M3 guide. Medium Tank M3 Medium Tank M3 Li (Grant). Combat use of the M3 tank
The German blitzkrieg in France allowed the American generals to more or less soberly assess the depressing state of their tank forces. It could be stated that at that time there were practically no tank forces in America, the tactics of using a few obsolete tanks was archaic, tank building vegetated for primitive level, and the design idea could not offer a single worthy project of a medium tank. The long economy of the American Congress on its army and the policy of isolationism bore their gloomy fruits. To urgently remedy the dangerous situation on June 30, 1940, the American National Armaments Program was adopted, which, in particular, spoke of the need to produce 2000 medium tanks in the next 18 months. By the end of 1940, according to the plan, it was supposed to produce 14.5 tanks per day (8 vehicles for American customers and 6.5 for British). The next important step was the establishment in April 1941 of the Joint Tank Planning Committee, which raised the production rate to 1000 tanks per month, and by July they were already thinking about 2000 vehicles. After the meeting between Prime Minister Churchill, President Roosevelt and Lord Beaverbrook, the planned figures jumped to 25,000 medium tanks in 1942 and 45,000 tanks in 1943. However, the tank reform in America immediately ran into a lack of a medium tank that should have been produced.
In fact, the US had a new medium tank, the M2, standardized in August 1939. However, by the time the M2 tank was ready for mass production, its 37mm gun was already considered too weak for a vehicle of its class. On June 5, 1940, the Commander of the US Army Infantry Forces expressed the desire that medium tanks now be armed with 75mm guns. Therefore, as a temporary measure, from November 1939 to August 1940, only 92 M2A1 tanks were produced, which were immediately distributed among training and research centers. The weakness of M2A1 was too obvious, which was outdated before it appeared.
On June 13, 1940, the Artillery Department issued new requirements for a medium tank. July 11, 1940 the tank was standardized as medium tank M3 (medium tank M3). The urgent need for tanks forced the Americans to standardize and issue an order for production long before the finished design of the vehicle appeared.
To finally determine the characteristics of the future medium tank, the Commander of the Tank Forces, General Chaffee, on August 26, 1940, held a meeting at the Aberdeen Proving Ground with representatives of the Artillery Department and production workers who were part of the Tank Committee. By the way, the Tank Forces were established only a month and a half ago, on July 10, 1940. As a possible model, the meeting participants were shown a wooden model of a tank hull with a short-barreled 75mm T6 gun in the right sponson. It was a remake of an extremely unsuccessful anti-aircraft gun with a low muzzle velocity. Adapted for the tank, it received the designation T7, but in comparison with the weak 37mm gun of the M2A1 tank, it was a noticeable progress. During the consultations, it was finally decided that a modern medium tank should be armed with a 75mm gun. The catastrophic situation with the tanks required quick solutions, but the designers did not have a turret capable of receiving a 75mm cannon. Solely for the sake of gaining time, the US military agreed to a not very good option - to install a 75mm gun in the sponson of a tank created on the basis of the M2A1. Moreover, one of the main requirements of the new project was the maximum technical similarity of the new machine with the M2A1. The military believed that such a machine would not last long in the army and would serve as a temporary measure until a tank with a 75mm gun in a full-rotation turret appeared. According to the military, about 360 M3 tanks were to be produced, until the time when the designers were able to develop a new tower. After that, the production of the M3 was supposed to be suspended and rebuilt for the production of a tank with a 75mm gun in the turret. Everyone agreed on this decision.
The development of a new machine was started by designers from Aberdeen. The basis for the project was the T5E2 prototype, which in turn was the T5 Phase III prototype, converted in March-May 1939 into a self-propelled gun with a 75mm M1A1 howitzer in the right front of the hull. The new tank had the same suspension as the M2 and a Wright R975 EC2 radial engine, 400 hp, but with a wider and longer hull. The rolled homogeneous armor of the new M3 tank was slightly enlarged and put on rivets inherited from the M2. Sponson, turret and commander's cupola - cast. Inside, the fighting compartment was pasted over with porous rubber to protect the crew from small secondary fragments and scale splashes that could occur when the projectile did not penetrate the tank's armor.
The engine was at the rear, and the transmission with synchronizer and differential at the front, under the protection of a three-piece armored cap, which was connected and bolted to the body. The transmission was located directly under the driver's seat, and was connected to the engine by a cardan shaft. Engine control rods went under the shaft. The Synchromesh gearbox had 5 forward gears and 1 reverse gear, with the following gear ratios:
1st gear - 7.56:1
2nd gear - 3.11:1
3rd gear - 1.78:1
4th gear - 1.11:1
5th gear - 0.73:1
rear - 5.65:1
The undercarriage consisted of three support bogies on board and a rubber-metal track. The bogie had two rubberized support rollers on a rocker arm, which was attached to a vertical spring in a welded frame. On top of the frame there was a roller that supported the caterpillar. Driving wheels with 13 teeth were in front.
The electrical system is 24 volts DC. There were two generators. The main generator was powered by a power take-off from the main engine and provided 24 volts, 50 amps. The spare generator was powered by the spare engine, producing 30 volts, 50 amps. In addition, there were two electric batteries of 12 volts.
The SCR 508 radio station was located to the left of the sponson, and the SCR 506 radio station was located to the right of the sponson in the command tanks, and the SCR 245 could be on the early commander's vehicles. For negotiations inside the tank, an interphone was used for 5 stations with headphones for each crew member.
In case of fire, the tank was equipped with two fixed 10-pound carbon dioxide fire extinguishers and two portable 4-pound fire extinguishers.
The first M3 pilot was armed with a 75mm T7 gun, 84 inches long, which was a modification of the 75mm T6 gun. The T7 had a vertical semi-automatic breech and could fire ammunition from a WW1-M1897 French gun borrowed by the Americans. The muzzle velocity of the T7 projectile reached 1850 feet per second. The T7 was standardized as the 75mm M2 gun. For balance, there was a counterweight in the front of the M2 barrel, and from the very beginning it was planned to replace the M2 with a longer gun in the future, so the counterweight was added not to the carriage, but to the barrel. The M2 gun was later replaced by the longer T8, standardized as the M3.
The cast turret was located on the left rear of the fighting compartment. She was armed with a 37mm M6 cannon and a coaxial machine gun.30cal M1919A4. The tower had a manual and hydraulic rotary drive and made a full turn in 20 seconds. At the beginning of mass production, there were not always enough M6 guns, so 37mm M5 guns were sometimes put instead. The commander's cupola had another .30cal machine gun. Both tank guns - 37mm and 75mm were equipped with a gyro stabilizer in the vertical plane. In addition, two rigidly fixed .30cal machine guns were installed in the glacis, which were controlled by the driver. Ammunition load of 75mm guns was 65 rounds, 37mm guns - 126 rounds, 4000 rounds for machine guns, 20 magazines for machine guns, 6 hand grenades, 8 smoke grenades, 12 flares.
At first, the crew consisted of 7 people: the driver was in front, in the middle of the fighting compartment; radio operator - to the left and slightly behind the driver; gunner 75mm guns - on the right; loader - to the right of the gunner; commander - in the turret, behind; gunner - at the bottom of the tower, on the left; loader - below, on the right.
The crew could climb in and out of the car through two side doors (one per side), a hatch on top behind the 75mm cannon in the sponson and through a hatch in the commander's cupola.
All tankers had a good view: the driver's hatch and viewing holes, 2 viewing slots in the commander's cupola, 2 periscopes. The tank had 4 pistol embrasures: one near the driver, one on each door, one behind and one on the left of the turret.
The weight of the machine was about 31 tons.
It should be noted that the creation of an acceptable medium tank project was only part of the solution to the huge problem of mass tank building. America met the beginning of WW2 not only without a normal medium tank, but also without production facilities capable of producing it in large quantities. At that time, a single low-powered tank was responsible for the production of American tanks. state enterprise- Rock Island Arsenal. Naturally, it was not necessary to seriously count on him, therefore, it was necessary to urgently reform the country's production potential. Responsible for coordinating American industry and defense needs was William S. Knudsen, member of the National Defense Advisory Committee and president of the General Motors Corporation. To increase production, it was necessary to attract private contractors, but serious disagreements arose here. The Artillery Department believed that heavy engineering enterprises, which had previously specialized in the production of locomotives and large cranes, should receive the main contracts. However, Knudsen took the exact opposite view. He was convinced that although heavy engineering enterprises have sufficient potential, the specifics of their production lies in the relatively long and small-scale production of products. At the same time, the newly emerging Tank Forces demanded urgent mass deliveries of armored vehicles. Based on this, Knudsen insisted that tank building should be taken up by automotive companies that were accustomed to producing products quickly and in large quantities. He put forward a proposal to urgently build a specialized tank plant in Michigan on the basis that Chrysler takes on half the costs, and the state takes the other half. The Arsenal was to be owned by the state and run by Chrysler. This idea found understanding among the authorities and the president of the Chrysler Corporation - Keller. On August 15, 1940, Chrysler received a contract for 1,000 M2A1 medium tanks. In September 1940, construction began on a new factory in Warren, north of Detroit, on a 100-square-acre site. The building originally measured 1,380 x 500 feet and was designed by architect Albert Kahn in the Art Nouveau style.
In the meantime, the Artillery Department signed contracts with two largest enterprises heavy engineering - American Locomotive Company for 685 tanks and Baldwin Locomotive Company for 535 tanks. Rock Island Arsenal was constantly communicating with them so that contractors could immediately start production when the design of the tank was ready.
During the design work on the future M3 tank, Rock Island Arsenal worked closely with Chrysler to ensure that the equipment of the plant under construction corresponded to the technology of the future tank. In addition, Rock Island Arsenal was in constant consultation with other contractors. In addition, in June 1940, the British Tank Commission headed by Michael Devor arrived in the United States. The British, having lost a significant part of their tank forces in France, were very interested in acquiring American tanks and willingly shared their combat experience with the M3 developers.
In February 1941, the tank project was generally ready, and the plant in Michigan was almost completed.
March 13, 1941 Rock Island Arsenal completed the first pilot of the future tank, and on March 21 the prototype was delivered to the Aberdeen Proving Ground. In April 1941, three contracting firms finished their template pilots of the M3 tank and they gradually arrived at the training ground. In August 1941, one prototype was sent from Aberdeen to the Panzer Troops at Fort Bening and two more were handed over to the British. Tanks were shipped to England on September 20, 1941 by Lend Lease. It is noteworthy that at that time many M3 tanks supplied to the Tank Forces did not have 75mm guns.
Based on the feedback from the British and their military, a number of serious flaws were identified in the design of the tank.
Hycon hydraulics in the steering system proved too unreliable. The first M3s were equipped with a Hycon hydraulic system, but on 26 August 1942 the Detroit Tank Arsenal switched to a fully mechanical system. In February 1942, the Ordnance Department recommended that all manufacturers switch from hydraulic to mechanical variant.
Tests in Aberdeen stated a strong gas contamination of the fighting compartment with carbon monoxide, when firing with closed hatches. To solve the problem, new fans were installed in the tank: on the roof of the turret, on the roof to the left of the driver, in the hatch above the 75mm gun. Soon the fan in the hatch above the 75mm cannon was moved behind the hatch for convenience.
Another drawback was the weak VSS suspension borrowed from the M2 tank. To prevent the suspension from spoiling quickly, the springs were reinforced in it. The support roller has been moved back.
Ballistic tests showed that both cannons could be jammed by enemy small arms fire. The designers developed additional protective shields, which, however, were rarely installed.
It turned out that the side doors were too vulnerable to shelling not only with armor-piercing, but also with high-explosive shells. Specialists from Aberdeen recommended removing the doors and making an escape hatch in the floor. The hatch in the floor in the right rear of the fighting compartment appeared on later tank models.
But the power drive for turning the tower and the gyro stabilizer in the vertical plane showed their best side. With the tank moving in zigzags at 10 miles per hour, the gunner easily acquired targets at a distance of 200-700 yards in any direction. Based on test results, the Ordnance Department in June 1941 recommended standardizing stabilizers for 75mm and 37mm guns. By November 1941, the Detroit Tank Arsenal began to install stabilizers on production vehicles, and from January this innovation was to be installed by all M3 manufacturers.
In the engine compartment, they put a box on the sides. The radio operator was removed from the crew, and his duties were transferred to the driver. In June 1942, the Artillery Committee advised that both driver's fixed course machine guns should be abandoned; two machine guns and one of two .45cal submachine guns. The constructors agreed to remove only one course machine gun and one machine gun. Later, during serial production, the pistol loopholes were removed on the left side, but left on the right.
Over time, the tankers accumulated dissatisfaction with the fact that the periscope sight did not provide sufficient accuracy for the 75mm gun. Instead of a periscope, they put a telescopic sight.
By August 1941, the full-scale serial production of M3 tanks finally began at three enterprises. Rock Island Arsenal did not participate in the release of M3. On August 28, 1940, the production of the M2A1 medium tank, the predecessor of the M3, was finally curtailed.
Chrysler produced 3352 tanks,
American Locomotive Company - 685,
Baldwin Locomotive Company - 1220,
Pressed Steel Car Company - 501
Pullman Standard Car Company - 500
The average cost of an M3 series tank was $55,244.
| M3 tanks that passed the selection committee | |||
| the car | just welcome | first acceptance | last acceptance |
| medium tank M3 | 4.924 | December 1940 | August 1941 |
| medium tank М3А1 | 300 | June 1941 | August 1942 |
| medium tank М3А2 | 12 | January 1942 | July 1942 |
| medium tank М3А3 | 322 | March 1942 | March 1942 |
| medium tank М3А4 | 109 | June 1942 | August 1942 |
| medium tank М3А5 | 591 | January 1942 | December 1942 |
| including conversions | |||
The British, who bought tanks of the M3 series, gave him two names, depending on the British or English modification of the vehicle:
M3 Grant (M3 Grant) for the British modification
M3 Lee (M3 Lee) - for the American version.
In October 1941, a new M4 medium tank was standardized in the USA, and the M3 became the "substituted standard" (replaced standard). In April 1943, the M3 was already a "limited standard", and a year later, in April 1944, the M3 was declared obsolete.
| 75mm Guns M2, M3 and M6 75mm guns M2, M3 and M6 |
||
| accommodation | medium tank of the M3 series, on the carriage M1 (guns M2 and M3); |
|
| chamber length (without rifling) | 36.576 cm | |
| threaded length | 176.784 cm (M2 gun), 244.348 cm (M3 and M6) | |
| chamber length (to the edge of the projectile) | 32.9184 cm (ARS M61), 29.21 cm (NOT M48) | |
| channel length | gun M2: 180.34 cm (ARS M61), 184.15 cm (NOT M48); gun M3: 248.0818 cm (ARS M61), 251.714 cm (NOT M48) |
|
| barrel length | 213.36 cm, 28.5 caliber (M2); 281.0002 cm, 37.5 calibers (M3 and M6) | |
| shutter recoil length | 19.685 cm (M2 and M3 guns), 14.605 cm (M6 gun) | |
| length from the muzzle to the back of the bolt | 233.045 cm, 31.1 calibers (M2 gun) 300.6852 cm, 40.1 caliber (M3 gun) 295.6052 cm, 39.4 caliber (M6 gun) |
|
| extra length, with muzzle brake, etc. | No | |
| total length | 233.045 cm (M2), 300.6852 cm (M3), 295.6052 cm (M6) | |
| channel diameter | 7.493 cm | |
| chamber volume | 88.05 cu. in. (ARS M61), 80.57 cu.in. (NOT M48) | |
| total weight | 355.162826 kg (M2) 405.057986 kg (M3) 185.972872 kg (M6) |
|
| shutter type | Semi-automatic. The gun is mounted so that the bolt opens vertically on the M1 carriage and horizontally on the M34, M34A1 and M64 carriages | |
| rifling | 24 rifling, right hand, 1 turn/25.59 calibers (7 degree bevel) | |
| ammunition | unitary | |
| fuse | impact type | |
| the weight of the entire ammunition | 9.03556001 kg HVAP T45 Shot (APCR-T) * ) 6.16885623 kg AP M72 Shot (AP-T) 8.52753656 kg HE M48 Shell (HE), Supercharge 8.87226676 kg HE M48 Shell (HE), Normal 8.52753656 kg HC B1 M89 Shell, Smoke 4.458813 kg |
|
| projectile weight | APC M61 Projectile (APCBC/HE-T) 6.78574186 kg HVAP T45 Shot (APCR-T) * ) 3.81017591 kg AP M72 Shot (AP-T) 6.32307764 kg HE M48 Shell (HE) 6.66780784 kg HC B1 M89 Shell, Smoke 6.61 kg |
|
| the highest pressure of powder gases | 38.000 psi | |
| highest rate of fire | 20 shots/min | |
| starting speed | APC M61 Projectile (APCBC/HE-T) 588.264 m/s (M2 gun), 618.744 m/s (M3 and M6 guns) HVAP T45 Shot (APCR-T) *
) AP M72 Shot (AP-T)
HE M48 Shell (HE), Normal HC B1 M89 Shell, Smoke |
|
| projectile muzzle energy | APC M61 Projectile (APCBC/HE-T) 387 ft-tons (M2 gun), 427 ft-tons (M3 and M6 guns) HVAP T45 Shot (APCR-T) *
) AP M72 Shot (AP-T) HE M48 Shell (HE), Supercharge HE M48 Shell (HE), Normal |
|
| firing range (regardless of carriage) |
APC M61 Projectile (APCBC/HE-T) 12,435.84 m (M2 gun), 12,801.6 m (M3 and M6 guns) AP M72 Shot (AP-T) HE M48 Shell (HE), Supercharge HE M48 Shell (HE), Normal HC B1 M89 Shell, Smoke |
|
| * - only experimental | ||
| projectile type | initial speed, m/s | range, m | |||
| 457.2 | 914.4 | 1371.6 | 1828.8 | ||
| 588.264 | 60mm | 55mm | 51mm | 46mm | |
| AP M72 Shot (AP-T) | 588.264 | 60mm | 53mm | 46mm | 38mm |
| armor penetration 75mm gun M2 |
|||||
| projectile type | initial speed, m/s | range, m | |||
| 457.2 | 914.4 | 1371.6 | 1828.8 | ||
| APC M61 Projectile (APCBC/HE-T) | 588.264 | 69mm | 60mm | 55mm | 48mm |
| AP M72 Shot (AP-T) | 588.264 | 58mm | 46mm | 33mm | 25mm |
medium tank M3 Lee on homogeneous armor, at an angle of 30 degrees. from the vertical |
|||||
| projectile type | initial speed, m/s | range, m | |||
| 457.2 | 914.4 | 1371.6 | 1828.8 | ||
| APC M61 Projectile (APCBC/HE-T) | 618.744 | 66mm | 60mm | 55mm | 50mm |
| AP M72 Shot (AP-T) | 618.744 | 76mm | 63mm | 51mm | 43mm |
| HVAP T45 Shot (APCR-T) * ) | 868.68 | 117mm | 97mm | 79mm | 64mm |
| * - only experimental | |||||
| armor penetration of 75mm M3 and M6 guns medium tank M3 Lee on cemented armor, at an angle of 30 degrees. from the vertical |
|||||
| projectile type | initial speed, m/s | range, m | |||
| 457.2 | 914.4 | 1371.6 | 1828.8 | ||
| APC M61 Projectile (APCBC/HE-T) | 618.744 | 74mm | 67mm | 60mm | 54mm |
| AP M72 Shot (AP-T) | 618.744 | 66mm | 53mm | 41mm | 33mm |
modifications of the M3 tank
All later models of tanks, regardless of modification, had a longer 75mm M3 gun.
M3. Riveted hull, cast turret, side doors, Wright Continental R-975 radial engine, 340hp It was produced from April-August 1941 to August 1942. A total of 4,924 M3 tanks were manufactured.
Detroit Tank Arsenal produced 3,242 M3 tanks
American Locomotive Company - 385
Baldwin Locomotive Company - 295
Pressed Steel - 501
Pullman-500.
Some cars, due to a shortage of Continental engines, were equipped with Guiberson diesel engines, and "(Diesel)" was added to the name of the modification.
М3А1. The successful service of cast towers made us think about a cast hull. Ballistic tests showed satisfactory results for cast armor, although it had to be made thicker to achieve the strength of rolled homogeneous armor. The somewhat greater weight of the cast hull was fully compensated by a smoother surface and the absence of rivets so unloved by tankers. In June 1941, the Artillery Committee authorized the production of a cast upper hull. The lower part remained riveted. October 9, 1941 this version of the tank received the name M3A1. The mechanics of the M3A1 is identical to the M3 tank. The upper hatch on the right side of the hull roof was different. At the cast hull, the hatch was on a plane tilted back, and the hatch attachment loops were in front. To make the hatch easier to open, the hatch hinges were moved back on later machines. Also on late models there were no side doors, and an escape hatch was added in the floor on the right rear. The pistol embrasure on the rear wall of the fighting compartment was removed.
М3А1 was produced by American Locomotive Company in February-August 1942. 300 pieces were produced.
From July 2 to October 8, 1941, the Guberson T-1400-2 diesel engine was tested in Aberdeen for the M3A1 series tank. This tank was sent as a sample for production, and instead continued testing with another M3A1. April 30, 1942 the first tank was returned to Aberdeen and tested until June 23, 1942. Then the engine was dismantled and inspected. Although the tank's range almost doubled, the Guberson T-1400-2 required frequent repairs and proved to be unreliable. Aberdeen did not recommend the use of this engine and offered to continue to refine it. A decree was issued that Guberson should be abandoned as soon as other engines become available. For this reason, the American Locomotive Company produced only 28 M3A1s with the Guberson T-1400-2. These cars had in the name - "(Diesel)".
M3A2. The mechanics are identical to the M3. The entire hull was welded, which met the new Ordnance Department requirement of September 1941. Ballistic tests showed that the welded hull, with slightly less weight, provided better protection than the riveted hull. Even when the shell did not penetrate the armor, rivets flew dangerously inside the tank. A welded hull was cheaper and assembled faster. The Baldwin Locomotive Company began production in January 1942, but in March, when 12 cars were produced, a new engine was adopted.
M3A3. Due to the fact that the Continental air-cooled engine was required not only for tank building, but also for aviation, there was a shortage of engines for the M3. In August 1941, a successful attempt was made to install in the M3 a block of two conventional General Motors 6-71, 375hp diesel automobile engines. The new power plant was named Model 6046. Each motor in the block worked independently and could independently move the tank if necessary. The new engine took up more space than the radial, so to protect the radiators installed at the rear, it was necessary to increase the stern and side armor down to the level of the tracks, and the rear foxes were tilted 10 degrees from the vertical. The rear one-piece armor plate replaced the access doors to the engine compartment. Since the air flow and exhaust gases were now raising a lot of dust from the ground, reflectors had to be installed. Cooling air entered through two louvered hatches above the engine compartment. The larger size of the new engine forced the engine compartment to be enlarged by 12 inches at the expense of the fighting compartment. The efficiency of the diesel has reduced the fuel capacity to 148 gallons, while the range has increased to approximately 160 miles. The new diesel engine was tested on the M3 tank with serial number 28 from the Detroit Tank Arsenal. In October 1941, a new engine was approved as an alternative to the Continental R-975. The diesel engine dramatically reduced the fire hazard associated with the Continental R-975 aircraft, which ran on 92 octane gasoline.
Initially, the Artillery Committee standardized the diesel-powered tank as the M3A3, but then only vehicles with a welded hull fell under this designation.
The tank has a welded hull. On later models, the side doors are welded or missing. Weight increased to 28,600kg, top speed increased to 29 mph (about 47 km/h). From January to December 1941, the Baldwin Locomotive Company produced 322 tanks.
M3A4. Worried about the shortage of engines, William Knudsen commissioned Chrysler to develop a new engine that could be quickly brought into production using existing production capacity. November 15, 1941 the first trial engine was installed on the M3. It was a Chrysler A-57 Multibank, a multiblock of five 6-cylinder car engines connected in a star configuration, with a total power of 425 hp. at 2850 rpm. To accommodate the power multiblock, the engine compartment had to be lengthened by 11 inches, while the rear upper armor plates of the hull were pushed back by 15 inches. The entire multiblock was cooled by a single radiator at the top rear of the engine compartment. The two vertical fuel tanks had to be removed, but instead each of the two tanks in the sponsons was increased to 80 gallons. The new longer hull forced the middle and rear bogies with road wheels to be moved back. The distance between them increased by 6 inches, and the track was lengthened from 79 to 83 tracks. The weight of the tank has increased to 29,000kg. There were no side doors, there were three fans on the roof, and the supporting rollers, which used to be in the middle at the top of the frame of the wheel pair support bogies, were moved back behind the bogies.
In December 1941 the Artillery Committee standardized the tank as the M3A4.
In February 1942, the M3A4 was delivered to the Aberdeen Proving Ground for testing. After 42 hours of operation on different types of roads, the engine was replaced with a serial one and tests continued. In total, until October 1942, three engines were tested, and the test results influenced changes in serial samples.
In June-August 1942, the Detroit Tank Arsenal produced 109 M3A4 tanks, after which it switched to the assembly of M4A4 medium tanks. On the new tank, this company installed a multiblock engine from the M3A4.
M3A5. Identical to the M3A3 modification, but with a riveted hull instead of a welded one. The side doors were welded on or removed on later machines. In January-November 1942, the Baldwin Locomotive Company produced 591 tanks.
special purpose vehicles based on M3 series tanks
Mine Exploder T1 (for M3 Medium Tank)- trawl for undermining mines. It consisted of two rollers attached to the front of the tank and one to the rear. Initially, a mine sweep was developed for the M2A1 at the beginning of 1942. In practice, it turned out to be unsuccessful.
M3 with E3 Flame gun- instead of a 37mm gun, a flamethrower was installed, and a 75mm gun was dismantled. Initially, the E2 flamethrower was developed for the M2 medium tank. Development did not progress beyond testing.
M3 with E5R2-M3 Flame gun- a portable flamethrower for quick installation in the field instead of a machine gun in the commander's cupola. Initially, the flamethrower was designed to be placed in a ball mount of a kuros machine gun on an M3A1 light tank. A container for 10 gallons of flammable liquid was inside the tank. This flamethrower could also be installed in the M5 light tank.
Shop Tractor T10- British CDL tank made in the USA. In May-December 1943, the American Locomotive Company converted 355 M3A1 tanks. They did not participate in the battles.
Heavy Tractor T16- M3 converted into an artillery tractor. The turret and sponson were dismantled, and a winch was added at the rear to tow the gun. In early 1942, tests showed that there was little room in the car for artillery crews and ammunition. The project did not progress beyond the prototype.
Tank Recovery Vehicle T2 (M31)- BREM based on the standard M3. The armament was dismantled, replaced with dummies of trunks, a winch, a crane boom and tool boxes were installed at the back. In September 1942 it was produced as "limited procuremet" (limited production), and in December 1943 it was renamed to M31 and standardized as "limited standard" (limited fit). ARVs converted from M3A3 tanks were called M31 B1, and M3A5 conversions were called M31V2.
Full Track Pime Mover M33- tractor for 155mm guns. Converted from M31 ARV in 1943-44. The turret and crane were removed, but an air compressor and hoses were added to connect to the brake system on the artillery carriage of the towed gun. A .50cal anti-aircraft machine gun was installed on the roof of the tractor hull. The pilot was called T1.
There was a similar tractor - Tractor 44, which was distinguished by a commander's cupola on the sponson.
3in Gun Motor Carriage T24- an attempt to convert the M3 tank into a tank destroyer with a 3-inch (76mm) gun. The turret, sponson and hull roof were removed from the M3 tank, but the vehicle turned out to be too high and complex for rapid mass production. The development of the T24 began in September 1941, and in March 1942 the project was closed.
3in Gun Motor Carriage T40 (M9)- an attempt to install a decommissioned anti-aircraft 3-inch M1918 gun on the T24 GMC. Since only 50 guns were available, in December 1941 it was proposed to manufacture only 50 of these tank destroyers. In April 1942 the car was standardized as the M9 GMC "limited standard" (limited fit) and an order was issued for the production of 50 pieces. In addition, only 28 obsolete anti-aircraft guns remained in stock, and even before the final fulfillment of the order for the M9 GMC, the industry had mastered the more modern M10 GMC tank destroyer. As a consequence, the M9 GMC was abandoned in August 1942.
40mm Gun Motor Carriage T36- a project of an anti-aircraft installation with a 40mm gun on the M3 chassis. It was created at the suggestion of the Air Defense Directorate, published in October-November 1941. The vehicle turned out to be too weakly armed and difficult to manufacture, so the project was closed.
experimental vehicles based on the M3 tank
M3E1. The M3 tank was actively used to test various components before being installed on the M4, with a technically similar design. Since one of the main problems of American medium tanks was the frequent shortage of engines, they decided to test the Sherman engine on the M3. For installation in the tank, they adapted a Ford aircraft engine, liquid-cooled, V12. After the modification, the number of cylinders was reduced to 8, and the power was 50hp. at 2600 rpm. On December 19, 1942, the Artillery Committee assigned the designation M3E1 to the M3 tank with the tested engine. Tests in Aberdeen were successful and the engine adopted for service began to be installed on M4A3 tanks. A 4-stroke Ford GAA, V8, with a volume of 18 cubic liters, provided a normal power of 450 hp. at 2600 rpm and a maximum of 500 hp. at 2600 rpm.
M3A5E1. Specialists from the Aberdeen Proving Ground recommended installing automatic transmissions on medium tanks. In early January 1942, such a machine appeared, which received the designation M3A5E1. The prototype had a twin General Motors diesel engine and two Hydramatic hydraulic transmissions. Tests in Aberdeen showed the advantages of the M3A5E1 over the M3 and M3A5 tanks. The new transmission provided greater acceleration, better driving comfort and greater gun platform stability.
As a result, the M3A5E2 tank appeared with one powerful Hydramatic transmission.
Tank M3 with serial number 935 used for suspension tests. The M3 and M4 initially used a reliable VVSS scheme with a vertical suspension spring. However, at high speed, the ride became very stiff, so the spring in the support cart was placed horizontally, which allowed the use of shock absorbers. The scheme with a horizontal spring was called HVSS and began to be installed on tanks of the M4 series.
In addition, experiments were carried out with a change in the sloth, to increase the contact of the caterpillar with the ground and, accordingly, reduce the specific pressure of the tank on the ground. The project did not progress beyond testing.
M3A1E1. The constant shortage of engines for medium tanks led to the creation of the Lycoming T1300 engine, which consisted of three 6-cylinder engines in a single block, with a total volume of 1300 cubic inches and an output of 560 hp. For testing, this multiblock was installed on the M3A1 tank with serial number 1986. In February 1942, the prototype was named M3A1E1. Tests showed that the Lycoming T1300 provided the highest speed at that time - 40 miles / hour. Nevertheless, the power plant turned out to be very complex and extremely inconvenient, for example, the engine had to be dismantled to replace the spark plug. When the tests came to an end, other engines were already available, so the project was closed.
M3 and Lend-Lease
Almost two-thirds of the M3 Lee produced by the Americans were sent under Lend-Lease to Great Britain and the USSR. The Soviet Union received 812 M3 Li in 1942 and 164 tanks in 1943. It is worth noting that in 1943, 12 M3s tanks were raised from a sunken transport in the Arctic Ocean, after which one tank was dismantled for spare parts and 11 entered the troops of the Karelian Front. Tanks raised from the bottom of the sea did not appear in any way in the Soviet documents of the selection committees of the GBTU KA. Together with these machines, in 1943 the USSR received 175 M3 Li. In total, out of 1,386 sent M3 tanks, the Land of Soviets received 976 vehicles, and in 1942 several M2 tanks arrived under the M3 brand.
In 1942-43, American M3 Lee tanks were actively used on almost all fronts as part of separate tank battalions, regiments and brigades. climax combat use M3 Lee fell in the summer-autumn of 1942. M3 Lee also took part in the legendary tank battle near Kursk. On July 1, 1943, the 48th A of the Central Front had 83 of these tanks: 30 in the 45th separate tank regiment in the Saburov area and 55 M3 in the 193rd separate tank regiment near Petrovka. One M3 Lee participated in the war with Japan as part of the Trans-Baikal Front.
Tanks raised from the bottom of the Arctic Ocean, after a year spent under water, were repaired and sent to the 91st separate tank regiment of the 14th Army of the Karelian Front.
The Americans sent 2,653 M3, 49 M3A3, 185 M3A5 tanks to the UK.
In addition, America sent 77 М3А3, 23 М3А5 to other countries.
| deliveries of M3 tanks to other countries, as of September 1, 1945 | ||||
| the car | England | the USSR | other countries | Total |
| medium tank M3 | 2.653 | 1.386 | - | 4.039 |
| medium tank М3А3 | 49 | - | 77 | 126 |
| medium tank М3А5 | 185 | - | 23 | 208 |
| tanks shipped did not always mean received, as the enemy sometimes sank Allied transports | ||||
topic navigation
sources
Peter Chamberlen and Chris Ellis -- British and American Tanks of World War Two-- Silverdale Books, 2004
Jim Mesko- M3 Lee/Grant In Action-- Squadron/Signal, Armor Number 33
Hunnicutt, R.P. -- A History of the American Medium Tank. Sherman-- Presidio Press, 1994
Bryan Perrett- British Tanks in N.Africa 1940-42-- Osprey Publishing
M. Kolomiets, I. Moshchansky -- Lend-Lease tanks-- Exprint, 2000
Bryan Perrett- The Lee/Grant Tanks in British Service-- Osprey, Vanguard 6
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 altitude, 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 more than expected back in October 1939. In fact, in accordance with the needs of the US Army, it was required to produce about 2000 vehicles over the next 18 months, by comparison, the existing order for 400 light vehicles 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 stern 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 |
M3 "Lee" / "Grant"
M3 "Lee" / "Grant"
American medium M3
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 a few more years, American military experts made the absolutely correct conclusion that tanks were needed in this war: heavy breakthroughs and light "cavalry" tanks. The first corresponded to the British tanks Mk, and the second - the French FT-17. Based on them, 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 of the 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 still 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 (Tl medium tank, 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 carrying 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 "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 for testing to the mixed mechanized unit, which was based at Fort Eustis in Virginia and consisted of military vehicles, cavalry and mechanized artillery. Subsequently, another tank unit was created 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" - a man who was as talented as he was quarrelsome and addicted - was working in the United States. 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 verge and they would not be able to sit out across the ocean, but would have to fight seriously.
Experienced medium tank T2
Experienced medium tanks T1 and 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 armored 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, the M2 tank, is urgently adopted for service. This tank was designed in Rock Island and represented a further development of the 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" 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. they looked old-fashioned with high straight sides and were poorly armed for medium tanks, since they were already produced for the army with the same 37-mm cannon and two or three 7.62-mm machine guns.
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 the financing of 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 building 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 cannon, a flamethrower was installed on one of the tanks, and it was mounted in the stern with a fire mixture. This one 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 machine 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 tank, created back in 1931, under the leadership of the German designer Grotte. On the other hand, the MZ outperformed 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) 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 Regulations 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 time of 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 one. The engine was located behind, - in front, - under the rotary floor of the tower. 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) - 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 MZA4, MZA5) or 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), 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: speedometer, tachometer, ammeter, voltmeter, fuel gauge, thermometer and 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. The main firepower is a 75 mm cannon mounted in a sponson. This gun was designed at the Westerflute arsenal, based on the 75 mm French field gun of 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 an 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 it 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 combat characteristics tools. 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. By the way, a similar story happened with Soviet tank T-34. 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 cannon 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 inches of armor, located at an inclination of 30 degrees 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 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, and 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 supplied 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 in each.But the speed and power reserve 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 in the United States from Great Britain for the purchase of weapons, including with the aim of selecting American armored vehicles for its own armed forces, since most of armament was 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 the American Civil War, and in 1869-1877 - US President from the Republican parties. 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 base tank MZ
- "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 preparation of the crossing of the English Channel by German troops, very skillfully spread by the special services of fascist 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 gun, they installed in the turret, and a tank with a fire mixture was installed at the stern, modeled on the M2E2, or instead of a 75-mm gun. The machines received the designation MZE2, and remained prototypes.
What the designers failed to do was done by the soldiers themselves in the field. 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. turned out to be so successful that she was given a new M4 index and her own 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 guns 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 USA they created prototypes self-propelled guns:
- T6, with an openly mounted 105-mm cannon;
- 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. 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.
105-mm M2A1 or M1A2 was openly mounted on the chassis of the M3 tank, from which the following were removed: sponson, turret, upper armor plate. 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 - 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, weapons 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 were dismantled, the tower, but the crane 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 pressure 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 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. In November 1940, the General Staff of the Australian Armed Forces issued a technical assignment for a tank that met 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, in January 1942 the first of the three experimental vehicles was tested, and serial production began in August. 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. 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. Deutsch experienced 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 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 provided 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 participation in hostilities CDL tanks did not have to accept. 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 Ghazala 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 units 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 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 PzKpfw IIIJ tanks with a long-barreled 50 mm gun, 223 PzKpfw IIIF tanks with a short-barreled 50 mm gun, 40 PzKpfw IV tanks with a 75 mm gun and 50 PzKpfw II light tanks with a 20 mm 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, in Russia, far from Africa, the German offensive near Kharkov began, and on May 26, General E. Rommel launched an attack on 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 march 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 tanks "General Grant" was assigned to the 88-mm anti-aircraft guns and self-propelled guns "Marder-III", which was the chassis of the Czechoslovak 38t tank, armed with Soviet captured 76.2 mm F-22 guns. 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. Having put the infantry on British vehicles, having replenished his forces with captured tanks, including the MZ, Rommel rushed forward to El Alamein, encountering practically no resistance. 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 of resisting, 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 there was 501 separate heavy tank battalion, armed with the latest PzKpfw VI "Tiger" tanks, with an 88-mm cannon. 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. 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 caterpillars 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 the obvious technical superiority, the British were in no hurry to advance in Burma, shifting the brunt of the fighting to 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, there were no tank battles on the Western Front 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 and 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, it burned out and the tracks fell apart. The tank became a stationary target. The tankers did not forgive this. Neither could mitigate their sentence comfortable conditions operation and maintenance, neither large side doors, which made it easy to evacuate the crew from a wrecked vehicle, nor strong weapons. 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, he ceased to satisfy the military in 1942, primarily due to driving performance and even the question was raised about its removal from production and replacement with the T-34 tank, which had thinner armor, but more maneuverable. To improve the maneuverability of KB tanks, among other measures, the designers even went to reduce the thickness of the armor, although 75 mm tank armor had already made its way 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 area of the Norton farm in the Stavropol Territory, he was 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 insignia of the American armed forces was applied to the turret and frontal hull plate - a white star in a blue circle superimposed on a 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, instead of a star, the American star-striped flag was on the frontal armor.
Later it was recommended to apply black camouflage spots to the tank. This recommendation took into account combat experience, when crews splashed mud on tanks to improve camouflage.
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 were painted over, 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 in English 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 drew 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.
Tactical and technical characteristics of the MZ tank, its modifications and combat vehicles based on it
Table 1 
* The height is indicated without an anti-aircraft machine gun.
** Height shown with jib removed.
Ta6face 2 
1. Tank NPP - a tank of direct infantry support.
2. "Grant" CDL (Lee CDL) - channel defense tank - instead of a 37-mm gun, it was installed with a capacity of up to 15 million candles. It was used in England for the antiamphibious defense of the English Channel.
3. BTR - armored personnel carrier. It was made from self-propelled guns M7 "Priest" and "Sexton", with dismantled weapons. Could carry up to 20 infantry.
4. BREM - armored recovery vehicle. Manufactured on the chassis of all types of M3 tanks, withdrawn from service.
5. The engine "General Motors 6-71 6046" is diesel, the rest are carbureted, running on gasoline, with an octane rating of at least 80.
6. 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.
Bibliography:
1.
White Series. Supplement to the magazine "M-Hobby". Issue #5. Editor-in-chief A. Sirotin, Responsible for the issue: .Duchitsky
2.
V.D. Mostovenko "Tanks" Military Publishing M, 1958
3.
I.P. Shmelev "Tanks in battle" Publishing house "Young Guard" M, 1984
4.
I.P. Shmelev "". "Technique-youth", N8, 1980, pp. 44-45.
5.
D.S. Ibragimov "Confrontation" M, DOSAAF Publishing House, 1989
6.
"Weapons of Victory" under the general editorship of V.N. Novikova M., "Engineering", 1987
7.
V.G. Grabin "Weapons of Victory" M. Politizdat, 1989
8.
A.A. Grechko "The Years of War" M. Military Publishing House, 1976
9.
"From "Barbarossa" to "Terminal". View from the West." M. Politizdat, 1988
10.
"History of the Second World War 1939 - 1945" v.Z. M. Military Publishing House, 1-974 encyclopedic Dictionary Wikipedia
- (German). Coarse, clean sand; the same as gravel. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. GRANT [Eng. grant gift] 1) gift, donation, official grant Money for charitable purposes... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
GRANT (Grant) Hugh (b. September 09, 1960, London), English actor. He studied literature at Oxford, played in student theater and made his film debut in Privileged (1982), funded by the Oxford Film Fund. After… … Cinema Encyclopedia
GRANT (Grant) Hugh (b. September 9, 1960), English actor. He studied literature at Oxford, acted in student theater and made his film debut in Privileged (1982), funded by the Oxford Film Foundation. After that I played... encyclopedic Dictionary
5 years and 5 months ago Comments: 2Hello, have you decided that you will pump out heavy American tanks with excellent guns and strong turrets? Well, first you will have to go through some controversial machines in order to acquire high-level bands. The first tank to go through is the M3 Lee. A rather controversial tank, and yes, by the way, this is not a medium tank at all. But more on that later. The guide consists of 6 parts:
1. Introduction to the machine
2. TTX (Tactical and Technical Characteristics)
3. Pros and Cons
4. Tactics and Use in Combat
5. Equipment, crew and gear
6. Conclusion
Introduction to the machine
You researched this tank and bought it. What do you see in the hangar? A tank that does not have a turret, and the gun is located on the side. Unusual for a medium tank. According to the documents, he is a level 4 medium tank, but in fact it is a tank destroyer with a high damage per minute gun. Well, consider the M3 in more detail.
TTX (Tactical and Technical Characteristics)
By tradition, let's start with the gun. And the M3 Lee’s gun is excellent, short aiming time, decent one-time damage, and most importantly, one of the highest DPM at the level and even higher. Without additional equipment, the DPM is 2200 HP, excellent performance for a tier 4 tank, perhaps only the su-85B has a higher DPM, but this is a tank destroyer, both in terms of documents and characteristics. It is worth noting that, premium heavy tank 8 levels without additional equipment is equal to 1600 hp. It is important to realize our high damage per minute. The gun fails only with accuracy and lack of armor penetration, especially if you are thrown into a team where half of the 6 levels.
Our mobility is pretty good. Dynamics, confident set of speed. Specific power is 15.65 hp. per ton. Which is quite enough to occupy comfortable positions. 20% fire chance, and the transmission is in the front, which means that you can be set on fire in the forehead. This will affect the equipment you choose.
The radio station is installed on many American cars. Download last.
It seems to be there, but if you are not at the top of the list, then it evaporates, even if we are at the top of the list, we have many vulnerable areas.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros:
A weapon that has only 2 flaws, one of the brightest ones is penetrationGood mobility
A decent view, as for level 4, especially for the ST - a medium tank
Opportunity to mask from behind cover
Minuses:
Large size, especially the bulging tower that everyone breaks throughLack of weapon penetration if you are at the bottom of the list
High fire chance
Due to the large body, we have poor camouflage
Quite often criticize crew members
Tactics and Use in Combat
This tank performs better as a tank destroyer, i.e. can work well at medium and long distances. Being in the top, you will feel like a medium tank or a heavy tank destroyer, where you should conduct more aggressive actions. However, don't forget that HE hatzers can take out an M3 Lee with one shot. At the beginning, you can shoot opponents from a long or medium distance, and then get closer. Also, in urban conditions, it is best to leave on the left so that a strong mask repels the projectile, because. there are a lot of inexperienced players in level 4 battles, then they will shoot mainly there.
If we are among the 5 levels, here you can shoot from medium distances, the main thing is to avoid light, otherwise you will be quickly destroyed. Such armored targets as breaking through sub-caliber shells, i.e. gold. There is a lack of armor penetration of the gun. At shorter distances, you can pierce with conventional armor-piercing shells into the slot of the mechanical drive or into the machine gun. You still have to take out.
If you were thrown to 6 levels, everything is sad here. But if you are not stingy with gold shells, then you can have fun punching strands into the side.
By the way, be careful with artillery, it can break through us by sending M3 Lee to the hangar.
Equipment, crew and equipment
Since the tank is passable, and you are unlikely to leave it for a long time, there is not much point in talking about the skills of the crew.Equipment standard: repair kit, first aid kit, fire extinguisher. Already from level 4 it is worth carrying equipment.
Optional equipment , again due to the fact that the tank is passable, it is better to carry a removable one. Stereoscopic telescope + camouflage net. And spending a couple of hundred silver on equipment is not worth it.
Conclusion
No wonder many players do not like this tank, yet the shortcomings greatly interfere with the game. If the M3 Lee didn’t have that cardboard turret, a little higher armor penetration, then the tank would really be good. These bright shortcomings, unfortunately, make the tank passable. But do not despair, after this ambiguous vehicle, beautiful tanks are waiting for you. I want you to bend over.Prepared by: RasSm
Indeed, one can only envy the speed with which the Americans developed the project and launched the M3 tank into mass production. Apparently, this has never happened before in the history of the armored forces. But here the construction of the Detroit Tank Arsenal in Michigan (Center Line) also played into the hands of the Americans. Its production was optimized for mass production of light tanks. The American Artillery and Technical Service in the fall of 1939 planned to issue a contract to American Car and foundry (which was the largest in the field of heavy engineering) for the mass production of M2A4 light tanks. But the sudden attack of the Germans in the spring and summer of 1940 in Europe forced them to reconsider their plans for the mass production of tanks. fighting in Europe showed that British tanks had weak armor and could not effectively resist the Germans because of their weak cannon armament. In addition, the Americans realized that they would need medium tanks more than light ones. In accordance with the old program, the Americans wanted to make only 400 light tanks. With the new requirements, the US Army needed to create 2 thousand medium tanks within 1.4 years. In such quantity, which was required by the situation prevailing in the world by the summer of 1940, American industry was not able to. This was noted by William S. Nudsen, who was the president of the General Motors Company, at the same time, he was a member of the US National Defense Commission. By the way, Nadsen believed that the American tank industry was completely similar to the automobile industry, the only difference was in booking. But the ATS committee did not think so. In their opinion, it was necessary to develop tank production, using the experience of designers in the automotive industry. Having secured the consent of the American government, Nadsen began to expand tank production. This is how the Detroit Tank Arsenal appeared, back in September 1939, on the outskirts of Detroit, 40 hectares of land were assigned to the plant building, after the construction of the plant, this building was 152 meters wide and 420 meters long. On 15 August 1940, the US government awarded Chrysler a contract to build 1,000 M2A1 medium tanks. About a month later, the terms of the contract were changed, and instead of light M2A1 tanks, medium tanks M3 began to be made. Meanwhile, events in Europe and around the world were taking a sharp turn. The government hurried tank designers to speed up the start of tank production, since the park tank in America was quite small, it was urgent to arm.
In parallel with the development of tank production in Detroit, specialists from the Rhode Island Arsenal, together with designers from Chrysler, worked on the creation of the M3. And in the course of design work, they equipped the mass production of tanks. In March 1941, the project of the M3 tank was completely ready. Also by this time, the Detroit tank arsenal was completely ready, and six months later its production reached its full design capacity. The arms race pushed the American ATC to conclude a contract for the production of the M3 tank at two more American enterprises: Baldwin Locomotive (533 tanks) and American Locomotive (875 tanks). By the way, the British closely followed the development of tanks in America (experienced British tankers who participated in the hostilities in Europe gave advice on the design of tanks) and in June 1940 they placed an order for the production of a batch of medium tanks for their army.
In April 1941, all the firms (Chrysler, American Locomotive and Baldwin Locomotive) that were supposed to mass-produce M3 tanks provided the American commission with their pre-production tanks, which were approved for production. In August 1941, all three contracting firms began mass production, which continued until the end of 1942. By December 1942, 6258 units of the M3 series tanks were created. For the British, the M3 tanks were created by the American firms Pullman (500 units) and Press Steel (500 units), the contract for the construction of these tanks was signed in August 1941.
medium tank M3 "Lee/Grant". American tanks of the Great Patriotic War.
In October 1941, the M3 tank was recognized as "morally obsolete", it was always a temporary solution and the Americans did not hide this. Moreover, American tank designers created the M4 medium tank, which met all the requirements of modern warfare, most importantly, it had a turret with circular fire. In April 1943, the M3 tanks were transferred to the "replacement standard", and then to the "limited standard". In the spring of 1944, the M3 tank was declared completely obsolete.
The M3 tank was similar in size to the M2A1, it had the same air-cooled Wright engine and undercarriage with helical vertical springs. On the tanks of the last series, a 75-mm M2 gun was installed in the right sponson, which had a very limited vertical aiming angle. A tower with a 37-mm cannon was installed on top, which had a circular fire. This tower was shifted to the left side of the tank. The maximum thickness of the tank's armor was 56 mm. The sponson and the turret were cast, the hull had a riveted structure (but there were also changes, you can read about them in the article "Modifications of the M3 tank"). Initially, the M3 tank had a commander's cupola and a side hatch, during the production process, these elements underwent numerous changes.
Medium tank M3 "Lee / Grant". American tanks of the Great Patriotic War.
An important difference between the American M3 medium tank and Soviet and German tanks (and tanks all over the world) was that a gyroscopic stabilizer was installed on their guns. This device allowed the tank to fire on the move. The introduction of a gyroscopic stabilizer for the cannon gun was standard for all M3 tanks. Moreover, gyroscopes were installed on 75-mm and 37-mm guns. Both guns had periscope sights. The tower with a 37-mm gun had a mechanical and manual drive. The weight of the M3 tank was 30 American short tons.
By design, the tank was a World War I vehicle, the weapon of which was mounted in a sponson. The engine compartment of the tank was at the rear, and the transmission was at the front, under the swivel floor of the turret there was a gearbox. Between the transmission and the engine compartment was the fighting compartment. The entire design of the tank was assembled from flat armored sheets. The frontal armor of the tank was 51 mm, the side and rear plates were 38 mm, the hull roof was 12.7 mm. The walls of the tower were 57 mm thick, the roof of the tower - 22 mm. The M3, M3A4 and M3A5 tanks had hulls assembled with rivets, and the M3A2 and M3A3 modifications were assembled by welding to the inner frame. There was also an option for a fully cast case, this is the M3A1. But the method of manufacturing a cast hull was too complicated, therefore, only 300 M3A1 tanks were made. All the armament of the tank formed, as it were, a pyramid, a 75-mm cannon in the sponson below, a 37-mm turret above it, and a turret with a machine gun above it. All this construction formed a very high silhouette of the tank, over 3 meters, which made it quite vulnerable to enemy tanks. But there were pluses in this layout of the tank - a spacious fighting compartment. Until now, the fighting compartment of the M3 tank is considered the most convenient for tankers. To prevent small fragments of armor from entering the crew, the inside of the tank body was glued with sponge rubber. For a quick landing in the tank, in the machine-gun turret, doors were located on top of the hull and along the sides. The downside of this decision was that the strength of the hull was significantly reduced. The entire crew of the tank had an individual viewing slot and loopholes for firing from personal weapons.
Medium tank M3 "Lee / Grant". American tanks of the Great Patriotic War.
The Wright Continental R975 EC2 aircraft engine acted as a propulsion system in the M3 tanks (General Grant and General Lee, and modifications of the M3A and M3A2). The engine (340 hp) allowed the tank to accelerate to 26 mph. The range of the tank was 192 km. A significant disadvantage of this engine was its high fire hazard, diesel fuel in this case was better, as it has a higher ignition temperature. In addition, the engine was difficult to repair, since the cylinders were located below, but there were no more successful engines in America then. In the spring of 1941, one of the Baldwin contractors began to install General Motors 6-71 6046 diesel automobile engines on serial M3 tanks, two at a time, with a capacity of 375 hp. The maximum speed, range, power and efficiency of the tank immediately increased, although the mass of the tank increased by almost 1.5 tons (these tanks were designated M3A3 and M3A5). In turn, the Chrysler company began to put Chrysler A57 engines on its production tanks. This resulted in an increase in the mass of the tank, an increase in the rear of the hull and an increase in the length of the tank's tracks. Although the range and maximum speed are preserved. The British put their Guiberson diesel engines on the M3 tanks they delivered, without changing the design of the tank. The undercarriage of the tank consisted of three support bogies, which consisted of a rocker arm, spiral vertical springs and two rubber-coated rollers, a metal-rubber track (158 tracks) and support rollers.
For that time, the M3 tank had very strong armament in the form of a 75-mm M2 gun (barrel length 2.3 meters, UVN 14 degrees). In addition to this gun, a 37-mm gun of the 1938 model was installed on top of the turret. Both guns of the tank had a periscope optical sight. The tank provided for the installation of 4 Browning machine guns of 7.62-mm caliber (one in the turret, the second in Spark with a 37-mm cannon, two more stood in front of the driver). Each of the crew members of the M3 tank was armed with a Thomson assault rifle. The ammunition of the M3 tank was as follows: 65 rounds (75 mm cannon), 126 rounds (37 mm cannon) and 4,000 7.62 mm machine gun rounds.
As you know, the General Lee / Grant M3 tank was created in order to effectively resist any German tank and Allied tanks (Italy / Japan). In terms of combat and tactical properties, this tank could fight on equal terms with any enemy tanks of that time. In addition, the 37mm cannon could fire at low-flying targets, making it a good air defense weapon. In the countries of Southeast Asia, the large size of the M3 tank had a strong psychological impact on the enemy infantry.
Medium tank M3 "Lee / Grant". American tanks of the Great Patriotic War.
The first combat use of the M3 General Lee / Grant tanks was to be on the English Channel coast, where the British were expecting the Germans to land. The M3 tanks were used as a strategic reserve and their presence on the island was highly classified. But as we know, the German amphibious assault did not follow. The present baptism of fire these tanks, in the amount of 167 units, received in North Africa in the 8th British army in battles with the German formations of Erwin Rommel. In these battles, the General Lee / Grant M3 tanks showed themselves excellently, since 50-mm and 37-mm shells could not penetrate their armor. And the M3 tanks could destroy all German tanks from long distances. To combat the new American tanks, Rommel used the Marder-3 self-propelled guns and 88-mm anti-aircraft guns. Thanks to tactics and numerical superiority, the German-Italian troops still defeated the 8th British Army. In early summer, the Americans decide to send 100 Priest self-propelled guns, 300 M4 General Sherman tanks, artillery, aviation and manpower to Egypt. By the way, the British called the M3 tanks "General Grant" - "the last Egyptian hope."
The next combat use of the M3 tanks was the Allied landings in Normandy and southern France. These tanks were in the Polish and French divisions (which fought as part of the American army), while the Americans were armed with more modern tanks. For the defense of India, several armored units were brought together, which included the M3 General Lee / Grant tanks. In 1943, these tanks participated in the battles in the jungles of Burma, where they showed themselves on the good side, since the Japanese tanks were too weakly armed, and the Japanese artillery could not stop them. To fight against these tanks, the Japanese converted Ki-44 fighters into attack aircraft armed with two 40-mm cannons (62nd Air Regiment of the Japanese Air Force). Under the Lend-Lease program, General Lee / Grant M3 tanks were also delivered to Russia, but Russian tankers were unhappy with them. Moreover, the Germans began to produce T-III tanks and self-propelled guns Stug-II with more powerful guns, which easily dealt with the M3. It was precisely because of the poor driving performance, weak engine, low maneuverability, high silhouette that the tank did not hide and the high sensitivity of the engine to poor lubrication and fuel that Russian tankers never spoke well of him. Among our tankers, the M3 General Lee / Grant tank was nicknamed "a mass grave for six." In total, the Americans delivered 300 units of M3 tanks with gasoline and diesel engines to Russia. M3 tanks fought in the USSR in the North Caucasus, near Stalingrad and in the Kharkov region. In naval battles, oddly enough, General Lee / Grant M3 tanks participated in repelling air attacks on PQ convoys, firing from their 37-mm cannons.
On the basis of the M3 tank, a large number of modifications and engineering vehicles were created.
M3 tank production