War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

L21A1 (30 mm)

2024-03-13T23:00:47Z

U113749792: added the fox to the vehicles that can use the L21A1 cannon

[[File:Weapon L21A1 (30 mm).png|thumb|right|x250px|The 30 mm L21A1 on the Warrior gun mantlet.]]

== Description ==

The '''30 mm L21A1''', also known as the '''RARDEN''', is a British autocannon used on their armoured fighting vehicles. Currently, the only vehicle using the L21A1 cannon is the FV510 Warrior.

With its APDS round, the L21A1 has one of the higher penetrating rounds for an autocannon for a ground vehicle in the game that can take out most other light tanks with ease. However, the trade-off is a lower firing rate and restricted magazine size of 6 rounds.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|uk_fv510_isv}}
* [[Fox]]

== General info ==
''Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.''

=== Available ammunition ===
''Describe the shells that are available for the weapon and their features and purpose. If it concerns autocannons or machine guns, write about different ammo belts and what is inside (which types of shells).''

=== Comparison with analogues ===
''Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.''

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High-penetrating APDS round available for its calibre size
* APDS belt is homogeneous, guaranteeing a APDS round each shot compared to mixed belt compositions

'''Cons:'''

* 6 round magazine requires careful shot placements to make most use of the available rounds
* Low rate of fire
* Relatively high recoil when firing compared to other autocannons

== History ==

Considerations for a new vehicle-mounted weapon for the infantry took into account that a Soviet invasion of Europe would have the Soviet armoured forces tie down most of NATO armoured assets. In this event, NATO infantry would have minimal armour support against the Soviet's mechanized infantry, which are usually supported by armoured personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles in the form of BTRs or BMPs. As such, a vehicle-mounted weapon capable of defeating these Soviet vehicles from 1,000 m away was desired to force the infantry to disembark and allow effective mortar and artillery fire to decimate them. Settling on a high-velocity autocannon weapon type for the role, it was found that current autocannons in service did not meet the British requirements for a vehicle-mounted armament. The British decided to pursue a path of producing a completely new 30 mm autocannon to fit their needs. This task was taken up between the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (RARDE) and the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield.<ref name="Hobart_Rarden">Hobart 1974, pg 18-24</ref> Norman Brint of the Royal Small Arms Factory became the cannon's main designer.<ref name="Tobin_Guardian">Tobin 2010</ref>
[[File:Saber Junction 2012 121017-A-HE359-129 - Warrior Crew.jpg|x250px|thumb|right|none|A Warrior IFV from the Mercian Regiment with its L21A1 RARDEN.]]

The 30 mm autocannon developed was desired to have a sufficient anti-armour capability to defeat a Soviet APC from any angle up to 1,000 m away, with an ability to penetrate the side armour of Soviet main battle tanks as well. The autocannon should also be able to provide effective fire on soft targets and be able to deter low-flying aircraft such as helicopters. Additionally, the gun is to be reliable, accurate, lightweight, and be able to be mounted on a large variety of vehicles. These are tough specifications under the considerations that an effective vehicle-mounted cannon requires a low trunnion pull (recoil force) and a short inboard length (recoil length). To account for this, the weapon would have a low rate of fire and a long recoil mechanism, which effectively reduced the trunnion pull to 3,000 ft-lb (~4067 J), which is halved compared to other 30 mm autocannons of the time. The inboard length is reduced to a maximum of 9 in. (~23 cm), due in part with the absence of a ramming breech block and its associated return spring, as well as the loading and recoil mechanism that allowed the inboard length to load the 11.25 in. (~28.6 cm) round without issue.

Ammunition for the cannon are derived from the [[HSS 831L (30 mm)|Hispano-Suiza 831L]], with a new APDS ammunition was developed by RARDE for the armour-pericing role. The use of aluminum alloy in the gun body and high quality steel in the barrel kept the weapon lightweight (the barrel itself was only 54 lb. (~24 kg)). Barrel dampeners, as well as the low fire rate, help prevent barrel vibrations from affecting gun accuracy. The weapon, known as the 30 mm Gun L21E2 during development,<ref name="Hobart_Rarden" /> was standardized in the British military as the '''L21A1'''.<ref name="WS_Rarden">WeaponSystems.net "30mm Rarden"</ref> The weapon was also given the name '''RARDEN''', the name derived from its designers ("'''R'''oyal '''A'''rmament, '''R'''esearch and '''D'''evelopment '''E'''stablishment" and "E'''n'''field").

The L21A1 RARDEN would see use on the Fox armoured car, the [[Warrior]] IFV, and the Scimitar reconnaissance vehicle. The weapon would undergo an upgrade in the 1980s into the ''L21A2'', which featured a redesigned barrel among other minor improvements.<ref name="WS_Rarden" />

== 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 article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


=== References ====

;Citations
<references />

;Bibliography

* Hobart, Major F.W.A. "The RARDEN Cannon". ''Armor'', January-February 1974, pp. 18–24. ([https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.d0003314150&view=1up&seq=26 Online Archive]) ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210403215253/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.d0003314150&view=1up&seq=26 Archive.org copy])
* Tobin, Edmund. "Norman Brint designed the Rarden 30mm cannon at the Royal Small Arms Factory". ''East London and West Essex Guardian Series'', Newsquest Media Group Ltd., 09 Apr. 2010, [https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/8091281.waltham-abbey-award-winning-gun-designer-dies/ Website]. Accessed 26 Mar. 2021. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211109191043/https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/8091281.waltham-abbey-award-winning-gun-designer-dies/ Archive])
* WeaponSystems.net, "30mm Rarden". ''WeaponSystems.net'', [https://weaponsystems.net/system/355-30mm+Rarden Website]. Accessed 26 Mar. 2021 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211109191048/https://weaponsystems.net/system/355-30mm+Rarden Archive]).

{{Britain tank cannons}}

[[Category:Tank cannons]]

TOG II

2023-11-17T00:30:09Z

U113749792: pros and cons

{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_tog_2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png|ArtImage2_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} British heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update "Kings of Battle"]] as the reward for the [[wt:en/news/8566-development-dreams-come-true-tog-ii-the-old-gangs-land-battleship-en|"Dreams Come True" 11th Anniversary event]].

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

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

'''Armour type:''' 


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

'''Notes:''' 


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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=531|AoAweight=5|weight=77.5}}

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

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

{{main|28pdr OQF (94 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[28pdr OQF (94 mm)|94 mm 28pdr OQF]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 68 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 26.7 || 37.0 || 44.9 || 49.6 || 52.8 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 19.6 || 23.1 || 28.1 || 31.0 || 33.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:28pdr OQF (94 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.1, Shell Mk.1}}

==== [[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
|-
| '''68''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|OQF 3-inch Howitzer Mk I (76 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[OQF 3-inch Howitzer Mk I (76 mm)|76 mm OQF 3-inch Howitzer Mk I]] || 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" | 45 || rowspan="2" | ±3° || rowspan="2" | ±4° || rowspan="2" | - || 12 || 17 || 20 || 23 || 24 || rowspan="2" | 8.1 || rowspan="2" | 7.2 || rowspan="2" | 6.6 || rowspan="2" | 6.2
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.9 || 11 || 13 || 14 || 15
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:OQF 3-inch Howitzer Mk I (76 mm)/Ammunition|3-inch Smoke}}

==== [[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
|-
| '''45''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{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 || 4,950 (225) || 600 || - || -
|-
|}

== 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 ===

''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''

'''Pros:'''

* large crew of 8
* great 94mm gun with a fast reload
* fast reverse of 14 km/h
* can use transmissions as a shield

*

'''Cons:'''

* low top speed
* slow turning
* CAS target
* ineffective armour for its br

*

== 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 ==

''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.''

{{Britain heavy tanks}}
{{Britain premium ground vehicles}}

M109A1 (Great Britain)

2023-11-17T00:09:34Z

U113749792: /* Mobility */

{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_m109a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

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

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

'''Armour type:''' 


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

'''Notes:''' 


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

''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=575|rbMinHp=385|AoAweight=}}

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

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

{{main|M185 (155 mm)}}

''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M185 (155 mm)|155 mm M185]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 28 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+75° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M185 (155 mm)/Ammunition|M107, M107 (PF), M110}}

==== [[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
|-
| '''28''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''

{| 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
|-
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
|-
|}

== 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 ===

''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''

'''Pros:'''

*

'''Cons:'''

*

== History ==
=== Devblog History===
Development of the M109 began in the early 1950s under a U.S. program to develop a common chassis for a number of different SPH designs. Upon entering service, the M109 was immediately deployed to the Vietnam War. However, its operational service during the conflict was cut short due to serious mechanical malfunctions which rendered the fleet inoperable. Nonetheless, after being addressed and receiving its first upgrade to the A1 standard, the M109 would continue service with U.S. forces for decades to come, taking part in virtually all military conflicts where U.S. forces were deployed in. Once its design eventually matured, the M109 successfully resisted replacement on multiple occasions and continuously received upgrades until the present day.
== 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:''

* [[M109 (Israel)]]
* [[M109A1]]
* [[M109G]]
* [[M109G (Italy)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/8537-development-m109-the-king-of-battle-en|[Devblog] M109: The King of Battle]]

{{Britain tank destroyers}}