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M41/M41A2
M41A1/M41A3

76mm Gun Tank M41 Walker Bulldog1-12

M41: General
Date of first acceptance 1951 Total acceptances 1,785
(416 converted to M41A1)
Manufacturer Cadillac Motor Car Division of General Motors Corp. Crew
4 men:
  • Commander in turret right rear
  • Gunner in turret right front
  • Loader in turret left rear
  • Driver in hull left front
M41: Dimensions
Combat weight 51,200lbs
23,200kg
Height over AAMG 118.8"
301.8cm
Length without gun 229.1"
581.9cm
Gun overhang forward with early muzzle brake 89.5"
227cm
Width over fenders 125.9"
319.8cm
Tread 102.5"
260.4cm
Ground clearance 17.5"
44.5cm
Fire height ~75"
~190cm
Turret ring diameter 73"
185cm
Ground pressure, zero penetration 9.6psi
.67kg/cm²
M41: Armament
Type Mount Ammunition Traverse Max traverse rate Elevation
76mm Gun M32 M76 in turret 57 rounds
(11 ready)
360°
(manual and electric-hydraulic)
36°/sec +20° to -10°
(manual)
.50cal M2HB MG Flexible in turret AA mount 600 rounds 360°
(manual)
-- +65° to -10°
(manual)
.50cal M2E1HB MG
--OR--
.30cal M1919A4E1 MG
Coaxial with 76mm gun 2,175 rounds .50cal
--OR--
5,225 rounds .30cal
360°
(manual and electric-hydraulic)
36°/sec +20° to -10°
(manual)
Aiming equipment
Periscope M20 or M20A1 for gunner and commander; telescope M97 for gunner
Night vision
Infrared periscope M19 for driver
M41: Armor
Assembly
Welding
Hull
Rolled and cast homogeneous steel
Location Thickness Angle from vertical
Upper front 1.0"
2.5cm
65°
Lower front 1.25"
3.18cm
45°
Upper front sides 1.0"
2.5cm
Upper rear sides .75"
1.9cm
Lower driver's side 1.0"
2.5cm
45°
Lower sides not by driver .5"
1.3cm
60°
Upper rear (doors) .5"
1.3cm
56°
Lower rear .75"
1.9cm
40°
Top .75"
1.9cm
90°
Front floor 1.5"
3.8cm
90°
Rear floor .375"
.953cm
90°
Turret
Rolled and cast homogeneous steel
Location Thickness Angle from vertical
Gun shield 1.25"
3.18cm
50°
Front 1.0"
2.5cm
18°
Sides 1.0"
2.5cm
10° and 30°
Rear 1.0"
2.5cm
Front top .75"
1.9cm
73°
Rear top .5"
1.3cm
90°
M41: Automotive
Engine Continental AOS-895-3; 6 cylinder, 4 cycle, opposed, supercharged gasoline
Horsepower Net: 440@2,400rpm
Gross: 500@2,800rpm
Torque Net: 900 ft-lb@2,100rpm
Gross: 960 ft-lb@2,400rpm
Fuel capacity 140gal
530L
Transmission Allison CD-500-3, 2 ranges forward, 1 reverse
Steering Mechanical, T-bar
Brakes Multiple disc
M41: Suspension
Type Road wheels Track return rollers
Torsion bar 5 individually sprung dual/track 3 dual/track
Drive sprockets Idlers Shock absorbers
12-tooth rear drive Dual compensating at front of track On first 2 and last road wheels/track
M41: Track
T91E3
Center guide, single pin, steel with detachable rubber pad
Width 21"
53cm
Pitch 6"
15cm
Shoes/track 75 Ground contact length 127"
323cm
M41: Performance
Max level road speed 45mph
72kph
Max trench 72"
180cm
Max grade 60% Max vertical obstacle 28"
71cm
Min turning diameter Pivot Max fording depth 48"
120cm
Cruising range ~100mi, roads
~160km, roads

The M41, originally called "Little Bulldog," but named after Lieutenant General Walton H. Walker after he was killed in the Korean War, contained a pulsing relay turret and gun control system which allowed power traverse and elevation for both the gunner and tank commander's override. In November 1951, an additional requirement was made by Army Field Forces that the tank should be able to have the main gun on target by five seconds after a target was engaged. This was impossible with the pulsing relay system, so modifications were implemented that, along with enhanced crew training, enabled the system to perform the five-second engagement. The modified system had powered hydraulic traverse for the gunner and commander's override and manual hydraulic elevation for the gunner, while the commander had no elevation control. Early production turrets for the M41 had a high side weld mark, the location of which was lowered in later-production turrets. The bottom of the side plate on these early turrets ran straight back to the turret radio bustle; on later turrets the bottom of the side plate angled upwards towards the turret bustle. A stowage box was attached to the rear of the turret bustle, giving the turret a very large rear overhang. Early M41 muzzle brakes were cast and round, however these were later replaced by fabricated T-shaped muzzle brakes. The 76mm gun was also provided with a bore evacuator directly behind the muzzle brake. The driver's hatch opened by swiveling to the right, and was held in place when open by locking pins welded to the hull glacis. The gunner's and commander's periscopes eventually both had prominent guards on the turret front roof and the front of the commander's cupola, respectively. The M41 was equipped with an auxiliary generator powered by a small engine. The first 1,367 M41s produced were not equipped with a muffler for the auxiliary engine. The next 922 had a muffler installed for the generator engine on the right tank engine muffler, on the right rear fender. The heat given off from the main muffler damaged the auxiliary muffler, however, so later tanks had a larger generator engine muffler mounted on the front right fender. Square fenders and track skirts were also fitted to early M41s, but the track skirts were eliminated and the fenders angled to a point on later vehicles. The .50cal coaxial machine gun was replaced by the .30cal MG during the production run.

In 1955, the AOS-895-3 engine had its carburetor replaced by a fuel injection system, changing the engine's designation to AOSI-895-5. The fuel injection system increased the road range of the tank to 110mi (180km), and M41s with the fuel-injected engine were known as M41A2s.

On 9 November 1950, the US Army changed its tank designation system from weight to the caliber of the vehicle's gun. The M41 would have been a light tank under the old system.

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76mm Gun Tank M41A1 Walker Bulldog2-9,12

M41A1: General
Date of first acceptance 1952 Total acceptances 1,944 + 416 converted from M41
Manufacturer Cadillac Motor Car Division of General Motors Corp. Crew
4 men:
  • Commander in turret right rear
  • Gunner in turret right front
  • Loader in turret left rear
  • Driver in hull left front
M41A1: Dimensions
Combat weight 51,800lbs
23,500kg
Height over AAMG 118.8"
301.8cm
Length without gun 229.1"
581.9cm
Gun overhang forward with late muzzle brake 90.7"
230cm
Width over fenders 125.9"
319.8cm
Tread 102.5"
260.4cm
Ground clearance 17.5"
44.5cm
Fire height ~75"
~190cm
Turret ring diameter 73"
185cm
Ground pressure, zero penetration 9.7psi
.68kg/cm²
M41A1: Armament
Type Mount Ammunition Traverse Max traverse rate Elevation Max elevation rate
76mm Gun M32 M76A1 in turret 65 rounds
(11 ready)
360°
(manual and electric-hydraulic)
36°/sec +20° to -10°
(manual and electric-hydraulic for TC)
4°/sec
.50cal M2HB MG Flexible in turret AA mount 600 rounds 360°
(manual)
-- +65° to -10°
(manual)
--
.50cal M2E1HB MG
--OR--
.30cal M1919A4E1 MG
Coaxial with 76mm gun 2,175 rounds .50cal
--OR--
4,900 rounds .30cal
360°
(manual and electric-hydraulic)
36°/sec +20° to -10°
(manual and electric-hydraulic for TC)
4°/sec
Aiming equipment
Periscope M20 or M20A1 for gunner and commander; telescope M97 for gunner
Night vision
Infrared periscope M19 for driver
M41A1: Armor
Assembly
Welding
Hull
Rolled and cast homogeneous steel
Location Thickness Angle from vertical
Upper front 1.0"
2.5cm
65°
Lower front 1.25"
3.18cm
45°
Upper front sides 1.0"
2.5cm
Upper rear sides .75"
1.9cm
Lower driver's side 1.0"
2.5cm
45°
Lower sides not by driver .5"
1.3cm
60°
Upper rear (doors) .5"
1.3cm
56°
Lower rear .75"
1.9cm
40°
Top .75"
1.9cm
90°
Front floor 1.5"
3.8cm
90°
Rear floor .375"
.953cm
90°
Turret
Rolled and cast homogeneous steel
Location Thickness Angle from vertical
Gun shield 1.25"
3.18cm
50°
Front 1.0"
2.5cm
18°
Sides 1.0"
2.5cm
10° and 30°
Rear 1.0"
2.5cm
Front top .75"
1.9cm
73°
Rear top .5"
1.3cm
90°
M41A1: Automotive
Engine Continental AOS-895-3; 6 cylinder, 4 cycle, opposed, supercharged gasoline
Horsepower Net: 440@2,400rpm
Gross: 500@2,800rpm
Torque Net: 900 ft-lb@2,100rpm
Gross: 960 ft-lb@2,400rpm
Fuel capacity 140gal
530L
Transmission Allison CD-500-3, 2 ranges forward, 1 reverse
Steering Mechanical, T-bar
Brakes Multiple disc
M41A1: Suspension
Type Road wheels Track return rollers
Torsion bar 5 individually sprung dual/track 3 dual/track
Drive sprockets Idlers Shock absorbers
12-tooth rear drive Dual compensating at front of track On first 2 and last road wheels/track
M41A1: Track
T91E3
Center guide, single pin, steel with detachable rubber pad
Width 21"
53cm
Pitch 6"
15cm
Shoes/track 75 Ground contact length 127"
323cm
M41A1: Performance
Max level road speed 45mph
72kph
Max trench 72"
180cm
Max grade 60% Max vertical obstacle 28"
71cm
Min turning diameter Pivot Max fording depth 48"
120cm
Cruising range ~100mi, roads
~160km, roads

After the five-second engagement requirement was published, Cadillac engineered a new turret and gun control system that could meet this stipulation. This system was adopted, and the tanks using it were designated M41A1. The Cadillac system provided powered traverse for the gunner and the TC's override, manual elevation for the gunner, and powered elevation at the commander's station. Cadillac's system took up less space than the pulsing relay system of the M41, and the extra space was utilized to increase 76mm ammunition stowage. M41s began to be converted to the new turret control system, but after 416 had been rebuilt, the modified pulsing relay system and crew training was found able to meet the five-second demand. M41A1s with the fuel-injected engine were designated M41A3, and were introduced in 1955.

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References

  1. TM 9-730 76-mm Tank Gun T41E1. Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 25 May 1951.
  2. Hunnicutt, R.P. Sheridan: A History of the American Light Tank, volume 2. Navato, CA: Presidio Press, 1995. Reprinted with permission from Sheridan, R.P. Hunnicutt ©1995, available from Presidio Press, 505B San Martin Drive, Suite 160, Navato, CA 94945.
  3. TM 9-2350-201-12 Operation and Organizational Maintenance 76-mm Full Tracked Combat Tanks M41 (T41E1) and M41A1 (T41E2). Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 29 July 1958.
  4. FM 17-80 Tanks, 76-mm Gun, M41 and M41A1. Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 30 January 1956.
  5. Crismon, Fred W. U.S. Military Tracked Vehicles. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1992.
  6. TM 9-1730A Continental 6-cylinder Engine Model AOS-895-3. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, 8 July 1952.
  7. TM 9-2805-212-35 Field and Depot Maintenance Manual Engine, Gasoline, Fuel Injected, Supercharged, Horizontal-opposed, Air Cooled, Six Cylinder, Assembly--2805-528-6015 (Continental Model AOSI-895-5 and AOSI-895-5M). Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 29 March 1971.
  8. TM 9-1730B Cross-Drive Transmission Models CD-500-3 and -4 (Allison and GM). Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, 3 April 1952.
  9. Miller, David. The Illustrated Directory of Tanks of the World. Osceola, WI: MBI Publishing Co., 2000.
  10. Federation of American Scientists. "M41 Walker Bulldog Light Tank." DOD 101. 7 Aug 1999. 13 Mar 2001 <http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m41.htm>. DOD 101
  11. TM 9-6065 Ordnance Maintenance Ballistic Drives M3 (T23E1), M4 (T23), T23E2 and T24. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, 24 November 1954.
  12. Foss, Christopher F., ed. Jane's Armour and Artillery 2005-2006. Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's Information Group, Ltd., 2005.
Last updated 29 Dec 2023.
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