M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer in the fire support role in various WWII theaters of operation

The M18 Hellcat (officially designated the 76 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 or M18 GMC) is a tank destroyer that was used by the United States Army in World War II and the Korean War. It was the fastest US armored fighting vehicle on the road and speed was attained by keeping armor to a minimum and using the innovative Torqmatic automatic transmission.

Entering service in 1944, the M18 served primarily in Western Europe, but was also present in the Pacific. M18 strength in the European Theatre of Operations varied from 136 in June 1944 to a high of 540 in March 1945. Losses totaled 216. Kills claimed were 526 in total: 498 in Europe, 17 in Italy, and 11 in the Pacific. The kills-to-losses ratio for Europe was 2.3 to 1 and the overall kill to loss ratio was 2.4 to 1. M18s were not primarily used for tank fighting, but were committed more often to improvised roles, usually direct fire support for infantry, and these are some examples:

0:00 M18 with the Anti-tank Company of the 306th Infantry Regiment attacking Japanese fortified positions at Shuri on Okinawa in mid 1945

0:14 Creative use of rocks to get a few more degrees of depression for an M18 of the 637th Tank Destroyer Battalion during the Battle of Baguio in April 1945

0:54 Another 637th Tank Destroyer Battalion M18 providing fire support during the Battle of Baguio on April 23rd 1945 accompanied by some remarkably unflinching troops

1:13 M18 in action near the Gothic Line in Italy in September 1944

1:23 M18 of the 824th Tank Destroyer Battalion providing fire support near Wiesloch in April 1945