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Sherman III/IV

2023-08-21T01:01:48Z

U113023109: /* Ammo racks */

{{About
| about = Swedish medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = M4 Sherman (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_sherman_3_4
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Sherman_III-IV.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

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

The Sherman III/IV has a similar armour profile to the M4A2, but without the additional side armour squares, and also due to the lack of a hull machine gun, it loses the MG-port weak spot. It still has the spot of thinner armour on the front of the turret (area ground out to fit the stabilizer) that most of the other 75 Shermans have.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 63.5 mm (46°) ''Front glacis'' 63.5-108 mm (2-55°) ''Transmission area'' || 38.1 mm || 38.1 mm (23-43°)|| 19.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 50.8-76.2 mm (10-41°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 mm (4-32°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 51 mm || 51 mm || 19.5 mm
|-
| Cupola || 51 mm || 51 mm || 51 mm || 19.5 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, the bogies are 10 mm, and the tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Upper front plate has consistent thickness due to lack of MG port weak spot
* A small patch on the turret front right side is thinner (51 mm) than the rest (76 mm).
* Driver and Machine gunner hatches are 25.4 mm thick

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

Even though the Sherman III/IV is on the slower side in terms of Shermans, its mobility is still good, with a quick acceleration and a high top speed. Due to a lack of neutral steering, turning in this tank can be slow from stationary.

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

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

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

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

75 mm M3 gun is a competent, well-handling gun for a medium tank. Even without any modifications, its ability to fulfil its role, though where it begins to shine is with the M61 shot. Default, M72, suffers from issues typical to US and British solid shots - poor post-penetration effects. This means it's preferable to take down enemy gunner first, usually by hitting the right side of the turret.

{| 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" | 66 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} || 22.8 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.5 || 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 ====
{{:M3 (75 mm)/Ammunition|M72 shot, M48 shell, M61 shot, M89}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Sherman_III-IV.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
|-
| '''66''' || 57 ''(+9)'' || 45 ''(+21)'' || 24 ''(+42)'' || 1 ''(+65)'' ||No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* First stage ammunition is 23 rounds.
* To enter battle with the sponsons empty bring 45 ''(+21)'' shells (1st and 2nd racks empty).

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

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

The machine gun on this tank is a general-purpose 7.62 mm M1919A4 Browning machine gun mounted in the coaxial position. A typical machine gun not too unlike on many other vehicles, the machine gun is just average. You will not be able to damage much besides sniping crew in open top vehicles.

{| 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 || - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Sherman is an effective medium-range combat tank. Equipped with a fast-firing 75 mm gun and with good handling characteristics, this tank can be an extremely useful asset in most battles.

In battle the Sherman performs well as an all-rounder; the thick turret front and 10 degrees of gun depression make the tank ideal for taking hull-down positions which protect the thinner hull armour from being penetrated by enemy fire. The sloped front upper glacis, when angled, also provides good protection against enemy fire. The reasonable mobility of the Sherman makes flanking a viable tactic. The main weakness of the Sherman is the side armour - not only is it vertical and thin, but behind it most of the ammunition is stowed. The tall silhouette of the tank also makes finding suitable cover difficult. Overall, the M4 Sherman can be considered as an armoured jack-of-all-trades - it will serve a tanker well, however it will not excel in any particular role.

In battle, try to use terrain as cover. Hull-down positions are especially strong in the Sherman, as it has a good 10 degrees of gun depression. The gun mantlet and turret are reasonably strong, but avoiding shots is still the best strategy. In this respect, a hull-down position hides the vulnerable hull. If this is not available, then angling the hull armour to present a greater slope is often a good idea, as this can bounce some low-powered cannon at any range and at longer ranges, render the hull impenetrable.

Another way to play the Sherman is to tap into its traditional cavalry role, its mobility. The Sherman is a great flanker as it is fast enough to get the jump on the enemy's side. Defeat the enemy at their weak front lines or go around the entire enemy force. Once in position at their sides or rear, ambush them. Ideally, the enemy should be too busy focusing on allies attacking in the front to notice the Sherman immediately. Take out the weaker light or medium tanks, the 75 mm gun is not very ideal against heavy tanks like the [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] so take out its friends to allow allies more room to outmanoeuvre the KV tank. An organized attack will increase the chances of success on the battlefield.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

M4A2/[[M4A4 (1st PTG)]]: these Sherman tanks are widely used by 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 75 mm gun, their hull can be almost impossible to penetrate when angled, hull down or 300 m away. For an M4A4, there are 2 apparent bulges on the upper front plate, a penetration through there can guarantee a knock out most of the time. But in case the opponent covers them up or when it's an M4A2, aim for the middle parts of the gun mantlet or the turret armour unprotected by the mantlet, you can at least make them defenceless. 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-1 (Family)|KV-1 and variants]] - A vehicle that the M4 Sherman will have trouble against is the 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 frontal armour. If this heavy tank is encountered, try to shoot it in its sides and rear, where its armour is thinner and 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 (Family)|Churchill]] heavy tanks - 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 Shermans 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 incapacitate 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 knock out this vehicle with a single shot. With the G variant, it is more reliable to use AP at ranges within 500 m to ensure penetration.

[[8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl.]] - This German half-track is armed with a potent 88 mm gun that can easily knock you out in one shot. However, the gun has a long reload and the half-track has literally no armour to speak of. Also, its crew members are spread out so you're going to need multiple shots to put it down. The shell you should use while dealing with this is of course your HE shell, packed with over 600 g of explosive. First, you take out the gun. The HE shell will also knock out most of the crew members around it too, as an added bonus. Then, take out the two crew members in front of the Flak 37. This may require some more careful aiming, but if you manage to get a good shot, it will likely destroy the vehicle immediately.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent gun depression of -10° plus the angled frontal turret allows it to utilise hills very well
* Great firepower: adequate penetration and post-penetration damage when using M61 shells; can frontally penetrate and knock out most opponents
* Great turret traverse speed allows it to deal with multiple threats easily
* Well angled frontal hull provides protection against small calibre / low-penetration guns (e.g. 75 mm M3, 50 mm KwK39), and even large calibre guns when angled correctly.
* Adequate top speed allows it to get to positions in time, or to do tactical manoeuvres like flanking
* 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:'''

* Large profile and weak side armour; flankers like the Sd.kfz.234/2 can easily see and penetrate it
* Frontal armour is still inadequate, will get penetrated and knocked out by tanks like [[Pz.IV F2]]/G, [[StuG III F]]/G, [[M10 (Family)|M10]] by a single shot
* The M61 shell struggle to penetrate angled targets like [[StuG III G]], Churchill Mk.III or even the T-34 and M10
* Hull traverse is quite slow, making it sluggish in a turn. Also the narrow tracks offer poor ground flotation, thus poor off-road capabilities. Can only reach its top speed on paved or hard surfaces
* Roof armour of 19.5 mm thick is vulnerable to airstrikes with AP cannons. For example the widely used MG151 15/20 mm
* Lack of M2 Browning machine gun seen on most other Shermans means anti-aircraft defense is weak and removes the extra option for taking out lighter vehicles or shooting off tracks without having to use your main gun.

== History ==

After World War II, Sweden purchased a few surplus Sherman tanks from Britain for evaluation and to learn about foreign tank design. They were tested in field conditions. All of the Shermans did quite well in the tests and were praised for their reliability and ease of use even with inexperienced drivers, and while not being made for the winter conditions they were testing in. Even though the tank was viewed favourably, Swedish never fully adopted the Sherman nor did the examples they did obtain see combat service. Inability to purchase more with sufficient spare parts, and other better vehicles being available may be some of the reasons for this decision. The tallness of the Sherman, and the weaknesses brought with that height were a partial inspiration for the future [[Strv 103 (Family)|Strv 103]] which was focused on minimizing height.

== 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 ==


=== References ===

* Swedish Evaluation of the Sherman: http://tanks.mod16.org/2016/09/30/swedish-impressions-of-the-sherman/

{{Sweden medium tanks}}
{{Sweden premium ground vehicles}}

Pz.IV J

2023-01-15T00:15:47Z

U113023109: /* Survivability and armour */

{{About
| about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Pz.IV (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_J
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png|ArtImage2_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ([[Abbreviations#.28DE.29_Sd.Kfz._Index|Sd.Kfz. Index:]] '''Sd.Kfz. 161/2''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.43]].

The biggest difference to the Panzer IV Ausf. J compared to the others is the lack of a powered turret traverse, part of the retrograde program with the tank for simpler and cheaper production. This causes the turret slew rate to be significantly reduced in the Panzer IV J compared to the others, with a stock traverse rate of only 5.9°/s compared to the other's 8.3°/s

Though some details are seen distinctive to the Panzer IV Ausf. J model compared to the others. The biggest sign is in the number of return rollers on the top tracks, reduced to three instead of the usual four. On the turret top, the presence of a "Nahverteidigungswaffe" discharger was present next to the turret ventilator. The commander's hatch on the cupola is also now a one-piece design rather than the usual two-piece design. The wheel rack on the hull left side is repurposed to hold extra jerry cans.

The mobility of this tank is another flaw (being the heaviest of the entire Panzer 4 series). Although it can achieve a decent speed, it will take time for it to accelerate to top speed. Engine is under powered and the tracks are narrow, which results in poorer cross-country performance than many heavier tanks.

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

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour
*Cast homogeneous armour (Cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm (11°) ''Front plate'' 20 mm (72°) ''Front glacis'' 80 mm (12-64°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm || 30 mm (4-15°) || 26 mm ''Front'' 10 mm ''Rear and hatches''
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (11°) ''Turret front'' 50 mm (7-29°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 (23-26°) + 5 (0-1°) mm || 30 (15-17°) + 5 mm || 16 mm ''Front'' 10 mm ''Rear''
|-
| Cupola || 95 mm || 95 mm || 95 mm || 10 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
* The turret sides are protected by an extra 5 mm thick plate to provide protection against HEAT and HE rounds.
* Barrel shroud around gun barrel is 20 mm thick.
* [[Add-on Armor|Add-on Armour]] gives an additional 20 mm of armour can be added to the front facing surfaces.
* Belly armour is 10 mm thick.

The Panzer IV Ausf. J is vulnerable to most front shot engagement, especially so if no serious attempt is made in compound angling. The front plate in its unsloped format is an enticing target, but beware to not hit the front sloping glacis right in front of it as that area has a tendency to bounce everything. Also avoid hitting straight into the ball machine gun and driver's port in the front as these also have a tendency to nullify an armour-piercing shot. When using APHE rounds, simply hit center mass of the front plate and let the post-penetration effect do the rest.

In the case of a vehicle with a gun simply unable to penetrate this front plate, aim towards the turret that still retains a 50 mm front plate. Even the weaker non-autocannon armaments can penetrate through this front plate and incapacitate the turret crew. Aim for the turret left side (right side when shooting it) to knock out the gunner and deny their firepower, then chip away at weak spots until the threat is destroyed.

Alternatively, aim at the Panzer IV from its long vulnerable sides in cases where its slow turret traverse cannot keep up with a flanking manoeuvre or catching it in an ambush. The interior is fully stocked with ammo racks even when the user is taking a minimum load. Moreover, the fuel tank resides at the very bottom of the center of the tank, so a penetrating shot with APHE will either detonate the ammunition, set the tank on fire, or knock out a good portion of the crew, if not fully destroy the tank with all three effect.

In every case scenario, it is to the benefit of the surviving player to fire the first shot against the Panzer IV Ausf. J above all else, as it would deny the Panzer IV J even a chance to use its high-penetrating 75 mm gun.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265|AoAweight=0.4}}

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

As with most tanks make sure to research Parts and FPE. Then focus on researching Pz.Gr 40 (APCR shells) so the tank can stand the chance against heavily armoured vehicles like the M4A3E2 Jumbo. After progressing this far into the unlock tree artillery should be taken swiftly as well. Accuracy is decent, so sidestepping over to the mobility upgrades to address the bad acceleration is not a bad idea, in particular filters and transmission are useful.

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

{{main|KwK40 L48 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK40 L48 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK40 L48]] || 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" | 87 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 9.5 || 13.2 || 16.0 || 17.7 || 18.8 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.79 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 5.9 || 7.0 || 8.5 || 9.4 || 10.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

*'''PzGr 39''' - {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour Piercing Ballistic Cap}} shell - This is the main ammo type, always use this if confident it can penetrate enemy armour. It deals the most damage because of its explosive filler.
*'''Hl.Gr 38B''' - {{Annotation|HEAT|High Explosive Anti-Tank}} shell - it is recommended to completely avoid this kind of shell as its performance is vastly inferior in all aspects compared to APCBC or APCR ammo used by this tank.
*'''PzGr 40''' - {{Annotation|APCR|Armour Piercing Composite Rigid}} shell - This type of ammo should be used only if there is trouble penetrating the opponent, or trying to hit a fast moving tank at some distance. However, its damaging potential is much lower because it has no explosive filler to further enhance damage after the penetration.
*'''Sprgr. 34''' - {{Annotation|HE|High Explosive}} shell - Carry only very few of these. They are useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles, to which it is lethal.
* '''K.Gr.Rot Nb.''' - Smoke shells are useful to blind enemy vehicles that block your advance while being being too remote for you to disable.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 145 || 143 || 130 || 116 || 104 || 93
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 182 || 177 || 159 || 140 || 122 || 107
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || 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%
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 770 || 6.8 || 1.2 || 14 || 28.9 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.4 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 872.1 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 990 || 4.1 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 550 || 5.74 || 0 || 0.1 || 686 || 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)
|-
| K.Gr.Rot Nb. || 540 || 6.2 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Pz.IV_H.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the Pz.IV H (identical).]]

{| 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
|-
| '''87''' || 84 ''(+3)'' || 82 ''(+5)'' || 80 ''(+7)'' || 72 ''(+15)'' || 63 ''(+24)'' || 54 ''(+33)''
|-
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! 11th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
!
|-
| 46 ''(+41)'' || 38 ''(+49)'' || 30 ''(+57)'' || 24 ''(+63)'' || 1 ''(+86)'' || No
!
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Racks are modeled by sets of 2 and disappear after both shells in the set having been shot or loaded.
* Sides empty: 30 ''(+57)'' shells.

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

{{main|MG34 (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG34]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,150 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 2,100 (150) || 900 || -10°/+20° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Panzer IV J suffers compared to its other variants due to its slow, manual turret traverse rate. This causes the Panzer IV J to lose flexibility in reacting to close encounters without turning the entire hull around. As such, it is recommended not to use the Panzer IV J as a front-line assaulter in combat.

Tactics-wise, the Panzer IV J is perfect for sniping and ambushes, where the slower turret traverse rate affects its combat performance less. Attack from a distance, especially while that enemy is focused on other allies in the team. Ambushes can also work in close-range events when watching corners, street intersections, and choke points, but be wary of any enemies trying to outmanoeuvre the Panzer IV J as it would require drastic action with the slow turret rate. Try not to engage the enemy in a straight-up front confrontation as most enemies would be able to easily cleave through the front armour and end the vehicle.

Although any tank of Rank III can destroy the Panzer IV J pretty quickly, the tanks that mostly need to avoided in open combat are [[IS-2 (Family)|IS-2]], [[KV-2 (Family)|KV-2]], [[SU-152]], [[Tiger H1|Tiger]] and [[Panther D|Panther]] tanks.

Most of the [[:Category:Heavy tanks|heavy tanks]] that it will face include Tigers, the last of [[KV-85|KV series]], [[IS-1]]s, and even some [[IS-2]]s. Particularly IS-2s will be the toughest opponent, and can take out the Panzer IV with one hit. Avoid frontal confrontation at all cost. Instead try to be sneaky and attack them from the sides where they become vulnerable.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* The KwK40 L/48 cannon can penetrate most enemies at the BR at long range with above average muzzle velocity, making aiming a bit easier.
* PzGr 40 (APCR) offers great penetration in case PzGr 39 (APCBC) fails against heavily armoured targets.
* The transmission provides good acceleration.
* Satisfactory off-road and on-road mobility.
* Turrets have Schürzen (side skirts), which can offer some protection from HEAT or HE rounds.
* 2 crew members in the hull often saves the vehicle from destruction when the turret is penetrated and everyone up there dies.

'''Cons:'''

* Turret traverse is slow compared to medium tanks at this BR.
* Side skirts (Schürzen) only protect the turret.
* Lacks a gun mantlet.
* Armour protection is poor, able to be penetrated by all the tanks it encounters even frontally and vulnerable to overpressure.
* Unable to traverse fast in rough terrains.

== History ==

=== Development ===
The '''Pz.Kpfw. IV''' was designed and approved for production in 1936. Envisioned as a support tank, it was equipped with a 75 mm howitzer at its initial stages. MAN, Krupp, and Rheinmetall-Borsig worked on the development of the Panzer IV, with Krupp's model finalized as the basis of the Panzer IV, using a leaf-spring double-bogie system for its suspension. The main armament was the KwK 37 L/24 75 mm howitzer. The vehicle held a crew of five, the commander, gunner, loader, radio operator (and hull machine gunner), and driver. Though it looked symmetrical, the Panzer IV turret was actually offset to the left of the chassis center line a bit while the engine was also offset to the right, this was to allow the torque shaft to turn the turret. The offset also meant that more of the ammo is held on the right side of the tank in storage areas. Nevertheless, the Panzer IV, with about 8,553 units made from 1936 to the end of World War II in 1945, it remained as one of Germany's main battle tank of the war, despite newer replacements such as the [[Panther G|Panther]] tank.

The Panzer IV started with only minimum armour, 14.5 mm on the Ausf. A. This was upgraded to 20 mm on the [[Pz.IV C|Ausf. C]]. As the war moves on to 1940, the 20 mm armour was deemed insufficient, so 30 mm extra steel plates were bolted or welded on on the [[Pz.IV E|Ausf. E]] variant, becoming a permanent feature as a single 50 mm plate on the [[Pz.IV F1|Ausf. F]]. As the war moves to the Invasion of Barbarossa, the German tank forces were unprepared for the appearance of the Soviet [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] tanks, which could shrug the 75 mm howitzer on the Panzer IV. An upgrade was done on the gun to mount the newer and better KwK40 L/43 cannon on the [[Pz.IV F2|Ausf. F2]], which balanced the disparity on tank firepower. The Panzer IV was upgraded again in 1942 to the [[Pz.IV G|Ausf. G]] with an extra 30 mm steel plate applied to the 50 mm glacis, bringing the armour to 80 mm thick, plus a newer KwK40 L/48 gun that was slightly more powerful. Then in 1943, the most produced variant [[Pz.IV H|Ausf. H]] was finalized with a single-piece 80 mm glacis plate, Zimmerit paste, and Schürzen side armour skirts.

=== Panzer IV Ausf. J ===
However many Panzer IV the German Army fielded, the war was not looking their way by 1944. The Allied had landed in France in part of Operation Overlord, and the Soviet offensive in Operation Bagration had costed the Wehrmacht lots of land, personnel, and materiel. To replace the decimated armoured forces, the Panzer IV was once again revised not to be better, but for a more easily produced vehicle, the end result was a retrograde from the Panzer IV Ausf. H, the '''Panzer IV Ausf. J'''. The Panzer IV Ausf. J had the electric turret traverse and its associated auxiliary engine removed for an auxiliary fuel tank (although a dual speed hand-traverse was installed to compensate for this loss). The pistol and vision ports on the turret were removed, the engine radiator housing was simplified, a "Nahverteidigungswaffe" device was added for self-defense device (firing smoke or high-explosive shells on its surrounding). The armour on the tank roof was increased, the return rollers were reduced from four to three, the Schürzen skirts were changed from solid plates to wire-meshes. All of these were made to increase productivity of the Panzer IV while keeping combat survivability high.

Despite these features, the Panzer IV has already met its maximum limit. An attempt to mount the Schmalturm found on the [[Panther F|Panther Ausf. F]] failed and only further proved this point. The Ausf. J's new features did not increase its survivability, nor was it able to replace the combat losses suffered on the German Panzer forces.

15 Panzer IV Ausf. J were bought by Finland for about twice its production price. Ironically, they arrived too late to fight the Soviets and instead were used against the Germans during the Lapland War between Finland and Germany. After the war, around 130 Panzer IVs of various variants made it to Syria in the 1950s and 1960s. These Panzer IVs served the Syrians alongside [[T-34-85]]s, [[T-54 (1951)|T-54]]s, and T-55s during the Six-Day War against Israel.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
The final serial modification to the Pz.Kpfw.IV medium tank. It was a simplified version that was designed to be as easy as possible to produce. For example, the tank had no backup engine for rotating the turret, so it had to be rotated manually using flywheels. A metal mesh was frequently used instead of screens.

The tank was produced between June, 1944 and March, 1945. 1,700 tanks were released.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

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

;Sights

* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|8zX4mPAxGfg|'''Lookback: Pz.IV J''' - ''Orangefan''}}

== 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.''

{{Germany medium tanks}}

M2A4

2023-01-10T04:59:14Z

U113023109: /* Main armament */

{{About
| about = American light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = M2 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m2a4
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a reserve 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"]]. The first iteration of the "Stuart" series, it is a simple design with a 37 mm tank gun and speed on its side.

== 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 !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 25.4 mm (19°) ''Front plate'' 15.8 mm (69°) ''Front Glacis'' 25.4 mm (20°) ''Lower glacis'' || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm ''Top'' 25.4 mm (18°) ''Bottom'' || 6.35 mm
|-
| Turret || 25.4 mm (11°) ''Turret front'' 25.4 mm (12-65°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 6.35 mm
|-
| Cupola || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 6.35 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, tracks are 10 mm thick.

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

The overall mobility is decent. The top speed is great, easily getting to around 50 km/h on solid roads which is faster than most of the reserve tanks like Pz.II, T-26. However, wheeled vehicles like the Sd.Kfz. 140/1 can easily outrun the M2A4 on road. On softer roads like grassland and sand, it remains around 30 km/h which is still quite fast.

The hull traverse brings the overall mobility down quite a bit, since when the tank is still it turns very sluggishly, especially on soft terrain. The hull traverse gets faster when the tank is moving, but in full speed, it starts to snake around like a wheeled vehicle which makes it hard to control. Thus you must get used to this handling.

The reverse speed is only adequate to dodge shots from a distance. Do not expect to quickly reverse back to cover like a Puma.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=406|rbMinHp=232}}

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

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

{{main|M5 (37 mm)}}

The overall firepower is decent for the reserve battle rating. The main cannon has an adequate penetration of about 60 mm which is more than enough to go through most tanks below 2.0, for example, T-26, Pz.III and Pz.35(t). Although the available ammunition rounds are all solid shells, they still create large amounts of shrapnel when penetrating which is enough to knock out compact tanks like T-26 and Pz.35(t) with a single shot. For larger tanks like the LVT(A)(1), accurate shots aimed at the crew's positions are required, which might be a little hard for new players. The cannon has enough accuracy to precisely target a weak spot on an enemy tank within 500 m. If one shot misses, the reload time of around 3.5 seconds allows for quick follow-up shots.

There is a nice stabilizer for the cannon which is a big advantage when exchanging fire, as it allows you to move out of cover and fire (usually before the enemy) without having to wait for your tank to stop wobbling. The stabilizer should be utilised to maximise your chance of surviving and killing. Note that it only works below 10 km/h, so remember to slow down or it will not stabilize the gun.

Targets like the 15cm sIG 33 B Sfl or M3 GMC can be quite hard to destroy, as their armour is thin enough to create little shrapnel, but are also thick enough to stop MG bullets. Against them, you can only rely on you fire rate, accuracy and of course your knowledge of their crew position to knock out their crew members one by one. Always go for the gunners or drivers first, if you failed then they can always fire back at you and disable you.

The main cannon is effective in close-quarter combat (usually within 200 m) or against weakly armoured targets since the penetration drops drastically as the range increases, plus the small calibre makes the shells easy to ricochet. When encountering fairly well armoured tanks like the M13/40 or H.35, try to break their gun barrels first or detrack them. If they are too far away, pin them on the map and call teammates to help.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M5 (37 mm)|37 mm M5]] || 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" | 103 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Shoulder|up to 10 km/h}} || 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
|-
| M74 shot || AP || 77 || 74 || 64 || 53 || 44 || 36
|-
| M51B1 || APCBC || 86 || 83 || 71 || 59 || 49 || 40
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| M74 shot || AP || 870 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M51B1 || APCBC || 870 || 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
|-
| '''103''' || 84 ''(+19)'' || 41 ''(+62)'' || 1 ''(+102)'' || No
|-
|}
Note:

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

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

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

The machine gun is only powerful enough to destroy poorly protected vehicles such as AS 42, FlakPz I and GAZ-AAA. The penetration of around 10 mm is not enough to go through the frontal armour of those not-so-weakly-armoured tanks like SU-5-1, Panzerjäger 1 or 15cm sIG 33 B Sfl. If you are skilled the two MG can effectively damage low-flying biplanes.

The fixed machine guns in the hull are of little use most of the times, as it is very hard to point the hull directly at a target with the poor hull traverse of the M2A4.

{| 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 || 5,250 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 3,000 (250) || 500 || -10°/+45° || ±90°
|-
| Machine gunner || 5,250 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Hull (left side) || 5,250 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Hull (right side) || 5,250 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

==Usage in battles==

The M2A4 light tank is the reserve tank for the USA. As such, it is very manoeuvrable and fast, being a light tank. However, it has many distinguishing features that make it a forgiving beginners tank.

The M2A4 is most comparable to a cross between a BT-5 and T-26. The M2 has slightly less mobility than the BT-5 while being a larger target and having better armour, like the T-26. The M2A4 also has a fast-firing 37 mm M5 cannon that can fire M74 or M51 shot, as well as the M61 shell.

Its gun has better accuracy than the majority of tanks on its rank, and it's APC ammo retains its penetration at most ranges. This ability to hit rapidly from range and still penetrate in part makes up for the somewhat anaemic damage of the 37mm gun.

Like all tanks of this rank, it is lightly armoured and can be damaged or knocked out by any other vehicle from anywhere on the map. A useful tactic is to make use of its speed by engaging at range and then relocating when the fire gets too heavy around you.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

Specific enemy vehicles that bear mentioning are firstly any Germans with the [[KwK38 (20 mm)|20 mm KwK/FlaK38]] cannon, this gun might be small but can have up to 64 mm of penetration, which is enough to go through the M2A4 almost anywhere. These guns can also fire 10 rounds at 280 rounds/min before having to reload the clip, meaning that they will very easily take out your crew before you have a chance to respond. To counter, the best chance you have is to angle your frontal armour which can make it difficult for the PzGr 40 rounds to penetrate. The Russian [[T-50]] and [[T-126]] are vehicles you will also see commonly, these have fairly thick and angled frontal armour that will prevent you from easily getting through. These tanks can also carry an APHEBC round that will destroy you in one shot with little difficulty, so to counter you should use your speed to attempt to get a side shot into either the turret or engine. If the T-50 cannot move you can outrun its turret and finish it without much difficulty.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fast and agile
* Acceptable gun
* Fair armour all around
* Machine gun secondary armament allows for flexibility in taking out exposed SPAA and tank destroyers
* Roof-mounted .30 calibre is quite effective at taking out unarmoured aircraft

'''Cons:'''

* Terrible for Hull-Down postions due to lack of armour
* Uneasy handling, prone to slide at high speeds
* Quite flammable, even when hitting from the front
* Terrible steering, not adequate under 2nd gear
* Driving this straight into a wall at a fast speed can result in a crew knock out
* Can struggle to destroy larger vehicles due to lack of explosive filler
* One of the weakest tank in the USA lineup
* Easily penetrated by others
* While fast on flat ground, it has problems with climbing steep hills
* Becoming immobilised renders tank as sitting duck, easily eliminated

== History ==

===Development===
The '''M2 Light Tank''' series was an American pre-World War II design as their answer to a fast, effective tank in a cavalry role.

The idea of light tanks started with the Defense Act of 1920, which defined tanks as an infantry support weapon. However, multiple theorists brought up the idea of a cavalry role for the tanks to which the British were the first to incorporate with the ''cruiser tanks''. Limitation in American development leads to the establishment of light tanks as the ''combat cars''. The development team soon looked at the tank prototypes ''T1 light tank'' and the ''T2 medium tank'' from which they decided to use them as the basis for the light tank design.

Modifications made onto the experimental tanks including installing the new Vertical Volute Spring Suspension (VVSS) which became the main suspension in future American tank development, made the tanks into the '''M2A1 light tank'''. The main version used before the war was designated the [[M2A2|'''M2A2''']] and had two turrets, both with a .50 calibre M2 Browning machine gun as their armament. However, the Spanish Civil War demonstrated that this kind of light tank was insufficient for the ever-evolving tank warfare. Revising the armament of the tank, the two M2 Browning turrets were removed and replaced with a turret outfitted with a 37 mm cannon and improved armour. This became the '''M2A4''' and served as the main light tank variant in US service prior to World War II.

===Combat usage===
Although the M2 light tanks were promising in their introduction, they were soon succeeded by the [[M3 Stuart|M3]] and [[M5A1|M5]] light tanks. While development projects were in the works for bigger and better tanks, the M2 light tanks was a stopgap solution which filled a dire and immediate need for training crews and fielding tanks on the battlefield. By December 1941, the M2 light tanks were being used for training purposes only with the US Army, however, the US Marine Corps (specifically Company A, 1st Marine Tank Battalion) used a small number in combat during the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Pacific due to the lack of M3 light tanks available.

Britain ordered some M2 light tanks in early 1941 in part of the Lend-Lease Act, but only 36 were delivered before switching to the improved M3 light tanks. They were not used in combat.

A common feature on early US tanks was a large number of machine guns. Aside from the coaxial and the bow gunner's ball mounted gun, two machine guns were fixed facing forward on the sides of the hull, fired by the driver. Yet another M1919 Browning machine gun could be mounted on top of the turret in an anti-aircraft capacity.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
The M2 series traced its family tree back to the experimental T2s, with the M2A4 ending up the largest and most successful modification. Development began in 1939 after running trials for light tanks designed for infantry support as well as the M1 series. The M2 infantry tank was used as the base for construction, a model that was to undergo significant modification. The turret armour as well as the front end were thickened to 25 mm, capable of withstanding hits by light cannons and high-caliber machine guns.

The tank's weaponry was also improved with the installation of an M5 37 mm cannon paired with a 7.62 mm machine gun in the single turret. Another 7.62 mm machine gun was mounted in the front hull plate, with two more on the sides. An antiaircraft machine gun could be mounted on the top of the turret, and additional viewing slits were cut out of the turret and cupola. Most tanks featured the 360 hp Continental W-670-9A engine, which pushed their top speed to 56 km/h. Several tanks in the series were equipped with Guiberson T1020 diesel engines.

Given that September 1939 saw a spike in orders, the Rock Island Arsenal was no longer able to keep up on its own with the demand being placed on it by the US army. A tender for an additional batch was announced and won by American Car & Foundry. In October 1939 a contract for 329 tanks was signed, though it was soon expanded to 365. The last ten were assembled in April 1941 by Baldwin Locomotive Works, meaning that 375 M2A4s were produced in 1940.

The tanks only saw action on Guadalcanal and other Pacific islands. A few others were shipped to the UK via Lend-Lease and used there to train M3 medium tank crews.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m2a4 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|yB4xDRk67hI|'''Survival Guide - The M2A4 - The American Reserve BR Workhorse''' - ''IllusiveThunder''|1yg1DAEbG8A|'''The Stuart Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:22 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|p9_XD0TgdiA|'''TOP 5 Reserve Tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:11 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|auoMLZwrDcY|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[M3 Stuart (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/2917/current|[Vehicle Profile] M2A4 Light Tank]]
* [[wikipedia:M2_light_tank|[Wikipedia] M2 light tank]]
* [https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M2_Light_Tank.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> M2 Light Tank]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=560 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> M2 (Light Tank, M2)]

{{TankManufacturer Rock Island Arsenal}}
{{USA light tanks}}

M8A1 GMC

2023-01-10T04:56:09Z

U113023109: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = premium American light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|other
|usage-1 = other vehicles of the family
|link-1 = M8 General Scott (Family)
|usage-2 = other uses
|link-2 = M8 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m8a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|market=75mm Gun Motor Carriage M8
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]], alongside the initial American ground tree, but wasn't available until Winter of the 2014 as an unlockable gift in the [[wt:en/news/2736-holiday-war-thunder-marathon-en|"War Thunder Christmas Special"]]. After that, the M8A1 became available again as a Warbond shop reward as part of [[wt:en/news/4312-shop-how-can-you-get-premium-vehicles-warbonds-en/|War Thunder's 4th anniversary]].

An upgunned [[M8 Scott]] armed with [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] gun, the M8A1 is a light tank destroyer capable of flanking & destroying enemy tanks at the same time with its outstanding mobility.

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


'''Armour type:'''

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 28.5 mm (49-50°) ''Front glacis'' 44.1 mm (15-45°) ''Lower glacis'' || 28.5 mm ''Top'' 28.5 + 5 mm ''Bottom'' || 28.5 + 5 mm (2-46°) ''Top'' 25.4 mm (2-21°) ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 38.1 mm (6-32°) ''Turret front'' 38.1 mm (13-62°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25.4 mm (20°) || 25.4 mm (1°) || N/A
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension bogies and wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Tracks laid out on the turret side give an additional 10 mm of armour where they are stacked.
* Sandskirts on the bottom hull give additional 5 mm thickness.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=459|rbMinHp=262}}

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

== 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" | 46 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 11.4 || 15.8 || 19.2 || 21.2 || 22.6 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 7.1 || 8.4 || 10.2 || 11.3 || 12.0
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| 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 || 0.1 || 666 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 618 || 6.79 || 1.2 || 14 || 63.7 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}
{| 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)
|-
| 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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''46''' || 35 ''(+11)'' || 15 ''(+31)'' || 12 ''(+34)'' || 0 ''(+46)'' || Yes
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,000 (200) || 576 || -5°/+70° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

This vehicle plays along with the American concept of the tank destroyers, fast and powerful, but lacking in armour. Using the terrain for cover is necessary to survive against the enemy shells, plus constant repositioning is needed to keep the enemy guessing where the M8A1 is located. However, if able to get the jump on the enemy, the 75 mm gun on this vehicle can destroy the vehicles at its rank and the addition of the .50 cal M2 Browning on top aids its versatility against lightly armoured vehicle and aircraft.

The main tactic for this vehicle is ''Shoot and Scoot'', constant repositioning after every shot as the armour on the M8A1 is rather thin for its battle rating. If hiding behind a rock, pop up from one side then the other rather than just from one side to force the enemy to spend milliseconds reacquiring the M8A1 in their sights, milliseconds that can put the favour of the battle to the M8A1. This involves many trick and will take some time to learn, but once learned, the M8A1 will be a huge assist to the team. Be careful to not get greedy and trigger-happy, the exposure trying to get a target may result in a loss, so play conservatively and know full well when that sometimes there will only be assist and move on. An M8A1 that is used properly is such a powerful tool that it can single handily swing the game. That being said one unlucky second and it is a pile of charred metal, due to the huge amount of ammo crammed into such a small area.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Deadly firepower at its BR, penetrating the toughest tanks with ease, such as the [[B1 bis|B1]], [[Matilda Mk II|Matilda]] or even the early [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]] in an uptier. Other tanks like the [[T-80]] will easily get one-shot.
* Great gun depression allows hull-down shots on hills
* Multirole capacity (tank destroyer/light tank) allows flexible and fun gameplay
* Great mobility: reaches top speed relatively fast, and it doesn't lose speed drastically upon turning, allowing it to perform flanking manoeuvres easily.
* .50 cal machine gun can eliminate low flying aircraft & soft targets such as [[BT-7]], [[Marder III]], [[SU-76M]]. Also its low profile makes it easier to hide.
* No ammunition is stored inside the turret, decreasing the chance of ammo detonation which increases survivability
* Commonly misidentified as short-gunned M8 Scott

'''Cons:'''

* Thin armour plus the cramped crew gives it poor survivability. Can get destroyed easily by vehicles like [[ZiS-30]], [[SU-76M|SU-76]], [[StuG III A]]
* Gun breech is often damaged when turret is penetrated, making it defenceless
* Prone to drifting when cornering at high speeds
* Rather slow turret traverse speed (around 11 deg/s)
* Open-topped turret (exposing the crew & ammo rack) makes it vulnerable to artillery strikes and air attacks
* Although the gun is powerful, it still struggles to frontally penetrate the [[StuH 42 G]] especially with add-on tracks, while the StuH usually knocks out the M8 with a single shot
* All of its ammunition are stacked in every corner inside center compartment, single explosion in the middle of the hull can explode the ammo racks.

== History ==


===Development===
In United State's entry into World War II, the troops in the front lines require a support vehicle similar to those in use by the German forces in the form of the [[StuG III A|StuG III]]. The project for such vehicle began as a design submitted in late 1941, which was a [[M5A1|M5 Light Tank]] mated with a howitzer on the hull front, designated the ''T41''. This design didn't pass as the howitzer on the hull sacrificed crew protection. The design was revised on the same M5 light tank and instead had the M5 turret removed and replaced with an open-topped turret similar to the US tank destroyers [[M10 GMC]] and [[M18 GMC]], which mounted a 75 mm howitzer. This change caused the hatches for the driver and assistant driver to be placed on the glacis front rather than the hull roof. This design, called the ''T17E1 HMC'' was approved and put into production under the designation ''75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8'', or the [[M8 Scott]]. The 75 mm M2 howitzer was the initial armament of the M8 before switching to the updated 75 mm M3 howitzer on the [[M8A1|M8A1]] variant. The howitzer was capable of firing [[Smoke screen|smoke]] M89 or high-explosive M48 rounds, the vehicle could hold 46 of these 75 mm rounds. The M8 does not have any machine guns on the coaxial or hull-mounted area, but a .50 cal Browning was mounted on the rear right corner of the turret for infantry defense. The vehicle was put into production in April 1942 and continued until January 1944, of which a total of 1,778 units were produced by Cadillac only.

===Combat usage===
These vehicles would go on to serve in the Italian Campaign, European Campaign, and in the Pacific in the hands of the US Army. The M8 saw use in American service until the M7 Priest 105 mm self-propelled gun could be fielded in large numbers, which stopped the M8 production and service in American units. After being phased out of American service, the M8 was then given to the Free French forces that use them in the Western Front of the European operations. The French continue to use them all the way to 1954 in the French-Indochina conflict in use by South-Vietnamese forces. Other users of the M8 included the Khmers national army, Laos, China, and the Philippines.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m8a1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|1yg1DAEbG8A|'''The Stuart Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:01 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|xF4-TcnyWw0|'''Best tank destroyers''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:24 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|6Ylny9Yy68k|'''{{PAGENAME}}- Fast and furious''' - ''Oxy''|alS7dmN1Y_Y|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[M8 General Scott (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:Howitzer_Motor_Carriage_M8|[Wikipedia] Howitzer Motor Carriage M8]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M8_Scott.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> H.M.C. M8 "Scott"]

{{TankManufacturer Ordnance Department}}
{{USA light tanks}}
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}
{{Winter Event}}

2C bis

2023-01-10T04:53:22Z

U113023109: /* Survivability and armour */

{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_char_2c_bis
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} French heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Apex Predators"]].

Often called a "super heavy" tank, the 2C bis is a modification of the FCM 2C. It differs from the standard 2C primarily in that it mounts a cast turret housing a 155 mm howitzer. It also lacks the machine gun mounts on the sides of the vehicle.

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


Being comprised of large, flat, vertical armour plates, the 2C bis does not have a revolutionary armour scheme. Many dedicated anti-tank guns such as the Soviet 45 mm 45-K, the US 37 mm M5/M6 guns, and the British 40 mm 2-pounder can penetrate this tank frontally from medium to short range without any problem. Larger cannons will have no issue dealing with the 2C bis. Autocannons can also be a threat, especially from the thinly armoured sides. However, some slight angling can somewhat mitigate this issue. The large tracks of the 2C bis can obscure the front plate and make it harder to penetrate.

The 2C bis' true survivability lies in its crew count. 12 crew members are placed throughout the vehicle, meaning that even if the crew up front is entirely knocked out with an APHE shell, there are a number of aft-facing members ready to replace them. This can give the 2C bis a near comical amount of survivability as it can be continuously penetrated, seemingly disabled, and suddenly it can return to battle.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, side, side skirts, roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret, 155 mm gun mantlet, cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 49 mm (0°) ''Front plate'' 22 mm (69°) ''Front glacis'' 15 mm (73°) Lower glacis
|22 mm (0°)|| 15 mm (62°) ''Top'' 22 mm (0°) ''Bottom''
| 13 mm (0°)
|-
| Turret || 35 mm ''Turret front'' 35 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 35 mm || 35 mm || 35 mm
|-
| Cupola || 30 mm || 30 mm ||30 mm||30 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:''' 


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

The 2C bis utilizes a diesel-electric hybrid drive system. Two Sautter-Harlé inline 6 diesel engines power electric generators which then engage with electric motors at the rear sprocket. Like the Pz.Bef.Wg.VI P, this means that the 2C bis can neutral steer and theoretically go just as fast in reverse. In addition, the 2C bis accelerates to its top speed quickly, but this is only 15 km/h. The 2C will certainly be the last tank to the fight, but on the other hand the quick reverse acceleration can prove helpful in close quarters.

{{tankMobility}}

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

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

{{main|Schneider 155 C (155 mm)}}

The 2C bis has a 155 mm Schneider howitzer in its two man cast turret. Its velocity is extremely low and its reload rate is abysmal. The armament takes time and practice to utilize effectively, especially with its limited elevation and depression angles. However, with 7.7 kg of filler, the Mle1915 shell will obliterate whatever it touches at the BR of the 2C bis. As long as the shell makes contact anywhere, it is almost guaranteed to knock a vehicle out. Open-topped vehicles can even be knocked out by splash damage, as this is basically an artillery piece on tracks.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Schneider 155 C (155 mm)|155 mm Schneider 155 C]] || 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" | 24 || rowspan="2" | ±10° || rowspan="2" | ±100° || rowspan="2" | N/A || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| Mle1915 || HE || 58 || 58 || 58 || 58 || 58 || 58
|-
|}
{| 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
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| Mle1915 || HE || 240 || 43.2 || 0 || 0.1 || 7.65 || 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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''24''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|Hotchkiss Mle 1914 (8 mm)}}

The rear turret has decent horizontal arcs but suffers from rather poor vertical arcs and slow rotation speed, making this turret very situational. The frontal machine gun can be used to knock small obstacles out of the way as to prevent the HE shell from detonating on them.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Hotchkiss Mle 1914 (8 mm)|8 mm Hotchkiss Mle 1914]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Hull || 5,000 (250) || 450 || __° || __°
|-
| Rear || 5,000 (250) || 450 || __° || -130°/+120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

As stated before, slight angling at longer ranges can increase survivability and make the armour somewhat useful. If you are not sure about how far a target is, use the rangefinder, even at close range. It is actually rather fast in the 2C bis, and a miss will have you waiting a long time to reload. The dreadful top speed will sometimes work in your favour, being that the first "wave" of enemy vehicles has already been dealt with. The 2C bis does not do well against multiple vehicles. The quick reverse acceleration can work in your favour in urban environments.

Sitting in the rear and lobbing artillery at the enemy is a possible strategy, but the low velocity and high arc of the rounds make this difficult. Eventually, a dedicated anti-tank SPG will likely disable or knock out the vehicle. The 2C bis performs better at mid-range encounters where tracking targets can be easier. Surprisingly, despite its size, getting "Shadow Strikes" is possible in urban areas. Use your machine guns to clear obstacles that may trigger the HE shell's fuse prematurely.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has a dozen crew members, highly survivable
* 155 mm howitzer will decimate anything even above its BR
* Neutral steering gives the tank decent reflex mobility
* Can climb over rough terrain with ease due to its World War I design

'''Cons:'''

* Extremely huge, easily spotted and targeted by any enemy
* 155 mm howitzer has very long reload time and awful shell velocity
* Awfully slow top speed
* Armour is mediocre at best
* Limited turret traverse, very prone to flanking
* Poor elevation and depression angles

== History ==

The FCM 2C was a French "super heavy" tank designed to conquer the "no man's land" of WW1. It was dimensionally the largest tank ever produced, and for a time the heaviest. Ready for production by February 1918, the war ended before any of the vehicles were completed, and so the order of 300 was eventually reduced to just 10, finished in 1921. The standard 2C mounted a 75 mm APX 1897 field gun, similar to the cannon which would be mounted on the [[M3 GMC]] tank destroyer. The 2C had many innovative design features for the time, including a hybrid drive, leaf spring suspension, the world's first three-man turret, and stroboscopic cupolas. All of the 2Cs were named after ancient regions of France.

One 2C, No. 99 "Champagne", was given a new two-man cast turret with a 155 mm howitzer. The commander was given his own compartment behind the turret. The side machine gun ports were also removed. This variant would be known as the 2C bis. Eventually, Champagne would be returned to its original configuration and its turret would be used as a makeshift static emplacement in the Mareth Line. Champagne would be the only 2C to survive the invasion of France, with the other nine tanks either being scuttled by their own crew to prevent capture, or breaking down.

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|QmaE2bomv14|'''Giant Derp Land Battleship - 155mm 70 ton Monster''' - ''PhlyDaily''|vdHmTGTPa20|'''Trenchwarmer - Char 2C''' - ''Tank Encyclopedia''}}

== 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/8033-development-char-2bis-the-beast-of-champagne-en|[Devblog] Char 2bis: the Beast of Champagne]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/france/fcm-2c.php <nowiki>[Tank Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Char 2C]

{{France heavy tanks}}
{{France premium ground vehicles}}

LVT-4/40

2023-01-10T04:49:28Z

U113023109: /* General info */

{{About
| about = French light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = LVT (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_lvt_bofors
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_LVT-4_40.jpg|ArtImage LVT-4-40.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} French light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update "Direct Hit"]] as a reward for [[Battle Pass: Season V, "River Hunter"]].

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

With weak armour that can be penetrated by heavy machine gun fire, any vehicle could suddenly spray bullets and knock out some crew members. The armour is useful against shrapnel and small calibre HE rounds. The poor armour is not crippling as the size and amount of crew members make up for the survivability as you will rarely be knocked out by a single AP shot, especially when fuses won't activate on the thin armour.

'''Armour type:''' 


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

'''Notes:''' 


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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=387|rbMinHp=221}}

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

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

{{main|Bofors L/60 (40 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Bofors L/60 (40 mm)|40 mm Bofors L/60]] || 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" | 384 (8) || rowspan="2" | 120 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+87° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 33.3 || 46.1 || 56.0 || 61.9 || 65.9 || rowspan="2" | 0.65 || rowspan="2" | 0.58 || rowspan="2" | 0.53 || rowspan="2" | 0.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.8 || 24.5 || 29.8 || 32.9 || 35.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|FI-T*|Fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''Mk.II:''' {{Annotation|FI-T*|Fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''M81A1:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}

{| 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 || 72 || 69 || 58 || 46 || 37 || 29
|-
| Mk.II || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| M81A1 || 72 || 69 || 58 || 46 || 37 || 29
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| Mk.II || FI-T* || 874 || 0.83 || 0 || 0.1 || 63 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M81A1 || AP-T || 875 || 0.88 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo type
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
|-
| '''48''' '''384''' || ''Clips'' ''Rounds'' || 46 ''(+2)'' 368 ''(+16)'' || 43 ''(+5)'' 344 ''(+40)'' || 40 ''(+8)'' 320 ''(+64)'' || 37 ''(+11)'' 296 ''(+88)'' || 34 ''(+14)'' 272 ''(+112)'' || 31 ''(+17)'' 248 ''(+136)'' || 28 ''(+20)'' 224 ''(+160)'' || 25 ''(+23)'' 200 ''(+184)''
|-
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! 11th rack empty
! 12th rack empty
! 13th rack empty
! 14th rack empty
! 15th rack empty
! 16th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
!
|-
| 22 ''(+26)'' 176 ''(+208)'' || 19 ''(+29)'' 152 ''(+232)'' || 16 ''(+32)'' 128 ''(+256)'' || 13 ''(+35)'' 104 ''(+280)'' || 10 ''(+38)'' 80 ''(+304)'' || 7 ''(+41)'' 56 ''(+328)'' || 4 ''(+44)'' 32 ''(+352)'' || 1 ''(+47)'' 8 ''(+376)'' || No
!
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks LVT-4-40.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
'''Notes''':

* Ammunition is divided into 48 clips of 8 rounds.
* Each rack contains 3 clips (24 rounds).

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial (left) || 1,200 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Coaxial (right) || 1,200 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has amphibious capability
* High rate of fire and very short reload time for the 40 mm cannon
* It has two 12.7 mm machine gun to complement the Bofors cannon
* Versatile, can be used as a light tank or a SPAA
* Large internal volume makes it remarkably survivable despite its thin armour

'''Cons:'''

* Gun depression only limit to -3 degrees
* Tall gun position with only -3 degrees gun depression, prone to close short range attacks
* Big profile makes easier for enemies to spot you
* Light armour and open-topped design make it vulnerable to air attacks, machine gun fire, chemical shells (HE, HEAT) and artillery strikes
* Fuel tanks exposed on the sides and prone to fire when shot

== History ==


In the wake of WWII, France possessed a large number of American vehicles in its service, including the LVT series of amphibious vehicles. These, along with other armored vehicles, were supplied to France as a short-term solution to rebuild the French military after the war. During the Indochina War of the early 1950's, LVTs in French service were modified to carry the 40 mm Bofors anti-air gun as it proved to be more effective against ground targets than the standard 37 mm cannon. These modified French LVTs also participated in the Suez Crisis of 1956, which also marked their final operational use.

''- From [[wt:en/news/7384-development-battle-pass-vehicles-lvt-4-40-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

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

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|Wa5gx59a7RY|'''Should You buy The LVT-4/40? - Vehicle Review''' - ''Sako Sniper''}}

== 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/7384-development-battle-pass-vehicles-lvt-4-40-en|[Devblog] Battle Pass Vehicles: LVT-4/40]]

{{France light tanks}}
{{France premium ground vehicles}}