M22
Contents
Description
The M22, also known as the Light Tank (Locust) M22, is a World War II airborne light tank designed by the U.S. Army for the British Airborne Forces. In 1941, the British War Office requested that the American government design a purpose-built airborne light tank that could be transported by military glider into the battlefield to provide direct armoured fire support for the British Airborne Forces. The British War Office had previously decided that the British Airborne Forces would be equipped with the Light Tank Mark VII "Tetrarch". However, as the Light Tank Mark VII "Tetrarch" had not been designed specifically for airdrop operations, the British War Office determined that a new tank would be necessary. The M22 was one of the smallest tanks ever manufactured by the U.S., having a three-crew configuration. The commander, who also took on the role of loader, was stationed in the turret with the gunner, while the driver was stationed on the right side of the hull. The initial order of around 1,900 M22 tanks was cancelled later during World War II, resulting in only a total of 830 units being produced.
Introduced in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals", the M22 delivers a new experience for U.S. Army ground forces gamers based on a different doctrine. The M22, with its low profile, takes full advantage of any mountainous terrain while scouting enemies for friendly units. The M22 has acceptable firepower, comparable to other light tanks in the U.S. Army's early ground forces. However, as the tank was designed to be lightweight, a vertical stabilizer is not integrated into the main gun position, making accurate fire on the move difficult.
General info
Survivability and armour
Outside of heavy machine guns, autocannons rounds, and low-calibre AP shells fired at a bad angle-of-attack, the M22's armour offers very little ballistic protection against the standard kinetic shells encountered, while any substantial APHE shell will knock out the tank instantly. With only three men in the tank clumped together around the centre, a single penetrating shot through the centre is bound to knock out two or more crew member and leave the tank immobile or incapacitated. Angling the tank is still a good idea, try to angle the front 30 degrees to increase effective thickness, though do not overangle as that will expose the weak sides of the tank.
Aircraft coming in at certain angles can possess the necessary penetration values to utterly shred apart the Locust, especially the thin roof armour of 9.5 mm at the turret and hull. However, an oblique angle towards the front armour is already enough to get through the sloped 12.7 mm armour plate present.
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour
- Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 12.7 mm (64-65°) Front glacis 25.4 mm (7-62°) Lower glacis 25.4 mm (9-85°) Driver's port |
9.5 mm (34-51°) Top 12.7 mm Bottom |
12.7 mm (11-15°) Lower
12.7 mm +9 mm Upper |
9.5 mm |
| Turret | 25.4 mm (25-36°) Turret front 25.4 mm (22-53°) Gun mantlet |
25.4 mm (3-6°) | 25.4 mm | 9.5 mm |
Notes:
- Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, the bogies and tracks are 10 mm thick.
- Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
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 | 12 | 7.4 | 297 | 366 | 40.14 | 49.46 |
| Realistic | 57 | 11 | 170 | 192 | 22.97 | 25.95 | |
Aside from its small size, the M22's next famous value is its speed as a light tank. This allows the light tank to zip across the battlefield, possible getting to locations that can annoy enemies like a locust.
In Arcade Battles, be wary of going too fast with the enhanced engine power, especially on paved roads, as it could put the M22 in a speed the transmission would not be able to steer properly without "snaking" the tank. Another worst case scenario is running full speed into an immovable object, which can disable certain components or even flat out knock out the tank.
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
Main armament
| 37 mm M6 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 50 | -10°/+30° | ±180° | N/A | 19.5 | 27.0 | 32.8 | 36.3 | 38.6 | 3.77 | 3.33 | 3.07 | 2.90 |
| Realistic | 12.2 | 14.4 | 17.4 | 19.3 | 20.5 | ||||||||
Ammunition
- M74B1; AP - Solid shot, stock shell. Poor penetration and post-penetration damage. The M74B1 should not be used after having unlocked the M51B1 shell.
- M63 Shell; SAPHEI - Semi armour-piercing high-explosive incendiary shell. The M63 has negligible penetration with little HE filler, it should only be used at point blank range against extremely poorly armoured vehicles and/or open-topped vehicles.
- M51B1; APCBC - Solid Shot. The M51B1has a decent penetration for the tier and better angled performance compared to the M74B1, but will still struggle against heavily armoured targets.
| 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 | ||
| M74B1 | AP | 79 | 76 | 65 | 54 | 45 | 37 |
| M63 shell | SAPHEI | 32 | 31 | 26 | 21 | 16 | 13 |
| M51B1 | APCBC | 87 | 84 | 73 | 60 | 50 | 41 |
| 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% | ||||||||||
| M74B1 | AP | 883 | 0.87 | - | - | - | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
| M63 shell | SAPHEI | 792 | 0.73 | 1.2 | 9 | 38 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| M51B1 | APCBC | 883 | 0.87 | - | - | - | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 39 (+11) | 25 (+25) | 1 (+49) | No |
Notes:
- Racks disappear after firing all the shells in the rack.
- Left side empty: 39 (+11) shells.
Machine guns
| 7.62 mm M1919A4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 2,500 (250) | 500 | - | - |
Usage in battles
Primary Role
Perhaps the best word to describe this tank is "tiny". Along with the ASU-57 and the L3/33 CC, the M22 is among the smallest ground vehicles in the game, which is both pro and a con,. The Locust is a light tank and has the primary role of scouting and harassment. The Locust's small size also means the crew is compacted into a small area and a crew knock-out is very likely.
- Run and Gun
The Locust is very fast, but requires a high degree of caution and skill to handle at high speeds. Use this advantage to get to favorable positions, typically on the flanks of the enemy. The tiny size of the tank helps by presenting a smaller target to the enemy and allows the usage of cover that could not be typically used by an larger vehicle. With fast maneuvering and sneaky movements that best utilize the terrain, the Locust can cross the battlefield quickly and carry out harassing strikes against the enemy. A skilled player can swiftly move from one capture point to another, destroy any opposition there, and capture the point, though this can be extremely risky, as much of the other team will be "cap rushing" as well as frequently calling down artillery onto cap points, and aircraft tend to focus their attention on caps. Use your best judgment as to the best way you can use the Locust's strengths to support your team, and adapt to the changing battle...something the Locust, with its great speed, excels at.
- Get in Close
A riskier tactic, but one that can be extremely effective against a lone enemy is to close to point-blank range. Many tanks cannot hit an adjacent Locust due to their slow turret traverse and/or their gun depression—notably early Soviet tanks and taller German ones (when facing an up-tier). Circling the tank and avoiding their gun while using the Locust's fast reload time to put shots into their rear and weak points can yield success. However, Locust players must be careful if there are any other enemies around they will easily destroy you while you are preoccupied. One must also be careful to not accidentally destroy themselves by being too close to the tank when it explodes.
Uptiering/Godmode
The M22 Locust can be found at any BR, their players attempting to achieve the famed "Godmode" achievement. This is when you destroy a tank five (5) battle ratings above yours. This achieves you 20k or more silver lions, depending on if you have a booster or not. The first tip is to target light tanks. Most of the time, you will only be able to penetrate medium tanks if their side is at a 90-degree angle to you, so just avoid them. Secondly, try to target tanks that are distracted. They will most likely have less crew and/or be distracted by something else, allowing for an easier kill. Third, target tanks that are alone. You'll be able to get your kill without having to worry about getting shot. Finally, don't worry about dying. Remember; the Locust is a low-tier tank and thus has a low repair cost. At most, you'll only have to worry about losing time. Instead of focusing on Godmode entirely, try to have fun while doing it.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- High hp/ton ratio, allowing fast acceleration
- Great speeds across flat terrain
- Extremely low profile; tanks without a lot of gun depression can't shoot at the Locust at close range
- Locust is shorter than the hulls of many tanks, so many opponents may not even be able to aim at the Locust if it's close enough
- The gun has no trouble penetrating tanks at its BR range
- Easy to turn a complete 180° at low speed and at a stop
Cons:
- High acceleration and speed make tank handling rather difficult unless familiar with specs
- Handling becomes sluggish at higher speeds, noticeably in 3rd Gear
- Small crew of 3 confined in tiny space, no spare crew members to take over incapacitated ones, a penetrating shot can take out two of them easily
- Relatively weak armour
- Due to its low suspension, it may get stuck in the soft or uneven ground
- Strange driving issue, in arcade mode, that causes the Locust to shudder, wobble, and not accelerate at a constant rate
- Doesn't have armour-piercing rounds with explosive filler, and solid shots have poor post-penetration
History
Development
The development of this tank began in late 1941 as a request from the British military for an airmobile light tank that could travel on a glider. The British airborne forces used gliders as a mean to transport troops and equipment, and by 1941 the gliders were rated to be able to carry a tank weighing about 5.5 tons in a 300 to 350-mile flight. The British had a light tank design, the Mk. VII Tetrarch, but it was not built for the focus of airborne operations so the request was made for a purely-built airborne light tank to replace the Tetrarch, and for the tank to be made not in Britain due to constraints in industrial capacity.
The request to the Americans called for a tank weighing between 9-10 tons with a 37 mm cannon and a coaxial machine gun with a crew of three. The tank was to have a maximum speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) and could operate in a 320 km radius (200 miles). The turret and front armour thickness were to be between 40-50 mm and the sides 30 mm thick. US Ordnance Department requested three companies, General Motors, J. Walter Christie, and Marmon-Herrington to design a suitable tank, of which the Marmon-Herrington design was accepted. The design was made into a prototype in late 1941 and was designated the Light Tank T9. This design had a crew of three and weighed 7.4 tons, with a 37 mm gun and coaxial machine gun, plus two more machine guns on the right side of the bow. The turret was powered and had a gun stabilizer. The tank was powered by a 162 hp six-cylinder Lycoming engine and the armour thickness was 12.5 mm on the entire hull side of the tank while the sloped area on the sides of the hull was 9.5 mm thick. The tank could go up to 40 mph (64 km/h) with the engine. The T9 was built to be mounted on a Douglas C-54 Skymaster plane, but it could still fit into a glider due to its dimensions and weight. The tank underwent a few changes, such as improvement in the tank suspension and removal of the two machine guns on the bow, the gun stabilizer, and the power traverse on the turret to reduce the weight. The result was designated the Light Tank T9E1. Production was meant to start somewhere in 1942, but issues in the design change and factories caused the production to be delayed until April 1943. The tanks were produced from then until 1945, with a total unit of 830.
The tank was specified the Light Tank M22 at some time in 1943, but this classified it as a "limited standard" equipment due to some faults discovered. Testings showed that loading the M22 tank on a C-54 plane required lots of time and complex equipment, plus the plane had to be landed on an airfield to be unloaded. The durability and reliability of the M22 were also brought into question, concerned that these factors would make it unsuitable for airborne operations and that the design was effectively obsolete. The M22 never saw service in American combat units except for training, and even with the establishment of two units with the M22s, they saw no combat due to America's lack of investment in airborne tanks. The British on the other hand believed that the M22 would be adequate at its role so adopted it as the Locust, giving the name Light Tank M22 Locust to the tank.
Combat usage
The British usage in World War II had the airborne light tanks used in 1st and 6th Airborne Division as the Light Tank 'C' Squadron. Although the M22 Locust started replacing the Tetrarch before the initiation of Operation Overlord, the Tetrarch was still used until October 1944, when a restructuring retired all Tetrarch and replaced them with Locusts. The 6th Airborne Division was involved in Operation Varsity in 1945, where eight Locusts were loaded onto Hamilcar gliders and flown to the battlefield on March 24. Of the eight Locusts sent, six landed intact, but two never reached their rendezvous point due to enemy action or mechanical breakdown. Of the four remaining Locusts, only two were undamaged at the rendezvous point. The tanks were deployed at a fortified area, where they engage German troops while being supported by an infantry company, the Locusts were forced to withdraw after the heavy losses in infantry denied them support. The four tanks and what is left of the infantry were finally relieved by the 44th Royal Tank Regiment and the rest of the 6th Airborne Division. Operation Varsity was the only operation the Locust would ever see action in World War II.
The M22 Locust, while serving rather well as an airborne tank, was reported to be obsolete by January 1946 by the War Office in Britain. New designs were to take over the Locust's role in the airborne formations. What's left of the Locusts in British inventory were given to foreign militaries. Belgium used some as command tanks in their armoured regiments. America received a few tanks back which was converted into agricultural tractors. Egypt used the Locusts in a large number to replace their ageing tank models from the interwar period, these saw service in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
Today, sixteen M22 Locusts are known to have survived, though many have replica turrets. Of the batch, only three are known to be in running condition.
| Archive of the in-game description | |
|---|---|
|
In 1941 an airmobile light tank designated the T9 entered development, with three major companies assigned the project: Christie, GMC, and Marmon-Herrington. The design provided by Marmon-Herrington proved the winner, as it satisfied practically every client requirement. Trials of the new tank began in the fall of 1941, and in November 1942 the third T9E2 pre-production prototype was built. Production began in March 1943 and continued through February 1944. Marmon-Herrington assembled and delivered over the space of that year 830 of the 1,800 tanks ordered. The first 26 had a box-shaped compartment for the driver, though it was removed for subsequent models. The frontal plate was then made from a single piece. The tank was designated the M22 beginning September 1944, though the lack of heavy transport planes in the American army kept it out of the war. The UK acquired 260 M22s via Lend-Lease, referring to them as Locusts. The British liked the tank thanks to its good mobility, small size, and reasonable weight. Its weak armament and armour, which was no thicker than 25 mm, were considered drawbacks. Some 37 mm cannons were equipped with Littlejohn adaptors, which were designed to boost initial velocity with special shells. The M22 only saw combat in 1945. Its biggest battle was Operation Varsity, when 12 tanks were flown in using Hamilcar gliders on March 22, 1945. Some M22s may have taken part in the 1944 Normandy invasion. | |
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
External links
- [Devblog] Developers about the M22
- [Wikipedia] M22 Locust
- [Tanks Encyclopedia] Light Tank (Airborne) M22 Locust
- [Military Factory] M22 Locust (Light Tank, Airborne, M22)
- [The Shadock] Surviving M22 Locusts
| Marmon-Herrington | |
|---|---|
| Vehicles for US Army | |
| Light tanks | M22 Locust |
| Vehicles for export | |
| Wheeled vehicles | SARC MkVI (2pdr) · SARC MkVI (6pdr) |
| Notes: | M22 Locust was designed by America for the US Army and British Army |
| USA light tanks | |
|---|---|
| LVT | LVT(A)(1) · ○LVT(A)(1) · LVT(A)(4) |
| M2 | M2A2 · M2A4 · M2A4 (1st Arm.Div.) |
| M3/M5 Stuart | M3 Stuart · M3A1 Stuart · M3A1 (USMC) · M5A1 · M5A1 TD · ▃Stuart VI (5th CAD) |
| M22 Locust | M22 |
| M24 Chaffee | M24 · M24 (TL) |
| M18 Hellcat | M18 GMC · M18 "Black Cat" · Super Hellcat |
| M41 Walker Bulldog | M41A1 |
| M551 Sheridan | M551 · M551(76) |
| M3 Bradley | M3 Bradley · M3A3 Bradley |
| Wheeled | M8 LAC · T18E2 · M1128 · M1128 Wolfpack |
| Other | M8A1 GMC · T92 · T114 · HSTV-L · CCVL · XM8 · XM800T · AGS |
