T-26 GARAND

[EXO]

Doing my websites involves a correspondence with the men who were at the "sharp end" during WWII. This results in lots of vignettes which I can't always fit into the body of the website - but are too interesting just to leave alone. In one e-mail, Lt. Col. Robert Alexander was mentioned, in the context of his personal observations of the Corregidor operation (which we are now hosting at

corregidor.org/Bless%20'em%20All/Reports/Corregidor/usaffe_board_report_01.html

but that's another story.)

I received the following response from Bill Calhoun, who our regular readers will know was a Lieutenant in the 503d Parachute Regimental Combat Team on Noemfoor at the time:

"When I first met Alexander he was a major. He came to Noemfoor with a sawed off M1 Garand. The weapon was being considered for paratroopers and tankers. He was quite sure he was presenting the perfect weapon. The Noemfoor operation was over. All nine of our regimental rifle platoon leaders were put on a test assignment to evaluate the weapon as a handier weapon to use in parachute jumping and tight quarters, and it used the regular M1 30-06 ammo. We learned as quick as we started testing, even in dark rain forrest, the muzzle blast was like a blow torch (it emitted about six inches of flame illuminating the position. All of us gave it a thumbs down. Major Alexander was very displeased with our report. I know it was tested by armored troops, but I do not know the results. "

So I googled the results and came upon the hisory of the T-26 Tanker. The following text is from a defunct website (wapahani.com), reproduced at securityarms.com and the photo is from their great collection of reference photos.

The "Tanker Garand" is a "misnomer." During WWII two separate prototypes were developed for paratroop use. The first was the M1E5. The M1E5 had a short barrel and a folding metal stock. It was developed and tested in the Summer of 1944, but then abandoned because of the loud report and large muzzle flash from the short barrel.In the fall of 1944 the Pacific Warfare Board ordered a test quantity of 150 M1 Rifles to be shortened and tested for jungle and paratroop use. These conversions were rather crudely done in the Pacific Theatre of Operations, either in Australia or the Phillippines. A request was made that Springfield Armory manufacture these shortened M1s, and two were sent by air to the USA for testing.

When the Springfield Armory staff saw the improvised short Garands, they recognized that they were the same as the M1E5 but with a normal wood stock. Thereupon they assembled their own version, designated T26. After testing the same conclusions were drawn as before; the barrel was just too short to be practical. Thus only one T26 was ever made in the USA.

Of the two test rifles sent from the Pacific, one is in the Springfield Armory Museum. The location of the other, if it still exists, is unknown. The lone T26 was reported destroyed in testing at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland.

In the 1950's several entrepreneurs, including Robert E. Penney, Jr., acquired a great deal of Garand scrap including cut-in-half receivers and parts sets. They built perhaps ten or twenty thousand rifles by welding receiver halves together. This was crude, but it was the only way at that time to get a Garand outside of the Directorate of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM, now the Civilian Marksmanship Program, CMP). Robert Penney noted the short Garand at the Springfield Armory museum during a visit there and decided to meld his interest in tanks with his business interests, Alpine and National Ordnance, prime "remanufacturers" of Garands from Garand scrap. Penney decided that a short T26-type Garand would fit nicely in a tank turret, and coined the term "Tanker Garand." However, the short Garands that were tested by the Army during WWII were not intended for use by tank crews! Nevertheless, Penney's name for the T26-type rifle stubbornly stuck; few gun people recognize "T26" but nearly everyone has heard of the "Tanker Garand." Even now when M1s have been much more available, the popularity of a short Garand remains strong. Thus many have been made on good, original receivers.

Bless 'em All

[Deleted]

My father had one of these T-26 Garands. I remember him talking about it as a young man but unfortunately wasn't too interested in it at the time. Dad passed away in February 1979. The only thing I remember him saying about it was it had an 18-inch barrel. How he got it I do not know. If you have Duff's book on the M1 Garand of WWII, look on page 101. I am the person who gave the info to Scott to put in his tome. I have the correspondances between Bill Calhoun, John Lundgren and myself concerning this unique rifle. When I get the time I'll post all the correspondences that I have here for you all to view.
Jon Turner aka musketjon

[Deleted]

OK,

One more time to try to clear up the misconceptions that the T26's never existed. I wish this could be the end of the story but I know it won't and will continue to be rehashed again and again ad nauseam. Now just read the article and take it for what it is: a good informative read by a guy who has “been there and done that”.
Jon


I found my earlier forum additions and have posted them here for everyone to enjoy, debate, believe or not, or whatever you decide they're worth.
I Hope this information will help dismiss some of the BS and misinformation about this rifle, at least for the time being anyway.
Jon Turner aka musketjon

The T26 Garands did indeed exist, albeit in very limited quantities. How do I know this? My (late) father was in the 503rd PIR in the Philippines and New Guinea in WWII. I remember him telling me about a shortened version of the M1 Garand that he had acquired (sorry I don't remember all the details, I wasn't THAT interested in the M1 rifle 30 years ago and Dad's been gone since Feb ' 79) and if you check on page 101 of Duff's book, I am the collector who's father was in the 503rd and I submitted the letter to Scott to put in his tome from one of my dad's jump buddies. The letter in Duff's book is verbatum from one of the letters I got from Dad's buddy, and if anyone would like copies of the letters (there are 3 total correspondences to me from Dad's buddies) to me, feel free to ask for a copy.
Jon Turner

Here Guys,
I'll go ya' one better. I'll print the correspondences here for all to see, then judge for yourselves.
(First letter dated 9 July 1987)

Dear Betty [my mom],
I got a letter from Bill Calhoun who is an old friend from the 503rd and he mentioned a special M1 rifle that had been shortened. I had talked with Tom [my late father] about this many times when I used to come and see him. I know that your son [me] was interested in this gun also and at one of the meetings he told me he had gotten some information and a publication perhaps, on it. I think it was John [sic] who told me that. This is a story about its development and testing that Bill Calhoun did. Please let John [sic] look at it.
Hope all is well there-------I send my best.
John [Lindgren]

Letter two is the article in Duff's book on page 101 written by Bill Calhoun and given to John Lindgren who gave it to me.

Letter three is quite involved and I may run out of space here and have to continue it on another page. John Lindgren gave me Bill Calhoun's address and I asked him for any other information he might be able to pass on to me.
The letter is dated September 13, 1990.

Dear Jon [me],
John Lindgren had told me about your father and you along with your interest in the T26 rifle. First, let me say that even though I did not know him, I was saddened to hear of the death of your father who was one of our own. As to the rifle, it is of the greatest interest to me, because I had the early experience with it, and especially because of my great love for the M1 (Garand) Rifle.
There is very little that I can tell you other than the information you received from John Lindgren [article on page 101 of Duff's book]. As far as I can remember, Major Alexander came to us on Noemfoor Island, New Guinea, in order to have his weapon test. He was newly arrived from "stateside".
I did not know that anyone in our outfit ever acquired the converted M1. As I remember, Army Ordnance had converted the weapon which Alexander carried. It was my impression that this relatively simple conversion of the M1 was done in an ordnance shop in the U.S. In fact I did not know until later that Alexander remained in the Southwest Pacific being assigned to 6th Army Headquarters.
Major Alexander was convinced that he had the perfect parachutist's weapon. After the test committee submitted a negative report he was quite disappointed and questioned the reliability of the nine-Lieutenant-platoon leader-committee. Evidently he took his case on to senior officers including General MacArthur. These nine lieutenants had just concluded a successful operation destroying the Japanese force on Noemfoor. The committee had been selected because of their leadership and ability displayed during the campaign. I feel our attitude toward the M1 rifle was the same. This was that the M1 was the ultimate rifleman's weapon. We loved it. Most of us disliked the carbine and felt it was too light in its hitting power. Many, like me, carried M1's rather than the TO&E prescribed carbine. We would have been overjoyed to accept any suitable conversion of the M1. Unfortunately the great muzzle blast of the cut down model ruled this weapon out.
This is a prime example of how the troops are sometimes denied the best weapons. Some high ranking officers in their infinite wisdom over rule subordinate's decisions.
Lt. Col. Alexander should be able to give you much information if you are able to contact him. John Lindgren is an expert at locating retired officers, if Alexander is a retired officer. If he left the Army after WWII he might be found by going through the VA. A friend of mine found me after almost forty years through the VA.
I'm sorry I have no more information on the T26. I hope to learn more in the future. If I do I will certainly pass it on to you. I hope you will do the same for me.
Good luck in your quest.
Sincerely,
Bill
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I tried contacting Lt Col Alexander but was unsuccessful in my attempt. John Lindgren has since passed away. I don't know about Bill but am sure he's probably gone now as well. The only thing I remember my father saying about the T26 was that the barrel was only 18" long and that he had one.
I hope this sheds at least a little light on the subject of the T26 and puts to rest the myth that the T26's never existed.

With my regards to all my M1 collectors and aficionados,
Jon Turner

OK, found some more info from Bill in another letter I just uncovered. Not sure of the exact date on this one but it's ca. the others.
This was a continuum of the letter in Duff's book.
............................ The gun is described in the May 1985 issue of the "American Rifleman". Their findings agree with ours. "The T26 was almost as accurate as the full-size M1, but the muzzle flash was quite intense, thanks to the abbreviated 18" barrel". The article goes on to say that plans for 15,000 T26's were made for use in the invasion of the Japanese mainland. The nomenclature is T26 Tanker. Prototypes were built in 1944 at the request of high Army officers in the Pacific including, supposedly MacArthur himself. No one seems to know why "Tanker" was used, since it was designed primarily for jungle warfare.
This is nothing different from today's high ranking officers who have brought about the toys of today. They can't listen to the working class.

Jon
PS I recently discovered that Bill Calhoun is indeed very much alive and resides in Comanche, Texas.

[mgk1951]

Hi

There is sufficient detail, in literature on firearms, to suggest that the T-26 existed as a single prototype. Apparently, this prototype does not exist today. The literature I refer to is: Military Small Arms of the 20th Century, I.V Hogg and J. Weeks; and Small Arms of the World, J.E. Smith and W.H.B. Smith.

However, (apparently) two field converted M1 Garand Rifles that served as the design for the T-26 do still exist. These were produced as a small batch of conversions in Australia or the Philippines. One is in the Springfield Armory and the other is reported to be held at West Point.

The T-26 prototype was built by the Springfield Armory and, except for the full length wooden stock, resembled the tested prototype M1E5, which had a folding stock. Both the M1E5 and T-26 prototypes had 18 inch barrels.

The "Tanker Garand" appears to be gunsmith cut down versions of the M1 Garand Rifle. It is not mentioned in any of the literature I have, as my literature only covers military models. So a couple of links to the research of others:

www.scott-duff.com/t26.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_Garand

During the late 1960s and early 1970s M1 Garand Rifles with a shortened butt were available in Australia. I was told they came from South America and the butt was shortened for soldiers of shorter stature. These were marketed in Australia as "Tanker Garand".

I don't think this is the full story.

Regards

mgk