zer ▁Commander ) ▁to ▁be ▁superior ▁to ▁the ▁best ▁German ▁tank ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁its ▁introduction , ▁the ▁Pan zer ▁IV ▁( at ▁least ▁until ▁the ▁F 2 ▁variant ). ▁ ▁Despite ▁being ▁replaced ▁elsewhere , ▁the ▁British ▁continued ▁to ▁use ▁M 3 s ▁in ▁combat ▁against ▁the ▁Japanese ▁in ▁sout heast ▁Asia ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁Near ly ▁a ▁thousand ▁M 3 s ▁were ▁supplied ▁to ▁the ▁Soviet ▁military ▁under ▁L end - Le ase ▁between ▁ 1 9 4 1 – 1 9 4 3 . ▁ ▁Development ▁In ▁, ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁possessed ▁approximately ▁ 4 0 0 ▁t anks , ▁mostly ▁M 2 ▁Light ▁T anks , ▁with ▁ 1 8 ▁of ▁the ▁to - be - dis cont in ued ▁M 2 ▁Med ium ▁T anks ▁as ▁the ▁only ▁ones ▁considered ▁" mod ern ". ▁The ▁U . S . ▁fund ed ▁tank ▁development ▁poor ly ▁during ▁the ▁inter war ▁years , ▁and ▁had ▁little ▁experience ▁in ▁design ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁poor ▁doctrine ▁to ▁guide ▁design ▁efforts . ▁ ▁The ▁M 2 ▁Med ium ▁T ank ▁was ▁typical ▁of ▁arm ored ▁fighting ▁vehicles ▁( AF V s ) ▁many ▁nations ▁produced ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁When ▁the ▁U . S . ▁entered ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁M 2 ▁design ▁was ▁already ▁ob sole te ▁with ▁a ▁ 3 7 ▁mm ▁gun , ▁an ▁imp ract ical ▁number ▁of ▁secondary ▁machine ▁guns , ▁a ▁very ▁high ▁sil hou ette