M22 LOCUST (T9E1) AIRBORNE TANK (BRITISH VERSION)

Description

The British needed a light tank capable of air transport and turned to the United States for development and production. Marmon-Herrington produced the T9 pilot model in early 1943, but was delayed by mechanical problems and not ready for production until the end of the year. Designated the M22, a total of 830 were built, with 260 shipped to the British were they were named the Locust. However in service problems persisted and most tanks were stored. In British service the Locust was carried in a giant Hamilcar gliders, which could carry 2 x Universal Carriers or 1 x Locust or Tetrarch light tank. The 6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment replaced its Tetrarchs with Locust tanks in October 1944. Eight Locust tanks were used in Operation Varsity in March 1945, of these several were damaged on landing and only two reached their objective. After the war the tanks were scrapped or passed to other users. The Locust’s weight was only 7.5 tons and the speed was up to 65 km/h, armament was a 37mm M6 gun with co-axial .30 Browning machine gun. (Scale : 1/35e)