M2 medium tank

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.