reorganized again as modernized tank battalions. Light tank battalion As a light tank battalion, the 70th Tank Battalion was equipped with M5 Stuart tanks, an updated version of the M3 Stuart. The battalion was organized as follows: Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) –This company included the battalion staff and the battalion command headquarters section, including three M5s. The headquarters company also included a reconnaissance section equipped with "peeps" (jeeps), a mortar platoon equipped with 81 mm mortar half-tracks, and an assault gun platoon equipped with three M8 howitzer motor carriages (M8 HMC), M5 chassis upgunned with short-barreled 75mm howitzers in open topped turrets. Service Company –This Company consisted primarily of the battalion maintenance platoon and the battalion supply and transportation platoon. Companies A, B, and C – each lettered company was identically organized with three platoons of five M5 tanks, plus a company headquarters tank section of two additional M5s for a total of 17 tanks per company. Each company also had a maintenance section, which had an additional M5 as a recovery vehicle, as there were no suitable light recovery vehicles based on the M5 chassis. Medium tank battalion The 741st Tank Battalion followed the standard organization of a U.S. medium tank battalion during World War II. It consisted of a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Service Company, three medium tank companies (Companies A, B, and C) and a light tank company (Company D). The 70th Tank Battalion completely reorganized when it converted from a light tank battalion to the standard medium tank battalion organization. The M5 Stuarts were replaced with M4 Shermans and the new organization was as follows: Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) –This company included the battalion staff and the battalion command headquarters section, including two M4s. The headquarters company maintained the reconnaissance section and mortar platoon, while the assault gun platoon was re-equipped with M4 tanks armed with 105 mm assault guns in enclosed turrets. The 70th also consolidated the three assault guns assigned to the tank companies into the assault gun platoon. Service Company – consisted primarily of the battalion maintenance platoon and the battalion supply and transportation platoon. The supply and transportation platoon more than doubled the number of trucks in order to support the increased logistical requirements of the thirstier and heavier-gunned Sherman medium tanks compared to the lighter Stuarts. Companies A, B, and C – the medium tank companies closely followed the