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Old December 5th, 2015, 07:08 PM

Pibwl Pibwl is offline
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Default Re: US OOB 12 very minor comments

I've noticed a funny thing about M3 medium tanks.

In category Medium tank we have 06 M3A1 from 6/41, 242 M3A3 from 5/42, 243 M3A5 from 7/43 - while there is no basic model M3, which was most numerous (some 900+, after sending some 4000 M3 to lend-lease), and apparently the only one actually used in combat by the US troops (in the Torch, Tunisia and Makin atoll in 11/43 - books refer to them only as "M3").

There is no clear info in Hunnicutt's book, but apparently M3 started to be given to the Army from 8/41 onwards. M3A1 entered production in 2/42 only, and only 300 were produced. Diesel M3A3 entered production in 1/42 (322 produced), and basically the same M3A5 in a course of 1942 (591 produced, part lend-leased).

Later production tanks (from around mid-1942?) had longer 75mm M3 gun, so it can be doubled with this gun.

So, I suggest to leave M3A1 with corrected dates (interesting variant with cast hull - a photo is correct), and change the remaining two to M3 (M2 and M3 gun), both available until 4/44, when M3 were declared obsolete. Or they could end in 11/43 (Makin Atoll). Photos are probably OK - there was no difference in front view. Actually, they are probably M3.

Same for category CS tank with 244 M3A1, 256 M3A5, 258 M3A1