The M2A4 light tank was designed by Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois on the basis of its predecessor M2A3 light tank. The M3 light tank was an improvement upon this version and was adopted on July 5, 1940.
The M3 light tank was developed by the U.S. to replace its increasingly-obsolete M2 predecessor, and would see service in the hands of British and Canadian forces as well as the U.S. Army. The British, in fact, were first to use the M3 Stuart in anger, throwing it into conflict with German forces in North Africa; it was British services which gave the additional “Stuart” to the M3 name, taken from the eponymous former U.S. General. Firepower on the tank was provided by a 37mm main gun and (in earlier variants) sponson-based machine guns. Around 25,000 M3 Stuarts of all variants were manufactured in the production run from 1941-1944.
The U.S. army's main light tank the M3 Stuart, which was also used by Allied forces including the British and Russian armies during WWII. Compact style of the tank, including its riveted hull and turret, has been realistically reproduced. Tank crew figure as well as decals to depict the tank used by the U.S. (2) and British (1), and Canadian (1) armies included.