I’ve always been a big fan of military history, especially military tanks. Today, I would like to take a moment or two and talk about an important tank used by the U.S. during the end of World War 2 and during the Korean War. That tank is the M24 Chaffee.
The M24 Chaffee is an awesome tank that many people don’t know about. It is a light tank, with light armor, designed to move fast on the battlefield. It was first issued toward the end of World War 2 and it has been used in many conflicts since then, to include the Korean War and Vietnam War. It was used primarily by the U.S., but was also used by another 20+ countries.
Here are a few neat facts about the M24 Chaffee tank.
- Produced from 1944 to 1945
- Made by Cadillac and Massey-Harris
- It weighs 40,500 pounds
- Holds a crew of 4-5 Soldiers
- Features a 75mm gun as the main gun
- Has an operational range of 100 miles
- Max speed is 35mph on roads and 25mph off road
- Holds up to 110 gallons of fuel
- Features 2 Cadillac 8 cylinder engines
- Secondary weapons include a 50 CAL and two M1919A4 .30-06 Browning machine guns
- There were 4,731 built
- They were often used as scout vehicles
- They were retired from service (in the US) after the Korean War
- It was used mostly by Reconnaissance units
- It was fast, reliable and maneuverable
- It was designed to replace the M3 and M5 tanks
Source: Wikipedia
I found a great YouTube video with the M24 tank doing a live fire that I thought you might enjoy.
Final Thoughts
In summary, the M24 Chaffee was a great tank. I think of it as a major improvement to the M3 and M5 tanks. It was by no means perfect, but it was fast, maneuverable and reliable, just what the Scouts needed!
What are your thoughts? If you know much about the tank, leave a comment below and share your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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