M24 Chaffee

Type: Light Tank
Nation: USA
Period: World War 2
Location: Musée National d’Histoire Militaire, Diekirch, Luxembourg

The M24 Chaffee was first put into service in late 1944. It was designed to replace the M3 and M5 Stuart light tanks which had become clearly outdated by that stage of the war. The new tank was named after the “Father of the US Armored Forces” Major General Adna R. Chaffee Jr., who had recently died of cancer in 1941.

The M24’s main armament was a lightweight 75 mm gun derived from a cannon that was installed on the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber airplane – a big improvement over the Stuart’s 37 mm. M24’s gun fired the same ammunition as the M4 Sherman, which greatly simplified logistics. After World War 2 the Chaffee was exported to many friendly countries. In some armies it stayed in service throughout the majority of the Cold War period.

This particular vehicle was used by the Belgian Army for reconnaissance until its M24 fleet was replaced by more modern M41 Walker Bulldogs. Before arriving at the MNHM museum in 2018, the tank was restored at the Bastogne Barracks Vehicle Restoration Center. It was painted in the markings of the US 9th Armored Division who fought at numerous places during the Battle of the Bulge, including Luxembourg, St. Vith and Bastogne.