Tank M22 Locust

The Light Tank (Airborne) M22 is a American tank light transportable by plane used during the Second world war. The Britanniques indicated them Locust (grasshopper).

Design

The crew of three men consisted of a chief of tank-charger and a gunner in the turret, as well as driver in the hull. The vehicle had weak a Blindage, approximately 25 mm to the maximum in front of the hull and of the Tourelle. The principal armament consisted of a gun of 37 mm models M6 and from a coaxial machine-gun of 7,62 Misters the rise in these weapons could vary -10° with +30°. The crews generally carried portable light weapons such as rifles M1 or machine pistols m3.

The engine was located at the back of the tank, it was Lycoming 0-435-T 6 cylinders with dishes running on the gasoline, cools by air, coupled of one limps 4 speeds with a differential located in front of the tank. The vehicle is equipped with four hooks to be suspended with a plane, those are placed on each side of the hull, derrières the bogie trucks of suspensions.

History

The original specifications for a transportable light tank by air were published in May 1941, with like principal recommendation, an operational maximum mass of eight tons. Three companies had to answer the invitation to tender: Christie, GMC and Marmon-Herrington. The project of this last company was adopted and was indicated T9. After the first vehicles had been delivered towards the end of 1941, it proved that the tank was too heavy. A certain number of changes have being thus carried out, like making the turret dismountable, and removing the systems of stabilization and transverse power of the gun. The resulting vehicle was famous T9E1.

Thus the latter could be easily transportable by the Douglas C-54 Skymaster, with the turret in the fuselage and the hull hung under the wings of the plane. The British had the Planeur Hamilcar which was enough large to carry M22 ready for the battle, they succeeded the vehicles. On the 1.900 M22 ordered, only 830 were delivered before the cancellation of the contract.

Certains M22 accepted a Littlejohn adapter, improving the swiftness of the projectiles fired by the gun.

The 6th British Airborne Division used of M22 in March 1945 during the crossing of the the Rhine during the Operation Varsity. After the war, several Locust were yielded to the Egypt which used them until in 1956 and in particular during the Israeli-Arab Guerre of 1948-1949. Certain tanks were captured by the Israeli defense force, 3D' between them were used by the Israelis and withdrawn of the service in 1952.

References

Leland Born (2002) Janes World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles: With Complete Guide , To grip Hakes, ISBN 0-00-711228-9
Oleg Granovskiy - '' Names, Designations and Service Figures off IDF Armored Vehicles '' (ОлегГрановский - '' Названия, обозначенияиколичествабронетанковойтехникиАОИ '') At Waronline.org

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