General Background:
The M48 Patton is a medium tank and was the third and final tank to be officially named after General George S. Patton. The first version used in Vietnam was the gasoline engine M48A2 but was soon outnumbered by the diesel powered M48A3 which became the most numerous US tank during the conflict. The M48A3s were conversions of earlier models so it wasn’t uncommon for many characteristics to vary from tank to tank. Some M48A3s had 3 support rollers while others had 5 and the headlight assemblies could either be the early or later type.
Specifications of the M48A3 tank
Role – Medium tank
Production Dates – 1952 – 1959
Number Produced – Approximately 12,000
Crew: 4
Dimensions
Length - 30 feet 6 inches
Width - 11 feet 11 inches
Height - 10 feet 1 inch
Weight: 53 Tons
Performance
Powerplant – 1 X Continental AVDS-1790-2A air-cooled diesel 750hp
Fuel Capacity - 375 gallons
Max Speed - 30mph
Range - 310 miles
Armor - 4.7 inch frontal
Armament
1 X 90 M41 Rifled Gun (64 rounds)
1 X 7.62mm coax Machine Gun
1 X 50 cal Machine Gun