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Medium Tank M2

1940 WORLD WAR 2

History of the M2 Medium Tank

In many ways, the M2 medium tank was a springboard for American tank warfare before WWII. The more successful M3 Stuart light tank and M3 Grant/Lee and M4 Sherman medium tank series would not have been produced without the previous M2 light tank and M2 medium tank series. The M2 medium tank itself was designed as an enlarged version of the previous M2 light tank design, originally born as the "T5" prototype under the direction of the Rock Island Arsenal.

A total of 112 examples of this type were eventually produced.

The T5 is more than just a larger M2 light tank - it has several key features that definitely differentiate this type from its predecessors. An additional road bogie was added to each side of the track and a new hull design was developed. Like the M2 Light before it, the M2 Medium uses the same vertical volute suspension system (VVSS) and contains many of the same mechanics. The superstructure is in good shape, with sloped sides, especially along the forward sloping plates, and a 360-degree rotating turret along the top of the hull.

Machine gun mounts were added to the sides of the superstructure to protect the vehicle from multiple angles. The vehicle will rely on a crew of six to operate various controls and guns, including the driver, tank commander, main gunner and several machine gunners.

The engine of choice became the Wright R975 radial air-cooled engine. The U.S. Army adopted the T5 prototype as the "M2 Medium Tank" and delivered it to contract in 1940. In response, Chrysler's newly formed Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant took over the contract for 1,000 initial M2 tanks.

The design of the M2 medium tank is conventional by 1930 standards. The track section runs around the sides of the fuselage, with the drive sprocket at the front and the track idler at the rear. Three bogies are mounted on the sides of the fuselage, each managing two wheel assemblies with twin tires.

The fuselage has many sides, some areas are nicely sloped, while others are designed to be vertical. Glacis panels appear on the front of the fuselage in a pyramid shape, representing the driver's compartment, viewed through three small viewing slits. Portholes with two machine guns were located aft and on the sides of the cab. Access is through hinged doors on both sides of the fuselage. The turret is located on the top of the hull, allowing unobstructed access to the enemy from all attack angles.

The engine was installed in a compartment in the rear of the fuselage. As a rather novel design feature, "deflectors" are mounted on the rear fenders, allowing the gunner to "eject" their bullets down and back - this is intended to engage the enemy as the M2 crosses open ditches war.

The main armament of the M2 series is the 37mm M3 gun with 200 rounds of projectiles on board. One of the more interesting aspects of the M2 weapon is the use of up to seven (up to nine) Brownings. 30-06 machine gun. One was mounted coaxially in the turret next to the main gun, while a pair were placed on the portholes on either side.

A pair are also mounted on fixed forward brackets on the lower part of the front fenders - these are controlled by the driver and do not provide elevation/transverse. As an anti-aircraft measure, two machine guns could also (optionally) be attached to the outside of the tower. There will be 12,200 rounds in total.

30-06 ammo is for machine guns only.

At the time, events in Europeespecially the tank battles interspersed with the various Axis-invading nationsrevealed several weaknesses in the currently accepted doctrine of American tanks. Once the M2 came out, it was more or less an outdated addition to American armor, and war planners had to revise the plan to save some of its residual value. The basic design of the M2 encouraged a very tall profile, making it an attractive target for enemy gunners.

Also, with the six crew working in fairly cramped conditions, the powerplant was a bit underpowered. Machine gun mounts are a design quality of past world wars and have little value on the modern battlefield. The tactical value of the 37mm gun was also limited compared to the German, French and Soviet tank products of the time.

The deflector is another design feature that makes no sense on the European battlefield.

After approximately 18 M2s rolled off the Rock Island assembly line and received official U.S. Army evaluations, revised specifications emerged, creating the new "M2A1" standard. This new shape brings additional armor protection and a more powerful 400 hp Wright R975 EC2 air-cooled radial engine. The range is 130 miles and the top speed is 26 mph.

The tower is slightly enlarged.

With production at the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant now shifting to the more modern M3 Grant/Lee medium tank line, Rock Island Arsenal was tasked with producing the more advanced M2A1 variant, for which 94 tanks were completed. Once the manufacture of these systems is complete, all M2 production ends.

Due to its obsolete state, the M2 medium tank was used as a reserve for training a new generation of American tankers and was never destined for combat operations. In their place were the M3 Grant/Lee and M4 Sherman - which went a long way in helping the Allies win the war.