Early in June 1944, Army commanders expressed a need for a new breed of tank that could mount either a 90mm or 105mm main gun. This request was approved by the Army Staff soon thereafter even though trials of the new T26E1 had already begun back at Fort Knox earlier that year. Unfortunately, the first limited run of procurement vehicles did not occur until December 1944, largely due to in-fighting among the Army brass who were unsure which gun to use. The first twenty T26E3s were finally shipped out to the ETO in January 1945, with some seeing action in western Germany the following month. Full production of the heavy tank began in March 1945 when it proved itself time and again against some of the more formidable German tanks fielded by the Wehrmacht. At the same time the tank was redesignated the M26 Pershing, in honor of WWI General 'Black Jack' Pershing. Total wartime production of the M26 reached 1,436 vehicles with a further 992 tanks produced in late 1945.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a M45 Pershing medium tank equipped with a 105mm howitzer, then deployed to the Pusan Perimeter in southern Korea during late 1950. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 4-inches
Width: 1-1/2-inches

Release Date: July 2008

Historical Account: "Close Support" - The M45 was designed to provide a close-support function and when the Korean War broke out in the summer of 1950 the 6th Tank Battalion was deployed with their M45s. These vehicles saw limited action in Korea guarding the Pusan Perimeter and in the summer of 1950 providing support to the 1st Cavalry Division. Together these units were part of the breakout from the Pusan region in an effort to move north and join up with the UN forces that had landed at Inchon in mid-September. After this action very little is documented about the use of the M45 in Korea.

It is believed that the 6th Tank Battalion was the only unit to use the M45 in Korea and once the situation had at the 38th parallel these tanks were deemed unnecessary and were withdrawn from the battlefield. Between 1949 and 1951 all but a few M45s were converted to M46 Pattons and the M45 was never exported to other countries. By July 1st, 1954, there were no M45s left in the US Army inventory.