M551 Sheridan tanks - USA: books - history, types and construction

M551 Sheridan - The US Army's Armored Reconnaissance / Airborne Assault Vehicle From Vietnam to Desert Storm (Legends of Warfare)

The M551 Sheridan is often referred to as a light tank, but in actuality it was an armored reconnaissance/airborne assault vehicle. The M551 was designed to be a lightweight, amphibious, air-droppable vehicle armed with a massive 152 mm gun that doubled as a rocket launcher.
The gun launcher was designed to fire the MGM-51 Shillelagh antitank missile, or 152 mm conventional rounds with a combustible cartridge case.

The vehicles saw extensive use in Vietnam, Operation Just Cause in Panama (where they saw their only combat air drop), and Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The Sheridan ended its service with the US Army masquerading as Soviet Bloc vehicles at the National Training Center.
Through dozens of archival as well as detailed photographs of some of the finest extant examples of these vehicles, the Sheridan is explored, and its history explained.

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M551 Sheridan - US Airmobile Tanks 1941-2001 (Osprey)

Since the advent of airmobile warfare, there have been numerous attempts to support paratroopers with attached armored vehicles.

This book tells the story of the US experience with air-mobile tanks, starting with their efforts in World War II. However, full success was not achieved until the production of the M551 Sheridan. The history of this tank provides the focal point of this book, highlighting the difficulties of combining heavy firepower in a chassis light enough for airborne delivery. The book examines its controversial debut in Vietnam, and its subsequent combat history in Panama and Operation Desert Storm. It rounds out the story by examining the failed attempts to replace the Sheridan with other armored vehicles.

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Sheridan A History of the American Light Tank (Volume 2)

This installation in R.P. Huunnicutt's legendary 10-volume history of American tanks and armored vehicles provides a detailed survey of the American light tank's developmental history, culminating with the M551 Sheridan AR/AAV and the vehicles based on its design. In the period directly after WWII, the U.S. Army became interested in developing a light tank. Hunnicutt begins by detailing the program that eventually produced the M41 series of 76mm gun tanks that were designed to fulfill this interest. At 25 tons, the M41 was considered to be too heavy in spite of its popularity with the troops that operated it.

Programs developed in an effort to produce a lighter-weight tank resulted in the T71 and T92 tanks, both of which retained the 76mm gun and weighed in at about 17 tons. However, once it was discovered that Soviet tanks of the same caliber were amphibious, the T92 was scrapped to redirect design efforts to an amphibious light tank. This new program produced the XM551 Sheridan, no longer designated as a tank but rather as an "armored reconnaissance/airborne assault vehicle", or AR/AAV for short.

An extremely complex design, the M551 Sheridan AR/AAV was plagued by problems with its weapons system in its early stages. The vehicle required a great deal of frequent maintenance which made it unpopular with troops regardless of the fact that it provided a wide range of services.
It was phased out of service in the late 1970s. Part III of this book covers the development of a future replacement for the Sheridan. Part IV covers several other light tracked combat vehicles.

Boasting dozens of detailed illustrations, line drawings and photographs, as well as the depth, precision, and nuance for which R. P. Hunnicutt's books are renowned, "Sheridan: A History of the American Light Tank" is a must-have for anyone with a keen interest in American military history.

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