M2 Light

M2 Light stats at a glance

The M2 Light has 256 hit points , 38.1mm of frontal hull armor , and a top speed of 58 km/h. Its strongest gun configuration deals 40 damage per shot with 55mm of armor penetration , giving it a theoretical maximum DPM of 1143. The vehicle can equip 3 different gun configurations, allowing for varied playstyles.

Hull & survivability

The front-to-side armor ratio is 1.5:1.

Mobility

Forward-to-reverse speed ratio is 2.9:1. The M2 has solid reverse speed for repositioning after taking a shot.

Camouflage

Available guns (3)

With the top-tier gun, the M2 can theoretically output up to 1143 damage per minute at sustained fire (shot damage × rounds per minute). Lower-tier guns generally trade DPM for faster reload or better handling — see the full gun table above.

How M2 compares to its peers

There are 37 tier 2 light tanks in WoT, including the M2. Its 256 HP places it in the top 75% for hit points among same-tier light tanks (peer average: 267). Frontal hull armor of 38.1mm ranks in the top 17% for the class (peer average: 23mm). Top forward speed of 58 km/h is faster than 94% of peer vehicles in this tier and class. The strongest gun deals 40 damage per shot, higher than 36% of comparable vehicles. Best penetration of 55mm puts it in the top 17% for armor-piercing capability in its class.

Direct comparisons

• M2 vs T2 Light — tier 2 light tank from USA
• M2 vs T1E6 — tier 2 light tank from USA
• M2 vs T7 Car — tier 2 light tank from USA
• See full tier 2 light tank tier list — all 37 vehicles ranked

Related tier 2 light tanks

• 7TP — Poland
• AM 39 Gendron-Somua — France, premium
• AMR 35 — France, premium
• AMR P.103 — France, premium
• BT-2 — USSR
• Cruiser Mk. II — UK
• D1 — France
• FCM 36 — France
• All USA tanks · Tier 2 premium tanks

Understand the stats

Want a deeper grasp of what these numbers actually mean in battle? Read the glossary:

• What is DPM — the most important offensive metric
• Alpha damage — single-shot damage and what it means for playstyle
• Penetration — and how it interacts with armor angling
• Hull-down position — the king of defensive plays
• View range — how spotting actually works

About this vehicle

Development of the vehicle based on the M2A3 model was started in December 1938. The tank featured a new two-man turret with more powerful armament. A total of 365 vehicles were manufactured from May 1940 through March 1941. In April 1942, ten additional tanks were produced for training purposes. Some vehicles were supplied to the U.K. under Lend-Lease, others were deployed with the U.S. Marine Corps and saw combat in the Pacific Theater.

Frequently asked