The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - M41 'Walker BullDog' Light Tank - Aug. 3rd, 2004

www.guntruck.com ^ | Jim Lewis

[SAMWolf]

M41A1 Walker BullDog



The M41A1's primarily differed from the M41's by internal Turret improvements. In 1951, new Army requirements called for AFV's to be capable of laying the gun and firing on a target within 5 seconds of designation by the Tank Commander. Already in production, the M41 had to be improved to comply with this directive - as the original Pulsed Relay System wasn't capable of meeting the requirement. The M41A1 used a newly designed Cadillac Turret and Gun Control System featuring the same powered traverse for the Gunner, Tank Commander override, and manual hydraulic elevation for the Gunner as in the M41 - but also provided the Tank Commander powered gun elevation control. Additionally, the new Cadillac system took up less space than the Pulse Relay System equipping the M41 - this bonus allowing increased 76mm ammo storage.


M41 "Walker Bulldog" light tank in travel mode (gun facing rearward)

The new Cadillac Turret and Gun Control System entered into production on Vehicle 1419 for testing, and became standard equipment from Vehicle 1803 on. Initially, older production M41's were slated to be updated with the new Cadillac System, but improvements to the original Pulse Relay equipment got the M41 into compliance with the 5-second directive. Vehicles equipped with the improved Pulse Relay System retained the M41 designation - and those equipped with the Cadillac System and modified Turrets were designated M41A1.


M41's of the Japanese Defense Force

On the roof of the Turret externally, the Commander's .50cal AA Machine Gun was relocated forward to a position in front of and to the left of the Commander's Hatch. The Gunner's Hatch "rain gutter" was removed. Spare Track Links were not stowed on the Turret sides like on the M41, and the Pioneer Tool Rack was relocated to the front, right side, Fender. Externally, the M41A1's Turret exhibits a lower weld line between the rolled steel and cast steel portions. The weld line runs low, and angles up to meet the lower edge of the Turret Bustle.



The Cadillac M41A1 Walker BullDog entered service in 1952, with 1936 vehicles built - and 416 of the original M41's converted to A1 standard to add to the total number of A1 variants fielded. Total production of the Walker BullDog series was 3728 tanks, and by 1953 they had completely replaced the M24 Chaffee Light Tank in US Service. A few years later, all vehicles in both variants would receive engine improvements that subsequently changed their designations.

[SAMWolf]

M41A2 Walker BullDog



The M41A2 Walker BullDog is an updated M41 model - with the difference in the powerplant. The M41's Continental AOS-895-3 Engine was improved by addition of a fuel-injection system in place of the original carburetor. The fuel-injector increased the range of the tank to 110 miles, and designated AOS-895-5. The A2 designation came in 1955.

M41A3 Walker BullDog



The M41A3 Walker BullDog is an updated M41A1 model - with the difference in the powerplant like above. The M41A1's Engine improved by addition of a fuel-injection system in place of the original carburetor created the A3 designation in 1955.


Danish M41

The Walker BullDog is quite a remarkable tank for its time, and it often goes unnoticed in the annals of the world's important AFV's. Of some 3700 built for American service, it arrived too late on the scene to be employed in the Korean War, and would not remain in frontline service long enough (leaving service in the late-1960's) to see combat in Vietnam - but the vehicle has shown its mettle with other country's armed forces seeing combat in India-Pakistan and proving quite effective against T-54/55 tanks in Vietnam used by South Vietnamese Forces. It was replaced in American inventories by a desire to field a light tank "that could do it all" - where the Walker BullDog often was found too light for traditional battlefield support missions and too heavy for internal security duties. The follow-on M551 Sheridan didn't live up to these expectations, and was the sad end of a fine line of American Light Tanks.

Additional Sources:

afvinteriors.hobbyvista.com
www.michtoy.com
www.jbwholesalers.com.au
www.armyvehicles.dk
www.michiganhistorymagazine.com
usuarios.lycos.es
www.globalsecurity.org
members.tripod.com/~skeandhu
www.army.mil
www.thortrains.net
muwsan.hp.infoseek.co.jp

[SAMWolf]

The M41 "Walker Bulldog" Tank was a light tank designed to be air-transportable and to provide mobile firepower in combat.



The M41 was developed from the T37 series of light tank designs from World War II. Design began in 1949 with the intent of creating a replacement for the M24 Chaffee. The M41 is named for Gen. W.W. Walker who was killed in a jeep accident in Korea.


A "German" tank (M41 Bulldog) descends on stalled American truck, from the "Combat!" episode "The Duel." Photo by Earl Parker.

While the M41 was highly manueverable, reasonably potent, simple to operate, and effective in combat, it also used fuel at an alarming rate and was extremely noisy. Its main gun was fully stabilised and very accurate for the time. Produced in the 1950´s by Cadillac´s Cleveland Tank Plant with first production models completed in 1951. By 1953 the M41 Bulldog had totally replaced the M24 Chaffee. The US did not use the M41 in combat in Vietnam but did provide a number of them to the South Vietnamese during 1965 as part of a massive re-equipment program. The M41 was highly effective against North Vietnamese T-54/55 tanks in the Vietnam war with its 76mm gun.

[SAMWolf]

Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization. The primary area of concern to all VetsCoR members is that our national and local educational systems fall short in teaching students and all American citizens the history and underlying principles on which our Constitutional republic-based system of self-government was founded. VetsCoR members are also very concerned that the Federal government long ago over-stepped its limited authority as clearly specified in the United States Constitution, as well as the Founding Fathers' supporting letters, essays, and other public documents.

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Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

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UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004



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[snippy_about_it]

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It's TreadHead Tuesday!


Good Morning Everyone

If you would like added to our ping list let us know.

[alfa6]

8th Army Bump for Treadhead Tuesday in the Freeper Foxhole!!!

Now if I can just get the empty beer cans out of here

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[snippy_about_it]

Now if I can just get the empty beer cans out of here

We didn't do it. We're innocent. ;-)

[SAMWolf]

Evening alfa6

Now if I can just get the empty beer cans out of here

Bring them to Oregon, 5 cents refund per can. :-)

[SAMWolf]

That looks so comfy. Good Night, Snippy.

[snippy_about_it]

zzzzzzzzzz. I'm on my way.

[SAMWolf]

Now if I can just get the empty beer cans out of here

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

[The Mayor]

August 3, 2004

Out Of The Thorns

Read: Hebrews 12:7-11

No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful. —Hebrews 12:11

Bible In One Year: Psalms 63-65; Romans 6

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The gorse bush is a shrub that was imported from Europe and now grows wild in the Pacific Northwest. It has dense, dark green shoots, and in springtime it provides a dazzling display of fragrant, vibrant yellow flowers. But it's best known by hikers and fishermen for its vicious spines.

Remarkably, the flowers grow right out of the thorns.

Missionary and artist Lilias Trotter wrote, "The whole year round the thorn has been hardening and sharpening. Spring comes—the thorn does not drop off, it does not soften. There it is as uncompromising as ever, but half-way up appear two brown fuzzy balls, mere specks at first, that break at last—straight out of last year's thorn—into a blaze of golden glory."

So it is with the suffering that accompanies God's chastening. Just when our situation seems hopeless and hardest to bear, tiny signs of life appear that will soon burst into bloom. Take the toughest issue, the most difficult place. There, God in His grace can cause His beauty to be seen in you.

No chastening seems pleasant at the time, "Yet when it is all over we can see that it has quietly produced the fruit of real goodness in the characters of those who have accepted it in the right spirit" (Hebrews 12:11 Phillips). —David Roper

For all the heartaches and the tears,
For gloomy days and fruitless years
I do give thanks, for now I know
These were the things that helped me grow! —Crandlemire

God's hand of discipline is a hand of love.

[Darksheare]

*chuckle*
"My tank is a Cadillac!"

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Free Republic Treadhead Ping

archy; Gringo1; Matthew James; Fred Mertz; Squantos; colorado tanker; The Shrew; SLB; Darksheare; BCR #226; IDontLikeToPayTaxes; Imacatfish; Tailback; DCBryan1; Eaker; Archangelsk; gatorbait; river rat; alfa6; Lee'sGhost; Dionysius; BlueLancer; Frohickey; GregB; leadpenny; skepsel; Proud Legions; ExSoldier; King Prout; Professional Engineer; alfa6; bluelancer; Cannoneer No.4; An Old Man; hookman; DMZFrank; in the Arena; Bethbg79; neverdem; NWU Army ROTC; ma bell; MoJo2001; The Sailor; dcwusmc; dts32041; spectr17; Rockpile; Theophilus;

[stand watie]

GM, snippy!

free dixie,sw

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Graf, 1954 - 55.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

76mm Gun Tank M41 Walker Bulldog

This is the driver's position of the M41 as seen from the turret. The hand throttle is visible just above the left-hand instrument cluster, and the early-style steering crossbar is in the middle of the picture. The handles for the crossbar are black and descend vertically from the ends of the crossbar's horizontal member. The black handle behind the crossbar is the primer pump. The accelerator pedal is just visible to the right of the primer pump handle. The white handles hanging down from the top of the picture are the mounting clamp levers for the driver's M17 periscopes.

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies. Flag-o-gram.

An overall view of activity in the Mission Operations Control Room in the Mission Control Center at the conclusion of the Apollo 15 lunar landing mission. The television monitor in the right background shows the welcome ceremonies aboard the prime recovery ship, U.S.S. Okinawa, in the mid-Pacific Ocean.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

There were over 3700 M41 Light Tanks eventually constructed and as the tank matured in use with the troops, changes were made to improve the vehicle. This is the general arrangement of the driver's area in the left bow of the M41 and this equipment remained relatively unchanged until late in production. The main problem up here revolved around the unique T bar steering crossbar; it was too weak and would occasionally break near the right grip when yanked hard by rough handed drivers. As you can see, the control bar rotates from mounts at the top and bottom, and the attachment for the control rod that eventually leads back to the steering mechanism at the stern is all the way over at the far left of the bar, attached to the hull wall. By pushing on the right side of the steering bar the driver turned the tank left and pushing on the other side of the bar turned the tank the opposite direction. But, because the torque on the bar was greatest furthest from the control connection at the far left, the right side of the bar could deform or break near the horn button. The problem was recognized and partially fixed by strengthening the bar from vehicle 603, and by vehicle 2453 there was a new stronger steering bar in use that we will see in a few minutes.

A simple pull knob hand throttle is visible under the control bar's connection at the far left, and both brake and accelerator pedals can be seen directly under the steering mechanism. The seat is adjustable forward/back as well as up/down using the control levers just to the left of the seat bottom (the back has been removed). The accelerator pedal is large so the driver can still use it when he is elevated in his seat while driving head out. A tachometer and speedometer are located in their own small panel under the hand throttle and retaining brackets for the driver's periscopes are at the top of the image. The driver's view outside the tank when buttoned up is excellent, using three M17 periscopes that are angled slightly left, directly forward, and slightly to the right, and a fourth periscope at the far left that was angled back to the left rear.

Initial vehicles had a plan pivoting driver's hatch and movement of the inside hatch control handle would first raise the hatch an inch or so and then pivot it over to the right. When infrared driving equipment was added to the M41, a mount in the hatch was included for an infrared M19 night viewing periscope to be used with additional infrared driving lights added to the bow. The M19 had to be removed before the hatch could be opened. The operating handle for the hatch is seen at the upper right in the drawing, the gearshift gate is at the bottom right, and the main instrument panel is to the far right. Regardless of the hatch type, drivers lived in mortal fear when driving with their heads out because if the turret rotated while they were exposed they could have their necks broken by the bottom of the mantlet. The predominate paint used inside the M41 is typical US gloss white and most of the darker areas seen in these images are black, including the seat padding, instrument dials and the gear shift gate instructions at the right.