M3 whether. Searchlight tank CDL
History of creation
The entry of the United States into the First World War was very late, which brought them many different benefits. Expecting that the war would continue for several more years, American military experts made the absolutely correct conclusion that tanks were needed in this war: heavy tanks breakthrough and light "cavalry" tanks. The first corresponded to the British tanks Mk, and the second - the French FT-17. On their basis, American designers (together with the British) created their own heavy tank Mk VIII, which became the crowning achievement of heavy tank building of the First World War and a light two-seater tank "Ford M 1918", also known as " Ford Z-x ton" because of its mass. These vehicles were created taking into account both their own combat experience and the experience of the British and French. 1500 Mk VIII tanks were ordered, called "Liberti" (Freedom) or "International" (International), since the tank was created on two continents, and 15,000 Ford M 1918 tanks. However, only one Mk VIII tank and 15 Ford M 1918 vehicles were manufactured for the armistice. After that, their production was stopped.
At the end of the war, the American General Rockenback tried to reorganize the tank units in such a way that they became an independent branch of the military. He was supported by combat commanders Major Georg Patgon, Sereno Brett and Dwight Eisenhower. But in 1920, the American Congress passed the National Defense Act, according to which the creation of tank units as a separate branch of the army was prohibited. The existing tank units, as well as all management of the development of new vehicles, were transferred to the infantry commander american army, in whose apparatus a tank commission was created. As a result, the idea of an "armored strike" was buried, and the cavalry did not switch to tanks and retained their horses. True, in 1931, the cavalry mechanization commission began to deal with tanks, which gave a certain impetus to design research. However, until the beginning of World War II, the American army, in fact, was successful - it never received tanks for itself.
Experienced medium tank T1
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the American mechanized forces at Fort Meade in Maryland still consisted of World War I tanks and American-made light Renaults.
Work on the advanced design of tanks, however, was nevertheless carried out both by a number of private firms and at the state arsenal in Rock Island, Illinois, at an artillery factory. The first two designs, which appeared in 1921 and 1922, were medium tanks, very similar to their progenitor, the British D tank. But they had a rotating turret and a 57 mm gun. The third model ( medium tank Tl, created in Rock Island in 1926) had a mass of 23 tons, which exceeded the 15 tons established by the task, selected from the condition of the load capacity of the bridges. 220 hp engine provided speeds up to 20 km / h. The armament of the tank consisted of one 57-mm cannon, coaxial with a machine gun, in the main turret and another machine gun in a small turret mounted on top of the main one, in its rear part. The hull of the tank was made of armor one inch thick (25.4 mm). This tank was deemed too slow by the military. In 1930, the T2 tank was built. With a mass of 15 tons, which fully corresponded to the task, a more powerful aircraft engine "Liberti" with a power of 312 hp was used on it. The armament of the tank consisted of a 47-mm cannon and a heavy machine gun placed in the hull, a 37-mm cannon and a standard-caliber machine gun coaxial with it, installed in the turret. Outwardly, this tank was very similar to the English 12-ton tank "Vickers Medium Mk I", which in fact was chosen as a prototype. All of these tanks were transferred to the mixed mechanized unit, which was based at Fort Eustis in Virginia and consisted of military vehicles, cavalry and mechanized artillery, for testing. Subsequently, another tank unit at Fort Noko, Kentucky. But even this did not give real results for the development of American tank forces.
At the same time, tank designer J. Walter Christie, nicknamed by the US military an "eccentric" was working in the United States - a man who was as talented as he was quarrelsome and addicted. He presented to the Ordnance Department several samples of his wheeled-tracked tanks and self-propelled guns. Army officials, distinguished by their usual incredulity, bought only five tanks from him for military trials, after which his vehicles were rejected. But in other countries, these designs were regarded as promising! Christie's ideas were used in the USSR, Great Britain and Poland. In the USSR alone, about 10 thousand wheeled-tracked tanks of various modifications were produced, which were based on Christie tanks. Even the legendary T-34s used its suspension.
So, in search, the 30s passed. Experimental models of medium tanks TZ, T4, T5 and their various modifications were created, but none of the medium tanks was mass-produced.
September 1, 1939 came. Tank wedges of Germany for 18 days passed Poland and met with the tank wedges of the Red Army, which carried out the Liberation Campaign in Western Ukraine and Belarus. The further war in Europe, which ended with the defeat of the French and British armies near Dunkirk, showed the United States that the war was on the threshold and they would not be able to sit out across the ocean, but would have to fight seriously.
Experienced medium tank T2
It immediately became obvious that America was far behind in the development of tank forces. The reaction followed quickly. Already in July 1940, General George Marshall and General Staff ordered General Edn R. Chaffee to remove all armored units from the infantry and cavalry units and form two tank divisions with support battalions. And, if on June 30, 1940, the National Army Supply Program was adopted, then on July 10, General Chaffee began to form new armored units. All produced tanks were only for him. To arm the divisions, it was supposed to produce 1,000 tanks, and the output was to reach up to 10 vehicles per day.
The M2A1 medium tank of the 1939 model, a modification of the M2 tank, is being urgently adopted. This tank was designed in Rock Island and represented further development medium experimental tank T5. With a mass of 17.2 tons, the M2 tank had 1 inch thick armor, a 37 mm Mb cannon and 8 7.62 mm Browning Ml 919 A4 machine guns along the perimeter of the hull and in the turret. Nine-cylinder "Wright Continental R-975" engine with 350 hp. provided him with speeds up to 26 miles / hour (42 km / h). The M2A1 tank had armor of 1 inch and a quarter (32 mm), an enlarged turret and a 400 hp engine, which made it possible to maintain speed with increased weight. The tanks looked old-fashioned with high straight sides and were poorly armed for medium tanks, since light tanks with the same 37 mm cannon and two or three 7.62 mm machine guns were already produced for the army.
In June 1940, Lieutenant General William Nadsen, founder of the General Motors Corporation and head of the national defense program K.T. Keller (who is also the president of the Chrysler Corporation) decided not to produce M2A1 tanks at their factories, as this required a complete restructuring of production, because they believed that they could earn more by supplying cars to the army. And they intended to transfer the order for tanks to the American Locomotive Company and Baldvin concerns. Quite unexpected for them was the allocation of 21 million dollars for this production, including financing the construction of a new tank plant. K.T. Keller assured General Wesson, chief of artillery of the US Army, that the Chrysler Corporation was capable of producing tanks. It was assumed that 1741 tanks would be produced in 18 months. The Chrysler concern was given only 4.5 months to restructure production and submit a project for the construction of an arsenal completely independent of suppliers.
When the Rock Island Arsenal built two prototypes of the M2A1 tank, General Wesson allowed Chrysler engineers to study them. On July 17, 1940, one Chrysler M2A1 tank was valued at $33,500, a price that the artillery committee, out of caution, accepted as "floating". Within a month, the contract was worked out and signed on August 15. 1000 M2A1 tanks were to be delivered to the US Army by August 1940, and their production was to begin no later than September 1941. This date was appointed by the Chrysler concern itself, considering a month to be quite a sufficient period for preparing production for the release of new products.
The first tanks of Chrysler factories were two wooden layout M2A1, made according to the drawings received from Rock Island. But on August 28, 1940, the order for 1000 M2A1 tanks was canceled, although 18 units still managed to be released. Some of them were sent to Western Sahara. We were unable to find information about their participation in the battles. In 1941, instead of a gun, a flamethrower was installed on one of the tanks, and a tank with fire mixture was mounted in the stern. This machine received the M2E2 index, but remained a prototype.
By this time, as a result of the discussion about the possible armament of the M2A1 tank with a 75-mm gun (which was envisaged in the design of the T5E2 tank, cited by General Guffis from the Artillery Department in Aberdeen), a new "unscheduled" tank was created. The design department of the landfill developed all the necessary documentation in just three months. The car was given the designation MZ and the name "General Lee", in honor of Robert Edward Lee (1807-1870), commander-in-chief of the army of the southerners in the Civil War of the North and South of 1861-1865. in the USA.
The designers of the MZ tank installed a 75-mm gun in the side sponson on the starboard side of the hull, as on tanks of the First World War. This was reflected in a certain uncertainty of the designers in their abilities and unwillingness to give up their views on the tank as on a mobile dog. In a cast turret shifted to the port side, a 37-mm gun was mounted, coaxial with a machine gun. Another machine gun was in a small turret on top.
The design in all respects was archaic. Note that a similar design, with a gun in the hull, had a Soviet TG tank, created back in 1931, under the leadership of the German designer Grotte. On the other hand, the MZ was superior to all British tanks, even the "Churchill" Mk I, in which the 75-mm gun was located in the hull between the tracks, and the 2-pounder (40-mm) gun was in the turret. The "Lee" was inferior to the French B-1 bis tank, which also had multi-tiered weapons.
Work on the construction of the tank factory "Chrysler" began on September 9, 1940 at the 113th section of the suburb of Detroit - Varen Townshire. The government subsidized this construction, which covered an area of about 77,000 acres. All preparatory work was completed by January 1941, when the engineers of the Chrysler concern, together with the engineers of the American Locomotive Company and Baldvin concerns, worked out the technological processes. Experienced tanks of these firms began to be tested on April 11, 1941. The first tank "Chrysler" donated to the government, the next was sent to the Aberdeen Proving Ground for testing on May 3, and another was kept as a sample for the selection committee. Serial production of General Lee tanks began on July 8, 1941. The approval of the Lend-Lease Regulation on March 8 of the same year removed all restrictions on the supply of tanks for Great Britain and the USSR, and new tanks immediately went overseas. This gave an impetus to all firms in increasing the production of armored vehicles. The firms "PulIman-Standart Car Company", "Pressed Stell" and "Lima Lokomotive" were involved in its production. The MZ tank was produced for a little over a year, from July 8, 1941 to August 3, 1942. During this time, the concern "Chrysler" produced 3352 MZ tanks of various modifications, "American Locomotive company" - 685 units, "Baldvin" - 1220 units, "Pressed Stell" - 501 units, "Pullman - Standard Car Company" - 500 , a total of 6258 machines of various modifications. In addition, the Canadian firm "Monreal Lokomotive company" produced 1157 MZ tanks for the Canadian army. In August 1942, all enterprises switched to the production of M4 Sherman tanks. However, Baldvin continued to produce MZ tanks of the third and fifth modifications until December 1942.
MZ tank design
MZ tanks of all modifications had such an original look that it was difficult to confuse them with other models.
According to its design, the tank was a machine, from the First World War, with the location of the gun in the side sponson, as on the British tanks Mk I, Mk VIII, and instead of a fixed wheelhouse, a rotating turret. The engine was located at the rear, the transmission was at the front, the gearbox was under the swivel floor of the turret. Between them is the fighting compartment. The engine was connected to the transmission by a cardan shaft. Under the shaft were the engine control rods. All this was covered with a removable casing. Transmission parts were installed in a cast armored body, made of three parts, bolted together through flanges. They formed a very characteristic bow of the tank. All this was also fastened to the tank hull with bolts, which was the same for all modifications. The same design was used on the early models of the M4 "Sherman" tank. The body of the tank was made from flat sheets. The thickness of the armor was unchanged on all models and amounted to: two inches (51mm) - frontal armor, one and a half inches (38mm) - side and stern sheets, half an inch (12.7mm) - the roof of the hull. The bottom had a variable thickness: from half an inch (12.7 mm) under the engine to one inch (25.4 mm) in the area of the fighting compartment. The walls of the tower had armor - two inches and a quarter (57mm), and the roof - seven eighths of an inch (22mm). The front plate was installed at an angle of 60 degrees to the horizon, the side and rear plates were installed vertically. Armor plates were fastened with rivets (modifications MZ, MZA4, MZA5) or by welding (modifications MZA2 and MZAZ) to the inner frame. The MZA1 tank had a fully cast hull. However, due to the complexity of manufacturing, only three hundred cars were produced. On the right side of the hull, a cast sponson with a 75-mm gun was installed, which did not go beyond the dimensions of the hull. The height of the sponson, along with the size of the engine, determined the height of the tank. A cast turret with a 37-mm gun rose above the hull, shifted to the left, it was crowned with a small turret with a machine gun. The resulting pyramid was over 3 m - ten feet and three inches (3214mm). The length of the tank was eighteen feet and six inches (5639mm), width - eight feet eleven inches (2718mm), ground clearance - seventeen and one-eighth of an inch (435mm). But the tank turned out with a spacious fighting compartment, and is still considered one of the most comfortable. From the inside, the hull was pasted over with sponge rubber to protect the crew from small fragments of armor. Doors were installed along the sides, there were hatches on top and in the machine gun turret. This ensured a quick landing of the crew, and most importantly, a convenient evacuation of the wounded from the tank through the side doors, although the doors reduced the strength of the hull. Each crew member had viewing slots and loopholes for firing personal weapons, protected by armored visors. On the aft plate of the hull there was a double-leaf door for access to the engine, the junction of the wings of which was closed with a narrow bolted strip. On the sides and top of the door were two air filters. They were round and box-shaped. On the engine plate there were air intakes, closed with nets, and the doors of the upper hatch. Hatches at the top and rear facilitated access to the engine for maintenance. A entrenching tool, a towing cable, a tarpaulin, canisters, spare rollers were attached to the engine plate, and spare tracks were mounted on the fenders. Often infantry helmets were also located there. Sometimes the tool was fixed on the stern plate.
On MZ tanks, both "General Lee" and "General Grant", modifications MZA1, MZA2 and all vehicles based on them, an aviation star-shaped nine-cylinder carburetor engine "Wright Continental" R 975 EC2 or modification C1 with a power of 340 hp was installed. It provided the 27-ton tank with the highest speed of up to 26 miles / hour (42 km / h) and with a transportable fuel supply of 175 gallons (796 liters), a range of 120 miles (192 km). The disadvantages of the engine include its high fire hazard, since it ran on high-octane gasoline, difficulty in maintenance, especially the cylinders that were below. But in 1941 it was the only engine that satisfied tank builders. Since March 1942, the Baldvin company began to install water-cooled General Motors 6-71 6046 automobile diesel engines on MZ tanks, but two engines each with a total power of 375 hp, which increased the mass of the tank by 1.3 tons, but, due to greater power and efficiency, speed and power reserve increased slightly. These tanks were designated MZAZ and MZA5. In June 1942, the Chrysler concern installed a new 30-cylinder in-line water-cooled Chrysler A 57 engine on the tank. The installation of this engine not only increased the mass of the tank by two tons, but also the length of the hull and, as a result, the length of the tracks. Speed and power reserve were maintained. The British on the MZ tanks, which are in service with their army, could replace regular American engines with British Guiberson radial diesel engines during operation. At the same time, no modifications to the hull were made.
The driver, even on tanks supplied to England, was located in front on the left. On the dashboard were installed: a speedometer, a tachometer, an ammeter, a voltmeter, a fuel gauge, a thermometer and a clock. The tank was controlled using the gearshift lever, brake pedals, accelerator and handbrake.
The undercarriage of the tank was a rubber-metal caterpillar supported by three bogies on board. The supporting trolley had a welded frame, on which, through two spiral vertical springs, a rocker arm with two rubber-coated support rollers was attached. From above, a support roller was installed on the frame. Track rollers were made both with solid disks and with spokes. This support trolley was also used on M2 medium tanks and the first M4 samples.
The caterpillar drive was carried out through an asterisk, which was located in front of the hull and had two removable ring gears fixed on bolts. Behind - a guide roller with a tension crank mechanism, which was also bolted to the body.
The tracks were rubber-metal and had 158 tracks, 16 inches (421 mm) wide and 6 inches (152 mm) long each, on MZA4 tanks - 166 pieces each, due to the elongated hull. The track was a rubber plate, with a metal frame pressed inside it, through which two metal tubular axles passed, on which connecting brackets with a fang were put on, connecting the tracks into a caterpillar. For each truck, two fangs were obtained, enveloping the rollers of the supporting cart. The drive sprocket grabbed the caterpillar by the connecting brackets. The rubber track plate was smooth. The last tanks were equipped with a plate with chevron protrusions, which was also installed on the M4 "General Sherman" tanks.
The MZ tank had a fairly strong armament. home firepower- 75 mm gun mounted in a sponson. This gun was designed in the Westerflute arsenal based on the 75 mm French field gun Puteaux and Dupont, model 1897, adopted by the US Army after the First World War. The gun, which received the M2 index, had a barrel length of 118 inches (Zm), was equipped with a pickup stabilizer, a semi-automatic shutter, and a barrel purging system after firing. The aiming stabilization system on the MZ tank was used for the first time in the world and subsequently served as a prototype for similar systems for tanks of many armies of the world. The vertical aiming angles were 14 degrees, in the horizontal plane the gun was aimed by turning the entire tank. The vertical aiming of the gun was carried out both by electro-hydraulic drive and manually. The ammunition was located in the sponson and on the floor of the tank.
However, when installing the M2 gun on the tank, it turned out that the barrel went beyond the front line of the hull. This greatly alarmed the military, who were afraid that the tank could catch on something with the cannon while moving. At their request, the barrel length was reduced to 92 inches (2.33 m), which underestimated the combat characteristics of the gun. Such a truncated gun was assigned the MZ index, and when mounted in a tank, in order not to alter the stabilization system, a counterweight was put on the barrel, outwardly similar to a muzzle brake. By the way, a similar story happened with the Soviet T-34 tank. At the request of the military, the designers reduced the initial length of the F34 gun barrel by 762 mm, which reduced its power by 35%. But the gun did not speak for the dimensions of the tank! It seems that the conservatism of the military does not depend on either the nation or the social order.
The 37 mm gun was created in the same arsenal in 1938. Its modifications M5 or M6 were installed on the M3 tank, in a 360-degree rotating turret. The vertical aiming angles made it possible to fire at low-flying aircraft. A machine gun coaxial with the gun was also installed in the tower, and on top - a small 360-degree rotating turret with another machine gun. The turret had a rotating polik with walls separating the fighting compartment into a separate compartment. The gun's ammunition was located in the turret and on the rotating floor.
The 37 mm gun hit armor up to an inch thick and seven eighths (48 mm) from a distance of 500 yards (457 m), and the 75 mm gun hit two and a half inch armor located at a 30 degree inclination to the vertical.
Both guns were equipped with periscope optical sights. At the 75-mm gun, it was located on the roof of the sponson and allowed direct fire up to 1000 yards (914m).
The tank was equipped with four Browning machine guns with a caliber of 0.30 inches (7.62 mm) of the 1919 model, which were used on tanks back in the First World War. world war. One machine gun was in the machine gun turret. But for some reason the British did not like it, and this turret was not installed on the General Grant tanks. Moreover, on the "General Lee", who were in the British army, this turret was removed, and a hatch was installed instead. The second machine gun was paired with a 37 mm gun. Two more were motionlessly fixed in the hull, in front of the driver. The crew was also armed with 0.45 inch (11.43mm) Tompson submachine guns, pistols, and grenades. In the British army, 4-inch (102 mm) grenade launchers for smoke grenades were installed on the tower.
MZ tank layout
Ammunition was 65 shells for a 75-mm cannon, 126 shells for a 37-mm gun (on tanks "General Grant" - 139), 4000 rounds for machine guns, 20 magazines for machine guns, 6 grenades, 12 flares, as well as 8 smoke grenades.
The crew of the tank consisted of 6 people. The commander was in the turret of the 37-mm gun and was observing from the small turret. When necessary, he fired from a machine gun. Nearby was the gunner of the 37-mm gun, and below him, in the center of the vehicle, was the loader. All of them were placed on the swivel floor of the tower. The gunner of the 76-mm gun was located inside the sponson, and next to him, in the tank hull, behind the gun breech, was the loader. The driver sat in front and on the left and could conduct indirect fire from forward machine guns.
Modifications of the M3 tank
The basic model of the MZ tank (English designation Lee I) had an angular riveted hull, a cast turret and a Wright Continental R 975 EC2 or C1 radial aviation gasoline engine, modified for installation on tanks, and was produced until August 1942. A total of 4924 tanks were manufactured, including 3243 tanks at the factories of the Chrysler concern, 385 tanks at the American Locomotive company, 295 tanks at Baldvin, 501 tanks at Pressed Stell, and Pullman-Standart Car Company. "- 500 pieces. MZ tanks produced in Canada had some differences in the chassis. In total, the company "Monreal Lokomotive Work" produced 1157 MZ tanks for the Canadian army.
The first modification of the M3A1 tank (English designation Lee II) had a cast streamlined hull and a 75-mm M2 gun, with a shortened barrel and a counterweight at the muzzle. The rest of the characteristics corresponded to the base model. The tanks were produced by the American Locomotive Company from February to August 1942. A total of 300 cars were made.
Modification of the MZA2 tank (English designation Lee III) had a welded hull and a 75-mm cannon, with a shortened barrel and counterweight. Baldvin produced only 12 vehicles in January 1942, after which it switched to the production of M3A3 tanks.
Modification of the M3A3 tank (English designation Lee V) differed from the M3A2 only in the engine. These tanks were equipped with two water-cooled General Motors 6-71 6046 diesel engines with a total power of 375 hp. This increased the mass of the tank to 63,000 pounds (28,602 kg), but due to the greater power and efficiency of diesel engines, the speed increased to 29 miles / hour (46 km / h), and the cruising range - up to 160 miles (256 km). The external difference of the tank from the base model is a slightly modified form of the engine compartment. A total of 322 MZAZ tanks were produced by Baldvin from March to December 1942.
The British called the Lee IV the M3A3 tank, but with the Wright Continental engine, while maintaining the same hull shape. Apparently, the replacement of engines was carried out by the British during operation.
Modification of the M3A4 tank (English designation Lee VI) was carried out by the Chrysler concern at the Detroit Arsenal from June to August 1942. A total of 109 machines were manufactured. The tank was distinguished by a new 30-cylinder in-line Chrysler A 57 "water-cooled engine, designed and put on the conveyor at the concern's factories. Installing this engine increased the tank's weight to 64,000 pounds (29,056 kg) and length to 19 feet 8 inches (5995 mm), which also caused an increase in the length of the tracks to 166 tracks each.But the speed and range remained the same as in the base model.
Modification of the M3A5 tank is the same M3A3, only with a riveted hull. Produced by "Baldvin" from January to November 1942 in parallel with the M3A3 tank. In total, the company made 591 tanks.
M3 tanks were delivered to the UK. There, they dismantled the upper machine-gun turret and installed a hatch, and also applied their own camouflage.
After the approval of the provision on Lend-Lease, a commission arrived from Great Britain for the purchase of weapons, including for the purpose of selecting American armored vehicles for their own armed forces, since most of the weapons were left in France during the evacuation of Dunkirk. The commission was supposed to buy (for cash!) Experienced American developments. She chose the M3 tank, but suggested changing its design: installing a new turret, abandoning the upper machine-gun turret, and installing British radio equipment. All these proposals were worked out on the M2 tanks. It was decided to establish in the United States and the production of M3 tanks of the English model. This tank was named "General Grant", in honor of Ulysses Simpson Grant (1827-1885), commander-in-chief of the federal forces of the northerners in 1864-1865 during civil war in the USA, and in 1869-1877 - the President of the USA from the Republican Party. So, in the name of the tank, two warring sides of American society were reconciled.
Tank "General Grant", classified in England as a "cruising tank", had two modifications:
- "Grant I" - created on the chassis of the MZ base tank
- "Grant II" - created on the chassis of the MZA5 model.
Tanks "General Grant" had the same characteristics as the base models, but one machine gun less, and guns without counterweights. American "Browning" machine guns could be replaced by British "Bren" or "Bes" machine guns. During operation, sometimes regular engines were replaced with British Guiberson radial diesel engines.
Some of the "General Grant" tanks were converted by the British into command vehicles. All weapons and the turret were removed from the tanks, a more powerful radio station, control devices, additional equipment necessary for the work of the regiment or division commander were installed, the tank received the designation - "Grant OP / Command tank". A very small number of tanks were converted.
In 1941, very original designs appeared, the so-called "Canal Defense Tanks". Frightened by the rumors about the preparations for forcing the English Channel by German troops, which were very skillfully spread by the special services of Nazi Germany, the British made great efforts to create an antiamphibious defense of the strait. One of the measures was the installation of powerful searchlights on the MZ tank. The turret with the 37-mm gun was removed, and a specially designed turret with an arc searchlight with a power of up to 15 million candles was installed instead. The light flux was focused through a narrow viewing slot in the armor of the tower. To keep these secret vehicles from being too prominent, a fake barrel of a 37mm gun was mounted on the turret for camouflage. At the same time, the machine gun in the turret, the 75-mm cannon and the rest of the machine guns were preserved. Such tanks were intended for night combat, when the enemy is illuminated and blinded by searchlights and destroyed by airborne weapons. The work was carried out both in England, where the tank received the designation "Grant CDL", and in the USA, where this tank was called "Shop Tractor T10". The work was carried out in the USA at the factories of the American Locomotive Company, from May to December 1943, 355 tanks were converted, mainly MZA1. As in the British and American armies, these tanks were a strategic reserve and were surrounded by a veil of secrecy. But they did not have to take part in the hostilities.
In 1942, the United States tried to arm the Ministry of Health with a flamethrower. On several machines, instead of a 37-mm cannon, a hose was installed in the turret, and a tank with fire mixture was installed at the stern, following the model of M2E2, or instead of a 75-mm cannon. The machines received the designation MZE2, and remained prototypes.
What the designers failed to do was done by the soldiers themselves in field conditions. They mounted an E5R2-M3 backpack flamethrower instead of a machine gun in the upper turret of the Lee tanks. Such tanks received the designation M3E5R2. We could not establish the number of converted tanks and the type of chassis.
Finishing the story about the modifications of the MZ tank, I would like to mention the latest of them, created in 1942. The designers abandoned the sponson and the cabin, creating a small turret box, which was protected by thicker armor, and crowned with a turret with a 75-mm gun. The model turned out to be so successful that it was assigned a new M4 index and given name- General Sherman. But the story about this tank, which has become a milestone in the history of world tank building, requires a separate book. We only note that many elements of the new tank were tested on the MZ tanks, in particular, the chassis and engines: on the MZE1 - "Ford-GAA", on the MZA1E1 - b-cylinder "Lycoming engine". transmission: on MZA1E1 - double hydromechanical, on MZA5E2 - single hydromechanical. Externally, the tanks did not differ from the basic models.
Fighting vehicles based on the M3 tank
Both in the USA and in England, work was underway to create self-propelled units on the chassis of the M3 tank. All standard armament was removed from the tanks, the armored cabin was remade for the gun being installed. In the United States, prototypes of self-propelled guns were created:
T6, with a 105 mm cannon mounted openly;
- T24, with an open-mounted 3-inch (76.2 mm) gun;
- T36, with a 40-mm anti-aircraft machine mounted in a rotating, specially designed turret;
- T40 / M9, with an openly mounted 3-inch anti-aircraft gun M1918;
- M33, with a 155-mm cannon installed in a closed wheelhouse on the chassis of the T2 (M31) repair and maintenance vehicle, created on the basis of the M3A3 and M3A5 tanks. Anti-aircraft machine guns were installed on the roof of the hull;
- M44, which was a further development of the M33, with a modified wheelhouse and commander's cupola.
None of these vehicles were put into service.
The British managed to create a more successful design of a self-propelled 105-mm howitzer. The experimental model had the designation T32, and the serial model - M7 and its own name "Priest" (Priest) and was used in the armies of many countries.
The 105-mm howitzer M2A1 or M1A2 was openly mounted on the chassis of the M3 tank, from which the sponson, turret, and upper armor plate were removed. The opening of the sponson was closed with an armor plate, which was fastened with rivets. An embrasure was cut in the frontal sheet of the cabin to install the gun barrel. A carriage was mounted in the hull, on the starboard side - a turret with a 12.7-mm anti-aircraft machine gun. Crew - 6 people. Reservation and engine, as in the base model. Speed 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). Cruising range on the highway 125 miles (210 km), on the ground - 87 miles (140 km).
The M7 self-propelled howitzer was produced at US factories from 1942 to 1945. Two prototypes were created by the Baldvin concern in February, and the production of the M7 self-propelled guns and its modifications was carried out at the factories of the American Locomotive company, Pressed Stell and Federal Machine & Welder. A total of 4267 cars were produced, which have proven themselves well.
The Americans and the British paid due attention to engineering vehicles.
The first example of such a machine in the United States was the T16 artillery tractor. All armament, the turret were dismantled from the M3 tank, and a winch was installed inside the hull. But the tractor was not put into service due to the tightness in the hull. Even for repair vehicles, the military demanded comfortable conditions for their maintenance.
The serial model was the repair and recovery vehicle T2. The turret, armament were also dismantled from the tank, the hull was fully armored and a non-removable cargo boom with a lifting capacity of 10 tons, with a winch, large boxes for tools and spare parts was installed. The production of cars began in September 1943. Created on the chassis of the MZAZ tank, they received the designation M31V1, and on the MZA5 chassis - M31V2. In the British army, these vehicles were designated ARV I.
The British created their repair and maintenance vehicle ARV according to the same principle: all weapons, the turret were dismantled, but the crane boom with a manual winch was removable. There were also boxes for tools and spare parts. The vehicle could be armed with anti-aircraft machine guns, most often with a pair of 7.62 mm Bren machine guns. In the "in the stowed" position, the arrow was removed, disassembled into several parts and fixed on the sides of the hull from the outside.
To break through minefields, the Chrysler concern tried to create a special T1 minesweeper. A trawl was attached to the MZ, consisting of twin disc rollers and a separate pressing roller. But this minesweeper did not show any advantages over the English trawl "Scorpion", which the British mounted on MZ tanks. To do this, they had to remove the 75-mm gun from the sponson. Tanks with the "Scorpion I" trawl were designated "Grant Scorpion III", and with the "Scorpion II" trawl - "Grant Scorpion IV". An interesting feature of the designs of the Scorpion II trawls was the presence of two Bedford engines at once to drive the trawl device. The trawl itself looked like a drum, with chains welded to it. The engines, in special armored boxes, were located in place of the aft boxes for spare parts, and their shaft drives went to the drum along the hull. Because of this, the side doors could not be opened, so the crew had to climb into the tanks and leave them only through the upper turret hatches, which created some inconvenience. The dust they raised with their ground-thrashing chains blinded the driver and made it difficult to move.
The M3 tank, which entered service with the Canadian army, did not suit the Canadian strategists. Brought up in the "best traditions" of British conservative military thought, they believed that another tank was needed to support the infantry - slower, less maneuverable, more lightly armed. A "General Lee", in their opinion, was a breakthrough tank, with a powerful, 76-mm cannon, although not well placed. In January 1941, an order for the design of a new tank was issued to the company "Monreal Lokomotive Work". The designers used the chassis and engine from the MZ tank. That's just the driver was placed, according to the English traffic rules, on the right. The upper part of the hull and the turret were cast, of their own design. They abandoned the sponson with a 76 mm gun, the hull became symmetrical and lower. The side doors were kept. The machine-gun turret was removed from the gun turret and installed in front of the hull, on the left, next to the driver. This gave a resemblance to the tanks "Crusader", the first modifications. In the tower, shifted to the starboard side, a 2-pounder (40-mm) gun was installed, traditional for English tanks of that time, coaxial with a machine gun. But the "cunning Canadians" made such a mask that it was possible to install a 2.5 mm pounder (57 mm) gun in it, without altering it. The tower had hatches like on the M3 tank - on top, for the crew and behind, for dismantling the gun. The driver did not have his own hatch. The driver had viewing slots, on the doors of the hull and along the sides of the tower. Doors and removable sheets with ventilation grilles for engine maintenance were retained on the hull.
In June 1941, an experimental model of the tank, designated RAM Mk I, entered sea trials. A large order was given for these tanks, but only 50 RAM Mk I were produced, after which the tank was rearmed with a 2.5 pounder (57 mm) gun and named the RAM Mk II. These machines were produced in 1094 units. On the latest machines, the hull did not have side doors.
RAM tanks were in service only with parts of the Canadian army. Several pieces, for comparative testing, were sent to the United States. There they were assigned the M4A5 index, which made it possible for many researchers to consider the RAM as a modification of the M4 "Sherman" tank.
With a sufficiently deep study of the project, the RAM tank could become a good replacement for the MZ "General Lee" tank, which is practically comparable in its characteristics to the M4 "Sherman". But the traditionalism of thinking, as well as the weak technical base for the production of tanks, did not allow Canadian designers to take a decisive step forward and create a design designed for the future.
In parallel with the creation of the M7 self-propelled 105-mm howitzer, work was underway to install a 25-pound English field gun on the chassis of the RAM tank. The design, like the M7 self-propelled howitzer, was with an open-top gun mount, but the driver was placed on the right, and the hatch for loading ammunition on the left. This self-propelled gun was given the name "Sexton" - "Sexton". In 1943, production began at the factories of the company "Monreal Lokomotive Work". In total, until the end of 1945, 2150 vehicles were produced.
The leadership of the armed forces of Australia, like all countries of the British Commonwealth, practically did not engage in the development and production of weapons, relying on the industrial power of Great Britain. However, the events of 1940 seriously forced us to think about our own defense. November 1940 General base The Australian Armed Forces issued a technical assignment for a tank that meets the country's industrial production capabilities. The weight of the tank was to be 16-20 tons, armament - one 2-pounder (40 mm) cannon and one 0.303 inch (7.62 mm) machine gun, armor - 2 inches (50 mm), travel speed up to 30 miles per hour (54 km/h). This task corresponded to the English cruiser tank A15 Mk.I "Crusader", which was mass-produced. But military engineers, having become acquainted with American tanks. preferred the M3 "General Lee" tank.
The introduction of this machine into production faced great difficulties. Australian industry did not produce 2-inch armor, nor engines of the required power, nor 76-mm tank guns. Although the tank had to be redesigned, but already in January 1942, the first of the three experimental vehicles went to the test, and in August began serial production. The tank received the name "cruising tank AC I "Sentinel" - "Sentry" (AC - Australian Cruiser). Thus, it did not take much time for the Australian industry to create its own tank: only eleven months from the date of issue of the order and 22 months - from the beginning of the development of technical specifications.
The chassis of the "Sentinel" tank was taken from the M3, but the undercarriage was somewhat strengthened by installing a "Hotchkiss" type suspension. The hull was made cast, to which, like on the MOH, the bow with the transmission and the cover of the engine compartment were attached with bolts. The cast turret had armor up to 65 mm thick. Armament consisted of a 2-pounder (40 mm) British tank gun in the turret and two 0.303-inch (7.62 mm) water-cooled Vickers machine guns. One machine gun was installed in the frontal part of the hull, and the second - in the turret, coaxial with the gun. Powerful armored casings were put on machine guns, which gave the car a special look and became a characteristic feature of these tanks. The power plant consisted of three Cadillac engines in one block. It provided the tank with a target speed of 30 mph and a cruising range of 360 km. Periscopic devices were supplemented by viewing slots with armored shutters, through which it was possible to fire from personal weapons. The tank had reliable means of communication. The crew consisted of five people: the commander, the gunner, the loader-radio operator, the driver and the machine gunner of the course machine gun. The tests revealed a number of shortcomings of the tank: the engine cooling system worked unsatisfactorily, the turret rotated slowly, especially when the tank was on a slope. The weapons were also weak. Nevertheless, the success of the Australian designers was evident.
A total of 66 AC I tanks were produced. After that, it was re-equipped with a 2.5-pound (57-mm) gun and the index was changed to AC IL. In February 1943, a modification of the AC III tank was developed with a 25-pound (84-mm) field gun, adapted for mounting in a tank turret. The design of the tower has been slightly changed. The front plate of the hull was installed obliquely, the course machine gun was removed and the machine gunner was reduced in the crew. The next step was the installation of a 17-pounder (76-mm) high-speed gun of our own design on the tank. This gun had good armor penetration, and the shells had a powerful high-explosive effect. I had to increase the shoulder strap, which allowed the design, and make a new large tower. The result was an AC IV tank, comparable to the American Sherman tank. American observers noted the strong impression made by the AC III and AC IV tanks on the US military, in particular, on General MacArthur. But by that time the threat of a Japanese invasion of Australia had already passed, the Australian troops, according to the allies, were sufficiently saturated with Anglo-American equipment. The production of tanks of their own designs was regarded by the leadership of Great Britain and the United States as a kind of "sabotage" against Lend-Lease. Therefore, in addition to the prototypes AC3 and AC4, new Sentinel tanks were no longer built. The vehicles that remained in service were used until 1956 as training ones.
Chassis of self-propelled howitzers M7 and cannons "Sexton" with weapons removed were converted into armored personnel carriers (ARS), called "Kangaroo" (Kangaroo). In the fighting compartment, all weapons and equipment were dismantled, including anti-aircraft machine guns with a turret, the embrasure was closed with armor plates, additional armor plates were mounted along the sides, and seats for 16 soldiers were installed inside. Armored personnel carriers were reduced to special units and attached to armored units, for example, the 79th armored division of Great Britain, which fought in North-Western Europe. Armored personnel carriers ARS "Kangaroo" were the first vehicles of this type, widely used in the British army.
Combat use of the M3 tank
Tanks "Lee / Grant" occupied, in fact, an intermediate position between tanks and self-propelled artillery, so evaluate them combat effectiveness- it's quite complicated.
For the middle of 1941, it was one of the most heavily armed tanks, surpassing all that existed, except for the French B-Ibis, which had a 75-mm cannon in the hull, and the Soviet KV-2, with a 152-mm gun in the turret. The German experimental tank "Rheinmetall NbFz" surpassed it in terms of the total mass of weapons, but only five such tanks were made and they were used for purely propaganda purposes.
The armament of the "Lee / Grant" tanks made it possible in those years to fight on an equal footing with any tanks of fascist Germany and its allies. A 37 mm gun mounted in a turret hit armor up to an inch thick and seven eighths (48 mm) from a distance of 500 yards (457 m), and a 75 mm gun in a sponson hit two and a half inches (65 mm) armor, with a slope of 30 degrees to the vertical. Note that the 76-mm gun of the Soviet heavy tank KB from a distance of 500 m pierced armor 69 mm thick and, therefore, in terms of the ability to fight German tanks, these vehicles were equal.
Tank guns, caliber 37-50 mm, and a short-barreled 75-mm cannon of the StuG III assault gun, known to us as the Artshturm, could not penetrate the frontal two-inch armor of the MZ from a distance of 500 m. In addition, from a 37-mm gun it was possible to fire at the aircraft, thanks to which the tank had a very effective anti-aircraft cover. The large size of the tank had a psychological impact on the enemy, especially in the countries of Southeast Asia.
The tanks of the "canal defense" were the first to start combat service: "General Grant CDL" and "Shop Tractor T 10". They were consolidated into the 79th armored division of Great Britain, which included tanks "Matilda CDL". The division was located on the coast of the English Channel, all vehicles were on alert in anticipation of the German landing. They were a strategic reserve and were classified. But there was no landing and the CDL tanks did not have to take part in the hostilities. MZ tanks received their baptism of fire in Africa.
In January 1942, the German-Italian troops, under the command of General E. Rommel, launched an offensive against the 8th British Army, under the command of General N. Ritchie, in Libya and pushed it back from the city of Benghazi to the city of Gazala. Here the front stabilized for four whole months. The English dug into the ground. Their line of trenches stretched over 40 miles from Gazala on the Mediterranean coast to Bir Hakeim in the Kerinak Desert. On this flank, the Free French infantry battalions held the defense.
Both belligerents used this lull to reinforce their troops. 8th British army was replenished with new tanks, among them 167 MZ "General Grant". In total, there were 849 tanks in the armored units, reduced to the 13th and 30th corps. Tanks "Grant" were armed with parts of the 4th armored brigade of the 7th armored division, the 2nd and 22nd armored brigades of the 1st armored division of the 30th corps. In addition, the corps had 149 General Stuart MZ light tanks with a 37 mm gun and 257 Crusader tanks with a 57 mm gun. The 13th Corps, which consisted of the 1st and 32nd Army Tank Brigades, had 166 "Valentine" tanks with a 2.5-pounder (57mm) gun and 110 "Matilda" tanks armed with a 2-pounder (40mm) gun , but had a frontal armor of 78 mm. At Heliopolis, near Cairo, American instructors trained British tankers. The British command positioned its tank units in the center of the line, expecting frontal attacks.
General E. Rommel also received new tanks through the port of Tripoli. His famous African Corps consisted of the 15th and 20th Panzer Divisions, the 90th Light Division, as well as Italian units: the Ariete armored division and the Trieste motorized division of the 20th corps. In total he had 19 tanks PzKpfw IIIJ with a long-barreled 50mm cannon, 223 PzKpfw IIIF tanks with a short-barreled 50mm gun, 40 PzKpfw IV tanks with a 75mm gun and 50 PzKpfw II light tanks with a 20mm gun. In the Italian units, which also included 10 and 21 corps, under the command of General Cruwell, they were armed with 228 M13 / 40 and Ml4 / 41 tanks with a 47-mm gun.
On May 17, 1942, an offensive began in Russia, far from Africa. German troops near Kharkov, and on May 26 General E. Rommel attacked the British.
The Italian troops, under the command of General Cruwell, delivered an auxiliary strike on a 20-mile stretch, and the main forces of the German troops, bypassing Bir-Hakeim, went through the desert to the rear of the British. The French were part of the allied forces, but, after stubborn fighting, they managed to get out of the encirclement.
The victorious procession of the Teutons tried to stop the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment of the 4th armored brigade, armed with Grant tanks. The meeting of this regiment with the 15th Panzer Division of the Germans ended very badly for her. 50-mm shells did not penetrate the frontal armor of American tanks, and 37-mm shells even bounced off. While the M3, unlike the tanks "Matilda" and others, could easily fight the enemy from long distances. The 15th Panzer Division of the Germans was almost destroyed. The fight against the "General Grant" tanks was entrusted to 88-mm anti-aircraft guns and self-propelled guns "Marder-III", which was the chassis of the Czechoslovak 38t tank, armed with captured Soviet 76.2-mm F-22 cannons. But the tankers' sacrifices were in vain. The English armored units acted without interaction with the infantry. Brave "Tommies" lost faith in victory and retreated. By June 13, the British had about 70 serviceable tanks left. In June, Tobruk was besieged. Two days later, the 33,000-strong garrison surrendered, despite large stocks of weapons - food and the possibility of support from the sea. Among the trophies of the Germans were 30 tanks, about 2 thousand cars and 1.5 thousand tons of gasoline. Putting infantry on English vehicles, replenishing their forces captured tanks, including the MZ, Rommel rushed forward to El Alamein, practically unopposed. Technology couldn't keep up with that pace. The desert was covered with cars and tanks that were out of order.
When Rommel's army approached El Alamein on July 1, it had only 26 serviceable tanks. Another "miracle" happened. Rommel stopped. For a month of fighting, the German-Italian troops traveled about 600 km and practically defeated the 8th British Army, whose losses reached 80 thousand people. Although the British still had more than 100 tanks in Egypt, they did not think to resist, they built fortifications near Cairo and Alexandria and evacuated headquarters and rear units from Egypt.
In July-August, local battles took place near El Alameyyom, the parties were building up their forces. In June, the US government decides to urgently send to Egypt 300 of the latest M4 General Sherman tanks and 100 Priest self-propelled guns, as well as aviation and artillery. In August, General G. Alexander, 8th Army B. Montgomery became commander-in-chief of British troops in the Middle East. In addition to the existing corps, the 10th Corps was formed, consisting of two tank and one infantry divisions. The British already had 935 tanks, including 200 M3 "General Grants", which received the unofficial name "The Last Egyptian Hope".
On August 31, E. Rommel launched an attack on El Alamein. He managed to collect 440 tanks, including repaired and captured ones. During the four-day battles, the German-Italian troops lost 3 thousand people and 50 tanks, the British lost 1750 people and 65 tanks, but the Germans failed to break through the defenses.
In the next two months, the Anglo-American troops built up strength. Indian, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and American units arrived in Egypt, in particular, the US 1st Armored Division, armed with M4A1 tanks. The number of tanks reached 1441, of which 253 MZ and 288 M4 "General Shennan". Rommel, against 230 thousand allies, had about 80 thousand people and 540 tanks, of which 60% were light Italian. All the main forces of the Germans were on the Eastern Front. All reinforcements went there, including the Special Corps "F" of General G. Felmi, formed from the Germans, long time living in the Arab East, and the Arabs. Instead of Africa, this corps had to fight the Red Army in the Caucasus.
The offensive near El Alamein began on October 23, 1942. But already on October 27, the 10th Panzer Corps was withdrawn for replenishment. The Germans have learned how to deal with M3 and M4 tanks! The battles of November 3 and 4 became decisive. After them, only 35-40 combat-ready vehicles remained in the German tank divisions. Note that in the battle of El Alamein, the German-Italian troops lost only 55 thousand people and 320 tanks. However, even the newest tanks in large numbers, and superiority in other branches of the military, could not raise the morale of the British command. Although the enemy was almost defeated, the rate of advance was only 1.5 km per day. And, only by mid-February, the troops reached the Libyan-Tunisian border.
In November - December 1942, the Anglo-American troops occupied, practically without resistance, North Africa, which was under the rule of the Vichy French government, a protege of Nazi Germany. In response to this, German infantry and tank divisions were transferred to Tunisia, transformed into the 5th tank army, under the command of General Yu. Arnim. Together with the troops of Rommel, she was supposed to keep Tunisia. Consisting of 5 tank army was 501 separate heavy tank battalion, armed the latest tanks PzKpfw VI "Tiger", with 88 mm gun. There were many PzKpfw IV tanks in the army, armed with a long-barreled 75-mm gun.
At Christmas, fighting began in Tunisia. Until February 1943, there were limited actions of the ground forces, the main battles were fought by aviation. In early February, the 2nd American Corps, which included the 1st armored division, launched an offensive. On February 14, the 15th and 21st German Panzer Divisions, supported by the 10th Panzer Division, responded with a counterattack in the area of the Kasserine mountain pass. In five days of fighting, the Germans traveled 150 km, captured almost three thousand Americans, destroyed almost 200 M3 and M4 tanks, and many other equipment created a threat of a breakthrough to the airfields of American tactical aviation. The Allies had to take emergency measures, transfer new armored units. to the breakthrough area, to attract large aviation forces. On February 23, the German counteroffensive was stopped, and by March 3 they were driven back to their original positions.
The German-Italian troops were finally defeated only by May 13, and this, despite the double superiority of the Allies in infantry, triple in artillery and four times in tanks, at the beginning of the offensive, as well as the constant supply of troops with everything necessary. By the end of the fighting, the German-Italian troops had 120 tanks left, while the Allies had about 1100 vehicles.
In these battles, the superiority of the M4 "General Sherman" tanks over the MOH was revealed. MZ tanks began to be withdrawn from service in the armies of Great Britain and the United States and were transferred to the allies - India, Australia, New Zealand, as well as French and Polish military units formed in Great Britain. The MZ tanks that remained in the army were converted into various combat vehicles: command vehicles, minesweepers, repair and recovery vehicles, which were used until the mid-50s.
When landing in Normandy and in the south of France, the British and American troops were armed with the latest tanks, and the MZ tanks were in the French and Polish divisions that were part of the American army. Despite this, during the advance of the German troops in the Ardennes, the stamina of the French as part of the 7th US Army near Strasbourg and the Polish Panzer Division in the Lower Meuse held back the German tanks, which saved the American 7th Army from complete defeat.
Formally, armored units in India began to form on May 1, 1941. The basis was made up of American "General Stuart" light tanks supplied by Lend-Lease. The events of 1942 forced them to accelerate their formation.
In February 1942, the British fortress of Singapore fell. After that, the Japanese 15th Army, under the command of General Iida, launched an offensive in Burma. The 5th, 6th and 66th Chinese divisions retreated in panic to China, and only on the Saluen River in Yunnan Province, the Japanese were stopped by units of the 71st Chinese Army. British troops, under the command of General G. Alexander, also bravely retreated to India, with practically no resistance. Rangoon fell on March 8, Mandlalay fell on May 1. In total, 12 thousand people went to India, and when crossing the Chin Pass, all the weapons were thrown. For the defense of India, General A. Wavel forms one British and six Indian divisions, consolidated into two corps. Armored units began to form, replenished with the latest General Grant and General Lee tanks. By the end of 1943, the Indian Armored Corps was formed, consisting of three divisions. Parts of the 32nd division as part of the 254th and 255th armored brigades were formed from parts of the 7th British armored brigade, which fought in the African desert. The 31st division consisted of the 251st and 252nd armored brigades, the 43rd of the 267th and 268th armored brigades.
Since 1943, MZ medium tanks have been in action in the jungles of Burma. Here, the massive use of tanks, as in the desert, was impossible. Therefore, they were used in small units, or even one at a time, to support infantry, often fighting on mules, buffaloes and elephants.
In Burma, the MZ tank showed its best side. Japanese tanks with their 37mm cannons could not penetrate their frontal armor from a distance of 500 meters, at which they themselves fell victim to the 75mm General Lee guns. He had the Japanese army and effective anti-tank guns. In impotent rage, Japanese officers rushed at the tanks with sabers, trying to hit the crew through the viewing slots. In the infantry, suicide squads were organized, who, with mines or Molotov cocktails in their hands, rushed under the tanks or, hiding in the thickets, tried to put mines on bamboo poles under the tracks of the tank. The tankers had to put the infantry on the armor, and the Japanese had no choice but to use aircraft. To do this, the Ki-44-II "Otsu" fighters were armed with two 40-mm Xa-301 cannons instead of the 20-mm cannons installed in the wing. Two 12.7 mm machine guns were retained. These aircraft were used as ground attack aircraft to attack armored targets, although the guns had only 10 rounds per gun. The 64th Aviation Regiment of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force fought on such machines, under the command of Major Yasukiho Kurse.
Despite their clear technical superiority, the British were in no hurry to advance in Burma, shifting the brunt of the fighting onto national formations - Indian, Chinese and African units. Fighting in Burma continued until mid-1945.
Self-propelled 105-mm howitzers M7 "Priest", made on the chassis of the MZ tank, have proven themselves well in battles in the Libyan desert as part of the 8th British Army. Therefore, they were adopted by the British, American and French armies and used as artillery in direct infantry support in all subsequent hostilities: in Sicily, in Italy, in Europe. M7 howitzers were in service with many armies of the world until the mid-50s.
Command and staff vehicles began to be made from M3 tanks in 1943. After the dismantling of weapons and ammunition, a very free compartment was obtained in the tank hull, which was equipped with a powerful radio station and other equipment necessary for the headquarters work of a regiment or division commander. Outwardly, the machines were similar to the ARV-1, since they did not have guns and turrets. However, the US troops sometimes retained the turret with the 37mm gun. These "tanks" were the vehicles of the commanders of tank regiments and divisions, and they also housed the task force of the headquarters of the tank division. At the same time, the units were equipped with any other tanks, not only the MOH. A small number of tanks were converted.
The ARV recovery vehicles were reduced to special units and went in the second echelon of the advancing tank units, with the task of repairing and evacuating damaged vehicles. However, on Western front there were no tank battles like those in Russia. Therefore, ARVs were used to a limited extent.
The Kangaroo armored personnel carrier was a vehicle designed specifically to transport infantry behind advancing tanks. Reduced to separate units, they were attached to the British armored divisions that fought in Europe. But their combat use was also insignificant. After the Second World War, "Kangaroo" for some time were in service with the Australian army.
But in the USSR, MZ tanks were met without enthusiasm. By the middle of 1942, the production of T-IIIJ and T-IIIL tanks with 50-mm armor and a long-barreled 50-mm cannon, which pierced armor up to 75 mm from a distance of 500 m, the T-IVF tank and the StuG III assault gun ( known to us as "Artsturm") with a long-barreled 75-mm gun with even greater efficiency. Armor no longer saved the MZ tank. Speed, maneuverability, stealth were needed, which this tank did not have. Tall, having especially poor cross-country ability on Russian roads, with an insufficiently powerful engine (power 340 hp versus 500 hp for the T-34 of the same mass), besides, it is very sensitive to the quality of fuel and lubricant, the tank "Lee "did not cause good reviews from our tankers. But even such shortcomings would be tolerable if there were no rubber-metal tracks on the tank. During the battle, the rubber burned out and the tracks fell apart. The tank became a stationary target. The tankers did not forgive this. Neither comfortable operating and maintenance conditions, nor large side doors that made it easy to evacuate the crew from a wrecked vehicle, nor strong weapons could mitigate their sentence. That is why the MZ tanks received the contemptuous nickname "Common Grave for Six" from Soviet tankers. The report of the commander of the 134th tank regiment, Colonel Tikhonchuk, dated December 14, 1942, with an assessment of the tanks of the MZ "General Lee" has been preserved:
"American tanks in the sands work extremely poorly, the tracks are constantly falling off, getting stuck in the sand, losing power, due to which the speed is extremely low. When firing at enemy tanks, due to the fact that the 75-mm gun is installed in the mask, and not in the turret , you have to turn the tank, which burrows into the sand, which makes it very difficult to fire."
Note that neither the British nor the Americans used the MZ tanks with such intensity as the Russians, because the intensity of the fighting in Africa and on the Western Front was very far from what was happening on the Eastern Front.
The Allies also realized the shortcomings of the "Lee / Grant" MZ tanks and, therefore, removed them from production. Since August 1942, the M4 "General Sherman" tank began to be produced in the USA, and the Mk VIII "Cromwell" tank in the UK.
By the way, a similar fate befell the Soviet supertank KV. Invulnerable in 1941, it ceased to satisfy the military in 1942, primarily due to driving performance, and even the question was raised of its removal from production and replacement with the T-34 tank, which had thinner armor, but was more maneuverable. To improve the maneuverability of KB tanks, among other measures, the designers even went to reduce the thickness of the armor, although the 75 mm armor of the tank had already made its way through German artillery !!!
In the USSR, Lend-Lease supplied tanks of the M3A3 and M3A5 modifications with diesel engines. In total, about 300 cars were delivered. The delivery went in two ways: northern - by sea to Murmansk and southern - through Iran.
It was not customary for the Red Army to write about the combat use of American M3 "Lee" tanks, so as not to praise the military equipment of an ideological enemy. .However, in the 5th volume of the "History of the Second World War", published in 1975, there is a photograph of the tank attack of the Soviet troops on the M3A3 "General Lee" and "General Stuart" tanks in the Kalach region on the Don in the summer of 1942 (although the American historian Steven Zaloga dates it to 1943), which suggests the presence of American tanks in the 13th Corps of the 1st Tank Army. The 134th Tank Regiment operated jointly with the 4th Guards Cossack Corps in the area of the northeastern city of Mozdok, fought against the German Corps "F". Company commander Captain Nikolaenko P.I. and tank commander Junior Lieutenant Gretsky V.N. for the battles of December 12-14, 1942 in the Norton farm area Stavropol Territory awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 31, 1943).
It is known that "Lee" tanks also fought near Kharkov, in the Kalmyk steppes south of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd), in the North Caucasus, possibly in the Far East.
During the transportation of tanks by PQ sea convoys, ship crews used 37-mm cannons of MZ tanks installed on the deck to repel attacks by enemy aircraft. Perhaps this is the only case of using tanks in naval ocean battles.
Tank painting and markings
MZ tanks made in the USA were painted green in various shades - from dark green to khaki. On the side plate in the engine area, on both sides, the registration number assigned to the tank during construction by the Department of Arms was applied. The name of the country "USA" and the letter "W" were written in blue paint, indicating that the tank was transferred to the troops, and the six-digit number was written in yellow or white. The sign of the American armed forces was applied to the turret and the frontal sheet of the hull - White Star in a blue circle superimposed on white stripe. In this form, the tanks were supplied to the allies under Lend-Lease.
In the US troops, tactical numbers were applied to tanks with white paint on the turret and hull: first, the serial number of the vehicle in the company, followed by the letter designation of the company. For example: 9E or 4B. On the sponson, on the port side next to the door, geometric figures were drawn indicating the number of the company, battalion and regiment in the division. The distinctive signs of the division were applied on the middle sheet of the transmission. On tanks that fought in North Africa, on the frontal armor, instead of a star, there was an American star-striped flag.
The M3 tanks shipped to the UK were painted dark olive to American standards. On site, they were repainted in British tricolor camouflage: yellow, green and brown sinuous stripes with black trim. But the first tanks heading for North Africa often went into battle on the move and there was simply not enough time to apply camouflage. The tanks were repainted on the spot in a sand color or only stripes of this color were applied. Tanks fought in the desert and in olive "overalls".
The registration number was retained, only the letter "W" was replaced by the letter "T". When the tank was repainted in the standard camouflage scheme, the number was restored with white paint. In the field, the number could not be painted over, but protected with a stencil, and it turned out, as it were, in an olive frame. A standard British cockade of vertical stripes of red-white-red was applied on board the hull. A contour of a geometric figure with a number inside was drawn on the tank turret. The figure: a square, a circle or a triangle, denoted the number of the tank squadron, and the number - the serial number of the vehicle in the squadron. The color of the contour and the number was determined arbitrarily. Division and brigade markings were eight and a half (216 mm) - nine and a half inches (240 mm) red squares with a white number inside and were applied on the front of the left wing and the rear of the right or on the armor cover of the transmission. And on the opposite wings, emblems of brigades and divisions could be drawn.
Perhaps the most original painting belongs to the MZ "Grant" tank, exhibited at the British Royal Museum of Armored Vehicles in Bovington - one of the largest tank museums in the world. On the main sandy background, it has sinuous gray camouflage stripes with a black and white stroke!
Most of the British MZ tanks that fought in Burma were painted green with large white stars on the hull and turret. Almost all tanks retained registration numbers. Some of them had individual numbers on the frontal armor.
Tank crews in both the British and American armies assigned their own names to their tanks, which they wrote on the tanks in a very arbitrary manner.
The M3 tanks, made in Canada, were painted khaki. Canadian red-white-red flags were applied to the front on the middle sheet of the transmission and along the sides of the hull. By analogy with the American armed forces, a five-digit registration number was applied with white paint on the side of the hull in the engine area on both sides behind the flag and on the front sheet above the flag. The name of the country was not written, and instead of the letter "W" the letter "T" was used.
In 1945, on all tanks that fought in Europe, two white stripes began to be applied at the top of the tower around the perimeter. While on the Soviet - one lane. This was done by special agreement to facilitate air identification of allied forces.
The allies in the anti-Hitler coalition, who received tanks under Lend-Lease, did not repaint them. Only American identification marks, their national and tactical numbers were applied. Ordnance Department registration numbers were generally retained.
In the USSR, M3 tanks were also not repainted, but instead of American insignia, they painted red stars. Often white American stars were simply painted red. Registration numbers and all technical inscriptions on English language were preserved. Tactical numbers on the towers were written in an arbitrary form. Also, slogans such as: "For our Soviet Motherland", "Death to fascism", etc. could be applied to the body of the tank. The lack of documentary material does not allow these inscriptions to be reproduced. Tanks that survived until the winter were repainted in the field in white with lime, through which the standard paint appeared.
It is known that individual M3 tanks captured by the Nazis were used in the tank units of the Wehrmacht. Photographs have been preserved, from which it can be judged that, for the purpose of better identification, the Germans painted black and white crosses on their hull and turret much larger than on their own machines. In the engine compartment, to facilitate recognition from the air, they even stretched the Nazi flag! From the memoirs of participants in the battles in Africa, it is known that E. Rommel used "Grant" tanks in English camouflage, without having the time and opportunity to repaint them.
The M3 tank is an attractive prototype for making a model. Having worked out the chassis manufacturing technology, it is easy to manufacture a significant number of machines of various modifications. In addition, early modifications of the M4 "General Sherman" tank can be made on the same chassis.
The MZ tank is also very suitable for dioramas. He had to fight on almost all fronts of World War II and in almost all armies. This allows you to use any available material and make dioramas from the simplest ones, such as "NN army soldiers are studying the MZ tank", to exotic ones for us, like "Battle of the English MZ with the Japanese "Ha-Go" in the jungles of Burma" . By the way, they fought with German tanks T-VI "Tiger" M3 in Tunisia. Or do a "Battle of American" troops with units of the Soviet army in the spring of 1945 in Germany. Almost nothing is written about this, but there were such cases. You can also compose more complex multi-component layouts, for example, "Landing in Normandy 2 armored divisions of the French army." Here you have coastal fortifications, and landing craft, etc. etc. And for lovers of national history, this tank is just a godsend, since for dioramas you can use sets manufactured by Zvezda, OA, Latnik and many other domestic enterprises. Next to the MZ tank, you can put any tank from the Second World War - you just need to correctly determine the theater of operations in order to maintain historical accuracy.
If you want to make a simple model, then the tank looks most spectacular in the English tricolor camouflage. But it's a matter of taste, take your pick.
The hull of the tank, except for the cast on the MZA1 and all vehicles based on it, is made of flat sheets, except for the bow. This is the most complex part of the body. Here it is necessary to imitate the bolts, paying attention to the fact that the bolt heads are directed towards the tracks, and the nuts are directed towards the middle of the body. Doors and hatches are best imitated with a thin cardboard or plastic sticker. Rivets - in any way, but the easiest way is with a match and thick PVA glue if the model is made of cardboard or wood. By sharpening the match, you can achieve a drop of glue of the required size. Thick PVA glue dries immediately, creating a semicircular shape of the rivet head. The welded hull of the M3A2 and M3A3 eliminates the fuss with rivets on the hull, but the bolts of the front plate, rivets on the hinges of hatches, doors, the mask of the 37-mm gun, etc. remain. And the riveted body looks more impressive than the welded one.
The turret of the 37-mm cannon on the "Lee" and "Grant" and the machine-gun turret were made in cast. Therefore, it is necessary to withstand all technological slopes on the model, which explains the taper of the towers, tides and roundings.
You can put a tool on the engine compartment: a crowbar, an ax, a shovel, an infantry helmet, a tow rope with lights at the ends, rolled into a bay, a tarpaulin in a roll, canisters, spare rollers, and spare tracks on the fenders.
On models of the "Lee" and "Grant" tanks, which were used in the British army, the turrets of the 37 mm guns can be equipped with smoke grenade launchers, two each on the left side of the turret at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the horizon. In the British army, the mask of the 75-mm cannon in the sponson was also covered with a tarpaulin.
We pay attention to coloring. In addition, we note that the rubberized parts of the rollers and tracks, the ventilation grilles of the engine and the casing of the barrels, machine guns must be black. Fangs and hinges of tracks - steel color. The headlight glass, installed on the right, had a blackout nozzle. This can be imitated by painting the glass with black paint, leaving a horizontal, white stripe in the middle. The tool can be painted in khaki color or the wooden handles can be left unpainted, and the metal parts themselves can be made steel-colored. The tow cable is best imitated with black twisted thread, which matches the color of the cable covered with grease and dirt.
Toning and other specific operations for the final finishing of the model are best done according to the recommendations of the magazine "M-Hobby".
Tactical and technical characteristics of the MZ tank, its modifications and combat vehicles based on it
Table 1
| Model | Purpose | Crew | Weight, t | Length, m | Width, m | Height m | Clearance, m | Armor, mm |
| M3 | medium tank | b | 27.24 | 5.64 | 2.72 | 3.12 | 0.435 | 57-12 |
| М3А1 | medium tank | 6 | 27,24 | 5.64 | 2.72 | 3.12 | 0.435 | 57-12 |
| M3A2 | medium tank | b | 27.24 | 5,64 | 2.72 | 3.12 | 0,435 | 57-12 |
| M3A3 | medium tank | 6 | 28.60 | 5,64 | 2.72 | 3.12 | 0.435 | 57-12 |
| M3A4 | medium tank | 6 | 29.10 | 5.99 | 2,72 | 3,12 | 0.435 | 57-12 |
| M3A5 | medium tank | b | 29.10 | 5,64 | 2,72 | 3,12 | 0.435 | 57-12 |
| Grant I | cruiser tank | 6 | - | 5.64 | 2.72 | 3.06 | 0,435 | 57-12 |
| Grant II | cruiser tank | b | - | 5,64 | 2,72 | 3,06 | 0,435 | 57-12 |
| Grant CDL (Lee CDL) | channel tank | 6 | - | 5,64 | 2,72 | 3,30 | 0,435 | 57-12 |
| RAM Mk I | NPP tank | 5 | 28,50 | 5.70 | 2,87 | 2.60 | 0.430 | 87-25 |
| RAM MkII | NPP tank | 5 | 28.50 | 5,70 | 2.87 | 2.60 | 0.430 | 87-25 |
| AC I "ScantineI" | cruiser tank | 5 | 28.00 | 6,30 | 2,50 | 2.50 | 0,390 | 65-25 |
| AC II "Sentinel" | cruiser tank | 5 | 28.00 | 6,30 | 2.50 | 2.50 | 0.390 | 65-25 |
| M7 Priest | ACS | 7 | 22,97 | 6.02 | 2.88 | 2.95* | 0.435 | 38-12 |
| "Sexton" | ACS | 6 | 25.30 | 6.10 | 2.70 | 2.70 | 0.435 | 38-12 |
| "Kangaroo" | armored personnel carrier | 2 | - | 6,10 | 2.88 | 2.40 | 0,435 | 38-12 |
| ARV | BREM | 5 | - | 5,64 | 2.72 | 2.30** | 0.435 | 51-12 |
| ARV I | BREM | 5 | - | 5.64 | 2J2 | 2,30** | 0,435 | 51-12 |
* The height is indicated without an anti-aircraft machine gun.
** Height shown with jib removed.
Ta6face 2
| Model | Armament | engine's type | Power, hp | Speed miles/km | |
| guns | machine guns | ||||
| М3А1 | 1x75 mm. 1x37 mm | 3x7.62 mm | "Wright Continental" R 975" | 340 | 26/42 |
| М3А1 | 1x75 mm. 1x37 mm | 3x7.62 mm | "Wright Continental" R 975" | 340 | 26/42 |
| M3A2 | 1x75 mm, 1x37 mm | 3x7.62 mm | "Wright Continental" R 975" | 340 | 26/42 |
| M3AZ | 1x75 mm, 1x37 mm | 3x7.62 mm | "General Motors 6-71 6046" | 375 | 29/46 |
| M3A4 | 1x75 mm. 1x37 mm | 3x7.62 mm | "Chrysler A 57" | 370 | 26/42 |
| M3A5 | 1x75 mm, 1x37 mm | 3x7.62 mm | "General Motors 6-71 6046" | 375 | 29/46 |
| Grant I | 1x75 mm, 1x37 mm | 2x7.62 mm | "Wright Continental" R 975" | 340 | 26/42 |
| Grant II | 1x75 mm. 1x37 mm | 2x7.62 mm | "General Motors 6-71 6046" | 375 | 29/46 |
| Grant CDL (Lee CDL) | 1x75 mm | 2x7.62 mm | "Wright Continental" R 975" | 340 | 26/42 |
| RAM Mk I | 1x2-x pound | 2x7.62 mm | "Wright Continental" R 975" | 340 | 25/40 |
| RAM MkII | 1x2.5 pounds | 2x7.62 mm | "Wright Continental" R 975" | 340 | 25/40 |
| AC I "SentineI" | 1x2-x pound | 2x7.62 mm | "Cadillac" -3 pieces in a block | 117 | 20/32 |
| AC II "Sentinel" | 1x2.5 pounds | 2x7.62 mm | "Cadillac" -3 pieces in a block | 117 | 20/32 |
| M7 Priest | 1x107 mm | 1x12.7 mm | "Wright Continental" R 975" | 340 | 25/40 |
| "Sexton" | 1x2.5 pounds | 2x7.62 mm | "Wright Continental" R 975" | 340 | 25/40 |
| "Kangaroo" | No | possibly | "Wright Continental" R 975" | 340 | 35/55 |
| ARV | No | 2x7.62 mm | "Wright Continental" R 975" | 340 | 25/40 |
| ARV I | No | 2x7.62 mm | "Wright Continental" R 975" | 340 | 25/40 |
- Tank NPP - a tank of direct infantry support.
- "Grant" CDL (Lee CDL) - canal defense tank - instead of a 37-mm gun, a searchlight with a capacity of up to 15 million candles was installed. It was used in England for the antiamphibious defense of the English Channel.
- BTR - armored personnel carrier. It was made from self-propelled guns M7 "Priest" and "Sexton", with dismantled weapons. Could carry up to 20 infantry.
- BREM - armored recovery vehicle. Manufactured on the chassis of all types of M3 tanks, withdrawn from service.
- The engine "General Motors 6-71 6046" is diesel, the rest are carbureted, running on gasoline, with an octane rating of at least 80.
- The caliber of weapons is indicated in the metric system. In the English system used during the Second World War, there will be:
- machine guns: caliber 7.62 mm - 0.303 inches; 12.7mm-0.5"
- guns: caliber 40 mm - 2.0 pounds; 57 mm - 2.5 lbs; 76 mm - 17 pounds; 84 mm - 25 lbs.
References
- V.D. Mostovenko "Tanks" Military Publishing M, 1958
- I.P. Shmelev "Tanks in battle" Publishing house "Young Guard" M, 1984
- I.P. Shmelev "The second profession of a driver". "Technique-youth", N8, 1980, pp. 44-45.
- D.S. Ibragimov "Confrontation" M, DOSAAF Publishing House, 1989
- "Weapons of Victory" under the general editorship of V.N. Novikova M., "Engineering", 1987
- V.G. Grabin "Weapons of Victory" M. Politizdat, 1989
- A.A. Grechko "The Years of War" M. Military Publishing House, 1976
- "From "Barbarossa" to "Terminal". View from the West." M. Politizdat, 1988
- "History of the Second World War 1939 - 1945" v.Z. M. Military Publishing House, 1-974
- "History of the Second World War 1939 - 1945" v.5. M. Military Publishing House, 1-975
- "History of the Second World War 1939 - 1945" vol. M. Military Publishing House, 1-976
- "History of the Second World War 1939 - 1945" v.7. M. Military Publishing House, 1-977
- "History of the Second World War 1939 - 1945" v.8. M. Military Publishing House, 1-577
- "World War II Tanks and Fighring Vehicles" Christopher F. Foss
- "Tracklink" Magazine of the Friends of the Tank Museum N January 27, 1993
The M3 was the first medium tank to enter service with the emerging armored units and formations of the American army. Its feature is the arrangement of weapons in three tiers. In the lower tier, in the sponson, a 75-mm gun with a horizontal guidance angle of 32 degrees is installed. The second tier is a tower of circular rotation with a 37-mm gun installed in it and a machine gun coaxial with it. In the third tier, in the turret, there is a machine gun, from which it is possible to fire both at ground and at air targets. To turn the turret with a 37-mm gun, in addition to a mechanical drive, a hydraulic one can also be used. Pointing the gun vertically was carried out by a mechanical drive. Periscopic sights and prismatic observation devices were used. Towers and hull were made cast, welded and riveted. In particular, the bow, sponson and turret were made by casting. The design of the machine as a whole was unsuccessful: insufficient armor thickness, too high a height, caused partly by the use of star-shaped aircraft engines, partly by unsuccessful placement of weapons, low firepower despite the large number of weapons. Nevertheless, the tank was produced in large series from 1939 to 1942, when it was replaced in production by the more advanced M4. In total, 6258 M3 were produced in six modifications, differing from each other mainly in the brand of the engine and the technology for manufacturing individual parts of the hull and turret.
The speed with which the M3 was developed and put into production is perhaps unparalleled in the history of armored vehicles. A decisive role in the deployment of mass production was played by the construction of the Detroit tank arsenal(in Michigan, Center Line), which was quickly oriented towards production. In September 1939, when the war began in Europe, the artillery and technical service planned to issue contracts for the mass production of combat vehicles to heavy engineering enterprises, and in fact, the first of them, the light M2A4, began to be produced by American Car and Foundry.
The events of May-June 1940 in Europe, which forced the adoption of a new American national weapons program, showed that tanks - especially medium ones - would be needed in much larger numbers than expected back in October 1939. In fact, in accordance with the need of the US Army, it was required to produce about 2000 cars over the next 18 months, by comparison, the existing order for 400 light cars looked insignificant. General Motors Company President William S. Nadsen, as a member of the National Defense Advisory Committee responsible for coordinating the work of the American defense industry, believed that heavy industries, which produced relatively small quantities of products, could not supply tanks in increasing numbers, which demanded by the situation prevailing by June 1940.
From Nadsen's point of view, tank industry was similar to the automobile, with the exception of the production of armor. Although ATS did not agree with this position, it recognized the need for further expansion tank production and using the experience of automotive industry specialists in the organization of mass production. The British Tank Commission was sent to the United States in June 1940, when the British were sorely lacking tanks, to select American vehicles for the British army and adapt the British armored vehicles for production in the USA.
The National Defense Advisory Committee abandoned the production of British combat vehicles due to the lack of production capacity necessary for the implementation of the American tank building program. Then the British Commission limited itself to choosing the M3. In October 1940, the British signed a contract with Baldwin, Lima and Pullman for the production of the M3. These tanks, built and paid for by the British under the original contract, received cast turrets, radio stations installed in the rear of the turret, and not in the hull, as in the American version. The towers were longer than the American ones, which stood on the M3 due to the aft niche and had hatches for firing personal weapons.
The commander's turret was removed, and the turret itself was lower, which reduced the height of the tank. This modification received the British designation "Grant" (in honor of the American General Ulysses S. Grant, who commanded the troops of the northerners during the Civil War. See also - "Tank M24" Chaffee "), and all 200 ordered vehicles from the beginning of 1942 were delivered 8- th Army in the Western Desert.During the big battle at Gazala on May 27, 1940, 167 "Grants" made up the main force of the 4th armored brigade.At first, the British army received tanks that were superior in firepower to all German ones, which had a 75-mm cannon, capable of firing armor-piercing and high-explosive shells.M3 "Grant" significantly raised the morale of the British tankers, helped turn the wheel of Fortune in favor of the British forces, in addition, under their impression, the development of a "dual-use" gun for British vehicles began in the UK.
On March 11, 1941, the lend-lease law was approved. The standard M3 medium tanks began to be delivered to the UK, which received the designation "Lee" (another example of British humor - during the civil war, General Robert E. Lee was the commander-in-chief of the southern armies).
By June 1942, the 8th Army in Egypt received 250 more M3, and by the beginning of the battle near El Alamein in October 1942, about 600 of these machines were delivered. From June 1942, in a repair park near Cairo, American personnel retrained British crews for medium tanks M3 (later M4).
A small number of M3s were brought to the UK for training and use as special vehicles, but the bulk of the British army was used in the Middle East.
When the M4 replaced the M3, the latter were transferred to Burma by British units, then equipped with Matildas, Stuarts, and Valentines. Some of them were transferred to Australia.
Modifications
Tactical and technical characteristics
| Combat weight | |
| Dimensions: | |
| length |
5640 mm |
| width |
2720 mm |
| height | 3125 mm |
| Crew |
The United States entered the First World War only at the very end of it, which gave them many different benefits. But the American military believed that the war would continue until 1919, and hence the logical conclusion followed that they would need tanks to win: both heavy breakthrough tanks and very light ones - "cavalry". The British Mk vehicles met the first requirement, while the French FT-17 light tanks met the second requirement. On their basis, American engineers (together with the British) developed and then released the Mk VIII tank - in fact, the crown of heavy tank building during the First World War, and then the very light and miniature two-seater tank "Ford M 1918", known in Russia as "Ford-3-ton". Both the one and the other designers created, taking into account both their own combat experience and the experience of the British and French. Knowing the capabilities of their industry, the Americans did not stand on ceremony: they immediately ordered 1,500 Mk VIII tanks, called "Liberti" (Freedom) or "International" (International), since this tank was created on two continents at once, and a whole armada of 15,000 Ford M tanks 1918". But by the time the armistice was signed, only one Mk VIII tank and only 15 Ford M 1918 vehicles had been made. After that, their production ceased, and why is clear.
Tank M3 by the late Vyacheslav Verevochkin. There lived such a man in Russia, at home, with his own hands he created tanks "on the go" and with the quality that you see in this photo. But… people on planet Earth, unfortunately, are dying. Although on the other hand, what remains is what was created by their hands.
General Rockenback made an attempt to reorganize the tank units of the US Army in such a way that they became an independent branch of the military. His proposals were supported by such combat commanders as George Patton, Sereno Brett and Dwight Eisenhower. But ... majors they are majors. Nobody listened to them then. Moreover, in 1920, the US Congress adopted an important document - the National Defense Act, according to which it was forbidden to create tank units as a separate branch of the military. Well, those tank units that already existed were transferred to the infantry.
Nevertheless, new machines were developed, built and tested. For example, in 1930, an experimental T2 tank appeared. With a weight of 15 tons, which corresponded to the assignment issued by the military, they put a powerful aircraft engine "Liberti" in 312 hp on it. This tank was armed as follows: a 47-mm cannon and a heavy machine gun in the hull, and a 37-mm cannon and another rifle-caliber machine gun paired with it were installed in the turret. A feature of the tank was the engine in the front and the "door" in the hull at the back, like the British on the Vickers Medium Mk I tank, so it was very convenient to get into this tank.
Tank T2.
Indeed, outwardly it was very similar to the English medium 12-ton Vickers Medium Mk I tank, and in fact it was chosen as a promising prototype of the future US medium tank. The completed tanks went to a mixed mechanized unit at Fort Eustis in Virginia. This experimental unit consisted of military vehicles, cavalry and powered artillery. Then another tank unit was created at Fort Knox in Kentucky. But all these experiments did not give real results.
The entire early American tank fleet.
At that time, a talented designer of armored vehicles, John Walter Christie, worked in the USA, an "eccentric" - as the US military called him, a man with all his talents, and maybe just because of them, very quarrelsome and extremely addicted. He offered the Ordnance Department a number of models of his wheeled-tracked tanks and self-propelled guns. Army officers, distinguished by their traditional incredulity, purchased only five tanks from him to participate in military trials, but after them his cars were rejected. Although Christie's designs in other countries have found their second life! His ideas were used in England, the USSR and Poland. As you know, it was in the USSR that about 10 thousand wheeled-tracked tanks of various modifications were produced, starting with the BT-2 and ending with the diesel BT-7M, which were based on the design of the Christie tanks. After all, even the legendary T-34 had its suspension. And it was used on all British cruiser tanks, including the Covenanter, Crusader, Sentor, Cromwell and Comet.
"Ford M. 1918". Front view.
So, in a long search, the 30s passed. A whole family of medium tanks TK, T4, T5 and also their modifications were built, but none of these vehicles went into production.
Projection "Ford M. 1918".
This photo here gives a clear example of how crowded it was in this tank.
But then came September 1, 1939, and the tank wedges of the Wehrmacht for some 18 days passed through Poland and met with the same tank wedges of the Red Army, which entered Western Ukraine and Belarus, on the other hand. And the further war in Europe, which ended with the swift defeat of the French army and the disaster at Dunkirk, clearly showed the United States that the war was on the verge, and that it would not be possible to sit out overseas. This means that the fight will have to be serious. And how can you fight without modern tanks?
"Ford M. 1918" at the General Patton Museum.
Driving wheel.
And then at once all the American military and senators saw the light and saw that their country was very far behind in the development of its tank forces. In fact, they simply do not exist. That's even how! And because the reaction to this followed very quickly. Already in July 1940, General George Marshall and General Staff ordered General Edn R. Chaffee to withdraw all armored units from infantry and cavalry formations and to form two tank divisions at once, together with support battalions, as soon as possible. On June 30, 1940, the National Program for the Development of the Army was adopted, and already on July 10, General Chaffee began the formation of new armored units. All issued tanks came to him and no one else. To arm the new divisions, it was planned to produce 1000 tanks at once, while the production was to be 10 vehicles per day.
Tank Christie model 1921 on trials.
The M2A1 medium tank of the 1939 model was urgently adopted, which was an improved version of the M2 tank. The vehicle was designed by the Rock Island Arsenal and was a further development of the same experimental T5 tank. With a weight of 17.2 tons, the M2 had armor protection one inch (25.4 mm) thick, armed with a 37 mm M6 gun and seven (and another spare) 7.62 mm Browning M1919 A4 machine guns located along the entire perimeter of the hull, as well as in the tower. The "Wright Continental R-975" engine had nine cylinders and 350 horsepower, which gave the tank a speed of 26 mph (or 42 km/h). M2A1 received armor 32 mm thick - in fact, like German tanks, a larger turret and a 400 hp engine. The weight has increased, but the speed has remained the same. However, all these tricks did not lead to any particularly positive results: the tanks remained old-fashioned, had high straight sides and were not very well armed for vehicles of their class, since light M2 tanks with exactly the same 37 -mm cannon and sufficiently powerful machine-gun armament.
Medium tank M2. Interestingly, the tank had a crew of 7 people: a driver, gunner commander, loader and 4 machine gunners. Moreover, two tripods for machine guns were attached to the tank - to remove, install and fire from the ground, and there were two hatches on the roof of the sponson and two pins for machine guns and anti-aircraft fire! The tank had seven machine guns! A record number for a single-turret tank. Directly on the course, five could fire at the same time!
In June 1940, Lieutenant General William Nadsen, who created the General Motors Corporation, and K.T. Keller, the president of the Chrysler corporation, who concurrently led the national defense program, agreed that they would not produce the M2A1 at their enterprises, as this requires a complete restructuring of the entire production. They decided that they would earn much more on the production of cars for the army. They decided to transfer the order for tanks to two concerns: "American Locomotive company" and "Baldvin". But then, quite unexpectedly, Congress allocated for them production of 21 million dollars, including financing and construction of a new tank factory. Then K. T. Keller hastened to assure General Wesson, the chief of artillery of the US Army, that his corporation was ready to produce any tanks. It was agreed that 1741 tanks would be produced in 18 months. Thus, Chrysler received only 4.5 months to restructure its production and to submit a construction project dependent on other arsenal suppliers.
Then things went like this: in Rock Island, two experimental M2A1 vehicles were built (which differed from the base model in slanted turret armor), and General Wesson allowed Chrysler engineers to study them, which was done. And not just done: the engineers did everything what was required so that their company could produce these tanks!Already on July 17, 1940, the M2A1 produced by the Chrysler concern was valued at 33.5 thousand dollars. The artillery committee accepted this price as "floating". Then, within a month, the contract was carefully worked out and already signed on August 15. The company was supposed to hand over 1000 M2A1 tanks to the US Army by the beginning of August 1940, and their production was to begin no later than September of the following 1941. This period was designated by the Chrysler concern itself, considering one month to be quite a sufficient period to prepare for the release of new products.
First, Chrysler made two wooden mock-ups of the M2A1 from blueprints that were obtained from Rock Island. But already on August 28, 1940, the army canceled the old order for 1000 M2A1 tanks, despite the fact that 18 units still managed to be made. Some of these tanks were sent ... to Western Sahara. It was not possible to find information about their participation in hostilities. It is known that in 1941 one of the tanks received a flamethrower instead of a gun, and a tank with a combustible mixture was installed on it in the stern. The car was assigned the M2E2 index, but it remained a prototype.
Aberdeen Proving Ground. Tank M2 medium.
At that time, the discussion about the possibility of arming the M2A1 tank with a 75-mm cannon ended (which, by the way, was already provided for in the T5E2 tank design), and according to its results, a completely new and "unscheduled" tank was created. The Aberdeen Proving Ground Design Department prepared all the necessary project documentation in just three months. The tank was given the designation M3 and a proper name - "General Lee", in honor of General Robert Edward Lee (1807-1870), who during the Civil War of the North and South of 1861-1865. in the United States he was the commander-in-chief of the army of the southerners.
Aberdeen Proving Ground. Tank M3 "General Lee".
The creators of the M3 tank put a 75-mm gun in the side sponson on the right side of the hull, like on the French Schneider tank of the First World War. This was the simplest solution, since the installation was like ship guns, the machines for which were well developed. In addition, the 76-mm gun installed in the tank was very powerful, and the designers were not sure whether it would work well in the turret. This showed a certain amount of uncertainty on the part of American designers in their own strengths, but in addition, they also showed their unwillingness to abandon their usual views on tanks as mobile pillboxes that were supposed to fire while standing still. A cast rotating turret was installed at the top, moving it to the left, and a 37-mm gun was installed in it, paired with a machine gun. The small turret on top also received a machine gun, which the tank commander could use both for self-defense against infantry and for firing at aircraft.
(To be continued…)
About M-3-S. Since my topic, some clarifications to it.
Even more interesting is the ratio of foreign tanks as of June 1, 1944. There were 48 Matildas in the active army, 31 Churchills, 191 M3Ls, and 143 M3sr (including 12 tanks salvaged from sunken vehicles in 1943). At the same time, the appearance of "Matilda" at the front was episodic, and "Churchill" fought north of Leningrad. "Unsuccessful" American medium tanks by this time were still found in tank brigades.
For example, in July 1944, 19 M3Sr were part of the 41st Tank Brigade, which by July 16 also had 32 T-34-85s and T-34s. The actions of the 5th Tank Corps, which included the brigade, during the Rezhitsa-Dvina offensive operation in July 1944 were very reminiscent of the "exploits" of 1942. The first few days of the offensive were successful, but by the 22nd, stubborn battles began for Malinovo. Due to the fact that the infantry did not support the actions of the tankers, the brigade suffered heavy losses. The 48th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment, which operated jointly with the brigade, also suffered losses - 5 IS-2 tanks burned down, and on July 23 the regiment commander died. From the 41st Tank Brigade by the 26th, there were 6 tanks left, and on July 29th there was only one T-34 in the brigade. Of the 19 M3Sr, 13 burned down, 6 were shot down.
Strictly speaking, they were finished off in tank brigades by that time. Of the 143 mentioned yuripasholok
M-3-Sr 60 were part of the 5th tank corps that was in the front reserve since March 1944. Actually, in March-April, the corps, numbering less than 60 T-34s, received them. Tanks (from memory) received one battalion of 24, 41 and 70 tank brigades.
In July, in order to exploit the success of Operation Bagration, 2, the Stavka allocated T-34/85 limits to the Baltic Front. The latest Soviet tanks Army General A.I. Eremenko decided to arm his shock fist, which had not yet participated in the battles - the 5th tank corps of Major General M.G. Sakhno, transferring the "superfluous" for the 5 TK M-3-S to the army tank units.
The decision for the front headquarters was quite logical, but there were two BUTs in it:
1. The "old" personnel of the corps for 3-4 months engaged in combat training under the guidance of a command vitally interested in this, was simply incomparable with the traditionally fucked up trained in training and spare parts personnel marching companies T-34/85. According to the report of the commander of the 41st brigade, Colonel Korchagin, the arrival of the thirty-four drivers received by the brigade was only 3 (three) hours. What else flowers against the background of the assessment of the training of the officers - "the officers had no idea about the maneuver of the tank." As you can guess from this, no combat coordination tank platoons and no mouths were actually produced in reserve tank regiments, and the training of gunners was hardly superior to the training of mechanical drivers. As for the radio shooters, to be precise, the senior radiotelegraphers-machine gunners, the three marching companies received first, which equipped the 1st tank battalion of the 41st TBR of Captain K.I. Orlovsky, had them only in the crews of platoon and company commanders, the companies adopted later - didn't have at all.
2. The corps received non-combat-ready marching companies, brought them into tank battalions of brigades and sent them into battle directly from the wheels, in the course of hostilities. The 24th and 70th tank brigades fought through the entire operation formally in a two-battalion structure (a T-34 battalion and a T-34/85 battalion), and 41 tank brigade in three: 1 tank brigade on the T-34/85 received before the start of the operation, 2 tank brigade on the M- 3-S and 3 TB also on T-34/85. By the way, it was the 3rd tank battalion of the brigade of Captain N.I. Moroz, who arrived at the disposal of the brigade commander on the evening of July 21 and went into his first battle on July 22, Ober-Lieutenant Karius and Sergeant Major Kerscher in Malinovo and butchered - 6 leading a shootout with German self-propelled guns burned down and did not watching the rear of the T-34/85. Along the way, the tankers of the 48th Guards Tank Troops (5 IS-2s burned down) and the last two 1TB tanks south of Malinovo, who were repairing the damage received after the airstrike, got it. Both battalion commanders died in battle - Captain Orlovsky burned down in a tank, and Captain Moroz apparently was the same "major - Hero of the Soviet Union" from the memoirs of Otto Carius, who shot himself not wanting to surrender. The location of the burnt T-34/85 No. 450 corresponds to that indicated by Carius, it has been shown to the dead only since July 28, when the body was found.
However, let's get back to the "Generals Lee" corps. 40 M-3-S (materiel of tank battalions 24 and 70 brigade) were transferred to the army 118 separate tank brigade with crews up to and including company commanders. 20 "Americans" remained in the corps, apparently only in order not to leave 41 brigade completely without materiel - as of April, there were only two T-34s in it. Both of them "survived" to the Rezhitsko-Dvina operation, or one that burned down in it according to the documents is not clear, the T-34/85 from the T-34 are not separated from each other there. One of these 20 American tanks, apparently the vehicle of a combat training group, was undergoing medium repairs on July 16th. The report cited by Yuri was somewhat clumsily drafted.
Hopelessly outdated for 1944, "Generals Lee", thanks to the good training of the crews and officers of the company level in the battles, the operation proved to be excellent. Based on the consumption of ammunition, the Americans gave out a completely incomparable efficiency and intensity of participation in hostilities compared to the practically uncombat-ready units of the T-34/85 corps. As apparently, the crews of the T-34 (76), although they were shot with three anti-tank 76 mm artillery batteries in the brigade and the artillery division of the 5th motorized brigade, as well as the SU-76 1515 SAP, are noticeably more difficult to trace.
How the 41st tank brigade opened the list of losses in the operation by three M-3-S, burned out from the fire of anti-tank guns and self-propelled guns while crossing the Saryanka River on July 17 (b / n 461 corps No. 3010458 and b / n 485 corps No. 4240 in the village of Sinitsa, b / n 462 building No. 3010453 in the village of Novye Morozy) ended up with them when on July 28, in the battles for the Dauremskaya station, the last serviceable tank of 2 TB burned in the brigade and the brigade in particular - M-3-S b / n 451 corps No. 3010377. Judging by the dynamics of the availability of combat-ready tanks, the Americans failed due to combat damage far more than six times.
118th brigade in the Rezhitsko-Dvinsk operation lost 18 "Generals Lee" out of 40 burnt out.