T-34-85 vs M26 Pershing: Korea 1950 (Duel) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Steven Zaloga has written another excellent book that describes the combat performance of the M26 Pershing and the T34-85, to go alongside his outstanding books on the M26/M46 Pershing and the T34-85 tank in the New Vanguard series. Both the T34-85 and the M26 Pershing were developed at the close of WWII to defeat the German Panther and Tiger tanks. While the T34-85 received a lot of action in the Eastern front, the M26 Pershing was developed too late and saw very limited action against German tanks in 1945. The M26 was used extensively in the Korean War, where it was pitted against the Russian T34-85 tank.

Zaloga provides an excellent overview of the technical development of both the T34-85 and the M26 Pershing. What I appreciate about Zaloga is that he provides detailed charts that compare the armor protection, the firepower and performance of the T34-85, the M4A3E8 and the M26 Pershing (pp. 22-33). He also provides extensive, detailed description of the combat performance of both tanks in pivotal battles in the Korean War.

The chapters in this book include the following:

Introduction
Chronology
Design and development
Technical specifications
The combatants
The strategic situation
Combat
Assessment
Further reading
Index

The most interesting section in the book was the description of the combat performance of the M26 versus the T34-85 in the Pusan Perimeter in August 1950 during the two pivotal battles at Obong-Ni Ridge and the "Bowling Alley." In these 2 engagements, the M26 decisively defeated the T34-85 in battle. The M26 was also instrumental in the fighting in Inchon landings and the breakout from the Pusan Pocket. After November 1950, there were hardly any more armoured engagements between the M26 and the T34-85. Interestingly, Zaloga concludes that the U.S. crewmen initially favored the M26 over the M4A3E8 when there were many tank engagements with the T34-85; however, when the threat of the T34-85 was over, the U.S. crewmen favored the M4A3E8 for its mechanical reliability, durability, nimbleness, and ease of maintenance; in comparison, the M26 was much less mechanically reliable and its automotive transmission was sluggish, especially in climbing the mountainous regions. However, in terms of combat performance, U.S. operational research concludes that the M26 was 3 times more effective than the M4A3E8. Nevertheless, with the plentiful supply of 76mm HVAP ammunition, the M4A3E8 had no trouble penetrating the armor of the T34-85 with its gun. The Assessment chapter of the book provides key insights into how the M26 compared with the M4 and T34-85 in combat effectiveness.

This book provides an excellent overview of the development, the technical specifications, and the combat performance of both the T34-85 and M26 Pershing. The colored plates are excellent (but few in number). I was very pleased with this book. I would recommend that you purchase the New Vanguard series on the M26, the M4 (76mm), and the T-34-85 as well. I highly recommend this book for tank buffs and military history enthusiasts. It is another excellent entry by Steven Zaloga in the combat performance series.

There are several pleasant surprises in Steven Zaloga's book on the T-34/85 vs. M-26 Pershing. The first is that the author also includes the M-4A3E8 Sherman (late WW2) tank as well. Zaloga points out that the Sherman and T-34 were more contemporaries than the Pershing, which was developed later. The focus of the book remains on the T-34 vs. M-26, but it's a nice bonus to have the Sherman included here since it did see a lot of action in Korea. Another is an analysis that shows increased tank kills to the tank that sees and shoots the enemy first. Sounds very simple, but it is important in the evaluation of any tank. One big difference of this book vs. others in the Dual Series - more narrative about the battles fought than technical discussions about ammunition, trajectory of shells and ballistics. These are not dismissed, but not as detailed in other Dual books.

The early phase of the Korean War belonged to the Soviet built T-34 with 85 mm cannon. Since South Korea had no tanks, and the few US tanks that arrived in South Korea were no match for the T-34, the North Koreans in six weeks almost managed to conquer all of South Korea. Gradually, the M-26 Pershing tank was introduced and begins immediately proving its superiority.

The book has excellent photos of both tanks, inside and in action. There are color 3-D cutaways which show the inside of the turrets. Everyone always wants to know which tank is "the best" A summary is provided in the book - the Sherman could knock out the T-34 easily and vice versa. The M-26 Pershing had armor sufficient to protect against the T-34/85 and the 90 mm US cannon would sometimes go through the front of the T-34 and all the way through the turret, engine and back out. As the US knocked out virtually every North Korean tank, the battles shifted to those of infantry support and mobile artillery, for which the Sherman was better suited.

Tables included show tank losses by cause, number and types of tanks in US inventory, firepower and performance comparisons. One minor criticism - in books this small, every word counts. The battle at No Name ridge is reviewed in caption and almost verbatim in the text. One or the other would have sufficed. The two page color plate of the battle is fantastic, showing how terrain and circumstances dictate tactics - normally, you would never want tanks so close to each other.

This book sets out to do all that it is meant to do and a bit more - it shows the two combatants (three including the Sherman), gives you a great overview of the ebb and flow of the Korean War and how armor contributed to the US recapture of South Korea. Highly recommended for all armor buffs, good for modelers, anyone who wants to see the continued tank development from 1945-1950.

There is much to like about this book if you're into tanks, mobile warfare or the Korean War. Even though there is only 76 net pages, Mr Zaloga has packed a lot of useful information on the tanks along with some info on the key engagements of the war. In addition to the interesting narrative, a number of poignant tables are included to give the reader quick access to the essentials of each tank. The author chose to include many stats on the old reliable Sherman M4A. That was a nice touch and was really appreciated. Some of the tables include information on specifications, production figures post WWII, armor protection, ammo used, accuracy, firing performance, tank losses during the war. Even if you didn't read the rest of the book, just these tables could tell you a lot about the trio of tanks. The M26 was heavier, better protected and had a more powerful gun. The T34 was lighter, quicker, more maneuverable and had better gas mileage.

In addition to the tables, the author spends a lot of time on Design and Development of these tanks and includes a brief history of their participation during WWII. To help the reader visualize the narrative, a number of interior views are included and made a big difference. The comparison of gun sights was also interesting. From those interior shots, you could immediately see the Russian tank had less interior room and was more spartan.
Embedded in all this info, is a nice two page Chronology dating back to 1943 when the Panther showed itself and caused both Russia and the US to start developing a better tank. The Russians already had a good tank and just put a larger gun and turret on their platform. The US started from scratch and the new tank would be in the war for only the last two months of the war. The list ends in June 1951 when most of the major tank battles ended. The list is helpful, provided key milestones for both the tanks and the war that can be quickly studied. There is also brief mention of General McNair's influence on tank development and mobile warfare doctrine.

The author devotes 23 pages to the operational engagements of the war. Within this discussion the attributes and performance of the tanks are discussed, showing how their performance impacted the war as well as helping the infantry. Battle coverage includes the invasion and the push to Pusan, the stand and counterattack at the Pusan Perimeter. The tank duel at Obong-Ni Ridge and the Bowling Alley is given good coverage also. The Inchon landing were greatly helped by the M26 and is covered as well. A brief summary of tank warfare until the end of the war closes out the chapter.
By August 1950, the T34s had made a reputation for themselves but the Pershings were finally coming ashore and started to battle the Russian tanks. In the ambush of Obong-Ni Ridge, or "No Name Ridge" as it was called in the ranks, the M26s using AP rounds destroyed a column of T34s in short order. Field guns, the air force and new hand held bazookas strategically placed finished off the retreating units. This defeat shattered the T34s reputation as being unbeatable.

In the final chapter, Mr Zaloga provides an assessment of the war and the different tanks that took part in it. Since the Sherman tank outnumbered the Pershing by two to one, its included as well. The T34-85 and the Sherman M4A were evenly matched while the M26 proved to be superior in combat performance. (The Sherman did beat the M26 in reliability and ease of use.) There is more covered in this assessment and it will help with your own assessment.

There are only two maps of the war and one dual page illustration. The illustration was life like and quite impressive. The first map was of all of South Korea in the first weeks of the war and shows the Pusan perimeter. The other map was a small area one of the "Bowling Alley" engagement.
There are many great photos of the tanks and the battleground they fought on and encourage you to get the book for the photos if you're looking for a visual representation. A Bibliography of primary and secondary sources and a Index are included if further study is desired.
Mr Zaloga has done a nice job with this comparison and should be considered if you have an interest in tanks or the Korean War.