M3 Lee

Medium Tank M3
Medium Tank M3, Fort Knox, June 1942
Type	Medium Tank
Place of origin	United States
Service history
Used by	Australia  Brazil  Canada  New Zealand  Soviet Union  United Kingdom  United States
Wars	World War II
Production history
Produced	August 1941–December 1942
Number built	6,258
Variants	numerous, see text
Specifications
Weight	30 tons (27.2 metric tons)
Length	18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
Width	8 ft 11 in (2.72 m)
Height	10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) - Lee
Crew	7 (Lee) or 6 (Grant)
Armor	51 mm
Primary armament	1 × 75 mm Gun M2/M3 in hull 46 rounds 1 × 37mm Gun M5/M6 in turret 178 rounds
Secondary armament	2-3–4 × .30-06 Browning M1919A4 machine guns 9,200 rounds
Engine	Wright (Continental) R975 EC2 400/340 hp (298/254 kW)
Transmission	Synchromesh, 5 speeds forward, 1 reverse
Suspension	vertical volute spring
Ground clearance	18 in (0.46 m)
Fuel capacity	662 liters (175 US gallons)
Operational range	193 km
Speed	26 mph (42 km/h)(road) 16 mph (26 km/h) (off-road)
Steering system	Controlled differential

The Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called "General Lee", named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and its modified version built to British specifications, with a new turret, was called the "General Grant", named after US General Ulysses S. Grant.

Design of the M3 commenced in July 1940, and the first "Lees" were fielded in late 1941.^[1] The US Army needed a good tank immediately and not a perfect tank later, and coupled with Great Britain's demand for 3,650 medium tanks immediately,^[2] the Lee was brought into production by late 1940. The M3 was well-armed and -armored for the period, but due to various shortcomings (high silhouette, archaic sponson mounting of the main gun, below average off-road performance) it was not competitive and was withdrawn from front line duty as soon as the M4 Sherman became available in large numbers.

History

In 1939, the U.S. Army possessed approximately 400 tanks, all of which were of the M2 light tank series, with less than a hundred of the discontinued M2 series medium tanks.^[3] The interwar years had been a time of small budgets for tank development. The United States had no infrastructure for tank production, little experience in tank design, and little doctrine to guide design efforts.

In this context the M2 series medium tank was developed. Though typical of tanks of many nations when first produced in 1939, by the time the U.S. entered the war the M2 design was obsolete with only a 37 mm gun, about 30 mm armor, redundant machine gun armament and a very high silhouette. The success of tanks such as the Panzer III and Panzer IV in the French campaign prompted the U.S. Army to rethink their designs. The U.S. Army immediately issued a requirement for a new medium tank armed with a 75 mm gun in a turret. This would eventually evolve into the M4 Sherman. However, until the Sherman could be ready for production, an interim design with a 75 mm gun was urgently needed.

M3 Grant at the US Army Ordnance Museum

The M3 was the interim solution. The tank design was unusual in that the main weapon – a larger caliber, lower-velocity 75 mm gun – was in an offset sponson mounting in the hull, with consequently limited traverse. A small turret with a lighter, higher-velocity 37 mm gun was on the top of the tall hull. A small cupola on top of the turret held a machine gun, giving the effect of one turret on top of another. The use of two main guns was seen on tanks like the French Char B, the Soviet T-35, and the Mark I version of the British Churchill tank. In each case, two weapons were mounted to give the tanks adequate capability in firing both anti-personnel high explosive ammunition (which needed to contain large amount of explosives) and armor-piercing ammunition for anti-tank combat (with efficiency depending on the kinetic energy of the projectile). The M3 differed slightly from this pattern by using a main gun which could fire an armor-piercing projectile at a velocity high enough for efficiently piercing armor, as well as deliver a high-explosive shell that was large enough to be effective. By using the hull mount, the M3 design was brought to production quicker than if a proper turreted mount had been attempted. It was well understood that the M3 design was deeply flawed, but Britain's^[4] need for tanks was urgent.

The M3 was a tall albeit roomy design: the power transmission ran through the crew compartment under the turret cage to the front sprockets. Steering was by differential braking, leading to a turning circle of 37 feet. The vertical volute suspension units included a return roller made for self-contained and readily replaced units bolted to the chassis. The turret was power-traversed by a electro-hydraulic system - a electric motor providing the pressure for the hydraulic motor. This was capable of rotating the turret a full circle in 15 seconds. Control was from a spade grip on the gun. The same motor provided pressure for the gun stabilizing system.

Front view, M3

The British ordered the M3 when they were refused permission to have their tank designs (the Matilda infantry tank and Crusader cruiser tank) made by American factories. British experts had viewed the mock-up in 1940 and identified several features that that had doubts with - the high profile, the hull mounted gun, radio in the hull, smooth tracks, the amount of armor with insufficient attention to splash-proofing the joints.^[5] The agreement was that the British would order 1,250 M3 to be modified to their requirements - the order was subsequently increased to cover eventualities while also expecting that when a superior model was available it could replace part of the order. Contracts were arranged with three US companies. However the total cost was around 240 million US dollars which was the entirety of the British funds in the US and it took the Lend-Lease act to solve the financial problems.

The first pilot was completed in March 1941 and production models followed with the first British specification tanks in July. The British cast turret included a bustle at the back for the Wireless Set No. 19 radio. It was thicker in armour than the US one and dispensed with the US cupola for a simple hatch. Both US and British tanks had thicker armor than first planned.<ref<>Fletcher p 93</ref> The British realised that in order to obtain sufficient tanks, although they preferred their version, both types would be needed.

During World War II, the US military utilized the "M" (Model) letter to designate nearly all of their equipment, such as the M1 rifle, M1 steel helmet, etc. When the British Army received their new M3 medium tanks from the US, confusion immediately set in^[6], as the M3 medium tank and the M3 light tank were not distinguishable from each other. As a consequence, although the US Army never used those terms until after the war,^[7] the British army adopted the policy of naming^[8] the American tanks being supplied to them. The M3 medium tanks manufactured with the new turret and radio setup received the name "General Grant," while the original M3s were called "General Lee," or more usually just Grant and Lee. (These names were, however, only used by British and Commonwealth forces; the U.S. Army continued to refer to the tanks as M3 Mediums.) The Grant required one fewer crew member than the Lee due to the movement of the radio to the turret. The US Army eventually eliminated the fulltime radio operator as well, assigning the radio to the driver. The M3 brought much-needed firepower to British forces in the African desert campaign.

The chassis and running gear of the M3 design was adapted by the Canadians to develop their Ram tank, a conventionally turreted tank. The hull of the M3 was also later used for self-propelled artillery and recovery vehicles, as was the Canadian Ram, which also served as the basis for observation post and armored personnel carrier variants.

Combat performance

Crew of M3 tank at Souk el Arba, Tunisia, November 23, 1942

European and Mediterranean Theaters

Of the 6,258 M3s produced by the United States, 2,855 M3s were supplied to the British army, and about 1,368 to the Soviet Union.^[9] Consequently, one of the American M3 medium tank's first actions during the war was in 1942, during the North African Campaign.^[10] British Lees and Grants were in action against Rommel's forces at the disastrous Battle of Gazala on May 27 that year. They continued to serve in North Africa until the end of that campaign. A regiment of M3 Mediums was also used by the U.S. 1st Armored Division in North Africa. In the North African campaign, the M3 was generally appreciated for its mechanical reliability^[11], good armor and heavy firepower.

In all three areas, it outclassed the available British tanks and was able to fight German tanks and towed anti-tank guns. The tall silhouette and low, hull-mounted 75 mm were severe tactical drawbacks. since they prevented the tank from fighting from hull-down firing positions. The use of riveted armor led to a problem called "spalling," whereby the impact of enemy shells would cause the rivets to break off and become projectiles inside the tank. Later models were welded to eliminate this problem. The M3 was replaced by the M4 Sherman as soon as these were available, though several M3s saw limited action in the battle for Normandy as armored recovery vehicles with dummy guns.

Over 1,300 diesel-engined M3A3 and M3A5s were supplied to the USSR via lend-lease in 1942-43. All were the Lee variants, although they are sometimes referred to generically as Grants. The M3 was unpopular in the Red Army, where its faults were shown up in engagements with enemy armor and anti-tank weapons, with the Soviets bestowing the nickname a "grave for seven brothers."^[12] Few were seen in combat after about mid-1943, though some M3s were used on the Arctic Front in the Red Army's offensive on the Litsa front towards Kirkenes in October 1944. The Germans had on this front only relatively few obsolete French Hotchkiss tanks that they had acquired during occupation, consequently the M3's inferior tank-to-tank capabilities were of limited importance.

Pacific and China-Burma-India Theaters

The Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO), more commonly referred to today as the Pacific War, was, as the name implies, an ocean war, fought primarily by the naval fleets of the United States and the Empire of Japan. Predictably, tank warfare would play a secondary role, with the primary battles being between warships.^[13][14] Consequently, while the US Marine Corps deployed all six of its tank battalions to the PTO, the US Army deployed only a third of its 70 separate tank battalions, and no armored divisions to the Pacific.^[15]

During the US Marine Corps battle for Tarawa island in 1943, the US Army was tasked to assault and take nearby Makin Island, which, compared to Tarawa, was considered a quick and less costly operation. The army campaign was supported by a platoon of M3A5 Lee medium tanks from the US Army's 193rd Tank Battalion, making this battle the only US Army combat use of the M3 in the Pacific Theater.^[16] No M3s were supplied to the U.S. Marine Corps.

While Great Britain, upon receiving their new M4 Shermans from America, quickly transferred approximately 1,700 M3s to the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater, deploying about 800 M3s to Australian forces, and about 900 M3 tanks to Indian forces.^[17] British Lees/Grants were used by the British Fourteenth Army ^[18] in the region until the fall of Rangoon,^[19] performing admirably^[20] until the end of the war. In the Far East, the M3's main role was primarily that of infantry support, and they played a pivotal role during the Battle of Imphal, during which the IJA's 14th Tank Regiment consisting of mostly captured British M3 Stuart light tanks and their own Type 95 light tanks, encountered the M3 medium tanks for the first time, in the theater.^[21]. Despite their lower-than-average off-road performance, the M3s performed well as they traversed the steep hillsides around Imphal.

Declared obsolete in April 1944^[22], the General Lee fought on against Japan until the end of the war. In the end, the M3 in the CBI theater performed the mission its original designers had intended it to do: that of supporting the infantry.^[23]

Overview

Overall, the M3 was able to cope with the battlefield of 1942. Its armor and firepower were the equal or superior to most of the threats it faced. Long-range, high velocity guns were not yet common on German tanks. However, the rapid pace of tank development meant that the M3 was very quickly outclassed. By mid-1943, with the introduction of the German Panthers and Tigers, the up-gunning of the Panzer IV to a long 75 mm gun, and the availability of large numbers of Shermans, the M3 was withdrawn from service in the European Theater.

Variants

M3 and its contribution to other AFVs of the Second World War

M31 TRV showing dummy hull gun

M3 tank under construction

British designations in parentheses

US variants

• M3 (Lee I/Grant I).
  • Riveted hull, high profile turret, gasoline engine. 4,724 built.
• M3A1 (Lee II).
  • Cast (rounded) upper hull. 300 built.
• M3A2 (Lee III).
  • Welded (sharp edged) hull. Only 12 vehicles produced.
• M3A3 (Lee IV/Lee V).
  • Twin GM 6-71 diesel variant of welded hull. Side doors welded shut or eliminated. 322 built.
• M3A4 (Lee VI).
  • Stretched riveted hull, 5 x Chrysler A-57 Multibank engines. Side doors eliminated. 109 built.
• M3A5 (Grant II) .
  • Twin GM 6-71 diesel variant of riveted hull M3. Despite having the original Lee turret and not the Grant one, was referred by the British as Grant II. 591 built.
• M31 Tank Recovery Vehicle (Grant ARV I).
  • Based on M3 chassis, with dummy turret and dummy 75 gun. 60,000 lb winch installed.
• M31B1 Tank Recovery Vehicle.
  • Based on M3A3.
• M31B2 Tank Recovery Vehicle.
  • Based on M3A5.
• M33 Prime Mover.
  • M31 TRV converted to the artillery tractor role, with turret and crane removed. 109 vehicles were converted in 1943-44.
• 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 (Priest)
  • 105 mm M1/M2 howitzer installed in open superstructure.
  • Gunless version was the OP (observation post vehicle)
• 155 mm Gun Motor Carriage M12
  • Designed as the T-6. A 155 mm howitzer on M3 chassis.

British variants

A Grant Command variant used by General Montgomery housed at the Imperial War Museum in London

• Grant ARV
  • Grant I's and Grant II's with guns removed and replaced with armored recovery vehicle equipment.
• Grant Command
  • Grant fitted with radio equipment and having guns removed or replaced with dummies.
• Grant Scorpion III
  • Grant with 75 mm gun removed, and fitted with Scorpion III mine flail, few made in early 1943 for use in North Africa.
• Grant Scorpion IV
  • Grant Scorpion III with additional motor to increase Scorpion flail power.
• Grant CDL
  • From "Canal Defence Light"; Grants with the 37 mm gun turret replaced by a new turret containing a powerful searchlight and a machine gun. 355 Produced by the Americans as well, it was designated Shop Tractor T10.

The Australian M3 BARV

Australian Variants

• M3 BARV
  • A single M3A5 Grant tank was converted into a "Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle".
• Yeramba Self Propelled Gun.
  • Australian SP 25 pounder. 13 vehicles built in 1949 on M3A5 chassis in a conversion very similar to the Canadian Sexton.

Designs based on chassis

• Medium Tank M4 Sherman
• Tank Cruiser, Ram - see article for full list of variants
  • Kangaroo armoured personnel carrier
  • 25pdr SP, tracked, Sexton Mark I - Sexton Mark II was on a Sherman type chassis
  • Ram Observation Post and Ram Gun Position Officer

Operators

World War II operators of the M3

•  Australia
•  Brazil
•  Canada
•  New Zealand
•  Soviet Union
•  United Kingdom
•  United States

Film appearances

In the 1943 movie Sahara, starring Humphrey Bogart, the character's main form of transportation was an M3 Grant named "Lulu Belle".

In the 1979 Steven Spielberg movie 1941, starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, an M3 Lee is a featured element.

See also

• List of "M" series military vehicles
• G-numbers

Notes

References

• Hunnicutt, R. P. Sherman, A History of the American Medium Tank. 1978; Taurus Enterprises. ISBN 0-89141-080-5.
• Zaloga, Steven. Japanese Tanks 1939-45. 2007; Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-091-8.
• Zaloga, Steven. Armored Thunderbolt, The US Army Sherman in World War II. 2008; Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-0424-3.
• TM 9-2800 army vehicles
• SNL G104 Vol. 1
• TM 9-750
• TM 9-1750
• TM 9-1750D
• TM 9-1750E
• TM 9-1750H
• TM 9-1751
• TM 9-1752

External links

• "Tanks are Mighty Fine Things", 1946 - 145-page book about wartime production of tanks by Chrysler Corporation, including the M3.
• Lee in 'AFRIKA'
• AFV Database (Pictures)
• World War II Vehicles
• OnWar M3, M3A1, M3A3, M3A4
• M3 in the USSR