Design Overview & Tactical Role
The M18 Hellcat was the fastest tracked armored vehicle of World War II, capable of an astonishing top road speed of 88.5 km/h (55 mph). Built strictly under General Lesley McNair's tank destroyer doctrine of extreme speed and flanking agility, it sacrificed armor protection for blistering sprint acceleration and rapid turret traverse, circling heavy German armor to punch shells into vulnerable side and rear hull armor.
Combat History & Battle Records
During the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, the 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion's M18 Hellcats raced to Noville near Bastogne, ambushing and destroying dozens of advanced German Panther and Panzer IV tanks to preserve the Allied perimeter.
Related Armored Vehicles (World War II)
Modern
2020
Modern
2006
Cold War
1952
Cold War
1960