The M24 Chaffee was an American heavy light of the Second World War. The first prototypes were built in 1943, and serial production was carried out in the period 1944-1945. In total, about 4,700 copies of this tank of all versions were built. The M24 Chaffee was powered by a double engine Cadillac Twin 44T24 with a total power of 220 HP . It was armed with a single 75mm M6 cannon, two 7.62mm Browning 1919A4 machine guns and a single 12.7mm Browning M2HB machine gun.
The M24 Chaffee was created as the successor to the M3 / M5 Stuart light tank series. In designing it, the emphasis was on stronger main armament (a 75mm gun instead of a 37mm gun), better shaped armor, greater off-road capability, and easier handling - especially in the engine compartment. During World War II, several specialized vehicles were built on the chassis of the M24 tank, including the M19 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun and the M41 Gorilla self-propelled howitzer. The first M24 Chaffee began to hit the line in mid-1944. They took part in the battles in Normandy, France and West Germany (1944-1945), but also in Italy in the period 1944-1945. After 1945, the M24 Chaffee was also exported to many countries, including Austria, Belgium, Chile, France, Greece and Pakistan. M24 took part in several conflicts after the end of World War II, including the Korean War (1950-1953), the war in Algeria (1954-1962) and Indochina (1945-1954).
