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.

This particular 1:72 scale tank was attached to the US Marine Corps' A Company, 1st Marine Tank Battalion, then deployed to Inchon, South Korea from 1950-51. Sold Out!

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

Release Date: September 2013

Historical Account: "Semper Fi" - Shortly after the Communist invasion of South Korea in June 1950, the 1st Marine Tank Battalion was ordered to prepare to mount out for the Far East. The first element of the battalion arrived in the war zone on August 2nd, 1950. Upon arrival, it disembarked at the port of Pusan and immediately commenced operations against the enemy. The battalion, with Company A now reattached also participated in the amphibious landing at Inchon on September 15th. The 1st Tank Battalion remained locked in battle with both North Korea and Chinese Communist forces for three years. Redeployment back to the United States finally came in 1955.