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Paraguay keeping M3 Stuart, M4 Sherman tanks in service
IHS Janes 360 ^ | 12-29-2015 | Erwan de Cherisey

Posted on 12/30/2015 9:35:29 AM PST by Snickering Hound

The M3 Stuart light tank and M4 Sherman main battle tank, both nearly 75 years old, appear to be going back into service with the Paraguayan Army as operational trainers.

Although the Paraguayan Army made a brief use of Italian Ansaldo CV33s, the M3 and M3A1s were its first real tanks. A total of 15 M3s were delivered in 1970 in three successive lots as donations from neighbouring Brazil. Paraguay's Stuart tanks first served with Cavalry Regiment N°3 (Regimiento de Caballería N°3: RC3), part of 1st Cavalry Division (División de Caballeria 1: DC1), headquartered at Campo Grande near Paraguay's capital, Asuncion.

Since then - and aside from their part in the 1989 coup d'état that ousted General Alfredo Stroessner, then President of Paraguay - M3s have occasionally participated in the country's 15 May military parade in Asuncion. For the most part the tanks were mainly out of action, having been stored following a threatened army coup in 1996, until the last several years in which efforts have been made to get a portion of the fleet back in operational condition.

(Excerpt) Read more at janes.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: m3; paraguay; stuart; tank; ww2
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
"Why does Paraguay need an army in the first place?"

To frighten Uruguay?

21 posted on 12/30/2015 9:58:22 AM PST by SnuffaBolshevik ("Girls like to marry a military man - he already knows how to take orders.")
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To: Robert A. Cook, PE

M4s?? In ‘38 M4s would have dominated every other tank in the world.


22 posted on 12/30/2015 9:58:26 AM PST by TalonDJ
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To: C210N
Yep, for one, probably not engaging union labor back in the day

+1 LMAO!!!

23 posted on 12/30/2015 9:59:17 AM PST by rjsimmon (The Tree of Liberty Thirsts)
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To: Snickering Hound

Cool!


24 posted on 12/30/2015 10:00:04 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
Why does Paraguay need an army in the first place ?

History lesson:

In 1864 Paraguay fought against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, and was overwhelmingly defeated in 1870 after five years of the bloodiest war in South America. William D. Rubinstein wrote: "The normal estimate is that of a Paraguayan population of somewhere between 450,000 and 900,000, only 220,000 survived the war, of whom only 28,000 were adult males." Paraguay also suffered extensive territorial losses to Brazil and Argentina.

Next question?

25 posted on 12/30/2015 10:00:10 AM PST by archy (Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except bears, they'll kill you a little, and eat you.)
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To: SnuffaBolshevik

Paraguay is the bump on the butt of South America.


26 posted on 12/30/2015 10:00:17 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
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To: archy

This doesn’t explain why they bothered to invade.
There is virtually nothing there.


27 posted on 12/30/2015 10:01:23 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
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To: LS

Think you might like this article


28 posted on 12/30/2015 10:01:30 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered)
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To: Snickering Hound

Those thing are so old we didn’t train on them in the mid 60s. We used the M48 Patton.


29 posted on 12/30/2015 10:03:38 AM PST by Starstruck (I'm usually sarcastic. Deal with it.)
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To: Snickering Hound

Wasn’t the Sherman referred to by the British as the “Zippo” because of it’s penchant to light up when hit? Not meant to insult, but I remember reading that somewhere.


30 posted on 12/30/2015 10:06:17 AM PST by W.Lee
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To: Starstruck

Stuart beats AK47


31 posted on 12/30/2015 10:08:14 AM PST by hoosierham (Freedom isn't free)
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To: Snickering Hound

They should consider selling ‘em to collectors!


32 posted on 12/30/2015 10:09:15 AM PST by Little Ray (How did I end up in this hand basket, and why is it getting so hot?)
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To: gr8eman
Serbia, actually! The ending scenes were Serbian villagers, not French as portrayed in the movie.

What!?>! No accordions? NO KOLO?!?! Cheu ti'!

Makes me want to milk a Serbian cow!

33 posted on 12/30/2015 10:11:18 AM PST by archy (Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except bears, they'll kill you a little, and eat you.)
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To: Robert A. Cook, PE
Those things were obsolete in 1938.

The best time to have a tank is when the other guy does not. Under those circumstances, any tank will work.

34 posted on 12/30/2015 10:12:20 AM PST by Lion Den Dan
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
Why does Paraguay need an army in the first place?

These days, to stage military coups and then to defend against counter-coups.

35 posted on 12/30/2015 10:16:12 AM PST by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
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To: Old Sarge
Here's an old boy Jeb Stuart Haunted Tank photo: M5A1 Stuart BaumholderM5A1StuartleftfrontJun02.jpg I could spend all day with a comic book, `Haunted Tank (?)', many, many years ago.
36 posted on 12/30/2015 10:17:15 AM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Fear of being over run by yankee banditos chased out of Boliva?


37 posted on 12/30/2015 10:17:36 AM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: W.Lee

IIRC, there were Sherman vehicles fitted with flamethrower barrels and these were nicknamed “Zippos”. Used to great effect in Okinawa.

In “Patton”, M-3’s were called “Purple Heart Boxes”.


38 posted on 12/30/2015 10:18:16 AM PST by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam.")
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To: W.Lee

Ronsons?


39 posted on 12/30/2015 10:19:55 AM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
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To: Lion Den Dan

Do we still sell them parts for these things?


40 posted on 12/30/2015 10:24:22 AM PST by Oberon (John 12:5-6)
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