Searchlight tank CDL. Guide to the American medium tank M3 Lee Tank painting and markings

Hello, 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 at all medium tank. But more on that later. The guide consists of 6 parts:

Introduction to the machine

TTX (Tactical and Technical Characteristics)

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.

Pros and cons

Pros:

Minuses:

Tactics and Use in Combat

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 gear

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

Prepared by: RasSm

14-03-2017, 12:53

Hello to all fans of tank battles and welcome to the site! Friends, today our guest is an interesting and unusual unit, an American medium tank of the fourth level, and this M3 Lee guide.

The most interesting and unusual nuance is that our American is deprived of a tower. Yes, yes, the main gun is located on the right side of the hull, and this superstructure is on the roof M3 Lee WOT serves to ensure that everyone shoots at her.

However, anyone who decides to download a branch of American medium or heavy tanks will have to skate a certain number of battles on this miracle and we should get to know him better.

TTX M3 Lee

First of all, each owner of this device should be aware that in his hands is a car with a small margin of safety and a weak base viewing radius of 320 meters by the standards of ST-4, which will need to be improved in the future.

You must also understand and always remember that American medium tank M3 Lee has very impressive dimensions, it is not only very tall, but also wide and, if I may say so, thick. All this makes the disguise very mediocre and only helps the enemies hit us.

The situation is even more aggravated when you look at what M3 Lee specifications booking. Most of the hull from the forehead is a huge sloping panel, which at its thickest point, taking into account the reduction, has only 83 millimeters of armor, and in general its thickness does not exceed 73 millimeters.

As you understand, punch M3 Lee World of Tanks almost all classmates will be able to, not to mention the technique more high levels. It is also not worth hoping for the location of the gun, here the thickness of the armor is only 51 millimeters, and only closer to the edge due to the slope, this figure begins to increase significantly, but this area is very small.

There is nothing to say about the sides in our case, in a lateral projection M3 Lee tank even thinner, here the thickness of the armor plates does not exceed 38 millimeters, it can even be penetrated by machine guns.

Unfortunately, the American cannot boast of good driving performance either. Our maximum speed is not bad, but by the standards of medium tanks it is not high, the dynamics of M3 Lee WOT also mediocre, and only the speed of rotation of the chassis pleases, in case of rapprochement with the enemy, we will have a small chance to fight back.

gun

Oddly enough, but this device and its creators can be proud of their weapons, despite some nuances, the gun at our disposal turned out to be really worthy of respect.

So, at M3 Lee gun it has good one-time damage by the standards of classmates and at the same time it has an excellent rate of fire, which allows us to deal approximately 2200 pure damage per minute, this is almost the best indicator among ST-4s.

In terms of penetration, we are also doing very well, M3 Lee WoT tank can even pierce most level 5 opponents without much difficulty. But as it often happens, for a comfortable battle at the bottom of the list, you will have to have 15-20 gold shells with you.

With accuracy, everything is not so simple, because the dispersion of our gun is large, the stabilization is poor and at the same time there is no rotating turret. However, it comes down medium tank M3 Lee quickly, so that the discomfort is not as strong as it might seem at first glance.

Now let's touch on the issue of comfort inflicting damage on the other hand, and here we must pay tribute to the good vertical aiming angles, after all, the barrel bends down by 9 degrees. But again I repeat, the towers M3 Lee World of Tanks no, the total UGN is 30 degrees and at the same time the gun is located on the right side of the hull, that is, in fact, in our hands is not a medium tank, but a tank destroyer.

Advantages and disadvantages

Despite the fact that we have considered the general characteristics of the tank and analyzed its weapons, due to the fact that the vehicle in front of us is unusual, it would be reasonable to highlight the main advantages and disadvantages M3 Lee WOT separately.
Pros:
Good one-time damage;
Excellent rate of fire and DPM;
Decent penetration;
Fast mixing time;
Comfortable vertical aiming angles.
Minuses:
A truly shed silhouette;
Mediocre booking;
Weak mobility;
The lack of a tower;
UGN are uncomfortable due to the displaced gun.

Equipment for M3 Lee

So we got to the issue of completing the vehicle, and in view of the fact that in fact we have tank destroyers in our hands, the emphasis should be on armament. Of course additional modules will allow you to increase some parameters well, so on M3 tank Lee Equipment let's put the following:
1. is the most requested and reasonable module that will make our damage per minute even more dangerous.
2. - due to some problems with accuracy, this choice is quite justified, because the faster we converge, the more comfortable the shooting process will be.
3. - everything is obviously weak with the review, and this issue needs to be addressed radically, especially in view of the features of this device.

But for those for whom the viewing range and the possibility of the first shot are not so important, if you are not afraid to rely on the allies, you can replace the last item with , get even more firepower and other things.

Crew training

Another great opportunity that should never be missed is the choice and distribution of skills among crew members. There are already six tankers in this car, and in order not to get confused, for M3 Lee perks it's better to distribute it like this:
Commander - , , , .
Gunner - , , , .
Gunner - , , , .
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Radio operator - , , , .
Loader - , , , .

Equipment for M3 Lee

Consumables also need to be given a little attention, but as you know, this aspect often remains standard. Our case is no exception, and in order to save money, you can buy a modest set of,,. But if you want to increase your survivability and get a chance to get out of a difficult situation, it’s better to carry on M3 Lee gear from , , , where the last option can be replaced by .

Tactics of the game on the M3 Lee

I repeat once again that due to the lack of a turret, it is rather not a medium tank in front of us, but a tank destroyer, respectively, the style of play should be chosen accordingly. It means that for M3 Lee tactics an ambush is more suitable for combat, after all, our armor is weak, and the silhouette is barn and mobility is mediocre.

So, at the very beginning of the battle, we choose a flank and occupy the most sprawling bush in the chosen direction. From such a position American tank M3 Lee can easily realize the potential of its weapons, while not greatly risking its own margin of safety.

Of course, you must provide cover and escape routes in case your M3 Lee tank WoT discover. For the rest, we just stand, shoot at our own and allied light, target vulnerable zones in the enemy’s armor, and if the enemy is armored in the sight, we charge the gold.

If you don't like this passive gameplay, M3 Lee World of Tanks still can play more contact, but it is important to take the position very correctly. The entire left side of the hull should be hidden, while only the part of the vehicle in which the gun is installed should stick out from behind the shelter. So we not only get a good opportunity for firing, but also make the area of ​​impact on us minimal. Of course, between shots M3 Lee WOT should slightly turn the hull, increasing the angle of the reduced armor, or even hide.

The M3 was the first medium tank to enter service with emerging armored units and formations. 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 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 vehicle as a whole was unsuccessful: insufficient armor thickness, too high a height, partly caused by the use of star-shaped aircraft engines, partly by the 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. decisive role in the deployment of mass production played the construction of 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 larger numbers than expected back in October 1939. In fact, in accordance with the need of the US Army, it was required to produce about 2000 cars over the next 18 months, by comparison, the existing order for 400 light cars looked insignificant. President of the General Motors Company, William S. Nadsen, as a member of the National Defense Advisory Committee, which was responsible for coordinating the work of the American defense industry, believed that heavy industries, which produced products in relatively small quantities, 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 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 rear 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 Western wilderness. During big battle near 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 taken to the UK for training and use as special machines, 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

According to its design, the Grant M3 tank was a vehicle from the First World War, with the location of the gun in the side sponson, as on the English tanks Mk I, Mk VIII, and instead of a fixed wheelhouse, a rotating tower. The engine was located at the rear, the transmission was at the front, the gearbox was under the swivel floor of the turret. 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 applied to early models tank M4 "Sherman". 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) - the roof of the 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 MZ, MZA4, MZA5) or by 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 of 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), a range of 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: a speedometer, a tachometer, an ammeter, a voltmeter, a fuel gauge, a thermometer and a clock. The tank was controlled using the gearshift lever, brake pedals, accelerator and handbrake.

Chassis The tank was a rubber-metal caterpillar supported by three carts 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. Such a support trolley was also used on medium tanks M2 and the first samples of M4.

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 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 the barrel 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 index MZ, 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 brake. By the way, a similar story happened with the Soviet T-34 tank. 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 inch armor located at a 30 degree inclination 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 a hatch was 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 star-shaped Wright Continental R 975 EC2 or C1 aircraft 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). External difference tank from the base model - 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 put on the conveyor at the concern's factories. The installation of this engine increased the weight of the tank to 64,000 pounds (29,056 kg) and the length to 19 feet 8 inches (5995 mm), which also caused an increase in the length of the tracks to 166 tracks each.But the speed and range 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 from Great Britain for the purchase of weapons, including with the aim of choosing American armored vehicles for their own armed forces, since most of the weapons were 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 civil war in the USA, and in 1869-1877 - the President of the USA from the Republican Party. 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 chassis of the MZ base tank
- "Grant II" - created on the chassis of the MZA5 model.

About 1400 M3s were delivered to the USSR. In the USSR, M3 tanks were met without enthusiasm. By mid-1942, his armor no longer saved from German tank guns. Speed, stealth and maneuverability were needed. The high silhouette of the tank, on Russian roads had poor cross-country ability, with a low-power engine, moreover, very sensitive to fuel and oil, the M3 did not arouse enthusiasm among Soviet tankers. But the biggest drawback of the M3 was the rubber-metal tracks. During the battle, the rubber burned out and the caterpillar fell apart. The tank became a stationary target. M3 Soviet tankers dubbed the "mass grave for six". An example is the report of the commander of the 134th Tank Regiment, Tikhonchuk, dated December 14, 1942: “American tanks work extremely poorly in the sand, 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, in view of the fact that the 75-mm gun is installed in the mask, and not in the tower, it is necessary to deploy the tank, which burrows into the sand, which makes it very difficult to fire.

So, the design of the first serial american tank in all respects, it turned out to be rather archaic. After all, a similar tank, in which the gun was placed in the hull, was created in the USSR back in 1931. True, it was developed by the invited German designer Grotte, but this does not change the essence of the matter. Other "multi-gun" vehicles with separate installation of two guns are also known. The English "Churchill" Mk I, for example, also had a 75 mm cannon in the front armor plate of the hull and a 40 mm gun in the upper turret. The French B-1 had a short-barreled 75 mm gun in the hull to the right of the driver and a 47 mm gun also in the upper turret. So at first, the Americans failed to come up with anything particularly original.

M3 in the museum in Kubinka.

As for the work on the construction of a new Chrysler tank plant, they were launched on September 9, 1940 in a suburb of Detroit - called Varen Townshire on an area of ​​approximately 77 thousand acres. By January 1941, preparatory work was completed, and Chrysler engineers, together with specialists from the American Locomotive Company and Baldvin enterprises, meanwhile completed the development of all technological processes. Well, the first experimental machines began to be tested already on April 11, 1941. On May 3, the first M3 tank left for the Aberdeen Proving Ground, and the second was kept for display by the selection committee as a standard sample. Serial production of General Lee tanks began on July 8, 1941, that is, at the height of the fighting on the Eastern Front. And since on March 8 of the same year the Lend-Lease law was adopted in the United States, all restrictions on the supply of these tanks to Great Britain, and then to the USSR, all the new produced tanks immediately went overseas. Of course, all the companies that were related to the production of armored vehicles immediately began to increase its production. The Pullman-Standart Car Company was actively involved in this business. , "Pressed Stell" and "Lima Lokomotive". Moreover, it should be noted that while the M3 was produced, and it was produced for only a little more than a year, and to be exact, from July 8, 1941 to August 3, 1942. Concern "Chrysler" during this period produced 3352 M3 tanks of various modifications, "American Locomotive company" - produced 685 units., "Baldvin" more - 1220 units., "Pressed Stell" - only 501 tanks., "Pullman - Standard Car Company "- already 500, and all together this resulted in 6258 vehicles of various modifications. Moreover, the Canadians helped: their company "Monreal Lokomotive company" also mastered the production of these vehicles and manufactured 1157 M3 tanks already for the Canadian army. However, already in August 1942 these enterprises quickly switched to the production of the M4 "Sherman" tank. Although ... there was an exception. Firm "Baldvin" continued to produce M3A3 and M3A5 until December 1942.

Note that the M3 tanks of absolutely all modifications looked so original that it is almost impossible to confuse them with any other tank in the world.

As already noted, the location of the gun in the side sponson brought this tank closer to the vehicles of the First World War, although at a different technical level. The engine was at the rear, but the transmission was in front, which is why the engine had to be connected to the transmission with a long cardan shaft. Here, where this shaft passed, the engine control rods also passed, and all this was covered with a light removable casing. All transmission parts were mounted in a cast part armored corps, which consisted of three parts, interconnected by means of a bolted connection through the flanges. As a result, the tank had a very peculiar nose. Also, all this was bolted to the tank hull, and this technological solution was used on all modifications, and then on the earliest M4 Sherman tanks. The body was assembled from flat armor plates. At the same time, their thickness was also unchanged on all modifications and was equal to 51 mm in frontal projections, the thickness of the side and aft sheets was 38 mm, and 12.7 mm was the thickness of the hull roof armor. On the bottom of the tank, the thickness of the armor was variable: from 12.7 mm in the engine area to 25.4 mm under the fighting compartment. The thickness of the walls is 57 mm, and the roof is 22 mm. The angle of inclination of the front armor plate was 60 degrees to the horizon, but the side and also the rear plates were located vertically. The plate fastening differed in different modifications. On modifications M3, MZA4, MZA5 fastening was carried out on rivets. Welding was used on the MZA2 and MZAZ modifications. to the inner frame. On the MZA1 tank, the upper part of the hull was cast. The body of this machine had a very advantageous shape and literally “flowed around” the crew and mechanisms, but only three hundred of them were made due to difficulties with the casting and hardening technology of such large “baths”. It turned out to be easier and cheaper to “rivet” cases from flat sheets, as well as to weld them. However, the technology has been developed and is very useful in the future.

On the right side of the hull, a one-piece cast sponson was installed with a 75-mm gun mounted so that it did not protrude beyond the dimensions of the hull. It was the height of the sponson, as well as the dimensions of the engine, that together determined the height of the tank hull. The cast turret with a 37 mm gun was moved to the left, and above it was another small turret with a machine gun. The result was a kind of pyramid with a height of 3214 mm. The length of the tank was 5639 mm, width - 2718 mm, ground clearance was 435 mm. Obviously, the height of the car came out excessive. But the fighting compartment turned out to be very spacious, and, by the way, is still recognized as one of the most comfortable. Moreover, the body of the tank inside was also pasted over with a layer of spongy rubber, which protected the crew from small fragments peeling off from the armor. Two doors served to enter the tank along the sides, a hatch on the hull on top and also on the roof of the machine-gun turret. This allowed the crew to quickly climb into the tank and conveniently evacuate the wounded through these side doors, although they somewhat reduced the strength of the hull.

Each crew member had viewing slots and more loopholes for firing from personal (which the US Army paid great attention to!), Protected by armored visors. On the rear armor plate of the hull for access to the engine there was a large double-leaf door, and the junction of its doors was closed with a narrow strip fixed on bolts. On either side of it were two filters - an air cleaner, both round and box-shaped. The air intakes were traditionally located on the upper armor plate above the engine and were covered with nets. And here was again a double-leaf large hatch for dismantling the engine (on models M3A3 and M3A5). This arrangement of hatches facilitated engine maintenance. On modifications M3, M3A2 and M3A4, instead of a hatch, there were removable armor plates: two each for the first two tanks and as many as five for the last one. Here (on the side bevels of the aft part of the hull) a trench tool, and infantry helmets, and boxes with rations could be attached. In a word, this part of the tank was used as a "cargo compartment".

It should be noted that the M3, M3A1, M3A2 tanks did not have forced ventilation, for which the crew had to open the upper hatches. The disadvantage was quickly taken into account and on the M3A3, M3A4, M3A5 models, three exhaust fans were installed at once under armored caps: one to the left of the driver, directly above the pair of machine guns, the second behind the hull hatch, behind the breech of the 75-mm gun and the last one above the breech of the 37-mm cannons on the roof of a small tower. Therefore, powder gases from the tank were quickly sucked out and did not disturb the crew.

The movement of the M3 tanks, both "General Lee" and "General Grant" was usually driven by a radial nine-cylinder aviation carburetor engine "Wright Continental" R 975 EC2 or Cl modification, the power of which was 340 hp It enabled this 27-ton tank reach speeds of up to 42 km / h, and with a fuel reserve of 796 liters, have a range of 192 km. A traditional disadvantage of such engines is their fire hazard, since they require high-octane gasoline to operate. In addition, they are difficult to maintain, especially those cylinders But in 1941 there was practically nothing to choose from, so I had to put up with all these shortcomings.Starting in March 1942, a company such as "Baldvin" began to mount automobile diesel engines "General Motors 6- 71 6046 "with water cooling and a total power of 375 hp. From this, the weight of the tank increased by 1.3 tons, but power, efficiency, speed and reserve increased x Oh yeah. These tanks received the MZAZ and MZA5 indices. Then, in June 1942, Chrysler put a new 30-cylinder Chrysler A 57 engine, also water-cooled, on the M3A4 tank. The length of the hull, the length of the tracks, as well as the weight by two tons have increased. At the same time, the speed and power reserve did not change. The British in their cars often replaced American engines with their Guiberson radial diesel engines. But the body was not subjected to alterations.

Although the tanks were delivered to England, the driver's seat did not change. In front of him were the following instruments: a tachometer, a speedometer, a voltmeter, an ammeter, of course, a fuel gauge, a thermometer, etc. of course, hours. It was possible to control the tank with a gearshift lever, a handbrake, brake and accelerator pedals.

Tanks of all modifications had rubber-metal tracks, and three wheeled carts on each side. Above, on the bogie frame, there was a roller supporting the caterpillar. The undercarriage was thus completely taken from the M2 tank and was later used on the early M4s. Track rollers could have solid disks, and disks with spokes. The suspension was reliable and did not occupy the internal volumes of the tank. The drive wheels were in front, the guide rollers were in the back.

The tracks consisted of 158 tracks, 421 mm wide and 152 mm long each. On MZA4 tanks - there were 166 of them, due to the longer hull. The device of the track differed from the tracks of the same T-34. Each track was a rubber plate with a metal frame inside, and two metal tubular axles running through it. They were put on connecting brackets with a profiled fang, connecting the tracks into a caterpillar. Each track had two fangs that went around the rollers of the supporting carts. Well, the drive sprocket with its teeth caught on the connecting brackets of the caterpillar. The very surface of the rubber track plate was smooth. But on latest tanks plates with chevron ledges appeared, and later they were also placed on the tracks of the M4 "General Sherman" tanks.

Tank M3 for its time was ... the most heavily armed medium tank in the world. Its main firepower was the 75mm cannon, which was designed by the Westerflute arsenal on the basis of the famous 1897 French 75mm field gun, which was also in service with the US Army. The tank gun, which received the M2 index, had a barrel 3 m long, was equipped with a pickup stabilizer, a semi-automatic shutter and a barrel purge system, which reduced the gas contamination of the fighting compartment. Moreover, the stabilization system on the M3 tank was used for the first time in the world, and only then it served as a model for all similar systems on tanks in many armies of the world. The vertical guidance angles were about 14 degrees, and along the horizon of the plane, the gun could be pointed in a sector of 15 degrees in both directions. For aiming the gun vertically, both an electro-hydraulic system and a manual drive were used. The ammunition was in the sponson itself and also on the floor of the tank.

However, there were problems with this gun. It turned out that its trunk goes far beyond the dimensions of the hull. This really alarmed the American military, for some reason they were very afraid that the tank with such a long gun would hit something or catch it while moving. Therefore, they demanded that the barrel be shortened to 2.33 m, which significantly reduced all the combat characteristics of the gun. The “truncated” gun received the M3 index, and it was butter to the hearts of the military, but it turned out that the stabilization system with a short barrel “failed”, it was not created for it. Then they decided to put a counterweight on the barrel, outwardly resembling ... a muzzle brake. By the way, a very similar one came out with our Soviet T-34 tank. It was at the request of the then military that the designers had to cut the barrel of the F34 gun by 762 mm, which reduced its power by as much as 35%. But now she did not speak for the dimensions of the tank! It is very likely that the conservatism characteristic of the military is not affected by either nationality or social order.

The 37-mm cannon was created in the same arsenal in 1938. On the M3 tanks, its modification M5 or M6 was installed. The angles of its vertical aiming made it possible to shoot, at least theoretically, at low-flying aircraft. A machine gun was paired with a cannon, another was in the upper turret, while the turret had a rotating polyk with walls separating it from the fighting compartment. Ammunition for this cannon was located in the turret and at the bottom of the rotating polyk.

At a distance of 500 yards, that is, 457 m, the projectile of this gun could penetrate armor up to 48 mm thick, and the 75 mm gun could penetrate 60 mm armor, which had an inclination of 30 degrees to the vertical.

Naturally, both guns had periscope optical sights. The 75 mm gun had a sight on the roof of the gun sponson. With it, it was possible to shoot direct fire at a distance of 1000 yards (300 m).

As for the British, they did not like the weapons arranged in three tiers. Therefore, the upper turret was not installed on the General Grant vehicles, but on the General Lee tanks, which were used English army, it was also removed, replacing it with a hatch. Other armament consisted of 11.43 mm Tompson submachine guns, pistols and grenades. English tanks mounted 4-inch (102 mm) grenade launchers for firing smoke grenades.

M3 tanks produced in the USA were usually painted in different shades of green - from dark green to khaki. On board, where the engine was located, a registration number was applied on both sides, which was assigned to the tank by the Department of Arms. blue color they wrote the name "USA" and the letter "W" - indicating that the tank had already been transferred to the army, and a six-digit number - either yellow or white color. On the turret and on the frontal armor of the hull, as a means of identification, a white star was applied in a blue circle, which, in addition, was superimposed on a white stripe. It was in this coloring that the M3 tanks were supplied by the Americans under Lend-Lease.

American tanks had white tactical numbers on both the turret and the hull: the serial number of the vehicle in the tank company, then the letter designation of the company itself. For example, like this: 9E or 4B. Next to the door on the sponson were drawn geometric figures, which also denoted the numbers of the company, battalion and regiment in the division. The identification mark of the division was placed on the middle armor plate of the transmission. On those tanks that fought in North Africa, instead of a white star, a star-striped US flag was painted on the frontal armor plate.

The M3 tanks destined for England were painted a dark olive color, as expected by American standards. But the British themselves repainted them in the traditional British camouflage of stripes of yellow, green and brown, with black edging. The first tanks that got into North Africa almost immediately went into battle, so they simply did not have time to repaint them. But if there was time, they were painted in sand color.

At the same time, the registration number was retained, but the letter "W" was replaced by the letter "T". The number was restored with white paint. In specific field conditions, it might not have been painted over, but simply protected with a stencil, which made it look like it was framed in olive color. Most British tanks The M3s that fought in Burma were painted green and had large white stars on the hull and turret. Registration numbers were kept on them. Some also had individual numbers on the frontal armor.