Hi all,

A question for the WWII Allied experts.

I am currently rereading Rick Atkinson's excellent history of the Tunisian campaign 'An Army at Dawn'. There is a amazing account of a group of 17 US Army M3 Stuart light tanks stumbling upon and then overrunning a German airfield.

I would like to build a tank that participated in the battle, but I don't know where to start.

The tanks were from Company C of the 1st Bn./1st Armored Regt. (Part of Combat Command Blade)

This occurred in Nov 1942, would the tanks be M3 or a M3A1? Any suggestions on the kit I should buy and a source of the decals? I haven't had much luck finding pictures of US M3/M3A1 operating in Tunisia.

Thanks,
Nathan

Hi Nathan,

Love the Panzer Leader counter avatar! Many happy memories of playing it and Squad Leader. Just don't ask about the time I lost the game because my stack of Panthers failed to kill a stack of half tracks attacking down a road because I fired each Panther individually, and all missed!

Look at this U.S. Army color film: At the Front in North Africa 1943 US Army; World War II I recall there being Stuarts in it.

Here ARE Stuarts: http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/news-footage/mr_00071045

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH7JDPX2-jA

This is an imprecise statement but I recall USA M3s in Tunisia had the yellow ID bars and blue serials. Others on this site should be able to tell you more.

Thanks Fred, great clip, in color no less! The Stuart has the sponson mounted .30 cals and prominent commander's cupola, so I think that makes it an M3. Great footage! I see the yellow markings too.

-Nate