Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Second World War demonstrated that airborne forces could achieve remarkable success in large-scale operations. But it also showed how risky such missions could be. When poorly planned or inadequately supported, airborne assaults often ended in disaster. The German invasion of Crete and the Allied Operation Market Garden stand as clear examples, as both resulted in heavy losses of men and equipment.
One of the main weaknesses of paratrooper units was their lack of heavy firepower. While they could seize key objectives, holding them against determined counterattacks proved far more difficult. The U.S. Army was among the first to recognize this problem and began searching for solutions. Early attempts focused on developing light tanks and air-portable anti-tank guns, but the results were… mixed. The tanks were often too lightly armed, while the lighter guns still too heavy to be easily maneuvered once on the ground.
In the years after the war, the U.S. Army sought to combine the advantages of both approaches. The goal was to create a fully tracked, self-propelled vehicle that could deliver meaningful firepower, yet remain light enough to be transported or even air-dropped. This effort led to the development of the 90 mm Full-Tracked Self-Propelled Gun M56, better known as the Scorpion.
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Article: tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/us/m56-scorpion-spat.php
Sources: K. W. Estes (2016) M50 Ontos And M56 Scorpion 1956-70, Osprey Publishing
R. Hutching (2005) Tank and Other Fighting Vehicles, Bounty Books
G. W. Williford and T.D. Batha (2016) American Breechloading Mobile Artillery 1875 to 1953, Schiffer Books
S. Dunstan (1985) Armor Of The Vietnam Wars, Osprey Publishing
S. J. Zaloga (2009) M551 Sheridan US Airmobile Tanks 1941-2001, Osprey Publishing
W.S. Carson (2018) The Great History of US Armored Vehicles after World War II, PBS Astreul
M. Green (2014) Images of War Armoured Warfare In The Vietnam War, Pen and Sword
R.P. Hunnicutt (1995) History Of American Light Tank, Presidio
Multi-purpose, Air Transportable Vehicle Family On M56 Chassis (1959)
D. R. Higgins (2016) M48 Vs. Centurion, Indo-Pakistan War Osprey Publishing
weaponsystems.net/system/902-M56+Scorpion
amcmuseum.org/at-the-museum/aircraft/c-119g-flying-boxcar
warontherocks.com/2022/11/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-pentomic-army
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An article by Marko P
Narrated by Wood
Edited by Mace
The Second World War demonstrated that airborne forces could achieve remarkable success in large-scale operations. But it also showed how risky such missions could be. When poorly planned or inadequately supported, airborne assaults often ended in disaster. The German invasion of Crete and the Allied Operation Market Garden stand as clear examples, as both resulted in heavy losses of men and equipment.
One of the main weaknesses of paratrooper units was their lack of heavy firepower. While they could seize key objectives, holding them against determined counterattacks proved far more difficult. The U.S. Army was among the first to recognize this problem and began searching for solutions. Early attempts focused on developing light tanks and air-portable anti-tank guns, but the results were… mixed. The tanks were often too lightly armed, while the lighter guns still too heavy to be easily maneuvered once on the ground.
In the years after the war, the U.S. Army sought to combine the advantages of both approaches. The goal was to create a fully tracked, self-propelled vehicle that could deliver meaningful firepower, yet remain light enough to be transported or even air-dropped. This effort led to the development of the 90 mm Full-Tracked Self-Propelled Gun M56, better known as the Scorpion.
Join this channel to get access to exclusive perks:
youtube.com/channel/UC2tZSN6WSAtzKLalKbflBLg/join
If you liked this video, please consider donating on Patreon or Paypal!
Patreon: patreon.com/tankartfund
Paypal: paypal.com/paypalme/tankencyclopedia
Article: tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/us/m56-scorpion-spat.php
Sources: K. W. Estes (2016) M50 Ontos And M56 Scorpion 1956-70, Osprey Publishing
R. Hutching (2005) Tank and Other Fighting Vehicles, Bounty Books
G. W. Williford and T.D. Batha (2016) American Breechloading Mobile Artillery 1875 to 1953, Schiffer Books
S. Dunstan (1985) Armor Of The Vietnam Wars, Osprey Publishing
S. J. Zaloga (2009) M551 Sheridan US Airmobile Tanks 1941-2001, Osprey Publishing
W.S. Carson (2018) The Great History of US Armored Vehicles after World War II, PBS Astreul
M. Green (2014) Images of War Armoured Warfare In The Vietnam War, Pen and Sword
R.P. Hunnicutt (1995) History Of American Light Tank, Presidio
Multi-purpose, Air Transportable Vehicle Family On M56 Chassis (1959)
D. R. Higgins (2016) M48 Vs. Centurion, Indo-Pakistan War Osprey Publishing
weaponsystems.net/system/902-M56+Scorpion
amcmuseum.org/at-the-museum/aircraft/c-119g-flying-boxcar
warontherocks.com/2022/11/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-pentomic-army
Tank Encyclopedia Magazines and Books: payhip.com/TankEncyclopedia
Reddit: reddit.com/r/TankEncyclopedia
TE Shop: tanks-encyclopedia.com/Goodies/tanks-posters.php
Our website: tanks-encyclopedia.com
Gaming News Website: tanks-encyclopedia.com/games
Facebook: facebook.com/tanksencyclopedia
Twitter: twitter.com/tanksenc
Discord: discord.gg/3VjQ8Zq
Email: tanks.encyclopedia@gmail.com
An article by Marko P
Narrated by Wood
Edited by Mace
