M24 Tank Light, Chaffee
The Light Tank M24 was an American light tank used during WWII and the Korean War. The French used it in their Indochina War and in Algeria. In British service it was given the service name Chaffee, after the US Army General Adna R Chaffee, Jr., who helped develop the use of tanks in the US armed forces.
In April 1943 the Ordnance Corps together with Cadillac division of General Motors started work on the Light Tank T24. Every effort was made to keep the weight of the vehicle under 20 tons. The armour was kept light, with the glacis plate only 25mm thick (but sloped at 60° from the vertical). A new lightweight 75mm gun was developed, a derivative of that used in the B-25H Mitchell bomber. The design also featured 16-inch wide tracks and torsion bar suspension. It had relatively low silhouette and a three-man turret. It was produced at two sites; from April 1943 at Cadillac and from July at Massey-Harris. By the time production was stopped in August 1945, 4,731 M24s were built.
The first 34 M24s reached Europe in November 1944 and were issued to the US 2nd Cavalry Group (Mechanised) in France. These were then issued to F Company, 2nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Battalion and F Company, 42nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Battalion which each received 17. During the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, these units and their new tanks were rushed to the southern sector. Reports from the armoured divisions that received them prior to the end of hostilities were generally positive. Crews liked the improved off-road performance and reliability, but were most appreciative of the 75mm main gun. The M24 was not up to the challenge of fighting German tanks, but the bigger gun at least gave its crews a chance to fight back when it was required. The M24's light armour made it vulnerable to virtually all German tanks, anti-tank guns, and hand-held anti-tank weapons. Its contribution to winning the war in Europe was insignificant, as too few arrived too late.
In the Korean War M24s were the first US tanks to fight the North Korean T-34-85s. The M24 fared poorly against these much better-armed and -armoured medium tanks. M24s were more successful later in the war in their reconnaissance role, supported by heavier tanks such as the M4, M26, and M46. Like other successful WWII designs, the M24 was supplied to many armies around the globe and was used in local conflicts long after it had been replaced in the US Army. France employed its M24s in Indochina in infantry support missions, with good results. In December 1953 10 disassembled Chaffees were transported by air to provide fire support to the garrison at Dien Bien Phu. They fired about 15,000 shells in the long siege that followed before the Viet Minh forces conquered the camp in May 1954. France also deployed the M24 in Algeria. The last time the M24 is known to have been in action was in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, where some 66 Pakistani Chaffees stationed in Bangladesh were easy prey for Indian Army T-55s, PT-76s, and anti-tank teams. Although both Iran and Iraq had M24s prior to the Iran–Iraq War, there is no report of their use in that conflict.
In 1972 the Norwegian Army decided to retain 54 of their 123 M24 light tanks as reconnaissance vehicles after they were substantially rebuilt under the designation NM-116. It was calculated that the NM-116 rebuilding programme cost only about a third as much as contemporary light tanks. The original 75mm Gun M6 L/39 was replaced with a French D-925 90mm low-pressure gun, with a coax M2 .50-calibre HMG. The bow gunner position was eliminated in favour of ammunition stowage. The NM-116 were retired from service in 1993. The Chilean Army up-gunned their M24s in the mid-80s to the IMI-OTO 60mm Hyper Velocity Medium Support (HVMS) gun, with comparable performance to a standard 90mm gun. Chile operated this version until 1999. Uruguay continues to use 17 M24s, modernised with new engines and 76mm guns which can fire APFSDS rounds.
M24 Tank Light, Chaffee
The Light Tank M24 was an American light tank used during WWII and the Korean War. The French used it in their Indochina War and in Algeria. In British service it was given the service name Chaffee, after the US Army General Adna R Chaffee, Jr., who helped develop the use of tanks in the US armed forces.
In April 1943 the Ordnance Corps together with Cadillac division of General Motors started work on the Light Tank T24. Every effort was made to keep the weight of the vehicle under 20 tons. The armour was kept light, with the glacis plate only 25mm thick (but sloped at 60° from the vertical). A new lightweight 75mm gun was developed, a derivative of that used in the B-25H Mitchell bomber. The design also featured 16-inch wide tracks and torsion bar suspension. It had relatively low silhouette and a three-man turret. It was produced at two sites; from April 1943 at Cadillac and from July at Massey-Harris. By the time production was stopped in August 1945, 4,731 M24s were built.
The first 34 M24s reached Europe in November 1944 and were issued to the US 2nd Cavalry Group (Mechanised) in France. These were then issued to F Company, 2nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Battalion and F Company, 42nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Battalion which each received 17. During the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, these units and their new tanks were rushed to the southern sector. Reports from the armoured divisions that received them prior to the end of hostilities were generally positive. Crews liked the improved off-road performance and reliability, but were most appreciative of the 75mm main gun. The M24 was not up to the challenge of fighting German tanks, but the bigger gun at least gave its crews a chance to fight back when it was required. The M24's light armour made it vulnerable to virtually all German tanks, anti-tank guns, and hand-held anti-tank weapons. Its contribution to winning the war in Europe was insignificant, as too few arrived too late.
In the Korean War M24s were the first US tanks to fight the North Korean T-34-85s. The M24 fared poorly against these much better-armed and -armoured medium tanks. M24s were more successful later in the war in their reconnaissance role, supported by heavier tanks such as the M4, M26, and M46. Like other successful WWII designs, the M24 was supplied to many armies around the globe and was used in local conflicts long after it had been replaced in the US Army. France employed its M24s in Indochina in infantry support missions, with good results. In December 1953 10 disassembled Chaffees were transported by air to provide fire support to the garrison at Dien Bien Phu. They fired about 15,000 shells in the long siege that followed before the Viet Minh forces conquered the camp in May 1954. France also deployed the M24 in Algeria. The last time the M24 is known to have been in action was in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, where some 66 Pakistani Chaffees stationed in Bangladesh were easy prey for Indian Army T-55s, PT-76s, and anti-tank teams. Although both Iran and Iraq had M24s prior to the Iran–Iraq War, there is no report of their use in that conflict.
In 1972 the Norwegian Army decided to retain 54 of their 123 M24 light tanks as reconnaissance vehicles after they were substantially rebuilt under the designation NM-116. It was calculated that the NM-116 rebuilding programme cost only about a third as much as contemporary light tanks. The original 75mm Gun M6 L/39 was replaced with a French D-925 90mm low-pressure gun, with a coax M2 .50-calibre HMG. The bow gunner position was eliminated in favour of ammunition stowage. The NM-116 were retired from service in 1993. The Chilean Army up-gunned their M24s in the mid-80s to the IMI-OTO 60mm Hyper Velocity Medium Support (HVMS) gun, with comparable performance to a standard 90mm gun. Chile operated this version until 1999. Uruguay continues to use 17 M24s, modernised with new engines and 76mm guns which can fire APFSDS rounds.