M48a3 In Vietnam In Action - Armor No. 46
by David Doyle /
2010 / English / PDF
37.5 MB Download
Just as the Sherman tank was the quintessential 'American tank' in
WWII, the M48A3 Patton tank was the most prominent US battle tank
during the Vietnam War years of the 1960s and 1970s. The US
Marines, who arrived in Vietnam with M48A3s in March 1965, were the
first American forces to bring tanks to Vietnam. Close on their
heels came the US Army, with its Patton s in October 1965. The
Marines then introduced a flame throwing version of the M48A3,
namely the M67A2. Beginning in July 1971 the US began supplying
M48A3 tanks to the South Vietnamese army in line with President
Richard Nixon's commitment to the Vietnamization of the war.
Although the 52-ton Patton had been received with some skepticism
when it was introduced it possessed features that proved well
adapted to combat conditions in Southeast Asia. The thick armor of
the M48A3 protected crewmen from Viet-Cong mines, and the vehicle's
sheer mass enabled it to force its way through thick jungle
vegetation. Illustrated with 109 photos, plus color profiles and
detailed line drawings; 48 pages.
Just as the Sherman tank was the quintessential 'American tank' in
WWII, the M48A3 Patton tank was the most prominent US battle tank
during the Vietnam War years of the 1960s and 1970s. The US
Marines, who arrived in Vietnam with M48A3s in March 1965, were the
first American forces to bring tanks to Vietnam. Close on their
heels came the US Army, with its Patton s in October 1965. The
Marines then introduced a flame throwing version of the M48A3,
namely the M67A2. Beginning in July 1971 the US began supplying
M48A3 tanks to the South Vietnamese army in line with President
Richard Nixon's commitment to the Vietnamization of the war.
Although the 52-ton Patton had been received with some skepticism
when it was introduced it possessed features that proved well
adapted to combat conditions in Southeast Asia. The thick armor of
the M48A3 protected crewmen from Viet-Cong mines, and the vehicle's
sheer mass enabled it to force its way through thick jungle
vegetation. Illustrated with 109 photos, plus color profiles and
detailed line drawings; 48 pages.