The Vietnam War formally began in September of 1959, with the arrival of American advisers, though the strength in numbers for the American combat forces did not occur until around 19656. The M48 was the mainstay of the American armored forces at the time and the Patton become the heaviest tank to be fielded by the US Army during the conflict. Despite her armor protection and suitable main gun, the M48 was thrown into a war for which it was not directly intended. While expecting to face off head-to-head against North Vietnamese and Viet Cong armor in tank-versus-tank duels, the M48 was relegated to supporting infantry actions in the dense jungle and suburban fighting to follow. Continue reading “M48 – Cheap Thrills”
