US Army photo Image File history File links M26_pershing. ...
M26 Pershing
General characteristics
Crew	5 (Commander, Gunner, loader, driver, co-driver)
Length	6.33/8.65 m
Width	3.51 m
Height	2.78 m
Weight	41.9 tonnes
Armour and armament
Armour	25 mm to 110 mm
Main armament	90 mm Gun M3 70 rounds Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets or shells, protecting the soldiers inside from enemy fire. ...
Secondary armament	2 x Browning .30-06 5,000 rounds 1 x Browning 12.7mm 550 rounds
Mobility
Power plant	Ford GAF; 8 cylinder, gasoline 500/450 hp (373/336 kW)
Suspension	torsion bar
Road speed	40 km/h
Power/weight	hp/tonne
Range	161 (road) km

The Heavy Tank M26 Pershing was an American tank used during World War II and the Korean War. It was named after General John Pershing, who led the American Expeditionary Force in World War I. Torsion beam suspension, also known as a torsion bar or torsion spring suspension, is a vehicle suspension system. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military dead: 8,000,000 Civilian dead: 4,000,000 Total dead 12,000,000 World War II (abbreviated WWII), or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict... Combatants United Nations: Republic of Korea  Australia  Belgium Canada  Colombia Ethiopia  France Greece  Netherlands  New Zealand  Philippines South Africa  Thailand  Turkey  United Kingdom United States Medical staff:  Denmark  Australia  Italy  Norway  Sweden Communist states: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea People’s Republic of China  Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee... John Joseph Black Jack Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948) was an officer in the United States Army. ... Officers of the American Expeditionary Forces and the Baker mission The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF was the United States military force in World War I. The AEF helped the French defend the Western Front during the Aisne Offensive in May. ... Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Robert Nivelle Herbert Henry Asquith Sir Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow...

History

Much like other armies at the time, the U.S. Army envisioned two main roles for a tank: infantry support and breakthrough exploitation. From 1942 until the end of World War II, both roles were covered in the main by the M4 Sherman, which was better suited for the latter, "cavalry" role. Infantry would have preferred a better protected and better armed vehicle, even at a price of less mobility. In the fall (autumn) of 1942, U.S. Army Ordnance started to work on an "infantry oriented" design which was supposed to be more versatile than the British infantry tanks. During the next two years, various prototypes were built under the designations T20, T22, T23, T25, and T26. These covered a variety of combinations of weapons, transmissions, and suspensions. However, the initial success of the M4 led the Army Ground Forces command to believe that there was no urgent need for a new tank. Even with the appearance of the heavy Tiger and medium Panther tanks, the AGF did not alter their position, believing both tanks would be fielded in relatively small numbers. Also, according to the Army doctrine of the time, tanks were not supposed to engage other tanks; this was the remit of tank destroyers, more mobile armored vehicles with powerful guns, such as the M10 Wolverine. As a result, the development of the new tank was slow. When the Allies invaded Northern Europe during Operation Overlord in June 1944, the M4 still formed the bulk of their tank units. It quickly became clear that the tank destroyers doctrine failed in the field and that the upgunned Sherman was still unable to engage the Panther and tiger tanks on equal terms at long range (at close range the sherman could only score a "hit" on rear or side armour). Efforts were made to speed up development, but the tank, by now called the T26 and dubbed Pershing, only reached the battlefield in February 1945 and saw very little action in WWII. The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States armed forces and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ... WWII foreign variants and use: Lend-Lease Sherman tanks Post-WWII foreign variants and use: Postwar Sherman tanks The Medium Tank M4 was the main tank designed and built by the United States for allied forces in World War II, totaling roughly 50,000 tanks plus thousands more derivative vehicles... Soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat are commonly known as cavalry (from French cavalerie). ... Branch insignia of Ordnance Corps The Ordnance Corps is a combat service support branch of the United States Army. ... The infantry tank was a concept developed by the British in the years leading up to World War II. They were generally more heavily armoured compared to the lighter cruiser tanks, which would allow them to operate in close concert with infantry to help them break through heavily defended areas... United States Army Forces Command DUI U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) is the Armys largest major command. ... The Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. ... The Panther ( ) was a tank fielded by Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. ... A self-propelled anti-tank gun, or tank destroyer, is a type of armoured fighting vehicle. ... The M10 Gun Motor Carriage known as Wolverine in British service was a US tank destroyer of World War II. // Usage American doctrine planned for tank destroyers to engage enemy tanks while tanks were used principally to support infantry. ... Combatants United States United Kingdom Canada Free French Poland Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Omar Bradley (US 1st Army) Miles Dempsey (UK 2nd Army) Harry Crerar (Canadian 1st Army) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe B...

Although still not as good as the Tiger II the Pershing was more than capable of dealing with the Panther and could take on the Tiger I at equal terms. The Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. ... First Tiger I tank captured near Tunis The Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. ...

In May 1946, due to changing conceptions of the US Army's tank needs, the M26 was reclassified as medium. Designed as a heavy tank, the Pershing was a significant upgrade from the M4 Sherman in terms of firepower and protection. On the other hand, its mobility was unsatisfactory for a medium tank (it used the same engine that powered the M4A3, which was some ten tons lighter) and its transmission was somewhat unreliable. In 1948, the M26E2 version was developed with a new powerpack. Eventually the new version was redesignated as the M46 General Patton. Thus the M26 became a base of the Patton tank series, which replaced it in early 1950s. The M47 Patton was an M46 Patton with a new turret, while the later M48 Patton and M60 Patton were completely new tank designs. Tanks can be classified in a variety of ways: usually either by intended role, or by weight. ... Tanks can be classified in a variety of ways: usually either by intended role, or by weight. ... The M46, M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the U.S armys principal main battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from the late 1940s to the 1990s. ... The M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the United States Armys principal tanks of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. ... The M46, M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the U.S armys principal main battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from the late 1940s to the 1990s. ... The M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the United States Armys principal tanks of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. ... The M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the United States Armys principal tanks of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. ...

Combat history

World War II

The M26 was a long time in development and only just reached combat status during WW2. A small number were brought across to Europe under the Zebra Technical Mission which included tanks, spares and military and civilian observers. They were assigned to General Omar Bradley's 12th Army Group and split between the 3rd and 9th Armored Division. They first saw combat in February 1945. The first Pershing loss was on 28 February to a Tiger but it was recovered and put back into operation. Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893 – April 8, 1981) was one of the main U.S. Army field commanders in North Africa and Europe during World War II and a General of the Army of the United States Army. ... The 12th Army Group was the largest and most powerful American formation ever to take to the field. ... Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 3rd Armored Division, Spearhead. ... Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 9th Armored Division. ...

An ordnance officer at the Combat Command (brigade) level in the 3rd Armored Division during World War II, Belton Y. Cooper, wrote a memoir about his experience. According to Cooper, ten Pershings were sent to the 3rd Armored Division beginning in February 1945. He claims they would have been sent sooner, had General George S. Patton not intervened. Patton favored the Sherman tank, contending it would require less gasoline and had better mobility. At the time Patton expressed his opinion, the inferiority of the Sherman's main gun and armor protection had yet to be demonstrated. Cooper's memoir offers no substantiation for his statement and it may well be apocryphal. The accusation has been disputed by Charles Baily who says, [1]: George Smith Patton Jr. ...

While researching the development of the M26, this author examined the records of the Ordnance Department, Army Service Forces, Army Ground Forces, War Department G-4, and European Theater of Operations. There is nothing in those records associating George S. Patton with the development, production, or introduction of the M26.

Overall, the Pershing was considered roughly equal in performance to the Panther. In the first engagement with the M26 by the 3rd Armored Division, Cooper writes that the M26 managed to catch two Tigers and one Panzer IV tank by surprise from a flanking position. The M26 engaged the tanks from a range of about 1000 yards (1 km), and knocked them out. The Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. ... The Panzerkampfwagen IV (PzKpfw IV), more commonly referred to as the Panzer IV, was a tank developed by Germany and used extensively in World War II. It was designed initially as an infantry-support medium tank, to work in conjunction with the anti-tank Pzkpfw III. Later in the war...

Pershing tank

Two M26A1E2 tanks were built during the Second World War. One of these made it to the ETO, assigned to the 3rd Armored Division. This experimental version of the Pershing, sometimes referred to as "Super Pershing" (as are other upgunned Pershing variants), had the 90 mm/70 caliber T15E1 high-velocity gun that threw a projectile at 3,850 ft/s (1,173 m/s). This gun could penetrate 216mm of rolled homogeneous armor at a range of 1000yd/914m against armor angled at 30 degrees [2]. At a range of 100yd/91.4m, it can penetrate 330mm vs RHA angled at 30 degrees[3]. On April 4, 1945 near Dessau, the "Super Pershing" destroyed one King Tiger by striking its underbelly and knocked out another tank, probably a Panther, with a shot to its flank [4]. However, that was its only known combat engagement. Thus, the full capabilities of the T15E1 90 mm main gun were never demonstrated. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x900, 211 KB) U.S. Army tank captured by NKPA during Korean War displayed in Pyongyang File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): M26 Pershing User:Kallgan/Images... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x900, 211 KB) U.S. Army tank captured by NKPA during Korean War displayed in Pyongyang File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): M26 Pershing User:Kallgan/Images... RHA stands for Rolled Homogeneous Armour. ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. ... General characteristics Length: (hull) 7. ...

Pershing tanks of the 73rd Heavy Tank Battalion at the Pusan Docks, Korea.

The 3AD Super Pershing was actually the T26E1 pilot tank. This tank while assigned to Task Force Wellborn destroyed at least 3 tanks, including the King Tiger at Dassau. This is according to John Irwin, gunner of the Super Pershing in his book, Another River, Another Town. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x652, 72 KB) Description: Men and equipment of the 73rd Heavy Tank Battalion await orders to board the LSTs at the Pusan Docks, Korea. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x652, 72 KB) Description: Men and equipment of the 73rd Heavy Tank Battalion await orders to board the LSTs at the Pusan Docks, Korea. ...

Korea

The M26 also saw service in the Korean War, although few armored units were sent because the initial response from battlefield commanders was "Korea isn't good tank country." The official US Army history states a number of M26s were pulled from pedestals at Fort Knox, where they had been WWII memorials. The Pershing and its derivative M46 were the only American tanks employed in Korea that were better armed than the North Korean T-34/85 (but not the only ones in the UN forces) and were credited with almost half of T-34s destroyed by the US Armored Corps. The M4A3E8, whose anti-tank performance was improved thanks to availability of the HVAP shells, is responsible for most of the remainder. Combatants United Nations: Republic of Korea  Australia  Belgium Canada  Colombia Ethiopia  France Greece  Netherlands  New Zealand  Philippines South Africa  Thailand  Turkey  United Kingdom United States Medical staff:  Denmark  Australia  Italy  Norway  Sweden Communist states: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea People’s Republic of China  Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee... Korea (Korean: 한국 or ì¡°ì„ , see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ... The U.S. Bullion Depository at Ft. ... North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK; Korean: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; Hangul: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Hanja: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), is a country in eastern Asia... The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank first produced in 1940. ... French anti-tank round with its sabot APFSDS at point of separation of sabot. ...

Variants

• M26 (T26E3). M3 gun with double-baffle muzzle brake. Main production model.
• M26A1. M3A1 gun with bore evacuator and single-baffle muzzle brake.
• M26A1E2. Experimental version armed with a longer T15E1/E2 gun.
• M26E1, T26E4. Longer gun, single-part ammunition.
• M26E2. New engine and transmission and M3A1 gun. Ended up as the M46 Patton.
• T26E2, eventually standardized for use as the Heavy Tank M45 — a close support vehicle with a 105 mm howitzer (74 rounds).
• T26E5. Prototype with thicker armor — a maximum of 279 mm.

The muzzle brake of the 105 mm gun on an AMX 10 RC fighting vehicle. ... A bore evacuator. ... The M46, M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the U.S armys principal main battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from the late 1940s to the 1990s. ...

See also

US 8th Armored Division M26

• 240 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T92
• Centurion, the equivalent British tank of the same period.
• List of "M" series military vehicles

Image File history File links 8th_M26. ... Image File history File links 8th_M26. ... The 240 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T92 was self-propelled howitzer developed by the United States Of America during World War Two. ... The Centurion was the primary British Main Battle Tank of the immediate post-war era, and considered by many to be one of the best British tank designs of all time. ... The following is a (partial) listing of M series military vehicles used by the US Army. ...

References

• Belton Y. Cooper - Death Traps, Presidio Press, 1998, Novato, California, ISBN 0-89141-670-6.
• Steven J Zaloga, Tony Bryan, Jim Laurier - M26–M46 Pershing Tank 1943–1953, 2000 Osprey Publishing (New Vanguard 35), ISBN 1-84176-202-4.
• A D Coox - Staff Memorandum US armor in the antitank role, Korea, 1950' ORO-S-45.
• R. P. Hunnicutt - Pershing, A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series, Feist Publications 1996, ISBN 1-112-95450-3.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

M26 Pershing

• AFV Database
• Armour Reference Articles
• OnWar specifications
• WWII Vehicles
• M26 Pershing prototypes and variants at ww2photo.mimerswell.com

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