Walker Bulldog

The M41's usage got hit by a double whammy; first it was being replaced by the M551 Sheridan, then by an Army reorganization that ended the Light, Medium and Heavy tank battalions and shifted to a Main Battle Tank organization.

Sheridans came into the Army from 66-68 and normally Regular Army received new tanks first. While M41s would have continued in service with the National Guard and Army Reserve, those formerly light tank battalions became just tank battalions and received M48s. The only units to receive the Sheridans were basically the airborne armor battalion, divisional cavalry and armored cavalry.

Like the M47, the M41's usage in the US Army was for just a relative blink of the eye. I do not know the last day used, but I doubt it was in use by 1970 by any part of our Army.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanks_in_the_United_States:
M41 Walker Bulldog

The development of the T37 began in 1947 to replace the M24 Chaffee. The vehicle was designed to be air-transportable, and with heavier firepower, provided by an advanced 76 mm gun. In 1949, with the adoption of a less ambitious rangefinder, the project's designation was changed to M41. Production started in 1951 at Cadillac's Cleveland Tank Plant, and by 1953 the new tank completely replaced the M24 in the United States Army. It was later designated the M41 Walker Bulldog. The M41 was agile and well armed. On the other hand, it was noisy, fuel-hungry and heavy enough to cause problems with air transport.

The Walker Bulldog saw limited combat with the U.S. Army during the Korean War, but for the most part, the conflict served as a testing ground to work out the tank's deficiencies, especially with its rangefinder. At the time, it was designated as the T-41, and was rushed to the battlefield even before its first test run. This was due to the fact that the North Koreans were supplied with Soviet T-34 tanks, which were superior to the M-24.

IN ACTIVE SERVICE:
Dominican Republic: 12 M41B tanks.
Guatemala: 12 M41DK.
Republic of China (Taiwan): 675 M41 and M41D vehicles in service with the Republic of China Marine Corps and Republic of China Army
Uruguay: 22 M41UR tanks. Modifications include a 90 mm Cockerill cannon and a Scania DS-14 diesel engine + 24 ex-Brazilian Army.

===begin brand new thingy===

By 1973, US units in Europe and CONUS equipped with the M41 Walker Bulldog eventually transitioned to the M48 Patton medium tank, fully retired from the National Guard in 1988.

Nice copy/paste job, but it doesn't address when the tank came out of US service.

Yes and the ARVN used them quite effectively against NVA tanks. In combat the ARVN tankers usually proved superior against their communist enemy in T-54s, T-34/85s and PT-76s.

agentg

Didn't the ARVN recieve a whole bunch of these around 1967 or so?

G

TomZ2

===begin brand new thingy===

By 1973, US units in Europe and CONUS equipped with the M41 Walker Bulldog eventually transitioned to the M48 Patton medium tank, fully retired from the National Guard in 1988.

Nice try, but you copy/pasted information regarding the M42 Duster and used it to describe the use of the M41. I was in the Guard until May of 1986, our division still had the Duster, so 1988 sounds about right for its retirement (only 5-6 years later the Army retired the Duster's replacement, the M163 Vulcan). In the 1980s, there were only three Armor MOSs, 19D (M551), 19E (M48/60) and 19K (M1).

The M41 was long gone from all US service by the 1980s, Guard, Reserve or otherwise. Heck, it was gone before the US Army ended armored action in Vietnam.

“We apologise for the fault in the subtitles. Those responsible have been sacked.” — Monty Python

In history, only some things happen when they should and the rest do not happen at all, but the conscientious historian will rectify these shortcomings. — Herodotus (484 BC - 425 BC)