Introduction
The United States Army has a long love affair with tanks named for George S. Patton. The earlier M46 was intended to replace the M26 Pershing, and the M46 was supposed to be a stopgap until the T42 came online, but the invasion of Korea in 1950 scrambled plans, forcing the Army to admit it needed an effective tank right now. Ironically, problems with the manufacture of the vehicles due to President Truman's plans to de-centralize US armaments production in the face of the nuclear threat from the Soviet Union meant the M47 was too late for Korea, and never heard a shot fired in anger while in US service. Later, it was replaced by the M48 and M60 tanks, which looked similar to the M47, but were completely new designs.
Yet while the M47 didn't fight for the US Army and Marines as intended, it has seen yeoman service in the armies of America's allies and former allies. Pakistan fielded M47s in the 1965 and 1971 conflicts with India. Iran had 400 M47s in its arsenal during its war with Iraq (they performed poorly against the Russian-made T-62s and T-72s). Jordan was equipped with M47s during the Six Day War with Israel in 1967; the Israelis regarded the Jordanians as their most-effective foe in the conflict due in part to the M47. Today surviving M47s are often used for gunnery practice, and are on active service only in Iran.
Guideline Publications has just released a new book by David Doyle devoted to the M47 in conjunction with Military Modelcraft International.
Contents
The 94-page paperback volume has scale drawings, B&W and color photographs and detailed text about the vehicle and its design and development. The book is organized into six sections:
- Introduction
- Design & Specifications
- Production History
- The M47 in the Field
- Technical Evolution and Modifications
- Technical Specifications
The Review
David Doyle books are always thoroughly-researched and crammed with archival photos, often going back to vehicle prototypes, and this volume is no different. Detail geeks will savor the specs and data provided, while modelers will have ample examples of vehicles for detailing purposes. For example, did you know the standard ammunition load for an M47 was 71 rounds stored in the turret and hull? Or that the M47 was the first American tank to employ an optical rangefinder? The M12 stereoscopic finder meant tanks did not have to rely on the "guesstimates" of the gunner and tank commander, a skill that was acquired with combat experience.
The chapter on production history parallels the history of the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant or DATP. The Army had decided to divide production of the M47 between Detroit and the American Locomotive Company (Alco) in Schenectady, NY, but DATP ended up handling the brunt of the initial manufacturing. Doyle goes into loving detail about the production history, and while this might be overkill for many modelers, it makes for both good military history and good storytelling. He also includes a wealth of clear, sharp B&W photos of the production process, something that any armor buff will enjoy.
The chapter on the M47 in service, while not filled with combat, is a detailed look at the Army in Europe in the 1950s as it prepared for a possible conflict with the Soviet Union and its massive tank armies. The narrative then shifts to the M47 in foreign service. My one quibble with the book is an absence of photos from the M47 in combat with foreign armies, but that would probably have meant doubling the size of the volume, and is best left for specific books about particular nationalities.
The final chapter has detailed photographs, many in color, of the modification history of the vehicle, followed by line drawings in what look to be 1/35th scale and a complete list of the armament, armor, specifications, etc. for those who want precision and data.
Conclusion
The M47 had a long and varied service history, and offers modelers a broad range of national configurations. Doyle's book should inspire builders looking for something beyond the usual German Panzers and American Shermans. There are several kits in 1/35th on the market, and the Iranian Tiam variant even invites kit-bashing with its use of the Type 59 Chinese turret available from both MiniArt and Hobby Boss. The strength of the book in my opinion is its thoroughness and excellent photography, especially from what clearly are archives and not your usual internet-based images.
Review sample provided by David Doyle Books. Please be sure to mention you saw the book reviewed on Armorama when ordering your own copy.