Medium Tank M451-8
The M45 medium tank was the close-support version of the M26 Pershing, fitted with a new turret and armed with a 105mm howitzer. The massive howitzer shield and increased frontal turret armor were necessary to compensate for the installation of the 105mm howitzer M4, which was lighter than the M3 90mm gun of the M26. By the time the M45 reached production, however, interest in 105mm howitzer tanks had waned, and production was cut back to less than 200 vehicles. The M45 was reclassified as a heavy tank on June 29, 1944, but changed back to a medium in May 1946.
References
- Hunnicutt, R.P. Pershing: A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series. Bellingham, WA: Feist Publications, Inc., 1996.
- TM 9-735 Medium Tanks M26 and M45. Washington, DC: Dept. of the Army, 5 Aug 1948.
- ORD 9 SNL G-226 List of All Service Parts for Tank, Medium M26; Tank, Medium, M45. Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 7 June 1948.
- TM 9-324 105-mm Howitzer M4 (Mounted in Combat Vehicles). Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 22 August 1950.
- TM 9-2800-1/TO 19-75A-89 Military Vehicles (Ordnance Corps Responsibility). Washington, DC: Depts. of the Army and Air Force, 13 Feb 1953.
- Sola, Samuel, Vincent Bobkowski, and Kara Crocker. Weapon Mounts for Secondary Armament. Santa Monica, CA: G. O. Noville & Associates, Inc., April 1957.
- Chamberlain, Peter, and Chris Ellis. British and American Tanks of World War Two. Frome, England: Cassell & Co., 2000.
- Miller, David. The Illustrated Directory of Tanks of the World. Osceola, WI: MBI Publishing Co., 2000.
Last updated 28 Apr 2024.
Questions? Comments? Corrections? Email me
© Copyright 2001-24 Chris Conners
