Marine Corps Tank Battles in Vietnam

By Oscar E. Gilbert
Casemate, ©2008
ISBN 978-1-932033-66-3
Hardbound, 304 Pages
Available from Casemate for $32.95

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

The war in Vietnam brings many images to mind, such as Arc Light B-52s, Huey helicopters at Ia Drang, or the Marines battling it out at Khe Sanh. Tank battles are far from the limelight when it comes to Vietnam texts, yet they were there, and they did play a part in the conflict. This book examines the Marine Corps and their tanks during the Vietnam War. The author, Oscar Gilbert, has written two other books on Marine Corps tanks, one on their operations in the Pacific during World War Two and another on their operations during the Korean War, so he is well versed in the history of the Marines and tanks.

As the Vietnam War is more recent, there are more participants around for which the author could interview. The result is a text that is rich with “there I was” anecdotes that really brings home the events surrounding tank usage in Vietnam. The main tank used by the Marines throughout the war was the M48 Patton, with some M67 flamethrower tanks and M51 recovery tanks thrown in to round out the collection. Marine training had these vehicles as part of a cohesive organization that had infantry support for the tanks, and by keeping the units together throughout training resulted in a very skilled force. However, upon landing in Vietnam, this organization was thrown to the wind as the tank platoons were sent wherever they were needed, rarely with their own infantry and often times without any infantry support at all. To suggest that this caused problems would be an understatement, and the frustration comes out in the personal stories presented in the text.

The author has clearly done extensive research on the Marines in Vietnam, as well as the history of the country, and presents a very thorough examination on the successes and failures of the Marine Corps tanks. A small center section provides a handful of photos that illustrate some of the challenges the tanks had to overcome, such as weak bridges unable to support tanks, deep mud that trapped the tanks and dense vegetation that hid all kinds of dangers. Between the text and the photos, this book really does put you in the jungles with these tankers as they struggle against nature and the enemy.

This is an excellent reference on Marine Corps tanks in Vietnam, and a nice addition to the previous two volumes. My thanks to Casemate for the review copy.