M3 Lee/Grant.

This is coolbert:

"a good tank now is better than a perfect tank tomorrow?" - - Bert.

"an adequate tank now is better than a good tank tomorrow?" - - Bert.

"even an inadequate tank now is better than an adequate tank tomorrow?" - - Bert.

From the era of the Second World War [WW2], an American tank, the M3 Lee/Grant, the design of which has always been somewhat of a puzzle to me.

Seems that even at the time the Lee/Grant was a throw back to an olden time. More like a tank you might have encountered on the battlefield of the Great War [WW1].

That M3 Lee/Grant tank a medium tank of ungainly design, sporting a melange' of weaponry and needing in the original design a crew of seven.

In violation of contemporary standard tank design rules and observed to be so at the time. NONETHELESS manufactured in significant numbers and seeing combat in a variety of theatres during the war, and according to all accounts giving an at least adequate performance.

The design, development and manufacturing of the M3 Lee/Grant sped through at record pace, the inadequacies of the tank as originally coming off the drawing board recognized but more or less ignored, the exigencies of the situation during the early stages of WW2 requiring a medium tank to be placed into the field for combat AND NOW!

"It was understood that the M3 design was flawed, but Britain urgently needed tanks."

Such was the history of the M3 Lee/Grant.

"The Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called 'General Lee', named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and the modified version built with a new turret was called the 'General Grant'"

"The M3 was well armed and armored for the period, but due to design flaws (high silhouette, archaic sponson mounting of the main gun, below average off-road performance) it was not satisfactory and was withdrawn from front line duty as soon as the M4 Sherman became available in large numbers."

That M3 Lee/Grant tank armed with a seventy-five mm gun [for anti-tank fire], a 37 mm gun [for anti-personnel fire, and as many as four thirty caliber machine guns [additional anti-personnel fire]! It cannot be said that the Lee/Grant was underarmed!

That M3 Lee/Grand having "design flaws" and it being understood to be so from the start. But in war time you need to go with you have at the time and no for what MAY be available in the future. Better good now than perfect later!

See this 3D view of the Lee/Grant as it rotates. Very cool.

As with all [?] weapons systems, the Lee/Grant had positive and negative points and these were understood from the "get-go"? That combatant on the battlefield needing to at all time to maximize the strong points of the tank while at the same time minimizing the weak points. Easier said than done I know, but necessary and possible!

coolbert.