M3 Medium tank question.

[Vuco]

Ok here a thought question.

Did the M3 medium (Lee or Grant) had a foot pedal as a trigger for any of his two guns (and co-axial)like the M4 Sherman had.

[Buq-Buq]

Vuco:

I did a bit of digging. Classic AFVs No2, Their History and How to Model Them: Lee & Grant by Ken Jones and Peter Chamberlain has this to say about the 75mm gun as mounted on the M3 Medium (Lee & Grant):

"The gun was electrically fired with a solenoid switch operating the firing trigger. The solenoid button was fitted to the traverse wheel center. A mechanical firing device was fitted to the mounting for use in case the solenoid switch failed. Later a foot switch was fitted for firing the solenoid."

Hunnicutt's Sherman has a photo of the M3 Medium 75mm gunner's controls, and the solenoid firing button is clearly visible at the center of the traversing handwheel, as is the manual firing button just above it.

The Classic AFVs No2 text is not as specific about the 37mm and coaxial MG, stating simply "It was fired by solenoid, as the 75mm gun, or manually if this system failed." A diagram of the power traverse system shows the 37mm Traverse Control Grip with its 37mm Gun Firing Switch and .30cal MG Firing Switch, along with the grip-mounted trigger. The text appears to indicate that this 'trigger' is merely the lock for the traverse spade grip, which must be engaged to unlock the turret for traverse. If the M3 firing circuitry design is laid out like modern U.S. AFVs, the two firing toggle switches are used by the gunner to choose which weapon will fire when the trigger is engaged.

I don't have a -10 manual for an M3 Medium, so this is the best that I can do on this question.

You've piqued my interest: what prompted the question?

Mark

[Vuco]

Oh, nothing I just started writing some story about American tanks in Africa (after Torch landings) and I found that I don't have this information, which would make the description more accurate and interesting.