M2 Light Tank The Light Tank M2 was an American pre - World War II light tank that saw combat with the US Marine Corps 1st Tank Battalion on Guadalcanal in 1942 , during WWII . It ' s service with the 1st Tank Battalion during the Pacific War was it ' s only US combat use during WWII , however it is believed that M2A4 ' s served in Burma and India with the British 7th Hussars and 2nd Royal Tank Regiment during their engagements with the IJA 14th Tank Regiment . The M2A4 was the immediate predecessor of the M3 Stuart light tank . Development History . As the Light Tank T2E1 , the M2 was developed in 1935 by Rock Island Arsenal for the infantry branch of the U . S . Army . The design coming from the earlier T1 and T2 was somewhat inspired by the famous Vickers 6 - ton . Its main weapon was one . 50 machine gun , installed in a small one - man turret . After only 10 units were delivered , the Infantry branch decided to switch to a twin turret configuration , with a . 30 machine gun in the second turret . These early twin - turret tanks were given the nickname " Mae West " by the troops , after the popular busty movie star . The twin - turret layout was inefficient , but was a common feature of 1930s light tanks derived from the Vickers , such as the Soviet T - 26 and Polish 7TP . Following the Spanish Civil War , most armies , including the US Army , realized that they needed " gun " armed tanks and not machinegun armed vehicles . The Cavalry branch had already opted for a single , larger turret on its nearly identical M1 Combat Car . By 1940 the twin machine gun turrets were replaced by one larger turret with a 37 mm gun , and armor reached 25 mm . Other upgrades included improved suspension , improved transmission , and better engine cooling . The French Army had traditionally been highly regarded by the US military , as having the best and most modern military in Europe . The French army , in many cases , had more technologically advanced tanks than the Germans . The French tanks had better guns and armor protection . But what shocked the US military into action , was the amount of time that it took France to fall ; only 6 weeks ! The reason France fell so quickly was due to tactics , and not the German tanks themselves . Massed armored assaults , verses French scattered resistance . The fall of France gave momentum to the US tank program , and in July 1940 the US Army Armored Force was created . In December 1938 , OCM # 14844 directed that a single M2A3 be removed from the assembly line and modified with heavier armor and weapons to meet the standards of the US Infantry . This vehicle , after conversion , was re - designated as the M2A4 . The new light tank was equipped with an M5 37mm main gun , 1 inch ( 25mm ) thick armor , and a 7 cylinder gasoline engine . Production of the M3A4 began in May 1940 , and continued through March 1941 , an additional ten M2A4s were assembled in April 1942 ; for a total production run of 375 M2A4 light tanks . In March 1941 , the 1 / 2 " thicker ( 1 1 / 2 " total thickness ) armor , and Continental W - 670 gasoline engined M3 Stuart light tanks replaced the M2A3 on the assembly lines . The original riveted M3s closely resembled the M2A4 , and indeed the two types occasionally served in the same units ; the easiest recognition feature is the aft ( rear ) idler wheel . On the M2A4 , the idler is raised ; on the M3 it trails on the ground , increasing the flotation of the heavier vehicle . The M2 ' s importance lies in the sound basis it provided for US M3 - series light tanks early in WW2 . The M3 ' s high speed and mechanical reliability were legacies of the M2 program . Employment . By December 1941 , the M2A1 , M2A2 and M2A3 were used for training only . Approximately 50 M2A4 ' s were deployed during the Battle of Guadalcanal while assigned to the U . S . Marine Corps 1st Tank Battalion , and remained in service in some areas of Pacific until 1943 . Britain ordered 100 M2A4s in early 1941 . After 36 of them were delivered , the order was canceled in favor of an improved Light Tank M3 . There is evidence that indicates those 36 M2A4s were shipped off from North Africa as part of the British army ' s 7th Hussars and 2nd Royal Tank Regiment fighting in the India and Burma campaigns against the Japanese 14th Tank Regiment .