The M22 Locust was designed and built by U.S. manufacturer Marmon-Herrington at the request of Great Britain. It was the first American airborne tank that could be transported in a US C-54 aircraft or British Hamilcar glider.
The Locust was the smallest tank ever produced in the U.S., but it was fast. At 40 mph the Locust could easily outmaneuver larger tanks.
During Operation Varsity eight Locusts were loaded into separate Hamilcar gliders in support of troops crossing the Rhine during Operation Plunder. Two tanks were lost in the landing and six went into action. One went on to support the U.S. 17th Airborne Division paratroopers but was destroyed by a German tank. The remaining supported the infantry during the campaign. This was the only time the type was used in combat during WWII.
