The Medium Tank, M3 was the first US Medium Tank, to enter series production. It was also the first US tank to use a 75 mm gun, gyro stabilisers and a hydraulic power-traversed turret. It was based on the earlier Medium Tank, M2, whose 37 mm gun was considered too weak to deal with the German Pz Kpfw III and Pz Kpfw IV.
The Medium Tank, M3 first saw action in North Africa, with both the US and the United Kingdom, and on the Eastern Front by Russia, the latter two under the Lend-Lease agreement. The Medium Tank, M3 was replaced by the Medium Tank, M4 in 1941-10, after which it was re-classified as a substitute standard. It was re-classified again as a limited standard in 1943-04, and was declared obsolete in 1944-04. The Medium Tank, M3 went through a number of versions, the main distinctive features of each being:
| M3 | M3A1 | M3A2 | M3A3 | M3A4 | M3A5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | ||||||
| Crew | 6 | |||||
| Physical Characteristics | ||||||
| Weight | 27.2 t | 28.6 t | 29 t | |||
| Length | 5.64 m | 5.99 m | 5.64 m | |||
| Width | 2.72 m | |||||
| Height | 3.12 m | |||||
| Armour | ||||||
| Armour (range) | 13-57 mm | |||||
| Performance | ||||||
| Speed (max) | 42 km/h | 47 km/h | 42 km/h | 47 km/h | ||
| Armament | ||||||
| Primary weapon | 75 mm Gun, M3 (1) | |||||
| Secondary weapon |
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