T26E5

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Merkava Mk.2D Pack
This page is about the American heavy tank T26E5. For the other T26, see T26E1-1.
us_t26e5.png
GarageImage T26E5.jpg
ArtImage T26E5.png
T26E5
AB RB SB
6.7 6.7 6.7
Class:
Research:54 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:185 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
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Description

The success and popularity of the M4A3E2 "Jumbo" tanks in combat led to a similar undertaking for the M26 Pershing tank. Conversions started in January 1945 with M26 prototypes modified with heavier armour in the turret and hull into the T26E5. While the heavier weight strained the suspension, the performance was considered favorable. However, the end of World War II led to the necessity of these tanks to disappear, with only 27 T26E5 produced by the war's end for testing.

Introduced in Update "Ground Breaking", the T26E5 is an assault tank that can be most effective at close-ranges alongside the frontlines. Its excellent frontal armor can withstand hits from many armor-piercing rounds, and the fairly good 90 mm gun, inherited from the M26, often destroys enemy tanks with its explosive rounds in a single hit. However, it should be noted that the armor penetration of the main shell might be insufficient against some opponents, and the mobility of the T26E5 does not allow it to be among the first to occupy key positions.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull152 / 76 / 51
Turret177 / 107 / 127
Crew5 people
Visibility105 %

The frontal armour is quite strong, able to resist common weapons such as the 7,5 cm KwK42 and the 8,8 cm KwK43 if angled properly. A notable weak spot on the front glacis is the machine gun port but it is a small target difficult to hit with precision. The other notable weak spot is the lower front plate. With a relatively thin lower glacis, it is not able to absorb rounds from most guns, and there is no transmission to absorb a penetrating shell. However, the side armour can protect you to a certain degree when angled.

The turret armour is strong, consisting of variable thickness armour ranging from 150 to 300 mm thickness, with the mantlet ranging from about 100 to 200 mm of protection. A notable weakness in the turret is the first stage ammo, stowed on the left side of the turret, protected by about 170 mm of armour, plus 20 mm from an added track segment. Any penetrating shell hitting the turret from this side will most likely knock out all of your crew members in the turret as well as detonate the first-stage ammo rack.

The cupola with only 76 mm thickness can be penetrated by an APHE shell, taking out your gunner and commander, however the cupola is small in size, and is not an easy shot to make.

Survivability is about average for a tank of this type. You have 5 crew members, which is standard for US tanks at this time, but the turret is cramped, and a well placed shot can destroy the tank entirely if said round has an explosive filler.

Additionally, this tank only has 25 mm of protection on the roof, making it vulnerable to attacking aircraft with heavier ground focused weapons.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull sides, rear and roof)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Front hull, turret, gun mantlet, cupola)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 152.6 mm (46°) Upper glacis
242 mm (21-35°) Upper bulge
25.4 mm MG port
101.6 mm (54°) Lower glacis
76.2 mm Fighting compartment
50.8 mm Engine compartment
50.8 mm (7°) Upper plate
22.2 mm (72°) Lower glacis
152.6 mm (44°) Front glacis
38.1 mm (0-20°) Fighting compartment
22.2 mm (0-20°) Engine compartment
5 mm (7-10°) Engine vents
Turret 170-229 mm (24°) Turret front
177.5 mm (cylindrical) Gun mantlet
160 mm (cylindrical) Front & centre
110 mm (8°) Rear
127 mm (2°) 25 mm (0-7°)
Cupola 76.2 mm (conical) 25 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
  • Mudguards and storage boxes are 4 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB43 / 14 km/h
RB and SB41 / 13 km/h
Number of gears6 forward
2 back
Weight46.4 t
Engine power
AB954 hp
RB and SB500 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB20.6 hp/t
RB and SB10.8 hp/t

The T26E5 use the same engine as the M26 Pershing. It has a poor power-to-weight ratio and its top speed is 40-43 km/h. But expect the average cruising speed to be closer to 30 km/h. When off-road the speed will drop even more. Lacking neutral steering, it might be difficult for the heavy tank to turn in urban environment. As such, the player should plan the route they want to take carefully and avoid flanking manoeuvres that will take a lot of time.

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 43 14 46.4 646 954 13.92 20.56
Realistic 41 13 442 500 9.53 10.78

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB3 779 → 4 674 Sl icon.png
RB4 054 → 5 014 Sl icon.png
SB5 592 → 6 917 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications47 100 Rp icon.png
85 800 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost1 500 Ge icon.png
Crew training52 000 Sl icon.png
Experts185 000 Sl icon.png
Aces710 Ge icon.png
Research Aces480 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
120 / 170 / 200 % Sl icon.png
166 / 166 / 166 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
2 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
4 400 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
3 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 100 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
5 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 300 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
5 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 300 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
2 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
4 400 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement us.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
3 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 100 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
2 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
4 400 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
90mm_us_M82_APCBC_ammo_pack
Research:
2 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
4 400 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
90mm_us_M304_APCR_ammo_pack
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
3 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 100 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
90mm_us_M313_Smoke_ammo_pack
Research:
5 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 300 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition70 rounds
First-order10 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
9.7 → 7.5 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 20°
Main article: M3 (90 mm)
90 mm M3 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 70 -10°/+20° ±180° N/A 19.4 26.9 32.6 36.1 38.4 9.75 8.63 7.95 7.50
Realistic 14.3 16.8 20.4 22.6 24.0

Ammunition

The T26E5 uses the same standard ammunition found in the other 90 mm M3 cannons. When first unlocked, the T26E5 will have an APBC(T33) shell as its default round. The APBC has decent characteristics, but since it doesn't have any explosive filler, it should be replaced by the APCBC(M82) shell as soon as possible. The APCR shot can be used to penetrate some heavily armoured vehicle such as the Tiger II (H), the Ferdinand or the Jagdtiger but the player should be aware of the poor post-penetration damage of the APCR projectile. Thus, the APCR should be used as a last resort against an already disabled tank. Additionally, the HE shell can be used to damage lightly armoured vehicles and the smoke shell can be used to provide smoke cover for teammates or to blind entrenched enemy tanks.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
T33 shot APBC 175 172 160 146 134 122
M82 shot APCBC 185 182 169 155 142 130
M304 shot APCR 287 281 259 234 211 191
M71 shell HE 20 20 18 17 16 16
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
T33 shot APBC 853 10.91 - - - 47° 60° 65°
M82 shot APCBC 853 10.91 1.2 14 137.2 48° 63° 71°
M304 shot APCR 1,021 7.62 - - - 66° 70° 72°
M71 shell HE 823 10.55 0.2 0.1 1,210 79° 80° 81°
Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Screen radius
(m)
Screen deploy
time (s)
Screen hold
time (s)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
M313 821 10.7 9 5 20 50

Ammo racks

Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
7th
rack empty
8th
rack empty
9th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
70 65 (+5) 56 (+14) 48 (+22) 40 (+30) 32 (+38) 24 (+46) 17 (+53) 11 (+59) (+69) No
Ammo racks of the M26 (identical).

Notes:

  • Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
  • 1 shell from rack 7 is fired after rack 1 is emptied. For the purpose of clarity, it is counted as belonging to rack 2 in the table above.
  • Rack 9 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 10 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
  • This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 9 - 1 - 2 - etc. until 8.
  • If you pack 17 (+53) shells, it will keep most of the hull empty of ammo.
  • Full reload speed will be realized as long as shells are available in the ready rack 9. If the ready rack is empty, a penalty to reload speed will occur.
  • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-8 into rack 9. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.

Machine guns

Ammunition600 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate575 shots/min
Vertical guidance-10° / 50°
Horizontal guidance-120° / 120°
Ammunition5 000 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate500 shots/min

The 12.7 mm M2HB Browning can shred light tanks and also engage low-flying aircraft to a certain degree. The coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun is not able to damage anything except open-topped vehicles and unarmoured trucks.

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 600 (200) 577 -10°/+50° ±120°
7.62 mm M1919A4
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 5,000 (250) 500 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

The T26E5 is a heavy tank and should be played like one: stick with allies and move slowly. It is best used in positions that have concealment, this allows you to get the first shot off. When in positions with cover, you should wait for enemies to come to you. Generally, the better the position the better the tank will perform. Its armour can defend against some of the MBTs of the BR, but do not rely on it, and in uptiers it can struggle when against better rounds. It's best to try and cover your flank, as pretty much any round at the BR will penetrate your sides. This can be done by having teammates nearby, or a good position. In close range situations, it would be best to use the M82 round, but it must be aimed well. When it hits weak spots, the explosive filler is large enough to take out several crew members. If not, it can bounce easily against sloped armour. For medium and longer ranges, the M304 round will work better, but you will have to aim at specific components within the tank, as the APCR round does not inflict as much post-penetration damage as the M82 round.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Adequately armoured, capable of shrugging off shells fired by lower-calibre armaments
  • 90 mm M3 cannon is a noticeable upgrade from the Jumbo's 76 mm M1 cannon
  • APCR shell is able to penetrate most heavily armoured targets
  • Weak spots are relatively small and difficult to hit
  • Serves the same purpose and role as the preceding M4A3E2 (76) W Jumbo
  • M82 has insane damage potential - either destroys in a single hit or severely cripples your target
  • Frontal armour can, when properly angled, even shrug off the dreaded 88 mm shells fired by the Tiger II
  • Stronger lower frontal plate than on the regular M26's
  • Reverse speed is decently high and fairly responsive
  • Strong mantlet armour, a true force to be reckoned with in a hull-down fighting position
  • Decent zoom and relatively wide FOV in the gunner's sight
  • Fairly quick turret rotation

Cons:

  • 90 mm M3 is inadequate in uptiers
  • M82 shot does not like sloped armour - bounces frequently
  • Front armour is vulnerable to heavier weapons (such as the 122 mm D-25T and 8,8 cm KwK43)
  • Increased armour makes the vehicle even more sluggish than the already sluggish M26 its based on
  • Very low power-to-weight ratio - sluggish acceleration and low reactive mobility
  • Average survivability
  • Struggles when uptiered - its armour loses its value due to facing more potent ammunition and the mobility and speed is too low to keep up with the faster, more manoeuvrable cold war MBTs it can face
  • Large muzzle brake - expect your gun to be knocked out frequently
  • First stage ammunition is stored upright in the turret - ammo detonations are quite frequent

History

Development

The T26E5 was intended to fill much the same niche as the M4A3E2 "Jumbo" in being an up-armoured version of the M26 to fulfil a role as a heavy assault tank, just as the M26 itself was to replace the M4. Even before early 1944 the US army recognised a need for a heavy assault tank for an upcoming offensive in the European theatre, but at this time the M26 was not set to be ready for full-scale production in time, and as such it was decided to move forward with an up-armoured version of the M4A3[1]. As the allied invasion of France progressed into 1945, the US Army took note of the success and utility of the M4A3E2 and sought to take advantage of the larger gun on the M26 platform by proceeding with the development of the T26E5. A few modifications were made to the design including wider tracks to better support the increased weight, and a more suitable gear reduction. This, however, combined with the weight of the additional frontal armour and new, thicker, turret and mantlet castings conspired to make the tank significantly slower[2].

An M4A3 was fitted with a T26 turret and additional weights as a test bed for the suspension and trials ran from February to March of 1945, resulting in various amendments to the specifications including even thicker frontal hull armour, with a slight reduction in frontal turret armour but a thicker mantlet[2]. In April 1945 these specifications were approved and production orders for 27 vehicles were sent to contractors as conversions from the T26E3, with completion of the first vehicle expected in June 1945[2].

Testing and cancellation

The first T26E5 was completed in July 1945 and while all 27 ordered vehicles were finished before September 1945 and the end of WW2, no more were ordered[2]. The T26E5 was by a good margin the most heavily armoured assault tank set to be operated by the US Army at the time, but the increased weight led to significant troubles with reliability during testing, largely due to inadequate suspension but also with transmission failures. As a result all produced vehicles were resigned to being used as range targets, with all 27 either being destroyed on the range or scrapped[2].

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.

References

  1. Hunnicut, R.P., Sherman: A history of the American Medium Tank, Echo Point Books & Media, 1978
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Hunnicut, R. P., Pershing: A history of the Medium Tank T20 Series, Echo Point Books & Media, 1971


U.S. Army Ordnance Department/Corps*
Light tanks  T18E2 · M24 (Designed in collaboration with Cadillac)
M3 Stuart  M3 · M3A1 Stuart · M3A1 (USMC)
M5 Stuart  M5A1
Medium tanks  M3 Lee
M4 Sherman  M4 · M4A1 · M4A2 · M4A3 (105) · Calliope
  M4A1 (76) W · M4A2 (76) W · M4A3 (76) W
M26 Pershing  T20 · T25 · M26 · M26E1 · M26 T99
Patton Series  M46 · M46 "Tiger" · M47
Prototypes  T54E1 · T95E1
Heavy tanks  M103
M4 Jumbo  M4A3E2 · Cobra King · M4A3E2 (76) W
M6 Heavy  M6A1 · M6A2E1 · T1E1
M26 Pershing  T26E1-1 · T26E5
Prototypes  T14
T29  T29 · T30 · T34
T-32  T32 · T32E1
Tank destroyers  M3 GMC · M10 GMC · M56
M8 GMC  M8 HMC · M8A1 GMC
M36 GMC  M36 GMC · M36B2
Prototypes  T28 · T95
SPAAGs 
Production  M19 MGMC · M42
Export/Captured  ␗M8 HMC · SU-57
Stuart  Stuart I · Stuart III · ␗M3A3 Stuart · ␗M3A3 (1st PTG) · ▄M3A3 · ▄M3A3 Stuart · ▃Stuart VI (5th CAD) · ␗M5A1
Lee/Grant  ▂M3 Medium · ▃Grant I · Grant I
M4 Sherman  Sherman II · ▄M4A1 · ␗M4A1 (75) W · ▀M4 748 (a) · ▂M4A2 · ▄M4A3 (105) · ▅M4A3 (76) W · ▄M4A3E2
  ␗M4A4 · ␗M4A4 (1st PTG) · ▄Sherman V · ▄M4A4 · ▄Sherman I Composito
M26 Pershing  M26 "D.C.Ariete" · M26A1
M47 Patton  mKPz M47 G · ▅M47
M10 GMC  ␗M10 GMC · ▄M10 GMC
M36 GMC  ␗M36 GMC · M36B1 · ▅M36 · ▄M36B2
M19 MGMC  ▅M19A1
M42 MGMC  ▅M42 · ␗M42
  *The Ordnance Department was renamed to the Ordnance Corps after the Army Reorganization Act of 1950.

USA heavy tanks
M4 Jumbo  M4A3E2 · Cobra King · M4A3E2 (76) W
M6  T1E1 · M6A1 · M6A2E1
T26  T26E1-1 · T26E5
T29/30/34  T29 · T30 · T34
T32  T32 · T32E1
M103  M103
Others  T14