M48A1

This page is about the American medium tank M48A1. For other versions, see M48 Patton (Family).

M48A1

M47

M60

M48A1

M47

M60

USA

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.7	7.7	7.7

Class:

Medium tank

Research:48 000

Purchase:270 000

Description

The 90 mm Gun Tank M48A1 Patton III is a rank V American medium tank with a battle rating of 7.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows".

A first glance towards the M48A1 can give lots of similarities towards the M60. However, there are some aspects that can distinguish the M48 from the later M60.

The M48A1 is probably most distinguished first by its rounded turret and gun, with the square-shaped gun mantlet covered by a dust cover cloth. The 90 mm gun has a cylinder muzzle brake going in a T-shape while a fume extractor sits only slightly behind the muzzle brake position.

The hull is distinguished compared to the successor M60 with its curved cast shape instead of straight welded plates.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull110 / 76 / 35

Turret130 / 76 / 51

Crew4 people

Visibility117 %

The M48A1 front hull glacis and turret mantlet are the strongest points of the tank and have the best chance of bouncing conventional small to medium calibre shells. However, its lower glacis, turret side cheeks, side armour and also the cupola remain significant weak points for the tank. So take extra caution when exposing those weak points. The turret's semi-hemispherical design removes the shot traps seen on the M47.

The M48A1 is also a rather tall vehicle with its large profile cupola. It can be quickly spotted and identified far away subsequently making this tank rather easy to hit. Chemical shaped charges, sabot shells, and anti-tank guided missiles will also defeat the M48A1's armour.

Armour type:

• Cast homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret)
• Rolled homogeneous armour (Rear (low), Roof)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	85-200 mm (59-74°) Front glacis 63-200 mm (13-60°) Lower glacis	76 mm (8-43°) Front 51 mm (0-43°) Rear	35 mm (26-32°) Top 25 mm (61-62°) Bottom	25.4-57 mm
Turret	127 mm (12-76°) Turret front 152 + 82 mm (17-26°) Gun mantlet	69-100 mm (12-36°)	51-55 mm (2-71°)	25-69 mm
Cupola	70 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 38 mm in the front and 25 mm in the rear.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB51 / 10 km/h

RB and SB46 / 9 km/h

Number of gears6 forward

2 back

Weight44.9 t

Engine power

AB1 545 hp

RB and SB810 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB34.4 hp/t

RB and SB18.0 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	51	10	44.9	1,255	1,545	27.95	34.41
Realistic	46	9		716	810	15.95	18.04

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB4 167 → 5 458

RB4 708 → 6 167

SB6 635 → 8 691

Total cost of modifications77 300

129 400

Talisman cost2 000

Crew training78 000

Experts270 000

Aces1 100

Research Aces670 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

130 / 200 / 220 %

190 / 190 / 190 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 4 000 Cost: 6 500 195 Suspension Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 175 Brake System Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 175 Filters Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 250 Transmission Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 260 Engine Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 260	Improved Parts Research: 2 600 Cost: 6 500 195 Improved FPE Research: 2 300 Cost: 5 800 175 Crew Replenishment Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 250	Horizontal Drive Research: 4 000 Cost: 6 500 195 90mm_us_M82_m48_ammo_pack Research: 4 000 Cost: 6 500 195 Adjustment of Fire Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 175 90mm_us_T142E3_HESH_ammo_pack Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 175 Elevation Mechanism Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 250 90mm_us_M431_HEAT_ammo_pack Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 250 Artillery Support Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 260 90mm_us_M313_Smoke_ammo_pack Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 260 Rangefinder Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 260

Armaments

Rangefinder

Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder

Main armament

90 mm M41 cannon

Ammunition60 rounds

First-order23 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

8.7 → 6.7 s

Vertical guidance-9° / 19°

90 mm M41					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	60	-9°/+19°	±180°	-	22.8	31.6	38.4	42.5	45.2	8.71	7.70	7.10	6.70
Realistic					14.3	16.8	20.4	22.6	24.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
M332 shot	APCR	321	316	292	265	240	218
T142E3	HESH	102	102	102	102	102	102
M82 shot	APCBC	185	182	169	155	142	130
M431 shell	HEATFS	320	320	320	320	320	320
M71 shell	HE	20	20	18	17	16	16

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M332 shot	APCR	1,249	5.7	-	-	-	66°	70°	72°
T142E3	HESH	792	10.6	0.1	4	3,050	73°	77°	80°
M82 shot	APCBC	853	10.91	1.2	14	137.2	48°	63°	71°
M431 shell	HEATFS	1,216	5.8	0.05	0.1	712.64	65°	72°	77°
M71 shell	HE	823	10.55	0.2	0.1	1,210	79°	80°	81°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
M313	821	10.7	9	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M48A1

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
60	53 (+7)	42 (+18)	24 (+36)	17 (+43)	1 (+59)	No

Notes:

• Shells are modeled by sets of 2 and disappear from the rack after you've fired both shells in the set.
• Racks 4 and 5 are first stage ammo racks. They total 23 shells and get filled first when loading up the tank.
  • These rack are also emptied early: the depletion order at full capacity is: 4 - 5 - 1 - 2 - 3.
  • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-3 into rack 5 then 4. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition600 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-9° / 60°

7.62 mm M73 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition6 000 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	600 (200)	575	-9°/+60°	±180°

7.62 mm M73
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	6,000 (250)	500	-	-

Usage in battles

The M48A1 plays as a general medium tank, acting as a jack-of-all-trades in all of the tank's traits with average armour, firepower, and mobility.

One of the best ways to use this tank when a player does not have access to its HEATFS round is to refrain from using it as a brawler. This is because most of the shells that this tank has in its arsenal do not have the ample firepower to eliminate most of the targets it faces at its BR. However, since the tank is incredibly quick and mobile, it can be used as an excellent flanker. It can outmanoeuvre most of its medium tank rivals and expose their weaker side armour. Be wary when equipped with the M82 shell as its penetration will not exactly be impressive and many heavy tanks and some modern medium tanks like the T-54s are well protected frontally. Be prepared to have the gun always level and ready to aim for weak spots on many tanks in case you may accidentally run into them frontally instead from the side.

It is also a good idea to use this tank in a hiding and ambush role. Temporarily turning off your engine around a good position like a corner and letting unaware enemies roll right past you with the M82 shell loaded up with a decent reload speed can also be used to great effectiveness.

In large open maps and long range sniping engagements. the M48A1 can actually be rather difficult to make work with its 90 mm M41 cannon's accuracy and firepower when compared to other medium tanks such as the German Leopard I or British Centurion Mk 3. Mainly when using the APHE shot with lower ballistics in this sense. It is recommended that you use the M431 HEATFS shot for better velocity and easier aim at the cost of not being able to destroy an enemy tank in a single hit compared to the M82 APHE shell. Quickly hitting the ammunition or disabling the gun breech or gunner of other tanks you face is a must for this shell to even be generally effective. Bushes, trees and fences can still detonate the HEATFS shell prematurely if fired close.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Good upper front hull and mantlet armour
• Decent acceleration
• Strong roof armour for the hull
• HEATFS which can overpressure open-topped vehicles and light tanks
• Coincidence rangefinder that can quickly calculate the range compared to other older generation WW2 tank rangefinders
• Can fire HESH rounds

Cons:

• Quite under-armoured for the rank with many weak spots that Rank IV or WW2 era tanks can still penetrate frontally
• Turret roof armour is thin, allowing penetration by heavy machine guns in air attack
• Cupola weak spot: even small-calibre APHE shells can penetrate it and knock out the turret crew making close range engagements not workout in your favour
• Lower top speed compared to other medium tanks
• The APCR shot is the stock round that you start with
• The HEATFS round suffers from poor post-penetration damage.
• M82 round has rather low penetration for the M48A1's BR and the tanks it faces so it must be used for mainly flank attacks
• Nearly unusable in full uptiers when facing first generation Cold War MBTs, IFVs and light tanks that will typically outclass you with superior speed, firepower, gun stabilization and shells

History

Development

In February 1951, Ordnance opted for a new tank design to modernize the M46 and M47 in the U.S. inventory. The tank was designated the 90 mm Gun Tank T-48 and featured a new hemispherical turret, new hull, and an improved suspension. The new design was also the first to remove the hull machine gunner position in American tanks, reducing the total crew from the usual 5 to 4. Further testing and trials with the T-48 design proved its worth and in April 1953, Ordnance standardized the design as the 90 mm Gun Tank M48 Patton, which would be the third in the Patton series, all named after General George S. Patton.

Production started in 1952 with the original M48 models. During the initial production run, several hundreds of the M48s were found to not be up to the standard protection ratings it should be, these were relegated to training tanks as the M48C. The model was developed into the M48A1 with a redesigned driver hatch and commander's cupola that integrates a .50 cal machine gun for the commander to use. Next variant was the M48A2 with an improved power pack and transmission, along with a new rear plate and improved turret control. The M48A1 models improved with the M48A2 specifications in 1959, up to 1,019 were converted and are labelled the M48A3. The last major model was the M48A5, which is an upgrade of the M48 models in the 1970s with a 105 mm Gun M68, up to 2,069 converted. In total, about 12,000 M48 models were produced in all from the time period of 1952 to 1959.

Combat usage

The Americans mainly used the M48A3 Patton tanks in Vietnam, with 600 models deployed. Each battalion in the US Army and Marines armed with the M48 Patton had 57 tanks each. The Armored Cavalry Squadrons were initially armed with M48s before they were replaced by the lighter M551 Sheridan. A flamethrower variant was developed from the M48, which became known as the M67A1 "Zippo". The M48 also strengthened the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces by supplementing their M41A1 Walker Bulldog light tanks. The main armour conflicts between the North and South Vietnamese forces usually involved an armour mix of T-54/PT-76B for the North and M48 Pattons/M41A1 Bulldogs for the South. In the conflicts, an incident on 23 April 1972 had an NVA anti-tank force with the new 9M14M Malyutka anti-tank guided missile destroy an M48 Patton, marking one of the early uses of the wide-spread infantry anti-tank missiles. Despite that, the M48s performed favourably in the Southern forces. Even after US forces withdrew from South Vietnam and North Vietnam started the Ho Chi Minh Offensive in 1975, the M48s left in the ARVN hands were able to hold back the assaulting T-34 and T-54/55 tanks, only falling when supplies ran out. After the war, the Americans mainly replaced their main tanks with the M60 Patton.

Like with most of the American equipment, the M48s were supplied to NATO allies across the world to assist in their conflicts. They became involved in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and 1971 in the hands of Pakistan along with some M47s against India's Centurions. Its overall performance in the conflicts was that they performed very well in the battlefield, only failing due to the poor tactics used by the armour forces. The M48s also saw service in the Middle Eastern conflicts. It was notably used in the conflicts against Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973 in the hands of the Israelis and Jordanian Army. The Israels upgraded their M48s with the 105 mm guns, about 5 years earlier than the Americans, and fight against the Egyptian Soviet-supplied armour. They also saw use in the Lebanese Civil War in the hands of nearly all sides involved. They were also used in Turkey's military in the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. The M48s were also used in Iranian hands in the Iran-Iraq war against Soviet-supplied weaponry in Iraq's hands. Morocco also received a hundred M48A5 Pattons from America in 1987. One of the most recent conflicts the M48s were used was in the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993 when assisting the stranded US Rangers and Delta Force in the city.

The M48s were used by 19 different countries in the world during its service life, of which 9 countries still use in varying quantities. Despite being rather outdated in the later part of the Cold War, which warranted its replacement by the M60, the M48 help supplemented the forces around the world in their conflicts. With many models remain in inventory across the world, it still proves a valuable weapon against countries without advanced anti-tank weaponry.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the M48A1 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Honestly... Fun? M48A1 Patton - Virus

The Patton Family discusses the M48A1 at 5:00 - War Thunder Official Channel

M48A1 Tank Review - Pay or Die (and die anyways) - Napalmratte

Tank Chats #108 - M48 - The Tank Museum

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

• M48 Patton (Family)

Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

• M60 (Family)

External links

• [Devblog] M48A1
• [Wikipedia] M48 Patton
• [Tanks Encyclopedia] 90mm Gun Tank M48 Patton III
• [Military Factory] M48 Patton

Chrysler Defense
MBTs
M48 Patton	M48A1
M60	M60 · M60A1 (AOS) · M60A2 · M60A1 RISE (P) · M60A3 TTS
M1	XM1 (Chrysler) · M1 Abrams
Export
M48	M48A2 C · M48A2 G A2 · ␗M48A1 · Magach 1 · Magach 2
M60	␗M60A3 TTS · M60A1 "D.C.Ariete" ·
Note	Chrysler Defense was purchased by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) in 1982.