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M26 Pershing No.10, Tank Company E, 67th Armor Rgt, 2nd Armored Div., April 1945 Germany
General Background
The M26 Pershing was developed at the end of WWII as the successor of the M4 Sherman. Weighing in at 46 tons with 127mm of armor, excellent agility and a 90mm M3 gun for its punch, the Pershing was a tank capable of standing up to the Panthers and Tiger I's. At the start of the Korean War the M26 was sent to combat the Soviet built T-34/85s. The M26 became the model for designing the M46, M48 and M60 tanks.
The Tank
The M26 arrived in Europe in February 1945 and was used for infantry support and to break through German lines with its 90mm gun. Designed to counter the Panther and Tiger I the 2nd Armored Division used the M26 and other armor to halt the lead elements of the German 5th Panzer Army during the Battle of the Bulge and defeated the spearheads for the 2nd and 9th Panzer Divisions. In April 1945 the 2nd took part in the capture of nearly 300,000 Germans in the Ruhr Pocket. In July the 2nd Armored became the first US division to enter Berlin.
Specifications :
| Crew: | 5 (3 in turret – 2 in hull) |
| Weight: | 41.23 tons |
| Length: | 28 ft. 4 in. |
| Width: | 11ft. 6 in. |
| Height: | 9 ft 1 in. |
| Armament: | 90 mm M3 gun, 2 X .30 MG (1 co-ax, 1 bow) 1 X .50 AA |
| Armor: | 12.5 mm – 112.5 mm (on gun shield) |
| Powerplant: | V8 500 hp Ford GAN petrol |
| Maximum speed: | 30 mph |
| Range: | 100 miles |