Population
129,200,000 131,669,275 132,100,0003
Combat Cars
T1, T2, T4, T5, T7 M1
Light Tanks
T1 T2 Marmon - Herrington CTL series T16 M2 M3 Stuart M5 Stuart M22 Locust M24 Chaffee
Medium Tanks
Christie M1931 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 M2 M3 Grant M4 Sherman M7 T20, T22 T23 T25, T26
Heavy Tanks
M6, M6A1, T1E1 M26 Pershing T14 Assault T28 T29, T30, T32, T34
Landing Vehicle Tracked
LVT(A)
Self Propelled Guns
M7, M7B1, M37 Priest M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage 12 GMC, M30 Cargo carrier M40 Gun Motor Carriage, M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage M41 M19 Twin 40mm T28 GMC T92 HMC T93 GMC
Tank Destroyers
M10, M10A1 M18 Hellcat M36
Armored Cars
M3A1 Scout Car M8 Greyhound M20 M38 T17, T17E1 Staghound, T17E2 T18 Boarhound T19
Half Tracks
M2, M2A1 M3, M3A1, M3A2 M5, M5A1, M5A2 M9, M9A1 M4, M4A1, M21 81 mm Mortar Carriers M3, M3A1 Gun Motor Carriage T-19 Gun Motor Carriage T48 57mm Gun Motor Carriage M15, M15A1 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M13, M14, M17 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage
Aircraft
Losses
Bombers
B-17
Fighters
P-39 P-63
Nomenclature
The letter T was used to indicate "Test Vehicle." Ms were used to indicate "Model" number when it entered production. The letter A was to indicate interior or exterior improvements to the vehicle. An E was sometimes used to indicate a major external revision.

United States' History

World War I

During World War I the United States used foreign supplied tanks in Europe. The French supplied FT-17s and the British supplied Mark V heavy tanks to the American Expeditionary Force.

The US government obtained production rights for slightly modified versions of the French light tank and British heavy tank.¹ Some of the light tanks were produced and were shipped to Europe but never saw action and the heavy tank was still in prototype stages before the end of the war.

After World War I

After World War I the Tank Corps was reduced to 154 officers and 2,508 men.¹ They had approximately 800 light and heavy tanks,¹ with most of them being French FT-17s or Ford copies.

By 1920 the Tank Corps was disbanded and the General Staff ordered the tanks distributed to the infantry to be used in the support role.¹ The War Department only allowed light (under 5 tons) and medium (under 15 tons) tanks that could either be carried on trucks or by rail.^1,2

In 1922 a policy statement from the War Department stated that the role of tanks was to "facilitate the uninterrupted advance of the infantryman in the attack."¹

Experimenting

In 1927, Secretary of War Dwight F. Davis saw the British Army's Experimental Mechanized Force conducting exercises on the Salisbury Plain and as a result ordered the US Army to build a similar force.¹ In 1928 the Experimental Mechanized Brigade was formed at Fort Meade, Maryland.^1,2 It consisted of:

• a heavy tank battalion,
• a light tank battalion,
• a motorized infantry battalion,
• an artillery battalion with 75 mm guns carried on trucks,
• an engineer company, and
• a signals company.

The experiment failed due to using obsolete equipment. After 3 months this was soon disbanded.

In 1930 the Mechanized Force was reformed at Fort Eustis, Virginia, by the work of Brigadier General Adna A. Chaffee and added another infantry battalion and removed the heavy tank battalion. This time it demonstrated the benefits of mechanization.

General Douglas MacArthur became Chief of Staff in 1931² and moved the Mechanized Force to Fort Knox, Kentucky, to form the basis for a mechanized cavalry regiment.¹

However due to regulations only the infantry were allowed "tanks" and the cavalry tanks had to be called "Combat Cars" to get by the 1920 Defense Act.¹ The 7th Cavalry Brigade was the 1st armored formation in the US Army¹ when it was formed in 1932. It was finalized in 1939 when it was established with:¹

• 2 mechanized cavalry regiments¹ (112 light tanks),
• a motorized artillery regiment¹ with 75 mm howitzers, and
• a truck born infantry regiment¹ (attached for the Louisiana maneuvers in 1940)

The New Armored Forces

The War Department was impressed by the quick German victories in Poland and France and they decided to form the Armored Forces on July 10, 1940², with Chaffee as the commander. A week later the I Armored Corps was formed with the 1st & 2nd Armored Divisions¹, and there was also the 70th tank battalion.

The armored divisions contained:

• an armored brigade with,
  • 2 light tanks regiments with,
    • 3 battalions
  • a medium tank regiment with,
    • 2 battalions
  • 2 battalion artillery regiment with self propelled 105 mm howitzers,
• 2 battalions of motorized infantry
• an artillery battalion,
• an armored reconnaissance battalion,
• an engineer battalion,
• and divisional service units.

The US Army had about 500 machines in July 1940, and most of these were obsolete.

Tank Development During Early Months of War

In late 1936 the US Army had recommenced the design of a T5 medium tank, but the Ordnance Department favored light tanks.

The T5 was a larger M3 light tank with more armor and firepower. It even shared many components with the M3. In early 1939 many configurations of main armament and MGs were tested. Towards the end of 1939 the T5 prototypes were standardized as the M2. It's main armament was a 37 mm gun with 6 MGs.

Chrysler Corporation was awarded the US Army contract on August 15, 1940, to produced 1,000 M2A1 medium tanks. However, reports from Europe resulted in the conclusion that the M2A1 was already obsolete and the order was canceled on August 28, 1940.

Since Chrysler was already starting to gear up for production, the US Army changed the order to 1,000 of the M3 medium tanks which hadn't been designed yet.

Tank Design

Some of the features that led to the success of the designs of the U.S. tanks were:

• Rubber-bushed tank track developed in 1930s. This replaced the easily worn all metal pins, with a bin in rubber bushings. This allowed for the pins to last much longer. It was designed by the US Army Rock Island Arsenal and Timken Bearing Co.
• Volute spring suspension was more powerful than leaf, coil, or torsion bar suspensions.
• Compact engines in the rear of the tank which were modified air-cooled aircraft engines.

Tank destroyers were classified as Motor Gun Carriages along with self-propelled artillery. They were intended to be used as primarily hit and run type combat. However, often times they were used as normal tanks which they weren't always suitable for.

Half tracks were used widely by the US Between 1925 and 1930 several Citroen-Kegresse half tracks were purchased from France. In 1930 a license to build them was purchased. The James Cunningham auto company and the US Army Rock Island auto engineering division combined to design half tracks. They had designed several "adapters" by 1935 that could be installed in place of the rear wheels on a conventional auto chassis. In 1939 the Army took a M3 Scout Car and added one of these "adapters" to it. It proved to be very successful. In 1941 the Army standardized on the M2 Half Track Car and M3 Half Track Personnel Carrier.

Tank Doctrine

The Army Ground Forces thought that the proper role for tanks was to maneuver on the battlefield and not engage enemy tanks.² Enemy tanks were to be left to the tank destroyers and artillery.² As a result, by 1943, there were 106 active tank destroyer battalions.²

However, Ordnance and the Armored Forces felt that the best anti-tank weapon was a tank.²

Even Ordnance and the Armored Forces disagreed on whether to mount 90 mm guns on a new tank to replace the Sherman.² Ordnance wanted the new 90 mm guns, but the Armored Forces felt that the tank chassis wouldn't be ready in time.²

Army Ground Forces felt that the 90 mm gun would only encourage American tanks to fight enemy tanks.²

These disagreements delayed the design of the M26 Pershing tanks.²

Combat Commands

In March 1942, the brigade headquarters were replaced by 2 Combat Commands (A & B).² Each of them could be allocated different units by the divisional commander, which provided a lot of flexibility. It now contained:

• 2 (3²) armored regiments with,
  • a light tank battalion²,
  • 2 medium tank battalions²,
• an armored infantry regiment²
  • 3 battalions,
• 3 artillery battalions with self propelled 105 mm howitzers,
• an armored reconnaissance battalion²,
• an engineer battalion²,
• and divisional service units
  • Signals company²
  • Maintenance company²
  • Quartermaster Truck battalion²
  • Medical battalion²

September 1943 Reorganization

• 3 tank battalions²
  • 1 light tank company²
  • 3 medium tank companies²
  • Headquarters company²
  • Service company²
• Cavalry reconnaissance squadron²

Tank Units

Armored Corps	When Formed
I	July 15, 1940
II	February 19421
III	August 19421
IV	September 19421

The divisions were changed to allow for more medium tanks and fewer light tanks in March 1942.¹ Two more Armored Corps were formed before the end of the year.

By the end of 1943 the concept of a separate Armored Corps was abandoned in favor of armored units making up part of an all arms team.

A total of 16 armored divisions were formed between July 1940 and March 1943. There were also 65 independent tank battalions by the end of 1944 and 17 amphibian tractor battalions.¹

Production

To support the armored divisions large numbers of self propelled artillery, anti-aircraft guns, and half tracks were produced.

Britain, Canada, and the Free French used large numbers of American tanks in Europe.

Sources:

1. The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
2. Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
3. No Simple Victory - World War II In Europe, 1939-1945, 2006, Norman Davies

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