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The M26 Pershing is a heavy tank, later designated as a medium tank, [nb 1] formerly used by the United States Army. It was used in the last months of World War II during the Invasion of Germany and extensively during the Korean War .
M48A3 tank, combat, production version of M48A1E2, 90 mm (1960) M48A4 tank, combat, f-t, M60 turret, 105 mm, (M48E3 chassis) (1965) M48C tank, mild steel, 'C' for condemned embossed into right front hull; M48E1 tank, first with British gun, full-tracked, 105 mm; M48E2 tank, prototype of M48A2; M49 Otter, carrier, cargo/troop, amphibious, full ...
Eagle 7 was an M26 Pershing tank used by the American Army's 3rd Armored Division near the end of World War II, notable for a tank battle in front of the Cologne Cathedral and the belated award of the Bronze Star to its crew.
The M26 Pershing heavy tank had heavier armor, a more powerful gun, and improved torsion bar suspension compared to the Sherman. The main armament of the M26 Pershing was its 90 mm gun. Secondary .30-06 machine guns were mounted co-axially in the turret and in the bow. [b] A .50 BMG heavy machine gun was mounted on top of the turret.
Near the end of the war, the M26 Pershing tank was deployed as the first operational heavy tank of the US Army. It was designated a heavy tank when it was designed in WWII due to its 90 mm gun, which was at the time the largest caliber gun found on a US tank.
After World War II, most U.S. Army armored units were equipped with a mix of M4 Sherman and M26 Pershing tanks. Designed initially as a heavy tank, the M26 Pershing tank was reclassified as a medium tank after the war. The M26 was a significant improvement over the M4 Sherman in firepower and protection.
The mobility of the M26 Pershing was deemed unsatisfactory for a medium tank, as it used the same engine that powered the much lighter M4 Sherman. Work began in 1948 on replacing the power plant in the M26 Pershing. Modifications continued to accumulate, and eventually the Bureau of Ordnance decided that the tank needed its own unique designation.
The Pershing heavy tank (named after General Pershing) was the only heavy tank used in combat by the US armed forces during World War II. An earlier design, the Heavy Tank M6, was not accepted for large scale production and only 40 were produced.