American Tank Destroyers

Lacking heavy tanks like the other major armored powers in the European Theatre, US Army forces depended upon tank destroyers for their heavy offensive anti-tank power.

M18 "Hellcat" and M36 "Wolverine"
M36 Wolverine	DIMENSIONS
	Mass (mt): 17.3 - 28.8	Length (m): 5.43 - 7.96	Width (m): 2.86 - 3.05	Height (m): 2.36 - 2.67
	TIME PERIOD: 1943 (M18 and M36) to End of War
Two similar tank destroyers with different origins, the Hellcat and Wolverine provided the big-cat busting firepower for advancing American forces after D-Day. The M36 Wolverine was an adaption of the early-war M10 tank destroyer, upgunned from a 3-inch howitzer to a 90mm L/53 high-velocity gun adapted from anti-aircraft batteries. Its 'little brother,' the M18 Hellcat, carried the M1 high velocity 76mm later found on the M4A3E2 "Jumbo" Sherman. Both specialized in anti-armor operations, were fast, and could fire "on the run" more easily than standard tanks. They both suffered from the typical tank destroyer weakness of heavy armor, and the particularly American TD weakness of having an open-topped turret.

M18 HELLCAT TANK DESTROYER				Max. Speed: 89 kph		Range: 169km
Front Bottom	Front Driver	Hull, Side	Hull, Rear	Hull, Deck	Gun Shield	Turret Front	Turret Side
13mm	19mm	13mm	13mm	7mm	13mm	19mm	13mm
76mm L/55 M1 Tank Gun				Max. Range: 2270m		Mx. Penetrate: 118mm
.50 Browning Pintle-Mount AA Machine Gun				Max. Range: 680m		Heavy Machine Gun

M36 WOLVERINE TANK DESTROYER				Max. Speed: 48 kph		Range: 241km
Front Bottom	Front Driver	Hull, Side	Hull, Rear	Hull, Deck	Gun Shield	Turret Front	Turret Side
37mm	37mm	37mm	37mm	12mm	59mm	37mm	37mm
90mm L/53 Tank Gun				Max. Range: 2270m		Mx. Penetrate: 126mm
.50 Browning Pintle-Mount AA Machine Gun				Max. Range: 680m		Heavy Machine Gun