American armored fighting vehicle production during World War II

This page details tank production by the United States of America during World War II.

Light tanks

Stuart series

By the time the United States entered the Second World War in 1942 they had only two tanks ready for combat: the M1 Combat Car and the M2 Light Tank. Originally both tanks only came equipped with machine guns but in 1940, the M2A4 was upgraded to a 37mm anti-tank gun. The machine gun-armed tanks were never used in combat, and only a handful of cannon-armed vehicles saw service in the Pacific; but their design formed the basis of the later M3/M5 Light Tank. The British officially called their M3s' Stuarts, and often referred to them as "Honeys".

	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
M1	34	-	-	-	-	-	34
M2	325	40	10	-	-	-	375
M3	-	2,551	7,839	3,469	-	-	13,859
M5 & M8 HMC	-	-	2,825	4,063	1,963	-	8,851
Total	359	2,591	10,674	7,532	1,963	-	23,119

Notes:

• M1 = M1 Combat Car, machine gun
• M2 = M2 Light Tank, 37 mm gun
• M3/M5 = M3 Light Tank, 37 mm gun
• M8 HMC = M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage, 75 mm M2 or M3 howitzer on M5 hull

Other light AFVs

The M22 Locust was specially designed to British requirements as an airmobile tank, to be delivered to the battlefield by glider.

The M24 Chaffee was intended as a replacement for the M3 and M5 series;

	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
M22	-	-	-	680	150	-	830
M24	-	-	-	-	1,930	2,801	4,731
M18 GMC	-	-	-	812	1,695	-	2,507
Total	-	-	-	1,492	3,775	2,801	8,068

• M22 = Light Tank M22 Locust, 37 mm M6 gun
• M24 = Light Tank M24 Chaffee, 75 mm M6 gun
• M18 GMC = M18 Gun Motor Carriage, also known as the Hellcat, was a tank destroyer armed with a 76 mm M1 gun

Medium tanks and AFVs

In 1939, the USA had manufactured 18 examples of the Medium M2 tank. This tank was never to see combat service, but its chassis and suspension were used as a basis for the Lee and Sherman tanks. Following the German invasion of France in 1940, a small number of Medium M2A1 tanks (an improved model) were manufactured for training, while a more modern tank (which was eventually to become the Medium M3 Lee) was designed.

The Lee was superseded by the Medium M4 Sherman. This originally carried a 75 mm gun; later versions of the Sherman were armed with a 76 mm gun or a 105 mm howitzer.

On the Sherman hull, the M10 and M36 tank destroyers (officially called Gun Motor Carriages) were produced.

The M7 Howitzer Motor Carriage was originally built on the M-3 medium tank chassis, but later versions were built on the similar M-4 tank chassis.

	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
M2A1	6	88	-	-	-	-	94
M3	-	1,342	4,916	-	-	-	6,258
M4	-	-	8,017	21,231	3,504	651	33,403
M4 (76)	-	-	-	-	7,135	3,748	10,883
M4 (105)	-	-	-	-	2,286	2,394	4,680
M10 GMC	-	-	639	6,067	-	-	6,706
M36 GMC	-	-	-	-	1,400	924	2,324
M7 HMC	-	-	2,028	786	1,164	338	4,316
M12 GMC	-	-	60	40	-	-	100
M30 CC	-	-	60	40	-	-	100
Total	6	1,430	15,720	28,164	15,489	8,055	68,864

Notes:

• M2A1disambiguation needed = Medium M2A1
• M3disambiguation needed = Medium M3 Lee/Grant. The US version in British service was the Lee (named after General Lee); the British specification version (a different turret) was the Grant (named after General Grant).
• M4disambiguation needed = Medium M4 Sherman with 75 mm M3 (L/38) gun
• M4 (76) = Medium M4 Sherman with 76 mm M1-series gun
• M4 (105) = Medium M4 Sherman with 105 mm howitzer
• M10 GMC = M10 Gun Motor Carriage with 3" M7 gun
• M36 GMC = M36 Gun Motor Carriage with 90 mm M1 gun
• M7 HMC = M7 Howitzer Motor Carriage, M3 (Grant) or M4 (Sherman) hull with 105 mm howitzer in forward-facing mount. Given the nickname Priest by British gunners.
• M12 GMC = M12 Gun Motor Carriage, M3 (Grant) hull with 155 mm M1918 gun in forward-facing mount
• M30 CC = M30 Cargo Carrier, ammunition carrier for M12 GMC.

Heavy tanks

The Pershing heavy tank (named after General Pershing) was the only heavy tank used in combat by the US armed forces during World War II. An earlier design, the M6 Heavy Tank, was not accepted for series production.

	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
M26	-	-	-		40	2,162	2,202

• M26 = Heavy M26 Pershing, 90 mm M3 gun

All types and derivatives

American tank production, 1937–1944

1937	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944
150	99	18	365	4,021	26,608	37,198	20,357

See also

• Other countries' production figures
  • France
  • Germany
  • Soviet Union
  • United Kingdom