristaeus]

For the U.K. the Vickers Medium Mark II.
The Medium Mark II, derived from the Vickers Medium Mark I, was developed to replace the last of the Medium Mark Cs still in use. Production and rebuilding ran from 1925 until 1934. The tank was phased out of service from 1939, replaced by the Cruiser Mk I. It featured several improvements over the Vickers Mark I: a higher superstructure with the driver's visor on top of it instead of in front of it; an improved suspension protected by armour skirts; and Rackham clutches, providing a primitive form of mechanical servo-control. Due to a slightly higher weight its rated speed was somewhat slower than that of the Medium Mark I, at 13 mph compared to 15 mph.

The Mark II used the same chassis, suspension and transmission as the Medium Mark I but had a new superstructure. The Mark II was equipped with a 47 mm 3 pdr gun and four machine guns in the turret. The back of the turret had a slope so that the machine gun there could be used against aircraft. There were two Vickers machine guns, one in each side of the hull to the rear.



Specifications

Weight
12 long tons (12 tonnes)

Length
[/B]17 ft 6 in (5.33 m)

Width
9 ft 1.5 in (2.78 m)

Height
8 ft 10 in (2.68 m)

Crew
5

Armour
6.25 to 8 mm

Main armament
QF 3-pounder (47 mm)

Secondary armament
four 0.303 (7.7 mm) Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun
two 0.303 Vickers machine gun

Engine
Armstrong Siddeley V-8
90 hp (67 kW)

Power/weight
8 hp/tonne

Suspension
helical springs

Operational range
193 km

Speed
15 mph (21 km/h)

 

[Aristaeus]

For Germany the Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)
The Panzerkampfwagen 35(t), commonly shortened to Panzer 35(t) or abbreviated as Pz.Kpfw. 35(t), was a Czechoslovak-designed light tank used mainly by Nazi Germany during World War II. The letter (t) stood for tschechisch (German: "Czech"). In Czechoslovak service it had the formal designation Lehký tank vzor 35 (Light Tank Model 35), but was commonly referred to as the LT vz. 35 or LT-35. Four hundred and thirty-four were built; of these the Germans seized two hundred and forty-four when they occupied Bohemia-Moravia in March 1939 and the Slovaks acquired fifty-two when they declared independence from Czechoslovakia at the same time. Others were exported to Bulgaria and Romania. In German service it saw combat during the early years of World War II, notably the Invasion of Poland, the Battle of France and the invasion of the Soviet Union before being retired or sold off in 1942. It was used for the remainder of the war by other countries and as a training tank in Bulgaria into the 1950s.

The Czech Army formulated a requirement in the II-a category of light cavalry tanks by the end of 1934. Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk proposed an improved version of its P-II light tank already in service as the LT vz. 34, but Škoda offered a new design that used the pneumatic system and engine earlier proved by its unsuccessful SU or S-II light tank prototype. One prototype was ordered from each company for delivery during the summer of 1935. Both tanks had the same armament and three-man crew, but ČKD's P-II-a was much smaller at 8.5 tonnes (8.4 long tons; 9.4 short tons) and had only a maximum 16 millimetres (0.63 in) of armor while Škoda's S-II-a weighed 10.5 tonnes (10.3 long tons; 11.6 short tons) and had 25 millimetres (0.98 in) of armor. The army thought that P-II-a was at the limit of its development while the S-II-a could be improved as needed.

The first production order for 160 LT vz. 35s, as the S-II-a was designated in Army service, was placed on 30 October 1935 and deliveries began in December 1936. An additional order for 35 was made on 12 May 1936 and a follow-on order placed for 103 more a month later. The total order for 298 tanks was split equally by Škoda Works and ČKD according to their cartel agreement.

Development was rushed and there were many defects in the LT vz. 35s. Many tanks had to be returned to the factories to be repaired. Most of these repairs involved the electrical system, not the complicated pneumatic system.




Specifications:

Weight
10.5 tonnes (10.3 long tons; 11.6 short tons)

Length
4.90 metres (16.1 ft)

Width
2.06 metres (6.8 ft)

Height
2.37 metres (7.8 ft)

Crew
4

Armor
8–35 millimetres (0.31–1.38 in)

Main
armament
3.7 cm KwK 34(t) gun

Secondary armament
2 x 7.92 mm MG 37(t) machine gun

Engine
4-cylinder, water-cooled Škoda T11/0 gasoline
120 horsepower (89 kW)

Power/weight
11 hp/tonne

Transmission
6 x 6

Suspension
leaf spring

Fuel capacity
153 litres (40 US gal)

Operational range
120 kilometres (75 mi)[1] or 190 kilometres (120 mi)[2]

Speed
34 kilometres per hour (21 mph)