| Medium tank M2 | |
|---|---|
 The M2A1 Medium[1] at Aberdeen Proving Ground in 2008 | |
| Type | Medium tank |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1941–1945 |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Rock Island Arsenal |
| Unit cost | $50,000 (1939 estimate)[2] $33,500 (1940 contract) |
| No. built | 18 M2s, 94 M2A1s |
| Variants | M2, M2A1 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 41,000 lb (18.7 metric tons) |
| Length | 5.38 m (17 ft 8 in) |
| Width | 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in) |
| Height | 2.82 m (9 ft 3 in) |
| Crew | 5 (commander/gunner, loader, driver, (2x) machine gunners) |
| Armor | M2 6.4–32 mm (0.25–1.26 in) M2A1 6.4–51 mm (0.25–2.01 in) |
Main armament | 1× 37 mm Gun M3 200 rounds |
Secondary armament | 7× (maximum 9) .30-06 Browning M1919 machine guns 12,250 rounds |
| Engine | Wright R975 EC2 air-cooled radial gasoline 400/340 hp (298/253 kW) |
| Suspension | Vertical volute spring suspension (VVSS) |
| Fuel capacity | 473 liters (125 U.S. gal) |
Operational range | 210 km (130 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 42 km/h (26 mph) |
The M2 medium tank, officially Medium Tank, M2, was a United States Army medium tank that was first produced in 1939 by the Rock Island Arsenal, just prior to the commencement of the Second World War in Europe.[3] Production was 18 M2 tanks, and 94 slightly improved M2A1 tanks, for a total of 112. Events in Western Europe rapidly demonstrated that the M2 was obsolete, and it was never used overseas in combat; it was, however, used for training purposes throughout the war.
The M2's features included an unusually large number of machine guns, bullet deflector plates, and sloped armor on the hull front (glacis plate). The main armament was a 37 mm (1.5 in) gun, with 32 mm (1.3 in) armor; the M2A1 had a 51 mm (2.0 in) gun mantlet. Some features of the M2 series, especially the suspension and powertrain, provided the basis for later, important U.S. tank designs including the M3 Lee, M4 Sherman and other armored fighting vehicles.
- ^ Crismon, Fred "U.S. Military Tracked Vehicles." Motorbooks International Publishers & Wholesalers, 1992. ISBN 0-87938-672-X.
- ^ Third Deficiency Appropriation Bill for 1939: Hearings Before the Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives. Seventy-sixth Congress, First Session on the Third Deficiency Appropriation Bill for 1939. 1939. p. 470.
- ^ Zaloga p. 19