M24 Chaffee
By 1943, the US Army was painfully aware that the M3 Stuart light tank was completely inadequate against German tanks: its 37mm gun was useless against any German armored vehicle, and its armor was thin to the point of uselessness. The Stuart's only real saving graces were high speed and reliability.
In 1943, the US Army began work on a Stuart replacement. The Army had modified Stuarts to carry a short-barreled 75mm gun, on what became the M8 Scott, but the M8 was badly cramped. Still, it was recognized that the new tank, temporarily designated T24, would need a 75mm main gun, along with a pintle-mounted M2 .50 caliber machine gun and two M1919 .30 caliber light machine guns in a bow turret and coaxial with the 75mm. The problem was how to mate the 75mm gun, add more armor than the Stuart, and yet keep the Stuart's reliability and speed. The Army needed the T24 to work as soon as possible, as the Allies geared up for the invasion of France.
Cadillac, which was in charge of development of the T24, used the upgraded M5 Stuart's powerplant, but on a completely new design. The 75mm gun from the B-25H Mitchell medium bomber was found to be a perfect weapon for the T24, with enough penetration power to destroy a light tank and possibly a medium, and yet was light enough to put in a light tank frame. Cadillac did their best with protecting the T24, using sloped armor for maximum effectiveness, but the tank was still thinly armored. Torsion-bar suspension--the first used on an American production tank--was added for a more comfortable ride, as well as better mobility. The T24 did retain the Stuart's speed. The Army liked what they saw and, in early 1944, the tank was put into production as the M24 Chaffee, named for Adna Chaffee, who had developed US Army tank doctrine before the war.
Despite the Army's best efforts, the first Chaffees would not arrive in Europe until late 1944; a small number would see action during the Battle of the Bulge. More were available in the sweep across Germany, but the M24 had barely begun to replace the M3/M5 by the end of the war. Though it was indeed too poorly armored to survive against German tanks, its 75mm was found to be an excellent infantry support weapon, and it could knock out lighter German tanks, such as the Hetzer or the Mark IV.
The M24 became the US Army's standard light tank after the war, and would see combat in Korea. Because of the Chaffee's light weight, it was the only tank available in Japan when North Korea invaded the South in 1950 (Japanese roads were too poor for heavier Shermans and Pershings). The M24 was at a severe disadvantage against North Korean T-34/85s, and few Chaffees survived to make it to Pusan. Once M26 Pershings and M47 Pattons arrived, the Chaffee went back to the reconnaissance and infantry support role. The French would use M24s with more success during the Algerian and Indochina Wars, and the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) still had a few M24s in service during the Vietnam War.
Despite its limitations, the reliability of the M24 meant that it would enjoy a long life in foreign armies, although the US Army replaced them in the 1950s. Upgunned M24s with French 90mm guns were used by Norway until the 1990s, while other nations fitted their Chaffees with Italian 76mm guns. Uruguay was the last nation to retire the M24, doing so around 2017.
I don't recall ever seeing a Chaffee before, but this one is on display at the 4th Infantry Division Museum at Fort Carson, Colorado. Other than some rust on the .50 caliber and on the tracks, it looks to be in great condition. A few of these might have served with the division's 4th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop at the end of World War II. There's also a nice backdrop of the Front Range, with Cheyenne Mountain to the right.
M24 Chaffee
By 1943, the US Army was painfully aware that the M3 Stuart light tank was completely inadequate against German tanks: its 37mm gun was useless against any German armored vehicle, and its armor was thin to the point of uselessness. The Stuart's only real saving graces were high speed and reliability.
In 1943, the US Army began work on a Stuart replacement. The Army had modified Stuarts to carry a short-barreled 75mm gun, on what became the M8 Scott, but the M8 was badly cramped. Still, it was recognized that the new tank, temporarily designated T24, would need a 75mm main gun, along with a pintle-mounted M2 .50 caliber machine gun and two M1919 .30 caliber light machine guns in a bow turret and coaxial with the 75mm. The problem was how to mate the 75mm gun, add more armor than the Stuart, and yet keep the Stuart's reliability and speed. The Army needed the T24 to work as soon as possible, as the Allies geared up for the invasion of France.
Cadillac, which was in charge of development of the T24, used the upgraded M5 Stuart's powerplant, but on a completely new design. The 75mm gun from the B-25H Mitchell medium bomber was found to be a perfect weapon for the T24, with enough penetration power to destroy a light tank and possibly a medium, and yet was light enough to put in a light tank frame. Cadillac did their best with protecting the T24, using sloped armor for maximum effectiveness, but the tank was still thinly armored. Torsion-bar suspension--the first used on an American production tank--was added for a more comfortable ride, as well as better mobility. The T24 did retain the Stuart's speed. The Army liked what they saw and, in early 1944, the tank was put into production as the M24 Chaffee, named for Adna Chaffee, who had developed US Army tank doctrine before the war.
Despite the Army's best efforts, the first Chaffees would not arrive in Europe until late 1944; a small number would see action during the Battle of the Bulge. More were available in the sweep across Germany, but the M24 had barely begun to replace the M3/M5 by the end of the war. Though it was indeed too poorly armored to survive against German tanks, its 75mm was found to be an excellent infantry support weapon, and it could knock out lighter German tanks, such as the Hetzer or the Mark IV.
The M24 became the US Army's standard light tank after the war, and would see combat in Korea. Because of the Chaffee's light weight, it was the only tank available in Japan when North Korea invaded the South in 1950 (Japanese roads were too poor for heavier Shermans and Pershings). The M24 was at a severe disadvantage against North Korean T-34/85s, and few Chaffees survived to make it to Pusan. Once M26 Pershings and M47 Pattons arrived, the Chaffee went back to the reconnaissance and infantry support role. The French would use M24s with more success during the Algerian and Indochina Wars, and the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) still had a few M24s in service during the Vietnam War.
Despite its limitations, the reliability of the M24 meant that it would enjoy a long life in foreign armies, although the US Army replaced them in the 1950s. Upgunned M24s with French 90mm guns were used by Norway until the 1990s, while other nations fitted their Chaffees with Italian 76mm guns. Uruguay was the last nation to retire the M24, doing so around 2017.
I don't recall ever seeing a Chaffee before, but this one is on display at the 4th Infantry Division Museum at Fort Carson, Colorado. Other than some rust on the .50 caliber and on the tracks, it looks to be in great condition. A few of these might have served with the division's 4th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop at the end of World War II. There's also a nice backdrop of the Front Range, with Cheyenne Mountain to the right.