- Yes
- No
caid’s suggestion #146
I would like to suggest the official replacement to the M3 light tank, M7 medium tank
Initially called the T7E5 light tank, the M7 was the last of the T7 program which aimed to offer better performance in all aspects than the Light tank currently in service in the US Army. the project started in 1941, it saw 5 variants 3 of which were built. the T7E5 the final prototype was a refined and polished version of the T7E2 with the replacement of the 57mm gun with a 75mm M3, the prototype was built on the existing T7E2. The tank was heavy for a light tank. As it was intended to be 14 US tonnes or less, the tank ended up weighing nearly twice as much with 27 short tonnes. still it was lighter than the M4 medium tank while offering almost the same protection, the same firepower, and better mobility. the tank was finished in October 1942 after having finished the fire trial with the 57mm when it was on the T7E2 configuration. the trial went well. the production started with a few vehicles finished, but the use of more cast parts rose the weight to 26 tonnes which started to plague the tank with the transmission breakdown due to the overweight. The M4A3 was put into production in June 1942 and as the M4 was battle-proven and reliable, the production for the M7 was cancelled in July 1943 with 13 tanks already built. a final attempt was made in January 1943 to produce the M7 medium tank for the Russian army. while the turret design and the small silhouette of the tank were praised, the engine and the air intake were considered problematic for the Soviet army. while they agree that if the tank was a bit polished and refitted with a diesel engine, the tank could have been the American best tank, the export attempt led to nowhere. a final version with the Ford V8 was proposed as the M7E1 but this remained in the experimental stage.
Firepower
while initially it was designed to have a 37mm and later a 57mm, the choice of armament finally fell on the 75mm M3 tank gun just like the Sherman. the gun was stabilized vertically and offered the same overall performance. the turret offering a rotation speed of 24°/sec will also feel just as good as the Sherman. the only reduction is in the elevation. with -8° to +18° it would be slightly inferior to the M4 medium tank but not by much. the ammunition carried is 71 rounds for the 75mm which is enough for almost every situation. the tank has a 7.62mm bow machine gun for the assistant driver, a 7.62mm Coaxial, and an additional 7.62mm on the roof instant of the 12.7mm found on the usual M4 medium tanks. in overall, this tank will have firepower comparable to but very slightly inferior to the M4 medium tanks
Mobility
the tank being significantly lighter by about 6 tonnes (20%) will have a significant advantage of mobility. the engine Continental R975E-C2 providing 400 hp at 2400 rpm was the same as mounted on the M4a1 medium tank. the weight reaching 24.5 tonnes on the prototype was significantly heavier than the light tanks. this gives a power weight of 16.32 hp/tonnes. paired with a GM Hydramatic gearbox the tank was capable of reaching the speed of 50 km/h (some state 48 km/h)
Protection
the armor of this tank is interesting. the front has been raised to 51mm of armor with a 68° slope making the protection close to the M4 medium tank. the side has been more lightly protected with 38mm as the original T7 light tank was supposed to be all over making it have the same thickness as the Sherman as well only the side is rounded which makes it harder to get a proper angle in most situation and reduce the area where the armor offers a flat angle. the tank is also smaller than the Sherman which makes it harder to spot. the turret has about the same level of protection with 51mm on the front and a 21° slope. the gunshield is a bit thicker at 63mm and rounded. the side and rear of the turret get to 38mm. the crew of 5 men makes it just as large as the Medium tanks. the tank was offering no smoke of any sort.
Additional photo
sources