War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

ZTS63

2024-04-25T00:04:07Z

U120209033: reworded a sentence to be more accurate and make sense.

{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_zts_63_1980
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''ZTS63''' (Chinese: ZTS63式水陆两栖坦克, industry code WZ211; known as Type 63 before 1987 nomenclature revision), originally certified in 1963 as the amphibious tank for PLANMC or PLAGF units with the need to cross the water bodies abundant in Asia, received some of the technologies used on ZTZ59A and ZTQ62 that had already been installed successfully since 1980; in the ZTS63's case, it received a laser rangefinder and better fire control system for long-range fire support. These tanks served during the Sino-Vietnamese War in the early 1980s as a supporter to troops against Vietnamese troops and militia with very few tanks in service; although having insufficient protection against cannons and RPGs, these vehicles were kept in service until the later ZTS63A and eventually ZLT05 or newer IFVs replaced its role as an amphibious tank, marking the end of the prefix ZTS in PLA service.

Introduced in [[Update "Sky Guardians"]], players of the [[Type 62]] or [[Type 63]] will soon find themselves at home thanks to its identical handling and overall design. Some welcome upgrades including better FCS and the installation of a Type 54 DShK machine gun also make it a more versatile alternative to its predecessors. With both APFSDS and a laser rangefinder with automatic ballistic solutions, not only does this greatly extend the combat distance of the tank, it also greatly increases its odds to survive as this feature is extremely rare at its tier. However, players will still have to beware of its below-average protection against even HMGs and rather slow turret traverse speed, these could be fatal if players run into heated fights without the situational awareness needed.

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

One thing to note is that the name of ZTS63 is interchangeable with Type 63, other than the name change after 1980, HMG on turret and a LRF on the mantlet by the centerline, the overall design of these two tanks are totally identical. For the needs of amphibious operations, the protection is reduced to the bare minimum to stop rifle calibre bullets and shrapnel; other than the mantlet at 50 mm, the whole vehicle has only up to 20 mm of armour: autocannons and HMGs will tear down the vehicle with ease. So it's better to keep the vehicle from the heated battlefield and act as a supporter of the team to deliver possible final blow to enemy vehicles or disabling enemies as much as possible.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 10 mm (82°) UFP
15 mm (54°) LFP
| 10 mm ''Top'' 8 mm ''Bottom'' || 8 mm || 8 mm
|-
| Turret || 20 mm ''Turret front'' (Volumetric) 50 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || colspan="2" |20 mm (Volumetric)
| 8 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="4" | 8 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


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

The ZTS63 didn't receive any upgrades in terms of powerplant and transmission, so it shares the same 12150L-2 diesel engine found previously on Type 63; the very slight or even no weight change on the tank also means it can retain a sufficiently high power-to-weight ratio at around 21 hp/t. If players ever have the need to flank enemies by taking detours on water, it could also travel on water at 11 km/h, one of the fastest speed among other amphibious vehicle in game.

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

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

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

{{main|Type 63 (85 mm)}}

Still sharing the same gun as the Type 62 and 63, the Type 63 85 mm rifled cannon still handles totally identically to the Type 63 with some changes on the ammunition available. Players will find the same exact advantages and flaws from previous vehicles - while the calibre is larger than most light tanks of its tier with a variety of ammunition and now APFSDS among them, players need extra situational awareness to use the gun as it has much slower reaction time than most light tanks at its tier as well; plan ahead and turn the turret before any close-quarter assaults.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 63 (85 mm)|85 mm Type 63]] || 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" | 47 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+22° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 9.5 || 13.2 || 16.0 || 17.7 || 18.8 || rowspan="2" | 9.62 || rowspan="2" | 8.51 || rowspan="2" | 7.84 || rowspan="2" | 7.40
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 5.9 || 7.0 || 8.5 || 9.4 || 10.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Type 63 (85 mm)/Ammunition|Type 56 HEAT-FS, Type 56 HE, Type 56 APCBC, DJW85}}

The ZTS63's rounds are somewhat different from the original Type 63. The Type 56 APBC (aka BR-365 APHEBC) shell, well known for its generous explosive content and slope modifiers, is not available anymore. The returning Type 56 HEAT-FS is now the stock shell, which gives the ZTS63 the ability to engage heavy tanks like the [[IS-3]] from the start. Compared to the [[ZBD86]]'s PG-9 rocket propelled grenade, the HEAT-FS has the same penetration and a better muzzle velocity, which is helpful at medium and long ranges.

The stock "Type 56 HE" shell is a renamed O-365K and should be completely ignored, because the HEAT-FS has a greater explosive mass.

The only APHE shell available is the unlockable "Type 56 APCBC", a renamed BR-367 APCBC. Although it is not as efficient for one-shotting light targets or scoring sideshots as BR-365, it still gets the job done with some careful aim and the enhanced flat penetration is nice to have. Enemy IFVs can be dispatched easily with a single AP shell, even from across the map, due to their thin armour and typically large profiles.

The top round is the DJW85 APFSDS, something completely new to the 85 mm caliber. Although Chinese tankers may be apprehensive about early domestic APFSDS rounds, DJW85 actually has better performance than the [[Type 69]]'s Type 71 APFSDS despite being a significantly smaller round. Although it has a a lower muzzle velocity, it does not lose as much penetration over distances. The 2.1 kg projectile mass is not able to create much spalling, but it is a useful tool for disabling shots and targeting ammo racks in long range combat.

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''47''' || 42 ''(+5)'' || 33 ''(+14)'' || 24 ''(+23)'' || 18 ''(+29)'' || 10 ''(+37)'' || 1 ''(+46)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* It is recommended to take 42 ''(+5)'' shells to clear the turret of ammunition.
* Taking 18 ''(+29)'' shells clears the right hull of ammunition.
* Taking 10 ''(+37)'' shells clears both hull sides of ammunition.

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

{{main|Type 54 (12.7 mm)|Type 59 (7.62 mm)}}

The previous Type 63 has no HMG installed on top; in ZTS63's case, it has a pintle Type 54 DShK installed on the commander side of turret, giving it the chance to unleash 12.7 mm bullets against light targets or aircraft/helicopters that came too close.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 54 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm Type 54]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 500 (50) || 600 || -4°/+82° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 59 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Type 59]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 600 || - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

At first glance, ZTS63 looks exactly like its pre-1980 cousin Type 63; this is indeed true as they are the same vehicle plus new FCS and a HMG mounted on the former, players from Type 63 will get their hands on the tank rather quickly thanks to their totally identical handling in terms of mobility and tactical flexibility to flank enemies. Do remember that ZTS63 is still a light tank with minimal protection due to its amphibious capability (for buoyancy reasons at complicated waters), while the turret might look very similar to T-54/ Type 59's, but the thickness is at most rated for HMG fire at longer distance; anything with a caliber of over 20 mm with have no problem tearing through the turrent with ease, let alone the hull with even less protection. The design of ZTS63 is relatively large to LTs at its tier, therefore it is extremely essential to conceal the vehicle from enemy sights, going frontline means a quick death sentence to the tank as well; thus, the lightweight of the vehicle could be put into use by flanking enemies by taking detours to enemies' flanks, alternatively utilize the river network on some maps to launch sudden attacks from the rear (its 11 km/h on-water speed thanks to the water jet propulsion system certainly helps a lot). Another uncommon feature of ZTS63 from most LTs of its tier is its LRF and automatic ballistic solution, the tank might have insufficient magnification for long-range engagements, but the two aforementioned equipment will certainly helps taking out enemies showing their sides from afar; its stock HEATFS shell also helps as most LTs would have to either have to rely on APCR with subpar damage or lacking a rangefinder for long-range engagements. If HEATFS is not your cup of tea, its researchable, conventional APHE and the only 85 mm APFSDS in game will certainly give players more option to take down various enemies- APHE for hitting enemies from the sides and blowing them out with its explosive fillers, while APFSDS ensures flat trajectory and penetration to take out heavy targets up-front or at long range. Although messing with aircrafts or rotorcrafts on a ZTS63 is a rather unrecommended move, if there's one flying straight at the player, they might have to reconsider as the Type 54 DShK will give ZTS63 a chance to earn a surprise kill on aircrafts; 12.7x108 mm bullets can certainly do extensive damage to enemies.

Overall, ZTS63 is a welcomed addition to PLAGF line-up thanks to its better FCS and various ammunition options; but do remember to plan your assaults ahead or turn the turret beforehand for incoming, unaware enemies, sudden strikes from unexpected places is the key to support the team to advance for victory.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Amphibious, allowing the use of surprise tactics involving rivers
* Fast and nimble enough to get into vantage points
* Laser rangefinder and automatic ballistic solution for long-range engagement
* Access to HMG for self-defense against planes
* APFSDS with ~220 mm penetration is effective against weakly armoured tanks like [[Leopard 1 (Family)|Leopard 1]], [[AMX-30]]
* Varieties of ammunition for different scenario

'''Cons:'''

* Low survivability: unprotected with its paper-thin armour, and large size
* Cannon struggles against late war heavy tanks like [[Maus]], [[IS-4M|IS-4]]
* Slow turret traverse speed
* Relatively slow reload speed
* Still lacks NVD for night battles
* No smoke grenades

== History ==

As the previous Type 63 (ZTS63 after 1987) was commissioned by 1965, there were some flaws suggested by the PLA units that received the tank, thus the need for an upgrade on ZTS63 arose. There were a few major modifications for the tank including single transmission control stick, HMG gun mantlet, safety locks for hatches, revised seats, new suspension springs and etc. Among these modifications, some parts from late-production ZTQ62 including its fire control system and laser rangefinder were also introduced to the ZTS63 revision by the late 1970s. These tanks rolled off the production line by the same time and likely have join the Sino-Vietnamese War where its FCS and amphibious capabilities would shine due to the riverine terrain of Vietnam, where they were sometimes used as makeshift SPGs to strike fortifications or suppressing waves of infantry.

Some of these tanks were then modified to ZTS63A in the late 1990s with upgraded firepower in view for the possible landing operations. Although the landing didn't happen, the ZTS63A also set the footsteps for the later ZLT05 assault gun which is also currently the fastest amphibious armoured vehicle in commission.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_zts_63_1980 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


* [[Type 63]]: the base model

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/8092-development-zts63-1980-nimble-sniper-en|[Devblog] ZTS63 (1980): Nimble Sniper]]

{{TankManufacturer Norinco}}
{{China light tanks}}

Object 211

2023-10-06T03:39:02Z

U120209033: Reworded sentence to remove grammatical error

{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_object_211
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Object 211''' is a prototype designed by the Chinese People's Liberation Army in the late 1950s to produce an effective amphibious tank. By 1957, the structure of the Chinese People's Liberation Army had been revised, and the Chinese Marines were integrated into the Chinese Army. The southeast coastal areas remained unstable as the Chinese Nationalist Army in Taiwan, led by the Kuomintang, has not abandoned the goal of "counterattacking the mainland." Since Southern China is mountainous and has a lot of rice fields with water networks and rivers, it was considered that medium and heavy tanks would be unsuitable and amphibious vehicles would play an indispensable role during defence. In July 1958, a development code called "Project 211" was assigned, and China purchased the Soviet Union's [[PT-76 (Family)|PT-76]] amphibious tank to acquire the technologies. The program initially encountered various challenges due to the Chinese tank industry's inadequate technologies at the time, primarily as a result of World War II and the Civil War. Nonetheless, by the early 1960s, the program had proven to be a success, and it was ready for production as the [[Type 63-I|Type 63-I amphibious light tank]].

Introduced in [[Update "La Royale"]], Object 221 is a unique tank that can provide players with significant insights into the Chinese tank development philosophies that were influenced by the Soviet Union during the late 1950s. Due to the diversity of landscapes in China at the time, several tank designs were needed to effectively defend the mainland against potential adversaries. Since the prototype was intended to be amphibious, it was lightly armoured and offered low protection only against light machine guns and artillery shrapnel. However, due to its low profile and high top speed, Object 211 will give players the advantage of taking strategic areas early in the battle. The 85 mm Type-62-85-TC tank gun has excellent firepower and can readily engage and dispatch adversaries with a single well-placed shot.

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

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 10 mm (82°) ''UFP'' 15 mm (45°) ''LFP'' || 10 mm || 8 mm || 80 mm
|-
| Turret || 20 mm ''Turret front'' 50 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 20 mm || 20 mm|| 8 mm
|-
| Cupola || 8 mm || 8 mm || 8 mm || 8 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick, tracks are 30 mm thick, and torsion bars are 60 mm thick.

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

Like its in-service cousin Type 63, the tank is also equipped with the same 12150L-2 V12 diesel engine which has max output at 400 hp and could travels up to 64 km/h on road or at 11 km/h while on water; a major improvement from its Soviet counterpart PT-76. Making it a fast and nimble tank to hit vantage points.

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

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

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

{{main|Type-62-85-TC (85 mm)}}

After previous domestic 76 mm was proved unviable in the 1960s and was rather unreliable, while the other prototype with ZIS-S-53 has high recoil to the chassis on water, Chinese engineers eventually opted for the new Type 62 85 mm cannon for Object 211. Previous players of Type 62 and 63 will be very familiar to its performance minus the HEAT or even APFSDS rounds; while new players will certainly enjoy the 85 mm gun that packs a punch and high magnification at up to 12x, they will have to be extra careful with the slow turret traverse speed.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type-62-85-TC (85 mm)|85 mm Type-62-85-TC]] || 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" | 47 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+22° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 9.5 || 13.2 || 16.0 || 17.7 || 18.8 || rowspan="2" | 9.62 || rowspan="2" | 8.51 || rowspan="2" | 7.84 || rowspan="2" | 7.40
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 5.9 || 7.0 || 8.5 || 9.4 || 10.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Type-62-85-TC (85 mm)/Ammunition|BR-365A, O-365K, BR-367}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''47''' || 39 ''(+8)'' || 33 ''(+14)'' || 25 ''(+22)'' || 16 ''(+31)'' || 7 ''(+40)'' || 1 ''(+46)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 6 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 6 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
* This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 6 - 1 - 2 - etc. until 5.
* Not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-5 into rack 6. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.

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

{{main|SGMT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SGMT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm SGMT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,250 (250) || 600 || - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

As the project number and its design suggests, Object 211 is what set the foundations for the ZTS63 family which was PLA's weapon of choice when crossing battlefields with extensive water networks. As there was no need for an amphibious tank with crew compartments, the overall size could be further shrunken to an even small size. The turret design be reminiscent of the Type 62's oval shape turret, but the Object 211's is even smaller: enemy tanks very unlikely to find the 211 while hiding in vegetation. The size and function also means that the protection will not be anywhere near normal non-amphibious light tanks: the overall protection is only rated for .50 calibre at most, skirt heated frontlines and avoid any vehicles with autocannons at all costs as the 211 will meet its end rather quickly. Be sure to keep the crew alive as much as possible, since it has a 3 men crew rather than 4 in Type 62 or 63; although it is more likely that the Object will be knocked out by enemy shells right away, any reduction on crew also further lowers its combat capability. The major problem goes to the turret traverse, this turret with a 85 mm cannon turns extremely slowly, so be prepared to turn the turret beforehand for maximum reaction time.

Once players have clear information on these flaws, they can now utilize the tank like most other light tanks around its tier: be sneaky and hit enemies from the sides. While the tank doesn't have the highest depression angle among light tanks, it has an ace up its sleeve - its 85 mm gun. While it doesn't have access to BR-365P, BR-367 has even higher penetration at 164 mm point-blank; sharing the same ballistic performance to the T-34 S-53, players using PLAGF tanks will soon get on hand with the cannon. In most cases, the explosive content is more than enough to disable even the most heavy tanks at its tier, if not knocking them out right away. Since the gun itself doesn't have the highest penetration and lacks the capability to face enemies up front, taking the sides is always a good idea to at least harass the enemies if not bringing devastation from the flanks. Use the terrain to compensate for the lack of depression angle if needed as it has only -4°. If sometimes the map doesn't have the required room for manoeuvre or enemies have already taken vantage points while there are some water bodies, the Object 211 has another card on hand: being amphibious. Be sure to learn the map beforehand and find any possible points to go back onto land. Due to the lack of a stabilizer, it is not a good idea taking it as a gunboat on water as the gun will vibrate. If it happens that another PT-76B is taking the same route, the 211 will have a hard time fight back, using the high on-water speed is the key to navigate in water bodies as fast as possible.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Devastating 85 mm cannon with high-end 85 mm APCBC
* Low profile
* Faster than most tracked light tanks at its tier
* Rather versatile optic magnification at 4x-12x
* Amphibious with high on-water speed at 11 km/h

'''Cons:'''

* Thin overall protection is not ideal, only rated to .50 machine guns
* Slow turret traverse speed
* Crew of 3 gives less flexibility if any of the crew is knocked-down
* Lacks APCR/HEAT for well-protected targets
* Relatively low reload time
* Rather low depression angle

== History ==

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

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_object_211 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 light tanks}}

M5A1 (China)

2023-08-23T02:30:31Z

U120209033: The In ROCA Service Section was rewritten to be grammatically correct and make sense. A few naming and spelling issues also were fixed.

{{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 '''M5A1 Stuart''' is the second variant of the [[M5 Stuart (Family)|Light Tank M5 Stuart family]], which shares many similarities with the [[M3 Stuart (Family)|Light Tank M3 Stuart family]]. To respond to the wartime shortage of the radial aero-engines used in the M3 light tanks, a new version with twin Cadillac V8 engines and dual Hydra-Matic gearboxes functioning through a transfer case was designed. The Chinese Nationalist Army initially received the M5A1 Stuart from the U.S. forces in 1948. In the three major battles of the Chinese Civil War, the Chinese Nationalist Army was defeated by the Chinese People's Liberation Army, with its armoured divisions captured or wiped out. Following the Huai Hai campaign, the Chinese Nationalist Army Armored Command began the process of rebuilding its armoured divisions. Since the U.S. Army abandoned numerous tanks in the Philippines, Guam, and Okinawa after World War II, Jiang Weiguo, chief of staff of the Chinese Nationalist Army Armored Command, negotiated with the U.S. to purchase these tanks. The rebuilt tank battalions went out to find useable tanks and parts, which were then repaired and reassembled. The first battalion of the third tank regiment managed to assemble 22 M5A1 tanks and divide them into two companies.

Introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]], the M5A1 Stuart is a new series of light tanks developed from the Light Tank M3 Stuart family, and it shares many characteristics with other U.S. Army light tanks of rank I. In general, the M5 and M3 light tanks have similar playstyles. The M5A1 Stuart saw extensive use near the end of World War II, particularly in Normandy. They were designed to carry out scouting, reconnaissance, and infantry support rather than engage in tank-to-tank combat with enemies. They heavily resemble the [[M3A3 Stuart (China)|M3A3 Stuart]] that is also present in the Chinese Army ground force tech tree.

== 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 knocked out 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, e.g. in Advance to the Rhine, Berlin), medium surface (grassland, e.g. in Fire Arc, Poland) and soft terrain (mud, snow, sand, e.g. in Sinai, Frozen Pass).

As it benefits from regenerative steering, turning on the spot with the ␗M5A1 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 maneuvering 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 stabilizer, 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 maximize 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.

{| 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 ====
The M63 SAPHEI acts as an APHE shell with a very low penetration (around 30 mm maximum) but with an explosive filler. 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 and open-topped vehicles is more likely.

{{:M6 (37 mm)/Ammunition|M74B1, M63 shell, M51B1}}

==== [[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 M51B1 APCBC 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 penetration, 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 ␗M5A1 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, maneuver 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 ===
The ROCA acquired M3 Stuart tanks from the United States for the Burma Campaign against the Japanese during World War Two. The M3 Stuart's good handling and sufficient firepower to take down Japanese tanks meant that they played an important role within the armored divisions of the ROCA. After the tides of the Chinese Civil War turned in favour of the PLA, many M3 Stuart were destroyed or captured by the communists. The M5A1 tanks left by US forces throughout the former Pacific Theatre became a supplement for the decreasing number of M3 Stuarts available to the ROCA. These leftover tanks were bought from the United States to help in the fight against the PLA. 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 Chiang Kai-Shek himself bought additional M5A1s and deployed them in Mainland China. Those spare tanks bought by Chiang Ching-Kuo 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}}