90mm Gun Main Battle Tank Survives Direct Hit - The M48

In the aftermath of World War 2, the landscape of armored warfare underwent a seismic shift. The United States, recognizing the evolving threats, especially from the formidable Soviet IS-3 heavy tanks, embarked on a mission to redefine its armored capabilities. The post-war period marked the end of the era of steel, giving rise to a new generation of tanks. The M48 Patton emerged as a symbol of this transformation.

Designed to replace its predecessors like the M26 Pershing and M46 Patton, the M48 was more than just a tank; it was America's answer to the challenges of modern warfare, and it would become the US’s main battle tank in the Vietnam War.

Concealed beneath its formidable exterior was armor plating as thick as 120 millimeters, affording its crew unparalleled protection. Its offensive capabilities were equally impressive, boasting a powerful 90-millimeter main gun, complemented by coaxially mounted machine guns and turret-mounted armaments.

Vietnam's jungles and urban terrains bore witness to the tank's prowess. In one unforgettable engagement during the 1968 Battle of Hue, the M48 took a direct hit, an epic moment inadvertently captured on film…

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As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. -

[PSGE]

I was an M48A3 tank commander with the 1/77 Armor on the DMZ in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. The M48 was a very reliable and easily maintained tank. The entire power pack (engine and transmission) could be removed and replaced in an hour or less. It had good mobility, even in muddy terrain owing to the wide tracks, although due to its 53 ton combat loaded weight, was not as agile as an M113 ACAV. Armor protection was near proof against the B40 RPG, and even a side armor hit from an RPG 7 was often stopped by the track blocks that we attached to the turret rail. A common storage container for the outside rear bustle rack was the 40mm ammunition containers from the M42 Duster self propelled AA track. The type of main gun ammo that we used most was cannister, (a gigantic 90mm shotgun round) both for close quarter anti-personnel work and jungle busting. We used HEAT and HE, either fused quick or delay, for bunker busting, and beehive, for longer ranged anti personnel engagements when we had them in the open or behind light cover, and Willy Pete for smoke, signaling, and AP purposes. . The beehive round had a variable ranged fuse that could be set to airburst over trenches or other fortifications. The NVA often fought from fortified positions on the DMZ. We modified the external M2 .50 cal. MG mount by welding on salvaged coaxial MG turret floor ammo boxes that could hold a 500 round linked belt.

[AMX]

I went to the US Army ARMOR school in 1979. I trained as an armor crewman, reaching commander status MOS 19E40. We trained on M48a5 (M68 105mm rifled cannon) and M60a1 tanks. Both were good vehicles with extremely accurate FCS and heavy armor. we then got the M60a3 fitted with the ballistic systems slated for the XM1 and later M1 tanks. I much preferred the M48/M60 series vehicles. I served at Fort Knox and later as a trainer at various reserve units in the upper Midwest til 1989.

[outlet]

"The M-48 track that became friendly fire." I served in Vietnam in 1969-70 as an infantry combat platoon leader. At the end of a patrol, I let our new replacements train with some claymores. They placed the mines about 100 feet from us in an open field and detonated them. One of the mines had been placed in front of a destroyed M-48 tank track. The track flew about 100 feet into the air when the claymore was detonated. It landed close to us and almost became a friendly fire incident. I shipped the track home as a war souvenir. I placed the track on a small table next to a plaque saying, "This tank track almost became the death of me."

[RickHm]

This is the first video I have seen that actually mentioned how the tank crews would add C-ration boxes, .50 cal ammo cans, sets of spare track blocks to the side of the turret to minimize the impact from an RPG blast. Of course it helped to always have extra food along because most of the meals for tankers were the C-rations. We also had extra sand bags placed on the front slope to protect the driver. We also mounted the TC’s (tank commander) .50 cal outside on the top of the cupola. Most of the 1/69 Armor tanks also had extra .50 or 7.62 MG mounted in front of the loaders hatch.
The M 48 used in Vietnam Nam was the A3 which used a diesel engine instead of a gasoline engine. That one modification saved quite a few lives of tankers over there. If the engine of fuel cells were hit with an RPG it wouldn’t explode and catch fire.
The battle of Bien Het ( a Special Forces base in the Central Highlands ) was March of 1969 and B Co., 1/69 th is credited with destroying two PT 76 NVA tanks that night.

[coreychipman]

3/75th Ranger Story: In 1993 in Mogidishu, Somalia the Pakistani Army had several M48 Pattons assigned to their forces after the terrible massacre there when a platoon was chopped up with machetes after they ran out of ammunition. I was a Ranger Cpl. in charge of the entrance security of Task Force Ranger's compound. The M48's came into the Airport and turned to drive past our entry point. The lane it was trying to maneuver was a tad small. Right as it turned, it caught a piece of our triple strand concertina wire. I started to yell, as did a few tower positions as the M48 proceeded to drive down the lane with the entire wire system caught on its tread. We got it to stop, but not until they had a spend hours getting the wire out of the treads and we had to rebuild our compounds front entrance. I writing all these stories down these days.

[Stoney_AKA_James]

Placing cases of ham and eggs c-rations around the turret was an effective defensive tool.
The ham and egg c-rations are so revolting, the RPG rounds detonated prior to hitting them!
- Just Sayin!!

[FuzzyMarineVet]

When I arrived on Okinawa with the 1st Marine Tracked Vehicle Battalion (Prov), we had M48s with diesel engines. During my year there, 1977, the m48s were swapped out for M60A1s. We did miss the M48s for a while, but the 105mm main gun on the early M60 was a vast improvement.

[lairdcummings]

General Bruce Clarke was exactly the right man to head up armor development; despite being an Engineer, he was in Armor all through WWII, and he was one of the most successful and aggressive armor commanders of the war, in any army. His combat command spent as much time behind enemy lines as it did on the actual front line, causing havoc and capturing terrain and cities. Detatched to a new command, he headed the defense of St. Vith, bottle-necking the German advance and denying them the absolutely critical road and rail junction there. Everyone remembers Bastogne, but it was at St. Vith that German hopes died.

[markpaul-ymwg]

I served on 5 different tanks including the M48A5.The M48 had 5 different variations.The M60 tank had 3.The M1 tank also had 3 different variations. Great video.Thanks DARK DOCS.

[ralphgreenjr.]

I served on M-48s, loved the 90mm main gun, especially the APERS round. Deadly.

[saadkhan]

The m48 were used during the battle of moghedeshu (black hawk down) by pakistan army to relive the american forces encircled by the rebels.

[jamesreese]

Around 1967 I saw an M48 tank at Anniston Army Depot that had been returned from Vietnam. There was a hole in the front part of the tank, about one inch in diameter, that was a result of an RPG striking the tank. That hole was all the way through the thickest part of the tank. Looking through the hole, I saw where the driver would have sat. I doubt that he survived. The RPGs proved to be a cheap and reliable way to kill tanks.

[Voucher]

Vietnam wasn't an area suited for armored warfare but netherless was popular there with the M48 going up against the Soviet T-54

[jamesbodnarchuk]

Wow! Never realized the presence of so many tanks in the Nam👍

[CMDRFandragon]

"Aging the tanks are only like less than 10 years old.

Meanwhile....modern day tanks are 40+ years old and still rockin lol.

[marvwatkins]

I saw many under wraps and walked amongst them on a dock in Buffalo, NY in June of 1964, bound for Germany, presumably.

[kensmith]

Even the rpg’s had an explosive reaction with K rations 😂
There goes dinner!😂😂😂

[cbroz]

..I trained on an M48 during 2 weeks of the Leadership Preparation Course in August of 1971 just prior to beginning my 11E MOS in the middle if that month..we trained on the M60s during our actual training...

[guyh.]

Great as always. I didn't realize the M-48 was used so much in Nam. Especially in the later years. I thought that the M-60 had taken on that role. Guess we should have tossed a couple of Willey Pete's into the engine compartment and a satchel charge into the hull so the VC couldn't use them. Good tank, sad outcome to their ownership

[SlimothyNate]

The WW2 era was the peak of mechanical/technological development. It is very easy to see the jump of technological advancement from the first Great War to the next. It’s just unfortunate, that it takes conflict to create marvels of human creation