War Machine - N 13.pdf

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Armoured Warfare
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Published by
Orbis
Publishing Ltd
@ Aerospace
Publishing
Ltd
1983
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Editorial:
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Chris
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l\y'orse
Volume2
Issue
13
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Armoured
\Ghicles
olfhe
1950s
ctnd
1960s
Et
the
end
of
World
War
II
the
tank
stood
out
as
one
ofthe
ytime
wealnns
in
the new mobile
warfare. Great effotts
were
aade to developnew
fanilies
of atznouredvehicles,
andthe
I9il)s
saw
the
inhodaction
of the
fitst
cttde
anti'tank guided
sea1nre.
Development
wx
to
such
eftect
that many
vehicles
in usern the
l9&Osaredesigt
tsofthe
l9fl0soreailien
.'iorid
War
II
proved
that tanks had
a
major
role
to
play
on
the
battlefield,
the
USA
some
of
the
projects stiii under way
at
the
end
of
the
war
=d
in
continued, though many others
were
canceiled.
A
considerable
,rere
:.::rount
of
work
was done on automotive components such
as
engines
well
as
on
the main armament.
This
e{Iort was put to
;.:od
use
at
the
outbreak
of
the Korean War,
and
within
a
short
time the
.SAwas
able
to
place
in
production
a
whole range
of
armoured vehicles
urcluding
the
M41
light
tank,
M47/M4B
medium
tank
and
Ml03
heavy
as
well
as
numerous
self-propelled
gmns,
APCs and
other special-
=nk,
zed
vehicles, Many of these vehicles
were ordered
even
before pro-
:3types
were
completed,
and the
result
was that many
of
these had
later
:c
be
rebuilt,
a
very
expensive
and
time-consuming process.
Since
then
ihe
USA has
taken care
to test
thoroughly
its
armoured vehicles
before
olacing
them
in
production.
In the
UK a
complete family
of
vehicies ranging from
tanks
to
self-
propelled
guns was
conceived, but many of
these
did
not reach
the
production
stage
and the
most successfirl
British tank
of
this
period,
the
Cenh:rion, can
trace its development back to World War
II.
France
also
started
an
AFV development programme in
the
immedi-
ate
post-war
period
with the
EBR
armoured car
and
AMX-13
light
tank,
both unusual designs. The
latter
has
been exported all over
the
world
and remains
in
production to this day,
as
do
many
of its
specialized
variants such
as
troop carriers
and
self-propelled
gn:ns.
In the
mid-1950s
armoured
deveiopment again started in
Japan
and
West Germany, with production vehicles following
in
the
1960s.
Switzer-
In
service with
I
srael
for
20
years,
the
British- deSigned
C
enturion
was
developed
at
the end
of
World War
II, and
by
continuous
modification
has
remained
effective
right
up to
the
presentday.
land
and Sweden
also
undertook the design and
later
productron
c:
tanks
in
this
period, the
Swedish
S{ank being
one
of
the
most
rtnu.su6-
vehicles of its
type.
The
USSR
continued
to
design, develop
and
place
in
production
tadcs
after
World
War
II. On
a
one-for-one
basis these
were
generally
hfenor
to
their Westem
counterparts, but they
were
cheap and
easy to
malu-
factwe,
maintain and operate, all
factors
which
have
led
to
their expori
on a
wide
scale to most parts
of
the world.
During the
I950s
the first
antitank
gnrided
missiles appeared.
These
were very
basic compared to the
systems
in
use today,
but they
did
provide
the basis
on
which
more effective
systems
could
be
desigmed
and built, and their
introduction
in
both
vehicle- and
man-portable
versions
has
changed
the
face
of
the battlefield, once again
compelling
tank designers
to place greater
emphasis on armour protection,
It
must
also
be
remembered that
many
of the vehicles
in
service
today, and
in
some
cases
still
in
production,
can
trace their development
back
to
the
mid-1950s,
or in
some
cases
even
earlier.
Some of
the vehicles
described
have
now disappeared from
semce
as
their
chassis
could not
be
adopted to
carry
new weapon
systerns,
while
others (for example the M48 and Centurion
tanks)
have
been
constantly updated
to
enable them
to
remain viable weapon
systems
for
the
foreseeable
fuhrre.
One
of
the
features of
Middle
East
wadare
has
been
the
frequency with
::id
transmissions,
as
which
captured weaponsftayebeen turned
against their
former
owners.
Heri
we
see an
Egwtian
Centurion,
captured
from
Israel in
1973.
=
ilff+ens
MainBattle Tank
\Alhen
the
Korean
War broke
out in
1950,
the
USA
had
no
medrum
tanks
in
production.
As an
intdrim
measure the
hrret
of
the
T43 medium
tank
then
under development was put
onto the
chassis of
the
M46Al
tank and
this
en-
tered production
as
the
M47,
well over
8,000
beiaq built. The
M47
has long
been
phased out
of
US
Army service
but
remains
in
service with
many
countries including
Greece,
Italy,
but a few.
Design
wolk
on a
new
medium
tank, also
armedwith
a
90-mm
gnm,
started
in
the
early
I950s
under
the
designation T48,
and this
was
Spain, Pakistan and Portugal, to name
The
M47
was one of the
earlier
members
of
a
family
of
armoured
vehicles stretching
from
the
M26
Pershing tank
through
to
the M60
of
today.
The M47
saw
action in
Korea
before being
replaced
by
the
much-
*
.;
l
s
I
ordered
into production even before
the first
prototypes
had been
com-
pleted.
The
first
production
vehicles
were
completed
at
the
Delaware'Iank
Plant,
operated
by
the Chrysler
Cor-
poration,
inJuly
1952,
when
the
widow
of General George
Patton
christened
th.e US
Army
with
commander's
and
loader's
hatch
in
the
open position. By
late
1983
the
US
Anny
still
had
over
2,000
of these
vehicles on
s/rength.
improvedM4S
Patton.
the
type
Patton.
Wiih
such
a
shod de-
velopment
period, which
was
justified
by a
Teledyne Continental
AVDS-
1790-2A
diesel
whLich
increased
the
operational
ralge
of the tank to some
2BB
stocks
of M4Bs to
M4BA5
standard
by
the
lntemational situation
at
that
M48A2
ot
ttme,
there were
many problems
with
the
early
M4Bs,
including poor
reiiabil-
ity and
a
very
short
operating range
of
only
70
miles (i
13
km). The
M4B
was
lollowed
by
the
M48Al,
M4842
and
frnally
M48A3" The last had many
mod-
rficatrons
as a
result
of
problems
mth
the
earlier
vehicies,
and was
powered
miles
(463
kn).
Production
of the
M4B
series
con-
tinued untrl
1959,
by which time over
1I,700
had been
built.
The
M4B was
succeeded in production
by
the
M60
West German company
Wegrnar
-.==
converted
some
650
M4BA2
tanks
:-'r:
the
M48A2GA2
version
for
the
!'r
-s:
German
army.
These have the
Bn:r
105-mm
lr7A3
gnm,
new
arrrnun;:-:
racks,
new
commander's cupola-
pa:-
Tr:
series,
which
itself
is
a
further
de-
world
includinq Greece, Iran,
Israel,
sive
night-vision equipment,
We3-
velopment of the M48. The
M4B is
still
used
by
many countries around
the
Jordan,
South
Korea, l,ebanon,
Moroc-
co, Norway,
Pakistaa,
Portr:gal,
Soma-
lia,
Spain,
Taiwan,
fhailand,
T\.rnisia,
Ttrkey,
the
USA
and
West Germany,
mann smoke dischargers
and rnoi-
ifications to
the fire-control
systern.
The
automotive components
of
tf.
M4B
were
also used
in
the
M88
AF",-
and the
M53
and
M55
self-propelia:
artillery
weapons. Variants
of
the
M4!
include the
M6?,
M67Al
and
M67.t?
flamethrower tanks
(none
of
which
a::
at
present
in
ftont-line service)
and
t=
M48
AVLB
which
is
widelyused
in
t-
US
Army and
has
a
scissors
bridge
launched over the front
of
the
vehicl:
The
chassis
is
also
being
used for
tb=
new
M247
Sgt
York
Division
Au
D€-
fenee System (DIVADS), the first
pr:-
1983.
This
has a
new turret armed
wr:
twin
4O-mm
Bofors guns and
a
compr=-
hensive
fire-control
system
which
w-
M48A3
are
all
armed wrth
a
90-mm
gmn,
wrth a
7.62-mm (0.3-rn)
machire-
gmn
mounted co-axially
with
the main
armament
and
a
0.S-in
(12.7-mm)
machine-gnm
mounted
in the
comman-
The
M48,
M4BA1,
M48A2
and
der's
cupola.
To
extend
the
type's
veloped
in
the
mid-I970s. This
is
essentially
any one of
the
earlier mod-
operational hfe,
the
M48AS
was
de-
ductlon
examples
of which
shou-:
come
off the
production
line in
la:=
els rebuilt and fltted with
a
105-mm
7.62-mm
(0.3-in) M60D
machine-gnrn
on the turret
rool
a new powerpack
and
many other detailed
modifica-
tions.
From
1975
Anniston
Army
Depot
converted weil
over
2,000
of
the
older
M48
series
MBTs
to the
M4BA5 con-
figuration, and apart from
two
batta-
lions in Korea these
are
all
deployed in
the
USA,
The Uruted
States has
also
supplied many countries
with kits
to
enable them to convert
their
ensting
M6B
gun
(as
fitted
to the M60
series),
a
be
able to engage low flying arcre=
and
helicopters.
Over
600
of these
expected
to be procured by
the
LS
Army to
provrde
each division
wr:
one battahon of DIVADS vehicles.
The
M48 series has seen
comba:
with the United
States
and Vietnamese
armies
in
South
Vietnam,
with
the
Pakistani army
agairst
India, and
wrr
the
Israeii army
agalnst
Jordan,
Egryp:
and
Syria.
It
has
now proved to be
a
reliable
tank, and when
fitted with
the
105-mm
L7A3
or
MOB
qnrn
can counter
most tanks
likely
to
be encountered
or
the battlefield
today,
especially
wher
firing
the new
types
of
APFSDS-T
ammunitron
developed
by
the Unitec
States,
Israel and the United
Kingdorn
a::
Specification
Crew:
4
Weight:
47.17
tonnes
Engriie:
continendlAvDs-
1790-2A
t2-
cylinder
diesel developing
(s60
750
bhp
k\
Dimensions: length (with
gnm
forward)
8,686
m
(28 ft 6
in);
lenqth (hull)
6.882
m
D
(22ft7in),
width 3,63Im
heisht3.124m(10ft3in)
(Iift
11in);
Performance: maximum
road
speed
49.Zkrn/h
(30
mph); maximum
range
463
m
(288
miles));
fording
1,219
m
(4
ft
0in);
gnadient
60%;
vertical
obstacle
0,915m
(3ft 0in);
trench
2,59m (8ft
6
in)
An
early production
M60
tank
crosses
a pontoon
bridge.
The
M60
was
virtually
an upgrunned M48
with
an
improved
engine;
itwas
quickly
replaced
by
the
M60Al
,
which
had a
com p
le te
ly re
des igme
d
turr
e
t.
242
E
.USA
M50 Ontos
tank
destroyer
1950s
the
US
Armowed
Vehicles
of
the
lg50s
and lg60s
:;-=::d
a requirement
for
a
highly
;=:---les,
a.ll
of
which
had
various
num-
:e=
of
recoilless rifles
as
their
main
::=arnent,
These
were
built
and
:=red
ald
u:
February
1953
approval
T-:s elven
for
the procurement of
24
of
the
T165
which
was
armed
=--,cels
:n-::
six
106-mm
recoilless rrlles. Trials
-- -:e
early
Marine Corps
-':;:le
ta:rk
destroyer, and in
October
-I-
authorization
was
given for
the
:r*rng
of no
less
than five
prototype
been retired
from
service
l,vlth
the
US
Marine
Corps without
a direct
re-
placement,
although
ground-
and
vehicle-mounted TOW ATGWs carry
out a
similar
function,
The
vehicle
was armed
with
six
M40A1C recoilless
rrfles
mounted
on a
cotrrmon mount at the
rear
of the
hull.
These had
a
traverse
of 40' left
and
right with
an
elevation
of
*20'
and
a
traverse all being
manual, The top
four
recoilless rrlles
were
fitted with a
12.7-
mm
(0.5-in) MBC
spottlng
rifle:
the
weapons
were
fLst lined up
with
the
opticai
sight and the spotting
rifle
was
then
fired, a hit
on
the
target
berng
indicated by
a
pulf
of
smoke,
whereup-
on
the gunner
krew
that
the
recoilless
rifle
was correctly
aliEmed
vnth
the
depression
of
-10o,
elevation
and
r-::
the first
of these
vehicles showed
--:a: some
work
was
required with
the
:::-:ntiag,
fire-control
system and
sus-
;e-ron.
The
remaining vehicles
were
to
a
slightly modified
design and
:dt
*':difications,
the vehicle was finally
::"ls
mth
i:signated
the
Tl65E2. Following
the
latter vehicles,
and
more
:::epted
for
service
with
the
US
l.bine
Corps
and
in
1955
was
standar-
:-:ed
as
the
Rille,
Multiple,
106-mm
Self-Propelled, M50
or,
as
it
was nor-
-:lly
called,
the Ontos
(Greek for The
li-ng),
In
August
1955
Allis
Chalmers
r,r:s
awarded
a
productron contract
for
l:l
vehicles,
whlch were
all
com-
z:.i
::=ted by
November
1957,
At
a later
j=:e
it was
decrded
to
replace
the
ori-
;-::ai
General Motors
petrol
engme
a
xas
awarded
a
contract
to
reburld
294
1.50
vehicies
to
the new
configwation
iccwn
as
M50Al;
at
the
same
ttme
a
-'-imber
of
other minor
improvements
rere
made
to
the vehicle. The
M50
a-as
used
in
South
Vietnam and in the
lcminican
Republic,
but
it
has
now
::q
180
hp
(
134
kW)
and
subsequently,
'-
jue
1963,
the
orignnai
manufacturer
Chrysler petrol engrne
develop-
rounds
of
spottmg ammunition were
carried, In
additron an
MI9I9A4
7.62-
mm
(0.3-in) machine-En:n
was
fitted
to
the top
of
the
mount
for local protec-
tion.
loown
as
HESH
in British service, Tot-
als
of
18
rounds
of
106-mm
and
B0
target. One
or
more of the recoilless
rifles could be fired,
maximum
efec-
tive
rangre
being
about
1100m (I,200
yards)
although maximum
ranqe
was
over
7000m
(7,655
yards).
The
ammunition was of
the fixed type
and
included
HEAT
(High
Exploslve
Anti-
Tank)
and
HEP-T
(High
Explosive
Plastic-TYacer),
the latter
type
being
drive
sprockets
at
the front
of
the
hull.
The
chassis was also
used
:r
a
num=
ber
of
expenmental vehicies
Lrut
none
of these,
including
several arrnor;yedl
infantry carders, entered
proeluctic;i
oI
serl'lce,
sion
that
transmitted
power to
the
hull
rear,
The engine
was
coupi*d
to
a
General Motors Corporatron
(Atlt-sol
Divrsion)
XT-90-2
crcis
dri"e
transrnu-
MSA
Onbs
tank
destoyer
as used
by
the
US
ir'larine
Corps. Note
the
I
2.7-
mm
spotting MGs
ahove
the top
four
lA6-mm recoilless
rifles. Once these
had
beenfired
thecrewhad
toleave
the
vehicle
to
reload
them.
The
driver
was
seated
at
the
front
of
the
hull
on the left,
with the
engrne
to
hrs
Specification
Crew:
3
Weight:
8.64
tonnes
Dimensions: lenqth
3.82
m
(12 ft
63/s
in);
wtdth
2.60
m
(B
ft
6/a
in);
heiqht
2"
13
m
veloprns
laS
hp
(108
kW)
Performance: maximum
road
speeci
(6ft
1tle
in)
Powerplant: one General Motors Cor-
poration
lUodei
302
petrol
engnne
de-
right
and the
very
cramped crew
compartment at the
rear; entry
to the
iatter
was
effected via two doors in the
48
km/h
(30
mph);
maximum road
ranrge
240
km
(150
miles);
qadient
6f
per
cent; vertical
obstacle
(30
0.76m
in); trench
1.42
m
(4
ft
8
in)
r.lost
important anti-tank weapon used
=
infSO
90-mm
airborne
self-propelled
anti-tank
gun
M56
90-mm
self-propelled
anti-
tank
grun,
Apart from
hand-held weapons,
the
by
US
arborne
forces in
World
War
II
the jeep-towed
57-mm anti-tank
"vas
gun
Ml,
whichwas
essentially
the
Brit-
rsh
6-pdr
made
in
the United
States,
After
the
war
a requirement
was
whichwas
often
called the
propelied
antitank
gnrn
that
could
be
air-dropped
by
parachute during
the
imhal phases
of
airborne
operations
and have
a
firepower
similar
to
that
of
a
talk,
Two
prototypes
ofa
vehicle
cal-
led
the
Tl0l
were built by
the
Cadillac
Motor Car
Division
of the
General
Motors Corporation. Further
develop-
ment resulted in
the
improved
Tl0lEl
which
was eventually standardized
as
the Gun,
Anti-tank, Self-propelled
g0-
mm
M56,
or more commonly
the
Scor-
issued
for
a
highly mobile
self-
Scorpion. This
was
developed
specifically
for
the
US
82nd and
I0I
st
Airborne
Divisions. Its
main
drawback,
apart
from
the
recoil
when
the
90-mm gan was fired,
was
the
complete
lack of
armour
protection
for
the
gvn
crew
apart
lrom
the
small shield.
A
total
of
29
rounds
of
fixed
90-mm
ammunition
was
carried
for
the
gun,
which
had a
maximum effective
range of
about
1500
m(4920 ft).
tween
1953
and
1959.
In
the
US
Armv
the
M56
was
issued
only to the
B2nd
and
lolst
Airborne
Divisions, but was
replaced
in
the
1960s
by
the
M55i
Sheridan
Armored
Reconnaissance/
Airborne
Assault
Vehicle.
A few
M56s
were supplied
to Spain and Morocco,
and some
were
also
deployed by
the
US
Army
to
Vietnam, where
theywere
used
mainly in
the
fire-support
role,
The
hull
of
the M56 was
of
allwelded
and
riveted
aluminium
construction,
wrth the
englne
and
transmission
at
the
front,
gmn
in the centre and the crew
area at the
rear.
The
engnne
was cou-
pled
to
a
General Motors Corporation
pion.
Production was undertaken by
the
Cadiliac
Motor Car
Division be-
sion
was of the torsion-bar type with
four
rubber-tyred
road wheels,
idler
at
the
rear
and
drive sprocket
at
the
ftont;
there were
no
track-rehrrn rollers. The
track
consisted
of a
steel-reinforced
endless
rubber-band.
The main
armament
was
a
90-mm
gmn
M54
fittedwitha
muzzle
brake and
a vertical sliding breech block.
The
sun
had an elevation
of
*
I5o
and de-
pression of
-
i0',
and
a
traverse
of
30"
left
and
right, all
manual.
A
total of
29
rounds of
fixed
ammumtion
was
car-
One
of
the
protoUpes
of
the
M56,
then desigmated
the
T I
0
I
,
shortly
after
the
90-mm
gun
had
fired,
showing
the
gun recoilling
to
the
rear
and
the
forward part
of
the chassis
the
ground.
The
dust
often
obscvred
the
grunner's
line
of sight
for
the
next
shot.
(Allison Division)
transmission
with
one reverse and hvo forward
ranges
which
in
hrrn supplied
power
to
the
inal
drives
on each side, The suspen-
litting
clear of

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