The Light Tank M3 Stuart is the vehicle of Jeb Stuart's tank crew during World War II.
History
The ghost of Stuart's ancestor Confederate general J.E.B. Stuart possessed the tank and aptly became nicknamed as the "Haunted Tank". Throughout the war the tank fought through the North African Campaign to the European Theater of Operations, but not without being damaged and its crew saw through several M3 tanks. When their latest M3 was destroyed, the crew scavenge spare parts and wreckage from a "tank graveyard" to build themselves a new tank, known as the "Jigsaw Tank", which serves them from that point.[1]
The Jigsaw Tank was soon eventually replaced by an M4 Sherman tank that served its crew through to the end of the war. Despite an incident in which the ghost of William Tecumseh Sherman being assigned to the tank once the crew switched to the Sherman, General Stuart's ghost continues to watch over the crew till the war's end.
Capabilities
Travel Radius: 120 km
Maximum Velocity (at Sea Level): 58 kilometers per hour
Crew: (4 personnel)
- Commander (rear-left turret) - Jeb Stuart
- Loader (rear-right turret) - Arch Asher (later Gus Gray and Eddie Craig)
- Driver in front hull (left) - Slim Stryker (later Bill Craig)
- Assistant driver in front hull (right) - Rick Rawlins
Weapons
- Main: 37mm M5 turret gun (103-174 rounds)
- Secondary: 5 3x.30 (7.62 mm) Browning M1919A4 MG (7,500-8,270 rounds)
Onboard Equipment
- 51 mm armament
Notes
- The Stuart Tank was named in honor of the late Civil War general, J.E.B. Stuart. As such, Stuart's ghost was known to occupy the nearby vicinity earning the vehicle the name, The Haunted Tank.
- The dimensions and specifications listed within this article pertain to the M3 Stuart I light tank only.
Trivia
- To curry the approval of his ghostly ancestor, Jeb Stuart mounted a Confederate flag on top of the turret of the Haunted Tank.
- The words "Haunted Tank" are painted on the side of the M3 in order to distinguish it from other tanks.
- 5,811 Stuart I M3 tanks were produced between 1941 and 1943.
Recommended Readings
Related Articles
See Also
- Appearances of Haunted M3 Stuart
- Vehicle Gallery: Haunted M3 Stuart
- Catalogued images related to Haunted M3 Stuart