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The heavy tank did not have an easytime during World War II as far as theAmericans were concerned. Early onthey realized the operational need fora heavy tank but initially concentratedtheir considerable production potentialon the medium tank, the M3 and M4series in particular. A promising design,the Heavy Tank M6, came tonought as the result of this concentrationof effort, but low-priority developmentfacilities were thereafteraccorded to the heavy tank. This requirementwas emphasized when theGerman Panther and Tiger arrived onthe battlefield, and the heavy tank wasthen given a greater degree of priority.The first of the new generation ofAmerican heavy tanks was a trialsmodel known as the Medium TankT20. It had a 76-mm (2.99-in) gun andused a suspension very like that of theM4 medium tank, but progressive developmentled to a newer form of suspensionof the torsion-bar type. Thegun was also replaced by a new 90-mm (3.54-in) main gun in a revised turret,and after a further series of trialsmodels culminating in the Heavy TankT26E3 (via the Medium Tanks T22,T23, T25 and T26) was selected forproduction as the Heavy Tank M26. Itwas given the name General Pershing(or simply Pershing), but by the timethe full series of trials on the new tankhad been completed only a few wereready for action in World War II.It was early 1945 before the firstM26s arrived in Europe and of theseonly a relative handful saw any actionthere. More were sent to the Pacifictheatre and there rather more wereused in anger, but by the time theyarrived on the scene there was little aheavy tank could be called upon toperform.Thus the M26 contributed little toWorld War II, but its design was thelong-term result of the years of combatthat had gone before. For perhaps thefirst time on an American tank adequateconsideration was given to armourprotection (a minimum of 12 mm/0.47m and a maximum of 102 mm/4,02 in) and firepower. With the 90-mm(3.54-in) gun, originally intended foruse as an anti-aircraft weapon, the M26had armament that was the equal ofany and the superior of most contemporarytanks. The secondary armamentcomprised the standard threemachine-guns: one 12.7-mm (0.5-in)and two 7.62 (0.3-in) weapons. For allthat the M26 still had a few designdrawbacks: the turret shape was criticizedfor its shot-trap potential, and theretention of the bow machine-gun waseven then seen as something of ananachronism (later developments didaway with it). In fact the M26 was onlythe start of a new generation of Americantank design. After 1945 the M26was progressively developed throughvarious models including the M47 intothe M48 Patton, which is still in widespreadservice with the US Army andalso with other armies all over theworld.The M26 saw extensive action duringthe Korean War and was for longone of the main types fielded by the USArmy in Europe as part of NATO, TheM26 also spawned many variants andhybrids as post-war development continued,SpecificationHeavy Tank M26Crew: 5Weight: in action 41.73 tonnesPowerplant: one Ford GAF V-8 petrolengine delivering 373 kW(500 hp)Dimensions: length, with gun 8.79 m(28 ft 10 in) and over hull 6.51 m (21 ft2 in); width 3.505 m ( 11 ft 6 in); height2,77 m (9 ft 1 in)Performance: maximum road speed48 km/h (30 mph); maximum roadrange 148 km (92 miles); fording 1.22 m(4 ft); gradient 60 per cent; verticalobstacle 1.17 m (3 ft 10 in); trench2.59 m (8 ft 6 in)The M26 Pershing mounted a main90-mm (3.54-in) gun and had a crewof five. It en tered service in 1945, justtoolate to have any major impact onthe fighting in Europe butin time tosee action during the Okinawacampaign in the Pacific. It was thefirst of a series leading to the M60 oftoday.
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