The M48 Patton is an American first-generation main battle tank (MBT) introduced in February 1952, being designated as the 90mm Gun Tank: M48. It was designed as a replacement for the M26 Pershing, M4 Sherman, M46 and M47 Patton tanks, and was the main battle tank of the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps in the Vietnam War. Nearly 12,000 M48s were built, mainly by Chrysler and American Locomotive Company, from 1952 to 1961. The M48 Patton was the first U.S. medium gun tank with a four-man crew, featuring a centerline driver's compartment and no bow machine gunner. As with nearly all new armored vehicles it had a wide variety of suspension systems, cupola styles, power packs, fenders and other details among individual tanks.
M48A2C Patton at the Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster
Late series M48A1 during cold weather tests at Fort Greely, Alaska, 1955. The main gun is equipped with a T-shaped blast deflector on the muzzle and the driver's station is under a protective cover.
Two U.S. Army M48A1s of F Co., 40th Armor of the Berlin Brigade face off in Berlin against Red Army T-54s during one of several standoffs at Checkpoint Charlie in 1961.
Infantry of E Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, riding on an M48A3 in Vietnam, 1966
The M26 Pershing is a heavy tank/medium tank formerly used by the United States Army. It was used in the last months of World War II during the Invasion of Germany and extensively during the Korean War. The tank was named after General of the Armies John J. Pershing, who led the American Expeditionary Force in Europe in World War I.
An M26 Pershing tank
T23 with production cast turret mounting 76 mm M1A1 gun. The T23 turret was used for the 76-mm M4 Sherman. Note the vertical volute spring suspension.
T25 variant
Single prototype of 90 mm gun T26 turret mounted on an M4(105) chassis.
