Military design for ww2 hellcat tank9/15/2023 German tank crews counted this shell by fitting external metal plates of stand-off skirt armour. It would shoot a superhot jet of molten steel through the armour. They could fire at enemy tanks knowing that they could not fireback.Īlthough the gun was the same 76.2 mm cannon that was fitted to the later Sherman tanks, the tank destroyer crews were issued with a special hot armour piercing round. The range of the Hellcat's gun made it a deadly force on the World War II battlefields. The gunners could target anything up to 2 1/2 miles away. It was a shoot and scoot approach to battle. The M 18's purpose was to strike first and get out fast. It was to be used strictly to engage other tanks.Īmerican tank destroyers were conceived as armoured vehicles that would race in front of the main attack, then lie in wait to ambush on coming German Panzer tanks. This is why there is no coaxial machine gun by the side of the main cannon, or one built into the front of the hull. It would be able to get out of trouble fast.Īlthough the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer looks like a tank it is in fact not a tank. The American designers thought that the M18 Hellcat's speed would give it nine lives. The M18 Hellcat tank destroyer's speed was legendary. The modern M1 Abrahams main battle tank still relies on the same torsion bar suspension system. Crews love the M18 for its speed and smooth ride thanks to the new Torsion Bar Suspension system. It first saw action in the hot summer of 1944 in Europe. There were 1847 M18 Hellcat tank destroyer made.įactory production of the Hellcat started in 1943. Nothing was more nimble on the battlefield. It could leave everything behind the cloud of dust. During the Second World War, the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer was the fastest armoured vehicle on tracks. The US Army designation always starts with the weapon so the correct name for the M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer is 76mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 or 76mm GMC M18. These two M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyers are in private ownership but can be seen at many of the military vehicle events during the summer in Britain. Surviving M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer - Restored WW2 Allied Tank Photos Surviving Allied WW2 Tanks
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