American light tank M3 "Stuart" The M3 light tank was a development of the M2A4. Increasing the thickness of the armor and, consequently, the mass required strengthening the chassis. A large diameter sloth was lowered to the ground to increase the length of the track's supporting surface. In the chassis

American light tank M5 Since July 1943, an improved version of the light tank M3 began to be produced, designated M5 (modifications M5 and M5A1). At first glance they looked like the M3, but received a new power train and engine, a slightly modified hull and turret,

American medium tank M3 In June 1940, the American command ordered the industry a new medium tank, which was a development of the low-volume M2 with enhanced armament and armor. Since there was no experience installing a 75-mm cannon in the turret, it was placed in the hull

American medium tank M48 Patgon III This tank, created in 1951, has a long backstory. Back in May 1941, the Americans decided to create a tank that would be stronger than the Sherman. In 1943–1944, prototypes of 30-ton tanks were built. One of them, T26EZ, in September 1944

American light tank M41 (Walker Bulldog) During the Korean War (1950 - 1953), the Americans used the light tank M24 (Chaffee) for reconnaissance, which was put into service in 1944 (combat weight 18 tons, 75 mm gun with an initial armor-piercing projectile speed of 620 m/s). The tank had very

American main battle tank M60 The new tank, created in 1959, was a development of the M48 tank and differed from it in armament, power plant and armor. Since 1960, it has been mass-produced by Chrysler. It retains the M48 layout, many components and parts of both

American light tank M551 Sheridan The need for an air-transportable tank led to the development of the T92 light tank by 1954. It had many interesting design solutions, but it turned out to be difficult to manufacture and did not enter service. Since the late 50s,

AMERICAN MEDIUM TANK M3 "General Lee" Developed in 1938. It was mass-produced since 1939. It was in service with the US Army and supplied to the USSR. Used in battles of the Second World War, in regional conflicts. Tactical and technical characteristics, mass, i.e.

AMERICAN LIGHT TANK M3 "STEWART" Developed in 1939. It was mass-produced since 1940. It was in service with the US Army and supplied to the USSR. Used in battles of the Second World War. Tactical and technical characteristics Weight, tons 12.7 Number of crew, people 4 Overall dimensions

AMERICAN MEDIUM TANK M 4A4 "SHERMAN" Developed in 1941. It was mass-produced since 1942. It was in service with the armies of the USA and Great Britain, and was supplied to the USSR; after 1945, it was in service with the armies of many states in Western Europe and Asia. Used in battles second

AMERICAN LIGHT TANK M-24 "CHAFFEE" Developed in 1943. It was mass-produced since 1944. It was in service with the armies of the USA, Canada, and Great Britain; after 1945 it was supplied to France, Italy, Turkey, Iran, and Japan. Used in battles of the Second World War. Tactical and technical

AMERICAN MEDIUM TANK M46 "PATTON-1" Developed in 1948. It was mass-produced from 1948 to 1952. Was in service with the US Army. Used in battles in Korea. Tactical and technical characteristics Weight, tons 44 Number of crew, people 5 Overall dimensions (length x width x height),

AMERICAN LIGHT TANK M 41 "WALKER BULLDOG" Developed in 1949. It was mass-produced since 1950. It was in service with the armies of the USA, Germany and the countries of the Middle East. Used in battles in South Vietnam and the Middle East. Tactical and technical characteristics Weight, t..

AMERICAN MAIN TANK M48A3 Developed in 1958. It was mass-produced from 1958 to 1964. It was in service with the US Army and the armies of other NATO countries, as well as Israel. Used in battles in South Vietnam and the Middle East. Tactics - technical characteristics Weight, i..

AMERICAN MAIN TANK M60A1 Developed in 1962. It was mass-produced from 1962 to 1980. It is in service with the armies of the USA, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Korea, Spain, and Turkey. Used in battles in South Vietnam and regional

AMERICAN MAIN TANK M 485A5 Developed in 1975. It was mass-produced from 1975 to 1980. It was in service with the US Army and the armies of other NATO countries, as well as Israel. Used in battles in the Middle East. Tactical and technical characteristics Weight, t. 47.6 Crew size,

In the USA, as in all other countries, the military initially reacted very coolly to the creation of tanks, especially since until the spring of 1917 they officially adhered to neutrality. But among civilians this idea was very popular. For example, a certain K. Schafer, an American of German origin, approached the German consul with a project to create a single-seat armored vehicle based on a garden tractor; the consul did not like the idea.

In 1915, simultaneously with proposals for the sale of M. Willock's tractors, businessman S. Lowe offered Willy Wilson ready-made drawings of a 30-ton armored vehicle based on the same tractors. There was no answer. Later, Willock and Lowe would accuse the British of copying heavy tanks from their drawings, but a commission specially created for this established the authenticity of the English invention.

In 1917, the Holt tractor company introduced a machine similar in appearance to “Little Willie”: a box with tracks around the perimeter, a cannon in the bow compartment and machine guns in the sponsons. It is impossible not to mention the so-called “skeleton” - the tracked contours are connected by beams, and between them is a cubic armored cabin topped with a conical turret.

As often happens, they didn’t pay attention to their own samples, but fought to produce other people’s models. It was planned to produce 4,440 units of “6-ton tanks of the 1917 model”, the model was the Renault FT and 3,000 English Mk VIIIs, which were called “Liberty”. Until the end of the war, only 3 of the former were produced, and 7 of the latter.

US tanks during World War I

During this time, the American military corps received from the allies not only material parts, but also a certain tactical concept of tank forces. According to it, troops should consist of light and heavy vehicles. Light ones for reconnaissance missions, and slow heavy ones for direct support of attacking infantry. This not entirely correct understanding led to a government act in 1920, which categorically prohibited the organization of tank forces. All work on improvement fell on the tank commission created under the chief of infantry.

Consequences - before 1935, only (!) 31 tanks were created and not a single production one. The created samples, hidden from the command, are handed over to the cavalry, but since the tanks must be accompanied by infantry, these are called “combat vehicles.”

It was the intervention of the cavalry that moved things forward; during maneuvers they clearly demonstrated the combat effectiveness of the unit only when used in combination. This is the official version, behind the scenes - we came to such conclusions while observing the exercises of the Red Army. Be that as it may, in 1932, the General Staff of the Ground Forces adopted a program for the mechanization of the army. It must be said that all tank samples that undergo standardization receive the letter “M”, and experimental models “T”.

Until the 40th, only the light tank M1 and the medium M2 were put into service; later, developments on both tanks were used to create the medium M3. The design of the brilliant engineer W. Christie, which was used in tanks in many countries, was very popular with the military, but due to misunderstanding by the generals, only a few samples were sent to the troops.

US tanks from World War II

In the summer of 1940, when war broke out in Europe, there were 300 light and 20 medium tanks in the US ranks; there were no heavy ones at all.
The command already understood perfectly well that they would not be able to avoid being involved in this meat grinder. Having no developments in new tanks, the troops initially began to be equipped with only light and medium armored vehicles, and some went into production without even passing tests. The infantry breakthrough tank developed before the war, which received the M6 ​​during standardization, became heavy.

Attempts to modernize old models lead nowhere, and a decision is made to create new models. The first tanks had weak armor and weapons; new models are trying to solve these problems primarily. The light M3 Stuart and the medium M3 Grant/Lee appear. But these tanks are also quite mediocre; they cannot compete on equal terms with German vehicles. After the appearance of the medium M4 Sherman, the situation changes somewhat.

The use of Tigers by the Germans forces the United States to produce the heavy M26 Pershing, which ended the M2 series. Simultaneously with the appearance of the M26, light tanks of the first model were replaced by the M24 Cheffi.

Before the end of the war, the Americans designed and produced M22 Locust airborne tanks and amphibious LVTs. Tank destroyers and anti-aircraft self-propelled guns were produced in large quantities. In total, during the war years, US industry produced 103,096 tanks and self-propelled guns.

Modern US tanks

Based on combat experience, the American command in 1946 adopted an extensive program for improving tanks and their units. Mandatory conditions were: reduction in size, weight and standardization of spare parts in order to increase the ability to use tanks in a wide variety of climatic zones and terrain conditions with minimal use of additional devices, to increase the ease of field repair and maintenance in general, as well as to achieve savings in the manufacture of tanks . The assigned tasks determine the features of future combat vehicles.

The troops planned to use light, medium and heavy tanks. The light ones were intended for reconnaissance and airborne troops, as well as for security use. In order to increase mobility, they had bulletproof armor and weapons sufficient for self-defense. The M1 Walker Bulldog is used for these purposes. The M46 Paton medium tank becomes the main medium tank, and the last heavy American tank becomes the M103.

The experience of combat operations in the conflicts of the 50s shows that the characteristics of the first generation tanks do not correspond to the new military requirements: they cannot conduct aimed fire on the move, with their large weight and large dimensions they cannot be air transported (M21), they have poor protection from radioactive radiation and shaped charges , rather limited power reserve, etc. Analyzing the above problems, a new qualification appears, no longer in terms of weight, but in terms of firepower. Tanks began to be divided into light-cannon, medium-cannon and heavy-cannon.

The tank building program adopted by the United States in 1957 consisted of two parts. The first part implied the creation of three types of tanks:

• Light cannon for reconnaissance and combat security.
• Improved medium cannon (main type).
• Heavy guns for fighting enemy tanks.

During the second, longer stage, it was planned to create two types of tanks:

• Combat (main).
• A new type of reconnaissance air transport tank.

During the implementation of the first part of the program, the light M55 Sheridan and the medium M47 Paton II are replaced.

Without waiting for the end of the second stage, in the early 60s, military theorists proposed a new concept for the use of tanks, and, accordingly, a new qualification in accordance with their combat purpose. According to the new theory, there should be three types of tanks:

• for fighting,
• for protection,
• for reconnaissance.

The “battle tank” is maneuverable, well-armored and, most importantly, has powerful weapons for firing at the enemy in any conditions.
"Reconnaissance Tank" must be characterized by high mobility and have reliable means of long-distance communication.
"Security tank" To fight enemy tanks, it must first of all have powerful cannon weapons.

Based on the listed requirements, since 1960, medium and light tanks have been replaced by the main combat M60, and infantry armored vehicles have been used for reconnaissance purposes.

After 1980, the third generation M1 Abrams tank became the main battle tank.

US serial tanks

By the beginning of World War II, the American army had two types of light tanks. The infantry was armed with 292 tanks of the M2A2 and M2AZ modifications. These were double-turret vehicles with a 7.62 mm machine gun in one turret and a 12.7 mm machine gun in the other turret. Motorized cavalry units had 112 M1 and M1A1 combat vehicles in service. Exactly the same weapons were housed in one tower. Structurally similar tanks had the same chassis, which consisted of four road wheels on one side. Interlocked in pairs into two balancing trolleys, they were suspended on vertical buffer springs. The chassis was, perhaps, the main advantage of these, unremarkable and by 1939 quite outdated combat vehicles. Her performance was amazing! In November 1934, the T5 tank (prototype M1) made a test run from the Rock Island Arsenal to Washington, 1,450 km long. The average speed was 48 km/h! Starting on November 14, Captain T. Nixon and J. Proske reached Washington three days later, breaking all speed records for tracked vehicles. Subsequently, this chassis design was used on all American tanks until 1945. The fighting in Europe showed the futility of purely machine gun weapons, which forced the acceleration of the development of a new light tank with artillery weapons.

The first copies of the lightweight M2A4 rolled off the assembly line of the American Car and Foundry plant in May 1940. Its production ended in March 1941 after the production of 365 vehicles. Ten more were manufactured by Baldwin Locomotive Works in April 1942. The M2A4 carried features of both pre-war American tanks (archaic for 1940, for example, five primitive inspection hatches along the perimeter of the turret) and light combat vehicles of the Second World War period. Without leaving a noticeable mark on the history of tank building, the M2A4 became an important milestone in the history of the American army. Its appearance coincided with the creation of tank forces of the US Army. This significant event occurred on July 10, 1940. The first commander was Brigadier General Adna Chaffee, and the headquarters remains at Fort Knox. On July 15, 1940, the formation of the 1st and 2nd tank divisions began, which were mainly armed with M2A4s. These formations became the first of sixteen American tank divisions formed during the Second World War. (Almost all allied tanks and self-propelled guns are shown in detail in the documentary "Allied Tanks")

M2A4 tanks were used mainly for training purposes. They only saw combat once - at the end of 1942 on the Pacific island of Guadalcanal as part of the 1st Marine Tank Battalion. The UK received four tanks under the Lend-Lease program.
Soon after the release of the first vehicles, the design of an improved version of the M2A4 began. The thickness of the armor was increased to 38 mm, which entailed an increase in weight to 12 tons. In order to somehow reduce the specific pressure, the sloth was placed on the ground. This solution made it possible to increase the stability of the machine. For more reliable protection of the power plant, the rear part of the hull was also redesigned.
The first prototype was created on the basis of the M2A4 at the Rock Island Arsenal, and on July 5, 1940 it was accepted into service under the designation “M3 light tank.” American Car and Foundry released the first production M3s in March 1941, immediately after the end of production of the M2A4.

Structurally, the new vehicle repeated its predecessors, incorporating a number of shortcomings inherent in American tanks of the 30s. Thus, its width was limited by the dimensions of the standard American floating bridge of the pre-war years. The high and short hull did not allow placing an artillery system with a caliber larger than 37 mm in the turret. Narrow tracks, borrowed from lighter vehicles, resulted in high specific pressure and limited maneuverability on soft soils.

The main advantages of the Stewart M3 tank include high operational reliability and excellent dynamic characteristics. The armament was also quite powerful, consisting of a 37-mm M6 cannon and five 7.62-mm Browning M1919A4 machine guns (one coaxial with a cannon, the second course-mounted, two in the side sponsons and one anti-aircraft).

During mass production, changes were constantly made to the design of the tank, mainly technological. Thus, the multifaceted riveted turret on early production vehicles gave way to a similar shaped but welded one, and then it was replaced by the so-called “horseshoe-shaped” turret, the side walls of which consisted of a single bent armor plate. On tanks of later production, the hull was assembled using partial welding. From the second half of 1941, a stabilizer was installed on the M3 for aiming a 37-mm cannon in the vertical plane.

In 1942, due to a shortage of standard Continental W670-9A gasoline aircraft engines, some tanks were produced with the Giberson T-1020-4 diesel engine. It should be noted that diesel tanks did not take root in the American army; they were used mainly for training purposes and were exported. In total, from March 1941 to August 1942, 5811 M3 tanks were produced, 1285 of them with diesel engines.

In April 1942, production of the M3A1 modification began. The commander's cupola was replaced with two triangular hatches. The machine guns in the sponsons were eliminated and additional ammunition was placed in their place. (As for M3 tanks, this was often carried out in the army.) Until August 1942, the M3A1 was produced in parallel with the M3. Its production ceased in February 1943; a total of 4,621 units were produced, of which 211 were diesel.

The M3 received its baptism of fire not under the American, but under the English flag. Of the 538 vehicles produced from April to June 1941, 280 were sent to North Africa, where the British 8th Army experienced an acute shortage of armored vehicles. In the British Army, the M3 (and later M5) series tanks were named “General Stewart” - in honor of the American general who commanded the Confederate cavalry during the American Civil War. Depending on the modification, the tanks were called: M3 - “Stuart I”, M3 (with diesel) - “Stuart II”, M3A1 - “Stuart III”, M3A1 (with diesel) - “Stuart IV”. The first Stuarts were received in July 1941 by the 8th Royal Irish Hussars. By November, all three regiments of the 4th Tank Brigade had American tanks. On November 18, 1941, eight kilometers from Gabr Saleh, the 8th Hussars and 5th Royal Tank Regiments of this brigade collided with the 5th German Tank Regiment. As a result, the British lost 11 and the Germans lost 7 vehicles. In December, the brigade was brought to the rear and some results were summed up. It turned out that during two months of intense combat operations, out of 166 “Stuarts” of the 4th Tank Brigade, only 12 units failed due to technical reasons. The British, who constantly struggled with their capricious tanks, were delighted. And in general they liked “Stuart”. In terms of armament, armor and maneuverability, the light American vehicle was in no way inferior to the British “heavy cruisers” A9, A10 and A13. The only thing that did not suit the British was the small power reserve. However, the next batches of Stuarts arriving in the UK were equipped with two additional fuel barrels. The English tank crews nicknamed “Stuart” in a soldierly rude and at the same time affectionate way - “milky”

In the Royal Tank Corps, tanks of both modifications - M3 and M3A1 - were used mainly in North Africa and Burma until the end of 1943. In total, from 1941 to 1943, 1829 and 1594 M3 and M3A1 tanks were sent to the UK under Lend-Lease from the USA, respectively. During the same period, the Soviet Union received 1,676 M3A1 units.

The Stuarts' baptism of fire as part of the American army took place in the Philippines in December 1941. On December 22, five M3s from the US 192nd Tank Battalion encountered a group of Japanese Ha-Go tanks in the jungle. The result was disastrous: the Americans lost four vehicles. Subsequently, all the Stuarts in the Philippines were captured by the Japanese. In February 1945, they again fell into American hands.
As part of the 1st and 2nd Tank Divisions of the US Army, the M3 and M3A1 were used in 1942-1943 in North Africa, and as part of the tank battalions of the Marine Corps - until 1944 in the Pacific Islands. Moreover, the Marine Corps preferred tanks equipped with diesel engines.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the Stuart MZ
Combat weight, t 12,428
Crew, people 4
Length, mm 4531
Width, mm 2235
Height, mm 2515
Ground clearance, mm 420
Armor, mm 10-45
Speed ​​(on highway), km/h 48
Cruising range (on highway), km 113
Rise, deg. 35
Wall height, m ​​0.61
Ditch width, m 1.83
Fording depth, m 0.91
Engines
Option Type Model Quantity Power, hp
1 K "Continental" W670-9A, 7-cylinder, star-shaped, air-cooled, power 250 hp. With. at 2400 rpm 1,250
Armament
Option Type Caliber, mm Model Quantity Ammunition / 1
Gun 37 M5 1 103
Machine gun 7.62 "Browning" М1919А4 5 8270

Country of origin USA
Developer, American Car and Foundry
Number of copies released: 22743
Year of adoption 1941

Despite the fact that the Red Army and the Soviet people bore the brunt of the blows from the Wehrmacht troops, the American allies still managed to fight. Of course, for them that war (no matter what the latest blockbusters say) unfolded mainly in the Pacific direction.

In many ways, World War II tanks helped them break the resistance of the Japanese and make good money from Lend-Lease. American cars are not so famous, but still some of them had good characteristics.

Light tanks

Considering that the legendary engineer Christie was an American, one should not be surprised at the abundance of light tanks in the USA. There were four of them in total, not counting a decent number of various modifications.

M3 "Stuart"

These American light tanks were created back in 1940, and the “cavalry” M1 and the light tank M2A4 were used as a base. The layout was classic: the MTO was located at the rear of the hull, the fighting compartment and controls were in the middle part of the vehicle, and the drive rollers were located at the bow.

The chassis used a typical American solution for that period: four small twin rollers on each side, as well as idler wheels reinforced with powerful springs. The hull and turret were made from ordinary sheet armor by welding and riveting. Armament: five 7.62 mm Brownings and a 37 mm cannon.

Its last modification, M3A3, was released in 1942. Instead of five machine guns, only three were left. In the manufacture of this model, welding was mainly used; the armor plates were arranged with a rational slope. It is considered the most popular light tank in the whole world, since almost 24 thousand vehicles were produced in just a couple of years. A lot of Stuarts were delivered to the USSR under Lend-Lease. In some South American countries, the “old men” could be seen in service right up to the 90s of the 20th century.

M5 "Stuart"

It represents a further development of the ideas laid down in the M3A3. In principle, this American branch of tanks is generally very similar, since the engineers tried to use only proven solutions (mass production). It was armed with the same 37 mm cannon and three 7.62 mm Brownings. This time the gun was equipped with a line of sight stabilizer.

The tank differed from its predecessor in a fundamentally new power plant, represented by two V-shaped gasoline engines with liquid cooling, a fundamentally new design of the entire hull and turret, as well as new control devices.

M22 "Locust"

In 1944, due to the urgent need of airborne units for their own armored vehicles, the M22 Locast was developed and put into service. In principle, these American light tanks were not much different from the M3. The layout remained absolutely identical: the transmission, controls and drive rollers were located in the front of the hull, the crew compartment was in the middle, and the engines were located at the rear.

Only the design of the power plant was completely rethought; a six-cylinder carburetor engine was used, the highlight of which was the horizontal arrangement of the cylinders. This made it possible to make the entire tank much more compact, reducing its silhouette and dimensions. The gun remained the same. The location and design of the rollers were inherited from the M3. Only the guide wheels were made more massive, coupled with better springs.

M24 "Chaffee"

These American World War II tanks also began production in 1944. Due to the rethinking of the role of light tanks, they were used primarily as reconnaissance and landing tanks. They had many parts and components from the M3 and M5 (the fluid coupling and gearbox were borrowed completely), but in their shape and armament the tanks were sharply different from all their predecessors. The hull and turret were made exclusively by welding. The armor plates are located at the lowest possible angles.

Massive hatches were made in the upper glacis and rear to make life easier for repair parts. This time, five pairs of rollers and an individual torsion bar suspension were used. The main weapon was a powerful 75 mm cannon. It was paired with a 7.62 mm Browning machine gun. Another similar machine gun was installed in the front of the tank. For the first time, 12.7 mm Browning M2HB began to be mounted on the roof. To make firing from a cannon more accurate, a hydraulic stabilizer of the Westinghouse system was used.

Medium tanks

These were the more reliable, better armored tanks of World War II. American vehicles in this category made a name for themselves thanks to the Sherman, which was also loved by our soldiers. According to veterans who fought in allied vehicles, it was a luxury T-34. However, first things first.

M3 "Grant"

It became the first medium tank to enter service en masse. The M3 Grant is often confused with the M3 Stuart. Of course, these American tanks (photos are in the article) belong to completely different classes. The main feature was the three-level (!) arrangement of weapons. In the sponson, on the lower tier, a 75 mm cannon was installed with a vertical guidance angle of 32 degrees.

On the second tier there is a turret with a 37 mm gun and a forward machine gun. The third level is represented by another turret with a machine gun, from which it was possible to effectively suppress both ground and air targets. Thus, the development of American tanks (as well as Soviet ones in their time) followed the path of increasing the number of turrets, but this direction was quickly recognized as erroneous.

To rotate the turret with a 37 mm gun, not only a mechanical, but also a hydraulic drive could be used. The gun was aimed vertically using only a mechanical drive. The sights are telescopic, the observation devices are made according to a prismatic design. During manufacturing, casting, welding and riveting were used. The turret, sponson and the entire front section were cast.

As a result, these American tanks of World War 2 turned out to be extremely unconvincing: too weak armor, too high a height, poor placement of weapons, low performance of star aircraft engines (which were chronically in short supply).

Despite the huge amount of weapons, firepower in practical conditions turned out to be very low. In terms of weight, the vehicle was almost identical to the German Tigers, but in terms of combat effectiveness it was at the level of a light tank.

However, the tank was still produced en masse from 1939 to 1942, until it began to be massively replaced by the M4, the more successful tanks of World War II. American cars of this generation turned out to be much better.

M4 "Sherman"

The most popular medium American tank, which was used by both the Americans, the British and the Red Army. He was the last to en masse under Lend-Lease. It was very different in layout and weapon system from previous vehicles. The layout and design of the power plant and suspension remained largely the same, since during the war it was necessary to maintain high production rates as much as possible. Perhaps it was the best American tank.

The chassis was completely copied from the M3. However, excluding the earliest types, the suspension bogies were still greatly changed: for example, the support rollers were now attached to the rear. The housings were made using welding and/or casting. The frontal part was assembled from welded and cast parts by welding, and a 75 mm caliber gun was installed in a turret, which was made exclusively by casting.

At first, these American tanks (photo above) were equipped with air-cooled Continental engines, but they were massively consumed by the aviation industry, and therefore the Americans constantly had to look for alternative types of engines. As a result, the number of serial modifications increased sharply. required a crew of five people. Among the domestic tankers who fought in this “foreign car”, the tank earned good reviews.

Tankers, in particular, liked the high-quality interior decoration and the supply of food (as well as whiskey and good cigarettes), which was packed into the car as a gift. Many lives were also saved by the viscous armor, which (unlike the T-34) did not crumble even when penetrated, which protected the crew from injury from flying pieces of scale.

Heavy tanks

Oddly enough, many military historians believe that American heavy tanks did not exist in principle. The same "Pershing", which was considered a heavy tank, was much inferior in weight to the German "Tiger". However, we had approximately the same situation. The answer is simple - the Wehrmacht classified armored vehicles by caliber, and the Americans and I classified them by their mass.

Tank M6

Production was limited to a small series in 1941 and 1942. It was armed with two guns at once: 76.2 mm and 37 mm guns, paired with each other. In addition, it was equipped with three. Four pairs of double small rollers were used in the chassis.

There were three modifications, the first of which had a hull made by casting, while later they switched exclusively to high-quality welding, which was not a feature of all World War II tanks. American vehicles in this regard were far superior to domestic armored vehicles.

Power transmissions of both hydromechanical and electrical types were used. The tower was made exclusively by casting. To balance the extremely awkward and unstable twin gun system, the rear of the turret had to be significantly lengthened. A commander's cupola was provided, as well as a mount for mounting an anti-aircraft machine gun.

For negotiations, a fairly high-quality walkie-talkie and an internal one created on its basis were used. In general, the design was clearly unsuccessful: the armament for this type of tank was weak, the armor was thin, and the height was too high. Therefore, in total, only 40 units of new equipment were produced, and the M26 was used as the “heavy” vehicles.

Tank M26 "Pershing"

These American World War II tanks were put into service in 1944. Initially they belonged to the class of heavy tanks (losing in all respects to German technology of this class), but due to insufficiently powerful weapons they were soon “demoted” to medium tanks. They weighed 41.5 tons. The body was welded and assembled from ready-made castings and parts. The bottom is trough-shaped. The front part of the body is made by casting and has a rational slope of the surfaces. The tower has an elongated shape, a commander's cupola and a mount for an anti-aircraft Browning are provided.

As for the chassis, a classic torsion bar suspension and six road wheels were used. It was the chassis that tankers greatly respected, as it turned out to be extremely reliable. The engine is a petrol eight-cylinder Ford, of the GAF-V type. Liquid cooling, transmission - hydromechanical. It provided the tank with a high acceleration rate and excellent smoothness.

The main weapon is a 90 mm M3 cannon, from which the armor-piercing weapon was fired at a speed of 810 m/s. It was additionally equipped with a pair of 7.62 mm machine guns, one of which was forward-facing, coaxial with a cannon. A 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun was mounted on the turret. It had a quadrant-protractor, which allowed for fairly accurate shooting from closed positions. M26 managed to take part in the final stage of World War II. In total, about one and a half thousand cars were produced.

Current state of affairs

Modern American tanks have little in common with their predecessors. German specialists had a significant influence on their development. The current Abrams is distinguished by a high profile, massive armor and a large amount of armor space. Unlike tanks from World War II, it has rather rough shapes and powerful weapons, the basis of which is a 120 mm rifled gun. The main difference from its predecessors is the classic suspension and

Thus, modern American tanks are only slightly similar to their predecessors.