M26 T99

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Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
M26 T99
us_m26_t99.png
M26 T99
AB RB SB
6.7 6.7 6.7
Purchase:7 480 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
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This page is about the medium tank M26 T99. For other uses, see M26 (Family).

Description

GarageImage M26 T99.jpg


The Medium Tank M26 T99 is a premium rank IV American medium tank with a battle rating of 6.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.53 "Firestorm". This is a M26 Pershing tank equipped with four rocket pods holding a total of 44 rockets which can be launched against the enemy.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Cast homogeneous armour (Front, turret)
  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Side, Rear, Roof)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 101.6 mm (42-46°) Front Glacis
162.5 mm (25-60°) Upper front glacis
76.2 mm (28-53°) Lower Glacis
76.2 mm (0-1°) Front
50.8 mm (0-3°) Rear
50.8 mm (7°) Top
22.2 mm (71°) Bottom
22.2 mm
Turret 101.6 mm (1-55°) Turret front
114.3 mm (1-84°) Gun mantlet
76.2 mm (3-54°) 76.2 mm (1-79°) 25.4 mm
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 76.2 mm 25.4 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
  • Belly armour is 25.4 mm thick.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons)
Max speed (km/h)
42.5 N/A 45 (AB)
40 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 775 954
Realistic/Simulator 442 500
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 18.23 22.45
Realistic/Simulator 10.40 11.76

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: M3 (90 mm)
90 mm M3
Capacity Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
Stabilizer
70 -10°/+20° ±180°
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 14.28 19.80 24.0 26.60 28.20
Realistic 14.28 16.80 20.4 22.60 24.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
11.05 8.63 7.95 7.50
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
T33 shot AP 189 188 163 137 115 96
M71 shell HE 13 13 13 13 13 13
M82 shot APCBC 165 164 150 137 125 114
M304 shot APCR 264 260 245 226 210 191
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
in m/s
Projectile
Mass in kg
Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
Normalization At 30°
from horizontal:
Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
T33 shot AP 822 11 N/A N/A N/A -1° 47° 60° 65°
M71 shell HE 823 11 0.1 0.5 925 +0° 79° 80° 81°
M82 shot APCBC 807 11 1.2 20 137.2 +4° 48° 63° 71°
M304 shot APCR 1021 7.6 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 66° 70° 72°
Smoke characteristic
Ammunition Velocity
in m/s
Projectile
Mass in kg
Screen radius
in m
Screen time
in s
Screen hold time
in s:
Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
M313 821 11 13 5 20 50
Ammo racks
Ammo racks of the M26 Pershing
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 61 (+9) 55 (+15) 49 (+21) 41 (+29) 33 (+37) 25 (+45) 17 (+53) (+61) (+69) No

Only bottom: 49 (+21)

Additional armament

114 mm M8 rocket
Capacity Vertical
guidance
Flight
speed (m/s)
Range (m)
44 -10°/+25° 260 4,500

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB
Pintle mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
1,000 (200) 577 -10°/+50° ±120°
7.62 mm M1919A4
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
5,250 (250) 500 N/A N/A

Usage in the battles

Even being designated as a medium, the Pershing can perform in many different roles in battle. It can be used for supporting allied tanks with long reload time as IS-2's, T32's, etc. Participate in flanking manoeuvres — the M26 speed and agility is not brilliant but enough for that — and be successful in sniping and ambushing situations. Use the lower profile of Pershing compared to the Sherman's to navigate through. The vertical guidance (-10º/20º) allows the M26 to shoot from upper positions without exposing too much of the tank. That´s an advantage compared to Russians which have many ground depression problems.

The 90 mm M3 gun owns a wide selection of ammunition to be used. The M82 APCBC with 200 g of explosive filler is extremely deadly. Usually, successful penetration with this shell can lead to a quick end to the enemy. It lacks a bit of penetration for the rank this vehicle sits, but it's great for flanking shots. The M304 HVAP shot, gives the vehicle the ability to penetrate thick armour, mind the APCR/HVAP has poor slope characteristics. This means these need to aim for flat armour. Against a King Tiger Henschel, this means aiming for the turret on the gunner side. At that position, the M26 can penetrate out to distances of 1,800 meters.

Although moderately armoured for a medium tank class, most enemies can easily destroy the M26 at this rank. A safe play style is a must. To reduce direct impacts in frontal engagements angle the Pershing, the V-shape frontal armour can deflect some shots. The lower glacis is a very good target, try to keep it hidden from the enemy. One down side to the Pershing is the engine. The power to weight ratio is poor and does not allow for very quick manoeuvring. It uses the same Ford GAF that can be found in the late series M4 Medium tanks, with nearly 8 tons more weight. Being slightly underpowered, the Pershing has a hard time climbing hills. Good knowledge of maps and areas of operation will help immensely, so use them wisely.

Tactics

Urban maps (Poland, Eastern Europe, Hürtgen Forest, Cologne) are perfect for ambushing, use the tank's moderate speed to catch off-guard heavier enemy tanks. Drop artillery in front of suspected enemy positions if the M26 need to cross a street and relocate, the smoke screen will cover the M26.

If the M26 T99 has been able to flank an enemy, the first shot is decisive. Always shoot the breech to knock out the gun. The best ammo to do this is M304(APCR) round, or M82(APCBC). M304 will guarantee a 100% successful shot, M82 can also work very good and might destroy everything inside the turret. But some Germans have tracks in the hull sides and if the enemy saw the M26 and is turning the turret, the M82 could bounce off the turning turret armour. Most importantly, don't miss.

The large sides of German heavy´s are tempting targets but its very easy to over pen with the wrong ammo like the T33(APCBC) or M304.

If flanking an SPG like Jagdpanther, Jagdtiger or Ferdinand, just aim for the engine, and the vehicle is basically down for easy picking.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Armament:
    • The 90 mm gun is adequate for most contemporary tanks it will face.
    • Gets 44 M8 rockets, which can be used to blind other tanks in a pinch.
  • Armour:
    • Armour does not differ at all from the regular Pershing.
  • Utility:
    • Can be used as a backup for the regular M26.
    • Does not require any significant learning curve to operate, can be used just as the normal M26 would.

Cons:

  • Survivability:
    • Rocket pods create external (and unarmoured) ammunition racks.
    • Frontal hull armour on the Pershing has relatively little sloping.
  • Armament:
    • 90 mm gun lacks penetration to take on tanks frontally.
    • Rockets are not very effective at destroying tanks.
  • Price:
    • In addition to only being available for purchase after having purchased the Calliope (9,740 GE, ~50 USD), the M26 T99 will cost another ~30 USD (5,990 GE).

History

In 1944, the main tank development in US Ordnance was the T26E1 tank, which would later become the M26 Pershing. The M26 was made into many different variants in the hope it could fulfil multiple roles. One variant hoped to increase the M26's firepower with the addition of rocket launchers, in a manner similar to the T34 Calliope on the Shermans. The rocket launchers were attached on M26 serial number 2011, the 250th of its kind made from Detroit Tank Arsenal. The rocket launcher attached was the 4.5-inch multiple rocket launcher T99, consisting of two racks on both sides of the turret, carrying a total of 44 rockets for use. The rocket launchers were traversable by the same turret controls for the main 90 mm gun. The T99 launchers were mounted on trunnions and could be jettisoned from inside the tank when empty. Settings for rocket firing came at one at a time, two at a time, and a full salvo dump. The last of these settings can fire all 44 rockets within 7 seconds.[1] The design was informally called M26 T99.

Testing with the M26 with the T99 commenced in sometime in late 1945 at Aberdeen Proving Grounds.[1] However, the tank apparently did not seem to have any interest like no other mention of it is made after that. It was presumably cancelled sometime in early 1946.

In-game description

The M26 medium tank, equipped with launch systems for M8 missiles. It was built as an experimental model. It was not produced serially and never saw combat. It was equipped with a T99 launch system.

Media

Skins and camouflages for the M26 series from live.warthunder.com.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Hunnicutt, R.P. Pershing: A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series U.S.A.: Feist Publications, 1971

Read also

[Devblog] М26 Pershing with Т99 rocket launcher - with developer's answers

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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


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
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Other  T95E1
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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
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