ARVN M41 Walker Bulldog
The M41 Walker Bulldog, officially known as 76-mm Gun Tank M41, was produced by the Cadillac Motor Car Company division of General Motors from 1951 to 1954. Originally built as a light tank replacement for the WWII-era M24 Chaffee, it was initially called the “Little Bulldog”, but the name was changed to honor Gen. Walton Walker who was killed in a road accident in Korea in 1950.
There were 5,467 M41s built, and while the United States never used it in combat, it was bloodied in several engagements in both Western and Eastern hemispheres. In the Bay of Pigs “invasion” of Fidel Castro's Cuba on April 17, 1961, the CIA provided a brigade of anti-Castro exiles with 5 M41 tanks and while they did have early success against Communist T-34/85 tanks, they eventually ran out of ammunition, and all were either destroyed or captured.
The Republic of Vietnam was the largest user of the M41 Bulldog. Provided to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) in 1964, they were first used in combat in October 1965. Notably used by ARVN forces in the Tet Offensive of early 1968, they also saw combat in many other theatre actions. In February to March 1971, M41s led a cross-border incursion into neighboring Laos called Operation Lam Son 719. The ARVN Bulldogs destroyed NVA (North Vietnam Army) T54 and PT-76 tanks in tank vs tank duels, but the operation was not a success with ARVN forces entering Laos with 62 tanks and 160 M113 APCs and returning to Vietnam with only 25 M41s and 64 M113s.
Other nations that used the Bulldog include Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Lebanon, New Zealand, South Africa and West Germany, where the M41 was the Bundeswehr's first post-war tank in 1955.
Specifications:
Weight 23.49 Tonnes (51,200 pounds or about 23,220 kg)
Length 19'1” (5.81m)
Width 10'6” (3.19m)
Height 8'11” (2.72m)
Top speed- 45 mph
Range- 110 miles (180 km)
Engine- Continental air-cooled, opposed six-cylinder, gasoline powered, with 500 HP
Main gun-M32A1 76 mm canon
Auxiliary armament-.30 cal coaxial MG and .50 M2 Commander's MG
The Kit
It's Tamiya's venerable 1/35 M41. This kit appeared first, in this form in 1975, with an earlier version released in 1964! I started construction about one year ago and have worked on it sporadically since. It was painted with Humbrol and Model Master enamels, through the old Paasche H. Quite a few products were used for weathering effects including AK and Vallejo muds of various sorts and Vallejo Earth Oxide pigments. Vallejo acrylics were used for the rust effect on the three mufflers, while Flory washes and pastel chalks were also employed. I used diluted oil paint on the fuel fillers. In a few spots, Cyber Top watercolor pencils also came in handy. Uschi's Trinity Splatter stencils helped weather the paintwork.
Resin stowage came from Value Gear and Squadron Dioramix. The resin M2 is an Eduard product. The dried leaves scattered about are from AK as well, in three different types. The crew came from a vendor in China, via Ebay and they are painted with Vallejo acrylics too. I did scratch out some "shades" for the tank commander as well. I also used some Evergreen sheet to make bottoms for the sponson boxes and to fill the holes in the hull's bottom.
I did a fair amount of scratch building on this project, including the three supports for the driver's opened hatch cover, damage to the headlight guards and the cleaning rod staffs (brass tubing) seen attached to the turret's rear. I removed the pioneer tools and bracket from the front right fender, (often done by the ARVN tankers) replacing them with “field improvised” parts from brass angle and a strip of sheared sheet-metal. The gun mantlet cover is made of tissue soaked in diluted PVA glue with the cover hold-down made from plastic rod, strips cut from an aluminum can and detailed with Grandt Line bolt heads. The characteristic reinforcing stampings seen on the sponson's sides were replicated with stretched sprue. I made the three rolled tarps on the turret from the glue-soaked tissue as well.
Tamiya completely disregarded the auxiliary muffler, so I was obliged to make one from an ancient model car muffler, aluminum tubing and electrical wire. The ropes are various sizes of thread soaked in diluted PVA and the two radio aerials are just stretched sprue. Another omission by Tamiya were the two lifting rings seen just beneath the headlights and those were done with copper wire. Balsa provided the wood for the “road barrier” pressed into use between the headlights. I also did have to use Evergreen to replace a lost hinge for the cupola's hatch cover. The driver's vision blocks were filled with Microscale Krystal Klear tinted with dark acrylic paint.
So, there you have it! Much too much info I'm sure, but maybe there's some interest in the details. It was a fun project with the biggest headache being that resin M2. I believe it was taken too green from the mold and that thin barrel always wants to curve upwards. It was nicely detailed but not a great fit in the kit's pintle mount.
This M41 represents an ARVN tank operating in Saigon's (Ho Chi Minh City today) Cholon sector, circa 1968. The location atmosphere photos hopefully evoke that time and place.
Thanks for hanging in this far, and thanks for stopping by to have a look! I appreciate your interest in the Bulldog, and please feel free to leave your comments, good or bad!
Reference links of interest:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M41_Walker_Bulldog
The final three photos were made by a dear friend and professional photographer, Richard Krall, of Dallas, Texas. It was his first experience with photographing scale models and he was not that pleased. In fact, he wants to redo all the ones he took while last here. I'm including them as a tribute to him and his help!
Nice work! Great result - and good photography to "bring it alive."
@tcinla, Thanks Tom!
Interesting write-up, convincing model, and excellent photographs.
@chinesegeorge, Thank you George!
Excellent build, my friend Gary! Your article was equally excellent, well written and informative snd photography rocks!
Congratulations!
@fiveten, Spiros, thank you so much!
Build and photography are really stunning, Gary @garybrantley
Great supporting article as well.
Well done.
@johnb, Many thanks from me, John!
Gary, all aspects of this build and presentation are very well done. Nice!
@gwskat, Thanks Gary!
Nice work, Gary. I especially like the stowage.
@j-healy, Thank you John!
Beautiful! The build itself is exceptional and the pictures make it extra special.
@dbutlr, So many thanks for that, David!
Excellent modelling and beautiful photos!
@robgenev665, Thank you Robert!
Excellent build Gary along with some very atmospheric pictures 👍
@thom, Thanks Guy, much appreciated by this old man! 😃
Gary@garybrantley- all the effort and time you spent on your Bulldog paid off big time. Every photo looks killer and shows it off exquisitely. You created real knockout here with this Walker. Big kudos! Pat yourself on the back!
@eb801, So many kind words Eric, thank you so much! 🙏🏻 I will immodestly venture that this is the best scale model I've done. 'Bout time, too! 😁
Superb finish on your Walker Bulldog, Gary. I like the weathering and red tone of the soil build-up and rust on exhaust components. It suits an ARVN tank operating in tropical Vietnam terrain very well, IMO. The worn look of a tank that has seen a lot or action is excellent overall. Also excellent is the look of the stowage - bold use of color in one tarp gives it an appropriately modern look - the tie downs and drape of everything canvas look spot on. The Walker Bulldog is easily the most aesthetically pleasing of light tank designs IMO. Great job in doing justice to the subject.
@coling, What wonderful comments to wake up to on a Saturday morning, Colin! 👍 I'm hoping that isn't an April Fool's joke 😁 Seriously, thank you sincerely for that! I'm so glad that you caught the red dust buildup on the tank. Apparently, there was red mud everywhere in the rainy season, and that red mud turned to red dust when the weather turned dry, and settled on everything. I reasoned that even a tank in an urban environment there would've retained vestiges of that reddish dust. I saw a blue tarp, like the model carries, on a reference pic and just had to replicate one too! 😊
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
@eb801, How do ya like the tank commander's sunglasses Eric? 😊 My cousin Thomas, who commanded a M113 in Vietnam, said he wore his shades while catching a nap, leaning back in the cupola, when they traveled along roads. That way, if they met an oncoming officer, he wouldn't be caught sleeping. 😁
Gary @garybrantley: did you fabricate those sunglass goggles? I assume you did. They look really good. Reminds me of a pair of ski goggles I have. That’s a funny antidote regarding your cousin.
@eb801, Yeah, I made those. It was an experiment of sorts, and I now wish I'd used something "thinner" for the lenses, like a piece of old camera film, but I didn't. From the distance shown, they look okay and provide the effect I wanted...up closer, not so much! 😉 But still, they look better than that dude's eyes.
Thomas had quite a tour of duty over there. At 19-20 years of age, he came home with some wild stories, and a handful of citations, including a Silver Star, two Bronze stars, a Purple Heart and the Combat Infantryman Badge. He told me that last one was the most important one to him. A couple years back, he showed me the official "write up" of the actions that earned the Silver Star. Damn, it read like a war movie scrip; I thought as I read it that I had been bitching about 10th grade while he was doing that! 🙂
I didn't want to say anything but you asked. I agree those lenses look like coke bottle googles. Still a valiant effort on your part so don't take this as an insult Gary. It's one of your best models ever.
What's your next project?
Yeah, I know. Too thick. No offense taken at all! "Goggles' it is, then! 😁 I think it's my best model so far; and it only took 70 years to get there! 😆
Not sure about my next victim yet. Maybe Tamiya's Tiger I. I feel like time's running out faster than I can build. 😄 So many airplane kits I'd like to build too. I will probably finally finish that long forgotten Hobbycraft 109E now though.
I was wondering why a tank looked so rusty. Makes sense now. That is quite the weathering job.
@dbdlee, Yeah, maybe I should've explained that in the article, Dan. In reality, the only rust on the tank is on those three mufflers, the track "horns", and a lil' on that angle-iron on the front right fender area. Thanks! 😊
Wonderful Build and Post Gary ! @garybrantley
@davem, Thank you David! 😀 I appreciate that so much! 🙏🏻
Wao! What an amazing job. My respect to you.
Thanks for the kind words, Emilio @emilitogarcia! 🥃 I'm glad you liked my tank! 😊