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M26
T26E4

Medium Tank M26 Pershing^1-19,22

The M26 Pershing was the culmination of the T20 series of test vehicles. The T26 series was reclassed from medium to heavy tanks on June 29, 1944, but renamed as medium tanks in May 1946. Although not standardized until March 1945, Pershings had been sent to the European Theater of Operations as T26E3s with the Zebra Mission in January 1945 (along with equipment including pilot models of the 155mm GMC M40 and 8" HMC M43). M26 was armed with the same 90mm gun as the M36 tank destroyer, and the GAF engine in the M26 was essentially the GAA of the medium tank M4A3 redesigned to present a lower height, even though M26 weighed almost 26,000lbs (12,000kg) more than M4A3. This produced a relatively underpowered tank. The drive sprocket of the M26 was mounted below the level of the track's upper run, and the engine exhaust escaped through an opening in the hull rear plate. A bulge in the hull glacis between the drivers housed an exhaust blower. Early-production tanks were fitted with a 400cfm (11m³/min) ventilator between the drivers. This was replaced by a 1,000cfm (28m³/min) ventilator, which necessitated a new upper front hull casting. The armor in front of this ventilator was also thickened, and the set of drivers' periscopes in the hull armor was eventually omitted.

In 1948, the first improved M26A1s were accepted. These tanks were armed with the 90mm gun M3A1 in the combination gun mount M67A1. The M3A1 was fitted with a bore evacuator and a lighter, single-baffle muzzle brake. The M67A1 mount had a lighter equilibrator spring since the M3A1's lighter muzzle brake imparted less torque upon firing. M26A1 also had a modified gun travel lock, and some vehicles had a gun elevation stabilizer installed.

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Medium Tank T26E4 Pershing^1,4,13,16-21

The T26E4 resulted from the desire to mount the powerful new 90mm gun T15E1 into a tank in order to take on heavier German vehicles such as the Pz.Kpfw.Panther or Pz.Kpfw.Tiger Ausf.B. Due to handling and stowage difficulties when mounted on a tank, the gun was redesigned into the T15E2 in order to use separate-loading ammunition. A large counterweight was added to the turret bustle to make up for the new ordnance, which was 970lb (440kg) heavier and twenty calibers longer than the M3. The elevation mechanism and turret and travel locks were strengthened to deal with the T15E2. One thousand T26E4s were authorized in March 1945, and these were intended to replace a thousand M26s on the production line. The end of World War II saw the production run capped at 25, due in part to the development of more powerful and manageable unitary ammunition.

The first pilot T26E4, made from the first T26E1 pilot, arrived in Europe on 15 March 1945. This tank was armed with the 90mm gun T15E1 using one-piece ammunition, and the equilibrator springs were external to the turret as opposed to production T26E4s, which used hydropneumatic equilibrators inside the turret. Applique armor was added to this tank in-theater, and the vehicle took part in a small number of engagements.

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References

1. Hunnicutt, R.P. Pershing: A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series. Bellingham, WA: Feist Publications, Inc., 1996.
2. TM 9-735 Heavy Tank T26E3. Washington, DC: War Department, 15 January 1945.
3. TM 9-735 Medium Tanks M26 and M45. Washington, DC: Dept. of the Army, 5 August 1948.
4. Chamberlain, Peter, and Chris Ellis. British and American Tanks of World War Two. Frome, England: Cassell & Co., 2000.
5. TM 9-1731B Ordnance Maintenance--Ford Tank Engines (Models GAA, GAF, and GAN). Washington, DC: War Department, 4 June 1945.
6. TM 9-1735A Ordnance Maintenance--Medium Tanks M26 and M45, Power Train. Washington, DC: War Department, 9 September 1947.
7. TM 9-1735B Ordnance Maintenance--Medium Tanks M26 and M45 Tracks, Suspension, Hull and Turret. Washington, DC: War Department, 10 September 1947.
8. TM 9-374 C1 90-mm Guns M3 and M3A1 for Combat Vehicles. Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 2 August 1950.
9. ORD 9 SNL G-226 List of All Service Parts for Tank, Medium M26; Tank, Medium, M45. Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 7 June 1948.
10. TM 9-1826B Ordnance Maintenance--Carburetors (Stromberg). Washington, DC: War Department, 1 April 1944.
11. TM 9-2800-1/TO 19-75A-89 Military Vehicles (Ordnance Corps Responsibility). Washington, DC: Depts. of the Army and Air Force, 13 February 1953.
12. Miller, David. The Illustrated Directory of Tanks of the World. Osceola, WI: MBI Publishing Co., 2000.
13. Crismon, Fred W. U.S. Military Tracked Vehicles. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1992.
14. Siemers, Cary. "USA's M26 Pershing." World War II Tanks & Vehicles and Advanced Squad Leader. 4 February 2001. 11 February 2001 <http://www.shadowsfolly.com/WWII/USA/M26.htm>.
15. Zuljan, Ralph. "M26 Pershing." Second World War Armor. 16 March 2000. 11 February 2001 <http://www.onwar.com/tanks/usa/fm26.htm>. Second World War Armor
16. Hunnicutt, R.P. Patton: A History of the American Main Battle Tank, volume 1. Navato, CA: Presidio Press, 1984.
17. Icks, COL (Ret.) Robert J. The M6 Heavy and M26 Pershing. Ed. Duncan Crow. Windsor, England: Profile Publications, Ltd., July 1971.
18. Sola, Samuel, Vincent Bobkowski, and Kara Crocker. Weapon Mounts for Secondary Armament. Santa Monica, CA: G. O. Noville & Associates, Inc., April 1957.
19. Tank Data, vol. 1. Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD: US Army Ordnance School, July 1958.
20. Tank Data, vol. 2. Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD: US Army Ordnance School, July 1958.
21. Armor-piercing Ammunition for Gun, 90-mm, M3. Washington, DC: Office of the Chief of Ordnance, January 1945.
22. FM 17-12 Tank Gunnery. Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 30 November 1950.

Last updated 27 Aug 2024.
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