M24 Chaffee

The Light Tank M24, designated Chaffee in British service after General Adna R. Chaffee Jr., was developed by the United States to replace the M3 and M5 Stuart series. Development began in April 1943 when the Ordnance Corps and Cadillac initiated the T24 project. The specification required a vehicle utilizing the M5 powertrain but featuring a 75 mm main gun, following combat reports that the Stuart’s 37 mm armament was insufficient for modern engagements. Cadillac and Massey-Harris produced the vehicle between April 1944 and August 1945, with several thousand units manufactured.

The M24 utilized a torsion bar suspension system and 16-inch tracks to improve off-road performance and ride quality compared to previous vertical volute spring designs. The hull featured sloped armor to maximize protection. Armor thickness reached 38 mm on the gun mantlet and 25 mm on the glacis and turret, while the rear hull sections were 19 mm thick. The primary armament was the 75 mm M6 gun, a lightweight derivative of the aircraft gun used on the B-25H Mitchell bomber. This main gun provided the same ballistics as the 75 mm M3 gun used on medium tanks but employed a thinner-walled barrel and a specialized recoil mechanism. Secondary armament included one .50 BMG Browning M2HB and two .30-06 Browning M1919A4 machine guns. Power was provided by twin Cadillac Series 44T24 engines mated to a Hydramatic transmission with eight forward and four reverse speeds. The vehicle operated with a five-man crew consisting of a commander, gunner, loader, driver, and assistant driver.

The M24 entered the European Theater of Operations in November 1944 with the 2nd Cavalry Group (Mechanized) and saw action during the Battle of the Bulge. While crews favored the 75 mm gun and mechanical reliability, the light armor remained vulnerable to German anti-tank weaponry. In the Pacific, the 711th Tank Battalion employed the M24 during the Battle of Okinawa. During the Korean War, M24s from the Far East Command were the first American tanks deployed. These units struggled against the frontal armor of North Korean T-34-85 tanks and were eventually transitioned to reconnaissance roles as M4A3E8 medium tanks arrived.

The vehicle was widely exported through NATO, Lend-Lease, and subsequent assistance programs. France deployed M24s during the First Indochina War, notably airlifting ten disassembled units to the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, and later used them in the Algerian War. Pakistan operated the M24 during the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1965 and 1971. Specialized variants included the M19 multiple gun motor carriage for anti-aircraft defense and the M37 and M41 self-propelled howitzers. Several nations implemented modernization programs; Norway updated its fleet as the NM-116 with diesel engines and 90 mm guns, while Uruguay and Chile installed high-velocity guns for extended service.