However, these changes did not make it to the production line, as it was decided to perform them on an individual basis. The vehicle was thought to be capable of speeds that could seriously damage the two front bogies on rough terrain, and modifications to the shock absorbers, torsion bars, and wheel bearings were designed, just in case. The weight of the vehicle increased to 107,000 pounds, and ground pressure grew to 12.1 psi. Decreased width of the rear portion of the hull escape hatch doors to eliminate a turret weak spot.Increased thickness of the front turret ring splash guard.A 4 inch thick LFP positioned at 54 degrees.A 6 inch thick UFP positioned at 46.5 degrees.On March 29th, 1945, it was recommended that the thickness of the front armour be increased further, and 27 of these tanks be produced. The recommendation to perform this modification of the T26E3 and name it T26E5 was submitted on January 18th, 1945, and approved on February 8th. The width of the tank with these tracks was 143 inches, 124 inches for railroad transport. The vehicle's weight was estimated to be 97,000, but the tracks were widened with 5 inch wide connectors, making the vehicle's ground pressure 11.5 psi. This modification had the effective armour of 8 inches in the front, as well as a new equilibrator, to offset the heavier gun mantlet. The success of the M4A3E2 "Jumbo" Sherman led to research into an equivalent modification of the T26 tank. In particular when in tier 9 and 10 games, your role is limited to supporting top tier vehicles while avoiding incoming fire as much as possible.Īs this is a premium tank, research not required. The alternative, fighting from a distance, is not viable owing to the low accuracy of the gun.Īs result of these limitations, the T26E5 does not do well on its own, especially when confronted with multiple opponents. At the same time, its mobility, though decent, is not good enough to manoeuver against medium tanks. Its armour, though better than that of the Pershing, is not strong enough to bounce the shells of other heavy tanks reliably. Unlike the Sherman Jumbo, which it resembles in concept, the T26E5 cannot lead assaults, even when it is high tier. Terrain resistances and hull traverse are poor, preventing you from outmaneuvering medium tanks in spite of your otherwise competitive acceleration.Īlthough its stats look impressive, and it has received very favourable reviews, the T26E5 suffers from being a compromise design even more than most American tanks and can struggle to find a role on the battlefield.
The 704 horsepower engine provides the T26E5 with an excellent specific power of 15.17, allowing it to accelerate better than many other tier 8 heavies. This also means it can whittle down heavy tanks with slower reload-times, though trading fire with other heavies is still a risky proposition because of your inferior alpha damage. The short reload-time allows this tank to comfortably trade fire with most mediums of the same tier. While the accuracy is largely improved over the T32, it is still far from that of German and British heavies, so allow the to gun aim fully for the best chance of hitting enemy weak spots. Do note, however, that it fires APCR as both standard and premium ammunition types, so be aware of its unique properties compared to AP rounds.
The 230mm of penetration allows the T26E5 to retain some fighting potential even in tier 9 and 10 games. The machinegun port and large lower front plate of the T26E5 are glaring weaknesses that make it vulnerable to even tier 6 guns, regardless of angle. The hull armor is thicker than on the T32 and T34, but ultimately weaker than the T32's because of flatter angles. Turret armor on the T26E5 is thinner than on the T34 and T32, but is still strong enough to bounce many lower and same tier guns, and its small profile will frustrate attackers trying to dig it out of a defensive position from a distance. The T26E5 is basically an up-armored M26 Pershing labeled as a heavy tank. High ground resistance, sluggish mobility.Hull armor is rather weak for a heavy tank.Limited penetration boost from premium ammunition.Small gun caliber, poor alpha damage and DPM.