Having witnessed the rapid advances of armored and mechanized forces in the German Blitzkrieg across Poland, the Low Countries, and France, War Department planners, including the future commander of Army Ground Forces (AGF), Lesley J. McNair, set out to amend a strategy based around static and localized anti-armor defense beginning in the latter stages of 1940. The majority of Hellcats may have been used like their cousin the Sherman, but unlike the venerable M4, the Hellcat did not undergo substantial changes throughout the war, although designers did experiment with variants and mission-specific designs. In the shooting that followed, the three platoons of Company C knocked out four German tanks before pulling pack, only to give chase once the German panzers and panzer grenadiers retreated. In December 1941, the Ordnance Corps issued a requirement for a fast tank destroyer using torsion bar suspension, a Wright/Continental R-975 engine, and a 37 mm (1.46 in) gun. A handful of tank destroyer battalions saw action halfway around the world against the Japanese. In practice a tank destroyer battalion was assigned nearly permanently to a division and would move toward an enemy penetration from local assembly areas. Ce n'est bien entendu pas un Panzer mais j M18 Hellcat tank destroyer - WWII American tanks - The M18 Hellcat was the last version of tank destroyer accepted in the U.S. Army. [2] AFV Club 1/35 scale M18 Hellcat tank destroyer 0 FROM THE March 1998 ISSUE AFV Club 1/35 scale M18 Hellcat tank destroyer By Ron Poniatowski | March 1, 1998 Kit: No. 5 Creating North American Panzer Armies, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, World War II tank destroyers of the United States, 76mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 (with photos) - AFV Database, Armored Utility Vehicle M39 - AFV Database, M18 Tank Destroyer, Hellcat - World War II Vehicles (photos and video), M18Hellcat.com, a website dedicated to the history and preservation of the M18 Hellcat, American armored fighting vehicle production during World War II, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/M18_Hellcat?oldid=4500969, 5 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver, co-driver), Tankdestroyer.net (Web based United States tank destroyer forces information resource). In a five-minute period, five German tanks of the 113 Panzer Brigade were knocked out for the loss of one M18. On September 19, 1944, in the Nancy Bridgehead near Arracourt, France, the 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion was attached to the 4th Armored Division. Nevertheless, in a war won through the training and adaptability of U.S. service members, the M18 proved it could fill a variety of tasks on the battlefield, and lives on as one of the vehicles used in the Allies’ victory in World War II. Lt. Edwin Leiper led one M18 platoon of C Company to Rechicourt-la-Petite, on the way to Moncourt. Its exemplary service record is just as much a testament to Buick’s engineering the Hellcat to be the fastest tank destroyer ever, as it is to the young men who bravely took them into battle. Despite flaws in its doctrine and weapons developed to counter the panzer threat, the Army was well on its way toward developing its Tank Destroyer Force and several tank destroyer systems, including the M18 Hellcat, by the time the United States entered World War II. The Military of the Republic of China also operated several M18s until their chassis and hulls were worn out, at which point the turrets were salvaged and installed onto surplus hulls of M42 Duster anti-aircraft vehicles to produce Type 64 light tanks. [citation needed]. When so attached, defending tank destroyer units supplemented organic antitank weapons (bazookas and 57mm towed guns).[8]. Hellcat tank destroyer commanders surveyed the ground from open cockpit. Due at least somewhat to a lack of a concerted German panzer counteroffensive immediately after D-Day, the delay in the M18’s meeting with the Panther and Tiger tanks of the Wehrmacht may have been for the best. It was not designed to do so, but it proved impossible to seal off the crew compartment entirely from engine induced drafts. Our funding helps to acquire and conserve Army historical art and artifacts, support Army history educational programs, research, and publication of historical materials on the American Soldier, and provide support and counsel to private and governmental organizations committed to the same goals. Although by 1945, the preference was to reequip units with the newer M36, which packed a 90mm gun capable of destroying a Panther at longer ranges than the 76mm gun of the M18. [7] On December 19–20, the 1st Battalion of the 506th PIR was ordered to support Team Desobry, a battalion-sized tank-infantry task force of the 10th Armored Division (United States) assigned to defend Noville[3] located north-northeast of both Foy and of Bastogne just 4.36 miles (7 km) away. The tank destroyers were attached in platoon size units to American Infantry Divisions. Far too often, M18 crews were forced to use their 76mm cannon against enemy infantry targets, depleting crucial ammunition for use in anti-armor purposes. Our shop retails 1/35 M18 Hellcat GMC Tank Destroyer (Plastic model) Airfix X1371 Military Model on the Web. It was much easier to scan the horizon targets, looking out over the side of the turret than being battened down inside a normal tank turret, and looking A number of these vehicles were later used by the Military of Serbian Krajina and Army of Republika Srpska during the Yugoslav wars. An unknown number of these vehicles were modernized by a Yugoslavian firm in 1991. The M18 Hellcat's first prototype was the T49 GMC (Gun Motor Carriage) and it featured a 57mm main gun. Despite the preference for the M36, a number of units converted from the M10 to the M18. Complaints about the open turret configuration and exposed .50 caliber machine gun were common, while the lack of a coaxial machine gun afforded little protection to the exposed heads of the tank driver and assistant driver. The M18’s service in combat began as it was still being standardized, with five of the new T70 models being sent to the Italian campaign that same spring. Armed with a 76 mm cannon, the vehicle was the fastest tracked, armored fighting vehicle during World War II with a top speed up to 60 mph (92kph),[1] and Buick nicknamed it the Hellcat. These concerns were fresh in the minds of those in Lieutenant General Omar Bradley’s staff during the lead-up to Operation Overlord, so much so that the First Army commander resisted the option of converting tank destroyer battalions under his command to the M18. Despite the Hellcat’s success around Arracourt, units equipped with M18s continued to engage in what FM 18-5 described as “secondary missions.”  As a result, the M18 was typically deployed in company size strength amidst infantry and combined combat elements. By this time, the Germans were already using Panthers on a regular basis, which was one of Hellcat’s main concerns. M18 Hellcat tank destroyer - WWII American tanks - The M18 Hellcat was the last version of tank destroyer accepted in the U.S. Army. The M18 Hellcat was an American tank destroyer of World War II, also used in the Korean War. Although sustained travel at road speeds was hardly ever used outside of the Allied response during the Battle of the Bulge,[2] most Hellcat crews found the higher speeds especially useful in a sprint to flank German tanks, which had relatively slow turret traverse speeds, and such maneuvering allowed the tank destroyer crew a shot instead into the enemy's thinner side or rear armor. Though it weighed about 20 tons – the same as almost nine modern day Buick Enclaves – the Hellcat was designed to be one of fastest tanks on the battlefield and was capable of traveling upwards of 60 mph. Our funding helps to acquire and conserve Army historical art and artifacts, support Army history educational programs, research, and publication of historical materials on the American Soldier, and provide support and counsel to private and governmental organizations committed to the same goals. A Military Channel historian credited the M18 destroyers with 24 kills, including several Tiger tanks, and believes that in part, their ability to "shoot and scoot" at high speed and then reappear elsewhere on the battlefield, confused and slowed the German attack, which finally stalled, leaving the Americans in control of the town overnight.[2]. This doctrine was not entirely used as it would create a small window of time of weakness in the armored battalion until tank destroyers moved to the front. Like in Europe, however, tactical use of M18s in the Pacific deviated from the original tank destroyer concept, with the Hellcat used more in infantry support and bunker-busting operations. 1/35 M18 Hellcat GMC Tank Destroyer by Airfix $41.20 USD $60.60 USD Qty Add to cart Add to wishlist Description This is an injection-plastic military vehicle model kit. The T70 prototype for the M18 first saw combat at Anzio, Italy, and production versions of the M18 were used in North-West Europe and Italy from the summer of 1944 onwards. The Hellcat was not intended to engage in protracted combat but to quickly respond to breakthroughs in the line by enemy armor. The M10, based on the M4 Sherman chassis, was a reliable fighting vehicle to match the medium German panzers in the deserts of North Africa, but it was not the long-term solution Bruce had in mind. Other experiments included an attempt in the autumn of 1944 to adopt the design for use as a self-propelled howitzer, but this and other tests were abandoned with the ending of World War II. While FM 18-5 called for an aggressive spirit of action aimed against the flanks of advancing enemy armored formations with the entire battalion force, the initial breakout from Normandy during Operation COBRA saw the M18 serving less as a tank hunter and more in convoy protection and infantry support roles. The functional durability of each tank varies in combat, depending on its component layout and armor thickness[note]. F, M10 Tank Destroyer and SU-85 share an HP value of 1700. The Venezuelan military still operates M18s, with 75 still in reserve service. M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer is ranked 52,323 rd in the world and 49 th in Resuscitation for Most Extreme, scoring 26.67 on the Paul-Nader Subjective Decentrality Index. The Super Hellcat is an American tier 7 premium turreted tank destroyer. Although some Hellcats went to China to fight the Japanese army, they were primarily used in support of infantry, as Japanese armor was scarce and of poor quality. The M18's new design incorporated several innovative maintenance features. M18 Hellcat of the 824th Tank Destroyer Battalion in action at Wiesloch, Germany, April 1945. Three of these vehicles were deployed in the reconnaissance company of the 894th Tank Destroyer Battalion, participating in breakthrough operations at Anzio in late May. The only M18 variant which was produced in significant numbers was the M39 Armored Utility Vehicle, a turretless variation used to transport personnel or cargo or as a gun tractor. Along with the light armor and lack of penetration power of the main gun, these flaws remained enduring weaknesses of the M18 and underscored the contradictory nature of tank destroyer doctrine. in 1941, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Davis Bruce envisioned the units being equipped with something faster than a tank, with a better gun but less armor to allow for speed. Hellcat tank destroyer turned out to be a very unusual piece of weaponry. While deployed in Italy, initial use of the T70 revealed design flaws which would come to limit the M18’s usefulness as a tank killer later in the drive across Europe. Even the Hellcat logo on the M18’s front corner and patches worn by its crew was designed by Earl’s staff. Team Desobry's high speed highway journey to reach the blocking position is one of the few documented cases[2] wherein the legendary top speed of the M18 Hellcat (55 miles per hour (89 km/h), faster than today's M1A2 Abrams) was actually used to get ahead of an enemy force. The tank destroyer became the fastest armored vehicle, of this type, of World War II. He saw a German tank gun muzzle appearing out of the fog 30 feet away, and deployed his platoon. The solution was the Gun Motor Carriage (GMC), although the first few models developed by the Army were anything but effective. With only thirteen millimeters on the front hull, the M18’s armor was less than that of the M8 armored car, and much less than the two inches of frontal armor on the M4A1 Sherman or 1.5-inch armor plate on the M10. The project was so secretive that a story about the “new” tank destroyer ran in newspapers just a month before production By the end of the day, nineteen German tanks lay burning at the hands of the Hellcats. The Wright R-975 engine was mounted on steel rollers that allowed maintenance crews to disconnect it easily from the transmission, roll it out onto the lowered engine rear cover, service it, and then reconnect it to the transmission. "M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer 1943-97" by Steven J Zaloga P14.ISBN 1-84176-687-9. Like all self-propelled tank destroyer battalions, those fitted with the M18 were composed of a headquarters company, reconnaissance company, three gun companies, and a medical detachment. The 76 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 was an United States tank destroyer of World War II. These were rebuilt and refurbished by Brown & Root in northern Italy in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and bear data plates that indicate those rebuilds. The platoon continued to fire and destroyed ten more German tanks while losing another two M18s. The M18 GMC was a response to the problem to provide the tank destroyer force with a very fast tank destroyer. [4] About 100 M39s were transferred to the West German Bundeswehr in 1956, where they were used to train the reestablished Panzergrenadier armored infantry units.[5]. This version was armed with a single M2 machine gun on a flexible mount. Tank destroyers were often deployed to attack enemy armor at long range from an ambush position, taking on the role of self-propelled anti-tank guns. Flanked by the words “Seek, Strike, Destroy,” it depicts a wildcat biting down on crushed treads, signifying the Hellcat’s mission of targeting enemy tanks. The M18 originated in the design studio of Harley Earl from the Buick motor company division of General Motors, whose team also worked extensively on early camouflage paint. By numbers alone, the M18 might have claimed success as a tank destroyer. Members of the Medium Tank Destroyer Category have their HP values split into two groups; The Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer, SU-76M and M18 Hellcat share an HP value of 1200.1 The StuG III Ausf. We seek to educate future Americans to fully appreciate the sacrifices that generations of American Soldiers have made to safeguard the freedoms of this Nation. M-18 Hellcat tank destroyer The fastest tracked vehicle of the war, the M-18 was a fresh design, not a modification of any tank in service. The M-18 Hellcat, formally known as the “76mm Gun Motor Carriage M18” was an American tank destroyer used in World War II, in Italian, European and Pacific theaters, and in the Korean War. U.S. doctrine originally called for the Hellcat to be held in reserves so that it could block an incoming armored thrust. When the Americans entered the war in 1941, they began to supply China with armored vehicles, including the M18 Hellcat. The M-18 Tank Destroyer, nicknamed the "Hellcat" by the Soldiers who crewed them, earned a reputation of being one of the most effective tank killers in the Army during World War II. The fact that only seven Hellcats were destroyed or disabled speaks not only to the tactical flaws of German armor advancing without proper reconnaissance, but also to the proficiency and adaptability of the M18 crews. Between October 1944 and March 1945, 640 M18s earmarked for production were modified for this purpose. On that day, M18s were credited with destroying  twenty-seven German tanks, with only six M18s lost. While effective in these secondary operations, the new role of the M18 came at a cost. As was the case of many U.S. armored fighting vehicles during the war in Europe, Hellcat crews proved adept at developing new tactics when taking on German tanks by learning the strengths and weaknesses of the M18 in combat situations. In truth, M18 crews quickly learned that frontal fire at ranges beyond 300 yards would have little effect on the heavy German tanks; at the same time, the Hellcat provided no protection against the high velocity 75mm and 88mm guns of the Panther and Tiger, respectively. Favoring a vehicle with greater speed, cost effectiveness, and mobility, while at the same time not sacrificing firepower, Bruce secured the test models for his ideal panzer hunter with the T70 prototype. Buick engineers brought the Hellcat to life from the design team’s sketches and developed an innovative torsion bar suspension that provided a steady ride. If facing a Panther, a Hellcat would be facing a tank with roughly 140mm of line-of-sight armor frontally that could not be pierced at any range, with a 100mm manlet that could be pierced at suicidally close range. The average combat range noted by the Americans for tank vs. tank action was around 800m to 900m. M18 Hellcat of the 824th Tank Destroyer Battalion in action at Wiesloch, Germany, April 1945. Even before the T70 had been standardized as the M18, the 76mm GMC was already serving as a prototype for an amphibious version that would eventually be designated the T-86. While ordnance tests back in the States concluded the 76mm gun could pierce the frontal armor of a Tiger at ranges up to 2,000 yards, the tests were marred by flaws which underscored the overmatched firepower of the M18. Likewise, the awkward interior layout of the M18’s turret made reloading the main gun cumbersome and slow in combat situations. Taking advantage of the fog to sneak up on the more heavily armed and armored Panthers, four Hellcats engaged a company of tanks from the 113th around Bezange-la-Petite, firing from a slight depression and knocking out seven Panthers before dawn. 2,507 had been produced by that time, at a unit cost of $57,500. The M18s of the 705th were integral in the defense of Bastogne. Even before Nazi Germany’s declaration of war on America on 11 December 1941, the U.S. Army was coming to terms with the need to adapt its arsenal and operational doctrines to the evolving European battlefield. In contrast to the M10 tank destroyer, which used the chassis of the M4 Sherman, the M18 Hellcat was designed from the start to be a fast tank destroyer. American prewar armored doctrine was based on the assumption that enemy armored attacks would be delivered at a time and place of the enemy's choosing against an American defense. The doctrine of the time had Shermans acting in support of infantry to break enemy defenses (Infantry leads, tanks follow or support by fire), and then exploiting the attack (Tanks lead, infantry follows) with infantry in support during exploitation. On 19 September, Company C , 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion, attached to the 4th Armored Division’s Combat Command A, helped defend the town of Arracourt when attacked by elements of the 113th Panzer Brigade. During the development process, the design was further upgraded to a utilize a 75 mm gun, and then finally to the 76 mm gun. Armed with a 76 mm gun, the Hellcat wasn’t quite adequate for all enemy armor, especially late-war German designs, but it held on bravely and managed to become one of the iconic Allied tank destroyer… However, as German panzers tracked further into Eastern Europe, refinement of the tactics and development of the vehicles with which to blunt the new method of warfare still lagged. For this, the U.S. envisioned using tanks in the attack solely in a support and exploitation role, usually in conjunction with infantry. The introduction of heavier German tanks, such as the Mk V Panther and Mk VI Tiger, presented additional problems. In December 1941, the Ordnance Corps issued a requirement for the design of a fast tank destroyer using a Christie suspension, the Wright/Continental R-975 engine, and a 37 mm gun.The M18 originated in the design studio of Harley Earl from the Buick motor company division of General Motors, whose team also worked extensively on early camouflage paint. We were established in 1983 as a member-based, charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. M18 “Hellcat” Tank Destroyer 76mm Gun Motor Carriage (T70) Production General Motors, Buick Division July 1943 to October 1944 2507 produced $55,230 production cost Power Train R975 Continental Radial Engine A total of 2,507 vehicles were produced from July 1943 through October 1944. These, along with M3 Stuarts and M4 Shermans, trickled in through Burma and formed part of the several well-equipped, well-trained armies that the Chinese Nationalists deployed. Independent tank destroyer groups were to counter concentrate, to stop enemy tanks from penetrating deeply. Three tank destroyer battalions deployed to the Pacific Theater were equipped with the M18, with one, the 637th, earning the Presidential Unit Citation for its role in clearing Fort McKinley’s emplaced guns during fierce fighting for Manila at the beginning of 1945. With just four[2] M18 tank destroyers of the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion to assist, the paratroopers attacked units of the 2nd Panzer Division, whose mission was to proceed by secondary roads via Monaville (just northwest of Bastogne) to seize a key highway and capture, among other objectives, fuel dumps—for the lack of which the overall German counter-offensive faltered and failed. The following tank battalions used the M18 during part or all of their service: 602nd battalion 9\1944, 603rd 8\1944, 609th 9\1944, 612th 1\1945, 637th 1\1945 (Pacific), 638th 11\1… While the M18 was capable of high road speeds this attribute was difficult to use successfully in combat, but along with the high top speed was a commensurate ability to accelerate rapidly and change direction rather quickly. U.S. Army M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer (in operation 1943-1944). The Hellcat had very little armor, and the use of high flash powder made the Hellcat a highly visible and vulnerable target for German tank crews. One of the users was Yugoslavia, which kept them in reserve until the early 1990s. The M10 tank destroyer was an American tank destroyer of World War II. Very few reached the field in time for the war, but some saw action in Korea. An M18 from the 603d Tank Destroyer Battalion, Combat Command B, 6th Armored Division, guards an intersection in Luneville, France, 22 September 1944. The fastest armored fighting vehicle employed by any side during the war, the M18 nevertheless suffered from a main gun that lacked the ability to consistently serve its main purpose—killing German tanks. Fighting in the Ardennes convinced the Army of the need to reequip its towed tank destroyer battalions in favor of self-propelled systems like the M18. Very fast at 55 … M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer's national animal is the Hellcat. It would also be easier for an opposing armored force to achieve a local breakthrough against an American unit which would not have all of its anti-tank assets at the front during the beginning of any attack. Inspired designs on t-shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world. This doctrine failed on the battlefield where attacking Sherman tanks ran into defending German tanks far more often than intended and the tank destroyers were called in to assist. It was first accepted in 1943 and it appeared on the battlefield in 1944. By June 1943, Buick was already rushing T70 models into production, and by the time the M18 was standardized in March 1944, the nickname “Hellcat” was already being used for promotional purposes. Outgunned as they were, Hellcat crews managed to destroy a significant number of enemy tanks, and were effective in blunting German panzer attacks when given the opportunity. [ About online shopping pre-order sales ] Releases … Combat actions in Europe showed that the standard 76 mm gun was not effective against modern German medium and heavy tanks of the time when firing from medium and long range. The speed was attained by keeping armor to a minimum, no more than 1" thick. Exposed to battlefield conditions which almost never resembled the feared blitzkrieg that spawned tank destroyer doctrine and development in the first place, the M18 was used more as a tank, and a lightly armored one at that. The Hellcat was an extremely deadly tank destroyer. The M18 served primarily in Western Europe, but was also present in the Pacific. Starting with Anzio in Italy, M18s saw action in Italy and Northwest Europe. “The Hellcat was considered the hot rod of World War II,” said Bill Gross, a historian who restored an M18 now on display at the Sloan Museum in Flint, Mich. “To give perspective, most German tanks of the day were capable of just 20 mph and even today’s M1 Abrams tank is outpaced by the Hellcat.”. All work on the three amphibious models was canceled after the end of the war. The Hellcat's 76mm gun often could not penetrate the thick sloped front armor of German Panther tanks. 650 early production M18s were converted into M39s by removing the turret and fitting seats for up to eight men in the open fighting space. M18 or the M18 Hellcat is a reward vehicle for Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor, replacing the M10 Tank Destroyer. Bruce, a respected planner from the War Department’s G-3 section, immediately set out to develop a vehicle fast enough to maneuver around the flanks of enemy columns to attack from the rear, and with enough killing power to distinguish it from the infantry support oriented tanks like the M4 Sherman. The M18 Hellcat was an American tank destroyer of World War II. High quality Hellcat Tank Destroyer gifts and merchandise. Needing a rugged but fast moving vehicle to close with enemy armored attacks from the likes of the Panzer III and Panzer IV, the AGF Board moved to standardize the M10 Wolverine tank destroyer, armed with a 3-inch gun, by the spring of 1943. To aid these purposes, it was designed with light armor and extremely high speeds. Under the fearless direction of Captain Tom Evans, the lead platoon of Company C served as an attractive target for the German tanks, which failed to notice the other two platoons of Hellcats advancing on their flanks. One of the platoon's M18s commanded by Sgt Henry R. Hartman knocked out six of the German tanks, most of which were the much-feared Panthers. When the fighting ended a few days later, the victorious American Hellcats accounted for thirty-nine panzers destroyed or disabled. The last and final prototype was the T70 GMC and it featured a 76.2 mm main gun. Armored Utility Vehicle M39 in Korea, 1952. During fighting in North Africa, the vehicle's original 37 mm gun was inadequate and the design was upgraded with a British 57 mm gun. The main disadvantages of the M18 were its very light armor, and the inconsistent performance of its 76 mm gun against the frontal armor of later German designs such as the Tiger and Panther. The Christie suspension requirement was also dropped, and replaced with a torsion bar suspension. Evans himself manned the gun of a disabled M18 and was able to knock out two panzers, earning the Distinguished Service Cross in the process. [2] This problem was not helped by the fact that the air-cooled engine pulled a percentage of its cooling air through the crew compartment, creating in effect, a large armor-plated refrigerator. Due to the differences in the doctrine of the use of armored vehicles by the Americans from Germany and the USSR, it does not look like its “classmates”. [3] M39s saw combat during the Korean War, primarily as armored personnel carriers and munitions carriers, and were finally declared obsolete on February 14, 1957. We were established in 1983 as a member-based, charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The M18 carried a five-man crew as well as 45 rounds of main gun ammunition, and an M2 Browning machine gun on a flexible ring mount for use against aircraft and infantry. The 824th tank destroyer - WWII American tanks - the M18 GMC appeared in 1944 days,. Was not intended to engage in protracted combat but to quickly respond to breakthroughs in the Army... 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