War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Ratel 20

2022-02-07T15:39:23Z

U103633901: Added "describle the tactics" section

{{About
| about = British light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Ratel (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_ratel_20
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Ixwa Strike"]].

The Ratel 20 is the original variant of the versatile Ratel IFV built by South Africa in 1976, to meet their tactics on mobile warfare. It is granted the title of the first wheeled IFV to enter service worldwide.

While the mobile and indirect playstyle of the previous [[Ratel 90]] continues, the variation in weaponry sets ups for a somewhat more defensive and supporting approach during armoured engagements. The fast-firing 20 mm GI-2 automatic cannon and the powerful Milan ATGM are alternative armaments that will require some practice due to their situational unreliability when compared to a classical high-calibre cannon layout.

Aside from the alternative weaponry, the pros and cons of the Ratel chassis remain essentially unchanged, therefore the Ratel 20 still relies on his firepower and mobility; both are effective tools when in the hands of skilled players.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=437|rbMinHp=249}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|GI-2 (20 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[GI-2 (20 mm)|20 mm GI-2]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 1,200 (150) || rowspan="2" | 750 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+38° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 22.7 || 31.4 || 38.1 || 42.1 || 44.8 || rowspan="2" | 10.40 || rowspan="2" | 9.20 || rowspan="2" | 8.48 || rowspan="2" | 8.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.2 || 16.7 || 20.2 || 22.4 || 23.8
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}
* '''M594:''' {{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}
* '''M601:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="7" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Default || 57 || 52 || 37 || 24 || 15 || 10
|-
| M594 || 57 || 52 || 37 || 24 || 15 || 10
|-
| M601 || 57 || 52 || 37 || 24 || 15 || 10
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo type
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''10''' '''1,200''' || ''Clips'' ''Rounds'' || 9 ''(+1)'' 1,080 || 8 ''(+2)'' 960 || 7 ''(+3)'' 840 || 6 ''(+4)'' 620 || 4 ''(+6)'' 480 || 3 ''(+7)'' 360 || 2 ''(+8)'' 240 || 1 ''(+9)'' 120 || Yes
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Ammunition is modelled as 10 clips of 120 rounds.
* The visual discrepancy concerns the number of clips: 10 clips can be fired but only 8 are modeled.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|MILAN}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[MILAN]] missile
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
|-
| 7 || ±5° || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| MILAN || ATGM || 530 || 530 || 530 || 530 || 530 || 530
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Range (m)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| MILAN || ATGM || 200 || 2,000 || 6.7 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,830 || 80° || 82° || 90°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}_secondary.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''7''' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Missiles are modeled individually and disappear after having been launched.
* It is not possible to select how many missiles to bring into battle.
* The missiles deplete from 1 to 7.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|4}}

{{main|Browning MG4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Browning MG4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Browning MG4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 3,000 (250) || 500 || -10°/+3° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Use your excellent mobility on roads to flank and use your autocannon to hit side and rear armor, if you ever come face to face with a heavily armored vehicle, use your ATGM. On rough terrain, support your teammates and use your ATGMs to pick off targets passing by. Help repair teammates and destroy lightly armored targets with your autocannon. Since your 20mil isn't very useful against most tanks from the front, use it to take out tracks and gun barrels. Take note that the ratel is very long and hard to hide so always be careful that you are not exposing sections of your vehicle that the enemy can see.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* [[MILAN]] ATGM has good penetration values and overpressure capabilities
* Ratel chassis is decently mobile once fully upgraded; also great reverse speed of 17 km/h
* 20 mm GI-2 gun has a high rate of fire and a useful elevation of +38°; perfect against low flying aircraft

'''Cons:'''

* Large size; difficult to conceal and manoeuvre on urban maps
* No stabilizer; the vehicle must stop to use the GI-2 cannon effectively
* Low engine power; the wheels also struggles on snow, sand or mud
* GI-2 cannon has poor performance against sloped thin armour as those on [[BMP-1 (Family)]], [[R3 T106 FA]] or [[AUBL/74]]
* Armour is unreliable and poor; only 3 crew members and a large ATGMs rack

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_ratel_20 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|8O6saI_fQ2Y|'''The Shooting Range #244''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:36 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;Related service history

*[[Eland 90 Mk.7]]
*[[Ratel 90]]
*[[T-34-85]]
*[[PT-76B]]
*[[T-54/55 (Family)]]

;Similar Playstyle

* [[Warrior]]
* [[BMP-1]]
* [[UDES 33]]
* [[FIAT 6614]]

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{TankManufacturer Sandock-Austral}}
{{Britain light tanks}}

[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]
[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]

T-26E

2022-02-03T22:20:45Z

U103633901: Added more detail and fixed grammar

{{About
| about = Soviet light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other variants
| link = T-26 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_26E
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|market=T-26E (USSR)
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced as a [[wt:en/news/498--en|premium pack]] during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before [[Update 1.41]]. It was removed from the store after the [[wt:en/news/4684-vday-victory-day-discounts-en/|2017 Victory Day sale]] but was reintroduced as a battle trophy vehicle in the Warbond shop in [[wt:en/news/6120-news-how-can-you-get-premium-vehicles-warbonds-en|April 2019]] until [[wt:en/news/6301-news-how-can-you-get-premium-vehicles-warbonds-en|August 2019]] and from the [[Battle Pass: Season I, 75th Anniversary of the Great Victory]] until the end of the [[Battle Pass: Season IV, "Fearless Voltigeur"]].

As an up-armoured version of the [[T-26]], it stands a better chance deflecting enemy shells off its front armour when angled correctly.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
The armour of the T-26E is greatly improved over the base model with its add-on 30mm armour plates on the hull and turret on all sides. Despite being poorly angled, this armour, when not angling the hull, is very much immune to early cannons with low penetration (eg. Ha-Go, H.39), and when angling the hull, is capable of deflecting the most lethal rounds at this BR: the 20mm PzGr.40. This allows the T-26E to be more of a frontline "heavy" tank. However, the armour is still very weak against a tank destroyer, (eg. LVT(A)(4) ZiS-2) so be very careful if one is present around you. Also the add-on armour only covers the upper plates, leaving the lower front plate unprotected. Transmission can get damaged a lot.

Crew placement is overall not lined up from the front, but two out of three crew are, meaning shells that penetrate below the turret will knock out the two crew and destroy the T-26E instantly. Interior is very cramped, often a solid shell will easily knock out a crew or other component, so the T-26 cannot afford to get hit too much.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 + 15 mm (22°) ''Front plate'' 7 mm (64-80°) ''Front glacis'' 15 mm (6-52°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 + 15 mm (24-25°) ''Top'' 15 mm (0°) ''Bottom'' || 30 + 15 mm (1°) ''Top'' 30 + 15 mm (12°) ''Bottom'' || 6 mm
|-
| Turret || 30 + 15 mm (12-33°) ''Turret front'' 30 + 15 mm (5-44°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 + 15 mm (17-19°) || 30 + 15 mm (17°) || 10 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheel are 10 mm thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
* The 30 mm applique armour does not cover the entire area on the hull, so there are exposed areas vulnerable to enemy fire.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=141|rbMinHp=80}}

While being a light tank, its mobility is one of a medium/heavy tank. The top speed is very, very low for a light tank, combined with the low power to weight ratio given by its weak engine, the T-26 has poor acceleration and speed on most surfaces. It can reach around 30 km/h only on hard, flat surface, after a long, uninterrupted acceleration period. With even a small turn the speed will drop significantly. The narrow tracks significantly reduce its off-road mobility in muddy, sandy or snowy maps. Despite the tracks being short and far apart, the T-26 still has slow hull traverse and often needs a forward/backward jerk to start turning properly. Reverse speed is also very poor (-4 km/h), which cannot save you from most bad situations.

It will eventually take you where you want to be, provided that you choose your route well and avoid tricky manoeuvres, and be very patient.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|20-K (45 mm)}}The [[20-K (45 mm)|20-K]] is the typical Soviet rank I gun. Players should get used to it since it will be your main armament up until rank II. The APHEBC round has high penetration for this BR and a good amount of HE filler, meaning penetrating shells will do good damage, sometimes even one-shotting enemies. In longer ranges, shells begin to lose penetration and accuracy; it is not made for sniping. If you bring the T-26E to a higher BR battle, try to bring ~10-15 BR-240SP (pure AP shells) for heavier targets such as B1 ter, and M4A3(105). Overall this gun is very forgiving to beginners, with its very fast reload speed and turret traverse.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[20-K (45 mm)|45 mm 20-K]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 205 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+22° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 15.23 || 21.08 || 25.60 || 28.31 || 30.12 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.34 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 9.52 || 11.20 || 13.60 || 15.04 || 16.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-240 || APHEBC || 70 || 68 || 59 || 50 || 42 || 35
|-
| BR-240SP || AP || 73 || 71 || 62 || 52 || 44 || 37
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-240 || APHEBC || 760 || 1.43 || 1.2 || 9 || 29.26 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-240SP || AP || 757 || 1.43 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_T-26.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
|-
| '''205''' || 202 ''(+3)'' || 197 ''(+8)'' || 187 ''(+18)'' || 177 ''(+28)'' || 167 ''(+38)'' || 157 ''(+48)'' || 139 ''(+66)''
|-
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! 11th rack empty
! 12th rack empty
! 13th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
!
|-
| 121 ''(+84)'' || 103 ''(+102)'' || 79 ''(+126)'' || 61 ''(+144)'' || 29 ''(+176)'' || 1 ''(+204)'' || No
!
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Turret empty: 157 ''(+48)'' shells.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The main purpose of the {{PAGENAME}} is a diversion. In battle, when a close friendly player is attacked by an enemy, go behind a rock that has the size of the tank's hull, then shoot the target.

* When it's a tank destroyer, shoot its tracks to make it immobile and flank the enemy to penetrate the thin rear of most tank destroyers at low BR.
* When it's a medium tank (like the [[T-28]] ), shoot its horizontal turret drive so it cannot move it's turret(The ring below its turret), then shoot the tracks to immobilize it, making it very vulnerable to flanking.

One aspect of the T-26 series tank that is often ignored is that, its low top speed can limit new players from getting to the front line too quick. While experienced players will find the speed too painful, it might actually "protect" new players. Imagine if a new tanker chooses a BT-5 instead of a T-26 at the start of a match, and rushes for a cap point. What he/she will then encounter at the cap point will not be beneficial for their gaming experience: the brutal slaughter of experienced tankers driving equally fast and deadly tanks such as [[Sd.Kfz.234/1]], [[Pz.II C (DAK)]], [[M22]], etc. New players will die quickly like that. Whereas if they use a T-26, they will arrive at the frontline much later to avoid being destroyed in the first wave of attack, giving them enough time to analyze the battlefield and make decisions.

Apart from the low speed that somewhat protects new players, the T-26E also offers great firepower and nice protection, which can save you from badly aimed shots or be used in a hull down position effectively. The 45 mm cannon can frontally penetrate and one-shot most tanks at this BR which is very beginner friendly. Although lacking any stabilizer, the T-26 is still quite a stable gun platform. The add-on armor provides better protection against popular 20 mm autocannons, especially when the T-26 is angling the autocannons' APCR penetration will be greatly reduced.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High rate of fire
* High turret armour
* Good for gathering SL in low ranks
* Its penetration is effective against almost all enemies it will face
* Bonuses of a premium vehicle

'''Cons:'''

* Low hull armour
* A weak spot in the hull box, the driver's hatch - keep this away from enemy fire
* Slow for a scout, but agile
* Easily distinguishable Standard camouflage & shape

== History ==


===Development===
The [[T-26]] light tank in Soviet service, while making up a major part of the Soviet armoured forces, proved quite under-armoured when against newer anti-tank weapons as it was an old 1931 design. The Spanish Civil War showed some of these defects in the T-26, but it wasn't until the Winter War against Finland that proved that the majority of light anti-tank weapons could destroy the T-26.

In order to remedy this, Factory No. 174 in Leningrad designed a new variant for the T-26 utilizing applique armour on the hull and turret. This variant was dubbed the '''T-26E''' (''E'' for ekranirovanny or "screened"), which added 30-40 mm of armour to the original armour plates via bolting and welding. All of the single-turreted T-26 models made during the Winter War period was given this modification and testings proved that the additional armour made the T-26 much more resilient against light anti-tank weapons. A total of 89 T-26Es were made during and after the Winter War, with 27 single-turret models made from the factory, 27 more as flamethrower-models, and 15 single-turret models were made in workshops near the front-line. After the war, 20 more single-turret variants were made and delivered for tank units. Many more modified T-26s were made during the course of World War II.

===Combat usage===
These '''T-26E'''s were used in the Winter War against Finland and the extra armour over the normal T-26 variants made it impenetrable to Finnish light anti-tank weapons. However, the extra armour added to the T-26 raised the weight from 9.6 tons to 12 tons, thus a larger strain on the chassis, engine, and suspension so the driver was advised to drive the tank in low gear and must take extra care to not overload these systems.

During World War II, applique armour of varying thickness from 15–40 mm was added onto many different T-26s in large quantities ranging to hundreds in the front-lines to fight back the German invasion. Such areas where these modifications took place in Leningrad, Odessa, Moscow, and Sevastopol in the period of 1941–1942 during battles and sieges taking place in or near these cities. However, compared to the modifications made during the Winter War, the World War II '''T-26E'''s were more crude and rough that the gun mask on the tank was unable to move, and the applique armour was only added on the front.

No known combat records exist for these modified T-26s in World War II and may have been simply been added as performances done by regular T-26s, but due to the obsolesce of the T-26 models compared to the German [[Panzer III]] and [[Panzer IV]], many can be presumed to be lost in combat if not due to mechanical failures.

=== In-game description ===
The Spanish Civil War showed that the T-26 tank's armour no longer protected it from new low-calibre anti-tank weapons. So in 1937-1938, strengthening the tank's armour became an immediate concern. Designers at factory No. 174 decided to simply introduce a conical-shaped turret and to slope the armour plates on the underturret box. The armour's thickness remained unchanged, as the undercarriage structure, already pushed to its limits as it was, prevented the tank's mass from being increased. The issue of increasing the light tank's armour became a prominent concern again by the Winter War beginning on 30 November 1939.

The first battles showed that Finland's anti-tank weapons easily destroyed the tanks. On the 20th of December, work began on up-armouring T-26 tanks with 30-40 mm thick armour plates at factory No. 174. On 30 December 1939, firing tests were carried out on the first up-armoured T-26 at the factory's ballistic range, with positive results. The vehicle withstood fire from a 45 mm anti-tank cannon at a distance of 400-500 m.

Having successfully passed testing, the up-armoured design was accepted as a success and the Leningrad Kirovsk factory equipped around 70 tanks with the additional armour. The additional armour was attached to the turret, underturret box, side and front of the tank with screw rivets and electric arc welds. The gun mantlet was also up-armoured. The tank's mass increased to 12 tonnes, which meant the engine and suspension were overloaded. The tank could now only move in low gear and had an increased risk of breaking down.

T-26Es were used at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Several vehicles remained in service on the Leningrad front until 1943. Captured light tanks of this type were used by the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS in 1941-1942.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_t_26E Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|_6SUan7sY8A|'''Shielded {{PAGENAME}} Review''' - ''Toshio Thunder''|doXH4AOuJ3k|'''First 6 - {{PAGENAME}}''' - ''Skino Gaming''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{USSR light tanks}}
{{USSR premium ground vehicles}}

T-10A

2022-02-03T22:17:42Z

U103633901: Fixed grammatical errors as well as adding more detail.

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_10a
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
|market=items_Т-10А (USSR)
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update "New Power"]] as a reward for [[Battle Pass: Season I]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Overall, the armor protection of the hull, as it is a T-10 hull, is very good except against powerful APDS and APFSDS as well as HEAT-FS and ATGMs. In a downtier the armor will work well against the majority of vehicles, however chemical rounds such as HEAT and ATGM will have no issues penetrating the hull as well as APFSDS making the heavy armor useless in uptiers. Moving to the turret, it is poorly armoured even against APDS beside the gun breech. The turret may stop APCBC and some APDS shells but should not be relied on to stop HEAT and ATGM nor APFSDS.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 120 mm (57°) ''Front glacis'' 120 mm (49°) ''Lower glacis'' 40-60 mm (78-79°) ''Driver's port'' || 120 mm (50°) ''Top'' 80 mm (0-64°) ''Middle'' 30 mm (60°) ''Bottom'' || 50 mm (53°) ''Top'' 60 mm (21°) ''Bottom'' || 30 mm
|-
| Turret || 120-250 mm (26-60°) ''Turret front'' 100 + 250 mm (0-75°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 130-190 mm (3-55°) || 102 mm (21-47°) || 30 mm
|-
| Cupola || 40 mm || 40 mm || 40 mm || 30 mm
|-
|}

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,085|rbMinHp=619}}In terms of mobility, the T10A is quite fast for a heavy tank with decent acceleration, the horsepower generated by the engine makes this a beast when moving obstacles and even dead tanks. The mass can be seen as a pro and a con. Due to heavy mass, it has more traction and will not be flipped by explosions or pushed so easily by tanks. However, the mass reduced drastically the top speed as well as the acceleration.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
Driver only: NVD.

{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}

=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|D-25TS (122 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D-25TS (122 mm)|122 mm D-25TS]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 30 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+17° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} || 11.3 || 15.7 || 19.0 || 21.1 || 22.4 || rowspan="2" | 19.50 || rowspan="2" | 17.25 || rowspan="2" | 15.90 || rowspan="2" | 15.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.3 || 9.8 || 11.9 || 13.2 || 14.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-471 || APHE || 205 || 201 || 183 || 162 || 144 || 128
|-
| BR-471B || APHEBC || 205 || 203 || 191 || 178 || 166 || 155
|-
| BR-471D || APCBC || 230 || 227 || 215 || 200 || 186 || 173
|-
| OF-471 || HE || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-471 || APHE || 795 || 25 || 1.2 || 19 || 246.4 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-471B || APHEBC || 795 || 25 || 1.2 || 19 || 246.4 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-471D || APCBC || 800 || 25 || 1.2 || 19 || 192.5 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| OF-471 || HE || 800 || 25 || 0 || 0.1 || 3,600 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo part
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
|-
| '''30''' || ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 27 ''(+3)'' 27 ''(+3)'' || 24 ''(+6)'' 24 ''(+6)'' || 20 ''(+10)'' 20 ''(+10)'' || 17 ''(+13)'' 17 ''(+13)'' || 14 ''(+16)'' 14 ''(+16)'' || 11 ''(+19)'' 11 ''(+19)''
|-
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! 11th rack empty
! 12th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| 10 ''(+20)'' 10 ''(+20)'' || 9 ''(+21)'' 9 ''(+21)'' || 7 ''(+23)'' 7 ''(+23)'' || 5 ''(+25)'' 5 ''(+25)'' || 3 ''(+27)'' 3 ''(+27)'' || 1 ''(+29)'' 1 ''(+29)''|| No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|DShK (12.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DShK (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm DShK]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 500 (50) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 250 (50) || 600 || -5°/+85° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


Even though you have thick armour, HEAT-FS and APDS will go right through it so be careful. T-10A's gun has 230mm of pen at 90° point blank. For targets such as the M-103, you will have a hard time killing due to its effective armor. Your reload rate is also very good for a 122mm gun you can expect around an 18 second reload which is way less than a IS-3 or IS-4 which has a average of 25 seconds which will make a big difference when facing multiple enemies. When taking a enemy position or cap, try bringing at least 2 allies to help and support you. Since you're a Soviet tank you have a low gun depression of 3°, so avoid positions that need gun depression like hills or rough terrain. One special feature that sets the T-10A from other heavy Soviet tanks is a stabilizer which makes a huge difference in getting a kill or sent back to the hanger, however this works only at lower speeds. You also have a 12.7mm DShK machine gun to take out lightly armoured targets, planes, or helicopters.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good turret armour and effective pike nose hull armour.
* Good side armour which can occasionally protect you from heavy tank shells.
* Decent mobility for such a heavily armoured vehicle.
* Has a 122mm gun that will be able to one shot the majority of opponents.
* Has night vision device.
* Has a vertical stabilizer.
* 12.7 mm DShK coaxial and commander's weapons make short work of light vehicles, allowing conservation of main gun rounds.

'''Cons:'''

* HEATFS, HESH, APDS rounds can easily penetrate the armour.
* 14 hp/t ratio (in RB) which is not enough at its BR.
* -8 km/h reverse speed.
* Long reload despite it being better than other vehicles with the same gun.
* Limited ammo reserves for secondary weapons.
* No NVD for gunner view

== History ==

{{main|T-10M#History|l1=History of the T-10M}}
The T-10A is an early variant of the T-10 heavy tank. It included a single-plane stabilizer which allowed the gun to be fired accurately while moving. It was developed in 1956, and was later succeeded by the T-10B, and finally the [[T-10M]].

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_t_10a Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover">
Image:T-10A Devblog Image 001.jpg|T-10A devblog image
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|OR18NRGT7uw|'''The Shooting Range #254''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:03 discusses the T-10.|gENL-q_x5Tc|'''SOVIET SUFFERING: T-10A Review''' - ''Sako Sniper''|MsSxTpwTq-I|'''The Heavy Problem - T-10A''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[T-10M]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:T-10_tank|[Wikipedia] T-10 tank]]

{{USSR heavy tanks}}
{{USSR premium ground vehicles}}

T-10A

2022-02-03T22:12:46Z

U103633901: Edited grammar, make more accurate changes

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_10a
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
|market=items_Т-10А (USSR)
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update "New Power"]] as a reward for [[Battle Pass: Season I]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Overall, the armor protection of the hull, as it is a T-10 hull, is very good except against powerful APDS and APFSDS as well as HEAT-FS and ATGMs. In a downtier the armor will work well against the majority of vehicles, however chemical rounds such as HEAT and ATGM will have no issues penetrating the hull as well as APFSDS making the heavy armor useless in uptiers. Moving to the turret, it is poorly armoured even against APDS beside the gun breech. The turret may stop APCBC and some APDS shells but should not be relied on to stop HEAT and ATGM nor APFSDS.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 120 mm (57°) ''Front glacis'' 120 mm (49°) ''Lower glacis'' 40-60 mm (78-79°) ''Driver's port'' || 120 mm (50°) ''Top'' 80 mm (0-64°) ''Middle'' 30 mm (60°) ''Bottom'' || 50 mm (53°) ''Top'' 60 mm (21°) ''Bottom'' || 30 mm
|-
| Turret || 120-250 mm (26-60°) ''Turret front'' 100 + 250 mm (0-75°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 130-190 mm (3-55°) || 102 mm (21-47°) || 30 mm
|-
| Cupola || 40 mm || 40 mm || 40 mm || 30 mm
|-
|}

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,085|rbMinHp=619}}In terms of mobility, the T10A is quite fast for a heavy tank with decent acceleration, the horsepower generated by the engine makes this a beast when moving obstacles and even dead tanks. The mass can be seen as a pro and a con. Due to heavy mass, it has more traction and will not be flipped by explosions or pushed so easily by tanks. However, the mass reduced drastically the top speed as well as the acceleration.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
Driver only: NVD.

{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}

=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|D-25TS (122 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D-25TS (122 mm)|122 mm D-25TS]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 30 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+17° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} || 11.3 || 15.7 || 19.0 || 21.1 || 22.4 || rowspan="2" | 19.50 || rowspan="2" | 17.25 || rowspan="2" | 15.90 || rowspan="2" | 15.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.3 || 9.8 || 11.9 || 13.2 || 14.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-471 || APHE || 205 || 201 || 183 || 162 || 144 || 128
|-
| BR-471B || APHEBC || 205 || 203 || 191 || 178 || 166 || 155
|-
| BR-471D || APCBC || 230 || 227 || 215 || 200 || 186 || 173
|-
| OF-471 || HE || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-471 || APHE || 795 || 25 || 1.2 || 19 || 246.4 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-471B || APHEBC || 795 || 25 || 1.2 || 19 || 246.4 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-471D || APCBC || 800 || 25 || 1.2 || 19 || 192.5 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| OF-471 || HE || 800 || 25 || 0 || 0.1 || 3,600 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo part
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
|-
| '''30''' || ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 27 ''(+3)'' 27 ''(+3)'' || 24 ''(+6)'' 24 ''(+6)'' || 20 ''(+10)'' 20 ''(+10)'' || 17 ''(+13)'' 17 ''(+13)'' || 14 ''(+16)'' 14 ''(+16)'' || 11 ''(+19)'' 11 ''(+19)''
|-
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! 11th rack empty
! 12th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| 10 ''(+20)'' 10 ''(+20)'' || 9 ''(+21)'' 9 ''(+21)'' || 7 ''(+23)'' 7 ''(+23)'' || 5 ''(+25)'' 5 ''(+25)'' || 3 ''(+27)'' 3 ''(+27)'' || 1 ''(+29)'' 1 ''(+29)''|| No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|DShK (12.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DShK (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm DShK]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 500 (50) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 250 (50) || 600 || -5°/+85° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


Even though you have thick armour, HEAT-FS and APDS will go right through it so be careful. T-10A's gun has a 230mm pen at 90° point blank but for targets such as the M-103 you will have a hard time killing. Your reload rate is also very good for a 122mm gun you can expect a 18 second reload which is way less than a IS-3 or IS-4 which has a average of 25 seconds. When taking a enemy position or cap, try bringing at least 2 allies to help and support you. Since your a Soviet tank you have a low gun depression of 3°, so avoid positions that need gun depression like hills or rough terrain. One special feature that sets the T-10A from other heavy Soviet tanks is a stabilizer which makes a huge difference in getting a kill or sent back to the hanger, however this works only at lower speeds. You also have a 12.7mm machine gun to take out lightly armoured targets, planes, or helicopters.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good turret armour and effective pike nose hull armour.
* Good side armour which can occasionally protect you from heavy tank shells.
* Decent mobility for such a heavily armoured vehicle.
* Has a 122mm gun that will be able to one shot the majority of opponents.
* Has night vision device.
* Has a vertical stabilizer.
* 12.7 mm DShK coaxial and commander's weapons make short work of light vehicles, allowing conservation of main gun rounds.

'''Cons:'''

* HEATFS, HESH, APDS rounds can easily penetrate the armour.
* 14 hp/t ratio (in RB) which is not enough at its BR.
* -8 km/h reverse speed.
* Long reload despite it being better than other vehicles with the same gun.
* Limited ammo reserves for secondary weapons.
* No NVD for gunner view

== History ==

{{main|T-10M#History|l1=History of the T-10M}}
The T-10A is an early variant of the T-10 heavy tank. It included a single-plane stabilizer which allowed the gun to be fired accurately while moving. It was developed in 1956, and was later succeeded by the T-10B, and finally the [[T-10M]].

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_t_10a Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover">
Image:T-10A Devblog Image 001.jpg|T-10A devblog image
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|OR18NRGT7uw|'''The Shooting Range #254''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:03 discusses the T-10.|gENL-q_x5Tc|'''SOVIET SUFFERING: T-10A Review''' - ''Sako Sniper''|MsSxTpwTq-I|'''The Heavy Problem - T-10A''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[T-10M]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:T-10_tank|[Wikipedia] T-10 tank]]

{{USSR heavy tanks}}
{{USSR premium ground vehicles}}

Maus

2022-01-26T00:03:24Z

U103633901: Added another paragraph about how to use this tank properly.

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_Maus
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.47 "Big Guns"]] as a main tree vehicle, however as of [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]] it was shifted to become a gift vehicle for players who previously owned it. It was later reopened to research for a limited time during [[wt:en/news/6907-special-8th-anniversary-of-war-thunder-en|War Thunder's 8th anniversary]] and again for the [[wt:en/news/7408-news-happy-birthday-war-thunder-en|9th anniversary]]. The Maus is the definitive tank of ''heavy armour'' in Rank V and is one of the largest ground vehicles in game. The Maus can be a menace in the battlefield and conversely also a bullet magnet, a double-edged sword that must be played correctly or else fall victim to heavy enemy fire.

The "Maus" lives up to its reputation as a mobile bunker. The dual guns do great damage, however, against high-rank tanks it is best to use the 128 mm main gun. It is important to protect the back armour on the Maus and to make sure it does not get outflanked. Preferable used at long range and choke points. Best used as an armoured beast able to destroy vehicles and take any shot.

Speed on the vehicle is roughly 20 km/h. The sheer mass of the vehicle and its speed makes the mobility difference from the road to off-road negligible. The vehicle can actually turn pretty fast once at Gear 6, which is better than the Jagdtiger and some other Rank V heavy counterparts. Keep that in mind and use it as an advantage in {{Annotation|CQC|Close Quarters Combat}}.

The 128 mm KwK44 is a great gun in-game, very accurate and perfect for mid to long range engagements. The reload is very good too for its calibre (23 seconds stock) that is a big advantage against IS-4s, because the Maus has three seconds for an extra shot. It has one of the best penetration value of any APCBC shell in-game alongside the [[IS-7]] and the [[Object 279]]. However, the APCR and HEAT shells of the T-54 and late US vehicles surpass it. Damage-wise the 128 mm PzGr.43 is equivalent to the shell BR-471 of the [[D-25T (122 mm)|122 mm D-25T]] cannon, for which penetration usually means a knock-out.

Coaxial MG? That's for normal tanks (but it is there anyway). On the Maus, everything is bigger. The short 75 mounted alongside the main 128 originally served as anti-infantry and soft target weapon of choice. In War Thunder, these vehicle types are either not found on the battlefield or as latter only on certain maps. It comes without question that the 75 mm should be used against AAA, trucks and SPAA. However, the HEAT shell can be used to harass the enemy, lure them out/in of cover, or just damage medium tank's sides (T-54 and M46 do not exceed 80 mm of armour) tracks and even hull break some lightly armoured vehicles such as the BMP 1. In addition, the secondary cannon has a good reload rate of around 5 sec, thus it can be used to defeat [[:Category:Light_tanks|light tanks]] and [[:Category:Anti-aircraft_vehicles|SPAA]] without wasting the precious 128 mm ammo for more heavily armoured targets.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour
*Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 200 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 200 mm (35°) ''Lower glacis'' || 180 mm ''Top'' 100 mm ''Bottom'' 300 mm ''Weld joints''|| 150 mm (36°) ''Top'' 150 mm (31°) ''Bottom'' || 50 mm ''General area'' 100 mm ''Front roof''
|-
| Turret || 232 mm (3-53°)''Turret front'' 240 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 205 mm (30°) || 200 mm (15°) || 60 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Armour on the Maus is quite complex, and definitely does not end with the above-mentioned values
** Gun mantlet is 240 mm thick and nicely rounded, right around both guns the armour is 300 mm thick
** Tracks at the front are protected by 100+60 mm plates (100mm basic plate + attached tracks)
** Behind the frontal upper plate on deck armour, there are many 60mm highly sloped plates of armour, protecting the engine vents and turret ring from HEAT/HE shells and some small-calibre fire
** Frontal part of the belly is also 100 mm thick (Would be probably good against mines/other explosives), the rest is 50mm
** Deck armour in front of these plates is also strengthened to an impressive 100 mm
** Side armour is split to two parts, top with 180 mm and bottom with 100 mm + tracks
** Even inside the tank there is armour - there are many 20 mm plates inside the tank, separating crew compartments from various modules, and partially protecting the interior from shrapnel that penetrated the tank from other areas
***One plate is at the rear of the tank, between the enormous transmission and the fighting compartment
*** Second one is more to the front, separating fighting compartment from the middle-mounted Engine and its radiators
*** Third is in the front between the driver's compartment and the Engine
*** Around the driver there are many more 20 mm plates, adding some protection to Fuel Tanks located there

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,549|rbMinHp=1,061}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|KwK44 (128 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK44 (128 mm)|128 mm KwK44]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 68 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+23° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 6.6 || 9.0 || 10.9 || 12.0 || 12.8 || rowspan="2" | 23.66 || rowspan="2" | 20.93 || rowspan="2" | 19.30 || rowspan="2" | 18.20
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 4.8 || 5.6 || 6.8 || 7.5 || 8.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| PzGr || APC || 252 || 249 || 237 || 222 || 208 || 196
|-
| Sprgr. L/5 || HE || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37
|-
| PzGr 43 || APCBC || 272 || 269 || 257 || 242 || 228 || 215
|-
| 12,8/8,8 Pzgr.TS || APCBC || 312 || 307 || 288 || 266 || 245 || 226
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| PzGr || APC || 930 || 26.35 || 1.2 || 19 || 786.5 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Sprgr. L/5 || HE || 750 || 28 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 3,700 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| PzGr 43 || APCBC || 940 || 28.3 || 1.2 || 19 || 786.5 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| 12,8/8,8 Pzgr.TS || APCBC || 1230 || 9.85 || 1.2 || 19 || 108.8 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo parts
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''68''' || style="text-align:right" | ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants''|| 62 ''(+6)'' 62 ''(+6)'' || 55 ''(+13)'' 55 ''(+13)'' || 50 ''(+18)'' 50 ''(+18)'' || 45 ''(+23)'' 45 ''(+23)'' || 39 ''(+29)'' 39 ''(+29)'' || 33 ''(+35)'' 33 ''(+35)'' || 25 ''(+43)'' 25 ''(+43)'' || 17 ''(+51)'' 17 ''(+51)'' || 9 ''(+59)'' 9 ''(+59)'' || 1 ''(+67)'' 1 ''(+67)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
'''Note''':

* Turret empty: 45 ''(+23)'' shells.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|KwK44 L/36.5 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[KwK44 L/36.5 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK44 L/36.5]] || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
| 100 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 5.20 || 4.60 || 4.24 || 4.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| Hl.Gr 38C || HEAT || 100 || 100 || 100 || 100 || 100 || 100
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 420 || 5.74 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 686 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.4 || 0 || 0.1 || 872.1 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38C || HEAT || 450 || 4.8 || 0 || 0.1 || 875.5 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| K.Gr.Rot Nb. || 423 || 6.2 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|center|framed|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''100''' || 76 ''(+24)'' || 51 ''(+49)'' || 26 ''(+74)'' || 1 ''(+99)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Turret empty: 76 ''(+24)'' shells.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|MG34 (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG34]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,000 (150) || 900 || -7°/+23° || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Versus heavy tanks, the Maus has all the advantages. While slower it can make up for this in close combat thanks to the good turn rate of both tracks and turret. Just quickly angle the Maus (both turret and hull!) and turn it almost invincible heat shells can still penetrate the angled turret, be advised. Try angling the front drive wheel at the enemy tank and turn the turret so that the armour is at ~45 degrees to the enemy fire. The tanks that pose a threat are the [[M103]], the [[M48 Patton (Family)|M48]], the [[T-62 545 (China)|Chinese T-62]], and especially the BMPs, and the [[Object 120]], basically every tank that has got HEAT-FS, ATGM, and the APFSDS that can penetrate more than 320mm of armor. One other good strategy is to capture the objective and just defend it. This can be really helpful to the team.

Versus medium tanks, the Panzerkampfwagen VIII can fight in {{Annotation|CQC|Close Quarter Combat}} with its decent turret rotation but at the cost of exposing the side armour and getting flanked, this should be kept as one's last and or only option. Distance is the ally of the Maus, which should be easy to do considering that the top speed is 20 kph.

The maus should be played very carefully as it has a high repair cost. It is very strong frontally because of its excellent armour. However it can be very vunerable if it gets uptiered which enemies with APFSDS and ATGMs will go clean through your armour, so only spawn it in a downtier or at its normal battle rating. Try to stay out of close quarters as it will be easier for tanks to take out your gun barrel and move to your sides. Even though it may has its flaws, the maus can be a very strong tank if used well, especially in a downtier.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* One of the most armoured tanks in the game
** Practically invincible, if angled properly
** Capable of soaking a large amount of damage
* Only vulnerable to large-calibre HE shells
* Very resilient to bombs and rockets
* Turret sides are as strong as, if not stronger than, the front of the turret
* Access to smoke grenades
* Surprisingly good off-road manoeuvrability
* Makes decently fast turns in high gear movement or in neutral steering
* Very difficult to immobilize, due to extremely thick track skirts
* Powerful 128 mm cannon
* Secondary 75 mm coaxial cannon is surprisingly effective when using HEAT rounds

'''Cons:'''

* Very slow
* Struggles on hilly terrain
* Requires good teamwork to perform adequately
* Slow turret rotation
* The sides of the Maus are littered with ammo racks
* Very loud engine, players will be able to locate the Maus just by the engine sounds
* Vulnerable at all ranges to modern rounds such as sabot rounds
* Towing is practically impossible unless it is done by another Maus
* Large bombs will commonly cripple the Maus, or detonate its fuel tanks
* Optics have little zoom capability, making it difficult for hitting long range targets
* Big target for ATGMs
* No modern armour of any kind, relies completely on conventional armour plating
* Secondary 75 mm is hard to aim

== History ==

===Development===
This monster of a tank started development in 1942 on the suggestion of Ferdinand Porsche to Hitler, which was approved. The first prototype was to be completed by 1943 and the project vehicle was designated the ''Mammut'' (Mammoth). The name changed in December 1942 to ''Mäuschen'' (Little Mouse), then once more to the '''Maus''' (Mouse) in February 1943, which stayed as its designation (and perhaps proving that Germany does have a sense of humour).

The prototype used Ferdinand's "electric transmission" that was previously used on the rejected [[VK 45.01 (P)|Tiger(P)]], the vehicle would be powered by an MB 517 diesel engine. The Maus has a suspension design with 24 wheels on each side, 2 per bogie with two bogies side by side and six bogies lining up from front and back. The armour was perhaps the most defining feature at 220 mm thick at the hull front, the sides and rear were 190 mm thick. The turret was even thicker at 240 mm on the front and 200 mm on the sides and rear. The vehicle was to also have a 128 mm KwK 44 main gun with a 75 mm KwK 44 gun as a coaxial. The overwhelming design was approximated to weight 100 tons.

The production plan was to have the prototype completed by mid-1943 and for 10 vehicles per month after the prototype delivery. Work would be divided between Krupp and Alkett for the production of the machine. The wooden model of the tank was presented on May 1943 to Hitler. It was then approved for production and 150 of them were to be built. With the final design finished, it was estimated to weight 188 tons now. Though Hitler and his peers saw it with much favour, Heinz Guderian criticised the Maus design because there was a lack of machine guns, thus it was extremely vulnerable to infantry attacks at close-quarters for the same reason as the [[Ferdinand|Ferdinand tank destroyer]]. The anti-infantry problem was solved with the addition of a coaxial machine gun and a "Nahverteidigungswaffe" dischargers, firing smoke or high-explosive shells in its surrounding area, installed on the turret.

===Production and cancellation===
Two prototypes of the Maus were made in 1943 and 1944. The first one, called ''V1'' was turretless and assembled by Alkett in December 1943, it was fitted with a mock turret that helped finalise the turret design in 1944. Here they determine the Maus was definitely too heavy for any bridges in existence so the Maus would ford rivers with a snorkel. The second prototype called ''V2'' by Alkett again had the first produced Maus turret attached with the 128 mm gun, coaxial 75 mm gun, and coaxial machine gun. In July 1944, Krupp was producing four more hulls, but these were scrapped and the whole project stopped on August 1944, though tests with the ''V2'' continued. The weight of the tank meant that the power-to-weight ratio was extremely poor, resulting in the Maus' ideal speed of about 8 miles per hour maximum in ideal conditions.

However, the Maus was never fully produced because it was the only tank that ceased production because of a strategic bombing campaign that would ruin its production facilities. Adding to this, by 1944, the Red Army was advancing deeper and deeper into what was previously German-controlled territory. The vision that the Red Army might capture the testing grounds of the Maus prototypes and the prototypes themselves seem to come closer to reality. The Germans were forced to destroy the prototypes to prevent their capture by the Soviets, placing charges onto the ''V2'' prototype (the ''V1'' was only a hull so it wasn't combat-effective). The second prototype had the entire hull damaged as there was ammunition still in the tank when the charges went off, but the turret was mostly intact. The Russians captured the damaged prototypes and held them until the end of the war. After World War II, the Soviet Commander of Armoured and Mechanized troops ordered for the V1 hull to be attached with the turret from the V2 prototype. They had to use six ''Sd.Kfz. 9'', the largest half-track vehicles produced by Germany, to move the 55-ton turret to the hull. The fixed prototype was sent back to the Soviet Union for testing and arrive on May 4, 1946. Once this is done, the prototype was sent to Kubinka Tank museum in Russia where it lays today on display for the public.

=== In-game description ===
An experimental super-heavy tank built in Germany towards the end of the war. The project was developed by Ferdinand Porsche.

The first tank was assembled at the Alkett factory in Berlin on August 1, 1943.

The first trial run of the Type 205/1 tank was conducted on December 24, 1943. The turret still wasn't ready, so a load equal to the weight of the turret was placed on top of the tank. The prototype turned out to be quite maneuverable once it was able to leave the assembly area, where it had been rather cramped. According to those who had the opportunity to drive the tank, the Maus was easier to drive than the Pz.Kpfw. IV.

In November, 1943 a 44 caliber, 128mm KwK 44 cannon was built that was intended for the tank. The cannon's designation was later changed to 12.8 cm KwK 82. The weapon was tested at the Meppen training ground. The turret was installed on the 205/1 prototype on July 6, 1944, and on October 3, 1944 the armament was installed and the fully-outfitted tank was tested at the training ground in Kummersdorf.

Both prototypes were tested in Kummersdorf, but no reliable information on these tests is available. Whether or not experimental firing was conducted is also unknown.

Toward the end of the war, bodies and turrets had begun to be produced in addition to the prototypes that had been built.

As the Soviet troops were approaching in 1945 both prototypes were blown up. Soviet specialists were able to reconstruct one Maus from the wreckage. This rebuilt tank was delivered to the training ground in Kubinka in 1946, where various tests were performed.

The Panzerkampfwagen Maus can currently be viewed on display at the tank museum in Kubinka.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_Maus Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Wallpaper MAUS 000012.jpg|thumb|none|300px|]] </li>
</ul></div>

;Videos

Gameplay/History:
{{Youtube-gallery|6ZtvfyAsmM4|'''The Shooting Range #68''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 09:31 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|B2woWvJK4ew|'''Top 7 most armoured vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:35 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|ly9JS6errQQ|'''Best secondary armaments''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:14 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|x97HKmhCRsE|'''The Maus''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|Zs9_u_plcSw|'''The Maus Super-Heavy Tank''' - ''Simple History''}}
Review:
{{Youtube-gallery|_x9vub-xk9Y|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|SfMT-d6Kez4|'''Mighty Maus''' - ''TheDevildogGamer''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/737/|[Devblog] Panzerkampfwagen VIII «Maus»]]
* <nowiki>[Historical]</nowiki> Panzerkampfwagen VIII "Maus", [[wt:en/news/2825-historical-panzerkampfwagen-viii-maus-part-i-en|Part I]], [[wt:en/news/2831-historical-panzerkampfwagen-viii-maus-part-ii-en|Part II]], and [[wt:en/news/2843/current/|Part III]]

{{Germany heavy tanks}}

TAM 2IP

2022-01-25T23:54:44Z

U103633901: Added some more details about sniping with this tank.

{{About
| about = German light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = TAM (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_thyssen_henschel_tam_2ip
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Red Skies"]]. Sitting between the [[TAM]] and [[TAM 2C]] in terms of performance, this tank is essentially an earlier TAM model with access to more modern ammunition and add-on armour for increased protection.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Base armour of TAM 2IP is very thin, just an 11 mm plate angled at 74° on the upper frontal glacis, and 15 mm of armour on the sides. Turret is not something to boast about either - the strongest plate being a gun mantlet with a 30 mm plate and sides being 25 mm thin.

On the bright side, the 2IP version is fitted with Iron Wall add-on composite armour. This variable thickness armour package dramatically increases effectiveness of armour against chemical munitions, but does little to protect against kinetic penetrators.

'''Front'''

Most noticeable increase in protection is on the upper plate of the hull - even newer HEAT rounds and older ATGMs may struggle to penetrate the hull armour. Sadly, add-on protection on the turret is not enough to defeat those same munitions. Frontal arc protection against autocannons is mostly great, but occasional lucky shots can penetrate the turret ring.

Players also must be aware of the giant weak spot that is the driver's area - it is only 11mm plate angled at 74° and it is not protected by add-on armour, allowing vehicles like [[Dardo]] to get through.

'''Sides'''

While TAM 2IP is now resistant to 12.7mm rounds on the hull side, overall side protection remains poor, as it can still get easily penetrated by anything larger than 12.7mm.

'''Crew'''

When looking at TAM 2IP from the front, one can see that on the left side, the commander sits directly behind the gunner, while the loader sits almost directly behind the driver on the right side.

Both gunner and commander are protected by the transmission and the engine ([[Merkava (Family)|similar to Merkava tanks]]); while that won't protect them from most kinetic munitions, it can negate shrapnel from older chemical and HESH rounds that manages to get through add-on armour.

The driver is very vulnerable as he sits behind an 11mm thin plate angled at 74°, with a first-stage ammo rack and loader directly behind him. Driver's area is not protected by add-on armour either.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Add-on composite armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 11 mm (77°) ''Upper glacis - Engine access panel'' 32 mm (77°) ''Upper glacis - Sides'' 32 mm (29°) ''Lower glacis - Top'' 32 mm (60°) ''Lower glacis - Bottom'' || 15 mm (30°) ''Top'' 15 mm ''Bottom'' || 11 mm (23°) ''Upper plate'' 11 mm (27°) ''Lower plate''
| 11-32 mm (13°) ''Front glacis'' 11 mm ''Crew compartment'' 5 mm ''Radiator vents''
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (5-35°) ''Turret front'' 30 mm + 30 mm (51-63°) ''Mantlet Front'' 25 mm (7-10°) ''Mantlet Sides'' 20 mm (79°) ''Roof glacis'' 30 mm (cylindrical) ''Gunner periscope'' || 25 mm (24-27°) ''Crew Compartment'' 15 mm (27°) ''Bustle'' 25 mm ''Cupola well'' || 15 mm (22°) 11 mm (79°) ''Turret underside'' || 20 (11°) ''Roof glacis'' 11 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" | 35 mm (cylindrical) || 35 mm ''Outer ring'' 11 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick
* Side skirts are 4 mm thick
* Air intake on the right side is 5 mm thick

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Composite armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides
|-
| Hull ||'''Upper glacis''' ~90 mm ''Kinetic'' ~520 mm ''Chemical'' ||'''Upper side''' ~45 mm ''Kinetic'' ~295 mm ''Chemical''
|-
| Turret ||'''Turret face''' ~70-140 mm ''Kinetic'' ~70-340 mm ''Chemical'' ||'''Turret side''' ~50 mm ''Kinetic'' ~260 mm ''Chemical''
|-
|}

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

Even with additional protection, TAM 2IP suffers no decrease to its mobility when compared to its tech tree counterpart; thus is more mobile and agile than its main competitor, Leopard A1A1. This mobility allows TAM 2IP to perform many different roles, be it flanking, scouting, rushing favourable positions or relocating.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1116|rbMinHp=637}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

As a premium vehicle, TAM 2IP comes with all modifications unlocked.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|FMK.4 Modelo 1L (105 mm)}}

Main armament consists of the 105 mm FMK.4 Modelo 1L cannon; a fully stabilised gun that is standard to the TAM family. Unlike TAM however, it has access to DM33, a very potent round at its BR. TAM 2IP also comes equipped with a laser rangefinder - this gadget allows it to quickly acquire a target's distance, thus allowing long range shots immensely fast.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[FMK.4 Modelo 1L (105 mm)|105 mm FMK.4 Modelo 1L]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 32.4 || 44.8 || 54.4 || 60.2 || 64.0 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.2 || 23.8 || 28.9 || 32.0 || 34.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''DM12 HEATFS''' - HEAT round does not lose penetration with distance travelled. Unlike kinetic penetrators, it has one downside: given that it is a chemical round, its fuse is highly sensitive. With the emergence of composite and reactive armour, it quickly became obsolete in the anti-tank role. Requires careful aiming to properly damage newer tanks, though it can hold its own while fighting older tanks, lighter vehicles and low-flying helicopters.
* '''DM502 HESH''' - This round was always plagued by a plethora of problems: low velocity, low penetration, inconsistent mechanics and sensitive fuse make this round gimmicky at best. That being said, with the overpressure mechanic, this round can be used in CQB against light vehicles with devastating effect.
* '''DM23 APFSDS''' - This round allows the player to engage modern tanks more reliably, since it performs better against composite and reactive armour. While penetration is sufficient relative to TAM 2IP's BR, there is simply no use for this round as its direct upgrade is available from the get go.
* '''DM33 APFSDS''' - Best round available to the TAM 2IP and third best NATO round available for 105 mm cannons. It allows the player to engage '''any''' enemies at the TAM 2IP's BR at any range reliably. Even higher BR vehicles are not safe. Player should be of note that this round can easily over penetrate light vehicles such as BMP-2 or SPAAGs, so aiming at vital components is preferred in order to create shrapnel necessary to destroy them.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 337 || 335 || 330 || 322 || 314 || 306
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 408 || 405 || 398 || 389 || 379 || 370
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 1,173 || 10.5 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,270 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 732 || 14.85 || 0.1 || 4 || 4,310 || 73° || 77° || 80°
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 1,455 || 3.79 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 1,455 || 3.79 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''50''' || 41 ''(+9)'' || 30 ''(+20)'' || 21 ''(+29)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Racks 3 and 4 are first stage ammunition racks (29 shells total), meaning they will deplete first but will replenish from the other racks (rack 4 then 3), starting with rack 1 and then rack 2.
* The depletion order at full capacity is: 3 - 4 - 1 - 2.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)}}

The small calibre of the FN MAG 60-40 machine guns make them largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. They still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (200) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 2,000 (200) || 600 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

TAM 2IP essentially plays as its tech tree counterpart. While it can still perform well as a regular main battle tank, using it this way would be just wasting its potential. It's a fast, potent flanker, but with the addition of a powerful DM33 round, TAM 2IP is also a potent sniper.

'''Sniping:'''

Players should abuse TAM 2IPs mobility to reach advantageous positions and start picking off players. DM33 highly effective (only [[T-62M-1]] providing better performance) and coupled with laser range finder, TAM 2IP can snipe really well. While it can't fight as well in hull down positions as Leopard A1A1 due to slightly worse gun depression, it can still make great use of cover, as it negates its biggest weakness - armour. Use the TAM 2IPs fast speed to get to a good position where you won't be seen and a lot of enemies will pass by. Start picking them off with your round and relocate after a couple of shots.

'''Flanking:'''

Due to TAM 2IPs excellent mobility, stabilised gun and powerful round, TAM 2IP is a potent flanker. Add-on armour allows it to shrug off most autocannon fire from IFVs, as those will be common flankers at this BR. Coupled with scouting ability, TAM 2IP employing hit and run tactics on flanks can become enemy teams worst nightmare.

'''CQB:'''

While the TAM 2IP performs great at longer ranges, its performance is below average on CQC maps with corridors and streets that do not allow it to exploit its mobility, like those found on Advance to Rhine. Better armoured tanks in general outperform TAM 2IP by wide margin in these environments. Players should focus on ambushing enemy tanks. TAM 2IP turret placement on the back of the tank and acceleration can be exploited in this scenario well - by reversing out of cover, your engine is still protected while you expose only a small part of your tank. Another viable option is to support their allies. Let them take a shot, and as soon as you see the enemy tank return fire, lunge forward and send the enemy back to the garage.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* DM33 APFSDS is more than competitive at this BR
* Same mobility as regular TAM, despite add-on armour
* Wide selection of ammunition

'''Cons:'''

* Despite add-on armour, protection remains somewhat poor
* No thermals
* Lacks smoke shell, limiting its tactical potential

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_thyssen_henschel_tam_2ip Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Leopard 1 (Family)]]
* [[MARS 15]]

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{TankManufacturer Thyssen-Henschel}}
{{Germany light tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

T-64A (1971)

2022-01-25T23:50:20Z

U103633901:

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_64a_1971
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.71 "New E.R.A."]]. The T-64A should primarily be played defensively, utilising terrain for cover and pushing carefully. It has good firepower, but mediocre armour, average mobility and a near non-existent reverse speed. The T-64A can be played as a sniper with one of the highest velocity rounds in game at 1800 m/s. Brawling should be avoided, as many of the vehicles it will face will easily penetrate its hull armour. Most vehicles it will face have better mobility, so it's important to be aware of flankers.

The T-64A presents a design that is reminiscent of some Soviet tanks seen in the contemporary period. The tank's overall colour scheme presents a default camouflage of the same glorious dark olive green seen on nearly all other prior Soviet tanks.

Compared to all other Soviet medium tanks prior, the T-64A's suspension system uses multiple small wheels and rollers rather than the huge wheels. While this allowed better flotation, it does leave more of the side hull vulnerable to attack straight at without worry of hitting the tracks or suspension. This is at least partial reasoning for the prominent 'flaps' seen on each side of the vehicle - these help protect the sides against HEAT ammunition, causing a harmless explosion before the rounds reach the actual side armour.

Two long tubes extend from the back of the T-64A. One is on the turret, which is the container housing the snorkelling gear for the tank in deep wading procedures. The other on the turret is the familiar log that comes nearly standard with Soviet/Russian vehicle, used for removing the vehicle if it gets stuck in mud or other nasty terrain attributes.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

* Spaced armour (Hull front, Turret front)
* Cast homogeneous armour
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80* mm (68°) ''Front glacis'' 80 mm (61°) ''Lower glacis'' || 85 mm ''Front'' 70 mm ''Rear'' <br. 20 mm (33°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm (8-55°) ''Top'' 45 mm ''Center'' 20 mm (18-58°) ''Bottom'' || 30 mm ''Front'' 20 mm ''Engine deck''
|-
| Turret || 50-330 mm (0-80°) || 65-180* mm (2-49°) || 65 mm (2-72°) || 40-140 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" | 100 mm
|40 mm
|-
! Composite armour* !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 320 mm ''Kinetic'' 450 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A || N/A || N/A
|-
| Turret || 400 mm ''Kinetic'' 450 mm ''Chemical'' || 400 mm ''Kinetic'' 450 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick, torsion bars are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 30 mm thick.
* The side flaps on the hull side gives spaced protection against HEAT rounds, allowing one to angle the hull slightly while protecting the vulnerable side hull.
* Belly armour is 20 mm thick.
* A 5 mm RHA plate separates the engine from the crew compartment
* A log providing 100 mm thickness in wood.
* The snorkel tube on the turret rear provide 4 mm of structural steel.
* Hull roof armour at front and turret base is rated to be 30 mm effective against HE
* Hull spaced armour configuration is 80 mm RHA + 105 mm Textolite + 20 mm RHA.
* Turret spaced armour configuration is 150-180 mm CHA + 150 mm HHRA + 32 mm RHA.

The T-64A has composite armour over most of its upper front glacis and turret, although it has some obvious weak points - it has no LFP composite armour, the driver's port is not reinforced and there are some small sections of the turret that are easily penetrable. Unfortunately, though, many vehicles the T-64A will encounter have ammunition that can easily overmatch the UFP composite and often will simply punch straight through - it's best to avoid exposing the hull at all. HEAT ammunition is finicky as T-64A was built around protection specifications against shaped charges, the composite armour is 450 mm effective when against HEAT warheads and there are side flaps on the side hull to prevent even the chance of hitting the T-64A weaker side armour on the first try, although these side flaps are one-time use only so prolonged combat may have sheared these off already. Try to avoid aiming for the turret as it is the most protected area of the tank with a good portion covered by composite, leading to the need of massive amount of penetration to consider the turret a viable target, like the HOT missiles.

In a situation where the T-64A decides to hull-down and present as little of the front plate as possible, the best option is to attempt to disable the vehicle's gun - the mantlet is destroyed easily and combined with the sub-par reverse speed, this may provide enough time to push forward or around the vehicle and get a clear shot on the hull. Where possible, try to land the shot centre-mass below the turret which often causes an ammunition detonation.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,085|rbMinHp=619}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|2A26 (125 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A26 (125 mm)|125 mm 2A26]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 37 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+14° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 19.0 || 26.4 || 32.0 || 35.4 || 37.7 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.9 || 14.0 || 17.0 || 18.8 || 20.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440
|-
| 3OF19 || HE || 35 || 35 || 35 || 35 || 35 || 35
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 321 || 317 || 303 || 285 || 268 || 249
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 440 || 430 || 420 || 410 || 405 || 400
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 425 || 420 || 415 || 405 || 393 || 380
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 905 || 19 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 2,530 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| 3OF19 || HE || 850 || 23.2 || 0 || 0.1 || 3,150 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 850 || 23 || 0 || 0.1 || 5,240 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 1,800 || 3.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 72° || 76° || 78°
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 1,780 || 3.88 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 76° || 77° || 80°
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 1,760 || 4.83 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 76° || 77° || 80°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo part
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''37''' || ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 37 ''(+0)'' 37 ''(+0)'' || 36 ''(+1)'' 36 ''(+1)'' || 33 ''(+4)'' 29 ''(+8)'' || 29 ''(+8)'' 1 ''(+36)'' || 1 ''(+36)'' N/A|| No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* The {{PAGENAME}} main ammo rack consists of a mechanized carousel at the bottom of the turret. It carries 28 propellants and projectiles.
* The 5th projectile rack is the carousel at the bottom of the turret; it serves as first-stage ammo stowage.
* The 4th propellant rack is the carousel at the bottom of the turret; it serves as first-stage ammo stowage.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

It's key to keep the weaknesses of the T-64A in mind for the best performance of the vehicle. The 125 mm gun is extremely powerful and will comfortably perform even against newer and better protected opponents, but in almost every other aspect the vehicle is lacking. Where possible, avoid exposing the hull at all - the easiest way to do so is to use a small defilade or terrain deformity. Sit back, be patient and allow the enemy to expose their weak spots. Most vehicles are faster than the T-64A, so expect hostile tanks to find their way to objectives significantly faster than you will.

The T-64A has a very powerful APFSDS round that will be able to penetrate all of its foes. This should be used to its advantage by going in a hull down position using its great turret armour to block shots.

Finally, remember that your reverse speed is abysmal - whenever possible avoid situations that will force you to reverse - and if you do have to move back, where possible try to traverse the entire hull and move back with the full speed of your forwards gears.

When facing common enemy tanks:

* [[MBT-70]]/[[KPz-70]] - When facing the MBT-70/Kpz-70, the best place to shoot is the left turret cheek as this will knock out commander and gunner.
* [[Chieftain Mk 10]] - If hull down, shoot for cannon breech or gun barrel.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Acceptable speed going forward.
* Turret cheeks are often surprisingly well protected.
* Vehicle is fitted with a surgically precise and devastatingly effective 125 mm gun.
* [[Smoke screen|ESS]] covers friendly tanks behind the vehicle.
* Side flaps protect the tank from side attacks with chemical energy rounds (once a flap gets hit it will fall off).
* Decent reload no matter what because of the auto-loader system.
* Good HE shell, can be a little finnicky.
* Very low profile compared to its contemporaries, much harder to spot and hit.
* One of the fastest rounds in game (1800 m/s), easy to aim.
* Tier 2 and 4 APFSDS shells will go through almost anything in-game.
* Can be very hard to destroy in hull-down positions.

'''Cons:'''

* Slow horizontal turret traverse.
* Any penetrating side shot is very likely to detonate ammunition.
* Abysmally slow reverse speed (-4 km/h).
* Weak lower glacis, can be penetrated by almost any round at its BR.
* Frontal penetration can easily disable 2 of the 3-man crew, leading to a crew knockout.
* Sub-par gun depression (-6°).
* No anti-air capability.
* Angling the tank causes the weak side armour to be exposed.
* Hull armour flaps are easily penetrated by kinetic munitions when angled.

== History ==


The T-64A is the second version of the T-64 tank, introduced in 1967 it featured many improvements over the basic T-64. The most notable of these was the 115 mm cannon being replaced with a 125 mm cannon, the T-64A also featured improved armour. The 1971 version of the tank featured new optics, and other minor improvements. The T-64 was one of the only Soviet tanks to never be exported as the Kremlin considered its technology too revolutionary and advanced to allow foreign countries access to it. The T-64A was meant to replace the Soviet heavy tanks such as the T-10M. It was originally supposed to mount a 122 mm gun, but was changed to a 115 mm on the T-64, then to a 125 mm on the T-64A. The T-64 featured composite armour, being lighter and stronger than regular steel armour, being able to resist the shells of NATO 105 mm cannons. It was an incredibly advanced design, featuring an autoloader and a two-plane stabilizer for the cannon. The autoloader allowed the tank to reduce the crew to three, reducing the size of the tank and allowing the tank to be very light while still being heavily protected.

===[[wt:en/news/4906-development-t-64a-the-pioneer-of-a-new-era-en|Devblog]]===
Initially, in the early days of the Cold War, it seemed like the USSR had both the technological and numerical advantage over the western allies, when it came to their ground forces, specifically their tanks. Vehicles like the T-54/55 and IS-3 proved to be in many ways superior over some of the top performing vehicles fielded by the West. This remained so until the introduction of the British Royal Ordnance L7 105 mm cannon and its variants. The new cannon featured high accuracy and penetrating capabilities, even at long range, making the superior armour protection on the Soviet tanks neigh irrelevant.

The new weapon sent a wake up call to the Soviet tank designers, prompting them to switch from the tried and tested methods and experiences learned in WW2, to new and more advanced techniques and technologies. The first attempt at creating a state-of-the-art main battle tank came in the shape of the T-62, which sported a revolutionary new 115 mm smoothbore cannon that featured unrivaled ballistic properties. However, apart from the new gun, the tank didn’t receive any particular changes to its core design to make it stand out from earlier projects, thus the tank was soon relegated to infantry support. The needed breakthrough in Soviet tank development came in the early 1960s with the T-64, designed by Alexander Morozov, the same man that created some of the most famous Soviet tanks, like the T-34-85, T-44 and T-54.

The T-64 brought with it a whole host of firsts and innovations to the table, like laminar armour, an autoloading mechanism and more. However, the standout feature of the vehicle is most definitely its use of laminar armour, making it the first vehicle in the world to make use of such an advanced protection system. Thanks to this, the T-64 had extremely effective frontal armour, even outmatching the armour of contemporary heavy tanks, whilst the chassis itself was significantly smaller and lighter. The autoloading mechanism replaced the human loader, in turn reducing the crew count to three men. The new system allowed for a high rate of fire whilst also allowing the fighting compartment to be reduced in size, thus lowering weight and size of the tank. However, with all the new equipment being used for the first time, it comes to no surprise that the tank was also much more expensive to manufacture compared to older Soviet vehicles.

Nevertheless, the T-64 began rolling off the assembly line in the early ‘60s and continued to be manufactured for roughly a good two decades. Though it’s involvement in numerous conflicts around the globe isn’t something to be overlooked, the mark this vehicle left in the history of tank development is far more significant than that though. It not only set a new standard and basis for future generations of Soviet and Russian tanks to come, but it also marks a turning point in history itself, making the T-64 a truly legendary tank.

As opposed to the standard T-64, the T-64A features a number of improvements that further increases its combat performance. Most notably, the gun was replaced by a 125 mm smoothbore D-81T cannon, which in its core, was an upscaled version of the 115 mm smoothbore cannon equipped on the previous model. Additionally, the laminar armour of the T-64 was replaced by an improved composite solution, consisting of steel and fiberglass in the hull front and hardened steel filling in turret. This upgrade increased the T-64A’s survivability against shaped charge rounds in particular, creating an armoured barrier of over 450 mm of effective thickness on the upper glacis. Despite all of the equipment and armour on the T-64A, the tank still retained a rather low weight, with only around 38 tonnes. Thanks to its compact 700 horsepower engine, the T-64A had excellent mobility, being able to reach speeds of up to 60 km/h on roads and an average speed of 40 km/h off-road.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_t_64a_1971 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|POgsyKommVk|'''T-64A versus MBT-70''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|fsM411FVKiY|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|bF5dQvPl9FU|'''{{PAGENAME}}: the Old Russian Legend''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''|xI8p0KZbcG0|'''The Shooting Range #65''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 00:27 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


* [[T-64B]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4906-development-t-64a-the-pioneer-of-a-new-era-en|[Devblog] T-64A - The Pioneer of a New Era]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}