M5A1 Stuart

M5A1 Stuart stats at a glance

The M5A1 Stuart has 416 hit points , 28.6mm of frontal hull armor , and a top speed of 64.4 km/h. Its strongest gun configuration deals 70 damage per shot with 81mm of armor penetration , giving it a theoretical maximum DPM of 1500. The vehicle can equip 4 different gun configurations, allowing for varied playstyles.

Hull & survivability

The front-to-side armor ratio is 1.0:1. Side armor is relatively comparable to the front, meaning the M5A1 Stuart can absorb some side hits in close-quarters fighting.

Mobility

Forward-to-reverse speed ratio is 3.2:1. The M5A1 Stuart has solid reverse speed for repositioning after taking a shot.

Camouflage

Available guns (4)

With the top-tier gun, the M5A1 Stuart can theoretically output up to 1500 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 M5A1 Stuart compares to its peers

There are 18 tier 4 light tanks in WoT, including the M5A1 Stuart. Its 416 HP places it in the top 71% for hit points among same-tier light tanks (peer average: 367). Frontal hull armor of 28.6mm ranks in the top 88% for the class (peer average: 34mm). Top forward speed of 64.4 km/h is faster than 76% of peer vehicles in this tier and class. The strongest gun deals 70 damage per shot, higher than 65% of comparable vehicles. Best penetration of 81mm puts it in the top 47% for armor-piercing capability in its class.

Direct comparisons

• M5A1 Stuart vs M5 Stuart — tier 4 light tank from USA
• M5A1 Stuart vs Škoda T 15A — tier 4 light tank from Czechoslovakia
• M5A1 Stuart vs AMX 40 — tier 4 light tank from France
• See full tier 4 light tank tier list — all 18 vehicles ranked

Related tier 4 light tanks

• 14TP — Poland
• A25 Harry Hopkins I — UK, premium
• Alpha Rabbit — Germany
• AMX 40 — France
• BT-7 — USSR
• Cruiser Mk. IV — UK
• Type 5 Ke-Ho — Japan
• Light Tank — USSR
• All China tanks · Tier 4 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

The first tanks of the M5 series were produced in April 1942, and a new modification, the M5A1, was preferred over other variants. After the M24 Chaffee was developed, the M5A1 tanks were deemed obsolete and were exported to other countries, including China. A total of 100 tanks of this type were supplied to the Kuomintang. During the Civil War (1946–1949), many of these vehicles were captured by the PLA.

Frequently asked