Design Overview & Tactical Role
Named in honor of General of the Armies John J. Pershing, the M26 was America's first heavy tank deployed in combat to directly contest the supremacy of German Tiger and Panther tanks. Departing radically from the high-silhouette Sherman chassis, it adopted modern low-slung torsion bar suspension, a heavy cast turret, and the lethal 90 mm M3 gun.
Combat History & Battle Records
Rushed to Europe in early 1945 under the 'Zebra Mission', Pershings fought dramatically in Germany, including the famous tank duel in front of the Cologne Cathedral where a Pershing incinerated a Panther, and spearheaded the seizure of the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen. In the Korean War, Pershings destroyed dozens of North Korean T-34-85s.
Related Armored Vehicles (World War II)
Modern
2020
Modern
2006
Cold War
1952
Cold War
1960