The M46 was an improved M26 Pershing (sometimes named Pershing II) tank and one of the U.S army's principal main battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from 1949 to the mid 1950s. It was widely used by some U.S. Cold War allies, especially other NATO countries. The M46 tank was designed to replace the previous M26 Pershings and M4 Shermans.

After World War II most US Army armored units were equipped with a mix of M4 Sherman and M26 Pershing tanks.

Designed initially as a heavy tank, the M26 Pershing tank was reclassified as a medium tank postwar. The M26 was a significant improvement over the M4 Sherman in firepower and protection. Its mobility, however, was deemed unsatisfactory for a medium tank as it used the same engine that powered the much lighter M4A3. Its underpowered engine was also plagued with an unreliable transmission.

Work began in January 1948 on replacing the original power plant with the Continental AV-1790-3 engine and Allison CD-850-1 cross-drive transmission. The design was initially called M26E2, but modifications continued to accumulate, and eventually the Bureau of Ordnance decided that the tank needed its own unique designation. When the rebuild began in November 1949, the upgraded M26 received not only a new power plant and a main gun with bore evacuator, but a new designation along with a name - simply M46. In total 1,160 M26s were rebuilt: 800 to the M46, 360 to the M46A1 standard.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a US M46 Patton medium tank which was attached to the 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, during 1951. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 4-inches
Width: 1-1/2-inches

Release Date: April 2020

Historical Account: "KATUSA" - In January 1946, General MacArthur restored his former guard of honor to active service at Seoul, Korea, assigning the 31st Infantry Regiment to the 7th Infantry Division. For the next two years, the 31st Infantry performed occupation duty in central Korea, facing the Soviet Army across the 38th Parallel. In 1948, the occupation of Korea ended and the regiment moved to the Japanese island of Hokkaido, occupying the land of its former tormentor. When North Korean troops invaded South Korea in the summer of 1950, the 31st Infantry was stripped to cadre strength to reinforce other units being sent to Korea. In September, the regiment was restored to full strength with replacements from the U.S. and Koreans (KATUSA) hastily drafted by their government and shipped to Japan for a few weeks training before returning to their homeland as members of American units. The 31st Infantry returned to Korea as part of MacArthur's Inchon invasion force.

In November 1950, the 31st Infantry made its second amphibious invasion of the campaign, landing at Iwon, not far from Vladivostok where the 31st had fought just 30 years before. With North Korean resistance shattered, UN troops pushed toward the Yalu River. When Chinese troops swept down from Manchuria, they surrounded a task force led by the 31st Infantry's commander, COL Alan MacLean. COL MacLean and his successor, LTC Don C. Faith, were both killed during the ensuing battle. LTC Faith was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his gallant attempt to lead the command to safety. The 31st Infantry fought against desperate odds on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir from the night of November 27th until December 1st while the Marines did likewise on the west side. Several hundred 31st Infantry survivors managed to make it across the frozen reservoir to the Marines' lines the night of December 1st and the next day, and accompanied the Marines in their fighting withdrawal from the Chosin to Hungnam from December 1st - 11th, 1950. Of the task force's original complement of nearly 3,300 men, only 385 of those who reached Marine lines at Hagaru-ri from the inlet were unwounded. Not one vehicle or piece of heavy equipment made it through.