The M26 Pershing was a heavy tank of the USA. Its entered service in 1945 and saw little action during the last year of the war. Later it saw service in Korea in the 1950's. Ancestor of the Patton and a long line of post-war tanks up to the M-60. With a 90 mm gun, it could meet the Tiger and Panther on equal terms. Which happened in the battles of Elsdorf and Cologne respectively. M26 tanks were also dispatched to Okinawa as it was being fought over and tank losses mounted. With the long barreled gun, heavy armor and Ford V-8 engine, this was the best American tank of WWII. The most significant deficiency noted was the poor power-to-weight ratio due to the Ford engine. Although adequate for the 35 ton Sherman, it caused the M-26 to be underpowered at an estimated 11.94 HP/t compared to 15.16 HP/t for the M4A3 Sherman.
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