Difference between revisions of "M41A1"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
−
''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
+
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
 +
[[File:GarageImage_M41A1WalkerBulldog.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''M41A1 ''Walker Bulldog'' ''' is a Rank IV American light tank with a battle rating of 6.0. It was introduced at the same time as the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. A large improvement over its predecessor, the [[M24|M24 ''Chaffee'']], it features a gun that can more adequately fight the tanks at its tier with an APDS round and has a very good mobility and low profile to move quickly against the enemy.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
−
''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
+
<!--''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
  
−
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Lower glacis)
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 28.5 mm (49°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 63.5 mm (33-37°) ''Lower glacis'' || 28.5 mm || 28.5 mm (46°) ''Top'' <br> 25.4 mm (1°) ''Middle'' <br> 25.4 mm (20°) ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 44.4 mm (11-13°) ''Turret front'' <br> 50.8 mm (2-43°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 31.75 mm (1°) || 31.75 mm (1°) || 12.7 mm
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
* Suspension wheels, bogies, and tracks are 15 mm thick.
 +
* Tracks are placed on the turret side and rear that can provide about 10 mm of extra armour.
 +
* An extra 12.7 mm RHA metal plate is present on the right side of the turret near the pintle 7.62 mm machine gun.
 +
* A 5 mm Structural steel box is present, mounted on the vehicle rear.
 +
 
 +
There aren't any specific targets worth noting as you'll be hurt by pretty much anything. You'll want to be careful with [[:Category:Anti-aircraft_vehicles|SPAAs]] as they can knock out your components with ease and even destroy you.
 +
 
 +
If at all possible try only to expose your turret. If you use the terrain to your advantage you'll usually be able to fire one to three shots, then start moving forwards and backwards, thus making it a lot harder for the enemy to hit you. Generally, you'll be able to get in two shots on most targets before they can fire back, and the M41A1 accelerates from 0 to 30 km/h fast enough to become a hard target to hit if only the turret is exposed!
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
+
<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="2" | 15.6 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 62 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|56 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|459
 +
|565
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|262
 +
|296
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|29.42
 +
|36.22
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|16.79
 +
|18.79
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
−
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
+
<!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
 +
{{main|M32 (76 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[M32 (76 mm)|76 mm M32]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 65 || -10°/+20° || ±180°
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| ''Arcade'' || 21.42 || 29.60 || 36.00 || 39.70 || 42.30
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 21.42 || 25.20 || 30.6 || 33.70 || 36.00
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 7.6 || 6.7 || 6.2 || 5.9
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== Ammunition =====
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| M339 Shot  || AP || 180 || 177 || 161 || 143 || 126 || 98
 +
|-
 +
| M352 Shell || HE || 12 || 12 || 12 || 12 || 12 || 12
 +
|-
 +
| M319 Shot || APCR || 208 || 207 || 187 || 170 || 144 || 123
 +
|-
 +
| M331A2 Shot || APDS || 232 || 231 || 212 || 193 || 163 || 137
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="10" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| M339 Shot  || 975 || 6.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
 +
|-
 +
| M352 Shell || 732 || 6.8 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 867.22 || +0° || 79° || 80° ||  81°
 +
|-
 +
| M319 Shot || 1262 || 3.2 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
 +
|-
 +
| M331A2 Shot || 1231 || 1.5 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 75° || 78° || 80°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Ammunition
 +
! Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! ''Screen radius <br /> in m''
 +
! ''Screen time <br /> in s''
 +
! ''Screen hold time <br /> in s:''
 +
! ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
|-
 +
| M361 || 713 || 7.1 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== [[Ammo Racks|Ammo racks]] =====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks M41A1.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo Racks|Ammo rack]] of the M41A1 Walker Bulldog]]
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
|| '''65''' ||  55 ''(+10)'' || 39 ''(+26)'' || 1 ''(+64)'' || style="text-align:center" | No
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
 
−
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
 
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
−
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
+
<!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''-->
 +
{{main|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)|Browning (7.62 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[Browning M2 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Pintle mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 2,175 (200) || 576 || -10°/+70° || ±60°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[Browning (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 4,900 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Usage in the battles ==
 
== Usage in the battles ==
−
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
+
<!--''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''-->
 +
Like the tanks that come before it, the ''Bulldog'' should be used as a rapid-deployment support vehicle in conjunction with heavier vehicles like the [[T32|T32]]. It is best used to run rapid insertion and flanking operations while allowing the heavier tanks absorb the brunt of the enemy attack. The ''Walker Bulldog'' works well with [M26|M26 Medium tanks]] as the M26 has a harder hitting gun to support your advance, but you maintain a much better climb rate for hills and a much faster acceleration. The ''Bulldog's'' top speed does cap off-road, requiring you to make the most of the terrain.
 +
 
 +
Always remember that the ''Bulldog'' lacks any effective armour. In a frontal attack, it will be easily penetrated by almost anything the enemy throws at it. Try to use the terrain to hide yourself and relocate after shots. Also, attempt to engage targets who are busy or already engaged with one of your teammates. The ''Bulldog's'' 76mm gun has great penetration, but due to the solid shot AP rounds it has it is necessary to make your shots count by hitting either ammo racks or fuel tanks/engines to disable and or destroy an enemy vehicle. Equipping HVAP rounds later on makes it easier to destroy vehicles with better side armour such as the [[IS-3]] which has a fairly strong side profile.
 +
 
 +
===Tactics===
 +
The ''Bulldog'' is best playing a mobile role; trail the outskirts of the map and take shots at the enemy from a distance and keep relocating. Don't stand still for too long as one or two hits are usually enough to completely disable your tank.
 +
 
 +
While playing this tank, your biggest concern should be not to get hit ''by anything''. Given its thin armour, anything that the Bulldog is facing will be able to deal heavy damage. In summary, the ''Bulldog'' is a very maneuverable tank and with practice is a very potent threat to your enemies.
 +
 
 +
If you're up against heavy tanks, such as the [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II H]], don't bother trying to hit its front chassis armour even with APDS. The chances to penetrate this tank's upper glacis are very low. You're better off either ignoring him or aiming for his lower glacis and turret. Should you penetrate his lower glacis, the transmission is likely to catch on fire. When attacking the turret, aim for the gunner on the left (your right) of the gun. After that, disengage as the gunner will be replaced faster than you can reload. Fighting off heavily armoured targets takes a lot of practice, but the gun's accuracy and good penetration can be used to your advantage.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
−
 
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
* Extremely agile tank.
−
 
+
* Top speed of 72 km/h.
 +
* Fast turret traverse.
 +
* Fast reload rate.
 +
* Respectable firepower when loaded with APDS.
 +
* APDS has high muzzle velocity, easy to hit targets at longer ranges.
 +
* Good flanker.
 +
* Good suspension; can drive away from steep downhills and jumps.
 +
* .50 cal AA machine gun with good coverage.
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
* Low torque, without downhill you won't reach higher speeds than 50 km/h.
 +
* Thin armour, even SPAA tanks will take you out given the opportunity.
 +
* Its poor engine is its biggest weakness, makes it a bad scouting unit.
 +
* Ammo storage in the front, next to the driver.
 +
* APDS shot causes only punctual damage (aim carefully).
 +
* No explosive filler on any AP shells.
 +
* Quite tall for a light tank.
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''-->
 +
===Development===
 +
The U.S. Army light tank in the later part of World War II, the [[Light Tank M24 Chaffee|M24 ''Chaffee'']], was a promising design but was deemed not effective for the future of armour encounters. Though its role as a scout was seen as needing the 75 mm gun, the army wanted a tank with a better gun to have a more equal chance against tanks. The project began as the ''T37'' program in 1947 with the focus of being air-transportable with an anti-tank capability in the form of a 76 mm gun and a rangefinder. The adoption of a simplified rangefinder had the project designation changed to the ''T41''. After testings and evaluations, the ''T41'' model was accepted into service as the '''M41 ''Little Bulldog'' ''', with production starting at Cadillac Cleveland Tank Plant in 1951. The name ''Little Bulldog'' stayed until General Walton Walker, the first commander of the 8th US Army in Korea, died in a car accident, so the tank was renamed into the '''M41 ''Walker Bulldog'' ''' in remembrance. Production went from 1953 to somewhere in the late 1960s with about 3,728 units produced.
 +
 
 +
The M41 light tank would go on to replace the M24 ''Chaffees'' by 1953. The M41 had a crew of four, commander, gunner, loader, and driver. The tank had a profile of under 9 feet and 19 feet long. The tank was lightweight at 23.5 tons and thus had rather thin armour, with the front armour only 25.4 mm thick (sloped at 60 degrees for about 50 mm effective). However, the tank was very agile with its torsion bar suspension and Continental AOS 895-3 series 6-cylinder gasoline engine of 500 hp which could deliver a road speed of 45 mph with a 100 miles operating range. Unfortunately, the tank was criticized for being noisy, a fuel-guzzler, rather heavy, and the American crewman found the ''Bulldog's'' interior to be quite cramped. Despite that, it delivered speed, firepower, and reliability in a light tank format. Several upgrades were made on the M41 with better technology, the '''M41A1''' had a hydraulic turret traverse with more ammo storage, the ''M41A2'' had a new fuel system, and the ''M41A3'' are old M41A1 tanks with the new fuel system from the M41A2.
 +
 
 +
===Combat usage===
 +
The M41 ''Walker Bulldog'' first saw use in Korea in a limited combat run. The tanks, still labeled their experimental designation T41, were sent for field testing on design deficiencies. It is unknown what other purposes they served there except for the tests. Their first major conflict once adopted by the U.S. Army was in Vietnam, mainly by replacing the M24 ''Chaffees'' in service with the South Vietnamese army (ARVN) at the time. The M41A3 tanks arrived in January 1965 and were instantly popular; not only for their advantages, but the previously cramped interior for American crews were actually perfect fit for the smaller Vietnamese armour crewman. The ''Bulldog'' went on to fight in the Vietnam War as a reliable war machine. The ''Bulldog'' had an advantage due to its light weight in maneuvering in the jungle terrain of the region. In 1971, Operation Lam Son 719, the disruption of the North Vietnamese Army supply lines had the M41 ''Bulldogs'' play a major role, accompanied by two airborne battalions and two cavalry regiments. Penetrating deep into enemy lines, the 17 M41 tanks engaged and destroyed six Soviet designed [[T-54 mod. 1951|T-54 tanks]] and other lighter armoured vehicles. This engagement came at a lost of 5 M41 and 25 armoured personnel carriers. By 1973, the ARVN still used about 200 M41 tanks while the American units transition over to the [[90 mm Gun Tank M48A1 Patton III|M48A3 ''Patton'' tanks]] in Europe and Stateside. The M41 light tanks were also exported to various other countries. Today, Guatemala, Somalia, Taiwan, Uruguay, and Vietnam still use the M41 ''Walker Bulldog'', some via upgrading the tanks to extend their service life.
 +
 
 +
The M41 ''Walker Bulldog'' design was advanced for the time, giving a relatively light weight tank the firepower to take on other tanks of its time period. The chassis was even used on the ''[[Twin 40mm Self-Propelled Guns M42 Duster|M42 ''Duster'' Anti-Air gun]]'' and the ''M75 Armored Personnel Carrier''. The drive, engine, transmission, and auxiliary engine also were used in the ''M44/M52 155 howitzer''. By 1969, the US Army began replacing the M41 with the newer [[M551 Sheridan|M551 ''Sheridan'' Armored Airborne Reconnaissance Assault Vehicle]] (officially not a "light tank") which had a [[152 mm Gun/Launcher M81|152 mm cannon]] that could fire shells and [[ATGM|anti-tank missiles]]. The M551 ''Sheridan'' could be used in roles that the M41 ''Walker Bulldog'' couldn't do, such as be air-dropped and amphibious, but was rather unreliable. This made the M41 ''Walker Bulldog'' to be the last American "light tank" produced and the last made before the classification between tank classes based on weight and role ended.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
<!--''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''-->
 +
[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23m41 '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the ''Walker Bulldog'' from live.warthunder]
 +
*[http://live.warthunder.com/post/95846/ '''"US ARMY" 532''' by ''JoKeR_BvB09'']
 +
*[http://live.warthunder.com/post/101650/ '''"German Bundeswehr 3tone skin - 2nd Co of Panzeraufklärungsbataillon 5 ( ReconBn )" fictional''' by ''JoKeR_BvB09'']
 +
*[http://live.warthunder.com/post/95835/ '''"(Fictional) M41 Flecktarn <nowiki>[Germany 1985]</nowiki>"''' by ''Tiger_VI'']
  
 
== Read also ==
 
== Read also ==
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+
<!--''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
−
''ETC.''
+
''ETC.''-->
 +
[https://warthunder.com/en/news/3018/current/ Official War Thunder forum article: [Vehicle Profile<nowiki>]</nowiki> M41 Walker Bulldog [Decal Included<nowiki>]</nowiki>]
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
Line 51: Line 294:
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
 +
 +
{{USA light tanks}}

Revision as of 05:19, 9 October 2018

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
M41A1
us_m41_walker_bulldog.png
M41A1
USA flag.png USA
IV Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
6.0 6.3 6.3
Class:
Research:46 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:155 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage M41A1.jpg


The M41A1 Walker Bulldog is a Rank IV American light tank with a battle rating of 6.0. It was introduced at the same time as the American ground tree in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals". A large improvement over its predecessor, the M24 Chaffee, it features a gun that can more adequately fight the tanks at its tier with an APDS round and has a very good mobility and low profile to move quickly against the enemy.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Lower glacis)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 28.5 mm (49°) Front glacis
63.5 mm (33-37°) Lower glacis 		28.5 mm 28.5 mm (46°) Top
25.4 mm (1°) Middle
25.4 mm (20°) Bottom 		12.7 mm
Turret 44.4 mm (11-13°) Turret front
50.8 mm (2-43°) Gun mantlet 		31.75 mm (1°) 31.75 mm (1°) 12.7 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels, bogies, and tracks are 15 mm thick.
  • Tracks are placed on the turret side and rear that can provide about 10 mm of extra armour.
  • An extra 12.7 mm RHA metal plate is present on the right side of the turret near the pintle 7.62 mm machine gun.
  • A 5 mm Structural steel box is present, mounted on the vehicle rear.

There aren't any specific targets worth noting as you'll be hurt by pretty much anything. You'll want to be careful with SPAAs as they can knock out your components with ease and even destroy you.

If at all possible try only to expose your turret. If you use the terrain to your advantage you'll usually be able to fire one to three shots, then start moving forwards and backwards, thus making it a lot harder for the enemy to hit you. Generally, you'll be able to get in two shots on most targets before they can fire back, and the M41A1 accelerates from 0 to 30 km/h fast enough to become a hard target to hit if only the turret is exposed!

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons) 		Max speed (km/h)
15.6 N/A 62 (AB)
56 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 459 565
Realistic/Simulator 262 296
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 29.42 36.22
Realistic/Simulator 16.79 18.79

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: M32 (76 mm)
76 mm M32
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
65 -10°/+20° ±180°
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 21.42 29.60 36.00 39.70 42.30
Realistic 21.42 25.20 30.6 33.70 36.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
7.6 6.7 6.2 5.9
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
M339 Shot AP 180 177 161 143 126 98
M352 Shell HE 12 12 12 12 12 12
M319 Shot APCR 208 207 187 170 144 123
M331A2 Shot APDS 232 231 212 193 163 137
Shell details
Ammunition Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent): 		Normalization At 30°
from horizontal: 		Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
M339 Shot 975 6.6 N/A N/A N/A -1° 47° 60° 65°
M352 Shell 732 6.8 0.1 0.5 867.22 +0° 79° 80° 81°
M319 Shot 1262 3.2 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 66° 70° 72°
M331A2 Shot 1231 1.5 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 75° 78° 80°
Smoke characteristic
Ammunition Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Screen radius
in m 		Screen time
in s 		Screen hold time
in s: 		Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
M361 713 7.1 13 5 20 50
Ammo racks
Ammo rack of the M41A1 Walker Bulldog
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
65 55 (+10) 39 (+26) 1 (+64) No


Machine guns

Main articles: Browning M2 (12.7 mm), Browning (7.62 mm)
12.7 mm M2HB
Pintle mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
2,175 (200) 576 -10°/+70° ±60°
7.62 mm M1919A4
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
4,900 (250) 500 N/A N/A

Usage in the battles

Like the tanks that come before it, the Bulldog should be used as a rapid-deployment support vehicle in conjunction with heavier vehicles like the T32. It is best used to run rapid insertion and flanking operations while allowing the heavier tanks absorb the brunt of the enemy attack. The Walker Bulldog works well with [M26|M26 Medium tanks]] as the M26 has a harder hitting gun to support your advance, but you maintain a much better climb rate for hills and a much faster acceleration. The Bulldog's top speed does cap off-road, requiring you to make the most of the terrain.

Always remember that the Bulldog lacks any effective armour. In a frontal attack, it will be easily penetrated by almost anything the enemy throws at it. Try to use the terrain to hide yourself and relocate after shots. Also, attempt to engage targets who are busy or already engaged with one of your teammates. The Bulldog's 76mm gun has great penetration, but due to the solid shot AP rounds it has it is necessary to make your shots count by hitting either ammo racks or fuel tanks/engines to disable and or destroy an enemy vehicle. Equipping HVAP rounds later on makes it easier to destroy vehicles with better side armour such as the IS-3 which has a fairly strong side profile.

Tactics

The Bulldog is best playing a mobile role; trail the outskirts of the map and take shots at the enemy from a distance and keep relocating. Don't stand still for too long as one or two hits are usually enough to completely disable your tank.

While playing this tank, your biggest concern should be not to get hit by anything. Given its thin armour, anything that the Bulldog is facing will be able to deal heavy damage. In summary, the Bulldog is a very maneuverable tank and with practice is a very potent threat to your enemies.

If you're up against heavy tanks, such as the Tiger II H, don't bother trying to hit its front chassis armour even with APDS. The chances to penetrate this tank's upper glacis are very low. You're better off either ignoring him or aiming for his lower glacis and turret. Should you penetrate his lower glacis, the transmission is likely to catch on fire. When attacking the turret, aim for the gunner on the left (your right) of the gun. After that, disengage as the gunner will be replaced faster than you can reload. Fighting off heavily armoured targets takes a lot of practice, but the gun's accuracy and good penetration can be used to your advantage.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Extremely agile tank.
  • Top speed of 72 km/h.
  • Fast turret traverse.
  • Fast reload rate.
  • Respectable firepower when loaded with APDS.
  • APDS has high muzzle velocity, easy to hit targets at longer ranges.
  • Good flanker.
  • Good suspension; can drive away from steep downhills and jumps.
  • .50 cal AA machine gun with good coverage.

Cons:

  • Low torque, without downhill you won't reach higher speeds than 50 km/h.
  • Thin armour, even SPAA tanks will take you out given the opportunity.
  • Its poor engine is its biggest weakness, makes it a bad scouting unit.
  • Ammo storage in the front, next to the driver.
  • APDS shot causes only punctual damage (aim carefully).
  • No explosive filler on any AP shells.
  • Quite tall for a light tank.

History

Development

The U.S. Army light tank in the later part of World War II, the M24 Chaffee, was a promising design but was deemed not effective for the future of armour encounters. Though its role as a scout was seen as needing the 75 mm gun, the army wanted a tank with a better gun to have a more equal chance against tanks. The project began as the T37 program in 1947 with the focus of being air-transportable with an anti-tank capability in the form of a 76 mm gun and a rangefinder. The adoption of a simplified rangefinder had the project designation changed to the T41. After testings and evaluations, the T41 model was accepted into service as the M41 Little Bulldog , with production starting at Cadillac Cleveland Tank Plant in 1951. The name Little Bulldog stayed until General Walton Walker, the first commander of the 8th US Army in Korea, died in a car accident, so the tank was renamed into the M41 Walker Bulldog in remembrance. Production went from 1953 to somewhere in the late 1960s with about 3,728 units produced.

The M41 light tank would go on to replace the M24 Chaffees by 1953. The M41 had a crew of four, commander, gunner, loader, and driver. The tank had a profile of under 9 feet and 19 feet long. The tank was lightweight at 23.5 tons and thus had rather thin armour, with the front armour only 25.4 mm thick (sloped at 60 degrees for about 50 mm effective). However, the tank was very agile with its torsion bar suspension and Continental AOS 895-3 series 6-cylinder gasoline engine of 500 hp which could deliver a road speed of 45 mph with a 100 miles operating range. Unfortunately, the tank was criticized for being noisy, a fuel-guzzler, rather heavy, and the American crewman found the Bulldog's interior to be quite cramped. Despite that, it delivered speed, firepower, and reliability in a light tank format. Several upgrades were made on the M41 with better technology, the M41A1 had a hydraulic turret traverse with more ammo storage, the M41A2 had a new fuel system, and the M41A3 are old M41A1 tanks with the new fuel system from the M41A2.

Combat usage

The M41 Walker Bulldog first saw use in Korea in a limited combat run. The tanks, still labeled their experimental designation T41, were sent for field testing on design deficiencies. It is unknown what other purposes they served there except for the tests. Their first major conflict once adopted by the U.S. Army was in Vietnam, mainly by replacing the M24 Chaffees in service with the South Vietnamese army (ARVN) at the time. The M41A3 tanks arrived in January 1965 and were instantly popular; not only for their advantages, but the previously cramped interior for American crews were actually perfect fit for the smaller Vietnamese armour crewman. The Bulldog went on to fight in the Vietnam War as a reliable war machine. The Bulldog had an advantage due to its light weight in maneuvering in the jungle terrain of the region. In 1971, Operation Lam Son 719, the disruption of the North Vietnamese Army supply lines had the M41 Bulldogs play a major role, accompanied by two airborne battalions and two cavalry regiments. Penetrating deep into enemy lines, the 17 M41 tanks engaged and destroyed six Soviet designed T-54 tanks and other lighter armoured vehicles. This engagement came at a lost of 5 M41 and 25 armoured personnel carriers. By 1973, the ARVN still used about 200 M41 tanks while the American units transition over to the M48A3 Patton tanks in Europe and Stateside. The M41 light tanks were also exported to various other countries. Today, Guatemala, Somalia, Taiwan, Uruguay, and Vietnam still use the M41 Walker Bulldog, some via upgrading the tanks to extend their service life.

The M41 Walker Bulldog design was advanced for the time, giving a relatively light weight tank the firepower to take on other tanks of its time period. The chassis was even used on the M42 Duster Anti-Air gun and the M75 Armored Personnel Carrier. The drive, engine, transmission, and auxiliary engine also were used in the M44/M52 155 howitzer. By 1969, the US Army began replacing the M41 with the newer M551 Sheridan Armored Airborne Reconnaissance Assault Vehicle (officially not a "light tank") which had a 152 mm cannon that could fire shells and anti-tank missiles. The M551 Sheridan could be used in roles that the M41 Walker Bulldog couldn't do, such as be air-dropped and amphibious, but was rather unreliable. This made the M41 Walker Bulldog to be the last American "light tank" produced and the last made before the classification between tank classes based on weight and role ended.

Media

Skins and camouflages for the Walker Bulldog from live.warthunder

Read also

Official War Thunder forum article: [Vehicle Profile] M41 Walker Bulldog [Decal Included]

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


USA light tanks
LVT  LVT(A)(1) · ○LVT(A)(1) · LVT(A)(4)
M2  M2A2 · M2A4 · M2A4 (1st Arm.Div.)
M3/M5 Stuart  M3 Stuart · M3A1 Stuart · M3A1 (USMC) · M5A1 · M5A1 TD · ▃Stuart VI (5th CAD)
M22 Locust  M22
M24 Chaffee  M24 · M24 (TL)
M18 Hellcat  M18 GMC · M18 "Black Cat" · Super Hellcat
M41 Walker Bulldog  M41A1
M551 Sheridan  M551 · M551(76)
M3 Bradley  M3 Bradley · M3A3 Bradley
Wheeled  M8 LAC · T18E2 · M1128 · M1128 Wolfpack
Other  M8A1 GMC · T92 · T114 · HSTV-L · CCVL · XM8 · XM800T · AGS

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