During the Second World War, tanks rose to prominence as a major element of land-based offensives. Although the U.S. military was using tanks by the end of World War I, these early prototypes were often cumbersome on the battlefield and had a tendency to be more dangerous than protective to their crews. Between the two World Wars, however, tank technology improved to provide greater speed and agility, as well as advanced weaponry. (Here is every tank in the history of the U.S. military.)
The U.S. built a large arsenal of tanks between 1939 and 1945. One of the most prolific tanks of the era, the M3 Stuart light tank, was used early in the war but proved no match against German armored vehicles and was quickly replaced by newer designs. The M4 Sherman medium tank, however, would go down in history as the main player in the Allied offensive. About 50,000 M4 Shermans were built between 1942 and 1945. Easy to maintain and relatively cheap to produce, these tanks are the most prolific tanks ever produced for the U.S. military.
To determine the most mass-produced tanks in U.S. military history, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a list of tanks used by the U.S. military from Military Factory, an online database of military vehicles, aircraft, arms and more. Tanks are ranked according to how many in total were produced. Data on the type of tank, country of origin, crew size, and wars served also came from Military Factory.
After World War II, M4 Shermans featured prominently in the Korean War, along with the first in a new line of tanks named after General Patton. By the time the Vietnam War broke out, the Patton family of tanks included two of the most produced tanks after Shermans and Stuarts: M48 Pattons, the main workhorses of the Vietnam War, and M60s, the first tanks with the designation “Main Battle Tank.”
Over 15,000 M60s were produced before their retirement after the Gulf War. These main battle tanks have since been replaced by another mass-produced tank: the M1 Abrams battle tank, one of the most expensive land vehicles ever used by the U.S. military.
Click here to see the most-produced tanks in US history.
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
29. Ford Model 1918 3-ton (M1918)
> Number produced: 15
> Year entered service: 1918
> Wars served: World War I
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Light tank combat vehicle
> Crew size: 2
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
28. M2 Medium Tank
> Number produced: 112
> Year entered service: 1940
> Wars served: World War II
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Medium tank
> Crew size: 6
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
27. M1 Combat Car
> Number produced: 113
> Year entered service: 1933
> Wars served: World War II
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Light tank
> Crew size: 4
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
26. Tank Mark VIII (International / Liberty)
> Number produced: 125
> Year entered service: 1919
> Wars served: World War I
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Armored fighting vehicle
> Crew size: 11
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25. Sherman DD (Duplex Drive)
> Number produced: 200
> Year entered service: 1944
> Wars served: World War II
> Country of origin: United Kingdom
> Type: Amphibious combat tank tracked combat vehicle
> Crew size: 5
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
24. Sherman Jumbo (M4A3E2)
> Number produced: 254
> Year entered service: 1944
> Wars served: World War II
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Up-armored medium tank / assault tank
> Crew size: 5
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
23. M103
> Number produced: 300
> Year entered service: 1957
> Wars served: N/A
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Heavy tank
> Crew size: 5
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
22. M2 Light Tank
> Number produced: 696
> Year entered service: 1935
> Wars served: World War II
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Light tank
> Crew size: 4
21. M22 Locust
> Number produced: 830
> Year entered service: 1943
> Wars served: World War II
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Airborne infantry light tank
> Crew size: 3
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
20. Marmon-Herrington CTLS
> Number produced: 875
> Year entered service: 1935
> Wars served: World War II
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Light tank / tankette
> Crew size: 2
Source: 101561334@N08 / Flickr
19. M1917 6-ton
> Number produced: 950
> Year entered service: 1918
> Wars served: World War I
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Light two-man combat tank
> Crew size: 2
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18. Sherman Crab
> Number produced: 1,000
> Year entered service: 1942
> Wars served: World War II
> Country of origin: United Kingdom
> Type: Special purpose mine flail tank tracked support vehicle
> Crew size: 5
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Source: Ryzhkov_Sergey / iStock via Getty Images
17. Tank Mk V
> Number produced: 1,004
> Year entered service: 1918
> Wars served: World War I
> Country of origin: United Kingdom
> Type: Heavy tank / armored fighting vehicle
> Crew size: 8
Source: signalcorpsarchive / Flickr
16. M46 Patton (General Patton)
> Number produced: 1,160
> Year entered service: 1950
> Wars served: Korean War
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Medium tank tracked combat vehicle
> Crew size: 5
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Source: 101561334@N08 / Flickr
15. M551 Sheridan
> Number produced: 1,562
> Year entered service: 1968
> Wars served: Vietnam War, Gulf War
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Armored reconnaissance airborne assault vehicle
> Crew size: 4
14. M4A4 Sherman Firefly
> Number produced: 2,100
> Year entered service: 1944
> Wars served: World War II, Korean War
> Country of origin: United Kingdom
> Type: Tank destroyer / medium tank
> Crew size: 5
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
13. M4A3(76)W HVSS Sherman (Easy Eight)
> Number produced: 2,617
> Year entered service: 1944
> Wars served: World War II, Korean War
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Upped-gunned medium tank
> Crew size: 5
Source: Three Lions / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
12. Renault Ft-17
> Number produced: 3,694
> Year entered service: 1917
> Wars served: World War I
> Country of origin: France
> Type: Light tank
> Crew size: 2
11. M41 Walker Bulldog
> Number produced: 3,728
> Year entered service: 1951
> Wars served: Korean War, Vietnam War
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Light tank tracked combat vehicle
> Crew size: 4
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Source: wsmahar / E+ via Getty Images
10. M26 Pershing
> Number produced: 4,550
> Year entered service: 1945
> Wars served: World War II, Korean War
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Heavy tank / medium tank
> Crew size: 5
9. M24 Chaffee
> Number produced: 4,731
> Year entered service: 1944
> Wars served: World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Reconnaissance light tank
> Crew size: 5
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
8. M3 Lee / M3 Grant
> Number produced: 6,258
> Year entered service: 1941
> Wars served: World War II
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Medium tank
> Crew size: 6
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
7. M47 (Patton II)
> Number produced: 8,676
> Year entered service: 1951
> Wars served: N/A
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Medium tank tracked combat vehicle
> Crew size: 5
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
6. M5 Stuart
> Number produced: 8,884
> Year entered service: 1942
> Wars served: World War II
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Light tank
> Crew size: 4
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Source: Rockfinder / iStock via Getty Images
5. M1 Abrams
> Number produced: 10,000
> Year entered service: 1980
> Wars served: Gulf War, War in Afghanistan, Iraq War
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Main battle tank
> Crew size: 4
Source: svarshik / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
4. M48 Patton
> Number produced: 12,000
> Year entered service: 1952
> Wars served: Vietnam War
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Medium tank
> Crew size: 4
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Source: FuzzMartin / iStock via Getty Images
3. M60 (Patton)
> Number produced: 15,000
> Year entered service: 1960
> Wars served: Vietnam War, Gulf War
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Main battle tank
> Crew size: 4
Source: Thomas_Brock / iStock via Getty Images
2. M3 Stuart
> Number produced: 22,744
> Year entered service: 1941
> Wars served: World War II
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Light tank
> Crew size: 4
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
1. M4 Sherman
> Number produced: 50,000
> Year entered service: 1942
> Wars served: World War II, Korean War
> Country of origin: United States
> Type: Medium tank
> Crew size: 5
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