Patton tank
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 The M48A1 tank |
|
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 48 tonnes |
| Length | 6.4 m |
| Width | 3.6 m |
| Height | 3.1 m |
| Crew | 4 |
|
|
|
| Armour | 180 mm |
| Primary armament |
90 mm rifled tank gun (M47/M48) 105 mm M68 Rifled Tank Gun (M48A5/M60) |
| Secondary armament |
0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine gun, 7.62 mm machine gun, 9 mm machine gun |
| Engine | Continental AV-1790-5B, -7, -7B, or -7C; 12 cylinder, 4 cycle, 90° vee gasoline. Continental AVDS-1790-2; 12 cylinder, turbocharged diesel |
| Power/weight | 13.3 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
| Operational range |
415 km |
| Speed | 30 mph (48 km/h) |
M46, M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the U.S army's principal main battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from the late 1940s to the 1990s. The M-46 was the primary U.S. tank in Korea and the M-48 was the U.S. Army and Marine Corps primary tank during the Vietnam War. The M-47 saw no action while serving with the U.S. military and the M60A1 saw limited use in Desert Storm. It was widely used by U.S. Cold War allies, especially other NATO countries. The many models were named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army during World War II and one of the earliest American advocates for the use of tanks in battle.
The Patton tank replaced later versions of the Shermans and the M26 Pershing. Internationally, many various Patton models remain in service. Although referred here as Patton series, the M48 Patton and M60A1 Patton were each completely new tank designs despite a rough similarity from a distance. The latest version of the Patton was the M60A3 variant that entered service in 1978 two years prior to the introduction of the M1 Abrams that replaced it over a ten year period (Some M48A5 models also served alongside them both as well into the 80s).
Contents |
[edit] M46 Patton
In May 1946, due to the changing conception of the US Army's tank needs, the M26 Pershing tank was reclassified as a medium tank. Designed initially as a heavy tank, Pershing was a significant improvement over the M4 Sherman in firepower and protection. Its mobility, however, was deemed unsatisfactory for a medium tank as it used the same engine that powered the much lighter M4A3. Its underpowered engine was also plagued with an unreliable transmission. Work began in January 1948 on replacing the original power plant with the Continental AV-1790-3 engine and Allison CD-850-1 cross-drive transmission. The design was initially called M26E2, but modifications continued to accumulate, and eventually the Bureau of Ordnance decided that the tank "deserved" its own unique designation. When the rebuild began in November, 1949 the upgraded M26 received not only a new power plant and a main gun with bore evacuator, but a new designation along with a name - M46 General Patton or simply Patton. In total 1160 M26s were rebuilt: 800 to the M46, 360 to the M46A1 standard.
[edit] M46 combat service
The only extensive combat use of the M46 was in the Korean War. The tank proved superior to North Korean T-34-85, which were encountered in relatively small numbers. The M46 was exported to some European countries, including Belgium, France and Italy.
[edit] M47 Patton
Although the new power plant corrected the mobility and reliability problems of the M26, the US Army considered the M46 a stopgap solution that would be replaced later by the T42 medium tank. However, after fighting erupted in Korea, the Army decided it needed the new tank earlier than planned. It was deemed that there was likely no time to finish the development of the T42 and fix various problems that were likely to emerge in a new design. The final decision was to produce another interim solution, with the turret of T42 mounted on the familiar hull of the M46. The old-new tank, developed by the Detroit Arsenal, was named M47 Patton and entered production in 1951. Its main gun was the M36 90mm gun with an M12 optical rangefinder fitted. The secondary armament consisted of a .30cal Browning as bow machine gun and the .50cal Browning M2 on a pintle mount on the turret roof. M47's were used as targets in the 70's for the M60A1's 105mm gun with devastating effect. The 105mm HEAT round would penetrate the frontal armor with ease. Many M47's in like-new condition met their fate in this manner showing the M60 crews first hand the effects of modern tank weapons on conventional steel armor.
The M47 was widely used by NATO allies and other countries, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Pakistan, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey and Yugoslavia. In the US, however, it was quickly replaced by the M48.
[edit] M47 combat service
The M47 was used by the Turkish Army, along with M48's, in the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in July and August 1974., with an estimated 200 or more Patton tanks involved in the action. At least one operational M47, example "092273" was captured intact by the Cypriot National Guard and was reported to be still in service in 1993.[1]
The M47 was used by Jordan in the Six Day War.
Pakistan used its M47 against India in the 1965 conflict.
Iran used theirs against Iraq in the Iran-Iraq war.
[edit] M48 Patton
A year after the M47 entered service, the US Army decided to replace it by yet another product of the evolution of the Pershing/Patton line, the M48, still dubbed Patton. A deeper modernization than the M46 and the M47, the M48 featured a new turret, new redesigned hull and an improved suspension. The hull machine gunner position was removed, reducing the crew to 4. Essentially, it was a new tank all together.
Nearly 12,000 M48s were built from 1952 to 1959. The early designs were powered by gasoline engines which gave the tank a short operating range and were prone to catching fire when hit. This version was considered unreliable but numerous examples saw combat use in various Arab-Israeli conflicts. They also were prone to fire when the turret was penetrated and the hydraulic lines ruptured spewing "cherry juice" (the nickname for the red fluid) at high pressure into the crew compartment resulting in a fireball. The flashpoint was too low at less than 300 F, causing many burn injuries and deaths to crew members. In 1959, American M48s were upgraded to the M48A3 model which featured a diesel power plant. However, in 1975, M48's with gas engines were still in use by many West German Army units including the 124th Panzer Battalion.
[edit] M48A5
In the mid-1970s, the M48A5 upgrade was developed to allow the vehicle to carry the heavier 105mm gun. This was designed to bring the M48s up to speed with the M60 tanks then in regular use. Most of the M48s were placed into service with reserve units by this time.
By the mid-1990s, the M48s were phased out of U.S. service. However, many foreign countries continue to use the M48 models.
[edit] M48 combat service
The M48s saw action during the Vietnam War being assigned to U.S. Marine Corps units, arriving in Vietnam in 1965, as well as three U.S. Army battalions, the 1/77th Armor near the DMZ, the 1/69th Armor in the Central Highlands, and the 2/34th Armor near the Mekong Delta;, each battalion consisting of approximately fifty seven tanks. Until replaced by the M551 Sheridan tanks, M-48 Pattons were also assigned to armored cavalry squadrons in Vietnam. Another variant, was the M67A1 flamethrower tank nicknamed the Zippo. The M48s performed admirably in Vietnam in the infantry-support role. As there were few actual tank vs. tank battles, with one being the 1/69th Armor engaging NVA PT-76 tanks near Ben Het in 1968. Enemy PT-76 tanks overran the Special Forces outpost near Lang Vei during the Khe Sahn Siege, but no U.S. armor was able to react to that attack in time. The M48s provided adequate shelter for its crew from small arms, mines and RPGs. The M-48 Pattons were the only vehicles in Vietnam that could reasonably protect their crews from land mines, and were often used for mine sweeping operations along highway 19 in the Highlands. As highway 19 was a two laned paved road, daily convoys moving to and from Ahn Khe and Pleiku (East to West and reverse) would be held up each morning by U.S. Military Policemen riding in gun jeeps (1/4 tons mounted with M-60 machine guns or .50 cal) awaiting the word via radio on completion of the daily road sweeps. As the standard minesweeping techniques at the time was a soldier walking slowly over the dirt shoulders on both sides of the highway with a mine detector in his hands and wearing ear phones, the convoys would build up to a dangerously inviting target for the enemy, as a result a faster method was improvised; M-48 Pattons lined up on each side of the highway, with one tank track on the dirt shoulder and its other track on the asphalt, and raced to a designated position miles away. If they made it without striking a mine, the M.P.s waiting at the other end were given the "all clear" signal to allow the waiting traffic (convoys) to proceed, as the road was officially "cleared". In most cases, Pattons that struck land mines using these methods only lost a road wheel or two during the explosions, seldom was there any hull damage which would be considered "totalling" the tank.
M47s and M48s were again used in tank warfare by Pakistan against Indian Centurion and M4 Sherman tanks in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War with mixed results. Although technically superior to the enemy's tanks, the Patton failed to live up to expectations, especially in the Battle of Asal Uttar—where elements of Pakistan's 1st Armoured Division attacked an entrenched Indian position— and saw many Pattons being destroyed. The Pattons had a better outing in the Battle of Chawinda where it took out many Indian tanks, and indeed they were used with success by 25th Cavalry during its famous stand on the first day of that Battle[1]. It was later used in limited numbers by Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 with unimpressive results. In fact there was a place in Khemkaran in India called "Patton Nagar" ("Patton Town") that held 60-odd destroyed or captured tanks before the war trophies were relocated. Analyzing their performance, the Pakistan Army held that the tank was held in unreasonably high esteem by both sides and that tactics were to blame for the debacle at Asal Uttar. [2].
M48s were also used with mixed results during the 1967 Six-Day War. On the Sinai front, Israeli M48s were used with stunning success against Egyptian T-54s and T-34s supplied by the Soviet Union. However, on the West Bank front, Jordanian M48s were regularly defeated by Israeli WWII-era M4 Shermans, the result of superior Israeli tactics and crews. In pure technical terms the Jordanian Pattons were far superior to the Israeli Shermans, with Israeli shots at more than 1,000 meters simply glancing off the M48s' armour. Other reasons for the Jordanian Pattons' failure on the West Bank came down to a combination of Israeli air superiority and a distinct lack of aggressive handling by the Jordanian crews. The Israeli Army captured about 100 of these Jordanian M48 and M48A1 tanks and pressed them into service in their own units after the war.
The M48s were used by the Lebanese Army and the Christian Lebanese Forces militia in the Lebanese Civil War. The Lebanese Army still operates about 100 M48s.
The M48 Patton was used, along with M47's, in the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in July and August 1974.
[edit] M60 Patton
| M60 Patton | |
|---|---|
 M60 Patton |
|
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 52 to 54 tonnes (some M60A1's) |
| Length | 6.9 m |
| Width | 3.6 m |
| Height | 3.3 m |
| Crew | 4 |
|
|
|
| Armour | 225 mm |
| Primary armament |
105 mm M68 gun (M60/A1/A3) M162 152mm Gun/Launcher (M60A2) |
| Secondary armament |
0.5 in (12.7 mm) M85 machine gun 7.62 mm machine gun |
| Engine | Continental AVDS-1790-2; 12 cylinder, air cooled, turbocharged diesel 750 hp (560 kW) |
| Power/weight | 13.2 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
| Operational range |
450 km |
| Speed | 48 km/h |
In 1957, it was determined that the Soviet Union was in the process of developing a new medium tank, the T-62, with a 115mm gun, thought to be superior to the 90mm gun of the American M48 tank, yet with weaker armor than the American tank. A new vehicle was called for with a 105mm main gun and a redesigned hull with better armor protection. This new vehicle (originally designated M68) was put into production in 1959, reclassified as the M60 and entered service in 1960. Over 15,000 M60s (all variants) were constructed.
The improved design provided an increased operational range of 300+ miles, required a minimum of refueling and servicing, and incorporated an improved main armament. A Continental V-12 750 hp. air cooled, twin turbocharged diesel engine powers the vehicle. Power is transmitted to a final drive through a cross drive transmission, which is a combined transmission, differential, steering, and braking unit. The hull of this vehicle is a single piece steel casting and is divided into two compartments; the crew in the front and the engine at the rear.
In 1963, the M60 was upgraded to the M60A1. This new variant, which stayed in production until 1980, featured a larger, better-shaped turret and improvements to the armor protection and shock absorbers.
[edit] M60A2 'Starship'
The M60A2, nicknamed the "Starship" due to its space-aged technology, featured an entirely new low-profile turret with a commander's machine-gun cupola on top, giving the commander a good view and field of fire while under armor but spoiling the low profile. It also featured a 152mm caliber main gun similar to that of the M551 Sheridan light tank, which fired regular rounds as well as the Shillelagh anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). There were a number of problems with the new gun (such as unburnt propellant from the missile fouling the tube and pre-detonating subsequent rounds), most of which were solved to some extent, but after all the problems the A2 model was abandoned and the turret for the A3 would be based on that of the A1. Most of the M60A2 tanks were rebuilt as M60A3, or the hulls converted to Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge vehicles.
[edit] M60A3 Patton
In 1978, work began on the M60A3 variant. It featured a number of technological enhancements, including smoke dischargers, a new rangefinder and ballistic computer, and a turret stabilization system. All active American M60s eventually underwent the conversion to the A3 model.
The M60A3 was phased out of service in the early 1990s, but it remained a front-line MBT into the 21st century for a number of countries.
While overall a less effective tank than the M1 Abrams, the M60A3 did have some advantages over M1 models:
- The M60A3 had a notably better passive infrared scope than that of M1 up into the 21st century, until many M1 had newer ones installed.
- The M60A3 had an exterior phone for infantry to talk directly to the crew inside. This feature was also installed on some USMC M1A1s in Iraq, and is now being incorporated into all active Abrams.
- The diesel had lower performance, but also had lower cost and maintenance, and better fuel efficiency.
- The exhaust temperature of a M1 is very high, which makes it much harder for infantry to take cover behind it than on a M60A3.
- The escape hatch located under the hull of the M60A3 is not present in the M1 Abrams (due to insufficient ground clearance under the hull), making it more difficult for the crew to bail out of a battle-damaged Abrams than a Patton.
[edit] M60 combat service
M60s and M60A1s also saw action with Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War in both the Sinai and the Golan Heights. The United States sent additional M60s to Israel just before and during hostilities. Following the war, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) received many more M48s, M60s and M60A1s from the U.S. Two variants of the M-60 Patton tanks were used in the Vietnam War, the AVLB and the CEV. The Armored Vehicle Launch Bridge, commonly referred to as the "Bridge tank" was mounted on a M-60 Patton tank hull, and the Combat Engineer Vehicle was a M-60 Patton, except it had a short-tubed 165mm main gun that fired a shaped charge.
Israel further upgraded their inventory of M60s prior to their use in the invasion of Lebanon in 1982 as part of 1982 Operation Peace for Galilee. The Israeli modifications included new tracks and Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA). This variant was known as the Magach 6B. Further work in Israel has been done on the upgraded Magach 6 models, adding new armor, new fire control system, a thermal sleeve and smoke dischargers. This model, the Magach 7 (with variants A through C) is still in use with the IDF.
The M60A1 RISE (PASSIVE) of the U.S. Marines saw action in Operation Desert Storm in opposition to Iraqi tanks, opposing various enemy tanks including T-54-55, T-62, Type 69, and the T-72. The M60A1s were fitted with reactive add-on armor packages and supported the drive into Kuwait City where they were involved in a two day tank battle at the Kuwait airport with the loss of only one vehicle and no crew. They saw service with the United States Marine Corps, and the Saudi Arabian Army.
As of 2005, M60 variants are in service with Austria, Bahrain, Bosnia, Brazil, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Portugal, Spain, Singapore, Turkey, Taiwan, Thailand and some other nations to varying degrees. Also, the US continues to have significant stockpiles of them waiting to be scrapped, sold-off, or converted, although some vehicles that use the chassis are still in use. Most of those still used are much upgraded models. Pattons formed the basis for many 'new' tank designs, some using the chassis but with all-new turrets others using various upgrade packages.
Overall, the M60A1/A3s outperformed various opposing tanks in various conflicts including T-55s, T-62s and T-72s such as the Yom Kippur war and the battle for the Kuwait airport that involved hundreds of tanks in a 2 day, all out battle with only 1 vehicle lost on the US side. It must be said that the Marine Corp M60A1s had ERA that helped protect them. In the Yom Kippur war the Israeli's decimated the Egyption armor as it advanced toward them in head to head combat. The Syrians suffered the same fate although their crews were not as well trained as the Egyptians. On the other hand the Israeli's American made tanks suffered greatly against Soviet made anti-tank missiles such as the Sagger. Once the Egyptians left the cover of their infantry and the Sagger, they were destroyed in great numbers by the Israeli's.[citation needed].
There were also a number of prototype upgrades evaluated in the U.S., which were passed over in favor of simply producing more M1 Abrams. Due to the end of the Cold War, surplus US Army M1 tanks were absorbed into the remaining USMC units allowing the Marine Corps to transition to in all M1 tank force at reduced cost.
[edit] Variants
[edit] US variants
- M26E2/M46 - M26/A1 Pershing upgraded with Continental V-12 engine and cross-drive transmission. Used the same M3A1 90 mm gun as the M26A1 Pershing, and differed mainly in the position of the exhausts.
- M46A1 - Product improved variant with improved braking, cooling and fire suppression systems, as well as, improved electrical equipment, AV-1790-5B engine and CD-850-4 transmission.
- M47 - M46 with T42 turret, fitted with the M36 90 mm Gun, and was longer to incorporate a radio, ventilator, and featured a stereoscopic rangefinger.
- M47M - The product of an improvement program started in the late 1960s, the M47M featured the engine and fire control elements from the M60A1. The asst. driver's position was eliminated in favor of additional 90 mm ammunition. Not used by the US, over 800 vehicles were produced for Iran and Pakistan.
- M48 - Differed from the M47 in having yet another new turret design and a redesigned hull, doing away with the bow machine gun position, featuring the M41 90 mm gun. These turrets give the M48 its distinctive non-M26 style look. Originally the gun featured a Y-shape muzzle brake, but this was changed to the more characteristic T-shape.
- M48C - Over a hundred original production hulls were found to be lacking correct ballistic protection and were relegated to training as the M48C.
- M48A1 - New driver hatch and M1 commander's cupola, allowing the M2HB .50 caliber machine gun to be operated and reloaded from within the vehicle.
- M48A2 - improved powerpack and transmission, redesigned rear plate, an improved turret control.
- M48A2C - M48A2s with an improved rangefinder, M17, new ballistic drive and bore evacuator for the main gun, and the auxiliary tensioning wheels were deleted.
- M48A3 - Refit of M48A1s with diesel engines and a new fire control system.
- M48A3 Mod. B - Additional armor on the exhausts and tail lights, and a raised commanders copula.
- M48A4 - Proposed refit of M48A3s with M60 turrets, scrapped with the need of these previous "surplus" turrets with the failure of the M60A2
- M48A5 - Upgunned with the 105 mm M68 gun.
- M48A5PI - M1 copula replaced by the Israeli Urdan model.
- M67 "Zippo" - M48 armed with a flamethrower inside a dummy model of the main gun with fake muzzle brake.
- M67A1 - M67 variant, M48A2 hulls used.
- M67A2 - M67 variant, M48A3 hulls used.
- XM60/M60 - Bearing a strong familial resemblance to the M48, the M60 has a wedge shaped hull, three return rollers, and aluminum road wheels, features not found on previous M48s. Featured a turret with 105 mm M68 gun. Early versions did not have the commander's cupola.
- M60A1 - First variant to feature the distinctive "needle-nose" long nosed turret, along with better armor protection and improved hydraulics.
- M60A1 AOS - Add-On Stabilization, introduced in 1972 for the M68 gun.
- M60A1 RISE - Reliability Improvements for Selected Equipment, featured improvements of almost all the basic systems including an upgraded engine design that allowed easier access to components to allow removing the engine pack in less time and a new track type, T142, that helped reduce wear and improve track life.
- M60A1 RISE Passive - RISE, but with a smaller infra-red/white light capable search-light and passive night vision equipment. USMC M60A1 RISE Passives were outfitted with explosive reactive armor (ERA) in the late 1980s.
- M60A1E1 - Developmental test vehicles fitted with the 152 mm M162 gun-missile launchers.
- M60A1E2/M60A2 - Turret design finalized, giving the distinctive "starship" look. A variant was tested with a remote controlled 20 mm cannon as well.
- M60A1E3 - prototype, M60A1E2 fitted with 105 mm gun.
- M60A1E4 - Experimental type with remote control weapons.
- M60A3 - M60A1 fitted with a laser rangefinder, solid state ballistic computer, and a crosswind sensor.
- M60A3 TTS - Tank Thermal Sight, M60A3s fitted with the AN/VSG-2 thermal sight.
- M60 Super/AX - Uparmored versions with minor improvements. Main version awas also featured no optical rangefinder.
- M60-2000/120S - M60/Abrams hybrid vehicle developed by General Dynamics Land Division. Not adopted by the United States military.
[edit] Specialized variants
- M88 Hercules - Armored recovery vehicle based on M48 chassis.
- M60A1 AVLB - Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge, 60 foot scissors bridge on M60A1 chassis.
- M60 AVLM - Armored Vehicle Launched MICLIC (Mine-Clearing Line Charge), modified AVLB with up to 2 MICLIC on M60 chassis.
- M60 Panther - M60 modified into a remotely controlled mine clearing tank.
- M728 CEV - M60A1-based Combat Engineering Vehicle fitted with a new turret featuring an A-frame crane and an M135 165 mm demolition gun. Commonly fitted with the D7 bulldozer blade, or a mine-clearing equipment.
- M728A1 - Upgraded version
Additional equipment:
- M9 - Bulldozer and earthmoving equipment added to M60.
[edit] Israeli variants
Israel created an extensive number of variants of the series from tanks acquired initially from a number of sources, including capturing them in battle, or from other countries such as Germany and the United States. Many of the Israeli M60's have been upgraded with additional reactive or passive armor, drastically improving their armor protection. These uparmored versions are called Magach 6 / Magach 7. Another version is the Sabra which includes additional passive armor and a 120mm gun.
- E-48
- E-48 AVLB - a M48 AVLB but with an Israeli bridge.
- E-48 (M48A2) - basically unmodified M48A2 from Germany
- E-48 (M48A2C) - basically unmodified M48A2C from Germany
- E-48 (M48A3) - basically unmodified M48A3 from USA
- E-60
- E-60 - basically unmodified main production M60
- E-60A - basically unmodified M60A1
- E-60A Dozer - version with M9 bulldozer kit installed
- E-60B - basically unmodified M60A3
- Sabra - an upgrade for Turkey's M60A1. The first prototype was shipped to Turkey in late 2005 for testing. It features a new 120-mm smoothbore gun, electric stabilization system, new fire control system, and new armor package.
- Magach - a series of improved Israeli versions of the M48 and the M60.
[edit] Jordanian variants
- AB1 - Jordanian armoured recovery vehicle.
- AB9B1 - Jordanian upgrade with 120 mm smoothbore gun.
- Mazin - Jordanian modified M60A3.
[edit] Spanish variants
- M47ER3 - Armored recovery vehicle.
- M48A5E - M48A5 variant, 105 mm gun with laser rangefinder.
- Alacran CZ-10/25E - Spanish army combat engineer variant.
- Alacran CZ-10/30E - Upgraded CZ-10/25E
- VLPD 26/70E - Spanish Army bridgelayer based on the M60 with Leguan bridge system.
[edit] South Korean variants
- M48A5K - Fitted with M68 105mm gun, additional Side skirt, and significant fire control upgrades. FCS was Called LTFCS system.
- M48A3K - M48A3K shifts the gasoline engine previously with the diesel engine, the muzzle brake was fitted 'T' form brake, added 3 support wheel and the fitted tank commander periscope on Turret, and M48A3K in M48A3 additionally to improve a smoke grenade launcher affix and a fire control system from Republic of Korea
[edit] Taiwanese variants
- M48H/CM-11 "Brave Tiger" - Taiwanese version consisting of an up-gunned M48A2 turret and a M60A3 hull and fitted with ERA. Also has significant upgrades to the gun tracking equipment and fire control.
- CM-12 "Brave Tiger" - M48A3 MBT receiving the same weapons and fire control upgrades as those of CM-11.
[edit] Turkish variants
- M48A5T1 - Turkish-upgraded M48 variant along similar lines to the M48A5, with M68 105 mm main armament, passive night vision and MTU diesel engines.
- M48A5T2 - Turkish-upgraded M48 variant, improved version of the M48A5T1 with thermal sight and laser rangefinder.
- M48T5 "Tamay" ARV - Turkish-designed armored recovery vehicle based on the M48 body.
[edit] German variants
- Minenraeumpanzer Keiler - armored mine clearing vehicle based on a widely modified M48 A2C cast hull
- Kampfpanzer M48A2GA2 - upgraded version with the 105mm L7 cannon and a different MG3 installation from the Leopard 1
[edit] Tank Trivia
- The M47 and M48 were the only tanks to be the primary MBT of both the United States and West Germany.
- The M60A3 participated in CAS trials with F-16 in the 1980s.
- The M60 was the last U.S. tank to use the co-axial version of the M60 Machine Gun, the M60E2.
- The M48 was the last U.S. tank to have a dedicated flame thrower version.
[edit] In popular culture
Actual Patton tanks appeared in many U.S. films made after WWII, and became the stereotypical image of the Cold-War U.S. tank. Ironically, in some films, Patton tanks are often used to portray enemy tanks. In the movie "Battle of the Bulge" the German tanks are actually US Army M-47 Pattons, while the US Army tanks are depicted by US M24 Chaffee light tanks. In the film "Patton", again, the German tanks are actually M-48 Patton tanks, the same type that were used in the Vietnam War nearly two decades later, while the US Army in the "Patton" film, are using the US M41 Walker Bulldogs, which were used by the ARVN (South Vietnamese Army) during the Vietnam War. Patton tanks also frequently appeared in many Godzilla movies and Incredible Hulk comics, typically portrayed as cannon fodder for monsters running amok. Although the Patton tanks have been less prominent since the introduction of the M1 Abrams in military service, they still sometimes fulfill their stereotypical image, such as in the 2004 animated film The Incredibles
An M60A1 was also involved in a police chase when one was stolen by Shawn Nelson from an Army National Guard armory and taken on a rampage through San Diego, California. The driver was killed by police when he refused to surrender after the tank got stuck on concrete freeway dividers. News footage of this incident has been shown numerous times on World's Wildest Police Videos and other such programs.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Technical data sheet and pictures M60A3 from ArmyRecognition.com
- Steven J Zaloga, Tony Bryan, Jim Laurier - M26–M46 Pershing Tank 1943–1953, 2000 Osprey Publishing (New Vanguard 35), ISBN 1-84176-202-4.
- Abraham Rabinovich - The Battle for Jerusalem June 5-7, 1967, 2004 Sefer Ve Sefer Publlishing, Jerusalem, ISBN 965-7287-07-3
- Nolan, Keith W. "Into Lao's, Operation Lam Son 719 and Dewey Canyon II." 1986. Presidio Press. Account of the US Army's final offensive of the Vietnam War.
[edit] External links
