The M26 Pershing

[SallinKari]

Biggest problem for American heavy tanks was the simple fact that to use it, you'd first have to get it across an entire ocean, and that got increasingly more complicated the heavier the tank was.

[michaelusswisconsin]

The M26 Pershing had a weird classification. They either classified it as a medium or a heavy due to doctrine changes.

[mr.markit]

the Pershing was so iconic that for a while when most animated movies needed to draw a tank, they used the Pershing as a model.

[dirkbastiaandejong]

To be fair, the issue of the M26 wasnt its weight, as its successor the M46 actually weighed more. Its that its powertrain was anaemic for its weight. It only had a power to weight of 11hp/ton, where the M46 was closer to 18.
Addition: The M46 actually started its life as a modification program of the M26, but they kind of went overboard and eventually it deserved its own designation.

[genchar]

The same 90mm cannon was actually installed in the m36 which was an open top gmc tank destroyer so the 90mm actually saw some action

[Sgt_MajorProblem]

I love the M26 Pershing simply because it looks badass.
It looks like the Sherman's big brother.

[capt_sanschagrin]

There is a M26 Pershing at the Wright WW2 Museum in Wolfeboro, NH that is 1 of 4 (and only tank to survive if I remember right) to fight in the Battle of Remagen. You can still drive it.

[marfeet]

The t26e5 was a version of the Pershing with up’d armor. Making it a heavy tank. Another was the t26e4, using panther armor and a large gun greatly increased weight to a heavy tank.

[crwnin]

Some say it’s only weakness was a Bt-42 driven by 3 high-school Japanese girls.

[bathtub]

Fun fact: the M26 is one of the first if not the first tank to be produced with an automatic transmission.

[CG-]

There's a museum near my town that has supposedly the last Pershing that fought at Remagen, even fighting several Tiger tanks and having half of its crew KIA. Still works, and shows up in reenactments on occasion.

[BaldianOfIbelin]

There will always be something romantic about giant war machines like Dreagnouts, heavy tanks, come on, it's not for nothing that there are so many giant mechas in fiction.

[zeturkischhanz]

Im a tiger 2 fan but all the pershings and the T30, T34(the heavy tank one) and the T29 just look gorgeous

[Crexman]

Can you explain why US didn’t used heavy tank as much. As compared to other countries we primarily used medium tanks.

[javiermedina]

well that and the fact that by the time you get to Korea, American tank designers eventually put out the M46 Patton, which took all of the things that made the Pershins great, and then fixed a few of the problem with the design or components.
And they did use the Patton as sort of their Main Battle Tank, and upgraded it multiple time through history.
When regarding the m46, some people say that its just a revised Pershin, and although they are rather similar they aren’t the same vehicle, I think, they are very dam similar though.
Over all love the videos, keep posting amazing content like this.

[LaptopSimulations]

“This is my friend, the m26 Pershing” would’ve been better

[PennsyPappas]

Its time was short but its influence on Masrican Tanks was felt for the next 50+ years. They rebuilt it in the the M46-48 Patton series and then design elements from te M48 were used in the M60. In which that tank was used by the U.S. until at least 1997. So its impact in that alone was truly felt.

Also this tank was reclassified as a medium tank by the Korean War.

[TBreezy]

One was actually knocked out by a Nashorn. Kind of fitting that two rare vehicles randomly came up against eachother

[HECU.Corpsman]

As much as I love the M26, the uparmored T26E5 is what really captures my heart

[anbujerry]

That tank is giving me metal slug vibes