M24 (Japan)

▅M24

▅M4A3 (76) W

▅M24

▅M4A3 (76) W

Japan

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.3	3.7	3.7

Class:

Light tank

Research:18 000

Purchase:47 000

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This page is about the light tank M24 (Japan). For other variants, see M24 (Family).

Description

The Light Tank M24 SDF is a rank III Japanese light tank with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB) and 3.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced along with the initial Japanese Ground Forces tree in Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai". This Japanese vehicle is identical to the American M24 Chaffee.

General info

Survivability and armour

The M24 Chaffee has thin armour on all sides, and can only effectively resist machine gun fire or very low-penetrating guns like 20mm autocannon. Its crews are also very close to each other, increasing the chance of it getting one-shotted. The V-shaped gun mantlet might bounce some small caliber shells if you are lucky enough. However, don't rely on it as the rest of the tank is still poorly protected. Common guns like the 75mm M1 or 76mm F-34 / ZiS-5 can easily destroy the M24 with one shot.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour
• Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	25.4 mm (60°) Front glacis 25.4 mm (44°) Lower glacis	25.4 mm (13°) Front 12.7 mm (13°) Rear	12.7 mm (71-74°) Top 19 mm (1-43°) Bottom	12.7 mm
Turret	38.1 mm (8-40°) Turret front 38.1 mm (1-45°) Gun mantlet	25.4 mm (17-26°)	25.4 mm	12.7 mm
Armour	Sides	Roof
Cupola	38.1 mm	38.1 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
• Gun barrel is 20 mm thick.
• Gun breech is 300 mm thick in structural steel

Mobility

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	63	26	18.4	459	565	24.95	30.71
Realistic	57	24		262	296	14.24	16.09

The M24 (Japan) travels at an average of 40 km/h on/off-road which is the average light tank speed. It also responds fast when reversing. Thanks to its short and wide tracks it is able to turn quickly. However the acceleration is poor, making it to feel sluggish when performing short manoeuvres.

Armaments

Main armament

The 75 mm M6 gun has two types of AP, one HE and one smoke shell to choose from. The M61 shot, which is an APCBC, is generally better than the M72 AP. It has 63.7g explosives which brings a deadly blast once penetrated, has better penetration (104mm max) and it has a slightly lower chance of ricocheting. With the M61 shot, the Chaffee is able to one-shot plenty of tanks at its BR like the M4, T-34, Crusader or even the KV-1.

75 mm M6					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	48	-10°/+15°	±180°	Vertical	22.85	31.62	38.40	42.46	45.18	8.45	7.47	6.89	6.50
Realistic					14.28	16.80	20.40	22.56	24.00

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
M72 shot	AP	91	88	78	67	57	49
M48 shell	HE	10	10	10	10	10	10
M61 shot	APCBC	104	101	90	78	68	59

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M72 shot	AP	619	6.30	N/A	N/A	N/A	47°	60°	65°
M48 shell	HE	463	6.30	0.4	0.5	666	79°	80°	81°
M61 shot	APCBC	618	6.79	1.2	14.0	63.7	48°	63°	71°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
M64	381	6.9	13	5	20	50

• M61 shells are for:
  

Heavy tanks like KV-1 (L-11)s and KV-2s or possibly Shermans if in a mixed game. Medium tanks with applique armour such as the Panzer III Ausf. M and etc.

• M72 shells are for:
  

Medium tanks and Light tanks like Panzer III Ausf. J1 or the T-50.

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M24 (Japan)

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	Visual discrepancy
48	25 (+23)	1 (+47)	No

Machine guns

The two machine guns on the M24 Chaffee are the good old .50 cal M2HB and the 7.62 mm M1919A4. The roof-mounted .50 cal can traverse 360 degrees and has great depression & elevation, posting a big threat to any plane that is flying too close to the M24. It has an unbelievable penetration of 31mm at 10m, meaning it can easily penetrate plenty of lightly armoured vehicles and even the side of some low rank medium tanks. (eg. Sd.kfz.234 series, side of Pz.III / IV) The 7.62mm, on the other hand, can only efficiently damage exposed crews due to its low penetration.

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	1,000 (200)	577	-10°/+70°	±60°

7.62 mm M1919A4
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	1,800 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

The M24 (Japan) is a very good tank with a fairly interesting play style. Instead of being permanently stationed at a single point and continuously firing at an enemy, this tank offers impressive maneuverability and speed which allows it to perform impressive flanking maneuvers. The M24 can travel at around 38 km/h forward and -25 km/h backwards. Its reverse speed is very good if a quick getaway by going backwards is needed. Thus, this tank excels at "peek-a-boo" tactics in which one hides behind a rock or other large piece of cover and repeatedly inches out to fire at an enemy.

The tank offers a 75 mm M6 gun, which has a slower reload than the Sherman's 75mm M3 gun but is otherwise the same. Its shells come in handy for certain tanks; they generally penetrate armour very well. It is rare to experience a ricochet or be to unable to penetrate any armour.

Do not: Continuously shoot at a tank without backing up/moving. The vehicle's armour is very thin and will most likely be destroyed if it stays in one position and does not stop changing positions. Always try to get the first shot off in a head-on attack. Typically, the best shell to use is the M61 shell but it can also be beneficial to have M72 shells as well.

Another way to go around is to flank the enemy. If attacking with a more direct approach, keep hidden behind a building or boulder and pop out every now and then to take a shot at the enemy. Also, prioritize targets who are busy fighting others and cannot retaliate. Usually, after the first shot, it may disable their tank depending on what it is. Disabling the enemy tank's crew, tracks, engine, etc. allows for retaliation without the risk of any incoming enemy shells.

Enemies worth noting:

• Sd.Kfz.234 series (mixed battle): The M24, although agile, is still not the fastest tank at its rank. When your opposite team has Germany, you might want to reconsider the option of capping a point straight away, since the German Sd.Kfz.234 series are very likely to be there first. The Sd.Kfz.234/2 (also known as the Puma) is a turreted 8-wheel vehicle with a small profile, extremely high on-road speed and a powerful 50mm gun. But it cannot turn in place, has a very slow turret traverse and only 8mm of side hull armour, so a good tactic is to circle with it and utilise your stabiliser, fast turret and the piercing .50 cal. In an intense tank "dogfight", you might miss your shots. Don't worry, your reliable .50 cal got you! It can penetrate the sides, or even the front of the puma easily. The Sd.Kfz.234/3 and Sd.Kfz.234/4, although being equally deadly, are turretless. You can use some quick turns to avoid their guns or tear through the thin armour plate protecting their gunners with your .50 cal.

• KV-1, KV-1E, KV I C 756 (r) (mixed battle): The famous KV series can cause a bit of troubles too. They are well know for their well-protected hull and turrets. The M24 can manoeuvre to point-blank range, line up your gun so it's pointing dead flat at the armour and fire. The 104mm penetration of the M61 shell should punch a hole in the KV's armour with ease. If you are close enough but do not have the space to manoeuvre, shoot their gun barrel to prevent them from getting a shot off, then go for their turret ring or the vertical part on their gun mantlet, which is only 90mm. For the KV-1E, do not fire at its turret from the front and side, as they are 105mm thick and will never get penetrated. For the KV I C 756, aim for the cupola (50m) or the gun mantlet (50mm) to knock out the turret crew or the gun breech. Don't shoot at anywhere else, the shell won't penetrate.

• Churchill Mk I, Churchill Mk III, Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (mixed battle): The Churchills, with their complex hulls and sturdy turrets, can be quite hard to kill at range. Again, maneuver as close to them as possible, the idea distance being no more than 200m. If they are angling their hull but facing their turret at you, only go for the turret. For the Mk I Churchills, aim at the near-vertical part of their rounded cheeks to ensure successful penetrations. For the Mk III and the German Churchill, also aim for their flat turret which is at most 89mm. The shell should go in easily and knock out most, if not all of the crew. Only when you are facing their hull without any angles should you shoot the hull, otherwise shoot the turret only, as their big tracks can easily get in front of the frontal hull. The side hull have multiple layers of armor, some of which are weirdly angled and can absorb plenty of shells.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	Horizontal Drive
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire	Airstrike	M61 shot
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism	Smoke grenade
IV	Transmission	Engine		Artillery Support	Improved optics	M64

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Decent mobility: good top speed and great turning ability
• Uses the same gun as the 75mm Shermans: various shell types, great penetration & damage and excellent gun depression. M61 shell can one shot common tanks like the T-34 series, M4A1, Cromwell or even the KV-1.
• Fast turret traverse allows it to track agile targets easily
• Low profile allows it to easily hide behind small bushes or rocks, increasing survivability
• Equipped with a vertical plane stabilizer, allowing for more accurate shots on the move or shoot-n-scoot tactics
• Pintle mounted HMG allows for air defense and some anti tank ability (eg. GAZ trucks, SU-76, ZSD63)
• 13 smoke grenades allow escaping from dangerous situation for many times
• Effective even in uptiers if used for flanking shots or hunting soft targets
• Very fast reverse allowing it to retreat from danger quickly

Cons:

• Low survivability: all-round thin armour and closely packed crews. Can get one-shot by common guns like 75mm M3, 76mm F-34 and 75mm Kwk 40
• Acceleration is rather sluggish, especially on soft terrains
• On-road top speed is still inferior to some wheeled vehicles like the Sd.Kfz.234/2
• Shells drop dramatically at long distances, making distant / moving targets hard to shoot at
• Reload time is pretty slow for a light tank
• Low ammo count can be a problem in long games or RB/SB matches

History

Development

As early as 1942, the light tanks M3 and M5 Stuart have been seen as severely lacking in the modernizing design of tanks and how they fight. The armour was seen as insufficient and the 37 mm gun was also deemed useless against newer German tanks like the Panzer III and Panzer IV. The system needed an upgrade, specifically a light tank that mounts the 75 mm gun seen on the Shermans. An attempt to mount a 75 mm gun on a Stuart was deemed inefficient as it reduced ammo stowage and left the armour too thin on the design.

In April 1943, Ordnance with Cadillac started on a project for the new light tank, designation Light Tank T24. The powertrain and transmission of the M5 Stuart was used with the ultimate goal of producing a vehicle weighing less than 20 tons. This left the vehicle with relatively thin armour to keep light. At the time, a lighter 75 mm gun was developed for mounting on the B-25 Mitchell bomber without sacrificing performance, and this was mounted onto the light tank in development. The tank used 410 mm wide tracks with a torsion bar suspension that greatly improves cross-country travel. The engine was a Cadillac 44T24 V-8 petrol engine. The chassis was designed with the expectation that it would be used as a basis of many different vehicle roles so it was called the "Light Combat Team". The light tank end design had a low profile at 9 ft. 1 in. height and featuring a crew of five with a three-man turret, an improvement over the two-man turrets of the Stuarts. The first finished vehicle arrived on October 15, 1943 and was deemed a success, starting a contract for 1,000 units that was later raised to 5,000 units. The vehicle was classified as the Light Tank M24 and as the Chaffee by the British after US General Adna R. Chaffee, Jr., who helped develop some of America's earliest tank designs. The vehicle was produced by Cadillac and Massey-Harris from April 1944 to August 1945 with a total of 4,731 units produced.

Japanese Service

In July 1st, 1954, Japan set up its post-war military force, the Japan Self-Defense Forces with the purpose of defending Japan should it come under conflict in the ongoing Cold War between America and the Soviet Union. To jump start the remilitarization, America gave the newly formed JSDF several M24 Chaffees along with some M4A3E8 Shermans. The M24 would soon be retired once it was found that they were unable to contend against the Soviet's T-34-85, leading to a limited use until replaced by more capable tanks.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the vehicles;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the tank;
• other literature.

Japan light tanks
Type 89	I-Go Ko
Type 95	Ha-Go · Ha-Go Commander
Type 98	Ke-Ni
Other	Ka-Mi
IFV	Type 89
RCV	Type 87 RCV (P) · Type 87 RCV · RCV (P)
MCV	Type 16 (P) · Type 16 (FPS) · Type 16
USA	▅M24 · ▅M41A1