The M47 and M48 Patton Tanks

Osprey New Vanguard #31

by Steven J. Zaloga, Jim Laurier (Illustrator)

With Cold War fears mounting, the M47 and M48 were rushed into production – teething troubles were inevitable. In the decade that followed, however, these tanks proved to be the backbone of US armoured units. In its lifetime, the Patton has played vital roles in three wars, including Vietnam, and has served with more than 25 nations; it has spawned derivatives such as the Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge, an anti-aircraft variant, and has undergone diverse armament modifications. This book provides a comprehensive view of the M47 and M48 Patton tanks, combining technical information with fascinating accounts of the performance, development and deployment of this battle-tested and truly international fighting machine.

Genres: History

48 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 1982

About the author

Steven Zaloga is an author and defense analyst known worldwide for his articles and publications on military technology.  He has written over a hundred books on military technology and military history, including “Armored Thunderbolt: The US Army Sherman in World War II”, one of the most highly regarded histories of the Sherman Tank.  His books have been translated into Japanese, German, Polish, Czech, Romanian, and Russian. He was a special correspondent for Jane’s Intelligence Review and is on the executive board of the Journal of Slavic Military Studies and the New York Military Affairs Symposium. From 1987 through 1992, he was the writer/producer for Video Ordnance Inc., preparing their TV series Firepower.  He holds a BA in history from Union College and an MA in history from Columbia University.

Mr. Zaloga is also a noted scale armor modeler and is a host/moderator of the World War II Allied Discussion group at Missing-Lynx.com, a modelling website. He is a frequent contributor to the UK-based modeling magazine Military Modelling. He is a member of the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society.

Reviews

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little book- very helpful for anyone gaming the ColdWar Period. The M47/48 "Patton" tanks were the mainstay of early Cold War US Post Korea Tank forces. Even though they were rushed into service based on the M26 Pershing of the Late WWII period, and had teething troubles until the mid fifties, the types would go on to be "Brush Fire Wars/Revolutionary Wars" icons, doing more fighting in more varied theatres than many other tanks of the era. This book helps the reader with all the facts , figures, and especially pictures to unravel it all.

The M47 is the earlier version of the type with the 90mm gun left over from WWII fitted into a distinctive long backed turret. After Korea- it was thought to be impervious to Soviet tanks of the period. The Emergence to the T54/55 with its longer and more destructive main gun had NATO scrambling for a better gun that would lead to the adoption of the British 105mm rifled cannon.. the stopgap higher velocity 90mm gun that the M48 began with, required the classic "egg-shaped" turrets that would be iconic for American tanks until the M1 emerged in the late 80s. American M48s that fought in Vietnam were 90mm versions, even as NATO based tanks began to be upgunned to 105mm. When the US moved to the successor M60s of the 70s and 80s, the M47s and M48s began a life of service around the world, all covered in the book, especially the use by Germany, Spain, Turkey, Pakistan, Jordan, and Israel.

This book is a good choice for a junior reader who might be interested in the topic or the period, with all the prose well within their ken. For the Military Enthusiasts/Gamers/Modellers audience whom this Osprey publishing addresses, this is an epic tome. Red Storm Rising/Team Yankee/Bolt Action/'Nam/Fate Of A Nation players will appreciate colour plates of Jordanian, Pakistani, Israeli, Spanish, Iranian, and Vietnamese tanks for games in their periods. The format of overall History, Specific types, and then a history of all the users and their experiences with the two tanks makes for a simple straightforward addition to the canon of Cold War hardware. A very helpful book.

[Antonio Bernarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and into the main points review and history of the M47 and M48 tanks.