M24

M24

M5A1

M18 GMC

M24

M5A1

M18 GMC

USA

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.3	3.7	3.7

Class:

Light tank

Research:11 000

Purchase:22 000

This page is about the American light tank M24. For other uses, see M24 (Family).

Description

The Light Tank M24 Chaffee is a rank II American light tank with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB) and 3.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced along with the rest of the initial American ground tree in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals". The M24 Chaffee is a big improvement over the American light tank path from the Stuart tanks, presenting a better driving handling and a 75 mm gun.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

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

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	25.4 mm (60°) Front glacis 25.4 mm (44°) Lower glacis	25.4 mm (13°) Front 12.7 mm (13°) Rear	12.7 mm (71-74°) Top 19 mm (1-43°) Bottom	12.7 mm
Turret	38.1 mm (8-40°) Turret front 38.1 mm (1-45°) Gun mantlet	25.4 mm (17-26°)	25.4 mm	12.7 mm
Armour	Sides	Roof
Cupola	38.1 mm	38.1 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
• Gun barrel is 20 mm thick.
• Gun breech is 300 mm thick in structural steel

Mobility

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	63	26	18.4	459	565	24.95	30.71
Realistic	57	24		262	296	14.24	16.09

Armaments

Main armament

The tank offers the 75 mm M6 gun, which only differs from the M4/M4A1 Sherman's 75 mm M3 gun with its slower reloading rate due to the smaller confines of the M24 Chaffee. The shells come in handy for certain tanks; they generally penetrate armour very well. It is rare to experience a ricochet or be to unable to penetrate any armour.

75 mm M6
Capacity				Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
48				-10°/+15°	±180°
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade	14.28	19.80	24.0	26.60	28.20
Realistic	14.28	16.80	20.4	22.60	24.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
8.45	7.47	6.89	6.50

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration in mm @ 90°
		10m	100m	500m	1000m	1500m	2000m
M72 shot	AP	90	88	78	66	57	49
M48 shell	HE	10	10	10	10	10	10
M61 shot	APCBC	101	99	88	76	66	57

Shell details
Ammunition	Velocity in m/s	Projectile Mass in kg	Fuse delay in m:	Fuse sensitivity in mm:	Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):	Normalization At 30° from horizontal:	Ricochet:
							0%	50%	100%
M72 shot	619	6.3	N/A	N/A	N/A	-1°	47°	60°	65°
M48 shell	463	6.3	0.4	0.5	666	+0°	79°	80°	81°
M61 shot	618	6.8	1.2	20	63.7	+4°	48°	63°	71°

Smoke characteristic
Ammunition	Velocity in m/s	Projectile Mass in kg	Screen radius in m	Screen time in s	Screen hold time in s:	Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):
M89	381	6.9	13	5	20	50

• M61 shells are for:
  

Heavy tanks like KV-1 (L-11)s and KV-2s or possibly Shermans if in a mixed game. Medium tanks with applique armour such as the Panzer III Ausf. M and etc.

• M72 shells are for:
  

Medium tanks and Light tanks like Panzer III Ausf. J1 or the T-50.

Ammo racks

Ammo rack of the M24 Chaffee

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	Visual discrepancy
48	25 (+23)	1 (+47)	No

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB
Pintle mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
1,000 (200)				576	-10°/+70°	±60°

7.62 mm M1919A4
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
1,800 (250)				500	N/A	N/A

Usage in the battles

The M24 Chaffee is a very good tank with a fairly interesting play style. Instead of being permanently stationed at a single point and continuously firing at an enemy, this tank offers impressive manoeuvrability and speed which allows it to perform impressive flanking manoeuvres. The M24 can travel at around 38 km/h forward and -25 km/h backwards. Its reverse speed is very good if a quick getaway by going backwards is needed. Thus, this tank excels at "peek-a-boo" tactics in which one hides behind a rock or other large piece of cover and repeatedly inches out to fire at an enemy.

An extension of this "peek-a-boo" tactic is to also use the tank's mobility for "scoot-and-shoot" tactics by firing and then moving to another firing location so as to prevent enemy tanks and tank destroyers from accurately guessing range. This can be difficult, however, as you must be very versed in your own tank's ballistics to make shots as you will have to estimate range on the fly. Don't think this means firing on the move - if you are going faster than 16 km/h (10 mph), the stabilizer will not allow for accurate shots, and it is only a vertical stabilizer.

Do not: Continuously shoot at a tank without backing up/moving. The vehicle's armour is very thin and will most likely be destroyed if it stays in one position and does not stop changing positions. Always try to get the first shot off in a head-on attack. Typically, the best shell to use is the M61 shell but it can also be beneficial to have M72 shells as well.

Another way to go around is to flank the enemy. If attacking with a more direct approach, keep hidden behind a building or boulder and pop out every now and then to take a shot at the enemy. Also, prioritize targets who are busy fighting others and cannot retaliate. Usually, after the first shot, it may disable their tank depending on what it is. Disabling the enemy tank's crew, tracks, engine, etc. allows for retaliation without the risk of any incoming enemy shells.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	Horizontal Drive
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire	Airstrike	M61 Shot
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism	Smoke grenade
IV	Transmission	Engine		Artillery Support	Improved optics	M64

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Low profile
• The best cannon for light tanks in its rank
• Very agile
• Very fast reverse, thanks to the 4-speed reverse gear
• Fast turret traverse
• Equipped with a vertical plane stabilizer, allowing for more accurate shots on the move or shoot-n-scoot tactics
• Pintle mounted HMG allows for air defence and destruction of thin-skinned vehicles
• Smoke grenade launcher and smoke shells for self defense and team support
• Effective even in uptiers if used for flanking shots or hunting soft targets

Cons:

• Thin armour on all sides
• Low ammo count can be a problem in long games or RB/SB matches
• Vulnerable to nearby explosions
• Reload is quite slow for its calibre

History

Development

As early as 1942, the light tanks M3 and M5 Stuart have been seen as severely lacking in the modernizing design of tanks and how they fight. The armour was seen as insufficient and the 37 mm gun was also deemed useless against even the standard German tanks like the Panzer III and Panzer IV. The system needed an upgrade, specifically a light tank that mounts the 75 mm gun seen on the Shermans. An attempt to mount a 75 mm gun on a Stuart was deemed inefficient as it reduced ammo stowage and left the armour too thin on the design.

In April 1943, the U.S. Ordnance Department worked with Cadillac to start on a project for the new light tank, designated Light Tank T24. The powertrain and transmission of the M5 Stuart were used with the ultimate goal of producing a vehicle weighing less than 20 tons. This left the vehicle with relatively thin armour to stay lightweight. At the time, a lighter 75 mm gun was developed for mounting on the B-25 Mitchell bomber without sacrificing performance, and this was mounted onto the light tank in development. The tank used 410 mm wide tracks with a torsion bar suspension that greatly improves cross-country travel. The engine was a Cadillac 44T24 V-8 petrol engine. The chassis was designed with the expectation that it would be used as a basis of many different vehicle roles so it was called the "Light Combat Team". The light tank end design had a low profile at 9 ft. 1 in. height and featuring a crew of five with a three-man turret, an improvement over the two-man turrets of the Stuarts. The first finished vehicle arrived on October 15, 1943, and was deemed a success, starting a contract for 1,000 units that was later raised to 5,000 units. The vehicle was classified as the Light Tank M24 and as the Chaffee by the British after US General Adna R. Chaffee, Jr., who helped develop some of America's earliest tank designs. The vehicle was produced by Cadillac and Massey-Harris from April 1944 to August 1945 with a total of 4,731 units produced.

Combat usage

The first batch of M24s reached the battlefields of Europe in November of 1944 and first assigned to the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Group in France. The M24 gradually entered widespread use by December 1944, some Chaffees went to the British to replace their Stuart tanks as well. The M24s were first used in the Battle of the Bulge with the 2nd and 42nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron sent to support the southern sector of the battle. The Chaffees were slow to enter use in the front-lines as even by the end of the war, some armoured division did not have the M24 light tanks. Despite that, the reception of the Chaffee was positive even though it may not have the firepower to fight the better German tanks like the Panther tanks. The 75 mm gun gave the crew much more firepower than the earlier 37 mm. The light armour, though allowing the tank to pick up speed, was penetrable by most anti-tank weapons in service by Germany. The effect of the M24 Chaffee in World War II was deemed insignificant as it was not used in great numbers in comparison to the Stuarts in service since the start of the war.

The M24 Chaffee served a greater role in the Korean War and were sent in large numbers to combat the North Korean Armoured Forces, however, they were severely under-gunned with their 75 mm cannon and the light armour was easily destroyed by the Soviet-supplied T-34-85 tanks. Plus, the deficiency in crew training also contributed to the poor performance of the M24 against the North Koreans. Due to their inferiority, they were used as a delaying measure until better tanks like the M4A3E8 Shermans and M26 Pershings could be brought in. Once with supports with these better tanks, the Chaffees were relegated to reconnaissance roles, where they served with better results.

The M24, after being replaced in America by the M41 Walker Bulldog, was sent to many other countries for use. The French Army deployed the M24s during their fighting in Indochina and famously in the Battle for Dien Bien Phu. Some M24s went to the hands of the ARVN in South Vietnam to support the troops during the Vietnam War. The Pakistani Army used them as well in 1971 against India during the Indo-Pakistani War. The M24 Chaffee was also adapted in different roles by using the chassis for different designs, such as the M19 TGMC anti-air gun and self-propelled guns with the M37 105 mm HMC and M41 155 mm HMC.

The Chaffee had turned out to be one of the greatest light tanks the Allies developed during World War II. Though arriving too late to be a main turning factor for the war, the design has turned out to be so reliable that some countries like Uruguay still operate modernized versions. Austria has since retired its M24 fleet, but their turrets still serve on as bunkers.

In-game description

"The experience of the M3 and M5 light tanks in the western desert proved that the era of light tanks with angular bodies and vertical suspension had come to a close. In 1943 work began on a completely new tank with the popular Hydromatic transmission and a carburetor engine made by Cadillac. The assignment, outside of strengthening the armament, was to keep the maximum weight below 18 short tons. As a result, a new hull with heavily sloped armor plates was developed. The turret gained a streamlined look with 37 mm armor.

The running gear was made up of five rubber-coated weight-bearing wheels and three supporting rollers in addition to forward, leading, and rear guiding wheels. The tank's main gun was a 75 mm M6 cannon with anti-recoil mechanisms around the barrel, something that made it much smaller. The tanks were fitted with coaxial and bow-mounted 7.62 mm machine guns.

The first T24 light tank prototype entered trials in October 1943. It turned out to be such a success that 1,000 units were quickly ordered, a number that later jumped to 5,000. Production took place at Cadillac and Massay-Harris factories, where 4,415 tanks were assembled between March 1944 and October 1945. The T24 was officially accepted two months after full-scale production began, receiving a new M24 designation. It entered combat in fall 1944 and was the American army's primary light tank through the end of the war.

The tanks sent to the UK via Lend-Lease were referred to as Chaffees.

The successful tank had a long career, fighting in the Korean, First Indochina, Vietnam, and Third Indo-Pakistani wars."

Media

Skins and camouflages for the Chaffee from live.warthunder

Read also

Official War Thunder forum article: [Vehicle Profile] M24 Chaffee

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.