US Super Heavy Tank T28 - Modern/Post-War Photos | Gallery

US Super Heavy Tank T28

One of only two prototype T28 Super Heavy Tanks built, and the only surviving example. Photographed at the Patton tank museum at Fort Knox in Sept 2005 and subsequently moved to Fort Benning. Basically it was a heavily armoured self-propelled 105mm artillery piece, intended for use against defences and as an anti-tank weapon. It was designed & built late in WWII, but never went into service. (Info above was provided by the photographer) The detachable cranes on the right side were used to remove the outer set of tracks, complete with the armour in that area. Once removed, the two sets of outer tracks were joined together and towed behind the tank or a separate vehicle as a trailer. In 1945 the designation was changed to 105 mm Gun Motor Carriage T95


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/modern/49645/us-super-heavy-tank-t28

I don’t believe this was ever classified as a “tank.” It was a gun motor carriage. It had a very specific purpose, which was to break through what were believed to be the heavy defenses of the Siegfried Line. It’s development was slowed and it came too late and wasn’t needed anyways as Shermans, tank destroyers, and perhaps a few Pershings did the job just fine. This one was literally found in the woods.

It was abandoned along with the Ft. Belvoir Engineer Proving Grounds near Springfield, Virgina. The place was used to train U.S. combat engineers in various training ranges for mines and whatnot. There was also a rather large concrete circular pad we called "racetrack" and the facility was used as a proving grounds for engineering prototypes at one time. During the Vietnam War, around 1969, a massive gasoline spill essentially closed the facility and it was mostly abandoned until a few years ago. Anyways, this had undergone extensive testing there apparently and was thought of more as a specialist combat engineering vehicle than a tank. It was found in near pristine condition sitting in a wooded area in 1974…