Battlegroup Name: Light Tank Turret Class: Closed Top Turret Type: Rotating Crew: 5 Speed: 34 mph (56 km/h) Weight: 36,000 lb. (16,363 kg) Engine: Twin Cadillac, V8, 220 hp, gasoline

America's newest light tank, the M24 Chaffee was just beginning to enter service at the close of 1944. The Chaffee was an interesting set of compromises. To name one, although the Chaffee was one ton heavier than the M18, it had about half the horsepower. But what it lacked in speed it made up for in firepower. Sporting a 75mm cannon and three machine guns, the M24 was a threat to enemy troops in its own right. By the end of WWII more than 4,000 were manufactured.

The M24 is definitely not the tank that moves about the battlefield with impunity, but it still proves to be a deadly weapons platform. It is better suited to clearing out fortified infantry positions than taking on armored vehicles. The Chaffee is an excellent choice when it becomes necessary to clear a building. While laying down a suppressing fire, march your infantry in to 'sweep and clear' the area. Just keep in mind that the M24 is still vulnerable to the personal anti-tank weapons of the German infantry.

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Published on: 2004-12-03 (2072 reads)