A couple of weeks ago at the excellent We Have Ways Festival I spotted one of my favourite tanks, an M3 Stuart. The Stuart’s wartime service is pretty fascinating, seeing extensive use across every major theatre. It entered service in 1941 and nearly 23,000 were manufactured by 1944.
The Stuart is a light tank and the M3A1 variant, seen here, was equipped with a .30 calibre Browning bow gun, an M6 37mm gun and another co-axial Browning M1919 .30 calibre machine gun. Powered by a Continental W-670 radial engine it could travel at speeds up to 35 mph (on the road) and 18 mph (off-road) and weighed in at 15.2 metric tons (16.7 US/short tons). Its hull is riveted while the turret is welded, in terms of armour protection the M3 has rolled face-hardened steel armour 1 inch (22mm) thick on its sides and rear and 1.5 to 1.75 inch (38-44mm) on its front glacis.
By 1942 it was largely fulfilling a cavalry scout/armoured reconnaissance and infantry support role. Unable to go toe-to-toe with heavier German tanks it continued in the aforementioned recce and support roles but found a niche in the Far East and Pacific theatres. It was also provided to the Soviet Union as Lend-Lease aid. This meant that the Stuart equipped armoured units in allied armies including: the US, UK, the USSR, Commonwealth nations including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and India. They were also used by Free Polish and Chinese forces and the Free French Army.
The tank at the Festival was badged up with the battle axe insignia of the 1st Australian Armoured Brigade Group which was operational from August 1943, after the 1st Australian Armoured Division was disbanded. I believe its part of the Tanks-Alot collection and they have some video of the tank on the move, but I didn’t have a chance to speak to the owners – they do have an interesting YouTube channel.
Just a short article/video looking a pretty cool light tank that’s often forgotten alongside the M4 Sherman and M3 Lee. It’s not everyday you get to have a close up look at a cool tank on a beautiful day.
Special thanks to my friend Adam Blackmore-Heal for some additional footage of the Stuart on the move, check out his channel here, he is a phenomenal videographer.
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Bibliography:
M3 & M5 Stuart Light Tank 1940-45, S. Zaloga (1999)
Light Tank M3 Stuart, Tank Encyclopedia (source)
The Armourers Bench 