M41 Walker Bulldog light tank, 1950 to present (TL7)
After WWII, the U.S. Army decided to construct a family of vehicles, all based on a common hull and running gear. Unlike earlier tanks, where a tank was designed and then a suitable engine was found to fit it, with the M41 light tank the engine was fully developed before the tank was designed (a later version of the engine was used in the M60 MBT and the M41's early model was a notorious fuel hog; also, ironically, modernized versions replaced the gas engine with a diesel one). The M41 was also one of the first American tanks to dispense with a bow-mounted machine gun (and the extra crewman for it). The Bulldog was known to be unusually noisy.
Replacing the M24 Chafee (which saw U.S. service until 1953), the M41 Bulldog was standardized in 1950 and entered service in 1951, just in time for the Korean War. While it proved capable of stopping the Russian-supplied T-34/85's, it was to fare less well against the heavier T-54 [one source disagrees with this]. The tank was later renamed the Walker Bulldog, in memory of General Walton W. Walker, who was killed in a jeep accident in 1951. The M41 served with the U.S. until the late 1960's, but was not used by the U.S. in Vietnam (though in 1965 numbers were transferred to the South Vietnamese army).
The M41 was widely distributed, the prime recipients being Brazil (300), Thailand (200), Taiwan (675), Chile (60) and Denmark (50+). In most of these countries, the gasoline engine was replaced by a Cummins diesel and an effective APFSDS round was introduced. Also, as part of modernization programs, other now-standard equipment such as an NBC system, thermal night vision, laser rangefinder, night vision periscope and a searchlight was installed. The Taiwanese upgrade, begin in the late 1990's, (resulting in the M41D) also added a ballistics computer and reactive armor, but though stabilization gear for the main gun was removed.
Other vehicles in the M41 family include the M42 Duster (basically a normal M41 with the turret of the WWII-era M19, containing two Bofors 40mm AA cannons, installed), the M44 (an open topped 155mm SP howitzer) and the M52 (a turreted 105mm SP howitzer with NBC protection). In the latter two vehicles, the track idler was lowered to ground level to provide better firing stability and the engine and transmission were moved to the front of the hull). The M42 found more use as a ground support weapon in Vietnam than as an AA weapon. A total of 3700 M42, 608 M44 and 684 M52 were built.
Subassemblies: body +3, full rotation turret +2, full rotation
open mount -2, two tracks +2
P&P: 373 kW super-charged gasoline w/tracked drivetrain,
140 gallons gasoline (fire chance: 10) in self-sealing tank, 100 mile range
(road)
Occ: 4 NCS (driver, gunner, loader and commander)
Cargo: 10 cf internal (bin at rear of turret)
| Armor | F | R/L | B | T | U |
| Body | 5/105 | 4/60 | 4/52 | 4/50 | 4/35 |
| Turret | 5/105 | 4/60 | 4/60 | 4/50 | 0/0 |
| Tracks | 4/25 | 4/25 | 4/25 | 4/25 | 4/25 |
Weaponry
76mm M32 cannon [Turret:F] (22 HE, 20 AP, 15 APDS)
.30-cal M1919A4E1 coaxial [Turret:F] (5000)
.50-cal M2HB anti-aircraft [Open Mount] (2175)
Equipment
Turret: two medium range scrambled radios, 8x sight (telescope,
+3/+5) for gunner
Statistics
| Size: 19'x10.5'x9' | Payload: approx. 3800 lbs | Lwt: 51,689 lbs (25.8 tons) |
| Volume: 657 cf (Size Mod: +4) | Maint.: 28 hours | Price: $500,000 |
HT: 8
HP: 900 [body], 300 [each track], 600 [turret]
| gSpeed: 45 | gAccel: 3 | gDecel: 20 | gMR: 0.25 | gSR: 5 | GP: low (2/3) |
Design Notes
Frame is heavy for 300 cf body, 175 cf turret, and 180 cf tracks. The
76mm gun is fully stabilized [Note: There is some conflicting data that
indicates that no version of the M41 had stabilization].
New Weapons
76mm M32 cannon: long barrel, breechloader
Dam 6dx12(2) AP, Acc 16, SS 30, 1/2Dam 2500, Max 8400, ROF 1/4, AWt
28 lbs (AP), ACost $56 (AP), Other Ammo: HE 9dx3[6d], APDS 6dx18(2), x1.5
range
Sources
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Vehicles, Ian Hogg
and John Weeks, 1980
Modern Fighting Vehicles, Bob Lewis, 1988
Federation
of American Scientists website