President Dwight Eisenhower was familiar with the French situation during their "French Indo-China War", but was largely unable to assist, due to our Korean War (1950-1953) which was occurring at the same time. The US did send the French some tanks (WWII M-24 Chaffees and WWII half-tracks, etc), some WWII propeller driven aircraft (Bearcats, Corsairs), and some equipment for their infantrymen. In the late 1950's some US technical advisers became available in the newly established "Republic of South Vietnam". In the early 1960's, President John F. Kennedy sent in the Special Forces (Green Beret) to assist those advisers. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson sent in the US Marines, with the US Army closely following. President Richard Nixon orchestrated the "troop levels" during his stint as Commander In Chief.

The Australian Centurion medium gun tank in Vietnam, was primarily distinquished from it's British relative by it's extra triangle (appearing) shaped fuel tank attached to it's stern, plus the extra armor on the front slope, search light, generally removed side skirts, and extra sets of road wheels bolted to the front slope.

The Australian Centurion in Vietnam weighed in at about 50 tons combat loaded, due to added armor and the added external fuel tank. Was armed with one 84mm main gun (which Australian's classified as a 20 pounder gun), one .30 coax machine gun and one .50 Browning machinegun...originally designed to "zero" the main gun but in Vietnam was no doubt used as a .50 caliber coax (the coax is for use against infantry).

Using gasoline, the Centurion's Meteor engine was about 650 horsepower, about 100 horses less than the US Army's M48 Patton's Continental 750 hp V12 diesel in Vietnam. However, it's 84mm was fairly comparible to the Patton's 90mm, and the Centurion's Width at about 11 feet, height close to 12 feet, length about 25 feet (29' counting the tip of the main gun) was within inches of the same measurements of the US M48 90mm gun medium Patton tank (which weighed in at around 52 tons combat loaded).

Both the Patton & the Centurion had a complement of 4 crewmen, but the Centurion's road wheel system (suspension system) may have been slightly less advanced than the Patton's. The Centurion still retained the 1940's style "bogie wheel" arrangement; meaning of the six roadwheels per side (same as for the Patton tank) TWO road wheels each were attached to a metal mounting/housing...not independantly as the Patton tanks were. This may have caused less flexibility and more maintenance, and at any rate; tanks today are using the Patton style of suspension and not the Centurions, so that in itself indicates something.

The Centurion was the only allied tank in the Vietnam War that represented it's own nation; other allied tanks were US supplied tanks (M24 Chaffees, M41 Walker Bulldogs, M113 ACAVs, etc.).

The least acceptable standard of the Centurion is the positioning of the driver. He is positioned to the right of the tank's center line. The M48 Patton's driver is centered. Centered tank drivers will often survive anti-tank land mine explosions better than any driver mounted on either the left, or right, of the vehicle's center line. Most (many) anti-tank land mines are triggered by the left/right track (ground contact), driver's situated left or right of the center line are sitting next to those contact points; another words, they're sitting next to the detonator. At least one Centurion tank driver was killed in Vietnam, due to such enemy action.

Primarily speaking for and beginning in WWII; the US out-produced EVERY nation in EVERYTHING! From clothing and food to guns and ammunition; from tanks and trucks to ships and airplanes. The US built so many airplanes and tanks, that the factories had to fill up their parking lots with rows upon rows of their finished products, then suddenly...the war ended. Those brand new tanks, artillery pieces, airplanes, etc. went from the parking lot directly to the smelters (re-melted).

Left over material, such as was gathered about here and there were collected at strategic points and piled up for transport to other scrap yards (for smelting). Many were cut up in those particular spots. Still more material was discovered from here and there, and the good ones were sold at government auction: B-24 Liberators were auctioned off to the Forest Service for fire fighting duties; 2 1/2 ton and 5 ton army trucks went to a man who started the "U-Haul Company"; M4 Sherman medium tanks went to the newly created nation of Israel; M24 Chaffee light tanks went to the French along with some Hellcat and Bearcat USN fighters for their war in Indochina (Vietnam); Tents, shovels, pistol belts, canteens, helmets, helmet liners, lamps, desks, etc. were sold to surplus stores. The USSR tried to unload their left over P39 Airocobra attack planes back to the US, along with some transport ships.

The USN bulldozed (possibly hundreds) of Corsair, Hellcats, Wildcats, Helldivers, and Avengers over the side into the ocean to make way for operation magic carpet...making room for the thousands of returning US servicemen from all points of the pacific.

Why did all this happen? Because (generally speaking; as there are exceptions to every rule) Americans don't like war...but when it comes (or came in WWII) they went "all out" to win it. And all of the war material to the typical American was simply a necessary evil; an end to a means. They just wanted the war over with; and get back to football, baseball, mom and apple pie (plus new homes, jobs, and family). EVERYTHING (war equipment) was expendable. Even battleships and aircraft carriers were scrapped; and nothing was more expensive than a battleship.

Believe it or not; with all those tossed over board war machines and mass scrappings, today more than half a century later, there's still dozens of individual types of WWII airplanes remaining, in some cases still flying; theres still hundreds of M4 Shermans and M24 Chaffees laying about here and there. And literally thousands upon thousands of WWII M1 Garand Rifles and (M1 Carbines, mostly returns from over-seas) are still being sold almost brand new, available from the NRA (National Rifle Association of America/Citizen Marksmanship Programs). That should give an idication of how much war material was made.

Of the nearly 800 US PT boats built, close to 300 of them were burnt; as the USN wanted NO wooden boats in their navy. 69 were lost in combat, and the balance were auctioned off to civilians. One more point; Most of the WWII equipment was obsolete; or was soon to be designated obsolete. They had to go, to make room for the new stuff...like jets!

There was no clear result, as it ended in a ceasefire declaired by the UN. However, Pakistan had broken a treaty by crossing over the LoC (Line of Control) which was established after the 1947 war to split India and Pakistan's side of Kasmir. India fended of the invaders bravely and, with honor, kept to their responsibilites from raging a full scale war and keeping to their boundries of the LoC. One Pakistani general, Anur Khan, stated that Pakistan was the aggressor and said India deserved victory just as other countries praised India for their deeds. Though a ceasefire, many call this another win for India. I don't care if any Pakistanis don't believe this answer or like it, but this is the truth and you must deal with your failure.