M36 Jackson

History

With the advent of heavy German armor such as the Panther and Tiger, the standard U.S. tank destroyer, the thinly armored M10 Wolverine was rapidly becoming obsolete, because its main armament, a 76 mm anti-tank gun, was not powerful enough to engage these new tanks. This was foreseen however, and in September 1942 American engineers had begun designing a new tank destroyer armed with the formidable M3 90 mm gun.

The M36, based on the M10A1 chassis, was the result. Besides the large increase in firepower, the M36 also had a better engine and frontal armor that was twice as thick as the M10.

It wasn't until mid-1944 that the vehicle first began to appear in Europe, and only around 1,400 M36's were produced during the war. It was well liked by its crews though, being one of the few armored fighting vehicles available to Americans that could take out heavy German tanks from distance, especially seen during the Battle of the Bulge.

Like many other tank destroyers, the turret was not fully armored to save weight, and the M36 was open-topped. To help offset this, a folding armored roofkit was developed to provide some protection from shrapnel. The M36 also had a large bustle at the rear of its turret which provided a counterweight to its large gun. Inside, eleven additional rounds of ammunition were stored.

Variants

M36B1

A M36 turret fitted onto a M4A3 Sherman chassis. Used in the Battle of the Bulge. Officially they did not participate, but there is both photographic evidence and first hand accounts of them being involved.

M3B2

A conversion from Diesel powered M10A1 hull.

External links