| M26: General | |||
| Date of first acceptance | 1943 | Total acceptances | 1,372 |
| Manufacturer | Pacific Car and Foundry Co. | Crew |
|
| M26: Dimensions | |||
| Weight, gross | 48,300lbs 21,900kg |
Height to top of ring mount | 124" 315cm |
| Length overall | 304" 772cm |
Width overall | 130.75" 332.11cm |
| Front tread | 82" 210cm |
Rear tread | 98" 250cm |
| Wheelbase | 172" 437cm |
Ground clearance | 14" 36cm |
| Ground pressure, zero penetration; 75psi (5.3kg/cm²) tire pressure; 42,000lb (19,000kg) curb weight | 90psi 6.3kg/cm² |
||
| M26: Armament | ||||
| Type | Mount | Ammunition | Traverse | Elevation |
| .50cal M2HB MG | Flexible on ring mount M32 or M49 | 1,500 rounds | 360° (manual) |
+80° to -20° (manual) |
| M26: Armor | |
| Assembly | |
| Welding | |
| Cab | |
| Location | Thickness |
| Front | .75" 1.9cm |
| Sides, rear, top | .25" .64cm |
| M26: Automotive | |||||
| Engine | Hall-Scott 440; 6 cylinder, 4 cycle, in-line gasoline | ||||
| Horsepower | 230@2,100rpm | Torque | 810 ft-lb@1,100rpm | Fuel capacity | 120gal 450L |
| Transmission | Fuller 4B86 selective sliding, 4 speeds forward, 1 reverse | ||||
| Steering | Ross Model 780 hydraulic, steering wheel | ||||
| Brakes | Bendix Westinghouse air, internal expanding | ||||
| M26: Suspension | ||
| Type | Road wheels | Shock absorbers |
| Semi-elliptic leaf and coil springs | 3/side (2 rear dual) | On each front wheel |
| M26: Performance | |||
| Max level road speed | 28.0mph 45.1kph |
Max grade | 30% |
| Angle of approach | 35° | Max vertical obstacle | 22" 56cm |
| Min turning diameter | 80' 24m |
Max fording depth | 56" 140cm |
| Cruising range | ~250mi, roads ~400km, roads |
||
The 6x6 12-ton (11,000kg) tractor truck M26 was designed by the Knuckey Truck Company of San Francisco as a wheeled tank recovery vehicle that could participate in desert operations. Manufacture was assigned to the larger Pacific Car and Foundry, however, as Knuckey was not anticipated to be able to meet demand. Production began in January 1943, and in June 1943 the combination of the M26 and the semitrailer M15 was standardized as the 40-ton (36,000kg) tank transporter truck-trailer M25. The practice of naming the tractor truck and trailer together was discontinued in October 1944, however. The M26 featured an armored cab and a ring mount for a .50cal machine gun. The dual rear wheels of the truck were driven by roller chains that spun sprockets attached to the wheel hubs, and the combination of the main transmission and the three-speed auxiliary transmission enabled the use of twelve forward and three reverse speeds. A 35,000lb (16,000kg) Gar Wood model 5M 713K winch was mounted at the front of the truck, and was provided with 300' (91m) of ¾" (1.9cm) cable. A tandem set of Gar Wood model 60-823B winches behind the cab also each had 300' (91m) of ¾" (1.9cm) cable, and had a capacity of 60,000lb (27,000kg) on the cable's first layer. The payload of the M26 was 55,000lb (25,000kg), and its normal towed load was 115,000lb (52,200kg). It was 9'6" (290cm) to the top of the cab.
Designed by the Fruehof Trailer Company, the semitrailer M15 had a maximum payload of 40 tons (36,000kg) at 26mph (42kph). Its eight single wheels were suspended with walking beams operating on trunnion shafts, and any one wheel could surmount a 9" (23cm) obstacle without any of the other wheels leaving the ground. The trailer featured internal expanding air brakes operated by the tractor. Skid rails, bed rails, and wheel covers protected the semitrailer wheels and eased loading disabled vehicles, and the trailer wheels could be moved laterally to accommodate loads of differing widths. The semitrailer M15A1 was designed in 1944 to carry the heavy tank T26E3. This featured a strengthened bed and hinged ramps over the wheels so the wider tank could be loaded without damage to the tires. Payload of the M15A1 was increased to 90,000lb (40,800kg). After World War II, the trailer was further refined into the M15A2, with additional reinforcement and a wider frame, as well as the elimination of the stowage boxes above the fifth wheel connection. The M15A2 widened near the wheels so that they were no longer exposed from the front. The M15A2 weighed 42,600lb (19,300kg) net, and payload was increased to 50 tons (45,000kg).
| M26A1: General | |||
| Date of first acceptance | 1944 | ||
| Manufacturer | Pacific Car and Foundry Co. | Crew |
|
| M26A1: Dimensions | |||
| Weight, gross | 45,000lbs 20,400kg |
Height to top of ring mount | 128" 325cm |
| Length overall | 307" 780cm |
Width overall | 130.5" 331.5cm |
| Front tread | 82" 210cm |
Rear tread | 98" 250cm |
| Wheelbase | 172" 437cm |
Ground clearance | 14" 36cm |
| M26A1: Armament | ||||
| Type | Mount | Ammunition | Traverse | Elevation |
| .50cal M2HB MG | Flexible on ring mount M49 | 700 rounds | 360° (manual) |
+80° to -20° (manual) |
| M26A1: Armor |
| None |
| M26A1: Automotive | |||||
| Engine | Hall-Scott 440; 6 cylinder, 4 cycle, in-line gasoline | ||||
| Horsepower | 230@2,100rpm | Torque | 810 ft-lb@1,100rpm | Fuel capacity | 120gal 450L |
| Transmission | Fuller 4B86 selective sliding, 4 speeds forward, 1 reverse | ||||
| Steering | Ross Model 780 hydraulic, steering wheel | ||||
| Brakes | Bendix Westinghouse air, internal expanding | ||||
| M26A1: Suspension | ||
| Type | Road wheels | Shock absorbers |
| Semi-elliptic leaf and coil springs | 3/side (2 rear dual) | On each front wheel |
| M26A1: Performance | |||
| Max level road speed | 28.0mph 45.1kph |
Max grade | 30% |
| Angle of approach | 32° | Max vertical obstacle | 22" 56cm |
| Min turning diameter | 80' 24m |
Max fording depth | 56" 140cm |
| Cruising range | ~270mi, roads ~430km, roads |
||
Standardized in October 1944, the M26A1 eschewed the armored cab for a soft-skinned open-topped cab since recovery operations frequently did not occur under fire. The .50cal ring mount was retained, and height to the top of the cab remained 9'6" (290cm). With the weight saved from the omission of the armored cab, the M26A1's payload was increased to 58,000lb (26,000kg), and the normal towed load jumped to 132,675lb (60,181.4kg).
