「イエ―イッ騎兵隊参上ヨロシクゥ！」（と英語で言っている）

戦車絵シリーズはＭ１８ヘルキャット　米軍戦車を描こうと思って　大戦中の米軍戦車といえばＭ４シャーマンばかりになってしまうので（私自身は『シャーマニア』だけど）それではツマランので『Ｍ４系列でない』Ｍ１８ヘルキャットＧＭＣを　戦車みたいな外見だけど決して戦車ではない　ＧＭＣ（ガン・モーター・キャリッジ）すなわち（対戦車）自走砲です

アメリカ軍は戦車はあくまで突破兵器として、対戦車戦闘は独自に編成した戦車駆逐大隊の任務としました、この戦車駆逐大隊は通常は戦線後方に位置し、敵戦車部隊が突破してきたときにその高い機動力で展開し攻撃する、いわばインディアンに襲われた幌馬車を救助する騎兵隊みたいな部隊です、アメリカ軍はよほどこの『騎兵隊』が好きなのか、主力戦車がＭ４シリーズだけなのに対して（Ｍ２６が出てきたのは戦争の最後）Ｍ３、Ｍ１０、Ｍ１８、Ｍ３６と次々に対戦車車両を開発しつづけてます（Ｍ８装甲車も本来は対戦車部隊用）
で、Ｍ１８です、シャーマン系列よりも進んだト―ションバーサスペンション、パワーユニットを丸ごと車体から引きだして整備できる利便性など戦後の米軍戦車に踏襲された設計で、（出現当時の）Ｍ４よりも強力な７６ミリ砲を装備、その最高速度は８０キロに達する（ちなみにＭ４は３６キロほど）、ただし対戦車自走砲である以上装甲は貧弱で砲塔前面の１インチ厚をのぞけば全体で０・５インチ、すなわち１３ミリほどしかない　そして米軍がヨーロッパで反攻を始めて以来、『突破してきた敵戦車を迎え撃つ』機会などめったになく、その弱装甲ゆえ前線に出すこともままならず支援砲撃などの『不遇な』任務などに使われるだけでした　しかし本車が活躍する舞台がやってくる　１９４４年末のドイツ軍による攻勢『バルジの戦い』である　このとき要衝バストーニュをめぐる戦闘で７０５戦車駆逐大隊の４両のヘルキャットがその快速を生かしてドイツ第２装甲師団を攻撃し、ヒットアンドウェイ（すなわち１発撃ったら逃げる）戦法を駆使し『タイガー戦車を含む』敵戦車２４両を撃破、見事に敵師団の進出の意図を挫いたのである（以上Wikiより）

で、絵です、あいかわらず『絵としてのウソ』をつきまくってますｗ　字数が少ないので一々あげませんがじっくり探してくださいｗ

"Yeaaaaah! Here comes the cavalry! Hey guys!"

This installment in my "Tank Illustration Series" features the M18 Hellcat.
I decided to draw an American military tank, but anytime someone mentions the American military tanks of WW2 all anyone can think about is the M4 Sherman (though I'm caught up in "Shermania" myself), so I figured that would be boring. As a result, I drew an M18 Hellcat GMC instead of something from the M4 series. It looks like a tank, but it wasn't a tank at all. It was more of a GMC (Gun Motor Carriage), that is, a self-propelled (anti-tank) gun.

For the American military, the tank was, fundamentally, to be used as a weapon to break through enemy defenses, while anti-tank battles were the duty of the independently organized Tank Destroyer Battalion (aka. TDB). This TDB was normally placed behind the lines and used its high level of mobility to spread out and attack the enemy tank corps when they would break through enemy defenses. In other words, it was a unit similar to the cavalry which would save covered wagons under attack by Indians. Perhaps the American army really liked the "cavalry" because they had the M4 series as their primary tanks (the M26 did not appear on the battlefield until late in the war) while they continuously developed one anti-tank vehicle after another, such as the M3, M10, M18, and M36. (The M8 light-armored car was also originally planned to be used in the anti-tank regiment.)

So, the M18 had more developed torsion bar suspension than the Sherman series, while the power unit could be easily removed from the frame, making it more convenient. The designs followed the other post-war American military tanks, and the M18 was equipped with a 76mm gun that was more powerful than the M4 at the point in time when the M18 appeared on the battlefields. Its top speed reached 80 kilometers an hour. (For reference, the top speed of the M4 was around 36 kilometers an hour.) However, because it is essentially a self propelled anti-tank gun its armor was very poor, with one inch thickness on the front of the turret and no more than 0.5 inches, or 13mm anywhere else. After the American military began its counteroffensive in Europe there were few opportunities to attack enemy tanks that broke through the lines, and they ended up not being sent to the front lines due to their weak armor, eventually being used for "unfortunate" duties such as cover fire.

However, at last came the stage where these tanks could go into action. It was the German offensive in late 1944 known as the 'Battle of the Bulge.' It was when the battle was around the strategic point of Bastogne and 4 Hellcats from the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion used their speed to attack the German 2nd Panzer Division. Fully taking advantage of a hit-and-run strategy they destroyed 24 enemy tanks (including Tigers) and completely obliterated the enemy division's plans for advancement. (The above is from the Japanese version of Wikipedia.)

So, here is the illustration. As always, I've taken some "artistic lying" with it. lol
I don't have many words left to point everything out individually, so please look through it carefully for yourself. lol