Ref.: TAMI-37020
US Light Tank M24 Chaffee
Characteristics
1/35 scale plastic model for mounting and painting.
History of
Developed as the successor to the M3/M5 Stuart light tanks, the M24 Chaffee was formally adopted in June 1944. Learning lessons from its predecessors, the Chaffee employed sloped armor on both the turret and hull, and availed itself of considerable firepower in the shape of the 75mm main gun, which was originally developed for the B-25 bomber. Somewhat unusually for a U.S. tank, its designers adopted a torsion bar suspension setup. It was in time to see some action before the end of WWII, deployed as Allied forces swept through France and Western Europe, and battled in Italy. At the time of the German surrender in May 1945, it is estimated that more than 1,100 Chaffees were assigned to units. Post-war, it was deployed by more than 25 militaries, and experienced fighting in major 20th century conflicts such as the Korean War and the Vietnam War, in some militaries continuing in service right through to the 1980s.