War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

M6 (37 mm)

2023-08-30T18:54:28Z

U137178244: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = the tank cannon '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = M6 (Disambiguation)
}}
[[File:Weapon_M6_(37_mm).png|thumb|right|x250px|The 37 mm M6 mounted on an [[M3A1 Stuart]].]]

== Description ==

The '''37 mm M6''' is an American tank cannon.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


{{Navigation-Start|Vehicles equipped with this weapon}}

{{Navigation-First-Line|LVT}}{{Specs-Link|us_lvt_a_1}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|us_lvt_a_1_trb}}
{{Navigation-Line|M3A1}}{{Specs-Link|us_m3a1_stuart}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|us_m3a1_stuart_usmc}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|uk_m3a1_stuart}}
{{Navigation-Line|M3A3}}{{Specs-Link|cn_m3a3_stuart}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|cn_m3a3_stuart_1st_ptg}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|it_m3a3_stuart}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|fr_m3a3_stuart}}
{{Navigation-Line|M5A1}}{{Specs-Link|us_m5a1_stuart}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|us_m5a1_stuart_td}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|us_m5a1_stuart_canadian_5st_arm}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|cn_m5a1_stuart}}
{{Navigation-Line|M8}}{{Specs-Link|us_m8_greyhound}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|cn_m8_greyhound}}
{{Navigation-Line|M22}}{{Specs-Link|us_m22_locust}}

{{Navigation-End}}

== General info ==
''Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.''

=== Available ammunition ===


{{:{{PAGENAME}}/Ammunition|M74B1, M63 shell, M51B1}}

=== Comparison with analogues ===
''Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.''

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good rate of fire
* Access to SAPHEI shells
* M51B1 shot has good penetration

'''Cons:'''

* SAPHEI shells perform poorly against heavier targets
* Multiple shots might be needed to knock out targets

== History ==
''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>.''

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{USA tank cannons}}
{{Britain tank cannons}}
{{China tank cannons}}
{{Italy tank cannons}}
{{France tank cannons}}

[[Category:Tank cannons]]

Battle of Hurtgen Forest (Ground Forces)

2023-02-27T17:31:22Z

U137178244: /* Strategy */

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Battle of Hurtgen Forest (Ground Forces)}}

<div class="ttx">
<div class="ttx-image">[[File:MapIcon Ground HurtgenForest.jpg]]</div>
<div class="ttx-table">
<div class="ttx-table-line ttx-table-head">Possible Layouts</div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]]</span><span class="ttx-name">Domination</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]]</span><span class="ttx-name">Conquest</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]]</span><span class="ttx-name">Battle</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">[[File:Icon RedXCross.png|link=]]</span><span class="ttx-name">Break</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">[[File:Icon RedXCross.png|link=]]</span><span class="ttx-name">Skirmish</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line ttx-table-head">Other Information</div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">4 km x 4</span><span class="ttx-name">Full tank area size</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">Vossenack, Germany [[File:CountryIcon NDE.png]]</span><span class="ttx-name">Real World Location</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line ttx-table-head">Full Map</div>
<div class="ttx-image">[[File:MapLayout Ground HurtgenForest.jpg]]</div>
</div>
</div>

__TOC__

==Overview==

'''Battle of Hürtgen Forest''', also known as '''Hürtgen Forest''', or simply '''Hürtgen''' is a ground forces map available in all modes. It was added in [[Update 1.49 "Weapons of Victory"]]. As the name suggests the map is set in the Hürtgen Forest; a roughly 50 square miles (130 km2) in area in the west of Germany, near the Belgium-Germany border. The map itself is an accurate representation of the town of Vossenack, located in the south-west of the forest.

The map in game has three main areas; in the middle of the map is the main town of Vossenack. The town has a single road running east to west through it, with small streets branching off of it. The town consists almost entirely of destroyed houses, with only a handful of undamaged buildings. Tanks fight in the streets of the town, and round the back of the buildings, using them for cover. In the center of the town, there is a destroyed church. North of the main town there is a valley, with a large hill on the other side. On the top of the hill there is a small settlement with a windmill and several destroyed buildings. Players on the hill can shoot across the valley to pick off tanks fighting in the north of the town.

South of the town the terrain becomes more hilly. There is a small gorge, with rocky cliffs on each side, and the river Kall to the south. Teams trade shots from the cliffs on each side of the gorge, with some tanks venturing down the paths into the gorge; either to capture a the point that is sometimes located there, or to advance up to the other team's side of the gorge and engage them on the cliffs. Players can flank the enemy team by advancing around the north gorge, through the south of the town, and engaging them from the side. Alternatively tanks can go south, either following the river into the gorge, or use the southern river bank to flank the enemy tanks on the cliffs. The area to the south o the river Kall is extremely hilly and densely forested, with steep paths and concrete fortifications.

The tank battles map is 4km x 4km (although the battle area can be restricted to less than that) and the air battles are is 64km x 64km.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Battle area Size
! Game Mode
! AB
! RB
! SB
|-
| Domination
| 2.1 km x 2.1 km
| 2.1 km x 2.1 km
| 3.3 km x 3.3 km
|-
| Conquest #1
| 1.6 km x 1.6 km
| 1.6 km x 1.6 km
| 2.1 km x 2.1 km
|-
| Conquest #2
| 1.66 km x 1.66 km
| 1.66 km x 1.66 km
| 2.1 km x 2.1 km
|-
| Conquest #3
| 1.6 km x 1.6 km
| 1.6 km x 1.6 km
| 2.1 km x 2.1 km
|-
| Conquest #4
| 1.6 km x 1.6 km
| 1.6 km x 1.6 km
| 2.1 km x 2.1 km
|-
| Battle
| 1.7 km x 1.7 km
| 1.7 km x 1.7 km
| 3.4 km x 3.4 km
|}

===Game Description===

Teams fight for control over a strategically important point located in Hürtgen Forest.

===Historical Background===

The Battle of Hürtgen Forest was a series of fierce battles fought from 19 September to 16 December 1944 between American and German forces, it was the longest battle on German ground during World War II, and is the longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought. The American Forces hoped to pin down German forces in the area to keep them from reinforcing the front lines farther north in the Battle of Aachen; and later advance from the forest, and down the Ruhr river. The Germans fiercely defended the area because it served as a staging area for the planned counter attack in the Ardennes. Ultimately the Allies failed to capture the area after suffering several heavy setbacks and German forces were able to successfully hold the region until they launched their counter-attack through the Ardennes (which became known as the Battle of the Bulge), ending the Hürtgen offensive. The Allies suffered over 33,000 casualties during the failed attack and the Germans suffered 28,000 in the defense. Following the failed German counter attack in the Ardennes, in early February 1945 American forces attacked through the Hürtgen Forest again; breaking through the severely weakened German defense and advancing into the Ruhr valley.

In the in-game map the church in the town is largely destroyed, in real life this was the result of a group of M4 Sherman tanks firing into the Church to kill snipers believed to be hiding in the church's Belfry.

==Map configuration==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:314; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
! colspan="3" | Change Maps by Game Modes
|-
! <div class="ttx-switch-mode"><div class="ttx-switch-mode-button" id="ttx-ab-button">AB</div><div class="ttx-switch-mode-button" id="ttx-rb-button">RB</div><div class="ttx-switch-mode-button" id="ttx-sb-button">SB</div></div>
|}

===Domination===


{| class="wikitable" style="width: 300px;"
! Domination Mode - Map Layouts
|- align="center"
|
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-ab">[[File:MapLayout Domination HurtgenForest ABRB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-rb">[[File:MapLayout Domination HurtgenForest ABRB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-sb">[[File:MapLayout Domination HurtgenForest SB.jpg|300px]]</div>
|- align="center"
|
<span class="ttx-ab">2.1 km x 2.1</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">2.1 km x 2.1</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">3.3 km x 3.3 km</span>
|-
|
<span class="ttx-ab">In AB point A is on the western portion of the town, B is on the eastern portion of the town, and C is in south of the town.</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">In RB point A is on the western portion of the town, B is on the eastern portion of the town, and C is in south of the town.</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">In SB point A is on the western portion of the town, B is on the eastern portion of the town, and C is in settlement on the north hill.</span>
|}

===Conquest===

With the conquest layouts the capture point is in the same place in AB, RB and SB. However in Sb the battle area is much bigger and the spawn points are further away.
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 900px;"
! colspan="4" | Conquest Mode - Map Layouts
|-
! Conquest #1
! Conquest #2
! Conquest #3
! Conquest #4
|- align="center"
|
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-ab">[[File:MapLayout Conquest1 HurtgenForest ABRB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-rb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest1 HurtgenForest ABRB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-sb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest1 HurtgenForest SB.jpg|300px]]</div>
|
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-ab">[[File:MapLayout Conquest2 HurtgenForest ABRB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-rb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest2 HurtgenForest ABRB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-sb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest2 HurtgenForest SB.jpg|300px]]</div>
|
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-ab">[[File:MapLayout Conquest3 HurtgenForest ABRB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-rb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest3 HurtgenForest ABRB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-sb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest3 HurtgenForest SB.jpg|300px]]</div>
|
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-ab">[[File:MapLayout Conquest4 HurtgenForest ABRB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-rb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest4 HurtgenForest ABRB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-sb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest4 HurtgenForest SB.jpg|300px]]</div>
|- align="center"
|
<span class="ttx-ab">1.6 km x 1.6</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">1.6 km x 1.6</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">2.1 km x 2.1</span>
|
<span class="ttx-ab">1.66 km x 1.66</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">1.66 km x 1.66</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">2.1 km x 2.1</span>
|
<span class="ttx-ab">1.6 km x 1.6</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">1.6 km x 1.6</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">2.1 km x 2.1</span>
|
<span class="ttx-ab">1.6 km x 1.6</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">1.6 km x 1.6</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">2.1 km x 2.1</span>
|-
|
<span class="ttx-ab">In AB capture point is in the gorge, in the south.</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">In RB capture point is in the gorge, in the south.</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">In SB capture point is in the gorge, in the south.</span>
|
<span class="ttx-ab">In AB the capture point is next to the church, at the main cross roads in the town.</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">In RB the capture point is next to the church, at the main cross roads in the town.</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">In SB the capture point is next to the church, at the main cross roads in the town.</span>
|
<span class="ttx-ab">In AB the capture point is in the small settlement on top of the north hill.</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">In RB the capture point is in the small settlement on top of the north hill.</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">In SB the capture point is in the small settlement on top of the north hill.</span>
|
<span class="ttx-ab">In AB the capture point is at a fork in the river Kall, in the south of the map.</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">In RB the capture point is at a fork in the river Kall, in the south of the map.</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">In SB the capture point is at a fork in the river Kall, in the south of the map.</span>
|}

===Battle===

The capture points are in the same place in AB, RB and SB. However in SB the battle area is much bigger and the spawns are further away.
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 300px;"
! Battle Mode - Map Layouts
|- align="center"
|
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-ab">[[File:MapLayout Battle HurtgenForest ABRB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-rb">[[File:MapLayout Battle HurtgenForest ABRB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-sb">[[File:MapLayout Battle HurtgenForest SB.jpg|300px]]</div>
|- align="center"
|
<span class="ttx-ab">1.7 km x 1.7 km</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">1.7 km x 1.7 km</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">3.4 km x 3.4 km</span>
|-
|
<span class="ttx-ab">In AB the point A is in the west of the town, and point B is in the east of the town.</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">In RB the point A is in the west of the town, and point B is in the east of the town.</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">In SB the point A is in the west of the town, and point B is in the east of the town.</span>
|}

==Strategy==
At the beginning of the match, capturing the D point is of great importance. Who ever controls the D point at the start will almost certainly win the match.

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|L04Bp-FkBhA|'''The Shooting Range #4''' - ''Map Guide'' section at 07:36 discusses the map Battle of Hürtgen Forest.}}

==References==
<references />

== See also ==


* [[Berlin (Ground Forces)]] (Another historically accurate tank map added in [[Update 1.49]])

== External links ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/759 [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Battle of Hurtgen Forest]

[[Category:Maps_and_missions]]
[[Category:Ground forces maps]]

M22

2023-01-27T15:14:50Z

U137178244: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m22_locust
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. One of the tiniest tanks in the game, the Locust is able to manoeuvre some of the smaller areas on the battlefield to get a clean shot on an opponent.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


Outside of heavy machine guns, autocannons rounds, and low-calibre AP shells fired at a bad angle-of-attack, the M22's armour offers very little ballistic protection against the standard kinetic shells encountered, while any substantial APHE shell will knock out the tank instantly. With only three men in the tank clumped together around the centre, a single penetrating shot through the centre is bound to knock out two or more crew member and leave the tank immobile or incapacitated. Angling the tank is still a good idea, try to angle the front 30 degrees to increase effective thickness, though do not overangle as that will expose the weak sides of the tank.

Aircraft coming in at certain angles can possess the necessary penetration values to utterly shred apart the Locust, especially the thin roof armour of 9.5 mm at the turret and hull. However, an oblique angle towards the front armour is already enough to get through the sloped 12.7 mm armour plate present.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12.7 mm (64-65°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 25.4 mm (7-62°) ''Lower glacis'' <br> 25.4 mm (9-85°) ''Driver's port'' || 9.5 mm (34-51°) ''Top'' <br> 12.7 mm ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm (11-15°) ''Lower''
12.7 mm +9 mm ''Upper''
| 9.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 25.4 mm (25-36°) ''Turret front'' <br> 25.4 mm (22-53°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25.4 mm (3-6°) || 25.4 mm || 9.5 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''<br>

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, the bogies and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=297|rbMinHp=170}}

Aside from its small size, the M22's next famous value is its speed as a light tank. This allows the light tank to zip across the battlefield, possible getting to locations that can annoy enemies like a locust.

In Arcade Battles, be wary of going too fast with the enhanced engine power, especially on paved roads, as it could put the M22 in a speed the transmission would not be able to steer properly without "snaking" the tank. Another worst case scenario is running full speed into an immovable object, which can disable certain components or even flat out knock out the tank.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M6 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.5 || 27.0 || 32.8 || 36.3 || 38.6 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 12.2 || 14.4 || 17.4 || 19.3 || 20.5
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''M74B1; AP''' - Solid shot, stock shell. Poor penetration and post-penetration damage. The M74B1 should not be used after having unlocked the M51B1 shell.
* '''M63 Shell; SAPHEI''' - Semi armour-piercing high-explosive incendiary shell. The M63 has negligible penetration with little HE filler, it should only be used at point blank range against extremely poorly armoured vehicles and/or open-topped vehicles.
* '''M51B1; APCBC''' - Solid Shot. The M51B1has a decent penetration for the tier and better angled performance compared to the M74B1, but will still struggle against heavily armoured targets.

{{:M6 (37 mm)/Ammunition|M74B1, M63 shell, M51B1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full<br>ammo
! 1st<br>rack empty
! 2nd<br>rack empty
! 3rd<br>rack empty
! Visual<br>discrepancy
|-
|| '''50''' || 39 ''(+11)'' || 25 ''(+25)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
Note:

* Racks disappear after firing all the shells in the rack.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


Perhaps the best word to describe this tank is "tiny". Along the [[ASU-57]] and the [[L3/33 CC]], the M22 belongs to the smallest ground vehicles in the game. This is a pro and a con, which we will cover in a second. The Locust is a light tank and thus is never really meant to go up against other tanks in the game, though in down tiers might be able to take a hit with low-calibre AP shell. This severely limits the opponents the M22 Locust is able to face "fairly". The Locust's small size also means the crew is compacted into a small area and a crew knock-out is very easy to achieve, so in order to beat the odds, some trickery has to be put into play...

;Run and Gun

The Locust is really fast (although it might be hard to handle at its max speed), use this advantage to get to favorable positions or the flanks of the enemy. The tiny size of the tank helps by presenting a smaller target to the enemy and allows the usage of smaller cover that could not be typically used by an average tank of the rank. With fast manoeuvring and sneaky movements across terrains, the Locust can cross the battlefield quickly and carry out sharp strikes against the enemy. A skilled player can swiftly move from one capture point to another, destroy any opposition there, and capture the point.

;Get in Close

The riskier tactic, which would work if done well, is to just get right up onto the enemy tank. Again the Locust is tiny and this could make it easier to be knocked out, but that also means the Locust can exploit some of the other tanks weaknesses, like their gun depression—notably early Soviet tanks and taller German ones (when facing an up-tier). Get up right on that tank, point blank on the sides where some enemies will not be able to even move their gun down to hit the Locust if it stays close to them. Also remember that the Locust's 37 mm gun has an impressive reload time of about 3 seconds. Use this advantage to find weak points on their side or rear armour and score a subsequent knockout. However, Locust players must be careful as sometimes the enemy tank may move in a way that forces the Locust into their crosshairs or into other enemies' guns to take out the Locust as its attacking. The Locust players must also be careful to not accidentally destroy themselves by being too close to the tank when it explodes (if the enemy catches on fire.)

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Enormous hp/ton ratio, allowing fast acceleration
* Great speeds across flat terrain
* Extremely low profile; tanks without a lot of gun depression can't shoot at the Locust at close range
* Locust is shorter than the hulls of many tanks, so many opponents may not even be able to aim at the Locust if it's close enough
* The gun has no trouble penetrating tanks at its BR range
* Easy to turn a complete 180° at low speed and at a stop

'''Cons:'''

* High acceleration and speed make tank handling rather difficult unless familiar with specs
* Handling becomes sluggish at higher speeds, noticeably in 3<sub>rd</sub> Gear
* Small crew of 3 confined in tiny space, no spare crew members to take over incapacitated ones, a penetrating shot can take out two of them easily
* Relatively weak armour
* Due to its low suspension, it may get stuck in the soft or uneven ground
* Strange driving issue, in arcade mode, that causes the Locust to shudder, wobble, and not accelerate at a constant rate
* Doesn't have APHE, and poor post-pen AP

== History ==

===Development===
The development of this tank began in late 1941 as a request from the British military for an airmobile light tank that could travel on a glider. The British airborne forces used gliders as a mean to transport troops and equipment, and by 1941 the gliders were rated to be able to carry a tank weighing about 5.5 tons in a 300 to 350-mile flight. The British had a light tank design, the [[Tetrarch_Mk_I|Mk. VII Tetrarch]], but it was not built for the focus of airborne operations so the request was made for a purely-built airborne light tank to replace the Tetrarch, and for the tank to be made not in Britain due to constraints in industrial capacity.

The request to the Americans called for a tank weighing between 9-10 tons with a 37 mm cannon and a coaxial machine gun with a crew of three. The tank was to have a maximum speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) and could operate in a 320 km radius (200 miles). The turret and front armour thickness were to be between 40-50 mm and the sides 30 mm thick. US Ordnance Department requested three companies, General Motors, J. Walter Christie, and Marmon-Herrington to design a suitable tank, of which the Marmon-Herrington design was accepted. The design was made into a prototype in late 1941 and was designated the ''Light Tank T9''. This design had a crew of three and weighed 7.4 tons, with a 37 mm gun and coaxial machine gun, plus two more machine guns on the right side of the bow. The turret was powered and had a gun stabilizer. The tank was powered by a 162 hp six-cylinder Lycoming engine and the armour thickness was 12.5 mm on the entire hull side of the tank while the sloped area on the sides of the hull was 9.5 mm thick. The tank could go up to 40 mph (64 km/h) with the engine. The T9 was built to be mounted on a Douglas C-54 Skymaster plane, but it could still fit into a glider due to its dimensions and weight. The tank underwent a few changes, such as improvement in the tank suspension and removal of the two machine guns on the bow, the gun stabilizer, and the power traverse on the turret to reduce the weight. The result was designated the ''Light Tank T9E1''. Production was meant to start somewhere in 1942, but issues in the design change and factories caused the production to be delayed until April 1943. The tanks were produced from then until 1945, with a total unit of 830.

The tank was specified the '''Light Tank M22''' at some time in 1943, but this classified it as a "limited standard" equipment due to some faults discovered. Testings showed that loading the M22 tank on a C-54 plane required lots of time and complex equipment, plus the plane had to be landed on an airfield to be unloaded. The durability and reliability of the M22 were also brought into question, concerned that these factors would make it unsuitable for airborne operations and that the design was effectively obsolete. The M22 never saw service in American combat units except for training, and even with the establishment of two units with the M22s, they saw no combat due to America's lack of investment in airborne tanks. The British on the other hand believed that the M22 would be adequate at its role so adopted it as the '''Locust''', giving the name '''Light Tank M22 Locust''' to the tank.

===Combat usage===
The British usage in World War II had the airborne light tanks used in 1st and 6th Airborne Division as the Light Tank 'C' Squadron. Although the M22 Locust started replacing the Tetrarch before the initiation of Operation Overlord, the Tetrarch was still used until October 1944, when a restructuring retired all Tetrarch and replaced them with Locusts. The 6th Airborne Division was involved in Operation Varsity in 1945, where eight Locusts were loaded onto Hamilcar gliders and flown to the battlefield on March 24. Of the eight Locusts sent, six landed intact, but two never reached their rendezvous point due to enemy action or mechanical breakdown. Of the four remaining Locusts, only two were undamaged at the rendezvous point. The tanks were deployed at a fortified area, where they engage German troops while being supported by an infantry company, the Locusts were forced to withdraw after the heavy losses in infantry denied them support. The four tanks and what is left of the infantry were finally relieved by the 44th Royal Tank Regiment and the rest of the 6th Airborne Division. Operation Varsity was the only operation the Locust would ever see action in World War II.

The M22 Locust, while serving rather well as an airborne tank, was reported to be obsolete by January 1946 by the War Office in Britain. New designs were to take over the Locust's role in the airborne formations. What's left of the Locusts in British inventory were given to foreign militaries. Belgium used some as command tanks in their armoured regiments. America received a few tanks back which was converted into agricultural tractors. Egypt used the Locusts in a large number to replace their ageing tank models from the interwar period, these saw service in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Today, sixteen M22 Locusts are known to have survived, though many have replica turrets. Of the batch, only three are known to be in running condition.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
In 1941 an airmobile light tank designated the T9 entered development, with three major companies assigned the project: Christie, GMC, and Marmon-Herrington. The design provided by Marmon-Herrington proved the winner, as it satisfied practically every client requirement.

Trials of the new tank began in the fall of 1941, and in November 1942 the third T9E2 pre-production prototype was built.

Production began in March 1943 and continued through February 1944. Marmon-Herrington assembled and delivered over the space of that year 830 of the 1,800 tanks ordered. The first 26 had a box-shaped compartment for the driver, though it was removed for subsequent models. The frontal plate was then made from a single piece.

The tank was designated the M22 beginning September 1944, though the lack of heavy transport planes in the American army kept it out of the war.

The UK acquired 260 M22s via Lend-Lease, referring to them as Locusts. The British liked the tank thanks to its good mobility, small size, and reasonable weight. Its weak armament and armour, which was no thicker than 25 mm, were considered drawbacks. Some 37 mm cannons were equipped with Littlejohn adaptors, which were designed to boost initial velocity with special shells.

The M22 only saw combat in 1945. Its biggest battle was Operation Varsity, when 12 tanks were flown in using Hamilcar gliders on March 22, 1945. Some M22s may have taken part in the 1944 Normandy invasion.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m22_locust Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|YuBjyMQLRy0|'''Airmobile tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:43 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|Cdd0WWkWvRE|'''Tank Chat #87''' - ''Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Tetrarch Mk I]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/716|[Devblog] Developers about the M22]]
* [[wikipedia:M22_Locust|[Wikipedia] M22 Locust]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/us/light-tank-airborne-m22-locust <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Light Tank (Airborne) M22 Locust]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=252 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> M22 Locust (Light Tank, Airborne, M22)]
* [http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers.html <nowiki>[The Shadock]</nowiki> Surviving M22 Locusts]

{{TankManufacturer Marmon-Herrington}}
{{USA light tanks}}

M22

2023-01-27T13:51:17Z

U137178244: /* Ammunition */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m22_locust
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. One of the tiniest tanks in the game, the Locust is able to manoeuvre some of the smaller areas on the battlefield to get a clean shot on an opponent.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


Outside of heavy machine guns, autocannons rounds, and low-calibre AP shells fired at a bad angle-of-attack, the M22's armour offers very little ballistic protection against the standard kinetic shells encountered, while any substantial APHE shell will knock out the tank instantly. With only three men in the tank clumped together around the centre, a single penetrating shot through the centre is bound to knock out two or more crew member and leave the tank immobile or incapacitated. Angling the tank is still a good idea, try to angle the front 30 degrees to increase effective thickness, though do not overangle as that will expose the weak sides of the tank.

Aircraft coming in at certain angles can possess the necessary penetration values to utterly shred apart the Locust, especially the thin roof armour of 9.5 mm at the turret and hull. However, an oblique angle towards the front armour is already enough to get through the sloped 12.7 mm armour plate present.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12.7 mm (64-65°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 25.4 mm (7-62°) ''Lower glacis'' <br> 25.4 mm (9-85°) ''Driver's port'' || 9.5 mm (34-51°) ''Top'' <br> 12.7 mm ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm (11-15°) ''Lower''
12.7 mm +9 mm ''Upper''
| 9.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 25.4 mm (25-36°) ''Turret front'' <br> 25.4 mm (22-53°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25.4 mm (3-6°) || 25.4 mm || 9.5 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''<br>

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, the bogies and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=297|rbMinHp=170}}

Aside from its small size, the M22's next famous value is its speed as a light tank. This allows the light tank to zip across the battlefield, possible getting to locations that can annoy enemies like a locust.

In Arcade Battles, be wary of going too fast with the enhanced engine power, especially on paved roads, as it could put the M22 in a speed the transmission would not be able to steer properly without "snaking" the tank. Another worst case scenario is running full speed into an immovable object, which can disable certain components or even flat out knock out the tank.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M6 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.5 || 27.0 || 32.8 || 36.3 || 38.6 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 12.2 || 14.4 || 17.4 || 19.3 || 20.5
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''M74B1: AP''' - Solid shot, stock shell. Poor penetration and post-penetration damage. The M74B1 should not be used after having unlocked the M51B1 shell.
* '''M63 Shell- SAPHEI''' - Semi armour-piercing high-explosive incendiary shell. The M63 has negligible penetration with little HE filler, it should only be used at point blank range against extremely poorly armoured vehicles and/or open-topped vehicles.
* '''M51B1- APCBC''' - Solid Shot. The M51B1has a decent penetration for the tier and better angled performance compared to the M74B1, but will still struggle against heavily armoured targets.

{{:M6 (37 mm)/Ammunition|M74B1, M63 shell, M51B1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full<br>ammo
! 1st<br>rack empty
! 2nd<br>rack empty
! 3rd<br>rack empty
! Visual<br>discrepancy
|-
|| '''50''' || 39 ''(+11)'' || 25 ''(+25)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
Note:

* Racks disappear after firing all the shells in the rack.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


Perhaps the best word to describe this tank is "tiny". Along the [[ASU-57]] and the [[L3/33 CC]], the M22 belongs to the smallest ground vehicles in the game. This is a pro and a con, which we will cover in a second. The Locust is a light tank and thus is never really meant to go up against other tanks in the game, though in down tiers might be able to take a hit with low-calibre AP shell. This severely limits the opponents the M22 Locust is able to face "fairly". The Locust's small size also means the crew is compacted into a small area and a crew knock-out is very easy to achieve, so in order to beat the odds, some trickery has to be put into play...

;Run and Gun

The Locust is really fast (although it might be hard to handle at its max speed), use this advantage to get to favorable positions or the flanks of the enemy. The tiny size of the tank helps by presenting a smaller target to the enemy and allows the usage of smaller cover that could not be typically used by an average tank of the rank. With fast manoeuvring and sneaky movements across terrains, the Locust can cross the battlefield quickly and carry out sharp strikes against the enemy. A skilled player can swiftly move from one capture point to another, destroy any opposition there, and capture the point.

;Get in Close

The riskier tactic, which would work if done well, is to just get right up onto the enemy tank. Again the Locust is tiny and this could make it easier to be knocked out, but that also means the Locust can exploit some of the other tanks weaknesses, like their gun depression—notably early Soviet tanks and taller German ones (when facing an up-tier). Get up right on that tank, point blank on the sides where some enemies will not be able to even move their gun down to hit the Locust if it stays close to them. Also remember that the Locust's 37 mm gun has an impressive reload time of about 3 seconds. Use this advantage to find weak points on their side or rear armour and score a subsequent knockout. However, Locust players must be careful as sometimes the enemy tank may move in a way that forces the Locust into their crosshairs or into other enemies' guns to take out the Locust as its attacking. The Locust players must also be careful to not accidentally destroy themselves by being too close to the tank when it explodes (if the enemy catches on fire.)

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Enormous hp/ton ratio, allowing fast acceleration
* Great speeds across flat terrain
* Extremely low profile; tanks without a lot of gun depression can't shoot at the Locust at close range
* Locust is shorter than the hulls of many tanks, so many opponents may not even be able to aim at the Locust if it's close enough
* The gun has no trouble penetrating tanks at its BR range
* Easy to turn a complete 180° at low speed and at a stop

'''Cons:'''

* High acceleration and speed make tank handling rather difficult unless familiar with specs
* Handling becomes sluggish at higher speeds, noticeably in 3<sub>rd</sub> Gear
* Small crew of 3 confined in tiny space, no spare crew members to take over incapacitated ones, a penetrating shot can take out two of them easily
* Relatively weak armour
* Due to its low suspension, it may get stuck in the soft or uneven ground
* Strange driving issue, in arcade mode, that causes the Locust to shudder, wobble, and not accelerate at a constant rate
* Doesn't have explosive filler for the 37 mm shells

== History ==

===Development===
The development of this tank began in late 1941 as a request from the British military for an airmobile light tank that could travel on a glider. The British airborne forces used gliders as a mean to transport troops and equipment, and by 1941 the gliders were rated to be able to carry a tank weighing about 5.5 tons in a 300 to 350-mile flight. The British had a light tank design, the [[Tetrarch_Mk_I|Mk. VII Tetrarch]], but it was not built for the focus of airborne operations so the request was made for a purely-built airborne light tank to replace the Tetrarch, and for the tank to be made not in Britain due to constraints in industrial capacity.

The request to the Americans called for a tank weighing between 9-10 tons with a 37 mm cannon and a coaxial machine gun with a crew of three. The tank was to have a maximum speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) and could operate in a 320 km radius (200 miles). The turret and front armour thickness were to be between 40-50 mm and the sides 30 mm thick. US Ordnance Department requested three companies, General Motors, J. Walter Christie, and Marmon-Herrington to design a suitable tank, of which the Marmon-Herrington design was accepted. The design was made into a prototype in late 1941 and was designated the ''Light Tank T9''. This design had a crew of three and weighed 7.4 tons, with a 37 mm gun and coaxial machine gun, plus two more machine guns on the right side of the bow. The turret was powered and had a gun stabilizer. The tank was powered by a 162 hp six-cylinder Lycoming engine and the armour thickness was 12.5 mm on the entire hull side of the tank while the sloped area on the sides of the hull was 9.5 mm thick. The tank could go up to 40 mph (64 km/h) with the engine. The T9 was built to be mounted on a Douglas C-54 Skymaster plane, but it could still fit into a glider due to its dimensions and weight. The tank underwent a few changes, such as improvement in the tank suspension and removal of the two machine guns on the bow, the gun stabilizer, and the power traverse on the turret to reduce the weight. The result was designated the ''Light Tank T9E1''. Production was meant to start somewhere in 1942, but issues in the design change and factories caused the production to be delayed until April 1943. The tanks were produced from then until 1945, with a total unit of 830.

The tank was specified the '''Light Tank M22''' at some time in 1943, but this classified it as a "limited standard" equipment due to some faults discovered. Testings showed that loading the M22 tank on a C-54 plane required lots of time and complex equipment, plus the plane had to be landed on an airfield to be unloaded. The durability and reliability of the M22 were also brought into question, concerned that these factors would make it unsuitable for airborne operations and that the design was effectively obsolete. The M22 never saw service in American combat units except for training, and even with the establishment of two units with the M22s, they saw no combat due to America's lack of investment in airborne tanks. The British on the other hand believed that the M22 would be adequate at its role so adopted it as the '''Locust''', giving the name '''Light Tank M22 Locust''' to the tank.

===Combat usage===
The British usage in World War II had the airborne light tanks used in 1st and 6th Airborne Division as the Light Tank 'C' Squadron. Although the M22 Locust started replacing the Tetrarch before the initiation of Operation Overlord, the Tetrarch was still used until October 1944, when a restructuring retired all Tetrarch and replaced them with Locusts. The 6th Airborne Division was involved in Operation Varsity in 1945, where eight Locusts were loaded onto Hamilcar gliders and flown to the battlefield on March 24. Of the eight Locusts sent, six landed intact, but two never reached their rendezvous point due to enemy action or mechanical breakdown. Of the four remaining Locusts, only two were undamaged at the rendezvous point. The tanks were deployed at a fortified area, where they engage German troops while being supported by an infantry company, the Locusts were forced to withdraw after the heavy losses in infantry denied them support. The four tanks and what is left of the infantry were finally relieved by the 44th Royal Tank Regiment and the rest of the 6th Airborne Division. Operation Varsity was the only operation the Locust would ever see action in World War II.

The M22 Locust, while serving rather well as an airborne tank, was reported to be obsolete by January 1946 by the War Office in Britain. New designs were to take over the Locust's role in the airborne formations. What's left of the Locusts in British inventory were given to foreign militaries. Belgium used some as command tanks in their armoured regiments. America received a few tanks back which was converted into agricultural tractors. Egypt used the Locusts in a large number to replace their ageing tank models from the interwar period, these saw service in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Today, sixteen M22 Locusts are known to have survived, though many have replica turrets. Of the batch, only three are known to be in running condition.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
In 1941 an airmobile light tank designated the T9 entered development, with three major companies assigned the project: Christie, GMC, and Marmon-Herrington. The design provided by Marmon-Herrington proved the winner, as it satisfied practically every client requirement.

Trials of the new tank began in the fall of 1941, and in November 1942 the third T9E2 pre-production prototype was built.

Production began in March 1943 and continued through February 1944. Marmon-Herrington assembled and delivered over the space of that year 830 of the 1,800 tanks ordered. The first 26 had a box-shaped compartment for the driver, though it was removed for subsequent models. The frontal plate was then made from a single piece.

The tank was designated the M22 beginning September 1944, though the lack of heavy transport planes in the American army kept it out of the war.

The UK acquired 260 M22s via Lend-Lease, referring to them as Locusts. The British liked the tank thanks to its good mobility, small size, and reasonable weight. Its weak armament and armour, which was no thicker than 25 mm, were considered drawbacks. Some 37 mm cannons were equipped with Littlejohn adaptors, which were designed to boost initial velocity with special shells.

The M22 only saw combat in 1945. Its biggest battle was Operation Varsity, when 12 tanks were flown in using Hamilcar gliders on March 22, 1945. Some M22s may have taken part in the 1944 Normandy invasion.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m22_locust Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|YuBjyMQLRy0|'''Airmobile tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:43 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|Cdd0WWkWvRE|'''Tank Chat #87''' - ''Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Tetrarch Mk I]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/716|[Devblog] Developers about the M22]]
* [[wikipedia:M22_Locust|[Wikipedia] M22 Locust]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/us/light-tank-airborne-m22-locust <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Light Tank (Airborne) M22 Locust]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=252 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> M22 Locust (Light Tank, Airborne, M22)]
* [http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers.html <nowiki>[The Shadock]</nowiki> Surviving M22 Locusts]

{{TankManufacturer Marmon-Herrington}}
{{USA light tanks}}

M22

2023-01-25T19:17:15Z

U137178244: /* Ammunition */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m22_locust
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. One of the tiniest tanks in the game, the Locust is able to manoeuvre some of the smaller areas on the battlefield to get a clean shot on an opponent.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armor ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


Outside of heavy machine guns, autocannons rounds, and low-caliber AP shells fired at a bad angle-of-attack, the M22's armor offers very little ballistic protection against the standard kinetic shells encountered, while any substantial APHE shell will knock out the tank instantly. With only three men in the tank clumped together around the center, a single penetrating shot through the center is bound to knock out two or more crew member and leave the tank immobile or incapacitated. Angling the tank is still a good idea, try to angle the front 30 degrees to increase effective thickness, though do not over angle as that will expose the weak sides of the tank.

Aircraft coming in at certain angles can possess the necessary penetration values to utterly shred apart the Locust, especially the thin roof armor of 9.5 mm at the turret and hull. However, an oblique angle towards the front armor is already enough to get through the sloped 12.7 mm armor plate present.

'''Armor type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armor
* Cast homogeneous armor (Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12.7 mm (64-65°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 25.4 mm (7-62°) ''Lower glacis'' <br> 25.4 mm (9-85°) ''Driver's port'' || 9.5 mm (34-51°) ''Top'' <br> 12.7 mm ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm (11-15°) ''Lower''
12.7 mm +9 mm ''Upper''
| 9.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 25.4 mm (25-36°) ''Turret front'' <br> 25.4 mm (22-53°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25.4 mm (3-6°) || 25.4 mm || 9.5 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''<br>

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, the bogies and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=297|rbMinHp=170}}

Aside from its small size, the M22's next famous value is its speed as a light tank. This allows the light tank to zip across the battlefield, possible getting to locations that can annoy enemies like a locust.

In Arcade Battles, be wary of going too fast with the enhanced engine power, especially on paved roads, as it could put the M22 in a speed the transmission would not be able to steer properly without "snaking" the tank. Another worst case scenario is running full speed into an immovable object, which can disable certain components or even flat out knock out the tank.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M6 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.5 || 27.0 || 32.8 || 36.3 || 38.6 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 12.2 || 14.4 || 17.4 || 19.3 || 20.5
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M6 (37 mm)/Ammunition|M74B1, M63 shell, M51B1}}M74B1: AP - Solid Shot, stock shell. Poor penetration, poor post-penetration damage. Should not be used after unlocking the M51B1 shell.

M63 Shell: SAPHEI - Simi Armor Piercing High Explosive Incendiary Shell. Negligible Penetration with little HE filler, should only be used at point blank range against extremally poorly armored vehicles and/or open tops.

M51B1: APCBC - Solid Shot. Decent penetration for the tier and better angled performance compared to the M74B1, but will still struggle against heavily armored targets,

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full<br>ammo
! 1st<br>rack empty
! 2nd<br>rack empty
! 3rd<br>rack empty
! Visual<br>discrepancy
|-
|| '''50''' || 39 ''(+11)'' || 25 ''(+25)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
Note:

* Racks disappear after firing all the shells in the rack.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


Perhaps the best word to describe this tank is "tiny". Along the [[ASU-57]] and the [[L3/33 CC]], the M22 belongs to the smallest ground vehicles in the game. This is a pro and a con, which we will cover in a second. The Locust is a light tank and thus is never really meant to go up against other tanks in the game, though in down tiers might be able to take a hit with low-calibre AP shell. This severely limits the opponents the M22 Locust is able to face "fairly". The Locust's small size also means the crew is compacted into a small area and a crew knock-out is very easy to achieve, so in order to beat the odds, some trickery has to be put into play...

;Run and Gun

The Locust is really fast (although it might be hard to handle at its max speed), use this advantage to get to favorable positions or the flanks of the enemy. The tiny size of the tank helps by presenting a smaller target to the enemy and allows the usage of smaller cover that could not be typically used by an average tank of the rank. With fast manoeuvring and sneaky movements across terrains, the Locust can cross the battlefield quickly and carry out sharp strikes against the enemy. A skilled player can swiftly move from one capture point to another, destroy any opposition there, and capture the point.

;Get in Close

The riskier tactic, which would work if done well, is to just get right up onto the enemy tank. Again the Locust is tiny and this could make it easier to be knocked out, but that also means the Locust can exploit some of the other tanks weaknesses, like their gun depression—notably early Soviet tanks and taller German ones (when facing an up-tier). Get up right on that tank, point blank on the sides where some enemies will not be able to even move their gun down to hit the Locust if it stays close to them. Also remember that the Locust's 37 mm gun has an impressive reload time of about 3 seconds. Use this advantage to find weak points on their side or rear armour and score a subsequent knockout. However, Locust players must be careful as sometimes the enemy tank may move in a way that forces the Locust into their crosshairs or into other enemies' guns to take out the Locust as its attacking. The Locust players must also be careful to not accidentally destroy themselves by being too close to the tank when it explodes (if the enemy catches on fire.)

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Enormous hp/ton ratio, allowing fast acceleration
* Great speeds across flat terrain
* Extremely low profile; tanks without a lot of gun depression can't shoot at the Locust at close range
* Locust is shorter than the hulls of many tanks, so many opponents may not even be able to aim at the Locust if it's close enough
* The gun has no trouble penetrating tanks at its BR range
* Easy to turn a complete 180° at low speed and at a stop

'''Cons:'''

* High acceleration and speed make tank handling rather difficult unless familiar with specs
* Handling becomes sluggish at higher speeds, noticeably in 3<sub>rd</sub> Gear
* Small crew of 3 confined in tiny space, no spare crew members to take over incapacitated ones, a penetrating shot can take out two of them easily
* Relatively weak armour
* Due to its low suspension, it may get stuck in the soft or uneven ground
* Strange driving issue, in arcade mode, that causes the Locust to shudder, wobble, and not accelerate at a constant rate
* Doesn't have explosive filler for the 37 mm shells

== History ==

===Development===
The development of this tank began in late 1941 as a request from the British military for an airmobile light tank that could travel on a glider. The British airborne forces used gliders as a mean to transport troops and equipment, and by 1941 the gliders were rated to be able to carry a tank weighing about 5.5 tons in a 300 to 350-mile flight. The British had a light tank design, the [[Tetrarch_Mk_I|Mk. VII Tetrarch]], but it was not built for the focus of airborne operations so the request was made for a purely-built airborne light tank to replace the Tetrarch, and for the tank to be made not in Britain due to constraints in industrial capacity.

The request to the Americans called for a tank weighing between 9-10 tons with a 37 mm cannon and a coaxial machine gun with a crew of three. The tank was to have a maximum speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) and could operate in a 320 km radius (200 miles). The turret and front armour thickness were to be between 40-50 mm and the sides 30 mm thick. US Ordnance Department requested three companies, General Motors, J. Walter Christie, and Marmon-Herrington to design a suitable tank, of which the Marmon-Herrington design was accepted. The design was made into a prototype in late 1941 and was designated the ''Light Tank T9''. This design had a crew of three and weighed 7.4 tons, with a 37 mm gun and coaxial machine gun, plus two more machine guns on the right side of the bow. The turret was powered and had a gun stabilizer. The tank was powered by a 162 hp six-cylinder Lycoming engine and the armour thickness was 12.5 mm on the entire hull side of the tank while the sloped area on the sides of the hull was 9.5 mm thick. The tank could go up to 40 mph (64 km/h) with the engine. The T9 was built to be mounted on a Douglas C-54 Skymaster plane, but it could still fit into a glider due to its dimensions and weight. The tank underwent a few changes, such as improvement in the tank suspension and removal of the two machine guns on the bow, the gun stabilizer, and the power traverse on the turret to reduce the weight. The result was designated the ''Light Tank T9E1''. Production was meant to start somewhere in 1942, but issues in the design change and factories caused the production to be delayed until April 1943. The tanks were produced from then until 1945, with a total unit of 830.

The tank was specified the '''Light Tank M22''' at some time in 1943, but this classified it as a "limited standard" equipment due to some faults discovered. Testings showed that loading the M22 tank on a C-54 plane required lots of time and complex equipment, plus the plane had to be landed on an airfield to be unloaded. The durability and reliability of the M22 were also brought into question, concerned that these factors would make it unsuitable for airborne operations and that the design was effectively obsolete. The M22 never saw service in American combat units except for training, and even with the establishment of two units with the M22s, they saw no combat due to America's lack of investment in airborne tanks. The British on the other hand believed that the M22 would be adequate at its role so adopted it as the '''Locust''', giving the name '''Light Tank M22 Locust''' to the tank.

===Combat usage===
The British usage in World War II had the airborne light tanks used in 1st and 6th Airborne Division as the Light Tank 'C' Squadron. Although the M22 Locust started replacing the Tetrarch before the initiation of Operation Overlord, the Tetrarch was still used until October 1944, when a restructuring retired all Tetrarch and replaced them with Locusts. The 6th Airborne Division was involved in Operation Varsity in 1945, where eight Locusts were loaded onto Hamilcar gliders and flown to the battlefield on March 24. Of the eight Locusts sent, six landed intact, but two never reached their rendezvous point due to enemy action or mechanical breakdown. Of the four remaining Locusts, only two were undamaged at the rendezvous point. The tanks were deployed at a fortified area, where they engage German troops while being supported by an infantry company, the Locusts were forced to withdraw after the heavy losses in infantry denied them support. The four tanks and what is left of the infantry were finally relieved by the 44th Royal Tank Regiment and the rest of the 6th Airborne Division. Operation Varsity was the only operation the Locust would ever see action in World War II.

The M22 Locust, while serving rather well as an airborne tank, was reported to be obsolete by January 1946 by the War Office in Britain. New designs were to take over the Locust's role in the airborne formations. What's left of the Locusts in British inventory were given to foreign militaries. Belgium used some as command tanks in their armoured regiments. America received a few tanks back which was converted into agricultural tractors. Egypt used the Locusts in a large number to replace their ageing tank models from the interwar period, these saw service in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Today, sixteen M22 Locusts are known to have survived, though many have replica turrets. Of the batch, only three are known to be in running condition.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
In 1941 an airmobile light tank designated the T9 entered development, with three major companies assigned the project: Christie, GMC, and Marmon-Herrington. The design provided by Marmon-Herrington proved the winner, as it satisfied practically every client requirement.

Trials of the new tank began in the fall of 1941, and in November 1942 the third T9E2 pre-production prototype was built.

Production began in March 1943 and continued through February 1944. Marmon-Herrington assembled and delivered over the space of that year 830 of the 1,800 tanks ordered. The first 26 had a box-shaped compartment for the driver, though it was removed for subsequent models. The frontal plate was then made from a single piece.

The tank was designated the M22 beginning September 1944, though the lack of heavy transport planes in the American army kept it out of the war.

The UK acquired 260 M22s via Lend-Lease, referring to them as Locusts. The British liked the tank thanks to its good mobility, small size, and reasonable weight. Its weak armament and armour, which was no thicker than 25 mm, were considered drawbacks. Some 37 mm cannons were equipped with Littlejohn adaptors, which were designed to boost initial velocity with special shells.

The M22 only saw combat in 1945. Its biggest battle was Operation Varsity, when 12 tanks were flown in using Hamilcar gliders on March 22, 1945. Some M22s may have taken part in the 1944 Normandy invasion.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m22_locust Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|YuBjyMQLRy0|'''Airmobile tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:43 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|Cdd0WWkWvRE|'''Tank Chat #87''' - ''Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Tetrarch Mk I]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/716|[Devblog] Developers about the M22]]
* [[wikipedia:M22_Locust|[Wikipedia] M22 Locust]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/us/light-tank-airborne-m22-locust <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Light Tank (Airborne) M22 Locust]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=252 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> M22 Locust (Light Tank, Airborne, M22)]
* [http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers.html <nowiki>[The Shadock]</nowiki> Surviving M22 Locusts]

{{TankManufacturer Marmon-Herrington}}
{{USA light tanks}}

M22

2023-01-25T16:52:43Z

U137178244: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m22_locust
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. One of the tiniest tanks in the game, the Locust is able to manoeuvre some of the smaller areas on the battlefield to get a clean shot on an opponent.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


Outside of heavy machine guns, autocannons rounds, and low-calibre AP shells fired at a bad angle-of-attack, the M22's armour offers very little ballistic protection against the standard kinetic shells encountered, while any substantial APHE shell will knock out the tank instantly. With only three men in the tank clumped together around the centre, a single penetrating shot through the centre is bound to knock out two or more crew member and leave the tank immobile or incapacitated. Angling the tank is still a good idea, try to angle the front 30 degrees to increase effective thickness, though do not overangle as that will expose the weak sides of the tank.

Aircraft coming in at certain angles can possess the necessary penetration values to utterly shred apart the Locust, especially the thin roof armour of 9.5 mm at the turret and hull. However, an oblique angle towards the front armour is already enough to get through the sloped 12.7 mm armour plate present.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12.7 mm (64-65°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 25.4 mm (7-62°) ''Lower glacis'' <br> 25.4 mm (9-85°) ''Driver's port'' || 9.5 mm (34-51°) ''Top'' <br> 12.7 mm ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm (11-15°) ''Lower''
12.7 mm +9 mm ''Upper''
| 9.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 25.4 mm (25-36°) ''Turret front'' <br> 25.4 mm (22-53°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25.4 mm (3-6°) || 25.4 mm || 9.5 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''<br>

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, the bogies and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=297|rbMinHp=170}}

Aside from its small size, the M22's next famous value is its speed as a light tank. This allows the light tank to zip across the battlefield, possible getting to locations that can annoy enemies like a locust.

In Arcade Battles, be wary of going too fast with the enhanced engine power, especially on paved roads, as it could put the M22 in a speed the transmission would not be able to steer properly without "snaking" the tank. Another worst case scenario is running full speed into an immovable object, which can disable certain components or even flat out knock out the tank.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M6 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.5 || 27.0 || 32.8 || 36.3 || 38.6 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 12.2 || 14.4 || 17.4 || 19.3 || 20.5
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M6 (37 mm)/Ammunition|M74B1, M63 shell, M51B1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full<br>ammo
! 1st<br>rack empty
! 2nd<br>rack empty
! 3rd<br>rack empty
! Visual<br>discrepancy
|-
|| '''50''' || 39 ''(+11)'' || 25 ''(+25)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
Note:

* Racks disappear after firing all the shells in the rack.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


Perhaps the best word to describe this tank is "tiny". Along the [[ASU-57]] and the [[L3/33 CC]], the M22 belongs to the smallest ground vehicles in the game. This is a pro and a con, which we will cover in a second. The Locust is a light tank and thus is never really meant to go up against other tanks in the game, though in down tiers might be able to take a hit with low-calibre AP shell. This severely limits the opponents the M22 Locust is able to face "fairly". The Locust's small size also means the crew is compacted into a small area and a crew knock-out is very easy to achieve, so in order to beat the odds, some trickery has to be put into play...

;Run and Gun

The Locust is really fast (although it might be hard to handle at its max speed), use this advantage to get to favorable positions or the flanks of the enemy. The tiny size of the tank helps by presenting a smaller target to the enemy and allows the usage of smaller cover that could not be typically used by an average tank of the rank. With fast manoeuvring and sneaky movements across terrains, the Locust can cross the battlefield quickly and carry out sharp strikes against the enemy. A skilled player can swiftly move from one capture point to another, destroy any opposition there, and capture the point.

;Get in Close

The riskier tactic, which would work if done well, is to just get right up onto the enemy tank. Again the Locust is tiny and this could make it easier to be knocked out, but that also means the Locust can exploit some of the other tanks weaknesses, like their gun depression—notably early Soviet tanks and taller German ones (when facing an up-tier). Get up right on that tank, point blank on the sides where some enemies will not be able to even move their gun down to hit the Locust if it stays close to them. Also remember that the Locust's 37 mm gun has an impressive reload time of about 3 seconds. Use this advantage to find weak points on their side or rear armour and score a subsequent knockout. However, Locust players must be careful as sometimes the enemy tank may move in a way that forces the Locust into their crosshairs or into other enemies' guns to take out the Locust as its attacking. The Locust players must also be careful to not accidentally destroy themselves by being too close to the tank when it explodes (if the enemy catches on fire.)

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Enormous hp/ton ratio, allowing fast acceleration
* Great speeds across flat terrain
* Extremely low profile; tanks without a lot of gun depression can't shoot at the Locust at close range
* Locust is shorter than the hulls of many tanks, so many opponents may not even be able to aim at the Locust if it's close enough
* The gun has no trouble penetrating tanks at its BR range
* Easy to turn a complete 180° at low speed and at a stop

'''Cons:'''

* High acceleration and speed make tank handling rather difficult unless familiar with specs
* Handling becomes sluggish at higher speeds, noticeably in 3<sub>rd</sub> Gear
* Small crew of 3 confined in tiny space, no spare crew members to take over incapacitated ones, a penetrating shot can take out two of them easily
* Relatively weak armor
* Due to its low suspension, it may get stuck in the soft or uneven ground
* Strange driving issue, in arcade mode, that causes the Locust to shudder, wobble, and not accelerate at a constant rate
* Doesn't have explosive filler for the 37 mm shells

== History ==

===Development===
The development of this tank began in late 1941 as a request from the British military for an airmobile light tank that could travel on a glider. The British airborne forces used gliders as a mean to transport troops and equipment, and by 1941 the gliders were rated to be able to carry a tank weighing about 5.5 tons in a 300 to 350-mile flight. The British had a light tank design, the [[Tetrarch_Mk_I|Mk. VII Tetrarch]], but it was not built for the focus of airborne operations so the request was made for a purely-built airborne light tank to replace the Tetrarch, and for the tank to be made not in Britain due to constraints in industrial capacity.

The request to the Americans called for a tank weighing between 9-10 tons with a 37 mm cannon and a coaxial machine gun with a crew of three. The tank was to have a maximum speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) and could operate in a 320 km radius (200 miles). The turret and front armour thickness were to be between 40-50 mm and the sides 30 mm thick. US Ordnance Department requested three companies, General Motors, J. Walter Christie, and Marmon-Herrington to design a suitable tank, of which the Marmon-Herrington design was accepted. The design was made into a prototype in late 1941 and was designated the ''Light Tank T9''. This design had a crew of three and weighed 7.4 tons, with a 37 mm gun and coaxial machine gun, plus two more machine guns on the right side of the bow. The turret was powered and had a gun stabilizer. The tank was powered by a 162 hp six-cylinder Lycoming engine and the armour thickness was 12.5 mm on the entire hull side of the tank while the sloped area on the sides of the hull was 9.5 mm thick. The tank could go up to 40 mph (64 km/h) with the engine. The T9 was built to be mounted on a Douglas C-54 Skymaster plane, but it could still fit into a glider due to its dimensions and weight. The tank underwent a few changes, such as improvement in the tank suspension and removal of the two machine guns on the bow, the gun stabilizer, and the power traverse on the turret to reduce the weight. The result was designated the ''Light Tank T9E1''. Production was meant to start somewhere in 1942, but issues in the design change and factories caused the production to be delayed until April 1943. The tanks were produced from then until 1945, with a total unit of 830.

The tank was specified the '''Light Tank M22''' at some time in 1943, but this classified it as a "limited standard" equipment due to some faults discovered. Testings showed that loading the M22 tank on a C-54 plane required lots of time and complex equipment, plus the plane had to be landed on an airfield to be unloaded. The durability and reliability of the M22 were also brought into question, concerned that these factors would make it unsuitable for airborne operations and that the design was effectively obsolete. The M22 never saw service in American combat units except for training, and even with the establishment of two units with the M22s, they saw no combat due to America's lack of investment in airborne tanks. The British on the other hand believed that the M22 would be adequate at its role so adopted it as the '''Locust''', giving the name '''Light Tank M22 Locust''' to the tank.

===Combat usage===
The British usage in World War II had the airborne light tanks used in 1st and 6th Airborne Division as the Light Tank 'C' Squadron. Although the M22 Locust started replacing the Tetrarch before the initiation of Operation Overlord, the Tetrarch was still used until October 1944, when a restructuring retired all Tetrarch and replaced them with Locusts. The 6th Airborne Division was involved in Operation Varsity in 1945, where eight Locusts were loaded onto Hamilcar gliders and flown to the battlefield on March 24. Of the eight Locusts sent, six landed intact, but two never reached their rendezvous point due to enemy action or mechanical breakdown. Of the four remaining Locusts, only two were undamaged at the rendezvous point. The tanks were deployed at a fortified area, where they engage German troops while being supported by an infantry company, the Locusts were forced to withdraw after the heavy losses in infantry denied them support. The four tanks and what is left of the infantry were finally relieved by the 44th Royal Tank Regiment and the rest of the 6th Airborne Division. Operation Varsity was the only operation the Locust would ever see action in World War II.

The M22 Locust, while serving rather well as an airborne tank, was reported to be obsolete by January 1946 by the War Office in Britain. New designs were to take over the Locust's role in the airborne formations. What's left of the Locusts in British inventory were given to foreign militaries. Belgium used some as command tanks in their armoured regiments. America received a few tanks back which was converted into agricultural tractors. Egypt used the Locusts in a large number to replace their ageing tank models from the interwar period, these saw service in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Today, sixteen M22 Locusts are known to have survived, though many have replica turrets. Of the batch, only three are known to be in running condition.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
In 1941 an airmobile light tank designated the T9 entered development, with three major companies assigned the project: Christie, GMC, and Marmon-Herrington. The design provided by Marmon-Herrington proved the winner, as it satisfied practically every client requirement.

Trials of the new tank began in the fall of 1941, and in November 1942 the third T9E2 pre-production prototype was built.

Production began in March 1943 and continued through February 1944. Marmon-Herrington assembled and delivered over the space of that year 830 of the 1,800 tanks ordered. The first 26 had a box-shaped compartment for the driver, though it was removed for subsequent models. The frontal plate was then made from a single piece.

The tank was designated the M22 beginning September 1944, though the lack of heavy transport planes in the American army kept it out of the war.

The UK acquired 260 M22s via Lend-Lease, referring to them as Locusts. The British liked the tank thanks to its good mobility, small size, and reasonable weight. Its weak armament and armour, which was no thicker than 25 mm, were considered drawbacks. Some 37 mm cannons were equipped with Littlejohn adaptors, which were designed to boost initial velocity with special shells.

The M22 only saw combat in 1945. Its biggest battle was Operation Varsity, when 12 tanks were flown in using Hamilcar gliders on March 22, 1945. Some M22s may have taken part in the 1944 Normandy invasion.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m22_locust Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|YuBjyMQLRy0|'''Airmobile tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:43 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|Cdd0WWkWvRE|'''Tank Chat #87''' - ''Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Tetrarch Mk I]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/716|[Devblog] Developers about the M22]]
* [[wikipedia:M22_Locust|[Wikipedia] M22 Locust]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/us/light-tank-airborne-m22-locust <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Light Tank (Airborne) M22 Locust]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=252 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> M22 Locust (Light Tank, Airborne, M22)]
* [http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers.html <nowiki>[The Shadock]</nowiki> Surviving M22 Locusts]

{{TankManufacturer Marmon-Herrington}}
{{USA light tanks}}

M22

2023-01-24T18:57:34Z

U137178244: /* Survivability and armour */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m22_locust
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. One of the tiniest tanks in the game, the Locust is able to manoeuvre some of the smaller areas on the battlefield to get a clean shot on an opponent.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and Armor ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


Outside of heavy machine guns autocannon, and low caliber AP rounds, the M22's armor offers very little ballistic protection against the standard kinetic shells encountered, while any substantial APHE will kill the tank instantly. With only three men in the tank clumped together around the center, a single penetrating shot through the center is bound to knock out two or more crew member and leave the tank immobile or incapacitated. Angling the tank is still a good idea, try to angle the front 30 degrees to increase effective thickness, though do not over angle as that will expose the weak sides of the tank

Aircraft coming in at certain angles can possess the necessary penetration values to utterly shred apart the Locust, especially the thin roof armor of 9.5 mm at the turret and hull. However, an oblique angle towards the front armor is already enough to get through the sloped 12.7 mm armor plate present.

'''Armor type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armor
* Cast homogeneous armor (Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12.7 mm (64-65°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 25.4 mm (7-62°) ''Lower glacis'' <br> 25.4 mm (9-85°) ''Driver's port'' || 9.5 mm (34-51°) ''Top'' <br> 12.7 mm ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm (11-15°) ''Lower''
12.7 mm +9 mm ''Upper''
| 9.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 25.4 mm (25-36°) ''Turret front'' <br> 25.4 mm (22-53°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25.4 mm (3-6°) || 25.4 mm || 9.5 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''<br>

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, the bogies and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armor is 12.7 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=297|rbMinHp=170}}

Aside from its small size, the M22's next famous value is its speed as a light tank. This allows the light tank to zip across the battlefield, possible getting to locations that can annoy enemies like a locust.

In Arcade Battles, be wary of going too fast with the enhanced engine power, especially on paved roads, as it could put the M22 in a speed the transmission would not be able to steer properly without "snaking" the tank. Another worst case scenario is running full speed into an immovable object, which can disable certain components or even flat out knock out the tank.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M6 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.5 || 27.0 || 32.8 || 36.3 || 38.6 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 12.2 || 14.4 || 17.4 || 19.3 || 20.5
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M6 (37 mm)/Ammunition|M74B1, M63 shell, M51B1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full<br>ammo
! 1st<br>rack empty
! 2nd<br>rack empty
! 3rd<br>rack empty
! Visual<br>discrepancy
|-
|| '''50''' || 39 ''(+11)'' || 25 ''(+25)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
Note:

* Racks disappear after firing all the shells in the rack.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


Perhaps the best word to describe this tank is "tiny". Along the [[ASU-57]] and the [[L3/33 CC]], the M22 belongs to the smallest ground vehicles in the game. This is a pro and a con, which we will cover in a second. The Locust is a light tank and thus is never really meant to go up against other tanks in the game, though in down tiers might be able to take a hit with low caliber AP. This severely limits the opponents the Locust {{PAGENAME}} are able to face against "fairly". The Locust's small size also means the crew is compacted into a small area and a crew knock-out is very easy to achieve, so in order to beat the odds, some trickery has to be put into play...

;Run and Gun

The Locust is really fast (although it might be hard to handle at its max speed), use this advantage to get to favorable positions or the flanks of the enemy. The tiny size of the tank helps by presenting a smaller target to the enemy and allows the usage of smaller cover that could not be typically used by an average tank of the rank. With fast maneuvering and sneaky movements across terrains, the Locust can cross the battlefield quickly and carry out sharp strikes against the enemy. A skilled player can swiftly move from one capture point to another, destroy any opposition there, and capture the point.

;Get in Close

The riskier tactic, which would work if done well, is to just get right up onto the enemy tank. Again the Locust is tiny and this could make it easier to be knocked out, but that also means the Locust can exploit some of the other tanks weaknesses, like their gun depression—notably early Soviet tanks and taller German ones (when facing an up-tier). Get up right on that tank, point blank on the sides where some enemies will not be able to even move their gun down to hit the Locust if it stays close to them. Also remember that the Locust's 37 mm gun has an impressive reload of about 3 seconds. Use this advantage to find weak points on their side or rear armor and score a subsequent knockout. However, Locust players must be careful as sometimes the enemy tank may move in a way that forces the Locust into their crosshairs or into other enemies' guns to take out the Locust as its attacking. The Locust players must also be careful to not accidentally destroy themselves by being too close to the tank when it explodes (if the enemy catches on fire.)

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Enormous hp/ton ratio, allowing fast acceleration
* Great speeds across flat terrain
* Extremely low profile; tanks without a lot of gun depression can't shoot at the Locust at close range
* Locust is shorter than the hulls of many tanks, so many opponents may not even be able to aim at the Locust if it's close enough
* The gun has no trouble penetrating tanks at its BR range
* Easy to turn a complete 180° at low speed and at a stop

'''Cons:'''

* High acceleration and speed make tank handling rather difficult unless familiar with specs
* Handling becomes sluggish at higher speeds, noticeably in 3<sub>rd</sub> Gear
* Small crew of 3 confined in tiny space, no spare crew members to take over incapacitated ones, a penetrating shot can take out two of them easily
* Weak armour; will only stop 12.7 mm rounds, and sometimes not even
* Due to its low suspension, it may get stuck in the soft or uneven ground
* Strange driving issue, in arcade mode, that causes the Locust to shudder, wobble, and not accelerate at a constant rate
* Doesn't have explosive filler for the 37 mm shells

== History ==

===Development===
The development of this tank began in late 1941 as a request from the British military for an airmobile light tank that could travel on a glider. The British airborne forces used gliders as a mean to transport troops and equipment, and by 1941 the gliders were rated to be able to carry a tank weighing about 5.5 tons in a 300 to 350-mile flight. The British had a light tank design, the [[Tetrarch_Mk_I|Mk. VII Tetrarch]], but it was not built for the focus of airborne operations so the request was made for a purely-built airborne light tank to replace the Tetrarch, and for the tank to be made not in Britain due to constraints in industrial capacity.

The request to the Americans called for a tank weighing between 9-10 tons with a 37 mm cannon and a coaxial machine gun with a crew of three. The tank was to have a maximum speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) and could operate in a 320 km radius (200 miles). The turret and front armour thickness were to be between 40-50 mm and the sides 30 mm thick. US Ordnance Department requested three companies, General Motors, J. Walter Christie, and Marmon-Herrington to design a suitable tank, of which the Marmon-Herrington design was accepted. The design was made into a prototype in late 1941 and was designated the ''Light Tank T9''. This design had a crew of three and weighed 7.4 tons, with a 37 mm gun and coaxial machine gun, plus two more machine guns on the right side of the bow. The turret was powered and had a gun stabilizer. The tank was powered by a 162 hp six-cylinder Lycoming engine and the armour thickness was 12.5 mm on the entire hull side of the tank while the sloped area on the sides of the hull was 9.5 mm thick. The tank could go up to 40 mph (64 km/h) with the engine. The T9 was built to be mounted on a Douglas C-54 Skymaster plane, but it could still fit into a glider due to its dimensions and weight. The tank underwent a few changes, such as improvement in the tank suspension and removal of the two machine guns on the bow, the gun stabilizer, and the power traverse on the turret to reduce the weight. The result was designated the ''Light Tank T9E1''. Production was meant to start somewhere in 1942, but issues in the design change and factories caused the production to be delayed until April 1943. The tanks were produced from then until 1945, with a total unit of 830.

The tank was specified the '''Light Tank M22''' at some time in 1943, but this classified it as a "limited standard" equipment due to some faults discovered. Testings showed that loading the M22 tank on a C-54 plane required lots of time and complex equipment, plus the plane had to be landed on an airfield to be unloaded. The durability and reliability of the M22 were also brought into question, concerned that these factors would make it unsuitable for airborne operations and that the design was effectively obsolete. The M22 never saw service in American combat units except for training, and even with the establishment of two units with the M22s, they saw no combat due to America's lack of investment in airborne tanks. The British on the other hand believed that the M22 would be adequate at its role so adopted it as the '''Locust''', giving the name '''Light Tank M22 Locust''' to the tank.

===Combat usage===
The British usage in World War II had the airborne light tanks used in 1st and 6th Airborne Division as the Light Tank 'C' Squadron. Although the M22 Locust started replacing the Tetrarch before the initiation of Operation Overlord, the Tetrarch was still used until October 1944, when a restructuring retired all Tetrarch and replaced them with Locusts. The 6th Airborne Division was involved in Operation Varsity in 1945, where eight Locusts were loaded onto Hamilcar gliders and flown to the battlefield on March 24. Of the eight Locusts sent, six landed intact, but two never reached their rendezvous point due to enemy action or mechanical breakdown. Of the four remaining Locusts, only two were undamaged at the rendezvous point. The tanks were deployed at a fortified area, where they engage German troops while being supported by an infantry company, the Locusts were forced to withdraw after the heavy losses in infantry denied them support. The four tanks and what is left of the infantry were finally relieved by the 44th Royal Tank Regiment and the rest of the 6th Airborne Division. Operation Varsity was the only operation the Locust would ever see action in World War II.

The M22 Locust, while serving rather well as an airborne tank, was reported to be obsolete by January 1946 by the War Office in Britain. New designs were to take over the Locust's role in the airborne formations. What's left of the Locusts in British inventory were given to foreign militaries. Belgium used some as command tanks in their armoured regiments. America received a few tanks back which was converted into agricultural tractors. Egypt used the Locusts in a large number to replace their ageing tank models from the interwar period, these saw service in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Today, sixteen M22 Locusts are known to have survived, though many have replica turrets. Of the batch, only three are known to be in running condition.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
In 1941 an airmobile light tank designated the T9 entered development, with three major companies assigned the project: Christie, GMC, and Marmon-Herrington. The design provided by Marmon-Herrington proved the winner, as it satisfied practically every client requirement.

Trials of the new tank began in the fall of 1941, and in November 1942 the third T9E2 pre-production prototype was built.

Production began in March 1943 and continued through February 1944. Marmon-Herrington assembled and delivered over the space of that year 830 of the 1,800 tanks ordered. The first 26 had a box-shaped compartment for the driver, though it was removed for subsequent models. The frontal plate was then made from a single piece.

The tank was designated the M22 beginning September 1944, though the lack of heavy transport planes in the American army kept it out of the war.

The UK acquired 260 M22s via Lend-Lease, referring to them as Locusts. The British liked the tank thanks to its good mobility, small size, and reasonable weight. Its weak armament and armour, which was no thicker than 25 mm, were considered drawbacks. Some 37 mm cannons were equipped with Littlejohn adaptors, which were designed to boost initial velocity with special shells.

The M22 only saw combat in 1945. Its biggest battle was Operation Varsity, when 12 tanks were flown in using Hamilcar gliders on March 22, 1945. Some M22s may have taken part in the 1944 Normandy invasion.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m22_locust Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|YuBjyMQLRy0|'''Airmobile tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:43 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|Cdd0WWkWvRE|'''Tank Chat #87''' - ''Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Tetrarch Mk I]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/716|[Devblog] Developers about the M22]]
* [[wikipedia:M22_Locust|[Wikipedia] M22 Locust]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/us/light-tank-airborne-m22-locust <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Light Tank (Airborne) M22 Locust]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=252 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> M22 Locust (Light Tank, Airborne, M22)]
* [http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers.html <nowiki>[The Shadock]</nowiki> Surviving M22 Locusts]

{{TankManufacturer Marmon-Herrington}}
{{USA light tanks}}

M22

2023-01-24T18:50:50Z

U137178244: /* Usage in battles */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m22_locust
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. One of the tiniest tanks in the game, the Locust is able to manoeuvre some of the smaller areas on the battlefield to get a clean shot on an opponent.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


Outside of heavy machine guns and autocannon rounds firing at a bad angle-of-attack, the M22's armour offers very little ballistic protection against the standard kinetic shells encountered. With only three men in the tank clumped together around the center, a single penetrating shot through the centre is bound to knock out two or more crew member and leave the tank immobile or incapacitated.

Aircraft coming in at certain angles can possess the necessary penetration values to utterly shred apart the Locust, especially the thin roof armour of 9.5 mm at the turret and hull. However, an oblique angle towards the front armour is already enough to get through the sloped 12.7 mm armour plate present.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12.7 mm (64-65°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 25.4 mm (7-62°) ''Lower glacis'' <br> 25.4 mm (9-85°) ''Driver's port'' || 9.5 mm (34-51°) ''Top'' <br> 12.7 mm ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm (11-15°) ''Lower''
12.7 mm +9 mm ''Upper''
| 9.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 25.4 mm (25-36°) ''Turret front'' <br> 25.4 mm (22-53°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25.4 mm (3-6°) || 25.4 mm || 9.5 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''<br>

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, the bogies and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=297|rbMinHp=170}}

Aside from its small size, the M22's next famous value is its speed as a light tank. This allows the light tank to zip across the battlefield, possible getting to locations that can annoy enemies like a locust.

In Arcade Battles, be wary of going too fast with the enhanced engine power, especially on paved roads, as it could put the M22 in a speed the transmission would not be able to steer properly without "snaking" the tank. Another worst case scenario is running full speed into an immovable object, which can disable certain components or even flat out knock out the tank.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M6 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.5 || 27.0 || 32.8 || 36.3 || 38.6 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 12.2 || 14.4 || 17.4 || 19.3 || 20.5
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M6 (37 mm)/Ammunition|M74B1, M63 shell, M51B1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full<br>ammo
! 1st<br>rack empty
! 2nd<br>rack empty
! 3rd<br>rack empty
! Visual<br>discrepancy
|-
|| '''50''' || 39 ''(+11)'' || 25 ''(+25)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
Note:

* Racks disappear after firing all the shells in the rack.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


Perhaps the best word to describe this tank is "tiny". Along the [[ASU-57]] and the [[L3/33 CC]], the M22 belongs to the smallest ground vehicles in the game. This is a pro and a con, which we will cover in a second. The Locust is a light tank and thus is never really meant to go up against other tanks in the game, though in down tiers might be able to take a hit with low caliber AP. This severely limits the opponents the Locust {{PAGENAME}} are able to face against "fairly". The Locust's small size also means the crew is compacted into a small area and a crew knock-out is very easy to achieve, so in order to beat the odds, some trickery has to be put into play...

;Run and Gun

The Locust is really fast (although it might be hard to handle at its max speed), use this advantage to get to favorable positions or the flanks of the enemy. The tiny size of the tank helps by presenting a smaller target to the enemy and allows the usage of smaller cover that could not be typically used by an average tank of the rank. With fast maneuvering and sneaky movements across terrains, the Locust can cross the battlefield quickly and carry out sharp strikes against the enemy. A skilled player can swiftly move from one capture point to another, destroy any opposition there, and capture the point.

;Get in Close

The riskier tactic, which would work if done well, is to just get right up onto the enemy tank. Again the Locust is tiny and this could make it easier to be knocked out, but that also means the Locust can exploit some of the other tanks weaknesses, like their gun depression—notably early Soviet tanks and taller German ones (when facing an up-tier). Get up right on that tank, point blank on the sides where some enemies will not be able to even move their gun down to hit the Locust if it stays close to them. Also remember that the Locust's 37 mm gun has an impressive reload of about 3 seconds. Use this advantage to find weak points on their side or rear armor and score a subsequent knockout. However, Locust players must be careful as sometimes the enemy tank may move in a way that forces the Locust into their crosshairs or into other enemies' guns to take out the Locust as its attacking. The Locust players must also be careful to not accidentally destroy themselves by being too close to the tank when it explodes (if the enemy catches on fire.)

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Enormous hp/ton ratio, allowing fast acceleration
* Great speeds across flat terrain
* Extremely low profile; tanks without a lot of gun depression can't shoot at the Locust at close range
* Locust is shorter than the hulls of many tanks, so many opponents may not even be able to aim at the Locust if it's close enough
* The gun has no trouble penetrating tanks at its BR range
* Easy to turn a complete 180° at low speed and at a stop

'''Cons:'''

* High acceleration and speed make tank handling rather difficult unless familiar with specs
* Handling becomes sluggish at higher speeds, noticeably in 3<sub>rd</sub> Gear
* Small crew of 3 confined in tiny space, no spare crew members to take over incapacitated ones, a penetrating shot can take out two of them easily
* Weak armour; will only stop 12.7 mm rounds, and sometimes not even
* Due to its low suspension, it may get stuck in the soft or uneven ground
* Strange driving issue, in arcade mode, that causes the Locust to shudder, wobble, and not accelerate at a constant rate
* Doesn't have explosive filler for the 37 mm shells

== History ==

===Development===
The development of this tank began in late 1941 as a request from the British military for an airmobile light tank that could travel on a glider. The British airborne forces used gliders as a mean to transport troops and equipment, and by 1941 the gliders were rated to be able to carry a tank weighing about 5.5 tons in a 300 to 350-mile flight. The British had a light tank design, the [[Tetrarch_Mk_I|Mk. VII Tetrarch]], but it was not built for the focus of airborne operations so the request was made for a purely-built airborne light tank to replace the Tetrarch, and for the tank to be made not in Britain due to constraints in industrial capacity.

The request to the Americans called for a tank weighing between 9-10 tons with a 37 mm cannon and a coaxial machine gun with a crew of three. The tank was to have a maximum speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) and could operate in a 320 km radius (200 miles). The turret and front armour thickness were to be between 40-50 mm and the sides 30 mm thick. US Ordnance Department requested three companies, General Motors, J. Walter Christie, and Marmon-Herrington to design a suitable tank, of which the Marmon-Herrington design was accepted. The design was made into a prototype in late 1941 and was designated the ''Light Tank T9''. This design had a crew of three and weighed 7.4 tons, with a 37 mm gun and coaxial machine gun, plus two more machine guns on the right side of the bow. The turret was powered and had a gun stabilizer. The tank was powered by a 162 hp six-cylinder Lycoming engine and the armour thickness was 12.5 mm on the entire hull side of the tank while the sloped area on the sides of the hull was 9.5 mm thick. The tank could go up to 40 mph (64 km/h) with the engine. The T9 was built to be mounted on a Douglas C-54 Skymaster plane, but it could still fit into a glider due to its dimensions and weight. The tank underwent a few changes, such as improvement in the tank suspension and removal of the two machine guns on the bow, the gun stabilizer, and the power traverse on the turret to reduce the weight. The result was designated the ''Light Tank T9E1''. Production was meant to start somewhere in 1942, but issues in the design change and factories caused the production to be delayed until April 1943. The tanks were produced from then until 1945, with a total unit of 830.

The tank was specified the '''Light Tank M22''' at some time in 1943, but this classified it as a "limited standard" equipment due to some faults discovered. Testings showed that loading the M22 tank on a C-54 plane required lots of time and complex equipment, plus the plane had to be landed on an airfield to be unloaded. The durability and reliability of the M22 were also brought into question, concerned that these factors would make it unsuitable for airborne operations and that the design was effectively obsolete. The M22 never saw service in American combat units except for training, and even with the establishment of two units with the M22s, they saw no combat due to America's lack of investment in airborne tanks. The British on the other hand believed that the M22 would be adequate at its role so adopted it as the '''Locust''', giving the name '''Light Tank M22 Locust''' to the tank.

===Combat usage===
The British usage in World War II had the airborne light tanks used in 1st and 6th Airborne Division as the Light Tank 'C' Squadron. Although the M22 Locust started replacing the Tetrarch before the initiation of Operation Overlord, the Tetrarch was still used until October 1944, when a restructuring retired all Tetrarch and replaced them with Locusts. The 6th Airborne Division was involved in Operation Varsity in 1945, where eight Locusts were loaded onto Hamilcar gliders and flown to the battlefield on March 24. Of the eight Locusts sent, six landed intact, but two never reached their rendezvous point due to enemy action or mechanical breakdown. Of the four remaining Locusts, only two were undamaged at the rendezvous point. The tanks were deployed at a fortified area, where they engage German troops while being supported by an infantry company, the Locusts were forced to withdraw after the heavy losses in infantry denied them support. The four tanks and what is left of the infantry were finally relieved by the 44th Royal Tank Regiment and the rest of the 6th Airborne Division. Operation Varsity was the only operation the Locust would ever see action in World War II.

The M22 Locust, while serving rather well as an airborne tank, was reported to be obsolete by January 1946 by the War Office in Britain. New designs were to take over the Locust's role in the airborne formations. What's left of the Locusts in British inventory were given to foreign militaries. Belgium used some as command tanks in their armoured regiments. America received a few tanks back which was converted into agricultural tractors. Egypt used the Locusts in a large number to replace their ageing tank models from the interwar period, these saw service in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Today, sixteen M22 Locusts are known to have survived, though many have replica turrets. Of the batch, only three are known to be in running condition.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
In 1941 an airmobile light tank designated the T9 entered development, with three major companies assigned the project: Christie, GMC, and Marmon-Herrington. The design provided by Marmon-Herrington proved the winner, as it satisfied practically every client requirement.

Trials of the new tank began in the fall of 1941, and in November 1942 the third T9E2 pre-production prototype was built.

Production began in March 1943 and continued through February 1944. Marmon-Herrington assembled and delivered over the space of that year 830 of the 1,800 tanks ordered. The first 26 had a box-shaped compartment for the driver, though it was removed for subsequent models. The frontal plate was then made from a single piece.

The tank was designated the M22 beginning September 1944, though the lack of heavy transport planes in the American army kept it out of the war.

The UK acquired 260 M22s via Lend-Lease, referring to them as Locusts. The British liked the tank thanks to its good mobility, small size, and reasonable weight. Its weak armament and armour, which was no thicker than 25 mm, were considered drawbacks. Some 37 mm cannons were equipped with Littlejohn adaptors, which were designed to boost initial velocity with special shells.

The M22 only saw combat in 1945. Its biggest battle was Operation Varsity, when 12 tanks were flown in using Hamilcar gliders on March 22, 1945. Some M22s may have taken part in the 1944 Normandy invasion.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m22_locust Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|YuBjyMQLRy0|'''Airmobile tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:43 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|Cdd0WWkWvRE|'''Tank Chat #87''' - ''Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Tetrarch Mk I]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/716|[Devblog] Developers about the M22]]
* [[wikipedia:M22_Locust|[Wikipedia] M22 Locust]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/us/light-tank-airborne-m22-locust <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Light Tank (Airborne) M22 Locust]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=252 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> M22 Locust (Light Tank, Airborne, M22)]
* [http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers.html <nowiki>[The Shadock]</nowiki> Surviving M22 Locusts]

{{TankManufacturer Marmon-Herrington}}
{{USA light tanks}}