T32 heavy tank

T32 Heavy Tank
Type	Heavy tank
Place of origin	United States
Service history
Used by	United States
Wars	none
Production history
Produced	1945-1946
Number built	4
Variants	T32 T32E1
Specifications
Weight	53.6 tonnes (59.08 short tons)
Length	7.07 meters
Width	3.51 m (11 ft 6 in)
Height	2.80 m (9 ft 2 in)
Crew	5

Armour	Front: 203 mm Sides: 76 mm Rear: 51 mm
Main armament	T15E2 90 mm gun with 54 rounds
Secondary armament	T32: 1x Browning 12.7 mm HMG, 2x Browning 7.62 mm LMG T32E1: 1x Browning 12.7 mm HMG, 1x Browning 7.62 LMG
Engine	Ford GAC V12, 770 HP
Power/weight	14.36 HP/T
Transmission	Cross Drive Transmission
Suspension	torsion-bar
Operational range	unknown
Speed	36 km/h (22 mph)

The T32 Heavy tank was a Heavy tank prototype by the United States army to create an appropriate successor to the M4A3E2 Jumbo Sherman. The U.S. Ordnance board managed the production of four prototypes, the main goal being to have the new tank share as many common parts with the M26 Pershing.

Tanks in the United States

World War I	Tank Mark VIII Ford 3-Ton M1918 Holt gas electric tank Six Ton Tank M1917 Renault FT

Interwar	T1 Light Tank M1 Combat Car M2 Light Tank Christie M1931

World War II	M2 Medium Tank M3/M5 Light Tank M3 Lee M4 Sherman M22 Locust M24 Chaffee Marmon-Herrington CTLS M26 Pershing

Cold War	M41 Walker Bulldog M46 Patton M103 heavy tank M47 Patton M48 Patton T95 M60 Patton T92 Light Tank M551 Sheridan MBT-70 XM803 Expeditionary tank M1 Abrams M8 Armored Gun System

History and Development

Despite its promising performance against German vehicles, the M26 Pershing was considered by some in the U.S. Army to be too lightly armored to eliminate heavier German vehicles in certain engagements. Work began in early 1945 to develop a significantly heavier variant of the M26 Pershing. Using data collected with the T29 Heavy Tank project and incorporating an experimental 90mm main gun firing APCR ammunition as well as a more advanced transmission, the first T32 tank was produced. The T15E2 gun mounted on this tank was much more powerful than the Pershing's gun, and like the T26E4 Super Pershing which utilized the same experimental 90mm, the counterweight at the back of the turret was enlarged substantially. As well, the tank was so heavy that the M26 chassis had to be expanded and an extra road wheel was added for a total of 7 per track. The T32E1 variant removed weak spots in the frontal armor including a hull mounted machine gun. After the end of WWII, the project was cancelled and the vehicles were scrapped.

References

American armored fighting vehicles of World War II

Light tanks	M1 Combat Car M2 Light Tank M3/M5 Light Tank (Stuart) M22 Light Tank (Locust) M24 Light Tank (Chaffee) Marmon-Herrington CTLS

Medium / heavy tanks	M2 Medium Tank M3 Medium Tank (Lee) M4 Medium Tank (Sherman) M26 Heavy Tank (Pershing)

Self-propelled artillery	M4 Mortar Carrier M21 Mortar Motor Carriage T30 Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 Howitzer Motor Carriage (Priest) M8 Howitzer Motor carriage M12 Gun Motor Carriage M40 Gun Motor Carriage M3 Gun Motor Carriage M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage T34 Rocket Launcher T40 Whizbang

Tank destroyers	T48 Gun Motor Carriage M3 Gun Motor Carriage M6 Gun Motor Carriage M10 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M18 Gun Motor Carriage (Hellcat) M36 Gun Motor Carriage

Armored half-tracks	M2 Half Track Car M3 Half Track Personnel Carrier M5 Half-track M9 Half-track

Amphibious vehicles	Ford GPA DUKW M29C Weasel Landing Vehicle Tracked

Armored cars	M3 Scout Car M8 Light Armored Car (Greyhound) M20 Armored Utility Car T17 Armored Car T18 Armored Car

Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns	M13 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M14 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M15 Combination Gun Motor Carriage M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M17 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M19 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage

Experimental and short production run vehicles	M38 Wolfhound Heavy Tank T1/M6 Super Heavy Tank T28 (T95 GMC) Assault Tank T14 Heavy Tank T29 (T34 HT) Heavy Tank T30 Heavy Tank T32 Medium Tank T20 T3 Half Track T27 Armored Car T54 Gun Motor Carriage T40/M9 Tank Destroyer T19 Howitzer Motor Carriage 8 in Howitzer Motor Carriage T84 T92/T93 Gun Motor Carriage T55E1 Motor Carriage Light Tank T7/Medium Tank M7 T88 Gun Motor Carriage T18 Howitzer Motor Carriage

Lend-lease production	T16

American armored fighting vehicle production during World War II

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