As you know we need to make some good oponents for the KingTiger, about the americans maybe the Pershing is the only decent one, but I have read that it was not really used in the Western front and that it was mainly used in the Pacific, in the Okinawa battle.
Is this true?, were there Pershings in Europe, maybe not a lot but in small number?
look for info on the "Zebra Mission". It was a pre-production batch of 20 M26E3 Pershings sent to Europe with the intent of combat against Tigers and Panthers to test the design, armor, and 90mm L/53 main gun.
This is what I have heard of.
1 was destroyed by a Nashorn or Hummel at long range near Aachen.
The now well known combat in Cologne where a M-26 killed a Panther in front of the Cathedral in Cologne.
One of only 2 M26E1 "Super Pershing" armed with a 90mm L/100 gun wuth a 3350fps muzzle rate. A tank on a hill over 1500m away fired on a US armored coloum and missed. The Super Pershing fired once and hit the target which caught fire and burned ferociously. The target was later identified to be a Panther.
And there is a story of a Pershing and a Tiger I ausf E fighting in a town. The Tiger got off a shot that glanced off the front side of the Persings turret. The Tiger attempted to withdraw and the Pershing got a shot in to the belly as the Tiger went over a mound of rubble, instantly brewing up the Tiger.
Last edited by Anlushac11; January 8th, 2004 at 09:29 PM.
IIRC didn't the Panther parts go flying hundreds of feet into the air? Might be embelished. I remember reading about flame going very high, the high velocity 90mm was probably the best AT cannon of the war.
The M10 was inaccurate and very weakly armored. A conscript with an SMG could hose it down, or just toss a nade up into the open turret.
The Panther destroyed in front of the Church in Cologne took the first shot to the gun manlet AND DID NOT PENETRATE THE TURRET! Instead the shell was deflected down though the base of the turret and amputated the gunners legs the gunner then died. IIRC either 2 or 3 of the Panthers crew survived.The Pershing fired a second round into the Panther which caused it to catch fire and it brewed up but did not explode.
The Panther that the Super Pershing shot with the 90mm L/100 literally exploded when it was hit. The witnesses said there was a huge fireball and sparks all over the place.
Also the M-10 had about 38mm of armor but was better sloped and could carry a applique armor panels. That would make it similar to a light tank but alot slower.
The problem with the early 76mm guns was discovered to be a ammo problem. The ballistic cap was too soft and didnt work properly to penetrate. The gun design was refined and new ammo was introduced. This time the 76mm gun was kick ass and if you could get the HVAP-T ammo it could kill a Tiger I or Panthers frontal armor at medium to close range.
Last edited by Anlushac11; January 8th, 2004 at 09:45 PM.
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