This is one of the most original M-18s in existence, it is very complete, the engine runs well, has good power, good oil pressure and charges properly.
Apart from being the most effective American tank destroyer during WWII, the M18 Hellcat also held a speed record in the US tank arsenal until the development of the M1 Abrams, decades later.
The Hellcat accomplished great speeds (50 mph, or 80 km/h) due to its extremely light armor which was never more than one inch thick (25 mm). It also had a roofless turret. Together with the M4 Sherman-based M10 tank destroyer, and the highly efficient, 90mm gun-armed M36 tank destroyer, the Hellcat served in all American theaters of world war 2 – both in Europe and the Pacific.
Armed with a 76 mm gun, the Hellcat wasn’t quite adequate for all enemy armor, especially late-war German designs, but it held on bravely and managed to become one of the iconic Allied tank destroyers of the time.
It was produced in 1943 by the Buick Motor Company of General Motors, on orders from the Ministry of Defence, which was keen on forming the Tank Destroyer Force. What they needed was a vehicle that was faster and better armed than a tank, but with weaker armor, so it would be able to move quickly, set up ambushes and support armored attacks.
After a series of prototypes, the M18 Hellcat was finally ready for mass production. It ran on an R-975 radial engine and utilized a torsion bar suspension that provided a steady ride.
The Hellcat first saw action at Anzio in Italy. About the same time, some Hellcats were sent to the Chinese Army, which fought the Japanese invasion. The tank destroyer played a key role in the battlefields of France, Belgium, and Germany in 1944. By this time, the Germans were already using Panthers on a regular basis, which was one of Hellcat’s main concerns.
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All images courtesy of ArmyJeep:
The inside
Driver seat
Pedals and Levers to control the tank
View back from the driver seat into the interior
Looking into the turret, note the .30 cal machine gun
Driver seat from above
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