M3 Stuart

Light tank, M3 and M5
M3A1 Stuart (T37765) at Tankfest 2023
Type	Light tank
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1941 (1941)–present
Wars	World War II Hukbalahap Rebellion Indonesian National Revolution Darul Islam rebellion First Indochina War Chinese Civil War Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 South Maluku rebellion Korean War Portuguese Colonial War PRRI rebellion Permesta rebellion 1959 Cuban Revolution Nicaraguan Revolution 30 September Movement Football War Salvadoran Civil War
Production history
Designer	U.S. Army Ordnance Department
Manufacturer	American Car and Foundry Company Cadillac division of General Motors General Motors Massey-Harris
Unit cost	$32,915 (M3A1), $27,057 (M5)[1]
Produced	1941 (1941)–1944 (1944)
No. built	22,744 M3 and M5
Variants	See Variants
Specifications (M5A1, late production [3])
Mass	33,500 lb (15.20 metric tons)
Length	15 ft 10.5 in (4.84 m) with sand shields and rear stowage box
Width	7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) with sand shields
Height	8 ft 5 in (2.57 m) over anti-aircraft machine gun
Crew	4 (commander, gunner, driver, assistant driver[2])
Armor	0.375 to 2.0 in (9.5 to 50.8 mm)
Main armament	37 mm Gun M6 in Mount M44 147 rounds
Secondary armament	3 × .30 caliber (7.62 mm) Browning M1919A4 machine guns 6,750 rounds
Engine	Twin Cadillac Series 42 220 hp (160 kW) at 3,400 rpm
Power/weight	13.14 horsepower per short ton (14.48 hp/t)
Transmission	Hydramatic 4 speeds forward, 1 reverse
Suspension	Vertical volute spring suspension (VVSS)
Fuel capacity	89 U.S. gallons (340 liters; 74 imperial gallons)
Operational range	100 mi (160 km)
Maximum speed	36 mph (58 km/h) on road

The M3 Stuart/light tank M3, was an American light tank of World War II. An improved version of the tank entered service as the M5 in 1942 to be supplied to British and other Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. into the war. Afterwards, it was used by U.S. and Allied forces until the end of the war.

The British service name "Stuart" came from the American Civil War Confederate general J. E. B. Stuart and was used for both the M3 and the derivative M5 light tank. Unofficially, they were also often called "Honeys" by the British, because of their smooth ride.^[4] In U.S. use, the tanks were officially known as "light tank M3" and "light tank M5".

Stuarts were first used in combat in the North African campaign; about 170 were used by the British forces in Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941). Stuarts were the first American-crewed tanks in World War II to engage the enemy in tank versus tank combat when used in the Philippines in December 1941 against the Japanese.^[5][6] Outside of the Pacific War, in later years of WWII the M3 was used for reconnaissance and screening.