Екінші дүниежүзілік соғыстағы M3 Lee танкысы

American medium tank of World War II
the light tank

The M3 Lee, officially Medium Tank, M3, was an American medium tank used during World War II. The turret was produced in two forms, one for US needs and one modified to British requirements to place the radio next to the commander. In British Commonwealth service, the tank was called by two names: tanks employing US pattern turrets were called "Lee", named after Confederate general Robert E. Lee, while those with British pattern turrets were known as "Grant", named after Union general Ulysses S. Grant. Design commenced in July 1940, and the first M3s were operational in late 1941. The US Army needed a medium tank armed with a 75 mm gun and coupled with the United Kingdom's immediate demand for 3,650 medium tanks, the Lee began production by late 1940. The design was a compromise meant to produce a tank as soon as possible and serve only until replaced by the following M4 Sherman tank. The M3 was reliable, had considerable firepower, good armor, and high mobility but had serious drawbacks in its general design and shape, including a high silhouette, an archaic sponson mounting of the main gun preventing the tank from taking a hull down position, and riveted construction. It was considered by Hans von Luck (a German army officer who wrote the post war memoir Panzer Commander), to be superior in May 1942 to the Panzer IV and able to operate out of range of German 5 cm anti tank guns. However, by mid 1943, with the introduction of upgunned Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs, the tank had been withdrawn from combat in most theaters and replaced by the more capable M4 Sherman tank as soon as it became available in larger numbers. Despite its being replaced elsewhere, the British continued to use M3s in combat against the Japanese in southeast Asia until 1945. Nearly a thousand M3s were supplied to the Soviet military under Lend Lease between 1941 and 1943.

The U. S. funded tank development poorly during the interwar years, and had little experience in design as well as poor doctrine to guide design efforts. Only a few tanks were built (35 between 1920 1935). A new medium tank was designed in 1938, tested as the T5 and accepted as the M2 Medium. The M2 used a radial engine and vertical volute suspension among many of the features of the M2 Light tank. In , the U. S. Army possessed approximately 400 tanks, mostly M2 Light Tanks, with 18 of the M2 Mediums as the only ones considered "modern." The M2 Medium Tank was typical of armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) many nations produced in 1939. By the time, the U. S. entered the war in 1941, the M2 design was already obsolete with a 37 mm gun, an impractical number of secondary machine guns, a very high silhouette, and frontal armor. At the end June 1940 the National Munitions Program was introduced to address the United States lack of readiness in case of war across all branches of the armed forces. The program specified the building of over 1,700 medium tanks by the end of 1941. In mid July, Armored Force under Brigadier General Adna R. Chaffee Jr. was formed to take over responsibility for tanks which had previously been split between the Infantry and Cavalry commands. Work was begun with industry to create the production facilities leading to a contract in August for Chrysler to build the Detroit Tank Arsenal which was expected to turn out 10 Medium M2A1 (an improved M2 Medium) per day. However, the US Army's assessment of the German Panzer III and Panzer IV medium tanks' success in the French campaign was that a 75mm gun was a necessity. The M2A1 could not be fitted with a 75mm weapon in its turret. Producing a new turret design would delay production and while it was decided to start work on a 75mm turret design, an interim solution was sought. An experimental modification of an improved M2 Medium into a self propelled gun the T5E2 had been tested with a 75m pack howitzer in the front hull and it was decided to base the interim design on this work. The existing M2 hull could be used with a redesigned superstructure and the M2A1 37 mm turret. The contract for 1,000 M2A1s was cancelled and replaced with one for 1,000 M3 though the M3 was not yet designed. The Ordnance Department allocated 60 days for the design work. At the same time the 75 mm gun design was started by Watervliet Arsenal; the new gun was based on the 75mm field gun

The design was unusual because the main weapon – a larger caliber, medium velocity 75 mm gun – was in an offset sponson mounted in the hull with limited traverse. The sponson mount was necessary because, at the time, American tank plants did not have the design experience necessary to make a gun turret capable of holding a 75 mm weapon. A small turret with a lighter, high velocity 37 mm gun sat on top of the tall hull. A small cupola on top of the turret held a machine gun. The use of two main guns was seen on the French Char B1 and the Mark I version of the British Churchill tank. In the French tank, it had been designed as a self propelled gun to attack fortifications and an anti tank capability had been added through a second gun in a small turret; the Churchill carried a gun in the front hull to fire chiefly smoke shells. The M3 differed slightly from this pattern, having a dual purpose main gun that could fire an armor piercing projectile at a velocity high enough for effectively piercing armor, as well as deliver a high explosive shell that was large enough to be effective. Using a hull mounted gun, the M3 design could be produced faster than a tank with the same gun in a turret. It was understood that the M3 design was flawed, but Britain urgently needed tanks. A drawback of the sponson mount was that the M3 could not take a hull down position and use its 75 mm gun at the same time. The M3 was tall and roomy: the power transmission ran through the crew compartment under the turret basket to the gearbox driving the front sprockets. Steering was by differential braking, with a turning circle of 37 feet (11 m). The vertical volute spring suspension (VVSS) units possessed a return roller mounted directly atop the main housing of each of the six suspension units (three per side), designed as self contained and readily replaced modular units bolted to the hull sides. The turret was power traversed by an electro hydraulic system in the form of an electric motor providing the pressure for the hydraulic motor. This fully rotated the turret in 15 seconds. Control was from a spade grip on the gun. The same motor provided pressure for the gun stabilizing system. The 75 mm gun was operated by a gunner and a loader; sighting the gun used an M1 periscope – with an integral telescope – on the top of the sponson. The periscope rotated with the gun. The sight was marked from zero to , with vertical markings to aid deflection shooting at a moving target. The gunner laid the gun on target through geared handwheels for traverse (15° to left and to right) and elevation ( +20° to 9°). The shorter barreled 75 mm M2 cannon sometimes had a counterweight added at the end of the barrel to balance the gun for operation with the gyrostabilizer until the longer 75 mm M3 variant was brought into use. The 37 mm gun was aimed through the M2 periscope, mounted in the mantlet to the side of the gun. It also sighted the coaxial machine gun. Two range scales were provided: 0– for the 37 mm and 0– for the machine gun. The 37 mm gun also featured a counterweight – a long rod under the barrel – though it was ill maintained by crews who knew little about its use. There were also two .30 06 (7.62 mm caliber) Browning M1919A4 machine guns mounted in the hull, fixed in traverse but adjustable in elevation, which were controlled by the driver. These were, due to coordination issues, removed, though they would be seen on early Sherman tanks. Though not at war, the U. S. was willing to produce, sell and ship munitions including armored vehicles to Britain. The British had requested that their Matilda II infantry tank and Crusader cruiser tank designs be made by American factories, but this request was refused. With much of their equipment left in France after the British Army was evacuated from Dunkirk, the equipment needs of the British were acute. Though not entirely satisfied with the design, they ordered the M3 in large numbers. British experts had viewed the mock up in 1940 and identified features that they considered flaws – the high profile, the hull mounted main gun, the radio position in the hull rather than in the turret, the riveted armor plating (whose rivets tended to pop off inside the interior in a deadly ricochet when the tank was hit even by non penetrating rounds), the smooth track design, insufficient armor and lack of splash proofing of the joints. The British desired modifications for the tank they were purchasing. A bustle rack was to be made at the back of the turret to house the Wireless Set No. 19. The turret was to be given thicker armor than in the original U. S. design, and the machine gun cupola was to be replaced with a simple hatch. Extended space within the turret of the new M3 also allowed the use of a smoke bomb launcher, although the addition of the radio would take the space for storage of fifty 37 mm rounds, reducing the ammunition capacity for that gun to 128 rounds. Several of these new "Grant" tanks would also be equipped with sand shields for action in North Africa, though they often fell off. With these modifications accepted, the British ordered 2,000 Grants, with 1,685 ultimately built. Contracts were arranged with four US companies for 500 tanks each: Baldwin Locomotive Company, Pullman Standard Car Company, Pressed Steel Car Company and Lima Locomotive Company. The total cost of the orders was approximately US$240 million ($120,000 per piece), including funds for factory re tooling. That was the total of all UK government funds held in the US; it took the US Lend Lease act to solve the financial shortfall and fund future equipment orders (for comparison, Lend Lease cost of a M3 was $64,814). between the different M3 medium tank and M3 light tank. The British Army was in the process of using names for its own tanks instead of designations and named its American tanks after American military figures, M3 tanks with the cast turret and radio setup received the name "General Grant", while the original M3s were called "General Lee", or more usually just "Grant" and "Lee". The chassis and running gear of the M3 design was adapted by the Canadians for their Ram tank. The hull of the M3 was also used for self propelled artillery as with the original design of the M7 Priest, of which nearly 3,500 were built, and recovery vehicles.

In addition to the Detroit arsenal, American Locomotive and Baldwin Locomotive were brought into the production scheme in October 1940 Neither company needed to also build a factory and so their first tanks were complete a bit before Detroit's in April 1941. Even then the shortage of components meant that after American Locomotive's ceremonial driving of its first tank before senior officials, the transmission was removed and sent to Baldwin so that they could carry out a similar ceremony a few days later. The British placed contracts for the Grant with Baldwin, Lima Locomotive and Pullman Standard in October 1940 1,685 of these were Grants which the UK ordered directly from US industry for cash and which did not fall under the Lend Lease arrangements. The M3 Grant first saw action with units of the Royal Armoured Corps in North Africa during the Gazala battles of May 1942. However, with the arrival of the M4 Sherman tank from October 1942 the surviving M3s in North Africa became surplus and were mostly shipped on to India. 657 Grants and 75 Lees were supplied directly to North Africa. Ninety seven Grants and 119 M3 Lees including 49 diesel M3A3 Lee V, the only diesel Lees used by UK and Commonwealth forces were supplied directly to the UK and were used for testing and training. 335 were later converted to Canal Defense Lights (no diesels), and further refurbished turretless M3 hulls were supplied by the US to support this project. Australia received 777 supplied directly to the Australian Army for home defense and training duties in Australia. although only 957 of these reached Russian ports due to German U boat and air attacks on Allied convoys to.

The M3 brought much needed firepower to British forces in the campaign in the North African desert. Early Grants were shipped directly to Egypt and lacked some fitments (such as radio) that were remedied locally. Under the "Mechanisation Experimental Establishment (Middle East)" other modifications were tested approved and made to tanks as they were issued. These included fitting of sand shields (later deliveries from the US had factory fitted shields), dust covers for the gun mantlets and the removal of the hull machine guns. Ammunition stowage was altered to 80 x 75 mm (up from 50) and 80 x 37 mm with additional protection to the ammunition bins. Grants arrived in North Africa by the end of January 1942 and British crews began training on them. As it was developed from WWI era French 75 mm gun, the British had ammunition stocks left over from then that could be used for the 75 mm M2 gun but these suffered due to age. The armor piercing shell for the 75 mm was a solid shot and could penetrate around 2inches (50 mm) of armor at 1,000 m which was better than the 2 pounder guns of British tanks but better performance was desired. Fortunately, large numbers of German 75 mm shells were captured and these were matched to the American cartridge. This conversion gave improved performance and was followed by an improved American AP shell design (the M61). While the Grants had been expected to be a temporary until the Crusader Mark III tank with a 57 mm 6 pounder gun was available, problems with the Crusader led to changes. The Grant became the main tank in use and cruiser tanks such as the Crusader Mk I and II replaced the M3 light tank in British units. British Lees and Grants were in action against Rommel's forces at the Battle of Gazala on 27 May that year. In the preparations for the battle the Eighth Army received 167 M3 tanks. The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, 3rd and 5th battalions Royal Tank Regiment going into action with Grant tanks. Retreating in the face of a large attack, the 8th Hussars had only three of their Grants remaining, while 3rd RTR reported losing 16 Grants. Their appearance was a surprise to the Germans, who were unprepared for the M3's 75 mm gun. They soon discovered the M3 could engage them beyond the effective range of their 5 cm Pak 38 anti tank gun, and the 5 cm KwK 39 of the Panzer III, their main medium tank. The M3 was also vastly superior to the Fiat M13/40 and M14/41 tanks employed by the Italian troops, whose 47 mm gun was effective only at point blank range, while only the few Semoventi da 75/18 self propelled guns were able to destroy it using HEAT rounds. In addition to the M3's superior range, they were equipped with high explosive shells to take out infantry and other soft targets, which previous British tanks lacked; upon the introduction of the M3, Rommel noted: "Up to May of 1942, our tanks had in general been superior in quality to the corresponding British types. This was now no longer true, at least not to the same extent." Despite the M3's advantages and surprise appearance during the Battle of Gazala, it could not win the battle for the British. In particular, the high velocity 88 mm anti aircraft gun, in use as its secondary role of an anti tank gun, proved deadly if British tanks attacked without artillery support. Britain's Director of Armoured Fighting Vehicles nonetheless said before the M4 Sherman arrived that "The Grants and the Lees have proven to be the mainstay of the fighting forces in the Middle East; their great reliability, powerful armament and sound armor have endeared them to the troops." By the Second Battle of El Alamein in late 1942, there were 600 M3s, of both types, in British service. Some of these were in the UK for training. Grants and Lees served with British units in North Africa until the end of the campaign. Following Operation Torch (the invasion of French North Africa), the U. S. also fought in North Africa using the M3 Lee. The US 1st Armored Division had been issued the new M4 Sherman, but had given up one regiment's worth to the British Army so that it could use them in the Second Battle of El Alamein (October November 1942). Consequently, a regiment of the division was still using the M3 Lee when it arrived in North Africa. The M3 was generally appreciated during the North African campaign for its mechanical reliability, good armor protection, and heavy firepower. In all three aspects, the M3 was capable of engaging German tanks and towed anti tank guns. However, the high silhouette and low, hull mounted 75 mm were tactical drawbacks since they prevented fighting from a hull down firing position. In addition, the use of riveted hull superstructure armor on the early versions led to spalling, where the impact of enemy shells caused the rivets to break off and become projectiles inside the tank. Later models were built with all welded armor to eliminate this problem. These lessons had already been applied to the design and production of the M4. The M3 was replaced in front line roles by the M4 Sherman as soon as the M4 was available. However, several specialist vehicles based on the M3 were later employed in Europe, such as the M31 armored recovery vehicle and the Canal Defence Light. In early 1943, the British Eight Army's M3s, now replaced by the Sherman, were shipped to the war in the East to replace some Matildas in the Australian Army.

Beginning from 1941, 1,386 M3 medium tanks were shipped from the US to the Soviet Union, with 417 lost during shipping (when they went down with their transporting vessels which were sunk by German submarine, naval and aerial attacks en route). These were supplied through the American Lend Lease program between 1942 and 1943. Like British Commonwealth units, Soviet Red Army personnel tended to refer to the M3 as the "Grant", even though all of the M3s shipped to Russia were "Lee" variants. The official Soviet designation for it was the М3 средний (М3с), or "M3 Medium", to distinguish the Lee from the US built M3 Stuart light tank, which was also acquired by the USSR under Lend Lease and was officially known there as the М3 лёгкий (М3л), or "M3 Light". Due to the vehicle's petrol fueled engine, a high tendency to catch fire, and its vulnerability against most types of German armor the Soviet troops encountered from 1942 onwards, the tank was almost entirely unpopular with the Red Army since its induction into the Eastern Front. With almost 1,500 Russian T 34 tanks being built every month, Soviet use of the M3 medium tank declined soon after mid 1943. Soviet troops still fielded their Lee/Grant tanks on secondary and less active fronts, such as in the Arctic region during the Red Army's Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive against German forces in Norway in October 1944, where the obsolete US tanks faced mainly captured French tanks used by the Germans, such as the SOMUA S35, which to a limited extent was somewhat comparable to the Lee/Grant it fought against.

In the Pacific War, armored warfare played a relatively minor role for the Allies as well as for the Japanese, compared with that of naval, air, and infantry units. In the Pacific Ocean Theater and the Southwest Pacific Theater, the U. S. Army deployed none of its dedicated armored divisions and only a third of its 70 other separate tank battalions. A small number of M3 Lees saw action in the central Pacific Ocean Theater in 1943. The US Marine Corps, was not a user of the M3 Lee; they moved from M3 Stuarts directly to M4 Shermans in mid 1944. Some M3 Grants played an offensive role with the British Indian Army, in the south east Asian theater. The Australian Army also used Grants during World War II, mainly for homeland defense and training purposes.

The only combat use of the M3 Lee by the US Army against Japanese forces occurred during the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign of 1943. Following the better known landing at Tarawa, the US 27th Infantry Division made an amphibious assault on Makin Island with armored support from a platoon of M3A5 Lees equipped with deep wading kits belonging to the US Army's 193rd Tank Battalion.

Overall, the M3 was able to be effective on the battlefield from 1942 until 1943. However, US armored units lacked tactical expertise on a method to overcome its design. Its armor and firepower were equal or superior to most of the threats it faced, especially in the Pacific. Long range, high velocity guns were not yet common on German tanks in the African theater. However, the rapid pace of tank development meant that the M3 was very quickly outclassed. By mid 1942, with the introduction of the German Tiger I, the up gunning of the Panzer IV to a long 75 mm gun, and the first appearance in 1943 of the Panther, along with the availability of large numbers of the M4 Sherman, the M3 was withdrawn from service in the European theater.