Nevertheless, the Army still believed light tanks could fulfill a valuable role, particularly reconnaissance missions, as long as they avoided direct confrontations with enemy armor. Not only was the M5 outclassed by German tanks and unable to defend itself against them, it was also vulnerable to antitank guns and field artillery. Over the course of development, the T7 was transformed from a light tank to a poorly performing medium tank, and only seven production vehicles were accepted by the Army before it was canceled in March 1943.Ĭombat experience in North Africa in 1942-43 proved that the Army’s light tanks, even the improved M5A1s, had little value on the battlefield, even in a scouting role. When the T7 was standardized later in the year, it was redesignated as the M7 medium tank. By August 1942, the T7’s weight had grown from fourteen tons to twenty-nine tons when combat loaded. Armored Force requirements necessitated the addition of increasingly heavier firepower (first a 57mm weapon, then a 75mm main gun) and increasingly larger engines for better performance. Recognizing the M3 design was almost obsolete in 1941, the Army began work on a replacement light tank designated the T7 in February 1941. This photograph shows an M24 (left) with an M29 Weasel tracked vehicle during a demonstration at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, in 1944. Army began development of the M24 Chaffee light tank in March 1943 in an effort to replace the M5 Stuart. ![]() The result was the M24 Chaffee, which entered service in late 1944. In 1943, the Army began developing a new light tank to replace the Stuart. While it was a mechanically reliable vehicle, and fairly fast and maneuverable, the Stuart‘s design dated back to the 1930s, and it was all but obsolete by late 1942 as its thin armor, high silhouette, and light 37mm main gun made it a liability to its crew. Army relied on the M3/M5 Stuart series of light tanks for cavalry reconnaissance missions. The tank has been operated on one engine as the other is overfull on oil.During much of World War II, the U.S. The pioneer tool set includes a shovel, axe, sledgehammer, idler wrench, “tanker” bar, mattock and mattock handle. Several dummy/inert rounds of 76-mm ammunition are included with this tank. Intercoms and a radio are mounted in the turret along with a pair of headsets. The main armament elevates and depresses manually. It is not known if the turret traverse motor functions. Both the driver and assistant driver's seats have seatbelts. The interior paint is in excellent condition with the interior components appearing to be complete. The commander's cupola periscope holder rotates freely in its ball race. The loader's hatch head cushion is in excellent condition. All of the tank's doors and hatches open and close without trouble. Six spare track blocks are mounted on the hull sides. Attached to the hull in its proper mounting brackets is a tow cable. It is complete and opens and folds normally. Also mounted on the rear of the hull is the blanket rack. ![]() An RC-298 Interphone Extension Kit box is mounted on the right, rear of the hull. The rear exhaust deflectors open and close normally and are equipped with hold open chains. It is equipped with T84 rubber chevron tracks. The drive sprockets are a variation of the D47366 part type. All suspension components are in excellent condition and function normally. The exterior paint is in excellent shape. The tank being offered, M4A2(76)HVSS, serial number 50331, registration number 3082929, is an older restoration and is in excellent all around condition.
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