"How long did M48 stay in service?" Topic

How late would you encounter M48's in front line service in the US army?

How long were they kept in reserve, in case the balloon went up and the Reds came rushing into Germany?

Cheers!

Uparmed and -engined to M48A5s, I know they were in the Guard until at least 1980.

Wikipedia would suggest into the '90s, which would be longer than the Soviet Union lasted!

link

Allen

1980? Yikes. I would have figured they were all phased out in favour of Abrams instead by then.

I guess if it still works, there's no reason to throw it out

The M1 only entered service in 1980.

In an active unit (but we couldn't get range time at home station), we conducted gunnery with them in Virginia and here in California in '77 and '78, and there was no sign of them being close to worn out. We'd go to a Guard post and borrow their tanks, even though we had M60A1s at home at Fort Knox.

I'm pretty sure the A5s were still here at the CAARNG MATES site in '81, when Camp Irwin was reactivated as Fort Irwin and the NTC. But the California Guard was pretty quick to receive M1s; I think they showed up here at the MATES site not long after that. Of course, as soon as the Army could afford it, they provided a prepositioned fleet for M1s here for active units coming to train.

Allen

M1 fielding seemed… unusual to active duty tankers. They started going to the Guard real soon after the first couple of active divisions at Hood and in Germany got them. Long bbefore the entire active force received them by a long shot. And the tankers with 2d ID in Korea kept their M60s for a looong time. I don't remember when they finally got M1s.

Allen

Well from the movies I think the M48 must have entered service at least in '44. :)

Well from the movies I think the M48 must have entered service at least in '44. :)

Especially for the Germans!

The M48A5 upgrade program started in or around 1975 and there were quite a few serving in Army Reserve and Guard units at least in to the late '80s. The 'A5 was also used as the basis for the ill-fated Sgt. York air defense vehicle.

On a slightly related note, I was surprised at how many M60s (not -A1 or -A3) were still around in Reserve and Guard units into the '90s. There are several on display here in my area and they all appear to have gone through the RISE upgrades done for the M60A1.

"Especially for the Germans"

who still had it in 1986!

Tally Ho!

The M48A5 was retired from the Active Army in the summer of 1984. I arrived at 1st Tank in Korea in early August to see 138 of them in the battalion motor pool. The division had just transitioned to the M60A3 and the 48s were consolidated for turn in. Hoping for the battalion S-4 or Maintenance Officer job, I was appointed battalion adjutant. Then the CO surprized me by saying my first assignment was to get all these tanks and their spare parts, tooling, supplies, and ammo turned in. I did not even have a room to sleep in yet, but he gave me 2 weeks to clear his motor pool. It was fun (yeah,, right!).

I was a member of the 50th Armor Division New Jersey National Guard. We transitioned from M48A5 to M60A3 in 1990. Then to the M1 during the 90's.

There is a NATO ORBAT from 1989 that lists them in several National Guard units so as Jimmy da Purple and Aecurtis say they probably stayed in service in the National Guard until the eary 1990's.

link

As Cold Steel said, last active use of the M48a5 by the US Army was in Korea. As Jimmy said, the Guard slowly transitioned away from them into the 90's. I remember seeing them in the Guard's motor pool at Ft. Riley and Ft. Campbell from 1988 to 1990.

M-1's went to a Guard unit before many active duty units because of politics and the unit was a "round out" for an active duty Division in Germany. First active units in Europe to get M-1's ifrc were the 3rd ID, 11 ACR and 2nd ACR. I always though it was rather odd to create a supply parts demand in two different Corps at the same time.

Many were not impressed with the thermal imaging system of the M-1 vs the M-60a3 TTS. M-60a3 was considered a superior gun platform from a stationary position. Yes it was slower and it couldn't take a hit as well as the M-48 (according to Israeli's), but we loved our pigs.

I always wanted to remove the commanders coupola from the M-60 and replace it with the pop-up hatch of the M-48a5.

M-48's were a main staple of the German Army in the 1980's, usually found in reserve units. M-48a5's were also found in the Turkish Army.

"I always wanted to remove the commanders coupola from the M-60 and replace it with the pop-up hatch of the M-48a5."

Yep. Very convenient. And much quicker TC engagement times with a 7.62 with spade grips than with a cal. .50.

Allen

"I always wanted to remove the commanders coupola from the M-60 and replace it with the pop-up hatch of the M-48a5."

Great minds think alike, Mike The M60 series were great gun platforms. Lousey armor and too quick to burn, but they were great to shoot. The first thing I did with my M60A1 as an LT and my A3 as a company commander was remove the governor. It had a decent top speed then. I got one up to 60 mph cross country at Riley.

Very helpful stuff. Thank you

The first thing I did with my M60A1 as an LT and my A3 as a company commander was remove the governor. It had a decent top speed then. I got one up to 60 mph cross country at Riley.

Perhaps you should have also had it painted red?

Hey, the only reason there's a governor on those things is to keep from blowing the transmission.

I heard from a friend of mine stationed in germany when the M1s were going through testing that he got passed on the autobahn by a company of Abrams. Then they had some transmission problems, caused by too much power to the input shaft, so they stuck a governor on there to reduce the maintenance budget.

I particpated in the LAST Active Duty Army Unit Gunnery Qualfication with the M48A5. It was at Ft. Drum in November 1983. The tanks were NG pieces of junk…No…junk is a kind term for them….They were …

Where are the M48s now? As the wall came down I suppose there wasn't much of a market for them. Are they in moth balls or sold for scrap?

Taking the governor off the transmission was the first thing every Sherman tanker in Europe in WWII did according to my step-father (3rd Army). The armor sucked, the gun shot BBs, but with the governor off the tank could rock. Hard to dodge an AP shell with your name on it, but used to good effect to shoot and scoot, or just run like hell when you had to.

Burnt the transmission out, but they figured Uncle Sam had a lot more where those came from and it was their lives on the line.

Dan

Where are the M48s now?

I would expect there to be still a number of them scooting around in various third world countries.

Ah memories…

I believe the M-42 Duster lasted even longer than the M-48's, after the Sgt York was canceled.

And much quicker TC engagement times with a 7.62 with spade grips than with a cal. .50.

I don't know why someone would want to not command their tank… <ducks>

Where are the M48s now?

I can tell you that in 1989, a company wanted to sell Canada reconditioned M-48s from Thailand and fit them with 120mm guns. When it was presented to the MBT replacement project, we said, very politely, off.
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Tim

Where the blazes did you conduct tank-quals at Fort Drum, Murphy?

"Where the blazes did you conduct tank-quals at Fort Drum, Murphy?"

A better question is Who did he @#$% off to be sent there.

Fort Drum actually has wonderful tank gunnery ranges. The only two places we could shoot on the east coast were Fort Drum and Fort Pickett. Fort Indiantown Gap PA used to, but rounds were skipping of the mountain and landing beyond.

Didnt the US Govt sink many M-48,s as artificial coral reefs in an around southern Florida in the late 80,s-early 9o,s?

We were told that our M48s were refurbished and sent to Turkey, but our M60s were sunk off the Atlantic coast to make a reef. Shame, the M60 was a good tank, especially in the defense.

WarpSpeed,

That's right. I remember reading about it in Army Times years ago, and later saw a Discovery channel on the program.

Nice little site here documents it.

link

Skip down past the subway cars and see all the types.