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Thursday, October 11, 2012

M41 Walker Bulldog (US)


M41 Walker Bulldog


Weight  23.5 tons
Length 5.81 m
Height 2.71 m
Wide 3.2 m
Crew 4
Armor 38 mm
Weapon Cannon 76 mm M32[1] Manhine gun .50 cal MG[1] .30 cal MG[1]
Speed 72 km/h

The M41 Walker Bulldog was a U.S. light tank developed to replace the M24 Chaffee. It was named for General Walton Walker who died in a jeep accident in Korea. On 7 November 1950, the US Ordnance Committee Minutes (OCM) issued item #33476, redesignating the heavy, medium, and light tank, according to the armament; the 120mm (heavy) Gun Tanks, 90mm (medium) Gun Tanks, and the 76mm (light) Gun tanks In 1969 the US Army began replacing the M41 with the advanced, but troublesome, aluminum hulled M551 Sheridan Armored Airborne Reconnaissance Assault Vehicle (not officially listed as a light tank due to Army policy at the time). The Sheridan's main gun could fire conventional 152mm tank shells and gun-launched missiles; the weapon could knock out main battle tanks. In addition, the M551 could swim and be air dropped The chassis of the M41 was used for the M42 Duster, which mounted two 40 mm anti-aircraft guns. It was also built up into the M75 Armored Personnel Carrier, one of the first enclosed box-shaped personnel carriers; that vehicle in turn was the pattern for the M113 APC, which later became the most widely produced US armored combat vehicle in history.
Also many of the drive train components, the engine the transmission and the auxiliary engine were used in the M44/M52 155mm howitzer.

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