The M18 “Hellcat” tank destroyer was armed with the M1 76mm gun and had phenomenal speed which could get as high as 50 miles per hour! Comparing that to the mid-20 mph of the M4/10/36 was nothing short of outstanding. The Hellcat would get in fire and be gone before the enemy knew what hit them, giving the U.S. Tankers much needed confidence. Tank Destroyers such as the M18 knocked out thousands of German Armored Track Vehicles, including 300 in the Battle of the Bulge, with an estimated sacrifice of 5,000 Tank Destroyer Men killed in action. One of the key Tank Destroyer contributions was helping the United States Army conquer the fear of the mighty German tanks and gain confidence to meet the challenge of the German forces all over the world.