The M24 light tank was one of the finest tank designs to come out of the WWII period. And yet, such was the speed of technological advances and changes in tactics that in just a few years this excellent light tank had been bypassed by even more advanced designs, just as the late war F7F Tigercat and F8F Bearcat arrived too late for WWII and were obsolete just a very few years later. The impetus for designing a new light tank during the war came from the realisation that the pre-war designs had reached the end of their developmental lives. The M3 and M5/M5A1 light tanks had been a central part of American armoured tactics from the 1930s. The light tanks were considered part of a combined offensive, serving as breakthrough manoeuvring forces and supporting attacks by the heavier tanks to follow the initial assaults. However, events in North Africa soon proved that the US light tanks (and indeed the light tanks of all countries) were unable to withstand enemy anti-tank fire, and their 37mm main guns were also ineffective against most enemy combat vehicles. Light tank losses increased and crew losses were even worse, as damaged tanks could be rebuilt, but wounded or killed crews had to be replaced.
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