The M2 and M3 - A Light Tank Origin Story

I grew up with the Haunted Tank Comic Book, that's how as a little boy I absolutely loved the Stuart Tank.

You totally ignored the history of the M2 in New Guinea 1942 -43. They were pivotal in the victory at Buna & Sanananda in the hands of the Australian Army. Not the first time that the New Guinea theater (which was a much bigger theatre than Guadalcanal) has been overlooked by WW2 history.

These little guys are so cute. If i were to give it a hat, it would have a top hat sitting over the turret. The Matilda would get a bow of her own, as it's also a cute tank.

Just think when people were serious about 37mm being a LARGE caliber...

Now they are squabbling about 105, 120 or 130 mm with some bringing already up 140mm...

The apearance of the M2 promted the Penguins to develop a anti tank snowball🐧

you can’t knock America for valuing standardized equipment designation. you can however knock America for standardizing designations beyond all unique meaning.

As the stuart came in many varieties... the first and third version of the stuart were effective towards the Japanese but as for the M5 Stuart, it's was used for more combat during later in the war, trust me, the m5's were like selling highly cheap toys for other countries as not to mention the M3A1 Stuart Satan 🤓

Do not confuse the M3 "Stuart" with the 37 mm Gun M3, 90mm gun M3, 105 mm Howitzer M3, M3 20mm cannon, M3 fighting knife, M3 machine gun, M3 submachine gun (AKA: Grease Gun), M3 tripod, M3 Gun Motor Carriage, M3 half-track, M3 Lee/Grant, M3 Ram, and who could forget the M3 Scout Car.

Excellent

I Just came from museum wher they had yugoslav stuards and models and pictures of the modified ones

“The cult of the machine gun” is a powerful thing don’t fall for it like we did.

Love the War Thunder style color code for armor thickness

Whilst I briefly found myself wondering what the aim-2 had to do with the M2 light tank, I quickly realised what Red was saying after he said em 2 with a twang 😅

Red's videos keep getting better. He does his research, takes an in-depth approach and presents a lot of interesting factual information. The M2 deserves more attention and I'm glad Red is giving it some time under the spotlight.

Hands down M3A3 is the ugliest Stuart

Just found your channel this week. Well done! Doesn't the Marine Museum in Virginia have a display with a Stuart in Guadalcanal? Seems unlikely they would have found an historically accurate M2 but who knows? Maybe someone can correct me here.

Did an m3 stuart hull ever have the turret of a m3a3 stuart?

The brits always give cool names to their weapons: Stuart, Sherman, Firestreak, Red Top, Centurion, Spitfire...

M3....model 3....of something. Machine gun, tank, rifle...,
Now had you mentioned the M3 Lee tank........well then there you have an issue.

Doesn't the M1 Medium look a tiny bit like t34 from the front?

"mae west who also mounted twin turrets of her own." 🤣🤣🤣
say it with me now; B( . )( . )BS!!!!!!

This might be a good time to mention The Haunted Tank, a great comic book from some time ago.
An M3 Stuart is protected and guided by the ghost of CSA Cavalry General Jeb Stuart, resulting in many highly improbable victories for the diminutive protagonist of the series title.
This is a great movie concept and I can't imagine why it hasn't been done yet.
The publisher (DC) night want to think about reprinting a retrospective, as they were genuinely entertaining books.
Regards,
Kev
ps.
Red Wrench, you'd get a real charge from a Caterpillar Co. book titled "Fifty Years On Tracks" as it contains lots of cool proto-tank stuff.
It's an older CAT publication and not too hard to find . . .
-K.

What was the co-drivers actual job description?

Hey, my uncle, who fought in WW II, told me that Mae West carried twin 88s. He called them “bombs”, in fact.

4.30 36 M2A4 Lend Leased to Britain plus 5,532 M3 light and 1,391 M5.
page 8
Hyperwar Lend Lease shipments
1941 December 170 M3 light tanks in North Africa, 108 in the Philippines.

I don’t know how you do a video on the origins of the M2 and T2 without once mentioning the T1 Combat Car, the vehicle that started this whole line.

Does anyone remember a comic book series called "The haunted tank"

I believe an M3A3 was used in the original Twilight Zone episode entitled "The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms." Which is about a 1960s America National Guard tank and crew travelling back in time to the Battle of Little Big Horn.

She's a honey...

The Stuart’s are easily my favourite series of tanks.
Not for any of their actual practical abilities.
I think their just cute.

you got a source for that "honey" name?

What about the m3 Satan in the pacific?

My boy you have some truly quality armored content!

Looking forward to exploring the X1A and X1A1 variants. Man, what a trip - the Brazilians turned a light WW2 tank into a light Cold War era tank! New turret with 90mm main gun, LRF, fire control, thermals, NBC protection...

"Not to be confused with the M2, the M2, M2, M2, or the M2. Thanks for that, America." You're quite welcome. We've also got plenty of M1s, M3s, and M4s to look at while you're here.

I "liked" and "subscribed". Can I see the mad Brazilian thing plzkthanxbye.

Thanks Great video

You don't like all the M2s? What about all the M1s are those okay we did good there right?

But no it drives me batshit too that the current tank we've been using is suddenly the M1 again is maddening. M stands for model I think so it makes some sense but how hard is it to put extra designation in there? Like... LT-M1. Light Tank Model 1. There. Done.

Very useful and underrated at PTO.

Your humor in these videos is spot on

Diesel radial engine? Never heard of that one before.

I like the M2 but i prefer the M2 but you might not like it so i recommend the M2

There is a Twilight Zone episode (The 7th is made up of phantoms, S5) which features an M5.

In your photo showing the extended idler wheel of the M#, the gap between the bogies is also reduced.

wait thought you said the M2A1 was not a Stuart