The M3 Stuart/light tank M3 was a US light tank of World War II. It first entered service in the British Army in early 1941 and saw action in the North African campaign in July 1941. The British officially named the M3, Stuart. Unofficially, it was often referred to as “Honey” due to its smooth ride. In the US, the tank was officially known as a Light Tank M3. The M3s were produced by American Car and Foundry Company, Cadillac division of General Motors (GM), GM, and Massey-Harris, 1941 to 1944. Some 22,744 tanks were produced in nearly 30 variants.
Stuarts were first used in Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) in North Africa by the British forces. In December 1941, during the Philippines campaign, Stuarts were the first American-crewed tanks in World War II to engage the enemy in tank versus tank combat. The M3s were effective in combat in the Pacific theater, Japanese tanks were fewer in numbers and lighter in armor than allied tanks. In later years of the European war, the M3 light tanks had become obsolete against heavier enemy tanks and were used for cavalry and infantry fire support missions.
Upgrades to the M3 light tank series began in 1941 and led to a new variant, M3A1 light tank. The M3A1 had a modified turret that replaced the cupola with two rear hatches. Periscopes were added for the commander and gunner. The front armor plate was welded to the turret with a basket and floor, which moved with the turret during traverse. The gun was improved with power traverse and gyro stabilization for improve accuracy. Production of the M3A1 ended in February 1943 with some 4,621 tanks produced. It served as an important training vehicle and was used in North Africa and the Pacific Theater. Nearly 1,594 M31As were used by the British as reconnaissance tanks in Europe. Under Lend Lease, the Soviets received 340 M3A1 light tanks.
