page_title: 70th Armor Regiment
section_title: Heavy tank battalion
hierarchical_section_title: 70th Armor Regiment / Organization / Heavy tank battalion
context_page_description: The 70th Armor Regiment is an armored unit of the United States Army. It was constituted as the 70th Tank Battalion in July 1940, an independent tank battalion intended to provide close support to infantry units. In this role, it saw action in the Mediterranean and European Theater of Operations, making assault landings and fighting with the 9th Infantry Division in North Africa, and with the 1st Infantry Division in Sicily. The battalion supported the 4th Infantry Division on Utah Beach during the D-Day landings in France, and fought with the 4th Infantry Division through the remainder of World War II. The 70th Tank Battalion was one of the first three tank battalions to deploy to Korea in the Korean War, where it saw significant action, primarily with the 1st Cavalry Division.
  The 70th Armor Regiment was designated a parent organization as part of the Combat Arms Regimental System in 1963. When CARS was replaced by the U.S. Army Regimental System system in 1981, the 70th Armor Regiment continued to carry the colors and honors of the regiment. Although there is no regimental headquarters, battalions of the 70th Armor Regiment have since served in various theaters and campaigns.
context_section_description: The 70th Tank Battalion once again underwent massive reorganization when it was converted into a heavy tank battalion. The primary changes were in the tank companies, which were reduced to three. The Heavy Tank Battalion organization is as follows:
  Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) –This Company included the battalion staff and the battalion command headquarters section, including the two tanks in the headquarters tank section. The headquarters company still had a reconnaissance section and mortar platoon. The assault gun platoon was deleted from the organization.
  Service Company –This Company still consisted primarily of the battalion maintenance platoon and the battalion supply and transportation platoon.
  Companies A and C –These companies were equipped with M4A3E8 Sherman tanks. This tank was equipped with a high velocity 76 mm gun and a heavier horizontal volute suspension. The heavy tank companies were now organized into four platoons of five tanks, plus the two company headquarters tanks, for a total of 22 tanks in each company. The tank recovery vehicle was now an M74.
  Company B –This Company was equipped with M26 Pershing tanks, equipped with a 90 mm gun. Despite the heavier gun, the Pershing was not well liked as it was unreliable and difficult to maintain. While in Korea, the Pershings were withdrawn and replaced with M4A3E8 Sherman tanks. Otherwise the company organization was identical to Companies A and C.
caption: Pershing and Sherman tanks at the Pusan Docks, Korea.
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