Tank origin

In 1950, the U.S. Army found itself in dire need of new armor. The outbreak of the Korean War and the need to counter the proliferation of T-34/85 tanks pushed the Army to charge forward with a new tank design. It took the vetted M46 chassis, combined it with the experimental but more powerful T42 turret and gun, and rushed the design into mass production, resulting in the M47 Patton. However, the M47 Patton arrived in Korea late in the war. As a result, many of these tanks were sent to European allies as a shield against possible invasion or used throughout the Cold War in training. Few saw actual combat.