Difference between revisions of "M26E1"

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{{Specs-Card|code=us_m26e1_pershing}}
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{{About
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| about = American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
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| usage = other variants
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| link = M26 (Family)
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}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=us_m26e1_pershing
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
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''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
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<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
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When the [[M26|M26 Pershing]] was developed, it was already recognized to be lacking in comparable firepower to the German counterparts, which had the long-barreled 88 mm KwK 43 cannon on the Tiger II tanks. The US attempted to remedy this issue with the 90 mm T15 cannon with the [[T26E1-1|T26E4 tanks]], but these were considered cumbersome due to their extremely large cartridges, hindering the reload process within the tank. Further development led to the 90 mm T54 cannon, which had comparable firepower to the T15 cannon, but with a smaller ammunition for easier reloading within the tank. This new gun was installed into a prototype designated '''M26E1''', however the post-war environment in terms of budget cuts and lack of need to produce new tanks led to the project's discontinuation and none of the tanks were considered.
 +
 
 +
Introduced in [[Update 1.47 "Big Guns"]], the M26E1 has a very similar profile to the M26 aside from its very long L/73 90 mm Gun T54. However, this allows the M26 medium tank profile to have similar firepower to the T26E1-1 "Super Pershing" and [[T32]] heavy tank to be able to compete against Rank IV vehicles at a faster reload rate. That said, the extra long barrel length compared to the hull can be a weak spot as enemies can snipe the tank barrel poking out of cover and disable the M26E1's firepower. The armour and mobility remains similar, if not the same, as the standard M26.
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Originally an in-game premium vehicle purchasable with Golden Eagles {{ge}}, it has since been removed from in-game sale after the [[wt:en/news/7408-news-happy-birthday-war-thunder-en|9th Anniversary Sale]].
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
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''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
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<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
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'''Armour type:'''
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 +
* Cast homogeneous armour (Front, turret)
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Side, Rear, Roof)
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* Structural steel (Exterior boxes, Rear counterweight)
  
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''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
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{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
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| Hull || 101.6 mm (12-46°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 162.5 mm (25-60°) ''Upper front glacis'' <br> 76.2 mm (28-53°) ''Lower glacis'' || 76.2 mm ''Front'' <br> 50.8 mm (0-3°) ''Rear'' || 50.8 mm (7°) ''Top'' <br> 22.2 mm (71°) ''Bottom'' || 22.2 mm
 +
|-
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| Turret || 101.6 mm (9-73°) ''Turret front'' <br> 114.3 mm (1-84°) ''Gun mantlet''|| 76.2 mm (2-54°) || 76.2 (0-79°) + 100 mm (2°) || 25.4 mm
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|-
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| Cupola || 76.2 mm || 76.2 mm
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|76.2 mm
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|25.4 mm
 +
|-
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|}
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'''Notes:'''
 +
 
 +
* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
 +
* Belly armour is 25.4 mm thick.
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* Counterweight on the turret rear is made of structural steel.
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 +
Any tactic that works with the M26 Pershing can work with the M26E1. While its gun is quite potent, it also has quite a lengthy reload time after firing, minimum 11 seconds with an ace crew. As such, an M26E1 that fired is a great opportunity to pounce on provided no other enemies are around that remains a threat.
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The M26E1 has the same armour as the M26 Pershing, so any weapons that can cleave through one's armour can go through the other's. The best target is for a straight-on hit on the front glacis as the direct effective thickness is 146 mm of cast armour (137 mm when applying the cast armour modifier of x0.94.). Side armour is also quite thin, ranging from 50 to 76 mm and can thus be easily pierced by most weapons at the BR.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
  
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== Weaponry ==
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=442}}
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=== Main weaponry ===
 
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''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
 
  
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=== Additional weaponry ===
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=== Modifications and economy ===
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''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
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{{Specs-Economy}}
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== Armaments ==
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{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
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=== Main armament ===
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
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<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
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{{main|T54 (90 mm)}}
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[T54 (90 mm)|90 mm T54]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
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|-
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! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
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! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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|-
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! ''Arcade''
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| rowspan="2" | 41 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 20.0 || 27.7 || 33.6 || 37.2 || 39.5 || rowspan="2" | 14.43 || rowspan="2" | 12.76 || rowspan="2" | 11.77 || rowspan="2" | 11.10
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|-
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! ''Realistic''
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| 12.5 || 14.7 || 17.9 || 19.7 || 21.0
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|-
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|}
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==== Ammunition ====
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{{:T54 (90 mm)/Ammunition|AP Shot, HE Shell, T41, HVAP Shot}}
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==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
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[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}. Turret storage (1) is a 5 round ready rack. Floor storage (2) is consumed from left to right.]]
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<!-- '''Last updated: 1.93.0.35''' -->
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|-
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! Full<br>ammo
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! 1st<br>rack empty
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! 2nd<br>rack empty
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! Visual<br>discrepancy
 +
|-
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| '''41''' || 5&nbsp;''(+36)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+40)'' || Yes
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|-
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|}
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
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''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
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<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
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{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
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|-
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! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
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|-
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| Pintle || 600 (200) || 577 || -10°/+70° || ±60°
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|-
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| Coaxial || 600 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
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|-
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|}
  
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== Usage in the battles ==
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== Usage in battles ==
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''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
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<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
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The M26E1 was a post-World War II modification of the standard [[M26|M26 Pershing]]. This modification changes the barrel length to 73 calibres long with the new [[T54 (90 mm)|90 mm T54 gun]]. The gun offers some of the most powerful penetration in-game for Rank IV and is equipped with AP, HE, APCBC and HVAP Rounds. The M26E1 suffers from a very weak side and rear armour, though this is a common weakness on every tank. The front and front part of the turret is able to bounce some enemy shots but can be penetrated by most other tanks in its 6.7 [[Battle_ratings|Battle Rating]] range so beware.
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Playing the M26E1 is similar to the [[M26|M26 Pershing]]. Armour and mobility of the two tanks are the same. The only advantage sticking out is the M26E1's more powerful gun due to the longer length. Though more powerful, the reload time is also longer than the normal M26 Pershing, so the playstyle should be more conservative to avoid being caught in an attack while reloading.
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Though equipped with a very powerful gun, the M26E1 suffers from the same M26 Pershing armour. Thus, it is very vulnerable to most tanks at its rank and so most of its combat life should be taking cover and avoiding large open spaces. The M26E1 presents the same mobility of the Pershing so this can be exploited in close quarters over the more cumbersome [[Panther F|Panther]], [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]], and [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2]]'s. Staying in cover and scooting out to take out the enemy from their weak points on the front or their vulnerable side armour should be the prime attack move for the M26E1 before retreating back into cover.
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 +
Fighting against medium tanks will be relatively easy due to the gun's penetration value. Unless bounced, the gun could even penetrate the front glacis of the [[Panther G|Panther]] tanks. The main problem the tank will face is the Tiger II and [[T32|T32]] heavy tanks and the later IS tanks such as the [[IS-3]] and [[IS-4M]] due to their thick front armour. Flanking may be necessary for these heavy tanks, but some accurate shots to some known weak points on the front of these tanks can also work.
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 +
* [[Tiger II (P)]] and [[Tiger II (H)|(H)]]: These are the more common German heavy tanks seen with the battle rating and are the most dangerous. The best tactic is to use the 90 mm gun to penetrate the turret cheeks and knock out the gunner. In the time period when the firing method is disabled, move in with the M26E1's mobility and hit it on the sides if possible.
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* [[Jagdpanther]]: The 88 mm gun is a threat to the tank, but in close range, the 90 mm APCBC round can penetrate the front armour, and the APCR can be used if wanting a definite result.
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* [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2]]: The IS-2 tank's 122 mm cannon can make short work of the M26E1, thus it is best to avoid being shot at in the first place. If in the situation where a fight with the IS-2 must be head on, fire a round through the turret cheeks and incapacitate the gunner for a more opportune moment to aim to destroy the tank. Shooting a lower glacis also works and if lucky may even knock out the tank.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
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<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
 
 +
* Armed with the long 90 mm gun seen on the [[T26E1-1]], the [[T32]] or the [[T32E1]]
 +
* The gun's optics have a magnification level of 5x, making it good at both close range target acquisition and long range sniping
 +
* The T41 APCBC shell is comparable to the Tiger II's APCBC shell; presenting great accuracy, velocity, penetration values, and damage potential
 +
* Fires one of the best APCR shells in the game. Has high penetration values that can cut right though the front of the Jagdtiger's superstructure at ranges exceeding 500 m
 +
* 10 degrees of gun depression give the ability to fight hull down and shoot from ridge lines
 +
* Armed with two .50 cal machine guns that are good at damaging lightly-armoured vehicles
 +
* The M26E1 is routinely underestimated by the enemy team. Many players will think this tank is just a mere M26, not realizing that this tank has the same firepower as a Super Pershing or a T32
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
 
  
−
== Historical part ==
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* The reload rate is mediocre, several seconds slower than the Tiger II's 88 mm
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''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
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* Frontal armour is not adequate against its competition, with long 88 mm and 122 mm shells able to slice right through it at ranges exceeding 1,000 m
 +
* Small crew compartment. Enemy APHE shells that enter the tank will kill the entire crew with ease
 +
* Despite the good gun depression, the turret armour is mediocre at best. Continued turret exposure is ill-advised
 +
* Underwhelming top speed for a medium tank
 +
* Low total ammunition count for the 90 mm gun, and a small first stage ammo rack that only holds 5 shells
 +
* Players mistaking this tank for a mere M26 is a double-edged sword, as many enemy players will just engage the M26E1 like a M26
 +
 
 +
== History ==
 +
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
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 +
The '''M26E1''' was a post-war variant of the [[M26|M26 Pershing]] with the intent on increasing its firepower. During World War II, the 90 mm M3 mounted on the original M26 Pershing was equivalent to the German 88 mm KwK36 on the [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]]. But looking for an upgrade, Ordnance developed the T15E1 90 mm gun, which was equivalent to the 88 mm KwK43 on the [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]]. This cannon was mounted on the then development model ''T26E1'' to make the [[T26E1-1]] tank. The T15E1 90 mm cannon was visibly much longer than the original 90 mm M3, with the length of 73 calibres compared to the 53 calibres of the M3 cannon. This allowed the cannon to have a much larger ammo charge and muzzle velocity. The first T26E1-1 model made was the only "Super Pershing" model sent to Europe.
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 +
A second version was made from the T26E3 model, the production model of the T26E1, with a modified gun to use two-piece ammunition rather than a one-piece version, plus a new gun mounting to remove the stabilizer springs required to hold the gun. 25 of these tanks were built and were designated the ''T26E4''.
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 +
After World War II, two military model M26 Pershings were converted to mount the T54 gun, which was essentially the same 90 mm cannon as the T15E1 but had ammunition which was shorter and fatter than the previous versions. The muzzle brake was shaved down from two to one baffle to compensate for the smaller chamber the cannon presented. This M26 Pershing with the T54 cannons was designated the '''M26E1 Medium Tank''', but production was never reached due to budget constraints.
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 +
{{break}}
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{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
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{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
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Two models of the M26E1 medium tank were built. They were equipped with long-barreled, single-load 90 mm cannons that were supposed to be statistically superior to German 88 mm guns with 71-calibre barrels. The project became irrelevant when the war ended and was abandoned.
 +
{{Navigation-End}}
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 +
 
 +
;Skins
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m26e1_pershing Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
 
 +
== See also ==
 +
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
  
−
== Read also ==
 
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
 
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
−
''ETC.''
 
  
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== Sources ==
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== External links ==
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 +
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
−
* ''page on the Wikipedia;''
 
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
 +
 +
{{TankManufacturer Ordnance Department}}
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{{USA medium tanks}}
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{{USA premium ground vehicles}}

Latest revision as of 13:52, 14 January 2024

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
This page is about the American medium tank M26E1. For other variants, see M26 (Family).
M26E1
us_m26e1_pershing.png
GarageImage M26E1.jpg
ArtImage M26E1.png
M26E1
USA flag.png USA
IV Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
6.7 6.7 6.3
Class:
PREMIUM
Purchase:Bundle or Gift
Show in game

Description

When the M26 Pershing was developed, it was already recognized to be lacking in comparable firepower to the German counterparts, which had the long-barreled 88 mm KwK 43 cannon on the Tiger II tanks. The US attempted to remedy this issue with the 90 mm T15 cannon with the T26E4 tanks, but these were considered cumbersome due to their extremely large cartridges, hindering the reload process within the tank. Further development led to the 90 mm T54 cannon, which had comparable firepower to the T15 cannon, but with a smaller ammunition for easier reloading within the tank. This new gun was installed into a prototype designated M26E1, however the post-war environment in terms of budget cuts and lack of need to produce new tanks led to the project's discontinuation and none of the tanks were considered.

Introduced in Update 1.47 "Big Guns", the M26E1 has a very similar profile to the M26 aside from its very long L/73 90 mm Gun T54. However, this allows the M26 medium tank profile to have similar firepower to the T26E1-1 "Super Pershing" and T32 heavy tank to be able to compete against Rank IV vehicles at a faster reload rate. That said, the extra long barrel length compared to the hull can be a weak spot as enemies can snipe the tank barrel poking out of cover and disable the M26E1's firepower. The armour and mobility remains similar, if not the same, as the standard M26.

Originally an in-game premium vehicle purchasable with Golden Eagles Ge icon.png, it has since been removed from in-game sale after the 9th Anniversary Sale.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull101 / 76 / 51
Turret101 / 76 / 76
Crew5 people
Visibility105 %

Armour type:

  • Cast homogeneous armour (Front, turret)
  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Side, Rear, Roof)
  • Structural steel (Exterior boxes, Rear counterweight)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 101.6 mm (12-46°) Front glacis
162.5 mm (25-60°) Upper front glacis
76.2 mm (28-53°) Lower glacis 		76.2 mm Front
50.8 mm (0-3°) Rear 		50.8 mm (7°) Top
22.2 mm (71°) Bottom 		22.2 mm
Turret 101.6 mm (9-73°) Turret front
114.3 mm (1-84°) Gun mantlet		 76.2 mm (2-54°) 76.2 (0-79°) + 100 mm (2°) 25.4 mm
Cupola 76.2 mm 76.2 mm 76.2 mm 25.4 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
  • Belly armour is 25.4 mm thick.
  • Counterweight on the turret rear is made of structural steel.

Any tactic that works with the M26 Pershing can work with the M26E1. While its gun is quite potent, it also has quite a lengthy reload time after firing, minimum 11 seconds with an ace crew. As such, an M26E1 that fired is a great opportunity to pounce on provided no other enemies are around that remains a threat.

The M26E1 has the same armour as the M26 Pershing, so any weapons that can cleave through one's armour can go through the other's. The best target is for a straight-on hit on the front glacis as the direct effective thickness is 146 mm of cast armour (137 mm when applying the cast armour modifier of x0.94.). Side armour is also quite thin, ranging from 50 to 76 mm and can thus be easily pierced by most weapons at the BR.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB54 / 18 km/h
RB and SB49 / 16 km/h
Number of gears6 forward
2 back
Weight42.9 t
Engine power
AB954 hp
RB and SB500 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB22.2 hp/t
RB and SB11.7 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 54 18 42.9 775 954 18.07 22.24
Realistic 49 16 442 500 10.3 11.66

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB2 510 Sl icon.png
RB2 942 Sl icon.png
SB3 847 Sl icon.png
Crew training10 000 Sl icon.png
Experts340 000 Sl icon.png
Aces890 Ge icon.png
Research Aces1 180 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 130 / 190 / 220 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 184 / 184 / 184 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Mods tank reinforcement us.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Mods tank ammo.png
90mm_us_M82_APCBC_ammo_pack
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Mods tank ammo.png
90mm_us_T44_APCR_ammo_pack
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support

Armaments

Main armament

90 mm T54 cannon
Ammunition41 rounds
First-order5 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
14.4 → 11.1 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 15°
Main article: T54 (90 mm)
90 mm T54 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 41 -10°/+15° ±180° N/A 20.0 27.7 33.6 37.2 39.5 14.43 12.76 11.77 11.10
Realistic 12.5 14.7 17.9 19.7 21.0

Ammunition

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
AP Shot APBC 211 208 193 177 162 148
HE Shell HE 26 25 24 22 20 18
T41 APCBC 224 220 205 187 171 157
HVAP Shot APCR 336 330 304 274 248 223
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%
AP Shot APBC 975 10.9 - - - 47° 60° 65°
HE Shell HE 975 10.6 0.2 0.1 925 79° 80° 81°
T41 APCBC 975 10.91 1.2 14 137.2 48° 63° 71°
HVAP Shot APCR 1,143 7.6 - - - 66° 70° 72°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M26E1. Turret storage (1) is a 5 round ready rack. Floor storage (2) is consumed from left to right.
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
41 5 (+36) 1 (+40) Yes

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun (coaxial)
Ammunition600 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate575 shots/min
12.7 mm M2HB machine gun
Ammunition600 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate575 shots/min
Vertical guidance-10° / 70°
Horizontal guidance-60° / 60°
Main article: M2HB (12.7 mm)
12.7 mm M2HB
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 600 (200) 577 -10°/+70° ±60°
Coaxial 600 (200) 577 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

The M26E1 was a post-World War II modification of the standard M26 Pershing. This modification changes the barrel length to 73 calibres long with the new 90 mm T54 gun. The gun offers some of the most powerful penetration in-game for Rank IV and is equipped with AP, HE, APCBC and HVAP Rounds. The M26E1 suffers from a very weak side and rear armour, though this is a common weakness on every tank. The front and front part of the turret is able to bounce some enemy shots but can be penetrated by most other tanks in its 6.7 Battle Rating range so beware.

Playing the M26E1 is similar to the M26 Pershing. Armour and mobility of the two tanks are the same. The only advantage sticking out is the M26E1's more powerful gun due to the longer length. Though more powerful, the reload time is also longer than the normal M26 Pershing, so the playstyle should be more conservative to avoid being caught in an attack while reloading.

Though equipped with a very powerful gun, the M26E1 suffers from the same M26 Pershing armour. Thus, it is very vulnerable to most tanks at its rank and so most of its combat life should be taking cover and avoiding large open spaces. The M26E1 presents the same mobility of the Pershing so this can be exploited in close quarters over the more cumbersome Panther, Tiger II, and IS-2's. Staying in cover and scooting out to take out the enemy from their weak points on the front or their vulnerable side armour should be the prime attack move for the M26E1 before retreating back into cover.

Fighting against medium tanks will be relatively easy due to the gun's penetration value. Unless bounced, the gun could even penetrate the front glacis of the Panther tanks. The main problem the tank will face is the Tiger II and T32 heavy tanks and the later IS tanks such as the IS-3 and IS-4M due to their thick front armour. Flanking may be necessary for these heavy tanks, but some accurate shots to some known weak points on the front of these tanks can also work.

  • Tiger II (P) and (H): These are the more common German heavy tanks seen with the battle rating and are the most dangerous. The best tactic is to use the 90 mm gun to penetrate the turret cheeks and knock out the gunner. In the time period when the firing method is disabled, move in with the M26E1's mobility and hit it on the sides if possible.
  • Jagdpanther: The 88 mm gun is a threat to the tank, but in close range, the 90 mm APCBC round can penetrate the front armour, and the APCR can be used if wanting a definite result.
  • IS-2: The IS-2 tank's 122 mm cannon can make short work of the M26E1, thus it is best to avoid being shot at in the first place. If in the situation where a fight with the IS-2 must be head on, fire a round through the turret cheeks and incapacitate the gunner for a more opportune moment to aim to destroy the tank. Shooting a lower glacis also works and if lucky may even knock out the tank.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Armed with the long 90 mm gun seen on the T26E1-1, the T32 or the T32E1
  • The gun's optics have a magnification level of 5x, making it good at both close range target acquisition and long range sniping
  • The T41 APCBC shell is comparable to the Tiger II's APCBC shell; presenting great accuracy, velocity, penetration values, and damage potential
  • Fires one of the best APCR shells in the game. Has high penetration values that can cut right though the front of the Jagdtiger's superstructure at ranges exceeding 500 m
  • 10 degrees of gun depression give the ability to fight hull down and shoot from ridge lines
  • Armed with two .50 cal machine guns that are good at damaging lightly-armoured vehicles
  • The M26E1 is routinely underestimated by the enemy team. Many players will think this tank is just a mere M26, not realizing that this tank has the same firepower as a Super Pershing or a T32

Cons:

  • The reload rate is mediocre, several seconds slower than the Tiger II's 88 mm
  • Frontal armour is not adequate against its competition, with long 88 mm and 122 mm shells able to slice right through it at ranges exceeding 1,000 m
  • Small crew compartment. Enemy APHE shells that enter the tank will kill the entire crew with ease
  • Despite the good gun depression, the turret armour is mediocre at best. Continued turret exposure is ill-advised
  • Underwhelming top speed for a medium tank
  • Low total ammunition count for the 90 mm gun, and a small first stage ammo rack that only holds 5 shells
  • Players mistaking this tank for a mere M26 is a double-edged sword, as many enemy players will just engage the M26E1 like a M26

History

The M26E1 was a post-war variant of the M26 Pershing with the intent on increasing its firepower. During World War II, the 90 mm M3 mounted on the original M26 Pershing was equivalent to the German 88 mm KwK36 on the Tiger I. But looking for an upgrade, Ordnance developed the T15E1 90 mm gun, which was equivalent to the 88 mm KwK43 on the Tiger II. This cannon was mounted on the then development model T26E1 to make the T26E1-1 tank. The T15E1 90 mm cannon was visibly much longer than the original 90 mm M3, with the length of 73 calibres compared to the 53 calibres of the M3 cannon. This allowed the cannon to have a much larger ammo charge and muzzle velocity. The first T26E1-1 model made was the only "Super Pershing" model sent to Europe.

A second version was made from the T26E3 model, the production model of the T26E1, with a modified gun to use two-piece ammunition rather than a one-piece version, plus a new gun mounting to remove the stabilizer springs required to hold the gun. 25 of these tanks were built and were designated the T26E4.

After World War II, two military model M26 Pershings were converted to mount the T54 gun, which was essentially the same 90 mm cannon as the T15E1 but had ammunition which was shorter and fatter than the previous versions. The muzzle brake was shaved down from two to one baffle to compensate for the smaller chamber the cannon presented. This M26 Pershing with the T54 cannons was designated the M26E1 Medium Tank, but production was never reached due to budget constraints.


Archive of the in-game description

Two models of the M26E1 medium tank were built. They were equipped with long-barreled, single-load 90 mm cannons that were supposed to be statistically superior to German 88 mm guns with 71-calibre barrels. The project became irrelevant when the war ended and was abandoned.


Media

Skins

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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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 medium tanks
M2  M2
M3  M3 Lee · ▃Grant I
M4  M4 · Calliope · M4A1 · M4A1 (76) W · M4A2 · M4A2 (76) W · M4A3 (105) · M4A3 (76) W · M4/T26
M26 Pershing  T20 · T25 · M26 · M26 T99 · M26E1
M46/47/48 Patton  M46 · M46 "Tiger" · M47 · M48A1 · T54E1 · T54E2
M60  M60 · M60A1 (AOS) · M60A1 RISE (P) · M60A2 · M60A3 TTS · M728 CEV · 120S
MBT-70  MBT-70 · XM803
M1 Abrams  XM1 (Chrysler) · XM1 (GM)
  M1 Abrams · M1 KVT · IPM1
  M1A1 · M1A1 HC · M1A1 Click-Bait
  M1A2 Abrams · M1A2 SEP · M1A2 SEP V2
Other  T95E1
Australia  M1A1 AIM
Canada  M4A5
Israel  ▃Magach 3 (ERA) · ▃Merkava Mk.1 · ▃Merkava Mk.2B · ▃Merkava Mk.3D
Turkey  M60 AMBT

USA premium ground vehicles
Light tanks  LVT(A)(4) · M2A4 (1st Arm.Div.) · M3A1 (USMC) · ▃Stuart VI (5th CAD) · M8 LAC · M8A1 GMC
  M18 "Black Cat" · Super Hellcat · T18E2 · M551(76) · T114 · M1128 Wolfpack
Medium tanks  ▃Grant I · M4A5 · Calliope · T20 · M26 T99 · M26E1 · M46 "Tiger" · T54E1 · T54E2 · ▃Magach 3 (ERA) · M728 CEV
  XM1 (GM) · XM1 (Chrysler) · M1 KVT · M1A1 Click-Bait
Heavy tanks  T14 · Cobra King · M6A2E1 · T29 · T30
Tank destroyers  T28 · T55E1

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