The M26 is an American heavy tank developed for WWII combat against the German Panthers and Tigers. While the M26’s original purpose was to fight the Germans in WWII it ultimately showed up to the fight a little late. Only about 20 M26’s saw combat, against Germany, out of the 200 sent. Even though the M26 was late for that battle it saw extensive use in the Korean War. Being armed with a 90MM cannon and having thick armor compared to other tanks during this time it out performed the Koreans’ Russian t-34’s. With that being said the Pershing had its own limitation too. The heavy armor and large cannon lead to an extremely heavy tank with little mobility due to its underperforming engine. Maintenance was a relatively constant need for this tank but it was worth the extra work. During the first year of the Korean War it was the staple of American soldiers acting like a giant moving wall protecting from incoming projectiles. The M26 only participated in a few smaller skirmishes during its time in service because the M46 replaced it in 1951. The Pershing was only in service for 6 years but it served a crucial role in future tank developing serving as a baseline for the Patton tank line.

This is a picture of the M26 Super Pershing an upgraded model with even better armor and an event better gun. Random thing the two tubes on the top of the tank are the vertical drive springs, without them the gunner is unable to elevate the barrel because of how long it is. These spring tubes could actually be shot out by small caliber ammunition.