The M22 Locust was a light tank developed and used by the Americans and British during World War II. It was only used once during the war: Operation Varsity. Eight of the 260 British M22 Locusts were deployed in Operation Varsity in the German towns of Hamminkeln and Wesel. Of these, only four reached the rendezvous point on high ground; two were damaged during landing and two others were damaged or destroyed in the fighting. After World War II, the Locust was quickly deemed obsolete and retired.
Development
Development of the M22 Locust began in 1941, when the US Army established its own airborne troops following the successes of the German and Soviet paratroopers. To effectively support these mobile units, an air-transportable light tank was required with a maximum weight of approximately 7,620 kg, enabling it to be deployed by aircraft or glider.
The contract went to Marmon-Herrington, which presented the first version, the "Light Tank T9," that same year. The T9 was designed for a crew of three, weighed approximately 6.7 tons, and was armed with a 37 mm cannon and a coaxial Browning M1919A4 machine gun in .30-06 caliber.
It was powered by a 162 hp Lycoming O-435T six-cylinder boxer engine, enabling a maximum speed of 64 km/h. The armor was very light, between 9.5 and 12.5 mm, which limited its self-protection.
Originally, the tank was intended to be transported under the fuselage of a Douglas C-54 Skymaster. This required the turret to be removable. However, this solution proved impractical. Later, the design was adapted to the British Hamilcar glider, which required, among other things, reinforced suspension and minor modifications. This increased the weight to approximately 7.05 tons.
In January 1942, further development began with the T9E1, whose turret was modified. The nose machine gun was removed, and the suspension was modified again to save weight. Even before the tests were completed, 500 T9 vehicles were ordered in April 1942. This number was later increased to 1,900 units. However, production problems, constant revisions, and skepticism about the tank's tactical utility delayed the start of series production until April 1943.
By February 1944, a total of 830 units had been produced: 260 British and 570 American. Although the M22 was used by British paratroopers in 1945 as part of Operation Varsity, it never fully won over the public: its weak armor, limited firepower, and lack of off-road capability made it vulnerable in combat.
T18 Cargo Carrier
A transport variant of the M22 Locust was also designed. This was called the T18 Cargo Carrier and was intended to tow ordnance such as the M2 105 mm or M3 105 mm or to transport other materials. The T18 was intended to land with transport gliders like the M22 and serve as ground support. Ultimately, the T18 was never produced in series, only a single prototype was built.
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity took place from March 24, 1945, to March 26, 1945, as a support operation for Operation Plunder. Its objective was to establish a bridgehead between the small German town of Hamminkeln and the larger town of Wesel, which lies on the Rhine, in order to facilitate the crossing of the river.
To achieve this, the Allies deployed the 6th British Airborne Division and the 17th US Airborne Division, using parachutes and gliders, in the area around the Diersfordt Forest, between the German villages of Mehrhoog and Diersfordt, the small town of Hamminkeln, and the town of Wesel.
In the run-up to Operation Varsity, the Allies intensively bombed Wesel and parts of the surrounding region from February 16 to 19, and again on March 23. As a result, Wesel was 97% destroyed, including most of its general infrastructure and railway. The Wehrmacht's 84th Infantry Division, stationed in the Wesel district at the time of Operation Varsity, had to defend two of the last remaining bridges over the Rhine, leaving no escape route as a result of the bombing. These bridges were finally blown up on March 10, 1945, by sappers of the 84th Infantry Division on the orders of German paratrooper and Luftwaffe General Alfred Schlemm.
After the heavy bombardment of what is now the Wesel district, the 84th Infantry Division entrenched itself in and around the Diersfordt Forest, including the town of Hamminkeln and its surrounding villages, to halt the Allied advance.
The airborne operation began on Saturday morning, March 24, 1945, at around 9:50 a.m., with the 507th US Parachute Regiment jumping over drop zone W near Flüren, although they accidentally landed near Diersfordt. Almost simultaneously, the British 3rd Airborne Brigade jumped from drop zone A, between Bergerfurth and Mehrhoog, north of the Diersfordt Forest.
This was followed by the British 5th Parachute Brigade, which jumped over drop zone B, northeast of the Diersfordt Forest, in the Hamminkeln districts of Hülshorst, Lichtenholz, and Kesseldorf. The American 513th Parachute Regiment missed its drop zone X and landed a little further northwest, on landing zones P and R, which had been intended for British gliders.
Finally, the British 6th Airborne Brigade landed by glider near Hamminkeln in landing zones O, U, R, and P. The eight M22 Locusts also landed there. However, four of them suffered severe damage to their landing gear, weapons, or other critical damage. Another M22 was destroyed by a German self-propelled gun, possibly a StuG III, and a second M22 broke down while attempting to tow a jeep. The remaining M22s were to support the infantry in capturing high ground. The cannon of one M22 was damaged, and the radio of another, but the attempt to hold the high ground was thwarted by German artillery fire. The remaining Locusts were forced to withdraw.
In addition, east of Wesel, in the area of Blumenkamp, Lackhausen, and Obrighoven, the 194th US Airborne Regiment landed in gliders on landing zone S.
Support troops from the 17th US Airborne Division landed in gliders on landing zone N in Hamminkeln's Heiderott and Butenfeld, as did the American 139th Airborne Pioneer Battalion. Fighting continued for several hours until the afternoon of March 24, when the attackers had broken the German resistance on and at the edge of the airborne zone. In the northern sector of the airborne area, there were isolated and smaller German counterattacks until the morning of March 25, but these were quickly repulsed.
By March 26, 1945, the Allies had captured 3,500 of the 8,000 German Wehrmacht soldiers involved in Operation Varsity. In total, 19,612 Allied soldiers had landed in Operation Varsity with cargo gliders or parachutes. After the Allied paratroopers secured the bridgehead, commandos of the First Commando Corps crossed the Rhine and fought their way to Friedrichsfeld (near Wesel), where they joined other Allied troops and carried out Operation Plunder. Every year, on the anniversary of Operation Varsity, survivors, and descendants of survivors meet in Hamminkeln to commemorate the fallen on both sides.
The Allies quickly realized that the M22 Locust was ineffective in Operation Varsity because it stood no chance against heavy armor or cannons. Its thin armor was too vulnerable to provide adequate support and cover for infantry. As a result, it was retired by both the British and Americans in 1946 and deemed obsolete.
Conclusion
The M22 proved to be a failure and outdated, a victim of its time. The technology needed to fully exploit the capabilities of an airmobile tank was not available in time for the outbreak of war. Although specifically developed for the M22 during the war, the Fairchild C-82 Packet was not operational until after the war's end.
Surprisingly, long after its abandonment by the US and British forces, the M22 saw renewed service with the Egyptian army in the 1948 Palestine War.
Despite its numerous failures, the M22 laid the foundation for future American airmobile tank projects. These included the M56 Scorpion and the M551 Sheridan.
Preserved Vehicles
Today, a few examples of the M22 Locust still survive, including those in the Bovington Tank Museum, the Dutch National Military Museum, and the U.S. Army Armored and Cavalry Collection.
Bovington Tank Museum
Dutch National Military Museum
U.S. Army Armored and Cavalry Collection
