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the Allan Cors Collection
LOT 1407
Highly Desirable World War II U.S. M3A1 Stuart Light Tank, Class III/NFA Destructive Device - The U.S. M3A1 Stuart light tank is easily one of the most well known and iconic tanks of World War II, and offered here is a nice example that runs like a sewing machine! A reported 4,621 M3A1 Stuarts were manufactured
in total by American Car & Foundry Company (ACF) starting in May 1942, with the last M3A1 delivered in February 1943; of approximately 22,750 total Stuart tanks including combined production numbers of the M3 and M5 variants. Surviving M3A1 Stuarts left today are a very small fraction of that production total, with the few remaining examples residing in museum collections. Rock Island Auction Company is honored to be able to have the opportunity to offer this rare and immensely desirable U.S. M3A1 Stuart light tank for public sale.
The quick fall of France at the beginning of the war, due
to inadequate tactics, led the U.S. Army Corps to consider implementing new doctrine, which led to an independent U.S. armored force that had a main duty of scouting and screening. Production of the M3 Stuart light tank, an improvement on
the developmental M2 series, commenced in March 1941 was undertaken by the American Car & Foundry Company (ACF), with Cadillac and Massey-Harris also subsequently manufacturing Stuarts. The main variants of Stuart tanks used in service included the M3, M3A1, M3A3 and M5. M3 Stuart light tanks were initially deployed with the U.S. Army in the Philippines in September 1941, with early tank versus tank combat occurring on December 22, 1941 between five outnumbered Stuart tanks that put up a valiant fight against the Imperial Japanese Army Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks. The improved M3A1 Stuarts saw their first major campaign with U.S. troops in the North African invasion Operation Torch in November 1942.
Besides their known use by U.S. forces, Stuart Light Tanks were largely distributed to the British and Commonwealth forces as
well as Soviet Russia through the Lend-Lease program, with
the official designation “Stuart” originally given to them by the British in reference to Civil War Confederate general J.E.B. Stuart, also earning the nickname “Honey” due to their smooth ride. M3 Stuarts saw some of their earliest combat use in the hands of the British Eighth Army during Operation Crusader in the North Africa Campaign between mid-November 1941 to December 30, 1941. Stuarts, with their 37mm main guns and .30 caliber Browning Machine Guns, were found to be effective against some of the light armored vehicles and Italian tanks, but were vulnerable to the larger artillery of the German tanks encountered, although Stuarts had similar armor and speed when compared with the Panzer
III and were still able to penetrate the front armor of one from beyond 1,000 meters. With their limitations in mind, Stuart tanks were still able to be used effectively, in which they performed reasonably well against Rommels forces due to their speed and reliability, with capability of about 30 mph in an offroad setting and 36 mph on road.
326 M3A1 Stuart Light Tank