M5/M3 Stuart

This article is fucking 'Murican. Expect copious amounts of Freedom with an infrequent side of Awesome.

The little tank that could.

Run them down.

"I shall strive to inculcate in my men the spirit of chase."

– J.E.B Stuart

The Stuart tank was a light tank utilized by the United States during World War II, most notoriously in the Pacific against the Japanese empire before the Sherman was more widely available

Mid War

Shes a real honey.

Late War

The Stats

American

The American Stuart in late war is a kawaii as fuck utility and escort vehicle in Late war and probably the best variant of the Stuart available. With pretty good unit stats at Confident Morale and Trained skill, the M5 can zip about the battlefield without worrying too much about the bigger tanks that are unloading at it. It finds its niche in infantry elimination and flanking more lightly armored vehicles while on the move with Stabilisers.

In Real Life

"It followed me home."

The M3 Stuart started as a replacement to the M2 Light Tank, the basis for the M3 Medium, and served as the basis for the M8 Scott. The M3 was very heavily armored compared to tanks of its type, and was equipped with aircraft engines and a 37mm gun with a pile of Browning .30 calibre machine guns.

After the war began in full, it was determined a new variant was needed to decrease use of aircraft engines on non-aircraft vehicles. Thus the M5 variant was introduced, which was redesigned and made slightly taller.

The M5's wartime service ranges from mixed to largely negative, depending on who you ask. The Soviets considered them largely a burden, as the M3s they were supplied under Lend Lease were super temperamental and ill suited for the Russian Winter, and strained their logistics. The British were eager to have anything useful, and used them as recon or command vehicles. British Tank Crews in 1940-41 North Africa found the Stuart's ease of use and maintenance as well as maneuverability so helpful in the deserts of Libya and Egypt that they gave the tank the affectionate nickname "Honey", though there is a chance that the nickname part is a misconception. The M3/M5 was evenly matched for the most part against its rival light tank, the Panzer III, both possessing guns that could penetrate their frontal armor at 1000ms. However, it was when M3 Lees began to appear in North Africa and many Pz.IIIs were upgunned to 50mm and 75mm Pz.IVs began to appear, the M3/M5 began to show its age against heavier armor and armament.

The Chinese nationalists and Communists were largely grateful to have anything they could use to fight against the Japanese (and later against each other, but the nationalists had more and famously used them in the defense of Kinmen), and the Marine Corps found the tank adequate for their purposes, even though they largely replaced them with the M4 Sherman later in the war. The Army reported to Eisenhower that their position was the Stuart was entirely inadequate as a fighting vehicle, and was largely being phased out in favor of the M24 by the late war.

In developing countries, the Stuart found a useful niche as cheap armor units that could provide adequate tank support to otherwise poorly or lesser equipped militaries. Paraguay still has a dozen or so being used for training and drills.

Special mention goes to Brazil, who in an effort to keep their aging Stuarts relevant on a modern battlefield, rearmed and re-armored them, upgunning from 37mm to 90mm low-velocity guns and renaming them X1A.