AC&F Stuart Tanks

Bill Hartzel in M3A1 tank at the AC&F

Stuart Tank History

M3 Light Tanks being assembled at AC&F Berwick. Circa 1941.

Fresh off the assembly line, M3 Light Tanks undergo testing in Berwick. Circa 1941.

Early on in the Tank assembly process, Berwick AC&F workers are riveting together the hulls of early M3 Light Tanks.

In 1820, Jackson and Woodin Foundry was established in Berwick to fabricate mine cars for the nearby anthracite coal mines. Business expanded to railroad cars. Eventually fifteen companies merged to form American Car & Foundry with Jackson and Woodin being the largest component.

In 1939, the American Car & Foundry competed for the right to be the first private contractor to produce military tanks for the United States. Previously the Army Arsenals, namely Rock Island Arsenal, fabricated all tanks for the Army. Foreseeing the onset of World War II it was clear larger production capacity was required. AC&F Berwick competed with Baldwin Locomotive Company to produce a few M2A4 Light Tanks. AC&F Berwick won the competition on both price and schedule.

When AC&F Berwick received the first purchase order for 3000 tanks they called their suppliers of hardened steel armor plate and found that no one could support that quantity. AC&F Berwick then built their own furnaces and produced their own armor plate. By the end of World War II AC&F Berwick had become the largest producer of armor plate in the US. US Ordnance Department records indicate every type of armored vehicle produced in the US during World War II utilized some AC&F Berwick produced armor plate. From 1940 through April 17, 1944, the American Car & Foundry produced 15,224 Stuart Light Tanks for the United States Army, the Marines, and the Lend-Lease Program for the Allies. AC&F Berwick produced four of the five mass production variants of the Stuart Tank: M3, M3A1, M3A3, and M5A1.

No M5s were produced at AC&F Berwick. The M5 Light Tank was designed by Cadillac Motor Company and then produced by Cadillac. However, some M5s and M5A1s made by Cadillac and Massey Harris were "reconditioned" at AC&F Berwick late in WWII. Berwick AC&F did build 1,000 of their own M5A1s.

M2A4	1940 - 1941	365 tanks in Berwick
M3	March 1941 - Oct 1942	4526 tanks in Berwick
	June 1941 - January 1943	1285 tanks in St. Charles, MO
M3A1	May 1942 - Feb 1943	4410 tanks in Berwick
	August 1942 – Oct 1942	211 tanks in St. Charles, MO
M3A3	Sept 1942 - Sept 1943	3427 tanks in Berwick
M5A1	October 1943 - April 1944	1000 tanks in Berwick

Stuart Tank Variants

M2A4

The M2A4 Light Tank - Immediate Predecessor to the "Stuart"

The M3 Light Tank - First of the "Stuarts"

Note the Commander's Cupola and sponson mounted machine guns.

M3A1

The M3A1 Light Tank - Hydraulics for the turret and an extra hatch for the gunner. This tank is stationed in the Aleutian Islands.

M3A3

The M3A3 Light Tank - A better hull for the Crew, but retaining the W-670 Engine and 5 Speed Synchromesh Manual Transmission of the M3/M3A1.

The M5 Light Tank - Designed and produced by Cadillac Motor Company. Retains the M3A1 turret but upgraded to Twin Cadillac V8 Power with a Hydramatic Transmission. One of the first ever Armored Vehicles to utililze an Automatic Transmission. No M5s were produced at AC&F Berwick.

M5A1 Light Tank (Early Production, likely Cadillac built) - Same hull as M5. Larger turret added to accomodate Radio move from lower hull sponson to turret.

M5A1 Light Tank (Late Production, Berwick AC&F Built) - Largely the same as the Early M5A1s, but with the added turret Anti-Aircraft MG Shield and Rear Storage Bin mounted to the back rear deck. Note the lack of angle iron on front hull below the driver's side brush guard for the headlight. All Berwick AC&F built M5A1s lack this angle iron section. However, Cadillac and Massey Harris built M5s and M5A1s which were "reconditioned" at AC&F Berwick will retain their original angle iron section under the brush guard.

Historical Significance

The Stuart Tank is not only a significant part of the History of Berwick, but it also played a significant role in United States and World History.

The Stuart Tank was the first US Tank designed to function independently, with a top speed of 35 mph. Previous tanks were designed specifically for infantry support with a top speed of only 10 mph.

The M2A4 was the first US Military Tank to be built on an assembly line. Previous US-built tanks were individually fabricated at the various US Arsenals, particularly the Rock Island Arsenal.
The M3 was the first Tank included in the Lend-Lease Program as part of the Arsenal of Democracy.
The Stuart Tank was utilized by all Allied armies in all War Theatres: North Africa, Europe, Asia, Pacific, including Alaska and Antarctica.
ACF - Berwick was the largest producer of armor plate at the time, producing at least 10% of all armor plate for the US Military at the time.
Every armored vehicle produced in the US for World War II utilized at least some Berwick armor plate.
1 in every 8 armored vehicles produced in the US for World War II had armor plate on it that was made at ACF Berwick.
ACF Berwick was the only manufacturer at the time with its own ballistics testing range. Other manufacturers were required to ship their products to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland for testing.
ACF, Berwick, PA was selected by Hitler as one of 19 targets for his “Amerika Bomber” Program.

At its peak ACF – Berwick employed 9,135 workers from 177 municipalities in northeastern Pennsylvania. At peak production Stuart Light Tanks were being produced by ACF at a rate of 40 per day. This was in addition to the millions of artillery shells, hundreds of rail cars and other miscellaneous items produced at the plant. Following completion of the 15,224th Stuart Tank, ACF – Berwick was contracted to produce 10,000 D7 bulldozers for the US Army.

Prior to Pearl Harbor and the US officially entering WWII, most tanks were supplied to Allied Forces as part of the Lend Lease Program. Eventually 10,000 of the 15,224 tanks produced by ACF Berwick were supplied to Allied Forces, including nearly 1700 to Russia, 1000 to China and over 6000 to British Commonwealth Forces. British Commonwealth Forces included Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, South Africa and East Africa. Additional tanks were supplied through the British to the Free French, Free Poles, Free Yugoslavs and other displaced forces.

Berwick AC&F Employees and Servicemen