Grant I (USA)

▃Grant I

▃Grant I

USA

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.3	2.7	2.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Medium tank

Purchase:1 000

Show in game

This page is about the gift American medium tank Grant I (USA). For other uses, see M3 (Disambiguation).

Description

The ▃Grant I is a premium rank II American medium tank with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB) and 2.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced along with the initial American ground tree in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals" as a bundle vehicle, but was later removed from the store. It was reintroduced for War Thunder's 6th Anniversary as a premium purchasable for 1,000 Golden Eagles . It is a modified version of the M3 Lee in the American medium tree line with a redesigned turret made for the British Army.

The Grant is most well recognized for its tall profile and two cannons. The suspension resembles that of the M4 Sherman, the only notable difference being the return rollers' positions. The hull front is also stepped into two plates, where the upper is closer to vertical. The large sponson on the right side carries the main 75 mm gun; note that with 2 crew, it is the operational gun. The 37 mm gun is in a turret, mounted with a leftward offset. Its main notable difference from the M3 Lee is a redesigned turret.

Due to the presence of two cannons, this tank is an excellent multi-role vehicle. The Grant can be played it as a brawler combining the agile 37 mm gun with the high damage of the 75 mm gun, but don't get too close, in fact, the turreted gun has a bad depression and, combined with the high profile, tends to make close tanks difficult to hit. Note that the different guns can be assigned different keys to be separately used, so it is possible to select the 75 mm as a primary weapon, allowing the optics to accommodate the 75 mm shells (and not from the point of view of the 37mm gun) and use the bullet drop indicator in arcade battles.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
• Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	38.1 mm (54°) Front Glacis 50.8 mm (15-55°) Transmission area 50.8 mm (30°) Driver port 38.1 mm (0-57°) Hull gun mount	38.1 mm (0-22°) Top 38.1 mm Bottom	38.1 mm (1-14°) Top 38.1 mm (15-53°) Bottom	12.7 mm
Turret	76.2 mm (1-57°) Turret front 38.1 mm (1-69°) Gun mantlet	50.8 mm (7-45°)	50.8 mm (1-35°)	38.1 mm
Armour	Sides	Roof
Cupola	50.8 mm	38.1 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 20 mm thick.
• Hull doors and vision ports are 38.1 mm thick.
• Turret ring is 50.8 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	43	6	27.9	620	763	22.22	27.35
Realistic	39	6		354	400	12.69	14.34

Armaments

Main armament

37 mm M5					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	128	-7°/+60°	±180°	N/A	17.1	23.7	28.8	31.8	33.9	3.77	3.33	3.07	2.90
Realistic					10.7	12.6	15.3	16.9	18.0

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
M74B1	AP	79	76	65	54	45	37
M51B1/B2	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	N/A	N/A	N/A	47°	60°	65°
M51B1/B2	APCBC	883	0.87	N/A	N/A	N/A	48°	63°	71°

Ammo racks

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty	9th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
128	125 (+3)	121 (+7)	117 (+11)	97 (+31)	74 (+54)	70 (+58)	57 (+71)	27 (+101)	1 (+127)	Yes

Ammo racks of the Grant I (USA)

Additional armament

75 mm M2					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	65	-9°/+20°	±15°	Vertical	11	16	19	21	23	6.50	5.75	5.30	5.00
Realistic					7.1	8.4	10	11	12

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
M48 shell	HE	10	10	10	10	10	10
M72 shot	AP	84	82	73	62	53	46
M61 shot	APCBC	97	94	84	73	63	55

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%
M48 shell	HE	448	6.3	0.4	0.5	666	79°	80°	81°
M72 shot	AP	588	6.3	N/A	N/A	N/A	47°	60°	65°
M61 shot	APCBC	588	6.79	1.2	14	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)
M89	259	3	13	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Grant I (USA)

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	Visual discrepancy
65	36 (+29)	1 (+64)	Yes

Machine guns

7.62 mm M1919A4
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	4,000 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

The multiple cannons allow for different combinations of attack. The 75 mm gun possesses armour penetration on about the level of the 37mm gun; however, the damage upon penetration is extremely high with the M61 APCBC shell due to the HE filler. On the other hand, the 37mm gun allows for close quarters and longer-range fighting, where its high-velocity and effective shell make for good long range targeting while it is also the only cannon on the Grant that has a full 360-degree traverse.

Different guns mean different styles of play. The Grant can be played as a tank destroyer, using its sponson gun to take shots at medium range and its 37mm to cover the flanks and make longer range snipe shots. The Grant can also be used as an assault tank, quickly advancing on points while switching between the powerful 75mm gun and the faster-firing 37mm. In all game modes, the two gun profiles should be assigned to different keys, this will allow players to aim using the sights of the three guns separately, allowing the usage of the individual optics to actually hit things at range.

Being at BR 2.7, the Grant I has the possibility of facing long-barrelled Pz.Kpfw. III, and Pz.Kpfw. IV, as well as T-34s. The ZiS-30 and Na-To are also very deadly, as its guns are competitive even at 5.7. The 75 mm gun can reliable penetrate all of these tanks at short range (save the T-34), whereas the 37 mm will require some particular shot placement.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	Horizontal Drive	M51B1/B2
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire	M61 shot
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism
IV	Transmission	Engine	Smoke grenade	Artillery Support	M89
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Ability to use two guns: a 37 mm and a 75 mm - which is very powerful at this rank
• Fine frontal armour
• Side mounted 75 mm gives the ability for some unique tactics
• Despite the tall profile, the "wedding cake" design of the turret has thick sloped armour, providing extra protection to make up for its height

Cons:

• Tall profile, big target
• Fixed 75 mm gun in the sponson makes it harder to use as a primary
• Slow traverse speeds make it easy for a light or a particularly speedy medium tank to sneak around the sides

History

Development

After the development of the M2 medium tank, the Battle of France showed that such a tank was not going to be capable to go up against the German Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs. With the Western Allies now embroiled in the North African campaign against the Germans and Italians, the Allies needed a good tank capable of going against the Panzer tanks, and they needed it quickly.

The M3 Lee tank started from the basis of the M2 Medium Tank, using the chassis and the VVSS suspension system. It was to mount the 75 mm cannon, however it was discovered that the United States does not have a turret design that could mount the 75 mm gun. So as development on the turret proceeded, the 75 mm on the M3 would be sponson-mounted. This design was tested on the M2 medium tank as the T5E2, which was approved for the M3 design. The M3 featured a medium tank with two guns, the 75 mm on the hull sponson mount, and a 37 mm with a coaxial machine gun on a turret. The turret cupola also had its own machine gun and there were also two fixed bow machine guns. The use of two gun mounts on a tank was similar to the German Neubaufahrzeug and Soviet T-35 tanks. The M3's 75 mm gun however presented a huge advantage over contemporary tank armaments, as the 75 mm could fire high-explosive rounds for against infantry and anti-tank guns, yet could also fire a shell with a high enough velocity for anti-tank purposes.

The M3's faults were the high profile and the sponson mount for its main armament. The M3 was 10 ft. 3 in. tall, a feet taller than the M2 medium tank. The 75 mm on a sponson mount meant that the main armament of the tank had a limited traverse compared to a rotatable turret and forced the tank to reveal much of its body in order to aim the gun at the enemy. The M3 was also constructed out of rivets (which increased spalling) and had a smooth track design which reduced ground traction. Despite these disadvantages, the British happily accepted them as they were critically low on tanks. German Colonel Hans von Luck said he even considered them superior to the Panzer IVs.

The M3 first saw service with the British in the campaign for North Africa beginning in May, 1942. Those that had been made with a British-designed turret were identified as "Grant", whereas an additional quantity that were Lend-Leased to the British later on with the standard U.S turret were named "Lee." The British cast turret on the Grant was considered superior in terms of frontal protection and replaced the American smoke dischargers with a British smoke mortar, but did not have the cupola or cupola MG of the Lee. The Grant also moved the radio into the turret, removing the need for a separate radio operator position in the hull (the Americans would later do this with their M3s as well). Their baptism of fire was the Gazala battles, where 167 Grants were present with 1st and 7th Armoured Divisions. Regiments with Grants were initially organized on a 2:1 Grants-to-Stuarts, or a 2:1 Crusaders-to-Grants basis, but by 2nd Alamein in October, 1942, Shermans had also been added into that mix. Still, over 170 Grants or Lees were in the line for that battle. There were 3 tanks in a Grant/Lee troop. By May, 1943, all British Grants and Lees were replaced with newer tanks, mostly the Sherman.

Production on the Lee had begun in August 1941. A majority of these were completed at Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The British would receive more than their original order of 1,250 tanks. Of the total 6,258 M3s built by the US between start up to the end of production in December 1942, 2,855 units (over 1,600 Grants, and over 1,200 Lees) went to the British and 1,386 Lees went to the Soviet Union, were they served until 1943 before being replaced. A mix of Grants ahd Lees were also used by the Australians and Indians in the India-Burma theater, beginning in December, 1943, serving there until the end of the war with Japan. The M3 risked causing confusion in British service as the same "M3" designation was given to the M3 Light Tank. This set off their tradition of naming American-made tanks after generals, where the M3 medium tank earned the name Lee for the American-turret variant (Grant for the British variant) and the M3 light tank was called the Stuart. Americans did not use these names themselves, only starting to name their tanks after the war.

Combat usage

Combat experience with the M3 Lee was complicated but favourable. In Africa, the Lees and Grants in British and American service surprised the German forces when they could withstand the 50 mm KwK 38 L/42 gun and 75 mm KwK 37 L/24 howitzer armament on the Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs. The M3 Lee proved reliable and adequate in armour protection. The Soviet's experience with the M3 Lee was less favourable, as their T-34 tanks were much better in combat performance. The Soviets euphemistically called it a "grave for six men" and the Lee tanks were relegated to the secondary fronts or repurposed as armoured personnel carriers. In the Pacific, the M3 Lees were lent to the Australians and Indians, which proved vastly superior to the Japanese tanks in service. The only American use of the M3 Lee at the Pacific Theater was during the Battle of Makin Island.

The M3 Lee served fine as a stop-gap solution for the American tank development. They performed very well on the combat field and proved very reliable. However, once a 75 mm turret was finally designed, the M3 Lee was redesigned to use it, and the resulting tank was the M4 Sherman, which will go on to replace the M3 tanks in the Allies as they are withdrawn from service. Even if it wasn't, the M3 was becoming obsolete due to newer German tanks being deployed, such as the Panther, Tiger I, or improvement of old chassis like Panzer IV Ausf. G and StuG III Ausf. F. Its obsolescence was a consequence of its own rather unique development and anachronistic design, limiting this medium tank's service life to a mere two years in Allied hands. However, it lived on until the end of WW2 in some modifications such as tractor and recovery vehicle. The chassis and running gear were adapted by the Canadians to develop their Ram medium tank.

An anecdote

"The 75 (mm gun) is firing. The 37 (mm gun) is firing, but it is traversed around the wrong way. The Browning (machine gun) is jammed. I am saying 'Driver advance' on the A set and the driver, who can't hear me, is reversing. And as I look over the top of the turret and see twelve enemy tanks fifty yards away, someone hands me a cheese sandwich." —British Lieutenant Ken Giles, tank commander of a M3 Grant

In-game description

The bitter taste left in the mouth of British builders after battles in Greece and France forced them to take a hard look at the future of their armor. They did not have a single powerful artillery system of their own, though the US at the time had just begun producing their new M3 Lee and its sponson-mounted 75 mm cannon.

After evaluating the American-made M3, the British decided that it would primarily be used in North Africa. A major invasion was planned for 1941, and so the Americans were asked to develop a new and elongated cast turret with a bustle at the back for a British Wireless Set No. 19. Periscopes were added on each side closer to the back in addition to slots from which to fire personal weapons. The cupola was unneeded and removed, being replaced by a short addition with a folding hatch in front of an antenna output. In total, the turret became 30 mm shorter, reducing the tank's profile. The M3 modification for the British was designated the Grant Mk I.

The first contracts with Baldwin, Lima, and Pullman were signed at the end of 1940, with deliveries totaling 1,685 units beginning six months later.

The Grant Mk I saw action in North Africa from 1942 to 1943 with varying success. Crew members reported that the German Pz.II and Pz.III tanks shot their armor-piercing shells from a distance of 1,100 meters. The Mk I was not as maneuverable as its German counterparts, and its side armor could not sustain hits from 50 mm tank cannons. Further, 88 mm anti-tank guns easily pierced its armor, while the high silhouette made long-range targeting easier.

The British Grant Mk Is saw limited action in the 1943 invasion of Sicily.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Grant I (USA) from live.warthunder.com.

Images

The M3 Lee (right) and M3 Grant in the North Africa Theater.

Videos

The Shooting Range #215 - Pages of History section at 03:31 discusses the M3 Grant.

Tank Chats #30 M3 Grant - The Tank Museum

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.