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M-24 Chaffee Light Tank

Shawn Enloe shares with us a walk around of an M-24 Chaffee Light Tank located at the Fort Lewis Military Museum, in Washington State. Museum and which is open to the public.

The M24 Chaffee was intended to replace the ageing and obsolete Light Tank M5 Stuart which was used in supplementary roles. The first 34 M24s reached Europe in November 1944 and were issued to the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Battalion and F Company, 42nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Battalion which each received seventeen M24s. During the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, these units and their new tank were rushed to the southern sector; two of the M24s were detached to serve with the 740th Tank Battalion of the U.S. First Army. The M24 started to enter widespread issue in December 1944 but they were slow in reaching the frontline combat units.