M26E1

This page is about the American medium tank M26E1. For other variants, see M26 (Family).

M26E1

M26E1

USA

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
6.7	6.7	6.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Medium tank

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Show in game

Description

The Medium Tank M26E1 is a premium rank IV American medium tank with a battle rating of 6.7 (AB/RB) and 6.3 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.47 "Big Guns" as an in-game premium vehicle purchasable with Golden Eagles , but was removed from in-game sale after the 9th Anniversary Sale.

Aside from the base model of a M26 Pershing, it boasts the long L/73 90 mm Gun T54, very similar to the T15E2 on the T32, allowing it to compete effectively against Rank IV vehicles with the mobility of the Pershing.

The only distinctive characteristic of the M26E1 compared to the original M26 is the "T54" 90 mm cannon. The cannon has a longer barrel with a small muzzle-brake compared to its original design. The longer 90 mm cannon comes with the standard AP shot, HE shot, M82 shot (APCBC), and HVAP shot. All these rounds, except for the HE shot, have a higher penetration and velocity compared to the standard 90 mm M3. The M82 shot is considered the most useful and efficient round for this tank as it has enough explosive filler (140 g of Exp. D) to knock out many tanks at its battle rating with a single shot while having little to no difficulty penetrating the enemy's vehicle.

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 others. The best target is for a straight-on hit on the front glacis as the direct effective thickness is 146 mm of cast armour. 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

RB2 942

SB3 847

Crew training10 000

Experts340 000

Aces890

Research Aces1 180 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 130 / 190 / 220 %

2 × 184 / 184 / 184 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Suspension Brake System Filters Transmission Engine	Improved Parts Improved FPE Crew Replenishment	Horizontal Drive 90mm_us_M82_APCBC_ammo_pack Adjustment of Fire Elevation Mechanism 90mm_us_T44_APCR_ammo_pack 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°

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	22.85	31.62	38.40	42.47	45.18	14.43	12.76	11.77	11.10
Realistic					14.28	16.80	20.40	22.56	24.00

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	13	13	13	13	13	13
T41	APCBC	224	221	206	188	172	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	N/A	N/A	N/A	47°	60°	65°
HE Shell	HE	975	10.6	0	0.1	925	79°	80°	81°
T41	APCBC	975	10.94	1.2	14	137.2	48°	63°	71°
HVAP Shot	APCR	1,143	7.6	N/A	N/A	N/A	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°

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.

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

• Skins and camouflages for the M26E1 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:

• 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:

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

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.