In Their Words - Vehicles & Heavy Equipment

	M-3 'Grant' Medium Tank - This was an armored fighting vehicle (AFV), which served primarily in the North African desert campaigns of 1942. Thousands were used by British forces who nicknamed the yank-tank after one of the few American military leaders they had heard of, Ulysses S. Grant. This started a World War II tradition of nicknaming American tanks after Civil War generals. For example, one variant of the M-3 was called the "Lee." Tanks were categorized by size and weight and the Grant was about medium-sized by the standards of the Second World War. Its heavy weaponry included a 75mm (diameter of shell) forward-fixed cannon and a 37mm cannon in a rotating turret.
	M-4 'Sherman' Medium Tank - This was the most iconic and famous American tank of the war, and has appeared in many popular depictions of the conflict. Its armor and 75mm cannon could best any Japanese or German tank in the field at the time of its introduction in 1942. By the time of the Normandy Campaign in 1944 however, the vehicle was significantly outclassed by German "Panther" and "Tiger" tanks. The Sherman was highly flammable if its armor was penetrated and troops derisively compared it to the Ronson brand cigarette lighter whose slogan was "Lights up the First Time, Every Time!" On the plus side it was faster and much more reliable than the enemy's counterparts and thanks to superior American industrial production, it came in much larger numbers.
	M-3 "Stuart" Light Tank - An older smaller tank mounting a 37mm gun that had been largely eclipsed as a main battle tank by the time the US joined World War II. The tank did achieve some success in a scouting role and therefore significant numbers continued to serve on the battlefield.
	M-10 Tank Destroyer (TD) - Theoretically this AFV was developed to knock out enemy tanks while US tanks were originally intended to support infantry forces. When first deployed in 1942 this vehicle was highly effective in its mission, but like the Sherman tank it too was somewhat out of its league by 1944. Paradoxically it performed quite well in the infantry-support role for which it was not originally intended.
	M7 "Priest" Self - Propelled Artillery Vehicle - The basic idea behind this type of AFV was to have a mobile, heavy cannon that could drive itself around the battlefield. Built onto a tank chassis, the Priest was a highly-successful open-topped vehicle that mounted a powerful 105 mm cannon.
	M2 Half Track Car - Looking much like the front half of a truck with the rear of a turret-less tank, the half track filled a variety of roles. It often carried a .50 caliber machine gun and functioned as a troop carrier, but it could be mounted with anything from an anti-aircraft gun to an anti-tank cannon.
	Studebaker US 6 - General purpose rugged truck that could haul supplies, troops and equipment. Over 200,000 were built during the course of the war.
	Willys MB/Ford GP "Jeep" - The famous light truck of WWII that was the forerunner of so many modern 4x4 vehicles. It could be used as a staff car, scout vehicle, mail carrier, ambulance, or in a plethora of other support roles.
	M1 Mortar - A small, semi-portable, infantry-support artillery piece. The weapon's basic components included an 81mm diameter tube, base, and aiming apparatus which could be quickly assembled or broken down as needed. Like most WWII artillery, it generally fired its 81mm ammunition indirectly, staying out of the enemy's line of sight and relying upon radio transmissions from a spotter for accuracy.
	M2 Mortar - A lighter, 60mm version of the weapon above.
	M101 Howitzer - One of the more famous members of a plethora or US artillery pieces, the two-wheeled M101 had to be pulled into service by a truck or tractor. This dependable weapon could fire a 105mm shell nearly seven miles.