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M103 Heavy Tank 1950–74
Unavailable
M103 Heavy Tank 1950–74
Unavailable
M103 Heavy Tank 1950–74
Ebook115 pages1 hour

M103 Heavy Tank 1950–74

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About this ebook

The T43 design represented the pinnacle of U.S. Army tank engineering of the late 1940s. The heavy tank proved fairly popular with its crews, who above all respected the powerful armament it carried. The outbreak of war in Korea brought a rush order in December 1950 which led to a complete production run of 300 vehicles. After 1951, the Marine Corps alone retained confidence in the heavy tank program, investing its scarce funds in the improvements necessary to bring about its fielding after a hurried production run in midst of the 'tank crisis' of the year 1950-51. The eventual retirement of the M103 in 1972, over 20 years after manufacture and after 14 years of operational service, demonstrated the soundness of its engineering. It may have been the unwanted 'ugly duckling' of the Army, which refrained from naming the M103 alone of all its postwar tanks. For the Marine Corps, it served the purpose defined for it in 1949 until the automotive and weapons technology of the United States could produce viable alternatives.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 20, 2013
ISBN9781849089821
Unavailable
M103 Heavy Tank 1950–74

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A nice little survey by the reigning expert of USMC AFVs on where the M103 fits into general trends of U.S. tank development and why the Marines were so concerned about persevering with heavy tanks when the U.S. Army could at best see the type as a stopgap until better ammo options became available.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The M103 is a bit of a footnote in the history of US armour. Army support for the heavy tank was lukewarm at best, and the programme mainly survived because the USMC decided they needed very heavy tanks.For a vehicle that had such a short production run and limited use, the New Vanguard format is ideal. This will likely answer all your questions on the M103.