M41 Walker Bulldog
Overview
M41 Walker Bulldog
Former Republic of China M41 Walker Bulldog on display ata museum. Photographed in 2014.
Source: Summer Palace New Residence -
© CC BY-SA 4.0
1.944 M41A1
~5.500 in total
Vietnam - ARVN
Brazil
Taiwan
Germany - West Germany
Description
Introduction
The M41 Walker Bulldog is an early Cold War era light tank of American origin. It was developed just after World War 2 as a replacement for the M24 Chaffee. Service life for the M41 in US service was rather short. As a light tank it was rather heavy and had a tall silhouette, while fuel efficiency was bad.
Design
The M41 Walker Bulldog reflects post war tank design in being rather large and having a mixed welded and cast steel armor package. The driver sits in the hull and the other three crew members are located in the turret. The petrol engine and drivetrain are located at the rear. For a light tank the M41 is rather large and tall.
Firepower
The main armament is a 76mm M32 manually loaded rifled gun. Ammunition types include armor piercing, high velocity armor piercing, smoke and high explosive. When introduced the M41 could engage the widely used Soviet T-34/85 medium tank. There are 57 or 65 shells depending on variant. Rate of fire is quoted as 12 rpm. There is no gun stabilizer, requiring the tank to halt before engaging a target. A .30 M1919A4 machine gun is mounted as coaxial armament. A 12.7mm M2HB heavy machine gun is mounted on the turret roof.
Protection
The M41 has a steel hull and turret. Both hull and turret are of a welded construction and feature cast steel sections. Armor ranges from 13 mm to 32 mm, with some sections well angles. This armor will not stop tank guns or HEAT rounds, but will protect the crew from heavy machine gun fire and some 20mm autocannon. There are no smoke grenade launchers, nor is there a NBC system.
Mobility
The mobility is both the upside and downside of the M41. The maximum speed and power to weight ratio are good. Fuel efficiency is very poor, resulting in a maximum autonomous range of 160 km. This was later improved to 180 km using a fuel injection system, but is still poor.
Users
The M41 was acquired in quantity by the US Army, until after several years the M47 Patton was favored on the production line instead. The M41 saw active combat in Vietnam. Nearly 300 M41 were lost by South Vietnam during the Vietnam war. Large numbers of relatively new ex-US Army M41 tanks became available to US allies during the Cold War. These were acquired and use in quantity. Various upgrade programs were developed and applied by these foreign users. Present day the M41 is obsolete and practically only remains in storage or in second-line duty.
Variants
M41 Walker Bulldog
Forward view of M41 Walker Bulldog light tank in service with New Zealand as seen in 1974.
Source: R. Anderson -
© CC BY 2.0
List of M41 Walker Bulldog variants
Details
Family of vehicles
M42 Duster
Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun on the M41 chassis. Armed with two 40mm Bofors L/60 autocannon in an open roof turret.
M44
Self-propelled howitzer on the M41 chassis. Engine and drivetrain relocated forward in order to make room for an open roof rear superstructure with 155mm howitzer.
M75
Armored personnel carrier based on the automotive components of the m41 Walker Bulldog.
Media
M41 Walker Bulldog
Several M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks in service with the ARVN during the Vietnam war.
Source: US Army
Copyright: Public domain
M41 Walker Bulldog
A column of West German M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks seen during an exercise in 1957.
Source: Friedrich Magnussen
Copyright: CC BY-SA 3.0
M41 Walker Bulldog
M41 Walker Bulldog light tank in service with Saudi Arabia seen on parade, reportedly during the Gulf War.
Source: Ibrahim Suleiman
Copyright: CC BY-SA 4.0
M41 Walker Bulldog
Two M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks in service with Chile seen near the presidential palace in 1973.
Source: goodvibes11111
Copyright: CC BY-SA 4.0
M41 Walker Bulldog
Rear view of a former Spanish army M41 Walker Bulldog on display at the Museo Histórico Militar de Canarias. Photographed in 2022.
Source: Alan Wilson
Copyright: CC BY-SA 2.0
M41 Walker Bulldog
M41 Walker Bulldog light tank in service with New Zealand as seen in 1974.
Source: R. Anderson
Copyright: CC BY 2.0
M41 Walker Bulldog
A column of M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks in service with Brazil seen in the streets of Rio de Janeiro in 1968.
Source: Correio da Manhã
Copyright: Public domain
M41 Walker Bulldog
A column of Royal Thai Army M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks in service seen in the streets of Bangkok in 2006.
Source: Roger jg
Copyright: CC BY-SA 2.5
Related articles
M24 Chaffee
The M41 Walker Bulldog was designed as a replacement for the World War 2 era M24 Chaffee light tank.
M551 Sheridan
The M551 Sheridan was developed to replace the M41 Walker Bulldog in US service. The M551 was designed to be lighter and have a smaller silhouette.