War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Scharnhorst

2022-01-19T17:42:34Z

U127711220: /* Pros and cons */

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

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German battlecruiser {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Winged Lions"]].

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

''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.''

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}

''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.''

{{NavalMobility}}

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

== Armament ==
{{Specs-Fleet-Armaments}}
=== Primary armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Primary}}

{{main|283-mm/54,5 SK C/34 (283 mm)}}

''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.''

=== Secondary armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Secondary}}

{{main|15 cm/55 SK C/28 (150 mm)}}

''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.''

=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-AA}}

{{main|10.5 cm SK C/33 AA (105 mm)|3.7 cm SK C/30 (37 mm)|2 cm/65 C/38 (20 mm)}}

''An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select anti-aircraft weapons</code>. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.''

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Additional}}

{{main|G7a (533 mm)}}

''Describe the available additional armaments of the ship: depth charges, mines, torpedoes. Talk about their positions, available ammunition and launch features such as dead zones of torpedoes. If there is no additional armament, remove this section.''

=== Scout plane ===
{{main|Ar 196 A-3}}

Located amidships is a single catapult for an Arado Ar 196 scout plane which provides unique offensive and defensive abilities, expanding tactical options. Ship-launched scout planes fly just like regular tree units but lack munition choices and cockpit views. Alongside the typical abilities of strafing, dropping 2 x 50 kg bombs, and capping zones, the Ar 196 and other scout planes have the added ability to lay down smoke cover (up to 3 times). It is essentially the [[Ar 196 A-3|event aircraft]] except with smoke generators, so it will be a familiar unit for those who have the event version. Captains will be wise to remember to utilise the aircraft and consider when best to use it, for example to cap a point early or late in the match, to create a smoke screen to stymie enemy bombardment and repair, to attack enemy units directly, or perhaps something completely new! The threat of bombers carrying many large bombs is significant, so using the Ar 196 as top cover can also be considered, though its effectiveness may be limited.

== Usage in battles ==

''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Big guns on a fast cruiser hull
* One scout seaplane
* Fast reload speed for main guns of this caliber
* Effective AA capability
* Hard Hitting 11 Inch Guns
* Secondary's Are Deadly when up-close.

'''Cons:'''

* High Speed means Slow Turning Rate
* Guns Have Weird Characteristic
* Big target, Close to impossible to miss.
* Torpedoes can and will Shave you down don't get caught by a swarm of them.
* Planes Like the [[Pe-8]] with its 5000Kg (11000lbs) Bomb will One Shot, When you see a [[Pe-8]] Run and Turn for your life or brace for impact.
* 40% of the Secondary's aren't Dual Purpose So Defending From Planes are a problem.
* cannot pull of 1 vs the whole team.
* Slow Turret Rotation Speed.

*

== History ==

[[File:Scharnhorst (1939).jpg|thumb|350px|German battlecruiser Scharnhorst.]]
The '''Scharnhorst''' was a German battlecruiser (or battleship depending on classification) that served in WWII, the lead ship of her class.<ref name=":0">Kalu, M. C. (2019)</ref> Designed to counter the French Dunkerque-class battleships, Scharnhorst was a significantly-enlarged and improved development on the previous Deutschland-class pocket battleships (“panzerschiffe”).<ref name=":1">Farley, R. (2017)</ref> Scharnhorst operated with her sister ship Gneisenau during the early years of WWII, wreaking havoc on allied shipping. However, she ultimately met her demise at the Battle of North Cape, where she was sunk by a large British force led by the battleship HMS Duke of York.<ref name=":2">Potts, J. R. (2019)</ref>

=== Design and development ===
Following the end of WWI, Germany's navy was significantly reduced by the Treaty of Versailles, which prevented Germany from owning any modern battleships.<ref name=":1" /> As a result, the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) pursued an innovative type of vessel: pocket battleships ("Panzerschiffe": armoured ship) that were small enough to be classified as cruisers, but carried battlecruiser-calibre armament.<ref name=":1" /> And thus, Germany built three ships of the Deutschland class of "pocket battleships", armed with six 11-inch (283 mm) guns and displacing ~10,000 tons each. However, these ships were still inadequate to deal with the Royal Navy's battlecruisers, as well as the new French fast battleships Dunkerque and Strasbourg.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> Following the negotiation of the Anglo-German naval agreement, allowing battleship construction, the German government cancelled the 4th and 5th ships of the Deutschland-class and proceeded with a new design.<ref name=":1" />
[[File:Scharnhorst Recognition Drawing.jpg|left|thumb|350px|Scharnhorst's USN recognition drawing.]]
The new ships were significantly larger and better-armoured than the pocket battleships. Scharnhorst had a displacement of 32,100 tons standard and 38,100 tons fully loaded: a ~20,000-ton increase from the Deutschland class.<ref name=":2" /> The ships retained the 11-inch guns of the Deutschlands but gained a third triple turret, bringing the total to 9 guns. While these guns were quite impressive, with a 17-second reload time, they were limited in effectiveness against the armour of enemy battleships.<ref name=":1" /> As a result, the ship was designed to be rearmed with 15-inch (381 mm) guns in dual turrets, but the opportunity for this refit never arised.<ref name=":0" /> In addition to the main guns, Scharnhorst had twelve 5.9-inch (150 mm) guns mounted in amidships turrets.<ref name=":1" /> Anti-aircraft armament consisted of fourteen 4.1-inch (105 mm) dual-purpose guns in twin turrets, sixteen 37 mm and ten (later sixteen) 20 mm anti-aircraft guns.<ref name=":0" /> Scharnhorst had two Seetakt radars for fire-control, with a range of ~16 km.<ref name=":3">Roblin, S. (2021)</ref> She could also carry multiple Arado 196 seaplanes for longer range reconnaissance.<ref name=":2" />

Scharnhorst was designed with a heavy armour belt, up to 12.5 inches of Krupp cemented armour at the waterline.<ref name=":2" /> Her main gun turrets had up to 14.3 inches of armour while her deck had up to 5.9 inches of armour. Scharnhorst was massive, at 234 m long,<ref name=":3" /> and had a crew of 1,840 men.<ref name=":0" /> Her three steam turbines allowed a maximum speed of 31 knots (58.3 km/h), though at this speed, the ship was unmanoeuvrable: during her sea trials in 1939, Scharnhorst took on so much water through the bow that a refit was necessitated: her bow was redesigned with a flared "clipper-style" bow that prevented the forward "A" turret from firing at 0-degree elevation.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

=== Operational service ===
Scharnhorst was ordered in January of 1934 and her keel was laid on June 15th, 1935.<ref name=":2" /> Scharnhorst, and her sister Gneisenau, were named after a pair of armoured cruisers sunk at the Battle of the Falkland Islands during the First World War.<ref name=":1" /> Scharnhorst was launched on October 3rd, 1936, with Adolf Hitler himself in attendance. She was completed in January of 1939 and entered service under the command of Captain Otto Ciliax.<ref name=":2" />

==== Early combat service ====
Scharnhorst saw her first combat action with Gneisenau in November 1939, when the pair of battlecruisers spotted the British merchant cruiser HMS Rawalpindi.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> Despite seeing signals from Scharnhorst to stop and abandon ship, the cruiser decided to valiantly fight on, even as the German battlecruisers possessed a combined eighteen 11-inch guns.<ref name=":2" /> After a brief engagement, the Rawalpindi was sunk, and only 38 crew members survived from the crew of 276. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau then escaped in a squall, pursued by British battleships Warspite, Hood, and Repulse, who had sailed in to aid the Rawalpindi.<ref name=":2" />
[[File:Scharnhorst firing at HMS Glorious.jpg|thumb|350px|Scharnhorst firing her forward 283 mm guns at HMS Glorious, June 8th 1940.]]
In 1940, Scharnhorst participated in the invasion of Norway, where she had a short engagement with the British battlecruiser HMS Renown.<ref name=":1" /> This combat resulted in heavy seas-related flooding to Scharnhorst which put her "A" turret out of action; Scharnhorst spent the month of April 1940 in drydock for an overhaul to her gunnery and propulsion systems.<ref name=":2" /> Two months later, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau stumbled into the British light carrier HMS Glorious along with her escorting destroyers Ardent and Acasta. In the ensuing battle, all three British ships were sunk, with the loss of 1,519 men.<ref name=":2" /> During this engagement, Scharnhorst set a record for the longest range naval gun hit ever recorded, having hit HMS Glorious from a range of 24 km.<ref>Editors of GWR. (n.d.)</ref> However, Scharnhorst was hit by a torpedo from Acasta, resulting in the deaths of 50 sailors and severe flooding which put the "C" turret out of action.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> Scharnhorst spent the next five months in drydock for repairs.<ref name=":2" />

==== Atlantic raids and Channel Dash ====
[[File:Channel Dash.jpg|left|thumb|350px|Scharnhorst and Gneisenau dashing the English Channel.]]
In January of 1941, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau broke out into the Atlantic to begin a raid on Allied merchant shipping.<ref name=":1" /> During this raid, Scharnhorst sank a total of 9 ships totalling 50,588 tons, while the two ships together sank over 110,000 tons of Allied shipping. Both ships arrived at Brest in late March.<ref name=":2" /> The ships were to participate in a massive Kriegsmarine attack in May 1941 alongside the newly-commissioned battleship Bismarck in the Atlantic.<ref name=":1" /> However, British aerial raids on Brest resulted in Scharnhorst and Gneisenau being put out of action.<ref name=":1" /> Bismarck would ultimately conduct the raid escorted by the cruiser [[Prinz Eugen]], with disastrous results.

In late 1941, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen were holed up in Brest, an unfavourable position given that British bombers conducted regular attacks.<ref name=":1" /> As a result, a daring plan was created, for the three capital ships to sail through the English channel in broad daylight, codenamed Operation Cerberus.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> All three ships made it through the channel, though Scharnhorst hit two mines and an E-boat was lost.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> The dash was a great embarrassment to the British Navy and Air Force, as 242 bombers had attempted to destroy the German force.<ref name=":2" />

==== Battle of North Cape ====

[[File:Battle of North Cape.png|thumb|A diagram of the Battle of North Cape.]]
Scharnhorst would remain at Kiel for most of 1942, and in early 1943, she sailed with the cruiser [[Prinz Eugen]] to Norway to join the battleship Tirpitz.<ref name=":1" /> It was with the German Norway squadron that Scharnhorst would meet her demise. In December of 1943, Scharnhorst attempted another sortie into the North Atlantic.<ref name=":3" /> However, the British had intercepted German radio messages and were fully aware of what was happening. They sent Convoy JW 55B as bait, with an additional three cruisers as reinforcement. Admiral Bruce Fraser's main fleet, sent to intercept and sink the Scharnhorst, was composed of the battleship Duke of York, heavy cruiser Jamaica and four destroyers.<ref name=":3" />

At 09:00 AM, Scharnhorst contacted the British cruisers [[HMS Norfolk|Norfolk]], [[HMS Belfast|Belfast]] and Sheffield.<ref name=":2" /> Both sides exchanged fire, and at 12:41 PM, Scharnhorst unknowingly turned towards the Duke of York. At 04:20 PM, the forces made contact, and Scharnhorst was simultaneously engaged by Duke of York and the smaller escorting ships.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4">Lettens, J. (2008)</ref> By 07:00 PM, all of Scharnhorst's main-calibre guns and most of her secondary guns had been knocked out. Her engines were knocked out one by one, and at 08:00 PM, the German battlecruiser capsized and exploded.<ref name=":2" /> Only 36 survivors were rescued from her crew of 1960.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4" /> The battlecruiser had fought valiantly, unescorted and completely alone against a British force of 13 warships: Scharnhorst had taken 19 torpedoes before she sank, along with hundreds of high-calibre shells.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> Scharnhorst's wreck was discovered in 2000 at a depth of 300 m.<ref name=":3" />

== Media ==


;Skins

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

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7453-development-the-battlecruiser-scharnhorst-and-shipboard-reconnaissance-aircraft-en|[Devblog] The Battlecruiser Scharnhorst and shipboard reconnaissance aircraft]]

=== References ===

;Citations
<references />

;Bibliography

* Editors of GWR. (n.d.). ''Longest range hit by a ship's gun''. Guinness World Records. Retrieved December 26, 2021, from <nowiki>https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-range-hit-by-a-ships-gun</nowiki>
* Farley, R. (2017, April 8). ''Scharnhorst: Nazi Germany's Super Battleship or paper tiger?'' The National Interest. Retrieved December 26, 2021, from <nowiki>https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/scharnhorst-nazi-germanys-super-battleship-or-paper-tiger-20078</nowiki>
* Kalu, M. C. (2019, April 4). ''Speed and strength - Scharnhorst - german battleship with 25 photos''. WAR HISTORY ONLINE. Retrieved December 26, 2021, from <nowiki>https://www.warhistoryonline.com/history/speed-and-strength-scharnhorst-german-battleship-with-25-photos.html</nowiki>
* Lettens, J. (2008, August 28). ''Wrecksite - Scharnhorst Battleship 1939-1943''. Wrecksite.eu. Retrieved December 26, 2021, from <nowiki>https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?115556</nowiki>
* Potts, J. R. (2019, May 2). ''KMS Scharnhorst. Military Factory - Global Defense Reference''. Retrieved December 26, 2021, from <nowiki>https://www.militaryfactory.com/ships/detail.php?ship_id=KMS-Scharnhorst</nowiki>
* Roblin, S. (2021, December 19). ''Scharnhorst: How hitler's pocket battleship was destroyed''. 19FortyFive. Retrieved December 26, 2021, from <nowiki>https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/12/scharnhorst-how-hitlers-pocket-battleship-was-destroyed/</nowiki>

{{Germany battlecruisers}}

M-51 (W)

2022-01-19T17:11:59Z

U127711220: /*con edit*/

{{Specs-Card
|code=il_m_51_w
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_003.jpg}}
|store= 10705
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} Israeli medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Winged Lions"]].

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

While the Sherman had decent armour for its time, its armour will be penetrated by most enemies it will face at this rank. That's why you should adopt a playstyle similar to the [[Pz.IV F2]]: rely on your gun and mobility and keep distance between you and the enemy vehicles.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


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

''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility}}

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

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

{{main|M-51 (105 mm)}}

''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M-51 (105 mm)|105 mm M-51]] || 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" | 56 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| OCC 105 F1 || HEAT || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400
|-
| OE 105 F1 Mle.60 || HE || 25 || 25 || 25 || 25 || 25 || 25
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| OCC 105 F1 || HEAT || 800 || 10.95 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,020 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| OE 105 F1 Mle.60 || HE || 800 || 12.1 || 0 || 0.1 || 2,000 || 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)
|-
| OFPH 105 F1 || 600 || 11.4 || 20 || 5 || 25 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''56''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,750 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 600 (250) || 500 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Impressive firepower
* Great long range cannon
* Wide FOV in the gunner's sight
* Quick turret traverse
* 4 turret-mounted smoke grenades

'''Cons:'''

* Massive gun wobbling: the gun is not stabilised and bounces a lot
* Poor top speed and acceleration
* With its poor armour and massive gun, close quarters combat is not recommended
* Cramped turret due to the large breech
* Fires only chemical based HEAT and HE shells
* The HEAT shell has low muzzle velocity and unreliable post-penetration damage, Aiming At Ammo Racks and Gunners are Often necessary.
* The large muzzle brake catches a lot of shells, destroying the gun
* Only has .30 cal machine guns

== History ==

Upon its establishment in 1948, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) was desperate to set up an armoured corps in order to contend with the multi-pronged Arab invasion. World War II surplus early-model [[M4|M4 Sherman]] tanks, many of them already rendered combat-ineffective, were purchased from any European source that would provide them. A significant Israeli repair effort finally managed to get most of these tanks working in time to defeat the invading armoured battalions, ultimately winning the war. The basic M4 remained the IDF's primary tank for more than half a decade, precisely because it was considered obsolete everywhere else and could therefore be purchased en-masse at scrapyard prices. During the early 1950s it was slowly replaced with more advanced Sherman models, whenever those could be acquired.

Unfortunately for the IDF, this situation could not continue for long. Newfound cooperation between the Arab states and the Soviet Union resulted in an influx of [[T-34-85]]s into the region, whose armour was very difficult to penetrate using the M4's original [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] cannon. It was obvious that the Shermans would need to be replaced in order to keep up with the arms race. Initially, the IDF considered purchasing the new [[AMX-13]] from France (which was rapidly becoming Israel's primary weapon supplier), but the tank was determined to be too lightly armoured. Instead, a number of French CN-75-50 cannons (also known as the [[SA50 L/57 (75 mm)|SA50 L/57]]) were purchased separately and installed into the turrets of existing [[M4A4 (France)|M4A4 Shermans]]. This resulted in the Sherman M-50, known abroad as the "Super Sherman" and in War Thunder as the [[M4A4 (SA50)]].

The M-50s proved highly effective during the Sinai War of 1956, but the lessons of that war resulted in the Soviets flooding the region - particularly Egypt and Syria - with the newest [[T-54/55 (Family)|T-54/55]], armed with a 100 mm cannon and carrying more modern curved armour. Once again, new French [[AMX-30]]s were rejected as replacements for the M-50, but their new [[CN-105-F1 (105 mm)|CN-105-F1 105 mm]] cannons proved quite suitable for the IDF's purposes. The Israelis modified these cannons to their own specifications, slightly reducing barrel length and muzzle velocity as well as fitting the cannon with a brand new muzzle brake. This modified cannon would be installed on an [[M4A1]] Sherman hull fitted with a T23 turret (the turret originally used for 76 mm Sherman variants). The tank was then fitted with a number of additional modernization features, including infrared spotlights and a better fire control system.

This new model was dubbed the Sherman M-51, of which 180 were constructed in total. They first saw action during the Six-Day War of 1967, where they often outmatched Syrian and Egyptian T-55s. In combat in the West Bank during that war, the M-51 exceeded expectations even further by thoroughly defeating Jordanian [[M48A1|M48 Pattons]] - very similar to the model that was in the process of ''replacing the M-51'' in IDF service at the time. Despite becoming effectively obsolete by the 1970s, the M-51s were called back into action in 1973 during the desperate situation of the Yom Kippur War, and reportedly managed to hold their own even against late-model [[T-62]] tanks.

All in all, the M-51 is considered to be the last and most advanced version of the Sherman ever produced.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=il_m_51_w Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


* [[M4 Sherman (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7483-development-shop-israeli-ground-forces-cbt-early-access-packs-en|[Devblog] Israeli Ground Forces CBT Early Access Packs!]]

{{Israel medium tanks}}
{{Israel premium ground vehicles}}

Tiger H1

2022-01-19T16:52:06Z

U127711220: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = German heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Tiger I (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_VI_ausf_h1_tiger
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''', also known as the '''{{PAGENAME}}''', is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. The {{PAGENAME}} carries its reputation from real-life to its in-game performances, armed with the infamous [[KwK 36 (88 mm)|88 mm gun]] that can easily destroy most tanks it meets. The armour of the {{PAGENAME}} is strong at 102 mm and can be easily increased by angling the tank approximately 30° to the side, with the side armour thick enough for glancing side fire as well. Mobility is also decent for a heavy tank due to its 650 hp engine and suspension, making the {{PAGENAME}} a near jack-of-all-trades at its level.

The {{PAGENAME}} is an early production variant of the Tiger I tanks. However, it is the basis of the Tiger I tanks with the three features: the long 88 mm KwK 36 gun, the Schachtellaufwerk interleaving torsion suspension system, and a box armour shape of the hull with a circular turret housing the 88 mm gun. The tank is painted in a flat Dunkelgelb yellow coat, though there are large swatches bare metal from scratched off paint.

The Tiger H1 tank is most distinctive from its later production models is its drum-shaped, cylindrical cupola protruding from the top left of the turret. Turret-mounted smoke dischargers known as the Wurfbecher are mounted to the turret sides slightly behind the gun mantlet. On the hull-roof, there are also five S-Mine dischargers, with three on the left side and two on the right side. On the hull rear, there are two Feifel air cleaner units that were intended for dusty environments.

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

[[File:TigerIHTank Armour Angling.png|right|thumbnail|The ideal angling of hull armour on {{PAGENAME}} for maximum effective armour all-around|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
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 80 mm (cylindrical) || 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.

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 {{PAGENAME}} 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.

The {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with 12 smoke grenades that can help cover the vehicle while it escapes or repairs. Smoke grenades discharge in 2 salvos of 6 (3 to each side of the turret) covering a 120° sector 10 m in front of the vehicle. The grenades deploy smoke in 4 seconds and last 25 seconds. Both salvos are separated by a 1-minute reload time.

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


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

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

For Tier I modifications obtained the vital "Parts" and "Horizontal Drive" modifications as the former will give the Tiger the ability to repair and the latter will provide a much-needed boost to the Tiger's slow turret traverse rate.

== 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 || 9.71 || 13.44 || 16.32 || 18.05 || 19.20 || rowspan="2" | 9.62 || rowspan="2" | 8.51 || rowspan="2" | 7.84 || rowspan="2" | 7.40
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 7.10 || 8.40 || 10.20 || 11.30 || 12.00
|-
|}

==== 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.
* '''Sprgr. 39''': The HE shell is completely ineffective against all but SPAA or the AI artillery on the Kursk and Ash River maps, and the machine gun mounted on the Tiger has proven 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.
* '''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.

{| 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]] ====

{| 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_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
'''Notes''':

* As they are modeled by sets of 2, shells disappear from the rack only after you fire both shells in the set
* 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, even 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 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 any tank on 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 {{PAGENAME}} is still vulnerable to the [[SU-152|SU-152s]] howitzer and its HE shell at any range. So whenever encountering these heavy-calibre vehicles, it should be prioritized and eliminated first.

The Tiger's hull has many flat areas that can be easily penetrated. To maximize the angles and thus the protection, the tank should be angled about 40º to either side. The side armour is strong enough for such angling, and is flat as well. The turret is more complicated. It features many pieces of armour that overlap and such, and as such will either be exceptionally strong or be penetrated easily. As such, avoid relying on the turret to absorb shells. On the other hand, opponents will also try to avoid hitting the turret, as there is a chance to not penetrate.

Mobility-wise the {{PAGENAME}} 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 2000 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 big chance for an ammo-rack explosion.

When driving the Tiger, plan ahead on where it will drive. Even with engine and track modifications, the {{PAGENAME}} 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 {{PAGENAME}} 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 {{PAGENAME}} is driven carefully. Then, work the {{PAGENAME}} 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.

The Tiger H1 is very effective at long range, and should be used accordingly. Players should try to avoid point blank fights with other tanks, since this will often result in the vulnerable sides being exposed. As a sniper or flanker, the tank is wonderful and as long as its sides are not exposed, it will last a long time.

There will be many hard eggs to crack such as the IS- Series, T-34 Series, American Jumbos, and several other tanks that will give the {{PAGENAME}} 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's. While it may have very thin armour and is easy to penetrate it is easy to angle and the T-34 is a franking 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.
* The American 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 {{PAGENAME}} if it gets a hit on.

'''Against the Tiger H1:'''

'''Light tank''': when dealing with a Tiger I, you must utilise your superior speed and agility to your advantage, to compensate for your weak firepower. If your penetration is less than 100 mm, then manoeuvre to the Tiger's side as that is where you can destroy it. The upper part of the hull side is 80 mm thick, without any angling, meaning that light tanks such as [[M24 (Family)|M24]] can reliably penetrate there. Even the reserve [[BT-5]] can punch through that armour section, though guns with less post-penetration damage will have to shoot several times to ensure that all crew are knocked out. The lower section of the hull side is only 60 mm, meaning that even if the player does not have a high tier light tank and can only use low tier tanks like the M3A3 Stuart, that area can still be penetrated. The Tiger's turret turns slowly, but still be careful to move out of its gun's way. Facing a Tiger I is a hard job because it can penetrate most places on your light tank so a frontal strike against it has a high chance of failing.

'''Medium tank''': with a medium tank, you can more confidently target the Tiger's frontal weak spots. Medium tanks such as [[M4A3 (76) W]], [[T-34-85]], and [[Sherman Firefly]] can all pierce through the Tiger's frontal hull armour when it is not angling. The turret armour is way harder to penetrate as it has some complex bulges, leading to the shells being absorbed. However, an experienced Tiger commander will angle its hull, stacking up the effective thickness to more than ~130 mm thus making it immune to all the above medium tanks. Now, if you cannot flank, aim for the commander's cupola. An explosive-packed shell through there will knock out ~1-3 crew in the turret. If the gunner is knocked out, wait for around 12 seconds for it to replenish a new gunner, then shoot at the cupola again. You can also try breaking the gun barrel, since the muzzle brake is quite large and therefore easier to catch onto shells, damaging the barrel. Note, it is better to avoid shooting at the lower front plate as the transmission behind it will absorb all incoming shells for the crew. Throughout this whole process, the player should be very careful not to get hit as the 88 mm cannon is very potent against most tanks.

'''Heavy tank/tank destroyer''': with a more powerful cannon and perhaps better armour, the player can finally duel the Tiger I with relative ease. For a heavy tank or tank destroyer who sacrifices mobility and/or armour just for superior firepower (eg. [[IS-2 (Family)|IS-2]], [[ISU-122]]), a Tiger H1 can be penetrated in the hull even if it is angling. Still, do not shoot at the turret and lower front plate where the shells tend to do no damage. Also, try aiming for armour plates that are free of any obstruction, because vehicles who can easily penetrate the Tiger usually have a large calibre gun, their large shells will be bounced or lose penetration should the shell edge impact anything. For example, if you shoot at a Tiger who is facing you, target the dead center of the upper front plate where there is nothing but armour, instead of aiming right next to the driver's port where the armour blocks sticking out will absorb the shell.

'''SPAA''': anti-aircraft guns at this BR cannot really penetrate the Tiger I's armour effectively, but thanks to their fast-firing autocannons SPAAs are great for breaking the Tiger's gun barrel and tracks, assisting your teammates in destroying it. If no supporting fire is near, drop an artillery strike after immobilising the Tiger. Certain SPAA (eg. [[Phòng không T-34]], [[M42 Duster (Family)|M42]]) have access to AP shells, any shell with more than 60 mm penetration is adequate to penetrate the lower side of the hull. Other than this area, the minimum thickness is 80 mm which is hard for any SPAA. This is an advantage of the Tiger I, although its flat armour performs poorly against heavier cannons, its all-round armour protection is fairly effective against low-penetrating vehicles like SPAAs.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* The gun mantlet, MG port and driver's port are particularly hard to penetrate due to their complex, varying shape and thickness.
* Decent cannon with adequate accuracy and a range of shells to choose. Stock shell has great penetration and damage, and can one-shot common opponents easily (eg. [[T-34-85]], [[M4]], [[IS-1]], [[M6A1]]). Has another AP that sacrifices a bit penetration for more TNT.
* One of the fastest heavy tanks with its top speed of 45 km/h, meaning it can get to some positions quickly alongside friendly medium tanks.
* The box-like hull shape gives the ability to angling tactic. When angling the hull at around 40° and placing yourself far from the enemies (at least 500 m away) the Tiger H1 can resist common tanks like the 76 mm Sherman, [[T-34-85]] and [[M36 Jackson (Family)|M36]].
* Good reverse speed and hull traverse allows it to quickly angle for deflecting shells.
* -8° gun depression works well in most hilly terrain.
* 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.
* The strong gun makes it easy to destroy most opponents at the its battle rating with a single shot, even M4A3E2 Jumbo, as long as you carefully aim for the machine gun port.
* The tank is equipped with smoke grenades, which can help escape an undesirable situation alive.

'''Cons:'''

* Weak and vertical armour protection. If not angling the Tiger H1 can get destroyed easily by the T-34-85 or 76 mm Sherman. Even if the {{PAGENAME}} is angling, the [[IS-2 (Family)|IS-2]] can still one-shot it with ease. Watch out for the IS-2!
* Struggles to penetrate heavy targets frontally like the [[M4A3E2]], [[M26 (Family)|M26]] and IS-2 1944.
* Rather slow acceleration limits its short range manoeuvrability.
* Slow turret traverse makes it hard to respond to flankers quickly. The [[M18 GMC|M18]] is very common at this BR
* Ammo storage at the hull sides are very easy to explode when hit.
* Commander's cupola is tall and weak, can get the gunner killed if penetrated
* Is a big and tall target, easy to get spotted and shot at.
* S-Mine dischargers on the hull limits gun depression in certain areas
* Tracks are rather loud so enemies will most times hear you and will be alert, so surprise attacks will be difficult.
* The area of the tank between the turret and lower glacis is extremely vulnerable if it is not angled. It will be killed by any vehicle at its BR.

== History ==

===Development===
The Tiger I heavy tank was arguably the most infamous tank of World War II. The design for this tank began as early as January 1937 when Henschel & Sohn worked on a large "breakthrough" called the "Durchbruchwagen" that weighed about 30 tons on request by the German military.<ref name="ImagesOfWarTiger">Anthony Tucker-Jones. Images Of War Special: Tiger I & Tiger II Great Britain: Pen & Sword Military, 2013</ref> The request was modified over time for more armour and better gun that increased the weight to 36 tons, but this project was dropped in 1938 in favour of the better prototypes VK 30.01(H) and VK 36.01(H). These new prototypes were the start of the usage of the Schachtellaufwerk wheel arrangements, but these also never passed prototype stages and were both cancelled in 1942.

During the development of the prototypes above, the German invasion of France showed that the Allied tanks such as the Somua, Char B1, and [[Matilda Mk II|Matilda II]] were impervious to their current anti-tank weaponry and a need for better armoured and armed tanks was emphasized. So on May 26, 1941, Henschel and Porsche were asked to submit designs for a 45-ton heavy tank that was to be ready for demonstration by June 1942. During their development in June 1941, Germany initiated Operation Barbarossa against the Soviet Union and was shocked by appearance of the [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|KV-1]] tanks that were invulnerable to all but the most potent anti-tank weapon in German inventory, one of which was the [[KwK 36 (88 mm)|88 mm FlaK cannon]]. The potency of the 88 mm cannon against the heavily armoured tanks that the Germans faced had Hitler ordered that the heavy tank design undertaken by Henschel and Porsche to utilize the 88 mm as its main armament instead of a 75 mm cannon.

The designs of the tank were finalized and ready for demonstration on April 20, 1942, Hitler's birthday, and showed the VK 45.01(H) and the [[VK 45.01 (P)|VK 45.01(P)]]. The demonstration and subsequent evaluations on the two designs determined that the Henschel variant was superior to the Porsche variant, proving more reliable, more mobile, and more easily produced than the Porsche. This caused the Henschel variant to be adopted as the Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger and production started in August 1942. The Porsche variant had many chassis produced as Ferdinand Porsche thought the design would win, so the chassis was instead used in the [[Ferdinand|Ferdinand]] tank destroyer.

===Design===
What perhaps made the Tiger I so unique in tank development and German doctrine is a change of focus between the three characteristics of the tank; with more emphasis to firepower and armour than to mobility. The Tiger I contained the large [[KwK 36 (88 mm)|88 mm KwK 36 cannon]] which was very accurate and powerful, being able to penetrate every Allied armour present at its introduction. The armour on the Tiger I was also one of the greatest at the time, with an astounding 102 mm of armour on the front hull armour, 82 mm on the side superstructure and rear, and 120 mm on the gun mantlet. The armour was vertical faced so no sloping benefits were present like on the [[Panther D|Panther]]. All these armour thicknesses proved invulnerable to most Allied anti-tank weaponry at the time, requiring more creative methods in a shot placement to disable the tank. The mobility, while taken with less emphasis in the development, was still respectable at the time as the tank weighed about 57 metric tons, about 20 tons more than other country's main tanks, yet is able to keep up a speed of 38 km/h (Maximum speed was 45 km/h, but an engine governor was installed to preserve the engine life).

The tank utilized a torsion-bar suspension system in a Schachtellaufwerk overlapping pattern, making the Tiger one of the first German tank design to use the pattern. While the design gave the Tiger I great flotation due to the use of a wider track for lower ground pressure, it had disadvantages in environment and maintenance. In the Eastern Front, mud and other foreign objects could be jammed in between the overlapping wheels, which would freeze in the winter and jam the wheels; the overlapping wheels also were a hassle to change out, in order to replace one wheel in the inside of the suspension, it requires the removal of at least nine other wheels in order to access it. The first 250 Tiger tanks used a Maybach V-12 HL210 engine with 650 hp before switching over to the more powerful Maybach V-12 HL230 engine with 700 hp. The engine proved adequate in propelling the tank but was still considered underpowered for the tank weight.

The Tiger I, as innovative as it is to tank warfare, was a strain on German war production. The tank was over-engineered, taking much more man-hour and materials for its worth as a war machine. Cost-wise, two [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IVs]] or four [[StuG III G|StuG IIIs]] can be built for the cost of one Tiger I. The tank was also expensive to maintain and took lots of fuel to run. These attributed to the low number of only 1,354 Tiger Is produced from 1942 to August 1944.<ref name="ImagesOfWarTiger">Anthony Tucker-Jones. Images Of War Special: Tiger I & Tiger II Great Britain: Pen & Sword Military, 2013</ref>

===Variants===
There are three main production Tiger I variants known today, the "early-production", "mid-production", and "late-production" models. The Early-production model, designated as the Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. H, were the first few batches and are distinguished by their drum-style cupola with an over-swinging hatch. The model also had two vehicle lights on the front side of the tank and dished steel wheels with rubber tyres. The Mid-production featured Zimmerit paste and a side-swinging cupola with accommodation for a machine gun mounted on the cupola. The vehicle light was also changed to just one placed right in the front of the hull armour. The mid-production was also redesignated in May 1943 as the [[Tiger E|Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. E]]. Late-production models featured the removal of the Zimmerit paste as there was an assumed flaw with it, and the overlapping wheels were instead made into interleaving with full-steel road wheels as well, in a manner similar to the [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]].

Other specialized variants of the Tiger I was produced as well. A small number of demolition carrier models were field-made in Italy, where it had its main gun replaced by a crane to carry demolition to clear minefields or destroy obstacles. The demolition carrier version was interpreted by Allied intelligence as a BergeTiger, an armoured recovery vehicle, though it is not known if it ever saw service in this role. Another specialized variant produced in 1944 in some numbers was the Sturmtiger, an heavy assault gun with a 38 cm rocket launcher made from a depth charge. 19 of these were made and saw use in all fronts, though its most noteworthy combat action was in the Warsaw Uprising.

===Combat usage===
In its introduction, Hitler ordered the new Tigers to be used in the Leningrad siege in September 1942. However, as the faults of the tank were still not yet fully ironed out at this stage, the mechanical unreliability and the unsuitable terrain caused one of the Tiger Is to be stuck in the swamps and abandoned by its users. This example was then captured by the Red Army and tipped off the Allies of the development of the new Tiger tanks and so developments in countermeasures began. In North Africa, the Tigers saw the first action against the Western Allies in Tunisia in December 1942. Its impact there left an impression on the Allied armour forces, but its myth as an invulnerable tank was shattered when two Tigers were taken out by the British [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder Mk.III (57 mm)|6-pounder anti-tank guns]]. The total loss in that campaign was seven Tigers by February 1943.

Once mass-numbers of Tiger Is were available, they were employed in heavy tank battalions that were to be deployed in breakthrough operations or counter-attacks. Field experience with the Tiger showed that the Tiger's heavyweight proved a nuisance in operational mobility, an example being that small bridges were unable to support the Tiger tank's weight. An attempt to remedy this was to use a snorkel device so the tank could ford rivers as deep as four meters, however, this system was phased out of later production models for cost-savings. The Tiger suffered reliability problems in all of its service life that impeded its effectiveness and its high fuel usage limited its combat operations. Armour recovery of the vehicle was also terrible as three heavy recovery half-tracks were required to tow the tank away, causing a strain on the German support line to keep the Tiger tanks in running order. Despite that, the Tiger I proved superior in terms of armour and armament against the Allies and created massive losses among their armoured forces, causing many soldiers to keep an eye out for the infamous "Tigers".

The impact the Tiger had on the battlefield as the superior tank at its introduction created fame to the commanders and crew operating this tank, further fueling the Tiger's reputation in the war as a killing machine. Some Tiger units were able to achieve kill ratios up to 10:1, and some even higher. Some notable Tiger aces known were Kurt Knispel (168 tank kills), Otto Carius (150+), Johannes Bölter (139+), and Michael Wittmann (138).

However, as the war progressed and the impact of the Tiger's surprise in Kursk and Italy has dissolved, Allied developments gave forth more capable tanks able to defeat the Tiger I tanks. The Soviets solution was to up-gun their [[T-34 (1942)|T-34s]] with an [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm gun]] to make the [[T-34-85]], and the Western Allies with the [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm]] and [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|17-pounders]] on the [[M4A1 (76) W|M4 Sherman]] and [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]] respectively.. The Tiger went as an highly-invulnerable tank design into a simple heavy tank as the war went on, and it was replaced by the more powerful and more heavily armoured [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]] in 1944. Despite its replacement, many Tiger I models still saw use up until the end of World War II.

===Survivors===
Due to the low number of Tiger Is created during the war (1,354, compared to [[Pz.IV H|Panzer IV]]'s 8,550 and the [[M4|M4 Sherman]]'s ~50,000), very few intact Tiger I pieces are left in the world. Today, only seven tanks in various conditions are existent in the world. The most famous of these is the Tiger 131, captured by the British in Tunisia in April 1943, when the crew abandoned the tank due to a [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder Mk.III (57 mm)|6-pounder]] shot from a [[Churchill Mk III|Churchill tank]] jamming the gun mantlet and turret ring, causing it to be unable to aim. The intact sample is also famous for being the only fully operational Tiger I in the world due to a reconstruction effort by the Bovington Tank Museum in the 1990s. However, the Tiger 131 does not run on its original Maybach HL210 engine, as it was taken out to be used as a separate display; rather, it uses the HL230, which was mostly used for the Tiger II. It is still there as a display and remains the museum's most popular exhibit.

=== In-game description ===
Work on the creation of a heavy tank began in 1937. Only after the attack on the USSR were the tactical and technical requirements needed for this new war machine met. The tank was designed by the Henschel company, led by Erwin Aders.
Production was handled by Henschel and Weggman factories, which made about 450 tanks from July 1942 to August 1943.

The first 495 vehicles included equipment that enabled the crossing of water obstacles up to 4 meters deep. Beginning with the 251st tank, the Maybach HL 230 P30 engine (600 hp) was replaced with a Maybach HL 230 P45 (700 hp). The Tiger was armed with an 88 mm 8,8 cm KwK-36 L/56 gun, which was a tank version of the famous Flak 18/36 anti-aircraft gun. In the spring and summer of 1943, the tank received smoke grenade launchers and mortars for launching anti-personnel mines.

The Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger entered service with heavy tank battalions. The tanks were first used in the fall of 1942, on the Leningrad front, in the 502nd heavy tank battalion. In December 1942, in North Africa, Tigers entered service with the 501st battalion.

The first tanks which arrived often broke, owing to the haste with which they were put into mass production. The vehicle was very heavy, with low manoeuvrability. It consumed 10 liters of fuel every 1 kilometer. A full fuel tank, 567 liters, was enough for only two and a half hours of combat work, which was one of the tank's major drawbacks. But this was all compensated for by the battle machine's simplicity and ease of operation. Tank operators who served in Tigers were constantly praising its transmission and steering. The tank's armour also gave the crew a high chance of surviving battle, even if the tank was disabled.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_VI_ausf_h1_tiger 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|ryx7Uxo_3X0|'''The Shooting Range #250''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:40 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|tcIeR_s6fp8|'''The Shooting Range #204''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:50 discusses the Tiger I and the VK 45.01 (P).|9_txEPailKc|'''The Shooting Range #92''' - ''Tactics & Strategy'' section at 10:50 discusses the Tiger I.|QEz1MgTjUAw|'''War Thunder: Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger Ausf. H1''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|kFQd8TYt6Ew|'''Tank Chats #17 Tiger I''' - ''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 ==


* [[wt:en/news/4528-profile-pz-kpfw-vi-tiger-ausf-h1-en|[Vehicle Profile] Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger Ausf. H1]]
* [[wt:en/news/2641/current|[Vehicle Profile] Pzkpfw VI "Tiger" Ausf. H1]]
* [[wikipedia:Tiger_I|[Wikipedia] Tiger I]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/Panzer-VI_Tiger.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf.E (Sd.Kfz.181) Tiger I]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=72 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> SdKfz 181 Panzer VI / Tiger I]

=== References ===
<references />

{{Germany heavy tanks}}

BV 138 C-1

2022-01-19T16:43:18Z

U127711220: I added 3 tactics and some enemies that are worth nothing.

{{Specs-Card
|code=bv-138c-1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German bomber {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Direct Hit"]].

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


Even though the plane has 3 engines, it is very slow and its top speed is not high enough to escape from enemies.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at sea level)
! 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
| 266 || 253 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 41.0 || 44.2 || 0.6 || 0.6 || rowspan="2" | 700
|-
! Upgraded
| 302 || 283 || 37.3 || 39.0 || 4.0 || 2.2
|-
|}

==== 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 || 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}} || N/A || ___ || 320 || ~4 || ~2
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 220 || < 220 || < 210 || > ___
|-
|}

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

The plane has no dedicated armour, but its sturdy airframe makes it pretty survivable. When one of the engines is damaged, the plane can keep flying with the two remaining engines. A hit to the self-sealing fuel tanks will cause a fire and some damage to the airframe but the fire will not last long enough to destroy the plane.

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

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

{{main|SC50JA (50 kg)}}

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

* 6 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (300 kg total)

=== Defensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Defensive}}

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

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is defended by:

* 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, nose turret (1,000 rpg)
* 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, tail turret (900 rpg)
* 1 x 13 mm MG 131 machine gun, dorsal turret (1,450 rpg)

== Usage in battles ==
1. High Altitude Bombing.

The Bv-138 Is a HAB (high altitude bomber) over all, And it has decent guns. While your slow you can destroy a base with all 6 bombs. Stay away and flank around the enemy to get the bases.

2. Gunship

This is The most dangerous tactic anyone can do on any bomber, While it gives your team a reason to fly with you, you'll also have to fight the whole enemy team.

3. Bomber Hunter.

This is the Most Fun. Since Early Games, bombers don't climb. their Easy to hunt, Fly Up to them and unleash your 20mm Cannon and see their plane rip apart from the seams.

'''Enemies that are worth nothing.'''

Yak-1/Mig-3/LaGG's: These planes are easy to bring down, however. Their Guns can easily shred through your Plane.

F2A-1/F2A-3: These planes feature browning machine guns which are fire starters at their BR, Aim for the cockpit and pray you get a hit.

F2.222: This plane is on par with the Bv-138 when it comes to defensive Armaments, But their guns can destroy your slow bomber, aim for the vulnerable Wings And Engines.

=== 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 Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Separate || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent defensive armament
* Spare engine
* Effective glider, even with all engines knocked down

'''Cons:'''

* Small bomb load
* Can't land on runways since it is a hydroplane
* Poor climb rate
* No offensive armament

== History ==

Not immediately obvious, the BV 138 is one of the more unique vehicles in game: a twin boom fuselage is very rare for a seaplane design, the '''Sikorsky S-38''' the closest analogue and possibly inspiration for this one. The little known but brilliant aircraft designer Dr Richard Vogt was hired away from Kawasaki Aircraft in Japan to join the Hamburger Flugzeugbau (HFB), bringing with him some highly innovative aircraft technologies. One of his first projects was the '''Ha 138''', a twin-engine seaplane with gull wing similar to the PBM or the Be-6 but with twin booms to the tail plane, all to keep them high above the water. Unfortunately, the also highly innovative Jumo 205 diesel engines were underperforming so a third engine was mounted on the fuselage as an expedient modification.
The first Ha 138 (V1) was, well, a failure. The fact it did not crash in tests was a minor miracle. The next one (V2) redesigned to be a straight wing with integrated middle engine was not much better, but the lessons from these early experiments were learned and V3 was scrapped half started.

With the company now called ''"Abteilung Flugzeugbau der Schiffswerft Blohm & Voss"'', "Blohm & Voss" for short, the manufacturer prefix was changed from "Ha" to "BV" (the only all capital letter Reichsluftfahrtministerium code) and the completely redesigned BV 138A-0 (V4) was built. All the shortcomings from the first two designs were eliminated and the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) and the Luftwaffe (LW) was happy with the design and ordered it into production. There were still shortcomings with the underpowered engine, so to compensate mounting points for the HWK 109-500 booster rockets where added.

The original 138 was well armed aircraft for the period, sporting an early 20 mm cannon in the nose turret, very likely to attack boats and ships. Interestingly the bomb racks were added much later in the B version. It was literally a rack bolted under the right wing (and only the right wing), and could also carry small depth charges too. This was clearly an afterthought, and possibly a field modification for older units. The B version also sported standardized with MG 151 cannons (not clear if 15 mm was used at one time), the top turret being MG 15 or with the C model the MG 131. The BV138 also enjoyed an armoured fuel tank! The signature "Dr Vogt steel tube spar" was the main fuel tank, the wall was thick enough to resist machine gun rounds short of heavy AP cannon shells.

Called the "Flying Clog" for its wooden shoe-like hull shape, the plane was well liked by the crews. With an exceptionally long range and a comfortable cabin to work in, it was the eyes of the Kriegsmarine. Because the engines were diesel, it was common for the Flying Clogs to refuel from submarines at very distant locations.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=bv-138c-1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


* [[PBY-5 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7315-development-bv-138-c-1-ship-of-the-sky-en|[Devblog] BV 138 C-1: Ship of the sky]]
* [http://www.feldgrau.com/bv138.htm <nowiki>[Feldgrau]</nowiki> Blohm & Voss BV 138]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120210025648/http://home.swipnet.se/our_stuff/Planes/BV138.htm <nowiki>[SwipNet]</nowiki> BV 138]

{{AirManufacturer BlohmVoss}}
{{Germany bombers}}