M26 Pershing
The Medium/Heavy Tank M26 Pershing is an American tank, classified as both a medium tank and a heavy tank, that was briefly used both in World War II and in the Korean War. It was named after General John J. Pershing, who led the American Expeditionary Force in Europe in World War I. Development of the M26 during World War II was prolonged by a number
of factors, the most important being opposition to the tank from Army Ground Forces (AGF). As a result, only the initial 20 M26 (T26E3) tanks deployed to Europe in January 1945 saw combat in World War II. The M26 and its improved derivative, the M46 Patton,
both saw more combat in Korea. The M26 was underpowered and
mechanically unreliable and so was withdrawn from Korea in 1951, in
favor of the M46, which had a more powerful engine. The lineage of the M26 continued with the M47 Patton, and was reflected in the new designs of the later M48 Patton and M60 Combat Tank.
Super Pershing
The 90-mm M3 gun of the Pershing was similar to the German 88 mm KwK 36 used on the Tiger I. In an effort to match the firepower of the Tiger II's more powerful 88 mm KwK43,
the T15E1 90 mm gun was developed and mounted in a T26E1 in January
1945. This tank was designated T26E1-1. The T15E1 gun was 73 calibers
in length and had a much longer high capacity chamber. This gave it a
muzzle velocity of 3,750 ft/s (1,140 m/s) with the T30E16 APCR shot and
could penetrate the Panther's frontal armor at up to 2,600 yd (2,400 m).
This model used a single piece 50 in (1,300 mm) long ammunition and was
the only Super Pershing sent to Europe.
A second pilot tank was converted from a T26E3 and used a modified
T15E2 gun that used a two piece ammunition. A total of 25 of these tanks
were built and designated as the T26E4. An improved mounting removed
the need for stabilizer springs.
Post-war, two M26 tanks had the T54 gun installed, which had the same
long gun barrel, but the ammunition cartridge was designed to be
shorter and fatter, while still retaining the propellant force of the
original round. They also had the muzzle brake and bore evacuator from
the M3A1 gun of the M26A1 and M46. The tanks were designated as the
M26E1 tank, but lack of funds cut off further production.
A single Super Pershing was shipped to Europe and given additional armor
to the gun mantlet and front hull by the maintenance unit before being
assigned to one of the tank crews of the Third Armored Division. An
account of the combat actions of this tank appeared in the war memoir Another River, Another Town,
by John P. Irwin, who was the tank gunner. Zaloga described three
actions in his book. On 4 April, the Super Pershing engaged and
destroyed a German tank, or something resembling a tank, at a range of
1,500 yd (1,400 m). On 12 April, the Super Pershing claimed a German
tank of unknown type. On 21 April, the Super Pershing was involved in a
short range tank duel with a German tank identified as a Tiger which was
knocked out by the Super Pershing with a shot to the belly. Irwin
described the tank as a Tiger but Zaloga expressed skepticism that it
was a Tiger. After the war, the single Super Pershing in Europe was last
photographed in a vehicle dump in Kassel, Germany, and was most likely
scrapped.
