M47 Patton

The M47 Patton is an American medium tank developed by the Detroit Arsenal as a successor to the M46 Patton. Produced between 1951 and 1954 by the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant and the American Locomotive Company, the vehicle served as the primary tank for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps during the early Cold War. It was designed as an interim solution when the T42 medium tank could not be completed in time for the Korean War. The design combined the T42 turret with the existing M46 hull to provide upgraded firepower and armor protection.

The M47 features a needle-nose turret with sloped sides and an elongated bustle. Its primary armament consists of the M36 90mm gun, which is supported by an M12 stereoscopic rangefinder. This rangefinder, which protrudes from both sides of the turret front, was a standard feature in American tank design until the arrival of the M1 Abrams. Secondary armament includes a coaxial .30 caliber machine gun, a roof-mounted .50 caliber M2 machine gun, and a bow-mounted .30 caliber machine gun. The M47 was the final American tank to include a hull-mounted bow machine gun. The vehicle is powered by a Continental AV-1790-5B V12 air-cooled gasoline engine and utilizes a torsion bar suspension. Technical issues, including faulty hydraulic turret-control mechanisms and drive gear defects caused by the use of lower-grade steel, affected initial production and deployment.

While the M47 never saw combat with U.S. forces, it was widely exported to NATO and SEATO allies, forming the backbone of these tank forces for nearly 15 years. It was declared limited standard in 1955 and replaced in American service by the M48 Patton. The vehicle saw combat in various international conflicts. France deployed M47s during the 1956 Suez Crisis. Pakistan used the tank against India in the 1965 and 1971 wars. Jordan operated M47s during the Six-Day War in 1967. Turkey utilized the vehicle during the 1974 invasion of Cyprus and in subsequent operations against the PKK. During the Ogaden War, Ethiopia fielded the tank against Somalia, and Iran utilized M47s during the Iran–Iraq War. The tank also saw action in the Somali Civil War, the Croatian War of Independence, and the Yugoslav Wars. Several countries continue to operate the M47 or its variants, and many retired units were converted into armored recovery vehicles or used as gunnery targets.