M2 Medium Tank

Infobox Weapon
name=Medium Tank M2A1


caption=
origin=United States
type=Medium tank
is_vehicle=yes
service=
used_by=
wars=
designer=
design_date=
manufacturer=Rock Island Arsenal
unit_cost=
production_date=
number= 94
variants= M2A1
weight=18.7 tonnes
length=5.38 m
width=2.59 m
height=2.82 m
crew=6 (Commander, driver, (4x) gunners)
armour=6.4–32 mm
primary_armament=1× 37 mm Gun M3
200 rounds
secondary_armament=7× .30-06 Browning M1919 machine guns
12,250 rounds
engine=Wright R975 EC2 air-cooled radial gasoline
engine_power=400/340 hp (298/253 kW)
transmission=
fuel_capacity= 473 litres (125 gallons)
pw_ratio=
suspension=Vertical Volute Spring Suspension (VVSS)
clearance=
vehicle_range= (130 mi)
speed=42 km/h (26 mi/h)

The Medium Tank M2 was a United States tank that was produced in small numbers at the start of the Second World War by the Rock Island Arsenal.

The medium tank M2 was a larger development of the M2 Light Tank. Many components were common or used a similar design, including the vertical volute spring suspension which would be used in later tanks as well. Twin-wheeled bogies were mounted externally, and rubber-bushed and rubber-shoed track proveddurable on roads. The M2 had a high superstructure with a sponson-mounted machine gun in each corner. In addition, two more machine guns were fixed in the glacis plate and fired by the driver. Surmounting the hull was a small revolving turret armed with a 37 mm Gun M3 and a coaxial machine gun. The crew comprised of the tank commander, a driver and four gunners. The vehicle provided internal stowage for 200 rounds of 37 mm ammunition and up to 12,250 rounds of .30-06 cal.

The M2 was already obsolete when it entered service, comparing badly with the latest German tanks. Given this, the tank was essentially a stopgap measure. Employed for training purposes, it did not see combat.

The main production variant was the M2A1, which featured thicker armour, a more powerful engine and wider tracks than the initial M2 model.

For combat, it was a poor design, with thin armour, inadequate main armament and a high profile. But it was important for providing the foundation for the later M3 Lee and M4 Sherman medium tanks. The next medium tank would have to match the German Panzerkampfwagen IV's short 75mm gun. Since no suitable turret had been designed in the US, the Lee was designed first to mount a 75mm gun in the right sponson, which had been tested on an M2. The Lee's gun was mounted in a conventional turret on a modified M3 to produce the first Sherman eight months after the first Lee. [ [http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/index.html afvdb history] ]

Notes

External links

* Leland Ness (2002), "Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles: A Complete Guide", Harper Collins, ISBN 0-00-711228-9
* [http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/mediumtankm2.html AFV database] ( [http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/pics/mediumtankm2.html pictures] )
* [http://www.wwiivehicles.com/usa/tanks-medium/m2.asp WWII vehicles]