Today we’re very pleased to share a new work in progress vehicle with you, currently being crafted by War Thunder artists. This is the American M7 medium tank, a project developed right alongside the Sherman.
Initially the M7 project was conceived as a light tank, intended to replace the M3 Stuart. As development progressed however, the growing list of requirements led to a significant increase in the vehicle’s weight, pushing it over the threshold for a light tank. Ultimately, its combat characteristics became nearly identical to the M4 Sherman. As the Sherman was already comfortably rolling off the assembly lines, mass production of the M7 was deemed impractical.
Let’s have a look at the new model. At a glance, you might see echoes of several different tanks. You may notice the low, rounded silhouette of the M22, the cast hull lines reminiscent of the Canadian Ram, or a transmission plate that shares elements of the Lee and Sherman. Despite these fragmented initial impressions, all of its design elements come together quite nicely to form quite a fascinating and aesthetically cohesive tank.
We must say the word “aesthetic” is certainly apt for the M7. Its silhouette has been fairly pleasing to the eye as we’ve been developing it. It could be described as a more compact, streamlined Sherman. The little details play a big role in this impression too. The stowage box on the rear of the turret visually extends its profile, while the grab handles on the cast hull and the metal guards around the turret’s observation devices give it a fittingly aggressive edge.
Much like the CA-27, this vehicle may seem similar to others in the game visually, but it is entirely unique. Much like the previous WIP, the M7 model is being created from the ground up, which requires a tremendous amount of work overall. Creating new vehicles is often a deceptively long process, especially with rare machines that don’t have extensively detailed documentation. Nevertheless, our artists have been relying on surviving documentation as well as photographs of the only remaining M7 tank, originally located at the U.S. Army Ordnance Museum and now part of the U.S. Army Center of Military History collection.
We’re still deciding which spot will be best for the M7, it’ll either end up in late Rank II or early Rank III, likely in the light tank line around the Chaffee or in the gap between the M22 and M6. These areas are relatively sparse, so we’re happy to include a new vehicle here to add some extra variety to early lineups.
Once work on the M7 is complete we’ll show you in one of our regular comprehensive Devblogs, where we’ll outline its performance and what you can expect from it in the game. That’s all for now, we hope you like this new format — see you soon!
Please note that vehicle specifications and model visuals may be subject to revision and change before being added to the game.