- Yes
- No
After World War II broke out in Europe, the US Army became increasingly interested in self-propelled anti-tank guns, in line with its “lightly armoured, heavily armed” tank destroyer doctrine. Initial experiments included the 37mm GMC M6 and the 75mm GMC M3, but it was soon decided that the 3-inch gun (76mm) would be the optimal anti-tank weapon.
In 1940, the Cleveland Tractor Company submitted a proposal for a self-propelled gun based on its M2 7-ton high-speed tractor. The Ordinance Technical Committee approved the design in December, explicitly specifying that it should mount a 3-inch gun. This prototype was designated the T1.
The T1 mounted a variant of the T9 anti-aircraft gun, later standardised as the 3-inch gun M6 (not to be confused with the 75mm gun M6), which was identical to the M7 gun mounted on the M10 GMC. While originally only carrying 24 rounds, later versions increased the ammunition load to 33 rounds, though still short of the specified 42 rounds. The only armour was a half-inch thick steel gun shield and some armour plates in front of the driver and assistant driver stations. It was powered by a 160-horsepower supercharged Hercules diesel engine and could achieve speeds of 38 mph. The whole vehicle weighed 12 tons.
The development of the T1 was fraught with issues. The weight rose dramatically during development (originally designed to weigh only 8 tons), the tracks often broke, and it had a worrying tendency to spontaneously burst into flame. Nevertheless, in January 1942, the T1 was officially standardised as the M5 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage and a production run of 1580 vehicles was authorised. However, despite numerous improvements in later models, the performance of the M5 was still poor, and it was strongly disliked by officers of the Tank Destroyer Center. General Andrew Bruce derisively called the M5 the “creak track”. The situation finally came to a head when the M5 was shipped to Aberdeen for cross-country testing in July 1942.
Results were disastrous.
An Ordinance historian commented: “the sides were dished in, the gun supports buckled, the suspensions [were] out of line, the travel lock folded, and the gun mount loosened.” General McNair admitted to General Bruce that the M5 looked “pretty hopeless”. Even without considering the numerous mechanical failures, the design itself was rather insufficient. The armour was too light, and the mobility wasn’t much better than contemporary light tanks. As the M10 GMC was coming to fruition, the M5 was cancelled in August 1942.
Specifications
Crew: 4
Mass: 12 tons
Armament: 3-inch gun M6, 33 rounds
Max speed: 38 mph (61 kph)
Engine: 160 hp supercharged Hercules diesel
Power to weight: 13.3 hp/t
Unverified statistics! The following stats come from this old forum post, which unfortunately did not cite any sources. Treat the following with a large grain of salt:
Length: 460cm
Width: 250cm
Height: 190cm
Gun traverse/elevation: 11° left and 23° right, +15° to -8° vertical
More pictures
T1 showing gun at maximum depression
T1 showing rear crew positions and ammunition storage
M5 retains the rear ammunition storage but places extra ammo on the fenders. Rear crew positions are adjusted, and a spade is added. The gun shield was temporarily removed during modifications
In game
While the M5 suffered from many mechanical issues in real life, these will not be a problem in War Thunder. Therefore, it can be seen as largely a sidegrade from the M10. It has much less armour, being susceptible to even machine gun fire, but gains survivability through its small size, comparable to the ASU-57 and the M56 Scorpion. Its power-to-weight ratio is the same as the M10, but the smaller size and slightly higher top speed should make its manoeuvrability feel comfortable. Therefore, it can be seen as another of those “rat vehicles” in War Thunder, utilising its concealability to snipe or ambush enemies.
Sources
- “Stuart: A History of the American Light Tank” by R. P. Hunnicutt
- “Faint praise : American tanks and tank destroyers during World War II” by Charles M Baily
- “M10 and M36 Tank Destroyers 1942-53” by Steven J Zaloga
More information may be found in these two sources (several sources I consulted seem to reference them), but I could not find them online. Help with accessing these sources would be much appreciated:
- “Manual of Tank Data, volume 2, Aberdeen Proving Ground Tank Collection”
- This one can be found online, but all require purchases
- “Record of Army Ordinance R&D: 3-Inch Gun Motor Carriages” by Anne Jones
- No record of it anywhere online or in libraries. Some sources say it was unpublished, so a FOIA request or a trip to physical archives may be necessary