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The first photo in the UK Daily Mail shows M36 tank destroyers (M4 tank chassis) with the 90mm gun. One M36 has slid off the icy road and into the ditch. The M36 had an open topped turret and thinner armor than the M4 Sherman. However, its 90mm M3 gun allowed it to engage and defeat the heavy German armor (Tiger and Panther).

The problem with Army Ground Force's doctrine at the time was the Tank Destroyer Corps was to engage the German tanks while the Armored Corps was to provide infantry and recon support. In reality, the TD arm was employed like tanks and suffered large numbers of casualties and infantry support tanks were called to fight German tanks more often than not. The tank destroyers had the guns to kill the enemy tanks, but not the protection; the tanks had the protection but not the guns to kill the German tanks.

The US Army's Armor Branch was not equipped with a tank that could meet and defeat the German tanks on a level playing field until March 1945. In January 1945 20 T26E3 Pershing heavy tanks were shipped to the ETO for the attacks into Germany.

Called the “Zebra Mission”, these tanks were equally split between the 3rd and 9th Armored Divisions. Ten T26E3’s went to the 3rd AD, 33rd Armored Regiment, and 10 went to the 9th AD, 67th Armored Regiment. All 20 were engaged in combat operations by March 1945. At the end of hostilities on 8 May 1945, there were 310 Pershings in Europe but only the first 20 Pershings took part in real fighting.

The T26E3 (reclassified M26) in March 1945, weighed 46 tons; had a road speed of 25 mph; a 500 hp gasoline V8 engine; a crew of 5; a 90mm M3 main gun with 70 rounds, a .50 machine gun with 550 rounds and two .30 machine guns with 5,000 rounds; operational range was 100 miles.