M18 Hellcat

"What is of greatest importance in war is extraordinary speed; One cannot afford to neglect opportunity."

– Sun Tzu

Avast your ass Krauts!

The GMC M18 Tank 76mm Gun Motor Carriage, known much more famously (and awesomer) as the M18 Hellcat was a late war tank destroyer used by the Allies during WW2 and was the fastest tank destroyer of the conflict in the US arsenal. It performed successfully against most enemy armor it encountered with a 2.3 to 1 ratio of kills obtaining more than 500 in it's wartime service. The M18 owes all this to it's speed and it's XBAWKS HUEG gun. It was the fastest armored vehicle on treads in the United States armored corps and was able to flank and outmaneuver many of its opponents.

Late War

"Do you know, just how fast I am?

The M18 is a glass cannon that excels in being used in strategic ways. Using Seek, Strike, and Destroy allows you to use Two movement orders in a single turn, Blitz Move and Shoot and Scoot. This allows for some tricky maneuvers and maximizes playing to the Hellcat's strength as a fast-moving tank destroyer. With a 32" road dash, greater than most tanks, it can be anywhere, at any time.

Real Life

"Here kitty kitty kitty."

The Hellcat's life started as an Army Ordnance request for a fast moving Tank Destroyer with a puny 37mm gun and Wright/Continental Engine. It was innovative for its time, and could achieve speeds of 55 MPH (~89 KPH) on the road, and was even given some badass aesthetic elements, such as a big cat biting on treads and the words "Seek, Strike, Destroy".

The 76mm cannon was largely a post- Africa innovation brought on by the larger size and innovations of German Tanks. Additionally, it was fitted with an M2 Browning MG to protect itself from Infantry and Aircraft attacks.

American operators of the vehicle loved them, finding that they were easy to maintain and their speed was perfect for flanking German Panzers and served very well as Assault guns in the latter stages of the war. The only complaints were the lack of armor that was needed to maintain the high speed it held, and that the engine, being air cooled, turned the interior of the vehicle into little better than a refrigerator during operation. Despite these shortcomings, the vehicle tended to perform very well against its opponents. Chinese operators tended to use them more as assault guns, due to the fact that Japanese tanks blew up if you so much as sneezed at them the right way.

The M18 is still in service today with the Venezualen military as a reserve vehicle and was only phased out of service in Yugoslavia in the 1990s, which should speak volumes for how well the design holds up.