Heavy tank T26E1 Super Pershing. T26E4 SuperPershing: crooked American dream What perks to download t26e4

Since the landing in Normandy, British and American troops from time to time began to encounter the new German tank PzKpfw VI Ausf. B Tiger II, also known as Königstiger. The generally accepted translation of the second name is “Royal Tiger,” although the word is correctly translated as “Bengal Tiger.” The Royal Bengal Tigers had excellent protection and an excellent 88mm gun for the time. If it were not for the small number of tanks of this type produced - less than five hundred - the soldiers of all countries of the anti-Hitler coalition would have had a lot of problems. However, at the end of the summer of 1944, the American command did not yet have information about the pace of production, so the response measures took an appropriate nature.

Since the beginning of 1944, employees of the Watervliet arsenal have been working on a new towed anti-tank gun. The T15 gun had a caliber of 90 millimeters and, according to preliminary calculations, could hit Panthers at a distance of about two kilometers. To penetrate the frontal armor of the Tiger-2, accordingly, it was necessary to bring it a little closer. Such good performance quickly attracted the interest of the American military, who demanded that the development of the weapon be completed as quickly as possible. Watervliet employees took an original approach when assembling experimental guns. In the arsenal warehouse there were several blanks for guns of a similar caliber. Soon two of them were converted to a channel diameter of 90 millimeters and connected to other gun mechanisms. Two of these guns received the T15 index. Test firing at the Aberdeen Proving Ground for several weeks clearly demonstrated the correctness of the calculations. Thus, the range of penetration of a plate equivalent to the front plate of a Panther with a T44 projectile exceeded 2300 meters. The guns were recommended for mass production.

During testing of the T15 guns, one of the military said, they say, if only such a gun could be used on a tank... No sooner said than done. Workers at the Aberdeen Proving Ground consulted with gunner designers and soon installed the gun on the M26 Pershing heavy tank version T26E1. In this case, the Aberdeen testers were assisted by Wellman Engineering employees. Tests of the new tank were carried out right at the assembly site, all at the same Aberdeen Proving Ground. The tank gun received the index T15E1

The chassis of the slightly updated tank has not changed. The eight-cylinder Ford GAF ​​gasoline engine with a power of up to 500 horsepower provided the tank with highway speeds of up to 30-35 kilometers per hour. This was slightly less than the original Pershing. There were reasons for this and they were as follows. The tank, having received a new gun, “fatten” a couple of tons. The fact is that the new gun had a longer barrel of 73 calibers. In addition to this, the gun was equipped with a muzzle brake, which was located on a long lever. Because of this, the tower had to be seriously redesigned. Firstly, the turret ammunition stowage was removed and a counterweight was placed in its place. Secondly, two balancers of a spring design were installed on the top of the tower. This was very inconvenient for combat use, but sufficient for testing. Despite the increased length of the vehicle with the cannon, it was able to maintain good performance, although due to the counterweight, long barrel and balancers, the maximum speed decreased slightly. Nevertheless, such a sacrifice in the name of firepower was considered acceptable.

Another feature of the new tank, which affected ease of use, was considered unsuitable for keeping. The shells for the T15E1 gun had a length of at least 125 centimeters. Handling such ammunition was not very convenient even in the Pershing’s native turret. As for the T26E1 tanks, their gun had a more massive breech and there was no talk of quickly loading the gun. Because of this, the military demanded that a new ammunition be made with separate loading. The T33 projectile was taken as the basis for the new split shot, and later the T44 was converted in a similar way. The gun also underwent some changes related to the new loading method. The updated gun was designated T15E2.

At the same time as reworking the shells and gun, American engineers brought the experimental tank into a more decent shape. The new modification was named T26E3. The idea with a counterweight at the installation site was taken from the previous prototype, and the spring balancers were replaced with hydropneumatic ones. The greater efficiency of the new compensating devices made it possible to remove them inside the tower and not expose them to the danger of being damaged by enemy fire. The mounting system for the T15E2 gun allowed it to be aimed vertically within the range from -10° to +20°. The ammunition racks contained up to 54 shells and cartridges of various types.

The second prototype of a heavy tank with a 90 mm gun was ready by the end of 1944. The fate of the first experimental T26E1 is interesting. Immediately after testing at the test site, it was quickly sent to Europe to be tested in real conditions. In January 1945, this tank was modified in the field workshop of the 3rd Tank Division. They cut off a sheet of armor from the damaged Panther and placed it on the front of the tank's hull. In addition, the defense of the tower was strengthened in a similar way. After these modifications, the tank once again lost some of its speed, but acquired the nickname: Super Pershing. In a homemade modified form, the Super Pershing with unitary loading went into battle for the first time. Of course, handling the gun was not entirely convenient, but its firepower more than compensated for all other problems.

“Super Pershing” opened its combat account in February 1945. The first target hit was, presumably, a PzKpfw IV of the latest series. Next, the crew of the experimental vehicle knocked out several German tanks. During the battles, the Super Pershing received several minor damage: thanks to its powerful cannon, it was able to attack enemy armored vehicles at ranges at which German tank crews could not fire confidently. The “pearl of the collection” of the T26E1 crew was that same Königstiger. The clash of heavy tanks ended in victory for the Americans. True, this episode can hardly be called indicative. The fact is that the American tank crews caught the moment when the Tiger II, driving onto the wreckage of some building, “showed” its bottom for a few seconds. It was this detail that had to be hit.

The second Super Pershing prototype was delayed in testing and did not reach the front. But thanks to him, the US military leadership in March 1945 ordered the production of a thousand updated vehicles with the T15E1 gun instead of the next M26 Pershing tanks. By the time preparations for serial production were completed, Nazi Germany was defeated. The order for new tanks was suddenly limited to a trial batch of 25 units. These armored vehicles were sent to test sites, where they were used for various purposes related to the development of new tank protection systems - the 90-mm gun was powerful enough to imitate promising anti-tank guns. According to unverified reports, several Super Pershings visited Korea, where they encountered Soviet T-34s. There is no information about the results of such battles.

Crew: 5 people

Dimensions:
Length without gun: 6327 mm
Length with gun: ~10577 mm
Width: 3510 mm
Height: 2780 mm

Weapons:
Main: 90mm T15E1 L\73 or T15E2 L\73 gun; ammunition - 54 rounds
Additional: 2 30-caliber M1919A4 machine guns (local and coaxial) and a 50-caliber anti-aircraft machine gun; ammunition - 5000 and 550 rounds, respectively

Reservations:
Frame:
Frontal (top): 102mm 44°
Frontal (lower): 76mm 37°
Side: 76mm 90° & 51mm 90°
Stern: 51mm 80° & 19mm 28°
Top: 22mm 0°
Bottom: 25mm 0° & 13mm 0°
Tower:
Frontal: 102mm 90°
Gun mantlet: 114mm 90°
Side: 76mm 82° - 90°
Stern: 76mm 85° - 90°
Top: 25mm 0°
Produced: 25 units (2 before the end of the war in Europe)

Characteristics of the T15E2 gun:

HE T42 projectile, early. speed 975 m/s.

AP T43 projectile, early. speed 975 m/s, armor penetration at 30°
500 yards - 132mm
1000 yards - 127mm
1500 yards - 124mm
2000 yards - 122mm

HVAP T44 projectile, early. speed 1143 m/s, armor penetration at 30°:
91st = 310mm (330mm?)
457-m = 244-mm
914-m = 221-mm
1371-m = 196-mm
1828 = 173 mm
Charging: separate
Rate of fire: up to 4 rds/min

Fans of American combat vehicles in the game will be able to conquer virtual battlefields on this premium tank T26E1 Super Pershing

Based on materials from sites:
http://vn-parabellum.com/
http://wwiivehicles.com/
http://peachmountain.com/
http://freeweb.hu/

Super Pershing (T26E4 Super Pershing) is a medium premium tank of the 8th level of the American branch. It is on constant sale and has one of the highest farming ratios. How much does he farm, how does he feel in random, is it worth taking?

TTX T26E4 Super Pershing

Characteristics with the following configuration:

Gun rammer, reinforced aiming drives, vertical aiming stabilizer, improved optics, improved control, reinforced armor

Can of cola, box of cola, improved fuel

gun

90 mm Gun T15E1 (conditionally lvl 8)

Caliber - 90 mm

DPM (on BB) - 2227

Mixing - 4 sec

Accuracy - 0.344

Rate of fire - 9.90 rounds/min

Reload time - 6.06 sec

Obzor – 290.4 m

• Up - 20 degrees
• Down - 10 degrees

Breakthrough

• BB - 205 mm
• Golda - 285 mm
• OF - 45 mm

• BB - 225
• Golda - 190
• OF - 270

Price of shells

• BB – 255 silver
• Golda - 3600 silver (9 gold)
• OF - 255 silver

Mobility

Engine Ford GAF ​​V8 (conditionally 6 lvl)

Weight - 50.97 t

Engine power - 550 hp

Thrust-to-weight ratio - 10.8 hp/t

Maximum speed

• Forward - 40.2 km/h
• Back - 18 km/h
• Average - 28 km/h

Chassis traverse speed - 48.11 degrees/sec

Turret rotation speed - 24.30 degrees/sec

Armor

Durability - 1400

Tower armor

• Forehead - 101 mm
• Board - 76 mm
• Feed - 76 mm

Hull armor

• Forehead - 177 mm
• Board - 76 mm
• Feed - 50 mm

Camouflage

Predatory 1450 gold +3% camouflage.

After update 5.10, any legendary camouflage changes its name. In this case, it adds Predatory to the name of the tank.

Abilities in Mad Games

High octane fuel(increases maximum speed and engine power for 15 seconds, upon completion the chassis and engine are damaged).

Hammer ram(protection from ramming, plus to enemy ramming).

Is it worth buying a T26E4 Super Pershing

When they talk about tanks for farming silver, they mean two tanks - the German Lion and the American T26E4 Super Pershin. What is special about the “American”?

Mobility

Semi heavy, semi ST. Drives slowly, slows down noticeably on rough terrain.

The tower rotates slowly. Noticeably slow.

A situation often arises - you are on the move, your harp is knocked down, and then you turn almost 180 degrees. And it takes time to “catch” the enemy in sight.

Armor

In short, the forehead is as strong as the tower or the hull. Stern and sides are cardboard.

A complex “formula” for protecting the American premium. The thickening in the middle part of the body is shown in red. The screens are clearly visible. Boards Cardboard.

Good frontal armor. Has a “cheat” feature. The enemy in sniper mode will see the VLD (upper frontal fly) in red light. That is, it doesn’t break through. And the forehead of the tower looks gray. But this is just an illusion - the lighting of the penetration zones, the forehead of the turret, in the Super Pershing is deceiving. It's difficult to break through.

You need to target the area above the gun mantlet, in the area of ​​the “pipes” and the commander’s cupola. The commander's cupola armor is 76 mm. At angles with a given value of 125 mm (53 degrees). But it makes its way.

Where to punch

Body forehead

The hull forehead (VLD) according to the numbers is 100 mm. The given armor value is ~ 144 mm (46 deg). The middle part in the area of ​​the triplexes of the mechanical drive is weakened - this area is at a more right angle and the reduced value is smaller (with the same position of the body, the degree of inclination is ~ 29 degrees, which gives approximately 114 mm of reduction).

In the middle part of the body, between the VLD (upper frontal part) and the LLD (lower frontal part), there is a noticeable thickening.

The middle part of the body, under the VLD according to the numbers, is 139 mm. The given value is ~ 199 mm (46 deg).

On the right side of the middle part of the hull there is a noticeable weakening - the area of ​​​​the forward machine gun - according to the figures, 76 mm. The given value is also 76 mm (1 deg).

The lower part of the middle part of the case is 114 mm. The given value is ~ 155 mm (43 deg).

NLD, under the thickening in the middle part of the body - 76 mm, given value - 166 mm (63 degrees).

On top of the entire forehead of the hull there is a sheet of armor in the form of a screen - 38 mm. Given value ~ 59 mm (50 deg)

Tower forehead

According to the numbers - 100 mm. The given value is 117 mm (30 deg).

On top are sheets of armor in the form of a screen. Has up to several layers of screens. Values ​​from 38 - 114 mm.

As a result, individual parts of the turret or hull forehead have an armor thickness of up to 300 mm or more.

General security

Above are the figures for frontal armor. And these numbers are excellent. But the presence of weakened zones in the forehead of the Super Pershing allows, with some luck, to penetrate it.

The sides and stern have values ​​of 50-70 mm (plus/minus). That is, everyone gets there.

gun

There is UVN - 10 g down. But they, UVN, as always, are not enough.

Mixing and accuracy are average. Penetration is enough to confidently penetrate many opponents in the BB.

But a huge minus is the small one-time damage. For STs with mobility, this is the norm. This is not enough for a tank with low mobility.

Generally

A kind of premium. Good frontal armor with a “cheated” feature of deceptive illumination of the zone of penetration of the turret’s forehead. A good weapon with penetration and high explosives.

Questionable mobility. The tower rotates slowly. One-time damage is not enough.

On the front line, in a direct shootout, he feels confident. But it does not forgive mistakes - poor mobility and weak feed/sides make themselves felt. Requires competent calculation. Otherwise, a drain is inevitable.

Has one of the highest form coefficients. Plus, a fairly high level allows you to make a large shot.

What is better to take - Lion and Super Pershing?

This is again a personal opinion. The American, it seems to me, has a slightly higher farm coefficient. But the German feels more confident. Therefore, it is better to take Leo.

How much does he farm?

For example, a few fights. Wins and losses, with a permanent account, full ammunition (two calls and improved fuel).

First fight

Second fight

Third fight

Historical reference

The Americans began work on the T26E4 Super Pershing at the beginning of 1945. The reason for the start of work was the appearance of new tanks by the Germans, such as the Tiger and Panther, the armor of which the tanks in service could not cope with.

To begin with, the Americans created a 90 mm anti-tank towed gun T15E1, a unitary projectile (a projectile and a cartridge case with a propellant charge) which could pierce a Panther in the forehead from a distance of more than 2 kilometers.

However, the long 125 centimeter projectile caused great difficulties with loading in the combat vehicle, and they decided to make the T26E4 Super Pershing gun with separate loading - first the projectile was loaded into the barrel and then the cartridge case with the charge was loaded separately. This gun received the designation T15E2. As a result, the recharge speed decreases.

25 vehicles were produced and one of them even underwent military tests in Europe, in real combat operations. During testing, the experimental vehicle was able to hit several new German tanks, such as the Panther and the Royal Tiger. But in 1947, work on this project was stopped.

Externally, the tank looked like an elephant thanks to the “ears” welded to the mask made of “Panther” armor. Due to the front part of the hull being overloaded with additional armor, the rear of the tank rose. The additional load on the engine led to a decrease in the speed of the car by 10 km/h. In addition, aiming the tank became more difficult, especially on slopes, since the hydraulic mechanism could hardly rotate the heavy, unbalanced turret

What does neglect of armored vehicles lead to?

Before the outbreak of World War II (hereinafter referred to as WWII), the command of the American army paid little attention to its tank forces. In the pre-war period, the US budget allocated a ridiculous amount of $85,000 annually for the development of new tank models. For comparison, the cost of one production M4 Sherman tank of various modifications in the early 40s reached $45,000-57,000. As a result, before the German attack on Poland, the US Army had only 18 M2 medium tanks in service, the design of which was imperfect and, compared to their German and Soviet counterparts, hopelessly outdated. The rest of the American tanks were light, and in the event of a collision with enemy armored vehicles, they could do little to oppose it.

The situation changed somewhat with the beginning of WWII. The Americans hastily developed and adopted the M3 "Lee" medium tank, which largely replicated the layout of the M2, but was better armored and armed. However, the American military was not satisfied with this vehicle either, and in 1942, M4 medium tanks began to enter service with the troops. They could fight on equal terms with the German Pz.Kpfw.IV, which the Americans simply called “fours.” But already on December 1, 1942, German heavy vehicles Pz.Kpfw.VI "Tiger" appeared in the African theater of operations. The American tankers had nothing to oppose these monsters, although work was underway to create new armored vehicles in the United States. Thus, in December 1942 they planned to begin production of the M6 ​​heavy tank that was being developed, but tests revealed a lot of shortcomings in it, so in 1943 work on its improvement continued. As a result, the vehicle was produced as an experimental series and did not take part in hostilities.

Heavy tank Pz.Kpfw.VI "Tiger", blown up and abandoned by the Germans on the street of the Sicilian city of Catania near the Biscari Palace
Source - waralbum.ru

One way or another, in the summer of 1943, American troops landed in Sicily without adequate armored weapons. Here they encountered the German tank division "Hermann Goering", which was armed with, among other things, "tigers". The day of July 10, 1943 almost ended in disaster for the US 7th Army, when troops landing at night from the sea near the city of Jela were attacked in the morning by German tanks and grenadiers with the support of a company of “tigers” (the Americans were saved only by the support of large-caliber naval artillery). In many ways, it was the presence of Pz.Kpfw.VI tanks in Sicily that allowed the Germans to hold the line in the northeast of the island in the area of ​​Mount Etna for a long time and ensure the evacuation of their units to the mainland.

General Patton's Great Mistake

In January 1944, at Tidworth Downs (Great Britain), where the main Allied armored base was located, the high command of the expeditionary forces inspected the available military equipment, as well as samples of promising weapons developments, some of which were not even prototypes, but video footage filmed on test sites. A particularly fierce debate erupted around the T26E3 medium tank, created precisely to counter the German “tigers” thanks to the long development of a whole series of experimental and production tanks - such as the T20, T22, T23, T25 and T26.

The T26E3 tank went through a full cycle of tests and was approved by the commissions of both the supply service and the US armored forces. The Detroit Tank Arsenal was ready to put the vehicle into mass production - fortunately, the vehicle was slightly different from the already produced T23, and to begin production only the consent of the Supreme Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces (hereinafter referred to as SES) was required. Moreover, a schedule was also developed for the delivery of new tanks to England so that they would reach combat units by the start of Operation Overlord for the landing in Normandy.

Tank T26E3 (M26)
Source - wikimedia.org

The commander of Battle Group “A” of the 2nd Tank Division (hereinafter referred to as TD), Brigadier General Maurice Rose, whose units were the first to meet the German “tigers” in battle and felt first-hand the superiority of these tanks over the American ones, advocated stronger than others for their adoption into service. new armored vehicles. Many other British and American tank generals supported his point of view. However, Lieutenant General George Patton, who commanded troops during the African Campaign and the landings in Sicily, believed that the SEF did not need a new heavy tank. According to the doctrine of the actions of armored forces, set out in the then US Army regulations, tanks were supposed to avoid clashes with enemy armored vehicles, entering breakthroughs prepared by infantry, artillery and aviation, then breaking into operational space and smashing enemy rear lines and communications. The modernized medium M4 Sherman could easily cope with these tasks. The M26s were significantly more expensive, consumed more fuel, had a shorter range, and therefore, from Patton's point of view, seemed less preferable. The fight against enemy armored vehicles and infantry support was entrusted to self-propelled artillery units. As a result, the army refused to launch Pershings into production, which later cost the SES hundreds of lost tanks and thousands of dead tankers and infantrymen.

Lieutenant General George Smith Patton
Source - mynews-in.net

The American and British command believed that units of the Allied forces would not encounter a significant number of German “tigers” at the front. The fact is that the Pz.Kpfw.VI was an expensive vehicle - the production of one unit cost the Third Reich 250,800 Reichsmarks (for comparison, the Pz.Kpfw.III cost 96,163, and the Pz.Kpfw.IV - 103,462 Reichsmarks), to Moreover, these tanks were more needed by the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. In general, the American generals were not mistaken in this, but they miscalculated in another way, not foreseeing the appearance of medium tanks more advanced than the Pz.Kpfw.IV by the enemy. Already on the 20th of January 1944, during the landing operation in Anzio, SES units encountered the Pz.Kpfw.V "Panther", the frontal armor of which the Shermans could not penetrate. However, the number of “Panthers” on the western fronts at that time was still small, and the Allies did not attach much importance to this fact. However, after the landing in Normandy, where almost half of the German tank forces were equipped with Pz.Kpfw.V, the Americans found themselves in a difficult position, since they had nothing to oppose the Panthers.

The fact that the famous General Patton had made a cruel mistake was evident to American tankers already in the July battles, when they began to lose their tanks and crews one after another, powerless to somehow influence the situation. The SES was saved only by an overwhelming advantage in the air and the numerical superiority of artillery and infantry. Finally, in November 1944, the top management realized that this could not continue like this, and ordered the production of two thousand T26E3 vehicles. At the tank production (usually called the Fisher Tank Arsenal), created with budgetary funds and placed under the control of the General Motors Corporation, the first 10 T26E3 were produced in November 1944, 30 in December, 70 in January 1945, and 70 in February 1945. 132. The Detroit Tank Arsenal, managed by managers of the Chrysler Corporation, joined production in March 1945, as a result of which the two plants produced a total of 194 vehicles that month. In total, by the end of 1945, American industry produced 2,000 tanks of this model. The first T26E3s arrived in Europe in February 1945. Already in March, they, like battle tanks, were assigned the M26 indices and the traditional “nickname” for American troops, “Pershing” in honor of the American general who commanded the US Expeditionary Force in Europe during the First World War.

Assembly shop of the Fisher Tank Arsenal, where M26s were assembled
Source - mlive.com

"Pershing" as the forerunner of "Super-Pershing"

What were these tanks, which, according to the calculations of American generals, were supposed to fight German armored “predators” on equal terms? In fact, the tank was inferior to its German counterparts in both armor and armament. The 90-mm M3 cannon had a caliber greater than the 88-mm KwK 36 L/56 gun mounted on the Tigers, as well as the 75-mm KwK 42 L/70, which was equipped on the Panthers. At the same time, the American gun had worse penetrating ability, since the initial velocity of its projectile (853 m/s) was lower than that of German tank guns, for which this figure was close to 1000 m/s when firing armor-piercing sabot shells (hereinafter referred to as BPS) .

The frontal armored parts of the Panther hull were thinner (102 mm versus 80 mm for the upper part and 76 mm versus 60 mm for the lower part), but were located at more rational inclination angles. Otherwise, the tanks were almost equal in armor and mobility. The Tigers were still superior to American armored vehicles in all respects, and therefore the crews of the Pershings, although they felt more confident than their colleagues on the Shermans, were also at a loss when meeting with the German “heavyweights”. It was especially difficult for American tankers if they encountered the “Royal Tigers,” whose frontal armor was one and a half times thicker than that of the “Tigers” and “Pershings”, and was located at more rational angles, and the gun even at a distance of 4 kilometers could pierce a vertical 80 mm steel plate.

American response to the “Royal Tigers”

To correct the situation, in January 1945, a 90-mm T15E1 gun with a length of 73 calibers was installed on the Pershing T26E1 prototype, which in its ballistic properties was close to the German 88-mm tank gun of the “Royal Tigers” KwK 43 L/71. To speed up production, two ready-made barrels stored in the Watervliet Arsenal were used. The T15E1 was a tank version of the T16 L73 towed gun, specially created to fight the German “Royal Tiger”. The initial speed of its projectile reached 1175 m/s when firing from the BPS, and it could penetrate the frontal armor of the Panther from a distance of 2400 meters. The new prototype received the index T26E1-1. Its ammunition consisted of unitary cartridges 1250 mm long, which created great inconvenience when loading the gun.

Experimental tank T26E1-1. The springs supporting the gun, mounted above the tank's turret, are clearly visible.
Source - vint-model.ru

The second prototype was equipped with an improved T15E2 cannon, which was charged separately. Because of this, the rate of fire of the new vehicle relative to standard Pershings decreased from eight (for the 90 mm M3) to four rounds per minute. To balance the heavy gun, the length of which reached 73 calibers, two springs protected by armored casings were mounted on the tank’s turret, supporting the barrel. To balance the entire structure, a steel frame with a counterweight was welded onto the back of the tower. In addition, the gun cradle was strengthened, as well as the mechanisms for pointing the gun and turning the turret.

The new tank was given the index T26E4, and both models with separate loading and unitary cartridges were secretly dubbed “super-Perschings”. T26E4 was launched into a pilot series, as a result of which the total number of “super-Perschings” increased to 25 units.

Structurally, the T26E4 differed from the M26 only in the gun and counterweights. At the same time, the chassis of the new tank remained the same - each side had six rubber-coated road wheels with a diameter of 660 mm and five rubber-coated support rollers. Due to the rear location of the transmission, the rear pair of wheels was the drive, and the front pair was the guide. The width of the tracks with rubber-metal hinges reached 609.6 mm. The suspension was torsion bar with telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers on the first two and last two rollers, while the first rollers were locked with a sloth on a common balancer and had two shock absorbers each.

The “super-pershings” were equipped with a forced engine, which was also supplied to the “Shermans” of the M4A3 model - a V-shaped eight-cylinder liquid-cooled gasoline engine GAF V8 manufactured by the Ford company. For the new tanks, this 550-horsepower power plant was still insufficient due to the fact that their weight was 13 tons higher than the weight of the Shermans. However, the American industry at that time could not offer other tank engines.

GAF V8 V-eight at Bovington Tank Museum
Source - wikimedia.org

Front-line soldiers have their own opinion about perfection

Of the twenty-five Super Pershings, only one took part in the battles. Many sources contain information that it was a T26E1-1, the cannon of which fired unitary cartridges. However, Belton Youngblood Cooper, who fought on the Western Front with the rank of lieutenant in tank forces, recalls that the tank's gun was loaded separately: “The T15E1 gun used standard 90mm shells, but the separate-loading case was longer to accommodate a larger powder charge. At first, it took two people to load the gun, but with some experience, one could handle it, albeit not without difficulty.”

Initially, the “super-Pershing” entered the repair battalion of the 3rd TD for modification - practical officers had their own point of view on how thick the frontal armor of a vehicle that intended to compete on an equal footing with the “Panthers” and “Royal Tigers” should be. Lieutenant Cooper, as a certified shipbuilder and the happy owner of a slide rule, was entrusted with the work of increasing the frontal armor protection of the new tank. As a result, American repairmen carried out the following work:

• From sheets of 38-mm boiler steel found at a nearby German enterprise, linings for the upper and lower frontal armored parts of the hull (hereinafter referred to as VLB and NLB) were cut out, which repairmen welded on top of them, connecting each other with the letter “V”. Since the sheets were given a more rational angle of inclination (the Pershings had frontal armor sheets located at an angle of 52° to the vertical), a gap appeared between them and the junction of the VLB and NLB;
• From the same 38-mm steel, two more pads were welded on top of the previous linings, located at even more rational angles of 60° to the vertical, and therefore a gap also formed between both additional layers of “armor.” Thus, at the junction of the VLB and NLB, the total armor thickness increased to 180-200 mm;

• From the turret of the damaged Panther, repairmen cut out a fragment of 88-mm armor measuring 150x60 cm. In it they made holes for a gun barrel, a coaxial machine gun and a sight. This plate was placed on the gun barrel, advanced to the gun mantlet and tightly welded to the armor. Since it weighed almost 650 kg, the center of gravity of the barrel shifted 35 cm forward from the trunnions;

Photo of the Super-Pershing, most likely taken during the process of strengthening its armor - the frontal armor parts and turret have been strengthened, but additional counterweights have not yet been welded
Source - modeland.com.ua

• To balance the barrel on the sides of the plate, borrowed from a captured Panther, specific shaped parts were welded as counterweights with narrow ends. Being a little more than a meter long, they had a constant width (30 cm) for the first 45 centimeters, and then expanded twice as much, simultaneously covering the “cheekbones” of the tower. They were cut out of the same boiler steel;

“Ears” are clearly visible on the Super-Pershing turret - counterweights welded to the plate that reinforced the turret’s armor.
Source - precision-panzer.moonfruit.com

• Since this was not enough to balance the gun, repairmen welded additional 38-mm steel plates measuring 30x60 cm onto standard counterweights attached to the back of the turret, using trial and error to balance the entire “gun-turret” system.

The resulting monster turned out to be 7 tons heavier than the standard Super-Pershing - its weight reached 50 tons, which is why the vehicle finally became a heavy tank. Externally, the tank looked like an elephant thanks to the “ears” welded to the mask made of “Panther” armor. Due to the front part of the hull being overloaded with additional armor, the rear of the tank rose. The additional load on the engine led to a decrease in the speed of the car by 10 km/h. In addition, aiming the tank became more difficult, especially on slopes, since the hydraulic mechanism could hardly rotate the heavy, unbalanced turret.

The back side of the tower – the counterweights are clearly visible
Source - karopka.ru

Nevertheless, the tank crews of the 33rd Armored Regiment who arrived to master the vehicle were completely satisfied with it, since powerful armor increased their chances of surviving the bloody meat grinder of the last months of that war.

The tank was tested by firing in the field - a damaged JagdPz.IV self-propelled gun was chosen as the target. From a distance of 2400 meters, the Super-Pershing fired several shots at it. This is how Belton Cooper describes the results of the hit:

“Standing behind the Sherman, one could follow with one’s gaze how its projectile flies out of the muzzle and rushes towards the target, descending slightly. The shot from the Pershing looked completely different. We barely noticed the first shell. It seemed as if it even lifted itself off the ground a little before hitting its target. It was, of course, an illusion, but the effect of the shot was amazing. When the shell hit the armor, sparks flew into the air in a fountain of about twenty meters, as if the self-propelled gun had been touched by a gigantic grinding wheel. And when we examined the target, I lost my tongue. The 90-mm shell penetrated 100 millimeters of armor, then broke the drive shaft of the last stage of the gearbox, passed through the fighting compartment, pierced the aft bulkhead, passed the 100-mm crankshaft of the Maybach, a self-propelled gun engine, and, having pierced the 25-mm sheet of aft armor, burrowed into the ground so deep that we never found it.”

"Super-Pershing" goes to war

On the morning of March 23, 1945, along with other armored vehicles, the Super-Pershing near the town of Bad Honnef was transported across a pontoon bridge across the Rhine to the Remagen bridgehead. The 3rd TD, along with the rest of the VII Corps forces, concentrated on the northern flank of the bridgehead. The corps had to cover the so-called “Ruhr Pocket” from the south, and the 3rd TD in this offensive played the role of the steel tip of the ramming strike.

The Super Pershing entered its first battle during the final stages of the operation on its way from the Weser River to the city of Northeim. Retreating from the bridgehead captured by the Americans on the eastern bank of the river, German units left ambushes on the roads that blocked advance along them with fire. One such firing point, set up on the slope of a forested hill one and a half kilometers from the road, opened fire on the advancing American column. The Super-Pershing moving in her head turned the turret and fired an armor-piercing shell at the enemy. A fountain of bright sparks that flew up fifteen meters indicated that the hit target was most likely a tank or self-propelled gun, whose ammunition immediately detonated. However, the American tank crews had neither the time nor any particular desire to check what kind of object they hit.

The most famous and most controversial Super-Pershing battle took place in the city of Dessau on April 21, 1945. Staff Sergeant Joseph Maduri's crew encountered a German tank, later identified as a Tiger by Corporal John P. Irwin (Super Pershing gunner).

The 3rd TD stormed Dessau, which was well prepared for defense, from four sides at once. She managed to break through only after the artillery destroyed or swept away with fire numerous reinforced concrete gouges and other anti-tank obstacles that blocked all the entrances to the city. The Super-Pershing reached one of the intersections in the city and was turning right when, two blocks away at a distance of approximately 550-600 meters, the crew saw a heavy German tank. The Tiger hurried to open fire, but its shell flew higher than the turret of the American tank.

Staff Sergeant Joseph Maduri
Source - 3ad.com

Gunner John "Jack" Irwin responded almost instantly, slamming a shell into the Tiger's upper glacis. But the Super-Pershing had high-explosive fragmentation ammunition in its barrel, since the American tankers did not expect to encounter armored targets in the city. As a result, the hit did not cause much damage to the German tank - the shell ricocheted off the armor and exploded in the air.

At this time, the American crew felt a shock from hitting the tower. It was never possible to find out whether it was the crew of the Tiger who fired, or whether the Super-Pershing was hit from some other anti-tank gun. Be that as it may, the shell did not penetrate the armor, but only left a mark on it. Meanwhile, the Americans managed to reload the gun, and Irwin fired at the Tiger a second time. He just ran over a pile of broken bricks and for a moment showed his lower frontal armored part and even part of the bottom. An American shell hit this vulnerable spot, causing the German tank's ammunition to detonate and its turret to fly off its shoulder strap. Not a single member of the Tiger crew managed to leave it.

The Super-Pershing did not linger near the defeated tank, but moved further into the city, the fighting for which continued the next day. In these battles, Maduri's crew knocked out another Pz.Kpfw.V "Panther" tank, disabling its drive wheel and knocking down its track with the first shot. The German 50-ton vehicle was turned around on the spot, and the Americans fired a second shell into its side armor. As a result of the hit, the ammunition in the German tank detonated.

The crew of another German medium tank surrendered to Staff Sergeant Maduri without a fight - the German tank crews did not want to tempt fate and test for themselves the penetrating power of the long gun with which their enemy tank was armed.

On American Internet resources and in publications, from where the information migrated to Russian-language resources, it is stated that the “Tiger” shot down by Maduri’s crew was in fact the “royal” Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B. However, there could not be any “royal tigers” in Dessau - the closest of them at that time were fighting as part of the 502nd battalion of SS heavy tanks a hundred kilometers northeast (in Fürstenwald), trying to stop the Soviet troops rushing towards Berlin. So, most likely, the knocked out tank was an ordinary “Tiger”, as this tank was identified by John Irwin in his book “Another River. Another city". In this case, it may well turn out that it was not the Tiger, but the Pz.Kpfw.IV of the latest modifications that entered into a duel with the Pershing of Maduri’s crew.

Unusable heavyweight

The post-war life of the Super Pershings was short-lived. The vehicle turned out to be crude, slow-moving, unsuited to modern maneuverable combat, with a very low rate of fire and a gun that was too long. Therefore, the original plans to produce thousands of Super Pershings at once were cancelled. The last photographs of Staff Sergeant Maduri's tank were taken at the "cemetery" of American armored vehicles, located in the Kassel area.

"Super-Pershing" of Staff Sergeant Maduri in the "tank graveyard" near Kassel. Photo taken in June 1945 by Colonel J.B. Jarrett
Source - warl0ckwot.wordpress.com

Interestingly, in the network computer game World of Tanks, the “Super-Pershing” is known exactly in the form in which it received after artisanal modifications carried out by the repair battalion of the 3rd TD. In fact, the appearance of this tank as standard was somewhat different.

The “Super Pershings” remaining in the United States were withdrawn from service in 1947 and the bulk were sent for melting down. Another part of them was used at tank training grounds as targets, so not a single copy of this tank has survived to this day.

Army weapons engineers were interested in sending the new tank into battle in the hopes that it would take on the King Tiger. Having already lost several new M26s to German anti-tank guns with high muzzle velocity, we knew that its armor was still inferior to that of the Tiger. My job was to design and install additional armor on the new tank.

A well-equipped German repair shop had several large pieces of boiler plate one and a half inches thick. We decided to use a laminating scheme for the glacis. We cut two pieces from the boiler plate and joined them in a V shape to fit onto the V shape formed by the glacis and the bottom glacis. The upper frontal plate of the hull was inclined 38 degrees from the horizontal, which gave 52 degrees from the vertical and was considered a sufficient angle to cause a ricochet. This provided zero clearance at the top and about 3 inches below the joint where the bottom sheet joined.

We cut the second boiler sheet in the same manner and positioned it at a 39 degree angle above the first sheet. There was a 7 to 8 inch gap underneath where it met the bottom sheet. We ended up with 4 inches of cast tank armor on the glacis and two one and a half inch thick boiler plates with space between them. We decided that although the boiler plate was softer, the lamination and reduced angle of the armor would help German shells ricochet. The new armor added about 5 tons of weight to the front of the tank. We used a ruler to measure how much the torsion bar suspension would sag in front.

We then cut a section from the front plate of a padded German Panther and cut it to size - three and a half inches thick*, 5 feet long and two feet wide. A large hole was cut in the middle for a gun barrel and two small holes on the sides for a coaxial machine gun and a telescopic sight. We placed this plate on the barrel, moving it all the way to the mask, and welded it tightly along the entire circumference. This plate, weighing fourteen hundred pounds, shifted the center of gravity 14 inches forward of the trunnion axis, making the gun barrel significantly heavier toward the front.

The Super M26 Pershing already had balancer springs on top attached to the turret and original mantlet, which we assumed would compensate for the long length of the gun barrel. However, the weight we added exceeded the force of the balancer springs, and the gun barrel tilted downward at the front. The mechanical gearbox inside the turret used to raise and lower the barrel turned out to be insufficient for such a weight.

To compensate, we took two pieces of one and a half inch boiler plate and cut out some ridiculous looking counterweights about three and a half feet long - at one end they were about two feet wide for the first 18 inches and then flared out to about two feet over the next 24 inches. We welded the narrow edges to the sides of the mask, made from Panther armor, so that they went back horizontally and widened, protruding slightly beyond the turret. Thus, the heavy part ended up behind the trunnions, forming a counterweight effect. These counterweights helped, although it was still difficult for the gunner to aim the barrel upward using the mechanical elevation drive.
It was clear that more weight had to be added to these counterweights, but the question was how and where. From my limited knowledge of theoretical mechanics, I knew that this would require a lot of calculations, information and time, which we did not have. [...]

We decided to use the empirical method. They took several one-and-a-half-inch slabs, one foot wide and two feet long, and clamped them to the back of the large counterweights. By moving this weight back and forth, through trial and error, we finally found a balance point where the implement could easily be raised and lowered by hand. Then we welded the plates into place.

With the gun facing forward, the tank looked like an angry elephant rushing forward. The long trunk stuck out like a trunk; large, characteristically shaped counterweights looked like ears; and the holes in the mask for the telescopic sight and machine gun resembled eyes. We hoped that it would make the same impression on the Germans.

The turret had already been modified at the rear with large counterweights to compensate for the long gun. For the same purpose, we added more weight. However, when the tank was on a slope it was difficult to turn the gun even with the help of a power drive. This problem was noticed on the German Panther. If it was on a steep slope and the gun was facing down, it would take a long time for the German gunner to turn the turret straight using the manual turning mechanism.

Now we have added 7 tons to the tank. We checked the ground clearance again and found that the support wheels had sank another two inches. This resulted in the back of the tank sticking up like an excited wild drake. Despite its ridiculous appearance and the fact that we had probably reduced our speed by almost 5 miles per hour, the tank, with its 550 horsepower engine, still had plenty of power.

Then we tested the ride quality and drove to the edge of the hollow for test firing. After searching around for a suitable target, they finally found a knocked out German Jagdpanzer IV assault gun, which was destroyed by a single hit on the side and did not burn. We hooked him to one of our tow hooks and hauled him to the other side of the hollow, to the very bottom, about 50 feet below the ridge. Jagdpanzer was placed with its forehead towards us. The distance to the target is about one and a half miles.

The ammunition for the T15E1 90mm gun was standard 90mm round, only the cartridge case was longer to accommodate more powder charge. First we used two people to load the projectile into the barrel. However, with a little practice, one person could do this, although with some difficulty. It was normal for an experimental tank to have certain problems.

Major Dick Johnson sent for a crew for this tank to the 33rd Tank Regiment. We taught them the instructions, while also teaching ourselves. The sergeant in charge of the artillery armament and firing had previously aligned the gun, and we were ready to fire. I made sure that everyone stood back on the sides and behind the tank so that the flash from the shot would not hit anyone.

Everyone who stood behind the M4 Sherman could see how the shell flew out and, describing a small arc, rushed towards the target. This new weapon with a high muzzle velocity was completely different from those we were used to. At the first shot we could barely see the shell. It seemed to go up slightly, although in fact it hit the target. It was an optical illusion, but the effect was amazing. When it hit the target, sparks shot up almost 60 feet into the air, as if a giant grinding wheel had struck metal.

Looking at the target, I was dumbfounded. The 90mm shell penetrated four inches of armor, went through a five-inch differential shaft, the fighting compartment, the rear wall of the fighting compartment, penetrated a four-and-a-half-inch Maybach engine crankshaft, an inch of rear armor, and buried itself in the ground so deep that it could not be found. Although our armory officers at Aberdeen told us that a tank gun could penetrate thirteen inches of armor from a hundred yards, it was still hard to believe such monstrous power. We all realized that we now have a weapon capable of tearing apart even the most powerful German Mark VI Tiger.

We instructed the new crew on how to handle the gun and let everyone fire. We explained that the new ammo was longer and harder to load, and the extra armor made shifting more difficult, but with a little practice they could handle it. Although the tank had additional armor, they should not be foolishly exposed. The goal was to engage in battle under the most favorable conditions and see what the tank could do against German armor.

The crew was so happy to receive this tank that people were ready to endure any inconvenience. I'm sure they felt that a tank, probably the most powerful American, German or Soviet, would increase their chances of survival.

I told Major Johnson that his crew should become thoroughly familiar with the tank, particularly the final drive, tracks and engine, since the additional seven tons would cause some maintenance difficulties. Despite this, I felt that the tank would do the job.

* To be precise, the Panther's frontal plate was not 3.5 inches (88.9 cm), but 3.1496063 inches (80 mm). Belton Cooper rounded the figure using the American measurement system, which resulted in an error.

From the fifth of May the company Wargaming announced the start of a promotion in which the main prize will be a premium medium tank T26E4 SuperPershing. You have probably already familiarized yourself with the terms of the promotion, and some have even managed to replenish their hangar with this wonderful machine. T26E4 SuperPershing- American tank VIII level, with a reduced level of battles, that is, you are almost always at the top, except that occasionally you will be brought into battles of the ninth levels.

We refer "Pershing" to medium tanks only because the commanding voice of the developer told us so. In practice, it is more likely to be a heavy one, as evidenced by its armor and dynamics. In several updates, the tank's characteristics were cut, greatly spoiling the angles of the front plates, and, of course, after this, the players' interest in this vehicle noticeably waned. But not so long ago, we began to hear rave reviews about the Pershing, which we were initially skeptical about. But we still decided to try this car one more time and refresh our opinion about it.

Fighting on "Superpersching", it's better to use tactics TT: be in front using armor and force the enemy into close combat. If you want to achieve an advantage in random battles, the iron rule should be the use of sub-caliber shells. Their armor-piercing - 258 mm, so you can punch almost everyone you meet, anywhere and from any angle, even TT ninth level.

To save money, armor-piercing shells should also be used - they will help dismantle cardboard tanks, for example, from the new branch of German Tank destroyer, well, you don’t have to transfer gold to vehicles up to the seventh level. For those who still want to play exclusively armor-piercing to earn silver, it is better to take another tank, because with penetration in 170 mm with heavy “nines” you will face a lot of disappointments. Increased earnings T26E4 serves not to accumulate silver, but to compensate for the costs of the same premium shells and Coca-Cola.

But you can still play with a small advantage. And while you are thinking whether it is worth earning money on sleepless nights 75 000 experience for each nation to get this tank on sale, or take it faster "Pershing" in the store, but in the end you won’t even earn credits on it, we will describe to you a couple of its positive features.

First of all, you will almost always dictate the terms of the game, since SuperPershing is the one who mostly ends up at the top of the team's list. Secondly, if you are a fan of fighting with heavy tanks, you will be satisfied "Superpershing"— he copes with the role of TT quite well.

The armor has noticeably deteriorated, and everyone probably knows where to pierce it. That's right, into the turrets. But SuperPershing does not interfere with enjoying the game.

Characteristics table from the armored site

A little about the characteristics

90 -mm gun has penetration 170 mm And 240 units of average damage. Penetration by armor-piercing shells - not to say that it couldn’t be worse, it’s worse KV-5. But here magical sub-caliber shells come to the rescue, which pierce 258 mm armor. Such power can only be matched by the power of a French premium tank FCM 50t.

Mixing time for TT not bad, the spread is worse - 0,38 on 100 m, but this is better than all premium tanks of this level. In a minute, according to passport data, we can apply 1756,8 units of damage. The indicators are not championship-level, but decent.

The hull is well armored, there is only one small vulnerable area where a machine gun is installed. The tower is also quite well armored. It is rarely pierced from the front, but it can be obtained in "cheeks", if the opponent is very lucky. The main problem is the hatches on the roof of the tower; If you let the enemy aim at you, then that’s where he’ll probably shoot.

Seeing the power density 9.89 hp/t, do not rush to get upset, the tank has underestimated soil resistance indicators, and its 35 km/h he types quite vigorously. The turret's rotation speed is not bad, and if you help yourself with your body, the enemy will not be able to spin you.

Crew

Five team members are enough if you are planning to develop the crew of other medium tanks of the same nation. No one has a team of more than five people, but 10th There are generally four levels.

As for skills, everything is the old fashioned way. The commander first studies "sixth Sense", other - "repair". The second skill will be "the Brotherhood of War", which will improve all tank parameters by approximately 5% . Next, the commander masters "repair", because he was the only one who failed this course.

To increase equipment damage and increase the likelihood of setting the enemy on fire, the gunner becomes "sniper". We instruct the driver mechanic to become "virtuoso" and quickly turn the car around. Radio operator studying "radio interception" to increase viewing range. We offer the loader a skill "desperate", which will increase the reload speed with the remaining 10% integrity. Personally, on this tank I repeatedly received "Warrior" with the remaining few percent strength. Further at your discretion - you can study it for all crew members "disguise" or select skills to suit your playing style.

Additional equipment and gear

Basic fighting style SuperPershing is an attack, and we choose equipment accordingly. First of all we install improved ventilation to improve all tank characteristics. The second cell will be occupied vertical stabilizer for greater accuracy. In the last cell we will set rammer so that recharging occurs even faster.

What equipment we need Coca Cola, which improves all characteristics, which is important for an attacking style of play. The remaining two places are occupied first aid kit And repair kit. When deciding whether to buy premium consumables, focus on the state of your silver or gold reserves.

In battle

Playing on T26E4 SuperPershing, choose places where the enemy is most likely to come at you head-on - then killing him will not be difficult. This tank is uncomfortable when shooting at long distances: the accuracy is quite low, the aiming is not too fast, and the stabilization is mediocre.

Let's note the vertical aiming angles - ten degrees down and twenty degrees up. Try to make full use of this rather strong advantage. If your crew does not yet have a “combat brotherhood”, it is better to install coated optics instead of ventilation. Thanks to this and a good overview of 390 meters, you will be able to detect the enemy, inflict damage on him and not get on enemy radars.

The main idea of ​​the game is "Superpersching" is to drive in the most dangerous directions, especially if you are at the top. Try to engage in close combat using the front armor. If the enemy is in front of you, then he can only cause damage by aiming at the turrets, which are not so easy to hit, and if you constantly move and fire, throwing off the enemy’s aim, the task becomes much more difficult.

the main problem SuperPershing- this is its dynamics, which needs to be improved in every possible way. The first and simplest - Coca Cola instead of a fire extinguisher, since the tank burns very rarely. Will help you with skills "the Brotherhood of War", and from equipment - improved ventilation.

Having played for "Pershing" a couple of hundred battles after the changes, I can say that how TT he is beautiful. Here are the results of the last session on SuperPershing for thirty battles.

• Average damage: 1834;
• Average number of killed per battle: 1.2;
• RE: 1370;
• WN6: 1543;
• WN7: 1543;
• WN8: 2801;
• Silver received: 2,104,199.