The U.S. Army M551 Sheridan’s 152mm Gun Recoil Was So Intense It Lifted the Front Tracks Off the Ground

The U.S. Army M551 Sheridan’s 152mm Gun Recoil Was So Intense It Lifted the Front Tracks Off the Ground

The M551 Sheridan was one of the strangest armored vehicles ever fielded by the US Army. Entering service in 1967, the M551 was a lightweight airborne assault/reconnaissance vehicle that combined parachute deployability, anti-tank firepower, and amphibious capability. Perhaps like no other Army vehicle, the M551 embodied the ambitions of Cold War engineering—but proved impractical in the field. Why the M551 Existed M551 Sheridan Light Tank. Imag…