▁use ▁of ▁a ▁smoke ▁bomb ▁launch er , ▁although ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁the ▁radio ▁would ▁take ▁the ▁space ▁for ▁storage ▁of ▁fifty ▁ 3 7   mm ▁r ounds , ▁reducing ▁the ▁am mun ition ▁capacity ▁to ▁ 1 2 8 ▁r ounds . ▁Several ▁of ▁these ▁new ▁" Gr ant " ▁t anks ▁would ▁also ▁be ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁sand ▁shield s ▁for ▁action ▁in ▁North ▁Africa , ▁though ▁they ▁often ▁fell ▁off . ▁With ▁these ▁modifications ▁accepted , ▁the ▁British ▁ordered ▁ 1 , 2 5 0 ▁M 3 s . ▁The ▁order ▁was ▁subsequently ▁increased ▁with ▁the ▁expectation ▁that ▁when ▁the ▁M 4 ▁Sh erman ▁was ▁available , ▁it ▁could ▁replace ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁order . ▁Cont ract s ▁were ▁arranged ▁with ▁three ▁U . S . ▁companies . ▁The ▁total ▁cost ▁of ▁the ▁order ▁was ▁approximately ▁US $ 2 4 0 ▁million , ▁the ▁sum ▁of ▁all ▁British ▁funds ▁in ▁the ▁US ; ▁it ▁took ▁the ▁US ▁L end - Le ase ▁act ▁to ▁solve ▁the ▁financial ▁short fall . ▁ ▁The ▁prototype ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁and ▁production ▁models ▁followed , ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁British - spec ification ▁t anks ▁produced ▁in ▁July . ▁Both ▁U . S . ▁and ▁British ▁t anks ▁had ▁th icker ▁arm or ▁than ▁first ▁planned . ▁The ▁British ▁design ▁required ▁one ▁fewer ▁crew ▁member ▁than ▁the ▁US ▁version ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁radio ▁in ▁the ▁tur ret . ▁The ▁U . S . ▁eventually ▁elimin ated ▁the ▁full