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Sherman II

2024-10-07T12:48:12Z

U124022231: /* Development */

{{About
| about = British medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = M4 Sherman (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_sherman_II
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Sherman II''' was identical to the [[M4A1|M4A1 variant]] of the Sherman deployed by the U.S. Army ground forces, except it had access to the late-war armour-piercing composite rigid (APCR) ammunition. The British acquired many more Shermans than any other Allied nation: 17,181 units (approximately 34% of all M4 Sherman medium tanks constructed). The British supported and supplied free Polish and Czechoslovak government-in-exile armoured units with M4A1, [[M4A2]], and [[M4A4 (Italy)|M4A4]] variants.

Introduced in [[Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai"]], the Sherman II supplies the British Army ground forces with the first U.S. medium tank under the lend-lease programme in World War II. The playstyles are identical to M4A1 in the U.S. Army ground forces. The Sherman II is defined by its curved hull shape due to its cast hull construction. This causes the hull's upper front armour plate to have a variable slope angle throughout the upper glacis, but it also introduces a number of weaknesses. The first is in the frontal hull and side joints, which have relatively flat angles despite the tank being angled, and the second is in the cast construction, which affects the overall effectiveness of the frontal hull armour. The final are the view blocks on the frontal hull's top. Despite this, its armour remains effective against enemy fire from lesser calibre guns. The 75 mm M3 tank gun is mounted in the M34 gun mantlet with the periscope, a smaller gun mount than the future M34A1 gun mantlet, which will be installed in all future 75 mm M4 Sherman variants. This lessens the frontal turret's overall protection while also presenting a somewhat larger gun depression by -2° than the future M34A1 mantlet.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Lower side hull)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 38.1-50.8 mm (48°-72°) ''Front glacis'' 50.8 mm (11-58°) ''Transmission area'' || 38.1 mm (1-71°) ''Top'' 38.1 ''Bottom'' || 38.1 mm (0-69°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm (13-51°) || 19.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 76.2 mm (2-66°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 mm (3-49°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (0-65°) || 50.8 + 4 mm (0-60°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm || 25.4 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Sand skirts on the suspension sides are 4 mm thick.
* Front armour slope not even, lower part is weaker than top.
* A small patch on the turret front right side is thinner (50.8 mm) than the rest (76.2 mm).
* Bolt edges on the transmission housing are 101.6 mm thick.

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


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

=== 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" | 90 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.47 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

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

* M72 shot - {{Annotation|AP|Armour-piercing}} - Solid shot, stock shell. Acceptable penetration, poor post-penetration damage.
* M48 shell - {{Annotation|HE|High-explosive fragmentation}} - Low-velocity shell useful against soft targets, in particular when hitting an open-topped vehicle. Harmless against any vehicle with more than 10 mm of armour.
* M61 shot - {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-piercing capped ballistic capped}} - This shell has a better penetration than the M72 thanks to its ballistic cap and a good post-penetration damage thanks to its explosive filler.
* T45 shot- {{Annotation|APCR|Armour-piercing composite rigid}} - Subcalibre round with high penetration but only on flat surfaces, poor post-penetration damage. Good option against the [[T14]].
* M89 smoke shell - Useful to blind enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives.

{{:M3 (75 mm)/Ammunition|M72 shot, M48 shell, M61 shot, T45 shot, M89}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_M4A1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the M4A1 (identical).]]

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

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

==== Optics ====

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
|-
! Which ones
! Default magnification
! Maximum magnification
|-
! Main Gun optics
| x1.85 || x3.5
|-
! Comparable optics
| colspan="2" | [[M4A2]]
|-
|}

=== 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°/+22° || ±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 ==

The best use of the Sherman II is in defence or in an exploitation movement.

In the defence: hull-down position. Find a terrain like a hill where the Sherman can inch forward, exposing only the turret, yet be able to aim down most of the horizon with the 75 mm gun. This allows the Sherman to use the most of the turret and gun mantlet armour as well as minimizing the amount of the body able to be hit by incoming enemy fire while dishing out quite a considerable amount of fire towards the enemy with a fast-firing 75 mm gun. If enemy fire at the hull-down position intensifies or wound the crew members, simply reversing can put the Sherman under adequate cover and reposition for another attempt to attack the enemy.

In exploitation, attack enemy utilizing the Sherman's adequate speed and handling. Manoeuvre into enemy territory scanning for targets. A benefit of the fast reloads and the traverse rate of the Sherman is that it allows for quick reaction to enemies spotted at various directions. Remember, the general rule of tank combat, the first person to shoot generally wins the battle. As such, it is imperative for the success of this tactic to attack an enemy not aware of the Sherman's presence and movement. As such, an unaware enemy will probably be exposing their weak points such as the side armour, allowing for a well-placed 75 mm shot to damage the interior. Try not to be caught up in one position as being stuck in one place will cause the enemy to eventually swarm the Sherman and destroy it.

While the Sherman isn't a purpose-built brawler, it can perform decently in that role. The frontal armour cannot be relied on, but a combination of proper positioning and careful angling can deflect some less-potent guns. As is the case with its American cousins, the Sherman II is equipped with a gyroscopic stabilizer effective at speeds up to 25 km/h (15.5 mph). This ability to shoot accurately on the move is a significant advantage in close quarters combat and meeting engagements, as the few seconds an enemy takes to stop and aim is ample time for the Sherman II to turn them into a burning wreck.

'''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 a M4A4, there are 2 apparent 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 a M4A2, aim for the middle parts of the gun mantlet or the turret armour unprotected by the mantlet, you can at least make them defenseless. Note that their guns are equally weak against you, so wiggle around to disrupt their aim while you reload, you have a good chance of bouncing some shells.

* [[KW I C 756 (r) (Germany)|KW I C 756 (r)]] - A tough tank that the M4 Sherman will experience difficulty against is this German upgunned KV-1. While the preceding KV-1's L-11 cannon is not as powerful, the 75 mm KwK40 is considerably much more powerful against the Sherman's frontal armour, and the Sherman can't easily penetrate the KV-1's thick armour particularly when it has extra armour plates attached. In the event that this hefty tank is spotted and it's angling against you, focus on the gun mantlet as it is only 50 mm thick. You can knock out its turret crew and/or armament without any problem. Or on the other hand take shots at the tall commander's cupola, there's some opportunity to take out the gunner from there. Obviously, the most ideal way is to fire shots at its sides from as close as you can get, where its armour is unsloped. Moreover, shots to the sides will undoubtedly hit its fuel tanks or ammo racks, causing a fire or ammo explosion. Remember to utilise your superior (although not excellent) mobility plus your vertical stabiliser when dealing against such heavy tanks.

* [[Churchill (Family)|Churchill III]] heavy tanks - 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, only go for the turret. For the Mk I Churchills, aim at the near-vertical part of their rounded cheeks to ensure successful penetrations. For the Mk III and the German Churchill, also aim for their flat turret which is at most 89 mm. The shell should go in easily and knock out most, if not all of the crew. Only when you are facing their hull without any angles should you shoot the hull, otherwise shoot the turret only, as their big tracks can easily get in front of the frontal hull. The side hull have multiple layers of armour, some of which are weirdly angled and can absorb plenty of shells.

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

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

* [[R3 T20 FA-HS]] - This speedy wheeled vehicle can circle around you with ease and wipe out all your crew with its fast firing 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, because on each side of the cast hull, above the inducer wheel there is a triangular area that blends and connects the upper front plate to the side. By angling the hull, this triangle becomes unangled to the R3, making it easily penetrated, and the driver / gunner will usually get knocked out first. It is harder for the R3 to penetrate your unangled hull thus giving you more time to react and destroy it.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent gun depression -12° plus the angled frontal turret allows it to utilise hills very well
* Great penetration and post-penetration damage when using M61 shells; can frontally penetrate and knock out most opponents with a single shot
* Has access to APCR ammunition, effective against thick but flat armour like that of the [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)|Pz.Kpfw. Churchill]]
* Great turret traverse speed allows it to deal with multiple threats easily
* Adequate top speed allows it to get to positions in time, or to do tactical manoeuvres like flanking
* Pintle-mounted HMG provides an anti-aircraft defence or anti-tank duty against tanks like [[Marder III]]
* Fitted with a vertical stabilizer, allowing more accurate fire on the move compared to other tanks, as well as better usage of shoot-n-scoot tactics

'''Cons:'''

* Frontal armour is still inadequate, will get frontally penetrated and knocked out by tanks with a single shot
* Large profile and weak side armour; flankers like the Sd.kfz.234/2 or GAZ trucks can easily see and penetrate it
* When opponents are angling, both AP and APCR struggle to penetrate heavy tanks
* Narrow tracks offer poor ground flotation, thus poor off-road capabilities. Can only reach its top speed on paved or hard surfaces
* Prone to damage by artillery barrages, tracks can be hit and the fuel supply can be ignited
* Ammunition storage is vulnerable to detonation
* May tip over when travelling across steep inclines
* The cast hull creates frontal weak spots with very little effective thickness, e.g. the triangles between upper front plate and the side, and the curved hull hatches

== History ==

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

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

===Design===
Many variants of the Shermans were produced, but they all followed a similar layout. The driver and bow gunner sat in the front driving compartment, the fighting compartment in the middle housed the turret its three crew member, and in the back was the engine compartment. The Sherman used many features present in previous American tank designs, the vertical volute suspension system (VVSS) and radial engine from the [[M2A4|M2 Light Tanks]], and the sloping armour of the [[M2|M2 Medium Tanks]]. This became a contributing factor on the Sherman's reliability on the field, as most of the design flaws were ironed out with the previous tank designs. The tank mounted the 75 mm M3 gun, giving the tank very good AP and HE capabilities. The Sherman's turret traverse speed was very fast, able to traverse a full 360 degrees in only 15 seconds, which is considerably faster than the traverse speed on most German tanks. Another unique feature on the Sherman was the installation of a gyroscopic stabilizer on the gun and sight, making the Sherman one of the first produced tanks to incorporate those features. While the stabilization was only done for the vertical plane, it kept the gun stable enough to be able to shoot on the move effectively, with a study showing a 70 % hit probability on an enemy 300 to 1,200 yards away when moving at a speed of 15 mph. However, this feature was controversial among the crew and experiences with it vary.

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

===British nomenclature===
The British had a different naming convention with their equipment than the Americans. It is this naming system that actually gave the M4 Medium tank their namesake "Sherman". As the American differentiate the M4 models with letter and numbers such as [[M4|M4]], [[M4A1|M4A1]], [[M4A2|M4A2]], and [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3]]. The British use roman numerals past the name "Sherman". Thus, the nomenclature translate to:

* [[Firefly «Scorpion»|Sherman I]] - M4
* Sherman II - M4A1
* Sherman III - M4A2
* Sherman IV - M4A3
* [[Sherman Firefly|Sherman V]] - M4A4
* Sherman VII - M4A6

Past these designation, there would be a letter to signify differences in model design. A designation ending with "A" indicates the usage of the [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm gun]]. A designation ending with "B" indicates the usage of the [[M4 (105 mm)|105 mm howitzer]]. A designation ending with "Y" would indicate the usage of the [[M4A3 (76) W|Horizontal Volute Suspension System (HVSS)]]. Finally, a designation ending with "C" indicates the usage of the [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|17-pdr gun]], essentially translating to the [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]]. There was a word addition "Hybrid" exclusive to the Sherman I variant, meaning the M4 Hybrid design which used a cast front armour, but a welded rear design.<ref name="JohnChrisSherman">Christopher John. Sherman M4 Medium Tank Amberley Publishing, 2014</ref>

== Media ==


;Skins

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

== See also ==


;Other M4A1 vehicles in the game

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

== External links ==


=== References ===
<references />

{{TankManufacturer Ordnance Department}}
{{Britain medium tanks}}

Crusader II

2024-10-07T12:35:33Z

U124022231: /* Development */

{{About
| about = British light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Crusader (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_crusader_mk_2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Tank, Cruiser Mark VIA, Crusader II (A15)''' is the second variant of the [[Crusader (Family)|A15 Crusader cruiser tank family]]. The Crusader light tanks were one of the major British cruiser tank families during World War II. Over 5,000 Crusader tanks of all variants were produced, and they contributed significantly to British triumphs in the North Africa campaign. The chassis of this light tank was modified in order to produce anti-aircraft, fire support, observation, communication, bulldozer, and recovery vehicle variants, although it would not see active action outside of Africa. The first Crusader I tanks entered service in 1941, and while manoeuvrable, they were severely lacking in armour and firepower. The Crusader II followed with thicker armour but the same armament as the Crusader I: a 40 mm Ordnance QF 2-pounder tank gun.

Introduced in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]], the Crusader II is a capable short-range light tank. It is armed with a fast-firing 40 mm Ordnance QF 2-pounder tank gun, which is ideal for knocking out tanks with a cramped interior and crew members that are close to each other. It is an enjoyable light tank to play with because of its quick reload, primitive vertical gun stabilizer, and strong handling. Handling is substantially improved over the [[A13 (Family)|A13 cruiser tanks]] since cross-country performance is much better and the vehicle does not slide during abrupt breaking. Given its low profile and lack of armour, driving and fighting in the open field should be avoided whenever possible, unless there is enough cover or the terrain is shaped in such a way that the hull-down tactics, which this tank excels at, can be used. The tank also boasts good gun depression and a difficult to hit turret design.

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

The armour on the Crusader II is the typical light tank armour. The frontal hull's thickest part is the 20 mm glacis which can only bounce reserve level vehicles' shells (e.g. [[H.35]]), while anything better (e.g. [[Chi-Ha Kai]], [[BT-7]], [[M5A1]]) will penetrate it with ease. The turret front is not much better, being 30 mm. However, the curved cylindrical gun mantlet has some chances of bouncing poorly aimed shells if you are lucky. The heavily angled turret sides might also deflect some. The MG turret, being enclosed on the back side, can act as spaced armour and stop some penetrating rounds from entering the hull with its 30 mm rear armour. Still, normal cannons at this BR will have no problem penetrating the Crusader II's frontal armour. The sides (~14 mm) are even weaker and will only stop rifle-calibre bullets.

Penetrating solid rounds or small calibre shells tend to knock out 1-2 crew normally, as there is a fair gap between the driving compartment and the fighting compartment. Thus, vehicles with low-calibre guns (e.g. [[M5A1]], [[M22]]) will need a few shots to destroy you. However, against explosive or larger calibre shells, the shrapnel will easily travel through the gap and hurt any crew behind. The 3 turret crew are packed very closely and are prone to be all knocked out by a single explosive shell. Overall, the survivability of the Crusader II is low, like every other light tank.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Machine gun mantlet, Driver's port)
* Structural steel (Side skirts)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (33°) ''Front plate'' 9 mm (78-85°), 20 mm (61°) ''Front glacis'' 20 mm (27-64°) ''Lower glacis'' 18 mm (1°) ''Driver's port'' || 14 + 4 mm || 14 mm (44-51°) ''Top'' (14-51°) 14 mm ''Bottom''|| 7 mm
|-
| Main Turret || 30 mm (11°) ''Turret front'' 30 mm (6-58°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 14 mm (40-49°) || 17 + 12.7 mm (36°) ''Top'' 9 mm (66°) ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm
|-
| Secondary Turret || 30 mm (1-32°) ''Turret front'' 20 mm (3-67°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 mm (1-3°) || 30 mm (5-6°) || 9 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.

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

The Crusader II's mobility is decent. It has a power-to-weight ratio of ~20, giving it adequate acceleration on all terrains. It can reach an average speed of ~40 km/h on hard surfaces, and ~30 km/h on soft surfaces in a reasonable amount of time. It also has great hull traverse and can turn the hull rather easily without moving forward/backward first. This gives the Crusader II the ability to quickly relocate tactically, which is useful if you need to flank any enemy, for example a [[Valentine I|Valentine]].

However, as one might expect, the reverse speed is only -7 km/h which is far from enough to get the Crusader out of a dangerous situation in time. A lot of the times the Crusader can only turn the hull around to retreat. When turning on the move, the Crusader will lose quite some speed. Its top speed is also somewhat limited, capped at 43 km/h - it will not get as fast as some other light tanks like [[BT-7]], [[M22]], and the [[M5 Stuart (Family)|M5 Stuarts]] who can go over 50+ km/h. This can be dangerous if the Crusader wants to cap a point in the middle of the map at the start of the match: either faster teammates will get there first, or faster enemies will.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=527|rbMinHp=301}}

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

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

{{main|QF 2-pounder (40 mm)}}

The Crusader is armed with a 40 mm QF 2pdr cannon, which is rather capable, even for the battle rating. It reloads very fast, at ~3 seconds, similar to the American 37 mm and the Soviet 45 mm guns, allowing the Crusader to quickly fire off multiple shots at a target. It has an amazing gun depression of -15° meaning the Crusader will be able to press its gun down over the majority of hills, giving it great map adaptability. Its turret also rotates quickly at around 25°/s, thus the Crusader can deal with surprise attacks effectively. Lastly, a shoulder stabiliser will help speeding up the targeting process once the tank is moving below ~7 km/h which is beneficial for quick stop-and-shoot scenarios and CQC especially against non-stabilised tanks, like the [[Pz.III B|Pz.IIIs]]. All these aspects give the Crusader admirable versatility on the battlefield.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[QF 2-pounder (40 mm)|40 mm QF 2-pounder]] || 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" | 110 || rowspan="2" | -15°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 34.27 || 47.44 || 57.60 || 63.69 || 67.76 || rowspan="2" | 3.64 || rowspan="2" | 3.22 || rowspan="2" | 2.97 || rowspan="2" | 2.80
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.42 || 25.20 || 30.60 || 33.84 || 36.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
The player might already be familiar with the ammo types. The stock Shot Mk.1 AP/T has average penetration so it is best to ignore it as soon as access to alternative shells is obtained.

Against lighter opponents, the best ammo is the Shell Mk.1 AP/T APHE which has a 20 g explosive filler and a maximum penetration of 66 mm. This shell can usually one-shot compact light vehicles (e.g. [[BT-5]], [[M22]]) in one shot. But for spacious vehicles like the [[LVT (Family)|LVT]] series the explosives will struggle a lot.

However, you may also face better armoured foes like the early [[M4]], [[T-80]], [[Panzer III (Family)|Pz.III]], [[M3 Lee]], etc. Now the Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T can become handy. With a max penetration of 89 mm, it will go through almost all tanks' weak spots as well as the parts where your other ammo types will not penetrate (e.g. M4 turret side (76 mm), [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] hull side (75 mm)). With careful aiming and its fast reload rate, the Crusader can quickly punch multiple holes on the enemy. Note that you must know the weak spots as well as crew locations of common tanks since this APCBC is a solid shell without any explosives.

The Shot Mk.1 APHV/T only offers a slightly faster velocity but not better penetration or explosive filler, making it pretty much useless when comparing to the above shell types.

{{:QF 2-pounder (40 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.1 AP/T, Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T, Shot Mk.1 APHV/T, Shell Mk.1 AP/T}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''110''' || 89 ''(+21)'' || 67 ''(+43)'' || 45 ''(+65)'' || 23 ''(+87)'' || 1 ''(+109)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Racks disappear after all shells in the rack have been shot or loaded.
* Turret & center empty: 45 ''(+65)'' shells.

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

{{main|BESA (7.92 mm)}}

There are 2 x 7.92 mm BESA machine guns on the Crusader II, one being coaxial and the other inside a small turret at the front of the hull. MGs of this calibre only have less than 20 mm penetration at most, meaning they are only good against non-armoured vehicles. Vehicles with open fighting compartment and exposed crew (e.g. [[GAZ-AAA (DShK)|GAZ-AAA (DshK)]], [[ZiS-30]], [[Sd.Kfz. 6/2|Sd.Kfz 6/2]], etc) are most vulnerable to such MG fire. These 2 MGs can also be useful to clear obstacles like fences, trees, etc so the tank will not slow down driving over them. On super rare occasions you might see planes flying very low, within the Crusader II's elevation angle. The 2 MGs can get some hits or even critical hits if aimed carefully.

Note that the smaller MG turret rotates very very slowly, at around 10°/s.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[BESA (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm BESA]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Hull || 4,950 (225) || 600 || ±10° || ±50°
|-
| Coaxial || 3,375 (225) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Crusader Mk II is a quite effective low-range light tank, it is equipped with a fast firing 40 mm cannon, which is excellent at taking out tanks with a cramped interior and the crew close to each other, very fast reload, gun stabilization and its good handling makes up for shell doing not so much damage.

Since it is a light tank it does not have much armour, driving and fighting in the open field should be avoided whatever it is possible, unless there is enough of cover or the terrain shaped in a way so it is possible to use the hull down tactics at which this tank excels at because of its very low profile. The tank also has excellent gun depression and the turret shape makes it hard to hit.

The combination of manoeuvrability, a great high speed, and good acceleration makes it good at flanking and rushing the enemy positions. Although its max speed may be lacking compared to other fast tanks such as the Stuarts or BTs, it is compensated by its acceleration. It can get to max speed very fast and the turning ability is very good at any speed, except for moving in the same place. Other than that tank is very stable and pleasant to drive.

Any frontal engagement with enemy SPAA units should be avoided, try engaging them only at a long distance, when flanking them, or with the Artillery upgrade (most SPAAs at the rank would have an open cabin so it is easy for artillery to kill their crews). Dealing with other light tanks should not be an issue. Although the 40 mm cannon lacks accuracy, its reload speed is fast and it should not be an issue hitting targets at a close distance. However, fighting against medium tanks and other bigger vehicles could be a problem, as its highly recommended to know the crew position in the enemy tank and where to aim for them. As for shell choice it is recommended to use the last unlockable shell, the Shell Mk. 1 AP/T, as it has more explosive filling that would help take out enemy crews more easily.

=== Enemies worth noting: ===

* [[M4A3 (105)]]: this M4 Sherman is equipped with a deadly 105 mm howitzer firing HE and HEAT shells, the former having no problem destroying the Crusader II with overpressure while the latter can easily penetrate the Crusader. Thus, the Crusader must avoid getting hit by the M4. The Crusader II cannot penetrate the frontal armour of the M4A3 (105), so flanking becomes a good tactic. Use your speed and agility to get to the side/rear of the M4. If shooting at the hull side, the APHE will be enough. If shooting at turret side, you will need the Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T to penetrate the turret. Try disabling the M4's engine, transmission or driver first, then take your time to finish it because it has an extremely low turret rotation speed so it will not get its gun on you quickly once it cannot traverse its hull.
* [[B1 ter]]: this is an upgraded model of the [[B1 bis]] heavy tank, featuring thicker armour. Its hull sides have additional armour plates that is slightly sloped, and the Crusader II's 40 mm gun will struggle to penetrate it. The hull front is ~70 mm sloped, which can also resist the Crusader II's shells. The frontal turret and the gun mantlet can be bouncy but other areas like the cupola and turret ring are weakspots. Targeting there will take out the B1's 47 mm gunner who is also the commander. The turret sides/rear are of course easier to penetrate, if you get the chance. The hull rear can also be penetrated, but multiple shots will be required to destroy its transmission or engine due to your small calibre. Do not get hit by the B1, it will be fatal.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 5-man crew increases survivability. More unlikely to get taken by a single shot from small-calibre guns (e.g. from [[M2A4]])
* Spherical gun mantlet and sloped turret sides may bounce shells from certain angles
* 2-pdr cannon can frontally penetrate almost all tanks it will face, like [[M3A1 Stuart]], [[Chi-He]]
* Low profile, harder to get spotted and shot at
* Very good acceleration with good handling
* Useful smoke grenades

'''Cons:'''

* Overall weak armour, anyone (including SPAAs) can penetrate it
* Inaccurate gun is bad for sniping
* The only shell with an explosive filler drastically lacks penetration power
* Crew is packed together, can be knocked out easily with a single shot by large-calibre shells, notably the early Pz.IV models
* Reverse speed of -7 km/h is slow
* Strongest AP shell only have about 1.4kg of mass, dealing little spall

== History ==

===Development===
In 1938, the General Staff of the British Army put out a request for a cruiser tank that was lighter and more affordable than the heavier A16 cruiser design developed by Nuffield Mechanizations & Aero. One of these designs was the designation ''Tank, Cruiser Mk.V'' based off the [[A13 Mk I|A13 cruiser tanks]], named the "Covenanter", and Nuffield was invited to become part of its development team, but they refused due to interest in developing their own cruiser tank. Their tank was designated the '''Tank, Cruiser Mk.VI Crusader''' and fell under the General Staff specification of ''A15''. The Crusader was a parallel design to the Covenanter, but was ready six weeks earlier than the Covenanter despite starting at a later time. The Crusader was adopted into service with the British Army in 1941 and the 5,300 units were manufactured between 1940 to 1943.

===Design===
The Crusader features a new design that differs from its cruiser tank predecessors. The Christie suspension system on the Crusader had five road wheels for it instead of the usual four, which improves weight distribution of the increased 20 ton weight of the Crusader compared to the 14 tons of the A13 cruisers. The engine, steering system, and cooling system on the Crusader was different as well, but the Covenanter and Crusader use the same main turret. The polygonal shape of the turret gives the crew inside more room for the turret ring diameter.

The Crusader Mk.I and '''Mk.II''' were equipped with the 2-pounder, which was aimed by the gunner inside with a padded shaft that allows them to elevate the gun by simply adjusting his own height. Later in the war where an up-gun of the tank armament was necessary and newer tanks such as the [[Cromwell V|Cromwell]] was delayed, the Crusader was upgraded into the ''[[Crusader Mk III]]'' variant with a 6-pounder instead, which restricted turret space, requiring the turret crew to be reduced from three to two. These saw first action the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942.

===Combat Usage===
The Crusader first saw action at North Africa, right after the British had been pushed back to the Egyptian border by Axis forces. The Crusaders were part of the huge shipment in the Malta Convoys to reequip the British forces there. Enough Crusaders arrive that the entire 6th Royal Tank Regiment was refitted with them, which joined up with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment to form the 7th Armoured Brigade "Desert Rats". The brigade's first action was in Operation Battleaxe, though it was delayed due to adapting the tanks for the desert environment. The operation, which called for the relieve of the siege of Tobruk in June, was initiated in June to which 11 Crusader tanks were lost to anti-tank guns, plus many more to mechanical faults. While more Crusader tanks came in to reinforce the cruiser tank forces, there were never enough to supply the continuously expanding armoured units as 7th Brigade was combine with the 7th Hussars, the 2nd Armoured Brigade was added to the 7th Armoured Division, and the 8th Hussars was combined with the 4th Armoured Brigade. Overall, the Crusaders proved effective in the North African Campaign, the Crusader was faster than any tanks on the opposing side and the 2-pounder was lethal to the [[Pz.III J|Panzer III]], but the tank suffered from its thin armour, mechanical problems in the desert, and the growing deficiency of the 2-pounder, which didn't have enough range to destroy farther tanks. The Crusader design also caused the ammo racks on the tank to easily ignite due to unprotected racks and shot traps on the turret design. Anti-tank guns continue to be the main reason the Crusader units suffer losses, rather than to enemy tanks.

By the end of 1941, only the 2nd Armoured Brigade retained the Crusaders, the rest of the other tank units were being refitted with better tanks, such as the [[Grant I|M3 Grant medium tank]] from the American Lend-Lease. Crusader units were also refitted with the more powerful Crusader Mk.III with the 6-pounder, which improved the Crusader's ability to destroy the gradually stronger German tanks. After General Bernard Montgomery took command of the British Army in 1942, more British tank units were reequipped with the Grant and [[M4|M4 Sherman]] tanks while the Crusaders were relegated from the front-lines to "light squadrons" meant to flank the enemy and attacked at its exposed sides. When the British 1st Army engaged the Axis at Tunisia, some tank regiments still use Crusaders mixed in with [[Valentine Mk I|Valentine tanks]]. These units in the 26th Armoured Brigade, code named "Blade Force", worked alongside the 78th Infantry Division as an independent armoured column. During Tunisia, the 1st Army was already converting the tank regiments into Shermans, but the 8th Army continued to use the Crusaders for much longer, which would see use at the Battle of Wadi Akarit and Mareth Line.

After the North African Campaign, the Crusaders no longer saw any use in the front-lines and were used in other roles such as gun tractors with 17-pounders or anti-aircraft mounts such as the ''[[Crusader AA Mk I|Crusader AA Mk I]]'' and ''[[Crusader AA Mk II|Mk II]]'' Some Crusader tanks equipped the tank regiments that stayed back at the British Homelands such as the 11th Armoured Division.

===Survivors===
About 21 Crusaders still exist intact in various parts of the world. The most notable places with the Crusaders are South Africa with 8 known survivors, a running [[Crusader Mk III]] at Bovington Tank Museum at England, and an anti-aircraft version at Musée des Blindés in France.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_crusader_mk_2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|4_cJ1CpEatw|'''Best gun depression''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:33 - ''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 ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

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

{{TankManufacturer Nuffield}}
{{Britain light tanks}}

Tortoise

2024-10-07T12:34:29Z

U124022231: /* Development */ changed wording, made more coherent and readable

{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_a39_tortoise
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]] along with the initial British ground tree. A huge casemate structure made as an assault vehicle akin to the American's [[T95]], the Tortoise presents thick raw sloped armour with a unique heavy punching 94 mm cannon.

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


As its name suggest, the Tortoise is not very fast. While its mobility leaves much to be desired, the tank's survivability is the complete opposite. The tank sacrifices its speed for very thick armour, both on the front and sides. The frontal protection varies from 170 mm at the lower plate to 215 mm of cast steel around the mantlet, with additional protection being provided by spaced armour, covering the gun breech. This, combined with the mostly well-angled front of the tank, makes the armour reach an effective thickness of around 250 mm. This makes the Tortoise borderline immune to most attacks from the guns found at its BR, even the mighty Russian [[D-25T (122 mm)|122 mm D-25T cannon]]. The Tortoise's hull sides and rear are also very tough to pierce, making any SPAA vehicle, and even some light tanks, more of a nuisance than a real threat to the tank. If the armour is not enough the Tortoise has a huge 7 man crew, which does contribute a lot to its survivability. As the crew is spread out in the hull, knocking out the Tortoise with just one-shot is quite rare.
[[File:Tortoise Armour Weakspot 1 vs Tiger II.png|right|thumb|Tiger II easily capable of penetrating Tortoise's flat armour.]]
The tank does have some glaring weak spots in its frontal armour. First weak spot of note is the cupola. Considering that the cupola is only 101.6 mm thick and flat, it is very easy for the Tortoise's opponents to penetrate it, usually resulting in a loss of a crew member. Another weak spot is actually one of the thickest part of the tank, the gun mantlet area. While the plate itself is very thick, the fact that it is flat makes it very vulnerable, if not angled. A shot from a Tiger II can pierce it, resulting in the Tortoise's destruction or at the very least incapacitation. In order to avoid this, it is advised to angle the armour to make it more effective.

There is one more weak spot which more advanced players will use to their advantage when facing a Tortoise, another flat area of the superstructure located next to the machine gun port, which is only 152 mm thick. This flat area is quite large, making it an even easier target, and unfortunately for the Tortoise, even proper armour angling will not make it sturdy enough to withstand the long [[KwK43 (88 mm)|88 mm KwK 43]], let alone something like the Russian D-25T or [[D-10T (100 mm)|D-10T]].
[[File:Tortoise Armour Weakspot 2 vs Tiger II.png|left|thumb|Tiger II's round vs the flat armour plate around the machine gun port.]]
Tortoise also has access to smoke grenade launchers, which are very useful and should be utilised often, especially if there is a need for a hasty retreat, which is made possible by the Tortoise's good reverse speed. The smoke grenades are released in 4 charges through 3 mortars, one of which is placed on the rotating turret. Important thing to note is that if the turret's operator is knocked out, it won't be able to move, resulting in smoke grenades being launched in the direction the turret's MGs are facing.
[[File:Tortoise Smokescreen.png|right|thumb|Smoke screen created by the Tortoise.]]
Usually when faced against vehicles which use APCBC rounds and are of equal BR, the Tortoise's armour holds very well. The issue however appears when the tank faces enemies, who have access to more advanced munitions like APDS, HEAT-FS or any early ATGMs. The armour performs really badly against these and will frequently be pierced. There are also some large calibre guns capable knocking out the Tortoise by shooting HE shells into its roof and through overpressure, which is made easier by the large cupola.

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Side hull, Rear hull, Hull roof, Superstructure roof)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 55 mm (75°) ''Front glacis'' 170 mm (3-71°) ''Lower glacis'' || 110 + 50.8 mm || 100 mm (10-45°) || 25 mm
|-
| Superstructure || 215 mm (0-59°), 152 mm (0-45°) ''Front armour'' 96 + 80 + 152 mm ''Gun mantlet''|| 152 mm || 110 mm (0-7°) || 50.8 mm
|-
| Cupola || 101.6 mm || 101.6 mm || 101.6 mm || 25 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and bogies are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick.
* Tracks on the side of the Tortoise give an additional 30 mm of armour.
* The steel boxes on the side of the rear of the Tortoise grant only an extra 5 mm of armour.

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

{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 923|rbMinHp= 575}}

Such a great armour plays heavily on mobility. With a max speed of 20 km/h in both directions, neutral steering and wide tracks, this tank has good enough mobility to get into position and fire on the enemy. It is not advised to travel up to the frontlines since it will only expose weak spots, make flanking easier, and take a really long time due to poor max speed.

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

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

{{main|32pdr OQF (94 mm)}}
Unlike other British Rank IV tanks, the Tortoise does not have access to APDS or HESH ammunition, it relies on pure AP solid shots. Fortunately, these large calibre rounds are roughly similar to the [[20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm)|20-pounder cannon's]] APDS rounds, meaning the learning curve from the [[Charioteer Mk VII]] is not too steep. Plus, these 94 mm shells are stock rounds in the Tortoise.

The main APCBC round for the Tortoise features superb penetration with 250+ mm at close range. While some other opponents might sport a better penetration, the ~10 seconds reload and incredible accuracy means you will usually be able to get a shot off before the enemy at this BR since a lot of tanks make use of large calibre guns with long reload times (Tiger II, IS-2, FV4005, etc.). The Shot Mk.1 also features excellent post-penetration damage thanks to its large calibre.

Due to the stable gun platform provided by an incredibly heavy chassis, as well as the decent gun traverse, the Tortoise is able to halt, stabilize and fire its gun before enemies are able to.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[32pdr OQF (94 mm)|94 mm 32pdr OQF]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 60 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±20° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 8.81 || 12.19 || 14.80 || 16.37 || 17.41 || rowspan="2" | 11.18 || rowspan="2" | 9.89 || rowspan="2" | 9.12 || rowspan="2" | 8.60
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 5.95 || 7.00 || 8.50 || 9.40 || 10.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:32pdr OQF (94 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.1, Shell Mk.1}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo part
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''60''' || ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 41 ''(+19)'' 59 ''(+1)'' || 31 ''(+29)'' 35 ''(+25)'' || 21 ''(+39)'' 31 ''(+29)'' || 11 ''(+49)'' ''1 (+59)'' || 1 ''(+59)'' N/A || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* As they are modeled by sets of 2, shells disappear from the rack only after you fire both shells in the set.

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

{{main|BESA (7.92 mm)}}

The secondary armament on this tank is a MG turret with twin-mounted [[BESA (7.92 mm)|BESA]] machine guns, good for dealing with low-flying planes and even some bombers, although these MGs lack the power of cannons for aircraft encountered in mixed battles at this BR. Since this turret is the main weak spot on this tank's frontal armour, it is often disabled in the first few shots.

Six of the vehicle's smoke grenades are located on the machine gun turret, and even if it's disabled (locking it in the direction it was facing) the grenades will still fire like normal.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[BESA (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm BESA]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Cupola || 3,375 (225) || 600 || -6°/+20° || ±180°
|-
| Cupola || 3,375 (225) || 600 || -6°/+20° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The A39 Tortoise was created with the intention of serving as a "heavy assault tank" to break through the Siegfried Line. It plays more as a tank destroyer that's best used at long range. Therefore, to maximize the potential of the Tortoise, one must stay at long distances and snipe enemies with the very accurate [[Ordnance QF 32-pounder (94 mm)|32 pdr OQF]] cannon, while making sure to choose good cover, so as to not allow the enemy to target the Tortoise's weak spots: the MG turret and gunner's cupola, the flat areas of the mantlet armour, and the lower front plate (LFP) if it is left exposed. With its slow speed and reload rate, this is not a frontline tank; it will easily be outflanked if used in shorter range engagements. In summary, the Tortoise is best used in a defensive capacity - either to defend capture points, or important strategic areas on the map (i.e. areas where enemies love to camp).

The Tortoise is a true sniper tank destroyer: the farther, the better. Its biggest vulnerability is that it moves extremely slowly, so it's not recommended for frontline combat. It plays much better as an entrenched shooter that can change a game by picking cover with a good field of fire, and then denying enemy entry or egress of an area. The cannon lacks an AP shell with HE filler, making general knowledge of tank internals a must. With good gun depression, it can be near-invincible when taking a good hull-down position, and can retreat back into cover easily enough due to its good reverse speed.

Some tips for specific combat environments:

;Plains

This type of terrain is mostly devoid of any structures that could possibly provide cover. The terrain itself will provide the main form of cover. Maps such as [[Kursk (Ground Forces)|Kursk]], [[Mozdok (Ground Forces)|Mozdok]] and [[Jungle]] can be described as such. Find decent cover that provides a good view of the battlefield and field of fire, then set up a kill zone to deny entry into an area. Scout with binoculars so as to not needlessly expose yourself, then pop out at the right time to fire at any worthwhile targets of opportunity. Overextend tactics work well with this tank: line up a shot, take it, and fall back behind cover. Do not bother to move from a good position if possible: the Tortoise can take many shots before going down, and its dreadful top speed make it counterintuitive to play in an offensive capacity. Reposition the tank only if the enemy line gets too close or if there is a flanker in the vicinity.

;Urban

These kind of grounds are all about buildings, terrain variation is almost nonexistent. Maps such as [[Abandoned_Factory_(Ground_Forces)|Abandoned Factory]], [[Port Novorossiysk]] and [[Advance to the Rhine]] are urban battlefields. This is the most tricky scenario to face with the Tortoise. Pick an alley and cover it from one end or ambush near a capture point, if feeling lucky. Always try to stay near allied cover.

;Rural

Rural maps are a mix of the two former: a small urban map surrounded by plains. Maps such as [[Fields of Poland]], [[Eastern Europe (Ground Forces)|Eastern Europe]] and [[Normandy (Ground Forces)|Normandy]] are rural environments. Stay around the town and never get in, cover alleys from afar, make the enemy fear to turn any corner. Try to get as far as possible to the town and keep an eye for flankers.

;Hilly terrain

These maps feature high terrain deformation with steep hills and even walls. Maps such as [[Ash River]], [[Karelia]] and [[Frozen Pass]] falls under this designation. Use the same tactics as with plains while being extra careful since flanking is easier on these kind of maps. Stick to the rear of allied armour or play as a bullet magnet, leaving light tanks a way to flank the enemy without getting too much attention. Make sure to hide weak spots behind props such as rocks or walls, leaving only the gun mantlet exposed.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good frontal armour and adequately thick side armour
* Angling the tank at near-45 degrees increases protection
* 94 mm 32-pdr OQF cannon offers both high penetration power and post-penetration spalling damage
* Highest penetrating round (Shot Mk. 1 APCBC) has a forgiving and predictable trajectory
* 7-man crew means that it will usually take several HEAT or APDS rounds to knock out the Tortoise (even penetrating APHE shells likely will not destroy the tank in a single hit)
* Goes as fast in reverse as it does when travelling forward

'''Cons:'''

* Given its enormous size, the tank is nearly impossible to fully conceal.
* Lack of speed and manoeuvrability: it is extremely slow given its enormous weight. You will not be able to run away from threats.
* The Tortoise lacks AP shells with any explosive filler. However, unlike most other British tanks at this battle rating, no APDS shells are available for the 32-pounder.
* Obvious weak spot: The MG turret on top of the tank is massive and is weakly armoured, which players will readily take advantage of: if an APHE round were to penetrate, it would likely kill the loader (and possibly the driver).
* The top left corner of the tank is big and flat; APHE rounds with high penetration can punch right through, killing the commander and gunner.
* Due to the casemate design, cover and fields of fire must be chosen carefully to minimize exposition of the Tortoise's weaknesses.
* The lower front plate (LFP) is somewhat flat and presents a possible weak spot for enemies to shoot at if exposed.

== History ==

===Development===
Years before the invasion of Normandy, Allied planners worried that heavily-defended fortification lines such as the Siegfried Line would block an Allied advance from France to Germany. One of the proposed methods was to develop extremely heavily armoured vehicles capable of destroying any fortification they came across and any resistance the Germans had. Britain and America both worked on this project in order to develop these super-heavy tanks.

The British began to develop a new type of vehicle to counter this threat, the Assault Tanks that focuses all effort on armour. The first development for such a tank began in 1943 as the [[Excelsior|A33 Excelsior]] tank, though this was cancelled in favour of the more reliable [[Churchill Mk VII|Churchill infantry tank]]. The Secretary of State for War and the Minister of Supply sent out specifications for the Assault Tanks in April 1943, to which the Nuffield Organisation responded with 18 designs between May 1943 to February 1944, named ''AT1 -'' ''18''. Each design was more armoured than its predecessor, and after careful consideration ''AT16'' was approved by the Tank Board in February 1944. It was proposed that 25 such vehicles would be produced and thus work began throughout the rest of the war. Six units were produced before production came to an end.

===Design===
The ''AT16'' was renamed the '''A39 Tortoise Heavy Assault Tank''' during its production life. The Tortoise employed a fixed casemate design which limited the gun traverse significantly. Though classified as an Assault Tank, it was in reality a self-propelled/assault gun. The front armour was very thick, 225mm at its most armoured. This large amount of armour came at the cost of 80 tons of increased weight and a height of 10 feet. Armed with a 96 mm 32-pounder gun that provided effective explosive and armour-piercing capabilities, capable of destroying a [[Panther G|Panther]] tank at 1,000 yards. The Tortoise was powered by a Meteor engine with an all-speed transmission system for equal speed forward and reverse. The suspension was a bogie system, with each bogie having a pair of wheels that linked to a transverse torsion bar. The vehicle held a six-man crew, two of which being loaders for the 32-pounder gun.

===Cancellation===
By the time the few prototypes of the vehicles were made, World War II in Europe ended in May 1945. The rapid demilitarization and lack of need for such a vehicle reduced the original order amount to just 6 vehicles, which were built. One was sent to Germany for evaluation trials, where the Tortoise proved itself as being mechanically reliable and its 32-pounder a great asset on the battlefield. Its undoing was its 80 ton weight, which gave it a low speed and a logistical nightmare to transport around the region.

In the end, the super heavy tanks designs made by the Americans ([[T28]]) and the British (Tortoise) only proved that such needs for tanks were unnecessary. The Siegfried Line and other such fortifications were taken out by use of the standard issued medium tanks such as the [[M4|M4 Shermans]], proving that affordable, mass-produced vehicles could dominate the modern battlefield. The only positive note that these heavy tanks provided was that it showed the true extent of American and British industrial capabilities, being able to produce these massive monsters.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_a39_tortoise Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|-WGV2ECr-TA|'''The Shooting Range #252''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:25 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|B2woWvJK4ew|'''Top 7 most armoured vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:18 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|FafvSJDEfwA|'''Tank Chats #15 Tortoise''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==


* [[T28]] / [[T95]]

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

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

{{TankManufacturer Nuffield}}
{{Britain tank destroyers}}