▁of ▁all ▁variants ▁were ▁produced . ▁ ▁Oper ational ▁use ▁By ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁the ▁M 2 A 1 , ▁M 2 A 2 ▁and ▁M 2 A 3 ▁were ▁used ▁for ▁training ▁only . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁M 2 A 4 s , ▁which ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁Army , ▁were ▁also ▁used ▁only ▁for ▁training ▁between ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁The ▁US ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁ordered ▁M 3 ▁Stuart ▁t anks ▁to ▁out fit ▁its ▁arm ored ▁units ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁but ▁as ▁the ▁new ▁tank ▁was ▁not ▁yet ▁in ▁production , ▁it ▁received ▁ 3 6 ▁M 2 A 4 s , ▁after ▁which ▁point ▁production ▁of ▁the ▁M 3 ▁had ▁come ▁on ▁line . ▁Many ▁of ▁these ▁t anks ▁were ▁deployed ▁during ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Gu adal can al ▁while ▁assigned ▁to ▁A ▁Company , ▁ 1 st ▁T ank ▁Battalion , ▁where ▁they ▁and ▁M 3 ▁Stu arts ▁were ▁typically ▁spread ▁out ▁among ▁inf antry ▁units . ▁Their ▁use ▁was ▁generally ▁limited ▁to ▁providing ▁mobile ▁fire ▁support ▁to ▁the ▁mar ines , ▁either ▁in ▁dis abling ▁Japanese ▁b unk ers ▁or ▁using ▁can ister ▁shot ▁against ▁Japanese ▁attacks . ▁In ▁def ensive ▁engag ements , ▁the ▁M 2 A 4 s ▁and ▁Stu arts ▁would ▁deploy ▁in ▁pairs , ▁so ▁they ▁could ▁cover ▁each ▁other ▁with ▁machine ▁gun ▁fire ▁against ▁Japanese ▁soldiers ▁armed ▁with ▁s atch el ▁charges . ▁ ▁Ult imately ,