5In many ways, the M26 Pershing was the most advanced and most powerful tank fielded by the US military during the Second World War. The prototype T26 "heavy" tank design was developed to answer the threat of the German Panther and Tiger tanks. Unfortunately for US Army tankers, the T26 tank wasn't ready for field use until 1945. The T26, specifically the E3 variant, was adopted and standardized as the M26 "Pershing" in March 1945. While seeing only limited combat during WWII, the M26 would be extensively used by the Army and Marines in Korea. This pictorial history of the Pershing includes the M26/T26E3, T26E1, T26E4, and T26E2/M45. The book includes almost 300 vintage and recent photographs, color profiles, and detailed line drawings.