Танк M3 Lee

Описание
General Lee это американский средний танк с 75mm орудием, установленной в спонсоне (бортовом выступе), а также основным 37mm орудием в поворотной башне. Нужен опытный экипаж танка, чтобы сполна ощутить всю мощь этого особенного танка.

History
The M3 Lee Medium Tank was manufactured by several US machining companies from 1941 to 1942, most prominently by the Chrysler Automobile Company. Its design was meant to improve upon the aging M2 series of armored vehicles, which were designed according to the anti-infantry standards of World War I. As American forces encountered German tanks in World War II, they found themselves entirely outclassed. The Germans had built their armor to specifications that allowed them to defeat the incredibly formidable albeit extremely disorganized French armored divisions very early in the war, and American isolationism had precluded investment in heavier classes of vehicles. The M3 thus became the main thrust of U.S. foray into new forms of armored vehicles, and carried with it several highly experimental design decisions.

The M3's armament was assembled with the intent of allowing the vehicle to engage multiple threats at the same time, as it was intended to be driven into the thick of battle and deal with both infantry and armored vehicles simultaneously. Its armament included a main 75mm sponson-mounted cannon on the right side, which had a very limited degree of movement. Its top mount turret had 360 degree pivoting and fired 37mm shells, intended for engaging light armor and fortified infantry. And finally, the vehicle hosted several firing ports for use with mounted .30 caliber M1919 machine guns.

This experimental design led to immediate problems when pitted against enemy armor. The M3 was notoriously susceptible to being outmaneuvered and flanked by enemy vehicles, as the 37mm was incapable of engaging medium armor and the tank had to be turned to bear on a target before firing. Turning towards an enemy tank often took twice as long as it took for the enemy, as 360 degree turrets could turn at double the rate if the tank was turned at the same time. The M3 was also completely unable to use "hull down" tactics to fire safely over the crests of hills, as it needed to expose half of its frontal face to fire at the enemy.

These tactical drawbacks in its experimental design led to a nearly immediate replacement by the more powerful and versatile M4A1 Sherman in 1942, as its design was better suited for the rapidly evolving nature of armored warfare. Nevertheless, the M3 Lee found use among several Allied powers through the United States Lend-Lease program, including British forces in Africa and Russian forces in Eastern Europe.

Применение в игре
The M3 Lee's primary sponson-mounted 75mm only rotates about 90 degree off the front and to the right, requiring crew to bring the tank to bear. This means you must always be facing your target in order to shoot it. If you face directly at the tank and it moves to your left, your 75mm gun will be unable to follow. The smaller 37mm turret on top gave the M3 Lee a high silhouette, requiring the tank to give its position away when cresting hills long before it is able to fire.

The top-mounted 37mm turret can rotate 360 degrees, so it is important to find a gunner. The gunner can cover against infantry, spot tanks, and defeat light vehicles, allowing the driver to fight larger threats with the 75mm gun while the gunner deters lesser foes. The M3 Lee has three crew positions: the drivers, and 2 gunners; one for the 37mm cannon, and one for the smaller turret with the M1919A4 Browning Machine Gun. However, this can be risky due to the limited number of tanker spawns available. Losing a fully crewed Lee can be costly.

Upgrades
M3 Lee M3 Lee/pl