War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

T29

2023-02-23T22:12:47Z

U107429898: /* Usage in battles */ "notables" -> "notable"

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_t29
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|store=5266
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. The {{PAGENAME}} was introduced in the [[Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]] as a gift vehicle and was available on the Gaijin store as a [[wt:en/news/3742-shop-pre-order-packs-for-update-1-59-flaming-arrows-with-exclusive-decals-en|pre-order pack]] before the update. The {{PAGENAME}} is a formidable heavy tank that introduces the 105 mm T5 cannon in a rotating turret rather than in the fixed case-mate setting like the [[T95]], with a tougher-than-average gun mantlet, and a sloped, but slightly thin hull.

The {{PAGENAME}} is perhaps one of the best performing heavy tanks at Rank IV, right up there with the [[IS-2 (Family)|IS-2]] and [[Tiger II (Family)|Tiger II]] tanks. Thanks to the 105 mm cannon, the {{PAGENAME}} can engage most enemies it faces on the battlefield from the front, often destroying an enemy tank with a single shot with the extremely powerful T13 APCBC round. With a frontal armour thick enough to block most incoming shots, The {{PAGENAME}} can act as the "damage sponge" of the team by absorbing or shrugging off most of the enemy fire. As its gun has a high muzzle velocity, it can also act as a sniping tank by positioning in the back or sides of the map and fire at any unsuspecting enemy tank. A single T13 APCBC round can destroy even the strongest tank if it penetrates the side armour. Like other heavy tanks, the {{PAGENAME}} has an average mobility but has a lower top speed than its main rivals: the IS-2 mod. 1944 and the Tiger II (H) and only better than the Caernarvon. Nonetheless, it possesses an above-average acceleration, making it more suited for dense environments.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull sides, Hull rear)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 102 mm (52-56°) ''Front Glacis'' 70.25 mm (26-59°) ''Bottom Glacis'' 102 mm (6-81°) ''Machine gun port'' || 76.2 mm ''Front'' 51 mm ''Rear'' || 51 mm (9°) ''Upper'' 19 mm (11-66°) ''Lower'' || 38.1 mm
|-
| Turret || 158.7 mm (18-31°) ''Turret front'' 203 mm (0-9°) ''Gun mantlet'' 305 mm (1-57°) ''Gun mantlet border'' || 158.7 mm (3-42°) || 102 mm (1-20°) ''Rear'' 50 mm (63-84°) ''Bottom of turret overhang'' || 38.1 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 152.4 mm || 38.1 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick.
* Front belly armour is 25.4 mm thick while the rear is 13 mm.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=994|rbMinHp=681}}

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

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

{{main|T5E2 (105 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[T5E2 (105 mm)|105 mm T5E2]] || 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" | 63 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 14.6 || 20.2 || 24.5 || 27.1 || 28.8 || rowspan="2" | 16.25 || rowspan="2" | 14.38 || rowspan="2" | 13.25 || rowspan="2" | 12.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 10.7 || 12.6 || 15.3 || 16.9 || 18.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:T5E2 (105 mm)/Ammunition|T32, T13, T29E3, T30E1}}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''63''' || ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 58 ''(+5)'' 39 ''(+24)'' || 50 ''(+13)'' 9 ''(+54)'' || 42 ''(+21)'' 7 ''(+56)'' || 9 ''(+54)'' 1 ''(+62)'' || 1 ''(+62)'' N/A || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* The {{PAGENAME}} uses two-piece ammunition, composed of projectiles (yellow) and propellant bags (orange). Both have separate racks.
* Projectiles and propellants are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Racks 3*, 4* and 5* are first stage ammo racks. They total 8 projectiles and 8 propellant bags.
* These racks get filled first when loading up the tank and are also emptied early.
* The projectiles' depletion order at full capacity is: 5 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4.
* The propellants' depletion order at full capacity is: 3 - 4 - 1 - 2.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|4}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial mount #1 || 1,200 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Coaxial mount #2 || 1,200 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle mount || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
|-
|}
One of the hidden gems of this tank, the three .50cals enable a player to effectively blind enemies, shred lightly armoured vehicles, and engage unsuspecting aircraft. Two of the machine guns are mounted in the turret and are controlled by the gunner. They are locked with the sight of the main gun, thus are also subjected to the limited elevation angles of the turret. The third machine gun is located at the roof of the turret and is pintle-mounted. While this top gun is technically able to freely move around, its actual training speed is rather slow. It is best to use this gun to engage slower moving aircraft or those flying in a predictable path.

One spicy advantage of the .50cal is its ability to de-track enemy vehicles in close-quarters. With three .50cals, immobilizing enemy tanks at close range will take a matter of seconds, and grant you the tactical initiative against whoever's tracks you just shredded.

== Usage in battles ==


;Combat tactics

* In an ''offensive role'', the {{PAGENAME}} can be used in 2 main ways. The more common and safer strategy is to team up with another tank, preferably a heavy or medium tank. Move up to the frontline while covering each other, leapfrog each time so one tank snipes an enemy while the other moves to a cover position with an advantageous firing position, then keep advancing at a safe pace. The other method is to get right up in their face, only giving them shots at the {{PAGENAME}}'s tough frontal armour. As aggressive this strategy is, it leaves the {{PAGENAME}} open to attacks from the sides. This is a last-ditch strategy generally. In either offence strategy, the biggest risk is getting too far ahead from the rest of your allies, leaving the {{PAGENAME}} vulnerable and without any supporting fire.

* In a ''defensive role'', the {{PAGENAME}} truly shines in a hull down position. Frontally, its turret is tough and the cheeks are sloped enough to bounce most shots. The only real target available would be the small cupola on the turret roof and the turret ring if it is not covered. While the gun barrel is vulnerable to being broken, a moderate crew can repair it in seconds. Although the gun depression angle isn't as great as other American tanks, it still provides an advantage in hilly terrain. When in the right spot, the player can devastate the enemy team with almost no risk to themselves by exposing only the gun barrel and the top of the mantlet. Be aware that there are certain spots and ports in the mantlet that can be penetrated even by a Wirbelwind using PzGr 40 rounds. Players experienced with American heavies can find a good spot that will provide them with ample cover while they support the team. Wiggling the turret while reloading can make the enemy bounce, same tactics as seen with the IS-2. Some shots to the lower gun mantlet may also bounce downwards and penetrate the thin hull roof.

;Notable enemies

* [[Tiger II (P)]] and [[Tiger II (H)|(H)]]: These are going to be the most common and equal enemy. While most of the {{PAGENAME}}'s front armour can take on the 88 mm APCBC round, APCR can penetrate the front mantlet of the turret. It can also aim for the lower glacis on the hull, which will knock-out the driver and can repeatedly do this until the entire crew gets knocked out. To fight the Tiger II's, aim at the cheeks of the turret with any ammo, preferably the right as that is where the gunner sits. Using the T32 APBC ammo, there is a chance that it can penetrate the Tiger II's front glacis at close range (less than 100 m) and the lower glacis from even further, making the T32 round probably the most preferable round to use against the Tiger II's front. If the {{PAGENAME}} can get the Tiger's side though, a simple T13 APCBC round can turn a Tiger II into a fiery ball of fire.
* [[Tiger II (10.5 cm Kw.K)]]: Though the same rule applies to the 88 mm Tiger II, take extreme caution as the 10.5 cm cannon can penetrates the {{PAGENAME}}'s mantlet from the front and devastate interior. Rounds aimed at the Tiger II 10.5's rangefinder (bulges on the sides of the turret) may splash inside the turret, knocking out the gunner and likely a loader as well.
* [[Jagdpanther]]: Equipped with the same 88 mm as on the Tiger II, this tank destroyer can do some damage if it can get a good shot. However, the {{PAGENAME}}'s 105 mm cannon can easily penetrate through its front glacis, just don't shoot too close to the gun or the gun mantlet may bounce it.
* [[Ferdinand]]: The greater armour on this tank destroyer makes it harder to fight in a long-range engagement. However, if the {{PAGENAME}} can get closer, the flat armour space on the top superstructure and the hull front can prove more vulnerable. Of course, getting to the side of this tank destroyer is a guaranteed point if an APCBC round can be landed into it.
* [[ISU-152]]: While easily destroyed by one shot of the 105 mm cannon, the 152 mm howitzer still can do unspeakable damage if it hits the {{PAGENAME}}'s vulnerable turret and hull roof.

;Defeating a {{PAGENAME}}

* With 4 crewmen sitting in the turret, any penetrating shot to the turret with a good post-penetration damage means most certainly the destruction of your vehicle.
* In a frontal encounter, aim for the {{PAGENAME}}'s lower glacis or the hull MG port (small area).
* When flanking, aim for the hull section under the turret. Make sure to avoid shooting the tracks. Follow up with a shot at the driver's position if it survives.
* You can also aim at the engine compartment to immobilize the {{PAGENAME}} and then let your teammates finish it.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Armed with an extremely good 105 mm gun that's far superior to the T32's 90 mm gun
* T13 round has both high penetration power and post-penetration damage potential. Penetrating an enemy's crew compartment is almost always a kill
* Has a great set of optics with magnification levels of 4x-8x. Great for both quick close range target acquisition and long range sniping
* Great overall turret armour. Only guns that penetrate more than 200 mm of armour pose a real threat
* 10 degrees of gun depression coupled with the really strong turret makes the {{PAGENAME}} great at shooting from ridgelines and hull-down fighting
* Armed with three .50 cal machine guns, allowing the {{PAGENAME}} to easily damage lightly armoured vehicles and tracks

'''Cons:'''

* The lower glacis plate is both long and weakly armoured. Any gun packing over 165 mm of penetration poses a threat if the lower plate is visible
* Unlike most tanks at the BR, the sides of the engine compartment are much weaker than the sides of the hull. Coupled with the placement of the turret, this means the {{PAGENAME}} isn't good at side scraping
* Guns like the Tiger II's 88 mm can punch right through the gun mantlet from 500 m
* Tall silhouette like the Tiger II, making it very hard to hide
* The T29 is much slower than other heavy tanks at the same BR
* The {{PAGENAME}} has a large amount of ammunition lining the right turret cheek and rear turret compartment
* Only one of the .50 cal machine guns can effectively engage aircraft flying higher than coaxial level

== History ==


===Development===
Projects for a dedicated heavy tank for the U.S. Armed Forces began in March 1944 as a response to the German heavy tanks that have been popping up in Europe. While the T26E3 tank, later known as the [[M26]] Pershing was slated to be the next-generation American tank, it was still considered unsuitable against the even heavier [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]]. A project to increase the armour and firepower commenced countering this problem, the project titled '''Heavy Tank T29'''. Using design elements from the T26E3 with thicker armour and lengthened hull, the T29 also was equipped with the [[T5E2 (105 mm)|105 mm Gun T5]], a gun in development alongside the heavy assault tank [[T95]]. Other features included a 770 hp Ford GAC engine, armour thickness up to 279 mm effective, and a coincidence range-finder. The heavy armour and armament made the tank weigh about 64 tons, making it a close match to the Tiger II.

Though the T29 was monstrous itself, side projects involving the T29 crafted the [[T30|T30 Heavy Tank]]. Itself similar to the T29 in terms of armour, but featured a monstrous [[T7 (155 mm)|155 mm Gun T7]] with a more powerful engine and an extra crew member to facilitate loading the gun.

===Effect in World War II===
Throughout World War II, the T29 and the T30 stayed in development under the priority "limited procurement". Eventually, the war in Europe ended in May 1945, but the small ordered stayed in hope it may be useful in the Japan invasion in Operation Downfall. That hope was smashed as well when Japan surrendered in September 1945, ending World War II. Even if an operation commenced that used these vehicles, the Army Ground Forces objected to the use of such heavy equipment due to the lack of adequate transporters. Further production was cancelled in the post-war demilitarization.

===Post World War Effect===
The heavy tank concept didn't end with the war and a final attempt was made to remake the T29 into a more modern, lethal weapon system. This produced the [[T34|T34 Heavy Tank]], which mounted a 120 mm gun based on the M1 anti-aircraft gun. The calibre made an adequate balance of firepower and loading ease between the 105 mm and the 155 mm used in the T29 and T30. In fact, the two T34 pilot models made were a converted T29 and T30. However, the demilitarization took down the T34 program as well, but the experience in this project help engineers in the development of the [[M103|M103 Heavy Tank]].

Today, there are a few T29s still in display across the United States, most of them residing in storage at Fort Benning, Georgia where they will be used as a display in the future National Armor and Cavalry Museum.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_t29 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|owYlJZ4LgyA|'''The Shooting Range #36''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 02:26 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|z_rLi-s7U2k|'''T29 - Tank Review - Too Awesome : Pay-to-win?''' - ''Napalmratte''|n9KdgbSzla8|'''The Shooting Range #23''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 03:26 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[T29 Heavy Tank (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Tiger II (10.5 cm Kw.K)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/3731-development-t29-the-experimental-monster-video-added-en|[Devblog] T29: The Experimental Monster]]
* [[wikipedia:T29_Heavy_Tank|[Wikipedia] T29 Heavy Tank]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2-usa-heavy-tank-t29/ <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Heavy Tank T29]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=352 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> T29 (Heavy Tank T29)]

{{USA heavy tanks}}
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}

SPz BMP-1

2023-02-05T20:17:17Z

U107429898: Correcting punctuation

{{About
| about = German light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other versions
| link-1 = BMP-1 (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = BMP (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_bmp_1_ddr
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png|ArtImage2_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]].

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


The SPz BMP-1 has very little to speak of in the armour department. Minimal frontal and nearly non-existent side armour results in the vehicle being vulnerable to almost any incoming fire. As such, the vehicle's survivability stems entirely from its mobility and reasonably small profile. Where possible, utilise hills or other cover, only exposing as much of the vehicle as is necessary to engage an unaware target.

Despite the lack of armour, however, the SPz BMP-1 will, on occasion, survive hits unexpectedly - the internals of the vehicle are largely non-critical and many rounds will over-penetrate.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 7-12 mm (80°) ''Front glacis'' 19 mm (56°) ''Lower glacis'' || 16 mm (3-18°) ''Top'' 18 + 4 mm ''Bottom'' || 16 mm (12°) ''Top'' 12 mm (48°) ''Bottom'' 12 mm (8-51°) ''Doors'' || 6 mm 5 mm ''Engine exhausts''
|-
| Turret || 23 mm (0-53°) ''Turret front'' 33 + 26 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 13-23 mm (24-37°) || 13 mm (23-26°) || 6 mm
|-
| Cupola || 7 mm || 7 mm || 7 mm || 7 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 6 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265}}

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|2A28 (73 mm)}}

The 2A28 main cannon, despite being the 'main' armament will more often than not act more as secondary armament, at least once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, due to the 9M113 ATGM proving significantly more controllable and effective at all engagement ranges. Despite this, the PG-9 HEAT round proves valuable in a pinch, with well-placed shots able to disable critical components on most vehicles the {{PAGENAME}} will face. Keep in mind that the {{PAGENAME}} does not feature any sort of stabilisation at all, and due to its light weight, the gun is near impossible to get on target at speed.

The main cannon's primary drawback is its mediocre ballistic performance, with the HEAT round travelling at only 665 m/s and the HE round travelling at an abysmal 290 m/s.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A28 (73 mm)|73 mm 2A28]] || 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" | 40 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.39 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 || 17.00 || 18.80 || 20.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
When stock, all available ammunition for the weapon are unlocked - HEAT and HE.

Between the two, HE should be avoided as it only has 11 mm of penetration and 290 m/sec muzzle velocity. While the HEAT round has only 670 m/sec velocity, with some training it can be shot at targets over 1 km reliably.

The HEAT round has 300 mm penetration and very good damage output, single-shot destruction can be achieved quite often when shooting center mass, although larger tanks might give you some headache as they sometimes survive multiple shots.

{{:2A28 (73 mm)/Ammunition|PG-9, OG-9}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_BMP-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''40''' || 1 ''(+39)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* The single ammunition rack consists of a shell barillet located around the turret basket.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|9M14|9M113 Konkurs}}
'''9M14'''

The {{PAGENAME}} comes with a rail-mounted manually guided ATGM as stock, initially aimed manually and with somewhat mediocre penetration and explosive mass values. While occasionally useful, generally the main gun is easier and more reliable to use.

While stock, the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with 9M14 missiles that penetrate 400 mm of armour. These missiles are first-generation, which means they cannot be aimed with the mouse pointer and are instead aimed with the WASD keys. However, the "BMP-1P" modification, when unlocked, will give the vehicle access to four more lethal 9M113 Konkurs missiles.

4 x 9M14 ATGM

* Guidance type: MCLOS
* Firing range: 3 km

'''9M113'''

The 9M113 has 500 mm of penetration and do very good damage while having good speed. Only their manoeuvrability is a bit lacking, but you can quickly make a follow up shot with your cannon or use smoke if you want to retreat. As these missiles are second generation, they are aimed with both the mouse pointer and WASD keys.

Once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, the rail-mounted 9M14 ATGM is replaced with a spindle-mounted 9M113 ATGM. This ATGM is significantly more powerful and easier to use due to its semi-automatic guiding system. Improved penetration values and significantly increased explosive mass will result in far more reliable destructive power. Keep in mind that the ATGM can only be fired when stopped or at extremely low speeds.

4 x 9M113 ATGM (BMP-1P)

* Guidance type: SACLOS
* Firing range: 3 km

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[9M14|9M14 ATGM]] / [[9M113 Konkurs|9M113 ATGM]] || 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" | 4 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+10° || rowspan="2" | -15°/+37° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.39 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 ||17.00 ||18.80 ||20.00
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* The vertical and horizontal traverse depend on the turret position and are only relevant to the 9M113 ATGM.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:9M14/Ammunition|9M14}}
{{:9M113 Konkurs/Ammunition|9M113}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_BMP-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''4''' || 3 ''(+1)'' || 1 ''(+3)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* The missiles are listed from M1 to M4. M2 is the 1st rack. M3-M4 constitutes the 2nd rack.

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

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} comes equipped with a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. This is only useful for clearing small obstacles or exposed crew in open-topped vehicles. The {{PAGENAME}} is only equipped with one PKT machine gun with an ammo reserve of 1,000 rounds.

It's not useful and cannot aim at air targets due to the coaxial mount. As such, it should only be used on vehicles with soft armour like trucks or at exposed crew members, or just annoy enemies with it. In RB and SB, it can be used to throw up dirt in front of an enemy vehicle in order to blind them temporary.

{| 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 (1,000) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The BMP-1 is quite distinctive due to its oddly-shaped hull. The vehicle is crewed by only three (no commander), but is very spacious, so shots from the side occasionally cause minimal or even no damage. The BMP-1 is equipped with a short-barreled 73 mm gun (an odd calibre) firing exclusively anti-tank grenades. The projectile drop is extreme, albeit not the worst in-game, and it can be used to great effect against many of the vehicles the BMP will face due to the consistent 300 mm of penetration at range. The standard PG-9 ammunition has an explosive mass of about 1.25 kg. The trade-off, in this case, is the low velocity and relatively poor slope characteristics (the penetration drops in half if more than 60 degrees of slope). Finally, as standard, the BMP-1 is equipped with the 9M14 ATGM, capable of penetrating 400 mm and carrying an explosive mass of 2.6 kg. It is WASD guided, and therefore somewhat tricky to use at first (and ''especially'' difficult to use in high packet-loss or high ping matches). An optional modification for the BMP-1 allows it to use turret-mounted smoke grenades as well as a next-generation missile, the 9M113. The BMP-1 (as of 1.77.2.149) is the earliest vehicle in-game to be able to use a SACLOS (mouse-guided) system for an ATGM. Not only is the missile nearly twice as fast as the 9M14, but it carries a notably larger explosive payload, and can penetrate up to 600 mm at 90 degrees at any range. As of 1.91, the BMP-1 can research NVD, which can help during night battles to help with visibility. NVD is available in commander, gunner, driver and outside viewports. Once purchased, the NVD modification also allows the use of a Infrared Spotlight to help illuminate targets if they are hard to see. However, it is mounted to the commander's hatch on the hull; while this allows it to rotate as long as the commander is alive, it will be stuck in place if the commander is knocked out.

Due to its nearly non-existent armour, the BMP-1 shouldn't be played like anything with actual armour. It is best used in a support or ambush role, using cover to ambush opponents, then taking them out with the combination of the autocannon and ATGM. The BMP-1 is quite effective when played this way. When in close-quarters combat, it is important to note that the missile launcher has slightly faster traverse than the turret. This can save it from being killed from the flanks. It can also be used to take out opponents from medium to long range with its missiles, although this strategy will prevent the BMP-1 from using its main gun. The small projectiles lose even more of their already small penetration at long ranges, but the missiles will not be affected by gravity or air resistance until very extreme ranges. Finally, the missiles and sometimes the autocannon can be used to take out slow air targets such as the helicopters that you will start to meet at these BR's.

=== Pros and cons ===


* Fairly mobile, both weapon systems are particularly effective against the lightly armoured vehicles it will encounter often such as the [[Leopard I]], [[OF-40]], etc.
* One of the earliest ATGM vehicles available and the earliest to receive mouse-guided (SACLOS) ATGMs (with the BMP-1P modification)
* Decent main gun HEAT round penetrating up to 300 mm of armour at any range, effective against last-gen heavy tanks like the [[Conqueror]], [[M103]], etc.
* Amphibious ability which can allow it to reach positions that other vehicles struggle to
* Functional even in uptiers, due to its piercing ATGM and HEAT
* All ammunition types are default and as such have no cost
* Night Vision allows effectiveness in night battles

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre reverse speed, particularly for a light tank
* Default missiles are manually guided, upgraded missiles must be unlocked with the BMP-1P research
* Chemical ammunition only, may struggle to damage vehicles with ERA like the [[M60A1 RISE (P)]]
* All available ammunition is hyper-sensitive and will detonate on hitting light obstacles such as fences or bushes
* Somewhat large silhouette for a light tank. Will get seen and shot at easier
* Minimal gun depression makes it struggle on hills
* Has no stabiliser, accurate shots on the move or in water are often not possible
* Only three crew members, two of whom sit extremely close together, reducing the vehicle's survivability
* Vulnerable to heavy machine gun and light cannon fire, particularly from the sides or top. SPAA like the [[Gepard]] are a big threat
* Very vulnerable to aircraft and helicopters
* Bombs and artillery can deal significant damage, even when at a distance
* Infrared Spotlight mounted to commander's hatch, won't rotate with turret when the commander is knocked out

== History ==

'''Development'''

In the 1950s, Soviet armoured personnel carrier (APC) tactics consisted of lightly armoured vehicles that would transport soldiers to combat zones, and then head back behind the lines to safety. During this time, the West German Bundeswehr was using the Schützenpanzer Lang and infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) tactics, where the vehicles would work with the infantry and tanks in order to support them, especially against lightly armoured targets. The BMP was a Soviet IFV design created in the late 1950's. Some of the requirements were the ability for all of the infantry carried to be able to fire from within the vehicle, which was unseen before in IFV designs. It was intended to support the infantry and combat enemy light vehicles. The design placed emphasis on speed and manoeuvrability, potent armament, and sufficient armament to protect against 23 mm autocannons over the frontal arc. There was a debate over how the vehicle should be wheeled or tracked, and a number of options were explored including hybrid designs with both. The design that was chosen was a tracked vehicle with the engine in the front and the crew compartment in the rear; it was designated the Object 764. A prototype was created in 1964, and the final design was chosen in 1965 - an improved model called the Object 765. In service the production model was called the BMP-1.

'''Design'''

The BMP-1 features a fully tracked hull, with a sharply angled glacis at the front, a centrally mounted turret, and a crew compartment in the rear of the hull, with doors for the infantry to mount and dismount the vehicle. The hull layout is as follows: the engine was in the front right section of the hull. The driver sat to the front left of the vehicle, the commander sat right behind the driver, and the gunner sat in the right side of the turret. The troop compartment located at the rear of the vehicle could seat 8 infantry soldiers. The ability to fire from inside the vehicle was provided by four firing ports on each side of the hull and one in the left door. There are also four hatches in the roof. The infantry sit on two benches with padding, back-to-back, facing the outer sides of the vehicle. The armour of the frontal arc is enough to generally protect against 20 mm autocannon fire, the side armour generally protects against 12.7 mm machine gun fire, and the roof and rear armour protects against small arms fire and shell fragments. In addition, the sloped glacis on the front of the hull also increased the chances of shells bouncing, because of the extreme angles. The protection level depended somewhat on the version of the BMP-1 in question, as different nations had differing levels of armour quality. The main armament consisted of a 73 mm 2A28 Grom smoothbore semi-automatic cannon, along with a 9M14 Malyutka anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). Secondary armament consisted of a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The engine provides 300 hp and is a six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine. The suspension system used was a torsion bar suspension system. The BMP-1 is fully amphibious with little preparation. Before entering the water, a trim vane has to be raised, which provides additional frontal armour when in the lowered position. It can achieve 65 km/h (40 mph) on road and 8 km/h (5 mph) in water.

'''Production and Service'''

Over 20,000 BMP-1s were produced in the Soviet Union alone, with many more produced in China and Czechoslovakia. The BMP-1 was widely exported and saw significant combat worldwide. BMP-1s participated in the Yom Kippur War, the Angolan Civil War, the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, and many other conflicts. It was well liked for its manoeuvrability, but it was found that the cannon lacked effective range and the 9M14 ATGMs were hard to control. During the Gulf War it was found that the 25 mm Bushmaster cannon found on the M2/M3 Bradley could consistently penetrate the frontal armour of the BMP-1, even at range.

'''BMP-1P Upgrade'''

The BMP-1P was an upgrade to the ATGM systems of the BMP-1. It replaced the 9M14 Malyutka missiles with 9M113 Konkurs or 9M111 missile. This increased the weight of the vehicle, leading to a slight decrease in manoeuvrability.

'''German Service'''

In 1974, East Germany ordered 1,133 BMP-1, and they were delivered between 1973 and 1989. Some of those BMP-1 were produced in Czechoslovakia. About 270 of the East German BMP-1's were of the BMP-1P type, with 950 being BMP-1SP2. The East German BMP-1P were known as the Schützenpanzer BMP-1P, or SPz BMP-1P. After the German reunification in 1990, the Bundeswehr modified 851 BMP-1 to NATO standards, and they entered service with the Bundeswehr as the BMP-1A1 Ost. Most of the vehicles upgraded were of the BMP-1P variant. In 1990, 110 unmodified BMP-1/BMP-1P were sold to Finland. 501 BMP-1A1 Ost. were sold to Greece between 1993 and 1994, and 350 were sold to Sweden in the early 1990's.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_bmp_1_ddr Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|SJoW-2_6J6o|'''Amphibious tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:15 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|2h5kFyznXKU|'''Best IFVs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:29 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== 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 ==


* [[wikipedia:BMP-1#Variants_and_modernization|[Wikipedia] BMP-1 - Variants and modernization]]
* [https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/USSR/soviet_BMP-1.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Soviet BMP-1 IFV (1965)]

=== References ===

;Bibliography

* David B. (2015, December 1). BMP-1. Tank Encyclopedia. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/USSR/soviet_BMP-1.php
* BMP-1. (2020, March 25). In ''Wikipedia''. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BMP-1&oldid=947316322

{{TankManufacturer ChTZ}}
{{Germany light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

SPz BMP-1

2023-02-05T20:14:02Z

U107429898: Undo revision 153953 by U107429898 (talk)

{{About
| about = German light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other versions
| link-1 = BMP-1 (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = BMP (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_bmp_1_ddr
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png|ArtImage2_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]].

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


The SPz BMP-1 has very little to speak of in the armour department. Minimal frontal and nearly non-existent side armour results in the vehicle being vulnerable to almost any incoming fire. As such, the vehicle's survivability stems entirely from its mobility and reasonably small profile. Where possible, utilise hills or other cover, only exposing as much of the vehicle as is necessary to engage an unaware target.

Despite the lack of armour, however, the SPz BMP-1 will, on occasion, survive hits unexpectedly - the internals of the vehicle are largely non-critical and many rounds will over-penetrate.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 7-12 mm (80°) ''Front glacis'' 19 mm (56°) ''Lower glacis'' || 16 mm (3-18°) ''Top'' 18 + 4 mm ''Bottom'' || 16 mm (12°) ''Top'' 12 mm (48°) ''Bottom'' 12 mm (8-51°) ''Doors'' || 6 mm 5 mm ''Engine exhausts''
|-
| Turret || 23 mm (0-53°) ''Turret front'' 33 + 26 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 13-23 mm (24-37°) || 13 mm (23-26°) || 6 mm
|-
| Cupola || 7 mm || 7 mm || 7 mm || 7 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 6 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265}}

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|2A28 (73 mm)}}

The 2A28 main cannon, despite being the 'main' armament will more often than not act more as secondary armament, at least once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, due to the 9M113 ATGM proving significantly more controllable and effective at all engagement ranges. Despite this, the PG-9 HEAT round proves valuable in a pinch, with well-placed shots able to disable critical components on most vehicles the {{PAGENAME}} will face. Keep in mind that the {{PAGENAME}} does not feature any sort of stabilization at all, and due to its light weight, the gun is near impossible to get on target at speed.

The main cannon's primary drawback is its mediocre ballistic performance, with the HEAT round travelling at only 665 m/s and the HE round travelling at an abysmal 290 m/s.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A28 (73 mm)|73 mm 2A28]] || 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" | 40 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.39 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 || 17.00 || 18.80 || 20.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
When stock, all available ammunition for the weapon are unlocked - HEAT and HE.

Between the two, HE should be avoided as it only has 11 mm of penetration and 290 m/sec muzzle velocity. While the HEAT round has only 670 m/sec velocity,with some training it can be shot at targets over 1 km reliably.

The HEAT round has 300 mm penetration and very good damage output, single-shot destruction can be achieved quite often when shooting center mass, although larger tanks might give you some headache as they sometimes survive multiple shots.

{{:2A28 (73 mm)/Ammunition|PG-9, OG-9}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_BMP-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''40''' || 1 ''(+39)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* The single ammunition rack consists of a shell barillet located around the turret basket.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|9M14|9M113 Konkurs}}
'''9M14'''

The {{PAGENAME}} comes with a rail-mounted manually-guided ATGM as stock, initially aimed manually and with somewhat mediocre penetration and explosive mass values. While occasionally useful, generally the main gun is easier and more reliable to use.

While stock, the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with 9M14 missiles that penetrate 400 mm of armour. These missiles are first-generation, which means they cannot be aimed with the mouse pointer and are instead aimed with the WASD keys. However, the "BMP-1P" modification, when unlocked, will give the vehicle access to four more lethal 9M113 Konkurs missiles.

4 x 9M14 ATGM

* Guidance type: MCLOS
* Firing range: 3 km

'''9M113'''

The 9M113 has 500 mm of penetration and do very good damage while having good speed. Only their manoeuvrability is a bit lacking, but you can quickly make a follow up shot with your cannon or use smoke if you want to retreat. As these missiles are second generation, they are aimed with both the mouse pointer and WASD keys.

Once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, the rail-mounted 9M14 ATGM is replaced with a spindle-mounted 9M113 ATGM. This ATGM is significantly more powerful and easier to use due to its semi-automatic guiding system. Improved penetration values and significantly increased explosive mass will result in far more reliable destructive power. Keep in mind that the ATGM can only be fired when stopped or at extremely low speeds.

4 x 9M113 ATGM (BMP-1P)

* Guidance type: SACLOS
* Firing range: 3 km

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[9M14|9M14 ATGM]] / [[9M113 Konkurs|9M113 ATGM]] || 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" | 4 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+10° || rowspan="2" | -15°/+37° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.39 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 ||17.00 ||18.80 ||20.00
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* The vertical and horizontal traverse depend on the turret position and are only relevant to the 9M113 ATGM.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:9M14/Ammunition|9M14}}
{{:9M113 Konkurs/Ammunition|9M113}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_BMP-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''4''' || 3 ''(+1)'' || 1 ''(+3)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* The missiles are listed from M1 to M4. M2 is the 1st rack. M3-M4 constitutes the 2nd rack.

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

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} comes equipped with a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. This is only useful for clearing small obstacles or exposed crew in open-topped vehicles. The {{PAGENAME}} is only equipped with one PKT machine gun with an ammo reserve of 1,000 rounds.

It's not useful and cannot aim at air targets due to the coaxial mount. As such, it should only be used on vehicles with soft armour like trucks or at exposed crew members, or just annoy enemies with it. In RB and SB it can be used to throw up dirt in front of an enemy vehicle in order to blind them temporary.

{| 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 (1,000) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The BMP-1 is quite distinctive due to its oddly-shaped hull. The vehicle is crewed by only three (no commander), but is very spacious, so shots from the side occasionally cause minimal or even no damage. The BMP-1 is equipped with a short-barreled 73 mm gun (an odd calibre) firing exclusively anti-tank grenades. The projectile drop is extreme, albeit not the worst in-game, and it can be used to great effect against many of the vehicles the BMP will face due to the consistent 300 mm of penetration at range. The standard PG-9 ammunition has an explosive mass of about 1.25 kg. The trade-off, in this case, is the low velocity and relatively poor slope characteristics (the penetration drop in half if more than 60 degrees of slope). Finally, as standard, the BMP-1 is equipped with the 9M14 ATGM, capable of penetrating 400 mm and carrying an explosive mass of 2.6 kg. It is WASD guided, and therefore somewhat tricky to use at first (and ''especially'' difficult to use in high packet-loss or high ping matches). An optional modification for the BMP-1 allows it to use turret-mounted smoke grenades as well as a next-generation missile, the 9M113. The BMP-1 (as of 1.77.2.149) is the earliest vehicle in-game to be able to use a SACLOS (mouse-guided) system for an ATGM. Not only is the missile nearly twice as fast as the 9M14, but it carries a notably larger explosive payload, and can penetrate up to 600 mm at 90 degrees at any range. As of 1.91, the BMP-1 can research NVD, which can help during night battles to help with visibility. NVD is available in commander, gunner, driver and outside viewports. Once purchased, the NVD modification also allows the use of a Infrared Spotlight to help illuminate targets if they are hard to see. However, it is mounted to the commander's hatch on the hull; while this allows it to rotate as long as the commander is alive, it will be stuck in place if the commander is knocked out.

Due to its nearly non-existent armour, the BMP-1 shouldn't be played like anything with actual armour. It is best used in a support or ambush role, using cover to ambush opponents, then taking them out with the combination of the autocannon and ATGM. The BMP-1 is quite effective when played this way. When in close-quarters combat, it is important to note that the missile launcher has slightly faster traverse than the turret. This can save it from being killed from the flanks. It can also be used to take out opponents from medium to long range with its missiles, although this strategy will prevent the BMP-1 from using its main gun. The small projectiles lose even more of their already small penetration at long ranges, but the missiles will not be affected by gravity or air resistance until very extreme ranges. Finally the missiles and sometimes the autocannon can be used to take out slow air targets such as the helicopters that you will start to meet at these BR's.

=== Pros and cons ===


* Fairly mobile, both weapon systems are particularly effective against the lightly armoured vehicles it will encounter often such as the [[Leopard I]], [[OF-40]], etc.
* One of the earliest ATGM vehicles available and the earliest to receive mouse-guided (SACLOS) ATGMs (with the BMP-1P modification)
* Decent main gun HEAT round penetrating up to 300 mm of armour at any range, effective against last-gen heavy tanks like the [[Conqueror]], [[M103]], etc.
* Amphibious ability which can allow it to reach positions that other vehicles struggle to
* Functional even in uptiers, due to its piercing ATGM and HEAT
* All ammunition types are default and as such have no cost
* Night Vision allows effectiveness in night battles

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre reverse speed, particularly for a light tank
* Default missiles are manually guided, upgraded missiles must be unlocked with the BMP-1P research
* Chemical ammunition only, may struggle to damage vehicles with ERA like the [[M60A1 RISE (P)]]
* All available ammunition is hyper-sensitive and will detonate on hitting light obstacles such as fences or bushes
* Somewhat large silhouette for a light tank. Will get seen and shot at easier
* Minimal gun depression makes it struggle in hills
* Has no stabiliser, accurate shots on the move or in water are often not possible
* Only three crew members, two of whom sit extremely close together, reducing the vehicle's survivability
* Vulnerable to heavy machine gun and light cannon fire, particularly from the sides or top. SPAA like the [[Gepard]] are a big threat
* Very vulnerable to aircraft and helicopters
* Bombs and artillery can deal significant damage, even when at a distance
* Infrared Spotlight mounted to commander's hatch, won't rotate with turret when the commander is knocked out

== History ==

'''Development'''

In the 1950s, Soviet armoured personnel carrier (APC) tactics consisted of lightly armoured vehicles that would transport soldiers to combat zones, and then head back behind the lines to safety. During this time, the West German Bundeswehr was using the Schützenpanzer Lang and infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) tactics, where the vehicles would work with the infantry and tanks in order to support them, especially against lightly armoured targets. The BMP was a Soviet IFV design created in the late 1950's. Some of the requirements were the ability for all of the infantry carried to be able to fire from within the vehicle, which was unseen before in IFV designs. It was intended to support the infantry and combat enemy light vehicles. The design placed emphasis on speed and manoeuvrability, potent armament, and sufficient armament to protect against 23 mm autocannons over the frontal arc. There was a debate over how the vehicle should be wheeled or tracked, and a number of options were explored including hybrid designs with both. The design that was chosen was a tracked vehicle with the engine in the front and the crew compartment in the rear; it was designated the Object 764. A prototype was created in 1964, and the final design was chosen in 1965 - an improved model called the Object 765. In service the production model was called the BMP-1.

'''Design'''

The BMP-1 features a fully tracked hull, with a sharply angled glacis at the front, a centrally mounted turret, and a crew compartment in the rear of the hull, with doors for the infantry to mount and dismount the vehicle. The hull layout is as follows: the engine was in the front right section of the hull. The driver sat to the front left of the vehicle, the commander sat right behind the driver, and the gunner sat in the right side of the turret. The troop compartment located at the rear of the vehicle could seat 8 infantry soldiers. The ability to fire from inside the vehicle was provided by four firing ports on each side of the hull and one in the left door. There are also four hatches in the roof. The infantry sit on two benches with padding, back to back, facing the outer sides of the vehicle. The armour of the frontal arc is enough to generally protect against 20 mm autocannon fire, the side armour generally protects against 12.7 mm machine gun fire, and the roof and rear armour protects against small arms fire and shell fragments. In addition, the sloped glacis on the front of the hull also increased the chances of shells bouncing, because of the extreme angles. The protection level depended somewhat on the version of the BMP-1 in question, as different nations had differing levels of armour quality. The main armament consisted of a 73 mm 2A28 Grom smoothbore semi-automatic cannon, along with a 9M14 Malyutka anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). Secondary armament consisted of a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The engine provides 300 hp, and is a six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine. The suspension system used was a torsion bar suspension system. The BMP-1 is fully amphibious with little preparation. Before entering the water a trim vane has to be raised, which provides additional frontal armour when in the lowered position. It can achieve 65 km/h (40 mph) on road and 8 km/h (5 mph) in water.

'''Production and Service'''

Over 20,000 BMP-1s were produced in the Soviet Union alone, with many more produced in China and Czechoslovakia. The BMP-1 was widely exported and saw significant combat worldwide. BMP-1s participated in the Yom Kippur War, the Angolan Civil War, the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, and many other conflicts. It was well liked for its manoeuvrability, but it was found that the cannon lacked effective range and the 9M14 ATGMs were hard to control. During the Gulf War it was found that the 25 mm Bushmaster cannon found on the M2/M3 Bradley could consistently penetrate the frontal armour of the BMP-1, even at range.

'''BMP-1P Upgrade'''

The BMP-1P was an upgrade to the ATGM systems of the BMP-1. It replaced the 9M14 Malyutka missiles with 9M113 Konkurs or 9M111 missile. This increased the weight of the vehicle, leading to a slight decrease in manoeuvrability.

'''German Service'''

In 1974, East Germany ordered 1,133 BMP-1, and they were delivered between 1973 and 1989. Some of those BMP-1 were produced in Czechoslovakia. About 270 of the East German BMP-1's were of the BMP-1P type, with 950 being BMP-1SP2. The East German BMP-1P were known as the Schützenpanzer BMP-1P, or SPz BMP-1P. After the German reunification in 1990, the Bundeswehr modified 851 BMP-1 to NATO standards, and they entered service with the Bundeswehr as the BMP-1A1 Ost. Most of the vehicles upgraded were of the BMP-1P variant. In 1990, 110 unmodified BMP-1/BMP-1P were sold to Finland. 501 BMP-1A1 Ost. were sold to Greece between 1993 and 1994, and 350 were sold to Sweden in the early 1990's.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_bmp_1_ddr Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|SJoW-2_6J6o|'''Amphibious tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:15 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|2h5kFyznXKU|'''Best IFVs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:29 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== 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 ==


* [[wikipedia:BMP-1#Variants_and_modernization|[Wikipedia] BMP-1 - Variants and modernization]]
* [https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/USSR/soviet_BMP-1.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Soviet BMP-1 IFV (1965)]

=== References ===

;Bibliography

* David B. (2015, December 1). BMP-1. Tank Encyclopedia. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/USSR/soviet_BMP-1.php
* BMP-1. (2020, March 25). In ''Wikipedia''. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BMP-1&oldid=947316322

{{TankManufacturer ChTZ}}
{{Germany light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

User:U107429898

2023-02-05T20:08:44Z

U107429898: Creating my profile

am hedgehog

Native English speaker, grammar is my forte.

"It's 'maneuverability,' not 'manoeuvrability!'"

SPz BMP-1

2023-02-05T20:04:25Z

U107429898: Correcting grammar, spelling errors.

{{About
| about = German light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other versions
| link-1 = BMP-1 (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = BMP (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_bmp_1_ddr
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png|ArtImage2_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]].

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


The SPz BMP-1 has very little to speak of in the armour department. Minimal frontal and nearly non-existent side armour results in the vehicle being vulnerable to almost any incoming fire. As such, the vehicle's survivability stems entirely from its mobility and reasonably small profile. Where possible, utilise hills or other cover, only exposing as much of the vehicle as is necessary to engage an unaware target.

Despite the lack of armour, however, the SPz BMP-1 will, on occasion, survive hits unexpectedly - the internals of the vehicle are largely non-critical and many rounds will over-penetrate.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 7-12 mm (80°) ''Front glacis'' 19 mm (56°) ''Lower glacis'' || 16 mm (3-18°) ''Top'' 18 + 4 mm ''Bottom'' || 16 mm (12°) ''Top'' 12 mm (48°) ''Bottom'' 12 mm (8-51°) ''Doors'' || 6 mm 5 mm ''Engine exhausts''
|-
| Turret || 23 mm (0-53°) ''Turret front'' 33 + 26 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 13-23 mm (24-37°) || 13 mm (23-26°) || 6 mm
|-
| Cupola || 7 mm || 7 mm || 7 mm || 7 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 6 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265}}

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|2A28 (73 mm)}}

The 2A28 main cannon, despite being the 'main' armament will more often than not act more as secondary armament, at least once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, due to the 9M113 ATGM proving significantly more controllable and effective at all engagement ranges. Despite this, the PG-9 HEAT round proves valuable in a pinch, with well-placed shots able to disable critical components on most vehicles the {{PAGENAME}} will face. Keep in mind that the {{PAGENAME}} does not feature any sort of stabilization at all, and due to its light weight, the gun is near impossible to get on target at speed.

The main cannon's primary drawback is its mediocre ballistic performance, with the HEAT round travelling at only 665 m/s and the HE round travelling at an abysmal 290 m/s.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A28 (73 mm)|73 mm 2A28]] || 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" | 40 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.39 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 || 17.00 || 18.80 || 20.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
When stock, all available ammunition for the weapon are unlocked - HEAT and HE.

Between the two, HE should be avoided as it only has 11 mm of penetration and 290 m/sec muzzle velocity. While the HEAT round has only 670 m/sec velocity, with some training it can be shot at targets over 1 km reliably.

The HEAT round has 300 mm penetration and very good damage output, single-shot destruction can be achieved quite often when shooting center mass, although larger tanks might give you some headache as they sometimes survive multiple shots.

{{:2A28 (73 mm)/Ammunition|PG-9, OG-9}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_BMP-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''40''' || 1 ''(+39)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* The single ammunition rack consists of a shell barillet located around the turret basket.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|9M14|9M113 Konkurs}}
'''9M14'''

The {{PAGENAME}} comes with a rail-mounted manually guided ATGM as stock, initially aimed manually and with somewhat mediocre penetration and explosive mass values. While occasionally useful, generally the main gun is easier and more reliable to use.

While stock, the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with 9M14 missiles that penetrate 400 mm of armour. These missiles are first-generation, which means they cannot be aimed with the mouse pointer and are instead aimed with the WASD keys. However, the "BMP-1P" modification, when unlocked, will give the vehicle access to four more lethal 9M113 Konkurs missiles.

4 x 9M14 ATGM

* Guidance type: MCLOS
* Firing range: 3 km

'''9M113'''

The 9M113 has 500 mm of penetration and do very good damage while having good speed. Only their maneuverability is a bit lacking, but you can quickly make a follow up shot with your cannon or use smoke if you want to retreat. As these missiles are second generation, they are aimed with both the mouse pointer and WASD keys.

Once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, the rail-mounted 9M14 ATGM is replaced with a spindle-mounted 9M113 ATGM. This ATGM is significantly more powerful and easier to use due to its semi-automatic guiding system. Improved penetration values and significantly increased explosive mass will result in far more reliable destructive power. Keep in mind that the ATGM can only be fired when stopped or at extremely low speeds.

4 x 9M113 ATGM (BMP-1P)

* Guidance type: SACLOS
* Firing range: 3 km

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[9M14|9M14 ATGM]] / [[9M113 Konkurs|9M113 ATGM]] || 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" | 4 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+10° || rowspan="2" | -15°/+37° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.39 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 ||17.00 ||18.80 ||20.00
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* The vertical and horizontal traverse depend on the turret position and are only relevant to the 9M113 ATGM.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:9M14/Ammunition|9M14}}
{{:9M113 Konkurs/Ammunition|9M113}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_BMP-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''4''' || 3 ''(+1)'' || 1 ''(+3)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* The missiles are listed from M1 to M4. M2 is the 1st rack. M3-M4 constitutes the 2nd rack.

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

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} comes equipped with a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. This is only useful for clearing small obstacles or exposed crew in open-topped vehicles. The {{PAGENAME}} is only equipped with one PKT machine gun with an ammo reserve of 1,000 rounds.

It's not useful and cannot aim at air targets due to the coaxial mount. As such, it should only be used on vehicles with soft armour like trucks or at exposed crew members, or just annoy enemies with it. In RB and SB it can be used to throw up dirt in front of an enemy vehicle in order to blind them temporary.

{| 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 (1,000) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The BMP-1 is quite distinctive due to its oddly shaped hull. The vehicle is crewed by only three (no commander), but is very spacious, so shots from the side occasionally cause minimal or even no damage. The BMP-1 is equipped with a short-barreled 73 mm gun (an odd calibre) firing exclusively anti-tank grenades. The projectile drop is extreme, albeit not the worst in-game, and it can be used to great effect against many of the vehicles the BMP will face due to the consistent 300 mm of penetration at range. The standard PG-9 ammunition has an explosive mass of about 1.25 kg. The trade-off, in this case, is the low velocity and relatively poor slope characteristics (the penetration drops in half if more than 60 degrees of slope). Finally, as standard, the BMP-1 is equipped with the 9M14 ATGM, capable of penetrating 400 mm and carrying an explosive mass of 2.6 kg. It is WASD guided, and therefore somewhat tricky to use at first (and ''especially'' difficult to use in high packet-loss or high ping matches). An optional modification for the BMP-1 allows it to use turret-mounted smoke grenades as well as a next-generation missile, the 9M113. The BMP-1 (as of 1.77.2.149) is the earliest vehicle in-game to be able to use a SACLOS (mouse-guided) system for an ATGM. Not only is the missile nearly twice as fast as the 9M14, but it carries a notably larger explosive payload, and can penetrate up to 600 mm at 90 degrees at any range. As of 1.91, the BMP-1 can research NVD, which can help during night battles to help with visibility. NVD is available in commander, gunner, driver and outside viewports. Once purchased, the NVD modification also allows the use of a Infrared Spotlight to help illuminate targets if they are hard to see. However, it is mounted to the commander's hatch on the hull; while this allows it to rotate as long as the commander is alive, it will be stuck in place if the commander is knocked out.

Due to its nearly non-existent armour, the BMP-1 shouldn't be played like anything with actual armour. It is best used in a support or ambush role, using cover to ambush opponents, then taking them out with the combination of the autocannon and ATGM. The BMP-1 is quite effective when played this way. When in close-quarters combat, it is important to note that the missile launcher has slightly faster traverse than the turret. This can save it from being killed from the flanks. It can also be used to take out opponents from medium to long range with its missiles, although this strategy will prevent the BMP-1 from using its main gun. The small projectiles lose even more of their already small penetration at long ranges, but the missiles will not be affected by gravity or air resistance until very extreme ranges. Finally, the missiles and sometimes the autocannon can be used to take out slow air targets such as the helicopters that you will start to meet at these BR's.

=== Pros and cons ===


* Fairly mobile, both weapon systems are particularly effective against the lightly armoured vehicles it will encounter often such as the [[Leopard I]], [[OF-40]], etc.
* One of the earliest ATGM vehicles available and the earliest to receive mouse-guided (SACLOS) ATGMs (with the BMP-1P modification)
* Decent main gun HEAT round penetrating up to 300 mm of armour at any range, effective against last-gen heavy tanks like the [[Conqueror]], [[M103]], etc.
* Amphibious ability which can allow it to reach positions that other vehicles struggle to
* Functional even in uptiers, due to its piercing ATGM and HEAT
* All ammunition types are default and as such have no cost
* Night Vision allows effectiveness in night battles

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre reverse speed, particularly for a light tank
* Default missiles are manually guided, upgraded missiles must be unlocked with the BMP-1P research
* Chemical ammunition only, may struggle to damage vehicles with ERA like the [[M60A1 RISE (P)]]
* All available ammunition is hyper-sensitive and will detonate on hitting light obstacles such as fences or bushes
* Somewhat large silhouette for a light tank. Will get seen and shot at easier
* Minimal gun depression makes it struggle in hills
* Has no stabilizer, accurate shots on the move or in water are often not possible
* Only three crew members, two of whom sit extremely close together, reducing the vehicle's survivability
* Vulnerable to heavy machine gun and light cannon fire, particularly from the sides or top. SPAA like the [[Gepard]] are a big threat
* Very vulnerable to aircraft and helicopters
* Bombs and artillery can deal significant damage, even when at a distance
* Infrared Spotlight mounted to commander's hatch, won't rotate with turret when the commander is knocked out

== History ==

'''Development'''

In the 1950s, Soviet armoured personnel carrier (APC) tactics consisted of lightly armoured vehicles that would transport soldiers to combat zones, and then head back behind the lines to safety. During this time, the West German Bundeswehr was using the Schützenpanzer Lang and infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) tactics, where the vehicles would work with the infantry and tanks in order to support them, especially against lightly armoured targets. The BMP was a Soviet IFV design created in the late 1950's. Some of the requirements were the ability for all of the infantry carried to be able to fire from within the vehicle, which was unseen before in IFV designs. It was intended to support the infantry and combat enemy light vehicles. The design placed emphasis on speed and maneuverability, potent armament, and sufficient armament to protect against 23 mm autocannons over the frontal arc. There was a debate over how the vehicle should be wheeled or tracked, and a number of options were explored including hybrid designs with both. The design that was chosen was a tracked vehicle with the engine in the front and the crew compartment in the rear; it was designated the Object 764. A prototype was created in 1964, and the final design was chosen in 1965 - an improved model called the Object 765. In service the production model was called the BMP-1.

'''Design'''

The BMP-1 features a fully tracked hull, with a sharply angled glacis at the front, a centrally mounted turret, and a crew compartment in the rear of the hull, with doors for the infantry to mount and dismount the vehicle. The hull layout is as follows: the engine was in the front right section of the hull. The driver sat to the front left of the vehicle, the commander sat right behind the driver, and the gunner sat in the right side of the turret. The troop compartment located at the rear of the vehicle could seat 8 infantry soldiers. The ability to fire from inside the vehicle was provided by four firing ports on each side of the hull and one in the left door. There are also four hatches in the roof. The infantry sit on two benches with padding, back-to-back, facing the outer sides of the vehicle. The armour of the frontal arc is enough to generally protect against 20 mm autocannon fire, the side armour generally protects against 12.7 mm machine gun fire, and the roof and rear armour protects against small arms fire and shell fragments. In addition, the sloped glacis on the front of the hull also increased the chances of shells bouncing, because of the extreme angles. The protection level depended somewhat on the version of the BMP-1 in question, as different nations had differing levels of armour quality. The main armament consisted of a 73 mm 2A28 Grom smoothbore semi-automatic cannon, along with a 9M14 Malyutka anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). Secondary armament consisted of a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The engine provides 300 hp and is a six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine. The suspension system used was a torsion bar suspension system. The BMP-1 is fully amphibious with little preparation. Before entering the water, a trim vane has to be raised, which provides additional frontal armour when in the lowered position. It can achieve 65 km/h (40 mph) on road and 8 km/h (5 mph) in water.

'''Production and Service'''

Over 20,000 BMP-1s were produced in the Soviet Union alone, with many more produced in China and Czechoslovakia. The BMP-1 was widely exported and saw significant combat worldwide. BMP-1s participated in the Yom Kippur War, the Angolan Civil War, the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, and many other conflicts. It was well liked for its shell barillet, but it was found that the cannon lacked effective range and the 9M14 ATGMs were hard to control. During the Gulf War it was found that the 25 mm Bushmaster cannon found on the M2/M3 Bradley could consistently penetrate the frontal armour of the BMP-1, even at range.

'''BMP-1P Upgrade'''

The BMP-1P was an upgrade to the ATGM systems of the BMP-1. It replaced the 9M14 Malyutka missiles with 9M113 Konkurs or 9M111 missile. This increased the weight of the vehicle, leading to a slight decrease in maneuverability.

'''German Service'''

In 1974, East Germany ordered 1,133 BMP-1, and they were delivered between 1973 and 1989. Some of those BMP-1 were produced in Czechoslovakia. About 270 of the East German BMP-1's were of the BMP-1P type, with 950 being BMP-1SP2. The East German BMP-1P were known as the Schützenpanzer BMP-1P, or SPz BMP-1P. After the German reunification in 1990, the Bundeswehr modified 851 BMP-1 to NATO standards, and they entered service with the Bundeswehr as the BMP-1A1 Ost. Most of the vehicles upgraded were of the BMP-1P variant. In 1990, 110 unmodified BMP-1/BMP-1P were sold to Finland. 501 BMP-1A1 Ost. were sold to Greece between 1993 and 1994, and 350 were sold to Sweden in the early 1990's.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_bmp_1_ddr Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|SJoW-2_6J6o|'''Amphibious tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:15 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|2h5kFyznXKU|'''Best IFVs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:29 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== 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 ==


* [[wikipedia:BMP-1#Variants_and_modernization|[Wikipedia] BMP-1 - Variants and modernization]]
* [https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/USSR/soviet_BMP-1.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Soviet BMP-1 IFV (1965)]

=== References ===

;Bibliography

* David B. (2015, December 1). BMP-1. Tank Encyclopedia. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/USSR/soviet_BMP-1.php
* BMP-1. (2020, March 25). In ''Wikipedia''. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BMP-1&oldid=947316322

{{TankManufacturer ChTZ}}
{{Germany light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

SPz BMP-1

2023-02-05T19:56:36Z

U107429898: /* Main armament */

{{About
| about = German light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other versions
| link-1 = BMP-1 (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = BMP (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_bmp_1_ddr
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png|ArtImage2_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]].

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


The SPz BMP-1 has very little to speak of in the armour department. Minimal frontal and nearly non-existent side armour results in the vehicle being vulnerable to almost any incoming fire. As such, the vehicle's survivability stems entirely from its mobility and reasonably small profile. Where possible, utilise hills or other cover, only exposing as much of the vehicle as is necessary to engage an unaware target.

Despite the lack of armour, however, the SPz BMP-1 will, on occasion, survive hits unexpectedly - the internals of the vehicle are largely non-critical and many rounds will over-penetrate.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 7-12 mm (80°) ''Front glacis'' 19 mm (56°) ''Lower glacis'' || 16 mm (3-18°) ''Top'' 18 + 4 mm ''Bottom'' || 16 mm (12°) ''Top'' 12 mm (48°) ''Bottom'' 12 mm (8-51°) ''Doors'' || 6 mm 5 mm ''Engine exhausts''
|-
| Turret || 23 mm (0-53°) ''Turret front'' 33 + 26 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 13-23 mm (24-37°) || 13 mm (23-26°) || 6 mm
|-
| Cupola || 7 mm || 7 mm || 7 mm || 7 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 6 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265}}

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|2A28 (73 mm)}}

The 2A28 main cannon, despite being the 'main' armament will more often than not act more as secondary armament, at least once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, due to the 9M113 ATGM proving significantly more controllable and effective at all engagement ranges. Despite this, the PG-9 HEAT round proves valuable in a pinch, with well-placed shots able to disable critical components on most vehicles the {{PAGENAME}} will face. Keep in mind that the {{PAGENAME}} does not feature any sort of stabilization at all, and due to its light weight, the gun is near impossible to get on target at speed.

The main cannon's primary drawback is its mediocre ballistic performance, with the HEAT round travelling at only 665 m/s and the HE round travelling at an abysmal 290 m/s.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A28 (73 mm)|73 mm 2A28]] || 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" | 40 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.39 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 || 17.00 || 18.80 || 20.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
When stock, all available ammunition for the weapon are unlocked - HEAT and HE.

Between the two, HE should be avoided as it only has 11 mm of penetration and 290 m/sec muzzle velocity. While the HEAT round has only 670 m/sec velocity,with some training it can be shot at targets over 1 km reliably.

The HEAT round has 300 mm penetration and very good damage output, single-shot destruction can be achieved quite often when shooting center mass, although larger tanks might give you some headache as they sometimes survive multiple shots.

{{:2A28 (73 mm)/Ammunition|PG-9, OG-9}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_BMP-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''40''' || 1 ''(+39)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* The single ammunition rack consists of a shell barillet located around the turret basket.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|9M14|9M113 Konkurs}}
'''9M14'''

The {{PAGENAME}} comes with a rail-mounted manually-guided ATGM as stock, initially aimed manually and with somewhat mediocre penetration and explosive mass values. While occasionally useful, generally the main gun is easier and more reliable to use.

While stock, the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with 9M14 missiles that penetrate 400 mm of armour. These missiles are first-generation, which means they cannot be aimed with the mouse pointer and are instead aimed with the WASD keys. However, the "BMP-1P" modification, when unlocked, will give the vehicle access to four more lethal 9M113 Konkurs missiles.

4 x 9M14 ATGM

* Guidance type: MCLOS
* Firing range: 3 km

'''9M113'''

The 9M113 has 500 mm of penetration and do very good damage while having good speed. Only their manoeuvrability is a bit lacking, but you can quickly make a follow up shot with your cannon or use smoke if you want to retreat. As these missiles are second generation, they are aimed with both the mouse pointer and WASD keys.

Once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, the rail-mounted 9M14 ATGM is replaced with a spindle-mounted 9M113 ATGM. This ATGM is significantly more powerful and easier to use due to its semi-automatic guiding system. Improved penetration values and significantly increased explosive mass will result in far more reliable destructive power. Keep in mind that the ATGM can only be fired when stopped or at extremely low speeds.

4 x 9M113 ATGM (BMP-1P)

* Guidance type: SACLOS
* Firing range: 3 km

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[9M14|9M14 ATGM]] / [[9M113 Konkurs|9M113 ATGM]] || 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" | 4 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+10° || rowspan="2" | -15°/+37° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.39 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 ||17.00 ||18.80 ||20.00
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* The vertical and horizontal traverse depend on the turret position and are only relevant to the 9M113 ATGM.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:9M14/Ammunition|9M14}}
{{:9M113 Konkurs/Ammunition|9M113}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_BMP-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''4''' || 3 ''(+1)'' || 1 ''(+3)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* The missiles are listed from M1 to M4. M2 is the 1st rack. M3-M4 constitutes the 2nd rack.

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

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} comes equipped with a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. This is only useful for clearing small obstacles or exposed crew in open-topped vehicles. The {{PAGENAME}} is only equipped with one PKT machine gun with an ammo reserve of 1,000 rounds.

It's not useful and cannot aim at air targets due to the coaxial mount. As such, it should only be used on vehicles with soft armour like trucks or at exposed crew members, or just annoy enemies with it. In RB and SB it can be used to throw up dirt in front of an enemy vehicle in order to blind them temporary.

{| 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 (1,000) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The BMP-1 is quite distinctive due to its oddly-shaped hull. The vehicle is crewed by only three (no commander), but is very spacious, so shots from the side occasionally cause minimal or even no damage. The BMP-1 is equipped with a short-barreled 73 mm gun (an odd calibre) firing exclusively anti-tank grenades. The projectile drop is extreme, albeit not the worst in-game, and it can be used to great effect against many of the vehicles the BMP will face due to the consistent 300 mm of penetration at range. The standard PG-9 ammunition has an explosive mass of about 1.25 kg. The trade-off, in this case, is the low velocity and relatively poor slope characteristics (the penetration drop in half if more than 60 degrees of slope). Finally, as standard, the BMP-1 is equipped with the 9M14 ATGM, capable of penetrating 400 mm and carrying an explosive mass of 2.6 kg. It is WASD guided, and therefore somewhat tricky to use at first (and ''especially'' difficult to use in high packet-loss or high ping matches). An optional modification for the BMP-1 allows it to use turret-mounted smoke grenades as well as a next-generation missile, the 9M113. The BMP-1 (as of 1.77.2.149) is the earliest vehicle in-game to be able to use a SACLOS (mouse-guided) system for an ATGM. Not only is the missile nearly twice as fast as the 9M14, but it carries a notably larger explosive payload, and can penetrate up to 600 mm at 90 degrees at any range. As of 1.91, the BMP-1 can research NVD, which can help during night battles to help with visibility. NVD is available in commander, gunner, driver and outside viewports. Once purchased, the NVD modification also allows the use of a Infrared Spotlight to help illuminate targets if they are hard to see. However, it is mounted to the commander's hatch on the hull; while this allows it to rotate as long as the commander is alive, it will be stuck in place if the commander is knocked out.

Due to its nearly non-existent armour, the BMP-1 shouldn't be played like anything with actual armour. It is best used in a support or ambush role, using cover to ambush opponents, then taking them out with the combination of the autocannon and ATGM. The BMP-1 is quite effective when played this way. When in close-quarters combat, it is important to note that the missile launcher has slightly faster traverse than the turret. This can save it from being killed from the flanks. It can also be used to take out opponents from medium to long range with its missiles, although this strategy will prevent the BMP-1 from using its main gun. The small projectiles lose even more of their already small penetration at long ranges, but the missiles will not be affected by gravity or air resistance until very extreme ranges. Finally the missiles and sometimes the autocannon can be used to take out slow air targets such as the helicopters that you will start to meet at these BR's.

=== Pros and cons ===


* Fairly mobile, both weapon systems are particularly effective against the lightly armoured vehicles it will encounter often such as the [[Leopard I]], [[OF-40]], etc.
* One of the earliest ATGM vehicles available and the earliest to receive mouse-guided (SACLOS) ATGMs (with the BMP-1P modification)
* Decent main gun HEAT round penetrating up to 300 mm of armour at any range, effective against last-gen heavy tanks like the [[Conqueror]], [[M103]], etc.
* Amphibious ability which can allow it to reach positions that other vehicles struggle to
* Functional even in uptiers, due to its piercing ATGM and HEAT
* All ammunition types are default and as such have no cost
* Night Vision allows effectiveness in night battles

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre reverse speed, particularly for a light tank
* Default missiles are manually guided, upgraded missiles must be unlocked with the BMP-1P research
* Chemical ammunition only, may struggle to damage vehicles with ERA like the [[M60A1 RISE (P)]]
* All available ammunition is hyper-sensitive and will detonate on hitting light obstacles such as fences or bushes
* Somewhat large silhouette for a light tank. Will get seen and shot at easier
* Minimal gun depression makes it struggle in hills
* Has no stabiliser, accurate shots on the move or in water are often not possible
* Only three crew members, two of whom sit extremely close together, reducing the vehicle's survivability
* Vulnerable to heavy machine gun and light cannon fire, particularly from the sides or top. SPAA like the [[Gepard]] are a big threat
* Very vulnerable to aircraft and helicopters
* Bombs and artillery can deal significant damage, even when at a distance
* Infrared Spotlight mounted to commander's hatch, won't rotate with turret when the commander is knocked out

== History ==

'''Development'''

In the 1950s, Soviet armoured personnel carrier (APC) tactics consisted of lightly armoured vehicles that would transport soldiers to combat zones, and then head back behind the lines to safety. During this time, the West German Bundeswehr was using the Schützenpanzer Lang and infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) tactics, where the vehicles would work with the infantry and tanks in order to support them, especially against lightly armoured targets. The BMP was a Soviet IFV design created in the late 1950's. Some of the requirements were the ability for all of the infantry carried to be able to fire from within the vehicle, which was unseen before in IFV designs. It was intended to support the infantry and combat enemy light vehicles. The design placed emphasis on speed and manoeuvrability, potent armament, and sufficient armament to protect against 23 mm autocannons over the frontal arc. There was a debate over how the vehicle should be wheeled or tracked, and a number of options were explored including hybrid designs with both. The design that was chosen was a tracked vehicle with the engine in the front and the crew compartment in the rear; it was designated the Object 764. A prototype was created in 1964, and the final design was chosen in 1965 - an improved model called the Object 765. In service the production model was called the BMP-1.

'''Design'''

The BMP-1 features a fully tracked hull, with a sharply angled glacis at the front, a centrally mounted turret, and a crew compartment in the rear of the hull, with doors for the infantry to mount and dismount the vehicle. The hull layout is as follows: the engine was in the front right section of the hull. The driver sat to the front left of the vehicle, the commander sat right behind the driver, and the gunner sat in the right side of the turret. The troop compartment located at the rear of the vehicle could seat 8 infantry soldiers. The ability to fire from inside the vehicle was provided by four firing ports on each side of the hull and one in the left door. There are also four hatches in the roof. The infantry sit on two benches with padding, back to back, facing the outer sides of the vehicle. The armour of the frontal arc is enough to generally protect against 20 mm autocannon fire, the side armour generally protects against 12.7 mm machine gun fire, and the roof and rear armour protects against small arms fire and shell fragments. In addition, the sloped glacis on the front of the hull also increased the chances of shells bouncing, because of the extreme angles. The protection level depended somewhat on the version of the BMP-1 in question, as different nations had differing levels of armour quality. The main armament consisted of a 73 mm 2A28 Grom smoothbore semi-automatic cannon, along with a 9M14 Malyutka anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). Secondary armament consisted of a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The engine provides 300 hp, and is a six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine. The suspension system used was a torsion bar suspension system. The BMP-1 is fully amphibious with little preparation. Before entering the water a trim vane has to be raised, which provides additional frontal armour when in the lowered position. It can achieve 65 km/h (40 mph) on road and 8 km/h (5 mph) in water.

'''Production and Service'''

Over 20,000 BMP-1s were produced in the Soviet Union alone, with many more produced in China and Czechoslovakia. The BMP-1 was widely exported and saw significant combat worldwide. BMP-1s participated in the Yom Kippur War, the Angolan Civil War, the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, and many other conflicts. It was well liked for its manoeuvrability, but it was found that the cannon lacked effective range and the 9M14 ATGMs were hard to control. During the Gulf War it was found that the 25 mm Bushmaster cannon found on the M2/M3 Bradley could consistently penetrate the frontal armour of the BMP-1, even at range.

'''BMP-1P Upgrade'''

The BMP-1P was an upgrade to the ATGM systems of the BMP-1. It replaced the 9M14 Malyutka missiles with 9M113 Konkurs or 9M111 missile. This increased the weight of the vehicle, leading to a slight decrease in manoeuvrability.

'''German Service'''

In 1974, East Germany ordered 1,133 BMP-1, and they were delivered between 1973 and 1989. Some of those BMP-1 were produced in Czechoslovakia. About 270 of the East German BMP-1's were of the BMP-1P type, with 950 being BMP-1SP2. The East German BMP-1P were known as the Schützenpanzer BMP-1P, or SPz BMP-1P. After the German reunification in 1990, the Bundeswehr modified 851 BMP-1 to NATO standards, and they entered service with the Bundeswehr as the BMP-1A1 Ost. Most of the vehicles upgraded were of the BMP-1P variant. In 1990, 110 unmodified BMP-1/BMP-1P were sold to Finland. 501 BMP-1A1 Ost. were sold to Greece between 1993 and 1994, and 350 were sold to Sweden in the early 1990's.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_bmp_1_ddr Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|SJoW-2_6J6o|'''Amphibious tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:15 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|2h5kFyznXKU|'''Best IFVs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:29 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== 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 ==


* [[wikipedia:BMP-1#Variants_and_modernization|[Wikipedia] BMP-1 - Variants and modernization]]
* [https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/USSR/soviet_BMP-1.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Soviet BMP-1 IFV (1965)]

=== References ===

;Bibliography

* David B. (2015, December 1). BMP-1. Tank Encyclopedia. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/USSR/soviet_BMP-1.php
* BMP-1. (2020, March 25). In ''Wikipedia''. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BMP-1&oldid=947316322

{{TankManufacturer ChTZ}}
{{Germany light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]