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T-34-85 No.215

2021-04-02T16:41:24Z

U108476048: grammar/space

{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_t_34_85_zis_53_no215
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update 1.95 "Northern Wind"]] in the [[wt:en/news/6562-shop-the-lunar-new-year-2020-en|Lunar New Year Sale 2020]].

The T-34-85 No.215 is identical to the [[T-34-85 (S-53) (China)|tech tree T-34-85 (S-53)]] in terms of performance and the only visual difference is the bright white "215" numbering on the turret sides. This particular example is said to be a decorated veteran of the Korean War with an impressive record, or so the story goes. For practical purposes, No.215 offers a reliable T-34-85 with premium bonuses to silver lions and research. More importantly, it is a Rank IV vehicle in contrast to the Rank III tech tree T-34-85s, allowing it to efficiently research Rank V vehicles like the [[Type 59]]. Tankers who wish to speed their way through the middle ranks of the Chinese ground tree can consider this tank for use as solid supplement to an already formidable 5.7 lineup with potentially three T-34s, two IS-2s, a [[M18 (China)|M18 Hellcat]], a [[M36 (China)|M36 Jackson]], and two SPAAs to chose from.

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

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Cupola, Driver's hatch, Machine gun port)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 45 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 45 mm (60°) ''Lower glacis'' 75 mm (60°) ''Driver's hatch'' 65 mm (30°) ''Machine gun port'' || 45 mm (39-40°) ''Top'' 45 mm ''Bottom'' || 45 mm (47-49°) ''Top'' 45 mm (46°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 90 mm (1-69°) ''Turret front'' 90 + 40 mm (8-61°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 75 mm (19-22°) ''Front 2/3rd'' 52 mm (13-19°) ''Rear 1/3rd'' || 52 mm (9°) || 20 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 90 mm || 20 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* The gun mantlet has 90 mm in front with additional small and thin 40 mm plates on the sides of the gun.
* Suspensions wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 18 mm thick

The armour layout of the T-34-85 No.215 is virtually identical to the [[T-34-85]]. The hull armour, while well angled, is very thin for its rank and can be penetrated by nearly any tank cannon. Creative use of angling can still lead to the occasional bounce. The 90 mm thick turret is also thin for its rank, but the good sloping on the sides can also lead to bounces with some luck.

The T-34-85 has very poor survivability due to the fact that all 5 crew members are packed close to each other. A hull penetration will likely knock out all of them. However, inexperienced players that face this tank will often shoot the lower hull part of the driver hatch, which is infamous for being surprisingly resilient.

Any enemy vehicle around the T-34-85's BR bracket can destroy it if it can get a solid shot on the hull armour. Beware when exposing hull when coming out to take a shot on an enemy, someone is bound to be watching for the T-34-85 and they won't be afraid to plant a shell into the 45 mm hull armour.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 775|rbMinHp= 442|AoAweight= 0.2}}The T-34-85 No.215 has excellent mobility for a medium tank, as expected of a T-34. It can reach high speeds both on and off-road thanks to its wide tracks. The reverse speed is not exactly great, but it is significantly better than those of comparable Shermans, Panthers, and early T-34s (76 mm, 57 mm variants).

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

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

{{main|ZIS-S-53 (85 mm)}}The T-34-85 No.215 is equipped with the fantastic ZiS-S-53 cannon, with penetration of about 145 mm on the close range with the stock BR365K round. This might not be enough to fight Tiger IIs frontally, but it works perfectly with other tanks, which are less armoured or you can engage them from the side. There are a variety of shells for the player to choose from, further enhancing the cannon's firepower. The reload time is not the fastest, but given its excellent one-shot ability, the T-34 can finish off one enemy with a single shell thus not needing to worry too much about the reload. Turret rotates fiarly fast, at around 20°/s on average, allowing the T-34 to quickly switch targets without traversing the hull too much.

The downsides are, the shell drop over long distances is quite significant, combined with the poor gunsight magnification (only 3.5x) it is hard to aim and hit distant targets, so it is best to engage targets at medium to close range (0-800m). The gun depression is like on many other soviet (based) vehicles which is quite poor, with only 5° there are no hull-down manoeuvres possible. Also, without any stabiliser, the gun wobbles a lot when the tank is on the move. When the T-34 comes to a sudden stop, it still takes around 2 seconds for the gun to become completely stable which is a disadvantage against stabilised WW2 tanks such as any M4 Sherman.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ZIS-S-53 (85 mm)|85 mm ZIS-S-53]] || 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" | 60 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+22° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 23.8 || 32.9 || 40.0 || 44.2 || 47.1 || rowspan="2" | 9.6 || rowspan="2" | 8.5 || rowspan="2" | 7.8 || rowspan="2" | 7.4
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.9 || 17.5 || 21.3 || 23.5 || 25.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
The stock round is the BR365K which has 148 mm of penetration on close range. The APHE round has a very good one-shot-potential with 48g of A-IX-2(73.92g of TNT equivalent).

The second round, the BR365A, only has about 135 mm penetration on point-blank, in exchange for improved penetration against sloped armour. This makes it more effective than the BR365K when shooting at angling M4A3E2's and Panthers. Also, instead of having 48g, it has 164g TNT of explosives inside the shell. This increases the post-penetration effect dramatically.

APCR is also available, but keep in mind that it hates sloped armour and it has very poor post-penetration damage.

This BR365-P penetrates about 195mm of RHA on close range.

The HE-shell is called O-365K. With 660g of TNT inside it performs pretty good against trucks & halftrucks.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-365K || APHE || 148 || 143 || 126 || 106 || 90 || 77
|-
| BR-365A || APHEBC || 135 || 133 || 125 || 115 || 106 || 97
|-
| BR-365P || APCR || 195 || 187 || 154 || 120 || 94 || 74
|-
| O-365K || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-365K || APHE || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 14 || 73.92 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-365A || APHEBC || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 14 || 164 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-365P || APCR || 1,050 || 4.99 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| O-365K || HE || 793 || 9.54 || 0 || 0.1 || 660 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks T-34-85.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the T-34-85.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''60''' || 51 ''(+9)'' || 41 ''(+19)'' || 31 ''(+29)'' || 21 ''(+39)'' || 11 ''(+49)'' || 1 ''(+59)'' || No
|-
|}

''Turret empty:'' 24 ''(+12)''



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

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}
The MG on the T-34-85, the 7.62mm DT, is quite ineffective in most scenarios due to its poor penetration. It can only disable completely exposed crews on vehicles like M16. When it comes to lightly armoured tanks (eg. M18, Sd.kfz.234/2) this MG will struggle to pierce their thin armour plates.

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

== Usage in battles ==


The T-34-85's best playstyle is that of a flanker. Due to its high mobility, fast turret traverse, and a capable cannon with excellent post-penetration damage, the T-34-85 fills this role perfectly. Since the turret is so tall, it makes combat behind low obstacles difficult, as the turret segment above the main gun is visible. The T-34-85's other playstyle can be as a support tank, by keeping up with more protected vehicles like the [[IS-2]] and supplement firepower while their heavy armament reloads.

The T-34-85 would not make a very suitable short-range brawler though even with the 85 mm gun as the gun has a rather tedious reload for the specific playstyle and the [[T-34-57|T-34]]'s armour is very poor at its BR. With that, the T-34-85 would tend to be able to fire one shot at a close enemy before it gets taken out by other enemies nearby. However, it is understandable that the situation is unavoidable, so it is recommended to stay steady by firing one shot at an unsuspecting enemy at close range before retreating to reload, evading enemy shots.

While the T-34-85 No.215 is a fairly well-rounded tank, its poor armour and high speed mean that one should play it more like a light tank than a medium. The gun is very lethal but the penetration is not particularly good, so it is better to flank and go for side shots, which can instantly knock out all but the largest and most spacious opponents. During frontal engagements, Tiger Is should be shot in the flat portions of the hull (avoiding the driver's port), Panthers should be shot in the turret (in the less curved portion of the mantlet) or possibly in the lower glacis, and non-Jumbo Shermans can generally be shot anywhere. The Tiger II (P) is only vulnerable in a small portion of the turret cheeks and the Tiger II (H) is essentially frontally immune, so for these kinds of targets, circle around to get a good look at the hull sides and let the slope modifiers take care of the rest. Watch out for American tanks like the [[M4A3 (76) W]] and [[T25]], as they have vertical stabilizers and can often shoot first if they are aware of you.

===Tactics===
In AB, you should play this tank like any other T-34. Push because you have a pretty well-rounded tank and will generally be able to adapt to whatever situation that develops. The AB meta generally favors more heavily armed and armoured tanks due to the presence of markers making flanking and ambushes more difficult, so play carefully and take advantage of your high mobility.

In RB, play this tank offensively yet carefully. Use your speed and keep up with your teammates, or alternatively play it like a light tank and go on long flanks. If one decides to use the T-34 as a main battle tank, it's advisable to hide the hull as well as possible which has the weakest armour. Unfortunately, most heavy tanks like the Tiger II are nearly invulnerable from the front, but many mediums and even Cold War MBT's can still be destroyed. At this rank bracket, however, its speed, turret location, and poor armour push it towards a flanking role, away from the 1940-43 main battle comfort zone. The gun is still very potent, and the ammunition often knocks out nearly the entire crew, but the increases in armour of enemy vehicles necessitate learning their weakspots. The gun is generally accurate and most shells retain their velocity even into far ranges -- at 1000 meters a Tiger I can be destroyed with a frontal hit.

In SB, play this tank very cautiously because the optics aren't that good and most of the time you will face tanks from pretty far distances. Panthers generally have better optics than you so try to avoid encounters with Panthers or Tigers.

;Enemies worth noting

[[Panther A]], [[Panther D]], [[Tiger II (P)]]:

The Panthers are one of the most common tanks around BR 5.7, and they pose a great threat with their deadly long 75 mm cannon, thick frontal armour and adequate speed. You want to avoid engaging them at long range as the T-34 has only x3.5 scope magnification, making long-range shooting super hard. Engage the Panthers within 500 m and avoid shooting their frontal hull. Their biggest weak spot is the gun mantlet, which is only 100 mm thick and has a flat part in the middle. That is where you want to aim at, the T-34's APHE has sufficient damage to instantly destroy the Panther even from its turret. The second weak spot is the sides, which more often than not instantly destroys the vehicle. Generally, APHE is enough to deal with the Panthers, and no APCR is needed. The APHE shell loves to chew through the Panther's thin side armour, even if it's angled.

For the Tiger II P, aim at the vertical area of the frontal turret which is also 100 mm. The best tactic is still to flank it, however.

[[Tiger H1]], [[Tiger E]]:

The Tiger's weak spots are the opposite with the Panthers. Their hull is unsloped and rather thin, while the gun mantlet is weirdly shaped and can absorb quite some shells. The best engaging range remains the same, within 500 m. If the Tiger is angling, aim at the turret ring to disable the gunner and destroy the turret traverse, or aim at the hull side below the side skirt, which is only 60 mm. If it is not angling, aim between the driver's vision port and the MG for an instant kill. Avoid shooting at these two parts as they tend to bounce/absorb shells. For the Tiger E, don't shoot at the lower glacis as there will be add-on tracks installed there, making it harder to penetrate.

[[Ho-Ri Production|Ho-Ri]]:

In a frontal engagement, APCR is required as the APHE shells don't have enough penetration. With APCR loaded, aim at the further sides of the fighting compartment, away from the gun, because the further from the gun, the thinner the armour gets, with the thinnest part being around 160 mm unsloped. Penetrating there will knock out its loader, gunner or commander, or detonate the ammo. Of course, the best way is still side-shooting with APHE.

[[Panzer IV/70(V)|Panzer IV/70]], [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)]]:

These small tank destroyers with their well-angled frontal armour can be quite a problem from a distance. With APHE, you can disable their transmission by shooting at their lower glacis. Now if you can, flank them. The 85 mm APHE does a great job at penetrating sloped, thin armour, so you don't have to get to their absolute sides. For the Pz IV/70, you can also aim at the downward part of the gun mantlet since the shell might ricochet downwards into the hull, knocking out every crew member. The Jagdpanzer 38(t) doesn't have this problem, so side-shooting is required to destroy it effectively.

[[M4A3E2]] Jumbo:

This is another common enemy. It is recommended to use the BR-365A, the one with less pen but more explosive filler. The reason is that it is better at penetrating sloped armour, which the Jumbo has. With that shell, you can easily destroy an M4A3E2 who's not angling. If it is, aim at the hull side just above the tracks, or load APCR and shoot straight at its gun mantlet. Against a 75 mm M4A3E2, you can relax a bit as it will struggle to penetrate your armour, but your cupola is a rather large weak spot and a shot through there can knock out the T-34. Be more careful with the M4A3E2 76 W, as they can easily pierce through your armour.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Excellent gun with adequate penetration, destructive damage and good reload rate
* 56 km/h top speed and great manoeuvrability allows it to reposition easily
* 5-man crew increases survivability
* Access to BR-365P APCR to effectively penetrate tough tanks up close (M4A3E2s, Tigers & Panthers)
* Has two types of AP for players to choose: BR-365K with higher pen but less TNT, and BR-365A with less pen but plenty of TNT
* Similar playstyle with the previous T-34s which is beginner-friendly
* Fast turret traverse to easily deal with targets from multiple directions
* Sloped hull and round frontal turret might bounce small caliber shells when angled

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is fairly useless in its BR
* 5 degrees gun depression is below average
* A bit below average penetration with standard ammo
* High profile, hard to hide the turret under low cover
* Awkward to place bushes on upper front hull due to the obstruction of MG port and driver's optics
* "215" numbering makes the tank slightly easier to spot

== History ==

{{main|T-34-85#History|l1=History of the T-34-85}}

=== T-34-85 in China ===

The Soviet Union sold numerous [[T-34-85]] tanks along with other vehicles to the People's Republic of China in the early 1950s since the new nation had few and often obsolete tanks ([[Chi-Ha Kai (China)|Chi-Ha Kai]], [[LVT(A)(4) (ZiS-2) (China)|LVT(A)]], [[SU-76M (China)|SU-76M]], etc) in its inventory after the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War. The T-34s saw limited deployments with the People's Liberation Army during the Korean War. The history of the tank afterwards has been the subject of debate; according to some sources the PRC attempted and possibly succeeded at creating a local copy of the T-34 under a "Type 58" designation, and according to others this was never a goal, no such tanks ever existed, and only efforts to maintain and repair the T-34s were carried out. Regardless the T-34s were soon superseded by the far superior [[Type 59]], a licensed copy of the Soviet T-54A. However, stocks of T-34s remained in the PLA inventory for a long period of time before domestic tanks were available in sufficient quantity.

=== T-34-85 No.215 ===

The T-34-85 No.215 is a Soviet-made T-34-85 tank used by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army during the Korean War. It has been venerated in Chinese media with an impressive service record. There were 5 crew members, including the commander Yang Aru, the gunner Xu Zhiqiang, the driver Chen Wenkui, the loader Fengshan, and the radio operator Xu Shide.

In July 1953, the Chinese People's Volunteers began the summer counterattack. On a high ground in the North Mountain of Shiyandong, three US [[M46]] tanks seriously threatened the position of the Volunteer Army. Yang Aru, the commander of the 2nd platoon as well as the commander of T-34-85 No.215, was tasked with destroying the Pattons. His superiors instructed him to destroy the 3 enemy tanks at 346 Heights before 9:30 pm on July 8, and cooperate with the infantry to fight for the North mountain of Seokhyeon-dong.

At the time, the No.215 tank and its two compatriots were all T-34-85 tanks produced by the Soviet Union in World War II. On a technical level, the T-34s were heavily outmatched by the M46 Pattons in almost all parameters, having significantly lighter armour and armament.

On the night of the 7th, Yang Aru was ordered to lead 3 tanks, including his No.215, to the front line. It was during the rainy season in Korea, and pouring rain at night filled many shell craters with stagnant water. At a distance of around 1,200 meters from the enemy, the No.215 tank got stuck in a muddy crater, blocking the way of the following 2 tanks. The crew members quickly jumped out of the vehicle and dug, hoping to get the tank free, but the chunk of 32-ton metal remained motionless in the mud. Yang Aru reported the situation to the command post. After learning the situation No.215 was in, the command post still issued an order to fight even if it was stuck in mud, since the three US M46 tanks posed a great threat to the counterattack forces and must be eliminated well before the start of the counterattack. After receiving the order, Yang and his crews immediately decided that the two tanks at the back would return first, and the No.215 tank alone would undertake this difficult task. At the time it was getting dark, and the night became the best camouflage. The crew members gathered plants and twigs, and concealed the No.215 like a small hill with this vegetation and mud. The crews hid around the T-34 and carefully observed the three US tanks.

After dawn and during the next day, the US tanks did not notice the T-34-85 No.215. At dusk, as the 3 M46 tanks appeared at the 346 Heights, Yang gave off command to fire at the US tanks. The leading M46 was shot and set aflame, with the second M46 also being hit. Now the position of the No.215 was exposed, and US artillery bombardment soon began. Some sources state that the No.215 then revved its engine aloud, and gradually decreased the throttle until the engine stopped again, pretending that their tank was retreating away which allowed them to avoid getting hit by US fire. The T-34-85 No.215 insisted on fighting for 3 days and 3 nights, and eventually, using 44 shells, destroyed 2 US Army M46 tanks, 12 bunkers, 3 machine gun positions, and 3 artillery pieces. They cooperated with the infantry to successfully capture the North Mountain of Shixian-dong.

As a whole, the No.215 T-34 was credited with destroying 5 tanks (plus 1 damaged), 26 bunkers, 9 mortars, 1 command posts, and 3 armoured transport vehicles. It successfully completed seven combat missions with infantry. For this reason, the headquarters of the PVA awarded No.215 the honourable title of "People's Hero Tank", and all crew members received a collective special service.

Many of the famous tales of the early People's Republic of China, like the similar story of the "Gongchen" [[Chi-Ha Kai (China)|Chi-Ha tank]], are rather fantastical and there is debate about how historically accurate the story of No.215 is as presented by official sources. There is little reason to doubt that it indeed served in Korea and the tank and crew were awarded for distinguished service. The specifics of its exploits are questionable: for example, its kill count of M46 Pattons is not corrobrated by US loss reports. While it is possible that the lost Pattons were not recorded, it is also very possible that No.215's exploits were exaggerated. A reserved view of the tank could be one of a Korean War veteran with a memorable propaganda story behind it and a symbol of an intense chapter of Chinese history.

The tank is still on display in the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing, China.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=china&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=cn_t_34_85_zis_53_no215 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|mL_LiF0hXRM|'''Don't Enter the Kill Box - Chinese Premium T-34-85 No.215 Gameplay''' - ''Jim Chamberlin''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[T-34-85 (D-5T)]]
* [[T-34-85]]
* [[T-34-85E]]
* [[Т-34-85 (S-53) (China)]]
* [[Т-34-85 Gai]]

;Vehicles equipped with the same gun

* [[T-44]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:2nd_Armored_Brigade_(People%27s_Republic_of_China)|[Wikipedia] 2nd Armored Brigade (People's Republic of China)]]

{{China medium tanks}}
{{China premium ground vehicles}}

T-34 (1943) (China)

2021-03-26T20:27:53Z

U108476048: /* Hull armour */ Removed random letter.

{{About
| about = Chinese medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other variants
| link = T-34 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_t_34_1942
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]].

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Driver's hatch, Machine gun mount)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 45 mm (61°) ''Front glacis'' 99 mm (5-35°) ''Welded glacis joint'' 45 mm (52°) ''Lower glacis'' 60 mm (1-73°) ''Machine gun ball mount'' 75 mm (60°) ''Driver's hatch'' || 40 mm (40°) ''Top'' 45 mm (0°) ''Lower'' || 40 mm (47-49°) ''Top'' 40 mm (47°) ''Bottom'' || 16 mm
|-
| Turret || 53 mm (3-58°) ''Turret front'' 45 mm (2-78°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 53 mm (21-22°) || 53 mm (18-20°) || 15 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspensions wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.

==== Hull armour ====
The 1943 model has a very similar hull armour profile to the [[T-34 (1941)|1941]] model, relying on angling instead of sheer thickness for protection. There are two key differences: the machine gun ball mount has an increased thickness of 60 mm of armour (compared to 45 mm on earlier models), as does the driver's hatch (75 mm, compared to 45 mm on earlier models). The weak spots created by the driver's optics on earlier models have also been removed. The driver's hatch has the thickest armour on any part of the T-34 and can be quite resilient to enemy fire if hit.

It should be noted that due to the relatively thin plate thickness used (40–45 mm), the T-34's hull is vulnerable can be vulnerable to overmatching from 75 mm and larger guns.

==== Turret armour ====
The new hexagonal turret features thicker armour than on the 1941 model. However, there are a few caveats:

* The angling is noticeably worse, and there are some relatively flat spots on the front that can be vulnerable to penetrations from even relatively weak guns at close ranges.
* The turret front, side, and rear armour is made of cast armour instead of rolled plate, which is slightly weaker.

Overall, the turret armour is not a significant improvement over the earlier models and is in some ways weaker.

==== Module/crew layout ====
The bulk of the T-34's main gun ammunition is carried low in the hull, making it relatively hard to detonate the ammunition of a T-34, especially if it is carrying a reduced ammunition load. However, the T-34's hull sides are spanned by relatively large fuel tanks; thus, side penetrations can cause the diesel fuel to catch fire.

The crew are seated in a quite compact manner inside the tank, and successful penetrations are likely to disable multiple crew members at once.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=442|AoAweight=0.25}}

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

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

{{main|F-34 (76 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[F-34 (76 mm)|76 mm F-34]] || 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" | 100 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 23.80 || 32.94 || 40.00 || 44.24 || 47.06 || rowspan="2" | 8.45 || rowspan="2" | 7.48 || rowspan="2" | 6.89 || rowspan="2" | 6.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.88 || 17.50 || 21.25 || 23.50 || 25.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''BR-350A (MD-5 fuze)''': APHEBC; high explosive mass will one-shot any tank that is penetrates, however penetration is mediocre
* '''BR-350B (MD-8 fuze)''': APHEBC; increased penetration at the cost of slightly less explosive mass
* '''BR-350SP''': APBC; a solid shot that is somewhat more lethal than APCR, but with less penetration.
* '''BR-350P''': APCR; best penetrating shell, at the cost of no post-pen damage
* '''BP-350A''': HEAT; best penetration beyond 1,000 m, but the T-34s generally do not fare well in long-range duels.
* '''OF-350M''': HE; useful for breaking the hulls of lightly armoured/unarmoured vehicles.
* '''Sh-354T''': Shrapnel; useful against vehicles that are resistant to the HE shell but too thinly armoured to trigger the fuzes of APHE shells.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-350A (MD-5 fuze) || APHEBC || 87 || 85 || 76 || 67 || 59 || 52
|-
| BR-350B (MD-8 fuze) || APHEBC || 94 || 92 || 83 || 73 || 65 || 57
|-
| BR-350SP || APBC || 102 || 100 || 91 || 81 || 72 || 64
|-
| BR-350P || APCR || 125 || 119 || 92 || 68 || 50 || 36
|-
| BP-350A || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| OF-350M || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| Sh-354T || Shrapnel || 37 || 35 || 29 || 25 || 20 || 17
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-350A (MD-5 fuze) || APHEBC || 662 || 6.3 || 1.2 || 14.0 || 150 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-350B (MD-8 fuze) || APHEBC || 655 || 6.3 || 0.9 || 14.0 || 98.6 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-350SP || APBC || 655 || 6.78 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-350P || APCR || 950 || 3.02 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| BP-350A || HEAT || 355 || 5.3 || N/A || 0.1 || 959 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| OF-350M || HE || 680 || 6.2 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 621 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| Sh-354T || Shrapnel || 680 || 6.2 || 0.5 || 8.0 || 85 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| D-350A || 680 || 6.45 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks T-34 (1942).png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''100''' || 97 ''(+3)'' || 77 ''(+23)'' || 73 ''(+27)'' || 69 ''(+31)'' || 49 ''(+51)'' || 25 ''(+75)'' || 1 ''(+99)'' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* As they are modeled by sets of 2, shells disappear from the rack only after you fire both shells in the set.
* Taking 69 ''(+31)'' rounds will leave only the ammunition racks at the bottom of the hull, decreasing the risk of ammunition detonation if penetrated.

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

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}

The T-34 (1943) is armed with a 7.62 mm DT machine gun, which is only useful for gunning down unarmoured AAA vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! Mount
! Capacity (Belt capacity)
! Rate of fire (shots/minute)
! Vertical guidance
! Horizontal guidance
|-
| Coaxial || 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Like the previous T-34 models, the 1943 model excels at close to medium range fighting, utilizing its outstanding mobility for a medium tank to rapidly close the distance and relocate to attack from unexpected directions. The sloped hull armour has a good chance of ricocheting hastily aimed shots and helps increase the odds of the T-34 surviving when moving in to engage. The lethal BR-350B APHEBC round complements this playstyle, having about enough penetration to deal with the flanks of most enemies likely to be encountered; a single penetrating hit is usually fatal for the target. In close combat, the fast turret traverses and quick reload allow the T-34 to respond quickly towards changing situations, usually helping to ensure it will be the first to get its gun on the target.

Conversely, the T-34 fares poorly in long-range combat; both the BR-350B APHEBC and BR-350P APCR rounds have poor penetration at long ranges, and the BP-350A HEAT round is quite underwhelming as well.

=== Against the T-34 (1943) ===
'''Light tank/SPAA''': lower tier light tanks/SPAA (eg. [[M5A1]]) will find the waves of T-34 hard to counter. If your penetration is above ~65 mm, target the turret ring as it is only 53 mm. Avoid shooting at the sloped hull armour at all sides as it is very likely to bounce small calibre shells. If the T-34 does not know your presence and is exposing its side to you, target the vertical hull side between the mudguard and the roadwheels, it is only 45 mm and a shot there can disable both turret crew and drivers. These are the only weak spots if your penetration is low, even the rear of a T-34 is heavily sloped.

'''Medium tank''': perhaps the most common medium tanks used around this BR is the [[M4]] series with short 75 mm cannons. When the T-34 is not angling, you can punch straight through the upper front plate and one-shot it, but do avoid the MG port and driver's hatch as they very much like to absorb shells. The turret ring is also a weakspot. The turret/gun mantlet, however, will be quite tricky to penetrate especially if the T-34 is at a distance or hull down. On the spherical gun mantlet there are small sections where the curve becomes almost vertical, making them a weakspot, but your shell is likely to impact the huge bulge joining the mantlet and the gun barrel before hitting where you aim at. That is the housing for the hydraulic recoil cylinders, if you target that specifically you can disable its gun breech. There are also small corners of the turret around the gun mantlet, but they are spread out and tiny, therefore harder to hit. For an angling T-34, if their angle is a bit too much and too much side profile is exposed, fire at the lower, vertical side between the road wheels and the upper mudguard.

'''Heavy tank/tank destroyer''': it is fairly easy to destroy a T-34 in a well-protected tank or a tank hunter. Heavy tanks such as [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)|Pz.Kpfw. Churchill]] and [[KV-IB (Germany)|KV-IB]] will not have a hard time as they are tough enough to easily take some hits from the short 76 mm F-34 of the T-34. Still, target the hull where the T-34 is not angling, or the turret ring. Tank destroyers like the [[M10 (Family)|M10]] will find it even easier to pierce through the armour of a T-34, but play carefully since tank destroyers are not well armoured.

=== Common opponents ===

* '''[[M4|Medium Tank M4]], [[M4A2]], [[M4A4 (France)|M4A4]] (American, France/Italy):''' The T-34's 76 mm gun cannot penetrate the welded hull M4s reliably from the front, while the 75 mm gun on the M4s can penetrate the T-34's turret and disable or cripple it. They do have very weak lower side hull armour (only 38 mm) that can be overmatched by the 76 mm APHEBC round if exposed, and the flat areas on the turret can also be penetrated fairly reliably if they can be hit. Generally avoid head-on engagements, especially if they are hull-down.

* '''[[M4A1|Medium Tank M4A1]], [[Sherman II]] (American/French, British):''' Similar to the M4/M4A2, except that the cast hull is weaker than the welded hull on the M4/M4A2, and can be penetrated frontally. Otherwise, the same advice applies.

* '''[[Pz.IV F2]], [[Pz.IV G|G]], [[Pz.IV H|H]], [[Pz.IV J|J]] (German):''' The Ausf. F2 variant is the first Panzer IV to mount a long-barreled 75 mm gun. This gun is one of the most lethal mounted on any tank within the T-34's BR range, and it is easily capable of penetrating the T-34 at most ranges. The Ausf. F2 has very weak armour, however, and is something of a glass cannon. The Ausf. G, H, and J have up-armoured hulls that are quite difficult to penetrate, but their turrets are as weak as the one on the F2. The Ausf. J, in particular, has manual turret traverse and is very vulnerable to being flanked. Avoid long-range duels with them.

* '''[[Chi-Nu II|Chi-Nu II]] (Japanese):''' Essentially the Japanese counterpart to the German Panzer IV Ausf. F2.

* '''[[Churchill III]], [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)|▀Churchill]] (British, German):''' The 6-pounder gun on the Churchill will be hard-pressed to penetrate the sloped T-34 hull, but it can easily penetrate the turret and disable the turret crew. It is difficult to penetrate the frontal armour of the Churchill at long ranges. However, it is a slow, cumbersome heavy tank, and is easy to outflank and dispatch with shots to the side armour.

* '''[[Churchill VII]] (British):''' The Churchill VII is virtually immune to the T-34 from the front, while its 75 mm gun can penetrate the T-34's turret fairly easily. Even from the side, it has 95 mm of armour that cannot be penetrated by the BR-350B APHEBC round except at very close range, and even slight angling will render it all but immune. It is even slower than the Churchill III, however, and thus easy to avoid and outflank.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent post-penetration effect with the BR-350B, easily knocking out most tanks in a single shot, for example [[Pz.IV F2]], [[M4]], [[Chi-Nu]].
* The BR-350P APCR can effectively penetrate heavily armoured targets (eg. [[Churchill III]]) at close range at the cost of post-pen damage.
* Very fast turret traverse, good for urban combat.
* Sloped hull armour provides good protection against small calibre / low-penetration shells (eg. 75 mm M3, 50 mm KwK39), and even large calibre guns when angled correctly.
* Nearly impossible to damage the transmission and immobilize it from the front.
* 49 km/h top speed allows it to change position quickly and outrun lots of other medium tanks.

'''Cons:'''

* -5 degrees gun depression is below average, making it ineffective to combat in hills comparing to the [[M4]] with -10 degrees depression.
* BR-350A & BR-350B both lack the penetration against more heavily armoured foes like the Churchills.
* Relatively slow reload time compared to similar tanks.
* The 4 crew members are very close together making it easily knocked out by with a single shot by common guns like the German 76 mm, US 75 mm, etc when penetrated from the front / side hull, or even the turret.
* Large fuel tanks scattered at the sides of the hull, tend to catch fire if being hit.

== History ==


For a full history of the development of the T-34 (1943), it is best to reference the article on the [[T-34_(1942)#History|Soviet T-34 (1942)]] as this almost is identical. In Soviet official documents, little difference was made between the T-34 Model 1942 (German designation T-34/76C) and the T-34 Model 1943 (German designations T-34/76D, E and F); most of the differences between the models was due to them being produced at different facilities.

Despite its position in the Chinese tech tree, it has to be noted that the T-34 (1943) is not, in fact, a Chinese vehicle. All currently available sources indicate that the PLA never operated the F-34 armed version of the T-34, and the best available documents, compiled by Dr. Martin Andrew, indicate that 1837 T-34s were delivered by the Soviets to the PLA between 1950 and 1954, all of which were the T-34-85 variant.

It is thought that the PLA indeed obtained a small number of F-34 armed T-34 tanks for training purposes, likely left by the Soviets when they withdrew from China in 1955. Some are still kept as exhibits in the Harbin Tank Academy.

However, the T-34 (1943) ''did'' see service in North Korea, with deliveries starting in 1949. Following the proclamation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on September 9th 1948, North Korea's first armoured unit, the ''105th Armored Battalion'' was established in October of 1948, increasing to regimental strength in May of 1949 before being rebaptised as the ''105th Armored Brigade'' prior to the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. Due to the lack of official North Korean sources on the subject, it is unclear how many T-34 (1943) saw service with the DPRK; evidence does exist that a number of them were committed to the original June 1950 assault on South Korea, with a number of knocked-out short-barrelled T-34s being photographed on the battlefield.

The nature of combat in Korea meant that tank losses were high for the DPRK, and out of 120 tanks reported on strength in June of 1950, nearly all had been lost by December that year. Replacements were delivered by the Soviet Union, all of these later deliveries covering the T-34-85 variant.

Following the end of the Korean War, a reconstruction program was started to bring the DPRK's army back to strength, with additional deliveries of T-34s arriving from the Soviet Union. Again the lack of reliable North Korean sources makes it impossible to work out what was delivered, but sources indicate that despite the delivery of T-34-85s, which remained the mainstay of the North Korean Army until it first received T-54/55s and Type 59 tanks in 1967, a number of older T-34-76s remained in service, either being rebuilds of recovered vehicles or, more likely, new deliveries from their Soviet allies. Most tellingly, a widely circulated still from a late 1960s North Korean propaganda film shows military manoeuvres involving at least two T-34-76s, both showing signs of modernisation such as T-34-85-type saddle fuel tanks and starfish roadwheels (first introduced 1969). As such, it can be surmised that at least some T-34 (1943)s remained in North Korean service into the 1970s in some sort of reserve or training capacity.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

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

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

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

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

{{China medium tanks}}

T-55A

2021-03-02T20:00:42Z

U108476048: Tank Museum Video

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_55a
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica"]].

After active development of nuclear weapons, the predecessor of T-55 ([[T-54 (1951)|T-54]]) was tested against nuclear charges. It was evaluated that the crew could survive only at distances of over 700m, so it was decided to create a new tank that would have a nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection system, or ''Protivoatomnaya Zashchita'' (PAZ). The initial designs for this tank were completed in 1956, however, that was without additional NBC protection. In 1961, the development of an NBC system began, and it was introduced in the new T-55A variant. Among other upgrades, the T-55 had an increased ammunition supply with 18 more rounds being stored in the fuel tanks.

T-55 became a replacement for Soviet heavy tanks (IS series and the [[T-10M|T-10]]), something that is evident in War Thunder as well. Armour was sacrificed for better mobility and a better gun. Currently, the T-55A is one of the only vehicles at rank VI to have an APHE shell, which easily one-shots most vehicles from the sides and some from the front (notably, leopards). Unfortunately, the T-55A is relatively slow compared to other medium tanks around battle rating 8.3.

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

[[File:T-55A XRay Side.png|thumb|left|X-Ray view of the T-55A when viewed from the side. Note how packed the tank interior is of critical components, ammunition, and crew.]]

The T-55A has moderate frontal protection, with 100 mm plates for upper front plate (UFP) and lower front plate (LFP) placed at angles 59° and 56° respectively; effective thickness frontally comes up to ~180 mm and ~200 mm, respectively. At a perfect angle, the {{PAGENAME}} can bring its frontal effective thickness to ~200 mm and ~220 mm for the UFP and LFP, while having ~250 mm of protection at the angled sides. However, the additional 20 mm of armour will rarely save the tank from APFSDS, or even APDS, shells that are flying around at this rank.

As for the turret, the T-55A has slightly less protection than the T-62 and combined with a generally larger turret, it is easier for opponents to hit and penetrate the turret. The thinnest spots are right next to the cannon breech, at 200 mm, which rather slowly becomes over 300 mm when moving further away from the breech.

The {{PAGENAME}}'s weakest area to be attacked at is the port side; or when looking directly at the {{PAGENAME}}, its right side. This is because three of the four crew members are neatly lined up into a row. A well placed APFSDS shot to this area through the UFP will one-shot the T-55A.

Despite this vulnerability, it will do well for the {{PAGENAME}}'s overall survival if it does not get hit at all during its lifespan on the battlefield. Due to how packed the interior is, any penetrating shot is sure to cripple or outright destroy the tank.

{{Clear|left}}

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=899|rbMinHp=513}}

The maximum speed that the {{PAGENAME}} can reach is listed as 56 km/h (AB) and 50 km/h (RB/SB). That is ~15 km/h slower than the [[Leopard A1A1]]. However, the amount of firepower that the {{PAGENAME}} brings to the battlefield, coupled together with the ability to withstand shots sometimes, that speed is decent. Backwards, the {{PAGENAME}} can go at up to -7 km/h, which won't let you back out of tricky situations often.

The {{PAGENAME}} cannot turn in neutral gear, which makes it difficult to manoeuvre in close-quarter encounters, which often occur in urban environments. The acceleration is good, the {{PAGENAME}} can get to 25 km/h from a standstill on flat, rough terrain in a few seconds, and turning is decent on flat ground.

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

With a default APDS round available, the {{PAGENAME}} is somewhat viable in a downtier to assist going through the modification research. Aside from getting the survivability upgrades in the ''Parts'' and ''FPE'' modules, the ammunition unlocks in the Firepower category should also be prioritised in order to access the more potent APFSDS round and the HEAT-FS shell in the ''3BM25'' and ''3BK17M'' module respectively. The ''NVD'' module should also be prioritized in order to survive the possibility of the next ground battle being in a dark environment.

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

{{main|D-10T2S (100 mm)}}

The T-55A houses a 100 mm D-10T2S rifled anti-tank gun, which is equipped with an ejector and two-plane stabilizer arms. In-game, the T-55A has a 10.3 s reload rate, which is similar to its successor, the T-62. This rate of fire doesn't allow the T-55A to rush into battle and fend off waves of Leopards or [[M48A1|M48]]s/[[M60]]s, but it is sufficient to defeat one or two opponents in quick succession with good shot placements, granted you shoot first.

The stock round (3BM-8, APDS) allows the T-55A to penetrate [[MBT-70]] and [[KPz-70]] frontally, as well as deal with all other major threats, notably the [[Leopard I|Leopards]] (which you can penetrate anywhere), and [[Chieftain Mk 3|Chieftains]] (LFP, or UFP/LFP with the APFSDS round). One of the major advantages that the T-55A has over the majority of rank VI vehicles is its APCBC shell, which has the potential to one-shot any opponent if it penetrates. It is advised to flank your enemies and when given the opportunity, easily destroy oncoming enemies with this round.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D-10T2S (100 mm)|100 mm D-10T2S]] || 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" | 43 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 14.3 || 19.8 || 24.0 || 26.5 || 28.2 || rowspan="2" | 11.05 || rowspan="2" | 9.78 || rowspan="2" | 9.01 || rowspan="2" | 8.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.9 || 10.5 || 12.8 || 14.1 || 15.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| 3BM-8 || APDS || 299 || 298 || 291 || 272 || 253 || 249
|-
| BR-412D || APCBC || 239 || 236 || 223 || 207 || 192 || 178
|-
| 3BM25 || APFSDS || 335 || 330 || 307 || 290 || 275 || 260
|-
| 3BK17M || HEATFS || 390 || 390 || 390 || 390 || 390 || 390
|-
| OF-412 || HE || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| 3BM-8 || APDS || 1,415 || 4.13 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
| BR-412D || APCBC || 887 || 15.9 || 1.2 || 19 || 93.94 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| 3BM25 || APFSDS || 1,430 || 3.4 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 76° || 77° || 80°
|-
| 3BK17M || HEATFS || 1,085 || 9.96 || 0.05 || 1 || 1,440 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| OF-412 || HE || 900 || 15.6 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 1,460 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| 3D3 || 880 || 15.6 || 20 || 5 || 25 || 272
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''43''' || 42 ''(+1)'' || 37 ''(+6)'' || 33 ''(+10)'' || 21 ''(+22)'' || 19 ''(+24)'' || 1 ''(+42)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 6 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 18 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
* This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 6 - 1 - 2 - etc. until 5.
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-5 into rack 6. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
* If you pack 19 ''(+24)'' shells, it will keep most of the hull empty of ammo.

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

{{main|DShK (12.7 mm)|SGMT (7.62 mm)}}

The T-55A has a roof-mounted 12.7 mm DShK machine gun, which allows it to fight low-flying aircraft or helicopters. However, it is not effective against jets. It is recommended to use this machine gun against lightly armoured ground targets and to check whether or not a tank is alive or not, by shooting its tracks (which can also be done with the coaxial machine gun).

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DShK (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm DShK]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 350 (50) || 600 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SGMT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm SGMT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,500 (250) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The T-55A has the great option to use an APCBC shell, which can one-shot Leopards frontally, and any well-armoured vehicles side-on. Therefore, this tank should be used as a flanker, large open areas present a great opportunity to scout and take out groups of oncoming enemies. However, make sure to stay near cover and use it after every shot to minimize the chances of getting scouted and penetrated.
[[File:T-55A Weakspot.png|thumb|right|The weak spot that allows a one-shot. 3 of the 4 crew members can be knocked out if shooting the upper right hand corner of the UFP.]]

However, that does not mean that the T-55A cannot engage opponents frontally. Its APFSDS round can penetrate all vehicles at its battle rating, apart from the T-64A/T-72 (if playing mixed battles), the Chieftains (when hull-down) and the Maus (when at distance and angled).

As a rule of thumb, protect your left-hand side when looking from behind the T-55A. You have 3 crew members there that can be taken out with a single well-placed APFSDS shot (upper right corner of the UFP). Also, don't rely on your reverse speed. You can't retreat efficiently, and will likely be destroyed in a close-quarters encounter if you don't engage your opponent first.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good mobility
* Good gun and a wide ammo choices (APDS, APFSDS, APHE, HEATFS and smoke)
* Roof-mounted machine gun for anti-air defence
* Has a spall liner in the turret, lacking in the T-62, affords some protection from spalling
* Safe ammo spot for 18 rounds near the driver in the fuel tanks give it some kinetic and chemical protection
* Comes with a stabiliser unlike its older series the T-54

'''Cons:'''

* Can easily be destroyed if penetrated through the turret, direct hits three of the four total crew members
* Stock performance is quite lacklustre
* No rangefinder
* Poor zoom distance, only 3.5 and 7 times magnification
* No smoke grenade launcher
* Paltry 100 mm front plate
* No chemical protection
* Abysmally weak sides on the hull (80 mm) and worse at the back of the turret (66 mm)

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

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=ussr_t_55a Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|B6ZsuPjSuNo|'''T-54/T-55 family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:39 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|pvIlsWO9aqk|'''{{PAGENAME}} - The Russian Cannon Fodder''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''|PlF7IJ4Z1rA|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Awesome Gunfood''' - ''Napalmratte''|3zJsVor0TRA|'''{{PAGENAME}} versus M60A1 RISE (P)''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|DVsb1ZNbKp4|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|k15BSV4Xx9w|'''The Shooting Range #46''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 05:06 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|s67D8FqNZRg|'''Tank Chat #104 - T-54/55''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[T-54/55 (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[T-62 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4706-development-t-55a-the-eastern-menace-en|[Devblog] T-55A - The Eastern Menace]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-54 (1947)

2021-03-02T19:55:49Z

U108476048: Added tank museum video

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_54_1947
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.43]]. The T-54 mod. 1947 is the first of the three T-54 variants in the game, and it features the best frontal hull armour of its variants albeit with the weakest turret and gun ammunition. The T-54 is a tank that excels in close-range engagements, where its relatively poor gun performance is less of an issue, and its frontal armour and stopping power can be used to its greatest potential.

The T-54 mod. 1947 is the first T-54 tank available to the player. A good throw-back to player's experience is in the gun, which is the same as the one on the [[T-44-100]], though with a better APCR ammunition. The firepower, speed, and armour of the T-54 makes it an amazing tank and can be played in a variety of roles, ranging from a short-range brawler, a support tank, and a sniper. Basically, the tank has a Jack-of-all-Trade characteristic and can be easily exploited to the player's advantage on the battlefield.

The T-54 is a beautifully armoured tank. Unlike its [[T-54 (1949)|successors]], the model 1947 has more armour at 120 mm thick front hull compared to the 100 mm in the next variants. This means that the front hull armour is vastly superior, but keep in mind that despite that the side armour is still only 80 mm thick. Thus it is actually best to minimize hull angling so the enemy cannot hit the weak side armour and cripple the tank.

The T-54 mod. 1947 does have an "Achille's heel". The biggest weakness is the "trap shot" under the gun mantlet, and the enemy will know about it from experience. Take note of this weakness and hide it by only exposing the top part of the turret if possible. The significance of the trap shot is that tanks like the [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]] and [[Panther II]], which cannot penetrate through the front hull, can indeed penetrate through the shot trap.

The T-54 mod. 1947 position on the battle rating scale has it gets put into a lower battle rating bracket frequently, making it likely to fight tanks that don't have powerful guns to obliterate it. However, if up tiered, the T-54 will have to start being played conservatively as there will suddenly be a lot of enemy tanks able to destroy the T-54.

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

The armour of the T-54 leaves nothing to expect. It is the strongest frontal plate seen in an early MBT and is able to withstand full calibre solid shots from all nations (Obus de Ruptur for example, the French solid shot seen in most post war designs such as the [[Lorraine 40t]], [[AMX-50 (Family)|AMX-50]], etc). However, the armour is nonexistent for HEAT and ATGM which are the main ammunition used in 7.7 to 8.7. The tank is practically immune to low calibre autocannon fire with exception of APDS rounds to the sides (seen in [[Warrior]] and [[AMX-30 DCA]]).

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 120 mm (61°) ''Front glacis'' 120 mm (53°) ''Lower glacis'' || 80 mm || 45 mm (18°) ''Upper'' 30 mm (73°) ''Lower'' || 30 mm
|-
| Turret || 200 mm (2-74°) ''Turret front'' 200 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 160 mm (19-46°) ''Lower'' 125 mm (34-42°) ''Upper'' || 50 mm (6-54°) || 30 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 100 mm || 30 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* The first series of the legendary T-54 has got the strongest frontal armour, 120 mm instead of the later version's 100 mm. Albeit the turret is the weakest one. The big side profile and a rather flat side and rear turret form.
* Suspensions wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* The turret side armour is not all equally the same armour thickness. As it goes toward the top, it gradually becomes thinner with 160 mm to 125 mm.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=806|rbMinHp=460}}

As a relatively heavily armoured tank and part of the Russian doctrine, the mobility of the T-54 leaves much to be desired. Not only is top speed the lacklustre, but turn rate is not great and reverse speed is mediocre. Overall, the mobility is not the best and should not be relied on to be used to play as a fast paced vehicle. However, the power-to-weight ratio on the T-54 is impressive and is able to climb and move through rough territory with ease as well as push and pull tanks.

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

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

{{main|D-10T (100 mm)}}

The T-54 has access to the powerful D-10T. As seen in prior vehicles and other vehicles in the tree, the 100 mm is a reliable calibre for all situations with amazing ammunition for all cases. Being at 7.7 gives the T-54 an advantage and disadvantage when we talk about firepower. It does not get access to HEAT-FS or APDS as seen in the other [[T-54/55 (Family)|T-54]] but has access to one of the must underestimated shell the Russians have access to which is able to kill everything with a well placed shot, the BR412D. Despite not having great penetration which will be sort of required when facing heavily armoured targets like the Tiger II, it is able to decimate every vehicle it sees from all angles due to the explosive power. At 7.7 and above, the threats that will be seen (specially Europeans) have little to no armour that is able to be penetrated by even the BR412. However, some of the frontal plates of said vehicles are meant to stop the ammunition at certain distances (AMX-30 can stop BR412 at past 500m).

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D-10T (100 mm)|100 mm D-10T]] || 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" | 34 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+17° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 12.38 || 17.13 || 20.80 || 23.00 || 24.47 || rowspan="2" | 11.05 || rowspan="2" | 9.78 || rowspan="2" | 9.01 || rowspan="2" | 8.5
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 7.74 || 9.10 || 11.05 || 12.22 || 13.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-412 || APHE || 218 || 213 || 192 || 169 || 148 || 130
|-
| BR-412B || APHEBC || 218 || 214 || 195 || 173 || 154 || 137
|-
| BR-412D || APCBC || 239 || 236 || 223 || 207 || 192 || 178
|-
| BR-412P || APCR || 224 || 216 || 186 || 153 || 127 || 105
|-
| OF-412 || HE || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-412 || APHE || 895 || 15.9 || 1.2 || 19 || 100.1 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-412B || APHEBC || 895 || 15.9 || 1.2 || 19 || 100.1 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-412D || APCBC || 887 || 15.9 || 1.2 || 19 || 93.94 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-412P || APCR || 1,050 || 8.53 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| OF-412 || HE || 900 || 15.6 || 0 || 0.1 || 1,460 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| 3D3 || 880 || 15.6 || 20 || 5 || 25 || 272
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''34''' || 28 ''(+6)'' || 27 ''(+7)'' || 26 ''(+8)'' || 23 ''(+11)'' || 21 ''(+13)'' || 1 ''(+33)'' || No
|-
|}

Turret empty: 27 ''(+7)'' One rack only: 21 ''(+13)''

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

{{main|DShK (12.7 mm)|SGMT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DShK (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm DShK]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 250 (50) || 600 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SGMT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm SGMT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,500 (250) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The T-54 '47 is a great starting tank for rank V Soviets. It has armour, a good gun and decent mobility, all traits similar to pre-modern MBTs. However, you should still use any available cover, and it's even better if you can remain unseen. The turret of the '47 can be quite hard to penetrate, due to awkward bounces, and wiggling it can make it even more difficult for enemies to do any damage. In a down-tier, this tank is almost over-powered, because BR-412D can penetrate everything, while the T-54 is mobile and well-protected. You still need to play smart, mind you, but it's easy to get over 5k research points in a match (without premium) in a down-tier.

=== General Playstyle ===
The T-54 is often described as a Jack-of-All-Trades, similar to late-game MBTs. However, at its current battle rating, its armour still plays an important role, so the title 'Medium Tank' fits better. In Arcade Battles, the T-54 '47 is a joy to play. It can be compared to a Leopard with armour and, arguably, a better gun, because of improved mobility in Arcade. This iteration of the T-54 doesn't get high-penetration rounds, but BR-412D is usually enough to deal with the vast majority of enemies, especially when flanking is so easy in Arcade. In Realistic Battles, this tank is less mobile, but it is still able to cause a lot of damage when played to its strengths, notably the bouncy turret and the high explosive rounds that one-shot enemies - obviously this hints at an ambush or flanking playstyle.

'''Arcade Battles'''

In Arcade Battles, T-54 '47 is very capable even in an up-tier. You should never rely on attacking enemies upfront, rather by flanking and getting to their sides, which shouldn't be a problem because even when stock this tank is quite fast (upgrades mostly improve mobility, rather than raw speed). Flanking is much easier in city combat because there are paved roads and a lot of covers. Flanking on hilly maps is difficult because the T-54 has very little depression, so be cautious on those maps and use any cover you can find (e.g. rocks, buildings etc).

You should use the speed to push forward and gain capture points, because when at speed, it's harder for opponents to penetrate you, or even hit you. After capturing a point you can choose to move into an ambush position to defend it, or you can choose to traverse the map to another objective or to help a teammate. This choice depends on your playstyle, and whether you're playing for fun or for research points.

'''''Side-Note:''''' Using your speed to make it harder for enemies to hit you is a strategy that can be used to get into any strategic position, not just objectives.

'''''Important Note:''''' You don't have a stabilizer, so it can be difficult to take fast shots and to shoot on the move. Basically, don't play reactively in this tank, because some tanks (especially the British) can easily outplay you.

If you find yourself in a stand-off, aim for the enemy's weak spots (turret rings and lower plates are usually penetrable). Remember to wiggle your turret (and even the hull), because it can be quite difficult to penetrate, especially with conventional rounds. If you don't know how to penetrate the enemy, it's best to retreat and either try to flank or run away from that enemy hoping that your team can handle them.

==== Realistic Battles ====
In Realistic Battles, T-54 '47 behaves much more like a heavy tank. At the range, it's hard for opponents to hit your turret, but it's also hard for you to hit them, due to bullet drop. Overall, you should play by using cover and by getting behind the enemy lines. This can be easily accomplished by pushing up to objectives, and waiting for the enemies to push past you. This way, you will have the advantage, and your armour can help you survive some shots from other enemies or if your prey survives your shot. However, you should adapt to the game situation - if your team stomps the enemy on one objective, it might be better to flank to another objective and help out your team there, instead of pushing for the enemy spawn (attacking enemies head-on from spawn vs. attacking enemies from behind/side).

When upgraded, the T-54 becomes much faster, and the strategy of rushing can work, especially in a down-tier, where most enemies also have conventional rounds. Generally, your armour can be relied upon against certain enemies, which allows you to be a breakthrough tank, especially when there are teammates pushing with you. For example, on Fulda, the B point can be easily captured or overrun with 2-3 T-54s, because usually, enemies cannot deal with that much armour and firepower (attacking from the lower side proved more effective, too).

'''''Important Note:''''' Your armour is most effective on the move, standing in the open trying to snipe an enemy will make it easier for them to hit you. Using any sort of cover to advance is still the better option.

=== The Stock Grind ===
When grinding the first modifications, Arcade Battles might be more fun, because of faster-paced gameplay and the ability to see all threats. Now, it's '''a priority to research Parts and FPE,''' and it may also be a good idea '''to activate 3-5 universal vehicle back-ups''' to be able to respawn twice in one match. In this case, it's worth it, because the T-54 '47 is a grinder for rank V and first rank VI vehicles - the faster you spade it, the faster you can grind!

General tips for the stock grind are these:

* In the case of T-54, it can be a good idea to let enemies shoot at you because it gives the "Adamant" award and also quite a decent amount of research points.
** In Arcade, you can hide your turret, but show your angled front plate. Enemies will see your marker, and try to shoot at you, but they will bounce and just give you points. Then you can just drive out and return fire to try to get a kill or two.
* Don't try to penetrate tanks frontally with stock rounds - it's no use. You have to flank around and try to get in the rear of the enemies. If you're successful, it usually grants multiple kills.
* Play the objectives - they award points, and if you stay to defend them, you will be able to get some easy kills for those who try to get it back (by ambushing them).
** You can also set up ambushes ''before'' the objective so that enemies will push past you and you can shoot their sides.

The American [[M60|M60]], German [[Leopard I|Leopards]] and the British [[Chieftain Mk 3|Chieftain]] are perhaps the biggest worry the T-54 has against medium tanks. These tanks with their [[L7A1 (105 mm)|105 mm guns]] ([[Ordnance BL Tk. L11 (120 mm)|120 mm]] in the Chieftain's case) can penetrate through the T-54's armour at longer ranges with their APDS and HEATFS rounds. Once heavy tanks are taken into the equation with the [[M103]], [[T-10M]], and [[Conqueror|Conqueror]], suddenly the T-54's armour no longer sounds very sufficient against their heavy-hitting rounds. Be wary of many tanks in the 7.7-8.3 BR range.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Strongest frontal armour of the T-54 series at 120 mm
* Angled armour is particularly bouncy when on the move
* AP-HE filled rounds are particularly devastating upon a penetration
* Good mobility and speed
* Good reload for a gun
* Pintle 12.7 mm machine gun for fighting soft or air targets
* Low profile
* Access to smoke shells and canisters

'''Cons:'''

* Relatively poor penetration at the rank with only AP type rounds to work with
* Terrible gun depression of -4 degrees
* Weak gun mantlet
* Slow turret traverse hampers reaction times
* No stabilizer
* Only one reverse gear
* Flat side armour tend to be penetrated easily and can be overmatched by some guns
* Hits to the frontal fuel tanks and ammunition can cause an ammo detonation, loss, or a fire
* Highly vulnerable to HEAT-FS or Sabot shells
* Low profile makes it possible for tall vehicles to shoot down at less angled armour during a brawl

== History ==

===Predecessors===
During World War II, the Soviet Union fielded the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34]] in large numbers to overrun the German tanks. The initial T-34 variant with the 76 mm gun soon became insufficient due to further German development on potent anti-tank weaponry. The response was the development of the [[T-34-85]] with the more powerful 85 mm gun. However, the T-34-85 was still insufficient fighting against the German "big cats" tanks. This prompted for further tank development to make a more protected medium tank for the Soviet armoured forces. This developed into the [[T-44]], which proved superior to the T-34 in armour, but retained the same 85 mm gun.

===Development===
The army then requested that the gun on the tank be increased for additional firepower. This developed into adding the 100 mm gun onto the T-44 and was designated the [[T-44-100]]. The T-44-100 proved successful in testing, but still suffered drawbacks that impeded its efficiency. It was decided that instead of quickly sending the tank into production, further development and modernization on the overall tank design should be made to make the tank the full transition from a World-War-II-era tank into the next generation. This developed into the '''T-54''' tank that was accepted into service on 29 April 1946.

The tank would enter production at Nizhni Tagil in 1947 and Kharkov in 1948. However, the initial production was slow as the serial production models underwent 1,490 different modifications. The first model produced was designated the [[T-54 (1947)|T-54-1]] (''Object 137''), which had a thicker hull armour than its future model. This production model suffered a quality deficiency, and was cancelled and upgraded into the [[T-54 (1949)|T-54-2]] (''Object 137R'') in 1949 that featured a new turret and other changes to the hull, transmission, and track design. In 1951, another change was made to the design and was designated the [[T-54 (1951)|T-54-3]] (''Object 137Sh''). The T-54-3 design featured a new turret design that removed shot traps. New gun sight and the smoke generating system were also installed into the tank. The T-54-3 would become the basis of future T-54 design, with the turret design staying in all of its successors.

Despite the T-54's great performance in its design, the T-54 did not stop at its base model. The first upgrades done was in 1953 and 1955 when the tank's D-10 gun was given stabilization gear, first with a vertical stabilizer in 1953 before upgrading again with a 2-plane stabilizer in 1955. These tank upgrades renamed the T-54 to ''T-54A'' and ''T-54B'' for the respective years. While an improvement in the tank's performance, the biggest jump came with the advent of nuclear technology in the Soviet arsenal. When testings show that a T-54 can survive the blast of a 2 - 15 kt nuclear charge at 300 meters (700 m for crew survival), the T-54 was slated for the instalment of a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) protection system to protect the crew from the weapons of mass destruction. This project was given to the KB-60 design bureau in Kharkov and this was finished in 1956. Along with many other changes to the tank interior, such as a new engine, heating system, fuel tanks, ammo storage, and new guns sights, the tank became the more common ''T-55'' tank, which would replace the T-54 design in production past 1958. The difference in the T-54 and the T-55 other than the mechanical differences in the presence of a dome-shaped ventilator in front of the loaders hatch, it is a T-54 if present as it was removed in order to seal the tank with NBC protection. All in all, the T-54/55 tank series became the most widely produced tank ever, surpassing the T-34 with an estimated 100,000+ built, many due to the export market and licensed manufacturing the Soviets gave to their allies.

===Design===
The T-54 is a simple and reliable, yet deadly machine compared to its contemporaries at its introduction. The T-54 retained the same interior compartments as traditional designs, with the driving in the front, fighting and turret in the centre, and the engine at the rear. The most distinctive features on the T-54 is the dome turret and the space between the first and second road wheels in the front, which would be absent in its successor, the [[T-62]].

The T-54 simplicity and reliability made it a very easy tank to operate, not requiring a thoroughly trained crew to operate (though a better crew can give better performance). The T-54 also presents a very low profile compared to the American and British tank, which makes it a smaller target to hit. The lightweight of the design at only 36 tons made it very easy to transport around on flatbed. The tank also features extra abilities like a cold-weather starting system and a snorkel for deep-wading that were mostly absent on similar vehicles. Finally, the [[D-10T (100 mm)|100 mm D-10T gun]] was much better than anything fielded as tank armament, able to defeat the American [[M47|Patton]] and the British [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurions]], which were their mainstay tanks. Even after the introduction of superior tanks like the [[M60|M60 tank]] with the 105 mm M68 gun, the T-54 is able to keep up with new HEAT and APDS rounds.

However, the T-54 design suffered from some of these advantages. The small profile gave the tank a small interior volume, which causes such a constraint to crew space that a height limit had to be set. The low turret silhouette also made the tank unable to depress the gun in a large angle due to the gun's breech hitting the roof, which restricts the T-54 ability to enter a hull-down position. Like other tanks in its generation, the T-54 also had unprotected ammo storage, which increased the chance of a catastrophic explosion of the ammunition if the tank is penetrated in battle.

Despite that, the T-54 design, upgraded into the T-55, proved very successful as a cost-effective weapon of war that can still stand on its own today. Its utility is further demonstrated by the many variants created from the chassis, such as bridge-layers, fire-fighting vehicles, flamethrowers, armoured-personnel carriers, engineer vehicles, and [[ZSU-57-2|anti-aircraft vehicles]].

===Combat usage===
Most of the service recorded in the T-54 and the T-55 are interchangeable as the two are essentially identical aside from the NBC protection. They will be referred to as the "T-54/55" unless specified otherwise.

The Soviets main tank during the course of the Cold War was the T-54/55 and the T-62 tanks, comprising about 85% of the Soviet armoured force in the mid-1970s. The first combat usage of the T-54 was in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. During the conflict, one T-54A was captured by the Hungarian rebels and delivered it to the British embassy. This act inspired the production of the [[L7A1 (105 mm)|105 mm L7 gun]] and the [[M60|M60 MBT]] when tests on this T-54 found it superior in firepower and armour. Afterwards, the Soviets did not have many activities with the T-54/55, but they are still in reserve status after being replaced by the Soviet [[T-72A|T-72]] and T-90 tanks.

The Middle East region saw more usage of the T-54/55 in the conflicts that ensured there, notably in the Israel-Arab conflicts in the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War. Israel was able to beat back the T-54/55 in both conflicts due to superior tactics and air superiority in the Six-Day War, and the presence of superior tanks such as the 105 mm equipped M60 and Centurion tanks, which could more easily deal with the T-54/55 in the Yom Kippur War. Israel was able to capture many T-54/55 tanks intact in both wars and upgraded these tanks with the 105 mm L7 gun, designated as the ''Tiran-5''. The T-54/55 also saw usage in the Jordanian Civil War of 1970 on the Syrian side, the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, and even as recent as Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, a testament to the utility and reliability of the T-54/55 tanks to still be in use 60 years after its introduction despite its inferiority to the American [[M1A1 Abrams]] and the British [[Challenger 2]]'s.

The T-54/55 also saw use in the Vietnam War on the North Vietnamese side, equipping the NVA 203rd Armoured Regiment and many other divisions. The T-54/55 also made an appearance in Angola and Mozambique, which were supplied from the Soviets to support the rising Marxist influences in South Africa. These T-54/55s saw use in the South African Border War and Angolan Civil War, but many were lost against the turreted armoured car with HEAT rounds. Many other countries in the world used the T-54/55 as well, whether given by the Soviets and their allies or licensed to produce in-country, up to 50 countries in the world used the T-54/55 in their military, including irregular forces in these countries. Notable conflicts using the T-54/55 was in the Indo-Pakistani War in the Indian Army, in the Ugandan-Tanzanian War, Yugoslav Wars, Sino-Vietnamese War, and the Sri Lankan Civil War. The T-54/55 is still being used today in the modern century, such as the Libyan Civil War in 2011, and the ongoing conflicts of the Syrian Civil War in many sides, including ISIS and the Syrian Army.

=== In-game description ===
The first mass-produced post-war Soviet tank. Developed in 1945-1946 using the hull, transmission and a number of other technical solutions from the T-44.

The driver's compartment had an altered observation instrument layout. Instead of a viewing slot in the frontal hull plate, two periscopes were placed directly in front of the hatch. This decision had a positive affect on the upper frontal plate's durability and improved vision of the surrounding area from the driver's seat. The engine compartment underwent the most significant changes.

Instead of the old B-2 diesel engine, the vehicle was equipped with its modernised 520 hp B-54 model. The tank received a new rounded turret similar to that of the IS-3, but with a shot trap all along its perimeter, particularly prominent in the rear. The turret's frontal armour was 200 mm thick, and the side armour between 125 mm and 160 mm thick. The turret's vertical slope reached 45°. The undercarriage received toothed track action. Additionally, the capacity of the internal fuel tanks was increased to 545 litres.

The tank was equipped with a 100 mm D-10T cannon with a 56 calibre barrel length, two 7.62 mm SG-43 machine guns mounted on the track fenders in armoured boxes and used by the driver to lay down unaimed fire, and a 12.7 mm DShK anti-aircraft gun installed in a turret on the roof by the loader's hatch. The vehicle was outfitted with semi-automatic carbon-dioxide fire suppression equipment. Two MDSh smoke canisters were mounted outside on the frontal hull.

In April 1946, the T-54 tank was put into service and began to be mass-produced the following year. In total, 713 of them were built in 1947-1949.

These vehicles were supplied to Vietnam and took part in suppressing the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 in Budapest.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=ussr_t_54_1947 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|B6ZsuPjSuNo|'''T-54/T-55 family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:39 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|jnmiilHoaWE|'''Fun while stock? {{PAGENAME}} RB Gameplay''' - ''Virus''|gOJQGSr38Uw|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|jHX54-P-RNk|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Tank Review - How to deal with it!''' - ''Napalmratte''|s67D8FqNZRg|'''Tank Chat #104 - T-54/55''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==


* [[T-54 (1949)]] - Next prototype version, featuring a reduced front glacis plate, new ammo, and new turret eliminating front shot traps.
* [[T-54 (1951)]] - Production version, improved turret design from 1949 eliminating rear shot trap.

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/622|[Devblog] T-54 (1947)]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-54 (1951)

2021-03-02T19:54:15Z

U108476048: Added tank museum video

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_54_1951
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before [[Update 1.41]].

In 1951, a new hemispherical turret with improved ballistic shaping was introduced for the T-54 medium tank. This turret eliminated the turret shot-traps of earlier models and became the definitive one for all T-54 and T-55 variants that followed. A new telescopic gunsight was also introduced.

In-game, the 1951 model plays similarly to the 1949 model. It has the same reduced hull armour compared to the 1947 model but makes up for this with its better mobility and turret, which is not vulnerable to shot-traps like the 1947 and 1949 models are. The 1951 model also has access to a powerful HEAT-FS round.

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

The armour of the T-54 leaves nothing to be desired. While it does not get the 120 mm frontal plate of the [[T-54 (1947)]], it is one of the strongest frontal plates seen in an early MBT and is able to withstand full calibre solid shots from all nations (Obus de Ruptur for example, the French solid shot seen in most post war designs such as the [[Lorraine 40t]], [[AMX-50 (Family)|AMX-50]], etc). However, the armour is inexistant for HEAT and ATGM which are the main ammunition used in 7.7 to 8.7. The tank is practically immune to low calibre autocannon fire with exception of APDS rounds to the sides (seen in [[Warrior]] and [[AMX-30 DCA]]).

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
!Armour
!Front
!Sides
!Rear
!Roof
|-
|Hull
|100 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 100 mm (54°) ''Lower glacis''
|80 mm
|45 mm (16°) ''Upper'' 30 mm (72°) ''Lower''
|30 mm ''Front'' 20 mm ''Back''
|-
|Turret
|160 mm (14-39°) ''Turret front'' 200 mm (4-78°) ''Gun mantlet''
|115 mm (45-50°) ''Upper'' 155 mm (10-30°) ''Lower''
|65 mm (9-35°)
|30 mm
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspensions wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=806|rbMinHp=460}}

As a relatively heavily armoured tank and part of the Russian doctrine, the mobility of the T-54 leaves much to be desired. Not only is top speed the lacklustre, but turn rate is not great and reverse speed is mediocre. Overall, the mobility is not the best and should not be relied on to be used to play as a fast paced vehicle. However, the power-to-weight ratio on the T-54 is impressive and is able to climb and move through rough territory with ease as well as push and pull tanks.

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

After Parts and FPE, the player should focus on mobility upgrades or the Horizontal Drive modification, since both mobility and turret rotation are limited when the tank is stock. Also, the 3BK-5 HEATFS shell greatly increases the tank's damage output, and should be considered quite important as well.

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

{{main|D-10T (100 mm)}}

The T-54 has access to the powerful D-10T. As seen in prior vehicles and other vehicles in the tree, the 100 mm is a reliable calibre for all situations with amazing ammunition for all cases. The T-54 (1951) also has access to APDS and HEAT-FS ammunition for use against everything. Both are impressive ammunition which require little to no practice in terms of use but they do require more trigger discipline and accurate aiming as they make much less spalling that the BR-412D. Despite not having great penetration which will be sort of required when facing heavily armoured targets like the Tiger II, it is able to decimate every vehicle it sees from all angles due to the explosive power. At 7.7 and above, the threats that will be seen (especially Europeans) have little to no armour, able to be easily penetrated by even the BR-412. However, some of the frontal plates of said vehicles are meant to stop the ammunition at certain distances (AMX-30 can stop BR-412 at past 500 m). Using 3BM-8 and 3BK-5 makes frontal engagements easier and with greater results due to the increased armour penetration. But again, they barely cause spalling and will most likely take more than one shot to fully disable and destroy an enemy tank.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D-10T (100 mm)|100 mm D-10T]] || 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" | 34 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+17° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 9.52 || 13.18 || 16.00 || 17.69 || 18.82 || rowspan="2" | 11.05 || rowspan="2" | 9.78 || rowspan="2" | 9.01 || rowspan="2" | 8.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 5.95 || 7.00 || 8.50 || 9.40 || 10.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-412 || APHE || 218 || 213 || 192 || 169 || 148 || 130
|-
| BR-412B || APHEBC || 218 || 214 || 195 || 173 || 154 || 137
|-
| BR-412D || APCBC || 239 || 236 || 223 || 207 || 192 || 178
|-
| BR-412P || APCR || 224 || 216 || 186 || 153 || 127 || 105
|-
| 3BM-8 || APDS || 299 || 298 || 291 || 272 || 253 || 249
|-
| 3BK-5 || HEATFS || 380 || 380 || 380 || 380 || 380 || 380
|-
| OF-412 || HE || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-412 || APHE || 895 || 15.9 || 1.2 || 19 || 100.1 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-412B || APHEBC || 895 || 15.9 || 1.2 || 19 || 100.1 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-412D || APCBC || 887 || 15.9 || 1.2 || 19 || 93.94 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-412P || APCR || 1,050 || 8.53 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| 3BM-8 || APDS || 1,415 || 4.13 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
| 3BK-5 || HEATFS || 900 || 12.38 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,440 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| OF-412 || HE || 900 || 15.6 || 0 || 0.1 || 1,460 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| 3D3 || 880 || 15.6 || 20 || 5 || 25 || 272
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''34''' || 33 ''(+1)'' || 28 ''(+6)'' || 23 ''(+10)'' || 22 ''(+11)'' || 21 ''(+13)'' || 1 ''(+33)'' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* Turret empty: 28 ''(+6)'' shells.
* Last rack only: 21 ''(+13)'' shells.

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

{{main|DShK (12.7 mm)|SGMT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DShK (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm DShK]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 250 (50) || 600 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SGMT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm SGMT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,500 (250) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The T-54 '51 is practically the same tank as the [[T-54 (1949)|T-54 '49]], it has the same armour as the T-54 '49 and the only difference is the addition of the new HEAT-FS round capable of going through 380mm of armour (the War Thunder community generally accepts the T-54 '51 as having the best ammunition overall). Again, the new round should be taken as a back-up option for the most armoured enemies, while BR-412D should remain the main round.

=== General Playstyle ===
The T-54 '51 is simply the better tank than the T-54 '49, because it has the same armour, and the only difference is the addition of HEAT-FS round, which penetrates through 380mm. (Read the [[T-54 (1947)|T-54 '47]] and the [[T-54 (1949)|T-54 '49]] articles, as they cover the T-54 playstyle).

'''Major Gameplay Differences from the T-54 '49 (Read the [[T-54 (1947)|T-54 '47]] and the [[T-54 (1949)|T-54 '49]] articles prior to reading this!)'''

* You can now penetrate all vehicles that you can see.
* If the map is very big, and you are forced to snipe, you may prefer to take APDS ammunition, because it's much easier to aim.

=== The Stock Grind ===
When grinding the first modifications, Arcade Battles might be more fun, because of faster-paced gameplay and the ability to see all threats. Now, it's '''a priority to research Parts and FPE,''' and it may also be a good idea '''to''' '''activate 3-5 universal vehicle back-ups''' to be able to respawn twice in one match. In this case, it's worth it, because the T-54 '51 is a grinder for rank V and first rank VI vehicles - the faster you spade it, the faster you can grind!

General tips for the stock grind are the same as those for the [[T-54 (1947)|T-54 '47]], read that article.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Improved turret shape and armour thickness, with no shot-traps (Same turret as the T-54 '49)
* Lighter than the 1947 model, with improved mobility
* Wide ammunition selection, including 380 mm penetration 3BK-5 HEAT-FS and powerful APHE rounds
* Well-sloped hull glacis plate, resistant to most full-bore AP rounds
* Roof-mounted DShK heavy machine gun for use against aircraft or light vehicles

'''Cons:'''

* Unstabilised main gun and very slow turret traverse make it vulnerable to being flanked in close combat
* Relatively low rate-of-fire
* Small magazine size of the DShK heavy machine gun
* Weaker hull armour than the 1947 model
* Poor penetration with APHE rounds

== History ==


The T-54 mod. 1951 was the final product of the T-54 family and the transition to early T-55 models. It featured the exact same hull, gun, NBC systems and fire control systems of the previous T-54 but with the TSh-2-22 telescopic gunner's sight. The mod. 1951 featured a turret redesign which removed the turret side undercuts, replaced radio with a new R-113 radio, reduced weight as the extra 20mm has been removed, additional fuel tanks, fume extractor and addition of the TDA smoke generating system.

=== In-game description ===
The new 1951 tank model received a cast semi-spherical turret without shot traps and with improved traverse sealing and an apparatus for attaching a minesweeper. Its two SG-43 machine guns were replaced with a 7.62 mm SGMT machine gun. The T-54's main armament remained as before - a 100 mm D-10T cannon with a 56 calibre barrel length. This weapon was developed in the No. 9 artillery factory's design bureau under the direction of F.F. Petrov. The 100 mm cannon's armour-piercing round was able to penetrate a 125 mm thick vertical armour plate at a range of 2,000 m. After the Second World War, improved variants of this tank served for forty years after the basic model was developed. From 1946, all the characteristics of the T-54 and its variants surpassed those of foreign medium tanks, and its weapon had the best armour-piercing properties.

In total, 7,009 of them were made between 1952 and 1955.The T54 Mod. 1951 became widespread outside the USSR's borders and was licensed for production in Poland, Czechoslovakia and China. Its Chinese variant was designated Type 59.

Tanks of this type were used in a multitude of armed conflicts in the 20th century. These vehicles are still in service in many countries in Asia and the Middle East.

A disadvantage of the tank was the hull layout it inherited from the T-44. It ensured the Soviet tank's advantages over its foreign counterparts, but also restricted opportunities for further increasing the tank's defences, particularly against the new 90 and 105 mm high-explosive anti-tank warheads and armour-piercing subcalibre rounds. The unstabilised tank cannon's accuracy and rate of fire were too low when firing on the move. The T-54's transmission and undercarriage restricted opportunities to increase its mobility after installing a more powerful weapon or increasing its armour.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=ussr_t_54_1951 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|B6ZsuPjSuNo|'''T-54/T-55 family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:19 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|ZW4Cza5OqYg|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|KUSnuNXASxE|'''Most produced tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:38 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|s67D8FqNZRg|'''Tank Chats #104 - T-54/55''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}

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

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

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

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

{{USSR medium tanks}}

Ha-Go

2021-02-16T20:51:45Z

U108476048: Added lindy beige video.

{{About
|about=Japanese light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|other
|usage-1 = other vehicles of the family
|link-1 = Ha-Go (Family)
|usage-2 = other uses
|link-2 = Ha-Go (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=jp_type_95_ha_go
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Japanese light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai"]] along with the initial set of the Japanese Ground Forces Tree. The {{PAGENAME}} was removed from its reserve status and hidden from the main tech tree during [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]] after the ammo update, though it is still unlockable after reaching rank II Japanese ground vehicles.

The Type 95 Ha-Go is a small, but nimble tank for beginners to the Japanese tech tree. The Ha-Go is equipped with an alright 37 mm cannon for its Battle rating (BR), The tank is primarily a support tank, helping the larger tanks push forward. The armour is almost non-existent on the tank, and all cannons and auto cannons can easily get through it. Always try to make use of the Ha-Go's gun depression, hiding the hull behind terrain and obstacles, while exposing only the turret to the enemy.

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

[[File:Ha-Go first prototype under public domain .jpg|right|300px|thumb|3/4 front view and 3/4 rear view of the '''{{PAGENAME}}''' light tank.]]

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12 mm ''Front plate'' 9 mm (73°) ''Front glacis'' 12 mm (17°) ''Joint plate'' 9 mm (69°) ''Lower glacis'' || 12 mm || 10 mm || 9 mm ''Front'' 6 mm ''Rear''
|-
| Turret || 12 mm ''Turret front'' 30 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 12 mm || 12 mm || 12 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 12 mm || 6 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are both 15 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=130|rbMinHp=106}}

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

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

{{main|Type 94 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 94 (37 mm)|37 mm Type 94]] || 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" | 119 || rowspan="2" | -15°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 14.95 || 20.69 || 25.12 || 27.78 || 29.55 || rowspan="2" | 4.29 || rowspan="2" | 3.80 || rowspan="2" | 3.50 || rowspan="2" | 3.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 9.34 || 10.99 || 13.34 || 14.76 || 15.70
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Type 94 APHE || APHE || 34 || 33 || 27 || 22 || 17 || 14
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| Type 94 APHE || APHE || 575 || 0.7 || 1.2 || 9 || 11 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''119''' || 116 ''(+3)'' || 107 ''(+12)'' || 94 ''(+25)'' || 89 ''(+30)'' || 81 ''(+38)'' || 49 ''(+70)'' || 1 ''(+129)'' || No
|-
|}

Turret & Left empty: 89 ''(+30)''

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

{{main|Type 97 (7.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 97 (7.7 mm)|7.7 mm Type 97]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Hull || 3,000 (20) || 499 || ±22° || ±22°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


As a light tank in a Rank I battle, the best overall tactic is to get the first jump on an enemy since the Ha-Go's gun is able to penetrate most tank's armour, yet everyone else's can also penetrate the Ha-Go. In an offensive, try to attack the enemy from a direction not covered to catch them by surprise, then exploit it by using the Ha-Go's mobility to keep moving around the enemy once it gets close so the enemy could not get an accurate bead on it. In a defensive, hold back and try to cover a single area of contact so the Ha-Go could dispel its fire on any enemy approaching.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent gun depression and elevation (-15˚ to 20˚).
* APHE shell with good post-penetration damage.
* Good top speed (50 km/h on flat surface).
* Small silhouette like the [[Panzer II]], easy to hide behind cover.

'''Cons:'''

* Outdated 37 mm cannon with mediocre penetration, making a lot of tanks impervious to your shells.
* Weak armour (12.7 mm machine guns are able to knock out the {{PAGENAME}} easily).
* Reverse speed is 5 km/h on any terrain.
* Three-man crew which means that the Ha-Go can be destroyed by a single shot, maybe two if lucky.
* Turns are sluggish at any speed.

== History ==

===Development===
The deployment of the first Japanese domestic tank design, the [[I-Go Ko|Type 89 I-Go]], gave the Japanese good insight on the improvement of their armoured force. One of the pressing issues of the Type 89 was that the tank was too slow to keep up with motorized infantry, restricting the operational range or advance of a combined-arm unit to only 40 kilometers. Another tank design being fielded by the Type 89, the Type 92 cavalry tank, had the speed that fixes this problem, but its armour was too thin and only had a heavy machine gun armament. Thus, development started in July 1933 on a tank able to fix these problem, with the specifications that the tank should weigh only 7.7 tons and armed with a 37 mm gun. With the same engine as the Type 89, but half of its weight, the new tank would have a faster road speed.<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank">Zaloga Steven. ''Japanese Tanks 1939-1945'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2007</ref>

The production of the designs was given to Mitsubishi, with a prototype produced and ready for trials in June 1934. The design was sent to Manchuria and performed cold weather trials in the Independent Mixed Brigade. These trials were positive and the second prototype design was built in June 1935 with improvements based on the trials. With a well-received performance of the design, it was accepted for service in the Imperial Japanese Army as the '''Type 95 Ha-Go''' light tank (Accepted in 1935, Imperial year 2595. 'Ha-Go' name given by Mitsubishi).<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank">Zaloga Steven. ''Japanese Tanks 1939-1945'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2007</ref> Production lasted from 1936 to 1943, with up to 2,300 tanks produced in the time period, making it the most produced Japanese tank design in World War II.

===Design===
The Type 95 Ha-Go was a light tank weighing roughly 7.7 tons. It had a three-man crew with a turret that only held one person inside. The turret was armed with a 37 mm gun, as well as a machine gun mount on the rear of the turret just like the Type 89. The machine gun armament on the back allowed the commander to simply traverse the turret to use a certain armament for the situation desired. Despite that, the one-man turret meant the commander was overworked.

The tank used the same engine on the Type 89B, the 120 hp Mitsubishi diesel engine. The suspension on the tank was quite simple, two bogies with wheels suspended on a bell crank with a front sprocket and two return rollers on each side. The two bogies were attached to a brace, connecting the two to fix problems with the pitching that inhibited the tank's driving ability, but the suspension still gave the crew a rough ride when driving on uneven ground. A unique feature on the Type 95 design was that there was an asbestos padding area separating the interior area from the hull armour to protect the crew from burning on hot metal armour and from injury on hitting the hull from the tank's rough driving experience.

===Combat usage===
The Type 95's was first deployed in the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Type 95s in the theater were generally well-received due to the inferiority of China's anti-tank defenses and their tank forces usually consist of machine gun-armed tanks like the Panzer I and CV33. The Type 95 Ha-Go's first major combat was during the border conflicts between Japan and the Soviet Union during the battles at Khalkhin Gol. The Type 95 made up a good portion of the 4th Tank Regiment in the 1st Tank Corps, alongside [[I-Go Ko|Type 89]]s and Type 94 tankettes. These tanks generally fought against the Soviet's [[BT-5]] and [[BT-7]] tanks, which were in the same class as the Ha-Gos, though the Japanese took special note on the 45 mm cannon on the Soviet tanks, which they deemed superior to the Ha-Go 37 mm cannon. The two side exchanged multiple battles and territories, eventually resulting in a ceasefire between the two nations in August 1939.

The next major usage of the Type 95 Ha-Go would be in opening stages of World War II when Japan invades the Allied territory after their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Their first usage was in the Malaya campaign, then Singapore, then the Burma campaign. Despite the British technological superiority over the Japanese with their tank designs in Europe, their self-created concept that tanks were next-to-useless in the Pacific jungles caused them to have a severe shortage of armour in the Pacific in the early stages of the war. The Japanese however, with no experience in jungle warfare, managed to invade with Type 95 alongside [[Chi-Ha|Type 97 mediums]] as their spearhead. The Type 95 would also be involved with America's first tank-to-tank battle during the Battle of the Philippines. Type 95s from the 4th Tank Regiment came across U.S. [[M3 Stuart|M3 Stuarts]] from the 192nd Tank Battalion. Despite the Stuarts being five years newer than the Type 95, the two tanks were deemed very similar performance-wise. In this engagement, the Type 95 managed to spot the U.S. tanks first and open fired, destroying one of the Stuarts in the platoon and the west withdrew under fire.

The Japanese continued using their Ha-Go in the Pacific Theater all the way until the end of the war. Even when outmatched by the newer American tanks like the [[M4|M4 Shermans]], the lack of any better equipment forced the Japanese Army to play with what they've got left. This led to costly defeats in the Japanese tank units on Tarawa, Saipan, Guam, Peleliu, and Okinawa as the tank units were used in reckless charges or static pillboxes as they were destroyed via tank, cannon, or bazooka fire.

After the war, the remnants of the Japanese Army left behind a huge number of Type 95 Ha-Go in their depot at the occupied territory. This led to a massive amount of tanks being captured and used by the opposing sides of the Chinese Civil War. Another curious user of the captured Japanese tanks were the French, which captured them from Japanese-occupied area in French Indochina. The French used the Japanese tanks alongside French tanks to hastily make units called 'Commando Blindé du Cambodge' to fight in the First Indochina War.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=japan&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=light_tank&vehicle=jp_type_95_ha_go Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|jXtjy0Sqgz0|'''Type 95 {{PAGENAME}}, Japanese, Tier-1, Reserve Light Tank''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''|Xgj1pQyF8vY|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|LhCsc_rYgA4|'''Tank Chats #50 Ha-Go''' - ''The Tank Museum''|rRW3N7GmsBA|'''A poor tank, a useless tank, and the worst tank in the world''' - Discusses the Ha-Go at beginning to 2:30 ''Lindybeige'' }}

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

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

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4272-development-newsflash-from-igromir-2016-new-ships-and-first-look-at-japanese-ground-forces-en/|[News] Newsflash from IgroMir 2016! New ships and first look at Japanese Ground Forces! (Type 95 & Type 97 Chi-Ha Kai)]]
* [[wikipedia:Type_95_Ha-Go_light_tank|[Wikipedia] Type 95 Ha-Go light tank]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/jap/Type_95_Ha-Go.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Type 95 Ha-Go]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=334 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> Type 95 Ha-Go (Ke-Go / Kyu-Go)]

=== References ===
<references />

{{Japan light tanks}}

M22

2021-02-16T17:03:01Z

U108476048: Added Tank Chat

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m22_locust
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. One of the tiniest tanks in the game, the Locust is able to manoeuvre some of the smaller areas on the battlefield to get a clean shot on an opponent.

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

Outside of heavy machine guns and autocannon rounds firing at a bad angle-of-attack, the M22's armour offers very little ballistic protection against the standard kinetic shells encountered. With only three men in the tank clumped together around the center, a single penetrating shot through the center is bound to knock out two or more crew member and leave the tank immobile or incapacitated.

Aircraft coming in at certain angles can possess the necessary penetration values to utterly shred apart the Locust, especially the thin roof armour of 9.5 mm at the turret and hull. However, an oblique angle towards the front armour is already enough to get through the sloped 12.7 mm armour plate present.

'''Armour type:'''

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12.7 mm (64-65°) ''Front glacis'' 25.4 mm (7-62°) ''Lower glacis'' 25.4 mm (9-85°) ''Driver's port'' || 9.5 mm (34-51°) ''Top'' 12.7 mm ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm (11-15°) ''Lower''
12.7 mm +9 mm ''Upper''
| 9.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 25.4 mm (25-36°) ''Turret front'' 25.4 mm (22-53°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25.4 mm (3-6°) || 25.4 mm || 9.5 mm
|}
'''Notes:''' 

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, the bogies and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 297|rbMinHp= 170|}}

Aside from its small size, the M22's next famous value is its speed as a light tank. This allows the light tank to zip across the battlefield, possible getting to locations that can annoy enemies like a locust.

In Arcade Battles, be wary of going too fast with the enhanced engine power, especially on paved roads, as it could put the M22 in a speed the transmission would not be able to steer properly without "snaking" the tank. Another worst case scenario is running full speed into an immovable object, which can disable certain components or even flat out knock out the tank.

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

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

{{main|M6 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.5 || 27.0 || 32.8 || 36.3 || 38.6 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 12.2 || 14.4 || 17.4 || 19.3 || 20.5
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M74B1 || AP || 79 || 76 || 65 || 54 || 45 || 37
|-
| M63 Shell || HE || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| M51B1/B2 || APCBC || 87 || 84 || 73 || 60 || 50 || 41
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| M74B1 || AP || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M63 Shell || HE || 807 || 0.73 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 38 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M51B1/B2 || APCBC || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''50''' || 39 ''(+11)'' || 25 ''(+25)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
Note:

* Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.

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

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Perhaps the best word to describe this tank is -- tiny -- it really is, no other tank is as small as the ''Locust'' (save the [[ASU-57]]). This is a pro and a con, which we will cover in a second. The ''Locust'' is a light tank and thus is never really meant to go up against other tanks in the game. This severely limits the opponents you are able to face against "fairly" in this tank as your small size also means the crew is compacted into a small area and a crew knockout is very easy to do onto you, so in order to beat the odds, some trickery has to be put into play...

;Run and Gun

The ''Locust'' is really fast (although it might be hard to handle at its max speed), use this to your advantage to get to favorable positions or the flanks of the enemy. The tiny size of the tank helps by presenting a smaller target to the enemy and allows the usage of smaller cover that could not be typically used by an average tank of the rank. With fast maneuvering and sneaky movements across terrains, you can cross the battlefield quickly and carry out sharp strikes against the enemy. A skilled player can swiftly move from one capture point to another, destroy any opposition there, and capture the point.

;Get in Close

The riskier tactic, which would work if done well, is to just get right up onto the enemy tank. Again the ''Locust'' is ''tiny'' and this could make you easier to be knocked out, but that also means you can exploit some of the other tanks weaknesses, like their gun depression. Get up right on that tank, point blank on the sides, you will find that some enemies will not be able to even move their gun down to hit you if you stay close to them. Also remember that you have an impressive fire rate of about 3 seconds. Use this advantage to find weak points on their side or rear armour and score a subsequent knockout. However, you must be careful as sometimes the enemy tank may move in a way that forces you into their crosshairs or their allies shoot you as you are attacking.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Enormous hp/ton ratio, allowing fast acceleration
* Great speeds across flat terrain
* Extremely low profile; tanks without a lot of gun depression can't shoot at you at close range
* Locust is shorter than the hulls of many tanks, so many opponents may not even be able to aim at the Locust if it's close enough
* The gun has no trouble penetrating tanks at its BR range
* Easy to turn a complete 180° at low speed and at a stop

'''Cons:'''

* High acceleration and speed make tank handling rather difficult unless familiar with specs
* Handling becomes sluggish at higher speeds, noticeably in 3rd Gear
* Small crew of 3 confined in tiny space, no spare crew members to take over incapacitated ones, a penetrating shot can take out two of them easily
* Weak armour; will only stop 12.7 mm rounds, and sometimes not even
* Due to its low suspension, it may get stuck in the soft or uneven ground
* Strange driving issue, in arcade mode, that causes the ''Locust'' to shudder, wobble, and not accelerate at a constant rate
* Doesn't have explosive filler for the 37 mm shells

== History ==

===Development===
The development of this tank began in late 1941 as a request from the British military for an airmobile light tank that could travel on a glider. The British airborne forces used gliders as a mean to transport troops and equipment, and by 1941 the gliders were rated to be able to carry a tank weighing about 5.5 tons in a 300 to 350-mile flight. The British had a light tank design, the ''[[Tetrarch_Mk_I|Mk. VII Tetrarch]]'', but it was not built for the focus of airborne operations so the request was made for a purely-built airborne light tank to replace the Tetrarch, and for the tank to be made not in Britain due to constraints in industrial capacity.

The request to the Americans called for a tank weighing between 9-10 tons with a 37 mm cannon and a coaxial machine gun with a crew of three. The tank was to have a maximum speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) and could operate in a 320 km radius (200 miles). The turret and front armour thickness were to be between 40-50 mm and the sides 30 mm thick. US Ordnance Department requested three companies, General Motors, J. Walter Christie, and Marmon-Herrington to design a suitable tank, of which the Marmon-Herrington design was accepted. The design was made into a prototype in late 1941 and was designated the ''Light Tank T9''. This design had a crew of three and weighed 7.4 tons, with a 37 mm gun and coaxial machine gun, plus two more machine guns on the right side of the bow. The turret was powered and had a gun stabilizer. The tank was powered by a 162 hp six-cylinder Lycoming engine and the armour thickness was 12.5 mm on the entire hull side of the tank while the sloped area on the sides of the hull was 9.5 mm thick. The tank could go up to 40 mph (64 km/h) with the engine. The T9 was built to be mounted on a Douglas C-54 Skymaster plane, but it could still fit into a glider due to its dimensions and weight. The tank underwent a few changes, such as improvement in the tank suspension and removal of the two machine guns on the bow, the gun stabilizer, and the power traverse on the turret to reduce the weight. The result was designated the ''Light Tank T9E1''. Production was meant to start somewhere in 1942, but issues in the design change and factories caused the production to be delayed until April 1943. The tanks were produced from then until 1945, with a total unit of 830.

The tank was specified the '''Light Tank M22''' at some time in 1943, but this classified it as a "limited standard" equipment due to some faults discovered. Testings showed that loading the M22 tank on a C-54 plane required lots of time and complex equipment, plus the plane had to be landed on an airfield to be unloaded. The durability and reliability of the M22 were also brought into question, concerned that these factors would make it unsuitable for airborne operations and that the design was effectively obsolete. The M22 never saw service in American combat units except for training, and even with the establishment of two units with the M22s, they saw no combat due to America's lack of investment in airborne tanks. The British on the other hand believed that the M22 would be adequate at its role so adopted it as the ''' ''Locust'' ''', giving the name '''Light Tank M22 ''Locust'' ''' to the tank.

===Combat usage===
The British usage in World War II had the airborne light tanks used in 1st and 6th Airborne Division as the Light Tank 'C' Squadron. Although the M22 Locust started replacing the Tetrarch before the initiation of Operation Overlord, the Tetrarch was still used until October 1944, when a restructuring retired all Tetrarch and replaced them with Locusts. The 6th Airborne Division was involved in Operation Varsity in 1945, where eight Locusts were loaded onto Hamilcar gliders and flown to the battlefield on March 24. Of the eight Locusts sent, six landed intact, but two never reached their rendezvous point due to enemy action or mechanical breakdown. Of the four remaining Locusts, only two were undamaged at the rendezvous point. The tanks were deployed at a fortified area, where they engage German troops while being supported by an infantry company, the Locusts were forced to withdraw after the heavy losses in infantry denied them support. The four tanks and what is left of the infantry were finally relieved by the 44th Royal Tank Regiment and the rest of the 6th Airborne Division. Operation Varsity was the only operation the Locust would ever see action in World War II.

The M22 ''Locust'', while serving rather well as an airborne tank, was reported to be obsolete by January 1946 by the War Office in Britain. New designs were to take over the Locust's role in the airborne formations. What's left of the ''Locusts'' in British inventory were given to foreign militaries. Belgium used some as command tanks in their armoured regiments. America received a few tanks back which was converted into agricultural tractors. Egypt used the Locusts in a large number to replace their ageing tank models from the interwar period, these saw service in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Today, sixteen M22 Locusts are known to have survived, though many have replica turrets. Of the batch, only three are known to be in running condition.

=== In-game description ===
"In 1941 an airmobile light tank designated the T9 entered development, with three major companies assigned the project: Christie, GMC, and Marmon-Herrington. The design provided by Marmon-Herrington proved the winner, as it satisfied practically every client requirement.
Trials of the new tank began in the fall of 1941, and in November 1942 the third T9E2 pre-production prototype was built.

Production began in March 1943 and continued through February 1944. Marmon-Herrington assembled and delivered over the space of that year 830 of the 1,800 tanks ordered. The first 26 had a box-shaped compartment for the driver, though it was removed for subsequent models. The frontal plate was then made from a single piece.

The tank was designated the M22 beginning September 1944, though the lack of heavy transport planes in the American army kept it out of the war.

The UK acquired 260 M22s via Lend-Lease, referring to them as Locusts. The British liked the tank thanks to its good mobility, small size, and reasonable weight. Its weak armament and armor, which was no thicker than 25 mm, were considered drawbacks. Some 37 mm cannons were equipped with Littlejohn adaptors, which were designed to boost initial velocity with special shells.

The M22 only saw combat in 1945. Its biggest battle was Operation Varsity, when 12 tanks were flown in using Hamilcar gliders on March 22, 1945. Some M22s may have taken part in the 1944 Normandy invasion."

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=light_tank&vehicle=us_m22_locust Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|YuBjyMQLRy0|'''Airmobile tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:43 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|OqGt9pefGSA|'''{{PAGENAME}} Locust Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|Cdd0WWkWvRE|'''Tank Chat #87''' - ''Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same gun

* [[M3 Stuart (Family)]]
* [[M5 Stuart (Family)]]
* [[M8 Greyhound (Family)]]
* [[LVT(A)(1)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Tetrarch Mk I]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/716|[Devblog] Developers about the M22]]
* [[wikipedia:M22_Locust|[Wikipedia] M22 Locust]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/us/light-tank-airborne-m22-locust <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Light Tank (Airborne) M22 Locust]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=252 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> M22 Locust (Light Tank, Airborne, M22)]
* [http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers.html <nowiki>[The Shadock]</nowiki> Surviving M22 Locusts]

{{TankManufacturer Marmon-Herrington}}
{{USA light tanks}}

Comet I

2021-02-16T17:00:54Z

U108476048: Added Tank Chat

{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_a_34_comet
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]] along with the initial British ground tree. Armed with a [[OQF Mk.II (77 mm)|77 mm HV gun]], essentially a 17-pounder with a lower muzzle velocity, it has one of the more powerful guns available for a medium tank at the rating.

The Comet is an excellent medium tank. It has great mobility and acceleration, able to reach 38 km/h very quickly and stay there in full throttle, but its reverse speed is pitiful like the [[Cromwell V|Cromwell's]]. Firepower is also a benefit of the vehicle, especially after the unlocking of the APDS shot, giving it the penetration needed to deal with any threat you might encounter. The drawback of the design is the sub-par armour that can be pretty easily penetrated at BR 5.3. One should take advantage of the Comet's low profile and mobility to hide and manoeuvre from the enemy to catch them at an advantageous angle. The Comet also has a benefit the previous tanks in its branch, the [[Sherman Firefly]], didn't have in the great gun depression. This allows the Comet to more easily fire over hills in an hull-down position to destroy the enemy with the most the best terrain benefit for protection.

The Comet is a greyish-brownish colour like all other British tanks. It is also quite low in stature. The Comet has a unique turret design and has a nice long barrel. The barrel has a muzzle brake at the end of it. The machine gun beside the driver doesn't work.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret front, Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 76.2 mm (1°) ''Front plate'' 32 mm (72°) ''Front glacis'' 63.5 mm (19°) ''Joint plate'' 25.4 mm (69°) ''Lower glacis'' || 32 mm ''Top front half'' 25 mm ''Top back half'' 29 + 14 mm ''Bottom'' || 32 + 25.4 mm (1°) ''Top half'' 32 mm (32°) ''Lower half'' || 14 mm
|-
| Turret || 102 mm (3-57°) ''Turret front'' 102 mm (1-34°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 63.5 mm || 57.1 + 5 mm (1°)|| 25.4 mm ''Front half'' 20 mm ''Back half''
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 44 mm || 25.4 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

*Suspension wheels and the tracks are 20 mm thick.
*There are tracks attached on the turret that provide an extra 20 mm armour where they are attached.
*Steel boxes on the left and right side of the hull by the turret gives 4 mm extra armour at their location.
*The bustle rack on the back of the turret gives an armour rating of 5 mm

Aim for the hull. You will almost certainly destroy the tank when a Comet player is reversing and panicking at the same time.

The turret is an unreliable area to target. Its armour is thicker and bouncy. A good Comet player will be in a hull down position, but you can easily take it out if you aim for the cupola or if your gun can take it, the turret cheeks.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 930|rbMinHp= 531}}

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

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

{{main|OQF Mk.II (77 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[OQF Mk.II (77 mm)|77 mm OQF Mk.II]] || 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" | 61 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 14.28 || 19.76 || 24.00 || 26.55 || 28.24 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.79 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.93 || 10.50 || 12.75 || 14.10 || 15.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Shot Mk.6 || AP || 137 || 134 || 123 || 111 || 100 || 91
|-
| Shell Mk.1 || HE || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9
|-
| Shot Mk.4 || APC || 137 || 134 || 123 || 111 || 100 || 91
|-
| Shot Mk.8 || APCBC || 152 || 149 || 137 || 124 || 112 || 101
|-
| Shot SV Mk.1 || APDS || 220 || 216 || 199 || 179 || 159 || 139
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| Shot Mk.6 || AP || 754 || 7.71 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| Shell Mk.1 || HE || 754 || 6.98 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 580 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| Shot Mk.4 || APC || 754 || 7.71 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Shot Mk.8 || APCBC || 754 || 7.71 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Shot SV Mk.1 || APDS || 1,120 || 1.73 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''61''' || 56 ''(+5)'' || 50 ''(+11)'' || 43 ''(+18)'' || 38 ''(+23)'' || 30 ''(+31)'' || 25 ''(+36)'' || 20 ''(+41)'' || 12 ''(+49)'' || 7 ''(+54)''|| 1 ''(+60)''|| No
|-
|}
Notes:

* As they are modeled by sets of 2, shells disappear from the rack only after you fire both shells in the set.
* Right side empty: 25 ''(+36)'' shells

==== [[Optics]] ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} Optics
|-
!
! Default magnification
! Maximum magnification
|-
! Main Gun optics
| X3.0 || X6.0
|-
! Comparable optics
| colspan="2" | [[VFW]]
|-
|}

Second tank in Medium tank British tech line to have X6 scope. It will not get any better than this until rank VI, so get used to it - it will be the same across entire tech tree for a while with SPAA being the only exception.

As of rank III, this scope is slightly or moderately superior to most medium and heavy tanks, but do not expect to outsnipe German SPG as they have same optics or even better.

With newfound APDS ammunition, you might want to take tank on a test drive to get used to APDS ballistic markings. As usually, each mark represents 200 m, but they skip over the 8 number on the scope, leaving inexperienced user guessing where is the 800 m mark. It is the second big line on your scope - try to remember it well.

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

{{main|BESA (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[BESA (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm BESA]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 5,175 (225) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Fighting a tank of the same weight classification is relatively easy, but difficult against the more armoured [[Panther A|Panther]] and [[T-34-85|T-34]] tanks. Until the APDS shot can be unlocked, more decisive shots will have to be made to take care of these tanks, the Mk.6 and Mk.8 shot are the preferred ammunition to use. The Panthers should be targeted on the gun mantlet in the front and should be aimed at the gunner to immobilize their firepower and cause crew damage. The T-34-85 is a bit of a hit-or-miss due to the more heavy sloping nature of the armour and the turret. Penetrating through the front hull armour when it is facing directly at you is the best course of action against the T-34-85. Heavy tanks get even more tricky, but easier once the APDS round is unlocked for use. A [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]] is admittedly an easy tank to deal with due to the vertical slope of the armour. Problems arise with the [[IS-2]] tank that may show up, due to their heavy armour and their tendency to absolutely wreck vehicles with their 122 mm gun. Distance is not your friend against this tank, the closer the better for your gun to penetrate the weak spots on its frontal armour. A tough situation, but a survivable one.

For every Comet player that does not have the APDS shells, do not engage in long distance gun fights. You are almost certainly going to lose. So use it first as its intention is, a cruiser tank. Cap point and retreat. If you find yourself in a sticky situation, get as close to the enemy as possible and fire at it's side. Conduct the battle in this manner until the APDS is unlocked

The best tactic is flanking and "shoot and scoot". Your armour won't stand against T-34's and Tigers you'll meet so don't pick a snipe position and keep firing - sooner or later you '''will''' be pinned down. You need to locate a good spot for attack, fire a few shots (Comet has a great fire rate: use it) and relocate. Don't mind the damage you made: keep moving!

Also, another "never" to do with this tank, never go in reverse. You are almost certainly going to get yourself destroyed in the process as you have an awful reverse speed of only -3 km/h (-1 mph). If you want to reverse, turn the whole tank around instead using neutral steer or just charge at the enemy, circle him or her once and disappear the other way. You must do this as quickly as you appeared. You can use smoke grenades, but still, don't reverse, charge at the enemy. To not to get in the situation in the first place, choose where you are going to go carefully. You must study the situation quickly and cautiously to not to get yourself blown up in the process. The key is to run, run and run.

Overall, you must dedicate quite a bit of time to master the tank in all. Even when you have the APDS shells.

===Game mode specifics===
====Arcade battles====
In arcade domination mode where the cap points are arranged perpendicular to the cap points (ex. Poland, Ash River, Berlin, Korea, Karelia, Kuban, etc.), go for the flanks (A or C). If the cap points are diagonal (ex. Stalingrad), go for the closest cap point. And if the cap points are parallel to cap points (ex. Ardennes, Eastern Europe, etc.) go for the middle point as fast as you can. If you feel that you cant make it, help cap the point closest to spawn. You can also decide if you want to defend the point after capturing it. It is suggested to defend the cap point that has a lot of cover and an easy escape if overwhelmed (Suggested points to defend: A or C in Poland, C in Stalingrad, C in Ardennes).

====Realistic/Simulator battles====
In realistic and simulator, the Comet can become sluggish and isn't as fast as in arcade. A suggestion would be to capture the closest cap point, cap it, and then go into hiding. When you go into hiding, take every well placed shot you can and immediately run away from an encounter. You will mainly be facing Tiger IIs, Tiger Is, and Panthers, T-34-85s, rarely Chi-Tos and Chi-Ris. If you encounter them on a one v. one, always be on the move. Move around the other tank and try to hit it from the side (Panthers, Tiger Is, Chi-Tos, and Chi-Ris). If you encounter a Tiger II, slap it across the cheek with a APDS shell and take shoot it through the side. T-34-85 would be easier. You can easily penetrate the frontal armour of the T-34-85. It is just a matter of reaction time.

===Specific enemies worth noting===

All tanks when you do not have APDS shells yet. If you do, it a lot easier. As it has been mention before, when engaging a Tiger II, slap an APDS shell on the right turret cheek to knock out the gunner and finish it off from the side. The hardest tanks to counter are the following:

*[[Tiger II (P)|Tiger II]]s
*[[Tiger E|Tiger I]]s
*[[Panther A|Panther]]s
*[[T-34-85]]
*[[IS-1]]/[[IS-2|2]]

Although your gun can counter anything within the Comets BR range, you should constantly be aware that one hit from pretty much any gun to the front of the hull will knock out the Comet. In particular, the Russian 85mm and German 75mm/88mm guns should be taken very seriously. They have plenty of explosive filler. The turret on the Comet has the chance to bounce even the mighty 88mm gun found on the Tiger I, but only a chance. Your hull won't even protect you from the majority of rank 2 guns, so rank 3 and 4 guns will slice through the Comets armour like butter. Because of this, almost any enemy is dangerous. Even SPAA can be a frontal threat to you. In particular, the [[Wirbelwind]]/ [[Ostwind]] can cause serious damage at close/ medium range. Be particularly cautious late in a match when SPAA are more common.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent manoeuvrability and speed - second only by a little to the [[T-34-85 (D-5T)]] and [[Panther D|Panther D]]
* Good gun, precise and with good penetration values (vertical armour)
* Great turret armour
* Access to APDS shot
* Low profile
* Great gun depression of -12°, compared to [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]] with only -5°
* 5 crew member, balanced crew survival
* Good climbing ability, can get to sniping positions that other tanks cannot
* When fully upgraded, the Comet I is fast and manoeuvrable
* Has access to neutral steering which allows quick repositioning of the tank
* APDS is great at taking out Panthers and Tigers at long range. One shot KO's are common if you know where the ammo racks are
* APDS makes the tank very easy to use in RB and SB. The round drops very little over distance and retains a lot of penetration

'''Cons:'''

* Bad penetration values against sloped armour without APDS
* Mediocre gun damage due to lack of explosive fillers, aim at the enemy gunner to increase your fighting chance
* The 77 mm HV does not have as much penetration as the true 17-pounder and other Rank III guns
* Overall bad armour for its rank, only the turret front has some good chance to bounce some hits
* Awful reverse speed of only 3 km/h (2 mph)
* APDS causes less post-penetration damage than the other AP rounds
* Painful to use when stock due to disappointing performance in terms of acceleration and frustratingly bouncy stock rounds

== History ==

===Development===
The British experience against the Germans during World War II showed that there were severe deficiencies with their cruiser tanks. The main cruiser tanks in the British inventory was the [[Crusader Mk II|Crusader]] tank, but suffered from a gradually inefficient armament and thin armour. A request was submitted in 1941 to the Nuffield Organization and Leyland Motors Ltd for a heavier cruiser tank that could take on the gradually stronger German tanks, the design was also to use components from the Crusader tanks for economic reasons. This became the A24 Cruiser Tank Mk VII Cavalier tank and the A27L Cruiser tank Mk VII Centaur tank, which are both superseded by the [[Cromwell V|A27M Cruiser Tank Mk VII Cromwell tank]]. The Cromwell ended up as a decent cruiser tank for the British Army, giving great mobility, reliability, and a decent OQF 75 mm gun (or a 6-pounder gun). However, it still had problems, such as being under-gunned against the more armoured German tanks and suspension problems.

It was determined that the British Army needed a tank that mounted the large 17-pounder gun, which would allow the tank to stand its ground against the German panzers. The first attempt was an upgraded Cromwell in the form of the [[Challenger|A30 Challenger]], but development and production was slow and the first mass-produced tank with the 17-pounder was the modified [[Sherman Firefly|Sherman Firefly]]. While the Firefly was adequate, it was a logistical burden when the Firefly is attached with Cromwell troops, which would require the troop to have maintenance requirements for a Cromwell and a Sherman tank. A more standard tank is needed to fix this, and development started on this with the General Staff specification '''A34'''.

The developing tank, now called '''A34 Comet I''', was meant to fix the issues from the Cromwell such as the suspension and the track shedding, plus also increase the firepower and speed. The gun mounted on the tank was the "77 mm HV", a specifically built gun for the Comet I. Though using the same projectiles as the 17-pounder, the 77 mm HV gun uses cartridges with different casings and thus the rounds between the two gun are different and the 77 mm HV produces a lower muzzle velocity for the round, but this allowed easier stowage in the gun due to the more compact size. The Comet I also gave a greater armour protection, a welded armour construction, cast gun mantlet, stronger suspension, a return roller established in the suspension, an electrically traversed turret, and ammo stowage inside armoured bins. The Comet I, though having the power to go faster than the Cromwell, is restricted with an engine governor to preserve the suspension, engine, and tracks. The Comet I entered prototype stage in February 1944, but delays caused production to start at September 1944 and then put into service in Europe at December 1944. By the end of the war, about 1,186 Comet I tanks were made for the British Army.

===Combat usage===
The first units to receive the Comet I tank was the British 11th Armoured Division, which was delivered in December 1944, and was the only division to be refitted with Comets by the end of the war. The Comet did not perform significantly in the battlefield due to its late arrival, but it was involved in the crossing of the Rhine and the Berlin Victory parade in July 1945. At Europe, the maximum speed of 51 km/h allowed the Comet I to exploit the German highways to travel throughout the entire countryside.

The Comet I saw service after World War II during the Korean War when it started, serving alongside its to-be successor [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion tank]]. Though the Centurion was adopted in 1949, the Comet I continued to see service in the British Army until 1958, when it was then decommissioned and sold to foreign countries, which included South Africa, Finland, Ireland, Cuba, and Myanmar. Notable records with the Comet I sales was 41 tanks to Finland, which used them until 1970 and kept them in storage for much longer. In 1959, 4 were sent to Ireland in 1959 and another 4 the following year, the Irish kept them until 1973 before being withdrawn.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=britain&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=uk_a_34_comet Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|aXLxiqyUgnM|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|oc_Z6gHeFCA|'''Comet A34 British Cruiser Tank''' - ''MilitArmy''|xhJr7xcFfsY|'''Tank Chats #115''' - ''Tank Museum"}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[Comet I "Iron Duke IV"]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/852|[Devblog] A34 Comet I and A30 Challenger]]
* [[wikipedia:Comet_(tank)|[Wikipedia] Comet (tank)]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/a34-cruiser-tank-comet-mark-i <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Comet, Cruiser Tank, A34]

{{Britain medium tanks}}

Strv 103C

2021-02-12T17:22:09Z

U108476048: Added 2 videos.

{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_strv_103c
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Swedish medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]].

The Stridsvagn 103C is a final production variant of the S-tank family. This modification includes modern improvements in all areas, giving the tank access to increased mobility, survivability, and firepower.

== General info ==
The {{PAGENAME}} is a Swedish MBT with a unique design compared to all other tanks of the same era. The S-tank, as it is more commonly known, makes use of the hull to direct fire at various targets. This feature requires the unique "Enable Hull aiming" key, which turns the tank from its regular cruising mode, into a fixed turret, capable of aiming wherever the player points their cursor. The reason the {{PAGENAME}} made use of hull-aimed weaponry becomes apparent when looking at the armour. The {{PAGENAME}} has armour sloped back more than 75 degrees, giving it strong frontal protection, with a high likelihood of causing enemy shells to ricochet. Another luxury a hull-fixed gun offers is the use of an automatic loading system. The {{PAGENAME}} can fire its main 105mm cannon every four seconds, no matter the amount of crewmen left. Paired with high mobility, and the {{PAGENAME}} becomes one of the most unique main-battle tanks in the game. With a bit of ingenuity and patience, the {{PAGENAME}} works at all ranges, in almost all conditions imaginable.

This isn't to say the {{PAGENAME}} is without flaws. The tank is incredibly vulnerable to flanking maneuvers, as the side and rear have a thickness of 30mm. It usually doesn't matter what kind of vehicle gets behind the {{PAGENAME}}, as even SPAA has no issues penetrating the tank. The gun is also filled with drawbacks, especially relating to the aiming. Due to hull-aiming relying on the ground below it, aiming becomes increasingly difficult on uneven terrain as the tank tries to compensate for things in the way. This results in shaky, and highly inaccurate aiming at longer ranges. The tracking is also bad, as the tank finds it difficult to adjust the speed at which it steers neutrally. This requires a {{PAGENAME}} tanker to wait for the target to cross its line of sight, instead of following it along its path. The armour is incredibly weak against APFSDS rounds and ATGM missiles. These usually have enough penetration to knock the tank out in a single blow, exploding the ammunition in the rear as a final touch. As these types of munitions are quite common at this tier, the {{PAGENAME}} can't rely on armour against most opponents on the battlefield. A positive is that weaker types of munitions usually can't reach the crew compartment, resulting in the {{PAGENAME}} surviving 3-5 shells before dying from engine fires.

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
'''External survivability'''

The {{PAGENAME}} is outfitted with incredible frontal protection. This strong impenetrability isn't thanks to composite, but rather sloping. The {{PAGENAME}} has an incredible frontal slope of over 75 degrees. This results in a lot of ricochets from outdated types of munition, which lack significant velocity to damage the tank. Chemical rounds, which penetrate high amounts independent of velocity, have a higher likelihood of penetrating the vehicle. These shells don't bounce off as easily, while still carrying large penetration values. In order to counter this, the {{PAGENAME}} was outfitted with a unique external armour package. Commonly referred to as a "HEAT fence", the {{PAGENAME}} is able to counter upper-plate detonations by fusing them ahead of the armour itself. This hinders chemical rounds from causing heavy post-penetration damages, which increases frontal impenetrability. The lower plate has also been strengthened by the introduction of a dozer blade. This adds an extra 20mm of angled armour, which comes handy against stronger types of munition. The sides have also been slightly enhanced by the introduction of 5mm fuel-canisters acting as side skirts.

'''Internal survivability'''

Once a shell penetrates the vehicle, the {{PAGENAME}} has to rely on its layout. Since the S-tank is entirely hull-designed, everything is incredibly compact to accommodate its varying features. The engine is placed at the front of the vehicle, followed by the crew compartment and lastly ammunition storage. When a frontal penetration occurs, a tanker can consider these compartments as varying grades of damage. Engine penetrations are usually fine, as the only way to take the tank out is by igniting it several times. Shells reaching the crew compartment can be severe, as the tank only has 3 members. Thanks to the last-stand feature, only one member needs to be alive. This can result in a lot of tanked hits, since it's difficult for the enemy to locate which member is still left. Finally, the {{PAGENAME}} is usually destroyed in a single hit if the post-penetration is strong enough to reach the rear ammunition storage. A tanker can still luck out if the shell penetrates the left-side when carrying 26 rounds, as only the right side will be filled.

'''A universal strength''' is the upper ribbed armour package. Previously introduced on the [[Strv 103A]], this package allows the {{PAGENAME}} to "shred" incoming projectiles. Thanks to the introduction of volumetric shells, no sub-caliber round can currently sneak through this package. Due to heavy angling, and being placed behind the fence itself, it reaches thickness levels of between 500 and 1200mm, making it one of the strongest armour layouts in the game.

'''A universal weakness''' is slightly above and below the sharp edge where the upper and lower plate meets. This area can be easily penetrated by both chemical and conventional rounds. With varying damage depending on post-penetration effect. Aiming below the gun-barrel can also knock it out in the process, leaving the {{PAGENAME}} incredibly vulnerable.

'''Armor Composition:'''

* Rolled Homogeneous Armor
* Structural Steel - Storage Boxes, Side-skirts
* Gun Steel - Main Gun, Machine Guns
* High Hardness Rolled Armor - Slat
* Tracks
* Structural Steel of Chassis - Suspension

{| class="wikitable"
!Armour
!Front (Slope angle)
!Sides
!Rear
!Roof
|-
|Hull
|40 mm (77°) ''Upper Glacis''
40 mm (74°) + 20 mm ''Lower Glacis''
|30 mm +10-20 mm ''Upper''
30 mm ''Lower''
|30 mm
|20 mm
|-
|Cupola
|35 mm
|35 mm
|35 mm
|20 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Main Gun - 25 mm
* Machine Guns - 5 mm
* Slat Armor - 50 mm
* Sideskirts - 4 mm
* Tracks - 20 mm
* Suspension - 15 mm
* The crew compartment is lined with 10 mm RHA

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 1057|rbMinHp= 690|AoAweight=|abForwardSpeed=55}}When glancing over the stat-card of the {{PAGENAME}}, it can be easy to assume the tank has inferior mobility to the earlier variants. But thanks to the tank utilizing the turbine in tandem with the more powerful diesel engine, it ends up being one of the most powerful engines at its BR. This catches a lot of opponents off-guard, as they generally don't expect the {{PAGENAME}} to be able to change positions quickly. This can also surprise wounded opponents, as they usually think they're safe hiding behind smaller obstacles without the {{PAGENAME}} coming towards them. And when facing opponents lacking any form of subcaliber munitions to deal with the {{PAGENAME}}, a tanker can find enjoyment scaring them by simply charging at their position.

The {{PAGENAME}} suffers from a severe lack of turrets, which makes it vulnerable to bad positioning. Turreted tanks can easily deal with enemies coming from the sides, without exposing a lot of weak-spots. The {{PAGENAME}} needs to turn the entire vehicle, which often proves fatal. To avoid this, it's important to practice driving in reverse. The {{PAGENAME}} goes almost top-speed in both directions, making it viable to drive in reverse if the tank requires immediate repositioning. Combining this with smoke-grenades makes it impossible for the enemy to predict where the vehicle currently is.

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

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

{{main|L74 (105 mm)}}The {{PAGENAME}} is outfitted with the Bofors L74 105mm cannon. This cannon is identical to the earlier versions of the S-tank. There is some slight visual differences, as the cannon is now welded to the chassi, rather than just drilled through on the earlier variants. But the main difference lies in the ammunition. The {{PAGENAME}} gets access to the DM23 subcaliber shell. This is a treat at its BR, as not all tanks get access to it. The {{PAGENAME}} benefits greatly from this upgrade, as shots don't require the same amount of precision as before to land a devastating hit. This makes it more forgiving to aim, which is especially helpful with the sometimes janky hull-aiming a tanker may experience. But to compensate even further, the {{PAGENAME}} features the same autoloader as any other S-tank, allowing it to fire up to 50 shells with a mere 4 second interval between each round. This makes the {{PAGENAME}} the fastest firing DM23 tank in the game, allowing for some incredible killing sprees when positioned correctly.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L74 (105 mm)|105 mm L74]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+12° || rowspan="2" | N/A || rowspan="2" |N/A || 67.2 || 67.2 || 81.6 || 90.2 || 96.0 || rowspan="2" | 4.0 || rowspan="2" | 4.0 || rowspan="2" | 4.0 || rowspan="2" | 4.0
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 42.0 || 42.0 || 51.0 || 56.4 || 60.2
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| slpprj m/62 || APDS || 260 || 258 || 250 || 240 || 231 || 222
|-
| slpprj m/80 || APFSDS || 337 || 335 || 330 || 322 || 314 || 306
|-
| slsgr m/61A || HE || 23 || 23 || 23 || 23 || 23 || 23
|-
| Shell L35 || HESH || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| slpprj m/62 || APDS || 1,450 || 4.5 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
| slpprj m/80 || APFSDS || 1,455 || 3.79 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
| slsgr m/61A || HE || 680 || 14.4 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 1,830 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| Shell L35 || HESH || 730 || 14.85 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 4,780 || 73° || 77° || 80°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| rökgr m/61 || 330 || 18.7 || 20 || 5 || 25 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''50''' || 46 ''(+4)'' || 41 ''(+9)'' || 36 ''(+14)'' || 31 ''(+19)'' || 26 ''(+24)'' || 21 ''(+29)'' || 16 ''(+34)'' || 11 ''(+39)'' || 6 ''(+44)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
''Main article'': '''''[[ksp 58 (7.62 mm)]]'''''

The {{PAGENAME}} has 3 [[Ksp 58 (7.62 mm)|7.62mm Ksp 58]] machine guns, 2 on the left side in their own mount and one on top of the commander's cupola. All 3 machine guns are fixed to the hull with no traverse.
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="5" |[[Ksp 58 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm ksp 58]]
|-
!Mount
!Capacity (Belt)
!Fire rate
!Vertical
!Horizontal
|-
|Hull
|1,375 (250)
|500
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|Hull
|1,375 (250)
|500
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|Pintle
|1,375 (250)
|500
|N/A
|N/A
|}

== Usage in battles ==

'''Long-range Maps'''

A natural fit for the {{PAGENAME}} is long distance engagements. With its high fire-rate and fast shell, paired with unmatched optics and laser rangefinder, it has all the tools to dominate opponents at longer distances. The {{PAGENAME}} should be spawned as early as possible, swiftly positioned far ahead of the team, with plentiful amounts of cover to compensate for its lackluster survivability against subcaliber munitions. Since the tank has incredible mobility, and almost impenetrable frontal protection in hull-down positions, the S-tank creates hell for the enemy team, forcing them to strategically flank the vehicle, or attack it with guided missiles. The gun barrel can still get knocked out, forcing the {{PAGENAME}} to back away for a few seconds to repair. This can prove costly however, as this window of opportunity can be wide enough to allow a flanking maneuver by the enemy team.

Having teammates substancially increases the tank's survivability against flanking opponents, as a turreted teammate can easily engage enemies trying to sneak a final shot in.

'''Close-range Maps.'''

Realizing the upsides and downsides of the {{PAGENAME}} makes it clear the vehicle was never designed for close-range engagements. This downside does show its truth as the vehicle can't fire on the move effectively, and is forced to take it slow in order to not get blasted from the side in a single shot. Either way, these maps can't be ignored when spading the vehicle, or when trying to research its more conventional brother, the [[Strv 104]]. Despite its flaws, the many upsides still have a lot of usage in closer engagements, and can result in high kill games, despite the uncomfortable surroundings. At the start of a match, the mobility should still be used to its limits. The {{PAGENAME}} only really gets to move freely without any form of danger at the beginning of the match where opponents haven't yet secured any areas of the map, so it's important to take a good position as early as possible. Hiding behind buildings and corners is highly effective, as getting flanked wont occur as often. The tank can very effectively fight off one enemy at a time, but struggles to focus on several opponents at once, due to the lack of a conventional turret. This forces the {{PAGENAME}} to pick off targets when they're busy with something else. Alternatively, if the {{PAGENAME}} sees opponents incapable of effectively penetrating its frontal protection, it can calmly peek out of cover to attack, without any danger, as even if the barrel gets damaged, the tank can swiftly reverse back at max speed.

Having a coordinated teammate can prove devastating for the enemy team, as a turreted teammate can easily fend off opponents from directions the {{PAGENAME}} can't handle. Thanks to the tanks amazing survivability, the {{PAGENAME}} can coordinate with a lesser armoured teammate, to work as a spearhead against incoming shells. As soon as the {{PAGENAME}} gets crippled, a teammate can easily jump in to deal with the distracted opponents. Since the {{PAGENAME}} needs to repair a lot due to commonly sustaining damage, having a teammate that can lower repair times is incredibly helpful.

{{Notice
|Always smoke when you get immobilized in the {{PAGENAME}}! After smoking you can angle the tank vertically with the use of hull-aiming, making it difficult for the enemy to deal more damage.|!
}}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High penetration shells - Access to Swedish DM23 rounds
* High survivability - Able to tank most rounds from the front
* New HEAT "fence" - Counters most Chemical rounds
* Strong turbine engine - Gives the tank high mobility & good off-road performance
* Low silhouette - Capable of hiding behind walls and small hills

'''Cons:'''

* Weak to Sub-caliber shells - Compact design results in high post-penetration damage
* Weak side & rear protection - Unable to survive against any high-caliber round
* Unable to fire while moving
* Difficult to aim - Relies on terrain below for stabilization, causes inaccuracy at longer ranges
* Poor stock performance - Weak stock rounds and slow acceleration
* Loud turbine & diesel engine - Difficult to silently hide

== History ==


Strv 103C is the last official series of the S tank, in the army decision 1972 and 1982 it was decided that getting a new tank for the army was going to be post-pone to the 1990's and the Swedish army at time would foucs on a lighter combat vehicles. So to modernize the S tanks the Strv 103B's had to go through a renovation with upgrading the systems and improve the vehicles in a so called REMO (Renovation and Modification) process and it was not till 1986 the first Strv 103B got its REMO done and got designated Strv 103C.

In the Renovation and Modification process the Strv 103B's got upgraded from a Rolls Royce piston engine to a Detroit Diesel engine, Dozer blade on all "S" Tanks that used to be only 1 of 3 Strv 103's equipped with that, New Tracks, new external fuel tanks in terms of 22 liter jerry cans that were attached on the sides that also worked as extra protection to the side armour, laser rangefinder that was integrated with the aimsight for the gunner, Lyran 71mm illuminating mortar and new gearbox.

It was not till 1988 that all 290 Strv 103B's had been renovated to Strv 103C where they stayed in service till 1997 the Strv 103 saw the last of its service in the armed forces.

=== [[wt:en/news/6505-development-strv-103-0-last-man-standing-en|Devblog]] ===
In the immediate postwar years, Sweden began looking for a replacement to the Centurion tanks, then in service with its army. The most straightforward solution was to once again look into the export market for potential candidates, although engineers were already working on a domestic design - the Kranvagn. While this process was ongoing, an engineer by the name of Sven Berge came up with a radical new tank design in 1956.

This new vehicle featured a turretless design with a cannon fixed to the hull, which would be trained onto its targets with the precise use of an adjustable suspension system. The design was based on results from a study on tank crew casualties during WWII and the Korean War, which showed a correlation between tank height and hit probability. As such, the 'S-Tank' was kept very small in dimensions and low in profile, while also utilizing some innovative new engineering solutions, such as a mixed power plant consisting of a diesel engine and a gas turbine.

In 1959, the Swedish government approved the construction and testing of two prototypes. In 1960, a pre-production batch of 10 vehicles of the '0-serie' was ordered for field trials, which went on into the mid '60s. Generating more than favorable test results, the vehicle was formally ordered into production and procured as the 'Stridsvagn 103'.

Despite its original purpose being to replace the Centurion tanks in the Swedish Army, the Strv 103 ended up serving alongside it for a number of decades, until it was ultimately decommissioned in the late 1990s. By that time, 290 Strv 103s were built, spanning over five variants.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23strv103c Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images

<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200px">
File:Strv 103C 1.png|thumb|Strv 103C after firing main gun
File:Strv 103C 2.png|thumb|Strv 103C in forest
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|uQVze1fZYw4|'''The {{PAGENAME}} Main Battle Tank''' - ''Orangefan''|mYxPBmRdSPc|'''Swedish Stritsvagen 103 (Strv 103) S-Tank''' - "Matsimus"|C7cb7GlOnSY|'''Tank Chats #117''' - "The Tank Museum"}}

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

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

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

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

{{Sweden medium tanks}}

M48A1

2021-02-10T18:06:55Z

U108476048: Added tank chat

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m48a1_patton_III
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]].

A first glance towards the M48A1 can give lots of similarities towards the [[M60|M60]]. However, there are some aspects that can distinguish the M48 from the M60.

The M48A1 is probably most distinguished first by its rounded turret and gun, with the square-shaped gun mantlet covered by a cloth. The 90 mm gun has a cylinder muzzle brake going in a T-shape while a fume extractor sits only slightly behind the muzzle brake position.

The hull is distinguished compared to the successor M60 with its curved cast shape instead of straight welded plates.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret)
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Rear (low), Roof)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 85-200 mm (59-74°) ''Front glacis'' 63-200 mm (13-60°) ''Lower glacis'' || 76 mm (8-43°) ''Front'' 51 mm (0-43°) ''Rear'' || 35 mm (26-32°) ''Top'' 25 mm (61-62°) ''Bottom'' || 25.4-57 mm
|-
| Turret || 127 mm (12-76°) ''Turret front'' 152 + 82 mm (17-26°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 69-100 mm (12-36°) || 51-55 mm (2-71°) || 25-69 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="4" style="text-align:center" | 70 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 38 mm in the front and 25 mm in the rear.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,255|rbMinHp=716}}

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

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

{{main|M41 (90 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M41 (90 mm)|90 mm M41]] || 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" | 60 || rowspan="2" | -9°/+19° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.47 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 9.75 || rowspan="2" | 8.63 || rowspan="2" | 7.95 || rowspan="2" | 7.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M332 shot || APCR || 321 || 316 || 292 || 265 || 240 || 218
|-
| T142E3 || HESH || 102 || 102 || 102 || 102 || 102 || 102
|-
| M82 shot || APCBC || 185 || 182 || 170 || 155 || 142 || 130
|-
| M431 shell || HEATFS || 320 || 320 || 320 || 320 || 320 || 320
|-
| M71 shell || HE || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| M332 shot || APCR || 1,249 || 5.70 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| T142E3 || HESH || 792 || 10.60 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 3,050 || 73° || 77° || 80°
|-
| M82 shot || APCBC || 853 || 10.94 || 1.2 || 14.0 || 137.2 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| M431 shell || HEATFS || 1,216 || 5.80 || N/A || 0.1 || 712.6 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| M71 shell || HE || 823 || 10.55 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 925 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| M313 || 821 || 10.7 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''60''' || 54 ''(+6)'' || 38 ''(+22)'' || 30 ''(+30)'' || 12 ''(+48)'' || 1 ''(+59)'' || No
|-
|}

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

{{main|M85 (12.7 mm)|M73 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M85 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M85]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 900 (200) || 626 || -15°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M73 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M73]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 5,950 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The M48A1 plays as a general medium tank, acting as a jack-of-all-trades in all of the tank's traits with average armour, firepower, and mobility.

The M48A1 front hull glacis and turret are the strong points of the tank and have the best chance on the tank to bounce off rounds. However, its lower glacis and side armour remain a significant weak point for the tank, so take extra caution when exposing those weak points.

One of the best ways to use this tank when a player does not have access to its HEATFS round is to refrain from using it as a brawler. This is because most of the shells that this tank has in its arsenal, do not have the ample firepower to eliminate most of the targets it faces at its BR. However, since the tank is incredibly mobile, it can be used as an excellent flanker. It can out-manoeuvre most of its medium tank rivals and expose their side armours.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very fast reload for the rank
* Semi-hemispherical design removes shot traps seen on [[M47|M47 Patton]]
* Better sloped armour than its predecessors
* Access to HEATFS when unlocked
* Strong roof armour of 57 mm on the hull

'''Cons:'''

* Quite under armoured for the rank
* Same ammunition stats as the M47, which may not be the best at the rank except the HEATFS round
* Slower turret traverse rate
* Painful stock grind due to having APCR as default ammo
* Turret roof armour is 25 mm at its thinnest, which can allow even air attacks with heavy machine guns to penetrate at preferential conditions

== History ==

===Development===
In February 1951, Ordnance opted for a new tank design to modernize the [[M46]] and [[M47]] in the U.S. inventory. The tank was designated the ''90 mm Gun Tank T-48'' and featured a new hemispherical turret, new hull, and an improved suspension. The new design was also the first to remove the hull machine gunner position in American tanks, reducing the total crew from the usual 5 to 4. Further testing and trials with the T-48 design proved its worth and in April 1953, Ordnance standardized the design as the '''90 mm Gun Tank M48 Patton''', which would be the third in the Patton series, all named after General George S. Patton.

Production started in 1952 with the original ''M48'' models. During the initial production run, several hundreds of the M48s were found to not be up to the standard protection ratings it should be, these were relegated to training tanks as the ''M48C''. The model was developed into the '''M48A1''' with a redesigned driver hatch and commander's cupola that integrates a .50 cal machine gun for the commander to use. Next variant was the ''M48A2'' with an improved power pack and transmission, along with a new rear plate and improved turret control. The M48A1 models improved with the M48A2 specifications in 1959, up to 1,019 were converted and are labelled the ''M48A3''. The last major model was the ''M48A5'', which is an upgrade of the M48 models in the 1970s with a [[M68_(105_mm)|105 mm Gun M68]], up to 2,069 converted. In total, about 12,000 M48 models were produced in all from the time period of 1952 to 1959.

===Combat usage===
The Americans mainly used the M48A3 Patton tanks in Vietnam, with 600 models deployed. Each battalion in the US Army and Marines armed with the M48 Patton had 57 tanks each. The Armored Cavalry Squadrons were initially armed with M48s before they were replaced by the lighter [[M551|M551 Sheridan]]. A flamethrower variant was developed from the M48, which became known as the ''M67A1 "Zippo"''. The M48 also strengthened the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces by supplementing their [[M41A1|M41A1 Walker Bulldog]] light tanks. The main armour conflicts between the North and South Vietnamese forces usually involved an armour mix of [[T-54_(1951)|T-54]]/[[PT-76B]] for the North and M48 Pattons/M41A1 Bulldogs for the South. In the conflicts, an incident on 23 April 1972 had an NVA anti-tank force with the new 9M14M Malyutka [[Anti-tank_guided_missiles|anti-tank guided missile]] destroy an M48 Patton, marking one of the early uses of the wide-spread infantry anti-tank missiles. Despite that, the M48s performed favourably in the Southern forces. Even after US forces withdrew from South Vietnam and North Vietnam started the Ho Chi Minh Offensive in 1975, the M48s left in the ARVN hands were able to hold back the assaulting [[T-34-85|T-34]] and T-54/55 tanks, only falling when supplies ran out. After the war, the Americans mainly replaced their main tanks with the [[M60|M60 Patton]].

Like with most of the American equipment, the M48s were supplied to NATO allies across the world to assist in their conflicts. They became involved in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and 1971 in the hands of Pakistan along with some [[M47|M47s]] against India's [[Centurion_Mk_3|Centurions]]. Its overall performance in the conflicts was that they performed very well in the battlefield, only failing due to the poor tactics used by the armour forces. The M48s also saw service in the Middle Eastern conflicts. It was notably used in the conflicts against Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973 in the hands of the Israelis and Jordanian Army. The Israels upgraded their M48s with the 105 mm guns, about 5 years earlier than the Americans, and fight against the Egyptian Soviet-supplied armour. They also saw use in the Lebanese Civil War in the hands of nearly all sides involved. They were also used in Turkey's military in the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. The M48s were also used in Iranian hands in the Iran-Iraq war against Soviet-supplied weaponry in Iraq's hands. Morocco also received a hundred M48A5 Pattons from America in 1987. One of the most recent conflicts the M48s were used was in the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993 when assisting the stranded US Rangers and Delta Force in the city.

The M48s were used by 19 different countries in the world during its service life, of which 9 countries still use in varying quantities. Despite being rather outdated in the later part of the Cold War, which warranted its replacement by the M60, the M48 help supplemented the forces around the world in their conflicts. With many models remain in inventory across the world, it still proves a valuable weapon against countries without advanced anti-tank weaponry.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=us_m48a1_patton_III Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|HLOPy5uqghw|'''Honestly... Fun? {{PAGENAME}} Patton''' - ''Virus''|Xwid3UCLr5U|'''The Patton Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:00 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|PI1jKRyi0Bg|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|ei-rg46KJlU|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review - Pay or Die (and die anyways)''' - ''Napalmratte''|Fo-u51pqlrg|'''Tank Chats - #108 - M48''' - ''Tank Chats''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[M48 Patton (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[M60 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/3751-development-m48a1-en|[Devblog] M48A1]]
* [[wikipedia:M48_Patton|[Wikipedia] M48 Patton]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/US/M48_Patton.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> 90mm Gun Tank M48 Patton III]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=29 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> M48 Patton]

{{TankManufacturer Chrysler Defense}}
{{USA medium tanks}}

Jagdtiger

2021-02-09T17:04:38Z

U108476048: Added Youtube Gallery.

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

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41.

The Jagdtiger is a heavy tank destroyer, designed to take out targets from a distance, this is shown as in-game the tank truly shines at long range combat where manoeuvrability and weak spots don't become as much as a threat, but the biggest benefit for long-range firing is the 128mm PaK44 L/55 Main Cannon, this gun can pierce over 200 mm of non-sloped armour at '''2000 METERS''' with APCBC Rounds. The PaK44 was the largest anti-tank weapon in service during World War II, nothing rivalled its penetrating capability nor its combat range, and it was easily capable of taking out any fielded allied tank in a single hit. As it was essentially a modification of a naval gun, the ammunition was still 2-part (shot and charge) and could be fired with less charge for close range high explosive shells.

At mid-long range is invincible versus APHE & the majority of HESH ammunition, only APDS & HEAT can penetrate it frontally. Common enemies are the end of the line [[T-10M]] and the American [[M103|M103]] both of which can pierce any part of tank armour with ease. Fortunately, pure armour strength limits the amount of spalling.

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

'''Armour type:'''

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides (Slope angle) !! Rear (Slope angle) !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 150 mm (49°) ''Front glacis'' 100 mm (49°) ''Bottom glacis'' || 80 + 5 mm (26°) || 80 mm (28-29°)|| 50 mm
|-
| Superstructure || 250 mm (2-28°) || 80 mm (26°) || 80 mm || 45 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

*Front of the tank is almost impossible to defeat, its armour is great, only the sides and rear are vulnerable.
*The lower glacis is pretty vulnerable, but a ''hulldown'' position can protect it.
*The superstructure side is covered with tracks, which provides another 30 mm extra armour to the sides.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 994|rbMinHp= 619|}}

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

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

{{main|PaK 44 (128 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[PaK 44 (128 mm)|128 mm PaK 44]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 40 || -7°/+14° || ±10° || N/A
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 4.4 || _.__ ||7.4||8.2||8.7
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 4.4 || _.__ ||4.3||4.7||5.0
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 23.6 ||20.9||19.3||18.2
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| PzGr || APC || 227 ||224||213||200||188||176||
|-
| PzGr 43 || APCBC ||267||265|| 253 ||238||224||211
|-
| Sprgr. L/4,5 || HE ||45||45||44||43||41||40
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| PzGr || APC || 930 || 28 || 1.2 || 19 || 786.5 || -1° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| PzGr 43 || APCBC || 940 || 28 || 1.2 || 19 || 786.5 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71
|-
| Sprgr. L/4,5 || HE || 750 || 28 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 3,700 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_Jagdtiger.png|thumbnail|right|x250px|Ammo racks of the Jagdtiger.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''40''' ||33 ''(+7)'' || 28 ''(+12)'' || 23 ''(+17)'' || 17 ''(+23)'' || 11 ''(+29)'' || 6 ''(+34)'' || 1 ''(+39)'' || no
|}

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

{{main|MG 34 (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[MG 34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG 34]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Hull mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity each)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 3,000 (150) || 900 || -6°/+4° || ±7°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Inherent as any other Tank destroyer: Limit the channel of attack by either obstacles ''or'' distance and try to pick of targets one-by-one. Despite heavy armour, the Jagdtiger should retreat after every shot, if the opposition possesses weapons with penetration succeeding 180 mm, or else the lower plate will provide a big target. Make sure to take each corner with plenty of momentum though, if an enemy destroys the tracks or transmission during a turn, the remaining momentum will carry the Jagdtiger into a firing position or to safety.

As expected close-quarter-combat (''CQC'': Urban areas, cities, ravines, etc) should be avoided as they invite ambushes to the very weak side of Jagdtiger. Of course, narrow passageways can also be turned into chokepoints (see above).

Sitting at an uneasy spot with [[BR]] 7.3 in Arcade, and 6.7 in Realistic and Simulator, the Jagdtiger meets opponents with guns that can go through its armor much less regularly in Realistic and Simulator. However, the British 20 pounder, also quite common at 6.7, has an apds shell that can go through your armor easily at medium range. However, other than uptiers or tank destroyers firing HEATFS, no conventional rounds can really go through your armor in Realistic and Sim. Arcade however is a different story, as its higher BR will make it face more modern opponents.

Foes able to frontally penetrate the Jagdtiger in hull down position (hiding the lower glacis) are labeled in ☠red.

Due to the potency of the 128 mm APHE shell, specific modules must ''not'' be a target. A successful hit into the crew compartment will result in any tank exploding.

'''Realistic/Simulator Opponents'''

*[[IS-3]]: Shoot the pike, albeit it can be difficult to get through if it is angled straight forward. A trapshot is also quite possible, as long as you can richochet a shell of of the gun mantlet and into the turret.
*[[IS-6]]: Shoot the right side of the turret beside the gun, where there are 2 "dots" and a relatively flat surface. You will be able to penetrate this area most of the time.
*☠[[SU-122-54]]: Anywhere, except try to avoid the gun mantle. No noteworthy armour, but it has a dangerous gun.
*[[T-44]]: The frontal chassis can be very trolly with its ricochets. Turret and lower glacis nearly guaranteed a penetration and knocking them out instantly.
*T-54s & ☠[[T-54 (1951)|mod.51]]: All can be penetrated through the turret front (left and right of gun mantlet) from closer than 500m. Except for the [[T-54 (1947)|mod.47]] the Jagdtiger may also shoot the chassis' armour plate if it is pointed straight toward the Jagdtiger. Or just shoot the cupola and let the 700 grams of TNT equivalent do the rest
*☠[[M47|M47]]: Pretty much anywhere.
*☠Any [[M48A1|M48]]: Lot's of sloped armour. Frontally the commander's cupola can be picked, the turret ring, or gun mantlet.
*☠[[M60|M60]]: Basically just a better M48. Shoot it as if it is an M48, especially the commander's cupola
*☠[[T95|T95]]: Albeit a rare sight, the few specimens encountered are driven by madmen, or masochist. Either way, both tend to have a good understanding of enemy weak points. Inside 500m the T95's stock AP shell can penetrate the upper and lower frontal plate and the APCR can pierce the superstructure, but not the chassis. Fortunately, the raw armour strength limits shrapnel power and penetrated shots will do minor area damage in the spacious crew compartment. Damage can be avoided entirely by staying at distances exceeding 500m. The T95's armour is in all due respect superior to the Jagdtiger, yet features two protruding weak spots: The two cupolas, hitting them is another issue though. Combat should be engaged in ranges less than 500m, beyond that accuracy will not allow aiming for weak spots.
*☠[[M103|M103]]: So much sloped armour. Try to shoot into the turret trap (lower gun mantlet) or the turret ring.
*[[Panther_F|Panthers]]/[[M26|Pershing]]/[[M46|M46]]: Entire front is penetrable.
*[[Tiger II_(H)|Tiger II (H)]]: Right turret cheek to disable the turret for a safe reload. Alternatively, the lower glacis to get the transmission and a chance to knock out the entire crew.
*[[Maus|Maus]]: Turret cheeks, multiple hits will be necessary. If possible a shot into either the fuel tanks or chassis ammo rack for the 12,8cm cannon should insta-knock-out the behemoth.
*[[Jagdtiger|Jagdtiger]]: The lower plate is a good place to shoot. Make sure to hit at a good angle as the APBC can still bounce. Also, the flat parts of the superstructure when not angle work at close range.
*☠[[Leopard I|Leopard]]: Shoot it anywhere. Don't miss.

'''Arcade only Opponents'''

*[[IS-4M]]: The drives hatch is hard to get through with the tiny hole behind the additional armour. More favourable is the lower plate, or the gun mantlet on his left side.
*☠[[T-10M]]: Shoot the lower glacis when not angled, or shoot the cupolas with HE.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

*Shares the same hull as the Tiger II, so the upper glacis plate is still very tough
*The front of the superstructure is very difficult to get through with anything less than APDS or HEAT
*With its 6 man crew and thick armour, it's difficult to knock out this tank with one shot from an APDS or HEAT shell
*Even better gun mantlet than the one on the T95. Totally and utterly impenetrable
*128 mm PaK 44 cannon is an accurate cannon with a surprisingly quick to reload. It takes 20 seconds to reload with a decent crew. That is not bad considering the size and weight of the projectile that this gun fires
*PzGr 43 round has the second highest penetration of any APCBC round in the game
*Both the stock PzGr and PzGr 43 shells have an equivalent TNT explosive mass of 786 gram, ensuring devastating post-penetration damage
*When hull down, the Jagdtiger is a true terror on the battlefield. Especially when there are few post-war tanks in the game

'''Cons:'''

*Big target with a lot of ammunition in its hull. Shells that penetrate through the side can prove fatal
*Despite having a better engine than the Tiger II(H), the Jagdtiger weighs 7 more tons. This leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to manoeuvrability and acceleration
*20 second reload can be disastrous if the first shot missed
*Like most other tank destroyers, the Jagdtiger doesn't have a traversable turret. This makes dealing with flanking enemies a nightmare
*Just like all the other Tiger II's, the lower glacis is an easy target if not hull down
*Matchmaking can constantly up tier the Jagdtiger
*Corners of the superstructure are vulnerable to high penetration shells such as the M103's 120 mm AP shell, T-10's 122 mm APHE shell, British 183 mm and 120 mm shells, and Jagdtiger's own 128 mm APHE shell
*Armor is incredibly good, but can be penetrated easily by tanks at 6.7 br and higher, especially if they have HEAT-FS

== History ==

===Development===
This monster of a tank destroyer was inspired by the successes of previous tank destroyers such as the [[StuG III F|StuG III]] and the [[Marder III H|Marder]] series. Their efficiency in a battle called for a request by Army General Staff to mount an enormous 128 mm gun on a self-propelled vehicle for infantry support in early 1942, but then Hitler changed it from its intended role to a tank destroyer. The 128 mm design was chosen as toolings already existed for the calibre, as it originated from a naval cannon design, which also was used the basis of an anti-aircraft gun. The 128 mm cannon also had a very high hit rate when compared to other formidable calibres like the 105 mm and 88 mm.

In early 1943, the armoured chassis that was to carry the 128 mm gun was to be either the [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]] or [[Panther D|Panther]]. However, early modelling showed that the instalment of the 128 mm onto the Panther chassis was unsuitable. On October 20, 1943, the design was changed to use the [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]] chassis and a wooden model was constructed for presentation to Hitler. Approved for further production, two prototypes were produced by Porsche and Henschel. Porsche version had an eight-wheel suspension system while the Henschel version had a nine-wheel overlapping suspension system similar to the Tiger II construction. The rest of the body was consistent to the current German tank destroyer designs, an armoured casemate structure was used to hold the new 128mm Pak 44 L/55 gun. The prototypes were completed and presented in February 1944, and were approved for service, earning the designation '''Jagdpanzer VI''', but was later renamed to '''Jagdtiger'''. 150 of these Jagdtigers were ordered by the army, but only 88 (at most) were produced before the end of the war. Eleven of the Jagdtigers used the Porsche suspension system while the rest were using the Henschel suspension system.

What made the Jagdtiger very special was its enormous gun, the 128 mm Pak 44 L/55. At its introduction, no allied armour could withstand the shell it fires, and though the same lethality could be shared with the Tiger II's 88 mm Pak 43, it has a much greater effective range of over 3.5 kilometres (though a variant of the Jagdtiger was equipped with the 88 mm Pak 43 due to 128 mm gun shortages, this never entered service). The gun could penetrate an enemy tank hiding behind cover, such as a house, shooting right through the house and hitting the target on the other side. A disadvantage of the gun was its two-part ammunition, the shell and the propellant, which increases the loading time of the gun. The armour of the front of the Jagdtiger was 250 mm and 150 mm on the glacis plate. Like almost every casemate design, the Jagdtiger suffered from lack of turret traverse and must have the entire vehicle rotate when a target moves out of its traverse range. The Jagdtiger has the distinct title of the heaviest armoured fighting vehicle produced, weighing about 71 tons, but like most of Germany's heavy armoured vehicles late in the war, the Jagdtiger also suffered mechanical and mobility issues. The heavyweight caused it to be slow and was easy to break down if the vehicle had to rotate to aim the gun, due to the heavily strained transmission and suspensions. Also, the gun had to be locked down (cannot traverse) when not in use to avoid wearing out the mounting brackets, and a crew member had to exit the vehicle to unlock it before firing.

===Combat usage===
The Jagdtiger was first issued on September 1944 to the Western front in the hands of the 512th and 653rd Heavy Panzerjäger Battalions. Otto Carius, a Tiger Ace, commanded the 2nd Company of 512th to defend against the Allied offensives. He comments that the Jagdtigers could not be brought to their full potential on the battlefield due to many pressing issues. The two most pressing issues of the Jagdtiger was the mechanical failures and lack of crew training on the heavy beasts. The mechanical issues forced many Jagdtigers to be disabled and eventually destroyed by their own crew as they abandoned it. Only 20% of the Jagdtigers on the Western Front were lost in combat, the rest was due to the mechanical failures or out of fuel. Crew training was insufficient with the Jagdtiger and so was morale, Otto Carius noted that two Jagdtigers failed to fire on Allied armour more than a mile away in fear of an air attack, even though they were well concealed, and both broke down as they tried to withdraw from the fear of air attacks. One was disabled when it fell into a bomb crater and another was lost because of friendly fire from Volksstrum, as they had never seen a Jagdtiger before. In another instance, alone Jagdtiger engaged an American tank platoon. When the tank platoon opened fire, the Jagdtiger withdrew not by backing up, but turned around due to inexperienced crew training, exposing the weaker side armour and was destroyed. Eventually, Otto Carius's company was surrounded in the Ruhr pocket and he ordered the guns of the surviving Jagdtigers destroyed and to surrender to the Americans. Of the ten tigers in Otto's 2nd Company of the 512th battalion, one was lost to friendly fire, another by combat, and the rest by breakdown or crew destruction. The total American armour kills reached was ten American tanks, making one Allied tank loss for each Jagdtiger loss.

Though Otto's memoir left a sour note on the Jagdtiger's combat effectiveness, it had some success. On January 17, 1945, two Jagdtigers engaged fortified positions near Auenheim with no loss. The next day, they engaged four bunkers at a distance of 1,000 meters. The combat had 46 high-explosive and 10 armoured-piercing shells fired on fortifications and tanks, the Jagdtigers were able to destroy a few Allied bunkers and tanks with no losses. Then in April 1945, 512th Battalion saw lots of action when the 1st company engaged Allied tanks and trucks on April 9th, destroying 11 tanks and over 30 other AFVs, the distance of engagement was more than 4,000 meters and ended with only one Jagdtiger lost due to an air attack. The next few days, the 1st company proceeded to destroy five more Shermans before surrendering at Iserlohn. All activity of the 512th Battalion ended with the surrender of the last of the 2nd company April 15th in the same city.

The Jagdtiger's impact on the war for Germany was negligible. There were not enough of them to change the course of the situation for Germany, plus the kill-to-loss ratio makes its production waste of resources when much better models like the StuG were able to get even higher combat performances for a much more economical cost. It represents one of Germany's last attempts to model the belief that more armour and more firepower could equal success in a battlefield against a numerically superior enemy.

===Survivors===
Today, three Jagdtigers survive in museums. One is in Bovington Tank Museum in England, which is one of the 11 Porsche-suspension version and was captured in April 1945 by the British. Another is a Henschel-version at the National Armor & Cavalry Museum in Fort Benning, Georgia of America after being moved from the US Army Ordinance Museum, this was captured in March 1945. The last is in Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia, a Henschel-version that was captured on May 5, 1945, in Austria and is in the best mint condition of the three survivors.

=== In-game description ===
The Jagdtiger was developed by the Krupp and Henschel companies in 1943–1944 and was based on the chassis of the Tiger II heavy tank. It became the most powerful tank destroyer in the Wehrmacht.

A massive stationary cabin was installed on an elongated, 260 mm-long Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. B tank's hull. Its frontal armor plate had a thickness of 250 mm, at an inclination of 15 degrees, making it virtually invulnerable to all of the enemy's tank and anti-tank guns. The immense weight of its 128 mm 12,8 cm PaK 44 L/55 gun required a special installation procedure using a special lift-turning mechanism mounted in the crew compartment.

This vehicle had two types of chassis: the Henschel type, with torsion bars, and the Porsche type, with double-axis carriages and spring balancers. Seven tanks were built using the Porsche suspension. Afterwards, in order to standardize parts with the Tiger II tank, only the Henschel suspension was used. The vertical surfaces of the first 9 tank destroyers were covered with an anti-magnetic Zimmerit paste.
Around 88 of these vehicles were produced between December 1944 and April 1944.

Jagdtiger tank destroyers were delivered to the 653rd and 512th heavy tank destroyers battalions. These battalions fought on the Western Front. Two of these self-propelled guns entered the service of the 501st Battalion of the Waffen-SS, and fought with troops of the Red Army in Austria, in May 1945.
The majority of losses suffered by the Jagdtiger were caused by mechanical failure or attacks by Allied aircraft. Some of the vehicles were blown up and abandoned by their crews after running out of ammunition or fuel.

The Jagdtiger's disadvantages included its massive weight, which had a negative effect on its mobility and made its chassis more susceptible to breakage. Also, the vehicle was much too difficult to manufacture.

== Media ==

[https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=tank_destroyer&vehicle=germ_panzerjager_tiger '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the Jagdtiger from live.warthunder.com.]

{{Youtube-gallery|xv9QAXPJVSc|"'Tank Chats #77 - Jagdtiger''' - Tank Museum}}

== 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 ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/2655/current/ [Special<nowiki>]</nowiki> Jagdtiger "Hunting Tiger"]
* [[Wikipedia:Jagdtiger|[Wikipedia<nowiki>]</nowiki> Jagdtiger]]
* [http://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/germany/tanks-2-3/jagdtiger/ World War Photos - Jagdtiger Collection]

{{Germany tank destroyers}}

M26

2021-02-09T14:41:15Z

U108476048:

{{About
| about = American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = M26 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m26_pershing
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. Armed with the 90 mm M3 gun, this vehicle is able to compete effectively against late World War II tanks.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour (Front, turret)
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Side, Rear, Roof)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 101.6 mm (42-46°) ''Front Glacis'' 162.5 mm (25-60°) ''Upper front glacis'' 76.2 mm (28-53°) ''Lower Glacis'' || 76.2 mm (0-1°) ''Front'' 50.8 mm (0-3°) ''Rear'' || 50.8 mm (7°) ''Top'' 22.2 mm (71°) ''Bottom'' || 22.2 mm
|-
| Turret || 101.6 mm (1-55°) ''Turret front'' 114.3 mm (1-84°) ''Gun mantlet''|| 76.2 mm (2-54°) || 76.2 mm (0-79°) || 25.4 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 76.2 mm || 25.4 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 25.4 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=442}}

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

The best thing to do for this tank is getting ''Parts'', ''FPE'', ''M82 Shot'', and ''M304 Shot'' as fast as you can. With M304 shot you'll be a lot stronger on the field as you'll be able to penetrate relatively any medium and most heavies. However, you are subject to get hit in the side or front many times and will need the FPE and parts to repair on the field or you'll become burnt toast. After you've unlocked these modules, it's best to work down by putting manoeuvrability as a priority.

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

{{main|M3 (90 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (90 mm)|90 mm M3]] || 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" | 70 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 22.9 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.5 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 9.75 || rowspan="2" | 8.63 || rowspan="2" | 7.95 || rowspan="2" | 7.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| T33 shot || APBC || 175 || 172 || 160 || 146 || 134 || 122
|-
| M82 shot || APCBC || 173 || 170 || 159 || 147 || 135 || 124
|-
| M304 shot || APCR || 287 || 281 || 259 || 234 || 211 || 191
|-
| M71 shell || HE || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| T33 shot || APBC || 853 || 10.91 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M82 shot || APCBC || 813 || 10.94 || 1.2 || 14.0 || 137.2 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| M304 shot || APCR || 1,021 || 7.62 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| M71 shell || HE || 823 || 10.55 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 925 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| M313 || 821 || 10.7 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''70''' || 65 ''(+5)'' || 57 ''(+13)'' || 49 ''(+21)'' || 41 ''(+29)'' || 33 ''(+37)'' || 25 ''(+45)'' || 17 ''(+53)'' || 11 ''(+59)'' || 1 ''(+69)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 9 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 10 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
* This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 9 - 1 - 2 - etc. until 8.
* If you pack 17 ''(+53)'' shells, it will keep most of the hull empty of ammo.
* Full reload speed will be realized as long as shells are available in the ready rack 9. If the ready racks is empty, a penalty to reload speed will occur.
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-8 into rack 9. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
|-
|}
The roof-mounted M2HB .50 cal heavy machine gun is very good at knocking out tracks, punching through lightly armoured vehicles and shooting down low-flying aircraft. Use it sparsely because of its low ammo count.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 5,250 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The small calibre of the M1919A4 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==


;Combat tactics

The {{PAGENAME}} can perform in many different roles in battle. It can be used for supporting heavy tanks with long reload time as [[IS-2]] or [[T32]] or it can take part in flanking manoeuvres: your speed and agility are not brilliant but sufficient for that role. It can also be successful in sniping and ambushing situations. Use the lower profile of Pershing compared to the Sherman's to navigate through. Your depression angle allows you to shoot from upper positions without exposing too much yourself. That´s an advantage compared to most Russian vehicles which have close to no gun depression angle.

The 90 mm M3 gun owns a wide selection of ammunition to be used. The M82 APCBC with an explosive filler is extremely deadly. Usually, successful penetration with this shell can lead to a single-shot knock-out on a vehicle. It lacks a bit of penetration for the rank this vehicle sits at, but it's great for flanking shots. The M304 APCR shot gives the vehicle the ability to penetrate thick armour (provided it is a flat surface). This means you need to target crew positions or modules and aim at (almost) vertical armour. Against a [[Tiger II (H)]], this means aiming for the turret right side if he is looking directly at you on the gunner side. At that position, you can penetrate up to a distance of 1,800 m.

Although you are moderately armoured for your class, most enemies can easily destroy you at this rank if you expose your tank too much. To reduce direct impacts in frontal engagements angle the Pershing, the V-shape frontal armour can deflect some shots. Your lower glacis is a weak spot, keep it hidden from the enemy.

One downside to the Pershing is the engine: the power-to-weight ratio is poor and does not allow for very quick manoeuvring. It uses the same Ford GAF that can be found in the late series M4 Medium tanks, with nearly 8 tons more weight. Being slightly underpowered, the {{PAGENAME}} has a hard time climbing hills. You will need to know the maps and areas you are operating in and use them wisely.

Urban maps (Poland, Eastern Europe, Hürtgen Forest, Cologne) are perfect for ambushing, use your moderate speed to catch off-guard heavier enemy tanks. Drop arty in front of suspected enemy positions if you need to cross a street and relocate, the smoke screen will cover you.

If you've been able to flank an enemy, your first shot is decisive. Always shoot to disable the gun first (gunner or breech). The best ammo to do this is M304 APCR round, or M82 APCBC shell. M304 will guarantee a 100% successful shot, M82 can also work very good and might deal heavy damage inside the turret. But some Germans have tracks on the hull´s sides and if the enemy is in the process of turning the turret, the M82 could bounce. Make sure you not to miss. The large sides of German heavy tanks are tempting targets but its very easy to punch through without dealing damage with the wrong ammo like the T33 or M304 rounds. If you flanked a turretless tank destroyer like a Jagdpanther or a Ferdinand, just aim at the engine and you will have virtually destroyed it.

;Arcade Battles

In arcade battles, it is much harder to flank and ambush enemy tanks because of the tag system (player name). However, the tank is still very playable and you can do different tactics depending on the situation. For urban environments, it's best to move with the team and only poke your head out when you have a good shot and the enemy tank isn't aimed at you. In open terrain, you will still be able to use the hills to your advantage and side-shot / pot-shot enemy tanks. The main rule here is don't show your sides and stay low.

;Realistic/Simulator Battles

In realistic and simulator battles, The {{PAGENAME}} shouldn't be in the toughest part of the match facing very heavily armoured enemies. It's better to stay behind front lines supporting or try a flanking manoeuvre, you can´t be spotted in the mini-map. The high battle rating means you can be up-tiered and fight Cold War era tanks in simulator mode. The compression and matchmaking can put you into situations where enemies are especially hard to penetrate, even from the sides.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* The M82 shot has a high chance of destroying most tanks in one shot if it penetrates
* The M82 shot can even instantly incapacitate all crew from a turret shot
* Side armour is adequate enough for angling tactics
* Low profile, excels at a hull down position
* An excellent brawler
* Nice handling at 5th gear
* .50 calibre machine gun on top helps for anti-aircraft defences
* Fast reverse speed
* There is a turret plate behind the gun mantlet that will sometimes absorb shots
* An underrated tank, you should use this to your advantage
* Very fast turret rotation
* Very good hull traverse at speeds
* Good top armour, can resist aircraft guns
* APCR round can penetrate a lot of stuff that can't be penetrated by the stock shell or the M82
* The M26 provides a good learning curve for the M46

'''Cons:'''

* Turret ring can be easily damaged
* Armour is a bit inadequate for a 6.3 tank
* Very rarely able to reach a top speed
* Slow acceleration
* Has no gun stabilizer unlike the T25, but is still pretty accurate when moving due to stable suspension
* Heavy handling at low speed
* 90 mm gun penetration not the best
* Lower glacis and hull machine gun are a weak spot

== History ==

===Development===
The development of this tank can be traced to the number of tank prototypes produced in the Spring of 1942 as a replacement for the [[M4|M4 Shermans]] then in use.<ref name="PershingHunnicutt">Hunnicutt, R.P. ''Pershing: A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series'' U.S.A.: Feist Publications, 1971</ref> One of these prototypes was the ''[[T20|T20 Medium Tank]]'', which was more heavily armoured than the Sherman. This eventually developed to the ''T22'' and ''T23'' designs with different transmissions, all of which were in the rear of the vehicle instead of the front like the Shermans. These designs were comparable to a [[T-34-85]], but these were not quickly adopted over the M4 as the M4 performed fabulously in combat in Africa and Italy.

Development continued with different interests in 1944, starting around the concept to mount a 90 mm cannon to fight the heavily armoured German tanks and fortifications in Europe. The first was the ''[[T25|T25]]'' series, which was an up-gunned ''T23'' with a 90 mm gun, but they also designed a bigger and more armoured design ''T26''.<ref name="PershingHunnicutt">Hunnicutt, R.P. ''Pershing: A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series'' U.S.A.: Feist Publications, 1971</ref> The design held the 90 mm cannon and a front armour thickness of 102 mm thick and sloped. However, the design has a weight of about 40 tons, which decreased its mobility and durability as it still uses the old Sherman engine. Though starting with an electric drive, the design proved too complicated for field use and was replaced by a torqmatic transmission in the ''T26E1''. The designs were eventually finalized as the ''T26E3'', which would be the production version of the ''T26E1''. Production started in November 1944, with 10 being produced by the end of the month, 30 by December, 70 in January 1945, and 132 by February.<ref name="PershingHunnicutt" /> It would take a few months for even the T26E3s built in November to get to Europe, hence why the first models did not appear in Europe until January 1945. The T26E3 would be adopted by the US Army as the '''Heavy Tank M26 Pershing''' with a total of 2,212 units produced.

The reasons why the M26 Pershing was delayed since its time as the T20 series brought much controversy. Today it is agreed that the reasons why the Pershings did not get into combat faster were the combination of the Tank Destroyer Doctrine, logistics, and complacency. The TD doctrine dictated that tank destroyers were the primary anti-tank force while the armoured forces were a support and exploitation force, so tank firepower against other tanks was not prioritized, leading to much opposition when Ordnance attempts to develop heavy tanks with the 90 mm cannons. Logistics for supplying a battlefield more than 3,000 miles away from the factories would prove more difficult if the M26 Pershing and its ammo must be supplied as well when the more common Sherman could be easily supplied. Complacency in the Army Ground Forces brought by the overwhelming performance of the Sherman in the opening stages of World War II set the belief that the M4 and their 75/76 mm cannons would be adequate in future combat, which resulted in it becoming outgunned by newer and better German tanks.

===Combat usage===
====Zebra mission====
The deployment of the M26 Pershings (still called T26E3s at the time as they are not formally adopted) in Europe was made under the Zebra Mission headed by General Barnes. The Zebra Mission was a form of combat evaluation of the M26 tanks in Europe. In January 1945, the shipment of M26 tanks deployed in December 1944 arrived at Antwerp with only 20 tanks. The tanks first arrived at Paris in February 1945 with General Barnes and a few high-ranking officers from the Tank Automotive Command, Army Ground Forces, and Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Two civilians also arrived from Fisher Tank Arsenal and Aberdeen Proving Ground, the latter an expert on the 90 mm guns. These men helped expedite the training and equipping of the 20 M26 tanks into the units. General Eisenhower assigned the M26 in the 12th Army Group under General Omar Bradley, who sent them to First Army and split them among the 3rd and 9th Armored Divisions. The officers and the new tank crew members spend the period from 11 February to the 23rd training in the new tanks for familiarization.<ref name="PershingHunnicutt" />

The M26 tanks underwent their first combat mission on February 25th. 3rd Armored Division attacked across the Roer River, with the 9th following three days later. On the 26th, the first M26 Pershing knocked out in combat was reported at Elsdorf. The Pershing named "Fireball" in F Company, 33rd Armored regiment was penetrated by a German [[Tiger E|Tiger I]] tank through the gun mantlet; this killed the gunner and loader instantly. After firing two more shots that damaged the components of "Fireball", the Tiger itself tried to reverse away from the position and disabled itself on debris. The captured loader of the Tiger crew confirmed the kill, as well as photographic evidence. "Fireball" was sent back for repairs and was ready for action again on March 7th. On the same day of "Fireball's" loss, an M26 in E Company at Eldsorf managed to destroy a Tiger I and two [[Pz.IV_J|Panzer IV]]s. The Tiger I was hit approximately 900 meters out with an HVAP round, with a second T33 AP shot causing a catastrophic explosion, the two Panzer IVs were also knocked out with the AP rounds. The same crew killed another Panzer IV as they drove towards Cologne. Another Pershing was disabled on March 1st by artillery fire, killing the tank commander Sergeant Kay and causing massive damage to components of the M26, forcing it back to be repaired for several weeks. Other Pershing breakdowns include engine failures and components breaking, but these were all fixed easily in a few days.<ref name="PershingHunnicutt" />

Around March 6th, a Pershing led by a Captain Gray was ambushed by a [[Nashorn]] that penetrated the front armour at a range of 300 meters. The crew all survived, but their Pershing became the only one of the original 20 that arrived to not make it through the war. The same day in Cologne, a Pershing from E Company, 32nd Armored Regiment headed by Sergeant Early destroyed a [[Panther_G|Panther tank]] in front of the Cologne Cathedral, which was famously captured on film by Jim Bates from Signal Corps. Around the same time, a Pershing from D Company destroyed a Tiger I with two AP rounds, and another Pershing from G Company took out a Panzer IV with three M82 APCBC rounds. Other resistance faced at Cologne and the approach to the Rhine River were emplaced anti-aircraft guns, but the high explosive payload in the 90 mm proved very effective in destroying them. A platoon of five Pershings led by Lt. Grimball in March 7th and 8th assisted in the taking of the Ludendorff Bridge in the Battle of Remagen. The bridge was damaged during the battle, but was still intact, though the M26 Pershings were unable to cross it compared to the M4 Shermans and tank destroyers due to their heavier weight and width, an indication on how the M26 Pershings are not logistically sound in Europe's infrastructure. It would not be until March 12th when ferries are made available to transport the Pershings across the Rhine. In March 25th, additional shipping of M26s arrived at Europe, a total of 40 tanks, 22 going to 2nd Armored Division and 18 going to the 5th. Additional Pershings came in from then until the end of the war on VE Day at 8 May 1945; by that time, a total of 310 Pershings have made it to Europe, 200 in combat units, and only the first 20 ever seeing action against the enemy.<ref name="PershingHunnicutt" />

The end of the war in Europe shifted attention to the Pacific Theater, where the Battle of Okinawa was still underway. The increasing US armoured losses due to the Japanese 47 mm anti-tank guns and the demands for a better tank by US tankers caused Ordnance to send a mission similar to the Zebra Mission to reinforce the US troops at Okinawa. The ship carrying the Pershings left on May 31st and was expected to reach Okinawa at June 30th, but constant stops due to transport priorities caused the tanks to arrive July 21st, at which point hostilities ended a month ago. Nevertheless, the Pershings were still unloaded via landing crafts tanks (LCT) on July 30th. Only 4 of the 12 Pershings were unloaded before the rest was diverted to Naha due to typhoon warnings. The Pershings on Okinawa were to be allocated to the 193rd and 711th Tank Battalion with familiarization starting on August 10th. However, training stopped when Japan surrendered on August 15th, 1945, ending the Pershing's combat life during World War II.<ref name="PershingHunnicutt" />

====Post World War II====
After World War II, the M26 Pershing was reclassified as the '''Medium Tank M26 Pershing''' to fill the army's tank needs, but its specifications were not satisfactory for the role of it due to low mobility and heavyweight. Despite that, the M26 Pershings became urgently needed when the North Korea People's Army suddenly attack South Korea, armed with the Soviet-supplied [[T-34-85]]s. South Korea and the US Forces stationed there had no armour except the [[M24|M24 light tank]] and no adequate anti-tank weaponry to fight off the T-34 onslaught. A search for any suitable armour commenced in Japan and the US Army was able to procure three M26 Pershings at Ordnance storage. Though in a poor state, they were quickly refurbished and landed in Korea on 16 July 1950, the only medium tanks available in Korea. These three tanks moved to the front line on July 28 and fought with North Korean forces on the 31st, but were lost when the engines overheated due to lack of fan belts.<ref name="PershingHunnicutt" />

Following this event, more medium tanks were sent from the United States to Korea, mainly the 6th, 70th, and 73rd Tank Battalions armed with [[M4A3_(76)_W|M4A3 Shermans]], Pershings, and [[M46|M46 Pattons]]. The 8072nd Tank Battalion from Japan was also sent, redesignated the 89th when it arrived to Korea. All the Tank Battalions arrive at Korea around August 8th. The first combat mission with the Pershings in this group was at the north of Taegu, a location known as the "Bowling Alley". It was here that the Pershings faced off against three T-34-85s and managed to destroy them.<ref name="PershingHunnicutt" /> The M26 proved to be more than a match against the T-34-85s as it could penetrate through the T-34-85 front and back when using HVAP ammo, while the T-34-85 couldn't even penetrate the front of the Pershing.<ref name="ZalogaM26vsT-34">Zaloga Steven. ''T-34-85 vs M26 Pershing: Korea 1950'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2010</ref> After November 1950, the lack of enemy tanks and the mechanical deficiency the Pershing has compared to the Shermans caused many of them to be shipped back to the states in 1951 and were replaced by the improved [[M46|M46 Patton]] tanks, which were upgraded M26 Pershings made to be more reliable. The ''Patton'' series of tanks would basically be based off the M26 Pershing's design.

The M26 served its last few years in the American occupation zone in Europe and were supplied to America's Allies during the Cold War. Belgium received 426 units of this tank, and France and Italy received Pershings as well, though later replaced by the [[M47|M47 Pattons]].

=== In-game description ===
The M26 Pershing heavy tank was a development of the T26, in turn one of the M6's prototype descendants. Its story began in 1942, when U.S. Army Ordnance received the go-ahead to begin working on the M20 medium tank. It did not turn out to be particularly successful, though it boasted potential for modernization.

In 1943 and 1944 several T22 and T23 prototypes and experimental models were built. However, their weapon caliber had fallen behind current requirements and in 1944 priorities shifted to a program developing T25 and T26 tanks with 90 mm cannons. The T26 appeared to be the more promising option. It was equipped with a Torquematic hydraulic transmission, torsion bar suspension, and cast hull, while its significantly increased weight and sized resulted in a move to the heavy tank category.

At the beginning of 1945 several pre-production T26E3 models were released, 20 of which were sent to Europe for combat trials. Tankers reported that the T26E3 was a match for the Pz.V and Pz.VI, even somewhat outperforming them in maneuverability. One 1945 battle saw a T26E3 taking out two Pz.IV medium tanks and one Pz.VI heavy tank.

By the summer of 1945 the T26E3 was officially accepted as the M26 Pershing, with a total of 2,222 produced. The M26 did not have a chance to fully prove itself, though it was shown to be a capable weapon against heavy armor.

The M26 really only saw combat during the Korean War in 1950-1953, where it was up against Soviet T-34s and 85s. The American heavy tanks outgunned the T-34 and were better armored, though they were much less maneuverable and reliable. The M26's running gear had much more trouble in the mountainous conditions as opposed to its experience in Europe, and it had practically no advantages over Soviet medium tanks in close combat.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=us_m26_pershing Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|-ieHq6BW0xc|'''{{PAGENAME}} Pershing - Midrange American Might!''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''|89z2_0CHr8o|'''Why does no one play this? {{PAGENAME}} Pershing''' - ''Virus''|Fqb9Y27QMNU|'''{{PAGENAME}} Pershing- The Brute''' - ''Oxy''|-Z1jeM4bJj4|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|AqqbAwSGSvM|'''Tank Chats #90 {{!}} M26 Pershing''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[M26 (Family)]]

;Vehicles equipped with the same gun

* [[T25]]
* [[M36 Jackson (Family)]]
* [[Super Hellcat]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/3085/current/|[Vehicle Profile] M26 Pershing [Decal Included]]]
* [[wt:en/news/3638-profile-m26-pershing-a-medium-heavy-tank-en|[Vehicle Profile] M26 Pershing: A Medium Heavy Tank]]
* [[wikipedia:M26_Pershing|[Wikipedia] M26 Pershing]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M26_Pershing.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Medium/Heavy Tank M26 Pershing]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=64 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> M26 Pershing]

=== References ===
<references />

{{USA medium tanks}}

M4A1

2021-02-08T19:04:16Z

U108476048: *Sorry, again, Youtube should be fixed.

{{About
| about = American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other M4 Shermans
| link-1 = M4 Sherman (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = M4 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m4a1_1942_sherman
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. The M4A1 is the first Sherman to be unlocked in the American ground tree and provides the player a new balance in armour, firepower, and mobility to use against the enemy. The in-game model is the basic Sherman design during the years of fighting in North Africa, informally called "Sherman 1" with a basic M38 telescopic sight inside the M4 periscope as the gunner's main method of aiming.

The M4A1 Sherman is distinctive from its cast hull construction, causing it to have a curved hull shape. This causes the front hull armour to have a varying slope angle across the glacis, but it also presents several weaknesses. First is in the hull front and side joint with slightly flat angles when angling the tank, the next is the cast construction which diminishes the labelled effectiveness of the front armour. The last is the vision blocks at the top of the front plate. Though at its battle rating, its armour is still effective against smaller gun caliber enemy fire.

The 75 mm M3 gun is mounted in the M34 gun mount with the periscope, a skinny gun mount compared to the future M34A1 which all future 75 mm M4 Sherman guns are mounted. This lowers the area the gun mantlet covers to contribute to turret front armour but does present a slightly greater gun depression by -2° than the future M34A1 mounts.

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

'''Armour type:'''

*Cast homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)
*Rolled homogeneous armour (hull side - bottom)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 19.5 mm (63-84°) ''Front glacis - Upper section'' 50.8 mm (48-63°) ''Front glacis - Centre section'' 34 + 25.4 mm (spherical) ''MG port'' 38.1 mm (spherical) ''Front glacis - Sides'' 50.8 mm (cylindrical) ''Transmission housing'' || 38.1 mm (1-24°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm ''Bottom'' || 38.1 mm ''Upper plate'' 38.1 mm (13°) ''Lower plate'' 38.1 mm (50°) ''Lower glacis'' || 50.8 mm (27-39°) ''Front glacis'' 19.5 mm (0-28°) Turret area'' 19.5 mm (7°) ''Engine bay - centre'' 19.5 mm (20-24°) ''Engine bay - sides
|-
| Turret || 50.8-76.2 mm (18-71°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 + 76.2 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (cylindrical) || 50.8 mm (4°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 50.8 mm (spherical) || 50.8 mm (spherical) ''Outer ring'' 25.4 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while bogies are 10 mm thick and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
* A small patch on the turret front right side is thinner (50.8 mm) than the rest (76.2 mm).
* Bolt edges on the transmission housing are 101.6 mm thick.

Taking out the M4A1 Sherman is not an incredibly difficult task. Any gun with 100+ mm of penetration will go through the front plate. Panzer III users, however, would have some trouble penetrating the sloped frontal armour, even the later Panzer III models with the 50 mm KwK 39 cannon. The T-34 with the L-11 cannon can also have a difficult time penetrating the front armour. Instead, use your speed and mobility to flank the Sherman, and a shot to the 38mm thick side armour will most likely cause an ammo detonation, destroying the Sherman. If you are forced to face a Sherman head-on, aim for the flat spot around the vision blocks at the top of the front plate. They are extremely thin and upon penetration will destroy or heavily disable the Sherman.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 620|rbMinHp= 354|}}

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

At this rank, the difference between a stock tank and an upgraded one are quite minimal as the M4 Sherman still has adequate firepower and mobility to make a difference on the front-lines. The most notable traits would be sluggishness due to the engine and general inaccuracy over long ranges.

Focus on the survival parts, and then move on towards the M61 shot module, which will improve instant destruction upon penetration.

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

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || 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" | 90 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 22.9 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.6 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
When discussing {{PAGENAME}} shells, one always has to account for the fact that it's a medium tank. This means short to medium engagement range, so realistically it can benefit more from its short-range penetration figures than long-range sniping tanks would.

* M72 shot - {{Annotation|AP|Armour-Piercing}} - Solid shot, stock shell. Acceptable penetration, poor post-penetration damage.
* M48 shell - {{Annotation|HE|High-Explosive fragmentation shell}} - Low-velocity shell useful against soft targets, in particular when hitting an open-topped vehicle. Harmless against any vehicle with more than 10 mm of armour.
* M61 shot - {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-Piercing Capped Ballistic Capped}} - This shell has a better penetration than the M72 thanks to its ballistic cap and a good post-penetration damage thanks to its explosive filler.
* M89 smoke shell - Useful to blind enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 91 || 88 || 78 || 67 || 57 || 49
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 104 || 101 || 90 || 78 || 68 || 59
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 619 || 6.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 463 || 6.3 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 666 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 618 || 6.79 || 1.2 || 14 || 63.7 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity in m/s
! Projectile Mass in kg
! ''Screen radius in m''
! ''Screen time in s''
! ''Screen hold time in s:''
! ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
|-
| M89 || 259 || 3 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''90''' || 82 ''(+8)'' || 75 ''(+15)'' || 72 ''(+18)'' || 70 ''(+20)'' || 54 ''(+36)'' || 38 ''(+52)'' || 22 ''(+68)'' || 1 ''(+89)'' || Yes
|-
|}
Notes:

* The visual discrepancy concerns rack 8: 28 shells are modeled but it contains only 21 shells.
* Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.
* Flanks and turret empty: 22 ''(+68)'' shells.

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (7.62 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
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 577 || -10°/+22° || ±60°
|-
|}
The roof-mounted M2HB .50 cal heavy machine gun is very good at knocking out tracks, punching through lightly armoured vehicles and shooting down low-flying aircraft. Use it sparsely because of its low ammo count.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The small calibre of the M1919A4 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==


At a battle rating of 3.3, the M4A1 Sherman is a very capable medium tank. The 75 mm M3 cannon is capable of destroying nearly all armoured targets at the battle rating. Combined with the very fast turret traverse rate, fast reload time of 6.5 seconds and a vertical gun stabilizer, this tank is suited to an aggressive play style due to the M4A1's ability to react quickly and fire relatively accurately without coming to a full stop. The gun depression of -12° also makes this tank excel in hull-down positions, unlike any other tank. One must take into account this tanks very thin side armour of 38.1 mm thick, anti-tank weaponry of any rank will be capable of penetrating this weak side armour so protect the flanks.

Beware of this tank's very poor reverse speed as it only has one reverse gear. This affects the tank's ability to play in a defensive role. In addition, this tank is very prone to an engine fire, so the FPE is a modification that must be completed ASAP. Also, be sure not to let the enemy get sight of the driver and radio operators hull viewports. One single halfway decent shot, even from 20 to 30 mm guns can end the M4A1.

When it comes to armour, it may save you from time to time, but don't rely on it too much. Never angle this tank, becouse the rounded edges of the upper frontal plate are very thin. Remember that your biggest adventage is the combination of good mobility, capable gun, and decent armour.

The M4A1 Sherman plays best in an aggressive role. Firing on the move is not a difficult task with this tank due to the vertical stabilizer. Take advantage of this tank's immense gun depression of -12°.

The tall profile of the tank is an advantage and disadvantage. In the context of a hull down position, it is an advantage due to the M4A1 being able to angle the turret down over a hill or crest without having to pull further up the hill. The tall profile, however, does make the M4A1 more visible and the tall hull makes it easy to set off an ammo rack.

Enemies worth noting at this rank are the Panzer IV F2, the T-34 variants with the F-34 cannon, and the British Churchill infantry tank. All these tanks have adequate guns that could destroy the M4A1 in one shot.

If the M4A1 has been uptiered then it has a significantly higher chance of being picked off due to its weak side armor and with the rest of its armor being less effective due to more advanced enemy cannons.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

[[M4A2]] / [[M4A4 (1st PTG)|A4]]: these Sherman tanks are widely used by over 3 nations that spread across both the Allied and the Axis side, so no matter which nation you play they can be quite tough to destroy in the hands of a skilled tanker. Given the rather weak penetration of your short 75mm gun, their hull can be almost impossible to penetrate when angled, hull down or 300m away. For a M4A4, there are 2 apparent bulges on the upper front plate, a penetration through there can guarantee a knock out most of the times. But in case the opponent covers them up or when it's a M4A2, aim for the middle parts of the gun mantlet or the turret armor unprotected by the mantlet, you can at least make them defenseless. Note that their guns are equally weak against you, so wiggle around to disrupt their aim while you reload, you have a good chance of bouncing some shells.

[[KV I C 756 (r) (Germany)|KV I C 756 (r)]]:

A vehicle that the M4 Sherman will have trouble against is this German KV-1. While the [[KV-1 (L-11)|L-11]] is underpowered, the [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|ZiS-5]] is potent enough to punch through the Sherman's front, and the Sherman is unable to penetrate the KV-1's thick armour especially with its add-on armour plates. If this heavy tank is encountered and it's angling the hull, aim at the gun mantlet as it is only 50 mm thick. You can knock out its gunner easily. Or shoot at the thin cupola, there's also some chance to knock out the gunner. Of course, the best way is to shoot at its sides and rear without any angle, where its armour is unsloped, though it will still have to be at a close range to penetrate the armour. In addition, shots to the sides will most likely hit fuel tanks or ammunition storage, causing a fire or ammunition detonation and at best, time to reassess the situation.

[[Churchill I]], [[Churchill III]], [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)|Pz.Kpfw. Churchill]]:

The Churchills, with their complex hulls and sturdy turrets, can be quite hard to penetrate at range. Again, manoeuvre as close to them as possible, the ideal distance being no more than 200 m. If they are angling their hull but facing their turret at you, only go for the turret. For the Mk I Churchills, aim at the near-vertical part of their rounded cheeks to ensure successful penetrations. For the Mk III and the German Churchill, also aim for their flat turret which is at most 89 mm. The shell should go in easily and knock out most, if not all of the crew. Only when you are facing their hull without any angles should you shoot the hull, otherwise shoot the turret only, as their big tracks can easily get in front of the frontal hull. The side hull have multiple layers of armour, some of which are weirdly angled and can absorb plenty of shells.

[[Pz.IV F2]]/[[Pz.IV G|G]]/[[Pz.IV H|H]]/[[Pz.IV J|J]]:

The historical nemesis of any Sherman, the Panzer IV is one of the Sherman's biggest threats at this rank. The long barrel 75 mm gun will easily penetrate the Sherman from the front. The F2 variant is admittedly easy to deal with. A single APCBC to its hull or turret should end it pretty quickly, even at long range. The other variants are slightly harder to deal with. They have thicker hull armour, at 80 mm, which will be much harder to penetrate with the APCBC over 500 m. Luckily the turret armour remains the same at 50 mm. Either aim here with APCBC or sacrifice damage potential and use the AP round to penetrate the hull.

[[StuG III F]]/[[StuG III G|G]]:

Another historical nemesis of the Sherman, and another big threat. The StuG III packs the same punch as the Panzer IV line with its long barrel 75 mm gun, whilst losing the turret, which turns out to be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Lacking a turret means that it will have to traverse the whole vehicle to target an enemy, but it also means that it has a lower profile. The StuG's armour profile is also more complex than the Panzer IV, with less flat areas. Certain areas are sloped and very bouncy. Luckily, there is a big weak spot. There are two flat plates on the front of the hull. The flat plate on the right is the drivers port. Shoot that and you are able to knock out the driver, gunner and loader in one go. This is a very efficient way to destroy this vehicle. With the F variant, you can use APCBC to instantly one-shot this vehicle. With the G variant, it is more reliable to use AP at ranges within 500 m to ensure penetration.

[[R3 T20 FA-HS]]:

This speedy wheeled vehicle can circle around you with ease and wipe out all your crew with its fast firing 20mm autocannon. Watch out for your gun barrel, as the R3 can easily destroy it. In a close encounter, never expose your side to it, as the 20mm will shred through the thin 38mm plate and detonate your ammo. However, a good thing is that you can rely on your .50 cal to destroy the R3.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Good 75 mm gun, with adequate damage and a decent rate of fire
* Frontal glacis offers good armour at its rank and tend to make rounds ricochet
* Very fast turret traverse speed
* Thick gun mantlet, and overall very good sloped turret armour
* Very strong when in a hull down position
* Excellent gun depression -12 degrees
* Very mobile once acceleration kicks in
* Pintle-mounted HMG provides an anti-aircraft defence and can shoot down lightly armoured targets
* Fitted with a vertical stabilizer, allowing more accurate fire on the move compared to other tanks, as well as better usage of shoot-n-scoot tactics

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is not as strong against up-gunned vehicles like the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV F2]] and the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 mod.1942]]
* The 38.1 mm side armour is vulnerable to even Rank I anti-tank fire and anti-aircraft guns
* Narrow tracks offer poor ground flotation, thus poor off-road capabilities
* Prone to damage by artillery barrages, tracks can be hit and the fuel supply can be ignited
* Ammunition storage is vulnerable to cooking off
* May tip over when travelling across steep inclines
* A shot through hull vision blocks can set off turret's ammo supply and hull sponson ammo and a lucky shot might even knock the M4A1 out
* Has a high profile especially when compared to other medium tanks
* The cast hull creates frontal weakspots with very little effective thickness, eg. the triangles between upper front plate and the side, and the curved hull hatches

== History ==

===Development===
The Battle of France in 1940 proved to America that their current tank arsenal would not be able to withstand a German assault. The only tanks in their inventory at that time was the [[M2A4|M2 Light Tanks]] and the [[M2|M2 Medium Tank]], both are inadequate against the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and the [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]]. The US Army, in response, ordered for a tank armed with a 75 mm gun. While a 75 mm gun was available for use, a turret able to mount the gun was not. So while the turret and tank design underwent development, the 75 mm would be mounted on the stopgap design, the [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] tank in a sponson mount. This interim design put the 75 mm on a lower and limited traverse mount that restricted its firing angle, but it did give the Allies a tank with the gun, so it was issued by the thousands until a better design could be made.

During the M3's development, the designs of the 75 mm armed vehicle were being drawn up and submitted by the Ordnance Department. Specifications on the tank design were strict, with restrictions made on the tank's height, width, and weight in order to make it able to be transported over bridges, roads, railroads, and on ships. These specifications would help the army by making the tank be very flexible on strategic, logistical, and tactical grounds. On April 1941, the Armored Force Board chose the simplest of the designs, which was a redesigned M3 hull and chassis with a turret mounting the 75 mm gun designated the ''T6'', completed in September 1941. This tank would then designated the '''Medium Tank M4''' in American service. The tank would become the most used Allied tank during World War II as it was lent out by the thousands in the Lend-Lease program to the Allied countries. The British called the M4 the "Sherman", which coined into the tank's name '''M4 Sherman''' that it would be known as in history. The production for the Shermans began on October 1941 and would continue to be produced until the end of the war in 1945 with around 50,000 units produced, making it the second most-produced tank in World War II before the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 tank]].

===Design===
Many variants of the Shermans were produced, but they all followed a similar layout. The driver and bow gunner sat in the front driving compartment, the fighting compartment in the middle housed the turret its three crew member, and in the back was the engine compartment. The Sherman used many features present in previous American tank designs, the vertical volute suspension system (VVSS) and radial engine from the M2 light tanks, and the sloping armour of the M2 Medium. This became a contributing factor on the Sherman's reliability on the field, as most of the design flaws were ironed out with the previous tank designs. The tank-mounted the [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3 gun]], giving the tank very good AP and HE capabilities. The Sherman's turret traverse speed was very fast, able to traverse a full 360 degrees in only 15 seconds, which is considerably faster than the traverse speed on most German tanks. Another unique feature on the Sherman was the installation of a [[Gun stabilizer|gyroscopic stabilizer]] on the gun and sight, making the Sherman one of the first produced tanks to incorporate those features. While the stabilization was only done for the vertical plane, it kept the gun stable enough to be able to shoot on the move effectively, with a study showing a 70 % hit probability on an enemy 300 to 1,200 yards away when moving at a speed of 15 mph. However, this feature was controversial among the crew and experiences with it vary.

The '''M4A1 Sherman''' model ran on a gasoline Continental R975C-1 radial engine and was one of the first models of the Sherman developed. The model in-game features the early M38 telescopic sight in the M4 periscope with no zoom, which was later replaced with an M55 telescopic sight in the gun mantlet by recommendation from the British.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT1">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "Baptism Of Fire"</ref> The tank's hull was fully cast, giving the tank a distinctive rounded slope front and sides. Though the rounded shape gave the frontal armour uneven angling, it provided adequate protection up to 100 mm in thickness in certain areas. Casting the hull took fewer man hours to perform, but suffered from the limited capability of most American factories and was hard to repair on the field. Thus, welding was prioritized as the primary manufacturing method in the other Sherman variants.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT3">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The School of Tank Technology"</ref> Nevertheless, up to 6,281 M4A1s were produced from February 1942 to December 1943, out of the 49,234 Sherman units produced in the war.

===Combat usage===
====European theater====
The Shermans first saw combat in the North African Campaign in the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942 in the hands of the British. It was much quicker to reinforce the British armoured divisions with the more than 300 M4 Shermans sent to North Africa than it was to create new American ones. It proved much better than the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]], able to eliminate them at distances more than 2,000 yards away. The Americans received their first Shermans in the next month in Operation Torch. However better the Shermans were to the German tanks at the time, the Allied armoured units still suffered casualties against the German tanks and anti-tank guns, most notably in the Battle of Kasserine Pass. In Italy, the Shermans proved much more mobile than the German Panzers, able to travel cross-country on the hilly terrain with ease. However, it was at this stage that the Sherman's shortcoming began to take face in the advent of the newer German tanks, the [[Tiger H1|Tiger Is]] and [[Panther D|Panthers]]. These two tanks featured armour that proved impenetrable when fired at the front, and with guns that could take out the Shermans from farther than the Sherman's effective combat range. The Shermans have to hit the side of these tanks for penetration and at ranges that were considered suicidal. Although programs were initiated to [[M4A1 (76) W|up-gun the Sherman with a 76 mm gun]], American leaders determine that the Panther and Tigers would not be produced in large quantities and were not as great as a threat as these two vehicles could still be destroyed by the 75 mm gun and standard anti-tank equipment.

During the Invasion of France, it was clear that the Sherman's current build with a 75 mm gun was no longer going to cut it against the German armoured forces. While the Sherman was adequate against what little Panzer III and IVs the Germans have left and against infantry and fortifications with the 75 mm gun, the Panthers and Tigers were in much large quantity than expected, and proved better in armour and firepower to the Shermans. Though in the bocage country of France, the Allies lost more tanks to hidden anti-tank guns and infantry weapons than to tanks. Despite these losses, the mass production of M4 Sherman back in the United States ensured that enough tanks were available for the Allied Forces as they spearhead through France, plus the lack of any other capable tanks meant they had to use the Shermans for the time being. The large quantities of Shermans produced during the war gave the Allied armoured units a major advantage of being fully equipped as the German panzer divisions were rarely in full strength, with some US infantry divisions having more tracked vehicles than some of the panzer divisions. Due to the high attrition rates, tank crews sometimes add [[Add-on Armor|improvised armour]] onto their Shermans in the form of sandbags and logs in hopes of increased survival, but these were determined to be ineffective from evaluations. A more effective method was to have metal armour welded on in improvisation, and an official project was made for such "assault tanks" that ended with the [[M4A3E2|M4A3E2 "Jumbos"]] with 250 made for the Battle of Normandy. During the Battle of Normandy, the first 76 mm Shermans on the M4A1 were put into combat in Operation Cobra in limited numbers. The Allies continued to primarily use the 75 mm Shermans until the Battle of the Bulge in Winter 1944, when the commanders request only 76 mm Shermans to be brought into Europe as the battle showed the intense armour disparity with the German's large numbers of [[Panther G|Panthers]] and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II's]]. While new units arriving in Europe were armed exclusively with 76 mm armed-Shermans, the veteran units kept the 75 mm Shermans, to which it continued to do well against softer targets with little threat from German armour due to their extreme declining numbers.

====Pacific theater====
The M4 Sherman's importance in the Pacific theatre was less than that of the European theatre due to the different tactical doctrine established from the amphibious nature of combat. Only about 20 tank battalions fielded by the US Army were sent to support the Pacific theatre of operations, compared to the total 16 armoured divisions and 70 tank battalions they have in service. The low priority in tanks was due to the following reasons. Firstly, the jungle terrain on most of the islands fought for against the Japanese were unsuitable for the deployment of large-scale armoured units, relegating armour support to light tanks such as the [[M3 Stuart|M3 Stuarts]]. Secondly, the Japanese forces' armoured units were rather inferior to the American tank forces by 1943. While the Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go tank was comparable to the M2A4 light tank, the Shermans out gun these tanks by a large margin. Such a large margin that the tank crew prefer to use high-explosive shots against the Japanese tank than regular armour-piercing as the AP rounds would penetrate straight through without causing much damage in the interior of the tank. The Japanese developed the Type 3 Chi-Nu and the Type 4 Chi-To to fight back the Shermans, but these two never saw combat as they were kept at the Japanese Homeland for the defence against the Allied invasion.

The Shermans, when deployed, were superior to most of the Japanese anti-tank equipment and often were essential to some of the Marine's advances on some of the island assaults. In 1945, the equipping of flamethrower Shermans known as ''M4A3R3'', nicknamed "Zippos", were a significant boost to the infantry's firepower in having a very long range of fire compared to the standard infantry-modelled flamethrowers with the benefit of being in an armoured vehicle. The Zippos are able to flush out enemy combatants from within heavily fortified bunkers and caves that would be dangerous for even flamethrower infantry to take out. The Japanese solution against the Shermans, other than with their 47 mm anti-tank guns, were often suicidal tactics ranging from placing satchel charges right onto the tank, using pole-mounted anti-tank mines to reach and destroy the tank or even simply throwing oneself underneath a tank with mine or other explosive and triggering it manually.

====Lend-Lease====
The Sherman tank was given out in large numbers to American Allies during World War II under the Lend-Lease policy. While America retained about 20,361 Shermans in the Army and Marine Corps, 17,184 went to Britain (about 34% of Shermans produced and 78% of Shermans given out) and the Soviet Union obtained 4,102 Shermans.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT2">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The British Sherman"</ref> China obtained 812 Shermans, Brazil with 53, and New Zealand and Australia for 153 Shermans total. Other countries using the Shermans were Poland, Free France, and Czechoslovakia. The British deployed the Sherman among their armoured squadrons in such a large number to become the standard tank of their armoured forces. The increased threat of German tanks in the European theatre also provoked the British to up-gun the M4 Sherman with a more capable gun, resulting in the [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]].

====Post-War====
After the war, the Shermans continued serving America and its allies as the [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3E8]] with a new suspension and 76 mm gun. The [[M26|M26 Pershing]] that was introduced late in World War II was phased out for the Shermans due to its unreliability, and the Sherman stayed until the [[M46|M46 Patton]] was introduced. After being phased out of American service, many other countries still used the Sherman as their main tank, mainly Israel where they up-gun the tank with the much powerful post-war French [[SA50 (75 mm)|75 mm]] and [[CN-105-F1 (105 mm)|105 mm]] gun as the [[M4A4 (SA50)|M-50]] and M-51 respectively (nicknamed "Super Shermans"). These proved successful as they were able to fight against the Soviet-supplied [[T-54 (1947)|T-54 tanks]] and [[T-34-85]]s in Middle East service, proving the Sherman as a successful and adaptable design for many years to come.

===In-game description===
The M4А1 was an M4 medium tank with a cast hull, cast turret, and the 350 hp Continental R-975, a gas-powered radial engine. The M4A1 went into full-fledged production in February 1942, with 6,281 rolling off the lines between then and January 1944. The hull's front plate initially had viewing slits cut out, though later it was made from one piece. The front section of the gear compartment was made out of three pieces, subsequently becoming a single section. The M34 cannon mantlet was replaced with the M34A1 by 1943.

M4A1 tanks were shipped to Great Britain as part of Lend-Lease. The Sherman's baptism by fire came in North Africa, where the British thought the new American tanks played a fairly significant role in the victory at El Alamein. M4A1s also served in Italy.

The tank enjoyed a strong reputation in battle, quickly replacing the M3 as the Americans' main medium tank. The M4 turned out to be best for desert combat, a conclusion confirmed by post-war experience as well. The flat, wide open spaces in Africa were a perfect natural environment allowing it to exploit its reliability, high speed, comfortable interior, excellent field of view, and radio communications. The tank's range suffered, but the Allies handled that issue by streamlining their supply lines. In addition, tankers often carried along with extra fuel in canisters. A high silhouette made the M4 easy to target, and its armament was made obsolete in 1943 with the appearance of the German Pz.V and Pz.VI tanks. The M4's weaknesses were an engine, ammunition, and fuel tanks prone to fire and explosions due to its relatively light armour.



== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=us_m4a1_1942_sherman Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|WER1vaO-y8w|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Tank Review''' - ''Napalmratte''|kQqLfmL33JI|'''{{PAGENAME}} Sherman Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|48O5JUtPqtU|'''Tank Chats #39 Sherman {{PAGENAME}} "Michael" - "The Tank Museum"}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[M4 Sherman (Family)]]

;Other M4A1 vehicles in the game

* [[M4A1 (76) W]] - American version with a [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm gun]]
* [[Sherman II]] - A version in the British tech tree
* [[M4A1 (France)]] - A version in the French tech tree
* [[M4A1 (FL10)]] - A premium version with an [[AMX-13]] turret placed on it; located in the French tech tree
* [[M4A1 (75) W (China)]] - A version with a T23 turret, but with a 75 mm gun, in the Chinese tech tree

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/711|[Devblog] Developers about M4A1]]
* [[wikipedia:M4_Sherman|[Wikipedia] M4 Sherman]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M4_Sherman <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Medium Tank M4 Sherman]
* [https://flyingheritage.org/Explore/The-Collection/United-States/M4A1-Sherman-Medium-Tank.aspx <nowiki>[Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum]</nowiki> M4A1 Sherman Medium Tank]

{{USA medium tanks}}
<references />

M4A1

2021-02-08T19:03:11Z

U108476048: *Final edit, sorry, still a beginner at editing.

{{About
| about = American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other M4 Shermans
| link-1 = M4 Sherman (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = M4 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m4a1_1942_sherman
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. The M4A1 is the first Sherman to be unlocked in the American ground tree and provides the player a new balance in armour, firepower, and mobility to use against the enemy. The in-game model is the basic Sherman design during the years of fighting in North Africa, informally called "Sherman 1" with a basic M38 telescopic sight inside the M4 periscope as the gunner's main method of aiming.

The M4A1 Sherman is distinctive from its cast hull construction, causing it to have a curved hull shape. This causes the front hull armour to have a varying slope angle across the glacis, but it also presents several weaknesses. First is in the hull front and side joint with slightly flat angles when angling the tank, the next is the cast construction which diminishes the labelled effectiveness of the front armour. The last is the vision blocks at the top of the front plate. Though at its battle rating, its armour is still effective against smaller gun caliber enemy fire.

The 75 mm M3 gun is mounted in the M34 gun mount with the periscope, a skinny gun mount compared to the future M34A1 which all future 75 mm M4 Sherman guns are mounted. This lowers the area the gun mantlet covers to contribute to turret front armour but does present a slightly greater gun depression by -2° than the future M34A1 mounts.

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

'''Armour type:'''

*Cast homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)
*Rolled homogeneous armour (hull side - bottom)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 19.5 mm (63-84°) ''Front glacis - Upper section'' 50.8 mm (48-63°) ''Front glacis - Centre section'' 34 + 25.4 mm (spherical) ''MG port'' 38.1 mm (spherical) ''Front glacis - Sides'' 50.8 mm (cylindrical) ''Transmission housing'' || 38.1 mm (1-24°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm ''Bottom'' || 38.1 mm ''Upper plate'' 38.1 mm (13°) ''Lower plate'' 38.1 mm (50°) ''Lower glacis'' || 50.8 mm (27-39°) ''Front glacis'' 19.5 mm (0-28°) Turret area'' 19.5 mm (7°) ''Engine bay - centre'' 19.5 mm (20-24°) ''Engine bay - sides
|-
| Turret || 50.8-76.2 mm (18-71°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 + 76.2 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (cylindrical) || 50.8 mm (4°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 50.8 mm (spherical) || 50.8 mm (spherical) ''Outer ring'' 25.4 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while bogies are 10 mm thick and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
* A small patch on the turret front right side is thinner (50.8 mm) than the rest (76.2 mm).
* Bolt edges on the transmission housing are 101.6 mm thick.

Taking out the M4A1 Sherman is not an incredibly difficult task. Any gun with 100+ mm of penetration will go through the front plate. Panzer III users, however, would have some trouble penetrating the sloped frontal armour, even the later Panzer III models with the 50 mm KwK 39 cannon. The T-34 with the L-11 cannon can also have a difficult time penetrating the front armour. Instead, use your speed and mobility to flank the Sherman, and a shot to the 38mm thick side armour will most likely cause an ammo detonation, destroying the Sherman. If you are forced to face a Sherman head-on, aim for the flat spot around the vision blocks at the top of the front plate. They are extremely thin and upon penetration will destroy or heavily disable the Sherman.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 620|rbMinHp= 354|}}

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

At this rank, the difference between a stock tank and an upgraded one are quite minimal as the M4 Sherman still has adequate firepower and mobility to make a difference on the front-lines. The most notable traits would be sluggishness due to the engine and general inaccuracy over long ranges.

Focus on the survival parts, and then move on towards the M61 shot module, which will improve instant destruction upon penetration.

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

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || 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" | 90 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 22.9 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.6 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
When discussing {{PAGENAME}} shells, one always has to account for the fact that it's a medium tank. This means short to medium engagement range, so realistically it can benefit more from its short-range penetration figures than long-range sniping tanks would.

* M72 shot - {{Annotation|AP|Armour-Piercing}} - Solid shot, stock shell. Acceptable penetration, poor post-penetration damage.
* M48 shell - {{Annotation|HE|High-Explosive fragmentation shell}} - Low-velocity shell useful against soft targets, in particular when hitting an open-topped vehicle. Harmless against any vehicle with more than 10 mm of armour.
* M61 shot - {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-Piercing Capped Ballistic Capped}} - This shell has a better penetration than the M72 thanks to its ballistic cap and a good post-penetration damage thanks to its explosive filler.
* M89 smoke shell - Useful to blind enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 91 || 88 || 78 || 67 || 57 || 49
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 104 || 101 || 90 || 78 || 68 || 59
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 619 || 6.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 463 || 6.3 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 666 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 618 || 6.79 || 1.2 || 14 || 63.7 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity in m/s
! Projectile Mass in kg
! ''Screen radius in m''
! ''Screen time in s''
! ''Screen hold time in s:''
! ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
|-
| M89 || 259 || 3 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''90''' || 82 ''(+8)'' || 75 ''(+15)'' || 72 ''(+18)'' || 70 ''(+20)'' || 54 ''(+36)'' || 38 ''(+52)'' || 22 ''(+68)'' || 1 ''(+89)'' || Yes
|-
|}
Notes:

* The visual discrepancy concerns rack 8: 28 shells are modeled but it contains only 21 shells.
* Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.
* Flanks and turret empty: 22 ''(+68)'' shells.

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (7.62 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
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 577 || -10°/+22° || ±60°
|-
|}
The roof-mounted M2HB .50 cal heavy machine gun is very good at knocking out tracks, punching through lightly armoured vehicles and shooting down low-flying aircraft. Use it sparsely because of its low ammo count.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The small calibre of the M1919A4 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==


At a battle rating of 3.3, the M4A1 Sherman is a very capable medium tank. The 75 mm M3 cannon is capable of destroying nearly all armoured targets at the battle rating. Combined with the very fast turret traverse rate, fast reload time of 6.5 seconds and a vertical gun stabilizer, this tank is suited to an aggressive play style due to the M4A1's ability to react quickly and fire relatively accurately without coming to a full stop. The gun depression of -12° also makes this tank excel in hull-down positions, unlike any other tank. One must take into account this tanks very thin side armour of 38.1 mm thick, anti-tank weaponry of any rank will be capable of penetrating this weak side armour so protect the flanks.

Beware of this tank's very poor reverse speed as it only has one reverse gear. This affects the tank's ability to play in a defensive role. In addition, this tank is very prone to an engine fire, so the FPE is a modification that must be completed ASAP. Also, be sure not to let the enemy get sight of the driver and radio operators hull viewports. One single halfway decent shot, even from 20 to 30 mm guns can end the M4A1.

When it comes to armour, it may save you from time to time, but don't rely on it too much. Never angle this tank, becouse the rounded edges of the upper frontal plate are very thin. Remember that your biggest adventage is the combination of good mobility, capable gun, and decent armour.

The M4A1 Sherman plays best in an aggressive role. Firing on the move is not a difficult task with this tank due to the vertical stabilizer. Take advantage of this tank's immense gun depression of -12°.

The tall profile of the tank is an advantage and disadvantage. In the context of a hull down position, it is an advantage due to the M4A1 being able to angle the turret down over a hill or crest without having to pull further up the hill. The tall profile, however, does make the M4A1 more visible and the tall hull makes it easy to set off an ammo rack.

Enemies worth noting at this rank are the Panzer IV F2, the T-34 variants with the F-34 cannon, and the British Churchill infantry tank. All these tanks have adequate guns that could destroy the M4A1 in one shot.

If the M4A1 has been uptiered then it has a significantly higher chance of being picked off due to its weak side armor and with the rest of its armor being less effective due to more advanced enemy cannons.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

[[M4A2]] / [[M4A4 (1st PTG)|A4]]: these Sherman tanks are widely used by over 3 nations that spread across both the Allied and the Axis side, so no matter which nation you play they can be quite tough to destroy in the hands of a skilled tanker. Given the rather weak penetration of your short 75mm gun, their hull can be almost impossible to penetrate when angled, hull down or 300m away. For a M4A4, there are 2 apparent bulges on the upper front plate, a penetration through there can guarantee a knock out most of the times. But in case the opponent covers them up or when it's a M4A2, aim for the middle parts of the gun mantlet or the turret armor unprotected by the mantlet, you can at least make them defenseless. Note that their guns are equally weak against you, so wiggle around to disrupt their aim while you reload, you have a good chance of bouncing some shells.

[[KV I C 756 (r) (Germany)|KV I C 756 (r)]]:

A vehicle that the M4 Sherman will have trouble against is this German KV-1. While the [[KV-1 (L-11)|L-11]] is underpowered, the [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|ZiS-5]] is potent enough to punch through the Sherman's front, and the Sherman is unable to penetrate the KV-1's thick armour especially with its add-on armour plates. If this heavy tank is encountered and it's angling the hull, aim at the gun mantlet as it is only 50 mm thick. You can knock out its gunner easily. Or shoot at the thin cupola, there's also some chance to knock out the gunner. Of course, the best way is to shoot at its sides and rear without any angle, where its armour is unsloped, though it will still have to be at a close range to penetrate the armour. In addition, shots to the sides will most likely hit fuel tanks or ammunition storage, causing a fire or ammunition detonation and at best, time to reassess the situation.

[[Churchill I]], [[Churchill III]], [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)|Pz.Kpfw. Churchill]]:

The Churchills, with their complex hulls and sturdy turrets, can be quite hard to penetrate at range. Again, manoeuvre as close to them as possible, the ideal distance being no more than 200 m. If they are angling their hull but facing their turret at you, only go for the turret. For the Mk I Churchills, aim at the near-vertical part of their rounded cheeks to ensure successful penetrations. For the Mk III and the German Churchill, also aim for their flat turret which is at most 89 mm. The shell should go in easily and knock out most, if not all of the crew. Only when you are facing their hull without any angles should you shoot the hull, otherwise shoot the turret only, as their big tracks can easily get in front of the frontal hull. The side hull have multiple layers of armour, some of which are weirdly angled and can absorb plenty of shells.

[[Pz.IV F2]]/[[Pz.IV G|G]]/[[Pz.IV H|H]]/[[Pz.IV J|J]]:

The historical nemesis of any Sherman, the Panzer IV is one of the Sherman's biggest threats at this rank. The long barrel 75 mm gun will easily penetrate the Sherman from the front. The F2 variant is admittedly easy to deal with. A single APCBC to its hull or turret should end it pretty quickly, even at long range. The other variants are slightly harder to deal with. They have thicker hull armour, at 80 mm, which will be much harder to penetrate with the APCBC over 500 m. Luckily the turret armour remains the same at 50 mm. Either aim here with APCBC or sacrifice damage potential and use the AP round to penetrate the hull.

[[StuG III F]]/[[StuG III G|G]]:

Another historical nemesis of the Sherman, and another big threat. The StuG III packs the same punch as the Panzer IV line with its long barrel 75 mm gun, whilst losing the turret, which turns out to be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Lacking a turret means that it will have to traverse the whole vehicle to target an enemy, but it also means that it has a lower profile. The StuG's armour profile is also more complex than the Panzer IV, with less flat areas. Certain areas are sloped and very bouncy. Luckily, there is a big weak spot. There are two flat plates on the front of the hull. The flat plate on the right is the drivers port. Shoot that and you are able to knock out the driver, gunner and loader in one go. This is a very efficient way to destroy this vehicle. With the F variant, you can use APCBC to instantly one-shot this vehicle. With the G variant, it is more reliable to use AP at ranges within 500 m to ensure penetration.

[[R3 T20 FA-HS]]:

This speedy wheeled vehicle can circle around you with ease and wipe out all your crew with its fast firing 20mm autocannon. Watch out for your gun barrel, as the R3 can easily destroy it. In a close encounter, never expose your side to it, as the 20mm will shred through the thin 38mm plate and detonate your ammo. However, a good thing is that you can rely on your .50 cal to destroy the R3.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Good 75 mm gun, with adequate damage and a decent rate of fire
* Frontal glacis offers good armour at its rank and tend to make rounds ricochet
* Very fast turret traverse speed
* Thick gun mantlet, and overall very good sloped turret armour
* Very strong when in a hull down position
* Excellent gun depression -12 degrees
* Very mobile once acceleration kicks in
* Pintle-mounted HMG provides an anti-aircraft defence and can shoot down lightly armoured targets
* Fitted with a vertical stabilizer, allowing more accurate fire on the move compared to other tanks, as well as better usage of shoot-n-scoot tactics

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is not as strong against up-gunned vehicles like the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV F2]] and the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 mod.1942]]
* The 38.1 mm side armour is vulnerable to even Rank I anti-tank fire and anti-aircraft guns
* Narrow tracks offer poor ground flotation, thus poor off-road capabilities
* Prone to damage by artillery barrages, tracks can be hit and the fuel supply can be ignited
* Ammunition storage is vulnerable to cooking off
* May tip over when travelling across steep inclines
* A shot through hull vision blocks can set off turret's ammo supply and hull sponson ammo and a lucky shot might even knock the M4A1 out
* Has a high profile especially when compared to other medium tanks
* The cast hull creates frontal weakspots with very little effective thickness, eg. the triangles between upper front plate and the side, and the curved hull hatches

== History ==

===Development===
The Battle of France in 1940 proved to America that their current tank arsenal would not be able to withstand a German assault. The only tanks in their inventory at that time was the [[M2A4|M2 Light Tanks]] and the [[M2|M2 Medium Tank]], both are inadequate against the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and the [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]]. The US Army, in response, ordered for a tank armed with a 75 mm gun. While a 75 mm gun was available for use, a turret able to mount the gun was not. So while the turret and tank design underwent development, the 75 mm would be mounted on the stopgap design, the [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] tank in a sponson mount. This interim design put the 75 mm on a lower and limited traverse mount that restricted its firing angle, but it did give the Allies a tank with the gun, so it was issued by the thousands until a better design could be made.

During the M3's development, the designs of the 75 mm armed vehicle were being drawn up and submitted by the Ordnance Department. Specifications on the tank design were strict, with restrictions made on the tank's height, width, and weight in order to make it able to be transported over bridges, roads, railroads, and on ships. These specifications would help the army by making the tank be very flexible on strategic, logistical, and tactical grounds. On April 1941, the Armored Force Board chose the simplest of the designs, which was a redesigned M3 hull and chassis with a turret mounting the 75 mm gun designated the ''T6'', completed in September 1941. This tank would then designated the '''Medium Tank M4''' in American service. The tank would become the most used Allied tank during World War II as it was lent out by the thousands in the Lend-Lease program to the Allied countries. The British called the M4 the "Sherman", which coined into the tank's name '''M4 Sherman''' that it would be known as in history. The production for the Shermans began on October 1941 and would continue to be produced until the end of the war in 1945 with around 50,000 units produced, making it the second most-produced tank in World War II before the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 tank]].

===Design===
Many variants of the Shermans were produced, but they all followed a similar layout. The driver and bow gunner sat in the front driving compartment, the fighting compartment in the middle housed the turret its three crew member, and in the back was the engine compartment. The Sherman used many features present in previous American tank designs, the vertical volute suspension system (VVSS) and radial engine from the M2 light tanks, and the sloping armour of the M2 Medium. This became a contributing factor on the Sherman's reliability on the field, as most of the design flaws were ironed out with the previous tank designs. The tank-mounted the [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3 gun]], giving the tank very good AP and HE capabilities. The Sherman's turret traverse speed was very fast, able to traverse a full 360 degrees in only 15 seconds, which is considerably faster than the traverse speed on most German tanks. Another unique feature on the Sherman was the installation of a [[Gun stabilizer|gyroscopic stabilizer]] on the gun and sight, making the Sherman one of the first produced tanks to incorporate those features. While the stabilization was only done for the vertical plane, it kept the gun stable enough to be able to shoot on the move effectively, with a study showing a 70 % hit probability on an enemy 300 to 1,200 yards away when moving at a speed of 15 mph. However, this feature was controversial among the crew and experiences with it vary.

The '''M4A1 Sherman''' model ran on a gasoline Continental R975C-1 radial engine and was one of the first models of the Sherman developed. The model in-game features the early M38 telescopic sight in the M4 periscope with no zoom, which was later replaced with an M55 telescopic sight in the gun mantlet by recommendation from the British.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT1">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "Baptism Of Fire"</ref> The tank's hull was fully cast, giving the tank a distinctive rounded slope front and sides. Though the rounded shape gave the frontal armour uneven angling, it provided adequate protection up to 100 mm in thickness in certain areas. Casting the hull took fewer man hours to perform, but suffered from the limited capability of most American factories and was hard to repair on the field. Thus, welding was prioritized as the primary manufacturing method in the other Sherman variants.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT3">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The School of Tank Technology"</ref> Nevertheless, up to 6,281 M4A1s were produced from February 1942 to December 1943, out of the 49,234 Sherman units produced in the war.

===Combat usage===
====European theater====
The Shermans first saw combat in the North African Campaign in the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942 in the hands of the British. It was much quicker to reinforce the British armoured divisions with the more than 300 M4 Shermans sent to North Africa than it was to create new American ones. It proved much better than the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]], able to eliminate them at distances more than 2,000 yards away. The Americans received their first Shermans in the next month in Operation Torch. However better the Shermans were to the German tanks at the time, the Allied armoured units still suffered casualties against the German tanks and anti-tank guns, most notably in the Battle of Kasserine Pass. In Italy, the Shermans proved much more mobile than the German Panzers, able to travel cross-country on the hilly terrain with ease. However, it was at this stage that the Sherman's shortcoming began to take face in the advent of the newer German tanks, the [[Tiger H1|Tiger Is]] and [[Panther D|Panthers]]. These two tanks featured armour that proved impenetrable when fired at the front, and with guns that could take out the Shermans from farther than the Sherman's effective combat range. The Shermans have to hit the side of these tanks for penetration and at ranges that were considered suicidal. Although programs were initiated to [[M4A1 (76) W|up-gun the Sherman with a 76 mm gun]], American leaders determine that the Panther and Tigers would not be produced in large quantities and were not as great as a threat as these two vehicles could still be destroyed by the 75 mm gun and standard anti-tank equipment.

During the Invasion of France, it was clear that the Sherman's current build with a 75 mm gun was no longer going to cut it against the German armoured forces. While the Sherman was adequate against what little Panzer III and IVs the Germans have left and against infantry and fortifications with the 75 mm gun, the Panthers and Tigers were in much large quantity than expected, and proved better in armour and firepower to the Shermans. Though in the bocage country of France, the Allies lost more tanks to hidden anti-tank guns and infantry weapons than to tanks. Despite these losses, the mass production of M4 Sherman back in the United States ensured that enough tanks were available for the Allied Forces as they spearhead through France, plus the lack of any other capable tanks meant they had to use the Shermans for the time being. The large quantities of Shermans produced during the war gave the Allied armoured units a major advantage of being fully equipped as the German panzer divisions were rarely in full strength, with some US infantry divisions having more tracked vehicles than some of the panzer divisions. Due to the high attrition rates, tank crews sometimes add [[Add-on Armor|improvised armour]] onto their Shermans in the form of sandbags and logs in hopes of increased survival, but these were determined to be ineffective from evaluations. A more effective method was to have metal armour welded on in improvisation, and an official project was made for such "assault tanks" that ended with the [[M4A3E2|M4A3E2 "Jumbos"]] with 250 made for the Battle of Normandy. During the Battle of Normandy, the first 76 mm Shermans on the M4A1 were put into combat in Operation Cobra in limited numbers. The Allies continued to primarily use the 75 mm Shermans until the Battle of the Bulge in Winter 1944, when the commanders request only 76 mm Shermans to be brought into Europe as the battle showed the intense armour disparity with the German's large numbers of [[Panther G|Panthers]] and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II's]]. While new units arriving in Europe were armed exclusively with 76 mm armed-Shermans, the veteran units kept the 75 mm Shermans, to which it continued to do well against softer targets with little threat from German armour due to their extreme declining numbers.

====Pacific theater====
The M4 Sherman's importance in the Pacific theatre was less than that of the European theatre due to the different tactical doctrine established from the amphibious nature of combat. Only about 20 tank battalions fielded by the US Army were sent to support the Pacific theatre of operations, compared to the total 16 armoured divisions and 70 tank battalions they have in service. The low priority in tanks was due to the following reasons. Firstly, the jungle terrain on most of the islands fought for against the Japanese were unsuitable for the deployment of large-scale armoured units, relegating armour support to light tanks such as the [[M3 Stuart|M3 Stuarts]]. Secondly, the Japanese forces' armoured units were rather inferior to the American tank forces by 1943. While the Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go tank was comparable to the M2A4 light tank, the Shermans out gun these tanks by a large margin. Such a large margin that the tank crew prefer to use high-explosive shots against the Japanese tank than regular armour-piercing as the AP rounds would penetrate straight through without causing much damage in the interior of the tank. The Japanese developed the Type 3 Chi-Nu and the Type 4 Chi-To to fight back the Shermans, but these two never saw combat as they were kept at the Japanese Homeland for the defence against the Allied invasion.

The Shermans, when deployed, were superior to most of the Japanese anti-tank equipment and often were essential to some of the Marine's advances on some of the island assaults. In 1945, the equipping of flamethrower Shermans known as ''M4A3R3'', nicknamed "Zippos", were a significant boost to the infantry's firepower in having a very long range of fire compared to the standard infantry-modelled flamethrowers with the benefit of being in an armoured vehicle. The Zippos are able to flush out enemy combatants from within heavily fortified bunkers and caves that would be dangerous for even flamethrower infantry to take out. The Japanese solution against the Shermans, other than with their 47 mm anti-tank guns, were often suicidal tactics ranging from placing satchel charges right onto the tank, using pole-mounted anti-tank mines to reach and destroy the tank or even simply throwing oneself underneath a tank with mine or other explosive and triggering it manually.

====Lend-Lease====
The Sherman tank was given out in large numbers to American Allies during World War II under the Lend-Lease policy. While America retained about 20,361 Shermans in the Army and Marine Corps, 17,184 went to Britain (about 34% of Shermans produced and 78% of Shermans given out) and the Soviet Union obtained 4,102 Shermans.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT2">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The British Sherman"</ref> China obtained 812 Shermans, Brazil with 53, and New Zealand and Australia for 153 Shermans total. Other countries using the Shermans were Poland, Free France, and Czechoslovakia. The British deployed the Sherman among their armoured squadrons in such a large number to become the standard tank of their armoured forces. The increased threat of German tanks in the European theatre also provoked the British to up-gun the M4 Sherman with a more capable gun, resulting in the [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]].

====Post-War====
After the war, the Shermans continued serving America and its allies as the [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3E8]] with a new suspension and 76 mm gun. The [[M26|M26 Pershing]] that was introduced late in World War II was phased out for the Shermans due to its unreliability, and the Sherman stayed until the [[M46|M46 Patton]] was introduced. After being phased out of American service, many other countries still used the Sherman as their main tank, mainly Israel where they up-gun the tank with the much powerful post-war French [[SA50 (75 mm)|75 mm]] and [[CN-105-F1 (105 mm)|105 mm]] gun as the [[M4A4 (SA50)|M-50]] and M-51 respectively (nicknamed "Super Shermans"). These proved successful as they were able to fight against the Soviet-supplied [[T-54 (1947)|T-54 tanks]] and [[T-34-85]]s in Middle East service, proving the Sherman as a successful and adaptable design for many years to come.

===In-game description===
The M4А1 was an M4 medium tank with a cast hull, cast turret, and the 350 hp Continental R-975, a gas-powered radial engine. The M4A1 went into full-fledged production in February 1942, with 6,281 rolling off the lines between then and January 1944. The hull's front plate initially had viewing slits cut out, though later it was made from one piece. The front section of the gear compartment was made out of three pieces, subsequently becoming a single section. The M34 cannon mantlet was replaced with the M34A1 by 1943.

M4A1 tanks were shipped to Great Britain as part of Lend-Lease. The Sherman's baptism by fire came in North Africa, where the British thought the new American tanks played a fairly significant role in the victory at El Alamein. M4A1s also served in Italy.

The tank enjoyed a strong reputation in battle, quickly replacing the M3 as the Americans' main medium tank. The M4 turned out to be best for desert combat, a conclusion confirmed by post-war experience as well. The flat, wide open spaces in Africa were a perfect natural environment allowing it to exploit its reliability, high speed, comfortable interior, excellent field of view, and radio communications. The tank's range suffered, but the Allies handled that issue by streamlining their supply lines. In addition, tankers often carried along with extra fuel in canisters. A high silhouette made the M4 easy to target, and its armament was made obsolete in 1943 with the appearance of the German Pz.V and Pz.VI tanks. The M4's weaknesses were an engine, ammunition, and fuel tanks prone to fire and explosions due to its relatively light armour.



== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=us_m4a1_1942_sherman Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|WER1vaO-y8w|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Tank Review''' - ''Napalmratte''|kQqLfmL33JI|'''{{PAGENAME}} Sherman Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|48O5JUtPqtU|'''Tank Chats #39 Sherman {{PAGENAME}} Michael"' - "The Tank Museum"}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[M4 Sherman (Family)]]

;Other M4A1 vehicles in the game

* [[M4A1 (76) W]] - American version with a [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm gun]]
* [[Sherman II]] - A version in the British tech tree
* [[M4A1 (France)]] - A version in the French tech tree
* [[M4A1 (FL10)]] - A premium version with an [[AMX-13]] turret placed on it; located in the French tech tree
* [[M4A1 (75) W (China)]] - A version with a T23 turret, but with a 75 mm gun, in the Chinese tech tree

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/711|[Devblog] Developers about M4A1]]
* [[wikipedia:M4_Sherman|[Wikipedia] M4 Sherman]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M4_Sherman <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Medium Tank M4 Sherman]
* [https://flyingheritage.org/Explore/The-Collection/United-States/M4A1-Sherman-Medium-Tank.aspx <nowiki>[Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum]</nowiki> M4A1 Sherman Medium Tank]

{{USA medium tanks}}
<references />

M4A1

2021-02-08T19:02:16Z

U108476048: *Done, fixed grammar.

{{About
| about = American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other M4 Shermans
| link-1 = M4 Sherman (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = M4 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m4a1_1942_sherman
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. The M4A1 is the first Sherman to be unlocked in the American ground tree and provides the player a new balance in armour, firepower, and mobility to use against the enemy. The in-game model is the basic Sherman design during the years of fighting in North Africa, informally called "Sherman 1" with a basic M38 telescopic sight inside the M4 periscope as the gunner's main method of aiming.

The M4A1 Sherman is distinctive from its cast hull construction, causing it to have a curved hull shape. This causes the front hull armour to have a varying slope angle across the glacis, but it also presents several weaknesses. First is in the hull front and side joint with slightly flat angles when angling the tank, the next is the cast construction which diminishes the labelled effectiveness of the front armour. The last is the vision blocks at the top of the front plate. Though at its battle rating, its armour is still effective against smaller gun caliber enemy fire.

The 75 mm M3 gun is mounted in the M34 gun mount with the periscope, a skinny gun mount compared to the future M34A1 which all future 75 mm M4 Sherman guns are mounted. This lowers the area the gun mantlet covers to contribute to turret front armour but does present a slightly greater gun depression by -2° than the future M34A1 mounts.

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

'''Armour type:'''

*Cast homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)
*Rolled homogeneous armour (hull side - bottom)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 19.5 mm (63-84°) ''Front glacis - Upper section'' 50.8 mm (48-63°) ''Front glacis - Centre section'' 34 + 25.4 mm (spherical) ''MG port'' 38.1 mm (spherical) ''Front glacis - Sides'' 50.8 mm (cylindrical) ''Transmission housing'' || 38.1 mm (1-24°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm ''Bottom'' || 38.1 mm ''Upper plate'' 38.1 mm (13°) ''Lower plate'' 38.1 mm (50°) ''Lower glacis'' || 50.8 mm (27-39°) ''Front glacis'' 19.5 mm (0-28°) Turret area'' 19.5 mm (7°) ''Engine bay - centre'' 19.5 mm (20-24°) ''Engine bay - sides
|-
| Turret || 50.8-76.2 mm (18-71°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 + 76.2 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (cylindrical) || 50.8 mm (4°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 50.8 mm (spherical) || 50.8 mm (spherical) ''Outer ring'' 25.4 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while bogies are 10 mm thick and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
* A small patch on the turret front right side is thinner (50.8 mm) than the rest (76.2 mm).
* Bolt edges on the transmission housing are 101.6 mm thick.

Taking out the M4A1 Sherman is not an incredibly difficult task. Any gun with 100+ mm of penetration will go through the front plate. Panzer III users, however, would have some trouble penetrating the sloped frontal armour, even the later Panzer III models with the 50 mm KwK 39 cannon. The T-34 with the L-11 cannon can also have a difficult time penetrating the front armour. Instead, use your speed and mobility to flank the Sherman, and a shot to the 38mm thick side armour will most likely cause an ammo detonation, destroying the Sherman. If you are forced to face a Sherman head-on, aim for the flat spot around the vision blocks at the top of the front plate. They are extremely thin and upon penetration will destroy or heavily disable the Sherman.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 620|rbMinHp= 354|}}

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

At this rank, the difference between a stock tank and an upgraded one are quite minimal as the M4 Sherman still has adequate firepower and mobility to make a difference on the front-lines. The most notable traits would be sluggishness due to the engine and general inaccuracy over long ranges.

Focus on the survival parts, and then move on towards the M61 shot module, which will improve instant destruction upon penetration.

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

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || 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" | 90 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 22.9 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.6 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
When discussing {{PAGENAME}} shells, one always has to account for the fact that it's a medium tank. This means short to medium engagement range, so realistically it can benefit more from its short-range penetration figures than long-range sniping tanks would.

* M72 shot - {{Annotation|AP|Armour-Piercing}} - Solid shot, stock shell. Acceptable penetration, poor post-penetration damage.
* M48 shell - {{Annotation|HE|High-Explosive fragmentation shell}} - Low-velocity shell useful against soft targets, in particular when hitting an open-topped vehicle. Harmless against any vehicle with more than 10 mm of armour.
* M61 shot - {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-Piercing Capped Ballistic Capped}} - This shell has a better penetration than the M72 thanks to its ballistic cap and a good post-penetration damage thanks to its explosive filler.
* M89 smoke shell - Useful to blind enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 91 || 88 || 78 || 67 || 57 || 49
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 104 || 101 || 90 || 78 || 68 || 59
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 619 || 6.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 463 || 6.3 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 666 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 618 || 6.79 || 1.2 || 14 || 63.7 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity in m/s
! Projectile Mass in kg
! ''Screen radius in m''
! ''Screen time in s''
! ''Screen hold time in s:''
! ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
|-
| M89 || 259 || 3 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''90''' || 82 ''(+8)'' || 75 ''(+15)'' || 72 ''(+18)'' || 70 ''(+20)'' || 54 ''(+36)'' || 38 ''(+52)'' || 22 ''(+68)'' || 1 ''(+89)'' || Yes
|-
|}
Notes:

* The visual discrepancy concerns rack 8: 28 shells are modeled but it contains only 21 shells.
* Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.
* Flanks and turret empty: 22 ''(+68)'' shells.

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (7.62 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
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 577 || -10°/+22° || ±60°
|-
|}
The roof-mounted M2HB .50 cal heavy machine gun is very good at knocking out tracks, punching through lightly armoured vehicles and shooting down low-flying aircraft. Use it sparsely because of its low ammo count.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The small calibre of the M1919A4 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==


At a battle rating of 3.3, the M4A1 Sherman is a very capable medium tank. The 75 mm M3 cannon is capable of destroying nearly all armoured targets at the battle rating. Combined with the very fast turret traverse rate, fast reload time of 6.5 seconds and a vertical gun stabilizer, this tank is suited to an aggressive play style due to the M4A1's ability to react quickly and fire relatively accurately without coming to a full stop. The gun depression of -12° also makes this tank excel in hull-down positions, unlike any other tank. One must take into account this tanks very thin side armour of 38.1 mm thick, anti-tank weaponry of any rank will be capable of penetrating this weak side armour so protect the flanks.

Beware of this tank's very poor reverse speed as it only has one reverse gear. This affects the tank's ability to play in a defensive role. In addition, this tank is very prone to an engine fire, so the FPE is a modification that must be completed ASAP. Also, be sure not to let the enemy get sight of the driver and radio operators hull viewports. One single halfway decent shot, even from 20 to 30 mm guns can end the M4A1.

When it comes to armour, it may save you from time to time, but don't rely on it too much. Never angle this tank, becouse the rounded edges of the upper frontal plate are very thin. Remember that your biggest adventage is the combination of good mobility, capable gun, and decent armour.

The M4A1 Sherman plays best in an aggressive role. Firing on the move is not a difficult task with this tank due to the vertical stabilizer. Take advantage of this tank's immense gun depression of -12°.

The tall profile of the tank is an advantage and disadvantage. In the context of a hull down position, it is an advantage due to the M4A1 being able to angle the turret down over a hill or crest without having to pull further up the hill. The tall profile, however, does make the M4A1 more visible and the tall hull makes it easy to set off an ammo rack.

Enemies worth noting at this rank are the Panzer IV F2, the T-34 variants with the F-34 cannon, and the British Churchill infantry tank. All these tanks have adequate guns that could destroy the M4A1 in one shot.

If the M4A1 has been uptiered then it has a significantly higher chance of being picked off due to its weak side armor and with the rest of its armor being less effective due to more advanced enemy cannons.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

[[M4A2]] / [[M4A4 (1st PTG)|A4]]: these Sherman tanks are widely used by over 3 nations that spread across both the Allied and the Axis side, so no matter which nation you play they can be quite tough to destroy in the hands of a skilled tanker. Given the rather weak penetration of your short 75mm gun, their hull can be almost impossible to penetrate when angled, hull down or 300m away. For a M4A4, there are 2 apparent bulges on the upper front plate, a penetration through there can guarantee a knock out most of the times. But in case the opponent covers them up or when it's a M4A2, aim for the middle parts of the gun mantlet or the turret armor unprotected by the mantlet, you can at least make them defenseless. Note that their guns are equally weak against you, so wiggle around to disrupt their aim while you reload, you have a good chance of bouncing some shells.

[[KV I C 756 (r) (Germany)|KV I C 756 (r)]]:

A vehicle that the M4 Sherman will have trouble against is this German KV-1. While the [[KV-1 (L-11)|L-11]] is underpowered, the [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|ZiS-5]] is potent enough to punch through the Sherman's front, and the Sherman is unable to penetrate the KV-1's thick armour especially with its add-on armour plates. If this heavy tank is encountered and it's angling the hull, aim at the gun mantlet as it is only 50 mm thick. You can knock out its gunner easily. Or shoot at the thin cupola, there's also some chance to knock out the gunner. Of course, the best way is to shoot at its sides and rear without any angle, where its armour is unsloped, though it will still have to be at a close range to penetrate the armour. In addition, shots to the sides will most likely hit fuel tanks or ammunition storage, causing a fire or ammunition detonation and at best, time to reassess the situation.

[[Churchill I]], [[Churchill III]], [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)|Pz.Kpfw. Churchill]]:

The Churchills, with their complex hulls and sturdy turrets, can be quite hard to penetrate at range. Again, manoeuvre as close to them as possible, the ideal distance being no more than 200 m. If they are angling their hull but facing their turret at you, only go for the turret. For the Mk I Churchills, aim at the near-vertical part of their rounded cheeks to ensure successful penetrations. For the Mk III and the German Churchill, also aim for their flat turret which is at most 89 mm. The shell should go in easily and knock out most, if not all of the crew. Only when you are facing their hull without any angles should you shoot the hull, otherwise shoot the turret only, as their big tracks can easily get in front of the frontal hull. The side hull have multiple layers of armour, some of which are weirdly angled and can absorb plenty of shells.

[[Pz.IV F2]]/[[Pz.IV G|G]]/[[Pz.IV H|H]]/[[Pz.IV J|J]]:

The historical nemesis of any Sherman, the Panzer IV is one of the Sherman's biggest threats at this rank. The long barrel 75 mm gun will easily penetrate the Sherman from the front. The F2 variant is admittedly easy to deal with. A single APCBC to its hull or turret should end it pretty quickly, even at long range. The other variants are slightly harder to deal with. They have thicker hull armour, at 80 mm, which will be much harder to penetrate with the APCBC over 500 m. Luckily the turret armour remains the same at 50 mm. Either aim here with APCBC or sacrifice damage potential and use the AP round to penetrate the hull.

[[StuG III F]]/[[StuG III G|G]]:

Another historical nemesis of the Sherman, and another big threat. The StuG III packs the same punch as the Panzer IV line with its long barrel 75 mm gun, whilst losing the turret, which turns out to be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Lacking a turret means that it will have to traverse the whole vehicle to target an enemy, but it also means that it has a lower profile. The StuG's armour profile is also more complex than the Panzer IV, with less flat areas. Certain areas are sloped and very bouncy. Luckily, there is a big weak spot. There are two flat plates on the front of the hull. The flat plate on the right is the drivers port. Shoot that and you are able to knock out the driver, gunner and loader in one go. This is a very efficient way to destroy this vehicle. With the F variant, you can use APCBC to instantly one-shot this vehicle. With the G variant, it is more reliable to use AP at ranges within 500 m to ensure penetration.

[[R3 T20 FA-HS]]:

This speedy wheeled vehicle can circle around you with ease and wipe out all your crew with its fast firing 20mm autocannon. Watch out for your gun barrel, as the R3 can easily destroy it. In a close encounter, never expose your side to it, as the 20mm will shred through the thin 38mm plate and detonate your ammo. However, a good thing is that you can rely on your .50 cal to destroy the R3.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Good 75 mm gun, with adequate damage and a decent rate of fire
* Frontal glacis offers good armour at its rank and tend to make rounds ricochet
* Very fast turret traverse speed
* Thick gun mantlet, and overall very good sloped turret armour
* Very strong when in a hull down position
* Excellent gun depression -12 degrees
* Very mobile once acceleration kicks in
* Pintle-mounted HMG provides an anti-aircraft defence and can shoot down lightly armoured targets
* Fitted with a vertical stabilizer, allowing more accurate fire on the move compared to other tanks, as well as better usage of shoot-n-scoot tactics

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is not as strong against up-gunned vehicles like the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV F2]] and the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 mod.1942]]
* The 38.1 mm side armour is vulnerable to even Rank I anti-tank fire and anti-aircraft guns
* Narrow tracks offer poor ground flotation, thus poor off-road capabilities
* Prone to damage by artillery barrages, tracks can be hit and the fuel supply can be ignited
* Ammunition storage is vulnerable to cooking off
* May tip over when travelling across steep inclines
* A shot through hull vision blocks can set off turret's ammo supply and hull sponson ammo and a lucky shot might even knock the M4A1 out
* Has a high profile especially when compared to other medium tanks
* The cast hull creates frontal weakspots with very little effective thickness, eg. the triangles between upper front plate and the side, and the curved hull hatches

== History ==

===Development===
The Battle of France in 1940 proved to America that their current tank arsenal would not be able to withstand a German assault. The only tanks in their inventory at that time was the [[M2A4|M2 Light Tanks]] and the [[M2|M2 Medium Tank]], both are inadequate against the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and the [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]]. The US Army, in response, ordered for a tank armed with a 75 mm gun. While a 75 mm gun was available for use, a turret able to mount the gun was not. So while the turret and tank design underwent development, the 75 mm would be mounted on the stopgap design, the [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] tank in a sponson mount. This interim design put the 75 mm on a lower and limited traverse mount that restricted its firing angle, but it did give the Allies a tank with the gun, so it was issued by the thousands until a better design could be made.

During the M3's development, the designs of the 75 mm armed vehicle were being drawn up and submitted by the Ordnance Department. Specifications on the tank design were strict, with restrictions made on the tank's height, width, and weight in order to make it able to be transported over bridges, roads, railroads, and on ships. These specifications would help the army by making the tank be very flexible on strategic, logistical, and tactical grounds. On April 1941, the Armored Force Board chose the simplest of the designs, which was a redesigned M3 hull and chassis with a turret mounting the 75 mm gun designated the ''T6'', completed in September 1941. This tank would then designated the '''Medium Tank M4''' in American service. The tank would become the most used Allied tank during World War II as it was lent out by the thousands in the Lend-Lease program to the Allied countries. The British called the M4 the "Sherman", which coined into the tank's name '''M4 Sherman''' that it would be known as in history. The production for the Shermans began on October 1941 and would continue to be produced until the end of the war in 1945 with around 50,000 units produced, making it the second most-produced tank in World War II before the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 tank]].

===Design===
Many variants of the Shermans were produced, but they all followed a similar layout. The driver and bow gunner sat in the front driving compartment, the fighting compartment in the middle housed the turret its three crew member, and in the back was the engine compartment. The Sherman used many features present in previous American tank designs, the vertical volute suspension system (VVSS) and radial engine from the M2 light tanks, and the sloping armour of the M2 Medium. This became a contributing factor on the Sherman's reliability on the field, as most of the design flaws were ironed out with the previous tank designs. The tank-mounted the [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3 gun]], giving the tank very good AP and HE capabilities. The Sherman's turret traverse speed was very fast, able to traverse a full 360 degrees in only 15 seconds, which is considerably faster than the traverse speed on most German tanks. Another unique feature on the Sherman was the installation of a [[Gun stabilizer|gyroscopic stabilizer]] on the gun and sight, making the Sherman one of the first produced tanks to incorporate those features. While the stabilization was only done for the vertical plane, it kept the gun stable enough to be able to shoot on the move effectively, with a study showing a 70 % hit probability on an enemy 300 to 1,200 yards away when moving at a speed of 15 mph. However, this feature was controversial among the crew and experiences with it vary.

The '''M4A1 Sherman''' model ran on a gasoline Continental R975C-1 radial engine and was one of the first models of the Sherman developed. The model in-game features the early M38 telescopic sight in the M4 periscope with no zoom, which was later replaced with an M55 telescopic sight in the gun mantlet by recommendation from the British.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT1">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "Baptism Of Fire"</ref> The tank's hull was fully cast, giving the tank a distinctive rounded slope front and sides. Though the rounded shape gave the frontal armour uneven angling, it provided adequate protection up to 100 mm in thickness in certain areas. Casting the hull took fewer man hours to perform, but suffered from the limited capability of most American factories and was hard to repair on the field. Thus, welding was prioritized as the primary manufacturing method in the other Sherman variants.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT3">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The School of Tank Technology"</ref> Nevertheless, up to 6,281 M4A1s were produced from February 1942 to December 1943, out of the 49,234 Sherman units produced in the war.

===Combat usage===
====European theater====
The Shermans first saw combat in the North African Campaign in the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942 in the hands of the British. It was much quicker to reinforce the British armoured divisions with the more than 300 M4 Shermans sent to North Africa than it was to create new American ones. It proved much better than the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]], able to eliminate them at distances more than 2,000 yards away. The Americans received their first Shermans in the next month in Operation Torch. However better the Shermans were to the German tanks at the time, the Allied armoured units still suffered casualties against the German tanks and anti-tank guns, most notably in the Battle of Kasserine Pass. In Italy, the Shermans proved much more mobile than the German Panzers, able to travel cross-country on the hilly terrain with ease. However, it was at this stage that the Sherman's shortcoming began to take face in the advent of the newer German tanks, the [[Tiger H1|Tiger Is]] and [[Panther D|Panthers]]. These two tanks featured armour that proved impenetrable when fired at the front, and with guns that could take out the Shermans from farther than the Sherman's effective combat range. The Shermans have to hit the side of these tanks for penetration and at ranges that were considered suicidal. Although programs were initiated to [[M4A1 (76) W|up-gun the Sherman with a 76 mm gun]], American leaders determine that the Panther and Tigers would not be produced in large quantities and were not as great as a threat as these two vehicles could still be destroyed by the 75 mm gun and standard anti-tank equipment.

During the Invasion of France, it was clear that the Sherman's current build with a 75 mm gun was no longer going to cut it against the German armoured forces. While the Sherman was adequate against what little Panzer III and IVs the Germans have left and against infantry and fortifications with the 75 mm gun, the Panthers and Tigers were in much large quantity than expected, and proved better in armour and firepower to the Shermans. Though in the bocage country of France, the Allies lost more tanks to hidden anti-tank guns and infantry weapons than to tanks. Despite these losses, the mass production of M4 Sherman back in the United States ensured that enough tanks were available for the Allied Forces as they spearhead through France, plus the lack of any other capable tanks meant they had to use the Shermans for the time being. The large quantities of Shermans produced during the war gave the Allied armoured units a major advantage of being fully equipped as the German panzer divisions were rarely in full strength, with some US infantry divisions having more tracked vehicles than some of the panzer divisions. Due to the high attrition rates, tank crews sometimes add [[Add-on Armor|improvised armour]] onto their Shermans in the form of sandbags and logs in hopes of increased survival, but these were determined to be ineffective from evaluations. A more effective method was to have metal armour welded on in improvisation, and an official project was made for such "assault tanks" that ended with the [[M4A3E2|M4A3E2 "Jumbos"]] with 250 made for the Battle of Normandy. During the Battle of Normandy, the first 76 mm Shermans on the M4A1 were put into combat in Operation Cobra in limited numbers. The Allies continued to primarily use the 75 mm Shermans until the Battle of the Bulge in Winter 1944, when the commanders request only 76 mm Shermans to be brought into Europe as the battle showed the intense armour disparity with the German's large numbers of [[Panther G|Panthers]] and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II's]]. While new units arriving in Europe were armed exclusively with 76 mm armed-Shermans, the veteran units kept the 75 mm Shermans, to which it continued to do well against softer targets with little threat from German armour due to their extreme declining numbers.

====Pacific theater====
The M4 Sherman's importance in the Pacific theatre was less than that of the European theatre due to the different tactical doctrine established from the amphibious nature of combat. Only about 20 tank battalions fielded by the US Army were sent to support the Pacific theatre of operations, compared to the total 16 armoured divisions and 70 tank battalions they have in service. The low priority in tanks was due to the following reasons. Firstly, the jungle terrain on most of the islands fought for against the Japanese were unsuitable for the deployment of large-scale armoured units, relegating armour support to light tanks such as the [[M3 Stuart|M3 Stuarts]]. Secondly, the Japanese forces' armoured units were rather inferior to the American tank forces by 1943. While the Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go tank was comparable to the M2A4 light tank, the Shermans out gun these tanks by a large margin. Such a large margin that the tank crew prefer to use high-explosive shots against the Japanese tank than regular armour-piercing as the AP rounds would penetrate straight through without causing much damage in the interior of the tank. The Japanese developed the Type 3 Chi-Nu and the Type 4 Chi-To to fight back the Shermans, but these two never saw combat as they were kept at the Japanese Homeland for the defence against the Allied invasion.

The Shermans, when deployed, were superior to most of the Japanese anti-tank equipment and often were essential to some of the Marine's advances on some of the island assaults. In 1945, the equipping of flamethrower Shermans known as ''M4A3R3'', nicknamed "Zippos", were a significant boost to the infantry's firepower in having a very long range of fire compared to the standard infantry-modelled flamethrowers with the benefit of being in an armoured vehicle. The Zippos are able to flush out enemy combatants from within heavily fortified bunkers and caves that would be dangerous for even flamethrower infantry to take out. The Japanese solution against the Shermans, other than with their 47 mm anti-tank guns, were often suicidal tactics ranging from placing satchel charges right onto the tank, using pole-mounted anti-tank mines to reach and destroy the tank or even simply throwing oneself underneath a tank with mine or other explosive and triggering it manually.

====Lend-Lease====
The Sherman tank was given out in large numbers to American Allies during World War II under the Lend-Lease policy. While America retained about 20,361 Shermans in the Army and Marine Corps, 17,184 went to Britain (about 34% of Shermans produced and 78% of Shermans given out) and the Soviet Union obtained 4,102 Shermans.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT2">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The British Sherman"</ref> China obtained 812 Shermans, Brazil with 53, and New Zealand and Australia for 153 Shermans total. Other countries using the Shermans were Poland, Free France, and Czechoslovakia. The British deployed the Sherman among their armoured squadrons in such a large number to become the standard tank of their armoured forces. The increased threat of German tanks in the European theatre also provoked the British to up-gun the M4 Sherman with a more capable gun, resulting in the [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]].

====Post-War====
After the war, the Shermans continued serving America and its allies as the [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3E8]] with a new suspension and 76 mm gun. The [[M26|M26 Pershing]] that was introduced late in World War II was phased out for the Shermans due to its unreliability, and the Sherman stayed until the [[M46|M46 Patton]] was introduced. After being phased out of American service, many other countries still used the Sherman as their main tank, mainly Israel where they up-gun the tank with the much powerful post-war French [[SA50 (75 mm)|75 mm]] and [[CN-105-F1 (105 mm)|105 mm]] gun as the [[M4A4 (SA50)|M-50]] and M-51 respectively (nicknamed "Super Shermans"). These proved successful as they were able to fight against the Soviet-supplied [[T-54 (1947)|T-54 tanks]] and [[T-34-85]]s in Middle East service, proving the Sherman as a successful and adaptable design for many years to come.

===In-game description===
The M4А1 was an M4 medium tank with a cast hull, cast turret, and the 350 hp Continental R-975, a gas-powered radial engine. The M4A1 went into full-fledged production in February 1942, with 6,281 rolling off the lines between then and January 1944. The hull's front plate initially had viewing slits cut out, though later it was made from one piece. The front section of the gear compartment was made out of three pieces, subsequently becoming a single section. The M34 cannon mantlet was replaced with the M34A1 by 1943.

M4A1 tanks were shipped to Great Britain as part of Lend-Lease. The Sherman's baptism by fire came in North Africa, where the British thought the new American tanks played a fairly significant role in the victory at El Alamein. M4A1s also served in Italy.

The tank enjoyed a strong reputation in battle, quickly replacing the M3 as the Americans' main medium tank. The M4 turned out to be best for desert combat, a conclusion confirmed by post-war experience as well. The flat, wide open spaces in Africa were a perfect natural environment allowing it to exploit its reliability, high speed, comfortable interior, excellent field of view, and radio communications. The tank's range suffered, but the Allies handled that issue by streamlining their supply lines. In addition, tankers often carried along with extra fuel in canisters. A high silhouette made the M4 easy to target, and its armament was made obsolete in 1943 with the appearance of the German Pz.V and Pz.VI tanks. The M4's weaknesses were an engine, ammunition, and fuel tanks prone to fire and explosions due to its relatively light armour.



== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=us_m4a1_1942_sherman Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|WER1vaO-y8w|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Tank Review''' - ''Napalmratte''|kQqLfmL33JI|'''{{PAGENAME}} Sherman Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|48O5JUtPqtU|'''Tank Chats #39 Sherman {{PAGENAME}} "Michael" "' - "The Tank Museum"}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[M4 Sherman (Family)]]

;Other M4A1 vehicles in the game

* [[M4A1 (76) W]] - American version with a [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm gun]]
* [[Sherman II]] - A version in the British tech tree
* [[M4A1 (France)]] - A version in the French tech tree
* [[M4A1 (FL10)]] - A premium version with an [[AMX-13]] turret placed on it; located in the French tech tree
* [[M4A1 (75) W (China)]] - A version with a T23 turret, but with a 75 mm gun, in the Chinese tech tree

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/711|[Devblog] Developers about M4A1]]
* [[wikipedia:M4_Sherman|[Wikipedia] M4 Sherman]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M4_Sherman <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Medium Tank M4 Sherman]
* [https://flyingheritage.org/Explore/The-Collection/United-States/M4A1-Sherman-Medium-Tank.aspx <nowiki>[Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum]</nowiki> M4A1 Sherman Medium Tank]

{{USA medium tanks}}
<references />

M4A1

2021-02-08T19:01:19Z

U108476048: *Fixed mistake on Youtube Gallery.

{{About
| about = American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other M4 Shermans
| link-1 = M4 Sherman (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = M4 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m4a1_1942_sherman
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. The M4A1 is the first Sherman to be unlocked in the American ground tree and provides the player a new balance in armour, firepower, and mobility to use against the enemy. The in-game model is the basic Sherman design during the years of fighting in North Africa, informally called "Sherman 1" with a basic M38 telescopic sight inside the M4 periscope as the gunner's main method of aiming.

The M4A1 Sherman is distinctive from its cast hull construction, causing it to have a curved hull shape. This causes the front hull armour to have a varying slope angle across the glacis, but it also presents several weaknesses. First is in the hull front and side joint with slightly flat angles when angling the tank, the next is the cast construction which diminishes the labelled effectiveness of the front armour. The last is the vision blocks at the top of the front plate. Though at its battle rating, its armour is still effective against smaller gun caliber enemy fire.

The 75 mm M3 gun is mounted in the M34 gun mount with the periscope, a skinny gun mount compared to the future M34A1 which all future 75 mm M4 Sherman guns are mounted. This lowers the area the gun mantlet covers to contribute to turret front armour but does present a slightly greater gun depression by -2° than the future M34A1 mounts.

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

'''Armour type:'''

*Cast homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)
*Rolled homogeneous armour (hull side - bottom)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 19.5 mm (63-84°) ''Front glacis - Upper section'' 50.8 mm (48-63°) ''Front glacis - Centre section'' 34 + 25.4 mm (spherical) ''MG port'' 38.1 mm (spherical) ''Front glacis - Sides'' 50.8 mm (cylindrical) ''Transmission housing'' || 38.1 mm (1-24°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm ''Bottom'' || 38.1 mm ''Upper plate'' 38.1 mm (13°) ''Lower plate'' 38.1 mm (50°) ''Lower glacis'' || 50.8 mm (27-39°) ''Front glacis'' 19.5 mm (0-28°) Turret area'' 19.5 mm (7°) ''Engine bay - centre'' 19.5 mm (20-24°) ''Engine bay - sides
|-
| Turret || 50.8-76.2 mm (18-71°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 + 76.2 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (cylindrical) || 50.8 mm (4°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 50.8 mm (spherical) || 50.8 mm (spherical) ''Outer ring'' 25.4 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while bogies are 10 mm thick and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
* A small patch on the turret front right side is thinner (50.8 mm) than the rest (76.2 mm).
* Bolt edges on the transmission housing are 101.6 mm thick.

Taking out the M4A1 Sherman is not an incredibly difficult task. Any gun with 100+ mm of penetration will go through the front plate. Panzer III users, however, would have some trouble penetrating the sloped frontal armour, even the later Panzer III models with the 50 mm KwK 39 cannon. The T-34 with the L-11 cannon can also have a difficult time penetrating the front armour. Instead, use your speed and mobility to flank the Sherman, and a shot to the 38mm thick side armour will most likely cause an ammo detonation, destroying the Sherman. If you are forced to face a Sherman head-on, aim for the flat spot around the vision blocks at the top of the front plate. They are extremely thin and upon penetration will destroy or heavily disable the Sherman.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 620|rbMinHp= 354|}}

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

At this rank, the difference between a stock tank and an upgraded one are quite minimal as the M4 Sherman still has adequate firepower and mobility to make a difference on the front-lines. The most notable traits would be sluggishness due to the engine and general inaccuracy over long ranges.

Focus on the survival parts, and then move on towards the M61 shot module, which will improve instant destruction upon penetration.

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

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || 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" | 90 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 22.9 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.6 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
When discussing {{PAGENAME}} shells, one always has to account for the fact that it's a medium tank. This means short to medium engagement range, so realistically it can benefit more from its short-range penetration figures than long-range sniping tanks would.

* M72 shot - {{Annotation|AP|Armour-Piercing}} - Solid shot, stock shell. Acceptable penetration, poor post-penetration damage.
* M48 shell - {{Annotation|HE|High-Explosive fragmentation shell}} - Low-velocity shell useful against soft targets, in particular when hitting an open-topped vehicle. Harmless against any vehicle with more than 10 mm of armour.
* M61 shot - {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-Piercing Capped Ballistic Capped}} - This shell has a better penetration than the M72 thanks to its ballistic cap and a good post-penetration damage thanks to its explosive filler.
* M89 smoke shell - Useful to blind enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 91 || 88 || 78 || 67 || 57 || 49
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 104 || 101 || 90 || 78 || 68 || 59
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 619 || 6.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 463 || 6.3 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 666 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 618 || 6.79 || 1.2 || 14 || 63.7 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity in m/s
! Projectile Mass in kg
! ''Screen radius in m''
! ''Screen time in s''
! ''Screen hold time in s:''
! ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
|-
| M89 || 259 || 3 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''90''' || 82 ''(+8)'' || 75 ''(+15)'' || 72 ''(+18)'' || 70 ''(+20)'' || 54 ''(+36)'' || 38 ''(+52)'' || 22 ''(+68)'' || 1 ''(+89)'' || Yes
|-
|}
Notes:

* The visual discrepancy concerns rack 8: 28 shells are modeled but it contains only 21 shells.
* Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.
* Flanks and turret empty: 22 ''(+68)'' shells.

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (7.62 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
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 577 || -10°/+22° || ±60°
|-
|}
The roof-mounted M2HB .50 cal heavy machine gun is very good at knocking out tracks, punching through lightly armoured vehicles and shooting down low-flying aircraft. Use it sparsely because of its low ammo count.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The small calibre of the M1919A4 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==


At a battle rating of 3.3, the M4A1 Sherman is a very capable medium tank. The 75 mm M3 cannon is capable of destroying nearly all armoured targets at the battle rating. Combined with the very fast turret traverse rate, fast reload time of 6.5 seconds and a vertical gun stabilizer, this tank is suited to an aggressive play style due to the M4A1's ability to react quickly and fire relatively accurately without coming to a full stop. The gun depression of -12° also makes this tank excel in hull-down positions, unlike any other tank. One must take into account this tanks very thin side armour of 38.1 mm thick, anti-tank weaponry of any rank will be capable of penetrating this weak side armour so protect the flanks.

Beware of this tank's very poor reverse speed as it only has one reverse gear. This affects the tank's ability to play in a defensive role. In addition, this tank is very prone to an engine fire, so the FPE is a modification that must be completed ASAP. Also, be sure not to let the enemy get sight of the driver and radio operators hull viewports. One single halfway decent shot, even from 20 to 30 mm guns can end the M4A1.

When it comes to armour, it may save you from time to time, but don't rely on it too much. Never angle this tank, becouse the rounded edges of the upper frontal plate are very thin. Remember that your biggest adventage is the combination of good mobility, capable gun, and decent armour.

The M4A1 Sherman plays best in an aggressive role. Firing on the move is not a difficult task with this tank due to the vertical stabilizer. Take advantage of this tank's immense gun depression of -12°.

The tall profile of the tank is an advantage and disadvantage. In the context of a hull down position, it is an advantage due to the M4A1 being able to angle the turret down over a hill or crest without having to pull further up the hill. The tall profile, however, does make the M4A1 more visible and the tall hull makes it easy to set off an ammo rack.

Enemies worth noting at this rank are the Panzer IV F2, the T-34 variants with the F-34 cannon, and the British Churchill infantry tank. All these tanks have adequate guns that could destroy the M4A1 in one shot.

If the M4A1 has been uptiered then it has a significantly higher chance of being picked off due to its weak side armor and with the rest of its armor being less effective due to more advanced enemy cannons.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

[[M4A2]] / [[M4A4 (1st PTG)|A4]]: these Sherman tanks are widely used by over 3 nations that spread across both the Allied and the Axis side, so no matter which nation you play they can be quite tough to destroy in the hands of a skilled tanker. Given the rather weak penetration of your short 75mm gun, their hull can be almost impossible to penetrate when angled, hull down or 300m away. For a M4A4, there are 2 apparent bulges on the upper front plate, a penetration through there can guarantee a knock out most of the times. But in case the opponent covers them up or when it's a M4A2, aim for the middle parts of the gun mantlet or the turret armor unprotected by the mantlet, you can at least make them defenseless. Note that their guns are equally weak against you, so wiggle around to disrupt their aim while you reload, you have a good chance of bouncing some shells.

[[KV I C 756 (r) (Germany)|KV I C 756 (r)]]:

A vehicle that the M4 Sherman will have trouble against is this German KV-1. While the [[KV-1 (L-11)|L-11]] is underpowered, the [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|ZiS-5]] is potent enough to punch through the Sherman's front, and the Sherman is unable to penetrate the KV-1's thick armour especially with its add-on armour plates. If this heavy tank is encountered and it's angling the hull, aim at the gun mantlet as it is only 50 mm thick. You can knock out its gunner easily. Or shoot at the thin cupola, there's also some chance to knock out the gunner. Of course, the best way is to shoot at its sides and rear without any angle, where its armour is unsloped, though it will still have to be at a close range to penetrate the armour. In addition, shots to the sides will most likely hit fuel tanks or ammunition storage, causing a fire or ammunition detonation and at best, time to reassess the situation.

[[Churchill I]], [[Churchill III]], [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)|Pz.Kpfw. Churchill]]:

The Churchills, with their complex hulls and sturdy turrets, can be quite hard to penetrate at range. Again, manoeuvre as close to them as possible, the ideal distance being no more than 200 m. If they are angling their hull but facing their turret at you, only go for the turret. For the Mk I Churchills, aim at the near-vertical part of their rounded cheeks to ensure successful penetrations. For the Mk III and the German Churchill, also aim for their flat turret which is at most 89 mm. The shell should go in easily and knock out most, if not all of the crew. Only when you are facing their hull without any angles should you shoot the hull, otherwise shoot the turret only, as their big tracks can easily get in front of the frontal hull. The side hull have multiple layers of armour, some of which are weirdly angled and can absorb plenty of shells.

[[Pz.IV F2]]/[[Pz.IV G|G]]/[[Pz.IV H|H]]/[[Pz.IV J|J]]:

The historical nemesis of any Sherman, the Panzer IV is one of the Sherman's biggest threats at this rank. The long barrel 75 mm gun will easily penetrate the Sherman from the front. The F2 variant is admittedly easy to deal with. A single APCBC to its hull or turret should end it pretty quickly, even at long range. The other variants are slightly harder to deal with. They have thicker hull armour, at 80 mm, which will be much harder to penetrate with the APCBC over 500 m. Luckily the turret armour remains the same at 50 mm. Either aim here with APCBC or sacrifice damage potential and use the AP round to penetrate the hull.

[[StuG III F]]/[[StuG III G|G]]:

Another historical nemesis of the Sherman, and another big threat. The StuG III packs the same punch as the Panzer IV line with its long barrel 75 mm gun, whilst losing the turret, which turns out to be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Lacking a turret means that it will have to traverse the whole vehicle to target an enemy, but it also means that it has a lower profile. The StuG's armour profile is also more complex than the Panzer IV, with less flat areas. Certain areas are sloped and very bouncy. Luckily, there is a big weak spot. There are two flat plates on the front of the hull. The flat plate on the right is the drivers port. Shoot that and you are able to knock out the driver, gunner and loader in one go. This is a very efficient way to destroy this vehicle. With the F variant, you can use APCBC to instantly one-shot this vehicle. With the G variant, it is more reliable to use AP at ranges within 500 m to ensure penetration.

[[R3 T20 FA-HS]]:

This speedy wheeled vehicle can circle around you with ease and wipe out all your crew with its fast firing 20mm autocannon. Watch out for your gun barrel, as the R3 can easily destroy it. In a close encounter, never expose your side to it, as the 20mm will shred through the thin 38mm plate and detonate your ammo. However, a good thing is that you can rely on your .50 cal to destroy the R3.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Good 75 mm gun, with adequate damage and a decent rate of fire
* Frontal glacis offers good armour at its rank and tend to make rounds ricochet
* Very fast turret traverse speed
* Thick gun mantlet, and overall very good sloped turret armour
* Very strong when in a hull down position
* Excellent gun depression -12 degrees
* Very mobile once acceleration kicks in
* Pintle-mounted HMG provides an anti-aircraft defence and can shoot down lightly armoured targets
* Fitted with a vertical stabilizer, allowing more accurate fire on the move compared to other tanks, as well as better usage of shoot-n-scoot tactics

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is not as strong against up-gunned vehicles like the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV F2]] and the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 mod.1942]]
* The 38.1 mm side armour is vulnerable to even Rank I anti-tank fire and anti-aircraft guns
* Narrow tracks offer poor ground flotation, thus poor off-road capabilities
* Prone to damage by artillery barrages, tracks can be hit and the fuel supply can be ignited
* Ammunition storage is vulnerable to cooking off
* May tip over when travelling across steep inclines
* A shot through hull vision blocks can set off turret's ammo supply and hull sponson ammo and a lucky shot might even knock the M4A1 out
* Has a high profile especially when compared to other medium tanks
* The cast hull creates frontal weakspots with very little effective thickness, eg. the triangles between upper front plate and the side, and the curved hull hatches

== History ==

===Development===
The Battle of France in 1940 proved to America that their current tank arsenal would not be able to withstand a German assault. The only tanks in their inventory at that time was the [[M2A4|M2 Light Tanks]] and the [[M2|M2 Medium Tank]], both are inadequate against the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and the [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]]. The US Army, in response, ordered for a tank armed with a 75 mm gun. While a 75 mm gun was available for use, a turret able to mount the gun was not. So while the turret and tank design underwent development, the 75 mm would be mounted on the stopgap design, the [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] tank in a sponson mount. This interim design put the 75 mm on a lower and limited traverse mount that restricted its firing angle, but it did give the Allies a tank with the gun, so it was issued by the thousands until a better design could be made.

During the M3's development, the designs of the 75 mm armed vehicle were being drawn up and submitted by the Ordnance Department. Specifications on the tank design were strict, with restrictions made on the tank's height, width, and weight in order to make it able to be transported over bridges, roads, railroads, and on ships. These specifications would help the army by making the tank be very flexible on strategic, logistical, and tactical grounds. On April 1941, the Armored Force Board chose the simplest of the designs, which was a redesigned M3 hull and chassis with a turret mounting the 75 mm gun designated the ''T6'', completed in September 1941. This tank would then designated the '''Medium Tank M4''' in American service. The tank would become the most used Allied tank during World War II as it was lent out by the thousands in the Lend-Lease program to the Allied countries. The British called the M4 the "Sherman", which coined into the tank's name '''M4 Sherman''' that it would be known as in history. The production for the Shermans began on October 1941 and would continue to be produced until the end of the war in 1945 with around 50,000 units produced, making it the second most-produced tank in World War II before the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 tank]].

===Design===
Many variants of the Shermans were produced, but they all followed a similar layout. The driver and bow gunner sat in the front driving compartment, the fighting compartment in the middle housed the turret its three crew member, and in the back was the engine compartment. The Sherman used many features present in previous American tank designs, the vertical volute suspension system (VVSS) and radial engine from the M2 light tanks, and the sloping armour of the M2 Medium. This became a contributing factor on the Sherman's reliability on the field, as most of the design flaws were ironed out with the previous tank designs. The tank-mounted the [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3 gun]], giving the tank very good AP and HE capabilities. The Sherman's turret traverse speed was very fast, able to traverse a full 360 degrees in only 15 seconds, which is considerably faster than the traverse speed on most German tanks. Another unique feature on the Sherman was the installation of a [[Gun stabilizer|gyroscopic stabilizer]] on the gun and sight, making the Sherman one of the first produced tanks to incorporate those features. While the stabilization was only done for the vertical plane, it kept the gun stable enough to be able to shoot on the move effectively, with a study showing a 70 % hit probability on an enemy 300 to 1,200 yards away when moving at a speed of 15 mph. However, this feature was controversial among the crew and experiences with it vary.

The '''M4A1 Sherman''' model ran on a gasoline Continental R975C-1 radial engine and was one of the first models of the Sherman developed. The model in-game features the early M38 telescopic sight in the M4 periscope with no zoom, which was later replaced with an M55 telescopic sight in the gun mantlet by recommendation from the British.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT1">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "Baptism Of Fire"</ref> The tank's hull was fully cast, giving the tank a distinctive rounded slope front and sides. Though the rounded shape gave the frontal armour uneven angling, it provided adequate protection up to 100 mm in thickness in certain areas. Casting the hull took fewer man hours to perform, but suffered from the limited capability of most American factories and was hard to repair on the field. Thus, welding was prioritized as the primary manufacturing method in the other Sherman variants.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT3">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The School of Tank Technology"</ref> Nevertheless, up to 6,281 M4A1s were produced from February 1942 to December 1943, out of the 49,234 Sherman units produced in the war.

===Combat usage===
====European theater====
The Shermans first saw combat in the North African Campaign in the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942 in the hands of the British. It was much quicker to reinforce the British armoured divisions with the more than 300 M4 Shermans sent to North Africa than it was to create new American ones. It proved much better than the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]], able to eliminate them at distances more than 2,000 yards away. The Americans received their first Shermans in the next month in Operation Torch. However better the Shermans were to the German tanks at the time, the Allied armoured units still suffered casualties against the German tanks and anti-tank guns, most notably in the Battle of Kasserine Pass. In Italy, the Shermans proved much more mobile than the German Panzers, able to travel cross-country on the hilly terrain with ease. However, it was at this stage that the Sherman's shortcoming began to take face in the advent of the newer German tanks, the [[Tiger H1|Tiger Is]] and [[Panther D|Panthers]]. These two tanks featured armour that proved impenetrable when fired at the front, and with guns that could take out the Shermans from farther than the Sherman's effective combat range. The Shermans have to hit the side of these tanks for penetration and at ranges that were considered suicidal. Although programs were initiated to [[M4A1 (76) W|up-gun the Sherman with a 76 mm gun]], American leaders determine that the Panther and Tigers would not be produced in large quantities and were not as great as a threat as these two vehicles could still be destroyed by the 75 mm gun and standard anti-tank equipment.

During the Invasion of France, it was clear that the Sherman's current build with a 75 mm gun was no longer going to cut it against the German armoured forces. While the Sherman was adequate against what little Panzer III and IVs the Germans have left and against infantry and fortifications with the 75 mm gun, the Panthers and Tigers were in much large quantity than expected, and proved better in armour and firepower to the Shermans. Though in the bocage country of France, the Allies lost more tanks to hidden anti-tank guns and infantry weapons than to tanks. Despite these losses, the mass production of M4 Sherman back in the United States ensured that enough tanks were available for the Allied Forces as they spearhead through France, plus the lack of any other capable tanks meant they had to use the Shermans for the time being. The large quantities of Shermans produced during the war gave the Allied armoured units a major advantage of being fully equipped as the German panzer divisions were rarely in full strength, with some US infantry divisions having more tracked vehicles than some of the panzer divisions. Due to the high attrition rates, tank crews sometimes add [[Add-on Armor|improvised armour]] onto their Shermans in the form of sandbags and logs in hopes of increased survival, but these were determined to be ineffective from evaluations. A more effective method was to have metal armour welded on in improvisation, and an official project was made for such "assault tanks" that ended with the [[M4A3E2|M4A3E2 "Jumbos"]] with 250 made for the Battle of Normandy. During the Battle of Normandy, the first 76 mm Shermans on the M4A1 were put into combat in Operation Cobra in limited numbers. The Allies continued to primarily use the 75 mm Shermans until the Battle of the Bulge in Winter 1944, when the commanders request only 76 mm Shermans to be brought into Europe as the battle showed the intense armour disparity with the German's large numbers of [[Panther G|Panthers]] and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II's]]. While new units arriving in Europe were armed exclusively with 76 mm armed-Shermans, the veteran units kept the 75 mm Shermans, to which it continued to do well against softer targets with little threat from German armour due to their extreme declining numbers.

====Pacific theater====
The M4 Sherman's importance in the Pacific theatre was less than that of the European theatre due to the different tactical doctrine established from the amphibious nature of combat. Only about 20 tank battalions fielded by the US Army were sent to support the Pacific theatre of operations, compared to the total 16 armoured divisions and 70 tank battalions they have in service. The low priority in tanks was due to the following reasons. Firstly, the jungle terrain on most of the islands fought for against the Japanese were unsuitable for the deployment of large-scale armoured units, relegating armour support to light tanks such as the [[M3 Stuart|M3 Stuarts]]. Secondly, the Japanese forces' armoured units were rather inferior to the American tank forces by 1943. While the Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go tank was comparable to the M2A4 light tank, the Shermans out gun these tanks by a large margin. Such a large margin that the tank crew prefer to use high-explosive shots against the Japanese tank than regular armour-piercing as the AP rounds would penetrate straight through without causing much damage in the interior of the tank. The Japanese developed the Type 3 Chi-Nu and the Type 4 Chi-To to fight back the Shermans, but these two never saw combat as they were kept at the Japanese Homeland for the defence against the Allied invasion.

The Shermans, when deployed, were superior to most of the Japanese anti-tank equipment and often were essential to some of the Marine's advances on some of the island assaults. In 1945, the equipping of flamethrower Shermans known as ''M4A3R3'', nicknamed "Zippos", were a significant boost to the infantry's firepower in having a very long range of fire compared to the standard infantry-modelled flamethrowers with the benefit of being in an armoured vehicle. The Zippos are able to flush out enemy combatants from within heavily fortified bunkers and caves that would be dangerous for even flamethrower infantry to take out. The Japanese solution against the Shermans, other than with their 47 mm anti-tank guns, were often suicidal tactics ranging from placing satchel charges right onto the tank, using pole-mounted anti-tank mines to reach and destroy the tank or even simply throwing oneself underneath a tank with mine or other explosive and triggering it manually.

====Lend-Lease====
The Sherman tank was given out in large numbers to American Allies during World War II under the Lend-Lease policy. While America retained about 20,361 Shermans in the Army and Marine Corps, 17,184 went to Britain (about 34% of Shermans produced and 78% of Shermans given out) and the Soviet Union obtained 4,102 Shermans.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT2">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The British Sherman"</ref> China obtained 812 Shermans, Brazil with 53, and New Zealand and Australia for 153 Shermans total. Other countries using the Shermans were Poland, Free France, and Czechoslovakia. The British deployed the Sherman among their armoured squadrons in such a large number to become the standard tank of their armoured forces. The increased threat of German tanks in the European theatre also provoked the British to up-gun the M4 Sherman with a more capable gun, resulting in the [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]].

====Post-War====
After the war, the Shermans continued serving America and its allies as the [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3E8]] with a new suspension and 76 mm gun. The [[M26|M26 Pershing]] that was introduced late in World War II was phased out for the Shermans due to its unreliability, and the Sherman stayed until the [[M46|M46 Patton]] was introduced. After being phased out of American service, many other countries still used the Sherman as their main tank, mainly Israel where they up-gun the tank with the much powerful post-war French [[SA50 (75 mm)|75 mm]] and [[CN-105-F1 (105 mm)|105 mm]] gun as the [[M4A4 (SA50)|M-50]] and M-51 respectively (nicknamed "Super Shermans"). These proved successful as they were able to fight against the Soviet-supplied [[T-54 (1947)|T-54 tanks]] and [[T-34-85]]s in Middle East service, proving the Sherman as a successful and adaptable design for many years to come.

===In-game description===
The M4А1 was an M4 medium tank with a cast hull, cast turret, and the 350 hp Continental R-975, a gas-powered radial engine. The M4A1 went into full-fledged production in February 1942, with 6,281 rolling off the lines between then and January 1944. The hull's front plate initially had viewing slits cut out, though later it was made from one piece. The front section of the gear compartment was made out of three pieces, subsequently becoming a single section. The M34 cannon mantlet was replaced with the M34A1 by 1943.

M4A1 tanks were shipped to Great Britain as part of Lend-Lease. The Sherman's baptism by fire came in North Africa, where the British thought the new American tanks played a fairly significant role in the victory at El Alamein. M4A1s also served in Italy.

The tank enjoyed a strong reputation in battle, quickly replacing the M3 as the Americans' main medium tank. The M4 turned out to be best for desert combat, a conclusion confirmed by post-war experience as well. The flat, wide open spaces in Africa were a perfect natural environment allowing it to exploit its reliability, high speed, comfortable interior, excellent field of view, and radio communications. The tank's range suffered, but the Allies handled that issue by streamlining their supply lines. In addition, tankers often carried along with extra fuel in canisters. A high silhouette made the M4 easy to target, and its armament was made obsolete in 1943 with the appearance of the German Pz.V and Pz.VI tanks. The M4's weaknesses were an engine, ammunition, and fuel tanks prone to fire and explosions due to its relatively light armour.



== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=us_m4a1_1942_sherman Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|WER1vaO-y8w|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Tank Review''' - ''Napalmratte''|kQqLfmL33JI|'''{{PAGENAME}} Sherman Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|48O5JUtPqtU|'''Tank Chats #39 Sherman {{PAGENAME}} "Michael""' - "The tank Museum"}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[M4 Sherman (Family)]]

;Other M4A1 vehicles in the game

* [[M4A1 (76) W]] - American version with a [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm gun]]
* [[Sherman II]] - A version in the British tech tree
* [[M4A1 (France)]] - A version in the French tech tree
* [[M4A1 (FL10)]] - A premium version with an [[AMX-13]] turret placed on it; located in the French tech tree
* [[M4A1 (75) W (China)]] - A version with a T23 turret, but with a 75 mm gun, in the Chinese tech tree

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/711|[Devblog] Developers about M4A1]]
* [[wikipedia:M4_Sherman|[Wikipedia] M4 Sherman]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M4_Sherman <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Medium Tank M4 Sherman]
* [https://flyingheritage.org/Explore/The-Collection/United-States/M4A1-Sherman-Medium-Tank.aspx <nowiki>[Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum]</nowiki> M4A1 Sherman Medium Tank]

{{USA medium tanks}}
<references />

M4A1

2021-02-08T19:00:06Z

U108476048: Added tank chat

{{About
| about = American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other M4 Shermans
| link-1 = M4 Sherman (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = M4 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m4a1_1942_sherman
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. The M4A1 is the first Sherman to be unlocked in the American ground tree and provides the player a new balance in armour, firepower, and mobility to use against the enemy. The in-game model is the basic Sherman design during the years of fighting in North Africa, informally called "Sherman 1" with a basic M38 telescopic sight inside the M4 periscope as the gunner's main method of aiming.

The M4A1 Sherman is distinctive from its cast hull construction, causing it to have a curved hull shape. This causes the front hull armour to have a varying slope angle across the glacis, but it also presents several weaknesses. First is in the hull front and side joint with slightly flat angles when angling the tank, the next is the cast construction which diminishes the labelled effectiveness of the front armour. The last is the vision blocks at the top of the front plate. Though at its battle rating, its armour is still effective against smaller gun caliber enemy fire.

The 75 mm M3 gun is mounted in the M34 gun mount with the periscope, a skinny gun mount compared to the future M34A1 which all future 75 mm M4 Sherman guns are mounted. This lowers the area the gun mantlet covers to contribute to turret front armour but does present a slightly greater gun depression by -2° than the future M34A1 mounts.

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

'''Armour type:'''

*Cast homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)
*Rolled homogeneous armour (hull side - bottom)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 19.5 mm (63-84°) ''Front glacis - Upper section'' 50.8 mm (48-63°) ''Front glacis - Centre section'' 34 + 25.4 mm (spherical) ''MG port'' 38.1 mm (spherical) ''Front glacis - Sides'' 50.8 mm (cylindrical) ''Transmission housing'' || 38.1 mm (1-24°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm ''Bottom'' || 38.1 mm ''Upper plate'' 38.1 mm (13°) ''Lower plate'' 38.1 mm (50°) ''Lower glacis'' || 50.8 mm (27-39°) ''Front glacis'' 19.5 mm (0-28°) Turret area'' 19.5 mm (7°) ''Engine bay - centre'' 19.5 mm (20-24°) ''Engine bay - sides
|-
| Turret || 50.8-76.2 mm (18-71°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 + 76.2 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (cylindrical) || 50.8 mm (4°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 50.8 mm (spherical) || 50.8 mm (spherical) ''Outer ring'' 25.4 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while bogies are 10 mm thick and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
* A small patch on the turret front right side is thinner (50.8 mm) than the rest (76.2 mm).
* Bolt edges on the transmission housing are 101.6 mm thick.

Taking out the M4A1 Sherman is not an incredibly difficult task. Any gun with 100+ mm of penetration will go through the front plate. Panzer III users, however, would have some trouble penetrating the sloped frontal armour, even the later Panzer III models with the 50 mm KwK 39 cannon. The T-34 with the L-11 cannon can also have a difficult time penetrating the front armour. Instead, use your speed and mobility to flank the Sherman, and a shot to the 38mm thick side armour will most likely cause an ammo detonation, destroying the Sherman. If you are forced to face a Sherman head-on, aim for the flat spot around the vision blocks at the top of the front plate. They are extremely thin and upon penetration will destroy or heavily disable the Sherman.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 620|rbMinHp= 354|}}

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

At this rank, the difference between a stock tank and an upgraded one are quite minimal as the M4 Sherman still has adequate firepower and mobility to make a difference on the front-lines. The most notable traits would be sluggishness due to the engine and general inaccuracy over long ranges.

Focus on the survival parts, and then move on towards the M61 shot module, which will improve instant destruction upon penetration.

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

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || 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" | 90 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 22.9 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.6 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
When discussing {{PAGENAME}} shells, one always has to account for the fact that it's a medium tank. This means short to medium engagement range, so realistically it can benefit more from its short-range penetration figures than long-range sniping tanks would.

* M72 shot - {{Annotation|AP|Armour-Piercing}} - Solid shot, stock shell. Acceptable penetration, poor post-penetration damage.
* M48 shell - {{Annotation|HE|High-Explosive fragmentation shell}} - Low-velocity shell useful against soft targets, in particular when hitting an open-topped vehicle. Harmless against any vehicle with more than 10 mm of armour.
* M61 shot - {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-Piercing Capped Ballistic Capped}} - This shell has a better penetration than the M72 thanks to its ballistic cap and a good post-penetration damage thanks to its explosive filler.
* M89 smoke shell - Useful to blind enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 91 || 88 || 78 || 67 || 57 || 49
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 104 || 101 || 90 || 78 || 68 || 59
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 619 || 6.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 463 || 6.3 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 666 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 618 || 6.79 || 1.2 || 14 || 63.7 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity in m/s
! Projectile Mass in kg
! ''Screen radius in m''
! ''Screen time in s''
! ''Screen hold time in s:''
! ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
|-
| M89 || 259 || 3 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''90''' || 82 ''(+8)'' || 75 ''(+15)'' || 72 ''(+18)'' || 70 ''(+20)'' || 54 ''(+36)'' || 38 ''(+52)'' || 22 ''(+68)'' || 1 ''(+89)'' || Yes
|-
|}
Notes:

* The visual discrepancy concerns rack 8: 28 shells are modeled but it contains only 21 shells.
* Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.
* Flanks and turret empty: 22 ''(+68)'' shells.

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (7.62 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
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 577 || -10°/+22° || ±60°
|-
|}
The roof-mounted M2HB .50 cal heavy machine gun is very good at knocking out tracks, punching through lightly armoured vehicles and shooting down low-flying aircraft. Use it sparsely because of its low ammo count.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The small calibre of the M1919A4 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==


At a battle rating of 3.3, the M4A1 Sherman is a very capable medium tank. The 75 mm M3 cannon is capable of destroying nearly all armoured targets at the battle rating. Combined with the very fast turret traverse rate, fast reload time of 6.5 seconds and a vertical gun stabilizer, this tank is suited to an aggressive play style due to the M4A1's ability to react quickly and fire relatively accurately without coming to a full stop. The gun depression of -12° also makes this tank excel in hull-down positions, unlike any other tank. One must take into account this tanks very thin side armour of 38.1 mm thick, anti-tank weaponry of any rank will be capable of penetrating this weak side armour so protect the flanks.

Beware of this tank's very poor reverse speed as it only has one reverse gear. This affects the tank's ability to play in a defensive role. In addition, this tank is very prone to an engine fire, so the FPE is a modification that must be completed ASAP. Also, be sure not to let the enemy get sight of the driver and radio operators hull viewports. One single halfway decent shot, even from 20 to 30 mm guns can end the M4A1.

When it comes to armour, it may save you from time to time, but don't rely on it too much. Never angle this tank, becouse the rounded edges of the upper frontal plate are very thin. Remember that your biggest adventage is the combination of good mobility, capable gun, and decent armour.

The M4A1 Sherman plays best in an aggressive role. Firing on the move is not a difficult task with this tank due to the vertical stabilizer. Take advantage of this tank's immense gun depression of -12°.

The tall profile of the tank is an advantage and disadvantage. In the context of a hull down position, it is an advantage due to the M4A1 being able to angle the turret down over a hill or crest without having to pull further up the hill. The tall profile, however, does make the M4A1 more visible and the tall hull makes it easy to set off an ammo rack.

Enemies worth noting at this rank are the Panzer IV F2, the T-34 variants with the F-34 cannon, and the British Churchill infantry tank. All these tanks have adequate guns that could destroy the M4A1 in one shot.

If the M4A1 has been uptiered then it has a significantly higher chance of being picked off due to its weak side armor and with the rest of its armor being less effective due to more advanced enemy cannons.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

[[M4A2]] / [[M4A4 (1st PTG)|A4]]: these Sherman tanks are widely used by over 3 nations that spread across both the Allied and the Axis side, so no matter which nation you play they can be quite tough to destroy in the hands of a skilled tanker. Given the rather weak penetration of your short 75mm gun, their hull can be almost impossible to penetrate when angled, hull down or 300m away. For a M4A4, there are 2 apparent bulges on the upper front plate, a penetration through there can guarantee a knock out most of the times. But in case the opponent covers them up or when it's a M4A2, aim for the middle parts of the gun mantlet or the turret armor unprotected by the mantlet, you can at least make them defenseless. Note that their guns are equally weak against you, so wiggle around to disrupt their aim while you reload, you have a good chance of bouncing some shells.

[[KV I C 756 (r) (Germany)|KV I C 756 (r)]]:

A vehicle that the M4 Sherman will have trouble against is this German KV-1. While the [[KV-1 (L-11)|L-11]] is underpowered, the [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|ZiS-5]] is potent enough to punch through the Sherman's front, and the Sherman is unable to penetrate the KV-1's thick armour especially with its add-on armour plates. If this heavy tank is encountered and it's angling the hull, aim at the gun mantlet as it is only 50 mm thick. You can knock out its gunner easily. Or shoot at the thin cupola, there's also some chance to knock out the gunner. Of course, the best way is to shoot at its sides and rear without any angle, where its armour is unsloped, though it will still have to be at a close range to penetrate the armour. In addition, shots to the sides will most likely hit fuel tanks or ammunition storage, causing a fire or ammunition detonation and at best, time to reassess the situation.

[[Churchill I]], [[Churchill III]], [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)|Pz.Kpfw. Churchill]]:

The Churchills, with their complex hulls and sturdy turrets, can be quite hard to penetrate at range. Again, manoeuvre as close to them as possible, the ideal distance being no more than 200 m. If they are angling their hull but facing their turret at you, only go for the turret. For the Mk I Churchills, aim at the near-vertical part of their rounded cheeks to ensure successful penetrations. For the Mk III and the German Churchill, also aim for their flat turret which is at most 89 mm. The shell should go in easily and knock out most, if not all of the crew. Only when you are facing their hull without any angles should you shoot the hull, otherwise shoot the turret only, as their big tracks can easily get in front of the frontal hull. The side hull have multiple layers of armour, some of which are weirdly angled and can absorb plenty of shells.

[[Pz.IV F2]]/[[Pz.IV G|G]]/[[Pz.IV H|H]]/[[Pz.IV J|J]]:

The historical nemesis of any Sherman, the Panzer IV is one of the Sherman's biggest threats at this rank. The long barrel 75 mm gun will easily penetrate the Sherman from the front. The F2 variant is admittedly easy to deal with. A single APCBC to its hull or turret should end it pretty quickly, even at long range. The other variants are slightly harder to deal with. They have thicker hull armour, at 80 mm, which will be much harder to penetrate with the APCBC over 500 m. Luckily the turret armour remains the same at 50 mm. Either aim here with APCBC or sacrifice damage potential and use the AP round to penetrate the hull.

[[StuG III F]]/[[StuG III G|G]]:

Another historical nemesis of the Sherman, and another big threat. The StuG III packs the same punch as the Panzer IV line with its long barrel 75 mm gun, whilst losing the turret, which turns out to be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Lacking a turret means that it will have to traverse the whole vehicle to target an enemy, but it also means that it has a lower profile. The StuG's armour profile is also more complex than the Panzer IV, with less flat areas. Certain areas are sloped and very bouncy. Luckily, there is a big weak spot. There are two flat plates on the front of the hull. The flat plate on the right is the drivers port. Shoot that and you are able to knock out the driver, gunner and loader in one go. This is a very efficient way to destroy this vehicle. With the F variant, you can use APCBC to instantly one-shot this vehicle. With the G variant, it is more reliable to use AP at ranges within 500 m to ensure penetration.

[[R3 T20 FA-HS]]:

This speedy wheeled vehicle can circle around you with ease and wipe out all your crew with its fast firing 20mm autocannon. Watch out for your gun barrel, as the R3 can easily destroy it. In a close encounter, never expose your side to it, as the 20mm will shred through the thin 38mm plate and detonate your ammo. However, a good thing is that you can rely on your .50 cal to destroy the R3.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Good 75 mm gun, with adequate damage and a decent rate of fire
* Frontal glacis offers good armour at its rank and tend to make rounds ricochet
* Very fast turret traverse speed
* Thick gun mantlet, and overall very good sloped turret armour
* Very strong when in a hull down position
* Excellent gun depression -12 degrees
* Very mobile once acceleration kicks in
* Pintle-mounted HMG provides an anti-aircraft defence and can shoot down lightly armoured targets
* Fitted with a vertical stabilizer, allowing more accurate fire on the move compared to other tanks, as well as better usage of shoot-n-scoot tactics

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is not as strong against up-gunned vehicles like the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV F2]] and the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 mod.1942]]
* The 38.1 mm side armour is vulnerable to even Rank I anti-tank fire and anti-aircraft guns
* Narrow tracks offer poor ground flotation, thus poor off-road capabilities
* Prone to damage by artillery barrages, tracks can be hit and the fuel supply can be ignited
* Ammunition storage is vulnerable to cooking off
* May tip over when travelling across steep inclines
* A shot through hull vision blocks can set off turret's ammo supply and hull sponson ammo and a lucky shot might even knock the M4A1 out
* Has a high profile especially when compared to other medium tanks
* The cast hull creates frontal weakspots with very little effective thickness, eg. the triangles between upper front plate and the side, and the curved hull hatches

== History ==

===Development===
The Battle of France in 1940 proved to America that their current tank arsenal would not be able to withstand a German assault. The only tanks in their inventory at that time was the [[M2A4|M2 Light Tanks]] and the [[M2|M2 Medium Tank]], both are inadequate against the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and the [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]]. The US Army, in response, ordered for a tank armed with a 75 mm gun. While a 75 mm gun was available for use, a turret able to mount the gun was not. So while the turret and tank design underwent development, the 75 mm would be mounted on the stopgap design, the [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] tank in a sponson mount. This interim design put the 75 mm on a lower and limited traverse mount that restricted its firing angle, but it did give the Allies a tank with the gun, so it was issued by the thousands until a better design could be made.

During the M3's development, the designs of the 75 mm armed vehicle were being drawn up and submitted by the Ordnance Department. Specifications on the tank design were strict, with restrictions made on the tank's height, width, and weight in order to make it able to be transported over bridges, roads, railroads, and on ships. These specifications would help the army by making the tank be very flexible on strategic, logistical, and tactical grounds. On April 1941, the Armored Force Board chose the simplest of the designs, which was a redesigned M3 hull and chassis with a turret mounting the 75 mm gun designated the ''T6'', completed in September 1941. This tank would then designated the '''Medium Tank M4''' in American service. The tank would become the most used Allied tank during World War II as it was lent out by the thousands in the Lend-Lease program to the Allied countries. The British called the M4 the "Sherman", which coined into the tank's name '''M4 Sherman''' that it would be known as in history. The production for the Shermans began on October 1941 and would continue to be produced until the end of the war in 1945 with around 50,000 units produced, making it the second most-produced tank in World War II before the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 tank]].

===Design===
Many variants of the Shermans were produced, but they all followed a similar layout. The driver and bow gunner sat in the front driving compartment, the fighting compartment in the middle housed the turret its three crew member, and in the back was the engine compartment. The Sherman used many features present in previous American tank designs, the vertical volute suspension system (VVSS) and radial engine from the M2 light tanks, and the sloping armour of the M2 Medium. This became a contributing factor on the Sherman's reliability on the field, as most of the design flaws were ironed out with the previous tank designs. The tank-mounted the [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3 gun]], giving the tank very good AP and HE capabilities. The Sherman's turret traverse speed was very fast, able to traverse a full 360 degrees in only 15 seconds, which is considerably faster than the traverse speed on most German tanks. Another unique feature on the Sherman was the installation of a [[Gun stabilizer|gyroscopic stabilizer]] on the gun and sight, making the Sherman one of the first produced tanks to incorporate those features. While the stabilization was only done for the vertical plane, it kept the gun stable enough to be able to shoot on the move effectively, with a study showing a 70 % hit probability on an enemy 300 to 1,200 yards away when moving at a speed of 15 mph. However, this feature was controversial among the crew and experiences with it vary.

The '''M4A1 Sherman''' model ran on a gasoline Continental R975C-1 radial engine and was one of the first models of the Sherman developed. The model in-game features the early M38 telescopic sight in the M4 periscope with no zoom, which was later replaced with an M55 telescopic sight in the gun mantlet by recommendation from the British.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT1">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "Baptism Of Fire"</ref> The tank's hull was fully cast, giving the tank a distinctive rounded slope front and sides. Though the rounded shape gave the frontal armour uneven angling, it provided adequate protection up to 100 mm in thickness in certain areas. Casting the hull took fewer man hours to perform, but suffered from the limited capability of most American factories and was hard to repair on the field. Thus, welding was prioritized as the primary manufacturing method in the other Sherman variants.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT3">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The School of Tank Technology"</ref> Nevertheless, up to 6,281 M4A1s were produced from February 1942 to December 1943, out of the 49,234 Sherman units produced in the war.

===Combat usage===
====European theater====
The Shermans first saw combat in the North African Campaign in the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942 in the hands of the British. It was much quicker to reinforce the British armoured divisions with the more than 300 M4 Shermans sent to North Africa than it was to create new American ones. It proved much better than the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]], able to eliminate them at distances more than 2,000 yards away. The Americans received their first Shermans in the next month in Operation Torch. However better the Shermans were to the German tanks at the time, the Allied armoured units still suffered casualties against the German tanks and anti-tank guns, most notably in the Battle of Kasserine Pass. In Italy, the Shermans proved much more mobile than the German Panzers, able to travel cross-country on the hilly terrain with ease. However, it was at this stage that the Sherman's shortcoming began to take face in the advent of the newer German tanks, the [[Tiger H1|Tiger Is]] and [[Panther D|Panthers]]. These two tanks featured armour that proved impenetrable when fired at the front, and with guns that could take out the Shermans from farther than the Sherman's effective combat range. The Shermans have to hit the side of these tanks for penetration and at ranges that were considered suicidal. Although programs were initiated to [[M4A1 (76) W|up-gun the Sherman with a 76 mm gun]], American leaders determine that the Panther and Tigers would not be produced in large quantities and were not as great as a threat as these two vehicles could still be destroyed by the 75 mm gun and standard anti-tank equipment.

During the Invasion of France, it was clear that the Sherman's current build with a 75 mm gun was no longer going to cut it against the German armoured forces. While the Sherman was adequate against what little Panzer III and IVs the Germans have left and against infantry and fortifications with the 75 mm gun, the Panthers and Tigers were in much large quantity than expected, and proved better in armour and firepower to the Shermans. Though in the bocage country of France, the Allies lost more tanks to hidden anti-tank guns and infantry weapons than to tanks. Despite these losses, the mass production of M4 Sherman back in the United States ensured that enough tanks were available for the Allied Forces as they spearhead through France, plus the lack of any other capable tanks meant they had to use the Shermans for the time being. The large quantities of Shermans produced during the war gave the Allied armoured units a major advantage of being fully equipped as the German panzer divisions were rarely in full strength, with some US infantry divisions having more tracked vehicles than some of the panzer divisions. Due to the high attrition rates, tank crews sometimes add [[Add-on Armor|improvised armour]] onto their Shermans in the form of sandbags and logs in hopes of increased survival, but these were determined to be ineffective from evaluations. A more effective method was to have metal armour welded on in improvisation, and an official project was made for such "assault tanks" that ended with the [[M4A3E2|M4A3E2 "Jumbos"]] with 250 made for the Battle of Normandy. During the Battle of Normandy, the first 76 mm Shermans on the M4A1 were put into combat in Operation Cobra in limited numbers. The Allies continued to primarily use the 75 mm Shermans until the Battle of the Bulge in Winter 1944, when the commanders request only 76 mm Shermans to be brought into Europe as the battle showed the intense armour disparity with the German's large numbers of [[Panther G|Panthers]] and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II's]]. While new units arriving in Europe were armed exclusively with 76 mm armed-Shermans, the veteran units kept the 75 mm Shermans, to which it continued to do well against softer targets with little threat from German armour due to their extreme declining numbers.

====Pacific theater====
The M4 Sherman's importance in the Pacific theatre was less than that of the European theatre due to the different tactical doctrine established from the amphibious nature of combat. Only about 20 tank battalions fielded by the US Army were sent to support the Pacific theatre of operations, compared to the total 16 armoured divisions and 70 tank battalions they have in service. The low priority in tanks was due to the following reasons. Firstly, the jungle terrain on most of the islands fought for against the Japanese were unsuitable for the deployment of large-scale armoured units, relegating armour support to light tanks such as the [[M3 Stuart|M3 Stuarts]]. Secondly, the Japanese forces' armoured units were rather inferior to the American tank forces by 1943. While the Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go tank was comparable to the M2A4 light tank, the Shermans out gun these tanks by a large margin. Such a large margin that the tank crew prefer to use high-explosive shots against the Japanese tank than regular armour-piercing as the AP rounds would penetrate straight through without causing much damage in the interior of the tank. The Japanese developed the Type 3 Chi-Nu and the Type 4 Chi-To to fight back the Shermans, but these two never saw combat as they were kept at the Japanese Homeland for the defence against the Allied invasion.

The Shermans, when deployed, were superior to most of the Japanese anti-tank equipment and often were essential to some of the Marine's advances on some of the island assaults. In 1945, the equipping of flamethrower Shermans known as ''M4A3R3'', nicknamed "Zippos", were a significant boost to the infantry's firepower in having a very long range of fire compared to the standard infantry-modelled flamethrowers with the benefit of being in an armoured vehicle. The Zippos are able to flush out enemy combatants from within heavily fortified bunkers and caves that would be dangerous for even flamethrower infantry to take out. The Japanese solution against the Shermans, other than with their 47 mm anti-tank guns, were often suicidal tactics ranging from placing satchel charges right onto the tank, using pole-mounted anti-tank mines to reach and destroy the tank or even simply throwing oneself underneath a tank with mine or other explosive and triggering it manually.

====Lend-Lease====
The Sherman tank was given out in large numbers to American Allies during World War II under the Lend-Lease policy. While America retained about 20,361 Shermans in the Army and Marine Corps, 17,184 went to Britain (about 34% of Shermans produced and 78% of Shermans given out) and the Soviet Union obtained 4,102 Shermans.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT2">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The British Sherman"</ref> China obtained 812 Shermans, Brazil with 53, and New Zealand and Australia for 153 Shermans total. Other countries using the Shermans were Poland, Free France, and Czechoslovakia. The British deployed the Sherman among their armoured squadrons in such a large number to become the standard tank of their armoured forces. The increased threat of German tanks in the European theatre also provoked the British to up-gun the M4 Sherman with a more capable gun, resulting in the [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]].

====Post-War====
After the war, the Shermans continued serving America and its allies as the [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3E8]] with a new suspension and 76 mm gun. The [[M26|M26 Pershing]] that was introduced late in World War II was phased out for the Shermans due to its unreliability, and the Sherman stayed until the [[M46|M46 Patton]] was introduced. After being phased out of American service, many other countries still used the Sherman as their main tank, mainly Israel where they up-gun the tank with the much powerful post-war French [[SA50 (75 mm)|75 mm]] and [[CN-105-F1 (105 mm)|105 mm]] gun as the [[M4A4 (SA50)|M-50]] and M-51 respectively (nicknamed "Super Shermans"). These proved successful as they were able to fight against the Soviet-supplied [[T-54 (1947)|T-54 tanks]] and [[T-34-85]]s in Middle East service, proving the Sherman as a successful and adaptable design for many years to come.

===In-game description===
The M4А1 was an M4 medium tank with a cast hull, cast turret, and the 350 hp Continental R-975, a gas-powered radial engine. The M4A1 went into full-fledged production in February 1942, with 6,281 rolling off the lines between then and January 1944. The hull's front plate initially had viewing slits cut out, though later it was made from one piece. The front section of the gear compartment was made out of three pieces, subsequently becoming a single section. The M34 cannon mantlet was replaced with the M34A1 by 1943.

M4A1 tanks were shipped to Great Britain as part of Lend-Lease. The Sherman's baptism by fire came in North Africa, where the British thought the new American tanks played a fairly significant role in the victory at El Alamein. M4A1s also served in Italy.

The tank enjoyed a strong reputation in battle, quickly replacing the M3 as the Americans' main medium tank. The M4 turned out to be best for desert combat, a conclusion confirmed by post-war experience as well. The flat, wide open spaces in Africa were a perfect natural environment allowing it to exploit its reliability, high speed, comfortable interior, excellent field of view, and radio communications. The tank's range suffered, but the Allies handled that issue by streamlining their supply lines. In addition, tankers often carried along with extra fuel in canisters. A high silhouette made the M4 easy to target, and its armament was made obsolete in 1943 with the appearance of the German Pz.V and Pz.VI tanks. The M4's weaknesses were an engine, ammunition, and fuel tanks prone to fire and explosions due to its relatively light armour.



== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=us_m4a1_1942_sherman Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|WER1vaO-y8w|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Tank Review''' - ''Napalmratte''|kQqLfmL33JI|'''{{PAGENAME}} Sherman Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|'''Tank Chats #39 Sherman {{PAGENAME}} "Michael""' - "The tank Museum"}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[M4 Sherman (Family)]]

;Other M4A1 vehicles in the game

* [[M4A1 (76) W]] - American version with a [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm gun]]
* [[Sherman II]] - A version in the British tech tree
* [[M4A1 (France)]] - A version in the French tech tree
* [[M4A1 (FL10)]] - A premium version with an [[AMX-13]] turret placed on it; located in the French tech tree
* [[M4A1 (75) W (China)]] - A version with a T23 turret, but with a 75 mm gun, in the Chinese tech tree

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/711|[Devblog] Developers about M4A1]]
* [[wikipedia:M4_Sherman|[Wikipedia] M4 Sherman]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M4_Sherman <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Medium Tank M4 Sherman]
* [https://flyingheritage.org/Explore/The-Collection/United-States/M4A1-Sherman-Medium-Tank.aspx <nowiki>[Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum]</nowiki> M4A1 Sherman Medium Tank]

{{USA medium tanks}}
<references />

M4A1 (76) W

2021-02-08T18:57:45Z

U108476048: Added youtube-gallery, Tank Chat as well.

T-62

2021-02-07T15:51:36Z

U108476048:

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_62
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.61 "Road to Glory"]]. The T-62 is a further development of the T-54 series and was made to fight the newer NATO tanks. It features a [[U-5TS_(115_mm)|115 mm U-5TS smoothbore gun]], which makes the T-62 the first tank in-game and in real life to use a smoothbore gun. The gun also was the first to introduce the Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) into the game.

In the 1950s, with the introduction of the [[L7A1 (105 mm)|105 mm L7 tank gun]] on many NATO tanks such as the [[Centurion Mk 10|Centurion]], [[Leopard I|Leopard]], and [[M60]], the Soviets realised that the 100 mm D-10 on the [[T-54 (1951)|T-54]]/[[T-55A|T-55]] series of medium tanks was becoming obsolete. To maintain parity with the new NATO tanks, a new 115 mm smoothbore gun was developed along with a new medium tank based on the T-55. This tank entered service in 1961 as the T-62 and was the first tank in the world to begin service with a smoothbore gun.

While there is little improvement in terms of mobility or protection over the previous [[T-54 (1951)|T-54]], the T-62 has substantially improved firepower. It is capable of frontally penetrating nearly any tank it is likely to see in-game at most combat ranges.

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


The armour protection of the T-62 is very similar to that of the [[T-54 (1951)|T-54]]. Unfortunately, the T-62 tends to face more powerful guns at its BR, so its armour is not nearly as effective for its BR as the T-54's is. The well-rounded turret and sloped hull can ricochet poorly aimed rounds when angled, but should not be relied upon to protect the T-62.

Like most Soviet tanks, the T-62 has a very compact layout, meaning that a single penetrating hit is will most likely cripple or outright destroy the tank. Of particular note of concern is the front hull ammunition rack inside the fuel tank situated next to the driver. This rack is the ready rack of the T-62 and cannot be emptied by reducing the number of rounds carried. A penetrating hit there is likely to result in an ammunition cook-off that will instantly destroy the tank.

{| class="wikitable"
!Armour
!Front (Slope angle)
!Sides
!Rear
!Roof
|-
|Hull
|100 mm (59°) + 30 mm (59°) ''Upper glacis + add-on RHA''
100 mm (50-51°) ''Lower glacis''
|80 mm (0°) ''Middle to upper side''
80 mm (20-61°) ''Turret ring extension''
20 mm (0-28°) ''Lower hull side''
8 mm (0°) ''Side Skirts''
|45 mm (0-2°) ''All rear''
|30 mm (87°) ''Hull roof incl. engine deck''
|-
|Turret
|240-214 mm (14-60°) + 85-65 (7-33°) ''Turret cheeks + add-on RHA''
40-50 mm (0-63°) ''Mantlet''
40 mm ''Rear Mantlet Plate''
|165-140 mm (16-57°) ''Turret side''
|65 mm (3-26°) ''Turret rear''
|60 mm (74-78°) ''Forehead Armour''
30 mm (78-85°) ''Turret roof''
60 mm (29-67°) ''Rear turret roof (including ejection port)''
|}
=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 899|rbMinHp= 513}}

The {{PAGENAME}}'s mobility is somewhat similar to that of the T-54 medium tank, although the heavier weight makes it a little bit more sluggish. It can reach a respectable 50 km/h forward, and the maximum reverse speed is -8 km/h. Because the {{PAGENAME}} is longer than the T-54 and does not have neutral steering, its turning performance is noticeably worse, especially on rough terrain.

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

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

{{main|U-5TS (115 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[U-5TS (115 mm)|115 mm U-5TS]] || 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" | -6°/+16° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 15.2 || 21.1 || 25.6 || __._ || 30.12 || rowspan="2" | 12.0 || rowspan="2" | 10.6 || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | 9.2
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 9.5 || 12.0 || 13.6 || __._ || 16
|-
|}

The 115 mm 2A20 smooth-bore gun is a potent gun capable of firing APFSDS, HEATFS aand HE ammunition. It is stabilised, allowing for accurate firing on the move. The turret traverse is also significantly improved over that of the [[T-54 (1951)|T-54]], and the turret also provides more gun depression, allowing for some use of hull-down tactics. It should be noted that the gun has limited depression when the gun passes over the hull fuel tanks (at roughly 45 degrees to each side). Due to the large size of the 115 mm ammunition and cramped space of the T-62, the reload is much slower than that of comparable NATO tanks (~10–12 s depending on crew skill level and training).

==== Ammunition ====
While the APFSDS ammunition is not as lethal as the APHE ammunition used on previous Soviet medium tanks and requires some degree of careful aim, it is still capable of destroying tanks in one shot, especially with frontal penetrations.

* There are two types of APFSDS ammunition: 3BM3 and 3BM4. The stock 3BM4 round has a pure steel kinetic rod while the unlockable 3BM3 dart is a steel rod with a tungsten slug inside the penetrator. The latter has substantially more vertical penetration and somewhat better post-penetration lethality, but its performance against highly sloped armour is significantly worse. Both rounds have outstanding muzzle velocities of over 1,600 m/s, allowing long-range shots to be made without much lead.

* The 3BK4 fin-stabilised HEAT round has more penetration than either APFSDS round and retains its penetration at long ranges, but has a much slower muzzle velocity that makes aiming at long ranges significantly more difficult. It is more effective than APFSDS against lightly armoured targets since it can reliably hull-break them if it detonates.

* The 3UOF11 fin-stabilised HE round is rather unremarkable and is only really useful against soft targets.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| 3BM4 || APFSDS || 285 || 279 || 263 || 243 || 222 || 202
|-
| 3BM3 || APFSDS || 350 || 347 || 322 || 300 || 283 || 270
|-
| 3BK4 || HEATFS || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440
|-
| 3OF11 || HE || 31 || 31 || 31 || 31 || 31 || 31
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| 3BM4 || APFSDS || 1,615 || 5.55 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 72° || 76° || 78°
|-
| 3BM3 || APFSDS || 1,615 || 5.55 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 76° || 77° || 80°
|-
| 3BK4 || HEATFS || 950 || 12.97 || 0.05 || 1.0 || 2,280 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| 3OF11 || HE || 905 || 14.86 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 2,640 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''40''' || 39 ''(+1)'' || 19 ''(+21)'' || 17 ''(+23)'' || 1 ''(+39)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 4 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 16 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
* This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 4 - 1 - 2 - 3.
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-3 into rack 4. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
* If you pack 19 ''(+21)'' shells, it will keep most of the hull empty of ammo.

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

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2500 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

The small calibre of the PKT machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==


The T-62 is the first entry in the new stage of Soviet MBTs that most Soviet Tankers will research. As usual with soviet MBTs, only the turret has armour to speak of. Do not let this put you off as the T-62's 115mm U-5TS is able to perform exceptionally even with 10.0 BR tanks. In fact, the U-5TS has more penetration than what comes after it, the T-55A, making a lot of players fall back to it (not to mention you lose the cool shell dump animation!). This comes at the cost of slightly slower reload time of 12.0s (9.2s if maxed crew), which is a little below average for it's BR. All in all, the T-62 will give Soviet Tankers a general idea of how to play upcoming MBTs, as the playstyle doesn't change much.

It is best to find visual cover as soon as possible if an enemy plane was spotted since the tank does not have a top machine gun to protect itself from aircraft.

=== General Playstyle ===
It is recommended to play Arcade through the stock grind of the T-62, because your mobility is automatically improved, and the aiming reticle in Arcade will help you penetrate vehicles with the poorer stock round. However, this tank does excel in Realistic, because it can make use of its lower silhouette and very accurate gun (long-range encounters are much easier because there is very little bullet drop).

==== Arcade Battles ====
The T-62 performs rather well in Arcade, due to a very good gun and a mobile platform. Its armour does help you survive from time to time, especially when you are hidden behind bushes or buildings, and the enemies have to go off of your red silhouette to aim (ricochets are plenty in this scenario, because of the circular turret), however, you shouldn't rely on the armour. The biggest downside of playing Arcade is the fact that you have to face Soviet vehicles, which have the most armour around tier you will be fighting and can be annoying to fight.

In Arcade, it's advised to go to sniping positions at the beginning of the match, and later move closer to the objectives to aid your team with clean-up or with a counter-push to secure objectives. Now, due to the small sizes of maps in Arcade, it sometimes works to drive straight into the open and try to hit an enemy exiting their spawn (something that is easy to do with the stabilizer and is a great way to get the "First Blow!" award). If not possible, then it's advised to go to one side of the map and occupy a sniping position (e.g. the hills on the Middle East, South spawn; or the rocks overlooking the sands of El Alamein, either spawn; or rocks around Alaska, either spawn; etc.).

'''''Important Note:''''' If more than half of your team is sniping, as often happens on disliked maps such as the Middle East, step up to the plate and go for the objectives. For details on city combat read-on.

The T-62 can fight in close quarters in Arcade very well. However, caution needs to be taken, because the reload is sub-par, and it generally doesn't allow you to push further than the objectives, because you get overrun with enemies just spawning in. So, if you find yourself in close quarters, decide if your team can cover you from the sides: if they look like they can, then focus forwards - take a strategic position where you overlook a passage to the objective and wait for enemies to pass through and shoot them; if your team can't cover you from the sides, then be very careful about your actions - it's best to find some cover in-front of your tank, and look around your sides, because when enemies don't encounter enemies, they will push up and show you their sides.

''However'', this doesn't mean that you should always rely on your team, or you should always stick to a single location. Arcade allows you to move around and to succeed, you must move around, because it is difficult for opponents to know where exactly you can shoot them from if you constantly change your angles. So you should find a piece of cover, snipe a couple of tanks, then move forwards or sideways across the map to another position and surprise other enemies.

'''''Important Note:''''' Try to keep an eye on the minimap and have a general idea where large groups of enemies are - you don't want to run into 3 leopards in a city by accident. Keeping general enemy locations in mind will help you with your advancement plans - you shouldn't rush around the map only ''hoping'' that you won't get shot.

==== Realistic Battles ====
The T-62 enjoys Realistic Battles because its low silhouette can surprise enemies. It can hide behind a small bush, and hold an ambush position overlooking an open area around an objective (e.g. around the city in Alaska, or in the forests on European Province). The low silhouette and the amazing gun should be used together to ambush enemies at any range, one-shot them and then change position so that any call-outs on the enemy team are wrong information by the time they are noticed. It can be rather annoying playing Realistic in this tank, however, due to German and Italian tanks being able to get half-way across the map and set-up ambushes before you are able to leave your spawn (this is negated in Arcade, because it's always mixed battles and faster tanks get killed first by faster enemy tanks).

In Realistic, long-range encounters are plenty, and they do favour the T-62, unless in a rather hilly environment, where the gun depression isn't enough. It is recommended to get into some sniping position at the start of the match, but after 3-5 shots to attempt to move forward, closer to the objectives. At that point, all of the Leopards and Centauros should be moving forward to your spawn, and while they are doing so, you can usually pick them off one-by-one (the is very effective if you've managed to move close to the objectives, because you will be in the enemy's rear as they move past the objectives).

'''''Side-Note:''''' If you see a teammate pushing in the same direction you are, then follow them, but stay some distance behind. Chances are if there are enemy ambushes, they are going to fire at your teammate and you will in turn be able to disable or destroy the ambushers.

There is less close quarters encounters in Realistic Battles, however many objectives are placed inside towns or cities. In those cases, when playing the T-62 it's important to surprise the enemy, so it's advised to go on a big flank. If you know where the enemies are, approximately, you may get away with simply rushing them, because they won't expect it, however, this poses a big risk and should only be done in dire situations. If you do find yourself in a stand-off with another tank, you can try baiting a shot by showing them your front plate while angling it (but not showing the side), by using a corner of a building as cover. You can also abandon the encounter, retreat, find an ambush and wait, although a smart enemy will be cautious, some might fall into your trap.

'''''Important Note:''''' Soviet vehicles such as the Object 906 or the BMP-2 are better equipped for close-quarters, so if you're planning on fighting in cities, they are the better choice.

=== The Stock Grind ===
Through experience, it has been found best to complete the first part of the stock grind in Arcade Battles, notably '''researching Parts and FPE''' and perhaps Adjustment of Fire. Arcade is better due to the fact that the maps are smaller and you are almost guaranteed to get one kill. Moreover, '''you can activate 3-5 spare universal back-ups''' and spawn twice in the T-62 in the next 3-5 battles.

However you decide to complete the stock grind, these are some general tips:

* Stay further back and play passive - your reload will be your death as soon as you find yourself too far in front of your team.
** As a part of this strategy, you can bait teammates by letting them go first and see where they are shot from, then shooting those enemies.
** You can also just snipe, because your rounds are insanely fast from the beginning, and it's easy to hit long shots.
* Play the objectives, because it increases the chances of your team winning, and also gives you research points.
** Moreover, enemies converge on objectives, especially light tanks, which are easy to take out.
* It's always a good idea to stick close to your squadmate, or a light tank because they ''are able'' to repair you even if you can't.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good stock grind due to default shell being the 3BM4 which has enough flat pen and a great amount of angled pen to lay waste on any adversaries at this BR.
* Better gun depression in comparison to most Soviet tanks before which allows it to utilize some hull down tactics in some situations.
* Faster turret traverse than the T-54/T-55A
* Larger ammunition capacity than the T-54, with a generous hull ready rack
* Easy to learn and play
* ESS smoke system which can create a massive smokescreen for your team as well as allowing you to cover up your retreat.
* Has a stabilizer which improves its fire-on-the move capabilities and aids in getting the first shot against enemies, especially against those without stabilizers.
* Relatively low profile.

'''Cons:'''

* No anti-aircraft heavy machine gun which makes dealing with aircraft as well as lightly armored vehicles more difficult.
* "Upgraded" 3BM3 round while having more flat penetration is worse than the stock 3BM4 round due to having significantly worse angled penetration. The increased flat pen of 3BM3 is not really needed at this battle rating due most enemies having weak armor(such as Leopards) and many tanks relying more on sloped armor for protection (such as T95E1 and Chieftains)
* Turret traverse is still slower than other tanks
* Gun depression is still bad, can be easily exploited by experienced players
* Slow reload compared to NATO 105 mm L7-armed main battle tanks.
* ESS is located on the left side of the tank
* Not as mobile as the T-54/55A
* No neutral steering
* Lack of APHE shells compared to earlier russian tanks can feel like a letdown in terms of overall oneshotting capability
* Cramped layout prone to vulnerable crippling hits or ammunition detonation when penetrated

== History ==

The T-62 was a further development of the T-55 tank series, featuring the same hull and hull components but improving the turret and firepower. It was the first Russian tank to utilize a smoothbore cannon. After the successful prototyping and service of the T-54 and T-55, the Russian MoD looked forward to improve the tanks by the end of the '50s. The T-62 was born of the of Object 430, a prototype from the T-54 which was heavily modified, mainly turret armour shape and thickness, increasing armour from 185 mm to 240 mm proportional to the turret's shape. It featured an improved version of the the T-55A D-10TS, the D-54TS. This project was designated officially as T-54M but was abandoned after prototype stages. Later, on the late 1950's, Uralvagonzavod built the Object 140, featuring the exact same hull but with a 6 road wheel suspension, same turret and gun. Prototype stages shown the unreliability of said vehicle due to the maintenance and expensive systems. Forced to abandon it, in 1958, Uralvagonzavod opted on modernizing the turret of the Object 140 fitting it with a case ejector and mounting it on a T-55 chassis. Due to the increased weight and proportion of the turret, a suspension redisign was inevitable. This prototype was designated Object 165 which was later set on trials in November 1958. It was accepted and serviced in 1962 under the name of T-62A. Later on the year, Uralvagonzavod opted to recalibre the D-45TS 100 mm gun in order to become a greater threat. It featured an increase in calibre from 100 mm to 115 mm, removal of rifling, increase in length, removal of muzzle break and adding of a bore evacuator at the middle of the gun and addition of an automatic case ejector. This gun was designated U-5TS.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=ussr_t_62 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|UJgwa8GECEo|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|KUSnuNXASxE|'''Most produced tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:18 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|ORTP3a7fErM|'''Tank Chat #107 - T-62"' - "The Tank Museum"}}

== See also ==


* [[T-62M-1]]: Improved variant with a more powerful engine, added-on composite armour, and missile-launch capability for the gun
* [[IT-1]]: Missile-launcher variant of the T-62

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

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

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-34 (1940)

2021-02-07T15:39:26Z

U108476048: Added tank chat to Youtube-Gallery

{{About
| about = Soviet medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = T-34 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_34_1941_l_11
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before [[Update 1.41]]. The first public iteration of the T-34 series, the T-34 1940 shows most of the early Soviet weaponry but provides a demonstration of its famous sloped armour and mobility.

The T-34 mod. 1940, like all the other T-34s, is fairly quick and manoeuvrable, decently armed, and decently armoured. It is the first researchable T-34 and the "oldest" (worst) model, aside from the [[T-34 (Prototype)|T-34 prototype]]. It is notable for its distinct appearance, with its broad, sloped front, large road wheels, and comparatively narrow turret. It is distinguished from all other T-34/76 models in that it has the [[L-11 (76 mm)|L-11 gun]] (the same gun as mounted on the [[KV-1 (L-11)]]), as opposed to the more powerful [[F-34 (76 mm)|F-34]]. It is identified by its low-slung barrel, with a recuperator creating a bulge above it. The vehicle's speed allows it to be a versatile flanker, but its armour keeps it competitive enough to be a brawler. It will also bounce somewhat frequently so angling the armour, as with any T-34, is helpful. The gun is decent for its rank but will struggle to penetrate other T-34s, [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV tanks]], [[M4|M4 Shermans]], and similar vehicles from the front.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Driver's hatch, Machine gun port)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides (Slope angle) !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 45 mm (60°) ''Front Glacis'' 45 mm (53°) ''Lower Glacis'' 45 mm (61°) ''Driver's Port'' 45 mm (28-77°) ''Machine Gun Port'' || 40 mm (40°) ''Top Hull'' 45 mm (0°) ''Lower hull'' || 40 mm (47°) ''Top'' 40 mm (46°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 45 mm (8-81°) ''Turret front'' 45 mm (3-74°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 45 mm (30-31°) || 45 mm (30°) || 15 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspensions wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.

The T-34 1940 can pose a formidable enemy at its BR (3.3) and one might find it a resilient and stubborn foe. If your vehicle can reliably penetrate 90mm (more if the vehicle is angled) of armour at medium to long-range, you should try to eliminate the T-34 at the longest possible range, where the L-11 gun will perform poorly. If your weapon cannot reliably penetrate 90mm of armour and you are forced to close the distance, be wary of your foes mobility. Brawling with a T-34 1940 is not recommended, the mobility and armour of the vehicle combined with a quick turret rotation speed may prove fatal. However, the T-34 is not an invincible foe. The T-34 1940 has a weak turret, which even some rank 1 guns can penetrate! It is recommended to aim for the turret ring, as the cramped crew compartment will result in an easy crew kill. Another weakspot of the T-34 is the turret cheeks - there are some flat spots that are 45mm, disabling the turret crew and the gun. A shot may ricochet off the turret cheeks into the crew compartment.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=442}}

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

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

{{main|L-11 (76 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L-11 (76 mm)|76 mm L-11]] || 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" | 77 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 23.80 || 32.94 || 40.00 || 44.24 || 47.06 || rowspan="2" | 9.23 || rowspan="2" | 8.17 || rowspan="2" | 7.53 || rowspan="2" | 7.10
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.88 || 17.50 || 21.25 || 23.50 || 25.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''BR-350A''': Most versatile of all the ammo types, with a decent penetration of ~80 mm and with an explosive filler for maximum damage. If a shot penetrates an enemy tank, the 150 g of explosives will decimate the crew.
* '''BR-350SP''': More penetration than 350A with about 76 mm of penetration at 100 meters, but no explosive filler for more internal damages.
* '''OF-350M''': Standard high-explosive shell for use against unarmoured targets.
* '''Sh-354T''': Shrapnel shell with nearly same damage potential as high-explosive, but has some penetration capabilities that allows the round to do maximum damage at light armour vehicles by exploding inside the tank.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-350A (MD-5 fuze) || APHEBC || 78 || 76 || 69 || 61 || 53 || 47
|-
| BR-350SP || APBC || 93 || 91 || 83 || 74 || 66 || 58
|-
| OF-350M || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| Sh-354T || Shrapnel || 37 || 35 || 29 || 25 || 20 || 17
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-350A (MD-5 fuze) || APHEBC || 615 || 6.3 || 1.2 || 14 || 150 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-350SP || APBC || 615 || 6.78 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| OF-350M || HE || 615 || 6.2 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 621 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| Sh-354T || Shrapnel || 615 || 6.2 || 0.5 || 8 || 85 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''77''' || 75 ''(+2)'' || 72 ''(+5)'' || 69 ''(+8)'' || 1 ''(+76)'' || No
|-
|}

Turret empty: 69 (+8)

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

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}

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

== Usage in battles ==

This is the first non-premium model of the T-34 series. It's a powerful breakthrough tank in the right hands due to its battle rating, good armour and powerful gun but is prone to get heavily damaged or destroyed from shots to the turret ring or cheeks. Keep moving, using its high speed and manoeuvrability, and get close to guaranteeing a penetration and angle the armour to easily bounce shells from enemy tanks.

The T-34 features great speed and agility, together with a good turret traverse and reload speed. It is best used in groups employing flanking manoeuvres and focusing on the impressive speed of the vehicle to catch players off-guard. The armour is also thick and sloped, allowing it to bounce the shots from the short 75mm's and the high-velocity 50mm's on German tanks although the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer. IV Ausf. F2]]'s gun will easily go through the sides or UFP even with moderate angling.

At 3.3 the T-34 1940 faces a lot of German and Japanese armour. These Axis tanks tend to have very flat and thin armour which make the 76mm APHE shell extremely effective. The high HE filler makes one-shotting Panzers, Chi-Ha's, etc., very easy. At range, however, Axis long-guns excel - get up close and personal to your opponents.

'''Common opponents''':

* '''[[M4|Medium Tank M4]], [[M4A2]] (American):''' The T-34's 76 mm gun cannot penetrate the welded hull M4/M4A2 reliably from the front, while the 75 mm gun on the M4/M4A2 can penetrate the T-34's turret and disable or cripple it. They do have very weak lower side hull armour (only 38 mm) that can be overmatched by the 76 mm APHEBC round if exposed, and the flat areas on the turret can also be penetrated fairly reliably if they can be hit. Generally avoid head-on engagements, especially if the M4 is hull-down.
* '''[[M4A1|Medium Tank M4A1]], [[Sherman II]] (American/French, British):''' Similar to the M4/M4A2, except that the cast hull is weaker than the welded hull on the M4/M4A2, and can be penetrated frontally. Otherwise, the same advice applies.
* '''[[Pz.IV F2|Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2]], [[Pz.IV G|G]], [[Pz.IV H|H]], [[Pz.IV J|J]] (German):''' The Ausf. F2 variant is the first Panzer IV to mount a long-barreled 75 mm gun. This gun is one of the most lethal mounted on any tank within the T-34's BR range, and it is easily capable of penetrating the T-34 at most ranges. The Ausf. F2 has very weak armour, however, and is something of a glass cannon. The Ausf. G, H, and J have up-armoured hulls that are quite difficult to penetrate, but their turrets are as weak as the one on the F2. The Ausf. J, in particular, has manual turret traverse and is very vulnerable to being flanked. Avoid long-range duels with them.
* '''[[Chi-Nu II]] (Japanese):''' Essentially the Japanese counterpart to the German Panzer IV Ausf. F2.
* '''[[Churchill Mk III|Churchill III]], [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)|Churchill(e)]] (British, German):''' The 6-pounder gun on the Churchill will be hard-pressed to penetrate the sloped T-34 hull, but it can easily penetrate the turret and disable the turret crew. It is difficult to penetrate the frontal armour of the Churchill at long ranges. However, it is a slow, cumbersome heavy tank, and is easy to outflank and dispatch with shots to the side armour.

=== Pros and cons ===

[[File:Radar chart T-34 (1940).png|thumb|T-34 1940 abilities chart]]

'''Pros:'''

* Excellent post-penetration effect with the BR-350B, easily one-shotting most tanks it sees, for example [[Pz.IV F2]], [[M4]], [[Chi-Nu]]
* Sloped hull armour provides good protection against small calibre / low-penetration shells (eg. 75mm KwK37, 50mm KwK39), and even large calibre guns when angled correctly
* 49 km/h top speed allows it to change position quickly and outrun lots of other medium tanks
* Nearly impossible to damage the transmission and immobilize it from the front
* Very fast turret traverse, good for urban combat

'''Cons:'''

* The 4 crew members are very close together making it easily one-shotted by common foes like [[Pz.IV F2]], [[M24 (Family)|M24]], [[StuG III F]], [[M4]], etc when penetrated from the front / side hull, or even the turret.
* -5 degrees gun depression is below average, making it ineffective to combat in hills comparing to the [[M4]] with -10 degrees depression
* Rather long reload time means the player must carefully aim each shot
* Large fuel tanks scattered at the sides of the hull, tend to catch fire if being hit
* Despite not having APCR, the AP all lack the penetration against more heavily armoured foes like the [[StuH 42 G]]
* L-11 cannon has a lower muzzle velocity and penetration than the F-34

== History ==

===Development===
By 1939, the most numerous tank models in the Red Army were the [[T-26|T-26]] and the [[BT-7|BT-series]] light tanks. Though adequate on the days they were introduced, they are now outdated by this time due to the changing technology in anti-tank warfare. Back in 1937, a new tank project was already taking place under engineer Mikhail Koshkin, who was assigned to lead a design team at the Kharkiv Locomotive Factory (KhPZ) for a replacement for the BT light tanks as a new "cavalry tank" to engage in manoeuvre warfare. The first prototype was designated the ''A-20'' with 20 mm of armour, a 45 mm gun, and a diesel engine in a V-12 configuration. The Christie suspension is taken from the BT, even the conversion to drive track-less on roads. But gradually, the new track designs available made this conversion redundant and was excluded in further models. The A-20 also showed the effective research done into sloping armour on previous prototype designs, utilizing an all-round sloping armour on the design.

It was during this design process that the Russo-Japanese border wars took place and showed the deficiency of the T-26 and BT models. Koshkin then appealed for the initiation of a much better tank concept, the "universal tank" to completely replace the T-26 and BT tanks. The second prototype was the ''A-32'' and has an increased 32 mm of frontal armour with a 76.2 mm L-10 gun. The heavier prototype was still just as mobile as the A-20, and further development into the design increased the frontal armour thickness to 45 mm thick and a newer 76.2 mm L-11 gun attached instead. This model was approved for production and designated the '''T-34''' after the year 1934 when Koshkin believed was when he formulated the idea for the T-34. Koshkin, however, never saw his tanks in action as he succumbed to pneumonia in September 1940 after trials with the T-34 in the cold winter. Thus, the drivetrain developer Alexander Morozov was appointed as the next Chief Designer. The T-34 tank would go on to become the most produced World War II tank, with 84,070 tanks produced in the production span between 1940 to 1958.

===Design===
The T-34 took all of the Soviet's experiences with tanks and incorporated into the design. The tank had great sloping armour, a powerful engine, wide tracks, and a large gun. At its introduction, the armour of the T-34 was one of the best in the world, by sloping the 45 mm thick armour plate by 60 degrees, the effective thickness was now 90 mm thick. The armour was welded into place instead of riveted as rivets tend to "spall" and cause damage inside the tank even if the armour was not penetrated. The 76.2 mm gun was a major advantage compared to those on its adversaries, as it could be used as a multi-purpose weapon against infantry and tanks, unlike the Germans who had tanks split for two different roles such as the [[Pz.III E|Panzer III for anti-tank]] and the [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV for infantry support]]. The engine, a Model V-2-34 V12 diesel engine, was adequately powerful for the Christie suspension tank design and allowed the T-34 to reach a maximum of 53 km/h (33 mph). The powerful engine, added with the wide tracks that gave it lower ground pressure, allowed the T-34 to travel across cross-country terrain with relative freedom without risk of bogging down.

However, the T-34 is not without its fault and its quality is very questionable in some cases. Two [[T-34 (1941)]] models were sent to the United States in late 1942 for evaluations. The evaluations found the armour quality to be rather insufficient, with improper welding in places that can allow leaks and improper alloys that made armour weaker in some places than others, the T-34 cast turret was even found to use softer armour than the hull that render it vulnerable to even 37 mm shells. The gun sights for the 76.2 mm cannon was also quite poor in comparison to the Axis and other Allies. The tank reliability was also troubled by various mechanical issues, especially in the earlier models. Low-quality air filters and insufficient airflow could impede the engine capabilities and the turret drive had poor reliability that could easily jam up. The vision devices were also poor, the crew are unable to see outside the tank with enough situational awareness, even the tank commander couldn't see well out of the tank. Also, the lack of radios on the first few years of T-34s forced the tank commanders to communicate via flags, with only company commanders tanks fitted with the radios. Ergonomics inside the tanks was unsatisfactory and was very cramped inside, with no turret basket the loader has to struggle when the turret rotates and accessing ammunition on the floor boxes makes it a hard and dangerous job for the loader. The commander's hatch on the turret was also one-piece, making even a "heads-up" view for the commander impossible on these large one-piece hatches. Finally, the two-person turret suffered from not only a very cramped compartment but an overworked commander who has to act as a gunner as well.

===T-34 Mod. 1940===
The '''T-34 Mod. 1940''' was the initial production variant of the T-34 and the first of the T-34/76 series. In its initial stages, it ran into political trouble from the conservative side, who wanted to keep the T-26 and BTs in production, that or keep the T-34 out of production as the more advanced T-34M completes its development to take over the tank role more effectively. However, these concerns were dissipated with the Winter War against Finland and the German Blitzkrieg tactics across Poland and France, which then advocated for the mass-production of the T-34 to compete against the Germans and improve the Soviet armoured forces.

The production for the T-34 started in September 1940 and completely overtook the production of the T-26, BTs, and even the [[T-28]] at the KhPZ plant. However, the new design features on the T-34 plus the heavier weight on the tank compared to its predecessors posed a problem to the Soviet industry due to insufficient toolings and machinery available in the majority of the Soviet manufacturing plants, thus defects in armour plates were present in the early models.

The T-34 Mod. 1940 never saw wide use as the design was improved with better gun and layout. The L-11 76.2 mm gun was found to be insufficient in performance, so it was replaced by the newly designed F-34 gun, which was much better than its predecessors. The interior of the tank was also fitted with a 9-RS radio set (when available) and thicker, better quality armour on the tank. This new tank design would be the [[T-34 (1941)|T-34 Mod. 1941]] and this replaced the 1940 model, of which only 400 units were produced before it was phased out, in comparison to the 35,120 T-34/76 models produced in the war.

=== In-game description ===
The most prolific and most popular soviet tank of World War II. It was developed in factory No. 183's design bureau for deployment in 1939. Around 100 of them were made by the end of 1940.

The T-34 Mod. 1940 had a hull and turret made of rolled armour plates set at a slope. Cast steel turrets were installed on some of the tanks. The vehicle was armed with a short-barrelled 76.2 mm L-11 Mod. 1938 cannon with a 30.5 calibre barrel length, and two DT machine guns, one paired with the cannon and the other a bow machine gun set in the frontal armour plate. Its designers used the Christie suspension with five large steel road wheels paired at each side and a large area of clearance between the second and third pairs. The T-34 Mod. 1940 became the standard model for all the tank's alternate designs. They had interchangeable parts, including the engine, armament, transmission and periscopes.

The T-34 had an unusually high power-to-weight ratio thanks to the new economic B-2 diesel engine. The tank enjoyed absolute superiority over other tanks of a comparable class in its mobility, manoeuvrability and moveability. The vehicle had a high weight limit, allowing for modernisation based on the results of combat deployment.

When it was put into service, all the T-34's primary tactical and technical characteristics surpassed those of all the Wehrmacht's tanks. The flaws of the first series of this tank were its low motor operating time, unreliable gearbox, the incomplete design of its observation instruments, its crowded fighting compartment and its poorly placed ammunition complement.

Because of the poor development of relevant tactics, the deployment of these tanks at the beginning of the war was extremely unsuccessful. The crews were completely untrained, the tactical use of these tanks was poor, and their deficit of armour-piercing shells and lack of repair and evacuation equipment also had a negative effect. Practically all tanks of this type produced in 1940 were lost in the first two months of the war.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=ussr_t_34_1941_l_11 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|XorVHprN6f8|'''The T-34 Family''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel'' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 00:39.|z5QXB5Nx99o|'''T-34 1940 Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|8dUAs40ymag|'''Tank Chat #68 T-34''' - "Tank Museum"}}

== See also ==


* [[T-34 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/2622--en|[Vehicle Profile] The T-34 mod. 1940]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-72A

2021-02-07T00:11:54Z

U108476048: Still trying to get title correct.

{{About
| about = Soviet medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = T-72 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_72a
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].

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


*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)
*Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Armour!!Front (Slope angle)!!Sides!!Rear!!Roof
|-
|Hull||60 mm (68°)
16 mm ''add-on steel plate'' (68°)
|80 mm ''Top''
20 mm ''Bottom''
|40 mm||30 mm ''frontal roof''
20 mm ''engine deck roof''
|-
|Turret||280 - 200 mm ''Turret front'' (variable angles)
150 - 400 mm ''Gun mantlet'' (variable angles)
|240 - 130 mm||75 mm||45 mm
|-
|Cupola||100 mm (variable angles)||100 mm (varible angles)||100 mm (variable angles)||45 mm
|-
|}
The T-72A's hull armour is practically the same as the T-64A's; textolite middle sandwiched between two RHA plates. The difference is that the T-72As upper glacis is angled at one degree further back than that of the T-64A and the use of Quartz core instead of Hard Hardness Rolled Armor (HHR) in the turret. Like the T-64 and T-80 line, the T-72A has a carousel-type autoloader centred under the turret. This means that a penetrating hit to the centre of the tank has a high chance of leading to an ammunition detonation and subsequent launch of the turret. This is however slightly less likely to happen with the T-72As type of autoloader, where the charges are stored horizontally (as "=") in comparison to the T-64/-80 type, where the charge sits vertically and is easier to hit.

Spare ammunition not inside the 22 round carousel is however spread more randomly around the fighting compartment. Therefore, bringing only 23 rounds (for 1 in the gun and 22 in the carousel) limits the chance of the spare ammo detonating in the case of i.e. a turret hit. There are two diesel tank ammo racks within the tank - one to the right of the driver and one between the engine and fighting compartment (with some loose ammo above it). It doesn't take much to realize that like most Soviet MBTs, the T-72A is rather explosive if extra ammo is taken, so great care is needed when showing the hull. The driver should also be aware of having only 3 crew members; if one is knocked out they should be sure to return to an objective point as soon as possible to get a new one.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 1209|rbMinHp= 690|AoAweight= 0.8}}The T-72A is a slow and sluggish tank which has poor acceleration and handling. It has really poor reverse speed as well as hull traverse. However, it has a powerful engine which makes it capable of pulling and pushing enemy tanks as well as move through rough terrain with ease. It does not have enough horsepower to climb over steep elevations. Speed wise, it has a decent top speed (~60-70km/h) which under specific situations it is able to be reached.

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

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

{{main|2A46M (125 mm)}}The T-72A has the powerful 2A46M 125mm smoothbore cannon. It has a powerful selection of rounds, each with different uses and similarities between same types.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A46M (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M]] || 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" | 44 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 19.0 || 26.3 || 32.0 || 35.4 || 37.6 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.9 || 14.0 || 17.0 || 18.8 || 20.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* 3BK12M: this is the starting ammunition which can be seen as poor when in frontal engagements against modern MBT's. However, the decent explosive filler as well as not loosing penetration over distances makes it a decent round for sniping. However, the speed in said round is not fast and will be hard to aim at long distances. It is able to hullbreak light armored vehicles such as SPAA
* 3BM9: this is a tier I steel core APFSDS which has the highest muzzle velocity over all the APFSDS seen. However, the weight as well as penetration make it unreliable when facing top tier MBT's frontally.
* 3BM15: this is a tier 2 tungsten core APFSDS which has slightly less muzzle velocity compared to the 3BM9. However, this is the highest pen shot seen in the T-72A with increased weight over the 3BM9.
* 3BM22: this is a tier 4 APFSDS which has same ballistic performance as the 3BM15. However, penetration is reduced for a greater weight.

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

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''44''' || 41 ''(+3)'' || 39 ''(+5)'' || ''22(+22)'' || 0 ''(+44)'' || No
|}
Note:

* The {{PAGENAME}} uses two-piece ammunition, composed of propellant bags (orange) and projectiles (yellow). Both have separate racks.

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

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 300 (150) || 700 || -4°/+75° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The T-72A play-style is near identical to the T-64A (and with that, Soviet MBTs from here on). One of the key differences between the two vehicles is the T-72A's stronger armour. The quartz core composed turret will also bounce many shots and can even eat up some of the strongest ATGMs. In terms of armament, the T-72A boasts the very powerful and accurate [[2A46M (125 mm)|2A46M]] that Soviet high-rank tankers will quickly become familiar and fall in love with. Make sure to research the 3BM15 sabot rounds as soon as you can (after Parts and FPE of course), as the stock round has mediocre penetration for a sabot.

'''List of enemies notes (all of the tanks at the battle-rating with access to APFSDS will be able to penetrate your hull frontally):'''

* [[XM-1 (Chrysler)|XM-1]]/[[XM-1 (GM)|XM-1]]: despite having thin composite armor, the 3BK12M is not recommended to be used with them
* [[Leopard A1A1]]: killable by all anti-tank munitions.
* [[AMX-30B2]]/[[AMX-30B2 BRENUS]]: killable by all anti-tank munition. DM23/33 have enough armor penetration to penetrate T-72 frontal plates
* [[Leopard 2K]]: killable by all anti-tank munition with exception of turret manlet when using 3BK12M
* [[AMX-32]]:killable by all anti-tank munition
* [[AMX-40]]: killable by all anti-tank munition with exception of turret manlet and lower frontal plate when using 3BK12M
* [[Strv 103 (Family)|Strv 103]]: killable by all anti-tank munition. Depending on the hull angling, HEAT-FS might ricochet. APFSDS is recommended to be used when facing it always

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Mounts the same powerful 125 mm 2A46 gun as on the T-64 and T-80 (though an earlier version)
* Low profile, small target compared to other countries' main battle tanks
* Early unlocked laser rangefinder makes sniping long distances easier
* Has both smoke grenade launchers and ESS
* Due to thick frontal armour and correct angling, able to deflect most rounds from counterpart tanks of other countries
* Very accurate gun due to the high muzzle velocity of the APFSDS rounds, very effective long-range sniper
* Autoloader continues working even if fighting a fire or replacing a crew member, ready to use upon the fire being extinguished or the gunner having been replaced

'''Cons:'''

* Ammo carousel means your first stage rounds all are centred below the turret; can be easily detonated through a hit to the hull
* Very slow reverse speed and traverse speed, a problem in situations where you cannot back away from an attacking enemy
* 3-man crew makes tank able to be knocked out easier; once one crewmember is knocked out, you have to be very careful not to get hit again
* Gun depression inadequate for most hull-down situations, e.g. sniping from a hill or down a valley
* Driver's port is still a weakness
* Poor top speed
* Inferior optics with only one 8x zoom level
* 1st APFSDS modification is inferior to most contemporary rounds and 3BM22 is a Rank IV modification
* Its 2A46 125 mm gun is an early type; the stock ammunition is lacklustre and it cannot fire ATGMs like the T-64B, T-80B, and T-80U
* Glacis armour is not reliable until the addon armour plate is unlocked (a tier IV modification)

== History ==


Development of the T-72 began shortly after the production of the T-64 highlighted several problems which negatively impacted production rates. Among these problems was an unreliable engine, which couldn't be produced at the high rates needed for a smooth production of the T-64 to take place.

In response, the Uralvagonzavod plant began working on a modified version of the T-64, which would use a more reliable and readily available engine, in order to provide the army with a tank fit for mass-production. Apart from this, changes were also made to the armor layout, in order to simplify production and decrease costs. This work resulted in the creation of the Object 172.

Development of the Object 172 continued, and after some trials, the vehicle entered service with the Soviet Army in August 1973, receiving its official designation T-72. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle was permitted for mass production, following the issuing of an official decree in 1974.

The T-72 was also heavily exported to and produced by nations of the Warsaw Pact as well as other countries worldwide, although these vehicles received certain downgrades compared to native Soviet models. Despite this, the T-72 quickly became one of the most widely used tanks in the world, participating in more conflicts than a single devblog could ever cover.

Since production began in 1974, over 20,000 T-72 tanks were built across several modifications in the Soviet Union/Russia alone, with production of more modern variants still ongoing today, even in other countries as well.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en Devblog]''

The T-72 series tank was developed as a direct prototype of the T-64 mechanical issues correction. In 1962, while working on the corrections of production problems, specially engine and firepower, a new prototype was developed with the 2A46M 125mm smoothbore gun and the V-45K diesel engine. This prototype was renamed to Object 172. While being in an unclear political process, decree number 326-113 was issued, freeing Uralvagonzavod from the production of the T-64A. The first batch was produced and set under the name of "Object 172M". It was tested again in 1972 and accepted to service under the name of T-72. License production was sold to multiple countries as well as unit batches to Warsaw pact nations and exported to other countries such as India, Syria, Finland, Iraq and Yugoslavia. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, some of the independent countries kept the tanks such as Ukraine.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=ussr_t_72a Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|Q6sYNcaVVO0|'''The Shooting Range #88''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:01 discusses the T-72.|pW4fRtXKUgs|'''The Shooting Range #132''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:35 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|CJ9sCL1BGy4|'''M1 Abrams vs {{PAGENAME}} vs T-80B''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|_xCgMBOiA8U|'''High-explosive power''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:50 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|UMmdozyPgpU|""Tank Chats #110"" discusses the {{PAGENAME}} and its' development alongside the T-64 as well as it's usage. "The Tank Museum"}}

== See also ==


* [[T-72B]] - A later modification of the T-72
* [[XM-803]], [[MBT-70|MBT]]/[[KPz-70]] - American and German main battle tanks at a similar BR.
* [[M48 Super]] - An equivalent German MBT.
* [[M60A3 TTS]] - An American MBT at a similar BR.
* [[AMX-32]] - An equivalent French MBT.
* [[Chieftain Mk 10]], [[Challenger Mk.2]]/[[Challenger Mk.3|3]], [[Vickers Mk.7]] - British MBTs with a similar BR.

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> T-72A: The Globetrotter]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-72A

2021-02-07T00:10:56Z

U108476048: Made Title of Tank Chat correct.

{{About
| about = Soviet medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = T-72 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_72a
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].

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


*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)
*Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Armour!!Front (Slope angle)!!Sides!!Rear!!Roof
|-
|Hull||60 mm (68°)
16 mm ''add-on steel plate'' (68°)
|80 mm ''Top''
20 mm ''Bottom''
|40 mm||30 mm ''frontal roof''
20 mm ''engine deck roof''
|-
|Turret||280 - 200 mm ''Turret front'' (variable angles)
150 - 400 mm ''Gun mantlet'' (variable angles)
|240 - 130 mm||75 mm||45 mm
|-
|Cupola||100 mm (variable angles)||100 mm (varible angles)||100 mm (variable angles)||45 mm
|-
|}
The T-72A's hull armour is practically the same as the T-64A's; textolite middle sandwiched between two RHA plates. The difference is that the T-72As upper glacis is angled at one degree further back than that of the T-64A and the use of Quartz core instead of Hard Hardness Rolled Armor (HHR) in the turret. Like the T-64 and T-80 line, the T-72A has a carousel-type autoloader centred under the turret. This means that a penetrating hit to the centre of the tank has a high chance of leading to an ammunition detonation and subsequent launch of the turret. This is however slightly less likely to happen with the T-72As type of autoloader, where the charges are stored horizontally (as "=") in comparison to the T-64/-80 type, where the charge sits vertically and is easier to hit.

Spare ammunition not inside the 22 round carousel is however spread more randomly around the fighting compartment. Therefore, bringing only 23 rounds (for 1 in the gun and 22 in the carousel) limits the chance of the spare ammo detonating in the case of i.e. a turret hit. There are two diesel tank ammo racks within the tank - one to the right of the driver and one between the engine and fighting compartment (with some loose ammo above it). It doesn't take much to realize that like most Soviet MBTs, the T-72A is rather explosive if extra ammo is taken, so great care is needed when showing the hull. The driver should also be aware of having only 3 crew members; if one is knocked out they should be sure to return to an objective point as soon as possible to get a new one.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 1209|rbMinHp= 690|AoAweight= 0.8}}The T-72A is a slow and sluggish tank which has poor acceleration and handling. It has really poor reverse speed as well as hull traverse. However, it has a powerful engine which makes it capable of pulling and pushing enemy tanks as well as move through rough terrain with ease. It does not have enough horsepower to climb over steep elevations. Speed wise, it has a decent top speed (~60-70km/h) which under specific situations it is able to be reached.

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

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

{{main|2A46M (125 mm)}}The T-72A has the powerful 2A46M 125mm smoothbore cannon. It has a powerful selection of rounds, each with different uses and similarities between same types.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A46M (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M]] || 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" | 44 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 19.0 || 26.3 || 32.0 || 35.4 || 37.6 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.9 || 14.0 || 17.0 || 18.8 || 20.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* 3BK12M: this is the starting ammunition which can be seen as poor when in frontal engagements against modern MBT's. However, the decent explosive filler as well as not loosing penetration over distances makes it a decent round for sniping. However, the speed in said round is not fast and will be hard to aim at long distances. It is able to hullbreak light armored vehicles such as SPAA
* 3BM9: this is a tier I steel core APFSDS which has the highest muzzle velocity over all the APFSDS seen. However, the weight as well as penetration make it unreliable when facing top tier MBT's frontally.
* 3BM15: this is a tier 2 tungsten core APFSDS which has slightly less muzzle velocity compared to the 3BM9. However, this is the highest pen shot seen in the T-72A with increased weight over the 3BM9.
* 3BM22: this is a tier 4 APFSDS which has same ballistic performance as the 3BM15. However, penetration is reduced for a greater weight.

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

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''44''' || 41 ''(+3)'' || 39 ''(+5)'' || ''22(+22)'' || 0 ''(+44)'' || No
|}
Note:

* The {{PAGENAME}} uses two-piece ammunition, composed of propellant bags (orange) and projectiles (yellow). Both have separate racks.

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

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 300 (150) || 700 || -4°/+75° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The T-72A play-style is near identical to the T-64A (and with that, Soviet MBTs from here on). One of the key differences between the two vehicles is the T-72A's stronger armour. The quartz core composed turret will also bounce many shots and can even eat up some of the strongest ATGMs. In terms of armament, the T-72A boasts the very powerful and accurate [[2A46M (125 mm)|2A46M]] that Soviet high-rank tankers will quickly become familiar and fall in love with. Make sure to research the 3BM15 sabot rounds as soon as you can (after Parts and FPE of course), as the stock round has mediocre penetration for a sabot.

'''List of enemies notes (all of the tanks at the battle-rating with access to APFSDS will be able to penetrate your hull frontally):'''

* [[XM-1 (Chrysler)|XM-1]]/[[XM-1 (GM)|XM-1]]: despite having thin composite armor, the 3BK12M is not recommended to be used with them
* [[Leopard A1A1]]: killable by all anti-tank munitions.
* [[AMX-30B2]]/[[AMX-30B2 BRENUS]]: killable by all anti-tank munition. DM23/33 have enough armor penetration to penetrate T-72 frontal plates
* [[Leopard 2K]]: killable by all anti-tank munition with exception of turret manlet when using 3BK12M
* [[AMX-32]]:killable by all anti-tank munition
* [[AMX-40]]: killable by all anti-tank munition with exception of turret manlet and lower frontal plate when using 3BK12M
* [[Strv 103 (Family)|Strv 103]]: killable by all anti-tank munition. Depending on the hull angling, HEAT-FS might ricochet. APFSDS is recommended to be used when facing it always

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Mounts the same powerful 125 mm 2A46 gun as on the T-64 and T-80 (though an earlier version)
* Low profile, small target compared to other countries' main battle tanks
* Early unlocked laser rangefinder makes sniping long distances easier
* Has both smoke grenade launchers and ESS
* Due to thick frontal armour and correct angling, able to deflect most rounds from counterpart tanks of other countries
* Very accurate gun due to the high muzzle velocity of the APFSDS rounds, very effective long-range sniper
* Autoloader continues working even if fighting a fire or replacing a crew member, ready to use upon the fire being extinguished or the gunner having been replaced

'''Cons:'''

* Ammo carousel means your first stage rounds all are centred below the turret; can be easily detonated through a hit to the hull
* Very slow reverse speed and traverse speed, a problem in situations where you cannot back away from an attacking enemy
* 3-man crew makes tank able to be knocked out easier; once one crewmember is knocked out, you have to be very careful not to get hit again
* Gun depression inadequate for most hull-down situations, e.g. sniping from a hill or down a valley
* Driver's port is still a weakness
* Poor top speed
* Inferior optics with only one 8x zoom level
* 1st APFSDS modification is inferior to most contemporary rounds and 3BM22 is a Rank IV modification
* Its 2A46 125 mm gun is an early type; the stock ammunition is lacklustre and it cannot fire ATGMs like the T-64B, T-80B, and T-80U
* Glacis armour is not reliable until the addon armour plate is unlocked (a tier IV modification)

== History ==


Development of the T-72 began shortly after the production of the T-64 highlighted several problems which negatively impacted production rates. Among these problems was an unreliable engine, which couldn't be produced at the high rates needed for a smooth production of the T-64 to take place.

In response, the Uralvagonzavod plant began working on a modified version of the T-64, which would use a more reliable and readily available engine, in order to provide the army with a tank fit for mass-production. Apart from this, changes were also made to the armor layout, in order to simplify production and decrease costs. This work resulted in the creation of the Object 172.

Development of the Object 172 continued, and after some trials, the vehicle entered service with the Soviet Army in August 1973, receiving its official designation T-72. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle was permitted for mass production, following the issuing of an official decree in 1974.

The T-72 was also heavily exported to and produced by nations of the Warsaw Pact as well as other countries worldwide, although these vehicles received certain downgrades compared to native Soviet models. Despite this, the T-72 quickly became one of the most widely used tanks in the world, participating in more conflicts than a single devblog could ever cover.

Since production began in 1974, over 20,000 T-72 tanks were built across several modifications in the Soviet Union/Russia alone, with production of more modern variants still ongoing today, even in other countries as well.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en Devblog]''

The T-72 series tank was developed as a direct prototype of the T-64 mechanical issues correction. In 1962, while working on the corrections of production problems, specially engine and firepower, a new prototype was developed with the 2A46M 125mm smoothbore gun and the V-45K diesel engine. This prototype was renamed to Object 172. While being in an unclear political process, decree number 326-113 was issued, freeing Uralvagonzavod from the production of the T-64A. The first batch was produced and set under the name of "Object 172M". It was tested again in 1972 and accepted to service under the name of T-72. License production was sold to multiple countries as well as unit batches to Warsaw pact nations and exported to other countries such as India, Syria, Finland, Iraq and Yugoslavia. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, some of the independent countries kept the tanks such as Ukraine.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=ussr_t_72a Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|Q6sYNcaVVO0|'''The Shooting Range #88''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:01 discusses the T-72.|pW4fRtXKUgs|'''The Shooting Range #132''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:35 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|CJ9sCL1BGy4|'''M1 Abrams vs {{PAGENAME}} vs T-80B''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|_xCgMBOiA8U|'''High-explosive power''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:50 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|UMmdozyPgpU|""Tank Chats #110 {{!}} T-72 {{!}} The Tank Museum"" discusses the {{PAGENAME}} and its' development alongside the T-64 as well as it's usage. "The Tank Museum"}}

== See also ==


* [[T-72B]] - A later modification of the T-72
* [[XM-803]], [[MBT-70|MBT]]/[[KPz-70]] - American and German main battle tanks at a similar BR.
* [[M48 Super]] - An equivalent German MBT.
* [[M60A3 TTS]] - An American MBT at a similar BR.
* [[AMX-32]] - An equivalent French MBT.
* [[Chieftain Mk 10]], [[Challenger Mk.2]]/[[Challenger Mk.3|3]], [[Vickers Mk.7]] - British MBTs with a similar BR.

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> T-72A: The Globetrotter]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-72A

2021-02-07T00:09:37Z

U108476048: Made title of Tank Chat the same as other Videos

{{About
| about = Soviet medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = T-72 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_72a
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].

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


*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)
*Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Armour!!Front (Slope angle)!!Sides!!Rear!!Roof
|-
|Hull||60 mm (68°)
16 mm ''add-on steel plate'' (68°)
|80 mm ''Top''
20 mm ''Bottom''
|40 mm||30 mm ''frontal roof''
20 mm ''engine deck roof''
|-
|Turret||280 - 200 mm ''Turret front'' (variable angles)
150 - 400 mm ''Gun mantlet'' (variable angles)
|240 - 130 mm||75 mm||45 mm
|-
|Cupola||100 mm (variable angles)||100 mm (varible angles)||100 mm (variable angles)||45 mm
|-
|}
The T-72A's hull armour is practically the same as the T-64A's; textolite middle sandwiched between two RHA plates. The difference is that the T-72As upper glacis is angled at one degree further back than that of the T-64A and the use of Quartz core instead of Hard Hardness Rolled Armor (HHR) in the turret. Like the T-64 and T-80 line, the T-72A has a carousel-type autoloader centred under the turret. This means that a penetrating hit to the centre of the tank has a high chance of leading to an ammunition detonation and subsequent launch of the turret. This is however slightly less likely to happen with the T-72As type of autoloader, where the charges are stored horizontally (as "=") in comparison to the T-64/-80 type, where the charge sits vertically and is easier to hit.

Spare ammunition not inside the 22 round carousel is however spread more randomly around the fighting compartment. Therefore, bringing only 23 rounds (for 1 in the gun and 22 in the carousel) limits the chance of the spare ammo detonating in the case of i.e. a turret hit. There are two diesel tank ammo racks within the tank - one to the right of the driver and one between the engine and fighting compartment (with some loose ammo above it). It doesn't take much to realize that like most Soviet MBTs, the T-72A is rather explosive if extra ammo is taken, so great care is needed when showing the hull. The driver should also be aware of having only 3 crew members; if one is knocked out they should be sure to return to an objective point as soon as possible to get a new one.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 1209|rbMinHp= 690|AoAweight= 0.8}}The T-72A is a slow and sluggish tank which has poor acceleration and handling. It has really poor reverse speed as well as hull traverse. However, it has a powerful engine which makes it capable of pulling and pushing enemy tanks as well as move through rough terrain with ease. It does not have enough horsepower to climb over steep elevations. Speed wise, it has a decent top speed (~60-70km/h) which under specific situations it is able to be reached.

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

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

{{main|2A46M (125 mm)}}The T-72A has the powerful 2A46M 125mm smoothbore cannon. It has a powerful selection of rounds, each with different uses and similarities between same types.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A46M (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M]] || 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" | 44 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 19.0 || 26.3 || 32.0 || 35.4 || 37.6 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.9 || 14.0 || 17.0 || 18.8 || 20.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* 3BK12M: this is the starting ammunition which can be seen as poor when in frontal engagements against modern MBT's. However, the decent explosive filler as well as not loosing penetration over distances makes it a decent round for sniping. However, the speed in said round is not fast and will be hard to aim at long distances. It is able to hullbreak light armored vehicles such as SPAA
* 3BM9: this is a tier I steel core APFSDS which has the highest muzzle velocity over all the APFSDS seen. However, the weight as well as penetration make it unreliable when facing top tier MBT's frontally.
* 3BM15: this is a tier 2 tungsten core APFSDS which has slightly less muzzle velocity compared to the 3BM9. However, this is the highest pen shot seen in the T-72A with increased weight over the 3BM9.
* 3BM22: this is a tier 4 APFSDS which has same ballistic performance as the 3BM15. However, penetration is reduced for a greater weight.

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

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''44''' || 41 ''(+3)'' || 39 ''(+5)'' || ''22(+22)'' || 0 ''(+44)'' || No
|}
Note:

* The {{PAGENAME}} uses two-piece ammunition, composed of propellant bags (orange) and projectiles (yellow). Both have separate racks.

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

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 300 (150) || 700 || -4°/+75° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The T-72A play-style is near identical to the T-64A (and with that, Soviet MBTs from here on). One of the key differences between the two vehicles is the T-72A's stronger armour. The quartz core composed turret will also bounce many shots and can even eat up some of the strongest ATGMs. In terms of armament, the T-72A boasts the very powerful and accurate [[2A46M (125 mm)|2A46M]] that Soviet high-rank tankers will quickly become familiar and fall in love with. Make sure to research the 3BM15 sabot rounds as soon as you can (after Parts and FPE of course), as the stock round has mediocre penetration for a sabot.

'''List of enemies notes (all of the tanks at the battle-rating with access to APFSDS will be able to penetrate your hull frontally):'''

* [[XM-1 (Chrysler)|XM-1]]/[[XM-1 (GM)|XM-1]]: despite having thin composite armor, the 3BK12M is not recommended to be used with them
* [[Leopard A1A1]]: killable by all anti-tank munitions.
* [[AMX-30B2]]/[[AMX-30B2 BRENUS]]: killable by all anti-tank munition. DM23/33 have enough armor penetration to penetrate T-72 frontal plates
* [[Leopard 2K]]: killable by all anti-tank munition with exception of turret manlet when using 3BK12M
* [[AMX-32]]:killable by all anti-tank munition
* [[AMX-40]]: killable by all anti-tank munition with exception of turret manlet and lower frontal plate when using 3BK12M
* [[Strv 103 (Family)|Strv 103]]: killable by all anti-tank munition. Depending on the hull angling, HEAT-FS might ricochet. APFSDS is recommended to be used when facing it always

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Mounts the same powerful 125 mm 2A46 gun as on the T-64 and T-80 (though an earlier version)
* Low profile, small target compared to other countries' main battle tanks
* Early unlocked laser rangefinder makes sniping long distances easier
* Has both smoke grenade launchers and ESS
* Due to thick frontal armour and correct angling, able to deflect most rounds from counterpart tanks of other countries
* Very accurate gun due to the high muzzle velocity of the APFSDS rounds, very effective long-range sniper
* Autoloader continues working even if fighting a fire or replacing a crew member, ready to use upon the fire being extinguished or the gunner having been replaced

'''Cons:'''

* Ammo carousel means your first stage rounds all are centred below the turret; can be easily detonated through a hit to the hull
* Very slow reverse speed and traverse speed, a problem in situations where you cannot back away from an attacking enemy
* 3-man crew makes tank able to be knocked out easier; once one crewmember is knocked out, you have to be very careful not to get hit again
* Gun depression inadequate for most hull-down situations, e.g. sniping from a hill or down a valley
* Driver's port is still a weakness
* Poor top speed
* Inferior optics with only one 8x zoom level
* 1st APFSDS modification is inferior to most contemporary rounds and 3BM22 is a Rank IV modification
* Its 2A46 125 mm gun is an early type; the stock ammunition is lacklustre and it cannot fire ATGMs like the T-64B, T-80B, and T-80U
* Glacis armour is not reliable until the addon armour plate is unlocked (a tier IV modification)

== History ==


Development of the T-72 began shortly after the production of the T-64 highlighted several problems which negatively impacted production rates. Among these problems was an unreliable engine, which couldn't be produced at the high rates needed for a smooth production of the T-64 to take place.

In response, the Uralvagonzavod plant began working on a modified version of the T-64, which would use a more reliable and readily available engine, in order to provide the army with a tank fit for mass-production. Apart from this, changes were also made to the armor layout, in order to simplify production and decrease costs. This work resulted in the creation of the Object 172.

Development of the Object 172 continued, and after some trials, the vehicle entered service with the Soviet Army in August 1973, receiving its official designation T-72. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle was permitted for mass production, following the issuing of an official decree in 1974.

The T-72 was also heavily exported to and produced by nations of the Warsaw Pact as well as other countries worldwide, although these vehicles received certain downgrades compared to native Soviet models. Despite this, the T-72 quickly became one of the most widely used tanks in the world, participating in more conflicts than a single devblog could ever cover.

Since production began in 1974, over 20,000 T-72 tanks were built across several modifications in the Soviet Union/Russia alone, with production of more modern variants still ongoing today, even in other countries as well.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en Devblog]''

The T-72 series tank was developed as a direct prototype of the T-64 mechanical issues correction. In 1962, while working on the corrections of production problems, specially engine and firepower, a new prototype was developed with the 2A46M 125mm smoothbore gun and the V-45K diesel engine. This prototype was renamed to Object 172. While being in an unclear political process, decree number 326-113 was issued, freeing Uralvagonzavod from the production of the T-64A. The first batch was produced and set under the name of "Object 172M". It was tested again in 1972 and accepted to service under the name of T-72. License production was sold to multiple countries as well as unit batches to Warsaw pact nations and exported to other countries such as India, Syria, Finland, Iraq and Yugoslavia. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, some of the independent countries kept the tanks such as Ukraine.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=ussr_t_72a Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|Q6sYNcaVVO0|'''The Shooting Range #88''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:01 discusses the T-72.|pW4fRtXKUgs|'''The Shooting Range #132''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:35 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|CJ9sCL1BGy4|'''M1 Abrams vs {{PAGENAME}} vs T-80B''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|_xCgMBOiA8U|'''High-explosive power''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:50 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|UMmdozyPgpU|"Tank Chats #110 {{!}} T-72 {{!}} The Tank Museum" discusses the {{PAGENAME}} and its' development alongside the T-64 as well as it's usage. "The Tank Museum"}}

== See also ==


* [[T-72B]] - A later modification of the T-72
* [[XM-803]], [[MBT-70|MBT]]/[[KPz-70]] - American and German main battle tanks at a similar BR.
* [[M48 Super]] - An equivalent German MBT.
* [[M60A3 TTS]] - An American MBT at a similar BR.
* [[AMX-32]] - An equivalent French MBT.
* [[Chieftain Mk 10]], [[Challenger Mk.2]]/[[Challenger Mk.3|3]], [[Vickers Mk.7]] - British MBTs with a similar BR.

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> T-72A: The Globetrotter]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-72A

2021-02-07T00:08:04Z

U108476048: Added tank chat to media.

{{About
| about = Soviet medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = T-72 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_72a
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].

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


*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)
*Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Armour!!Front (Slope angle)!!Sides!!Rear!!Roof
|-
|Hull||60 mm (68°)
16 mm ''add-on steel plate'' (68°)
|80 mm ''Top''
20 mm ''Bottom''
|40 mm||30 mm ''frontal roof''
20 mm ''engine deck roof''
|-
|Turret||280 - 200 mm ''Turret front'' (variable angles)
150 - 400 mm ''Gun mantlet'' (variable angles)
|240 - 130 mm||75 mm||45 mm
|-
|Cupola||100 mm (variable angles)||100 mm (varible angles)||100 mm (variable angles)||45 mm
|-
|}
The T-72A's hull armour is practically the same as the T-64A's; textolite middle sandwiched between two RHA plates. The difference is that the T-72As upper glacis is angled at one degree further back than that of the T-64A and the use of Quartz core instead of Hard Hardness Rolled Armor (HHR) in the turret. Like the T-64 and T-80 line, the T-72A has a carousel-type autoloader centred under the turret. This means that a penetrating hit to the centre of the tank has a high chance of leading to an ammunition detonation and subsequent launch of the turret. This is however slightly less likely to happen with the T-72As type of autoloader, where the charges are stored horizontally (as "=") in comparison to the T-64/-80 type, where the charge sits vertically and is easier to hit.

Spare ammunition not inside the 22 round carousel is however spread more randomly around the fighting compartment. Therefore, bringing only 23 rounds (for 1 in the gun and 22 in the carousel) limits the chance of the spare ammo detonating in the case of i.e. a turret hit. There are two diesel tank ammo racks within the tank - one to the right of the driver and one between the engine and fighting compartment (with some loose ammo above it). It doesn't take much to realize that like most Soviet MBTs, the T-72A is rather explosive if extra ammo is taken, so great care is needed when showing the hull. The driver should also be aware of having only 3 crew members; if one is knocked out they should be sure to return to an objective point as soon as possible to get a new one.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 1209|rbMinHp= 690|AoAweight= 0.8}}The T-72A is a slow and sluggish tank which has poor acceleration and handling. It has really poor reverse speed as well as hull traverse. However, it has a powerful engine which makes it capable of pulling and pushing enemy tanks as well as move through rough terrain with ease. It does not have enough horsepower to climb over steep elevations. Speed wise, it has a decent top speed (~60-70km/h) which under specific situations it is able to be reached.

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

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

{{main|2A46M (125 mm)}}The T-72A has the powerful 2A46M 125mm smoothbore cannon. It has a powerful selection of rounds, each with different uses and similarities between same types.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A46M (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M]] || 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" | 44 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 19.0 || 26.3 || 32.0 || 35.4 || 37.6 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.9 || 14.0 || 17.0 || 18.8 || 20.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* 3BK12M: this is the starting ammunition which can be seen as poor when in frontal engagements against modern MBT's. However, the decent explosive filler as well as not loosing penetration over distances makes it a decent round for sniping. However, the speed in said round is not fast and will be hard to aim at long distances. It is able to hullbreak light armored vehicles such as SPAA
* 3BM9: this is a tier I steel core APFSDS which has the highest muzzle velocity over all the APFSDS seen. However, the weight as well as penetration make it unreliable when facing top tier MBT's frontally.
* 3BM15: this is a tier 2 tungsten core APFSDS which has slightly less muzzle velocity compared to the 3BM9. However, this is the highest pen shot seen in the T-72A with increased weight over the 3BM9.
* 3BM22: this is a tier 4 APFSDS which has same ballistic performance as the 3BM15. However, penetration is reduced for a greater weight.

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

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''44''' || 41 ''(+3)'' || 39 ''(+5)'' || ''22(+22)'' || 0 ''(+44)'' || No
|}
Note:

* The {{PAGENAME}} uses two-piece ammunition, composed of propellant bags (orange) and projectiles (yellow). Both have separate racks.

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

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 300 (150) || 700 || -4°/+75° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The T-72A play-style is near identical to the T-64A (and with that, Soviet MBTs from here on). One of the key differences between the two vehicles is the T-72A's stronger armour. The quartz core composed turret will also bounce many shots and can even eat up some of the strongest ATGMs. In terms of armament, the T-72A boasts the very powerful and accurate [[2A46M (125 mm)|2A46M]] that Soviet high-rank tankers will quickly become familiar and fall in love with. Make sure to research the 3BM15 sabot rounds as soon as you can (after Parts and FPE of course), as the stock round has mediocre penetration for a sabot.

'''List of enemies notes (all of the tanks at the battle-rating with access to APFSDS will be able to penetrate your hull frontally):'''

* [[XM-1 (Chrysler)|XM-1]]/[[XM-1 (GM)|XM-1]]: despite having thin composite armor, the 3BK12M is not recommended to be used with them
* [[Leopard A1A1]]: killable by all anti-tank munitions.
* [[AMX-30B2]]/[[AMX-30B2 BRENUS]]: killable by all anti-tank munition. DM23/33 have enough armor penetration to penetrate T-72 frontal plates
* [[Leopard 2K]]: killable by all anti-tank munition with exception of turret manlet when using 3BK12M
* [[AMX-32]]:killable by all anti-tank munition
* [[AMX-40]]: killable by all anti-tank munition with exception of turret manlet and lower frontal plate when using 3BK12M
* [[Strv 103 (Family)|Strv 103]]: killable by all anti-tank munition. Depending on the hull angling, HEAT-FS might ricochet. APFSDS is recommended to be used when facing it always

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Mounts the same powerful 125 mm 2A46 gun as on the T-64 and T-80 (though an earlier version)
* Low profile, small target compared to other countries' main battle tanks
* Early unlocked laser rangefinder makes sniping long distances easier
* Has both smoke grenade launchers and ESS
* Due to thick frontal armour and correct angling, able to deflect most rounds from counterpart tanks of other countries
* Very accurate gun due to the high muzzle velocity of the APFSDS rounds, very effective long-range sniper
* Autoloader continues working even if fighting a fire or replacing a crew member, ready to use upon the fire being extinguished or the gunner having been replaced

'''Cons:'''

* Ammo carousel means your first stage rounds all are centred below the turret; can be easily detonated through a hit to the hull
* Very slow reverse speed and traverse speed, a problem in situations where you cannot back away from an attacking enemy
* 3-man crew makes tank able to be knocked out easier; once one crewmember is knocked out, you have to be very careful not to get hit again
* Gun depression inadequate for most hull-down situations, e.g. sniping from a hill or down a valley
* Driver's port is still a weakness
* Poor top speed
* Inferior optics with only one 8x zoom level
* 1st APFSDS modification is inferior to most contemporary rounds and 3BM22 is a Rank IV modification
* Its 2A46 125 mm gun is an early type; the stock ammunition is lacklustre and it cannot fire ATGMs like the T-64B, T-80B, and T-80U
* Glacis armour is not reliable until the addon armour plate is unlocked (a tier IV modification)

== History ==


Development of the T-72 began shortly after the production of the T-64 highlighted several problems which negatively impacted production rates. Among these problems was an unreliable engine, which couldn't be produced at the high rates needed for a smooth production of the T-64 to take place.

In response, the Uralvagonzavod plant began working on a modified version of the T-64, which would use a more reliable and readily available engine, in order to provide the army with a tank fit for mass-production. Apart from this, changes were also made to the armor layout, in order to simplify production and decrease costs. This work resulted in the creation of the Object 172.

Development of the Object 172 continued, and after some trials, the vehicle entered service with the Soviet Army in August 1973, receiving its official designation T-72. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle was permitted for mass production, following the issuing of an official decree in 1974.

The T-72 was also heavily exported to and produced by nations of the Warsaw Pact as well as other countries worldwide, although these vehicles received certain downgrades compared to native Soviet models. Despite this, the T-72 quickly became one of the most widely used tanks in the world, participating in more conflicts than a single devblog could ever cover.

Since production began in 1974, over 20,000 T-72 tanks were built across several modifications in the Soviet Union/Russia alone, with production of more modern variants still ongoing today, even in other countries as well.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en Devblog]''

The T-72 series tank was developed as a direct prototype of the T-64 mechanical issues correction. In 1962, while working on the corrections of production problems, specially engine and firepower, a new prototype was developed with the 2A46M 125mm smoothbore gun and the V-45K diesel engine. This prototype was renamed to Object 172. While being in an unclear political process, decree number 326-113 was issued, freeing Uralvagonzavod from the production of the T-64A. The first batch was produced and set under the name of "Object 172M". It was tested again in 1972 and accepted to service under the name of T-72. License production was sold to multiple countries as well as unit batches to Warsaw pact nations and exported to other countries such as India, Syria, Finland, Iraq and Yugoslavia. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, some of the independent countries kept the tanks such as Ukraine.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=ussr_t_72a Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|Q6sYNcaVVO0|'''The Shooting Range #88''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:01 discusses the T-72.|pW4fRtXKUgs|'''The Shooting Range #132''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:35 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|CJ9sCL1BGy4|'''M1 Abrams vs {{PAGENAME}} vs T-80B''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|_xCgMBOiA8U|'''High-explosive power''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:50 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|UMmdozyPgpU|Tank Chats #110 discusses the {{PAGENAME}} and its' development alongside the T-64 as well as it's usage. "The Tank Museum"}}

== See also ==


* [[T-72B]] - A later modification of the T-72
* [[XM-803]], [[MBT-70|MBT]]/[[KPz-70]] - American and German main battle tanks at a similar BR.
* [[M48 Super]] - An equivalent German MBT.
* [[M60A3 TTS]] - An American MBT at a similar BR.
* [[AMX-32]] - An equivalent French MBT.
* [[Chieftain Mk 10]], [[Challenger Mk.2]]/[[Challenger Mk.3|3]], [[Vickers Mk.7]] - British MBTs with a similar BR.

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> T-72A: The Globetrotter]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-34-85 (D-5T)

2021-01-07T15:59:37Z

U108476048: /* General info */ Machine Gun traverse, Con of not reaching 56km/h

{{About
| about = Soviet medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = T-34 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_34_85_d_5t
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before [[Update 1.41]]. This T-34 model is introduced with the formidable [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm gun]] on a tank mount. With a newer, strengthened turret, it can prove to be a menace at its battle rating. Though formidable, the Soviet upgraded the 85 mm gun to the improved ZiS-S-53 variant on the [[T-34-85]] model.

Operational and visual characteristics of the T-34-85(D-5T) are as similar and as common to previous T-34 lineage of tanks as they come, with the exception of a new turret and more powerful cannon. Players experienced in operating previous models of the T-34 in Rank II should have little to no difficulty in adjusting to this vehicle. The same can be said, unfortunately, about opposition forces facing this vehicle. The T-34-85(D-5T) inherits both its predecessors' strengths and weaknesses.

The T34-85 works very well with other allied tanks (British and American) that it is often paired with in RB and SB. It retains high mobility and an effective main gun, allowing it to quickly get to capture points (usually following M18s, which are often first at the scene). Here the {{PAGENAME}} can capture the points and then hold them until heavier reinforcements arrive. This means that often the team will have early superiority over the capture points.

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


The armour scheme of the T-34 should be familiar enough now to any players researching towards the {{PAGENAME}}. Though there are minor differences in some hull armour thickness compared to previous tanks like the [[T-34 (1942)]] and [[T-34-57]], they are negligible enough that it shouldn't worry any players nor enemies facing the {{PAGENAME}}. However, the consequence is that the overall T-34 armour is now quite inadequate against pretty much any enemy tank weaponry it can face in the battle rating. Any shot to the hull, apart from high oblique angle of attacks, would more likely than not penetrate and destroy the tank's interior.

The biggest difference of the {{PAGENAME}} compared to past variants is the much larger turret housing the 85 mm D-5T gun. However, the armour protection of the turret is also not so changed compared to the 57 mm or 76 mm turrets seen in the preceding T-34s. Though the angles are much sharper, the turret thickness of only 54 mm and of cast construction means that most shots at the turret are likely to penetrate. The amount of people in the turret also stays, as the commander still acts as the gunner, which lowers survivability overall.

Given the extremely packed nature of the {{PAGENAME}}'s interior with fuel, ammo, and crew; any penetrating shots will more likely than not destroy the entire {{PAGENAME}}. The best survival strategy is to not get hit, using the {{PAGENAME}}'s mobility to evade the enemy's field of fire.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof, cupola roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret, cupola, driver's hatch, MG port)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 45 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 45 mm (60°) ''Lower glacis'' 75 mm (59-70°) ''Driver's hatch'' 30-65 mm (30-77°) ''Machine gun port'' || 45 mm (39-40°) ''Top'' 45 mm ''Bottom'' || 45 mm (47-49°) ''Top'' 45 mm (46°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 54 mm (1-84°) ''Turret front'' 90-200 mm (0-78°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 54 mm (17-22°) || 54 mm (12-13°) || 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 54 mm || 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspensions wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick-

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


The {{PAGENAME}}'s mobility should also be quite familiar to players who have researched through the other T-34s towards this tank. The new 85 mm gun and the associated weight increase did little to affect this performance. Players can still rely on the {{PAGENAME}} to maneouvre the battlefield easily and swiftly enough to reach our surround decisive areas to respond to enemy presence.

Reverse speed is still lackluster on the {{PAGENAME}}, so withdrawal tactics after attacking the enemy should be planned with care so the enemy does not get the opportunity to shoot the {{PAGENAME}} before it slides back into cover.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 775|rbMinHp= 442|}}

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

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

{{main|D-5T (85 mm)}}

The new [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm D-5T]] cannon is wonders compared to the 76 mm and 57 mm cannons that armed preceding T-34s. Its best trait comes in the large 85 mm shell that contains a massive explosive charge. Upon any penetration on an enemy target, the 85 mm can easily cripple the interior upon exploding inside. This often leads to easy one-shots on enemy tanks when hit in the sides, easily going in and tearing apart the crew compartments.

Though the penetration values of the 85 mm is an improvement compared to the 76 mm, it is still rather lackluster compared to the enemies the {{PAGENAME}} will face. Tanks like Panther and Tigers have enough armour that fighting from the front will require very careful aiming. Not to mention the rather long reload of 10.79 Seconds stock, (9.6 Sec. full, and 8.80 seconds for Expert) makes encounters with multiple enemies at close range impractical, requiring snappy maneuvers on the T-34's part to avoid getting shot up.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm D-5T]] || 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" | 55 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+28° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 23.8 || 32.9 || 40.0 || 44.2 || 47.1 || rowspan="2" | 10.79 || rowspan="2" | 9.60 || rowspan="2" | 8.80 || rowspan="2" | 8.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.9 || 17.5 || 21.3 || 23.5 || 25.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-365K || APHE || 148 || 143 || 126 || 106 || 90 || 77
|-
| BR-365A || APHEBC || 135 || 133 || 125 || 115 || 106 || 97
|-
| O-365K || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-365K || APHE || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 14 || 73.92 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-365A || APHEBC || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 14 || 164 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| O-365K || HE || 793 || 9.54 || 0.1 || 0.3 || 660 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''55''' || 52 ''(+3)'' || 40 ''(+15)'' || 38 ''(+17)'' || 36 ''(+19)'' || 31 ''(+24)'' || 25 ''(+30)'' || 19 ''(+36)'' || 13 ''(+42)'' || 7 ''(+48)'' || 1 ''(+54)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
Notes:

* Turret and side empty: 36 ''(+19)'' shells.

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

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,890 (63) || 600 || -5°/+28° || ±180°
|-
|}
The small calibre of the DT machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight. The clip capacity is quite poor as it relies on a magazine of 63 bullets instead of a belt like similar machine guns from other nations.

== Usage in battles ==

Although this tank is classified as a medium tank, it should still be handled with care. The vehicle's armour thickness around the hull is inherited from the previous T-34 models and remains unchanged; not considered reliably accurate to resist impacts of any weapon except for smaller calibre cannons (<57 mm). Angling can result in ricochets even from the most powerful armaments, such as the cannon of the Tiger H1 in some conditions. The tank does retain a high top speed and acceleration, allowing it to outmanoeuvre its more common but heavier German counterparts in its rank. The 85 mm D-5T cannon is sufficient when fighting against Tiger tanks from the front (less than 100 m away), but is accosted by a [[Panther D|Panther]] from the front, aiming for the very middle of the left or right side turret mantlet (100 mm), where the T-34's shells are guaranteed to penetrate.

Due to the fact that the only other thing worth noting about this vehicle compared to its predecessors is its upgraded weaponry, the T-34-85 (D-5T)'s armour protection in this battle rating and rank are considered only barely sufficient when countering similar vehicle in its class. Almost all vehicles (excluding some SPAA) such as the common German Tigers, Panthers, USSR KV, IS and even other T-34 tanks will have little difficulty disabling or outright destroying this vehicle with a single shot in most conditions. When engaging the common Tiger tank and Panzer IV models, each of these vehicles retains the design flaw of 90 degree flat armour plates on the front and sides of each respective vehicle. The T-34-85 (D-5T)'s cannon should have little to no difficulty in penetrating this and destroying the opposition's vehicle in a single shot if this weakness is exploited. The Panther and occasional Tiger II models are considerably more dangerous and difficult to dispatch when encountering them head-on due to the thicker and sloped armour through which the 85 mm cannon of the T-34 cannot penetrate. In head-on engagements, operators of this vehicle should note to precisely target the right and left side turret mantlet of each respective vehicles instead. Time expended in attempting to find a penetration confirmation indication on the cross-hair (AB) when inspecting the sloped front plate is time wasted and instead, should be focused on precise targeting of the mantlet. Of note for the Panther tank is the vehicle's slow turret traverse and as such, if opportunity presents itself, the operator of the T-34-85 (D-5T) should utilize the vehicle's significant manoeuvrability advantage to out-flank and destroy the target in a single shot and prepare to switch and engage the next target, or to retreat. Other more common tanks such as opposition USSR KV, IS and T-34 models are usually less of a concern than the common Panther tank, as most of these respective tanks also inherit the weakness of somewhat slopped frontal chassis and turret armour which can be easily penetrated even from significant distances. Regardless, these vehicle's operation and design strengths and weaknesses are also inherited from vehicles of the previous ranks and battle ratings, only having their turret and weapons differing by being more powerful than their predecessors. All of which can still penetrate to critically disable to destroy the T-34-85 (D-5T) in one or two shots.

One should always consider using the BR-365A shell as it has a huge amount of HE filler and can penetrate most Tanks at its BR, including un-angled Tigers and Panthers. Once the shell has penetrated, the HE filler can easily destroy or disable a huge amount of tank crew or modules. especially in some of the more cramped tank interiors.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

[[Panther A]]/[[Panther D|D]], [[Tiger II (P)|Tiger II P]]:

The Panthers are one of the most common tanks around BR 5.7, and they pose a great threat with their deadly long 75 mm cannon, thick frontal armour and adequate speed. You want to avoid engaging them at long range as the T-34 has only x3.5 scope magnification, making long range shooting super hard. Engage the Panthers within 500 m and avoid shooting their frontal hull. Their biggest weak spot is the gun mantlet, which is only 100 mm thick and has a flat part in the middle. That is where you want to aim at, the T-34's APHE has sufficient damage to instantly destroy the Panther even from its turret. The second weak spot is of course the sides, guaranteeing an instant kill. Generally APHE is enough to deal with the Panthers, and no APCR is needed.

For the Tiger II P, aim at the vertical area of the frontal turret which is also 100 mm. The best tactic is still to flank it however.

[[Tiger H1]]/[[Tiger E|E]]:

The Tiger's weak spots are the opposite with the Panthers. Their hull are unsloped and rather thin, while the gun mantlet is weirdly shaped and can absorb quite some shells. The best engaging range remains the same, within 500 m. If the Tiger is angling, aim at the turret ring to disable the gunner and destroy the turret traverse, or aim at the hull side below the side skirt, which is only 60 mm. If it is not angling, aim between the driver's vision port and the MG for an instant kill. Avoid shooting at these two parts as they tend to bounce/absorb shells. For the Tiger E, don't shoot at the lower glacis as there will be add-on tracks installed there, making it harder to penetrate.

[[Ho-Ri Production|Ho-Ri]]:

In a frontal engagement, APCR is required as the APHE shells don't have enough penetration. With APCR loaded, aim at the further sides of the fighting compartment, away from the gun, because the further from the gun, the thinner the armour gets, with the thinnest part being around 160 mm unsloped. Penetrating there will knock out its loader, gunner or commander, or detonate the ammo. Of course, the best way is still side-shooting with APHE.

[[Panzer IV/70(V)|Panzer IV/70]], [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)]]:

These small tank destroyers with their well angled frontal armour can be quite a problem from a distance. With APHE, you can disable their transmission by shooting at their lower glacis. Now if you can, flank them. The 85 mm APHE does a great job at penetrating sloped, thin armour, so you don't have to get to their absolute sides. For the Pz IV/70, you can also aim at the downward part of the gun mantlet since the shell might ricochet downwards into the hull, knocking out every crew member. The Jagdpanzer 38(t) doesn't have this problem, so side-shooting is required to destroy it effectively.

[[M4A3E2]] Jumbo:

This is another common enemy. It is recommended to use the BR-365A, the one with less pen but more explosive filler. The reason is that it is better at penetrating sloped armour, which the Jumbo has. With that shell you can easily destroy a M4A3E2 who's not angling. If it is, aim at the hull side just above the tracks, or load APCR and shoot straight at its gun mantlet. Against a 75 mm M4A3E2 you can relax a bit as it will struggle to penetrate your armour, but your cupola is a rather large weak spot and a shot through there can knock out the T-34. Be more careful with the M4A3E2 76 W, as they can easily pierce through your armour.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent firepower: adequate penetration, destructive damage and good reload rate
* Has two types of APHE for players to choose from: BR-365K with higher pen but less TNT, and BR-365A with less pen but plenty of TNT, either of which are enough to one-shot most tanks it faces
* 56 km/h top speed and great manoeuvrability allows it to reposition or flank easily
* Similar playstyle with the previous T-34s which is beginner-friendly
* Fast turret traverse to easily deal with targets from multiple directions
* Sloped hull and round frontal turret might bounce low-penetrating guns like the 75 mm M3 on early [[M4]] Shermans

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is extremely thin, providing very limited protection against common guns (American 76 mm, British 17 pdr, German 75 mm & 88 mm, etc)
* Only 4 closely packed crew members, a well-aimed shot tends to kill them all
* 5 degrees gun depression is below average, limiting its capability in hilly maps
* Struggles to deal with tough tanks ([[M4A3E2|M4A3E2s]], [[Tiger I (Family)|Tigers]] & [[Panzer V Panther (Family)|Panthers]]) due to not having APCR
* Poor reverse speed can get the player killed
* Will not reach the 56 km/h in a short period of time, as most of the time you will be at 40-50 km/h
* Large turret profile makes it easier to get spotted and shot
* Awkward to place bushes on upper front hull due to the obstruction of MG port and driver's optics

== History ==

===Development===
The T-34, in its introduction, was a huge shock to the German army when they invaded as they did not have the adequate anti-tank weaponry to defeat the T-34 and its heavier companion [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] tank. However, by 1943, the Germans began introducing newer tanks or upgrading their current tanks. They upgraded their [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IVs]] with the 75 mm KwK 40 gun, which could penetrate the T-34, and introduced the [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]] and [[Panther D|Panther]] tanks into their forces, which could not only destroy the T-34s easily, but can also take in the 76.2 mm shells the T-34 fires. The inferior firepower the T-34 forced the T-34 forces to close into a very close distance during the Battle of Kursk with the Tigers and Panthers in order to get to the sides and fire at the weaker armour. While the Soviets were victorious against the German offensive, the T-34s suffered high losses with this strategy.

The T-34's slow improvement from the [[T-34 (1941)|1941 model]] was due to the decision to keep changes to the model low to keep costs low and productivity high. This worked well in the first two years against the Germans, but the Battle of Kursk showed that the newer German tanks now outgun the T-34s. Soviet High Command, once conservative on the T-34's upgrades, now opted for an increase in the T-34 armament to be able to counter the German tanks. During the development, an interim solution for the problem was the equipping of the 57 mm ZiS-4M gun onto the T-34, which has better penetration capabilities compared to the 76.2 F-34 guns. This tank, the [[T-34-57]], performed as an adequate "tank-hunter", but the small HE shell on the 57 mm gun made it a poor tank armament so this was only an interim solution until a better design is made.

Testings with various guns in Soviet inventory against captured German tanks showed that the most capable gun was the 85 mm 52-K anti-aircraft gun. With this discovery, the 52-K underwent development to make derivatives able to be mounted onto a tank. The cannon was able to penetrate the front of the Tiger from 500 meters out, the turret side from 600 meters away, and the hull side from 800 meters away. However, the cannon was much larger than the F-34 gun and so a much larger turret was necessary to house the gun. The solution to this was to transfer the turret from the cancelled T-43 tank program onto the T-34, this increased the turret ring diameter from the original 1,425 mm into 1,600 mm, which required a retooling in the manufacturing plants. While this delayed T-34 production, the 85 mm was finally able to be mounted onto the T-34 as the '''T-34-85'''.

===Design===
The T-34-85, aside from the enlarged turret ring for the new turret, uses the same T-34 hull design. Armour was still about 45 mm thick, sloped at 60 degrees for a 90 mm effective thickness. The Christie suspension was retained, as well as the diesel engine. However, the biggest difference in the tank design is the three-man turret, though a turret basket is still exempt from the design. Before, the two-man turret on the older [[T-34 (1942)|T-34]] had the commander forced to do his job and the gunner's, the three-man turret on the T-34-85 separated the commander's duty by having a separate gunner to fire the gun, leaving the commander to do his job commanding the tank as a whole. The larger turret also has space for a radio (previously in the hull by the assistant driver), allowing the commander to effectively communicate between tank units. Aside from the enlarged turret ring, new turret, and the 85 mm gun, the internal specifications of the T-34 and its pros and cons were nearly identical to the older variants.

The 85 mm gun on the T-34-85 was able to penetrate 125 mm of armour at 500 meters away at a 90 degree meet angle with normal AP rounds. The 85 mm gun was derived from the 52-K anti-aircraft gun, which was developed from Vasilliy Grabin and Fyodor Petrov's design bureaus. Petrov's bureaus produced the 85 mm D-5T gun while Grabin's design, after being taken over by A. Savin, produced the 85 mm ZiS-53 gun. During trials in the Gorokhoviesky Proving Grounds, it was found that the ZiS-53 gun was much better than the '''D-5T''' and was much simpler, which was redesignated as the ZiS-S-53 after Savin's initials. However, as the new turret was optimized with the D-5T gun, the T-34-85 started with the D-5T as the '''T-34-85 Model 1943''', which ran on from February to March 1944. After March 1944, the 85 mm ZiS-5 was used as the armament of the [[T-34-85|T-34-85 Model 1944]]. During its production life from 1943 to 1958, up to 48,950 T-34-85s were created (22,559 of which during World War II), consisting of more than half of the total 84,070 T-34 units created in its entire production life since 1940.

===Combat usage===
From its introduction onwards, the T-34-85s were the main tank in Soviet service, with the older T-34s still being used as they are lost from combat and retribution and replaced. The T-34-85's 85 mm gun armour penetration and front turret armour nearly doubled compared to the older T-34, yet retain the same speed, mobility, and armour compared to it. The T-34-85 was vastly superior to the German's [[Pz.IV H|Panzer IVs]] and [[StuG III G|StuG IIIs]], and though it was still ineffective in protection and armour penetration to the [[Panther A|Panther]] and the [[Tiger E|Tiger I]], it gave it a better edge in firepower to compete against them due to the higher armour penetration value on the 85 mm shells. The T-34-85s maintain numerical superiority throughout the entire war due to the Soviet's industrial base and design concept of mass producing single designs, while the Germans focus on newer, better tanks such as the heavier [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]], which restricted productivity and made logistics a hard job to maintain. The T-34-85s were the main Soviet spearhead weapon during Operation Bagration and its future offensives up until the Battle of Berlin. After the fall of Nazi Germany, the Soviets use the T-34-85s again in their invasion of Manchuria to fulfil their promise to invade Japan after the fall of Germany. The combined-arms forces of their armoured units overran the Japanese positions in Manchuria and were pushed all the way to a distance from the Yalu River. The Japanese surrender order was given out by the emperor on August 14, which was not carried out as a cease-fire until August 17.

After the end of World War II, the T-34-85s were given out in massive quantities to Soviet-occupied territories and their allies. The next action the T-34-85s faced was in the Korean War, in the hands of the North Koreans. The North Korean armoured forces are able to assault deep into South Korea with these tanks as South Koreans were severely under-equipped in anti-tank weaponry, only armed with US-supplied [[M24|M24 Chaffees]] and regular bazookas, which were useless against the T-34s. It wasn't until the deployment of US troops into the Korean peninsula that the tide turned against the North Koreans and their tanks. The US sent their [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3E8 Shermans]], [[M26|M26 Pershings]], and "Super Bazookas" to arm the troops there. All these weapons are able to destroy the T-34-85s, with the M26 Pershing being able to penetrate straight through the front and back of the T-34-85 armour with HVAP rounds. The Shermans are able to go on par with the T-34-85s, but the better optic quality and crew training gave them an edge against the T-34-85s. These anti-tank weapons supplied by the coalition caused the North Koreans to suffer major tank losses and after their supply lines were cut by the US landings at Inchon, the armoured vehicles were abandoned as the North Koreans retreated. T-34-85s were still encountered once the Chinese became involved in the war, where they were accompanied with [[IS-2]]s as well. Though pure tank-to-tank battles between the two sides were scarce after 1950 due to combined-arms units used on both sides.

Past the Korean War, the T-34-85s were clearly obsolete with the development of newer tanks being developed worldwide. Despite that, many countries still use T-34-85s as their main tank or as reserves, even the Soviets and Finnish continue using them until the late 1960s. Warsaw Pact countries used them in large quantities and were involved in many conflicts within these countries, such as the East German uprising in June 1953, Hungarian revolution in 1956, Coup by Greek junta in July 1974, and the Turkish invasion in July-August 1974. The T-34-85s also saw conflicts in the Middle East in the hands of Syrians, Egyptians, Jordanians, and Iraq; Vietnam with the North Vietnamese, and in the Bosnian War in the Bosnian Serb Army. African countries such as Somalia and Angola still use T-34-85s in their armies, and they could even be seen in the recent conflicts in Yemen and in Ukraine. Despite their age, it seems that the T-34-85 was to become a tank that will persist in the hands of smaller countries for years to come.

During late 1944, the Soviets were already searching for a successor to the T-34s that use most of the newest tank technology found in recent years. The result was the [[T-44]] medium tank, which did not enter service in time to see widespread usage and even combat during World War II. The T-44 underwent further development and redesigning to become a tank that would surpass the T-34 in the most produced tank in existence, the [[T-54 (1949)|T-54 tank]].

=== In-game description ===
This tank was developed based on the T-34 at factory No. 183's design bureau by installing a new three-man cast turret with the 85 mm D-5T cannon. This weapon, with a length of 51.6 calibres, was created based on an artillery cannon with improved ballistics. The cannon's armour-piercing rounds reached a muzzle velocity of 795 m/s and according to standard firing data, it was able to penetrate the Tiger's frontal armour at a range of 500-800 metres.

The hexagonal shaped turret had an expanded traverse circle and slightly sloping sides, and its dimensions significantly exceeded those of the mass-produced T-34 turret equipped with a 76.2 mm cannon. The vehicle's commander also fulfilled the role of spotter as before, since the massive size of the weapon's breech prevented a third man from fitting into the turret. The turret's roof featured a cast command cupola with a two-leaved hatch and observation instrument, a ventilation hatch with an armoured hood, the PTK-5 surveillance device and a round loader's hatch.

The turret's armour had been increased, so its sides, front and command cupola walls were 75 mm thick, the turret roof 20 mm thick and the cupola roof 15 mm thick.

Its air filtering system was improved by installing the new Multicyclone air filter. Thanks to this, some motors worked for up to several hundred hours without repair, which was an almost unobtainable figure for T-34 Mod. 1941-1943 tanks.

Production of the tank began in January 1944. In total, 255 of them were made. Of them, 5 were command tank variants and were equipped with the RSB-F radio set, while the others were equipped with the 9RS radio set.

The vehicles began to join battle units (primarily Guards Tank Brigades) in 1944 and were used alongside the old T-34s. Tanks of this model actively participated in the liberation of Right-bank Ukraine in the spring of 1944, and in battles in Finland and Norway in battle units on the Karelian front.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=ussr_t_34_85_d_5t Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|sWpLiNC7Fsg|'''Just another soviet T-34? Disagree, here's why... {{PAGENAME}}''' - ''HowToPlay1337''|Epll9sd4zzo|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Tank Review - Winning The World''' - ''Napalmratte''|hO2eynCzhVI|'''{{PAGENAME}}, Russian Tier-3 Medium Tank''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''|804dIJYarlo|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[T-34 (Family)]]

;Vehicles equipped with the same gun

* [[KV-85]]
* [[IS-1]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:T-34_variants|[Wikipedia] T-34 variants]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_T34-85 <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> T-34-85]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

Talk:Main Page

2020-12-25T19:23:33Z

U108476048: /* WSP info */

== '''Important information:''' ==
{{Notice|'''Please do not add anything: to any tech tree tables, when updates happen.''' Not because we don't want you to, because every time a change happens. It indirectly changes some important information which you can't see - Thus causes the table updates to be delayed, which isn't what anyone wants. - So please do not change, add images or pages which relate to any update. Have a great day! War Thunder: Wiki Team }}


:So what's the deal with the vehicles from 1.91 that are still missing pictures? 1.93 is almost here.--[[User:U30585107|U30585107]] ([[User talk:U30585107|talk]]) 20:39, 24 October 2019 (UTC)
== ==
Stay tuned we have some big news coming soon! - we are sure you are going like it! [[User:U1619975|U1619975]] ([[User talk:U1619975|talk]])

== date ==
''Wiki news 30.Jan.2018'' 
The year is 2019.--[[User:U30585107|U30585107]] ([[User talk:U30585107|talk]]) 06:49, 31 January 2019 (MSK)
:Dont'cha know? We time-traveling 2-OP's now. (Fixed) -[[User:U28580205|U28580205]] ([[User talk:U28580205|talk]]) 07:26, 31 January 2019 (MSK)

==Images==
I have a question: Is there a set way/schedule that we are obtaining pictures for vehicles, is it actively being done? I have a bunch of the previous ones from the older version of the wiki, used them for myself. Being that Im a PS4 player, I would gladly do it if I had the resources (if I can get it working on my laptop.) Or should I disregard that and wait? --[[User:U30853183|U30853183]] ([[User talk:U30853183|talk]]) 16:21, 20 February 2019 (UTC) '''Remove this when finished'''
:There is no schedule or active project at the moment regarding the pictures of vehicles. --[[User:U28580205|U28580205]] ([[User talk:U28580205|talk]]) 16:25, 20 February 2019 (UTC)
::Then I shall see what I can do in regards to the pictures--[[User:U30853183|U30853183]] ([[User talk:U30853183|talk]]) 16:43, 20 February 2019 (UTC)

== I can´t buy GE with my Steam acc! ==

I tried today to buy some GE with my Steam acc but for some reason it didnt work.Can anyone help me?
: Hello, please consult [https://support.gaijin.net/hc/en-us/articles/200069881-How-To-Purchase-Eagles- this page] to see if you are doing it correctly. If so and it is still not working, please contact [https://support.gaijin.net/hc/en-us Gaijin support]. --[[User:U28580205|U28580205]] ([[User talk:U28580205|talk]]) 06:51, 27 May 2019 (UTC)

==Specs-Card==
I noticed in-game that the Specs-Card for the Sherman IC "Scorpion" now has the Polish flag rather than the British one. I would change it on here myself but I dont know how. Just giving you a heads up if someone could do it, or show me how (my main problem is trying to access the specs cards themselves)--[[User:U30853183|U30853183]] ([[User talk:U30853183|talk]]) 05:21, 11 July 2019 (UTC)
:(oops, somehow this got deleted): I will try to bring this up and see if it is possible to adapt the spec-cards to the new flag images. --[[User:U28580205|U28580205]] ([[User talk:U28580205|talk]]) 06:21, 11 July 2019 (UTC)
:*I don't believe there is a way for you to change the data on the Specs-Card (to include which flag icon is displayed). The Specs-Card is a set of parsers and switches which all tie back to the vehicle code (<nowiki>uk_sherman_ic_firefly</nowiki>). All of the linked data exists on a database outside of the reach of us wiki editors/moderators. Sometimes data in-game changes and the wiki lags behind in updating some of those changes. That which we can change we do (thanks to you guys!), unfortunately, other data we have to wait for the Gaijin magic to make changes on the back end. - [[User:U64962917|U64962917]] ([[User talk:U64962917|talk]]) 10:50, 11 July 2019 (UTC)
::It shouldn't be possible for the polish flag to show up. There has to be a picture on with wiki with the formate File:countryname_flag.png. The only flags available are [https://wiki.warthunder.com/index.php?search=flag.png&title=Special%3ASearch&profile=advanced&fulltext=1&ns6=1 these]--[[User:U30585107|U30585107]] ([[User talk:U30585107|talk]]) 14:15, 11 July 2019 (UTC)
::*I believe there are separate teams working on the in-game stat cards and the wiki stat cards, things will get rolled out in-game before the in the wiki. Many things like the flag icons will be rolled out on the .ru wiki and then copied to ours. The .ru moderators will need to add the image and update the stat card template to reflect the option for the Polish flag on the .ru wiki and then it will be updated on ours soon after (hopefully soon after, depends on what fires they are having to put out). - [[User:U64962917|U64962917]] ([[User talk:U64962917|talk]]) 14:37, 11 July 2019 (UTC)
:::Oh wait I misread the question. I dunno why but I though he said the wiki card somehow had the polish flag not the ingame one.
:To answer the original question, the flags in Specs-Card is currently tied to the vehicle tree country. So all vehicles in a tech tree have the same flag. For example the entire Japanese tech tree has the postwar Japan flag. The Russian Wiki guys would need to add a new 'flag' parameter to the Specs database and adjust Specs-Card to use that parameter.--[[User:U30585107|U30585107]] ([[User talk:U30585107|talk]]) 16:10, 11 July 2019 (UTC)

== can we do something about the search function? ==

It's so bad that it's practically useless. I write panzer 2 in the search field, and the first result is the sd. Kfz. 234/2. No sign of the panzer 2 on the first page. It seems to take into account the CSS code of the page, which is.. perplexing to say the least.

Hello The search function is working, i have just tested it. Please clear your cookies and cache, If that still does not work for you. Please [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/forum/909-war-thunder-wikipedia/&ct=1567683350 Click here] Make a post, list your browser + version you are using, and explain the full process you do on how you perform the search. So we can further investigate this. Kindest Regards --[[User:U1619975|U1619975]] ([[User talk:U1619975|talk]]) 11:41, 5 September 2019 (UTC)

:The issue with your search is that it is searching for the most occurrences of "panzer" and "2". Most pages referring to the panzer 2 on the wiki refer to it by its shortened name Pz. so none of those pages will be found. Since we use "Pz." instead of "panzer", there are basically no pages with "panzer" so you are basically looking for the page with the most occurrences of "2". If you want to improve your search results you can either use "Pz." or search "panzer 2" in quotes. You can find more details on how searching on the wiki works [[mw:Help:searching|here]]. --[[User:U30585107|U30585107]] ([[User talk:U30585107|talk]]) 12:36, 5 September 2019 (UTC)
:: The usage of roman numerals in the Panzer names (Pz. II, Pz. III, etc.) probably doesn't help at all with "Panzer 2" being able to find "Panzer II". However, as BlastedRyan said, you would have to use the shortened "Pz." in place of "Panzer" to find the desired tanks.--[[User:U28580205|U28580205]] ([[User talk:U28580205|talk]]) 15:23, 5 September 2019 (UTC)
::: Is it maybe worth creating a few redirect pages for the Panzer series?
:::: I'd say it's definitely worth it. It's a chore to have to remember the nomenclature for each vehicle, which kinda defeats the purpose of a search bar, which is to help you get to the page you want in as few inputs as possible. --[[User:U19353526|U19353526]] ([[User talk:U19353526|talk]]) 20:18, 9 September 2019 (UTC)
::::: We are currently working on some ideas, to improve this, based on this feedback! it's really great you are leaving feedback. We hope you have a great day! --[[User:U1619975|U1619975]] ([[User talk:U1619975|talk]]) 21:35, 9 September 2019 (UTC)

== Add tutorials ==

Shouldn't we have pages about tutorials for certain situations, like flying with one wing, and dealing with multiple enemies at once ETC? [[User:U56907291|U56907291]] ([[User talk:U56907291|talk]]) 16:23, 10 January 2020 (UTC)
: Each plane has their own unique handling characteristics so it makes it kind of hard to make one general page that can encompass every flight characteristics and models present. As such, if they exist, these details have been constrained to within the vehicle page in question. However, I would not begrudge the drafting of such specific pages for the situations, as we do have pages regarding aerobatic maneuvres like Boom-n-Zoom so these specific instructional pages are not forbidden (just needs approval). --[[User:U28580205|U28580205]] ([[User talk:U28580205|talk]]) 16:43, 10 January 2020 (UTC)

==Decals==
Question for the moderators or anyone whom this applies: Do you think we should add a page that has all the decals that can be found in the game. There are many so it would take a while, but seeing as this wiki has separate pages for armaments at this point (well, in the works at least, I know there is still much to be done), I don't see why a decal compilation area could be created. Further beyond from that, perhaps there could be small excerpts or pages for each decal explaining its significance if it applies (historical or fictional)--[[User:U30853183|U30853183]] ([[User talk:U30853183|talk]]) 23:20, 22 May 2020 (UTC)
: A Decals page is permissible. There are just other priorities at the moment that decals haven't been looked into yet. --[[User:U28580205|U28580205]] ([[User talk:U28580205|talk]]) 07:33, 23 May 2020 (UTC)

== Rank 4 US tank repair cost ==

I just want to know why U.S rank 4 heavy tanks have such a high repair cost (9,400-10,000 sl) while German heavy tanks cost about 3-4,000 sl to repair. This is bad because everyone playing U.S is light tank only so its hard to win when everyone is one shot. It's not even like U.S heavies of this rank are good, they get ammo racked no matter how little ammo u carry plus the long reload. --[[User:U75486897|U75486897]] ([[User talk:U75486897|talk]]) 21:42, 14 October 2020‎ (UTC)

== Broken squad system ==

With the newest update 30th of 10th 2020, the squad system was changed but there is a single problem when trying to invite a friend it says that "you are not squad leader" now normally I wouldn't reprimand the gaijin team for this kind of stuff as it was not a functional mistake but this time around my whole friends list and squadron was unable to invite anyone and I do not know the prerequisite to be a squad leader or how to even find it. Gaijin what the hell did you do? I and every single of the 46 people I play with hate this new system I can only imagine how many people are complaining about this as you read this
I have tried to look for help but you guys do not update your help section or you information in the posts its simply disgraceful and a shame to all the people who cannot play with their friends now thank you very much! --[[User:U50694601|U50694601]] ([[User talk:U50694601|talk]]) 05:17, 31 October 2020‎ (UTC)
: Hello, according to the this ''[[wt:en/news/6921-squads-are-temporarily-unavailable-en|announcement]]'', the squads functionality had been temporarily disabled due to technical issues and is planned to be restored tomorrow (October 31st). --[[User:U28580205|U28580205]] ([[User talk:U28580205|talk]]) 06:40, 31 October 2020 (UTC)

== WSP info ==

So, does anyone know when the team for the Wiki Share program usually replies? I did my app. a few days ago. Any info? -WentTo_Bruv 12/25/20

Talk:Main Page

2020-12-25T19:22:37Z

U108476048: /* WSP info */ new section

User:U108476048

2020-12-24T17:58:04Z

U108476048:

Hey, um, yeah. Hi.
You can reach me via my Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/wentto_bruv/
No, I don't have Discord. Nor do I have twitter.
Yeah, besides that, welcome to my place.
"Bruv moment."
-WentTo_Bruv

T-34-85 (D-5T)

2020-12-24T17:49:53Z

U108476048: /* Development */ Spelling Change.

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_t_34_85_d_5t}}
{{About
| about = Soviet medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = T-34 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_T-34-85 (D-5T).jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before [[Update 1.41]]. This T-34 model is introduced with the formidable [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm gun]] on a tank mount. With a newer, strengthened turret, it can prove to be a menace at its battle rating. Though formidable, the Soviet upgraded the 85 mm gun to the improved ZiS-S-53 variant on the [[T-34-85]] model.

Operational and visual characteristics of the T-34-85(D-5T) are as similar and as common to previous T-34 lineage of tanks as they come, with the exception of a new turret and more powerful cannon. Players experienced in operating previous models of the T-34 in Rank II should have little to no difficulty in adjusting to this vehicle. The same can be said, unfortunately, about opposition forces facing this vehicle. The T-34-85(D-5T) inherits both its predecessors' strengths and weaknesses.

The T34-85 works very well with other allied tanks (British and American) that it is often paired with in RB and SB. It retains high mobility and an effective main gun, allowing it to quickly get to capture points (usually following M18s, which are often first at the scene). Here the {{PAGENAME}} can capture the points and then hold them until heavier reinforcements arrive. This means that often the team will have early superiority over the capture points.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===


The armour scheme of the T-34 should be familiar enough now to any players researching towards the {{PAGENAME}}. Though there are minor differences in some hull armour thickness compared to previous tanks like the [[T-34 (1942)]] and [[T-34-57]], they are negligible enough that it shouldn't worry any players nor enemies facing the {{PAGENAME}}. However, the consequence is that the overall T-34 armour is now quite inadequate against pretty much any enemy tank weaponry it can face in the battle rating. Any shot to the hull, apart from high oblique angle of attacks, would more likely than not penetrate and destroy the tank's interior.

The biggest difference of the {{PAGENAME}} compared to past variants is the much larger turret housing the 85 mm D-5T gun. However, the armour protection of the turret is also not so changed compared to the 57 mm or 76 mm turrets seen in the preceding T-34s. Though the angles are much sharper, the turret thickness of only 54 mm and of cast construction means that most shots at the turret are likely to penetrate.

Given the extremely packed nature of the {{PAGENAME}}'s interior with fuel, ammo, and crew; any penetrating shots will more likely than not destroy the entire {{PAGENAME}}. The best survival strategy is to not get hit, using the {{PAGENAME}}'s mobility to evade the enemy's field of fire.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof, cupola roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret, cupola, driver's hatch, MG port)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 45 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 45 mm (60°) ''Lower glacis'' 75 mm (59-70°) ''Driver's hatch'' 30-65 mm (30-77°) ''Machine gun port'' || 45 mm (39-40°) ''Top'' 45 mm ''Bottom'' || 45 mm (47-49°) ''Top'' 45 mm (46°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 54 mm (1-84°) ''Turret front'' 90-200 mm (0-78°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 54 mm (17-22°) || 54 mm (12-13°) || 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 54 mm || 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspensions wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick-

=== Mobility ===


The {{PAGENAME}}'s mobility should also be quite familiar to players who have researched through the other T-34s towards this tank. The new 85 mm gun and the associated weight increase did little to affect this performance. Players can still rely on the {{PAGENAME}} to maneouvre the battlefield easily and swiftly enough to reach our surround decisive areas to respond to enemy presence.

Reverse speed is still lackluster on the {{PAGENAME}}, so withdrawal tactics after attacking the enemy should be planned with care so the enemy does not get the opportunity to shoot the {{PAGENAME}} before it slides back into cover.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 775|rbMinHp= 442|}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|D-5T (85 mm)}}

The new [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm D-5T]] cannon is wonders compared to the 76 mm and 57 mm cannons that armed preceding T-34s. Its best trait comes in the large 85 mm shell that contains a massive explosive charge. Upon any penetration on an enemy target, the 85 mm can easily cripple the interior upon exploding inside. This often leads to easy one-shots on enemy tanks when hit in the sides, easily going in and tearing apart the crew compartments.

Though the penetration values of the 85 mm is an improvement compared to the 76 mm, it is still rather lacklustre compared to the enemies the {{PAGENAME}} will face. Tanks like Panther and Tigers have enough armour that fighting from the front will require very careful aiming. Not to mention the rather long reload makes encounters with multiple enemies at close range impractical, requiring snappy maneuvers on the T-34's part to avoid getting shot up.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm D-5T]] || 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" | 55 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+28° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 23.8 || 32.9 || 40.0 || 44.2 || 47.1 || rowspan="2" | 10.79 || rowspan="2" | 9.60 || rowspan="2" | 8.80 || rowspan="2" | 8.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.9 || 17.5 || 21.3 || 23.5 || 25.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-365K || APHE || 148 || 143 || 126 || 106 || 90 || 77
|-
| BR-365A || APHEBC || 135 || 133 || 125 || 115 || 106 || 97
|-
| O-365K || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-365K || APHE || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 14 || 73.92 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-365A || APHEBC || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 14 || 164 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| O-365K || HE || 793 || 9.54 || 0.1 || 0.3 || 660 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''55''' || 52 ''(+3)'' || 40 ''(+15)'' || 38 ''(+17)'' || 36 ''(+19)'' || 31 ''(+24)'' || 25 ''(+30)'' || 19 ''(+36)'' || 13 ''(+42)'' || 7 ''(+48)'' || 1 ''(+54)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
Notes:

* Turret and side empty: 36 ''(+19)'' shells.

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The small calibre of the DT machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight. The clip capacity is quite poor as it relies on a magazine of 63 bullets instead of a belt like similar machine guns from other nations.

== Usage in battles ==

Although this tank is classified as a medium tank, it should still be handled with care. The vehicle's armour thickness around the hull is inherited from the previous T-34 models and remains unchanged; not considered reliably accurate to resist impacts of any weapon except for smaller calibre cannons (<57 mm). Angling can result in ricochets even from the most powerful armaments, such as the cannon of the Tiger H1 in some conditions. The tank does retain a high top speed and acceleration, however, it's top speed of 55kph is not obtainable unless going down hill, otherwise, it will allow it to outmanoeuvre its more common but heavier German counterparts in its rank. The 85 mm D-5T cannon is sufficient when fighting against Tiger tanks from the front (less than 100 m away), but is accosted by a [[Panther D|Panther]] from the front, aiming for the very middle of the left or right side turret mantlet (100 mm), where the T-34's shells are guaranteed to penetrate.

Due to the fact that the only other thing worth noting about this vehicle compared to its predecessors is its upgraded weaponry, the T-34-85 (D-5T)'s armour protection in this battle rating and rank are considered only barely sufficient when countering similar vehicle in its class. Almost all vehicles (excluding some SPAA) such as the common German Tigers, Panthers, USSR KV, IS and even other T-34 tanks will have little difficulty disabling or outright destroying this vehicle with a single shot in most conditions. When engaging the common Tiger tank and Panzer IV models, each of these vehicles retains the design flaw of 90 degree flat armour plates on the front and sides of each respective vehicle. The T-34-85 (D-5T)'s cannon should have little to no difficulty in penetrating this and destroying the opposition's vehicle in a single shot if this weakness is exploited. The Panther and occasional Tiger II models are considerably more dangerous and difficult to dispatch when encountering them head-on due to the thicker and sloped armour through which the 85 mm cannon of the T-34 cannot penetrate. In head-on engagements, operators of this vehicle should note to precisely target the right and left side turret mantlet of each respective vehicles instead. Time expended in attempting to find a penetration confirmation indication on the cross-hair (AB) when inspecting the sloped front plate is time wasted and instead, should be focused on precise targeting of the mantlet. Of note for the Panther tank is the vehicle's slow turret traverse and as such, if opportunity presents itself, the operator of the T-34-85 (D-5T) should utilize the vehicle's significant manoeuvrability advantage to out-flank and destroy the target in a single shot and prepare to switch and engage the next target, or to retreat. Other more common tanks such as opposition USSR KV, IS and T-34 models are usually less of a concern than the common Panther tank, as most of these respective tanks also inherit the weakness of somewhat slopped frontal chassis and turret armour which can be easily penetrated even from significant distances. Regardless, these vehicle's operation and design strengths and weaknesses are also inherited from vehicles of the previous ranks and battle ratings, only having their turret and weapons differing by being more powerful than their predecessors. All of which can still penetrate to critically disable to destroy the T-34-85 (D-5T) in one or two shots.

One should always consider using the BR-365A shell as it has a huge amount of HE filler and can penetrate most Tanks at its BR, including un-angled Tigers and Panthers. Once the shell has penetrated, the HE filler can easily destroy or disable a huge amount of tank crew or modules. especially in some of the more cramped tank interiors.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

[[Panther A]]/[[Panther D|D]], [[Tiger II (P)|Tiger II P]]:

The Panthers are one of the most common tanks around BR 5.7, and they pose a great threat with their deadly long 75 mm cannon, thick frontal armour and adequate speed. You want to avoid engaging them at long range as the T-34 has only x3.5 scope magnification, making long range shooting super hard. Engage the Panthers within 500 m and avoid shooting their frontal hull. Their biggest weak spot is the gun mantlet, which is only 100 mm thick and has a flat part in the middle. That is where you want to aim at, the T-34's APHE has sufficient damage to instantly destroy the Panther even from its turret. The second weak spot is of course the sides, guaranteeing an instant kill. Generally APHE is enough to deal with the Panthers, and no APCR is needed.

For the Tiger II P, aim at the vertical area of the frontal turret which is also 100 mm. The best tactic is still to flank it however.

[[Tiger H1]]/[[Tiger E|E]]:

The Tiger's weak spots are the opposite with the Panthers. Their hull are unsloped and rather thin, while the gun mantlet is weirdly shaped and can absorb quite some shells. The best engaging range remains the same, within 500 m. If the Tiger is angling, aim at the turret ring to disable the gunner and destroy the turret traverse, or aim at the hull side below the side skirt, which is only 60 mm. If it is not angling, aim between the driver's vision port and the MG for an instant kill. Avoid shooting at these two parts as they tend to bounce/absorb shells. For the Tiger E, don't shoot at the lower glacis as there will be add-on tracks installed there, making it harder to penetrate.

[[Ho-Ri Production|Ho-Ri]]:

In a frontal engagement, APCR is required as the APHE shells don't have enough penetration. With APCR loaded, aim at the further sides of the fighting compartment, away from the gun, because the further from the gun, the thinner the armour gets, with the thinnest part being around 160 mm unsloped. Penetrating there will knock out its loader, gunner or commander, or detonate the ammo. Of course, the best way is still side-shooting with APHE.

[[Panzer IV/70(V)|Panzer IV/70]], [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)]]:

These small tank destroyers with their well angled frontal armour can be quite a problem from a distance. With APHE, you can disable their transmission by shooting at their lower glacis. Now if you can, flank them. The 85 mm APHE does a great job at penetrating sloped, thin armour, so you don't have to get to their absolute sides. For the Pz IV/70, you can also aim at the downward part of the gun mantlet since the shell might ricochet downwards into the hull, knocking out every crew member. The Jagdpanzer 38(t) doesn't have this problem, so side-shooting is required to destroy it effectively.

[[M4A3E2]] Jumbo:

This is another common enemy. It is recommended to use the BR-365A, the one with less pen but more explosive filler. The reason is that it is better at penetrating sloped armour, which the Jumbo has. With that shell you can easily destroy a M4A3E2 who's not angling. If it is, aim at the hull side just above the tracks, or load APCR and shoot straight at its gun mantlet. Against a 75 mm M4A3E2 you can relax a bit as it will struggle to penetrate your armour, but your cupola is a rather large weak spot and a shot through there can knock out the T-34. Be more careful with the M4A3E2 76 W, as they can easily pierce through your armour.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="2" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
| BR-365A
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| Adjustment of Fire
|
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
|
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
| Artillery Support
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent firepower: adequate penetration, destructive damage and good reload rate
* Has two types of APHE for players to choose from: BR-365K with higher pen but less TNT, and BR-365A with less pen but plenty of TNT, either of which are enough to one-shot most tanks it faces
* 55 km/h top speed and great manoeuvrability allows it to reposition or flank easily
* Similar playstyle with the previous T-34s which is beginner-friendly
* Fast turret traverse to easily deal with targets from multiple directions
* Sloped hull and round frontal turret might bounce low-penetrating guns like the 75 mm M3 on early [[M4]] Shermans

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is extremely thin, providing very limited protection against common guns (American 76 mm, British 17 pdr, German 75 mm & 88 mm, etc)
* Only 4 closely packed crew members, a well-aimed shot tends to kill them all
* 5 degrees gun depression is below average, limiting its capability in hilly maps
* Struggles to deal with tough tanks ([[M4A3E2|M4A3E2s]], [[Tiger I (Family)|Tigers]] & [[Panzer V Panther (Family)|Panthers]]) due to not having APCR
* Poor reverse speed can get the player killed
* Large turret profile makes it easier to get spotted and shot
* Awkward to place bushes on upper front hull due to the obstruction of MG port and driver's optics
* 55 km/h top speed cannot be achieved unless going downhill.

== History ==

===Development===
The T-34, in its introduction, was a huge shock to the German army when they invaded as they did not have the adequate anti-tank weaponry to defeat the T-34 and its heavier companion [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] tank. However, by 1943, the Germans began introducing newer tanks or upgrading their current tanks. They upgraded their [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IVs]] with the 75 mm KwK 40 gun, which could penetrate the T-34, and introduced the [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]] and [[Panther D|Panther]] tanks into their forces, which could not only destroy the T-34s easily, but can also take in the 76.2 mm shells the T-34 fires. The inferior firepower the T-34 forced the T-34 forces to close into a very close distance during the Battle of Kursk with the Tigers and Panthers in order to get to the sides and fire at the weaker armour. While the Soviets were victorious against the German offensive, the T-34s suffered high losses with this strategy.

The T-34's slow improvement from the [[T-34 (1941)|1941 model]] was due to the decision to keep changes to the model low to keep costs low and productivity high. This worked well in the first two years against the Germans, but the Battle of Kursk showed that the newer German tanks now outgun the T-34s. Soviet High Command, once conservative on the T-34's upgrades, now opted for an increase in the T-34 armament to be able to counter the German tanks. During the development, an interim solution for the problem was the equipping of the 57 mm ZiS-4M gun onto the T-34, which has better penetration capabilities compared to the 76.2 F-34 guns. This tank, the [[T-34-57]], performed as an adequate "tank-hunter", but the small HE shell on the 57 mm gun made it a poor tank armament so this was only an interim solution until a better design is made. The [[wikipedia:T-43_medium_tank|T-43]] Tank Program, which tried to create a "Universal" tank, which had both the armor of heavy tanks, and the speed and maneuverability of medium tanks, that was ordered in June 1942, which was still in the testing phase, also had an increase of turret armor, but not an increase in gun calibre. In the end, the T-43 was cancelled due to the Soviet High Command wanting to maximize T-34 production, even if the T-43 was a superior tank.

Testings with various guns in Soviet inventory against captured German tanks showed that the most capable gun was the 85 mm 52-K anti-aircraft gun. With this discovery, the 52-K underwent development to make derivatives able to be mounted onto a tank. The cannon was able to penetrate the front of the Tiger from 500 meters out, the turret side from 600 meters away, and the hull side from 800 meters away. However, the cannon was much larger than the F-34 gun and a larger turret was necessary to house the gun. The solution to this was to transfer the turret from the cancelled T-43 tank program onto the T-34, this increased the turret ring diameter from the original 1,425 mm into 1,600 mm, which required a retooling in the manufacturing plants. While this delayed T-34 production, the 85 mm was finally able to be mounted onto the T-34 as the '''T-34-85'''.

===Design===
The T-34-85, aside from the enlarged turret ring for the new turret, uses the same T-34 hull design. Armour was still about 45 mm thick, sloped at 60 degrees for a 90 mm effective thickness. The Christie suspension was retained, as well as the diesel engine. However, the biggest difference in the tank design is the three-man turret, though a turret basket is still exempt from the design. Before, the two-man turret on the older [[T-34 (1942)|T-34]] had the commander forced to do his job and the gunner's, the three-man turret on the T-34-85 separated the commander's duty by having a separate gunner to fire the gun, leaving the commander to do his job commanding the tank as a whole. The larger turret also has space for a radio (previously in the hull by the assistant driver), allowing the commander to effectively communicate between tank units. Aside from the enlarged turret ring, new turret, and the 85 mm gun, the internal specifications of the T-34 and its pros and cons were nearly identical to the older variants.

The 85 mm gun on the T-34-85 was able to penetrate 125 mm of armour at 500 meters away at a 90 degree meet angle with normal AP rounds. The 85 mm gun was derived from the 52-K anti-aircraft gun, which was developed from Vasilliy Grabin and Fyodor Petrov's design bureaus. Petrov's bureaus produced the 85 mm D-5T gun while Grabin's design, after being taken over by A. Savin, produced the 85 mm ZiS-53 gun. During trials in the Gorokhoviesky Proving Grounds, it was found that the ZiS-53 gun was much better than the '''D-5T''' and was much simpler, which was redesignated as the ZiS-S-53 after Savin's initials. However, as the new turret was optimized with the D-5T gun, the T-34-85 started with the D-5T as the '''T-34-85 Model 1943''', which ran on from February to March 1944. After March 1944, the 85 mm ZiS-5 was used as the armament of the [[T-34-85|T-34-85 Model 1944]]. During its production life from 1943 to 1958, up to 48,950 T-34-85s were created (22,559 of which during World War II), consisting of more than half of the total 84,070 T-34 units created in its entire production life since 1940.

===Combat usage===
From its introduction onwards, the T-34-85s were the main tank in Soviet service, with the older T-34s still being used as they are lost from combat and retribution and replaced. The T-34-85's 85 mm gun armour penetration and front turret armour nearly doubled compared to the older T-34, yet retain the same speed, mobility, and armour compared to it. The T-34-85 was vastly superior to the German's [[Pz.IV H|Panzer IVs]] and [[StuG III G|StuG IIIs]], and though it was still ineffective in protection and armour penetration to the [[Panther A|Panther]] and the [[Tiger E|Tiger I]], it gave it a better edge in firepower to compete against them due to the higher armour penetration value on the 85 mm shells. The T-34-85s maintain numerical superiority throughout the entire war due to the Soviet's industrial base and design concept of mass producing single designs, while the Germans focus on newer, better tanks such as the heavier [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]], which restricted productivity and made logistics a hard job to maintain. The T-34-85s were the main Soviet spearhead weapon during Operation Bagration and its future offensives up until the Battle of Berlin. After the fall of Nazi Germany, the Soviets use the T-34-85s again in their invasion of Manchuria to fulfil their promise to invade Japan after the fall of Germany. The combined-arms forces of their armoured units overran the Japanese positions in Manchuria and were pushed all the way to a distance from the Yalu River. The Japanese surrender order was given out by the emperor on August 14, which was not carried out as a cease-fire until August 17.

After the end of World War II, the T-34-85s were given out in massive quantities to Soviet-occupied territories and their allies. The next action the T-34-85s faced was in the Korean War, in the hands of the North Koreans. The North Korean armoured forces are able to assault deep into South Korea with these tanks as South Koreans were severely under-equipped in anti-tank weaponry, only armed with US-supplied [[M24|M24 Chaffees]] and regular bazookas, which were useless against the T-34s. It wasn't until the deployment of US troops into the Korean peninsula that the tide turned against the North Koreans and their tanks. The US sent their [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3E8 Shermans]], [[M26|M26 Pershings]], and "Super Bazookas" to arm the troops there. All these weapons are able to destroy the T-34-85s, with the M26 Pershing being able to penetrate straight through the front and back of the T-34-85 armour with HVAP rounds. The Shermans are able to go on par with the T-34-85s, but the better optic quality and crew training gave them an edge against the T-34-85s. These anti-tank weapons supplied by the coalition caused the North Koreans to suffer major tank losses and after their supply lines were cut by the US landings at Inchon, the armoured vehicles were abandoned as the North Koreans retreated. T-34-85s were still encountered once the Chinese became involved in the war, where they were accompanied with [[IS-2]]s as well. Though pure tank-to-tank battles between the two sides were scarce after 1950 due to combined-arms units used on both sides.

Past the Korean War, the T-34-85s were clearly obsolete with the development of newer tanks being developed worldwide. Despite that, many countries still use T-34-85s as their main tank or as reserves, even the Soviets and Finnish continue using them until the late 1960s. Warsaw Pact countries used them in large quantities and were involved in many conflicts within these countries, such as the East German uprising in June 1953, Hungarian revolution in 1956, Coup by Greek junta in July 1974, and the Turkish invasion in July-August 1974. The T-34-85s also saw conflicts in the Middle East in the hands of Syrians, Egyptians, Jordanians, and Iraq; Vietnam with the North Vietnamese, and in the Bosnian War in the Bosnian Serb Army. African countries such as Somalia and Angola still use T-34-85s in their armies, and they could even be seen in the recent conflicts in Yemen and in Ukraine. Despite their age, it seems that the T-34-85 was to become a tank that will persist in the hands of smaller countries for years to come. Currently T-34's are still in the armies of Cuba, Bosnia-Herzegovina, The Republic of The Congo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, North Korea, Yemen, and Vietnam. However, most of them are in storage or used for training purposes.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-34#Current_operators</ref>

During late 1944, the Soviets were already searching for a successor to the T-34s that use most of the newest tank technology found in recent years. The result was the [[T-44]] medium tank, which did not enter service in time to see widespread usage and even combat during World War II. The T-44 underwent further development and redesigning to become a tank that would surpass the T-34 in the most produced tank in existence, the [[T-54 (1949)|T-54 tank]].

=== In-game description ===
This tank was developed based on the T-34 at factory No. 183's design bureau by installing a new three-man cast turret with the 85 mm D-5T cannon. This weapon, with a length of 51.6 calibres, was created based on an artillery cannon with improved ballistics. The cannon's armour-piercing rounds reached a muzzle velocity of 795 m/s and according to standard firing data, it was able to penetrate the Tiger's frontal armour at a range of 500-800 metres.

The hexagonal shaped turret had an expanded traverse circle and slightly sloping sides, and its dimensions significantly exceeded those of the mass-produced T-34 turret equipped with a 76.2 mm cannon. The vehicle's commander also fulfilled the role of spotter as before, since the massive size of the weapon's breech prevented a third man from fitting into the turret. The turret's roof featured a cast command cupola with a two-leaved hatch and observation instrument, a ventilation hatch with an armoured hood, the PTK-5 surveillance device and a round loader's hatch.

The turret's armour had been increased, so its sides, front and command cupola walls were 75 mm thick, the turret roof 20 mm thick and the cupola roof 15 mm thick.

Its air filtering system was improved by installing the new Multicyclone air filter. Thanks to this, some motors worked for up to several hundred hours without repair, which was an almost unobtainable figure for T-34 Mod. 1941-1943 tanks.

Production of the tank began in January 1944. In total, 255 of them were made. Of them, 5 were command tank variants and were equipped with the RSB-F radio set, while the others were equipped with the 9RS radio set.

The vehicles began to join battle units (primarily Guards Tank Brigades) in 1944 and were used alongside the old T-34s. Tanks of this model actively participated in the liberation of Right-bank Ukraine in the spring of 1944, and in battles in Finland and Norway in battle units on the Karelian front.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=ussr_t_34_85_d_5t Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|sWpLiNC7Fsg|'''Just another soviet T-34? Disagree, here's why... {{PAGENAME}}''' - ''HowToPlay1337''|Epll9sd4zzo|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Tank Review - Winning The World''' - ''Napalmratte''|hO2eynCzhVI|'''{{PAGENAME}}, Russian Tier-3 Medium Tank''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''|804dIJYarlo|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[T-34 (Family)]]

;Vehicles equipped with the same gun

* [[KV-85]]
* [[IS-1]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:T-34_variants|[Wikipedia] T-34 variants]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_T34-85 <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> T-34-85]

{{USSR medium tanks}}
<references />

User:U108476048

2020-12-24T15:10:37Z

U108476048: Contact me here -> https://www.instagram.com/wentto_bruv/

Hey, um, yeah. Hi.
You can reach me via my Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/wentto_bruv/
No, I don't have Discord. Nor do I have twitter.
Yeah, besides that, welcome to my face.
"Trolololo putting a 100mm gun on a T-34 was a good idea lol"
-Russian High Command, commenting on the T-34-100

T-34-85 (D-5T)

2020-12-23T21:18:11Z

U108476048: Added more info to Current Operators and History.

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_t_34_85_d_5t}}
{{About
| about = Soviet medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = T-34 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_T-34-85 (D-5T).jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before [[Update 1.41]]. This T-34 model is introduced with the formidable [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm gun]] on a tank mount. With a newer, strengthened turret, it can prove to be a menace at its battle rating. Though formidable, the Soviet upgraded the 85 mm gun to the improved ZiS-S-53 variant on the [[T-34-85]] model.

Operational and visual characteristics of the T-34-85(D-5T) are as similar and as common to previous T-34 lineage of tanks as they come, with the exception of a new turret and more powerful cannon. Players experienced in operating previous models of the T-34 in Rank II should have little to no difficulty in adjusting to this vehicle. The same can be said, unfortunately, about opposition forces facing this vehicle. The T-34-85(D-5T) inherits both its predecessors' strengths and weaknesses.

The T34-85 works very well with other allied tanks (British and American) that it is often paired with in RB and SB. It retains high mobility and an effective main gun, allowing it to quickly get to capture points (usually following M18s, which are often first at the scene). Here the {{PAGENAME}} can capture the points and then hold them until heavier reinforcements arrive. This means that often the team will have early superiority over the capture points.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===


The armour scheme of the T-34 should be familiar enough now to any players researching towards the {{PAGENAME}}. Though there are minor differences in some hull armour thickness compared to previous tanks like the [[T-34 (1942)]] and [[T-34-57]], they are negligible enough that it shouldn't worry any players nor enemies facing the {{PAGENAME}}. However, the consequence is that the overall T-34 armour is now quite inadequate against pretty much any enemy tank weaponry it can face in the battle rating. Any shot to the hull, apart from high oblique angle of attacks, would more likely than not penetrate and destroy the tank's interior.

The biggest difference of the {{PAGENAME}} compared to past variants is the much larger turret housing the 85 mm D-5T gun. However, the armour protection of the turret is also not so changed compared to the 57 mm or 76 mm turrets seen in the preceding T-34s. Though the angles are much sharper, the turret thickness of only 54 mm and of cast construction means that most shots at the turret are likely to penetrate.

Given the extremely packed nature of the {{PAGENAME}}'s interior with fuel, ammo, and crew; any penetrating shots will more likely than not destroy the entire {{PAGENAME}}. The best survival strategy is to not get hit, using the {{PAGENAME}}'s mobility to evade the enemy's field of fire.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof, cupola roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret, cupola, driver's hatch, MG port)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 45 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 45 mm (60°) ''Lower glacis'' 75 mm (59-70°) ''Driver's hatch'' 30-65 mm (30-77°) ''Machine gun port'' || 45 mm (39-40°) ''Top'' 45 mm ''Bottom'' || 45 mm (47-49°) ''Top'' 45 mm (46°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 54 mm (1-84°) ''Turret front'' 90-200 mm (0-78°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 54 mm (17-22°) || 54 mm (12-13°) || 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 54 mm || 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspensions wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick-

=== Mobility ===


The {{PAGENAME}}'s mobility should also be quite familiar to players who have researched through the other T-34s towards this tank. The new 85 mm gun and the associated weight increase did little to affect this performance. Players can still rely on the {{PAGENAME}} to maneouvre the battlefield easily and swiftly enough to reach our surround decisive areas to respond to enemy presence.

Reverse speed is still lackluster on the {{PAGENAME}}, so withdrawal tactics after attacking the enemy should be planned with care so the enemy does not get the opportunity to shoot the {{PAGENAME}} before it slides back into cover.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 775|rbMinHp= 442|}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|D-5T (85 mm)}}

The new [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm D-5T]] cannon is wonders compared to the 76 mm and 57 mm cannons that armed preceding T-34s. Its best trait comes in the large 85 mm shell that contains a massive explosive charge. Upon any penetration on an enemy target, the 85 mm can easily cripple the interior upon exploding inside. This often leads to easy one-shots on enemy tanks when hit in the sides, easily going in and tearing apart the crew compartments.

Though the penetration values of the 85 mm is an improvement compared to the 76 mm, it is still rather lacklustre compared to the enemies the {{PAGENAME}} will face. Tanks like Panther and Tigers have enough armour that fighting from the front will require very careful aiming. Not to mention the rather long reload makes encounters with multiple enemies at close range impractical, requiring snappy maneuvers on the T-34's part to avoid getting shot up.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm D-5T]] || 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" | 55 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+28° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 23.8 || 32.9 || 40.0 || 44.2 || 47.1 || rowspan="2" | 10.79 || rowspan="2" | 9.60 || rowspan="2" | 8.80 || rowspan="2" | 8.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.9 || 17.5 || 21.3 || 23.5 || 25.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-365K || APHE || 148 || 143 || 126 || 106 || 90 || 77
|-
| BR-365A || APHEBC || 135 || 133 || 125 || 115 || 106 || 97
|-
| O-365K || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-365K || APHE || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 14 || 73.92 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-365A || APHEBC || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 14 || 164 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| O-365K || HE || 793 || 9.54 || 0.1 || 0.3 || 660 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''55''' || 52 ''(+3)'' || 40 ''(+15)'' || 38 ''(+17)'' || 36 ''(+19)'' || 31 ''(+24)'' || 25 ''(+30)'' || 19 ''(+36)'' || 13 ''(+42)'' || 7 ''(+48)'' || 1 ''(+54)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
Notes:

* Turret and side empty: 36 ''(+19)'' shells.

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The small calibre of the DT machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight. The clip capacity is quite poor as it relies on a magazine of 63 bullets instead of a belt like similar machine guns from other nations.

== Usage in battles ==

Although this tank is classified as a medium tank, it should still be handled with care. The vehicle's armour thickness around the hull is inherited from the previous T-34 models and remains unchanged; not considered reliably accurate to resist impacts of any weapon except for smaller calibre cannons (<57 mm). Angling can result in ricochets even from the most powerful armaments, such as the cannon of the Tiger H1 in some conditions. The tank does retain a high top speed and acceleration, however, it's top speed of 55kph is not obtainable unless going down hill, otherwise, it will allow it to outmanoeuvre its more common but heavier German counterparts in its rank. The 85 mm D-5T cannon is sufficient when fighting against Tiger tanks from the front (less than 100 m away), but is accosted by a [[Panther D|Panther]] from the front, aiming for the very middle of the left or right side turret mantlet (100 mm), where the T-34's shells are guaranteed to penetrate.

Due to the fact that the only other thing worth noting about this vehicle compared to its predecessors is its upgraded weaponry, the T-34-85 (D-5T)'s armour protection in this battle rating and rank are considered only barely sufficient when countering similar vehicle in its class. Almost all vehicles (excluding some SPAA) such as the common German Tigers, Panthers, USSR KV, IS and even other T-34 tanks will have little difficulty disabling or outright destroying this vehicle with a single shot in most conditions. When engaging the common Tiger tank and Panzer IV models, each of these vehicles retains the design flaw of 90 degree flat armour plates on the front and sides of each respective vehicle. The T-34-85 (D-5T)'s cannon should have little to no difficulty in penetrating this and destroying the opposition's vehicle in a single shot if this weakness is exploited. The Panther and occasional Tiger II models are considerably more dangerous and difficult to dispatch when encountering them head-on due to the thicker and sloped armour through which the 85 mm cannon of the T-34 cannot penetrate. In head-on engagements, operators of this vehicle should note to precisely target the right and left side turret mantlet of each respective vehicles instead. Time expended in attempting to find a penetration confirmation indication on the cross-hair (AB) when inspecting the sloped front plate is time wasted and instead, should be focused on precise targeting of the mantlet. Of note for the Panther tank is the vehicle's slow turret traverse and as such, if opportunity presents itself, the operator of the T-34-85 (D-5T) should utilize the vehicle's significant manoeuvrability advantage to out-flank and destroy the target in a single shot and prepare to switch and engage the next target, or to retreat. Other more common tanks such as opposition USSR KV, IS and T-34 models are usually less of a concern than the common Panther tank, as most of these respective tanks also inherit the weakness of somewhat slopped frontal chassis and turret armour which can be easily penetrated even from significant distances. Regardless, these vehicle's operation and design strengths and weaknesses are also inherited from vehicles of the previous ranks and battle ratings, only having their turret and weapons differing by being more powerful than their predecessors. All of which can still penetrate to critically disable to destroy the T-34-85 (D-5T) in one or two shots.

One should always consider using the BR-365A shell as it has a huge amount of HE filler and can penetrate most Tanks at its BR, including un-angled Tigers and Panthers. Once the shell has penetrated, the HE filler can easily destroy or disable a huge amount of tank crew or modules. especially in some of the more cramped tank interiors.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

[[Panther A]]/[[Panther D|D]], [[Tiger II (P)|Tiger II P]]:

The Panthers are one of the most common tanks around BR 5.7, and they pose a great threat with their deadly long 75 mm cannon, thick frontal armour and adequate speed. You want to avoid engaging them at long range as the T-34 has only x3.5 scope magnification, making long range shooting super hard. Engage the Panthers within 500 m and avoid shooting their frontal hull. Their biggest weak spot is the gun mantlet, which is only 100 mm thick and has a flat part in the middle. That is where you want to aim at, the T-34's APHE has sufficient damage to instantly destroy the Panther even from its turret. The second weak spot is of course the sides, guaranteeing an instant kill. Generally APHE is enough to deal with the Panthers, and no APCR is needed.

For the Tiger II P, aim at the vertical area of the frontal turret which is also 100 mm. The best tactic is still to flank it however.

[[Tiger H1]]/[[Tiger E|E]]:

The Tiger's weak spots are the opposite with the Panthers. Their hull are unsloped and rather thin, while the gun mantlet is weirdly shaped and can absorb quite some shells. The best engaging range remains the same, within 500 m. If the Tiger is angling, aim at the turret ring to disable the gunner and destroy the turret traverse, or aim at the hull side below the side skirt, which is only 60 mm. If it is not angling, aim between the driver's vision port and the MG for an instant kill. Avoid shooting at these two parts as they tend to bounce/absorb shells. For the Tiger E, don't shoot at the lower glacis as there will be add-on tracks installed there, making it harder to penetrate.

[[Ho-Ri Production|Ho-Ri]]:

In a frontal engagement, APCR is required as the APHE shells don't have enough penetration. With APCR loaded, aim at the further sides of the fighting compartment, away from the gun, because the further from the gun, the thinner the armour gets, with the thinnest part being around 160 mm unsloped. Penetrating there will knock out its loader, gunner or commander, or detonate the ammo. Of course, the best way is still side-shooting with APHE.

[[Panzer IV/70(V)|Panzer IV/70]], [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)]]:

These small tank destroyers with their well angled frontal armour can be quite a problem from a distance. With APHE, you can disable their transmission by shooting at their lower glacis. Now if you can, flank them. The 85 mm APHE does a great job at penetrating sloped, thin armour, so you don't have to get to their absolute sides. For the Pz IV/70, you can also aim at the downward part of the gun mantlet since the shell might ricochet downwards into the hull, knocking out every crew member. The Jagdpanzer 38(t) doesn't have this problem, so side-shooting is required to destroy it effectively.

[[M4A3E2]] Jumbo:

This is another common enemy. It is recommended to use the BR-365A, the one with less pen but more explosive filler. The reason is that it is better at penetrating sloped armour, which the Jumbo has. With that shell you can easily destroy a M4A3E2 who's not angling. If it is, aim at the hull side just above the tracks, or load APCR and shoot straight at its gun mantlet. Against a 75 mm M4A3E2 you can relax a bit as it will struggle to penetrate your armour, but your cupola is a rather large weak spot and a shot through there can knock out the T-34. Be more careful with the M4A3E2 76 W, as they can easily pierce through your armour.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="2" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
| BR-365A
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| Adjustment of Fire
|
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
|
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
| Artillery Support
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent firepower: adequate penetration, destructive damage and good reload rate
* Has two types of APHE for players to choose from: BR-365K with higher pen but less TNT, and BR-365A with less pen but plenty of TNT, either of which are enough to one-shot most tanks it faces
* 55 km/h top speed and great manoeuvrability allows it to reposition or flank easily
* Similar playstyle with the previous T-34s which is beginner-friendly
* Fast turret traverse to easily deal with targets from multiple directions
* Sloped hull and round frontal turret might bounce low-penetrating guns like the 75 mm M3 on early [[M4]] Shermans

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is extremely thin, providing very limited protection against common guns (American 76 mm, British 17 pdr, German 75 mm & 88 mm, etc)
* Only 4 closely packed crew members, a well-aimed shot tends to kill them all
* 5 degrees gun depression is below average, limiting its capability in hilly maps
* Struggles to deal with tough tanks ([[M4A3E2|M4A3E2s]], [[Tiger I (Family)|Tigers]] & [[Panzer V Panther (Family)|Panthers]]) due to not having APCR
* Poor reverse speed can get the player killed
* Large turret profile makes it easier to get spotted and shot
* Awkward to place bushes on upper front hull due to the obstruction of MG port and driver's optics
* 55 km/h top speed cannot be achieved unless going downhill.

== History ==

===Development===
The T-34, in its introduction, was a huge shock to the German army when they invaded as they did not have the adequate anti-tank weaponry to defeat the T-34 and its heavier companion [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] tank. However, by 1943, the Germans began introducing newer tanks or upgrading their current tanks. They upgraded their [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IVs]] with the 75 mm KwK 40 gun, which could penetrate the T-34, and introduced the [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]] and [[Panther D|Panther]] tanks into their forces, which could not only destroy the T-34s easily, but can also take in the 76.2 mm shells the T-34 fires. The inferior firepower the T-34 forced the T-34 forces to close into a very close distance during the Battle of Kursk with the Tigers and Panthers in order to get to the sides and fire at the weaker armour. While the Soviets were victorious against the German offensive, the T-34s suffered high losses with this strategy.

The T-34's slow improvement from the [[T-34 (1941)|1941 model]] was due to the decision to keep changes to the model low to keep costs low and productivity high. This worked well in the first two years against the Germans, but the Battle of Kursk showed that the newer German tanks now outgun the T-34s. Soviet High Command, once conservative on the T-34's upgrades, now opted for an increase in the T-34 armament to be able to counter the German tanks. During the development, an interim solution for the problem was the equipping of the 57 mm ZiS-4M gun onto the T-34, which has better penetration capabilities compared to the 76.2 F-34 guns. This tank, the [[T-34-57]], performed as an adequate "tank-hunter", but the small HE shell on the 57 mm gun made it a poor tank armament so this was only an interim solution until a better design is made. The [[wikipedia:T-43_medium_tank|T-43]] Tank Program, which tried to create a "Universal" tank, which had both the armor of heavy tanks, and the speed and maneuverability of medium tanks, that was ordered in June 1942, which was still in the testing phase, also had an increase of turret armor, but not an increase in gun calibre. In the end, the T-43 was cancelled due to the Soviet High Command wanting to maximize T-34 production, even if the T-43 was a superior.

Testings with various guns in Soviet inventory against captured German tanks showed that the most capable gun was the 85 mm 52-K anti-aircraft gun. With this discovery, the 52-K underwent development to make derivatives able to be mounted onto a tank. The cannon was able to penetrate the front of the Tiger from 500 meters out, the turret side from 600 meters away, and the hull side from 800 meters away. However, the cannon was much larger than the F-34 gun and a larger turret was necessary to house the gun. The solution to this was to transfer the turret from the cancelled T-43 tank program onto the T-34, this increased the turret ring diameter from the original 1,425 mm into 1,600 mm, which required a retooling in the manufacturing plants. While this delayed T-34 production, the 85 mm was finally able to be mounted onto the T-34 as the '''T-34-85'''.

===Design===
The T-34-85, aside from the enlarged turret ring for the new turret, uses the same T-34 hull design. Armour was still about 45 mm thick, sloped at 60 degrees for a 90 mm effective thickness. The Christie suspension was retained, as well as the diesel engine. However, the biggest difference in the tank design is the three-man turret, though a turret basket is still exempt from the design. Before, the two-man turret on the older [[T-34 (1942)|T-34]] had the commander forced to do his job and the gunner's, the three-man turret on the T-34-85 separated the commander's duty by having a separate gunner to fire the gun, leaving the commander to do his job commanding the tank as a whole. The larger turret also has space for a radio (previously in the hull by the assistant driver), allowing the commander to effectively communicate between tank units. Aside from the enlarged turret ring, new turret, and the 85 mm gun, the internal specifications of the T-34 and its pros and cons were nearly identical to the older variants.

The 85 mm gun on the T-34-85 was able to penetrate 125 mm of armour at 500 meters away at a 90 degree meet angle with normal AP rounds. The 85 mm gun was derived from the 52-K anti-aircraft gun, which was developed from Vasilliy Grabin and Fyodor Petrov's design bureaus. Petrov's bureaus produced the 85 mm D-5T gun while Grabin's design, after being taken over by A. Savin, produced the 85 mm ZiS-53 gun. During trials in the Gorokhoviesky Proving Grounds, it was found that the ZiS-53 gun was much better than the '''D-5T''' and was much simpler, which was redesignated as the ZiS-S-53 after Savin's initials. However, as the new turret was optimized with the D-5T gun, the T-34-85 started with the D-5T as the '''T-34-85 Model 1943''', which ran on from February to March 1944. After March 1944, the 85 mm ZiS-5 was used as the armament of the [[T-34-85|T-34-85 Model 1944]]. During its production life from 1943 to 1958, up to 48,950 T-34-85s were created (22,559 of which during World War II), consisting of more than half of the total 84,070 T-34 units created in its entire production life since 1940.

===Combat usage===
From its introduction onwards, the T-34-85s were the main tank in Soviet service, with the older T-34s still being used as they are lost from combat and retribution and replaced. The T-34-85's 85 mm gun armour penetration and front turret armour nearly doubled compared to the older T-34, yet retain the same speed, mobility, and armour compared to it. The T-34-85 was vastly superior to the German's [[Pz.IV H|Panzer IVs]] and [[StuG III G|StuG IIIs]], and though it was still ineffective in protection and armour penetration to the [[Panther A|Panther]] and the [[Tiger E|Tiger I]], it gave it a better edge in firepower to compete against them due to the higher armour penetration value on the 85 mm shells. The T-34-85s maintain numerical superiority throughout the entire war due to the Soviet's industrial base and design concept of mass producing single designs, while the Germans focus on newer, better tanks such as the heavier [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]], which restricted productivity and made logistics a hard job to maintain. The T-34-85s were the main Soviet spearhead weapon during Operation Bagration and its future offensives up until the Battle of Berlin. After the fall of Nazi Germany, the Soviets use the T-34-85s again in their invasion of Manchuria to fulfil their promise to invade Japan after the fall of Germany. The combined-arms forces of their armoured units overran the Japanese positions in Manchuria and were pushed all the way to a distance from the Yalu River. The Japanese surrender order was given out by the emperor on August 14, which was not carried out as a cease-fire until August 17.

After the end of World War II, the T-34-85s were given out in massive quantities to Soviet-occupied territories and their allies. The next action the T-34-85s faced was in the Korean War, in the hands of the North Koreans. The North Korean armoured forces are able to assault deep into South Korea with these tanks as South Koreans were severely under-equipped in anti-tank weaponry, only armed with US-supplied [[M24|M24 Chaffees]] and regular bazookas, which were useless against the T-34s. It wasn't until the deployment of US troops into the Korean peninsula that the tide turned against the North Koreans and their tanks. The US sent their [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3E8 Shermans]], [[M26|M26 Pershings]], and "Super Bazookas" to arm the troops there. All these weapons are able to destroy the T-34-85s, with the M26 Pershing being able to penetrate straight through the front and back of the T-34-85 armour with HVAP rounds. The Shermans are able to go on par with the T-34-85s, but the better optic quality and crew training gave them an edge against the T-34-85s. These anti-tank weapons supplied by the coalition caused the North Koreans to suffer major tank losses and after their supply lines were cut by the US landings at Inchon, the armoured vehicles were abandoned as the North Koreans retreated. T-34-85s were still encountered once the Chinese became involved in the war, where they were accompanied with [[IS-2]]s as well. Though pure tank-to-tank battles between the two sides were scarce after 1950 due to combined-arms units used on both sides.

Past the Korean War, the T-34-85s were clearly obsolete with the development of newer tanks being developed worldwide. Despite that, many countries still use T-34-85s as their main tank or as reserves, even the Soviets and Finnish continue using them until the late 1960s. Warsaw Pact countries used them in large quantities and were involved in many conflicts within these countries, such as the East German uprising in June 1953, Hungarian revolution in 1956, Coup by Greek junta in July 1974, and the Turkish invasion in July-August 1974. The T-34-85s also saw conflicts in the Middle East in the hands of Syrians, Egyptians, Jordanians, and Iraq; Vietnam with the North Vietnamese, and in the Bosnian War in the Bosnian Serb Army. African countries such as Somalia and Angola still use T-34-85s in their armies, and they could even be seen in the recent conflicts in Yemen and in Ukraine. Despite their age, it seems that the T-34-85 was to become a tank that will persist in the hands of smaller countries for years to come. Currently T-34's are still in the armies of Cuba, Bosnia-Herzegovina, The Republic of The Congo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, North Korea, Yemen, and Vietnam. However, most of them are in storage or used for training purposes.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-34#Current_operators</ref>

During late 1944, the Soviets were already searching for a successor to the T-34s that use most of the newest tank technology found in recent years. The result was the [[T-44]] medium tank, which did not enter service in time to see widespread usage and even combat during World War II. The T-44 underwent further development and redesigning to become a tank that would surpass the T-34 in the most produced tank in existence, the [[T-54 (1949)|T-54 tank]].

=== In-game description ===
This tank was developed based on the T-34 at factory No. 183's design bureau by installing a new three-man cast turret with the 85 mm D-5T cannon. This weapon, with a length of 51.6 calibres, was created based on an artillery cannon with improved ballistics. The cannon's armour-piercing rounds reached a muzzle velocity of 795 m/s and according to standard firing data, it was able to penetrate the Tiger's frontal armour at a range of 500-800 metres.

The hexagonal shaped turret had an expanded traverse circle and slightly sloping sides, and its dimensions significantly exceeded those of the mass-produced T-34 turret equipped with a 76.2 mm cannon. The vehicle's commander also fulfilled the role of spotter as before, since the massive size of the weapon's breech prevented a third man from fitting into the turret. The turret's roof featured a cast command cupola with a two-leaved hatch and observation instrument, a ventilation hatch with an armoured hood, the PTK-5 surveillance device and a round loader's hatch.

The turret's armour had been increased, so its sides, front and command cupola walls were 75 mm thick, the turret roof 20 mm thick and the cupola roof 15 mm thick.

Its air filtering system was improved by installing the new Multicyclone air filter. Thanks to this, some motors worked for up to several hundred hours without repair, which was an almost unobtainable figure for T-34 Mod. 1941-1943 tanks.

Production of the tank began in January 1944. In total, 255 of them were made. Of them, 5 were command tank variants and were equipped with the RSB-F radio set, while the others were equipped with the 9RS radio set.

The vehicles began to join battle units (primarily Guards Tank Brigades) in 1944 and were used alongside the old T-34s. Tanks of this model actively participated in the liberation of Right-bank Ukraine in the spring of 1944, and in battles in Finland and Norway in battle units on the Karelian front.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=ussr_t_34_85_d_5t Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|sWpLiNC7Fsg|'''Just another soviet T-34? Disagree, here's why... {{PAGENAME}}''' - ''HowToPlay1337''|Epll9sd4zzo|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Tank Review - Winning The World''' - ''Napalmratte''|hO2eynCzhVI|'''{{PAGENAME}}, Russian Tier-3 Medium Tank''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''|804dIJYarlo|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[T-34 (Family)]]

;Vehicles equipped with the same gun

* [[KV-85]]
* [[IS-1]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:T-34_variants|[Wikipedia] T-34 variants]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_T34-85 <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> T-34-85]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

Phòng không T-34

2020-12-23T20:51:22Z

U108476048: Minor Spelling Editing.

{{Specs-Card|code=cn_type_65_aa}}
{{About
| about = Chinese SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the gift vehicle in the Russian tree
| link-1 = Phòng không T-34 (USSR)
| usage-2 = other vehicles using the T-34 chassis
| link-2 = T-34 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (English: 37 mm anti air tank), or '''Phòng không T-34''' (English: Anti air T-34) for short, is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese SPAA {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]].

The vehicle is a North Vietnamese SPAAG created during the mid-1960's for the Vietnam war. It uses the hull of a Soviet [[T-34-85]] but features an original open-top box turret fitted with dual 37 mm [[Type 65 (37 mm)|Type 65]] cannons from the Chinese.

It's likely that the NVA improvised this build during the Vietnam War, since North Vietnam invested heavily in anti-air weaponry to combat the US air support. However no NVA documentation on the vehicle is known and all known information comes from one unit captured by US-forces during the war. The name {{Specs|name}} was created for the game as the vehicle's real name is unknown. The name is based on the descriptive names of other NVA vehicles of the time.

In-game it's easily recognized because of the box-shaped and open turret on a T-34-85 hull and lacking the single 85 mm main armament, it also has a higher profile than a regular T-34-85.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 45 mm (60°) ''Upper glacis'' 75 mm (21-61°) ''Driver's hatch'' 45 mm (55°) ''Lower glacis'' || 45 mm (41°) ''Upper'' 45 mm ''Lower'' || 45 mm (46°) ''Upper'' 10 mm (48°) ''Lower'' || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 15 mm (11-29°) || 15 mm (8-26°) || 15 mm (8-27°)
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick
* Tracks are 20 mm thick

The armour of Phòng không T-34 turret is an easy target to penetrate with it consisting of only 15 mm all-around armour it makes it easy to disable with most type of shells that it might face and machine guns are a danger for it too with the 12.7 mm calibre able to penetrate that thin armour even smaller machine guns can disable the turret. Mainly because the front of the turret got gaps for the gunner and commander where the bullets can easily find its way in and damage the crew. With is being an open-top SPAA makes it as many other open SPAA making it a tasty snack for aircraft machineguns and cannons. One of the drawbacks with the Phòng không T-34 is that 80% of its crew sits in the turret, 2 of them looking up from the turret making them extremely vulnerable to machinegun fire.

The hull is better armoured like a T-34-85 and its strongest armour is the front hull armour, It's missing the hull-mounted machine gun that there is on the T-34-85 making it have an exposed hole on the front left hull when facing it, it's a trap shot location so it would be best to try angle the tank to remove the open machine gun port for easy access for enemy Shells.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=710|rbMinHp=442}}

The mobility of the Phòng không T-34 is good at its battle rating, easy to manoeuvre on- and off-road. It has similar mobility characteristics as the T-34-85 with an engine that produces 500 hp at 1800 RPM giving it a top speed of 55 km/h (34mph).

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|Type 65 (37 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} has a pair of decent 37 mm autocannons. The full AP belt is great at both anti-tank and anti-air roles. For AT duty, it is capable of penetrating almost all light tanks and SPAAs frontally, such as the [[M24|M24 Chaffee]], [[M41A1]], etc, most medium tanks from the side like the [[M4A1]]/[[M4A2|2]], [[Panther A]]/[[Panther D|D]], [[Comet I]], and some TDs from the side like the [[Panzer IV/70(V)]]. Upon penetration, the shells create quite a bit of shrapnel which makes wiping out crew very easy. It also works great against planes, especially when shooting those attacking you from head-on. The AP shell can easily go through the engine or armour plates and knock out the pilot. One shell is also enough to instantly snap off the wing spar, destroying the plane. Of course, the full HE belt is recommended for dedicated AA duty. Its large calibre plus the 34 g TNT makes the {{PAGENAME}} a lethal threat to almost all planes. Even if the shell hits an unimportant part (eg. wingtip), it can still blow off parts of the plane while the AP will over-penetrate without doing much damage.

The HVAP belt can become handy when you are facing targets whose armour thickness is right between 71-102 mm, for example the Comet, the sides of the [[Tiger H1]], and the [[M4A3E2]]. However there are only 2 HVAP in a 5-shell clip thus careful aiming must be applied when firing the first and the fourth shell (they are the HVAP).

Note, when shooting distant targets (tanks 300 m away, or planes around 750 m away) you want to slow down the fire, as the {{PAGENAME}} shakes violently in a continuous spray, therefore greatly reducing its accuracy. However the accuracy is very good when firing single shells and waiting for the guns to stabilise before the next shot.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Type 65 (37 mm)|37 mm Type 65]] (x2) || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 390 (5) || rowspan="2" | 160 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+85° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 52.8 || 73.1 || 88.8 || 98.2 || 104.5 || rowspan="2" | 1.30 || rowspan="2" | 1.15 || rowspan="2" | 1.06 || rowspan="2" | 1.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 35.7 || 42.0 || 51.0 || 56.4 || 60.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''UO-167:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''BR-167:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}
* '''BR-167P:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="7" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Default || 71 || 68 || 57 || 46 || 37 || 30
|-
| UO-167 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| BR-167 || 71 || 68 || 57 || 46 || 37 || 30
|-
| BR-167P || 102 || 95 || 80 || 59 || 35 || 28
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Belt details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| UO-167 || HEFI-T* || 866 || 0.74 || 0 || 0.1 || 34 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| BR-167 || AP-T || 880 || 0.76 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''78''' || 66 ''(+12)'' || 54 ''(+24)'' || 2 ''(+76)'' || No
|-
|}


== Usage in battles ==

The Phòng không T-34 is an excellent self-propelled anti-air vehicle, but its slow dual 37 mm guns make it hard to hit fast low flying targets if you are not a good shot with SPAA. Its mobility and speed combined with the fast turret rotation make it a deadly opponent for the enemy if ambushed or flanked.

The Phòng không T-34 is an excellent self-propelled anti-air vehicle, but also a great vehicle for ambushes on the enemy side and rear armour. Be aware that all the tanks and aircraft it will oppose are deadly opponents to it, the exposed crew makes it an easy target from both air and ground.

One way to tactically use the Phòng không T-34 is to stay behind the main force and cover them from possible air threats or light flanking tanks. Its dual 37 mm will make quick work of the air and lighter tanks that you will face. Another way is when enemy players are distracted by your teams player you can use your speed and manoeuvrability to flank around and hit them from the side or rear with AP-T or HVAP-T rounds.They will deal with most side armour. Flanking might not work as well in Arcade Battle as in Realistic or Simulator Battle.

Some players might find this tank hard to hit aerial targets, since the Phòng không T-34 's guns have rather slow fire rate and velocity. A good tactic is to find a place that is not too far away from the frontline (planes usually go for the crowded frontline) but also not too close to it (easier to get shot by tanks), so you can fully concentrate on planes and not worry about tanks. The place should have a hard cover that is wide and tall enough to hide from strafing aircraft. Then just wait til the enemy begins to spawn in planes. You want to hold fire and let them close in to around 1 km from you. If their target appears to be a teammate near you, then utilise your head-on techniques as this is a slanted head-on. Even if you did not hit you will still get their attention. Most ground pounders in ground RB will do loops / high yoyos a lot (dive at a target, pull up vertically, dive again). If you see a plane pulling up, climbing to its peak, aim carefully but hold fire. When it reaches the peak and begins to slowly fall down, spray shells at it, because that is when the plane has the slowest speed, making it an easier target. If you lured a plane into diving on you, aim slightly above it (usually aim near the cockpit) and fire continuously, there is a good chance of hitting and crippling it. Head-on is the most effective yet most risky way to get kills. Overall, for the Phòng không T-34, do not fire until the target is around 1 km or closer.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

* [[Wirbelwind]]: This SPAA is equipped with four fast-firing 20 mm autocannons, allowing it to fire a dense barrage of shells in a matter of seconds. This means that the Wirbelwind can quickly knock out all 4 crew in the {{PAGENAME}}'s turret, making it defenseless. Plus the Wirbelwind has a more stable chassis that wobbles less in a brake, meaning that in a sudden encounter the Wirbelwind is more likely to stabilise its guns and fire first. Therefore, if you know a Wirbelwind is somewhere near, be very alert and try to spot it before it spots you. Aim at the turret to disable its gunner first. Note: your firing speed depends on the distance, as the {{PAGENAME}} shakes violently when firing. So if you are face to face with the enemy, fire continuously. If it is more than 200 m away, only fire in short bursts or even single shots to avoid missing due to the shake. Wait for the guns to stabilise before firing the next salvo.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="2" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| UO-167
| Horizontal Drive
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| BR-167
| Adjustment of Fire
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| BR-167P
| Elevation Mechanism
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
| Artillery Support
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Destructive damage upon hitting an aircraft
* Fast turret rotation of more than 40°/sec allows it to deal with agile targets easily
* Powerful engine/weight ratio gives it good manoeuvrability
* Has a crew of 6, can replace unconscious ones multiple times which increases survivability.
* Good gun elevation of 85°, crucial for an SPAA
* Multiple belt types allows flexible gameplay: full HE belt for anti-air. Full AP belt can penetrate common tanks' side, eg. [[M4]], [[Panther A]]/[[Panther D|D]], [[Chi-Ri II|Chi-Ri]]. HVAP belt (mixed with HE) for side of heavy targets up close, like [[Tiger H1]]/[[Tiger E|E]], [[Ho-Ri Production|Ho-Ri]], [[Ferdinand]].

'''Cons:'''

* Open turret exposes 4 crew directly to enemy fire. Very vulnerable to top attacks.
* High profile makes it easier to be seen & hit
* Below-average gun depression of -5° combined with the high mount makes it useless in hilly terrains
* Guns are super unstable during continuous fire. Can only fire short bursts to maintain accuracy. The [[Wirbelwind]] and [[Ostwind II]] (also twin 37mm), in comparison, are way more stable.
* Thin turret armour of 15mm is prone to be penetrated by heavy MG/shrapnel. SPAA like [[Wirbelwind]] and [[M16 MGMC|M16]] can easily disable all turret crew
* Awkward to place bushes on upper front hull due to the obstruction of MG port and driver's optics

== History ==

=== Historical problems ===
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a bit of an enigma as no official known North Vietnamese documentation exists concerning its design or construction. Even today, almost half a century after the type first became known, little is known about it. What is known comes from a single unit captured by US-forces during the Vietnam war, which have miraculously survived the test of time. Thus it is important to first focus on what little is known about this unique T-34-based SPAAG, before going into theories.

=== US capture and evaluation ===
During the 1972 Spring-Summer Offensive of the Vietnam War, a single example of a SPAAG was captured by the 4th Infantry Regiment of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam on August 13th 1972. This vehicle was subsequently transferred to the United States military, who eventually shipped it to the Aberdeen Proving Ground for technical evaluation. After testing was concluded, the vehicle was put on display at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, where it stood until the early 2010s when it was transferred along with the rest of the collection to the Air Defence Artillery Museum in Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

==== Construction ====
Evaluation of this single example showed that it consisted of a T-34-85 chassis which was made at UTZ 183 (Uralsky Tankovij Zavod) in the USSR sometime between 1944 and 1947, featuring a number of modifications. The most important one concerned the removal of the turret, with a solid reinforced steel slab being bolted onto the turret aperture on top of which a twin AA gun was mounted. Other modifications included the removal of the hull-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun, and the removal of part of the engine top deck to allow the gun turret to freely rotate.

The main weaponry of the vehicles consisted of a Chinese [[Type 65 (37 mm)|37 mm Type 65]] twin gun system, a Chinese-built variant of the Soviet [[61-K (37 mm)|37 mm M1939 (61-K)]]. NORINCO of China copied the original Soviet single design and produced it under the Chinese designation 37 mm Type 55 (most likely after the year it was first constructed). The Chinese would later update the design by developing a twin mount around the same gun, designated 37 mm Type 65. Such guns were supplied to the NVA by China to help them counter the US air supremacy during the war.

As mounted on the tank, the Type 65 gun mount was surrounded by a box-like open-topped structure composed of 16-mm thick armour plates, large enough to house both the gun and a crew of five. Similar in concept to the US-built [[M42|M42 Duster]], the vehicle lacked any advanced aiming system or power-assisted gun traverse or elevation, making it less efficient in use against low-flying high-speed jets, but still deadly to slower attackers and helicopters.

=== Name and creation ===
The vehicle is commonly called the Type 63 or the Type 65, however the vehicle's real name is unknown. The origin of the names comes from the lack of any official documentation on the vehicle, which has lead to a lot of speculation regarding its creation and history.

==== Outdated theories ====
Since the vehicle was fitted with a Chinese-built AA gun, the US Military speculated that this vehicle was a Chinese-built dedicated SPAAG. As such, the vehicle commonly became known as the ''Type 63 SPAAG'', this name first appearing in the 1987 publication ''A Compendium of Armaments and Military Hardware'' by Christopher Chant, after the assumption that the ''Type 63'' was a variant of the ''Type 65'' specifically built for use on this SPAAG. However, more recently the vehicle has become known as the Type 65 - or Type 63/65 - after the NORINCO-built gun. However there exists no real indication that the Chinese had anything to do directly with the creation of this vehicle.

==== Current theories ====
With the lifting of the US embargo on North Vietnam in 1994, new information about the Vietnam War from (formerly North) Vietnamese sources finally became available, and visitors to the Vietnam People's Air Force Museum in Hanoi noticed a photograph on display which gives an entirely different turn to the "Type 65's" story. This singular photograph, with the texts ''three SPAAG's moving to the front'' in English, and "improvised 14,5 mm, 37 mm, 57 mm self propelled anti air gun tanks on their way to the front" in Vietnamese, shows three tank-mounted anti-aircraft guns, one mounted on a T-34-85, the two others on the chassis of an SU-76. The nature of their construction seems to indicate that they - and the captured "Type 65" - were in fact locally-built improvised vehicles, combining the hulls of discarded or damaged tanks with AA guns to increase the number of available anti-aircraft guns for use against US forces, the Hanoi-displayed picture showing a T-34-85 hull with a ''[[S-68 (57 mm)|57 mm S-60]] AA gun'' rather than the ''37 mm Type 65 AA gun'' used on the captured vehicle.

As such, it can be concluded that the captured vehicle was in fact an improvised locally-built SPAAG, possibly an attempt at creating a cheap alternative to the more advanced [[ZSU-57-2|Soviet ZSU-57-2]], using the hulls of T-34-85s that had been delivered to North Vietnam in 1965.

=== In-game name ===
The ''{{Specs|name}}'' was originally implemented into War Thunder with the name ''Type 65'', due to the lack of historical NVA sources. This was later changed to the current names ''{{Specs|name}}'' (English: 37 mm anti air tank) and ''Phòng không T-34'' (English: Anti air T-34), a shortened name for the research tree. This Change was done as it seems the NVA lacked a proper indiginous designationsystem during the war and instead gave vehicles descriptive names, for example "anti air gun truck", etc. Such descriptive names can be found on a lot of name signs in Vietnamese war museums featuring vehicles and weaponry. However in some cases it seems the NVA also used the original designations of the equipment they recieved, such as the [[ZSU-23-4]] (although spelled 3CY-23 from the cyrillic name ''ЗСУ-23''). However since the vehicle in question most likely is an original creation by the NVA, this cannot be applied here. Thus the vehicle recieved its current name.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

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

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

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

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

{{China anti-aircraft vehicles}}