M26 Pershing Heavy Tank

M26 Pershing Heavy Tank. . After a long development period, the M26 finally went into production at the Fisher Tank Arsenal in Grand Blanc, Michigan in November 1944 at the cost of approximately $81,324 per tank. Ten T26E3 tanks were produced that month, thirty in December, seventy in January 1945, and one hundred thirty-two in February. The Museum's M26 tank, serial number 86, was built in January 1945. Shipments to the ETO totaled three hundred ten vehicles prior to VE Day., About two hundred of these were issued to combat units while the last one hundred vehicles were held in reserve at army depots. Of the two hundred Pershing tanks issued, only twenty reached combat ranges as the enemy was by that time in full retreat. The balance of the tanks were assigned to the various armored units quickly sweeping across Europe., Vehicle Specifications , Armament: 1 x 90 mm M3 gun with 70 rounds, 1 x .50 caliber M2 HB machinegun with 550 rounds, 2 x .30 caliber M1919A4 machineguns with 5,000 rounds , Fire control type: M71C Ballistic telescope , Crew: 5 (commander, gunner, loaders, bow gunner, and driver) , Weight: 46.2 tons , Speed: 25 mph , Maximum effective weapons range: 5,000 m (with M82 A.P.C.-T) , Production: 2,202 , Maximum armor thickness: 4 in (100 mm) at 0° cast homogeneous armor , Year entering service: 1944, Captions , (Photo #1) In 1952, the Belgian Army leased 423 M26 and M26A1 Pershings from the US. The Museum's M26 was one of those to see service in Belgium. , (Photo #2) The M26 Pershing was the tank chosen as the centerpiece of the US Army Armor Branch Insignia