The M18 was developed in an era when the United States fought tanks not with other tanks, but with specialized tank destroyers. With a powerful aircraft-style radial engine pushing it at up to 50 miles per hour, and mounting a potent 76 mm cannon, the Buick-built M18 Hellcat, or “Hell-Cat” as Buick's publicists named it, provided US troops with a powerful shoot-and-scoot answer to heavily armored German tanks. Further experiments were conducted to increase its armament or adapt it to other uses, such as the M39 armored utility vehicle. Through dozens of archival images, many never before published, as well as detailed photographs of some of the finest existent examples of these vehicles, this iconic tank hunter is explored, and its history is explained. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.
David Doyle’s earliest published works appeared in periodicals aimed at the hobby of historic military vehicle restoration. By 1999, this included regular features in leading hobby publications, appearing regularly in US, English, and Polish magazines. Since 2003, he has published over 125 books on various military topics. Broadening his horizons from his initial efforts concerning vehicles, he soon added aircraft and warships to his research objectives.
Part of the Legends of Warfare: Ground series of pictorially led guides to WWII hardware, this is the M18 tank destroyer. The M18 had a powerful engine, meaning it could hit 50mph and was armed with a 76mm cannon. It was designed to chase and hunt down heavily armoured German tanks. The almost square format means plenty of room for images and these are packed in, to the exclusion of that much text. If you were expecting schematics and masses of technical detail though, youll be disappointed. -- Armourer Magazine and Classic Arms & Militaria Magazine, November 2020