M48 Patton
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1950s - 1990s (USA)
Wars	Vietnam War, Six Day War, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Iran-Iraq War
Production history
Manufacturer	M48: Chrysler, Fisher Tank Arsenal, Ford
Produced	M48: 1952 - 1959
Number built	M48: ~12,000
Variants	Many, see the variants section
Specifications
Weight	M48: 45 tonnes (49.6 tons) combat ready
Length	9.3 m (30.22')
Width	3.65 m (11.86')
Height	3.1 m (10.07')
Crew	4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
Armor	120 mm (4.89")
Primary armament	90 mm gun T54; M48A5 and later variants: 105 mm M68 gun
Secondary armament	.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Machine gun .3 in (7.62 mm) M73 Machine gun
Engine	Continental AVDS-1790-5B V12 aircooled, twin turbocharged gas engine (early M48s) 810 hp (604 kW) Continental AVDS-1790-2 V12 air cooled, twin turbocharged diesel 750 hp Image File history File links M48A1-Patton-tank. ... The US M1A1 Abrams tank is a typical modern main battle tank. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ... Combatants India Pakistan Commanders Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri Harbakhsh Singh Ayub Khan Musa Khan Casualties 3,264 killed[1] 8,623 wounded[1] (From July to ceasefire) 3,800 killed[2] (September 6 - 22) 4,000 - 8,000 killed/ captured[3][4][5] (July to September 6) The Indo-Pakistani War... Belligerents India Pakistan Commanders Sam Manekshaw J.S. Aurora G.G Bewoor K. P. Candeth Gul Hassan Khan Abdul Hamid Khan Tikka Khan A. A. K. Niazi # Strength 500,000+ troops 100,000 Mukti BahiniRebels 400,000+ troops Casualties and losses 3,843 killed[1] 9,851 wounded[1] Unknown... Belligerents Iran Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Iraq Peoples Mujahedin of Iran Soldiers and volunteers from different Arab countries. ... For other uses, including the Chrysler Brand, see Chrysler (disambiguation). ... “Ford” redirects here. ... The M48 Patton was one of the U.S armys principal main battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from the early 1950s on thru the 1990s. ... This article is about the metric tonne. ... Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets or shells, protecting the soldiers inside from enemy fire. ... The American 90 mm family of powerful guns served as primary heavy anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns, playing a role similar to the renowned German 88 mm gun. ... The Royal Ordnance L7 is the basic model of Britains most successful tank gun. ... This article is about the . ... 7. ... Continental Motors is a corporation in Mobile, Alabama, USA, that produces aircraft engines. ... A V12 is an internal combustion engine with 12 cylinders in V configuration. ...
Power/weight	16.6 hp/tonne
Transmission	General Motors CD-850-4A or -4B, 2 ranges forward, 1 reverse
Suspension	torsion bar
Fuel capacity	757 litres (200 gals)
Operational range	463 km (287 miles)
Speed	48 km/h (29.8 mph)

The M48 Patton was one of the U.S army's principal main battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from the early 1950s on thru the 1990s. The M48 was the U.S. Army and Marine Corps primary tank during the Vietnam War. It was widely used by U.S. Cold War allies, especially other NATO countries. The tank belongs to the Patton family of tanks, named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army during World War II and one of the earliest American advocates for the use of tanks in battle. It was a further development of the M47 Patton tank. The United States Army is the largest, and by some standards oldest, established branch of the armed forces of the United States and is one of seven uniformed services. ... The US M1A1 Abrams tank is a typical modern main battle tank. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... M46, M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the U.S armys principal main battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from the late 1940s to the 1990s. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... George Patton redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The M47 Patton was the second tank of the Patton series, and one of the U.S armys principal main battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from the early 1950s to the late 1950s. ...

The M48 Patton tank was designed to replace the previous M47 Pattons and M4 Shermans. Although largely resembling the M47, the M48 Patton was a completely new tank design despite a rough similarity from a distance. Some M48A5 models served well into the 80s. Internationally, many various M48 Patton models remain in service. The M48 was the last American tank to mount the 90mm tank gun, and in fact later models were upgraded to carry the new standard weapon of 105mm. The M4 Sherman was the primary tank produced by the United States for its own use and the use of its Allies during World War II. Production of the M4 Medium tank exceeded 50,000 units, and its chassis served as the basis for thousands of other armored vehicles such...

History

Marines of E Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, riding on an M48A3 tank, Vietnam, 1966.

A year after the M47 entered service, the US Army decided to replace it by yet another product of the evolution of the Pershing/Patton line, the M48, still dubbed Patton. A deeper modernization than the M46 and the M47, the M48 featured a new turret, new redesigned hull and an improved suspension. The hull machine gunner position was removed, reducing the crew to 4. Essentially, it was a new tank altogether. Image File history File links M48-marines-vietnam. ... Image File history File links M48-marines-vietnam. ...

Nearly 12,000 M48s were built from 1952 to 1959. The early designs were powered by gasoline engines which gave the tank a short operating range and were prone to catching fire when hit. This version was considered unreliable but numerous examples saw combat use in various Arab-Israeli conflicts. They also were prone to fire when the turret was penetrated and the hydraulic lines ruptured spewing "cherry juice" (the nickname for the red fluid) at high pressure into the crew compartment resulting in a fireball. The flashpoint was too low at less than 300 F, causing many burn injuries and deaths to crew members. In 1959, American M48s were upgraded to the M48A3 model which featured a diesel power plant. However, in 1975, M48's with gas engines were still in use by many West German Army units including the 124th Panzer Battalion.

M48A5

In the mid-1970s, the M48A5 upgrade was developed to allow the vehicle to carry the heavier 105mm gun. This was designed to bring the M48s up to speed with the M60 tanks then in regular use. Most of the M48s were placed into service with reserve units by this time. For other uses, see M60. ...

By the mid-1990s, the M48s were phased out of U.S. service. However, many foreign countries continued to use the M48 models.

Combat service

Vietnam

U.S. Marines riding atop an M48 tank, Vietnam, April 1968.

The M48s saw action during the Vietnam War. Some were assigned to U.S. Marine Corps units, arriving in Vietnam in 1965. Others were in three U.S. Army battalions, the 1/77th Armor near the DMZ, the 1/69th Armor in the Central Highlands, and the 2/34th Armor near the Mekong Delta. Each battalion consisted of approximately fifty seven tanks. M48s were also used by armored cavalry squadrons in Vietnam, until replaced by M551 Sheridan tanks. The M67A1 flamethrower tank (nicknamed the Zippo) was an M48 variant used in Vietnam. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... The M551 Sheridan is a light tank and armoured reconnaissance vehicle developed by the United States. ... Riverboat of the U.S. Brownwater Navy shooting ignited napalm from its mounted flamethrower during the Vietnam war. ... Zippos famous flint-wheel Ignition at work A lit 1968 slim model Zippo An open full-size Navy Zippo Brass-based case design with matched insert coloring A closed black crackle Zippo A Zippo dismantled for fueling 133ml Zippo Lighter Fluid A Zippo lighter is a refillable, metal lighter...

The M48s performed admirably^{[citation needed]} in Vietnam in the infantry-support role. There were few actual tank versus tank battles. One was between the 1/69th Armor and NVA PT-76 tanks near Ben Het in 1969. The M48s provided adequate protection for its crew from small arms, mines, and RPGs. 40th anniversary of Vietnam Peoples Army, commemorated on 1984 Vietnam postage stamp block The Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA) (Vietnamese: ) is official name for the armed forces of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. ... The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious tank which was introduced in early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armies. ... A rocket propelled grenade (RPG) is a man-portable, shoulder-launched weapon capable of firing an explosive device longer distances than an otherwise unassisted soldier could throw. ...

M48s were the only vehicles in Vietnam that could reasonably protect their crews from land mines. They were often used for minesweeping operations along Highway 19 in the Central Highlands, a two lane paved road between An Khe and Pleiku. Daily convoys moved both ways along Highway 19. These convoys were held up each morning while the road was swept for mines. At that time, minesweeping was done by soldiers walking slowly over the dirt shoulders of the highway with hand-held mine detectors. During this slow process, convoys would build up to a dangerously inviting target for the enemy. As a result a faster method was improvised. One M48 lined up on each side of the road, with one track on the dirt shoulder and the other track on the asphalt; then they raced to a designated position miles away. If M48s made it without striking a mine, the road was clear and the convoys could proceed. In most cases, an M48 that struck a land mine in these operations only lost a road wheel or two in the explosion; seldom was there any hull damage which would be considered "totaling" the tank.^{[citation needed]} Municipality of Central Highlands The Municipality of Central Highlands is a local government area of Tasmania. ... An Khe is episode 102 of The West Wing. ... Pleiku is a town in central Vietnam seated in the central highland region. ...

Indo-Pakistani Wars

M47s and M48s were again used in tank warfare by the Pakistan Army against Indian Army's Centurion and M4 Sherman tanks in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 with some good results. In the Rann of Kutch the tanks proved surprisingly nimble in marshy terrain, and Pakistani forces drove back Indian incursions. In Kashmir and Punjab, the tank had its first real test. During Operation Grandslam, Pakistani tank forces broke through the Indian lines very quickly, and defeated armored counterattacks. The Pakistanis used approximately a division worth of tanks though not all were Pattons. The Patton failed to live up to expectations in the Battle of Asal Uttar, where elements of the Pakistani 1st Armoured Division attacked an entrenched Indian position, and many Pattons were destroyed and captured. The Pattons had a better outing in the Battle of Chawinda where they destroyed many Indian tanks. They were used with success by 25th Cavalry during its famous stand on the first day of that battle.^[1] The Pakistan Army (Urdu: پاک فوج) is the largest branch of the Pakistan military, and is mainly responsible for protection of the state borders, the security of administered territories and defending the national interests of Pakistan within the framework of its international obligations. ... This article is about the post-independence Indian Army. ... The Centurion was the primary British Main Battle Tank of the immediate post-war era, and considered by many to be one of the best British tank designs of all time. ... Combatants India Pakistan Commanders Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri Harbakhsh Singh Ayub Khan Musa Khan Casualties 3,264 killed[1] 8,623 wounded[1] (From July to ceasefire) 3,800 killed[2] (September 6 - 22) 4,000 - 8,000 killed/ captured[3][4][5] (July to September 6) The Indo-Pakistani War... Rann of Kutch on the Top Left. ... Kashmir (or Cashmere) may refer to: Kashmir region, the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent India, Kashmir conflict, the territorial dispute between India, Pakistan, and the China over the Kashmir region. ... This article is about the geographical region. ... Belligerents Pakistan India Commanders Maj. ... Belligerents India Pakistan Commanders P.O Dunn Tikka Khan Strength 1,700 tanks 80,000 infantry initial 150,000 end of battle 600 tanks 30,000 infantry 1000 Tanks and 110,000 infantry end of battle The Battle of Chawinda was a tank battle, fought as part of the Sialkot...

The Patton was later used by Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, with mixed results. In a repetition of 1965, Pattons spearheaded the Pakistani advance through Chamb, and the Patton was the main Pakistani tank at Shakarghar. In the latter battle, a brigade of tanks (the Changez Force) successfully resisted the Indian advance, in a repeat of Chawinda. However, in what became known as Pakistan's Charge of the Light Brigade, a counterattack led by 13th Lancers and 31st Cavalry was mauled by the Indian 54th Division around Battle of Barapind.However, the objectives set were achieved.^[2] India set up a war memorial named "Patton Nagar" ("Patton Town") in Khemkaran District, where the captured Pakistani Patton tanks are displayed. Belligerents India Pakistan Commanders Sam Manekshaw J.S. Aurora G.G Bewoor K. P. Candeth Gul Hassan Khan Abdul Hamid Khan Tikka Khan A. A. K. Niazi # Strength 500,000+ troops 100,000 Mukti BahiniRebels 400,000+ troops Casualties and losses 3,843 killed[1] 9,851 wounded[1] Unknown... For the poem about the charge, see The Charge of the Light Brigade (poem). ... Destroyed Pakistani tanks arranged at Patton Nagar Khemkaran is a section/Village under District Tarn Taran (earlier district Amritsar) of Punjab India bordering Pakistan(with nearest village being Kasur). ...

Analyzing their performance, the Pakistani Army held that the Patton was held in unreasonably high esteem by both sides and that tactics were to blame for the debacle at Asal Uttar and Basantar. ^[3]. However, a U.S. study of the battles in South Asia concluded that the Patton's armor could in fact be penetrated by the 84mm 20 pounder gun of the Centurion and the 75mm gun of the AMX-13. A Charioteer tank destroyer equipped with the 20 pounder. ... Design work on the AMX-13 light tank began in 1946 at the Atelier de Construction dIssy-les-Moulineaux and the first prototype was completed two years later. ...

Middle East

M48s were also used with mixed results during the 1967 Six-Day War. On the Sinai front, Israeli M48s were used with stunning success against Egyptian T-54s and T-34s supplied by the Soviet Union. However, on the West Bank front, Jordanian M48s were regularly defeated by Israeli WWII-era M4 Shermans (upgunned with 105mm guns), the result of superior Israeli tactics and crews. In pure technical terms the Jordanian Pattons were far superior to the Israeli Shermans, with Israeli shots at more than 1,000 meters simply glancing off the M48s' armor. Other reasons for the Jordanian Pattons' failure on the West Bank were Israeli air superiority and a distinct lack of aggressive handling by the Jordanian crews. The Israeli Army captured about 100 Jordanian M48 and M48A1 tanks and pressed them into service in their own units after the war. Combatants Israel Egypt Syria Jordan Iraq Commanders Yitzhak Rabin, Moshe Dayan, Uzi Narkiss, Israel Tal, Mordechai Hod, Ariel Sharon Abdel Hakim Amer, Abdul Munim Riad, Zaid ibn Shaker, Hafez al-Assad Strength 264,000 (incl. ... Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez (west), Gulf of Aqaba (east) from Space Shuttle STS-40 For other uses, see Sinai (disambiguation). ... The T-55 and T-54 main battle tanks were the Soviet Unions replacements for the World War II era T-34 tank. ... The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank first produced in 1940. ... Air superiority is the dominance in the air power of one side air forces of another side during a military campaign. ...

M48s were used by the Lebanese Army and the Christian Lebanese Forces militia in the Lebanese Civil War. The Lebanese Army still operates about 100 M48s. In 2007, during the 2007 North Lebanon conflict Lebanese Army M48s shelled militant outposts in a refugee camp. [1] The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) consists of three branches: Lebanese Army Lebanese Air Force Lebanese Navy // General overview The Lebanese Armed Forces primary missions include maintaining security and stability in the country, guarding the countrys borders, port security, relief operations, rescue operations, fire fighting, and fighting drug smuggling. ... Lebanese Forces (LF) (Arabic: القوات اللبنانية al-quwat al-lubnāniyya) is a Lebanese political party and a former militia, which fought on the Christian side during the civil war that ravaged Lebanon from 1975 to 1990. ... Belligerents Lebanese Front Syria LNM PLO Amal Israel Commanders Bachir Gemayel Dany Chamoun Kamal Jumblatt Yasser Arafat Ariel Sharon The Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) was a multifaceted civil war whose antecedents trace back to the conflicts and political compromises reached after the end of Lebanons administration by the... Combatants Lebanese Armed Forces Fatah al-Islam Commanders Michel Sulaiman Shaker al-Abssi Strength ~70,000 troops, ~1000 surrounding the camp ~500 Casualties 35 killed, 58 wounded 37 killed, 20 captured; 60 killed (Lebanese claim) 10 killed (FaI claim) [1]. Civilian casualties: 22 killed Casualties sources: [2] The 2007 North...

M48s were used, along with M47s, in the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in July and August 1974. Combatants  Turkey  Cyprus  Greece On the 20th of July 1974, Turkey launched a military invasion by air, land and sea against Cyprus purportedly to restore constitutional order following an Athens orchestrated coup by the Cypriot National Guard against the President of Cyprus, Makarios III. Though Turkey had consistently refused to...

Variants

U.S. variants

M48 Patton

• M48 - Differed from the M47 in having yet another new turret design and a redesigned hull, doing away with the bow machine gun position, featuring the M41 90 mm gun. These turrets give the M48 its distinctive non-M26 style look. Originally the gun featured a Y-shape muzzle brake, but this was changed to the more characteristic T-shape.
  • M48C - Over a hundred original production hulls were found to be lacking correct ballistic protection and were relegated to training as the M48C.
• M48A1 - New driver hatch and M1 commander's cupola, allowing the M2HB .50 caliber machine gun to be operated and reloaded from within the vehicle.
• M48A2 - improved powerpack and transmission, redesigned rear plate, an improved turret control.
  • M48A2C - M48A2s with an improved rangefinder, M17, new ballistic drive and bore evacuator for the main gun, and the auxiliary tensioning wheels were deleted.
• M48A3 - Refit of M48A1s with diesel engines and a new fire control system.
  • M48A3 Mod. B - Additional armor on the exhausts and tail lights, and a raised commanders cupola.
• M48A4 - Proposed refit of M48A3s with M60 turrets, scrapped with the need of these previous "surplus" turrets with the failure of the M60A2
• M48A5 - Upgunned with the 105 mm M68 gun.
  • M48A5PI - M1 cupola replaced by the Israeli Urdan model.

An M67 "Zippo" tank of the U.S.M.C. during the Vietnam war.

• M67 "Zippo" - M48 armed with a flamethrower inside a dummy model of the main gun with fake muzzle brake.
  • M67A1 - M67 variant, M48A2 hulls used.
  • M67A2 - M67 variant, M48A3 hulls used.

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 770 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1004 × 782 pixels, file size: 170 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 770 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1004 × 782 pixels, file size: 170 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x645, 73 KB) Summary A marine M48 tank with flame thrower in Vietnam, 1968. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x645, 73 KB) Summary A marine M48 tank with flame thrower in Vietnam, 1968. ...

Specialized variants

• M88 Hercules - Armored recovery vehicle based on M48 chassis.

Additional equipment: The M88 is one of the largest all weather Armored Recovery Vehicles currently in use by U.S. Armed Forces, dwarfing the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank. ... Conqueror Armoured Recovery Vehicle 2 An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to repair battle-damaged or broken-down armoured vehicles during combat, or to tow them off the battlefield for more extensive repairs. ...

• M8 - Bulldozer and earthmoving equipment for the M48.
  • M8A1 - Improved bulldozer and earthmoving equipment for the M48

British variant

• M48 Marksman - a SPAAG version, equipped with a Marksman turret.

Marksman is a British anti-aircraft weapon system, consisting of a turret, a Marconi Series 400 radar and two Swiss 35 mm Oerlikon auto-cannons. ...

Israeli variants

Israel created an extensive number of variants of the series from tanks acquired initially from a number of sources, including capturing them in battle, or from other countries such as Germany and the United States. Many of the Israeli M48's have been upgraded with additional reactive or passive armor, drastically improving their armor protection. These uparmored versions are called Magach. Magach מגח (in full, Merkevet Giborey Chayil, מרכבת גיבורי חייל; Hebrew: Chariot of War Heroes) is a series of Israeli tanks, based on the American M48 and M60 Patton tanks. ...

• E-48
  • E-48 AVLB - a M48 AVLB but with an Israeli bridge.
  • E-48 (M48A2) - basically unmodified M48A2 from Germany
  • E-48 (M48A2C) - basically unmodified M48A2C from Germany
  • E-48 (M48A3) - basically unmodified M48A3 from USA
• Magach - a series of improved Israeli versions of the M48 and the M60.

Magach מגח (in full, Merkevet Giborey Chayil, מרכבת גיבורי חייל; Hebrew: Chariot of War Heroes) is a series of Israeli tanks, based on the American M48 and M60 Patton tanks. ...

Jordanian variants

• AB1 - Jordanian armoured recovery vehicle.
• AB9B1 - Jordanian upgrade with 120 mm smoothbore gun.

Taiwanese variants

• M48H/CM-11 "Brave Tiger" - Taiwanese version consisting of an up-gunned M48A2 turret and a M60A3 hull and fitted with ERA. Also has significant upgrades to the gun tracking equipment and fire control.
• CM-12 - M48A3 MBT receiving the same weapons and fire control upgrades as those of CM-11.

This article or section should include material from Explosive reactive armour Reactive armor or explosive reactive armour (ERA), is a type of armour used primarily on tanks to lessen the damage from explosions caused from missile warheads, exploding shells, grenades, or dropped bombs. ...

Hellenic variants

• M48A5 MOLF - The Hellenic Army has added the EMES-18 FCS to their M48A5, denumerating them as “MOLF” for Modular Laser Fire Control System.

This article is about the land force of the modern nation of Greece. ...

Spanish variants

• M48A5E - M48A5 variant, 105 mm gun with laser rangefinder.
• Alacran CZ-10/25E - Spanish army combat engineer variant. (M-60.A1)
  • Alacran CZ-10/30E - Upgraded CZ-10/25E. (M-60.A1)

South Korean variants

• M48A5K - Fitted with M68 105mm gun, additional Side skirt, and significant fire control upgrades. FCS was Called LTFCS system.

• M48A3K - M48A3K shifts the gasoline engine previously with the diesel engine, the muzzle brake was fitted 'T' form brake, added 3 support wheel and the fitted tank commander periscope on Turret, and M48A3K in M48A3 additionally to improve a smoke grenade launcher affix and a fire control system from Republic of Korea

Turkish variants

• M48A5T1 - Turkish-upgraded M48 variant along similar lines to the M48A5, with M68 105 mm main armament, passive night vision and MTU diesel engines.
• M48A5T2 - Turkish-upgraded M48 variant, improved version of the M48A5T1 with thermal sight and laser rangefinder.
• M48T5 "Tamay" ARV - Turkish-designed armored recovery vehicle based on the M48 body.

German variants

M 48 of the German Home Defense Forces in 1985

• Minenraeumpanzer Keiler - armored mine clearing vehicle based on a widely modified M48 A2C cast hull. (Still in service)
• Kampfpanzer M48 A2C - replaced the Kampfpanzer M47 since the end of the fifties and saw service with the Home Defense Forces in reserve units until the early nineties
• Kampfpanzer M48A2GA2 - upgraded version with the 105mm L7 cannon and a different MG3 installation from the Leopard 1. Out of service in the early nineties
• Super M48 - upgraded version M48.^[4]

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 530 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 993 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 530 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 993 pixel, file size: 1. ... The German MG3 is one of the most popular universal machine guns in the World. ... The Leopard (or Leopard 1) is a German designed and produced main battle tank that first entered service in 1965 and was used as the main battle tank for Germany, several other European countries, Australia, Canada, Brazil and Chile. ...

Operators

•  Greece - 390 M48A5 MOLF, 228 M48 A5 (Retiring)
•  Iran - 80
•  Israel - 561 Magach 5 Golan ^[5]
•  Jordan - 200
•  South Korea - 850 M48A5K ^[6]
•  Lebanon - 104 M48A1 and M48A5
•  Northern Cyprus - 235 ^[7]
•  Pakistan - 345 M48A5
•  Republic of China (Taiwan) - 450 CM-11, 100 CM-12 ^[8]
•  Thailand - 150
•  Tunisia - 28
•  Turkey - 525 M48A5, 250 M48T5, 1350 M48A5T1 and 750 M48A5T2
•  Vietnam - 20 M48

Image File history File links Flag_of_Greece. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iran. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Israel. ... Magach מגח (in full, Merkevet Giborey Chayil, מרכבת גיבורי חייל; Hebrew: Chariot of War Heroes) is a series of Israeli tanks, based on the American M48 and M60 Patton tanks. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Jordan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Lebanon. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Turkish_Republic_of_Northern_Cyprus. ... Anthem: Ä°stiklâl Marşı(Turkish) Independence March Capital Nicosia (LefkoÅŸa in Turkish) Official languages Turkish Government Representative democratic republic1  -  President Mehmet Ali Talat  -  Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer Independence from Cyprus   -  Proclaimed November 15, 1983   -  Recognition By Turkey only  Area  -  Total 3,355 km² (167th ranked together with Cyprus... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Republic_of_China. ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Thailand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tunisia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Turkey. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Vietnam. ...

Former Operators

•  Morocco - 224 M48A5
•  Norway - 38 M48A5
•  Portugal - 86 M48A5
•  Spain - 164 M48A5E
•  United States
•  West Germany
•  Philippines - M48
•  South Vietnam - 20 (passed on to Socialist Republic of Vietnam)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Morocco. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Norway. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Philippines. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Vietnam. ... Anthem Thanh niên Hành Khúc (Call to the Citizens) Capital Saigon Language(s) Vietnamese Government Republic Last President¹ Duong Van Minh Last Prime minister Vu Van Mau Historical era Cold War  - Regime change June 14, 1955  - Dissolution April 30, 1975 Area  - 1973 173,809 km² 67,108... The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia. ...

Tank Trivia

• The M47 and M48 were the only tanks to be the primary MBT of both the United States and West Germany.
• The M48 was the last U.S. tank to have a dedicated flame thrower version.
• There is a town named Patton Nagar in India where the Pakistani M48 Patton tanks captured during the Indo-Pakistani wars are displayed.

Since both nations achieved independence in August 1947, there have been three major wars and one minor war between India and Pakistan. ...

See also

• T54
• M46 Patton
• M47 Patton
• M60 Patton
• M103 heavy tank
• List of armoured fighting vehicles

The T54 was a prototype U.S. tank based of the M48 Patton chassis of the 1950s. ... The M46, M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the U.S armys principal main battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from the late 1940s to the 1990s. ... The M47 Patton was the second tank of the Patton series, and one of the U.S armys principal main battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from the early 1950s to the late 1950s. ... For other uses, see M60. ... The M103 heavy tank, at 65 tons, was the heaviest and most heavily armed tank in service in the United States Army and the US Marines during the Cold War. ... This is a List of armoured fighting vehicles worldwide. ...

References and notes

• Steven J Zaloga, Tony Bryan, Jim Laurier - "M26–M46 Pershing Tank 1943–1953", 2000 Osprey Publishing (New Vanguard 35), ISBN 1-84176-202-4.
• Keith W. Nolan "Into Lao's, Operation Lam Son 719 and Dewey Canyon II" 1986. Presidio Press. Account of the US Army's final offensive of the Vietnam War.
• Abraham Rabinovich - "The Battle for Jerusalem June 5-7, 1967", 2004 Sefer Ve Sefer Publlishing, Jerusalem, ISBN 965-7287-07-3

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Patton tank

• AFV Database: M48 Patton
• GlobalSecurity.org: M48 Patton
• Patton-Mania