War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

M2 Howitzer (75 mm)

2023-02-10T09:25:35Z

U119252054: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = the tank cannon '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = M2 (Disambiguation)
}}

== Description ==
''Write an introduction to the article in 2-3 small paragraphs. Briefly tell us about the history of the development and combat using the weaponry and also about its features. Compile a list of air, ground, or naval vehicles that feature this weapon system in the game.''

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|us_lvt_a_4}}
* {{Specs-Link|us_m8_scott}}
* {{Specs-Link|cn_m8_scott}}

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

=== Available ammunition ===


{{:{{PAGENAME}}/Ammunition|M48 shell, M66, M64}}

=== 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 ===
''Summarise and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.''

'''Pros:'''

* HEAT shell is equally useful against soft-skinned and lightly-armoured vehicles
* Curved shell trajectory allows to hit enemy vehicles in places that can't be reached by traditional guns
* Few other guns at its rank has smoke shells

'''Cons:'''

* Long reload time
* Curved shell trajectory takes time to get used to
* The howitzer is less effective in uptiers

== History ==
''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon 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 If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-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>.''

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

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

{{USA tank cannons}}
{{China tank cannons}}

[[Category:Tank cannons]]

SD10C (10 kg)

2023-02-09T12:19:54Z

U119252054: /* Pros and cons */

== Description ==

[[File:SD10C.jpg|left|thumb]]
{{break}}
The 10 kg SD10C was a German anti-personnel bomb, mainly used as a sub-munition in cluster bombs.

The grooves seen on the bomb's body ensured good fragmentation, similar to the Mk 2 "pineapple" hand grenade of the US.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|he51b_2w}}
* {{Specs-Link|he51c1}}
* {{Specs-Link|he51c1_late}}

== General info ==


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" | Bomb characteristics
|-
| '''Mass'''
| 10 kg
|-
| '''Explosive mass'''
| 0.75 kg
|-
| '''Explosive type'''
| TNT
|-
| '''TNT equivalent'''
| 0.75 kg
|-
| '''HE max penetration'''
| 11 mm
|-
| '''Destruction radius'''
| N/A
|-
| '''Fragment dispersion radius'''
| 16 m
|-
|}

=== Effective damage ===

This bomb has an explosive power comparable to that of a 3 inch/76mm HE shell. Barely enough to destroy anything, even armoured cars and open vehicles, in which case multiple SD10C bombs are needed.

=== Comparison with analogues ===
''Give a comparative description of bombs that have firepower equal to this weapon.''

== Usage in battles ==

Because of the extremely small weight of the bomb, it is only effective against extremely lightly armoured targets, such as the [[GAZ-AAA (4M)]], or the [[15cm sIG 33 B Sfl]].

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Light and easy for new players to learn how to use ground attack weapons
* Effective against soft targets (AA, Artillery, open vehicles)
* The low power is less of a problem in arcade with the bomb lead indicator

'''Cons:'''

* Payload too small to even inflict damage to armoured targets (pillboxes, tanks)

== History ==
''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon 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 weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-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>.''

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

== See also ==


* [[AO-25M-1 (25 kg)]]

== External links ==


* [http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/sd10c.htm <nowiki>[warbirdsresourcegroup.org]</nowiki> SD 10C Antipersonnel Bomb]

{{Bombs}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

ZSD63/PG87

2023-02-02T10:08:21Z

U119252054: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_zsd63_pg87
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_ZSD63.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese SPAA {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]].

The ZSD63 is the second vehicle in the Chinese SPAA line and offers greatly improved anti-air capabilities to Chinese tankers. Though it looks rather like a jury-rigged technical from the Middle East, having a turret with twin autocannons grafted on an APC chassis, it packs some serious firepower for its rank. A slight brush from the ZSD63's rapid-fire cannons will tear aircraft and lightly armoured ground vehicles to shreds. Even medium tanks will be wary of the onslaught of AP rounds, which can cut through them like a buzzsaw. While it has excellent firepower, the defensive capabilities are lacking; the large size, paper-thin armour, and high profile make it an attractive target to anything on the battlefield. The pair of PG87 cannons have a 600 rpm fire rate that will empty its dual 40 round magazine (80 total) in just over 4 seconds, then to face a truly abysmal reload speed of 30 plus seconds! The vehicle also only carries enough ammo for 5 reloads which will vanish like magic. Its saving grace is the high velocity ammo that makes aiming easy; the succeeding Chinese SPAAs have a much lower rate of fire and lower velocity, thus harder to use against aerial targets until the [[WZ305]] and its proximity-fused shells are researched. Despite these challenges, the ZSD63 can be a very fun vehicle to play and will serve well as an anti-air vehicle even beyond its low rank.

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


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear
|-
| Hull || 12 mm || 8 mm || 8 mm
|-
| Turret || 8 mm || 8 mm || 8 mm
|-
|}

Despite its armoured box look, one would be hard pressed to call the ZSD63 "armoured". The armour is almost entirely 8 mm thick all-around, save for the 12 mm upper glacis. The near vertical sides may as well be unprotected. Adding insult to injury is the high-mounted open-top turret with the crews' heads exposed on top like pumpkins. Even coaxial rifle-calibre machine guns stand a fair chance of penetrating this vehicle. While you might survive a few glancing bullets or have shots pass through the empty rear compartment, the best survival tactic is to avoid being seen and stay close to cover for quick retreats after firing off a few bursts.

On the other hand, the extremely thin armour will result in most shells over-penetrating, given that most fuse sensitivities are around 10 mm. An over-penetration through the empty space is likely to do little to no damage. Although you might survive, it is still a clear warning that you are exposed to lethal firepower and you should immediately relocate if possible.

Being an open topped AA with very weak armour makes it extremely susceptible to overpressure from HE and HEAT shells.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=369|rbMinHp=230}}

Mobility is good, though somewhat underwhelming compared to what the statistics might suggest. With 19 hp/ton, the ZSD63 accelerates to 60 km/h forward on paved roads and the suspension works quite nicely on all kinds of terrain. Off-road speed is less impressive, topping at around 30-35 km/h. The 8 km/h reverse speed leaves something to be desired but is better than most contemporary vehicles. Overall, the ZSD63 is mobile enough to follow teammates and flank, though it is not exactly lightning fast and there should be no expectation of arriving at the battlefield far ahead of everyone else.

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

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

{{main|PG87 (25 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is arguably the most lethal autocannon system at its rank in-game. Each cannon fires a staggering 10 rounds per second (600 rpm) with extremely high velocity and precision. The excellent turret traverse speed makes tracking targets very easy. Aircraft are instant confetti under its FI-T rounds. Although the AP-T penetration at 100 m is only 60 mm, declining to 47 mm at 500 m, the high fire rate and high velocity allow multiple hits at weak points until a kill shot is made. Light tanks, tank destroyers, and other SPAAs are generally easy targets. Medium units should not be too difficult to eliminate either, and even heavy tanks can be disabled by the cannons when aimed at vulnerable locations. The weaknesses are the limited belt capacity and the extremely long reload time, so be highly conservative with your fire control. This monster will be just as effective in Rank VII as in Rank II.

The default belt is a 50/50 mix of AP-T and FI-T. This does a pretty good job for anti-air operations, and is perfectly adequate for the sort of ground targets you should be engaging - lightly armoured vehicles. The pure AP-T load is better but a needless expense. There is also a pure FI-T belt that is high effective versus aircraft but essentially useless against ground targets; it is not of much use since the default belt is almost as effective and can still deal with ground targets adequately. Using just the default belt avoids the potential for having the wrong belt loaded - it is good for all targets

Avoid trying to switch belts in the middle of combat as might be done for other SPAAs. Doing so will put the guns out of commission for potentially more than 30 seconds, which is unhelpful to say the least if there are enemies around. Spending minutes to switch belts for different targets only makes you defenceless and vulnerable.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[PG87 (25 mm)|25 mm PG87]] (x2) || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 480 (40) || rowspan="2" | 600 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+90° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 47.6 || 65.8 || 79.9 || 88.4 || 94.0 || rowspan="2" | 16.90 || rowspan="2" | 14.95 || rowspan="2" | 13.78 || rowspan="2" | 13.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 32.1 || 37.8 || 45.9 || 50.8 || 54.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|FI-T*|Fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''Type 87 HE:''' {{Annotation|FI-T*|Fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''Type 87 AP:''' {{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 || 63 || 60 || 47 || 35 || 26 || 19
|-
| Type 87 HE || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2
|-
| Type 87 AP || 63 || 60 || 47 || 35 || 26 || 19
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| Type 87 HE || FI-T* || 1,050 || 0.25 || 0 || 0.1 || 19 || 47° || 56° || 65°
|-
| Type 87 AP || AP-T || 1,050 || 0.25 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_ZSD63-PG87.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''12''' || 10 ''(+2)'' || 8 ''(+4)'' || 6 ''(+6)'' || 4 ''(+8)'' || 2 ''(+10)'' || 0 ''(+12)'' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* A box of ammunition contains 40 projectiles.
* A rack consists of 2 boxes.

== Usage in battles ==


The main job for this vehicle is providing effective defence for your team against enemy aircraft. Avoid continuous firing, 1 to 2 second bursts are critical for success. The cannons have noticeable recoil and the limited ammunition capacity does not allow for much "Spray and Pray". Before any planes spawn, it is recommended to locate yourself between the points and the spawn, and find some hard cover. This way you can get close to most of your teammates and target incoming planes easier, you don't need to worry about getting shot by enemy tanks, and you can use the covers to dodge strafing planes. Then, as soon as an enemy plane spawns, slowly shoot single salvoes towards it to draw its attention. Most planes will dive in for an easy SPAA kill, knowing that all SPAA have weak armour and not-lethal-enough firepower. If it is a bomber, position your hull sideways for quick retreat from bombs. Planes diving straight towards the ZSD63 are very threatening, but at the same time they present easy no-deflection targets; use your great gunsight magnification to work out the plane's flying path, and spray a 1-sec burst of 25 mm rounds in their flight path. 1-3 hits will shred most planes apart. With this method a 40-round clip can take out 1-2 planes. Fire conservatively if the target is not flying directly towards or away from the ZSD63.

When attacking ground units, be extremely cautious and avoid exposing your weak armour. The best approach for engaging ground units is do not do so except for the lightest ones. The pure AP (AP-T) belt doubles the chance of penetrating hits but changing belts is time consuming, and you should not be engaging ground targets where the default belt isn't enough in the first place. Wide flanking manoeuvres allow you to attack the weak sides of light targets, but are likely to leave you exposed and without any support yourself - so an easy target. Going wide, you will likely encounter other weakly armoured units like the popular [[M24 (Family)|M24 Chaffee]], which is very vulnerable to the 25 mm cannons. Know your targets and aim for weak points. The ubiquitous Shermans are generally tough customers from the front, where at most the transmission housings or perhaps ventilators can be penetrated, but the terrible hull side armour is a good target. The lower side armour behind the tracks is an especially good weak point if facing Shermans with applique side armour, and spraying a wide burst in that area can knock out the transmission, ammo, and driver. Other medium tanks like the [[Pz.IV F2]] and [[Chi-Nu]] are vulnerable from the front at close range. T-34s are tougher targets and can only be reliably penetrated frontally in the turret cheeks (for "small turret" models like the [[T-34 (1940)]]) or the turret ring at close range. The hull sides are thicker and better sloped than other medium tanks and also have fuel tanks protecting the turret crew, so during flanking attacks, try to shoot the lower hull armour to knock out the engine and driver/machine gunner before going for the turret side. The AP round does not have explosive filler so multiple penetrating hits are needed to defeat a tank. Remember that the ZSD63 also has access to artillery, a very useful spoiler to keep your targets off balance.

For self-defence, it is important to know how to disable opponents quickly and efficiently, with minimal time and ammunition expenditure. Obviously the optimal situation is to knock out a target's crew before they can attack the ZSD63, but this will not always be possible. The twin cannons can destroy tracks and tires almost instantly, but for turreted vehicles this will not prevent the target from returning fire. If only one track is destroyed, even a casemate tank destroyer can potentially scoot around enough to fire back (though this can expose their sides). Destroying the engine is a good move when shooting from the sides or rear for this reason. Destroying gun barrels is also a good idea, but this can be difficult if said barrel is pointed directly at you, presenting a small cross section. Destroying turret rings can also be helpful, but this is not really possible outside of close quarters, and some tanks like Shermans don't even have vulnerable turret rings. Juggling these techniques takes practice, and some may end up using a lot of ammo, so it's best not to use the ZSD63 offensively against multiple well-armoured opponents. Damage targets just enough to save yourself and allow your teammates to finish them off. A target with upgraded crew skills might be able to repair their damage before the ZSD63 can reload!

Note that the default gun camera seems to be located between the guns, as a result when shooting at a target your vision will be mostly obstructed by the muzzle smoke. Some solutions include moving slightly away from the old spot to get out of the smoke, or use the "camera from gunner sight" option, although it may not be practical for other tanks.

Expect to go to allied cap zones more than most vehicles to replenish ammo and possibly another crew member.

'''Against the ZSD63:'''

'''Light tank/SPAA''': these vehicles are not well armoured (e.g. [[M24 (Family)|M24]]) so never expose yourself to a ZSD63, or you will get destroyed within a second. If you get the chance to fire at it, do not shoot the hull directly below the turret, as there is absolutely nothing there. Your shells will either over-penetrate without detonating, or explode inside with the shrapnel hitting next to nothing. Only target two sections: frontal hull and turret. These are the areas where there are crew inside. A few more shots might be needed if the shell fuse are not set off by the thin armour. For an SPAA (e.g. [[M16 MGMC]]) it will be easier, as all you have to do is spray bullets/shells at said parts until the ZSD63 is knocked out.

'''Medium tank/tank destroyer''': never rely on your armour even in a medium tank or tank destroyer. The ZSD's AP rounds have a maximum of 63 mm penetration which is enough to go through some weak spots of common tanks (e.g. [[Pz.IV F2]], [[M4A1]], [[StuG III F]]), even from the front! Since medium tanks do not have good mobility as lighter tanks and thus cannot manoeuvre around the ZSD quickly, it is crucial to ensure that it cannot fight back or cannot penetrate you. Angle your hull, target the above areas, but prioritise the turret. If you have add-on armour installed they might save your life now, for example the frontal hull armour of the Pz.IV F is 50 mm which can be penetrated by the ZSD's AP, but with an additional 20 mm tracks it becomes 70 mm, which is immune to its shells. Even a Sherman's weak side will be able to resist some fatal shells with a slight increase in its effective thickness (38 + ~20 = ~58 mm).

'''Heavy tank''': in a well-protected heavy tank such as [[T14]], you are safe to take some hits from a ZSD and not worry about a single shell going through, since most if not all heavy tanks' front/side armour is thicker than 63 mm. Target the same areas as said above. Note that heavy tanks are less mobile so the ZSD might manage to break your tracks and/or gun barrel. Prevent this by angling your hull and traversing it randomly, and swing your turret around randomly while you reload, this way the ZSD will waste quite some shells to follow up its target.

'''Aircraft''': with a plane against a ZSD, your best buddy is anything with big blast radius, like bombs and rockets. With them, you do not have to perform head-ons with a ZSD63, rather you can destroy it from far away and bank off early if your bomb drops or rockets are accurately aimed. Planes such as [[P-47D-28|P-47D]] and [[F6F-5|F6F]] are perfect for this role. The shrapnel can pierce through the ZSD's thin armour easily and knock out its crew members and/or modules. It is very not recommended to go head-on with a ZSD no matter how powerful your offensive weapons are. With the ZSD's great shell velocity, accuracy, trajectory, penetration and damage, the SPAA is able to put a spray of deadly 25 mm shells precisely in your flight path, and you cannot afford to take more than ~2 hits from its guns. However it has a really long reload time of around 30 seconds, so you can try strafing it if you think it fired around 40 shells.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

* [[R3 T20 FA-HS]]: This popular Italian vehicle should be a player's priority target to hunt, if playing in an anti tank mode. It is extremely fast on road and bears a very deadly 20 mm rapid-firing autocannon. With the high fire rate and great speed, it can appear at unexpected positions and easily finish the {{PAGENAME}} with a 2-second burst. To deal with it, the full AP belt is very handy. Aim at the front half of its hull and tap to fire single salvos, and the {{PAGENAME}} can knock out all of its crews quickly.
* [[Wirbelwind]]: this is another big threat. It has two types of AP belts, and both of them can penetrate the {{PAGENAME}}'s armour. Plus the good rate of fire and four barrels it can be equally deadly as the R3 T20. It also has better survivability in terms of hull armour and crew number: 80 mm of frontal armour means that the {{PAGENAME}}'s guns cannot penetrate it in a frontal encounter, while the rather spread out crew makes it harder to knock it out in time. Aim at its turret and wipe out all the turret crew to disarm it. Of course, aim at the hull side/rear if it's not facing the {{PAGENAME}} frontally.
* [[Ju 87 (Family)|Ju 87]], [[Bf 110 (Family)|Bf 110]], etc: utmost care should be taken when facing against bomb-equipped planes since even if they are considered destroyed, they can still drop their bombs around the {{PAGENAME}} which, given its weak armour, will likely result in the vehicle getting destroyed by the bombs. Common examples include the Ju 87 and Bf 110 series as they can carry bombs of up to 1,000 kg which is a huge threat. As mentioned above, find hard cover and point the hull sideways so the {{PAGENAME}} can quickly get away from the bombs.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent firepower against planes and light & medium tanks
* Extremely high rate of fire, making it deadly against any and all aircraft
* Great -10 degrees gun depression allows engagements in hilly terrain
* High top speed allows it to get to positions in time
* Thin armour can lead to some shells over-penetrating without detonation (e.g. 122 mm)
* Huge gap behind the driving compartment and below the turret can absorb shells
* Great gun sight magnification allows easy snipes from long range
* The fast elevation speed means there is a stabilisation effect at very low speeds

'''Cons:'''

* A rather long reload of at least 13 seconds
* High rate of fire can empty the magazine in 4 seconds
* Low magazine capacity (2 x 40 rounds) as well as low total ammunition capacity (only 480 rounds)
* Very poor survivability due to its light armour and open-topped turret with exposed crew
* Fuel tanks are easily set on fire
* High profile makes it easier to get spotted and shot at
* AP round is not powerful enough to penetrate heavy tanks even at point blank range

== History ==


The 装甲输送车 (Zhuangjia Shusong Che, Armoured Personnel Carrier) ZSD63 was China's first domestic armoured vehicle design. China initiated the work in 1958 with a prototype finished in 1960. It is also sometimes called the "Type 63", both a name system used to refer to Julian year of production start. The basic steel box design is simple and functional, designed for small arms protection and have all terrain operation with amphibious capabilities. Although it is a domestic Chinese design, the Soviet design influence is strongly visible. Thousands have been produced with hundreds sold to other countries making it one of the most successful military vehicles built.

This SPAA version mounts a turret on the roof armed with twin PG87 which is based on the Soviet ZU-23-2 23 mm autocannon which was modified to use domestically produced 25x183B 25 mm rounds. As the name suggests, this weapon was put in production in 1987 making for a retrofit of an approximately 23 year old chassis. This turret seems to be literally mounted on the roof, as there is no hole into the hull of the ZSD, likely an attempt to maintain is amphibious ability despite additional weight. In addition, a pair of extending feet for stabilization were added, but are not functional in-game. It is likely in real world operation the vehicle had to be stationary, feet planted, and crew externally passing the large and heavy ammo magazines to the loaders on top.

=== [[wt:en/news/6702-development-zsd-63-twin-barrel-mower-en|Devblog]] ===
During the 1980's, Chinese engineers finished developing a new dual 25 mm anti-aircraft turret, designated as the PG87. Intended to replace the outdated 37 mm anti-air cannons in service with the Chinese armed forces in the years prior, work on this replacement already began in the 1970s, but lacking interest and shifting priorities led to the development work being prolonged into the next decade.

Around the same time, the Chinese military was in dire need of a new mobile SPAA vehicle in order to successfully be able to carry out its air defense tasks. As no new vehicle could be developed in such short notice, the decision was made to convert existing Type 63 APC chassis into SPAAG's with the use of the newly developed PG87 anti-air turret.

The result of this undertaking was an SPAA variant of the Type 63 APC, which entered service with the Chinese military some time in the late 1980's and early 1990's. It's unknown exactly how many APC's were converted onto the SPAAG standard nor if the vehicle is still in active service today.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_zsd63_pg87 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

'''Images'''<gallery mode="packed" caption="Devblog Images" heights="150">
File:ZSD-63 WTWallpaper 01.jpg|
File:ZSD-63 WTWallpaper 02.jpg|
File:ZSD-63 WTWallpaper 03.jpg|
File:ZSD-63 WTWallpaper 04.jpg|
File:ZSD-63 WTWallpaper 05.jpg|
File:ZSD-63 WTWallpaper 06.jpg|
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|QAM5QTzjZLg|'''Spade Review: {{PAGENAME}}. A Powerful but limited AA''' - ''Joseph 2000''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Wirbelwind]]
* [[Crusader AA Mk II]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6702-development-zsd-63-twin-barrel-mower-en|[Devblog] ZSD63: twin-barrel mower]]
* [[wikipedia:Type_63_(armoured_personnel_carrier)|[Wikipedia] Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier)]]

{{TankManufacturer Norinco}}
{{China anti-aircraft vehicles}}

M4A1 (75) W (China)

2023-01-23T10:20:30Z

U119252054: Added to pros and cons

{{About
| about = medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other versions
| link-1 = M4 Sherman (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = M4 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_m4a1_76w_sherman
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

A somewhat unique Sherman variant, the M4A1 (75) W combines the hull and turret of the M4A1 (76) W with the earlier 75 mm gun, which means it has a more armoured turret than the other Shermans at the same BR, but the M4A1 hull presents large weak spots. This combined with its good gun depression means it is very effective when in a hull-down position.

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

The armour layout of the M4A1 (75) W is identical to that of the [[M4A1 (76) W]], turret- and hull-wise. Taking out a M4A1 (75) W is not a difficult task to do for most cannons it will face. It can take a few hits from Panzer IIIs that are equipped with the [[KwK39 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK39 cannon]], Shermans equipped with the [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3 cannon]] and T-34s and KV-1s equipped with the [[L-11 (76 mm)|76 mm L-11 cannon]] that will have a difficulty to reliably penetrate the M4A1 (75) W's armour. Meanwhile most guns above its BR will penetrate the armour with ease. However, even up-gunned tanks can have a hard time penetrating it with the sloped armour the M4A1 models are shaped with.

'''Armour type:'''

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 63.5 mm (40-62°) ''Front glacis'' 63.5 mm (16-59°) ''Transmission housing'' || 38.1 mm || 38.1 mm (17°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm (16-52°) ''Bottom'' || 19.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 63.5 mm (0-51°) ''Turret front'' 88.9 mm (5-19°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 63.5 mm (1-20°) || 63.5 mm (0-57°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || 63.5 mm || 63.5 mm || 63.5 mm || 25.4 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Front armour slope not even, lower part is weaker than top.
* Belly armour is 25.4 mm thick.

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


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

The {{PAGENAME}} has got a decent speed of 38 km/h (42 km/h AB), with a relative bad acceleration that makes it an easy prey for enemy vehicles when it have just started its movement. The reverse speed of 4 km/h (5 km/h AB) would make it important to not peek too much outside of cover. Even though it have a relative bad acceleration, it can still move its hull relative fast to throw off incoming shells. The narrow tracks on the tank gives it a hard time to get a good grip on soft soil when in movement, making movement more efficient when on solid ground or road when wanting to move it around.

=== 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" | 71 || 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 ====
{| 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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''71''' || 66 ''(+5)'' || 31 ''(+40)'' || 1 ''(+70)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear from the rack after having been shot or loaded.

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

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 576 || -10°/+30° || ±60°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


Similar to the other 75 mm Shermans, the M4A1 (75) W has a good gun that can take out most opponents even when uptiered. The tank can handle itself against enemies, but it's never a problem to work with your team in it, cover your allies when they are moving forward. The M4A1 (75) W's vertical stabilizer allows it to aim during stops or at low speed, providing a major advantage in engagements with other medium tanks, though other Shermans and some US and British tanks also have access to one. While rival M4 tanks would not be a threat to a seasoned player, they can prove a nuisance to beginners.

The M4A1 (75) W has effective frontal armour for most common enemies you will face in a downtier, but the armour is relative weak against enemies in an uptier. Enemies that should be prioritized in deadliness are mainly tank destroyers since their guns will easily penetrate the M4A1's armour.

When facing these dangerous enemies, it is best to move around them and flank their sides, especially since vehicles like the Jagdpanzer IV or SU-85 have strong sloped armour that makes the 75 mm M3 inefficient against the front plate.

===Against the M4A1 (75) W ===
'''Light tank/SPAA''' - Light vehicles with below-average penetration may struggle to fight an M4A1 frontally. Take advantage of weak spots: the hull side armour at the front wraps into the upper front plate, forming a visible and thin triangular section on each side right above the front sprocket wheel. It is only 38 mm thick like the side and is much thinner than the front plate, so as long as a round has ~55 mm penetration, it can penetrate them and knock out some crew. The top of the upper front plate has the thin hull roof wrap down, allowing for easy penetration. The spherical hull MG has thin armour, but is hard to hit, and its shape can cause ricochets, but penetrating this area guarantees a crew kill. SPAAs, with their rapid-firing autocannons, will make short work of the thin side armour by firing long bursts across the entire side if it is exposed. Other than these areas, the M4A1 is quite sturdy, with a strong front plate and turret.

'''Medium tanks/Heavy tanks''' - For medium and heavy tanks, the above weak spots are even easier to exploit. Some might be wanting to shoot the turret, but American turrets are popular for their sturdiness. Although the thickness of the turret front is 63 mm, the gun mantlet, covering most of the turret front, is actually 88 mm with slight angles. There are also thick framing around the gun barrel and the edge of the mantlet that can go up to 300 mm in thickness. Therefore for common medium tanks with average cannons, it is best to avoid the mantlet from the front. If you face an M4A1 that's hull-down, you can shoot the front turret roof with APHE, which despite its angling is still thin and can be easily penetrated.

'''Tank destroyers''' - These vehicles with more powerful guns can generally easily penetrate the M4A1's hull. If you are to fire at the turret front, avoid the edges of the gun mantlet and the surroundings of the gun barrel, as the armour there is much thicker.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

[[M4A2]]/[[M4A4 (1st PTG)|A4]] - These Sherman tanks are widely used by over 3 nations that spread across both the Allied and the Axis side, so no matter which nation you play they can be quite tough to destroy in the hands of a skilled tanker. Given the rather weak penetration of your short 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 bulges on the upper front plate, a penetration through there is a guaranteed kill most of the times. 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 (ZiS-5)]] - While the [[KV-1 (L-11)|L-11]] is underpowered, the [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|ZiS-5]] is potent enough to punch through the Sherman's front, and the Sherman is unable to penetrate the KV-1's thick armour especially with its add-on armour plates. If this heavy tank is encountered and it's angling the hull, you can aim at the gun breech as its flat armour can be somewhat reliably penetrated. If it is directly facing you, you can shoot at the driver's port or hull mg to easily take out the entire crew. Take advantage of your stabilizer to fire before the KV-1.

[[Churchill I]], [[Churchill III]], [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)|Pz.Kpfw. Churchill]] - The Churchills, with their complex hulls and sturdy turrets, can be quite hard to kill 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, go for the turret as their big tracks can easily get in front of the frontal hull. . For the Mk I Churchills, aim at the flattest part of their rounded cheeks to ensure successful penetrations. For the Mk III and the German Churchill, shoot at the turret front or roof. The shell should go in easily and knock out most, if not all of the crew. If you are facing an unangled Churchill you can shoot the hull, as your shells can easily penetrate their flat front. The huge side hull is easily penetrated, but you should take care around the side doors and turret rear, as they can be quite thick.

[[Pz.IV (Family)|Pz.IV G, H and J]] - The historical nemesis of the Sherman, the later Panzer IVs are one of the Sherman's more serious threats at this rank. The long barrel 75 mm gun will easily penetrate the Sherman from the front. However their flat armour allows them to easily be penetrated in return. Under 500 m, the front and turret are easily penetrated, but after that, it is advised to aim for the turret.

[[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. 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 are big weak spots, two flat plates at the front and thin front sides. The right side contains the driver gunner and commander, while the left contains the ammo and loader, shooting either of them will easily knock it out with a single shot.

[[R3 T20 FA-HS]] - This speedy wheeled vehicle can circle around you with ease and take out all your crew with its fast-firing autocannon. In a close encounter, never expose your side to it, and do not even angle your hull. Face your hull directly to the R3, as angling it will only expose your frontal weak spots. You can use your HMG to easily kill the R3 with its good penetration and rate of fire.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Sloped hull armour and thick frontal turret can deflect shells sometimes
* APCBC shell is effective against common opponents
* Vertical stabiliser allows the tank to fire on the move, or shoot first in a sudden encounter
* Quick turret traverse
* Fast reload
* Effective in rough terrain and hull-down positions due to its 10° gun depression and 90+ mm gun mantlet
* HMG can effectively damage light vehicles (R3 T20, VFW) or shoot down aircraft
* Wet ammo stowage reduces chance of being ammo-racked
* The thick side armour means that you can angle unlike most Shermans

'''Cons:'''

* Narrow tracks make it sluggish at turning
* Weak 38 mm side, even rank I vehicles can penetrate
* Gun has somewhat slow velocity and a curved trajectory. Makes it harder to aim at far targets
* High profile compared to other medium tanks
* Armour can't resist tanks like [[Pz.IV H]] or 76 mm Sherman
* The cast hull creates frontal weak spots with very little effective thickness, ie. the triangles between upper front plate and the side, and the curved hull hatches

== History ==


The armoured forces of the Republic of China Army, which were mainly equipped with Stuart light tanks and captured Japanese tanks, had repeatedly suffered defeats during the civil war. Major General Chiang Wei-kuo, Chief of staff of the Armored Forces Command at the time, sought out US military surplus materials, especially armoured vehicles and tanks from Guam, Ryukyu, Philippines and other theaters, in order to arm his units.

While purchasing and repairing surplus equipment from the US military, Chiang asked the British government to purchase 100 M4 Sherman medium tanks, communicating via the British Consul General in Taipei, C. Krentz. At the time, numerous excess tanks were being demilitarized in the scrapyards throughout Europe, and the Consul General eventually obtained export licenses for 85 of those scrapped tanks.

In the process of purchasing these used tanks, Krentz obtained the tank export permit under the cover of transporting them back to the United States for restoration, while in reality the tanks were heading for Taiwan through the Suez Canal. Since the U.S. refused to provide any form of military assistance to Republic of China at the time, the Office of Chinese Affairs of the US Department of State requested the British Foreign Office to revoke the export permit of those Sherman tanks and detain the rest. Despite the obstruction by the United States, a total of 30 M4 Sherman tanks were loaded and delivered, arriving in Kaohsiung Port on December 12, 1949.

The M4 Sherman tanks that arrived in Taiwan included 6 M4A1 (76) Ws mounted with D82081 turret, 2 M4A1 (76) Ws mounted with D50878 turret, and 22 M4A4 remanufacturing models. As these scrap tanks had been demilitarized and Taiwan lacked the ability to repair their 76 mm tank cannons, all M4A1 (76) W tanks were re-equipped with 75 mm cannons instead. This batch of M4 Sherman tanks was officially equipped by the Republic of China Armoured Corps in June 1950, and was inspected by President Chiang Kai-shek on November 8, 1950. After the first batch of M18 Hellcat tank destroyers from the United States arrived in Taiwan in 1952, all M4 Shermans in the ROCA Armoured Forces were retired from active service. One remaining M4A1 (75) W is currently on public display in Chenk-Kung Hill Camp, Taichung.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_m4a1_76w_sherman Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|-eKsbrt54hA|'''Spade Review, {{PAGENAME}}. A Hull down beast!''' - ''Joseph 2000''}}

== 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.''

{{TankManufacturer Ordnance Department}}
{{China medium tanks}}

M4 (105 mm)

2023-01-20T09:54:54Z

U119252054: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = tank cannon '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the aircraft-mounted cannon
| link-1 = M4 (37 mm)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = M4 (Disambiguation)
}}

== Description ==
''Write an introduction to the article in 2-3 small paragraphs. Briefly tell us about the history of the development and combat using the weaponry and also about its features. Compile a list of air, ground, or naval vehicles that feature this weapon system in the game.''

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|us_m4a3_105_sherman}}
* {{Specs-Link|fr_m4a3_105_sherman}}

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

=== Available 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
|-
| M1 shell || HE || 27 || 27 || 27 || 27 || 27 || 27
|-
| M67 shot || HEAT || 130 || 130 || 130 || 130 || 130 || 130
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| M1 shell || HE || 472 || 14.85 || 0 || 0.1 || 2,180 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M67 shot || HEAT || 381 || 13.14 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,610 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| M84 || 457 || 14.9 || 20 || 5 || 25 || 50
|-
|}

=== 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 ===
''Summarise and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.''

'''Pros:'''
* Stock HE round can often overpressure tanks at its rank
* HEAT round can both penetrate a lot of armour and overpressure

'''Cons:'''
*Long reload

== History ==
''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon 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 weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-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>.''

== 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 ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the weapon;''
* ''other literature.''

{{USA tank cannons}}
{{France tank cannons}}

[[Category:Tank cannons]]

M5A1

2022-12-16T09:55:10Z

U119252054: Added the paragraph on M63 to ammunition

{{About
| about = American light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|other
|usage-1 = other versions
|link-1 = M5 Stuart (Family)
|usage-2 = other uses
|link-2 = M5 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m5a1_stuart
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. An improvement over the earlier [[M3 Stuart|M3 Stuarts]] with better front sloping armour, it helps the light tank keep up to date with the evolving tanks of the time.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Lower glacis)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 28.5 mm (49°) ''Front glacis'' 63.5 mm (33-37°) ''Lower glacis'' || 28.5 mm || 28.5 mm (46°) ''Top'' 25.4 mm (1°) ''Middle'' 25.4 mm (20°) ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 44.4 mm (11-13°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 mm (2-43°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 31.75 mm (1°) || 31.75 mm (1°) || 12.7 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, bogies, and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Tracks are placed on the turret side and rear that can provide about 10 mm of extra armour.
* An extra 12.7 mm RHA metal plate is present on the right side of the turret near the pintle 7.62 mm machine gun.
* A 5 mm Structural steel box is present, mounted on the vehicle rear.

=== 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|M6 (37 mm)}}

The M5A1 Stuart is armed with a 37 mm cannon as its main armament, the same gun as the preceding M3A3. While being at 2.3, the gun still packs a fierce punch if aiming at the correct area and firing at the correct distance. It is a small calibre fast-firing gun with a maximum penetration of 84 mm at 100 m (M51B1 shell), being able to penetrate most of the opponents it will face. The penetration power and gun accuracy drop a lot beyond 500 m and become unreliable past 700 m. The gun is equipped with a vertical stabiliser, giving the M5A1 Stuart a huge advantage in some cases as you can fire precisely while moving, but keep in mind that it activates only when the tank is driving under 10 km/h.

While it lacks the post-penetration damage to disable most enemies in one shot, it can quickly finish them off with its fast reload. Knowledge of enemy vehicle layouts is essential with ammunition lacking post-penetration explosive damage. Make sure to target modules and crew positions to maximise the damage. Disabling the enemy gunner on your first shot will be critical to win engagements as you'll most likely need several shots to destroy an enemy vehicle.

The M63 SAPHEI acts as a very weak APHE, penetrating a small amount of armour before exploding. This may remedy the lack of post-penetration damage, however the weak penetration will always be a problem. You may want to pack a few of these shells if you intend to patrol flanks, where meeting lightly armoured tanks is likely.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 147 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 16 km/h}} || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.47 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M74B1 || AP || 79 || 76 || 65 || 54 || 45 || 37
|-
| M63 shell || SAPHEI || 32 || 31 || 26 || 21 || 16 || 13
|-
| M51B1 || APCBC || 87 || 84 || 73 || 60 || 50 || 41
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| M74B1 || AP || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M63 shell || SAPHEI || 792 || 0.73 || 1.2 || 9 || 38 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M51B1 || APCBC || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''147''' || 135 ''(+12)'' || 111 ''(+36)'' || 56 ''(+91)'' || 1 ''(+146)'' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* 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 M5A1 Stuart has two 7.62 mm M1919A4 machine guns, one being coaxial to the main gun and the other roof mounted on the right side of the turret. The two machine guns can quickly incapacitate the exposed crews on some vehicles or do some serious damage to those low-passing planes. However it lacks the ability to effectively damage even lightly armoured vehicles due to its low penetration of only 10 mm.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 3,000 (250) || 500 || -10°/+70° || ±60°
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The M5A1 Stuart preserves the Rank I style of fighting. With very good mobility and fast reload, the light tank can speed to an optimal position on the enemy's side and riddle them with the 37 mm cannon. It is recommended to attack from the flanks as the weak armour on the Stuart makes it vulnerable to the newer enemy guns that can penetrate the armour with ease.

With the fast reloading 37 mm cannon, the M5A1 Stuart can deliver some good-hitting rounds if shooting at the flank at the enemies. A frontal engagement is possible but detrimental as Stuart's thin armour makes any incoming shot lethal. If coming up to heavily armoured vehicles like the [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]], load the M74B1 AP round for maximum penetration. In the case the M5A1 does come across a KV-1, the recommended course of action to take it out is to get in a point-blank range and fire at the turret ring or engine rear, otherwise, there is no way for the Stuart's 37 mm to penetrate the armour.

With its weak overall armour, most enemies are able to penetrate the M5A1 Stuart. A specific concern should be to vehicles with a high rate of fire weaponry such as the SPAA, which might be able to penetrate through weak points around the Stuart with enough effort. Enemies with strong shells like the [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV]] with it's short 75 mm and its HEAT rounds could also destroy the Stuart with ease.

With its speed and relatively small size, as well as the ability to scout, the Stuart can be used as a reconnaissance vehicle. Even if you cannot penetrate heavily armoured opponents, you can help your allies by scouting the opposing tanks. This, combined with its decent firepower, makes the Stuart an amazing scout vehicle.

=== Enemies worth noting ===

* '''Sd.Kfz.234 family''': When your opposite team has Germany, you might want to reconsider the option of capping a point straight away, since the German Sd.Kfz.234 series are very likely to be there first. The [[Sd.Kfz.234/2]] (also known as the Puma) is a turreted 8-wheel vehicle with a small profile, extremely high on-road speed and a powerful 50 mm gun. But it cannot turn in place, has a very slow turret traverse and only 8 mm of side hull armour, so a good tactic is to circle with it and utilise your rather quick turret traverse and fast reload. In an intense tank "dogfight", you want to aim with the greatest care, as your 37 mm shells won't do much damage, so even a slight miss will result in the failure of knocking out the enemies' crew. The [[Sd.Kfz.234/3]] and [[Sd.Kfz.234/4]], although being equally deadly, are turretless. You can use some quick turns to avoid their guns or tear through the thin armour plate protecting their gunners with your 7.62 mm MG. Note that the penetration of the MG isn't great, so aim for their side armour.
* [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]] (all variants). The M5 can sometimes face the T-34 tank. They possess 76 mm cannons that fire APHE rounds with massive amounts of explosive filler - disabling the Stuart in one shot most of the time. The T-34s are also very mobile and will often be the first medium tanks to get to the battlefield. To boot they have very strong frontal armour, the UFP is immune to the 37 mm M6 carried by the M5A1. Against those foes, try to shoot at their weaker sides. If a head-on encounter is inevitable, the driver's hatch can be exploited, knocking out the driver, gunner, and often the engine, leaving the enemy completely debilitated, easy to finish off. The turret cheeks can also be exploited on the 1940 and '41 models. The turret ring should be targeted on the '42 and '43 models.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High top speed, good acceleration especially on flat terrain
* Better handling than its predecessors, quick turning speeds
* Sloped armour can deflect some shots from small calibre projectiles
* Good rate of fire
* Gun can penetrate most tanks of this rank
* Can quickly rotate in place while not in forward or reverse motion
* Roof mounted .30 cal is useful for engaging aircraft
* Has access to scouting ability

'''Cons:'''

* Crew of four leaving one spare, vehicle efficiency decreases after the spare crew is used up
* Exposed engine and fuel tank, prone to fires
* As with the American 37 mm cannons, AP rounds does not contain HE filler
* AP Shots often fail to fragment when penetrating other vehicles
* Relatively tall for a light tank, a challenge to find adequate defensive positions
* 37 mm cannon has low penetration which makes it difficult to fight enemy tanks at its BR
* Little armour; can easily be penetrated by enemy tanks
* Although armour is better than the the previous Stuarts, its at an higher battle rating meaning plenty more vehicles can penetrate it
* Weighs three more tons than its predecessor, noticeably slower acceleration

== History ==

===Development===
The American light tank design prior to World War II, the [[M2A4|M2 light tank]], was seen as obsolete after observing Germany's Panzer forces tear through Europe. The design was to be upgraded with more armour, a better suspension, and a new gun recoil system. The revised version was designated the '''[[M3 Stuart|Light Tank M3]]''', and given the name '''"General Stuart"''' by the British, which becomes part of the name. At its basis, the light tank had a 37 mm cannon with a similar layout as the M2 light tank, with the radial engine at the rear and the transmission on the front, though the radial engine was in high demand so the Guiberson diesel T-1210 were fitted in some models to substitute the engine. The design used the VVSS bogie system seen on previous American tank designs. The tank had a crew of four: driver, assistant driver, gunner, and commander, who doubled as the loader.

The first variant of the M3 Stuart light tank was very similar to the M2 light tanks. It had five machine gun armaments scattered around like the M2 but featured better armour and a better cannon with the 37 mm M6 cannon. The design did not have a turret basket for the crew and it was constructed out of rivets, which increased the chance of spalling in the tank. Nevertheless, the first variant M3 saw about 5,811 units produced. The second variant, the '''[[M3A1 Stuart|Light Tank M3A1 Stuart]]''', featured a new turret with no cupola on it, plus an added gun stabilizer. The machine guns on the hull sides were removed, so now the total machine guns were reduced from five to three. The design also featured a welded armour design to remove the weakness of riveted armour. 4,621 of this variant was produced from May 1942 to February 1943. The most used variant, the [[M5A1 (5th arm.div.)|'''Light Tank M5A1 Stuart''',]] had a completely redesigned hull and turret, with the hull most notably having a full sloping frontal armour than the previous designs. This variant had about 6,810 units produced. All in all, the Stuart light tank design and its variants were produced in massive quantities from March 1941 to October 1943 with a total of 25,000 units produced.

===Combat usage===
The British were the first to use the M3 Stuart in Africa in 1941, using it in Operation Crusader. However, the result ended with heavy losses, due to the better training the German Afrika Korps had compared to the British tank doctrine. The encounter also pointed out many flaws in the Stuart, mainly the cramped interior and limited operational range, but was praised for its high mobility and reliability when compared to the British contemporary designs. In 1942, the Stuarts were generally kept as recon units rather than combat units, and some were even modified to improve speed and range by removing the turret, and others were converted to armoured personnel carriers and command vehicles. Though the British used it extensively, it was still in small proportion compared to American usage. The Soviet Union was also another user of the Stuart tanks but found it unfavourable due to their own logistics, plus it was not made to withstand the Russian ''Rasputitsa'' or even the winter. The Soviet eventually turned down any more offers for the Stuart by 1943. The Stuarts also supported the British and Chinese forces in Asia against the Japanese Army, and also France and Yugoslavia in Europe against the German Wehrmacht.

The Americans used it widely in both operational theatres. In the Pacific, the Stuarts were the first tanks America used in a tank vs. tank operation against the Imperial Japanese Army, where five M3s fought Type 95 Ha-Gos in the Phillippines. Though the Stuarts were newer than the Japanese tank designs by about five years, they were seen as equal in performance and firepower, but the Stuart benefited by the support of the American industry arm. The Stuarts served in the Pacific slightly better than its heavier counterparts such as the [[M4|M4 Shermans]] due to its lighter weight and manoeuvrability in the poor jungle terrain, but the Stuarts in the Pacific were gradually replaced by M4 Shermans. In Europe, the Stuarts formed a large part of the American tank battalions, though following the British path by sidelining the Stuarts from combat duties after heavy losses and to serve alongside Shermans as scouting units. A typical tank battalion for the US Army consisted of three companies of Shermans and one of the Stuarts. The Stuarts, other than scouting, were also used in cavalry roles and infantry support since their cannon are unable to compete with the German tank designs. Despite their dwindling capabilities in battle, the Stuart was kept in service up until the end of the war due to the large production numbers.

After World War II, the Stuarts were given out as cheap surplus, countries such as China, India, and Pakistan picked up a few and used them in their conflicts. Portuguese also picked up a few Stuarts for the war in Angola, and the South African Corps continued using the Stuarts until 1955, where some were still kept in service until 1968 due to available parts. Today, Paraguay is still a user of the Stuart light tanks, though as the only tracked armour used in the country.

The Stuart light tank design was also quite versatile that it was made into different variants for different roles on the battlefield. It served as an infantry support vehicle as to the ''[[M8A1|75mm GMC M8]]'' and experiments were also taken to see if it could be adapted to an anti-aircraft gun and a flamethrower as well. However, the Stuarts were becoming an ageing design with inferior armour, cramped interior layout, and a small 37 mm gun, so a program to replace the light tank began in 1943 and became the [[M24|M24 Chaffee]], which would eventually replace the Stuarts mostly after World War II.

{{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}}
In November 1942 the M5 Stuart light tank was outfitted with an M3A3 turret, resulting in the Stuart series' final modification. The bulwark was made standard, different from the M5, and a safety hatch was added to the hull floor in addition to a new periscope in the turret. The tank commander got a second turret rotator and the ability to control the turret separately from the gunner. Late model M5A1s were characterized by armoured cover for the anti-aircraft gun emplacement and an equipment case on the back of the hull. In addition, stamped weight-bearing rollers began to be used in the running gear.

M5A1s were produced by Cadillac and American Car & Foundry (beginning in September 1943). By June 1944 a total of 6,810 had been made, making the M5A1 modification the most popular.

At the time of the Normandy invasion the US army primarily used M5A1s, though it was difficult for them to get through the Normandy hedges. Even equipped with special hedge-clearing equipment, light tanks often got stuck due to their under-powered engines, making them easy prey for German anti-tank guns. Thinner than on medium tanks, their armour made them especially vulnerable to panzerfausts. The battles of summer 1944 saw heavy losses in light tank companies. The casualty rate decreased during the fall somewhat, primarily because they played a lesser role and division commanders tried to keep them out of battles where they might face stronger opponents. In contrast to the Americans, the British used M3A3s and even M3A1s in addition to the M5A1 in Europe. They predominantly played a reconnaissance and command role.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=light_tank&vehicle=us_m5a1_stuart Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|1yg1DAEbG8A|'''The Stuart Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:46 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|Fp_bu-8bAmM|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[M2A2]]{{-}}[[M2A4 (1st Arm.Div.)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/701|[Devblog] Steel Generals: M5A1]]
* [[wikipedia:M3_Stuart|[Wikipedia] M3 Stuart]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M5_stuart.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Light Tank M5 Stuart]

{{USA light tanks}}

M5A1 (China)

2022-12-16T09:54:17Z

U119252054: Added the paragraph on M63 to ammunition

{{About
| about = light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|other
|usage-1 = other versions
|link-1 = M5 Stuart (Family)
|usage-2 = other uses
|link-2 = M5 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_m5a1_stuart
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

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

The frontal armour on the ␗M5A1 Stuart is pretty tough for a light tank, with sloped 28 mm on the front of the hull, and a large, 50 mm thick gun mantlet covering up most of its frontal turret. When angled correctly, hull down or at a distance it can bounce off quite a few shots. However it can still be easily penetrated by average guns on its BR. From the front the 4 crews are sitting pretty close together, thus making it highly possible to get one-shot by shells with explosives like the Soviet 45 mm AP or the German short 75 mm APHE. The transmission and the engine are all quite small and low, and the ammoracks are also small, reducing the chance of being immobile or ammoracked. There is also an empty area under the turret crews and in front of the driving compartment, which will absorb those shells with weak damage.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Lower glacis)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 28.5 mm (49°) ''Front glacis'' 63.5 mm (33-37°) ''Lower glacis'' || 28.5 mm || 28.5 mm (46°) ''Top'' 25.4 mm (1°) ''Middle'' 25.4 mm (20°) ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 44.4 mm (11-13°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 mm (2-43°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 31.75 mm (1°) || 31.75 mm (1°) || 12.7 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, bogies, and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Tracks are placed on the turret side and rear that can provide about 10 mm of extra armour.
* An extra 12.7 mm RHA metal plate is present on the right side of the turret near the pintle 7.62 mm machine gun.
* A 5 mm Structural steel box is present, mounted on the vehicle rear.

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


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

One of the best aspects of the ␗M5A1 Stuart is its superior mobility. It has a top speed of 56 km/h and doesn't lose too much speed off road, even on soft terrain, making it one of the fastest tanks at the BR alongside with the famous BT series tanks. The tracks are quite large and grant you excellent mobility on hard road (solid ground, roads, eg in Advance to the Rhine, Berlin), medium surface (grassland, eg in Fire Arc, Poland) and soft terrain (mud, snow, sand, eg in Sinai, Frozen Pass).

As it benefits from regenerative steering, turning on the spot with the M3A3 Stuart (China) is easier than for most tanks at the same BR. Regenerative steering consists in letting the unsolicited track rotate when the tank is turning instead of locking it. The hull is also short and wide enough, allowing it to turn agilely. However the reverse speed is average: it will not get you out of a dangerous situation quickly but isn't a handicap either. The ␗M5A1 Stuart reaches 18 km/h when fording and 16 km/h when driving uphill.

While its high speed is an advantage, it can turn into a disadvantage when manoeuvring at high speed: the ␗M5A1 Stuart, just like the previous M3A3, will start skidding uncontrollably if you take a sharp turn. Be aware of this before rushing towards the frontline: limit your maximum speed, know the terrain and anticipate the braking phases.

The acceleration is also so powerful that it causes you hull to rock back and forth during acceleration or braking phases. This effect is however nullified by the gun stabilizer when driving under 10 km/h.

Light and medium obstacles (fences, posts, bushes and small trees) are not a problem for the ␗M5A1 Stuart but large obstacles will reduce your mobility: avoid them.

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

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

{{main|M6 (37 mm)}}

The M5A1 Stuart is armed with a 37 mm cannon as its main armament, the same gun as the preceding M3A3. While being at 2.3, the gun still packs a fierce punch if aiming at the correct area and firing at the correct distance. It is a small calibre fast-firing gun with a maximum penetration of 84 mm at 100 m (M51B1/B2 shell), being able to penetrate most of the opponents it will face. The penetration power and gun accuracy drop a lot beyond 500 m and become unreliable past 700 m. The gun is equipped with a vertical stabiliser, giving the M5A1 Stuart a huge advantage in some cases as you can fire precisely while moving, but keep in mind that it activates only when the tank is driving under 10 km/h.

While it lacks the post-penetration damage to disable most enemies in one shot, it can quickly finish them off with its fast reload. Knowledge of enemy vehicle layouts is essential with ammunition lacking post-penetration explosive damage. Make sure to target modules and crew positions to maximise the damage. Disabling the enemy gunner on your first shot will be critical to win engagements as you'll most likely need several shots to destroy an enemy vehicle.

The M63 SAPHEI acts as a very weak APHE, penetrating a small amount of armour before exploding. This may remedy the lack of post-penetration damage, however the weak penetration will always be a problem. You may want to pack a few of these shells if you intend to patrol flanks, where meeting lightly armoured tanks is likely.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 147 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 16 km/h}} || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.47 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M74B1 || AP || 79 || 76 || 65 || 54 || 45 || 37
|-
| M63 shell || SAPHEI || 32 || 31 || 26 || 21 || 16 || 13
|-
| M51B1 || APCBC || 87 || 84 || 73 || 60 || 50 || 41
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| M74B1 || AP || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M63 shell || SAPHEI || 792 || 0.73 || 1.2 || 9 || 38 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M51B1 || APCBC || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_M5A1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the M5A1 (identical).]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''147''' || 135 ''(+12)'' || 111 ''(+36)'' || 56 ''(+91)'' || 1 ''(+146)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* 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 M5A1 Stuart has two 7.62 mm M1919A4 machine guns, one being coaxial to the main gun and the other roof mounted on the right side of the turret. The two machine guns can quickly incapacitate the exposed crews on some vehicles or do some serious damage to those low-passing planes. However it lacks the ability to effectively damage even lightly armoured vehicles due to its low penetration of only 10 mm.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 3,000 (250) || 500 || -10°/+70° || ±60°
|-
| Coaxial || 3,500 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The M5A1 Stuart preserves the Rank I style of fighting. With very good mobility and fast reload, the light tank can speed to an optimal position on the enemy's side and riddle them with the 37 mm cannon. It is recommended to attack from the flanks as the weak armour on the Stuart makes it vulnerable to the newer enemy guns that can penetrate the armour with ease.

With the fast reloading 37 mm cannon, the M5A1 Stuart can deliver some good-hitting rounds if shooting at the flank at the enemies. A frontal engagement is possible but detrimental as Stuart's thin armour makes any incoming shot lethal. If coming up to heavily armoured vehicles like the [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]], load the M74B1 AP round for maximum penetration. In the case the M5A1 does come across a KV-1, the recommended course of action to take it out is to get in a point-blank range and fire at the turret ring or engine rear, otherwise, there is no way for the Stuart's 37 mm to penetrate the armour.

With its weak overall armour, most enemies are able to penetrate the M5A1 Stuart. A specific concern should be to vehicles with a high rate of fire weaponry such as the SPAA, which might be able to penetrate through weak points around the Stuart with enough effort. Enemies with strong shells like the [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV]] with it's short 75 mm and its HEAT rounds could also destroy the Stuart with ease.

'''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 pen, which is enough to go through the ␗M5A1 Stuart 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, 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.

It is likely that the M5 will encounter some rough heavies, like the [[Matilda III]] and the [[B1 bis]]. The best tactic against these types of targets is to use the ␗M5A1 Stuart's fast speed, get within 200 m from them and attack, with shooting at point-blank range being the most effective way. Before conducting an attack, check the ␗M5A1 Stuart's and the enemy's surroundings to make sure no one will ambush the ␗M5A1 Stuart. While charging, use the ␗M5A1 Stuart's quick turns to suddenly change direction to avoid being shot if they are aiming and firing at the ␗M5A1 Stuart. Once the tank is at the ideal distance, manoeuvre so that the gun is vertical to their armour. Do not shoot if the enemy is angling! The small calibre 37 mm gun is very likely to bounce off or not penetrate against sloped armour.

For the Matilda III, shoot at the middle of the near-vertical frontal plate to knock out the driver first, since the 37 mm shell is not enough to knock out the gunner after penetrating. Once it is immobile, go to its side and finish it by shooting its hull sides. Or, shoot the right side of the gun mantlet to disable its gunner. For best chance of penetration, do not shoot its turret side.

For the B1, either aim for the near-vertical frontal armour plate at the right side of the hull, or the turret ring to incapacitate the commander/gunner, or simply move to its side and knock out the crews one by one by hitting its flat side armour.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High top speed, good acceleration especially on flat terrain
* Better handling than it's predecessors, quick turning speeds
* Sloped armour can deflect some shots from small calibre projectiles
* Good rate of fire
* Gun can penetrate most tanks of this rank
* Can quickly rotate in place while not in forward or reverse motion
* Roof mounted 30.cal is useful for engaging aircraft

'''Cons:'''

* Crew of four leaving one spare, vehicle efficiency decreases after the spare crew is used up
* Exposed engine and fuel tank, prone to fires
* As with the American 37 mm cannons, AP rounds does not contain HE filler
* AP Shots often fail to fragment when penetrating other vehicles
* Relatively tall for a light tank, a challenge to find adequate defensive positions

== History ==

{{main|M5A1#History|l1=History of the M5A1}}

=== In ROCA service ===
After the acquisition of M3 Stuart tanks for the Burma Theatre, the ROCA has already gotten their hands on them with good handling and sufficient firepower to take down Japanese tanks. M5A1 tanks spread over the former Pacific Theatre, left by US forces then come into ROCA eyes as a supplement for them, after the tides of Chinese Civil War turned in favour of the PLA and the severe loss of M3 Stuarts. The exact detail of the deal was not recorded, it was only known that Chiang Ching-Kuo (蔣經國, son of Chiang Kai-Shek, second leader of Nationalist Taiwan before the end of martial law in late 1980s) handled this deal in 1947, later in 1948 CKS himself bought additional M5A1s and deployed them in Mainland China. Those spare tanks bought by CCK were then shipped to Shanghai to assemble tanks with the spare parts. The 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment of the ROCA Armored Corps managed to assemble 24 M5A1s and these were soon shipped to Taiwan Island in view of the total lost of Mainland China <ref>http://blog.udn.com/YST2000/3306840</ref>

=== Battle of Gu'ningtou ===
Gu'ningtou (古寧頭) is a waterfront area at the Northwestern corner of the Kinmen Island just off-coast of Xiamen, the closest Nationalist-controlled area to Mainland China, and it is also the place where the M5A1 gained its name in Taiwan. Those reassembled M5A1s were then deployed on Kinmen in view of landing operations from the PLA. On 24/10/1949, 3 PLA battalions with around 9,100 troops started their assault on Kinmen. The landing operation was discovered by the 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment, ROCA. Xiong Zhenqiu (熊震球, 2/3/1931-25/12/2020), a gunner on one of the 3 M5A1s on-shore shot the first shell of the battle. Due to the lack of support and anti-armour weaponry, PLA landing forces were either destroyed or captured by ROCA, marking the first loss for the PLA during the Taiwan Strait conflicts. One of these M5A1s from this unit, numbered 66, was then dubbed "The Bear of Kinmen" (金門之熊) and was preserved at the local memorial hall as the statue of victory.

Soon after the battle and the arrival of new M24 Chaffees and M41A1/A2 Walker Bulldogs, the M5A1s were withdrawn from the frontline.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_m5a1_stuart Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|1yg1DAEbG8A|'''The Stuart Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:46 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

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

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

== External links ==


=== References ===
<references />

{{TankManufacturer Ordnance Department}}
{{China light tanks}}

M42 (China)

2022-12-16T09:49:30Z

U119252054: Added to ammunition section

{{About
| about = SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other usages
| link-1 = M42 (Disambiguation)
| usage-2 = other vehicles of the family
| link-2 = M42 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_m42_duster
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese SPAA {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.95 "Northern Wind"]].

The Chinese M42 Duster is identical to the US version. Compared to other SPAA vehicles (like the [[Phòng không T-34]], [[Wirbelwind]], [[M16 MGMC|Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M16]], etc...), the M42 is typically regarded as one of the less effective AAs, due to its very exposed crew and mediocre rate of fire of 120 rounds per minute.

If used as a light tank, the M42 does not have the armour to stand up directly to many of the other vehicles which it will face on the battlefield, especially against tanks which may fire high-explosive shells. The Duster will fare better against machine gun fire and potentially against some of the lighter autocannon fire which it may encounter, though not for long. Due to the M42's lightweight nature, it is best to stay around cover to help shield the Duster. It is also essential to only expose the vehicle when necessary to get a shot. If discovered, it is best to have a contingency location to which to fall back and regroup.

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

Armour may as well be non-existent on the M42. Built off the chassis of the [[M41A1|M41 Walker Bulldog]], the SPAA can be penetrated by anything in the game, except for those few tanks armed with only machine guns, of course. In this tank, speed is your armour. A stationary Duster is a scrapped Duster unless you're firing on an aircraft, in which you should stop behind some cover.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12.7 mm (33°) ''Front glacis'' 25.7 mm (39°) ''Bottom glacis'' || 12.7 mm || 12.7 mm ''Top'' 19 mm ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 12.7 mm || 8 mm || 8 mm || N/A
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=710|rbMinHp=442}}

This tank can go about 72 km/h forwards and -20 km/h backwards. Either way, it's fast. Being built with neutral steering and lighter than the M41A1. It should take no difficulty to get out of a situation in a pinch.

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

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

{{main|Dual Automatic Gun M2 (40 mm)}}

The M42 Duster is armed with two 40 mm anti-aircraft guns. They have a decent rate of fire and you will seldom have to stop and wait for a reload - more likely, you'll have to wait for the gun barrel to cool down. Against aircraft, these guns are deadly. A shot or two will be more than enough to shoot down an enemy. They are also quite deadly against lightly armoured vehicles, such as enemy SPAAs or light tanks such as the [[Ru 251|Spähpanzer Ru 251]] or [[M41A1|M41 Walker Bulldog]], and you can penetrate the side of [[Panther A|Panthers]], too. However, they require direct hits. Against the Soviet heavy or British medium tanks you are likely to encounter, however these guns will do nothing for you. You will rarely get an opportunity to use the Bofors on another tank, as they simply lack the penetration to do so - 72 mm doesn't get you very far at Rank IV. If you can get the guns to hit, you should have no trouble knocking aircraft out of the sky.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Dual Automatic Gun M2 (40 mm)|40 mm Dual Automatic Gun M2]] (x2) || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 480 (8) || rowspan="2" | 120 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+85° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A ||35.22||48.75||59.20||65.47||69.65|| rowspan="2" | 0.65 || rowspan="2" | 0.58 || rowspan="2" | 0.53 || rowspan="2" | 0.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.80 || 28.00 || 34.00 || 37.60 || 40.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|FI-T*|Fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These work fine, a hit on an aircraft means instant disassembly for it and still is able to hurt ground vehicles, especially if it is side into the side of a enemy tank.
* '''Mk.II:''' {{Annotation|FI-T*|Fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These mean bad news for aircraft, what should be used for AA work.
* '''M81A1:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}} - These are the worst belts against airplanes. However, they are able to hurt ground vehicles especially if shot into the side of an enemy tank. If you plan on penetrating tanks, load this and flank, since side shots are almost a necessity.

A note on the ammunition; since the reload speed is so fast, it is very easy to switch between belts even in combat, so taking a mix of Mk.II and M81A1 for more specialised use instead of default for multi-purpose is probably a better idea
{| 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]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_M42.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the M42 Duster.]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''60''' || 50 ''(+10)'' || 38 ''(+22)'' || 14 ''(+46)'' || 2 ''(+58)'' || Yes
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


This tank has no armour, but a lot of speed and guns that do nothing against anything with actual armour. Refrain from attacking enemies that can take a hit from you, unless you like getting "Hit +10SL +5RP". You can roam around the battlefield with your insane speed and act as a scout. Ironically, shooting enemies you know will bounce, you have a reason for it because it makes them show up on the mini-map for all players to see, although it will also expose you. However, you could stay with your teammates and shoot down planes that will be harassing them - they will see you, with your open-top and exposed crew, and think of you as an easy target. They know the danger of the Bofors guns but for some pilots that is a gamble, they are willing to take. A good way to lure planes toward you is the act like you don't see them - shoot off at some distant (ground) target, at which the plane will notice you are "distracted" and dive to attack you, where you can show them the error of their ways in the form of the 40 mm Bofors cannon.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 40 mm cannons are devastating to planes
* AP rounds able to penetrate roughly 60 mm can be used against some tanks' side armour it could face, like the [[M4]], [[Chi-Ri II]] or [[Panther A]]/[[Panther D|D]]
* Unsynchronized firing helps improve overall fire rate
* Outside from default belts, the other belt options are made of a single type of shell that can be relied on
* Relatively fast vehicle with good mobility due to the [[M41A1]] light tank basis
* Fast turret traverse rate helps track aircraft

'''Cons:'''

* Despite 40 mm cannons and the unsynchronized firing, the overall fire rate is still lower than its contemporaries
* 40 mm AP rounds are not the best AP rounds to use overall due to relatively low penetration; cannot penetrate all-round protected heavy tanks like the [[IS-2]] or [[Tiger H1]]/[[Tiger E|E]]
* Open turret allows aerial attacks and machine guns to decimate the exposed crew
* Very thin armour hull, can be penetrated by .50 cal found on the [[M4]]
* Is hull-breakable
* Careless driving can damage the vehicle
* Ammo can be used up rather quickly due to the dual-gun firing, prolonged combat can find the ammo stowage run empty
* Easily ammo-racked due to racks scattered all around the turret, aerial autocannons could set it off if hit

== History ==

{{main|M42_Duster_(Family)#History|l1=History of the M42 Duster}}
=== Thrive in calamity... ===
The M42 "Duster" self-propelled anti-aircraft gun began its service in the ROC army in the second Taiwan Strait crisis (the Artillery Battle of August 23rd, 1958). In order to prevent the CCP from invading the Republic of China by force, the United States assisted Taiwan with a wide-range of military equipment including the TM-61 "Matador" surface-to-surface missiles, the M42 Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns, and the M55 self-propelled howitzers. After receiving the M42 SPAAG, the ROC armed forces assigned it to the divisional Air Defense Battalion units and the Marine Corps for low-altitude air defense tasks.

=== ...Perish in soft living ===
In 1998, the 205 arsenal of the ROC Joint Logistics Command developed the T82 twin 20 mm Air Defense Cannon. At the same time, the Army purchased the Avengers Air Defense Missile System from the United States to construct a new air defense system. Thus, the outdated M42 SPAAGs started to retire from service. However, due to the insufficient number of the Army's field air defense missiles, some of the M42 SPAAGs in the air defense battalion of the Army's Artillery Group were still in service along the "Jaeger" anti-aircraft missile system until around 2012. By 2012, all M42 SPAAGs in the Army were replaced by T82T towed Air Defense Cannons. However, the Marine Corps units stationed on the outer islands such as Matsu kept using M42 SPAAG as infantry support vehicle until at least 2017.

''(Thrive in calamity and perish in soft living is a Chinese saying.)''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_m42_duster Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== 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.''

{{TankManufacturer Ordnance Department}}
{{China anti-aircraft vehicles}}

SU-76M (China)

2022-12-16T09:46:10Z

U119252054: Added to Survivability section

{{About
| about = tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = SU-76M (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_su_76m_1943
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

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


The SU-76M shares a similar hull armour profile with the T-70 light tank on which it is based. The hull, with a large, well-angled 25 mm upper front plate, might bounce some shells when the hull is angled, but high-penetrating guns such as 5 cm Kwk 39 can still penetrate it easily. Once penetrated the driver will get knocked out, or the transmission/engine will be broken, immobilising the tank. On the back of the hull, the SU-76M has a lightly armoured open-topped superstructure to accommodate the 76 mm gun. With a maximum thickness of only 25 mm and poor angling, the superstructure will not stop much more than heavy machine gun fire. Common tanks such as Pz.II, M3A3, AB 41, etc are all able to penetrate the front of the fighting compartment with ease, and knock out any crew in the shell path. The crews are quite cramped together too, further decreasing the survivability against explosive-filled rounds. It is only able to resist rifle-calibre rounds or heavy machine gun fire from far away.

In an accidental feature found on many tanks, the thin armour can sometimes save you, as many tanks of the BR will still have solid shot, such as the M3 Stuart and nearly all British tanks , that simply punch through the armour hitting only one crew member or missing entirely.

The open top also makes the SU-76M very vulnerable to aircraft strafing runs from above or behind, so be careful.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull ||25 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 30 mm (30°) ''Lower glacis'' 25 mm (35-89°) ''Driver's hatch'' || 15 mm ||15 mm (1°) ''Top'' 15 mm (32°) ''Lower'' || 7 mm
|-
| Superstructure || 25 mm (27°) || 10 mm (21-24°) ''Left'' 10 mm (18-19°) ''Right'' || 15 mm
!
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 10 mm thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 7 mm thick.
* The rear superstructure does not cover the entire crew compartment.
* A 25 mm plate of armour separates the driver's and engine compartment to the rear fighting compartment.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=199|rbMinHp=124}}

The SU-76M has an adequate top speed of about 30 km/h. It does have a good power/weight ratio, giving it nice acceleration. Its tracks are short and far apart, allowing it to traverse the hull relatively easy. Considering how lightly armoured it is, however, this mobility does not seem that good. It also has a poor reverse speed of only 5 km/h which can sometimes prevent the player from retreating to safety, putting the player at great risk. The tracks are very narrow, resulting in very sluggish movement and acceleration in snowy, sandy or muddy maps. Generally the SU-76 will fall behind common tanks such as M3A3 Stuart, Pz.IV C, A13, etc. Therefore, with this level of mobility, the SU-76 is limited to a short-range defensive tank destroyer that should only go to where it is needed, and cannot afford to constantly perform long-range cross-country manoeuvres.

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

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

{{main|ZIS-3 (76 mm)}}

The SU-76M is armed with the '''76 mm ZiS-3''' field gun, a versatile artillery piece that is also capable of performing in the anti-tank role. It has a decent rate-of-fire, a wide traverse arc, and the ability to one-shot most enemies at your BR, but the mounting has very poor gun depression due to the rearward placement of the superstructure.

It has a very wide-selection of ammunition, though only a few are worth using regularly. The stock BR-350A APHEBC shell is adequate enough for most purposes, although it will struggle against heavy tanks like the [[Churchill (Family)|Churchill]] at long ranges. The BR-350B APHEBC shell is arguably the best all-round projectile available, combining decent penetration with excellent lethality. Against particularly heavy armour, the BR-354P APCR shot is available, though its poor lethality and performance against sloped armour will tend to disappoint. The BR-350SP APBC shot is a solid shot round with no filler, but it creates more spalling than the APCR and is somewhat more lethal. The BP-353A HEAT round is occasionally useful for long-range fighting since it does not lose penetration with distance, but the Soviet 76 mm guns generally do not perform very well at long range, and work better at medium to close range. The Sh-354T shrapnel round creates a lot of fragments when it penetrates, but is only effective against lighter vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ZIS-3 (76 mm)|76 mm ZIS-3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 60 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±15° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 6.2 || 8.5 || 10.4 || 11.5 || 12.2 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 4.2 || 4.9 || 6.0 || 6.6 || 7.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-350A (MD-5 fuze) || APHEBC || 87 || 85 || 77 || 69 || 62 || 55
|-
| BR-350SP || APBC || 99 || 96 || 87 || 76 || 66 || 58
|-
| BR-354P || APCR || 125 || 117 || 87 || 60 || 41 || 28
|-
| BP-353A || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| BR-350B (MD-8 fuze) || APHEBC || 96 || 94 || 84 || 74 || 64 || 56
|-
| OF-350M || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| Sh-354T || Shrapnel || 35 || 34 || 30 || 26 || 22 || 19
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-350A (MD-5 fuze) || APHEBC || 662 || 6.3 || 1.2 || 14 || 150 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-350SP || APBC || 655 || 6.5 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-354P || APCR || 950 || 3.02 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| BP-353A || HEAT || 355 || 3.94 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 739.2 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| BR-350B (MD-8 fuze) || APHEBC || 655 || 6.5 || 0.9 || 14 || 100.1 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| OF-350M || HE || 680 || 6.2 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 621 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| Sh-354T || Shrapnel || 618 || 6.44 || 1.2 || 14 || 85 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| D-350A || 680 || 6.45 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_SU-76M.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the SU-76M.]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''60''' || 44 ''(+16)'' || 37 ''(+23)'' || 30 ''(+30)'' || 1 ''(+59)'' || No
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


Like most turretless tank destroyers, the SU-76M needs to be handled with care. Not only does it not have a rotating turret, it is also lightly armoured, has an open top, and practically no protection from behind. The crew is quite exposed to air and rear attacks, which can disable them with even machine gun fire.

The SU-76M lacks the speed to perform daring flanking manoeuvres or quickly take control of key locations. Unlike the high penetration 57 mm ZiS-2 gun on the preceding LVT(A)(4), the 76 mm ZiS-3 tends to struggle at long range, but it far outperforms the 57 mm gun in terms of lethality when using the APHEBC rounds, capable of creating havoc on the battlefield, the SU-76M needs to be handled with care.

Not only does it not have a rotating turret, it has an open top and practically no protection from behind. Therefore, when an engagement's complexity evolves and the Su-76 is surrounded, there is little that can be done to survive. One well placed hit to its rear will knock out a good part of the exposed crew, even machine guns can do the job of eliminating both loader and gunner.

It is crucial to remain at a distance from the enemy, perhaps even seek the cover of trees for protection against low-level attack aircraft, and to only ever give the front side to an enemy. The fact that this vehicle does not have a turret not only means that it is not effective when fighting more mobile enemies attempting to flank, it also means that placing the armour at an angle is not a viable strategy to increase relative armour thickness and stay more protected, since the gun's limits for horizontal traverse mean that any significant angle of the hull towards an enemy will make make it harder to keep the enemy in sight. What can be done is to fire a shot and, immediately after, angle the hull ''whilst reloading'', to then return to facing the enemy to fire another shot. However, hiding whilst reloading is the most sensible choice.

Unfortunately, the SU-76 has low mobility, handling, and a vastly different gun. However, the gun on the SU-76 is definitely more powerful than the 57 mm. The sheer force of the 76 mm shells will cause huge amounts of trauma to a target upon penetration. Given its poor gun depression and velocity, the SU-76 should be used as a mobile brawler and ambusher. It is well suited to performing ambushes in urban areas. The high HE filler of the 76 mm shell makes it capable of knocking nearly all enemy armour with a single shot at its 2.3 BR. A minor issue with the SU-76 is that it has no defensive machine gun, meaning that responding quickly to SPAA is difficult.

The main gun is the one and only aspect that makes the SU-76M a great vehicle, while its performance in other areas are far from satisfactory. The wide range of available ammunition is a particular interesting aspect for this SPG, its APCR and HEAT shells actually being lethal even against higher BR tanks, empowering this tank destroyer to obliterate more advanced tanks like the Tiger H1 with accurate shots. Recently, a varied late-war BR-350B ammunition has been added to the SU-76M's ammo choices. It incorporates more penetration and a better fuze as a trade-off for than some degree less explosive filler. Despite this, the SU-76M will consistently destroy most if not all enemies in one shot when the shells go through. Once unlocked, the SU-76 is excellent at knocking out any tank from the front with a single shot, but note that there sometimes may be a need to utilise other ammunition types to effectively engage different target types. For instance, against common light/medium tanks (eg. Chi-Ha Kai, Pz.III, Crusader), the explosive-packed AP shells are very sufficient, whereas against a tougher target (eg. B1, M4A3 (105)), the more-penetrative APCR (BR-354P) might become helpful.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

* [[M4A3 (105)]]: This low-rank Sherman posts a huge threat to every of its opponents due to its superior armour and destructive firepower. Its armour is overall quite tough to penetrate with your short 76 mm gun, but it can be solved by careful aiming. If the M4 is within 200 m, use default APHE to shoot at the vertical part of its gun mantlet or its side if exposed. If it's hull down within 100 m, only target the gun mantlet with either APHE or APCR to disarm it. When the M4 is further than 400 m away, all of your shells will perform poorly at penetrating its armour, so disengage or wait until it gets closer. Remember to not get hit by it, its HE or HEAT is likely to knock the SU-76 out with ease.

* [[B1 bis]]/[[B1 ter|ter]]: this is a French early-war heavy tank that is commonly used around your BR. Against other tanks the B1 can sometimes be an indestructible fortress on wheels, but fortunately the SU-76M is one of the few vehicles that hold the power to destroy such tough tanks. It is best to fire when the B1 has its front/side armour facing right at you without any angling. Target spots such as the section above the hull gun, the large engine vents at the side, or the side armour below the turret. The explosive-packed 76 mm shells should easily knock out multiple or even all of its crew members. If you do not feel confident, switch to APCR. Do not get hit by the B1, either of its cannons can destroy the SU-76 equally easily.
* [[M13 MGMC|M13]]/[[M16 MGMC]], [[AS 42]], [[Flakpanzer 38]], etc: these vehicles with fast-firing autocannons or heavy machine guns are very dangerous to the SU-76M. They have adequate penetration to frontally penetrate the SU-76M's fighting compartment and knock out the crew easily. At the same time they are also thinly armoured meaning the SU-76's AP shells are likely to over-penetrate without exploding, dealing minimal damage. The SU-76 also is turretless and has no MG, making it even harder to respond to this type of vehicle quickly and effectively. It is best to stay in cover until they are distracted, reloading, or are disarmed. Be careful and quick since if you are a little slow they might respond faster than you expect with their fast-traversing guns. Being showered with bullets picking your crew members one after the other is not the most enjoyable experience.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Decent horizontal gun traverse of 30 degrees-no need to constantly adjust hull position.
* Great cannon, its deadly APHEBC packs a heavy blow for common opponents like the [[Panzer III (Family)|Pz.IIIs]], [[Crusader (Family)|Crusaders]] and [[M5 Stuart (Family)|M5 Stuarts]]
* Offers a wide range of ammo to deal with various opponents: APHEBC for normal targets, HE/shrapnel for soft targets and APCR for the hard ones.
* Small profile makes it easy to hide and set up ambushes.
* Adequate acceleration and hull traverse
* Carries up to 60 rounds of ammo which is plenty even for a long battle.

'''Cons:'''

* Open topped, very vulnerable to strafing aircraft
* Thin armour struggles to protect the crew from even .50 cal.
* -3 degrees of gun depression isn't enough for hill combat, and this flaw is sometimes fatal.
* No MG, so killing vehicles with light armour/exposed crew is rather ineffective, for example SPAAs.
* Poor reverse speed of only 5 km/h might get the player killed.
* Cannon penetrates poorly at more than 700 m. Will struggle to penetrate hard targets like the [[Matilda (Family)|Matildas]], early [[Churchill (Family)|Churchills]] and [[M4 Sherman (Family)|Shermans]]

== History ==


=== The way to Korea ===
In October 1950, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army began to fight in North Korea. The 13th Corps of the Volunteer Army, which was the first troop to go abroad to fight the UN Army, and the following 9th Corps were mainly made up of infantry units. In October 1950, the 6th Guards Mechanized Army of the Soviet Transbaikal Military Region formed 10 tank self-propelled artillery regiments, each of which was equipped with 30 T-34s, 6 IS-2s and 30 SU-76Ms. In November, these 10 regiments entered China and handed over their equipment to help PLA in forming 3 tank divisions, 3 independent tank regiments, and 1 tank training base. This was the first time that the Chinese People's Volunteer Army ever had access to Soviet-made medium tanks and self-propelled guns.

A total number of 704 SU-76M self-propelled guns were delivered to the Volunteer Army since 1951, forming about 30 self-propelled artillery regiments. Since the situation on the Korean battlefield had entered a stage of stalemate of two sides at that time, most of the tanks and self-propelled guns equipped by the Volunteer Army were mainly involved in infantry support missions. During these fire missions, the PVA realized that the 76 mm cannon of the SU-76M was not powerful enough to undertake the fire support mission. Therefore, in the latter part of the war, infantry support missions were mostly undertaken by ISU-122s and SU-152s, while the anti-tank missions carried out by SU-76M were handed over to SU-100s.

SU-76M served in the Chinese People's Liberation Army until the 1980s. The Army still retained self-propelled artillery regiments equipped with SU-76M in 1979. It is worth mentioning that in 1960, Beijing Institute of Technology established a special militia division, and the students recovered a batch of tanks, including SU-76M, in the school. These recovered vehicles were equipped to a tank regiment of the university militia division.

=== Rumored tank "SU-76M Gai" ===
China seized a Soviet T-62 medium tank after the Incident of Damansky Island in 1969. In response to the threat of Soviet offensive, China made a number of exterior models based on the appearance of the T-62 for military and militia organizations for anti-tank practices. The popular Chinese "SU-76M Gai" is a teaching model made up of a scrap SU-76M hull and an imitated T-62 turret, rather than the so-called prototype of the 59-16 tank.

''(The Incident of Damansky Island is known as Self-defense and Counterattack in Zhen Bao Island in China, that seized T-62 is the well-known T-62 No.545.)''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_su_76m_1943 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

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

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

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

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

{{China tank destroyers}}

Sd.Kfz.234/2

2022-12-16T09:39:15Z

U119252054: Spelling mistake

{{About
| about = German light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Sd.Kfz.234 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_sdkfz_234_2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Sd.Kfz.234_2.jpg|ArtImage_Sd.Kfz.234-2.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (also known as the '''{{PAGENAME}}''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica"]].

A respectable armoured car, the {{PAGENAME}} presents great speed and a significant 50 mm KwK39 cannon. Due to its status as a light tank, and thus having the ability to scout, it should put more emphasis on its speed to put itself in an advantageous position to sight targets for allies, with its gun only for emergencies should an enemy vehicle try to get an upper hand of the vehicle.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Vision ports)
* Wheel (Tires)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 mm (40°) ''Front plate'' 15 mm (70°), 30 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 30 mm (35°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (34-35°) ''Top'' 8 (10-35°) + 4 mm || 10 mm (21°) ''Upper glacis'' 10 mm + 10 mm (46°) ''Lower glacis'' || 15 (20°) ''Driver compartment'' 5 mm ''Crew & engine compartments''
|-
| Turret || 30 mm (20°) ''Turret front'' 30 + 50 mm (conical) ''Gun mantlet'' || 14.5 mm (24-25°) || 14.5 mm (25°) 8 mm (22°) ''Pistol port'' || 8 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''
Kwk

* Torsion bars and wheels are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
* Mudguards and storage boxes are 4 mm thick.
* Vision ports on car body are 10 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=325|rbMinHp=186}}

The Puma can reach a speed of around 45 km/h on flat terrain. Thanks to its transmission, it can drive in reverse with the same speed and manoeuvrability. Due to its wheeled design, it struggles in sand, snow and mud. It is also hard to keep going straight in a line at high speeds. The game does offer some degree of compensation for this via the "Activate Cruise Mode" control binding under the "Tank Driving" subsection. When using Cruise Mode, hold down the desired key you bound its activation to, and steer with mouse movements, allowing pinpoint steering while retaining speed. However, you cannot shoot while using Cruise Mode, so use it wisely.

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

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

{{main|KwK39 (50 mm)}}

The Puma fields the 50 mm KwK39 cannon, a similar cannon to that seen in the late Panzer III models, as well as the same ammunition. The cannon was designed for a, anti-tank role and it does its job well. It can select from an APC shell penetrating 106 mm, which should be your main round, two APCR shells with 130 mm and 137 mm penetration respectively (you should carry a few of the better ones, especially if you uptier the Puma so it might see KV-1s, as well for long range sniping), and an HE shell which can be used against AA trucks. As the APC shell has no ballistic cap, it might struggle against angled armour, so it is best to go for side shots. With a reload of 4.1 seconds and high velocity shells, this tank can do the job both in close-quarters and at long range.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK39 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK39]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 55 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 13.3 || 18.4 || 22.4 || 24.8 || 26.4 || rowspan="2" | 4.81 || rowspan="2" | 4.25 || rowspan="2" | 3.92 || rowspan="2" | 3.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.3 || 9.8 || 11.9 || 13.2 || 14.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| PzGr 39 || APC || 106 || 101 || 83 || 65 || 50 || 39
|-
| PzGr 40/1 || APCR || 130 || 121 || 90 || 62 || 43 || 29
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 137 || 126 || 88 || 56 || 36 || 23
|-
| Sprgr. 38 || HE || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5
|-
|}
{| 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 || APC || 835 || 2.05 || 1.2 || 9 || 28.9 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| PzGr 40/1 || APCR || 1,130 || 1.07 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 1,180 || 0.9 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| Sprgr. 38 || HE || 870 || 1.82 || 0 || 0.1 || 217.6 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''55''' || 33 ''(+22)'' || 29 ''(+26)'' || 25 ''(+30)'' || 21 ''(+34)'' || 17 ''(+38)'' || 13 ''(+42)'' || 9 ''(+46)'' || 5 ''(+50)'' || 1 ''(+54)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_Sd.Kfz.234-2.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

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

{{main|MG42 (7.92 mm)}}

The Puma has a coaxial MG42 that is only useful against exposed crew members.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG42 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG42]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,950 (150) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Puma adopts a lot of typical light tank tactics. To play this vehicle well, you must shoot and scoot. Your fast reload times in combination with a very fast reverse speed makes it ideal for firing around a corner then backing up and flanking. The tank is very fast on road, however it has poor performance off-road so it is not recommended on desert maps and muddy maps where you can get slowed down by the terrain. Due to the fact that you have weak armour and a compact crew module, penetrative shots typically result in your destruction. It is advised to not brawl with tanks and to flank whenever possible, using your speed and mobility versus enemy tanks as your armour. Use the terrain to your advantage, firing over hills and making good use of your gun depression. Sidescrape corners and do not hold angles, as you will most likely be destroyed.

The tank's speed in combination with its low spawn cost in RB as a light tank makes it ideal to spawn in at the start of the game and capture the objective in 2 or 3 point domination. This guarantees you spawn points for a respawn and gives you opportunities to flank the enemy.

The real beauty of the Puma is its ability to flank around different parts of the map very quickly. It is extremely manoeuvrable and can traverse most types of terrain very quickly (avoid mud). You should take up a covert playstyle with this vehicle. Even if you see an enemy, you should only fire at the perfect moment, where you are guaranteed a score. This especially applies to T-34s and KV-1's, where hits to the side or rear are far more effective. This being said, the 5 cm gun is a great gun. It is easy to use, high velocity, accurate and has a good range of ammunition.

Notable enemies you will meet are the [[T-34 (1942)]] and [[M4]] Sherman, along with armoured tanks like the [[Churchill I]], [[Matilda III]], [[Valentine XI]], and the [[KV-1 (L-11)]] These tanks are difficult to penetrate and require advanced knowledge of weak spots, so it is advised to avoid these where possible. Medium tanks are easier to combat if flanked, however it is not always reliable due to the weak penetration of the PzGr 39 and the poor penetration to sloped armour for PzGr 40.

Out of all the enemies you will meet, the T-34s are probably the biggest threat. The sloped armour is difficult to penetrate and they have excellent mobility, meaning you will meet them often. The gun is also utterly devastating for the Puma. The high explosive filler and range of shells will make short work of your vehicle. If you encounter an T-34 (any variant), aim for the turret cheeks and take out the gunner. Aiming at the frontal hull armour is unreliable and often results in a ricochet. T-34s are also very, very mobile, so it is best to go for side shots on them if you insist on engaging them.

Shermans also present the problem of sloped frontal armour. The M4A1 isn't as much of a problem, but the M4/M4A2/M4A3 variants are more difficult to penetrate. From the side, Shermans have flat armour and tall profiles. They are easy to destroy when flanked, but they too have exceptionally good mobility, especially cross-country, so they can prove to be even more of a pain to deal with than T-34s. They also have short-stop stabilizers and .50 cals which make them even more of a threat.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* The gun is powerful, fast to reload, and can effectively penetrate armour on the M4's front at 200m. Its APCR has a penetration of up to 128 mm, which is effective against KV-1
* Extremely high forward and reverse speed makes it the fastest vehicle on road; can get to positions quickly or retreat fast
* Small and narrow frontal profile allows it to hide behind small bushes or rocks; it's also harder to get hit
* Can be a great scout vehicle in higher ranks due to its fast speed. Even the [[M18 GMC]] cannot easily outrun it
* Only 8 mm side armour meaning some shells will go straight through without being detonated
* Has a wide range of good-looking camouflage to unlock. Suitable for almost every terrain/map
* Has 6 smoke grenades that create a wide frontal screen when launched; very useful when trying to cover up a general area
* Surprisingly durable at times, due to inexperienced players shooting at the front, ignoring the crew member lying in the back
* Gun mantlet is thick and covers most of the turret, which makes the turret surprisingly durable

'''Cons:'''

* Thin armour overall, can get killed by almost anything including artillery strikes, strafing planes and [[M2 Browning (12.7 mm)|.50 cal M2 Browning]]
* Extremely slow turret rotation, combined with the sharp turns at high speed, it is hard to aim
* Relatively low calibre shells tend to bounce off angled armour, angled hull of the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]] is almost impossible to penetrate
* Compact crew compartment, will be easily destroyed in one shot
* Starts to snake around at high speeds making it hard to control, needing counter-steering.
* Sluggish mobility on snowy and desert maps, which takes away its mobility advantage
* Cannot turn in place due to wheels
* Smoke grenades can only be launched all at once which limits its effectiveness
* Vulnerable to overpressure (HE shells, artillery strikes, bombs and rockets)
* Hard to control at top speed

== History ==

{{:Sd.Kfz.234/2/History}}
== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_sdkfz_234_2 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] (Sd.Kfz.234/2 included)

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="250">
File:Sdkfz. 2342 media 1.png|A Sd.Kfz.234/2 engaging an M4A1 Sherman
File:Sdkfz.2342 media 2.png|A Sd.Kfz.234/2 and a T-50 performing a flanking attack on an M4A1 Sherman
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|tpr7lZStsTs|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[T18E2]]
* [[AEC Mk II]]
* [[SARC MkVI (2pdr)]]
* [[SARC MkVI (6pdr)]]
* [[AB 43|AB43]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4713-development-sd-kfz-234-2-puma-the-nimble-feline-predator-en|[Devblog] Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma: The Nimble Feline Predator]]

{{Germany light tanks}}
[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]