History of the Bulldog

The Walker Bulldog story began in July 1946. The new experimental tank was designated the T-37 and had advanced features for its day, including an optical rangefinder and powered turret traverse and gun elevation. It was armed with a high- velocity 76mm gun powerful enough to defeat the main Soviet tank of the day, the T-34/85. The new light tank also was air-transportable.

As development continued, changes were made in the design of the turret. The final version was redesignated the T-41. Prototypes were ready for trials in 1949. After the trials, the Army, desperate to rebuild the armored force for the Korean War, placed an order for 1,000 T41s. The tanks were built by Cadillac at their facility in Cleveland, Ohio. The nickname “Little Bulldog” had already been given to the tank but that was changed to “Walker Bulldog” to honor Lt. Gen. Walton M. Walker, killed in Korea on December 23, 1950. American units started receiving the tank in late 1951, and by May 1953, it was given its standard designation of M-41.

American troops generally liked the M-41. It was reliable, fast and easy to hide or conceal in the field. While some 5,500 M-41s were produced, none saw any combat with American units. The M-41 was phased out before the U.S. entry into the Vietnam War.

More than half the M-41s built were distributed to some two dozen nations under the Military Assistance Program including the Republic of South Vietnam.

In the four-man crew was a commander, gunner, loader, and driver. The M-41 A3 carried 65 rounds of high-explosive, white phosphorous, armor- piercing, high-velocity armor piercing (HVAP) and/or high-explosive antitank (HEAT) ammunition for its 76mm gun. A .30-caliber machine gun was mounted coaxially beside the cannon, and a .50-caliber machine gun was mounted on the turret roof. The tank could be fitted with infrared night vision equipment.

By the end of 1965 five ARVN armoured cavalry squadrons were equipped with the M-41A3. The tanks entered combat in October 1965, when 15 M- 41 s joined the relief force for the besieged Plei Mei Special Forces camp. However, the growing American involvement in Vietnam coupled with the political nature of the ARVN armored units meant the highly valued tanks saw relatively little use. ARVN units were not particularly well-equipped for antitank fighting so tanks were valued for their ability to help crush coups and other political unrest. The commanding officers of armoured units were selected more for their political reliability than for their command ability.

The 1968 Tet offensive did much to change the political nature of the ARVN tank force. The M-41 tankers experienced much combat in support of infantry units, particularly in cities and built-up areas like Saigon. Walker Bulldogs often simply moved up to point-blank range and blasted dug-in NVA or Viet Cong troops out of buildings. The tank crewmen did their job quite well, fighting with skill and determination. After Tet the ARVN leadership recognized that the armoured units needed to be more than just a “palace guard” force.