English: T29 Heavy Tank at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds 1945. The Heavy Tank T29 and Heavy Tank T34 were American developmental heavy tanks started in March 1944 to counter the appearance of the Tiger II at Normandy. The T26E3 Medium Tank (that entered service as the M26 Pershing), weighing around 45 short tons, was not considered heavily enough armed or armored to counter the Tiger II, which weighed closer to 69 t (76 short tons). The T29 was not ready in time for the war in Europe, but it did provide post-war engineers with opportunities for applying the engineering concepts learned in artillery and automotive components.