This mighty medium tank, the M26 Pershing, rather belatedly made its way onto the World War II battlefields, with the first units finally arriving at Antwerp, Belgium, in January 1945. These were survivable tanks that were at first deployed with the 3rd and 9th Armored Divisions of the First Army and first saw combat in the Roer River sector in late February 1945. Its fiercest combat came the following month at Cologne, pitted against German armor.
The M26 Pershing was a much more significant development from the M4 Sherman, with the very capable 90 mm gun able to give the German Panthers and Tigers a run for their money. Later in the war, however, the Pershing would again be pitted against an even more formidable opponent, the Tiger II, or “King Tiger.” To match this new threat, the M26 was up-gunned with a much more powerful 90 mm T15E1 cannon, which resulted in the T26E4 Pilot Prototype No.1. Based on a T26E1, this prototype underwent trials at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds and was then sent to Europe, where it was attached to the 3rd Armored Division.
One more prototype, the T26E4 with the T15E2 gun, was created based on a T26E3 vehicle. These prototypes were fitted with two recuperators above the gun due to the much harder recoil. The T15E2 gun, with its two-piece ammunition, became the basis for the T26E4 production vehicles.
In March 1945, a limited procurement of 1,000 T26E4s was authorized, replacing the same number of M26 Pershing ordered. However, with the end of the war in Europe, the order had been reduced to 25 units manufactured at the Fisher Tank Arsenal. Tests at Aberdeen Proving Ground continued until January 1947, after which the project was canceled, and some vehicles were used as target practice.
The T15E1 tank gun was a gun developed in opposition to the German 88 mm KwK 43 mounted on the Tiger II. When this gun was mounted on the T26E1, in January 1945, this gave it a new denomination: T26E4 Pilot Prototype No.1. The T15E1 gun, 73 calibers in length, had a muzzle velocity of 3,750 ft/s and could penetrate the Panther’s frontal armor at up to 2,600 yards. However, handling these very long 50-inch single-piece shells inside the cramped turret proved awkward.
The T15E2 gun, mounted on the second E4 prototype, used two-piece ammunition. This did ease some of the handling problems, but new ones were introduced with this type of ammunition. This version of the gun was canceled after the war.
The single T26E4 tank in use was plagued by oversights in the logistical deployment of the vehicle. Without the M71E4 telescopic gunsight and receiving special 50-inch shells by mistake, the tank was hardly fit for much of anything. Major Harrington, Chief of Tank Repair Service to the 3rd Armored Division, wanted more armor on this vehicle. Engineers salvaged an 80 mm CHF frontal plate from a destroyed Panther and welded it onto the mantlet to make a crude but effective spaced armor. Additional armor plates were welded into the forward hull with a big counterweight added at the rear of the turret.
The T26E4 “Super Pershing” engaged twice. Firstly, between Weser and Nordheim, it destroyed an unknown armored target. The second action in more detail took place on the 21st of April 1945 in Dessau. According to some sources, the Super Pershing engaged a Tiger II; its shell penetrated the lower plate of the German tank and created an explosion that blew off the turret. However, this report has been questioned in some sources as the target being only a Panzer IV.
After the war, the Super Pershing entered into the Tank Dump at Kassel, Germany. There, in June 1945, it was photographed.
There is some confusion as to the designation of the prototype sent to Europe. Hunnicutt’s book identifies the vehicle as receiving the designation T26E4, temporary pilot No.1, when it was up-gunned. The early images of the prototype with the label T26E1-1 probably arose from its early designation as the prototype of the T26E1. This prototype can be found with the designation T26E4-1, which is not historically and not officially confirmed.
Another misnomer is the M26A1E2 designation, as it does not follow the historical designations of the M26 series.
The T26E4 “Super Pershing” is an exciting part of the development concerning US armored warfare. Its development and deployment show a great deal regarding the challenges and innovations taken by tank design during World War II, despite its limited combat history.