Posted on 08/02/2004 11:23:22 PM PDT by SAMWolf
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![]() are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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![]() The M41 is historically significant because it was the first example of new American tank design theory after lessons learned from World War II. It was truly "modern" in concept. The M41 was the first American tank designed around its powerplant - and not its main gun - as recognition of how important the powerplant really is for an AFV. Previous vehicles were set by drawing up its general dimensions - and then efforts were made to find an engine to fit inside of the new vehicle and meet the power requirements of the tank. This practice often created underpowered AFV's, or AFV's with less armor plating than conceived for its intended mission. ![]() The M41 was the first American tank to be equipped with a bore evacuator to clear the gun tube of fumes after firing. It was intended to be fitted with an autoloader (would have been another first) in effort to reduce the number of crew in the Turret to two men and increase the rate of fire, however, lack of funding curtailed development of the autoloader. It would be dropped from the production design. The integrated fire control system that better coordinated accurate laying of the gun survived into production, however. The Gun was fully stabilized and quite accurate for the time. ![]() The M41 Tank was originally dubbed "Little BullDog", but was renamed early on in honor of US Lieutenant General Walton H. Walker after his death during the Korean War. Also, early on in the M41's history (November 1950), the US Army changed the designation system it used for tanks from weight to the caliber of the vehicle's main gun. Under the old system, the M41 (at 26 tons) would have been designated a "light" tank, and would be called so in most references. The M41 Walker BullDog was actually a swift reconnaissance vehicle, agile and fast enough to venture behind enemy lines. It carried extensive radio equipment (evidenced by its large Turret Bustle) to allow it to communicate its findings back to base. And, it carried a formidable 76mm Gun giving it the capability of taking on all but the largest of enemy force vehicles to fight its way back out. ![]() The lineage of the Walker BullDog is as interesting as learning about the different marks of German WW II Panzers. Differences between M41, M41A1, M41A2, and M41A3 in US service are mostly internal improvements - and not readily identifiable by external features. All of them served side-by-side - even in the same unit, during their service life. I'll list these differences here, and the use them in modeling the four variants as I go. The thinking employed in development and fielding of the M41 would pave the way to the successful deployment of future American AFV's. The early M41 had round, cast steel, Muzzle Brakes. These were replaced later on by T-shaped Muzzle Brakes. The Bore Evacuator is located just behind the Muzzle Brake. These early-production vehicles' Turrets are characterized by high weld marks on their sides - marking the demarcation between rolled steel and cast steel components. The bottom edge of the rolled steel side plates ran straight back to the bottom edge of the Turret Bustle. A Stowage Bin was attached to the rear of the Turret Bustle, extending its length even more, and creating a large overhang above the Engine Deck. Early M41 Turrets came equipped with a coaxial mounted .50cal Machine Gun. These were replaced during the production run by a .30cal Machine Gun because the smaller weapon allowed more ammunition stowage. ![]() On the roof of the Turret externally, the Commander's .50cal AA Machine Gun was mounted on a pintle located between the Gunner's Hatch and the Commander's Hatch. The Gunner's Hatch also was cast with a "gutter" - a raised lip around it that helped keep water from splashing down into the Turret if opened in the rain. Spare Track Links were commonly mounted on the Turret sides. Internally, the M41 Turret contained a Pulse Relay and Gun Control System that allowed power traverse for the Gunner with override for the Tank Commander. The Gunner has a manual hydraulic elevation control for the 76mm Gun, but the Commander had none. ![]() M41 IN SOUTH VIETNAMESE TRAINING OPERATION The M41 came equipped with an Auxiliary Generator (AUX GEN) powered by a small engine located in the right upper side of the Engine Bay - to provide power for Turret operation. M41 Walker BullDog Vehicles 1 through 1367 did not come equipped with a Muffler / Exhaust for the AUX GEN. The next 922 M41's came with the Muffler / Exhaust for the AUX GEN mounted on the right Engine Muffler Cover. Later vehicles after this batch came with the AUX GEN Muffler mounted at the front right side of the tank - co-located with the Pioneer Tool Rack. AUX GEN Muffler locations don't denote differences in variants. Neither do the Fenders or Idler Wheel / Drive Sprocket combinations, as much as they indicate production period. The early M41 Walker BullDogs came equipped with both square-ended Fenders and Track Skirts. Later production vehicles deleted the Track Skirts, and the Fenders were replaced with angled (clipped) Fenders. The Pioneer Tool Rack was commonly mounted on the front, center, of the Glacis Plate. ![]() The M41 came equipped with a 6-cylinder, supercharged, Continental AOS-895-3 Engine with a remarkably short range of 100 miles - despite 140 gallons of fuel carried internally. This was one of the last gasoline-powered engines to go into an American tank for this reason - despite the fact that the gas-powered M41 could get up over 45mph on roads. The Engine equipping the Walker BullDog was extremely loud, and the Mufflers got so hot that they glowed at night. Early M41's came equipped with a non-rubber rimmed Idler Wheel, which was slotted (10 holes), like that employed on the M18 HellCat. Later production vehicles came with a rubber tired Idler Wheel identical to the other Road Wheels - either style could be fitted. The M41's 12-tooth Drive Sprocket had four lightening holes. Later production vehicle Drive Sprockets did not have lightening holes. ![]() The Cadillac M41 Walker BullDog entered service in 1951, with 1792 vehicles built during the production run. Some sources cite the M41 as seeing limited deployment to Korea and as having success against the Soviet T-34/85 Medium Tank.
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The M41A3 was supplied to the ARVN beginning in 1965. Considered unsuitable for use in RVN by the US Army due to it's very thin armor and cramped interior, the simplicity and mechanical reliability was felt to be more suitable to the smaller sized ARVN cavalry troopers.
Morning E.G.C. How was shopping? Broke yet?
Minestruck ARVN M41, 1971
Morning Mayor. Reminds me of what my mom used to say to the kids all the time, "Look at it as a learning experience"
A Lincoln or a 67 T-Bird qualifies too. :-)
Morning Cannoneer No. 4. Thanks for the bump.
Morning stand watie.
Free Dixie!
Nice pics from Grafenwoehr. :-)
Morning PE. NASA and Flag-O-Grams. Nice touch.
Ooops! That could be a problem!
Morning Feather. Hey, did you know your tank shows up in a Google search for "Feather"?
One of my first tank model kits was the M-41. It was one of those tanks, like the Chaffee, that just "looked" right.
LOL no I did not. It shows up for burkas, too. LOL
Infamous I am. LOL
This paranoia was so severe that apparently one evening when US advisers were delivering new M41 tanks after midnight to avoid Saigon's normally chaotic traffic, the then dictator General Khanh was so alarmed that he fled to Vung Tau, over 50 kilometers away.(8) Air-Marshal Ky, not to be outdone by his army counterparts managed to secure a squadron of M24 Chaffee light tanks for use by the RVNAF at Tan Son Nhut airbase (these were in fact the last M24's in RVN service).
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