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M2A2

2022-01-24T21:36:13Z

U126789377: /* Media */ Warthunder Survival Guide M2A2 Addition

{{About
| about = American light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = M2 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m2a2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.49 "Weapons of Victory"|Update 1.49 (1.70.1945) "Weapons of Victory"]].

The most common and most used American tank in pre-war years. The M2A2 was armed with a .50 and .30 calibre machine gun. The Spanish Civil War showed that tanks with MG main armament were ineffective. This led to the upgrade to the [[M2A4]]. In the game, the M2A2 is lightning fast, with very weak armour and a subpar armament.

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

The whole armour is made out of '''rolled homogeneous armour ''' plates. Tracks provide 15 mm of armour.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 15.8 mm (20°) ''Driver port'' 15.8 mm (71°) ''Front Glacis'' 15.8 mm (18-59°) ''Lower Glacis'' || 12.7 mm || 6.35 mm (2-61°) || 6.35 mm
|-
| Turret || 15.8 mm (0-2°) ''Turret front'' 15.8 mm (2°) ''Gun mantlet''|| 15.8 mm (0-1°) || 15.8 mm (2°) || 6.35 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 15.8 mm (2°) || 6.35 mm
|}

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=308|rbMinHp=232}}

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

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 1,400 (200) || rowspan="2" | 576 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | -170°/+20° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 14.28 || 19.76 || 24.00 || 26.54 || 28.24 || rowspan="2" | 10.40 || rowspan="2" | 9.20 || rowspan="2" | 8.48 || rowspan="2" | 8.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.93 || 10.50 || 12.75 || 14.10 || 15.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Common:''' {{Annotation|API-T|M20 armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|I|M1 incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|M20 armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}
* '''AP:''' {{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|M20 armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}
* '''API:''' {{Annotation|API-T|M20 armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-I|M8 armour-piercing incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|M20 armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}
* '''APIT:''' {{Annotation|API-T|M20 armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="7" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Common || 31 || 30 || 26 || 22 || 18 || 15
|-
| API || 30 || 29 || 24 || 20 || 16 || 13
|-
| AP || 31 || 30 || 26 || 22 || 18 || 15
|-
| APIT || 30 || 29 || 24 || 20 || 16 || 13
|-
|}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''7''' || 3 ''(+4)'' || 0 ''(+7)'' ||Yes
|-
|}

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


The M2A2 is armed with a secondary .30 cal machine gun in a separate turret, as well as another emplaced in the hull. This extra turret restricts the traverse angles of both this and the main turret. The machine guns can be against very lightly armoured AA vehicles and can be used as a distraction against enemy tanks.

{| 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
|-
| Turret || 9,500 (250) || 500 || -10°/+20° || -5°/+160°
|-
| Hull || 9,500 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The M2A2 is a strange vehicle as a twin-turreted machine-gun armament only vehicle. It is, however, fast, and could be sped around as a scout tank to get on the enemy's side. Your main turret, which uses 12.7 mm (.50) MG can only fire forward and to the left, with secondary turret (which sports standard 7.62 mm (.30) MG, which can only really scare SPAA trucks) firing to the right. Additionally, the M2A2 has a working hull machine gun, but it is fixed to the hull and angled up so its usefulness is extremely limited.

The .50 cal main armament makes it necessary to rush as close to enemy as possible, as it could only penetrate ~20 mm at standard ranges, meaning that it is only really effective against the reserve tanks, and even so, the machine guns often may only be effective when shot at the flat sides or even only at the engine deck.

Avoid any "medium" and "heavy" tanks like [[M13/40 (Family)|M13/40]] or [[R.35 (SA38)]], as they will resist even pure AP belt fired point blank. Avoid messing with tanks of BR 2.0, as even lightly armoured tanks of that rank are only vulnerable from the sides and only from about 100 m away or closer. If you absolutely have to attack them, drive in circles around them and shoot at their weakspots, like engines or turret neck, whenever you get a chance.

Mostly your targets will be "[[AB41|scout]]" and "[[A13 Mk II|sniper]]" tanks, as you can do serious damage to them. To avoid getting annihilated while attacking them from the front, you can fire at their turret while approaching them. Quite often, even if you can't penetrate them as is, they will un-angle themselves, trying to fire at you by turning their flat turret armour parts towards your fire, dooming themselves. If it didn't penetrate, you already lost and shouldn't have attacked them in the first place.

A lot of light tanks and tank destroyers will have stronger turret or gun mantlet armour, than the hull. In such case, simply fire at their hull, trying to get their gunner and driver as soon as possible. Remember, they often don't have to turn their hull towards you to fire back, and angled hull may actually ricochet MG bullets, so it's better to attack from their sides, or at the very least completely head-on.

Overall, it is best to not go around the map without a teammate with a cannon to provide a substantial upgrade in firepower, should it come face to face with the enemy.

Another way to use the M2A2 is as an SPAA. The turrets have decent gun elevation so hitting aircraft is quite easy. The .30 and .50 cal machine guns are very good at destroying any planes at its BR or at least will cripple them. It is recommended to turn the hull with the turrets so you can fire both guns and will not end up only firing one.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very fast, can reach 60 km/h on a road in AB
* Can sacrifice speed to make a fast turn
* Accurate in the long run
* High and stable fire rate

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is only sufficient to protect itself against machine gun fire
* Pathetic armament, which can be used only against anti-air vehicles and some light tanks, and some sides or rears of medium tanks, but not all
* Two non-fully rotating turrets
* In an event in which the .50 gunner is knocked out, the .30 machine gun can't do much to protect the tank
* Cramped crew
* Any high speed collision can result in the driver and co-drivers knockout, or worse the entire crew
* Terrible steering, not adequate under gear 2
* Can get stuck when driving up the hills without track upgrade

== History ==

===Development===
The '''M2 Light Tank''' series was an American pre-World War II design as their answer to a fast, effective tank in a cavalry role.

The idea of light tanks started with the Defense Act of 1920, which defined tanks as an infantry support weapon, but the idea of a cavalry role for the tanks was brought up by multiple theorists, to which the British were the first to incorporate with the ''cruiser tanks''. Limitation in American development leads to the establishment of light tanks as the ''combat cars''. The development team soon looked at the tank prototypes ''T1 Light Tank'' and the ''T2 medium tank'' and decide to use them as the basis for the light tank design.

Modifications made onto the experimental tanks, mostly installing the new Vertical Volute Spring Suspension (VVSS) that would be the main suspension in future American tank development, made the tanks into the '''M2A1 Light Tank'''. The main version used before the war was designated the '''M2A2''', which had two turrets, both with a .50 calibre M2 Browning as its armament. However, the Spanish Civil War showed that this kind of tank is insufficient in tank warfare, so initially the design was revised with improved armour up to 22 mm ('''M2A3''') and then with one turret with a 37 mm cannon, this would become the [[M2A4|'''M2A4''']], which would be the main light tank variant in US service before World War II broke out.

===Combat usage===
Although the M2 light tanks were promising in their introduction, they were soon succeeded by the [[M3 Stuart|M3]] and [[M5A1|M5]] light tanks. The M2 light tanks were seen by armament as a stopgap solution for the dire need of tanks and a development project for tank improvements. By December 1941, the M2 light tanks were being used for training only in the US Army, but the Marine Corps used them in the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Pacific due to the lack of M3 light tanks available.

Britain ordered some M2 light tanks in early 1941 in part of the Lend-Lease Act, but only 36 were delivered before switching to the improved M3 light tanks.

A unique feature on the M2 Light tank was the number of machine guns it could house. Aside from the coaxial and the bow gunner's ball mounted one, two machine guns were fixed facing forward on the sides of the hull, fired by the driver. Another M1919 Browning machine gun could be mounted on the turret top for anti-aircraft use.

=== In-game description ===
The M2A2 light tank developed and built by Rock Island Arsenal (RIA). A total of 239 of these tanks were built in 1935. The M2A2 was used to train tank operators, who gave it the unofficial nickname "Mae West". It was never used in combat.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=light_tank&vehicle=us_m2a2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|1yg1DAEbG8A|'''The Stuart Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:05 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|RyA5KcS2hAw|'''Multi-turreted Tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:38 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|9kZ4LDGlkew|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|cT1u2g6l_Ig|Warthunder Survival Guide {{!}} M2A2}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

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

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[T-60]]
* [[L6/40]]
* [[Pz.II C]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/776|[Devblog] M2A2 / 4M GAZ-AAA / BF109B-1]]
* [[wikipedia:M2_light_tank|[Wikipedia] M2 light tank]]
* [https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M2_Light_Tank.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> M2 Light Tank]

{{TankManufacturer Rock Island Arsenal}}
{{USA light tanks}}

LVT(A)(1)

2022-01-24T12:23:56Z

U126789377: /* Media */ Added Warthunder survival guide LVT page

{{About
| about = American light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = LVT (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_lvt_a_1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]]. Featuring a crew of six people with a 37 mm gun, it has a rather competitive armament for the size and battle rating. It is also the second amphibious ground vehicle to be added into the game.

The LVT is unique among the Rank I vehicles, given its ability to float across deep water. It has extremely thin armour that can easily be penetrated by heavy machine guns. In some areas even a light machine gun can penetrate it. It mounts a lightened Stuart turret, giving it a decently fast firing 37 mm cannon. Additionally, despite its rather large size (relative to its peers) it is quite mobile due to its light weight, able to keep pace with the M3 Lee.

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

Its large and spacious hull might seem hard to knock out all of its crew, but that's only true when you are getting shot from the side. From your side, there is a huge empty area between the driving compartment and the fighting compartment that will absorb any shell, regardless of their explosive fillers. However an experienced player will know to shoot at these two compartments and avoid the empty space. From the front, the spacious hull does not help to keep the crew safe as a penetrating shell will travel through the empty space and hit any crew at the back, so you could die sooner than you expected. Avoid tanks with solid shots, for example British/Swedish tanks.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Machine gun shield)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle°) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12.7 mm (31°) ''Front plate'' 6.35 mm (83-84°) ''Upper glacis'' 6.35 mm (41-81°) ''Lower glacis'' || 6.35 mm (11-51°) ''Top'' 6.35 + 6.35 mm ''Bottom'' || 6.35 mm (0-62°) || 6.35 mm
|-
| Turret || 12.7 mm (10°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 mm (1-81°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 12.7 mm || 12.7 mm || 6 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Front hull has flat armour area where driver & co-driver sits.

The deadliest threats are HMG and autocannon mounted vehicles such as the Pz.II's, T-60, and AA guns. They can quickly chew through all of the crew.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 387|rbMinHp= 221}}

The LVT's mobility is adequate. On hard surfaces it easily reaches its top speed of around 38 km/h. On soft surfaces it needs more time to accelerate, and the top speed is lowered. The reverse speed is extremely poor, which can cause you to take unnecessary hits. The hull traverse is great, allowing you to quickly change direction, however a downside is that when you turn the hull to aim, you might over-turn and swing the gun past the target, increasing the aiming time which can be fatal.

Due to its big and tall tracks, the LVT can drive over some obstacles that are too tall for normal-sized tanks.

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

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

{{main|M6 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 104 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 16 km/h}} || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.50 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.60 || 24.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M51B1/B2 || APCBC || 87 || 84 || 73 || 60 || 50 || 41
|-
| M74B1 || AP || 79 || 76 || 65 || 54 || 45 || 37
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| M51B1/B2 || APCBC || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| M74B1 || AP || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
|}
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''104''' || 92 ''(+12)'' || 69 ''(+35)'' || 46 ''(+58)'' || 23 ''(+81)'' || 1 ''(+103)'' || No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|4}}

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount
! Capacity (Belt capacity)
! Rate of fire (shots/minute)
! Vertical guidance
! Horizontal guidance
|-
| Rear-facing || 3,000 (250) || 500 || -10°/+40° || ±60°
|-
| Rear-facing || 3,000 (250) || 500 || -10°/+40° || ±60°
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Use the LVT(A)(1)'s ability to sneak up waterways to work around the enemy lines, and ambush when possible. If that is not a option, come at them head on, either taking their vehicle out or disabling it long enough to get around and finish it with a side shot. Once done, do not take the waterways back as the LVT(A)(1) is much faster on land.

This tank has the capability to work as an early assault tank, not as fast as the Stuarts, BTs and other light tanks.

Another tactic that can be done against lightly armoured vehicles is to drive backwards towards the enemy. The combined firepower of 3 machine guns and the cannon increases the chance of take out the enemy before they can take out the LVT(A)(1).

The big thing to keep in mind is that the LVT(A)(1) is big. It is a large target that is hard to hide, but the spacious interior makes it harder for enemies to take out all of the crew members.

At the same time, keep in mind that the LVT(A)(1) is an easy target for aircraft, as the vehicle presents as very easy target for anything .50 cal and up.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very fast and manoeuvrable on most terrain
* 6 crew members
* Fast-firing and accurate 37 mm gun
* Crew members are spread out, less likely to get knocked out in one shot
* Great gun depression at the side and front
* Heavily armoured gun mantlet
* 2 machine gunners that can fire at high angles, enabling anti-air
* Small engine makes it hard to hit
* Reserve tank (no repair costs)
* Amphibious (the first reserve floating tank)
* Most of the interior is empty space meaning that most tanks will need a few shots to knock out this tank

'''Cons:'''

* Huge (shell magnet)
* Barely any armour to speak about
* Exposed lower glacis
* Weak armour and huge size makes it vulnerable to artillery
* Can easily be destroyed by HE shells (overpressure).
* Very slow reverse speed can prevent it from retreating back to cover in time
* Unstable aim while moving
* Bad suspension makes it unstable at humps
* Very slow speed when traveling in water
* Water rocks the tank when moving, making it unstable during and a while after movement in the water

== History ==

===Development===
[[File:Roebling Alligator tractor - DM-SN-82-02381.jpeg|x200px|right|thumb|Roebling's "Alligator" that would serve as the basis for the LVTs.]]
The vehicle's origins is from a swamp-access vehicle called the "Alligator" made for civilians. Donald Roebling, its developer, built an improved version of his vehicle with better speed in water. The United States Marine Corps became interested in this amphibious design as they began drawing up their amphibious warfare doctrine. They requested a more sea-worthy version of the vehicle for use in their military operations. Though Roebling and the Navy were reclusive on that idea (the Navy believes they have the current vehicle in store already), the idea brought fruit when World War II broke out in Europe and Roebling created a military version. After a few trials with improvements like a stronger engine, the Bureau of Ships placed a contract for 100 of these vehicles with all-steel armour. The first ones arrive in July 1941, with 200 more ordered before the initial contract was finished. The vehicle design was adopted and designated the LVT, with many different variants of the vehicle being produced throughout the war.

===Variants===
[[File:LVT_amphibian_tractors_Guadalcanal_in_August_1942 - NH 97749.jpg|left|x300px|thumb|none|USMC LVT-1s as part of the Guadalcanal landings in August 1942.]]
The first version of the LVT, the LVT-1, could carry 18 men or 4,500 pounds of equipment. The Marines first used the LVT-1 in Guadalcanal with 128 available to 1st Marine Division. Usage in the field revealed that the LVT was too thinly armoured for a rapid deployment back and forth the ships and landing site, but the Marines saw the vehicle's potential as an assault vehicle. So in June 1941, the Marines push forward with a Roebling design of the LVT armed with a gun turret. In order for this to be possible, the LVT underwent a redesign into the LVT-2 "Buffalo", which had a new powertrain and suspension to allow better performances on land and able to carry up to 6,950 pounds in equipment. It was this design that the turret-equipped LVTs were created. The LVT-2s were armed with turrets from the [[M3A1_Stuart|Stuart series]] and [[M8_Scott|M8 howitzer motor carriages]]. These two turret variants are designated [[LVT(A)(1)|LVT(A)-1]] and [[LVT(A)(4) ZIS-2 (USA)|LVT(A)-4]] respectively. The (A) standing for "armoured" as the LVT was built with additional armour to withstand small arms fire. 510 of the LVT(A)-1 were created while 1,890 of the LVT(A)-4 were created.

Other variants of the LVT were produced featuring redesigns for its purpose of infantry fire support and cargo-bearing. Some of the significant ones was the LVT-4 in August 1943 that moved the engine forward and had a rear ramp door, which increased capacity from 18 soldiers to 30, making previous load-carrying LVTs obsolete. The LVT-4 was the most numerous of the LVT variants at 8,351 units.

===Combat usage===
The first usage of the LVT family is as a cargo carrier in Guadalcanal, it was unarmoured at the time and only had machine guns as their main armaments. Their next usage was in Tarawa, which saw the first usage of the newly designed LVT-2. The vehicles in both cases carried ammunition, troops, and wounded back and forth the ships and the beach. After Tarawa, the LVT inventory increased by the battalion, as well as the appearance of the gun-armed LVT(A)-1 and LVT(A)-4. The LVT family continued to see service in Bougainville, the Marshall Islands, Saipan, Peleliu, Leyte (its largest usage in the war), Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. The LVTs also saw use in South East Asia in use by the British, but they never saw combat action.
[[File:LVT(A)-1 amphibious vehicle at sea c1944.jpg|x250px|right|thumb|none|A LVT(A)(1) at sea.]]

Outside the Pacific, the LVT also saw use in the European Theater of Operations. Their first usage was in North Africa in November 1942 during Operation Torch to land troops, where its best usage was to get stranded landing boats back into action. The LVTs were also given to the British as part of Lend-Lease. The LVTs were used in the Normandy landings and other operations in Europe such as crossing the Rhine River in Germany and Po River in Italy.

After World War II, the LVTs continued to see action in the multiple conflicts in the world. A number were given to the Chinese Nationalists in the Chinese Civil War by America. Many of these were captured by the Chinese PLA, with some converted to use a 75 mm howitzer or a [[ZiS-2_(57_mm)|ZIS-2]] anti-tank gun. The Americans used a number of LVT vehicles in the Korean War, notably the landing at Inchon and the attack on Seoul. The French also used American-supplied LVTs during the Indochina War and the Suez Crisis.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_lvt_a_1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|SJoW-2_6J6o|'''Amphibious tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:16 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|p9_XD0TgdiA|'''TOP 5 Reserve Tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:00 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|0vrfsZe1ZcA|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|Ms-q-FoVYo4|Warthunder Survival Guide {{!}} LVT (A)(1)}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Ka-Mi]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/3755-development-lvt-a-1-en/|[Devblog] LVT(A)-1]]
* [[wikipedia:Landing_Vehicle_Tracked|[Wikipedia] Landing Vehicle Tracked]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/LVTA-1_Amtrack.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> LVT(A)1 Amtrack]

{{TankManufacturer Food Machinery Corporation (FMC)}}
{{USA light tanks}}

M2A4

2022-01-20T10:24:30Z

U126789377: /* Media */ Added M2A4 Overview video from the Warthunder Survival Guide

{{About
| about = American light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = M2 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m2a4
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a reserve rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. The first iteration of the "Stuart" series, it is a simple design with a 37 mm tank gun and speed on its side.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 25.4 mm (19°) ''Front plate'' 15.8 mm (69°) ''Front Glacis'' 25.4 mm (20°) ''Lower glacis'' || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm ''Top'' 25.4 mm (18°) ''Bottom'' || 6.35 mm
|-
| Turret || 25.4 mm (11°) ''Turret front'' 25.4 mm (12-65°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 6.35 mm
|-
| Cupola || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 6.35 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, tracks are 10 mm thick.

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

The overall mobility is decent. The top speed is great, easily getting to around 50 kph on solid roads which is faster than most of the reserve tanks like Pz.II, T-26. However, wheeled vehicles like the Sd.kfz. 140/1 can easily outrun the M2A4 on road. On softer roads like grassland and sand, it remains around 30 kph which is still quite fast.

The hull traverse brings the overall mobility down quite a bit, since when the tank is still it turns very sluggishly, especially on soft terrain. The hull traverse gets faster when the tank is moving, but in full speed, it starts to snake around like a wheeled vehicle which makes it hard to control. Thus you must get used to this handling.

The reverse speed is only adequate to dodge shots from a distance. Do not expect to quickly reverse back to cover like a Puma. 

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=406|rbMinHp=232}}

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

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

{{main|M5 (37 mm)}}

The overall firepower is decent for the reserve battle rating. The main cannon has an adequate penetration of about 60 mm which is more than enough to go through most tanks below 2.0, for example, T-26, Pz.III and Pz.35(t). Although the available ammunition rounds are all solid shells, they still create large amounts of shrapnel when penetrating which is enough to knock out compact tanks like T-26 and Pz.35(t) with a single shot. For larger tanks like the LVT(A), accurate shots aimed at the crew's positions are required, which might be a little hard for new players. The cannon has enough accuracy to precisely target a weak spot on an enemy tank within 500 m. If one shot misses, the reload time of around 3.5 seconds allows for quick follow-up shots.

There is a nice stabiliser for the cannon which is a big advantage when exchanging fire, as it allows you to move out of cover and fire (usually before the enemy) without having to wait for your tank to stop wobbling. The stabiliser should be utilised to maximise your chance of surviving and killing. Note that it only works below 10 kph, so remember to slow down or it will not stabilise the gun.

Targets like the 15cm sIG 33 B Sfl or M3 GMC can be quite hard to destroy, as their armour is thin enough to create little shrapnel, but are also thick enough to stop MG bullets. Against them, you can only rely on you fire rate, accuracy and of course your knowledge of their crew position to knock out their crew members one by one. Always go for the gunners or drivers first, if you failed then they can always fire back at you and disble you.

The main cannon is effective in close-quarter combat (usually within 200 m) or against weakly armoured targets since the penetration drops drastically as the range increases, plus the small calibre makes the shells easy to ricochet. When encountering fairly well armoured tanks like the M13/40 or H.35, try to break their gun barrels first or detrack them. If they are too far away, pin them on the map and call teammates to help.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M5 (37 mm)|37 mm M5]] || 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" | 103 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+19° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Shoulder || 19.5 || 27.0 || 32.8 || 36.3 || 38.6 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 12.2 || 14.4 || 17.4 || 19.3 || 20.5
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| M74 shot || AP || 67 || 65 || 56 || 46 || 38 || 32
|-
| M51 shot || APCBC || 75 || 72 || 62 || 51 || 43 || 35
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| M74 shot || AP || 792 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M51 shot || APCBC || 792 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''103''' || 84 ''(+19)'' || 41 ''(+62)'' || 1 ''(+102)'' || No
|-
|}
Note:

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

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|4}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|5}}

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}
The machine gun is only powerful enough to destroy poorly protected vehicles such as AS 42, FlakPz I and GAZ-AAA. The penetration of around 10 mm is not enough to go through the frontal armour of those not-so-weakly-armoured tanks like SU-5-1, Panzerjäger 1 or 15cm sIG 33 B Sfl. If you are skilled the two MG can effectively damage low-flying biplanes.

The fixed machine guns in the hull are of little use most of the times, as it is very hard to point the hull directly at a target with the poor hull traverse of the M2A4.

{| 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 || 5,250 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 3,000 (250) || 500 || -10°/+45° || ±90°
|-
| Machine gunner || 5,250 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Hull (left side) || 5,250 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Hull (right side) || 5,250 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

==Usage in battles==

The M2A4 light tank is the reserve tank for the USA. As such, it is very manoeuvrable and fast, being a light tank. However, it has many distinguishing features that make it a forgiving beginners tank.

The M2A4 is most comparable to a cross between a BT-5 and T-26. The M2 has slightly less mobility than the BT-5 while being a larger target and having better armour, like the T-26. The M2A4 also has a fast-firing 37 mm M5 cannon that can fire M74 or M51 shot, as well as the M61 shell.

Its gun has better accuracy than the majority of tanks on its rank, and it's APC ammo retains its penetration at most ranges. This ability to hit rapidly from range and still penetrate in part makes up for the somewhat anaemic damage of the 37mm gun.

Like all tanks of this rank, it is lightly armoured and can be damaged or knocked out by any other vehicle from anywhere on the map. A useful tactic is to make use of its speed by engaging at range and then relocating when the fire gets too heavy around you.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

Specific enemy vehicles that bear mentioning are firstly any Germans with the [[KwK38 (20 mm)|20 mm KwK/FlaK38]] cannon, this gun might be small but can have up to 64 mm of penetration, which is enough to go through the M2A4 almost anywhere. These guns can also fire 10 rounds at 280 rounds/min before having to reload the clip, meaning that they will very easily take out your crew before you have a chance to respond. To counter, the best chance you have is to angle your frontal armour which can make it difficult for the PzGr 40 rounds to penetrate. The Russian [[T-50]] and [[T-126]] are vehicles you will also see commonly, these have fairly thick and angled frontal armour that will prevent you from easily getting through. These tanks can also carry an APHEBC round that will destroy you in one shot with little difficulty, so to counter you should use your speed to attempt to get a side shot into either the turret or engine. If the T-50 cannot move you can outrun its turret and finish it without much difficulty.

===Pros and cons===

'''Pros:'''

* Fast and agile
* Acceptable gun
* Fair armour all around
* Machine gun secondary armament allows for flexibility in taking out exposed SPAA and Tank Destroyers
* Roof-mounted 30. calibre is quite effective at taking out unarmoured aircraft

'''Cons:'''

* Terrible for Hull-Down postions due to lack of armour
* Uneasy handling, prone to slide at high speeds
* Quite flammable, even when hitting from the front
* Terrible steering, not adequate under 2nd gear
* Driving this straight into a wall at a fast speed can result in a crew knock out
* Can struggle to destroy larger vehicles due to lack of explosive filler
* One of the weakest tank in the USA lineup
* Easily penetrated by others
* While fast on flat ground, it has problems with climbing steep hills
* Becoming immobilised renders tank as sitting duck, easily eliminated

== History ==

===Development===
The '''M2 Light Tank''' series was an American pre-World War II design as their answer to a fast, effective tank in a cavalry role.

The idea of light tanks started with the Defense Act of 1920, which defined tanks as an infantry support weapon. However, multiple theorists brought up the idea of a cavalry role for the tanks to which the British were the first to incorporate with the ''cruiser tanks''. Limitation in American development leads to the establishment of light tanks as the ''combat cars''. The development team soon looked at the tank prototypes ''T1 light tank'' and the ''T2 medium tank'' from which they decided to use them as the basis for the light tank design.

Modifications made onto the experimental tanks including installing the new Vertical Volute Spring Suspension (VVSS) which became the main suspension in future American tank development, made the tanks into the '''M2A1 light tank'''. The main version used before the war was designated the [[M2A2|'''M2A2''']] and had two turrets, both with a .50 calibre M2 Browning machine gun as their armament. However, the Spanish Civil War demonstrated that this kind of light tank was insufficient for the ever-evolving tank warfare. Revising the armament of the tank, the two M2 Browning turrets were removed and replaced with a turret outfitted with a 37 mm cannon and improved armour. This became the '''M2A4''' and served as the main light tank variant in US service prior to World War II.

===Combat usage===
Although the M2 light tanks were promising in their introduction, they were soon succeeded by the [[M3 Stuart|M3]] and [[M5A1|M5]] light tanks. While development projects were in the works for bigger and better tanks, the M2 light tanks was a stopgap solution which filled a dire and immediate need for training crews and fielding tanks on the battlefield. By December 1941, the M2 light tanks were being used for training purposes only with the US Army, however, the US Marine Corps (specifically Company A, 1st Marine Tank Battalion) used a small number in combat during the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Pacific due to the lack of M3 light tanks available.

Britain ordered some M2 light tanks in early 1941 in part of the Lend-Lease Act, but only 36 were delivered before switching to the improved M3 light tanks. They were not used in combat.

A common feature on early US tanks was a large number of machine guns. Aside from the coaxial and the bow gunner's ball mounted gun, two machine guns were fixed facing forward on the sides of the hull, fired by the driver. Yet another M1919 Browning machine gun could be mounted on top of the turret in an anti-aircraft capacity.

=== In-game description ===
The M2 series traced its family tree back to the experimental T2s, with the M2A4 ending up the largest and most successful modification. Development began in 1939 after running trials for light tanks designed for infantry support as well as the M1 series. The M2 infantry tank was used as the base for construction, a model that was to undergo significant modification. The turret armour as well as the front end were thickened to 25 mm, capable of withstanding hits by light cannons and high-caliber machine guns.

The tank's weaponry was also improved with the installation of an M5 37 mm cannon paired with a 7.62 mm machine gun in the single turret. Another 7.62 mm machine gun was mounted in the front hull plate, with two more on the sides. An antiaircraft machine gun could be mounted on the top of the turret, and additional viewing slits were cut out of the turret and cupola. Most tanks featured the 360 hp Continental W-670-9A engine, which pushed their top speed to 56 km/h. Several tanks in the series were equipped with Guiberson T1020 diesel engines.

Given that September 1939 saw a spike in orders, the Rock Island Arsenal was no longer able to keep up on its own with the demand being placed on it by the US army. A tender for an additional batch was announced and won by American Car & Foundry. In October 1939 a contract for 329 tanks was signed, though it was soon expanded to 365. The last ten were assembled in April 1941 by Baldwin Locomotive Works, meaning that 375 M2A4s were produced in 1940.

The tanks only saw action on Guadalcanal and other Pacific islands. A few others were shipped to the UK via Lend-Lease and used there to train M3 medium tank crews.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m2a4 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|1yg1DAEbG8A|'''The Stuart Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:22 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|p9_XD0TgdiA|'''TOP 5 Reserve Tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:11 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|auoMLZwrDcY|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|yB4xDRk67hI|Warthunder Survival Guide {{!}} The M2A4}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[M3 Stuart (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/2917/current|[Vehicle Profile] M2A4 Light Tank]]
* [[wikipedia:M2_light_tank|[Wikipedia] M2 light tank]]
* [https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M2_Light_Tank.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> M2 Light Tank]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=560 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> M2 (Light Tank, M2)]

{{TankManufacturer Rock Island Arsenal}}
{{USA light tanks}}