M3 Lee

The Dual Wielder.

"The '75(mm) is firing, the '37(mm) is firing but it's traversed round the wrong way. The Browning is jammed. I am saying "Driver advance" on the A set, and the driver who can't hear me is reversing. And as I look over the top of the turret and see twelve enemy tanks fifty yards away, someone hands me a cheese sandwich."

– Lt. Ken Giles on commanding the 'Grant' variant of the M3.

"It is easier to make our wishes conform to our means than to make our means conform to our wishes."

– Robert E. Lee.

The M3 Lee was the principal fighting vehicle of American and some British forces during the first quarter of World War 2. Although it served admirably, possessing high firepower and decent armor, it was obsolete upon introduction. The sponson-mounted gun arrangement was archaic and its high profile made it a large target. It was swiftly replaced by its more capable (and much more handsome) brother, the M4 Sherman.

Early War

The stats.

With two pretty damned good Anti-tank guns and a lot of MGs the Lee proves to be a pretty good frontline fighter, capable of penetrating the front armor of Pz.IV's and Pz.III's reliably. Just don't expect the 37mm to be good for much else than anti-infantry and the odd flank shot. Do your best to get into situations that allow all your guns to focus on a target because even with the Secondary Weapons ruling, a ROF of 1 is still a shot in the total of 3 you'll be unleashing with MGs, 75mm and 37mm. To improve your chances though, take the long-barreled 75mm, literally no downsides.

Real Life

"I got two guns, that should be enough for all you jerries!"

Outdated the day it hit the battlefield, the M3 was a crash project to field an American tank with a 75mm gun in large numbers immediately, due to the fact that the M4 Sherman was still a year or two away from entering production. Though it had serious shortcomings as a fighting vehicle, the basic M3 chassis and mechanical design were versatile and reliable. These elements would be retained in the M4 Sherman family of vehicles and related derivatives, such as the M7 Priest.

The Lee saw its best days in the Africa campaign, where its armor and weaponry were effective against the Panzer III and IV. Encounters with repurposed 88mm AA guns ended badly, and the riveted hull was known to have spalling issues, but the design was highly regarded for its reliability and low maintenance even in desert conditions. The Lee's firepower was very welcome after the awkward early war wimpy guns, and it was great against Japanese forces who had no practical tank that matched it. This being said, the Eastern Front wasn't kind to them so when some of them were used by the Red Army (not helped by how this was when the T-34 had already gotten going), they quickly proved unpopular and received the nickname "a coffin for seven brothers" given the M3 Lee had a crew of seven crammed into it.