M46 (battle tank)

Main battle tank M46 Patton
M46 in Korea
General properties
crew	4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader)
length	8.48 m
width	3.51 m
height	3.17 m
Dimensions	45 t (combat weight)
Armor and armament
Armor	Tub front: 101.6 mm at 46 ° inclination. Tub sides: 76.2 mm at 53 ° inclination. Tub sides: 76.2 mm. Tub rear: 76.2 mm. Tower front: 101.6 mm with shield ceiling: 50.8 mm
Main armament	1 × 90 mm cannon L / 53 M3 with 70 rounds
Secondary armament	2 × MG 7.62 mm M1919A4 with 5000 rounds 1 × MG 12.7 mm Browning M2 with 550 rounds on the turret roof
agility
drive	V12 petrol engine Continental AV-1790-5A 600 kW (810 PS)
suspension	Torsion bar
Top speed	approx. 48 km / h (road)
Power / weight	13.2 kW / t (18 PS / t)
Range	130 km (road)

The M46 main battle tank was the first American-made Main Battle Tank (MBT) and was used in the early days of the Cold War . The official name of the Army Department was: "M46 Medium Tank - 90 mm Gun".

history

The vehicle, which was basically a much improved M26 (Pershing) (which gave it its own type designation and name), was used in various model variants in only a short period of time from the mid-1940s to the early 1950s and then replaced by the M47 (Patton) . It was the first of three US tanks to bear the Patton name (the M46 was only unofficially named that way). The M46 had to bear the brunt of the armored operations during the Korean War , as the tanks M24 (Chaffee) and M4 (Sherman) used at the same time did not or no longer meet the requirements. The M46 was also used by other allies of the United States in the Cold War, in particular the NATO forces.

According to the change of conception in the US armored forces, the M26 (Pershing), which had previously been classified as a heavy battle tank, was downgraded to a medium battle tank in May 1945. The whole vehicle was viewed as extremely unsatisfactory. Agility, off-road capabilities and top speed were not what was expected of a tank. Although it was supposed to replace the M4A3 (Sherman), the engine of the predecessor and a vulnerable gearbox were used - with a considerably higher weight. The advantages of better armament and protection were negated by the higher weight.

In January 1948, work began on an improved version, in which initially the weak engine of the M4A3 was replaced by a Continental AV-1790-3 engine and an Allison CD-850-1 gearbox. This version was initially designated as the M26E2. Due to the high number of improvements, the Ordnance Corps determined that the device should be given an independent name. When production started in November 1949, the tank not only had a new engine and the main weapon a smoke extractor ; In addition, it was decided to give the vehicle a new type designation.

A total of 1160 M26 were converted: 800 to the M46, 360 to the M46A1.

Combat missions

USMC M46 in Korea, July 8, 1952.

The M26 / M46 tank was only involved in combat missions in the Korean War. It was superior to the North Korean T-34-85 , but there was little fighting between the two.

The M46 was exported in Europe to Italy , Belgium and France, among others .

variants

• M26E2 / M46 - M26 / A1 Pershing improved with a Continental V-12 engine and a different gearbox. The mufflers were relocated to the rear chain covers and the M3A1 90 cannon was fitted with a smoke evacuator.
• M46A1 - Reinforced brakes and engine cooling, as well as modernized electrical equipment, an AV-1790-5B engine and CD-850-4 transmission.

User states

•  Belgium
•  France
•  Italy
•  United States

literature

• Hunnicutt, RP Patton: A History of the American Main Battle Tank. 1984; Presidio Press. ISBN 0-89141-230-1 .
• Steven J Zaloga , Tony Bryan, Jim Laurier - M26 – M46 Pershing Tank 1943–1953 , 2000 Osprey Publishing (New Vanguard 35), ISBN 1-84176-202-4 .
• Abraham Rabinovich - The Battle for Jerusalem June 5-7, 1967 , 2004 Sefer Ve Sefer Publishing, Jerusalem, ISBN 965-7287-07-3
• Nolan, Keith W. "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.

Web links

Commons : M46 (Main Battle Tank)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ Department of the Army - "ORD 7-SNL G-244 - Organizational Maintenance Parts List, for M46 (November 1950)" or "Technical Manual TM 9-374 - 90-MM Guns M3 and M3A1 for Combat Vehicles, used on the M36, M26 and M46 tanks (August 1950) "