[?] Does anyone know if anyone makes or has made a U.S. M-2 tank ? I bought a new book," TANKS ". It looks like a very interesting piece,Having ! small gun [37mm maybe] .But what really stands out is it’s 8 machine guns,4 of which face the stern !!! The book only had 2 pages & nodata about it.I’m guessing it was an early wwll prototype.Any help would be appreciated. Semper fi , rudedog
No kits of it that I know of. It was a pre-WWII design that saw limited use in the Pacific. Here is a bunch of info on it though.
Looks as though it is the same basic chassis as the M3 Stuart. Doesn’t look too hard to convert it from one.
Once upon a time Commander Models did either a resin conversion or a complete resin kit. It was 2001 when a friend showed me his. He paid around $100 for the model. It is out of production now. I’ve got photos of a restored one from Aberdeen Proving Grounds. I’ll reload the photos into my gallery someday.
The M2A4 light tank actually saw combat with the Marines in the Pacific. The M2 was develped when the infantry owned the tanks. US philosopy was that tanks supported infantry and tank destroyers killed tanks. The 37mm was the standard US anti-tank gun when this tank was developed. It was the pre-cursor to the M3 Lee medium tank.
Edit: Gino’s photo above is of the M2 light tank, the predecessor to the M3 Stuart. The M2 medium tank is larger with a third set of bogies per side and was the predecessor to the M3 Lee.
Thanks guys.I had a feeling arty would know.I gather he spent a few years in BDU’s
His info is on the US M2 light tank, a different vehicle than the US M2 medium tank. I know there’s an M2 medium tank on display here at Ft. Knox and at APG.
Rob has seen a few more years in BDUs (and green pickle suits [:D]) than me. His info on the M2 Medium is correct. It just depends on which version of M2 tank you are talking about. The numbering system before and early on in WWII was confusing for just that matter. There was an M2 Light Tank, M2 Medium Tank, M2 Halftrack, etc., etc. I missed the Medium part in the title and thought you were looking for info on the M2 Light Tank.
I have that book too,and I hate it since all it does is make me want more kits for models I don’t have yet [:(] (j-k).
One unusual feature about it is that taking the Sherman, for instance, it looks as though they are just giving it a “brush” and then further along they wind up doing a complete “centerfold feature” on it, kind like the special featured tanks were afterthought or something [%-)]
That and the fact that for nearly all “non-featured” tanks, they don’t have a nice color plate for each one in order to help with painting/finishing a kit, etc.
On the other hand, it is an excellent source for data and trivia [;)]
Tom T [C):-)]
I’ve never seen nor heard of any kits of that one. As you’re looking at photos of it, its ancestry to the M3 medium (AKA Lee) is pretty obvious. However, although M2 was the starting point for the M3, pretty much all the dimensions changed, so that even trying to kit bash Tamiya’s M3 would be end up being more of a complete scratch-build than anything else.
Andy
Hi Andy:
As Rob earlier noted, Commander Series Models produced a resin kit of the M2 Medium tank. It’s a full kit and not a conversion for the Tamiya M3, if I recall correctly. I acquired one this year in a trade and it looks right, compared with photos and drawings in Hunnicutt’s “Sherman: A history of the US Medium Tank”. My sample was short shotted in the rear engine deck but otherwise it’s a straightforward build. I’ll have to get lots of Karaya .30cal MG barrels for this one!
In the FSM Modeling The Second World War issue,[1995?] there is a pretty good article on converting a M3 Stuart into a Marine Corps M2A4. Pretty sharp article.
Howdy T26,
I guess I mis-read Rob’s post, thinking that the Commander Models kit was for the M2 light tank. Congratulations of your acquisition of one. It should make a unique addition to your display case. It’s kind of an odd duck as far as armor goes, but should make a totally off-the-wall model!
Andy
Ed,I tried your e-mail & it got kicked back to me.Yes,I would like to see your Aberdeen pix,if it’s not too much trouble. Thanks a bunch,rudedog
Check your email.It’s definately not a problem.