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Bf 109 K-4

2023-11-12T20:58:39Z

U124981580: /* Flight performance */

{{About
| about = German fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Bf 109 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=bf-109k-4
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27. The Kurfürst is the pinnacle of the famed [[Bf 109 (Family)|109 series]]. "Kurfürst," representing the letter "K" in the Wehrmacht phonetic alphabet, translates to "prince-elector", a reference to the Electors of the Holy Roman Empire. The K-4's frame is the last iteration and was focused on ease of production rather than performance, yet it features the best power to weight ratio and acceleration of any 109, turning this machine into a beast. However, the age of the design is reflected in its poor high-speed characteristics.

[[File:Bf109 K-4 billythekid 001.png|350px|thumb|left|]]

Use the plane's outstanding climb rate and speed retention. Boom and zoom tactics should be this plane's primary mode of fighting. It has good acceleration when using WEP. This grants the machine reasonable diving and climbing abilities. If chased, dodge away from the enemy with fancy manoeuvres without losing too much speed. In Realistic Battles, try to do a climbing spiral, but be sure to be in a higher energy state than the enemy! A miscalculation and the foe will have the opportunity for an easy deflection shot.

However, there are also downsides. The top speed can be reached quickly, yet the plane is not fast when stock. While it does have an edge in agility, it has bad low-speed manoeuvrability. Furthermore, foes will not usually engage in manoeuvring combat, rendering any manoeuvrability advantage moot.

The K-4 can outmanoeuvre these planes at medium speeds (<450 km/h IAS): [[P-51]] (all types), [[P-47D-28|P-47D]], [[Typhoon_Mk_Ib/L|Typhoons]] and the [[La-9]]. However, it will have a hard time dealing with other late Rank IV aircraft, especially Spitfires. It is highly recommended to use rudder during rolls, as this increases the roll rate dramatically. This is useful if when trying to force an overshoot or when avoiding shots.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

[[File:Bf109 K-4 call me hyper 001.jpg|300px|thumb|right|]]
For the pilots who flew the Bf 109, it could be a brutal aircraft, with a cramped cockpit and poorly located controls and levers, the pilot could get a serious workout during a dogfight, but don't think this aircraft is not worth the time as a majority of Germany's top aces flew Bf 109s. The {{PAGENAME}} was the final iteration of the aircraft, there really wasn't much more which could have been designed into it to take it any further. In comparison to the early versions which saw combat in the Spanish Civil War, the K-4 was over 300 km/h faster at 2,000 m higher than the Bf 109A. The aircraft morphed from a two-bladed wooden propeller to a three-bladed metal propeller with 20 mm or 30 mm autocannons and 13 mm heavy machine guns over two paltry 7 mm machine guns.

The {{PAGENAME}} is meant to dance in the sky with its quick speed, fast rate of climb and excellent energy retention, it can be used to Boom & Zoom in the vertical, unlike many other aircraft which require wide swaths of space to make their attack runs and retreats. The manoeuvrability of the aircraft allows it to make tight turns or quick evasive manoeuvres, especially those which cause a faster and heavier enemy to overshoot and then become the target themselves. To truly compete as a dogfighter and to milk every last bit of speed and manoeuvrability out of the aircraft, the pilot will want to fly it in the clean configuration without the 20 mm gunpods. The gunpods add weight, but for this aircraft, in the worst possible location with one hooked up under each wing, messing with the aircraft's centre of gravity and hampering the manoeuvrability of the aircraft. While it can still fly and fight, the gunpods will make dogfighting a bigger challenge, however, expert pilots may be able to negate some of those factors through sheer skill and luck.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 685 || 665 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 20.3 || 21.1 || 18.0 || 18.0 || rowspan="2" | 333
|-
! Upgraded
|761|| 720 || 18.3 || 19.0 || 32.2 || 23.8
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 437 || 408 || 260 || ~13 || ~7
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 450 || < 390 || < 450 || > 715
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Compressor
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
! Setting 1
| 6,900 m || 1,250 hp || 1,775 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


* 60 mm bulletproof glass in front and rear of the pilot
* Fuel tank with 21 mm steel plate behind it, and 4 mm plates surrounding it
* Pilot's seat has 4 mm steel plates underneath, with 8 mm steel making up the backrest
* 10 mm steel plates surrounding rear bulletproof glass
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="150px">
File:BF 109 K-4 All armor.png|All the armour plates on the 109 K-4.
File:Fuel tank 109 K4.png|Picture of the giant fuel tank the pilot is sitting on (self-sealing).
File:Steel 21.png|Seat armour plates of the K-4.
</gallery>

Willy Messerschmitt's design of the Bf 109 is known for its very lightweight construction, eliminating any unnecessary devices, parts, and even structural spars to allow for the fastest that this fighter could be and still be a strong fighter. Part of this challenge was ensuring there was enough protection for the pilot and certain critical components without overburdening the aircraft and making it sluggish with the addition of too much armour. For this aircraft, it makes sense that all the armour is centred around the pilot as this serves two purposes, aiding in the protection of the pilot and two, protecting the fuel tank which the pilot literally sits on top of.

The pilot's protection from the front comes mainly from the 60 mm bulletproof glass windscreen, headrest and various plates of armour between 4 and 10 mm in thickness which makes up the seat and headrest. These plates aid in protecting the pilot from both frontal attacks generally associated from attacking bombers with defensive positions, and also from the rear when being chased by an enemy fighter. Though the fuel tank is self-sealing when it has been shot, 4 mm and 20 mm steel plating also surrounds the tank as the first line of defence against enemy machine gun rounds, however, incoming 20 mm rounds may not have any problems getting through.

When attacking a {{PAGENAME}}, unless you can aim autocannon shots to blow off a wing, the best bet will be to aim for the fuselage starting from right behind the pilot all the way to the propeller. Hitting within this range allows you to hit one of the vital components of the aircraft including the fuel tank, the pilot, any of the coolers or the engine itself. The most successful attacks will happen from underneath the aircraft or from the sides, where there is no armour protection. If, however, you find yourself tailing a {{PAGENAME}}, use short bursts to spook the pilot into manoeuvring where they end up exposing the large surface areas of the aircraft and then unload where the rounds will have less chance to ricochet and more chances of taking out this aircraft.

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

The true acceleration power of the plane is only achieved very late into the grind. Specifically, the Tier 4 Engine injection modification provides a significant boost and is a top priority. On the way there, all engine upgrades should be taken. 13 mm belts are helpful for removing tracer rounds. The 20 mm gunpods with belts and the gun upgrade are viable choices, but engine injection remains a priority.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|MK 108 (30 mm)|MG 151 (20 mm)|MG 131 (13 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** 1 x 30 mm MK 108 cannon, nose-mounted (65 rpg) + 2 x 13 mm MG 131 machine guns, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)
** 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, nose-mounted (200 rpg) + 2 x 13 mm MG 131 machine guns, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)

Typical for Bf 109s was having a Motorkanone mounted to shoot through the propeller hub. Usually, these aircraft were outfitted with a 20 mm autocannon, which pilots of earlier 109s will have already had experience with, however, the {{PAGENAME}} provides the pilot with the option to choose their Motorkanone of choice, either a 20 mm MG 151 or a 30 mm MK 108. In real life, the 30 mm autocannon tended to jam during combat and can do the same in-game, until that is the module is upgraded and jamming frequency will lessen. For the most part, the difference between the 20 and 30 mm autocannons is power vs. ammunition count.
[[File:Bf109 K-4 bomberpilot1784.png|400px|thumb|right|]]
The 30 mm round is a slow but deadly round and when fired at close range it can have devastating results on its target. A large disadvantage due to its size and weight, it also only carries 65 rounds, which makes it necessary for the pilot to exercise trigger control and only fire when they are sure the rounds will hit. On the other hand, the 20 mm, though powerful in their own right, will not have the same heavy-hitting power as the 30 mm rounds, however, the {{PAGENAME}} can carry 200 of these rounds which travel faster and can be fired more rapidly. Typically, if the {{PAGENAME}} pilot is going to play the role of a bomber interceptor, the 30 mm round will be the most effective, however, when used as to intercept fighters and attackers, the 20 mm Motorkanone will probably be the best bet.

Regardless of the choice of cannons, the pilot will also have access to two 13 mm heavy machine guns, which are mounted on the top of the fuselage engine cowling. Having 300 rounds per gun will allow the pilot to continue to spew out damage even when the autocannons have run dry. Another option is to separate the firing control for the autocannons and the 13 mm MGs and instead track and fire enemy targets with the machine guns, utilise them as range finders and when the pilot sees they have a good firing solution, they can then employ the autocannons, thereby saving valuable ammunition and ensuring there is enough when it is needed.

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|SC500K (500 kg)|MG 151 (20 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 1 x 500 kg SC500K bomb (500 kg total)
* 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons, gunpods (wing-mounted) (135 rpg = 270 total)

There are a few aircraft which are featured in War Thunder, which become monster planes when they utilise gunpods to increase their firepower. The {{PAGENAME}} is no exception, especially considering that each pod contains a single 20 mm MG 151 autocannon, each of which holds 135 rounds of ammunition. Attacking enemy aircraft with three autocannons and two machine guns can cause devastating results, however, since the additional guns are wing‑mounted, the pilot will need to calculate for convergence so as not to waste ammunition. While the fuselage weapons fire on the line of sight, the underwing cannons will need additional adjustment to converge at the correct point. A convergence set too far may mean a number of the rounds will easily miss the enemy aircraft, while setting the convergence zone too close will do the same.

== Usage in battles ==

[[File:Cockpit_Bf109k4.jpg|thumbnail|right|The Bf 109 K-4's instrument panel.]]

The MK 108 is a double-edged sword: nicknamed by the allies for its characteristic sound, the Jackhammer lives true to its name: It is slow but powerful, with its main purpose being the demolition of heavy objects, such as the [[B-17G-60-VE|B-17G Flying Fortress]]. However, its common purpose in War Thunder remains to hunt fighter planes. The cannon's rate of fire is surprisingly high for its calibre with 660 rpm, meaning that, while deflection shots can be made, absolute trigger discipline must be maintained, since the 65 rounds will last you less than 6 seconds of continuous fire. Furthermore, the Minengeschoß shells are very slow. One must either become very good at leading the shells or close the distance. Kills are generally done from 300 m away, if not closer. On the plus side, the damage is equivalent to most 37 mm cannons upon hitting. Tip: In order to better learn and understand the cannon's trajectory, do not fire in conjunction with the machine guns.

The two additional machine guns are best fired alone. The MG 131 features HE shells (named IAI in-game, meaning Immediate Action Incendiary) as the Tracer belt. Yet, they are only highly effective in Simulator battles, where they will deal good damage to control surface areas, causing inexperienced pilots to lose control. In Arcade and Realistic battles, however, the instructor will dampen any such effects. Here, the damage-based Stealth and Fighter belts fare better.

The plane should equip one of two load-outs: with either the single 30 mm cannon or two 20 mm cannons. The single 30 mm is very capable of taking out two to three bombers, and the low muzzle velocity matters less due to the size of the targets. Starting the battle with three 20 mm cannons makes the plane very capable of taking out fighters due to the high shell density and sheer damage output. A single 20 mm does not deal enough damage, and the 30 mm with gunpods is rather ineffective due to the differing muzzle velocities of the 30 mm and 20 mm cannons.

One method that can be utilised is the prop pitch technique. Most of the later 109s have this, but it is really effective in the 109 K-4. This technique is using Manual Engine Control (found in sim controls) to set your prop pitch to 100% but throttle to 0%. This will turn your propeller into a giant air brake and is very helpful in forcing overshoots of the enemy aircraft. It can also be very helpful in diving, where you might get dangerously close to your rip speed.

=== Effective Strategies ===

When using the K-4, make sure to always have an altitude advantage. If any enemy is approaching at a higher altitude and/or energy state, the best bet is to dive away. This will usually work, as the enemy will probably lose interest, or be shredded apart in the dive process. Once the plane reaches 450 mph (ca. 724 km/h), hit the brakes and start slowing down so as to not rip the {{PAGENAME}} apart. To retain energy, level off while diving occasionally.

When the {{PAGENAME}} is at a higher altitude, smart enemy pilots will try to steer clear. This can be easily countered with a quick boom-and-zoom. The 30 mm cannon will take care of anything it hits, even bombers. The 30 mm cannon is practically useless in head-ons, however, so don't ever get into one. Use the {{PAGENAME}}'s superior turn rate and energy retention to get the enemy into the crosshairs. Fire away at close distances!

The K-4 performs exceptionally well against certain enemy planes. A pilot should remain vigilant for targets that are currently engaged in or have recently concluded a dogfight, as they may have depleted energy levels. Employing the element of surprise can prove highly effective in such situations. Engaging bombers is a viable option, but pilots should employ strategies that mitigate the threat posed by their defensive gunners.

Enemies worth noting:

* [[F2G-1]] - Despite being a naval plane that's designed for carrier operations, it will always outperform the K-4 at any altitude. The most viable tactic is to ambush one that is engaged. Deflection shooting and accurate shot placement are required, or else the F2G will climb away and loop behind the K-4. Employing the MK 108 helps to ensure that the enemy is destroyed, since this plane can take a ridiculous amount of damage. Lastly, having a teammate to coordinate with can vastly raise the chances of survival.
* [[P-51 (Family)|P-51s]] - They will always try to boom-and-zoom the {{PAGENAME}}. Be on constant lookout for enemies coming from behind. If one is chasing and can catch up, pretend to not notice them. When they start shooting, duck and do a loop towards the ground to gain energy. The P-51 will have a lot of speed when it tries to attack, and fortunately, will have its controls locked up. The P-51 will also bleed far too much speed trying to catch up. Head into a 20-degree climb with WEP and then attack them from above.
* [[Spitfire (Family)|Spitfires]] - They are very tough to deal with, and will always out-turn the {{PAGENAME}}, with engagements ending with the Spitfire firing from behind. Spitfires should be attacked alongside two teammates at once. Make sure that the Spitfire gets overwhelmed, then attack the spitfire from behind. Retain enough energy so the {{PAGENAME}} can climb back up to safety if the Spitfire ends up manoeuvring to the plane's rear. When a Spitfire is on the {{PAGENAME}}'s 6, dive. The Spitfire has a lot of drag with its oddly shaped wings and will not be able to keep up.
* [[Template:USA bombers|American bombers]] - While other nation's bombers have varying threat levels, all American bombers are bursting with .50 cal machine guns at almost every angle. This is especially the case for the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-29 Superfortress. As such, the to attack a bomber with numerous defensive armaments, the K-4 pilot should:

# Fly above the bomber at distances where they cannot shoot at the the plane.
# Make sure the {{PAGENAME}} is approaching at a faster speed than the bomber.
# Fly directly above the bomber and descend on it.
# Approach the bomber as fast as possible, and shoot at it when close enough.
# Turn away, and level out to keep speed, regardless if the target is destroyed. Re-climb and re-start as needed.

===Simulator mode tips===
In Simulator, the Bf 109 K is a capable fighter that can perform many tasks. It offers great flight performance with its smooth handling, fast speed, and impressive climb rate. Its nose-mounted armaments do not require any convergence setting, making it very easy to aim. The nose gently slopes down from the windscreen, offering great over-the-nose vision. There are also a few bomb options to choose from, which are beneficial for ground-pounding or base-bombing, although these are not its primary objectives. The K model has an improved canopy side with fewer frames, and the non-transparent armour headset is replaced by a clear bulletproof glass, allowing some rear views. The metal framing around the glass is also thinner than that of the G models, giving you a better field of view on the tail. Finally, an aspect that is often ignored is that, starting from the G-6 model, the rectangular reflector glass of the gun-sight is replaced by a bigger trapezium glass. It is vertically longer, allowing the pilot to move its head up more and still see the reticle, thus getting even better views over the engine.

Before Take Off:

Bring at least 30 minutes of fuel for prolonged patrolling and fighting. The convergence does not really matter, it might be anywhere between 250-600 m. Taking off in a late Bf 109 is harder than in other aircraft, so one should familiarise themselves with the earlier 109s. When taking off, the Bf 109 will shift severely to the left side due to the considerable torque, so consider setting keybinds for left and right brakes, as they are more effective at directional control than the rudder while on the ground. As the plane just lifts off the ground it will automatically roll to the left again due to the torque, so you must immediately roll a little right to keep it level, or the left wingtip will strike the ground.

;Fighting in the air

* Dogfighting in SB involves everyday RB tactics and manoeuvres such as the Immelmann, Split-S, scissor, barrel roll, etc. The Bf 109 K handles very sluggishly on the roll axis at low speed, so take this into account if dogfighting at low speed/altitude. You can even pull the elevator fully for maximum agility, but only if you pull gently and gradually will the Bf 109 K manoeuvre as you wish. If the stick is pulled harshly and suddenly, the plane will start swaying around and enter a flat spin. The aircraft can quite easily recover from a flat spin by fully deflecting the elevators downward and moving the rudder to the opposite side of which the plane is spinning; then wait until it starts a dive and gather some speed to pull up.
* If you want to engage bombers, consider bringing gunpods to maximise your damage output. Against late-war heavy bombers like the B-17 Flying Fortress, relying solely on the one central cannon might also work, but that requires more professional evading and longer aiming which is considerably more dangerous, as the bombers you see will be better armed. Choosing between the 30 mm and 20 mm gunpods is up to you. The extra two MK 108 will significantly boost your one-second burst mass and damage, which can be used to a very destructive effect for experienced pilots doing deflection shots, however the pathetic 35 rounds per gun will not last long in, for example, a "destroy enemy bombers" mission where there are ~10 aircraft to down. The pair of MG151 is more balanced in terms of ammo and velocity, although they do not pack as much punch in a short firing window. Still, with the powerful mine shells, one to three passes are enough to destroy any aircraft. In fact, gunpods can also be helpful in dogfights against certain fighters, as long as the performance of the enemy aircraft is inferior.

;Landing

Landing may need practice for some. It is easy at first: decelerate and descent towards the runway, deploy combat, takeoff, landing flaps and gears in this order, fly at ~210 km/h before touchdown. Now note that you must align the plane with the airstrip correctly before touchdown and do not yaw to one side too much when braking, as the undercarriages are so close together that they cannot support such lateral force, causing the plane to wobble on its tyres dangerously or even tilt towards one side, striking a wingtip into the ground.

=== Manual Engine Control ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil !! Water !! Type
|-
| Not controllable || Controllable Auto control available || Controllable Auto control available || Controllable Auto control available || Separate || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}
[[File:Bf109 K-4 jonigustavo 001.png|thumb|right|300px|]]

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very powerful engine when using WEP, providing excellent acceleration and climb rate
* Good performance at medium altitude
* Can carry additional armament
* 30 mm cannon will usually destroy anything that it hits
* Can research a nose-mounted 20 mm MG 151 cannon, making deflection shooting more reliable
* Exceptional high-speed manoeuvrability
* All weaponry mounted in the nose, allowing easy aiming without having to worry about convergence
* The only Bf 109 plane in the game that can carry a 500 kg bomb ([[SC500K (500 kg)|SC500K]])

'''Cons:'''

* Low ammunition count for the 30 mm MK 108 and the 13 mm MG 131
* 30 mm shell has low velocity and high drop, forcing gigantic lead angle on targets
* Flimsy airframe, prone to react heavily to damage
* Stock 13 mm machine gun belts consist solely out of tracers which alerts the enemy, makes aiming the 30 mm difficult
* Fighters with lower top speeds but better low altitude performances (such as Russia's La-7 fighters) will find it quite easy to shoot down the K-4 when at a low‑energy state
* Very slow-deploying flaps
* In Simulator, canopy frames and razorback greatly limit the all-round view; huge engine torque causes severe drifting on takeoff

== History ==

=== Design and development ===
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) moved ahead at break-neck speeds to develop civilian aircraft which secretly doubled as military fighters and bombers, requiring only minor modifications for militarisation. Aircraft designated as transport and airline variants could easily be converted to bombers, and the initial Bf 109 was no different in its purposes. The birth of the Bf 109 started out as a requirement from Hermann Göring, Reichsminister of Aviation, proposed to the newly appointed Theo Croneiß of Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW, Bavarian Aircraft Works). The requirement was for a single-seat high-speed courier plane, obviously, one which could be converted into a fighter when the time required. At the same time this requirement went out, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium's (RLM, Reich Aviation Ministry) Technisches Amt (C-AMT) or technical department was tasked with projecting aircraft requirements for potential future air combat and of the four main types determined to be essential, single-seat fighter requirements were published as L.A. 1432/33.
[[File:Bf109 K-4 wallysonbf 001.png|thumb|right|300px|]]
These fighter requirements were as follows:

* Top speed – 400 km/h (250 mph) at 6,000 m (19,690 ft) maintained for 20 minutes
* Total flight duration – 90 minutes
* Critical altitude of 4,000 m reached within 17 minutes
* Operational ceiling – 10,000 m (32,810 ft)
* Armed with 1 x 20 mm Motorkanone and two 7.92 mm machine guns
* Rated performance in the order of level speed, rate of climb and manoeuvrability

During the early years of BFW, Willy Messerschmitt designed the transport aircraft the BFW M.20, however due to several high-profile crashes of these transport aircraft, one of which included test pilot Hans Hackmack, a close friend of Erhard Milch (at the time, head of Luft Hansa and the German civil aviation authorities). With Erhard Milch, a lifelong hatred developed when Messerschmitt responded very callously to events about the crash. During this time, BFW went bankrupt and Messerschmitt went to work designing aircraft for a Romanian airline company. At the time requirements for L.A. 1432/33 were published, Messerschmitt was called back to Berlin and basically told his efforts were to be used for the Fatherland. Messerschmitt acquiesced and was given the specifications for the potential fighter, which after review, he proceeded to relate a very unfavourable opinion of the fighter as if built as described, the fighter would be literally obsolete as it rolled off the assembly line and unable to catch up to even medium bombers. After hearing the report and seeing the truth in Messerschmitt's words, the Technisches Amt awarded BFW the contract to build a fighter aircraft and Willy Messerschmitt was given free rein over the design of the aircraft.

Messerschmitt began design of the P.1034 (later known as Bf 109), and much like its older transport sibling the Bf 108, the new fighter was developed based on Messerschmitt's lightweight construction principle, the basis of which was to minimise the number of separate parts used, which would speed up construction and lead to ease of maintenance. For example, many of the main connection points for the airframe, engine frame and wings all had their connecting load points at the firewall. Another example was having the landing gear attached to the fuselage and not the wings, which allowed for removal of the wings without having to support the aircraft on jack-stands and also reduced the stress on the wing roots during takeoff and landing. One tell-tale sign of a Bf 109 is the landing gear slightly splayed outwards, this was to increase the stability of the aircraft while taxiing on the ground by providing a wider track, making it less prone to flipping over.

Forethought was put into the aircraft, especially for mechanics which would service the aircraft on the front-lines of battle. The entire engine cowling, weapon hatches, and other maintenance access panels could be removed, allowing the mechanics full access to service, repair and even replace critical parts on the aircraft with little difficulty. Pipe connections were colour-coded and electrical cabling plugged into junction boxes, this innovative design allowed for the swift replacement of old engines with new ones, a process that typically took only a matter of minutes. This level of efficiency and ease was unparalleled in most military aircraft of the time.

While a high-speed requirement would necessitate a small wing to decrease surface area, Messerschmitt knew this would require a more powerful engine to generate enough lift to maintain flight. The wings of the Bf 109 had several modifications which would compensate for these issues to include high-lift devices such as automatically opening leading edge slats and trailing edge flaps which had a large camber to allow for a significant increase in lift when deployed. To help increase the overall flap effectiveness, the ailerons would also "droop" to aid in the flap's work. The aircraft's weapons were all centrally located in the fuselage, with the large cannons mounted in the propeller hub and the machine guns located in the upper fuselage, leaving the wings to be very thin and light. This allowed for a significant increase in manoeuvrability.

Messerschmitt was ahead of his time, this was noted when the Bf 109 went to trials. Most experienced military pilots were seasoned World War I pilots who spent their time flying biplane fighters such as the He-51, aircraft with two sets of wings, an open cockpit, low wing loading and light g-forces, one look at the new Bf 109 produced sour reactions, especially from stunt and ace pilot Ernst Udet. At first, Udet had serious doubts about the Bf 109 and requested directly from Messerschmitt to remove the canopy to allow the pilot to judge the aircraft's speed through the air stream and to add a second wing with struts and wires; otherwise the aircraft was destined to fail as a fighter. Udet's initial test flight of the Bf 109 drastically changed his opinion of the revolutionary new fighter, forever altering how Germany designed and manufactured their fighters.

Throughout the years, the Bf 109 went through many iterations involving upgrades and fine-tuning. The last of the series was the Bf 109 K series, also known as Kurfürst. Unfortunately for this series, it was a compilation of model upgrades, modification kits and factory conversions which ultimately made both the production and maintenance of this aircraft a literal nightmare in both cost and complication with its maintenance. Due to problems with the series production and the late stage of the war when it entered, the K-4 model was the only version to be mass-produced. External changes included moving the radio equipment hatch, fuselage fuel tank filler point, the direction-finding loop and the addition of a retractable tail-wheel with clam-shell doors. Armament would include a 30 mm Motorkanone and two 13 mm machine guns with options to attach bombs or 20 mm cannon gondola-style pods; however, the suspended armament was rarely utilised. Between November 1944 and March 1945, a total of 1,593 Bf 109 K-4 fighters were produced, one in four Bf 109s listed in front-line fighting units was a Bf 109 K-4. Unfortunately, at this point in the war, the Bf 109 K-4 had two things going against it, first was the appearance of jet fighters which nullified any advantages the K-4 had achieved and secondly, the hastily trained novice pilots at this point of the war could not exploit the K-4's advantages which would eventually come from experience.

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{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a single-seat monoplane fighter used by the Luftwaffe before and during WWII. It was used as a fighter, interceptor, high-altitude interceptor, fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.

The Bf 109K "Kurfuerst" was the last mass-produced variant of the Bf 109 family. It first reached front-line units in September 1944 (or early 1945, according to other data). The fighter was powered by the Daimler-Benz DB 605 DCM engine and had more powerful armament, with some variants equipped with two 15 mm or three 30 mm cannon.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=bf-109k-4 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Bf109 K-4 speedsteer1944.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Bf109 K-4 *olfie- 001.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
</ul></div>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|0I9fzmNuJyE|'''Enjoying The Beast - Bf 109 K-4''' - ''Napalmratte''|xMZo89CWWuA|'''Bf 109 K-4 Propeller Pitch Technique''' - ''JZA80 98' Supra''|Luxss9DRoZU|'''Bf 109 K-4 Vs Spitfires - Techniques and Strategies''' - ''Green Fury''|nYXB_a0RA40|'''War Thunder Realistic: Bf 109 K-4 [High-G Resistant]''' - ''Jengar''}}

== See also ==


;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* North American [[P-51 (Family)|P-51]] Mustang
* Yakovlev [[Yak-9]]
* Kawasaki [[Ki-61 (Family)|Ki-61]]
* Fiat [[G.55 serie 1|G.55]]
* [[IAR-81C]]

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/100367-messerschmitt-bf-109-k-4/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]
* [https://www.chuckhawks.com/messerschmitt_Bf109.htm <nowiki>[Chuck Hawks]</nowiki> The Best Fighter of its Generation (1935-1945): Messerschmitt Bf 109]
* [https://www.luftkrieg-ueber-europa.de/en/how-good-was-the-messerschmitt-bf-109/ <nowiki>[Luftkrieg über Europa]</nowiki> How good was the Messerschmitt Bf 109?]
* [http://kurfurst.org/ <nowiki>[Kurfürst]</nowiki> The Messerschmitt Bf 109 Performance Resource Site]

{{AirManufacturer BFW}}
{{Germany fighters}}

Strv 103 (Family)

2023-07-09T14:58:10Z

U124981580: Added a video showing extensive survivability testing done to the Strv 103

<div class="specs_card_main"></div>__TOC__
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="250px" style="text-align:left">
File:Strv 103A. Заглавный скриншот 1.png|[[Strv 103A]] on location Sweden.
</gallery>

== History ==


The Stridsvagn 103 (Strv 103), also known as the "S-Tank", is a Swedish post-World War II main battle tank, designed and manufactured in Sweden by Bofors AB (and to some extent Landsverk AB). It was developed in the late 1950s to the mid 1960s and was the first main battle tank to use a turbine engine, as well as the first, and so far only, service tank to not feature a turret. While some might argue that the S-Tank is not a tank, or that turretless casemate vehicles can be called tanks, it is a fact that the S-Tank was designed as, deployed as and used as a tank by the Swedish army. Besides lacking a turret it was however the first tank with a fixed main gun, meaning that the gun was fixed in the hull on both the X-axis and Y-axis. To aim the gun horizontally the entire vehicle had to be steered side to side (same as the hull gun on the [[B1 bis]]). To aim vertically the tank used a new type of controllable suspension, probably also a first in the world, that allowed the tank to tilt forwards and backwards using gas-hydraulic hydropneumatics.

Besides tanks, the chassis was also used for other AFV projects, such as the [[Bkan 1C]] Self-Propelled Artillery Gun (SPAG) and [[VEAK 40]] Self-Propelled Anti-Air Gun (SPAAG).

=== S-Tank name ===
The name "S-Tank" is not an English nickname for the tank, but actually a translation of the Swedish name "Stridsvagn S". Stridsvagn S was the name given to the design during its development and it also became the product name after development had finished. The "S" in the name S-Tank refers to "Special" and "Sweden" (Sverige). It was one of three base designs that competed against each other to become Sweden's next generation MBT during the mid to late 1950s. The other two base designs were called "Stridsvagn A" (the A-Tank) and " Stridsvagn T" (the T-Tank). The A-Tank followed the Anglo-American (Swedish: Angloamerikansk) design principle of a heavily armoured, turreted MBT such as the [[M48 Patton (Family)|M48 Patton]] and [[Centurion (Family)|Centurion]]. The T-Tank followed the German-French (Swedish: Tyskfransk) design principle of a mobile, lightly armoured, turreted MBT such as the [[Leopard (Disambiguation)|Leopard 1]] and [[AMX-30 (Family)|AMX-30]].

== Vehicles ==
=== Mainline vehicles (S-Tanks) ===
{{Family-card
|title = Strv 103-0
|img = File:GarageImage_Strv_103-0.jpg
|wiki = Strv_103-0
|text = Strv 103-0 is the pre-production series of the S-Tank (series 0), delivered to the Swedish Army in 1963. The 0-series consisted of 10 vehicles ordered in 1960 after successful trials with the two initial strv 103 prototypes S1 and S2. The series was primarily used for field and equipment trials prior to the delivery of the main production series (sub-series A) to the Swedish Army. They are known for their varying equipment, such as lack of rib-armour and domed commander's cupola initially planned to mount an external 20 mm automatic cannon. The same cupola was fitted to the Pbv 301 IFV, albeit with the 20 mm gun.

[[Strv 103-0|'''Click here to read more''']]
}}
{{Family-card
|title = Strv 103A
|img = File:GarageImage_Strv_103A.jpg
|wiki = Strv_103A
|text = Strv 103A is part of the main production series of the S-tank (sub-series A), delivered to the Swedish Army from 1967. Sub-series A consisted of 70 vehicles ordered in 1964 after successful trials with 10 pre-series strv 103-0. Strv 103A was initially used to train instructors and it was not until 1968 that conscription courses began. Strv 103A was short-lived. Its 300 hp gas turbine had proven to be underpowered even before delivery, resulting in the next series (sub-series B) being uprated with a stronger engine. Sub-series B (strv 103B) was delivered between 1970 and 1971, during which the 70 sub-series A vehicles was updated to strv 103B standard in parallel.

[[Strv 103A|'''Click here to read more''']]
}}
{{Family-card
|title = Strv 103C
|img = File:GarageImage_Strv_103C.jpg
|wiki = Strv_103C
|text = Strv 103C was the last variant of the strv 103 tank to see service, delivered to the Swedish Army from 1986 to 1988. Strv 103C was a modernization upgrade (REMO = Renovation & Modification) for the existing strv 103 tank-fleet in Swedish service, initialized between 1978 to 1982. The upgrade included a stronger piston engine, improved transmission, flare launchers, jerrycans filled with diesel as skirt armour, new tracks and integrated laser rangefinder and dozer blade for all vehicles (previously only certain vehicles had laser rangefinder and dozer blade).

[[Strv 103C|'''Click here to read more''']]
}}

=== Offshoot vehicles (S-Tank based) ===
{{Family-card
|title = VEAK 40
|img = File:GarageImage_VEAK_40.jpg
|wiki = VEAK_40
|text = VEAK 40 is a Self-Propelled Anti-Air Gun (SPAAG) prototype based on the S-Tank chassis developed by Bofors from 1962 to 1968 as part of a longer Swedish Army project to find a replacement for the Lvkv fm/43 SPAAG from WWII. One prototype was delivered in 1965 and proved during testing to be ahead of its time. However the Swedish military decided to focus resources on the Swedish Air Force, rather than the air defence, resulting in the VEAK 40 project becoming too expensive to finish.

[[VEAK 40|'''Click here to read more''']]
}}
{{Family-card
|title = Bkan 1C
|img = File:GarageImage_Bkan_1C.jpg
|wiki = Bkan_1C
|text = Bkan 1C is a Self-Propelled Artillery Gun (SPAG) based on the S-Tank chassis, initially developed by Bofors from 1960 to 1965 as part of a longer Swedish Army project to develop a modern autoloading 155 mm-equipped SPAG. The initial bkan 1 version was delivered to the Swedish Army from 1965 to 1969 and used the strv 103A's underpowered powerpack, subsequently receiving the suffix A. In 1988, it was decided to upgrade the powerpack of the existing bkan 1A vehicles to the stronger strv 103C powerpack, redesignating them bkan 1C. However, only the piston engine was upgraded to C-standard in the end.

[[Bkan 1C|'''Click here to read more''']]
}}

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|cJCr5rkWf7s|'''Extraordinary Strv''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|FpiGLA9BKWc|Live fire trials against the S tank}}

[[Category:Family pages]]

Strv 103C

2023-07-09T14:52:15Z

U124981580: added Tank Encyclopedia link for further reading

{{About|about=Swedish medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''|usage=other versions|link=Strv 103 (Family)}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_strv_103c
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Swedish medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]].

The Stridsvagn 103C is a final production variant of the S-tank family. This modification includes modern improvements in all areas, giving the tank access to increased mobility, survivability, and firepower.

== General info ==
The {{PAGENAME}} is a Swedish MBT with a unique design compared to all other tanks of the same era. The S-tank, as it is more commonly known, makes use of the hull to direct fire at various targets. This feature requires the unique "Enable Hull aiming" key, which turns the tank from its regular cruising mode, into a fixed turret, capable of aiming wherever the player points their cursor. The reason the {{PAGENAME}} made use of hull-aimed weaponry becomes apparent when looking at the armour. The {{PAGENAME}} has armour sloped back more than 75 degrees, giving it strong frontal protection, with a high likelihood of causing enemy shells to ricochet. Another luxury a hull-fixed gun offers is the use of an automatic loading system. The {{PAGENAME}} can fire its main 105 mm cannon every four seconds, no matter the amount of crewmen left. Paired with high mobility, and the {{PAGENAME}} becomes one of the most unique main-battle tanks in the game. With a bit of ingenuity and patience, the {{PAGENAME}} works at all ranges, in almost all conditions imaginable.

This isn't to say the {{PAGENAME}} is without flaws. The tank is incredibly vulnerable to flanking manoeuvres, as the side and rear have a thickness of 30 mm. It usually doesn't matter what kind of vehicle gets behind the {{PAGENAME}}, as even SPAA has no issues penetrating the tank. The gun is also filled with drawbacks, especially relating to the aiming. Due to hull-aiming relying on the ground below it, aiming becomes increasingly difficult on uneven terrain as the tank tries to compensate for things in the way. This results in shaky, and highly inaccurate aiming at longer ranges. The tracking is also bad, as the tank finds it difficult to adjust the speed at which it steers neutrally. This requires a {{PAGENAME}} tanker to wait for the target to cross its line of sight, instead of following it along its path. The armour is incredibly weak against APFSDS rounds and ATGM missiles. These usually have enough penetration to knock the tank out in a single blow, exploding the ammunition in the rear as a final touch. As these types of munitions are quite common at this tier, the {{PAGENAME}} can't rely on armour against most opponents on the battlefield. A positive is that weaker types of munitions usually can't reach the crew compartment, resulting in the {{PAGENAME}} surviving 3-5 shells before dying from engine fires.

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


'''External survivability'''

The {{PAGENAME}} is outfitted with incredible frontal protection. This strong impenetrability isn't thanks to composite, but rather sloping. The {{PAGENAME}} has an incredible frontal slope of over 75 degrees. This results in a lot of ricochets from outdated types of munition, which lack significant velocity to damage the tank. Chemical rounds, which penetrate high amounts independent of velocity, have a higher likelihood of penetrating the vehicle. These shells don't bounce off as easily, while still carrying large penetration values. In order to counter this, the {{PAGENAME}} was outfitted with a unique external armour package. Commonly referred to as a "HEAT fence", the {{PAGENAME}} is able to counter upper-plate detonations by fusing them ahead of the armour itself. This hinders chemical rounds from causing heavy post-penetration damages, which increases frontal impenetrability. The lower plate has also been strengthened by the introduction of a dozer blade. This adds an extra 20 mm of angled armour, which comes handy against stronger types of munition. The sides have also been slightly enhanced by the introduction of 5mm fuel-canisters acting as side skirts.

'''Internal survivability'''

Once a shell penetrates the vehicle, the {{PAGENAME}} has to rely on its layout. Since the S-tank is entirely hull-designed, everything is incredibly compact to accommodate its varying features. The engine is placed at the front of the vehicle, followed by the crew compartment and lastly ammunition storage. When a frontal penetration occurs, a tanker can consider these compartments as varying grades of damage. Engine penetrations are usually fine, as the only way to take the tank out is by igniting it several times. Shells reaching the crew compartment can be severe, as the tank only has 3 members. Thanks to the last-stand feature, only one member needs to be alive. This can result in a lot of tanked hits, since it's difficult for the enemy to locate which member is still left. Finally, the {{PAGENAME}} is usually destroyed in a single hit if the post-penetration is strong enough to reach the rear ammunition storage. A tanker can still luck out if the shell penetrates the left-side when carrying 26 rounds, as only the right side will be filled.

A universal strength is the upper ribbed armour package. Previously introduced on the [[Strv 103A]], this package allows the {{PAGENAME}} to "shred" incoming projectiles. Thanks to the introduction of volumetric shells, no subcalibre round can currently sneak through this package. Due to heavy angling, and being placed behind the fence itself, it reaches thickness levels of between 500 and 1200mm, making it one of the strongest armour layouts in the game.

A universal weakness is slightly above and below the sharp edge where the upper and lower plate meets. This area can be easily penetrated by both chemical and conventional rounds. With varying damage depending on post-penetration effect. Aiming below the gun-barrel can also knock it out in the process, leaving the {{PAGENAME}} incredibly vulnerable.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* High hardness rolled armour - Slat

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 40 mm (77°) ''Upper Glacis'' 40 mm (74°) + 20 mm ''Lower Glacis'' || 30 mm +10-20 mm ''Upper'' 30 mm ''Lower'' || 30 mm || 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || 35 mm || 35 mm || 35 mm || 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Tracks are 20 mm thick while the suspension is 15 mm thick.
* Slat armour is 50 mm thick.
* Sideskirts are 4 mm thick.
* The crew compartment is lined with 10 mm RHA.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 1057|rbMinHp= 690}}

When glancing over the stat-card of the {{PAGENAME}}, it can be easy to assume the tank has inferior mobility to the earlier variants. But thanks to the tank utilizing the turbine in tandem with the more powerful diesel engine, it ends up being one of the most powerful engines at its BR. This catches a lot of opponents off-guard, as they generally don't expect the {{PAGENAME}} to be able to change positions quickly. This can also surprise wounded opponents, as they usually think they're safe hiding behind smaller obstacles without the {{PAGENAME}} coming towards them. And when facing opponents lacking any form of subcalibre munitions to deal with the {{PAGENAME}}, a tanker can find enjoyment scaring them by simply charging at their position.

The {{PAGENAME}} suffers from a severe lack of turrets, which makes it vulnerable to bad positioning. Turreted tanks can easily deal with enemies coming from the sides, without exposing a lot of weak spots. The {{PAGENAME}} needs to turn the entire vehicle, which often proves fatal. To avoid this, it's important to practice driving in reverse. The {{PAGENAME}} goes almost top-speed in both directions, making it viable to drive in reverse if the tank requires immediate repositioning. Combining this with smoke-grenades makes it impossible for the enemy to predict where the vehicle currently is.

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

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

{{main|L74 (105 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is outfitted with the Bofors L74 105 mm cannon. This cannon is identical to the earlier versions of the S-tank. There is some slight visual differences, as the cannon is now welded to the chassis, rather than just drilled through on the earlier variants. But the main difference lies in the ammunition. The {{PAGENAME}} gets access to the DM23 subcalibre shell. This is a treat at its BR, as not all tanks get access to it. The {{PAGENAME}} benefits greatly from this upgrade, as shots don't require the same amount of precision as before to land a devastating hit. This makes it more forgiving to aim, which is especially helpful with the sometimes janky hull-aiming a tanker may experience. But to compensate even further, the {{PAGENAME}} features the same autoloader as any other S-tank, allowing it to fire up to 50 shells with a mere 4-second interval between each round. This makes the {{PAGENAME}} the fastest firing DM23 tank in the game, allowing for some incredible killing sprees when positioned correctly.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L74 (105 mm)|105 mm L74]] || 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" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+12° || rowspan="2" | N/A || rowspan="2" | N/A || 33.6 || 33.6 || 40.8 || 45.1 || 48.0 || rowspan="2" | 4.00 || rowspan="2" | 4.00 || rowspan="2" | 4.00 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.0 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:L74 (105 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/62, slpprj m/80, slsgr m/61A, rökgr m/61, Shell L35}}

==== [[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
|-
| '''50''' || 46 ''(+4)'' || 41 ''(+9)'' || 36 ''(+14)'' || 31 ''(+19)'' || 26 ''(+24)''
|-
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| 21 ''(+29)'' || 16 ''(+34)'' || 11 ''(+39)'' || 6 ''(+44)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

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

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

{{main|ksp 58 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ksp 58 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm ksp 58]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 500 (250) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Coaxial || 500 (250) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 1,500 (250) || 600 || -10°/+30° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

'''Long-range Maps'''

A natural fit for the {{PAGENAME}} is long distance engagements. With its high fire-rate and fast shell, paired with unmatched optics and laser rangefinder, it has all the tools to dominate opponents at longer distances. The {{PAGENAME}} should be spawned as early as possible, swiftly positioned far ahead of the team, with plentiful amounts of cover to compensate for its lacklustre survivability against subcalibre munitions. Since the tank has incredible mobility, and almost impenetrable frontal protection in hull-down positions, the S-tank creates hell for the enemy team, forcing them to strategically flank the vehicle, or attack it with guided missiles. The gun barrel can still get knocked out, forcing the {{PAGENAME}} to back away for a few seconds to repair. This can prove costly however, as this window of opportunity can be wide enough to allow a flanking manoeuvre by the enemy team.

Having teammates substantially increases the tank's survivability against flanking opponents, as a turreted teammate can easily engage enemies trying to sneak a final shot in.

'''Close-range Maps.'''

Realizing the upsides and downsides of the {{PAGENAME}} makes it clear the vehicle was never designed for close-range engagements. This downside does show its truth as the vehicle can't fire on the move effectively, and is forced to take it slow in order to not get blasted from the side in a single shot. Either way, these maps can't be ignored when spading the vehicle, or when trying to research its more conventional brother, the [[Strv 104]]. Despite its flaws, the many upsides still have a lot of usage in closer engagements, and can result in high kill games, despite the uncomfortable surroundings. At the start of a match, the mobility should still be used to its limits. The {{PAGENAME}} only really gets to move freely without any form of danger at the beginning of the match where opponents haven't yet secured any areas of the map, so it's important to take a good position as early as possible. Hiding behind buildings and corners is highly effective, as getting flanked won't occur as often. The tank can very effectively fight off one enemy at a time, but struggles to focus on several opponents at once, due to the lack of a conventional turret. This forces the {{PAGENAME}} to pick off targets when they're busy with something else. Alternatively, if the {{PAGENAME}} sees opponents incapable of effectively penetrating its frontal protection, it can calmly peek out of cover to attack, without any danger, as even if the barrel gets damaged, the tank can swiftly reverse back at max speed.

Having a coordinated teammate can prove devastating for the enemy team, as a turreted teammate can easily fend off opponents from directions the {{PAGENAME}} can't handle. Thanks to the tanks amazing survivability, the {{PAGENAME}} can coordinate with a lesser armoured teammate, to work as a spearhead against incoming shells. As soon as the {{PAGENAME}} gets crippled, a teammate can easily jump in to deal with the distracted opponents. Since the {{PAGENAME}} needs to repair a lot due to commonly sustaining damage, having a teammate that can lower repair times is incredibly helpful.

{{Notice
|Always smoke when you get immobilized in the {{PAGENAME}}! After smoking you can angle the tank vertically with the use of hull-aiming, making it difficult for the enemy to deal more damage.|!
}}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High penetration shells - Access to Swedish DM23 rounds
* High survivability - Able to tank most rounds from the front
* New HEAT "fence" - Counters most Chemical rounds
* Strong turbine engine - Gives the tank high mobility & good off-road performance
* Low silhouette - Capable of hiding behind walls and small hills

'''Cons:'''

* Weak to subcalibre shells - Compact design results in high post-penetration damage
* Weak side & rear protection - Unable to survive against any high-calibre round
* Unable to fire while moving
* Poor stock performance - Weak stock rounds and slow acceleration
* Loud turbine & diesel engine - Difficult to silently hide

== History ==


Strv 103C is the last official series of the S tank, in the army decision 1972 and 1982 it was decided that getting a new tank for the army was going to be postponed to the 1990s and the Swedish army at time would focus on lighter combat vehicles. So to modernize the S tanks, the Strv 103Bs had to go through a renovation with upgrading the systems and improve the vehicles in a so called REMO (Renovation and Modification) process and it was not until 1986 the first Strv 103B got its REMO done and was designated Strv 103C.

In the Renovation and Modification process the Strv 103Bs got upgraded from a Rolls Royce piston engine to a Detroit Diesel engine, dozer blade on all "S" Tanks that used to be only 1 of 3 Strv 103s equipped with that, new tracks, new external fuel tanks in the form of 22 litre jerry cans that were attached on the sides that also worked as extra protection to the side armour, laser rangefinder that was integrated with the aimsight for the gunner, Lyran 71mm illuminating mortar and new gearbox.

It was not until 1988 that all 290 Strv 103Bs had been renovated to Strv 103C where they stayed in service until 1997 the Strv 103 saw the last of its service in the armed forces.

=== [[wt:en/news/6505-development-strv-103-0-last-man-standing-en|Devblog]] ===
In the immediate postwar years, Sweden began looking for a replacement to the Centurion tanks, then in service with its army. The most straightforward solution was to once again look into the export market for potential candidates, although engineers were already working on a domestic design - the Kranvagn. While this process was ongoing, an engineer by the name of Sven Berge came up with a radical new tank design in 1956.

This new vehicle featured a turretless design with a cannon fixed to the hull, which would be trained onto its targets with the precise use of an adjustable suspension system. The design was based on results from a study on tank crew casualties during WWII and the Korean War, which showed a correlation between tank height and hit probability. As such, the 'S-Tank' was kept very small in dimensions and low in profile, while also utilizing some innovative new engineering solutions, such as a mixed power plant consisting of a diesel engine and a gas turbine.

In 1959, the Swedish government approved the construction and testing of two prototypes. In 1960, a pre-production batch of 10 vehicles of the '0-serie' was ordered for field trials, which went on into the mid '60s. Generating more than favorable test results, the vehicle was formally ordered into production and procured as the 'Stridsvagn 103'.

Despite its original purpose being to replace the Centurion tanks in the Swedish Army, the Strv 103 ended up serving alongside it for a number of decades, until it was ultimately decommissioned in the late 1990s. By that time, 290 Strv 103s were built, spanning over five variants.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_strv_103c Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200px">
File:Strv 103C 1.png|thumb|Strv 103C after firing main gun
File:Strv 103C 2.png|thumb|Strv 103C in forest
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|5PAkCJChYNI|'''Maximum Swedish Frustration - Strv 103c''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''|uQVze1fZYw4|'''The {{PAGENAME}} Main Battle Tank''' - ''Orangefan''|C7cb7GlOnSY|'''Tank Chats #117 - Stridsvagn 103''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}

== 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 ==

* https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/Sweden/Stridsvagn-103.php

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

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

{{TankManufacturer AB Bofors}}
{{Sweden medium tanks}}

Sherman III/IV

2023-06-30T03:10:13Z

U124981580: added a note to the armor section with additional info on hull hatch thickness

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

== Description ==

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

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

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

'''Armour type:''' 


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

'''Notes:''' 


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

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

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

{{tankMobility}}

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

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

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 66 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} ||22.8
|31.6
|38.4
|42.5
|45.2
| rowspan="2" |6.50
| rowspan="2" |5.75
| rowspan="2" |5.30
| rowspan="2" |5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
|14.3
|16.8
|20.4
|22.6
|24.0
|-
|}

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

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Sherman III IV ammo racks numbered.png|thumb|[[Ammo racks]] of the Sherman III/IV.]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''66''' || 57 ''(+9)'' || 45 ''(+21)'' || 24 ''(2)'' || 1 ''(+65)'' ||No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* First stage ammunition is 23 rounds
* To enter battle with the sponsons empty bring 45 rounds or less (1st and 2nd racks empty)

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

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
|coaxial|| 3000 (250) ||500||N/A||N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

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

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

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

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

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

M4A2/[[M4A4 (1st PTG)]]: these Sherman tanks are widely used by both the Allied and the Axis side, so no matter which nation you play they can be quite tough to destroy in the hands of a skilled tanker. Given the rather weak penetration of your short 75 mm gun, their hull can be almost impossible to penetrate when angled, hull down or 300 m away. For an M4A4, there are 2 apparent bulges on the upper front plate, a penetration through there can guarantee a knock out most of the times. But in case the opponent covers them up or when it's an M4A2, aim for the middle parts of the gun mantlet or the turret armour unprotected by the mantlet, you can at least make them defenceless. Note that their guns are equally weak against you, so wiggle around to disrupt their aim while you reload, you have a good chance of bouncing some shells.

[[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1 and variants]] - A vehicle that the M4 Sherman will have trouble against is the KV-1. While the [[KV-1 (L-11)|L-11]] is underpowered, the [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|ZiS-5]] is potent enough to punch through the Sherman's front, and the Sherman is unable to penetrate the KV-1's thick frontal armour. If this heavy tank is encountered, try to shoot it in its sides and rear, where its armour is thinner and unsloped, though it will still have to be at a close range to penetrate the armour. In addition, shots to the sides will most likely hit fuel tanks or ammunition storage, causing a fire or ammunition detonation and at best, time to reassess the situation.

[[Churchill (Family)|Churchill]] heavy tanks - The Churchills, with their complex hulls and sturdy turrets, can be quite hard to penetrate at range. Again, manoeuvre as close to them as possible, the ideal distance being no more than 200 m. If they are angling their hull but facing their turret at you, only go for the turret. For the Mk I Churchills, aim at the near-vertical part of their rounded cheeks to ensure successful penetrations. For the Mk III and the German Churchill, also aim for their flat turret which is at most 89 mm. The shell should go in easily and knock out most, if not all of the crew. Only when you are facing their hull without any angles should you shoot the hull, otherwise shoot the turret only, as their big tracks can easily get in front of the frontal hull. The side hull have multiple layers of armour, some of which are weirdly angled and can absorb plenty of shells.

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

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

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

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Excellent gun depression of -10° plus the angled frontal turret allows it to utilise hills very well
* Great firepower: adequate penetration and post-penetration damage when using M61 shells; can frontally penetrate and knock out most opponents like the [[Pz.IV F2]], [[Chi-Nu]] and [[StuG III F]] with a single shot

* Great turret traverse speed allows it to deal with multiple threats easily
* Well angled frontal hull provides protection against small calibre / low-penetration guns (e.g. 75 mm M3, 50 mm KwK39), and even large calibre guns when angled correctly.

* Adequate top speed allows it to get to positions in time, or to do tactical manoeuvres like flanking

* Fitted with a vertical stabilizer, allowing more accurate fire on the move compared to other tanks, as well as better usage of shoot-n-scoot tactics
** Time needed for the gun to stop moving after braking is decreased increasing accurracy

*

'''Cons:'''

* Large profile and weak side armour; flankers like the Sd.kfz.234/2 can easily see and penetrate it
* Frontal armour is still inadequate, will get penetrated and knocked out by tanks like [[Pz.IV F2]]/G, [[StuG III F]]/G, [[M10 (Family)|M10]] by a single shot
* The M61 shell struggle to penetrate angled targets like [[StuG III G]], Churchill Mk.III or even the T-34 and M10

* Hull traverse is quite slow, making it sluggish in a turn. Also the narrow tracks offer poor ground flotation, thus poor off-road capabilities. Can only reach its top speed on paved or hard surfaces

* Roof armour of 19.5 mm thick is vulnerable to airstrikes with AP cannons. For example the widely used MG151 15/20 mm

* Lack of M2 Browning machine gun seen on most other Shermans means anti-aircraft defense is weak and removes the extra option for taking out lighter vehicles or shooting off tracks without having to use your main gun.

*

== History ==

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

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==

References

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

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

User talk:U124981580

2023-06-30T03:04:21Z

U124981580: Created page with "What am I supposed to do here?"

What am I supposed to do here?

User:U124981580

2023-06-30T03:02:51Z

U124981580: Created page with "== Introduction == Hello! I'm Moomoo_770 and I've been playing War Thunder since 2021. I mostly play because I love history and seeing all of my favorite military vehicles mov..."

== Introduction ==
Hello! I'm Moomoo_770 and I've been playing War Thunder since 2021. I mostly play because I love history and seeing all of my favorite military vehicles move around and compete in a digital space is really cool to me. My favorite feature in War Thunder is the ability to use custom skins even if you are the only one who can see it.

== About Me :D ==
I love learning about history, particularly military history. Outside of War Thunder I play Minecraft, World of Tanks, and various games on my Nintendo 3DS and Switch. I also know how to somewhat play the guitar

=== Other Places to Find Me ===
* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7NgjVuXNJIZ_P0XTLMx_1A

=== Favorite Vehicles ===

===== Tanks =====
* Panzer IV (I like the Ausf. H the most out of all of them)
* Leopard 1A5
* M4 Sherman (I think I like the M4A3 the most)

===== Planes =====
* Bf-109 (The G2 would be my favorite variant)
* J2M
* J21A2

Sherman III/IV

2023-06-30T02:25:50Z

U124981580: fixed image for ammo racks

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

== Description ==

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

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

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

'''Armour type:''' 


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

'''Notes:''' 


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

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

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

{{tankMobility}}

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

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

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 66 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} ||22.8
|31.6
|38.4
|42.5
|45.2
| rowspan="2" |6.50
| rowspan="2" |5.75
| rowspan="2" |5.30
| rowspan="2" |5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
|14.3
|16.8
|20.4
|22.6
|24.0
|-
|}

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

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Sherman III IV ammo racks numbered.png|thumb|[[Ammo racks]] of the Sherman III/IV.]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''66''' || 57 ''(+9)'' || 45 ''(+21)'' || 24 ''(2)'' || 1 ''(+65)'' ||No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* First stage ammunition is 23 rounds
* To enter battle with the sponsons empty bring 45 rounds or less (1st and 2nd racks empty)

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

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
|coaxial|| 3000 (250) ||500||N/A||N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

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

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

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

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

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

M4A2/[[M4A4 (1st PTG)]]: these Sherman tanks are widely used by both the Allied and the Axis side, so no matter which nation you play they can be quite tough to destroy in the hands of a skilled tanker. Given the rather weak penetration of your short 75 mm gun, their hull can be almost impossible to penetrate when angled, hull down or 300 m away. For an M4A4, there are 2 apparent bulges on the upper front plate, a penetration through there can guarantee a knock out most of the times. But in case the opponent covers them up or when it's an M4A2, aim for the middle parts of the gun mantlet or the turret armour unprotected by the mantlet, you can at least make them defenceless. Note that their guns are equally weak against you, so wiggle around to disrupt their aim while you reload, you have a good chance of bouncing some shells.

[[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1 and variants]] - A vehicle that the M4 Sherman will have trouble against is the KV-1. While the [[KV-1 (L-11)|L-11]] is underpowered, the [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|ZiS-5]] is potent enough to punch through the Sherman's front, and the Sherman is unable to penetrate the KV-1's thick frontal armour. If this heavy tank is encountered, try to shoot it in its sides and rear, where its armour is thinner and unsloped, though it will still have to be at a close range to penetrate the armour. In addition, shots to the sides will most likely hit fuel tanks or ammunition storage, causing a fire or ammunition detonation and at best, time to reassess the situation.

[[Churchill (Family)|Churchill]] heavy tanks - The Churchills, with their complex hulls and sturdy turrets, can be quite hard to penetrate at range. Again, manoeuvre as close to them as possible, the ideal distance being no more than 200 m. If they are angling their hull but facing their turret at you, only go for the turret. For the Mk I Churchills, aim at the near-vertical part of their rounded cheeks to ensure successful penetrations. For the Mk III and the German Churchill, also aim for their flat turret which is at most 89 mm. The shell should go in easily and knock out most, if not all of the crew. Only when you are facing their hull without any angles should you shoot the hull, otherwise shoot the turret only, as their big tracks can easily get in front of the frontal hull. The side hull have multiple layers of armour, some of which are weirdly angled and can absorb plenty of shells.

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

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

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

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Excellent gun depression of -10° plus the angled frontal turret allows it to utilise hills very well
* Great firepower: adequate penetration and post-penetration damage when using M61 shells; can frontally penetrate and knock out most opponents like the [[Pz.IV F2]], [[Chi-Nu]] and [[StuG III F]] with a single shot

* Great turret traverse speed allows it to deal with multiple threats easily
* Well angled frontal hull provides protection against small calibre / low-penetration guns (e.g. 75 mm M3, 50 mm KwK39), and even large calibre guns when angled correctly.

* Adequate top speed allows it to get to positions in time, or to do tactical manoeuvres like flanking

* Fitted with a vertical stabilizer, allowing more accurate fire on the move compared to other tanks, as well as better usage of shoot-n-scoot tactics
** Time needed for the gun to stop moving after braking is decreased increasing accurracy

*

'''Cons:'''

* Large profile and weak side armour; flankers like the Sd.kfz.234/2 can easily see and penetrate it
* Frontal armour is still inadequate, will get penetrated and knocked out by tanks like [[Pz.IV F2]]/G, [[StuG III F]]/G, [[M10 (Family)|M10]] by a single shot
* The M61 shell struggle to penetrate angled targets like [[StuG III G]], Churchill Mk.III or even the T-34 and M10

* Hull traverse is quite slow, making it sluggish in a turn. Also the narrow tracks offer poor ground flotation, thus poor off-road capabilities. Can only reach its top speed on paved or hard surfaces

* Roof armour of 19.5 mm thick is vulnerable to airstrikes with AP cannons. For example the widely used MG151 15/20 mm

* Lack of M2 Browning machine gun seen on most other Shermans means anti-aircraft defense is weak and removes the extra option for taking out lighter vehicles or shooting off tracks without having to use your main gun.

*

== History ==

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

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==

References

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

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

Sherman III/IV

2023-06-30T02:24:00Z

U124981580: added ammo racks image

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

== Description ==

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

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

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

'''Armour type:''' 


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

'''Notes:''' 


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

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

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

{{tankMobility}}

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

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

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 66 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} ||22.8
|31.6
|38.4
|42.5
|45.2
| rowspan="2" |6.50
| rowspan="2" |5.75
| rowspan="2" |5.30
| rowspan="2" |5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
|14.3
|16.8
|20.4
|22.6
|24.0
|-
|}

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

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''66''' || 57 ''(+9)'' || 45 ''(+21)'' || 24 ''(2)'' || 1 ''(+65)'' ||No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* First stage ammunition is 23 rounds
* To enter battle with the sponsons empty bring 45 rounds or less (1st and 2nd racks empty)

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

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
|coaxial|| 3000 (250) ||500||N/A||N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

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

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

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

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

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

M4A2/[[M4A4 (1st PTG)]]: these Sherman tanks are widely used by both the Allied and the Axis side, so no matter which nation you play they can be quite tough to destroy in the hands of a skilled tanker. Given the rather weak penetration of your short 75 mm gun, their hull can be almost impossible to penetrate when angled, hull down or 300 m away. For an M4A4, there are 2 apparent bulges on the upper front plate, a penetration through there can guarantee a knock out most of the times. But in case the opponent covers them up or when it's an M4A2, aim for the middle parts of the gun mantlet or the turret armour unprotected by the mantlet, you can at least make them defenceless. Note that their guns are equally weak against you, so wiggle around to disrupt their aim while you reload, you have a good chance of bouncing some shells.

[[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1 and variants]] - A vehicle that the M4 Sherman will have trouble against is the KV-1. While the [[KV-1 (L-11)|L-11]] is underpowered, the [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|ZiS-5]] is potent enough to punch through the Sherman's front, and the Sherman is unable to penetrate the KV-1's thick frontal armour. If this heavy tank is encountered, try to shoot it in its sides and rear, where its armour is thinner and unsloped, though it will still have to be at a close range to penetrate the armour. In addition, shots to the sides will most likely hit fuel tanks or ammunition storage, causing a fire or ammunition detonation and at best, time to reassess the situation.

[[Churchill (Family)|Churchill]] heavy tanks - The Churchills, with their complex hulls and sturdy turrets, can be quite hard to penetrate at range. Again, manoeuvre as close to them as possible, the ideal distance being no more than 200 m. If they are angling their hull but facing their turret at you, only go for the turret. For the Mk I Churchills, aim at the near-vertical part of their rounded cheeks to ensure successful penetrations. For the Mk III and the German Churchill, also aim for their flat turret which is at most 89 mm. The shell should go in easily and knock out most, if not all of the crew. Only when you are facing their hull without any angles should you shoot the hull, otherwise shoot the turret only, as their big tracks can easily get in front of the frontal hull. The side hull have multiple layers of armour, some of which are weirdly angled and can absorb plenty of shells.

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

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

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

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Excellent gun depression of -10° plus the angled frontal turret allows it to utilise hills very well
* Great firepower: adequate penetration and post-penetration damage when using M61 shells; can frontally penetrate and knock out most opponents like the [[Pz.IV F2]], [[Chi-Nu]] and [[StuG III F]] with a single shot

* Great turret traverse speed allows it to deal with multiple threats easily
* Well angled frontal hull provides protection against small calibre / low-penetration guns (e.g. 75 mm M3, 50 mm KwK39), and even large calibre guns when angled correctly.

* Adequate top speed allows it to get to positions in time, or to do tactical manoeuvres like flanking

* Fitted with a vertical stabilizer, allowing more accurate fire on the move compared to other tanks, as well as better usage of shoot-n-scoot tactics
** Time needed for the gun to stop moving after braking is decreased increasing accurracy

*

'''Cons:'''

* Large profile and weak side armour; flankers like the Sd.kfz.234/2 can easily see and penetrate it
* Frontal armour is still inadequate, will get penetrated and knocked out by tanks like [[Pz.IV F2]]/G, [[StuG III F]]/G, [[M10 (Family)|M10]] by a single shot
* The M61 shell struggle to penetrate angled targets like [[StuG III G]], Churchill Mk.III or even the T-34 and M10

* Hull traverse is quite slow, making it sluggish in a turn. Also the narrow tracks offer poor ground flotation, thus poor off-road capabilities. Can only reach its top speed on paved or hard surfaces

* Roof armour of 19.5 mm thick is vulnerable to airstrikes with AP cannons. For example the widely used MG151 15/20 mm

* Lack of M2 Browning machine gun seen on most other Shermans means anti-aircraft defense is weak and removes the extra option for taking out lighter vehicles or shooting off tracks without having to use your main gun.

*

== History ==

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

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==

References

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

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

Sherman III/IV

2023-06-30T02:22:52Z

U124981580: Filled in most of the empty sections by referencing other Sherman articles and in game characteristics

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

== Description ==

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

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

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

'''Armour type:''' 


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

'''Notes:''' 

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

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

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

{{tankMobility}}

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

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

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 66 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} ||22.8
|31.6
|38.4
|42.5
|45.2
| rowspan="2" |6.50
| rowspan="2" |5.75
| rowspan="2" |5.30
| rowspan="2" |5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
|14.3
|16.8
|20.4
|22.6
|24.0
|-
|}

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

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''66''' || 57 ''(+9)'' || 45 ''(+21)'' || 24 ''(2)'' || 1 ''(+65)'' ||No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* First stage ammunition is 23 rounds
* To enter battle with the sponsons empty bring 45 rounds or less (1st and 2nd racks empty)

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

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
|coaxial|| 3000 (250) ||500||N/A||N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

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

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

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

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

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

M4A2/[[M4A4 (1st PTG)]]: these Sherman tanks are widely used by both the Allied and the Axis side, so no matter which nation you play they can be quite tough to destroy in the hands of a skilled tanker. Given the rather weak penetration of your short 75 mm gun, their hull can be almost impossible to penetrate when angled, hull down or 300 m away. For an M4A4, there are 2 apparent bulges on the upper front plate, a penetration through there can guarantee a knock out most of the times. But in case the opponent covers them up or when it's an M4A2, aim for the middle parts of the gun mantlet or the turret armour unprotected by the mantlet, you can at least make them defenceless. Note that their guns are equally weak against you, so wiggle around to disrupt their aim while you reload, you have a good chance of bouncing some shells.

[[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1 and variants]] - A vehicle that the M4 Sherman will have trouble against is the KV-1. While the [[KV-1 (L-11)|L-11]] is underpowered, the [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|ZiS-5]] is potent enough to punch through the Sherman's front, and the Sherman is unable to penetrate the KV-1's thick frontal armour. If this heavy tank is encountered, try to shoot it in its sides and rear, where its armour is thinner and unsloped, though it will still have to be at a close range to penetrate the armour. In addition, shots to the sides will most likely hit fuel tanks or ammunition storage, causing a fire or ammunition detonation and at best, time to reassess the situation.

[[Churchill (Family)|Churchill]] heavy tanks - The Churchills, with their complex hulls and sturdy turrets, can be quite hard to penetrate at range. Again, manoeuvre as close to them as possible, the ideal distance being no more than 200 m. If they are angling their hull but facing their turret at you, only go for the turret. For the Mk I Churchills, aim at the near-vertical part of their rounded cheeks to ensure successful penetrations. For the Mk III and the German Churchill, also aim for their flat turret which is at most 89 mm. The shell should go in easily and knock out most, if not all of the crew. Only when you are facing their hull without any angles should you shoot the hull, otherwise shoot the turret only, as their big tracks can easily get in front of the frontal hull. The side hull have multiple layers of armour, some of which are weirdly angled and can absorb plenty of shells.

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

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

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

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Excellent gun depression of -10° plus the angled frontal turret allows it to utilise hills very well
* Great firepower: adequate penetration and post-penetration damage when using M61 shells; can frontally penetrate and knock out most opponents like the [[Pz.IV F2]], [[Chi-Nu]] and [[StuG III F]] with a single shot

* Great turret traverse speed allows it to deal with multiple threats easily
* Well angled frontal hull provides protection against small calibre / low-penetration guns (e.g. 75 mm M3, 50 mm KwK39), and even large calibre guns when angled correctly.

* Adequate top speed allows it to get to positions in time, or to do tactical manoeuvres like flanking

* Fitted with a vertical stabilizer, allowing more accurate fire on the move compared to other tanks, as well as better usage of shoot-n-scoot tactics
** Time needed for the gun to stop moving after braking is decreased increasing accurracy

*

'''Cons:'''

* Large profile and weak side armour; flankers like the Sd.kfz.234/2 can easily see and penetrate it
* Frontal armour is still inadequate, will get penetrated and knocked out by tanks like [[Pz.IV F2]]/G, [[StuG III F]]/G, [[M10 (Family)|M10]] by a single shot
* The M61 shell struggle to penetrate angled targets like [[StuG III G]], Churchill Mk.III or even the T-34 and M10

* Hull traverse is quite slow, making it sluggish in a turn. Also the narrow tracks offer poor ground flotation, thus poor off-road capabilities. Can only reach its top speed on paved or hard surfaces

* Roof armour of 19.5 mm thick is vulnerable to airstrikes with AP cannons. For example the widely used MG151 15/20 mm

* Lack of M2 Browning machine gun seen on most other Shermans means anti-aircraft defense is weak and removes the extra option for taking out lighter vehicles or shooting off tracks without having to use your main gun.

*

== History ==

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

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==

References

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

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

File:Ammoracks Sherman III-IV.png

2023-06-30T02:17:16Z

U124981580:

The ammo racks in the Swedish premium Sherman III/IV numbered.

A6M5 otsu

2023-05-13T15:46:22Z

U124981580: Edited inaccurate information in the battle usage section. It previously stated that this Zero's cannons only had 100 rounds each, when they have 125

{{About
| about = Japanese naval fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other variants
| link = A6M (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=a6m5otsu
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Japanese fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.37]].

Being the second minor modification of the [[A6M5|A6M5 mod. 52]], the A6M5 mod. 52B (Otsu) retains the belt-fed [[Type 99 Model 2 (20 mm)|Type 99 mod.2 mark 4 (20 mm)]] from the [[A6M5 Ko|Model 52A (Ko)]] with 125 rounds per gun rather than 100. The Model 52B (Otsu) comes with an additional [[Type 3 (13.2 mm)]] in exchange for a single 7.7 mm machine gun.

Other additions to the Model 52B (Otsu) include 45 mm thick armoured glass to the windscreen, a larger propeller spinner was fitted, and a revised gas outlet near the windscreen.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

With the additional armour, this version is inherently heavier, making the aircraft more sluggish in turns and manoeuvres over the previous A6M5s.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 520 || 503 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 16.7 || 17.2 || 13.4 || 13.4 || rowspan="2" | 190
|-
! Upgraded
| 565 || 540 || 15.8 || 16.0 || 15.2 || 16.9
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 397 || 368 || 220 || ~14 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 280 || < 420 || < 410 || > 335
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 2,500 m || 1,095 hp || 1,226 hp
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 2
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 5,000 m || 965 hp || 1,081 hp
|-
|}

====Engine performance====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Engine
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine Name
! colspan="3" | Number present
|-
| colspan="3" | Nakajima Sakae 21 14-cylinder || colspan="1" | 1
|-
! colspan="4" | Engine characteristics
|-
! colspan="2" | Weight (each)
! colspan="1" | Type
! colspan="1" | Cooling
|-
| colspan="2" | 533 kg || Radial || Air
|-
! colspan="4" | Engine power (Stock)
|-
! colspan="1" | Mode
! colspan="2" | Max
! colspan="2" | Take-off
|-
| ''Arcade'' || colspan="2" | 908 hp || colspan="2" | 1,038 hp
|-
| ''Realistic/Simulator'' || colspan="2" | 897 hp || colspan="2" | 1,028 hp
|-
! colspan="4" | Engine power (Upgraded)
|-
! Mode
! colspan="2" | Max
! colspan="2" | Take-off
|-
| ''Arcade'' || colspan="2" | 1,106 hp || colspan="2" |1,237 hp
|-
| ''Realistic/Simulator'' || colspan="2" | 995 hp || colspan="2" |1,126 hp
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | WEP Duration
|-
! colspan="2" | Arcade
! colspan="2" | Realistic/Simulator
|-
| colspan="2" | 25 seconds || colspan="2" | Infinite
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}

This is the first version with armour in both the pilot's seat and the windscreen.

* 45 mm Bulletproof glass in front
* 13 mm Steel plate behind the pilot

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

The A6M5 otsu's biggest downfall is its speed. Start by unlocking performance upgrades as the stock armament options are easily workable and viable. Unlocking performance modules such as Engine and Engine Injection will also shorten turn time. Once all the performance modules have been unlocked obtaining the rest of the modules is fairly easy.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|Type 99 Model 2 (20 mm)|Type 3 (13.2 mm)|Type 97 navy (7.7 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 2 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 2 cannons, wing-mounted (125 rpg = 250 total)
* 1 x 13.2 mm Type 3 machine gun, nose-mounted (230 rpg)
* 1 x 7.7 mm Type 97 navy machine gun, nose-mounted (700 rpg)

Gun convergence is best set at 400 m or less, as most engagements are in very close quarters.

The stock belts for the {{PAGENAME}}'s weapons are insufficiently powerful, especially for the 13 mm gun. However, the 13 mm gun's belts has access to full assortment of incendiary-type bullets that can light the enemy on fire. Use stealth for the 13 mm for best performance of incendiary with no indicator for the enemy that the {{PAGENAME}} is firing.

The 20 mm cannon has more explosive potential, as well as some incendiary bullets. Stealth belts are actually again a great choice for the 20 mm cannon. They will shred the enemy to bits, sometimes light on fire. Another good belt choice is tracers as it is solely explosive, and are also a good asset to take into battle with the downside that firing it will alert the enemy of the {{PAGENAME}}'s location.

The 7.7 mm machine gun's belts have little impact in comparison to the other armaments on the {{PAGENAME}}, but if a choice must be made, the stealth belts are a good choice as they can still pierce some armour with incendiary rounds.

Overall, the best way to make use of the {{PAGENAME}}'s firepower is to learn how to lead and shoot properly with stealth belts. It allows an awesome advantage of surprise and explosiveness.

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|Navy Type 97 Number 6 (60 kg)|Navy Type Number 25 Model 2 (250 kg)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 2 x 60 kg Navy Type 97 Number 6 bombs (120 kg total)
* 1 x 250 kg Navy Type Number 25 Model 2 bomb (250 kg total)

== Usage in battles ==

Similar to past "Zeroes" the A6M5 otsu is a proficient dogfighter. With a turn time rivalling biplanes this aircraft is more than capable of winning any standard turning fight. It encounters problems at both high speeds and high altitudes, where its foes excel at. Generally speaking, the A6M5 otsu is best utilized as a low-altitude low-speed dogfighter. It can be a great addition to a team especially if paired with higher speed Japanese aircraft such as the [[Ki-61_(Family)|Ki-61]] or [[J2M_(Family)|J2M3]]. When flying the A6M5 otsu, remember to keep your speed low and to never engage in head-on attacks. Although the aircraft has a 45 mm armoured glass plate in the windscreen, its main armament is not centrally located in the nose and thus will be at a significant disadvantage. "Bait" enemies by making them think they have a successful shot on you and then dart away to a lower altitude. This will most often result in either kind of scissors or a standard turn fight, where the A6M5 otsu excels. Once able to be destroyed, get as close as possible to the enemy aircraft and fire in short bursts. This way, ammunition will be conserved and the enemy surely destroyed. Be careful not to go too fast, as the A6M5 otsu's control surfaces lock up making it incredibly difficult to manoeuvre.

* In Simulator, the A6M Zero is overall a great plane to fly. Its advantages include the extremely smooth handling, impressive turn rate, low stall speed, the ability to not enter spins in extreme manoeuvres, decent rear visibility, and increased cannon ammo capacity. It is able to pull really tight turns or barrel rolls without losing control or going into a spin, allowing the player to use this stability to their advantage. Its disadvantages, however, are the fragile protection, wing-mounted guns, and the cockpit scattered with frames. Although not thick, these frames can still be obstructions in a fight. Also the gunsight is small and mounted very low, resulting in inadequate visibility over the nose. This can limit the player's ability to see the target in a turn fight since to lead the target, the player must cut inside its turn, meaning the nose will now block the target. The A6M can perform dogfighting, some ground pounding and some intercepting.

* You can bring the minimum amount of fuel (29 minutes) as even this Zero has the new 20mm guns with 125 rounds each and you won't need to restock ammo as often, it is not a huge increase and returning to the airfield to resupply will still be a common occurrence. Set the convergence to 150-300 m. When taking off, the A6M will shift severely to the left so it is best to set separate keybind for left and right brakes to counter the torque.
* For dogfighting, it is better to engage with an altitude advantage so climb to around 2,500 m. Track the opponent using lead or pure pursuit, as with lag pursuit you will eventually end up at the 6'o clock of the target aircraft whose fuselage will soak up most of your MG bullets, and your wing mounted cannons will become really awkward to aim. With the amazing stableness the aim should be easy. Target their wings or nose and avoid the back half of the fuselage as there is usually nothing in there. You can turn with most planes with your combat/takeoff flaps deployed. Note that it is best to fire in 10-round/one-second bursts to avoid wasting cannon rounds. Once the cannons are out, the leftover 7.7 mm MGs can only effectively damage single engine fighters.

* For ground pounding with bombs, look for tanks and pillboxes. First you need some separation between you and the target so you have enough time to line-up the drop. Dive at the target at a rather shallow angle, and release the 60 kg bombs when you are very close, with the target below the gunsight and filling up around half of it. For the 250 kg, drop it with the gunsight slightly more above the target. If you only use the MGs, your targets are trucks, AAA and howitzers. Dive at it and stabilise the plane so the gunsight stays overall still at the target. Then, once the target fills out around 1/6 of the gunsight, open fire. If your aim is accurate you can destroy one target in a single pass. However, it is very recommended to set keybind for firing MG only as you can definitely not waste the valuable cannon rounds. Save them for any unexpected dogfights.
* Landing is easy thanks to the low stall speed and lovely handling. Line up and approach the airstrip at treetop, decrease speed to at most 210 km/h and deploy combat, takeoff and landing flaps in order. Further decelerate so the touchdown speed is no more than 180 km/h to avoid bouncing up. Keep braking until the plane reaches a full stop, you don't have to worry about the nose dipping down and causing a propeller strike.

===Specific enemies worth noting===

Although the A6M5 otsu is a fantastic fighter as far as manoeuvrability goes, its speed is not on par with the enemy aircraft it faces. Both the [[P-51_(Family)|P-51]] and the [[F4U_(Family)|F4U]] can outrun the A6M5 otsu. In a situation where one is being Boom & Zoomed (enemy aircraft is using superior speed and dive attacks) call upon teammates for assistance. There is little an A6M5 otsu pilot can do against an enemy with superior speed. The A6M5 otsu is best used as a support aircraft as it is generally unable to destroy some of the aircraft it faces. Staying with other teammates is a sure tactic and will net the best results. A "Zero" pilot must always recognize the need for teamwork and communication. One can also play the A6M5 series as a light boom and zoom aircraft, using the climb rate to get above the competition, and the improved dive capabilities over the M2/3s to swoop down onto enemies from above, but be mindful of the aircraft's speed.

Playing the {{PAGENAME}} in realistic battles will allow players to easily exploit the aircraft's turn time against its opponents.

* Spitfires: their turn time will come close to the {{PAGENAME}}. They are fast, and can boom and zoom. To avoid them, don't panic when they are spotted trying to boom and zoom. Counter by pretending that they have not been noticed, lulling them into a false sense of security. Then, just as they fire the first shots, dodge them, and head upwards and loop around to take the shot on them.
* F4U, F6F, P-47, etc: these planes are a huge threat to the late Zeros as they have superior firepower, speed, dive acceleration and robust airframes. Their 12.7 mm MGs can easily tear you apart or simply pilot-snipe you even when they are far away, as the M2 Brownings have great velocity and trajectory. They can also set you aflame easily. Start a turnfight whenever you see these stubby planes. The F4U has a long cylindrical nose and the iconic inverted gull wing. The P-47 has a huge, jug-like fuselage, bubble canopy and elliptical trailing edge that usually have invasion stripes painted on them. The F6F, on the other hand, might get confused with other planes as it looks rather average.
* P-51: their machine guns can do severe damage to the {{PAGENAME}}. However, a common tendency of novice P-51 pilots is to get into a manoeuvring fight with the {{PAGENAME}}. Simply dodge their attacks, do a loop to get on their tail, and take shots at the opportune moments. Even better, when beating them in a turn fight, their aircraft's top profile are fully exposed, allowing for a larger surface area to be shot up and even the cockpit to hit the pilot inside.
* Yak 3/9: their 20 mm cannons are devastating if they hit. Do not try to head on them, just dodge the attacks by looping around the bullets, get on their tail, and shoot them before they get away!
* Bombers: Do not tail a bomber. Only boom and zoom them as their defensive armaments can shoot up a {{PAGENAME}} easily.

* P-61: this plane is one tough nut to crack. It is quite fast, packs a fatal punch, has a searching radar, and a deadly turret on top. The turret consists of 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns that cover the upper half of the plane, and most P-61 players tend to fly low or get you into their upper half to target you with the turret. Avoid being above them at all costs, utilise the Zero's manoeuvrability and sneak under their belly. Its appearance resembles a P-38: a center fuselage with two engine nacelles extending backwards and forming the twin tail like a frame, you will know it is a Black Widow and not a Lightning when red tracer bullets start shooting out from it.
* I-16: the late I-16s are equipped with ShVAK cannons that can be pretty dangerous to your fragile airframe. They can turn equally well as the Zero, have superior roll rate but the stability is so terrible that as soon as they pull a little more on the stick, they will enter spins. Therefore it is quite easy to counter them: engage a turnfight with them and turn tighter and tighter, or do a few barrel rolls. They will quickly lose control and start spinning and it is quite hard to recover. Then simply get some separation, turn around and put some solid shots into them. They have an I-15's short and fat fuselage, a flat radial engine and triangular stabilisers located right after the low-mounted mono wings, all covered in olive green paint.

=== Manual Engine Control ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil !! Water !! Type
|-
| Controllable || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Separate || Controllable 2 gears || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* '''A'''6M for Carrier-based fighter:
** Strictly air-to-air role
*** Gets 2 x [[Navy Type 97 Number 6 (60 kg)|Type 97 No.6 Land Bomb (60kg)]], but strongly ill-advised for air-battles
** Decent cannon armament
** Extremely manoeuvrable
*** Excellent turn rate
*** Excellent roll rate
** Very short takeoff distance

* Common Navy plane construction:
** Decent offensive armament: [[Type 99 Model 2 (20 mm)|20 mm Type 99 Model 2 Cannon]]
*** Ground Targets: Great for Ground battles
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
:::* AP-I:
::::* Shreds soft targets, and can weaken / destroy weak top armoured tanks, especially engine decks
::::* Easily sets fire to air targets
:::* HEF(T):
::::* Tracer can help you aim on target
::::* The few rounds in the belt can still wreck havoc on enemy planes with their HE filler
</div>

::* Stealth: Great for Air battles
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
:::* No tracers
:::* HEF:
::::* Near full HE belt
::::* Wrecks havoc on enemy planes with HE filler
:::* AP-I:
::::* Easily sets fire to air targets
</div>

:* Excellent manoeuvrability
:* Nose-mounted armament
:* Small radiator drag

* '''A6M5''' specific:
** Can mount a bomb rack for a single 250 kg bomb, still strongly ill-advised for air-battlesµ

* '''{{PAGENAME}}''' specific:
** Replaces a 7.7 mm for a competent [[Type 3 (13.2 mm)]]
** Has armour, unlike typical Japanese Navy planes

'''Cons:'''

* '''A'''6M for Carrier-based fighter:
** Strictly air-to-air role
** Limited ammo
** Slow
** Low dive speed, and easily compressed in a dive

* Common Navy plane construction:
** Poor MG offensive armament: [[Type 97 navy (7.7 mm)|7.7 mm Type 97 MG]]
** Poor offensive armament when stock: [[Type 99 Model 2 (20 mm)|20 mm Type 99 Model 2 Cannon]]
*** No HE filler
*** T & FI rounds usually do nothing

== History ==

The A6M5 Otsu was a modification of the earlier A6M5 series. It utilized the A6M5 Ko's Type 99 Model 2 cannon modification as well as thicker wing skinning, allowing for higher dive speeds. The A6M5 Otsu was the first variant of the A6M series to utilize armour protection. It was produced from April 1944 through October 1944.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=a6m5otsu Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
{{Skin-gallery |market|A6M5 otsu 'WORLDCUP 2018'|A6M5 otsu Worldcup 2018.jpg|Camo "Worldcup 2018"}}

== See also ==


;[[A6M (Family)|Related development]]

*[[template:AirManufacturer Mitsubishi|Mitsubishi]] [[A6M5]] (base model)
*[[template:AirManufacturer Mitsubishi|Mitsubishi]] [[A6M5 Ko]] (previous variant)

;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

*Grumman [[F4F (Family)|F4F]] Wildcat
*[[template:AirManufacturer Nakajima|Nakajima]] [[Ki-43 (Family)|Ki-43]] Hayabusa (▃ Oscar)
*Supermarine [[Spitfire (Family)|Seafire]]
*Hawker [[Hurricane (Family)|Sea Hurricane]]

== External links ==


* [[Wikipedia:Mitsubishi_A6M_Zero#A6M5_Type_0_Model_52|[Wikipedia] A6M5 Type 0 Model 52]]

{{AirManufacturer Mitsubishi}}
{{Japan fighters}}

A6M5 Ko

2023-05-13T15:46:16Z

U124981580: Edited inaccurate information in the battle usage section. It previously stated that this Zero's cannons only had 100 rounds each, when they have 125.

{{About
| about = Japanese gift fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = A6M (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=a6m5ko
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
|store=3296
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} Japanese fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

As the first small-scale modification of the [[A6M5|A6M5 mod. 52]], the A6M5 mod. 52A (Kō) switches out the drum-fed [[Type 99 Model 2 (20 mm)|Type 99 mod.2 mark 3 (20 mm)]] for the belt-fed [[Type 99 Model 2 (20 mm)|Type 99 mod.2 mark 4 (20 mm)]] increasing the ammo count to 125 rounds per gun rather than 100.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}


As with the other A6M5 variants, the A6M5 Ko features an improved exhaust system that gives the plane more thrust and acceleration. While this does not help the Zero to catch up with any enemy fighters, it helps to retain the plane's energy rather well which will certainly be a great asset in a dogfight.

Although this variant of Zero has a good climb rate, the Zero's limited top speed and frail airframe makes it ill-suited for bomber hunting and boom-and-zoom tactics. The weak airframe also worsens the Zero's manoeuvrability when the plane reaches a speed of 600 km/h in a dive.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 521 || 503 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 16.6 || 17.2 || 13.4 || 13.4 || rowspan="2" | 190
|-
! Upgraded
| 563 || 540 || 15.8 || 16.0 || 21.4 || 16.9
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 397 || 368 || 220 || ~14 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 280 || < 420 || < 410 || > 336
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


* No armour protection
* Non-self-sealing fuel tanks

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|Type 99 Model 2 (20 mm)|Type 97 navy (7.7 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 2 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 2 cannons, wing-mounted (125 rpg = 250 total)
* 2 x 7.7 mm Type 97 navy machine guns, nose-mounted (700 rpg = 1,400 total)

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|Navy Type 97 Number 6 (60 kg)|Navy Type Number 25 Model 2 (250 kg)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 2 x 60 kg Navy Type 97 Number 6 bombs (120 kg total)
* 1 x 250 kg Navy Type Number 25 Model 2 bomb (250 kg total)

== Usage in battles ==


The Zero is outclassed by everything it faces in terms of speed. The only thing left to hang on to is its famous manoeuvrability. More than ever, the key is to exploit its nimbleness to force the enemy to make mistakes. Every single aircraft in this battle rating is faster - the [[P-47N-15]] is both faster in a straight line and in a dive - meaning the slow {{PAGENAME}} will have limited opportunities to engage. It is not common to see enemies turn fight with a Zero, but most will break away and attempt to flee. As such, the {{PAGENAME}}'s best bet is to try and end the fight quickly with good shot placement and lead so that the A6M5 Ko can dis-engage before its target flees. During the downtime if the enemy plane continues fleeing or was shot down, start re-climbing to prepare for engaging new targets that approaches the {{PAGENAME}}.

The Zero's infamous reputation for catching fire after being shot by any incendiary rounds continue - the lack of armour is detrimental to the Zero meaning if it gets hit, it's likely going to be fatal. This means the pilot needs to do their best to dodge all shots coming the {{PAGENAME}}'s way by utilizing the Zero's incredible manoeuvrability. Remember to turn into the enemy to spoil their aim. With good shot placement, the {{PAGENAME}}'s weaponry can dispatch foes as they pass by due to the amazing turn time on the Zero. Then, it's a simple matter of getting onto their six and taking small, accurate bursts at the opponent. The {{PAGENAME}} can also frustrate its enemies by constantly evading all of their attempts to force head-ons, or the A6M5 Ko can dive down on unsuspecting pilots as the Zero still has quite a good climb rate compared to other aircraft of its battle rating.

* In Simulator, the A6M Zero is overall a great plane to fly. Its advantages include the extremely smooth handling, impressive turn rate, low stall speed, the ability to not enter spins in extreme manoeuvres, decent rear visibility, and increased cannon ammo capacity. It is able to pull really tight turns or barrel rolls without losing control or going into a spin, allowing the player to use this stability to their advantage. Its disadvantages, however, are the fragile protection, wing-mounted guns, and the cockpit scattered with frames. Although not thick, these frames can still be obstructions in a fight. Also the gunsight is small and mounted very low, resulting in inadequate visibility over the nose. This can limit the player's ability to see the target in a turn fight since to lead the target, the player must cut inside its turn, meaning the nose will now block the target. The A6M can perform dogfighting, some ground pounding and some intercepting.

* You can bring the minimum amount of fuel (29 minutes) as even this Zero has the new 20mm guns with 125 rounds each and you won't need to restock ammo as often, it is not a huge increase and returning to the airfield to resupply will still be a common occurrence. Set the convergence to 150-300 m. When taking off, the A6M will shift severely to the left so it is best to set separate keybind for left and right brakes to counter the torque.
* For dogfighting, it is better to engage with an altitude advantage so climb to around 2,500 m. Track the opponent using lead or pure pursuit, as with lag pursuit you will eventually end up at the 6'o clock of the target aircraft whose fuselage will soak up most of your MG bullets, and your wing mounted cannons will become really awkward to aim. With the amazing stableness the aim should be easy. Target their wings or nose and avoid the back half of the fuselage as there is usually nothing in there. You can turn with most planes with your combat/takeoff flaps deployed. Note that it is best to fire in 10-round/one-second bursts to avoid wasting cannon rounds. Once the cannons are out, the leftover 7.7 mm MGs can only effectively damage single engine fighters.

* For ground pounding with bombs, look for tanks and pillboxes. First you need some separation between you and the target so you have enough time to line-up the drop. Dive at the target at a rather shallow angle, and release the 60 kg bombs when you are very close, with the target below the gunsight and filling up around half of it. For the 250 kg, drop it with the gunsight slightly more above the target. If you only use the MGs, your targets are trucks, AAA and howitzers. Dive at it and stabilise the plane so the gunsight stays overall still at the target. Then, once the target fills out around 1/6 of the gunsight, open fire. If your aim is accurate you can destroy one target in a single pass. However, it is very recommended to set keybind for firing MG only as you can definitely not waste the valuable cannon rounds. Save them for any unexpected dogfights.
* Landing is easy thanks to the low stall speed and lovely handling. Line up and approach the airstrip at treetop, decrease speed to at most 210 km/h and deploy combat, takeoff and landing flaps in order. Further decelerate so the touchdown speed is no more than 180 km/h to avoid bouncing up. Keep braking until the plane reaches a full stop, you don't have to worry about the nose dipping down and causing a propeller strike.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

* P-61: this plane is one tough nut to crack. It is quite fast, packs a fatal punch, has a searching radar, and a deadly turret on top. The turret consists of 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns that cover the upper half of the plane, and most P-61 players tend to fly low or get you into their upper half to target you with the turret. Avoid being above them at all costs, utilise the Zero's manoeuvrability and sneak under their belly. Its appearance resembles a P-38: a center fuselage with two engine nacelles extending backwards and forming the twin tail like a frame, you will know it is a Black Widow and not a Lightning when red tracer bullets start shooting out from it.

* F4U, F6F, P-47, etc: these planes are a huge threat to the late Zeros as they have superior firepower, speed, dive acceleration and robust airframes. Their 12.7 mm MGs can easily tear you apart or simply pilot-snipe you even when they are far away, as the M2 Brownings have great velocity and trajectory. They can also set you aflame easily. Start a turnfight whenever you see these stubby planes. The F4U has a long cylindrical nose and the iconic inverted gull wing. The P-47 has a huge, jug-like fuselage, bubble canopy and elliptical trailing edge that usually have invasion stripes painted on them. The F6F, on the other hand, might get confused with other planes as it looks rather average.

* Late Spitfires: their turn time will come close to the A6M5. They are fast, and can boom and zoom. To avoid them, don't panic when they are spotted trying to boom and zoom. Counter by pretending that they have not been noticed, lulling them into a false sense of security. Then, just as they fire the first shots, dodge them, and head upwards and loop around to take the shot on them. The Spitfires have a streamlined nose with the iconic large, elliptical wings.
* P-51: their machine guns can do severe damage to the A6M5. However, a common tendency of novice P-51 pilots is to get into a manoeuvring fight with the A6M5. Simply dodge their attacks, do a loop to get on their tail, and take shots at the opportune moments. Even better, when beating them in a turn fight, their aircraft's top profile are fully exposed, allowing for a larger surface area to be shot up and even the cockpit to hit the pilot inside.
* Yak 3/9: their 20 mm cannons are devastating if they hit. Do not try to head on them, just dodge the attacks by looping around the bullets, get on their tail, and shoot them before they get away!

=== Manual Engine Control ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil !! Water !! Type
|-
| Controllable || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Separate || Controllable 2 gears || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* '''A'''6M for Carrier-based fighter:
** Strictly air-to-air role
*** Gets 2 x [[Navy Type 97 Number 6 (60 kg)|Type 97 No.6 Land Bomb (60kg)]], but strongly ill-advised for air-battles
** Decent cannon armament
** Extremely manoeuvrable
*** Excellent turn rate
*** Excellent roll rate
** Very short takeoff distance

* Common Navy plane construction:
** Decent offensive armament: [[Type 99 Model 2 (20 mm)|20 mm Type 99 Model 2 Cannon]]
*** Ground Targets: great for ground battles
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
:::* AP-I:
::::* Shreds soft targets, and can weaken / destroy weak top armoured tanks, especially engine decks
::::* Easily sets fire to air targets
:::* HEF(T):
::::* Tracer can help you aim on target
::::* The few rounds in the belt can still wreck havoc on enemy planes with their HE filler
</div>

::* ''Stealth'': great for air battles
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
:::* No tracers
:::* HEF:
::::* Near full HE belt
::::* Wrecks havoc on enemy planes with HE filler
:::* AP-I:
::::* Easily sets fire to air targets
</div>

:* Excellent manoeuvrability
:* Nose-mounted armament
:* Small radiator drag

* '''A6M5''' specific:
** Good climb rate
** Can mount a bomb rack for a single 250 kg bomb, still strongly ill-advised for air-battles

'''Cons:'''

* '''A'''6M for carrier-based fighter:
** Strictly air-to-air role
** Limited ammo
** Slow
** Low dive speed, and easily compressed in a dive

* Common Navy plane construction:
** Poor MG offensive armament: [[Type 97 navy (7.7 mm)|7.7 mm Type 97 MG]]
** Poor offensive armament when stock: [[Type 99 Model 2 (20 mm)|20 mm Type 99 Model 2 Cannon]]
*** No HE filler
*** T & FI rounds usually do nothing
** Fragile, nonexistent armour, and no self-sealing fuel tanks

== History ==


{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}|expand=true}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
Mitsubishi Type 0 Model 52 "Kou" (A6M5 Model 52a, reporting names: Zeke/Hamp/Zero) single-engine carrier-based fighter

In the middle of 1942, the Allies in the Pacific Ocean Theatre took the offensive, while the Japanese were more and more often on the defensive. In 1943, new types of high-speed fighters entered service with the USAAF and the USNAF, and they outperformed the Zeros in many respects. Low survivability, the main disadvantage of the Japanese aircraft, was made clear in the fierce air duels between the planes. The fighter's flight characteristics also required some improvement, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries designers began to upgrade the A6M again in August 1943.

The Zero received a smaller-area wing (with a span of only 11 m) with rounded tips. The wing folding mechanism was removed. To increase the plane's allowable diving speed, its wing surface skin was reinforced.

Since more powerful engines were not yet available, the designers had to make the most of a Nakajima Sakae 21 engine. Every pair of cylinders was given an individual exhaust pipe instead of a common heavy exhaust manifold. This added exhaust gas thrust to the propeller thrust, which resulted in a higher aircraft speed. The fuselage skin had to be reinforced with steel sheets in the area of the pipes, since the hot exhaust gases quickly burned through thin duralumin.

The new version of the aircraft was designated Model 52 (A6M5 Model 52). The plane became slightly heavier, but its maximum speed at a height of 6,000 m reached 565 km/h. This was the speed limit for the Zero, since all further modifications made to the machine only increased its weight and, consequently, reduced its maximum speed.

The next stage in upgrading the Zero was the Model 52 "Kou" (A6M5a Model 52a). This improvement significantly reinforced the plane's armament by replacing the wing-mounted Type 99-2 Model 3 drum-fed cannons (with 100 rounds each) with Type 99-2 Model 4 belt-fed cannons (with 125 rounds). This added 25 rounds per cannon and slightly improved the plane's rate of fire. Now the fighter's armament consisted of two synchronous 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns with 500 rounds each plus two wing-mounted 20 mm Type 99-2 Model 4 cannons with 125 rounds each.

The A6M5a fighter could carry bombs: two 60 kg (132 lb) bombs suspended under the wing and one weighing 250 kg (551 lb) under the fuselage.

In addition, the A6M5a's wing structure was reinforced yet again, which resulted in a maximum allowable diving speed of 740 km/h. However, this was still inferior to the diving speed of the American F4U fighter.

Mass production of the A6M5a variant began in March 1944. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries manufactured 391 machines. An additional unknown quantity of this variant was built by Nakajima Aircraft.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=a6m5ko Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|V_5hzA-h2eI|'''In Allied Skies - A6M5 Ko''' - ''Napalmratte''|YADf8ptP77A|'''Premium Review: A6M5 Ko [Turn & Burn Baby]''' - ''Jengar''}}

== See also ==


;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* Reggiane [[Re.2001 (Family)|Re.2001]]
* Supermarine [[Spitfire (Family)|Spitfire]]
* Hawker [[Hurricane (Family)|Sea Hurricane]]

== External links ==


* [[Wikipedia:Mitsubishi_A6M_Zero#A6M5_Type_0_Model_52|[Wikipedia] A6M5 Type 0 Model 52]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/295065-mitsubishi-a6m5/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Mitsubishi}}
{{Japan fighters}}
{{Japan premium aircraft}}

Pz.IV H

2021-11-23T00:59:10Z

U124981580: Grammar fixes and small additions

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

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ('''Panzer IV H''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. The most common iteration of the Panzer IV, the Ausf. H carries the powerful [[KwK 40 (75 mm)|75 mm L/48]] gun that can destroy most tanks it encounters. It also has side skirts that can provide a small degree of protection to the side armour of the tank.

The most distinctive aspect of this Panzer IV compared to its previous iterations, is that its covered head to toe in 5 mm thick spaced armour skirts (known as Schürzen). These skirts, while they won't stop much in the way of an enemy AP or APBC shell, It can give tanks like the [[M4A3 (105)]] some trouble in damaging you. There is a small mobility penalty from having the extra armour though, compared to the [[Pz.IV F2]] and [[Pz.IV G|G]]. It's also the first Panzer IV to get the upgraded 75 mm L/48 gun. While not that much of an upgrade from the L/46 on the F2 and G, still packs a punch at its BR. It also is the only Panzer IV in the game that comes with Zimmerit modelled on the hull, turret, and turret skirts. This just affects the visuals though, as War Thunder doesn't have infantry armed with magnetic mines.

== General Info ==
=== Survivability and Armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


'''Armour Type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour
*Cast homogeneous armour (Cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm (11-12°) ''Front plate'' 20 mm (73°) ''Front glacis'' 80 mm (13-14°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 + 5 (6°) mm || 20 mm (4-15°) || 10 mm
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (11°) ''Turret front'' 50 mm (7-29°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 (23-26°) + 5 (0-1°) mm || 30 (15-17°) + 5 mm || 16 mm ''Front'' 25 mm ''Rear''
|-
| Cupola || 95 mm || 95 mm || 95 mm || 25 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

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

The armour of the Panzer IV H is almost identical to the previous Panzer IV with exception of the up-armoured hull armour from 50 (+ 30 applique armour) mm on the Pz.IV G to a 80 mm solid armour on the Pz.IV H. This tank also has added side skirts that adds an extra 5 mm of rolled homogeneous armour, and due to it being spaced, it may add some nice protection against HEAT shells.

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

In the case of a vehicle with a gun simply unable to penetrate this front plate, aim towards the turret that still retains a 50 mm front plate. Even the weaker non-autocannon armaments can penetrate through this front plate and incapacitate the turret crew. Aim for the turret left side (right side when shooting it) to knock out the gunner and if using ammunition with explosive filler, also ruin the gun breech, loader and commander. Then get around the side and chip away at weak spots until the threat is destroyed.

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

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

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265|AoAweight=0.35}}

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

As with most tanks make sure you research "Parts" and "FPE". Then focus on researching "Pz.Gr. 40" (APCR shell) so your tank can stand the chance against heavily armoured vehicles like the Panther. After progressing this far into the unlock tree "Artillery" should be taken swiftly as well. Accuracy is decent, so sidestepping over to the mobility upgrades to aid the bad acceleration is not a bad idea, in particular "Filters" and "Transmission" are useful.

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

{{main|KwK40 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK40 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK40]] || colspan="5" | Turret Rotation Speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading Rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 87 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 13.3 || 18.4 || 22.4 || 24.8 || 26.4 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.79 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.3 || 9.8 || 11.9 || 13.2 || 14.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

*'''PzGr 39''' - Armour Piercing Ballistic Cap shell - This is your main ammo type, always use this if you think it can penetrate enemy armour. It deals the most damage because of its explosive filler.
*'''Hl.Gr 38B''' - Cumulative Anti-armour shell - it is recommended to completely avoid this kind of shell as its performance is vastly inferior in all aspects compared to APCBC or APCR ammo used by this tank.
*'''PzGr 40''' - Armour Piercing Composite Rigid shell - This type of ammo should be used only if you are having trouble penetrating your opponent, or trying to hit a fast-moving tank at some distance. However, its damaging potential is much lower because it has no explosive filler to further enhance damage after the penetration.
*'''Sprgr. 34''' - High Explosive shell - You should carry only very few of these. They are useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles, to which it is lethal.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration Statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of Warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 140 || 137 || 125 || 112 || 100 || 89
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 166 || 162 || 146 || 128 || 112 || 98
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell Details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of Warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse Delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse Sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 750 || 6.8 || 1.2 || 14 || 28.9 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.4 || 0 || 0.1 || 872.1 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 930 || 4.1 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 550 || 5.74 || 0 || 0.1 || 686 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke Shell Characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen Deploy time (s)
! Screen Hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| K.Gr.Rot Nb. || 540 || 6.2 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{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
|-
| '''87''' || 84 ''(+3)'' || 82 ''(+5)'' || 80 ''(+7)'' || 72 ''(+15)'' || 63 ''(+24)'' || 54 ''(+33)''
|-
! 7th Rack Empty
! 8th Rack Empty
! 9th Rack Empty
! 10th Rack Empty
! 11th Rack Empty
! Visual Discrepancy
!
|-
| 46 ''(+41)'' || 38 ''(+49)'' || 30 ''(+57)'' || 24 ''(+63)'' || 1 ''(+86)'' || No
!
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

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

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

{{main|MG34 (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG34]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 2,000 (150) || 900 || -10°/+25° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in Battles ==

This tank can be described in one word: capable. While this version of the Panzer IV isn't nearly as renowned and feared as the [[Pz.IV F2|Ausf. F2]] or [[Pz.IV G|Ausf. G]] variant that precedes it, it is still a very capable medium tank. The Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H has a new gun that, while not that different to the guns on the F2 and G, still packs a deadly punch at its BR. The armour is meh, with a paltry 50 mm of armour at the front of the turret, and 80 mm of armour at the front of the hull. This makes you an easy target for tanks like [[KV-2 (1939)|KV-2]]s, [[T-34-85 (D-5T)]]s, and [[M4A3E2|M4A3E2 Jumbos]] among others. But, with some careful play and some creative use of angling, you can bounce some shots from equal rank tanks, and destroy tanks at the top of your BR range. Mobility of this tank is lacking, albeit not by much. (It is the heaviest version of the entire Panzer 4 series after all). It's acceptable, but it will still take time for it to accelerate to its top speed, as your engine is underpowered and your tracks are narrow, which results in poorer cross-country performance than comparable tanks.

The Pz.Kpfz IV Ausf. H is a capable, versatile tank, perfect for sniping, ambushing, flanking, and second line defence. Make use of its accurate gun for hitting the enemy from a distance. But keep in mind its weak turret armour should return fire come your way. This tank also works very well supporting heavy tanks. Hide behind a friendly heavy that can tank the damage, while you can pop out and destroy the enemy if your teammate can't. Or you can use your decent mobility and get around to shoot into the enemy tanks flanks. In an equal BR rank or lower, you can reliably bounce shots if angled properly, but remember that frontal confrontation in a full up-tier can lead to a quick end.

Tactics-wise, on an open map like Kursk, make like a true German tank and hit the enemy from range. Don't bother going in close, as your advantages lie at range. On a city map like Advance to the Rhine, go for flank routes, or stick with your heavies, giving them more firepower should they need it. Remember to keep the frontal armour angled as you go around corners to bounce any shots.

Although most tanks in Rank III can destroy you pretty quickly, the tanks you need to avoid in open combat (if possible) are KV-2s, [[SU-152|SU-152s]], T-34-85 (D-5T)s, M4A3E2 Jumbos, and if you're playing in Arcade: [[Tiger H1|Tigers]] and [[Panther D|Panthers]].

* For KV-2s, if it's looking at you, (And hopefully reloading) shoot at the flat of the turret below the mantlet. Its flat, relatively thin armour, and your shell should go right through and take out everyone and everything in the turret. From the side, shoot it in the side of the hull (At a 90-degree angle for best effects) to ignite the fuel tanks and maybe even detonate the ammo. Shooting the turret isn't recommended unless for knocking out the gunner or the breech, as there are a lot of crew members in there, and the shells in the turret rarely ignite. Trying to destroy it that way will take time.
* For SU-152s, shoot to the right of the gun, above the driver's viewport, and it will wreck everything inside. If that's an option, try to get around it. It is a casemate after all. Once you're on its side, shoot it in the crew compartment to obliterate it.
* For T-34-85 (D-5T)s, it is imperative you get the first shot off, as their 85 mm will go through your armour with little difficulty, and knock out your entire crew. Don't shoot the turret unless you have no other option, as it's incredibly unreliable and prone to bouncing your shot. Instead, shoot the turret ring right below the turret. This usually will decimate the entire crew of the tank. Pay close attention not to hit the driver's hatch as it's actually more armoured than the glacis itself.
* M4A3E2 Jumbos will give you the hardest time, as their frontal armour is nigh impenetrable, aside from the machine gun port. It's a small, unreliable target, but it's your only chance of penetrating the Jumbo from the front. If you're lucky and catch a Jumbo on its side, shoot it in its hull. As its Turret side and rear armour is still thick enough to block your shots. Also, keep in mind, that if the Jumbo is showing its side while angling toward you, that the side armour behind its tracks is very thinly armoured. Try shooting there if you can. There is a chance you can detonate its ammo rack.

=== Pros and Cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 75 mm KwK 40 gun can destroy most equivalent tanks with stock rounds, with APCR for more heavily armoured vehicles
* Great gun accuracy
* Good turret traverse
* Good gun depression of -10°
* 5 man crew, able to spare 2 casualties before combat efficiency drops
* Decently fast and manoeuvrable for the battlefield
* 80 mm of frontal armour that can absorb some damage when angled properly, and even resist shells in long-range engagements
* Access to 20 mm of additional armour in the form of T-34 tracks (effectively 15 mm RHA) that cover almost the whole of the front of the hull and the turret armour
* Side-skirts can soak up HE and HEAT shells, as well as bomb and rockets at a sufficient distance

'''Cons:'''

* Flat armour on all sides
* Side armour is weak, very vulnerable to 20 mm autocannons at close range
* Very circumstantial protection. Only the upper front vertical glace is actually the listed 80 mm thick.
* Small gun mantlet, with weak 50 mm frontal turret armour
* Despite its upgrades, still only has 10 mm of roof armour, making it vulnerable to 12.7 and 20 mm AP shells fired from aircraft
* Cramped turret crew space means that one hit can knock out entire turret crew
* Cupola extends up from the profile and can be a weak point for enemies to shoot at
* Like all Panzer IV models, ammo racks all over the hull and are likely to be hit
* Heaviest of the Panzer IV model, consequently it is the slowest of them all
* Acceleration is mediocre
* Poor cross-country performance due to the underpowered engine and narrow tracks
* No smoke grenade dischargers

== History ==

=== Development ===
The '''Pz.Kpfw. IV's''' creation, like its predecessor the [[Pz.III E|Pz.Kpfw. III]], was devised by Heinz Guderian, where he envisioned a support tank to be used to handle anti-tank guns and fortifications. The Panzer IV was to work alongside the more numerable Panzer III in Panzer Divisions (three company of IIIs and one of IVs) to engage the enemy, giving the role of fighting enemy armoured forces to the Panzer IIIs. The tank was to have the short 75 mm Howitzer as its main armament and have a weight limit of 24 tons. MAN, Krupp, and Rheinmetall-Borsig worked on the development of the tanks, but the Krupp's model was selected for further testing.

The chosen model from Krupp once finished used a leaf-spring double-bogie system for its suspension, doing away the proposed interleaved or torsion bar suspension system earlier devised. The vehicle held a crew of five, the commander, gunner, loader, radio operator (also the hull machine gunner), and driver. Though it looks symmetrical, the Panzer IV turret was actually offset to the left of the chassis centre line a bit while the engine was also offset to the right, this was to allow the torque shaft to turn the turret. The offset also meant that more of the ammo is held on the right side of the tank in storage areas. The Panzer IV was then accepted into service and production began in 1936.

=== Panzer IV Ausf. H ===
In the latter part of World War II, the Panzer IV in its base form was deemed inadequate against the new tanks the Allies have, the Soviet [[T-34 (1942)|T-34]] and American [[M4|M4 Shermans]] was able to come toe-to-toe with the Panzer IV, if not better than it. Germany rapidly upgraded their Panzer IV to compete with the enemy, mainly the armour and gun. From the [[Pz.IV C|Ausf. C]] to the [[Pz.IV G|Ausf. G]], the armour increased from the original 20 mm to 80 mm thick and the original KwK 37 L/24 75 mm Howitzer to the longer KwK 40 L/48 75 mm.

The Panzer IV Ausf. H began production in June 1943. The 80 mm front glacis armour is now a single piece rather than attached via weld or bolt. Zimmerit paste is also added onto the Panzer IV hull to prevent the use of magnetic anti-tank mines (though the allies never deployed them). Schürzen (side skirts) on the hull added 5 mm thickness while the turret added 8 mm thickness, plus its application as spaced armour improved its efficiency. A common complaint of the Schürzen was that it was easy for the skirts to just fall off by brushing against the foliage. The Ausf. H return rollers were changed from rubber-rimmed to cast steel. All these modifications increased the tank weight to 25 tons, and despite the use of a new suspension, the cross-country speed dropped to only 10 mph (16 km/h). Despite that, the Panzer IV Ausf. H would go on to be the most produced Panzer IV variant. These features pushed the Panzer IV's limits to its maximum capacity. An attempt to mount the Schmalturm (found on the [[Panther F|Panther Ausf. F]]) called the Pz.Kpfw IV S, failed and only further proved this point.

The Panzer IV Ausf. H stayed as the main German tank alongside the [[Panther G|Panther]] throughout the rest of the war. The 80 mm thickness of the frontal armour could withstand the M4 Sherman's 75 mm gun, and the 76.2 mm gun of the T-34. The Ausf. H served in all combat theatres past 1943, from the Battle of Kursk to the Battle of France, and the Ardennes Offensive. Many were lost due to combat or from lack of fuel and supplies and had to be abandoned. The rapid loss of the Panzer IVs in the German inventory caused a simplified variant to be produced. Designated the [[Pz.IV J|Panzer IV Ausf. J]], the construction was simplified and the internal mechanics were modified, but the variant is a retrograde of the Ausf. H.

Though the Panzer IV had a lot less breakdown issues than the Panther or Tiger II, they were far from being completely reliable.

Twenty Panzer IV Ausf. H went to Spain in 1943, which held them as the best tanks they had in their inventory. Spain sold them to Syria in 1967. Around 130 Panzer IVs of assorted variants made it to Syria in the 1950s and 1960s. These Panzer IVs served the Syrians alongside [[T-34-85]]s, [[T-54 (1951)|T-54]]s, and T-55s during the Six-Day War against Israel.

=== In-Game Description ===
The Ausf. H variant was the most mass-produced tank of this type. It was manufactured by the factories of three companies: Krupp-Gruson AG, VOMAG, and Nibelungenwerke. The first 30 tanks under this designation rolled off of the conveyor belt in April 1943. The front plate of the roof turret was thickened to 16 mm, and the rear plate to 25 mm. All Ausf. H tanks received a Zahnradfabrik ZF SSG77 transmission, reinforced drives with cast drive wheels and Schurzen side skirts, which protected the lower part of the sides from anti-tank and hollow-charge projectiles. The radio antenna was moved to the rear of the hull. From the summer of 1943 onward, to simplify production, solid-rolled 80 mm plates replaced the extra 30-mm-thick outer armour.

In September of the same year, the vertical surfaces of the tanks were coated with Zimmerit paste for protection against magnetic mines. From December 1943 onward, the front plates of the hull were merged into a single plate, improving the new front's resistance against shell impacts. In 1944, the tanks were produced with all-metal supporting rollers. Later Ausf. H models received a turret mount for the MG42 machine gun in the commander's cupola, as well as a vertical rear armour plate instead of the oblique plate featured on all previous variants of the tank. The driver's periscope viewing device was removed. During production, many other changes were implemented to reduce the tank's cost and simplify its manufacture.

Manufacturing of the Ausf. H continued until 1944, and 3960 units were made in all.

Tanks of this variant were supplied to Hungary and Bulgaria. In 1950, the Bulgarian army was still operating 11 of these vehicles.

In Operation Citadel, Pz.Kpfw. IV tanks accounted for nearly 60% of all German tanks. Most of them were G and H variants.

The Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H proved itself to be a reliable combat machine.
Its disadvantages included low manoeuvrability and speed.

== Media ==


;Skins

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

;Sights

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

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|RajXs3bJHpQ|'''Subscriber Request, {{PAGENAME}}. An underappreciated tank''' - ''Joseph 2000''|N4mHYQXctIw|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See Also ==


;Other Pz.IV armed with the 7.5 cm KwK 40<nowiki>:</nowiki>

* [[Pz.IV F2]]
* [[Pz.IV G]]
* [[Pz.IV J]]
* [[Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J]]

== External Links ==


* [https://flyingheritage.org/Explore/The-Collection/Germany/Panzerkampfwagen-IV-Ausf-H.aspx [Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum<nowiki>]</nowiki> Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. H]

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Tiger (Germany)

2021-11-22T02:06:48Z

U124981580: Minor changes to grammar (spelling errors, others). Added a few other small changes.

{{About
| about = German heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Tiger I (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_VI_ausf_h1_tiger_animal_version
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|market=␠Tiger
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} German heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.77 "Advancing Storm"]] as a reward vehicle for the [[wt:en/news/5424-event-flying-serpent-crouching-tiger-en|2018 "Flying Serpent, Crouching Tiger"]] crafting event.

The Tiger I is a famous heavy tank made by the Germans during WWII. It first saw combat in North Africa during 1942 against both American and British tanks like the M3 Lee and Matilda. The Tiger is most commonly known for its blocky structure and 88-millimetre cannon. Used until the end of the war, it was fantastic in regards to its front armour, but had weaker armour on its sides and back.

This Tiger, often referred to as the "Furry Tiger," is a Tiger H1 with a special orange, white, and black Tiger stripe camouflage. It is a premium tank and as such comes with higher boosters, 30 free repairs and modifications unlocked.

== General Info ==
=== Survivability and Armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

[[File:TigerIHTank Armour Angling.png|right|thumbnail|The ideal angling of hull armour on Tiger I for maximum effective armour all-around (about 30 degrees either way)|300px]]
'''Armour Type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour
*Cast homogeneous armour (Gun Mantlet, Cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope Angle) !! Sides !! Rear (Slope Angle) !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 102 mm (9°) ''Front Plate'' 62 mm (80°) ''Front Glacis'' 102 mm (25°) ''Lower Glacis''|| 82 mm ''Top'' 62 mm ''Bottom''|| 82 mm (9°)|| 26 mm
|-
| Turret || 100 mm ''Turret front'' 90 - 200 mm ''Gun Mantlet'' || 82 mm || 82 mm || 26 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 80 mm || 26 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Turret front covered by gun mantlet has variable thickness depending on exact place, ranging from 90 to 200 mm of armour.
* Turret side (about 1/3) is covered by attached tracks, adding additional 30 mm of armour.
* While the hull side of the tank is 82 mm, the side where the suspension is located is only 62 mm thick so be aware of this weak point.
* On paper, the best angle is roughly 38.8° with armour all-round being from the front 130 mm.

Contrary to what the movies may tell you, the Tiger is not invincible. One may feel the need to charge head-on into battle, blaring that 88 mm gun as shells bounce off the front armour while the ''Schachtellaufwerk'' suspension system runs over the ground; this is a short-lived strategy.

The Tiger I should be played more like a bulky medium tank rather than a heavy tank despite its status, supporting allies from the sideline or from a distance rather than leading directly from the front. This is due to the poor armour arrangement with its "boxy" features, providing no sloping benefits alone. One must remain a distance, exploit the 88 mm long-distance power, and maintain a diamond-shape compound angling to maximize armour thickness against the trailing enemy shells that will inevitably come towards the Tiger's way.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=839|rbMinHp=575}}

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

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

{{main|KwK36 (88 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK36 (88 mm)|88 mm KwK36]] || 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" | 92 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+16° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 9.7 || 13.4 || 16.3 || 18.0 || 19.2 || rowspan="2" | 9.62 || rowspan="2" | 8.51 || rowspan="2" | 7.84 || rowspan="2" | 7.40
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 7.1 || 8.4 || 10.2 || 11.3 || 12.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''PzGr 39''' - The go-to shell for all Tiger H1 drivers as this is arguably the best. It will do incredible damage to any tank shot by it, except SPAA, or any extremely thin armoured vehicles. Heavier tanks like the IS-1, IS-2, or American heavy tanks are able to resist the round at longer ranges, but well-placed shots from close range or sides will do the job. All other medium and light tanks will be history as soon as this shell make contact with them. This shell, however, will almost always over-penetrate all but the most armoured SPAA vehicles, so it is best to use HE or machine gun fire on thin-skinned vehicles.
* '''Pzgr.''' - This shell is also very useful. It has very similar characteristics as PzGr 39, but sacrifices some penetration for about 50% more Explosive Filler, meaning even more damage than already powerful PzGr 39. It is recommended to carry some of these shells and use them regularly, as the penetration is still enough to deal with most targets (at least when being down-tiered), and switch to PzGr 39 when shooting targets far away, or those that are heavily armoured.
* '''Hl.Gr 39''' - On paper the HEAT rounds don't bring anything new to the table, however they can be used as a substitute for the HE shells due to the greater explosive mass and still gives a fighting chance if caught with pants down.
* '''Sprgr. L/4.5''' - The HE shell is completely ineffective against all but SPAA or the AI artillery on the Kursk and Ash River maps, but the machine gun mounted on the Tiger are quite capable of dealing with these. Keep a small supply of this shell on hand if planning to flank the enemy and take out their SPAA or artillery, but avoid them for everything else.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration Statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of Warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 165 || 162 || 151 || 139 || 127 || 117
|-
| Pzgr. || APCBC || 153 || 151 || 140 || 128 || 116 || 106
|-
| Hl.Gr 39 || HEAT || 110 || 110 || 110 || 110 || 110 || 110
|-
| Sprgr. L/4.5 || HE || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell Details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of Warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse Delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse Sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 773 || 10.2 || 1.2 || 14 || 108.8 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Pzgr. || APCBC || 810 || 9.5 || 1.2 || 14 || 285.6 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Hl.Gr 39 || HEAT || 600 || 7.64 || 0 || 0.3 || 1,100 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| Sprgr. L/4.5 || HE || 820 || 9 || 0 || 0.1 || 698 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks|Ammo Racks]] ====

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full Ammo
! 1st Rack Empty
! 2nd Rack Empty
! 3rd Rack Empty
! 4th Rack Empty
! 5th Rack Empty
! 6th Rack Empty
! 7th Rack Empty
! 8th Rack Empty
! 9th Rack Empty
! 10th Rack Empty
! Visual Discrepancy
|-
| '''92''' || 77 ''(+15)'' || 61 ''(+31)'' || 45 ''(+47)'' || 29 ''(+63)'' || 25 ''(+67)'' || 21 ''(+71)'' || 17 ''(+75)'' || 13 ''(+79)'' || 7 ''(+85)'' || 1 ''(+91)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_Tiger_H1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the Tiger H1.]]
'''Note''':

* Large sides empty: 29 ''(+63)'' shells.

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

{{main|MG34 (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG34]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire Rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,350 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in Battles ==

The main role of the ''Tiger'' tank was to eliminate enemy tanks at a far range, similar to behaving like a sniping tank, or a Tank Destroyer. Nonetheless, the Tiger can excel at brawling with other tanks at medium range, and possibly against two [[Panther D|Panther]] tanks to close range and escape undamaged. It's recommended to not stay in one place for too long or you will risk getting outflanked, spotted, or bombed.

While guns like the Soviet [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm]] cannon can easily penetrate the Tiger at close range, the Tiger can stay nearly invulnerable at long range. The 88 can take out many tanks in Rank 3 at any combat range but may have problems with the [[IS-1]]'s 120 mm front armour at some ranges. When having to close in a bit, it is generally advisable to angle the hull to the sides by about 30°, improving the armour rating enough that it can keep away 85 mm shells very well, even at closer ranges. The Tiger is still vulnerable to the [[SU-152|SU-152s]] howitzer, and HE shells at any range. So whenever encountering these heavy-calibre vehicles, they should be prioritized and eliminated first.

'''Mobility-wise''' the Tiger is pretty good for a heavy tank. It is much faster than a [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|KV-1]] and about as equally fast as the [[IS-1]], although medium tanks like the [[T-34-85]] can easily outmanoeuvre all three at close range. Try to use the Tiger's mobility to keep a distance rather than for closing in on a target. Don't be afraid to use the speed to fall back if necessary as the Tiger cannot survive close range engagements on open terrain vs. mediums, due to the slow turret and the vulnerability to the 85 mm guns on Soviet medium tanks.

The Tiger has a very bad '''turret traverse''', it is recommended to get the ''Turret Drive'' traverse modification as fast as possible. Even then, the Tiger will have to turn the tank in the direction of the traverse to make the most of the time to quickly engage a target. This, together with very exposed ammo racks on both sides (though one side can be emptied by reducing the ammo stowage) means that facing multiple enemies at once is almost a certain end to the Tiger tank. The best option is to take cover from one tank and fire on the other.

As far as ammo is concerned, the default ''PzGr 39'' will be the standard AP rounds many players will use. The second AP round available, the ''Pzgr.'', is also a good round to use against the enemy as the shell contains more explosive filler than the default, but suffers from a lower penetration value compared to the ''PzGr 39''. The HEAT rounds offer consistent penetration at all ranges including more than 2,000 m. However, they provide less damage upon penetration. HEAT rounds usually are usually not used as the primary ammunition type for this sole reason. Upgrading the tank should mainly be dedicated to turret traverse, hull traverse (as this is needed even with the turret traverse upgrade) and engine upgrades. The Tiger's 88 has massive destructive power. Unlike the other German tank of its rank, all armed with 75 mm guns, the Tiger can easily one-shot all the mediums like the T-34s, M4 Shermans, and still be a threat against heavy tanks like the IS-1s. If it doesn't destroy a tank in one hit, most of the enemy crew will be wounded or incapacitated. The best place to aim with the 88 is either at the gunner's side of the enemy turret to incapacitate an enemy's firepower, or between the driver and the gunner which would usually wound or knock out most of the enemy crew at once. Attacking from the side also presents a good shot opportunity, as the best shot placement is right below the turret on the hull where most of the tank ammunition are stored, giving a very good chance for an ammo-rack explosion.

When driving the Tiger, plan ahead on where it will drive. Even with engine and track modifications, the Tiger is still a heavy tank and a 90 degree or more turn will almost always mean an immediate standstill as the tank try to make the change in movement. Even small adjustments can knock the speed down a bit. Thus, knowing the terrain and destination is of the utmost importance to preserve its mobility to its fullest extent.

The Tiger is also best used on the flanks of the current maps, as these are usually more open and allow good use of its armour and excellent gun. The centre of the map would seem more logical as there are a lot of enemies, but as has already been established a Tiger taking fire from multiple directions won't last long. Going in a flank and taking down light and medium tanks is an easy task for this beast, and thus a flank can be easily secured if the Tiger is driven carefully. Then, work the Tiger into the enemy sides and rear of the main force in the centre, doing much more damage than if the Tiger faced the force head-on because a shot to the side and rear will set most enemies alight if not outright exploding the ammunition. Able to destroy vehicles in one hit, the Tiger can quickly jump from target to target and eliminate a good number of enemies in its lifespan.

There will be many hard eggs to crack such as the IS Series, T-34 Series, M4 Sherman Jumbos, and several other tanks that will give the Tiger I trouble.

* The Russians have many tanks at the BR able to handle the Tiger H1 easily. The main tank at this BR is the T-34-85. While it may have very thin armour and is easy to penetrate it is easy to angle and the T-34 is a flanking machine, it will drive circles around the Tiger so it needs to be destroyed quick. The IS Heavy Tanks are the second worst nightmare situation. Thick armour and a huge gun. If the IS tank is not destroyed first, it will definitely destroy the Tiger.
* American M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbos are similar to the T-34. The 75 mm variant would have trouble to penetrate the Tiger's armour at long ranges, but caution needs to be exercised when they are armed with a 76 mm gun.
* The Japanese tanks all have very thin armour that the 88 mm gun can easily penetrate through with no problem, but their guns at this BR all have enough penetration to deal with the Tiger if it gets a hit on.

=== Pros and Cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Turret armour is particularly hard to penetrate, especially around the mantlet
* One of the fastest heavy tanks with its top speed of 45 km/h
* Good reverse speed
* It's box-like shape gives the ability to some angling tactics
* The rear is surprisingly hard to penetrate, partially due to the slightly-angled armour and partly due to the large exhaust pipes which seem to deflect shells

'''Cons:'''

* Has trouble dealing with other heavy tanks
* Only performs well against soft targets
* Lower glacis is easy to penetrate, therefore watch for one going over hills
* Transmission catches fire easily if struck
* Ammo racks offer great targets
* Slow acceleration and turning speed
* Turret traverse is second slowest on heavy tank line for Germany
* Low manoeuvrability, susceptible to being outflanked by more quicker adversaries
* Unsloped armour on all sides
* Armour is worthless unless angled
* Can meet against some tough opponents
* S-Mine dischargers on the hull limits gun depression in certain areas

== History ==


This tank is the same tank as the [[Tiger H1]], but has a very special camouflage, - a tiger camouflage.
This tank could only be made during the Flying Serpent, Crouching Tiger event which spanned from 31 March to 3 April 2018.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_VI_ausf_h1_tiger_animal_version Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|NHpWKPletxA|'''April Fools 2018 - The Furry Tiger''' - ''TheEuropeanCanadian'' (Review starts at 4:45)|TjfQbjrtw5U|'''"Crouching Tiger" Rare Vehicle''' - ''BaconGaming''}}

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

* [[Tiger H1]]

== External Links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5424-event-flying-serpent-crouching-tiger-en|[Event] Flying Serpent, Crouching Tiger]]

{{Germany heavy tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Pz.III B

2021-11-22T01:33:04Z

U124981580: /* Mobility */

{{About
| about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Panzer III (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_III_ausf_B
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]].

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

[[File:Pz.III B 2.jpg|thumb|300px|The Pz.III B, distinguishable from the [[Pz.III E]] by the cylindrical cupola, and number of road wheels (Pz.III E has 6 compared to the Pz. III B's 8)]]
The Pz.III B is one of the worst starter vehicles in terms of overall survivability. The armour thickness of the hull and sides are 14.5 mm thick, with 16 mm on the turret face. This isn't even enough protection to nullify heavy machine gun fire, which leaves this vehicle almost universally vulnerable from almost all vehicles present in the lower ranks. By angling the hull, you can potentially bring the protection up to 20 mm effective on the front and sides, but this is a superficial boost to armour and will still not reliably protect the tank from any incoming rounds. The only advantage survivability wise this vehicle has is the crew count as it has 5 members. Because most of the incoming fire is going to be from low calibre AP rounds, it's very unlikely that this tank will be taken out in a single shot, though this is more of a passive advantage and not something you can actively make use of.

'''Armour Type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 14.5 mm (9°) ''Front plate'' 14.5 mm (49°) ''Front glacis'' 10 mm (15°) ''Lower glacis'' || 14.5 mm || 14.5 mm || 10 mm
|-
| Turret || 16 mm ''Turret front'' 16 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 14.5 mm (25°) || 14.5 mm (20°) || 10 mm
|-
| Cupola || 14.5 mm || 14.5 mm || 14.5 mm || 10 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 15 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 5 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=271|rbMinHp=221}}

The {{PAGENAME}} has fairly unimpressive mobility across all fronts, it can reach a maximum speed of 35 km/h in RB mode, and 39 km/h in AB mode. Compared to other reserve tanks, this is on the slower side by a large margin and therefore will struggle when it comes to reaching good spots early, pushing across the map and retreating from combat. This tied with the lack of meaningful armour really hurts this tank's overall performance. The only positive aspect of this tanks mobility is its hull traverse, which can help turn the turret and cannon quicker than just using the turret traverse on its own.

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

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

{{main|KwK36 (37 mm)}}

The Pz.III B is equipped with the 37 mm KwK36, which is a fairly underwhelming weapon performance wise. It can penetrate most lower rank vehicles at close range, but at further ranges the gun really does start to struggle. It's also fairly inaccurate, which makes aiming for certain weak spots quite difficult.

It comes with two available rounds -

* APHE- Max 47 mm penetration- Low penetration but higher damage potential
* APCR- Max 86 mm penetration- High penetration but lower damage potential.

It's best to consider taking a mix of both types of ammunition. The APHE has the potential to one-shot some enemy tanks, but will be completely ineffective against the more heavily armoured vehicles; for these tanks, it's best to use APCR and aim for flat surfaces. The APCR does very little damage internally, so try to aim for crew members, and ammo racks if possible.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK36 (37 mm)|37 mm KwK36]] || 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" | 121 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 16.07 || 22.24 || 27.00 || 29.86 || 31.76 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 3.57 || 4.20 || 5.10 || 5.64 || 6.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration Statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of Warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| PzGr || APHE || 47 || 44 || 31 || 21 || 14 || 9
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 86 || 77 || 47 || 26 || 14 || 8
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell Details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of Warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse Delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse Sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| PzGr || APHE || 745 || 0.69 || 1.2 || 9 || 22.1 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 1,020 || 0.37 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks|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
! 7th Rack Empty
! Visual Discrepancy
|-
| '''121''' || 117 ''(+4)'' || 99 ''(+22)'' || 79 ''(+42)'' || 61 ''(+60)'' || 41 ''(+80)'' || 21 ''(+100)'' || 1 ''(+120)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

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

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

{{main|MG34 (7.92 mm)}}

This vehicle is equipped with two coaxial 7.92 mm MG34 machine guns. As there are two of them, these machine guns are quite potent against enemy anti-air trucks and even against the slower biplane aircraft commonly encountered in lower rank battles. However, they have no functional viability against armoured vehicles and only serve as a last ditch effort to kick up dust or blind an enemy vehicle by firing at their optics.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG34]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,800 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Coaxial || 1,800 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in Battles ==

[[File:Pz.III B 1.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Overall, the Pz.III B doesn't have many reliable advantages, both the armour and firepower leave a lot to be desired, although its mobility is somewhat functional. However, it just doesn't have any decent aggressive aspects to it that good mobility benefits, meaning that although it is the Pz.III B's most functioning asset, it's still not reliable to play aggressively on the move. The Pz.III B isn't equipped with a short stabiliser, meaning that the gun will be very unstable when coming to a stop, whereas the majority of allied vehicles do have this feature. So if you were to run into one of these vehicles on the move, your enemy will likely get the first shot off, and as your armour protection is so poor they will likely deal critical damage.

A somewhat reliable way to stay alive in this tank is to play hull-down, a lot of the rounds you'll be taking will be small calibre AP shots. If only your turret is exposed, these rounds will only usually take out 2 crew members at most, allowing for you to back off, repair and re-engage. Try not to play too far away from your enemies. The performance of the gun is overall very poor at distances, so even though survivability will be increased by playing at range, firepower will be very inconsistent, so try to find a spot that isn't too far away from combat.

The turret traverse of the Pz.III B is also very poor, at 4.2 degrees a second in RB mode, because of this it's a good idea to use the hull traverse to swing the turret around faster. The hull traverse itself is fairly fast, so utilising this is a decent habit to get in to. The situation you most want to avoid is losing your driver or engine, as your mobility is the only thing that will keep you in the fight, and the way to ensure this primarily is to stay in cover and not advance too far into the map. If an enemy gets on your side or rear, there's nothing you can really do as your turret traverse is disappointingly poor, so watch your flanks and try to minimise the possibility of an enemy getting behind you.

=== Pros and Cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Reasonably fast acceleration, decent top speed and hull traverse allows it to get to positions in time
* Decent survivability: spacious interior plus 5-man crew increases survivability against solid shells (eg. [[M3 Stuart (Family)|M3 Stuart]])
* Adequate firepower: stock AP can frontally penetrate and one-shot common foes like [[BT-5]], while the APCR is quite effective in an uptier against the [[B1 bis]]
* Fast reload allows it to finish off remaining crew quickly
* Twin fast-firing 7.92 mm coaxial MG can quickly wipe out exposed crew, or even damage low-flying planes

'''Cons:'''

* Weak armour on all sides, can get penetrated by various tanks (eg. [[M3 Stuart (Family)|M3 Stuart]], [[BT-5]]) and even SPAA like [[M13 MGMC]] and [[GAZ-AAA (DShK)]]
* Small calibre gun lacks the damage to quickly destroy large tanks like the [[LVT(A)(1)]]
* Very slow turret traverse, may not be able the gun on fast targets
* Profile is quite large and tall, making it easier to be seen and shot at, and harder to conceal behind bushes or cover

== History ==


The Panzerkampfwagen III (PzKpfw. III), also referred to as Panzer III, was a tank developed by the Germans in the 1930s and used in World War II. The PzKpfw. III was designed to take out other armored vehicles while supporting the Panzerkampfwagen IV, whose task was mainly to take out unarmored targets. The dome ring of the PzKpfw. III was unable to accommodate the increasingly heavy cannons needed to fight new tank types. Ultimately, the PzKpfw. III was replaced by the larger PzKpfw. IV as main battle tank. The PzKpfw. III was then delivered to some allies while the chassis was used for the very successful Sturmgeschütz III.

The suspension of the PzKpfw. III A turned out to be too weak. The same year, a series of fifteen Ausführung B vehicles were built. The five running wheels were replaced by eight wheels with leaf springs. This increased the speed to 35 km/h. With Three instead of two wheels supporting the upper of the track. These vehicles were only intended for training, but eventually had to be assigned to the combat troops. The first models (A to E) were equipped with the short 37 mm KwK / 36 L46.5 gun, which performed sufficiently during the actions in 1939 and 1940.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_III_ausf_B 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 ==


* [[wt:en/news/3727-development-pzkpfw-iii-ausf-b-en/|[Development] PzKpfw III Ausf. B]]

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Pz.III B

2021-11-22T01:30:12Z

U124981580: Minor changes to grammar, added a small bit to the section on distinguishing the Ausf. B from the Ausf. E, and to use of APCR

{{About
| about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Panzer III (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_III_ausf_B
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]].

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

[[File:Pz.III B 2.jpg|thumb|300px|The Pz.III B, distinguishable from the [[Pz.III E]] by the cylindrical cupola, and number of road wheels (Pz.III E has 6 compared to the Pz. III B's 8)]]
The Pz.III B is one of the worst starter vehicles in terms of overall survivability. The armour thickness of the hull and sides are 14.5 mm thick, with 16 mm on the turret face. This isn't even enough protection to nullify heavy machine gun fire, which leaves this vehicle almost universally vulnerable from almost all vehicles present in the lower ranks. By angling the hull, you can potentially bring the protection up to 20 mm effective on the front and sides, but this is a superficial boost to armour and will still not reliably protect the tank from any incoming rounds. The only advantage survivability wise this vehicle has is the crew count as it has 5 members. Because most of the incoming fire is going to be from low calibre AP rounds, it's very unlikely that this tank will be taken out in a single shot, though this is more of a passive advantage and not something you can actively make use of.

'''Armour Type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 14.5 mm (9°) ''Front plate'' 14.5 mm (49°) ''Front glacis'' 10 mm (15°) ''Lower glacis'' || 14.5 mm || 14.5 mm || 10 mm
|-
| Turret || 16 mm ''Turret front'' 16 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 14.5 mm (25°) || 14.5 mm (20°) || 10 mm
|-
| Cupola || 14.5 mm || 14.5 mm || 14.5 mm || 10 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 15 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 5 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=271|rbMinHp=221}}

The {{PAGENAME}} has fairly unimpressive mobility across all fronts, it can reach a maximum speed of 35 km/h in RB mode, and 39 km/h in AB mode. Compared to other reserve tanks, this is on the slower side by a large margin and therefore will struggle when it comes to reaching good spots early, pushing across the map and retreating from combat. This tied with the lack of meaningful armour really hurts this tank's overall performance. The only positive aspect of this tanks mobility is its hull traverse, which can help turn the turret and cannon quicker than just using the turret traverse on its own.

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

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

{{main|KwK36 (37 mm)}}

The Pz.III B is equipped with the 37 mm KwK36, which is a fairly underwhelming weapon performance wise. It can penetrate most lower rank vehicles at close range, but at further ranges the gun really does start to struggle. It's also fairly inaccurate, which makes aiming for certain weak spots quite difficult.

It comes with two available rounds -

* APHE- Max 47 mm penetration- Low penetration but higher damage potential
* APCR- Max 86 mm penetration- High penetration but lower damage potential.

It's best to consider taking a mix of both types of ammunition. The APHE has the potential to one-shot some enemy tanks, but will be completely ineffective against the more heavily armoured vehicles; for these tanks, it's best to use APCR and aim for flat surfaces. The APCR does very little damage internally, so try to aim for crew members, and ammo racks if possible.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK36 (37 mm)|37 mm KwK36]] || 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" | 121 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 16.07 || 22.24 || 27.00 || 29.86 || 31.76 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 3.57 || 4.20 || 5.10 || 5.64 || 6.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration Statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of Warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| PzGr || APHE || 47 || 44 || 31 || 21 || 14 || 9
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 86 || 77 || 47 || 26 || 14 || 8
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell Details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of Warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse Delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse Sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| PzGr || APHE || 745 || 0.69 || 1.2 || 9 || 22.1 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 1,020 || 0.37 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks|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
! 7th Rack Empty
! Visual Discrepancy
|-
| '''121''' || 117 ''(+4)'' || 99 ''(+22)'' || 79 ''(+42)'' || 61 ''(+60)'' || 41 ''(+80)'' || 21 ''(+100)'' || 1 ''(+120)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

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

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

{{main|MG34 (7.92 mm)}}

This vehicle is equipped with two coaxial 7.92 mm MG34 machine guns. As there are two of them, these machine guns are quite potent against enemy anti-air trucks and even against the slower biplane aircraft commonly encountered in lower rank battles. However, they have no functional viability against armoured vehicles and only serve as a last ditch effort to kick up dust or blind an enemy vehicle by firing at their optics.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG34]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,800 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Coaxial || 1,800 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in Battles ==

[[File:Pz.III B 1.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Overall, the Pz.III B doesn't have many reliable advantages, both the armour and firepower leave a lot to be desired, although its mobility is somewhat functional. However, it just doesn't have any decent aggressive aspects to it that good mobility benefits, meaning that although it is the Pz.III B's most functioning asset, it's still not reliable to play aggressively on the move. The Pz.III B isn't equipped with a short stabiliser, meaning that the gun will be very unstable when coming to a stop, whereas the majority of allied vehicles do have this feature. So if you were to run into one of these vehicles on the move, your enemy will likely get the first shot off, and as your armour protection is so poor they will likely deal critical damage.

A somewhat reliable way to stay alive in this tank is to play hull-down, a lot of the rounds you'll be taking will be small calibre AP shots. If only your turret is exposed, these rounds will only usually take out 2 crew members at most, allowing for you to back off, repair and re-engage. Try not to play too far away from your enemies. The performance of the gun is overall very poor at distances, so even though survivability will be increased by playing at range, firepower will be very inconsistent, so try to find a spot that isn't too far away from combat.

The turret traverse of the Pz.III B is also very poor, at 4.2 degrees a second in RB mode, because of this it's a good idea to use the hull traverse to swing the turret around faster. The hull traverse itself is fairly fast, so utilising this is a decent habit to get in to. The situation you most want to avoid is losing your driver or engine, as your mobility is the only thing that will keep you in the fight, and the way to ensure this primarily is to stay in cover and not advance too far into the map. If an enemy gets on your side or rear, there's nothing you can really do as your turret traverse is disappointingly poor, so watch your flanks and try to minimise the possibility of an enemy getting behind you.

=== Pros and Cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Reasonably fast acceleration, decent top speed and hull traverse allows it to get to positions in time
* Decent survivability: spacious interior plus 5-man crew increases survivability against solid shells (eg. [[M3 Stuart (Family)|M3 Stuart]])
* Adequate firepower: stock AP can frontally penetrate and one-shot common foes like [[BT-5]], while the APCR is quite effective in an uptier against the [[B1 bis]]
* Fast reload allows it to finish off remaining crew quickly
* Twin fast-firing 7.92 mm coaxial MG can quickly wipe out exposed crew, or even damage low-flying planes

'''Cons:'''

* Weak armour on all sides, can get penetrated by various tanks (eg. [[M3 Stuart (Family)|M3 Stuart]], [[BT-5]]) and even SPAA like [[M13 MGMC]] and [[GAZ-AAA (DShK)]]
* Small calibre gun lacks the damage to quickly destroy large tanks like the [[LVT(A)(1)]]
* Very slow turret traverse, may not be able the gun on fast targets
* Profile is quite large and tall, making it easier to be seen and shot at, and harder to conceal behind bushes or cover

== History ==


The Panzerkampfwagen III (PzKpfw. III), also referred to as Panzer III, was a tank developed by the Germans in the 1930s and used in World War II. The PzKpfw. III was designed to take out other armored vehicles while supporting the Panzerkampfwagen IV, whose task was mainly to take out unarmored targets. The dome ring of the PzKpfw. III was unable to accommodate the increasingly heavy cannons needed to fight new tank types. Ultimately, the PzKpfw. III was replaced by the larger PzKpfw. IV as main battle tank. The PzKpfw. III was then delivered to some allies while the chassis was used for the very successful Sturmgeschütz III.

The suspension of the PzKpfw. III A turned out to be too weak. The same year, a series of fifteen Ausführung B vehicles were built. The five running wheels were replaced by eight wheels with leaf springs. This increased the speed to 35 km/h. With Three instead of two wheels supporting the upper of the track. These vehicles were only intended for training, but eventually had to be assigned to the combat troops. The first models (A to E) were equipped with the short 37 mm KwK / 36 L46.5 gun, which performed sufficiently during the actions in 1939 and 1940.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_III_ausf_B 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 ==


* [[wt:en/news/3727-development-pzkpfw-iii-ausf-b-en/|[Development] PzKpfw III Ausf. B]]

{{Germany medium tanks}}