Lee APC.

This is coolbert:

"Crowded but not at odds."

The American Lee [crew of seven] or Grant [crew of six] M3 tank while in Soviet service employed in an unusual manner.

APC = Armored personnel carrier. SMG = Sub-machine gun.

"#52 Soviet Shermans: The Soviet Union Used and Liked the Sherman"

That American M3 Lee/Grant tank supplied to the Soviet through Lend Lease the combat role exceeding that of the designers as envisioned: Again, Lee tank a seven man crew. Grant tank a six man crew.

". . . they [Soviets] could pack up to 10 SMG infantry into the Lee, along with the regular 7 man crew, making it into a makeshift APC. The thing would be packed full of people though.  The report says all weapons could be fired on the tank while those 10 men were stuffed in, so I guess the US Army or Brits didn’t try this because they liked comfort or something."

An image of American Lee/Grant tanks in Soviet service during the Second World War. 37 mm cannon turret-mounted the main anti-tank weapon. 75 mm field gun for artillery direct fire support during an infantry advance. Organic firepower for the accompanying infantry, providing substantial cross-country mobility and small-arms protection for the ground troops.

Consider such crowding to be uniquely a practice the Soviet would engage in? Troops riding outside of a tank I have seen images of. So many infantry crammed into the interior of an already heavily burdened tank I was not familiar with or that such a thing was ever contemplated or even possible!.

coolbert.