In Soviet service, the M3 light tank was designated as the M3L (L= legkhiy: light) to distinguish it from the M3 medium tank which was called the M3S (S= sredniy: medium). It was first put into action in the spring of 1942 in the fighting in the Kharkov area. During the course of the war the Soviet Union was shipped a wide variety of versions of the M3L and were widely used throughout the war.