Patton tank
 The M48A1 tank | |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 48 tons |
| Length | 6.4 m |
| Width | 3.6 m |
| Height | 3.1 m |
| Crew | 4 |
The M46, M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the U.S army's principal main battle tanks of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The model was 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. It was replaced in US service by the M1 Abrams.
The M46
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 powerpack 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 Ordnance decided that the tank "deserved" an index of its own. When the rebuild began in November, 1949 the upgraded M26 received not only a new powerpack and a main gun with bore evacuator, but a new designation along with them - M46 General Patton or simply Patton. In total 1160 M26s were rebuilt: 800 to the M46, 360 to the M46A1 standard.
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 was expected considering that it is more comparable to the Soviet IS-2 heavy tank, and a much newer design.
The M46 was exported to some European countries, including Belgium, France and Italy.
The M47
Although the new powerpack 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 then planned. It was deemed that there was likely no time to finish the development of the T42 and then also to 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.
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.
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 Cyprus National Guard and was reported to be still in service in 1993. [1]
The M48
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, redesigned hull and an improved suspension. The hull machine gunner position was removed, reducing the crew to 4.
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. In 1959, American M48s were upgraded to the M48A3 model which featured a diesel power plant.
In the mid-1970s, the M48A5 upgrade was developed to allow the vehicle to carry the heavier 105 mm 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 reserve service 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.
M48 combat service
The M48s saw action during the Vietnam War, as did another variant, 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, the M48s provided adequate shelter for its crew from small arms, mines and RPGs.
M47s and M48s were first 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 Pakistan's elite 1st Armoured brigade attacked an entrenched Indian position— and saw close to 100 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 their own service 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.
The M60
| M60 Patton | |
|---|---|
 M60 Patton | |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 52 tonnes |
| Length | 6.9 m |
| Width | 3.6 m |
| Height | 3.3 m |
| Crew | 4 |
In 1957, it was determined that the Soviets were in the process of developing a new medium tank, the T-62, with a 115 mm gun, superior to that of the American M48 tank. In response, an M48 tank was fitted with a new engine and later with a variant of the British 105 mm L7 series gun. 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 and mobility, required a minimum of refueling and servicing, and incorporated an improved main armament. A Continental V-12 750 hp. air cooled 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 one 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.
The M60A2, sometimes referred to as 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 armour but spoiling the low profile. It also featured a 152 mm calibre 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 to M60A3 standard or the hulls converted to Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge vehicles.
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 American M60s eventually underwent the conversion to the A3 model.
M60 combat service
The M60 saw action in Operation Desert Storm in opposition to Iraqi tanks, such as the T-55, T-62, Type 69, and the T-72. The M60A1s supported the effort into Kuwait City. They saw service with the United States Marine Corps, and the Saudi Arabian Army.
A few 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 IDF received many more M48s, M60s and M60A1s from the U.S..
Israel further upgraded their stock of M60s prior to their use in the invasion of Lebanon in 1982 as part of 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 controls, a thermal sleeve and smoke dischargers. This model, the Magach 7 (with variants A through C) is still in use with the IDF.
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.
Variants
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 1960's, 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, 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 characterisitc 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 auxillery 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.
- M60E1/A1 - 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 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 1980's.
- M60E2 - Experimental version with driver in turret and armed with the Shillelagh anti-tank missile and a 20 mm cannon.
- 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.
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 M9 bulldozer blade, or a mine-clearing equipment.
- M728A1 - Upgraded version
Additional equipment:
- M9 - Bulldozer and earthmoving equipment added to M60.
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.
- E-48
- E-48 AVLB - a M48 AVLB but with an Israeli bridge.
- E-48 (M48A2) - basically unmodifed M48A2 from Germany
- E-48 (M48A2C) - basically unmodifed M48A2C from Germany
- E-48 (M48A3) - basically unmodifed M48A3 from USA
- E-60
- E-60 - basically unmodifed main production M60
- E-60A - basically ummodified 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.
Jordanian variants
- AB1 - Jordanian armoured recovery vehicle.
- AB9B1 - Jordanian upgrade with 120 mm smoothbore gun.
- Mazin - Jordanian modified M60A3.
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.
South Korea
- M48A5K - Fitted with an improved 105 mm gun, additional armor, and significant fire control upgrades, making it on par if not more capable than early M60s.
Taiwanese variants
- M48A5H/CM-11 "Brave Tiger" - Taiwanese version consisting of M48H turret and M60 hull and fitted with ERA. Also has significant upgrades to the gun tracking equipment and fire control.
- CM-12 "Brave Tiger" - Fitting of existing CM-11 turrets to M48A3 chassis.
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.
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 the films Battle of the Bulge and Patton, some Pattons stood in for German tanks while others along with M41 Walker Bulldogs represented American tanks. 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.
It is ironically claimed "according to war movies, Patton was the most used German WWII tank" as the post-war movie directors cared little of historical accuracy of the equipment [citation needed].
See also
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
External links
- AFV Database: M46 Patton
- AFV Database: M47 Patton
- AFV Database: M48 Patton
- AFV Database: M60 Patton
- GlobalSecurity.org: M47 Patton
- GlobalSecurity.org: M48 Patton
- GlobalSecurity.org: M60 Patton
- MilitaryImages.Net: M60 Patton
- M47 Photos and Walk Arounds on Prime Portal
- ^ The Action of the Captured M47 in Atilla II, Savvas Vlassis