The M41 Walker Bulldog was an American light tank developed to replace the M24 Chaffee. It was named for General Walton Walker who died in a jeep accident in Korea.


While the M24 Chaffee
was a successful design, its main gun was not effective enough against
well armored opponents. Although the primary mission of a light tank
was scouting, the U.S. Army wanted one with more powerful armament. The
development of the new tank, T37, began in 1947. The vehicle was
designed to be air-transportable, and the desired anti-tank
capabilities were provided by installing a long 76 mm gun with an
advanced rangefinder. In 1949, with the adoption of a less ambitious
rangefinder, the project's designation was changed to T41.^[2] Production started in 1951 at Cadillac's Cleveland Tank Plant, and by 1953 the new tank completely replaced the M24 in the United States Army. Initially it was nicknamed "Little Bulldog", then renamed "Walker Bulldog" after General Walton Walker, who was killed in a jeep accident in Korea in 1950.