M26 Pershing Tank in World War II

M26 Pershing Tank in World War II The M26 Pershing was a heavy tank developed for the U.S. Army during World War II. Conceived as a replacement for the iconic M4 Sherman, the M26 suffered from an extended design and development process as well as political infighting among the U.S. Armys leadership. The M26 arrived in the final months of the conflict and proved effective against the latest German tanks. Retained after the war, it was upgraded and evolved. Deployed during the Korean War, the M26 proved superior to the tanks used by Communist forces but struggled at times with the difficult terrain and suffered from various issues with its systems. The M26 was later replaced by the Patton series of tank in the U.S. Army. Development Development of the M26 began in 1942 as production was beginning on the M4 Sherman medium tank. Initially intended to be a follow-on for the M4, the project was designated T20 and was to serve as a test bed for experimenting with new types of guns, suspensions, and transmissions. T20 series prototypes employed a new torqmatic transmission, the Ford GAN V-8 engine, and the new 76 mm M1A1 gun. As testing moved forward, problems emerged with the new transmission system and a parallel program was established, designated T22, which utilized the same mechanical transmission as the M4. A third program, the T23, was also created to test a new electric transmission which had been developed by General Electric. This system quickly proved to have performance advantages in rough terrain as it could adjust to rapid changes in torque requirements. Pleased with the new transmission, the Ordnance Department pushed the design forward. Possessing a cast turret mounting the 76 mm gun, the T23 was produced in limited numbers during 1943, but did not see combat. Instead, its legacy proved to be its turret which was later utilized in 76 mm gun-equipped Shermans. Panther Tank. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-300-1876-02A A New Heavy Tank With the emergence of the new German Panther and Tiger tanks, efforts began within the Ordnance Department to develop a heavier tank to compete with them. This resulted in the T25 and T26 series which built upon the earlier T23. Devised in 1943, the T26 saw the addition of a 90 mm gun and substantially heavier armor. Though these greatly increased the tanks weight, the engine was not upgraded and the vehicle proved underpowered. Despite this, the Ordnance Department was pleased with the new tank and worked to move it towards production. The first production model, T26E3, possessed a cast turret mounting a 90 mm gun and required a crew of four. Powered by the Ford GAF V-8, it utilized a torsion bar suspension and torqmatic transmission. Construction of the hull consisted of a combination of castings and rolled plate. Entering service, the tank was designated M26 Pershing heavy tank. The name was selected to honor General John J. Pershing who had founded the U.S. Armys Tank Corps during World War I. M26 Pershing DimensionsLength: 28 ft. 4.5 in.Width: 11 ft. 6 in.Height: 9 ft. 1.5 in.Weight: 41.7 tonsArmor ArmamentPrimary Gun: M3 90 mmSecondary Armament: 2 Ãâ€" Browning .30-06 cal. machine guns, 1 Ãâ€" Browning .50 cal. machine gunArmor: 1-4.33 in.PerformanceEngine: Ford GAF, 8-cylinder, 450–500 hpSpeed: 25 mphRange: 100 milesSuspension: Torsion BarCrew: 5 Production Delays As design of the M26 came to completion, its production was delayed by an ongoing debate in the U.S. Army regarding the need for a heavy tank. While Lieutenant General Jacob Devers, the head of U.S. Army forces in Europe advocated for the new tank, he was opposed by Lieutenant General Lesley McNair, commander Army Ground Forces. This was further complicated by Armored Commands desire to press on the M4 and concerns that a heavy tank would not be able to use the Army Corps of Engineers bridges. With the backing of General George Marshall, the project remained alive and production moved forward in November 1944. While some claim that Lieutenant General George S. Patton played a key role in delaying the M26, these assertions are not well supported. Ten M26s were built in November 1943, with production escalating at the Fisher Tank Arsenal. Production also commenced at the Detroit Tank Arsenal in March 1945. By the end of 1945, over 2,000 M26s had been built. In January 1945, experiments began on the Super Pershing which mounted the improved T15E1 90mm gun. This variant was only produced in small numbers. Another variant was the M45 close support vehicle which mounted a 105 mm howitzer. An M26 Pershing of A Company, 14th Tank Battalion, is transported aboard a pontoon ferry across the Rhine on March 12, 1945. National Archives and Records Administration World War II Following American losses to German tanks in the Battle of the Bulge the need for the M26 became clear. The first shipment of twenty Pershings arrived in Antwerp in January 1945. These were split between the 3rd and 9th Armored Divisions and were the first of 310 M26s to reach Europe before the end of the war. Of these, around 20 saw combat. The M26s first action occurred with the 3rd Armored on February 25 near the Roer River. Four M26s were also involved in the 9th Armoreds capture of the Bridge at Remagen on March 7-8. In encounters with Tigers and Panthers, the M26 performed well. In the Pacific, a shipment of twelve M26s departed on May 31 for use in the Battle of Okinawa. Due to a variety of delays, they did not arrive until after the fighting had ended. Korea Retained after the war, the M26 was re-designated as a medium tank. Assessing the M26, it was decided to rectify the issues of its under-powered engine and problematic transmission. Beginning in January 1948, 800 M26s received new Continental AV1790-3 engines and Allison CD-850-1 cross-drive transmissions. Along with a new gun and host of other modifications, these altered M26s were redesignated as the M46 Patton. USMC M26 Pershing tank advancing in Korea, September 4, 1950. National Archives and Records Administration With the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the first medium tanks to reach Korea were a provisional platoon of M26s dispatched from Japan. Additional M26s reached the peninsula later that year where they fought alongside M4s and M46s. Though performing well in combat, the M26 was withdrawn from Korea in 1951 due to reliability issues associated with its systems. The type was retained by U.S. forces in Europe until the arrival of new M47 Pattons in 1952-1953. As the Pershing was phased out of American service, it was provided to NATO allies such as Belgium, France, and Italy. The Italians used the type until 1963.

How to Choose the Best ACT Test Locations

How to Choose the Best ACT Test Locations SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips We all want to max out brainpower on the day of the ACT. But what can help, besides studying? One factor worth considering is where you take the test. You want a place that allows you to focus completely on the test without other anxieties, concerns or discomfort. And guess where a lot of test-day anxieties, concerns and discomfort can come from? That's right, they can be direct results of choosing a distracting or inconvenient testing center. In this article, we give you all the information you need to make the right decision about which of all ACT test centers to choose In this article, we’ll cover how you find the ACT locations administering the test. Then, we’ll discuss the important factors you need to consider to choosing your test location. Finally, we’ll give you a few tips and reminders you might not have known about test centers. How Do I Find Which Locations Are Near Me? There are two ways to find test locations. 1) Use the ACT'sSearch Toolto Find a Test Center Near You I recommend that on this form you search by state, and not by city. If you enter the city, you’ll only receive schools for that exact city, not neighboring areas. You’ll see a list of cities and center names. When you click on the addition sign, you'll see the center code and the dates the ACT is offered at that center. Not all centers have all test dates, so make sure you plan ahead! 2) Start Registering for the Test You don't need to go through with the whole registration, and they won't charge you for it. You’ll need to log into your ACT account, and then click the link to register for the test. This will take you through many questionnaires. Finally, when you get to Test Date, choose your intended test date. Go through a few more pages, and you’ll get to the Test Center. On this page, you’ll be able to enter a Zip Code, and the ACT will conveniently show all ACT testing centers within 25 miles. It’s unclear why they don’t make the zip code search available publicly without registering for the test. Which ACT Test Location Should I Choose? Your best choice of ACT test locations depends on a number of factors. In order of importance: How long does it take to get there? How familiar are you with the location and layout? Will you know a lot of people at that location? How will that affect you? Are there known aspects about the location that make it problematic? Let’s cover each in order. How Long Does It Take to Get There? Timing is the primary concern when choosing the test location. Because the ACT requires that you arrive by 8AM sharp, you’ll need to wake up early to get to the test location. For example, if it takes you an hour to drive to the test location, you’ll likely need to wake up around 6AM to have enough time to get energized, eat breakfast, and arrive at the site with time to spare. Keep in mind that the longer you have to travel, the more variability there will be in your arrival time – a 10 minute drive might be delayed only by 5 minutes, but a 60 minute drive can be delayed by 30 minutes. Recommendation: generally try to choose locations that are closer to where you live. How Familiar Are You With the Location and Layout? Knowing exactly how to get to the ACT test center is an advantage. The morning of the test, you want as little distraction as possible when getting yourself in the mindset for acing the test. If you’re driving to an unknown location, you might run into unexpected traffic or construction, and you might confuse directions. This can cause anxiety that might not wear off until well into the test. Similarly, knowing the layout of the test center is helpful during bathroom breaks. Because breaks are tightly regulated in time, getting lost in the hallways of a school can be damaging to your concentration. Test centers at high schools typically use only a small portion of the school for testing, so it’s possible for you to lose your way if you’re unfamiliar with the location. Recommendation: Try to choose a location that you’re familiar with. If you must choose an unfamiliar location, try to scope it out beforehand, or budget extra time to get there and know the layout. Will You Know a Lot of People at That Location? How Will That Affect You? If you choose your local high school like most students, you’ll likely run into a lot of people you know. People respond very differently to this. To some, being around friends is helpful. It relieves the stress of the situation, and chatting casually during breaks might help them feel less nervous. To these people, going to an unfamiliar location with strangers causes additional stress. To others, the opposite is true - being around friends for the ACT is stressful. You might want as little distraction as possible, and talking to your friends might take your head out of the game. You want to concentrate silently during breaks, but you don’t want to give the impression that you’re rudely brushing off your friends. Plus, what if you take the test in the same room as your crush? It might be hard to take the test without sneaking glances at the person. Which group do you fit into? Each person is different, so act accordingly. Recommendation: If being around friends on test day is helpful, register at your high school. If it’s stressful, register elsewhere, keeping in mind the location and layout factors above. Are There Known Issues at the Location That Bother You? You’ll usually only know this ahead of time if you’re thinking about taking it at your high school. Here are things that you might worry about: Temperature control: do you know if the location can maintain a temperature that’s comfortable for you? Windows: do you tend to feel claustrophobic in this location, and might the presence of windows help? Testing environment: do you know if the location has noises, smells, or other factors that might be distracting? Do you tend to focus at school or drift off? Recommendation: Avoid testing centers with known problems that bother you. All these factors bring us to one important question that affect most students: Should You Take the ACT at Your High School? This is the default choice of most test takers, because it happens to be convenient. Some students don’t have this choice because their high school doesn’t offer the ACT – in this case, follow the guidelines above. But if you are able to take the ACT at your high school, don’t just assume this is the best option. You should NOT take the ACT at your high school if: There’s another testing location that is substantially closer to your home (saving more than 10 minutes of transit time) Testing around people you know stresses you out and can throw off your concentration You know there are problems at your school, like bad temperature control, uneven desks, or others. Other Tips and Facts Your test center may be changed before the test. If the ACT doesn’t have enough registered students at your chosen test center, they will reassign you to a different location you didn’t expect. Your test might even get rescheduled due to bad weather or other factors. If the location is unfamiliar, consider visiting it days before the test. You’ll practice getting to the location quickly, and you can take a brief look around so the environment is familiar the day of the test. If you have to choose a test center far away (30 minutes or more), here are some tips. Wake up earlier to give yourself buffer time in case problems happen. Prepare a breakfast to eat on the way, and notes to review on the way there. If music relaxes you, listen to it along the way. You can change your location, but it’ll cost you. If you make the change by the registration deadline, there’s a $23 fee. If you change it after your late registration deadline, your only option is to request standby testing, at which point you might as well take it at your original location. What's Next? Now that you know where to take the ACT, learn WHEN to take it. Find out the best ACT test dates and how you should schedule your tests. What's a good ACT score for you? Read this guide to figure out what score you need to aim for. Want to improve by 4 points or more on the ACT? Click below to get our free guide to 5 strategies you must remember to make big improvements on the ACT. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Laura Registrato About the Author Laura has over a decade of teaching experience at leading universities and scored a perfect score on the SAT. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. No spam ever. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: '360031', formId: '2167ba30-e68e-4777-b88d-8bf3c84579af', formInstanceId: '2', submitButtonClass: 'btn-red-light btn', target: '#hubspot-container2', redirectUrl: 'http://ww2.prepscholar.com/blog-subscribe-thank-you', css: '.post-bottom .hs-form.stacked label {display:none;} .post-bottom .hs-form.stacked .field div.input {padding-top: 55px; padding-left: 300px;} .post-bottom .hs-input {width: 220px} .post-bottom .btn-primary, .hs-button.primary {margin-top:0px; padding-left:350px} .post-bottom .hs-form-field {margin-bottom:5px}' }); $(function(){ $(".exclusive-tip-form #hubspot-container2 label").hide(); }); function replace_tag(a, b){ $(a).each(function(index) { var thisTD = this; var newElement = $(""); $.each(this.attributes, function(index) { $(newElement).attr(thisTD.attributes[index].name, thisTD.attributes[index].value); }); $(this).after(newElement).remove(); }); } $(function(){ replace_tag($(".posts-by-topic h3"), "h2"); }) Ask a Question BelowHave any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply! Search the Blog Search jQuery(function(){ var $ = jQuery; var url = 'http://google.com/search?q=site:' + location.protocol + '//' + location.hostname + ' '; var $searchModule = $('.hs-search-module.59714849-1045-42d1-b8f7-d54be882b5de'); var $input = $searchModule.find('input'); var $button = $searchModule.find('.hs-button.primary'); if (false) { $input.val(decodeURIComponent(location.pathname.split('/').join(' ').split('.').join(' ').split('-').join(' ').split('_').join(''))); } $button.click(function(){ var newUrl = url + $input.val(); var win = window.open(newUrl, '_blank'); if (win) { //Browser has allowed it to be opened win.focus(); } else { //Browser has blocked it location.href = newUrl; } }); $input.keypress(function(e){ if (e.keyCode !== 13) return; e.preventDefault(); $button.click(); }); }); Improve With Our Famous Guides SATPrep ACTPrep For All Students The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section: Score 800 on SAT Math Score 800 on SAT Reading Score 800 on SAT Writing Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section: Score 600 on SAT Math Score 600 on SAT Reading Score 600 on SAT Writing Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? 15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section: 36 on ACT English 36 on ACT Math 36 on ACT Reading 36 on ACT Science Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section: 24 on ACT English 24 on ACT Math 24 on ACT Reading 24 on ACT Science What ACT target score should you be aiming for? ACT Vocabulary You Must Know ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA How to Write an Amazing College Essay What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For? Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide Should you retake your SAT or ACT? When should you take the SAT or ACT? Michael improved by 370 POINTS! Find Out How Stay Informed Get the latest articles and test prep tips! Looking for Graduate School Test Prep? Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: GRE Online Prep Blog GMAT Online Prep Blog TOEFL Online Prep Blog