WWII M24 Chaffee
Crew: 4-5
Main Armament: 75 mm
Other Armament: .50 cal M2HB Machine Gun (2)
.30-06 cal M1919A4 Machine Gun
Horsepower: 110
Speed: 35 mph (56 km/h)
Weight: 18.4 tons
Length: 18’3” (5.56 m)
Width: 9’10” (3 m)
Height: 9’1” (2.77 m)
The M24 Chaffee, while introduced late in the war, was the epitome of the Light Tank division in World War II. Its development was based on the need to replace the M3/M5 Stuart with stronger armaments. The result was a highly maneuverable vehicle, with wider tracks and a powerful 75 mm main gun, equating its firepower with the M4 Sherman. Its first major engagement was in the Battle of the Bulge in November 1944, but its late development prevented the Chaffee from playing a major role in WWII. Instead, it played a greater role in the Korean War, and while discontinued in the US in 1953, it sees continued use today in other parts of the world.
Did you know?
As a whole, American tanks tended to have lighter armor than their Soviet or German counterparts. This was in part due to the limitations of sea transportation—heavier armor meant that a cargo arrived slower and with fewer vehicles, which could limit the war effort. On the contrary, Soviet armor tended to be the thickest as their tanks did not need to travel great distances to arrive at the battlefield.