M5 Stuart series tanks were developed from M3 tanks of the US Army, and M3 series tanks were developed from M2 tanks, so these three tanks actually have the same tradition and have maintained the design concept of 1930. M3 series was put into mass production at the beginning of 1940, and the turret was continuously improved, so various derivatives were developed. By M3A3, it was very similar to M5, and laid the foundation for M5 tank. With the development of M3A3, M3E3 is the prototype of M5 tank.
The main differences between M5 and early M3 tanks include: the turret capacity of M5A 1 is increased, M5 series is changed to oblique armor, and the power system is also strengthened by welding technology: the original M3 tank uses aero engines, and M5 uses two commercial Cadillac water-cooled gasoline engines, making the horsepower reach 260 horsepower; Two sets of hydraulic transmission systems were installed to increase its speed to 40 miles per hour, and its range was twice that of the original M3 tank. There is an automatic stabilizer in the turret, which adds a lot of color to the M5 tank in terms of endurance and power.
The differences between M5 and M5A 1 are as follows: M5 adopts the early M3 turret; M5A 1 adopted a larger M3A3 turret to accommodate the radio station. Among them, M5A 1 is widely used by the U.S. military and has the highest output among M3/M5 series. From the end of 1942 to 1944 * *, about 6,900 vehicles were produced.
M5 first appeared in Casablanca, North Africa; M5A 1 first appeared in the Battle of Sicily, Tunisia. The M5 family has the advantages of flexibility and high mechanical power, so the U.S. military has adopted a large number of M51,and a large number of M51were used by Britain to plan counterattacks, so they can be seen in the Italian front, France, Giardin and the German interior after the Normandy campaign. In the late World War II, it was also widely used in the Pacific Islands' war against Japan, and it can be seen in the Philippine Islands and Saipan.