Initially produced as a replacement for the M3/M5 Stuart light tanks, the armour of the M24 was purposely kept light, with a glacis plate only 25mm thick (although its heavy slope increased its effectiveness). A vastly upgraded lightweight 75mm gun (compared to the 37mm gun found on the Stuart) and its much lower silhouette made it popular with those crewing it.
The M24 was nicknamed ‘Chaffee’ by the British after the US Army General Adna R. Chaffee, one of the key proponents of tank development and use in US armed forces. Nearly 5,000 M24 Chaffees were produced during World War II, the first arriving in Europe in November 1944 where they were issued to F Company, 2nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Battalion and F Company, 42nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Battalion, both part of the 2nd Cavalry Group (Mechanised). During the Battle of the Bulge, in the Ardennes the following month, these units were rushed to the southern sector. Post war, the M24 Chaffee would go on to see action during the Korean War, Indo-Pakistani War and French actions in Indochina and Algeria.
Box contains one resin and metal M24 Chaffee light tank, order dice, waterslide decals and game accessories.
