M24 chaffee
| M24 chaffee | |
|---|---|
M-24 Chaffee in the Latrun Army Museum |
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| General properties | |
| crew | 5 (commander, driver, gunner, loader, radio operator) |
| length | 5.56 m |
| width | 3 m |
| height | 2.77 m (tower top) |
| Dimensions | 18.4 tons |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | 19-42 mm |
| Main armament | 1 × 75mm M6 gun |
| Secondary armament | 1 × .50-cal Fla-MG and 2 × .30-cal MG (coaxial and front) |
| agility | |
| drive | 2 × V8 - Otto engine Cadillac 44T24 , water-cooled 2 × 109 kW (2 × 148 PS ) |
| suspension | Torsion bar suspension |
| Top speed | 56 km / h (road), 40 km / h (off-road) |
| Power / weight | 9.0–11.8 kW / t (12.2–16.1 PS / t) depending on the version |
| Range | about 160 km |
The M24 Chaffee was a light American tanks of the time of the Second World War , which was designed as a reconnaissance tanks and also classified. It was also used as a battle tank by various user states. It was the successor to the Stuart tank and went into series production from 1944. The Chaffee was air-packable and is considered the first real light tank in the world. It had a high firepower and was the first US tank to have a well-tapered armor. The tank was named after the pioneer of the US armored forces General Adna R. Chaffee, Jr.
history
Experience with the previous light tank M3 and M5 "Stuart" had shown the weaknesses of this vehicle, especially its inadequate armor. The newly developed vehicle called for as a replacement, known as the T 7, turned out to be a mediocre design and was rejected in March 1943.
As a result, the Ordnance Department was forced to start a new project together with the Cadillac Division of General Motors in April 1943, which was called the Light Tank T24 . This tank had the same drive units as the M 5A1, but was already equipped with a stabilized 75 mm cannon , which was already used in the medium B-25 Mitchell bomber . However, the pipe wall was reduced and a different return mechanism was installed. Every effort was made to keep the weight of the vehicle below twenty tons. The armor was kept as low as possible, the front plate was only 25 millimeters thick, but set at an angle of 60 °, so that this weakness could be compensated for. The chains were widened to 16 inches (40.6 centimeters) and the chassis suspension switched to torsion bars. The silhouette was relatively low, although the tower was already designed for three men. As with all American tanks of the Second World War, the commander had a 360 ° M6 corner mirror for observing the battlefield under armor protection.
The first pre-series vehicle was ready on October 15, 1943, after which production began in spring 1944 under the name Light Tank M24 . The production facilities were from April 1944 at Cadillac ; from July 1944 another was added at Massey-Harris . When production was stopped in August 1945, a total of 4,731 vehicles had left the assembly lines. An unknown number had been delivered to the British Forces.
Combat missions
Second World War
The first M24 reached Europe in December 1944 and joined the US 2nd Cavalry Group (Mechanized) - 17 of them went to the F Company, 2nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Battalion, and the F Company, 42nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Battalion. These units were at the time in the Battle of Bastogne . The main task of the M24 was the violent reconnaissance on the flanks of the main armored forces. The units could only be equipped with the M24 slowly. At the end of the war, most of the reconnaissance battalions were still equipped with the M5. The existing M24 tanks had proven to be very useful by then. In particular, the good off-road mobility and the larger caliber of the cannon compared to the M5 were widely recognized. The M24 was not up to the German tanks, but its high maneuverability enabled it to retreat undamaged after its discovery. The use of the M24 no longer had any decisive effects on the fighting, as the vehicles were used too late and in too small a quantity.
Korea
In the Korean War, the light M24s were the first to be used against the superior North Korean T-34 / 85s. Replaced by the heavier M4 Sherman , M26 Pershing , and M46 , they could switch back to their actual use as reconnaissance tanks.
Indochina
Shortly after the end of the Korean War, French Chaffee fought in the Indochina War and proved their worth despite the terrain conditions that were unfavorable there for the use of tanks. Among other things, they were used in the battle for Điện Biên Phủ . For this purpose, the tanks were dismantled and transported to the fortress by air. Until the capture of Điện Biên Ph in May 1954, the M24 tanks in support of the infantry had fired around 15,000 rounds.
Vietnam War
During the Tet Offensive , the M24 Chaffee was used by South Vietnamese troops.
Indo-Pakistani conflict
In the 1970s, when this light main battle tank no longer corresponded to the state of the art, the last war missions of the M24 took place on a larger scale. In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 , 66 Pakistani M24s invading India from Bangladesh were incapacitated in a short time .
Iraqi-Iranian War
In the Iraqi-Iranian war from 1980 to 1988, both sides still had an unknown number of M24s in use, but nothing is known about their combat use.
Extension of the service life
In the mid-1970s, the M24s still existing in Norway experienced an increase in combat value through the installation of French 90 mm cannons, modern fire control systems and diesel engines. These vehicles, designated as NM-116, were in service until 1992/93.
At the same time, the Chilean army equipped its M24 tanks with a 60 mm hyper-support cannon IMI-OTO (HVMS); this version remained in service until 1999.
The M24 is still in use in Uruguay .
Like other successful vehicles of World War II, the M24 was exported to large parts of the world . The model was still in combat use long after it was retired from the US Army and replaced by the M41 Walker Bulldog reconnaissance tank .
variants
- Light Tank T24 - prototype, as Light Tank M24.
- Light Tank T24E1 - prototype with Continental R-975-C4 engine and converter transmission. This variant was not pursued further due to transmission problems.
- M19 - Gun Motor Carriage
- The drive units were relocated to the center of the hull and a 40 mm M2 AA twin gun was attached to the stern. 336 grenades were carried. 904 of this variant were ordered, but only 285 were manufactured.
- M37 - 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage
- Self-propelled gun with a 105 mm howitzer intended to replace the 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 . 448 were ordered, 316 delivered. 126 rounds could be carried.
- M41 - 155 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage (Gorilla)
- Self-propelled gun with 155 mm gun on the stern, engine relocated to the center. 250 ordered, 60 delivered.
Test vehicles
- T77 - Multiple Gun Motor Carriage.
- Trial sample with six 12.7 mm machine guns in a newly developed turret.
- T9, T13 - test sample multi-purpose vehicles
- T22E1, T23E1, T33 - test sample transport armor
- T42, T43 - Towing vehicles with converter transmission from the M18 Hellcat
- T9 - with dozer blade
- T6E1 - armored recovery vehicle.
- NM-116 - Norwegian variant (upgraded)
- In the mid-1950s, an attempt was made in France to increase the combat value of the still existing M24. For this purpose, some were equipped with the tower of the AMX-13 .
- As an experiment, an M38 Wolfhound was equipped with the tower of an M24 Chaffee.
Technical specifications
| Surname | Light tank M24 |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production period | 1944 to August 1945 |
| Weight | 18.4 tons (40,500 lb) |
| Length cannon 12 o'clock | 5.56 m (18.24 ft) |
| Length cannon 6 o'clock | 5.03 m (16.5 ft) |
| width | 3 m (9.84 ft) |
| height | 2.77 m (9.08 ft) |
| crew | 5 men |
| Armor | 9.5–38 mm (0.37–1.49 in) |
| Main armament | 1 × 75 mm M6 tank cannon, 48 rounds |
| Secondary armament | 1 × MG .50 cal Browning M2HB with 440 rounds |
| Secondary armament | 2 × MG Browning M1919A4 with 3750 rounds |
| Engine | 2 × Cadillac Series 44T24, water-cooled V8 gasoline engines |
| power | 300/220 PS (220/164 kW) varies depending on the version |
| Power to weight ratio | 12.2-16.09 hp / ton |
| suspension | Torsion bar |
| Driving range | about 160 km |
| Top speed | 56 km / h (37 mi / h) on-road, 40 km / h (25 mi / h) off-road |
Known countries of operation
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United States
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France
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Greece
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Netherlands
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Norway
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Denmark
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Turkey
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Taiwan
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Portugal
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Spain
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Austria
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Pakistan
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Iraq
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Iran
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Japan
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Chile
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Uruguay
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South Vietnam
literature
- Steven J. Zaloga : M24 Chaffee Light Tank 1943-70. Osprey Publishing, Oxford 2003, ISBN 1-84176-540-6 .
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