M10 Wolverine

This was the first American tracked armored vehicle designed from the ground-up as a tank destroyer. It mounted a 3-inch (76.2 mm) L/52 Gun M7 in a rotating turret on a modified M4A2 or M4A3 Sherman tank chassis. With American industry delivering 6,406 units, it was the most-produced U.S. tank destroyer of World War II. It combined thin sloped armor with the Sherman's reliable drivetrain and a reasonably potent anti-tank weapon mounted in an open-topped turret. The 76 mm gun fired a variety of armor-piercing rounds, and also a high-explosive round for soft targets. The Wolverine also carried one .50 caliber (12.7 mm) Browning M2HB machine gun. A crew of five operated the vehicle, and it had a maximum speed of 27 mph. The type's initial combat encounters occurred in March 1943 at the Battle of El Guettar during the North African Campaign, where it proved effective against most Axis tanks. By summer 1944 in Western Europe, however, the type was shown not to be as effective against German tanks with thicker armor (such as the Panzer V Panther). Shortly after the invasion of Normandy, the U.S. Army began replacing the Wolverine in front-line service with the M18 and M36 tank destroyers. Despite its increasing obsolescence, the M10 remained in service until the end of the war. The type also served with the British (1,648 units), Free French (227 units), and Soviet (52 units) armies, in the North African and Eastern, Western, and Southern European theaters. These stats reflect the ToI base M-10 Wolverine unit.