It was later designated the M41 Walker Bulldog. 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. In 1949, with the adoption of a less ambitious rangefinder, the project's designation was changed to M41. The vehicle was designed to be air-transportable, and the heavier firepower, provided by an advanced 76 mm gun. The development of the M41 began in 1947 to replace the M24 Chaffee.

M24s were more successful later in the war in their reconnaissance role, supported by heavier tanks such as the M4, M26, and M46. When these divisions were sent to Korea at the end of June 1950, they soon found that the 75 mm gun on the M24 could not penetrate the armor of North Korean T-34 tanks, which had no difficulty penetrating the M24's thin armor. When the war began in June 1950, the four American infantry divisions on occupation duty in Japan had no medium tanks at all, having only one active tank company (equipped with M24 Chaffee light tanks) each. The M24 fared poorly against these much better-armed and armored medium tanks. tanks to fight the North Korean T-34-85s.

In the Korean War M24 Chaffees were the first U.S. Light tanks M24 Chaffee Korean War M24 Chaffee This article deals with the history and development of American tanks from the end of World War II, and during the Cold War.

United states modern tank destroyers