Ford 3-Ton M1918

Just finished another US light tank of WW1 and Interwar period. This time its Ford 3-Ton M1918 light tankette.

Design on the 3-ton tank started in mid-1918, before which American tank forces had been largely equipped with British or French examples. The 3-Ton was a two man tank designed so that American forces could use another tank besides the Renault FT in battle, and was in fact designed around the FT but as a cheaper alternative. Its two Model T ford engines were controlled from the driver- seated at the front- with a gunner beside him who had control of a 7.62mm machine gun on a limited-traverse mount. The initial production run of the 3-ton was of fifteen vehicles, one of these was sent to France for testing. A contract for 15,000 of these vehicles was awarded; however, the U.S tank corps felt it did not meet the requirements they wanted. The contract for the 15,000 tanks was ended by the Armistice, leaving only the fifteen original vehicles produced.

CHAAARGE!