M3A3 Medium tank. I LOVE KIT 63518

The M3 Lee was born as an emergency solution for the U.S. Army after witnessing the devastating advance of German Panzers in Europe (1940). Lacking the immediate industrial capacity to manufacture large turrets capable of housing a 75 mm gun, American engineers opted for a provisional design: mounting the main 75 mm gun in a side sponson within the hull, topped by a smaller turret fitted with a 37 mm gun.

The M3A3 variant represented a major technical evolution over the original design:

• Welded hull: It replaced the dangerous riveted hull of the early versions—where rivets could shearing off into spall inside the tank upon impact—with fully welded steel plates featuring a steeper frontal angle.
• Diesel powerplant: It was equipped with a GM Twin 6-71 twin diesel engine, providing greater operational range and reducing fire hazards compared to the earlier aviation radial engines.