M26 T99

This page is about the premium American medium tank M26 T99. For other versions, see M26 (Family).

M26 T99

M26 T99

USA

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
6.7	6.7	6.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Medium tank

Purchase:7 480

Description

The Medium Tank M26 T99 is a premium tank introduced into War Thunder in Update 1.53 "Firestorm". The vehicle is essentially a M26 Pershing tank equipped with rocket pods on both sides of the turret. With a total of 44 M8 rockets, players have more firepower options aside from the 90 mm M3 gun, allowing for quick follow-up attacks while the 90 mm reloads.

Though the M26 Pershing brought a new level of firepower and protection for American tankers in the late end of World War II in Europe, there was a perceived need for additional firepower to be attached to the vehicle. Perhaps inspired by the Calliope based on the M4 Sherman, the M26 upgrade was done by attaching T99 rocket launcher pods on both sides of the turret that can hold a total of 44 rockets. This modified M26 was tested at Aberdeen around December 1945, after the conclusion of World War II. With not much mentions of the tank after this testing period, the M26 with T99 launchers was presumably caught up in the post-war military budget cuts and cancelled.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull101 / 76 / 51

Turret101 / 76 / 76

Crew5 people

Visibility105 %

Armour type:

• Cast homogeneous armour (Front, turret)
• Rolled homogeneous armour (Side, Rear, Roof)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	101.6 mm (42-46°) Front Glacis 162.5 mm (25-60°) Upper front glacis 76.2 mm (28-53°) Lower Glacis	76.2 mm (0-1°) Front 50.8 mm (0-3°) Rear	50.8 mm (7°) Top 22.2 mm (71°) Bottom	22.2 mm
Turret	101.6 mm (1-55°) Turret front 114.3 mm (1-84°) Gun mantlet	76.2 mm (3-54°)	76.2 mm (1-79°)	25.4 mm
Cupola	76.2 mm	76.2 mm	76.2 mm	25.4 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 25.4 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB54 / 18 km/h

RB and SB49 / 16 km/h

Number of gears6 forward

2 back

Weight42.5 t

Engine power

AB954 hp

RB and SB500 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB22.4 hp/t

RB and SB11.8 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	54	18	42.5	775	954	18.24	22.45
Realistic	49	16		442	500	10.4	11.76

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB2 510

RB2 957

SB3 847

Crew training10 000

Experts340 000

Aces890

Research Aces1 180 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 130 / 190 / 220 %

2 × 184 / 184 / 184 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Suspension Brake System Filters Transmission Engine	Improved Parts Improved FPE Crew Replenishment	Horizontal Drive 90mm_us_M82_APCBC_ammo_pack Adjustment of Fire 90mm_us_M304_APCR_ammo_pack Elevation Mechanism Artillery Support 90mm_us_M313_Smoke_ammo_pack

Armaments

Main armament

90 mm M3 cannon

Ammunition70 rounds

First-order10 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

9.7 → 7.5 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 20°

90 mm M3					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	70	-10°/+20°	±180°	N/A	20.0	27.7	33.6	37.2	39.5	9.75	8.63	7.95	7.50
Realistic					12.5	14.7	17.9	19.7	21.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
T33 shot	APBC	175	172	160	146	134	122
M82 shot	APCBC	185	182	169	155	142	130
M304 shot	APCR	287	281	259	234	211	191
M71 shell	HE	20	20	18	17	16	16

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
T33 shot	APBC	853	10.91	-	-	-	47°	60°	65°
M82 shot	APCBC	853	10.91	1.2	14	137.2	48°	63°	71°
M304 shot	APCR	1,021	7.62	-	-	-	66°	70°	72°
M71 shell	HE	823	10.55	0.2	0.1	1,210	79°	80°	81°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
M313	821	10.7	9	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty	9th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
70	65 (+5)	58 (+12)	50 (+20)	42 (+28)	34 (+36)	26 (+44)	17 (+53)	11 (+59)	1 (+69)	No

Ammo racks of the M26 T99

Notes:

• Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
• Rack 9 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 10 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
• This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 9 - 1 - 2 - etc. until 8.
• If you pack 17 (+53) shells, it will keep most of the hull empty of ammo.
• Full reload speed will be realized as long as shells are available in the ready rack 9. If the ready racks is empty, a penalty to reload speed will occur.
• Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-8 into rack 9. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
• 1 shell from rack 2 remains in the rack until it is fired after rack 7 is emptied. For the purpose of clarity, it is counted as belonging to rack 7 in the table above.

Additional armament

114 mm M8 rocket

Ammunition44 rounds

Vertical guidance-10° / 20°

Flight speed260 m/s

Range4 500 m

M8 rocket
Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer
44	-10°/+20°	N/A	N/A

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
M8	Rocket	24	24	24	24	24	24

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M8	Rocket	260	17.28	0	0.1	1.95	79°	80°	81°

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition600 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 50°

Horizontal guidance-120° / 120°

7.62 mm M1919A4 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition5 000 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	600 (200)	577	-10°/+50°	±120°

7.62 mm M1919A4
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	5,000 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

Even being designated as a medium, the Pershing can perform in many different roles in battle. It can be used for supporting allied tanks with long reload time as IS-2s, T32s, etc. Participate in flanking manoeuvres — the M26 speed and agility is not brilliant but enough for that — and be successful in sniping and ambushing situations. Use the lower profile of Pershing compared to the Sherman's to navigate through. The vertical guidance (-10°/20°) allows the M26 to shoot from upper positions without exposing too much of the tank. That's an advantage compared to Russians which have many ground depression problems.

The 90 mm M3 gun owns a wide selection of ammunition to be used. The M82 APCBC with 200 g of explosive filler is extremely deadly. Usually, successful penetration with this shell can lead to a quick end to the enemy. It lacks a bit of penetration for the rank this vehicle sits, but it's great for flanking shots. The M304 HVAP shot, gives the vehicle the ability to penetrate thick armour, mind the APCR/HVAP has poor slope characteristics. This means these need to aim for flat armour. Against a Tiger II (H), this means aiming for the turret on the gunner side. At that position, the M26 can penetrate out to distances of 1,800 m.

Although moderately armoured for a medium tank class, most enemies can easily destroy the M26 at this rank. A safe playstyle is a must. To reduce direct impacts in frontal engagements angle the Pershing, the V-shape frontal armour can deflect some shots. The lower glacis is a very good target, try to keep it hidden from the enemy. One down side to the Pershing is the engine. The power to weight ratio is poor and does not allow for very quick manoeuvring. It uses the same Ford GAF that can be found in the late series M4 Medium tanks, with nearly 8 tons more weight. Being slightly underpowered, the Pershing has a hard time climbing hills. Good knowledge of maps and areas of operation will help immensely, so use them wisely.

Urban maps (Poland, Eastern Europe, Hürtgen Forest, Cologne) are perfect for ambushing, use the tank's moderate speed to catch off-guard heavier enemy tanks. Drop artillery in front of suspected enemy positions if the M26 need to cross a street and relocate, the smoke screen will cover the M26.

If the M26 T99 has been able to flank an enemy, the first shot is decisive. Always shoot the breech to knock out the gun. The best ammo to do this is M304(APCR) round, or M82(APCBC). M304 will guarantee a 100% successful shot, M82 can also work very good and might destroy everything inside the turret. But some Germans have tracks in the hull sides and if the enemy saw the M26 and is turning the turret, the M82 could bounce off the turning turret armour. Most importantly, don't miss.

The large sides of German heavies are tempting targets but are very easy to overpenetrate with the wrong ammo like the T33(APCBC) or M304.

If flanking an SPG like the Jagdpanther, Jagdtiger or Ferdinand, just aim for the engine, and the vehicle is basically down for easy picking.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Armament:
  • The 90 mm gun is adequate for most contemporary tanks it will face
  • Gets 44 M8 rockets, which can be used to blind other tanks in a pinch
• Armour:
  • Armour does not differ at all from the regular Pershing
• Utility:
  • Can be used as a backup for the regular M26
  • Does not require any significant learning curve to operate, can be used just as the normal M26 would

Cons:

• Survivability:
  • Rocket pods create external (and unarmoured) ammunition racks
  • Frontal hull armour on the Pershing has relatively little sloping
• Armament:
  • 90 mm gun lacks penetration to take on tanks frontally
  • Rockets are not very effective at destroying tanks

History

In 1944, the main tank development in US Ordnance was the T26E1 tank, which would later become the M26 Pershing. The M26 was made into many different variants in the hope it could fulfil multiple roles. One variant hoped to increase the M26's firepower with the addition of rocket launchers, in a manner similar to the T34 Calliope on the Shermans. The rocket launchers were attached on M26 serial number 2011, the 250th of its kind made from Detroit Tank Arsenal. The rocket launcher attached was the 4.5-inch multiple rocket launcher T99, consisting of two racks on both sides of the turret, carrying a total of 44 rockets for use. The rocket launchers were traversable by the same turret controls for the main 90 mm gun. The T99 launchers were mounted on trunnions and could be jettisoned from inside the tank when empty. Settings for rocket firing came at one at a time, two at a time, and a full salvo dump. The last of these settings can fire all 44 rockets within 7 seconds. The design was informally called M26 T99.

Testing with the M26 with the T99 commenced in sometime in late 1945 at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. However, the tank apparently did not seem to have any interest like no other mention of it is made after that. It was presumably cancelled sometime in early 1946.

Archive of the in-game description
The M26 medium tank, equipped with launch systems for M8 missiles. It was built as an experimental model. It was not produced serially and never saw combat. It was equipped with a T99 launch system.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the M26 T99 from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the vehicles;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] M26 Pershing with T99 rocket launcher - with developer's answers

References

U.S. Army Ordnance Department/Corps*
Light tanks	T18E2 · M24 (Designed in collaboration with Cadillac)
M3 Stuart	M3 · M3A1 Stuart · M3A1 (USMC)
M5 Stuart	M5A1
Medium tanks	M3 Lee
M4 Sherman	M4 · M4A1 · M4A2 · M4A3 (105) · Calliope
	M4A1 (76) W · M4A2 (76) W · M4A3 (76) W
M26 Pershing	T20 · T25 · M26 · M26E1 · M26 T99
Patton Series	M46 · M46 "Tiger" · M47
Prototypes	T54E1 · T95E1
Heavy tanks	M103
M4 Jumbo	M4A3E2 · Cobra King · M4A3E2 (76) W
M6 Heavy	M6A1 · M6A2E1 · T1E1
M26 Pershing	T26E1-1 · T26E5
Prototypes	T14
T29	T29 · T30 · T34
T-32	T32 · T32E1
Tank destroyers	M3 GMC · M10 GMC · M56
M8 GMC	M8 HMC · M8A1 GMC
M36 GMC	M36 GMC · M36B2
Prototypes	T28 · T95
SPAAGs
Production	M19 MGMC · M42
Export/Captured	␗M8 HMC · SU-57
Stuart	Stuart I · Stuart III · ␗M3A3 Stuart · ␗M3A3 (1st PTG) · ▄M3A3 · ▄M3A3 Stuart · ▃Stuart VI (5th CAD) · ␗M5A1
Lee/Grant	▂M3 Medium · ▃Grant I · Grant I
M4 Sherman	Sherman II · ▄M4A1 · ␗M4A1 (75) W · ▀M4 748 (a) · ▂M4A2 · ▄M4A3 (105) · ▅M4A3 (76) W · ▄M4A3E2
	␗M4A4 · ␗M4A4 (1st PTG) · ▄Sherman V · ▄M4A4 · ▄Sherman I Composito
M26 Pershing	M26 "D.C.Ariete" · M26A1
M47 Patton	mKPz M47 G · ▅M47
M10 GMC	␗M10 GMC · ▄M10 GMC
M36 GMC	␗M36 GMC · M36B1 · ▅M36 · ▄M36B2
M19 MGMC	▅M19A1
M42 MGMC	▅M42 · ␗M42
	*The Ordnance Department was renamed to the Ordnance Corps after the Army Reorganization Act of 1950.