War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Calliope

2024-06-27T08:59:19Z

U130216289:

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m4_sherman_calliope
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Rocket Launcher T34 (Calliope)''' was a special modification of the second variant of the early-generation [[M4 Sherman (Family)|Medium Tank M4 (Sherman) family]]. The U.S. Ordnance Department initiated a series of projects experimenting with the attachment of rocket launchers to the [[M4|M4 Sherman]], in order to provide enhanced firepower to its infantry. Despite the fact that its 75 mm M3 tank gun was capable of firing very efficient ammunition, it was unable to handle massive waves of assaulting enemies. Furthermore, it was also insufficient against the Germans' heavily entrenched strongholds. Although not as precise as traditional artillery, rockets can cover a bigger area in less time with explosives and shrapnel, saturating a target in seconds. Rockets also have a negative psychological impact on enemies under rocket attack because of the howling sounds they make as they fly through the air. The most renowned of these tank-mounted rocket launchers was the Rocket Launcher T34, which was called "Calliope" after a type of steam organ due to the deafening roar that burst from the tubes when the rockets were fired, as well as the launcher's appearance

Introduced in [[Update 1.49 "Weapons of Victory"]], the Calliope is a unique modified M4 Sherman capable of firing rockets (60 rockets in total) at adversaries as a secondary weapon. Originally designed for anti-infantry use, the 114 mm M8 rockets with high-explosive (HE) warhead rockets carry high explosive warheads that can effectively destroy light enemy vehicles and damage heavier armoured targets sufficiently to make the enemy's repair time extremely long and miserable. It is advised to use many rockets on enemies since a single rocket is frequently insufficient to damage them. Furthermore, the weapon, like any other ground vehicle firing unguided rockets, would emit an extremely loud but distinct firing signature, allowing opponents to identify the type of vehicle as well as its location on the map. The unique smoke trail left by fired rockets might potentially reveal the player's location. However, the M8 rockets' faster fire rate enables many volleys of rockets to be fired at a target in rapid succession. The resulting flash, fire, and smoke effects of continuous bombardment on a target can temporarily blind targets and can thus be employed as an emergency smoke cover. However, the rocket should not be used as a primary anti-tank weapon because it lacks the explosive strength and penetration to successfully destroy tanks. The Calliope's primary weapon is the 75 mm M3 tank cannon, which is more than capable of engaging most opponents in its ranks.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Front, Side, Rear, Hull roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 50.8 mm (56°) ''Front glacis'' 50.8 mm (12-56°) ''Transmission area'' 50.8 (13-20°) + 25.4 mm (35°) ''Protruding hatches'' || 38.1 mm 38.1 + 25.4 mm ''Appliqué addition'' || 38.1 mm (0-10°) ''Top'' 25.4 mm (33-64°) ''Bottom'' || 19.5 mm ''Sides'' 12.7 mm ''Engine deck and center''
|-
| Turret || 76.2-88.9 mm (4-67°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 + 88.9 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (0-68°) || 50.8 mm (2-66°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm || 25.4 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 17 mm thick.
* The front armour has two protruding areas for the driver and co-driver hatches. These are weak points, as they present a flat armour surface.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.

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


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

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 97 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.47 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

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

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_M4.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the M4 Sherman.]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
|-
| '''97''' || 91 ''(+6)'' || 88 ''(+9)'' || 86 ''(+11)'' || 78 ''(+19)''
|-
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| 63 ''(+34)'' || 46 ''(+51)'' || 31 ''(+66)'' || 1 ''(+96)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* To go into battle with the turret basket empty of ammo, pack 78 ''(+19)'' shells (racks 1 to 4 emptied).
* To go into battle with the turret basket and the flanks empty of ammo, pack 31 ''(+66)'' shells (Racks 1 to 7 empty).
* The 8th rack is large and located at a weak spot: the bottom section of the armour. In case of penetration, there is a high risk of ammo rack detonation. Make sure not to expose your flanks unnecessarily.

=== Additional armament ===

{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
{{main|M8}}

Rocket launcher tubes can easily be detonated by high-explosives when they are loaded with rockets.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | 114 mm [[M8]] rocket
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
|-
| 60 || -10°/+25° || ±180° || N/A
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M8/Ammunition|M8}}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Sherman Calliope, offers 114 M8 rockets which are mounted on top of the turret, these are stored in a rack which houses the rockets. The mount is also a separate ammo rack, if hit it can destroy the rockets and a repair will have to be performed. Machine gun fire can also destroy the rockets and large machine fire from large calibre machine guns, aircraft and autocannons or larger will destroy the rack and rockets.

With a large calibre HE round, a single hit to the rocket rack can knock out the entire tank. Since the round detonates all the rockets in the rack explode, causing an apocalyptic explosion which blows the turret off and knocks out the crew.

The rocket rack is not protected by any armour plates, it only has 5 mm structural steel. Since the rocket racks are installed above the turret, it allows you to fire over objects. However, the disadvantage is you can no longer hide behind rocks and objects for safety.
Using the M8 rockets, the M8 rockets are not armour piercing they are high explosive meaning they will detonate when they hit something. The M8 rockets can be used to distract enemy tankers and cause lots of damage to their tanks. Another advantage of using the rockets, they fire rapidly and can knock out light tanks and lightly armoured fighting vehicles with ease.

The Sherman Calliope packs the legendary 75 mm, M3 cannon the cannon can make short work of enemy tanks. To best use this cannon, use the shot and AP rounds. It's best not to have any rockets in your rocket ammo rack, when you engage in short close range combat, due to the risk of a HE or an arty round penetrating and knocking out your tanks by destroying the rocket racks.

However, using the cannon and rockets together can be an exceptionally good combination – the quick reload time of the cannon and combined with the rockets makes for a very potent tank. To get the best out of this, use the terrain to your advantage. Use buildings and trees to hide behind, then pop out when the enemy drives by and shoot them fire the rockets to cause disorientation, they will produce a thick dark cloud preventing your target from locating you. Then fire the 75 mm M3 cannon into the enemy turret and knock it out.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Armament:
** Quick-firing 75 mm gun with adequate shell options
** Is now equipped with 60 rockets, a salvo can blind or even cripple, if not destroy other enemy tanks
** Despite the rockets having very low penetration, the rack sits about a 1 meter above the already tall Sherman, allowing the calliope to hit the very weak top armour of its target at close range
* Armour:
** Reasonably good frontal protection, can work nicely when in down-tiers
** Turret is quite strong

'''Cons:'''

* Size:
** The Sherman is already a pretty large vehicle, the addition of the rockets makes the Calliope stick out like a sore thumb.
* Armament:
** The 75 mm gun begins to lack the penetration to go up against tougher foes
** Does not get access to the T45 APCR shot
** Rockets are inaccurate past ~100 m
** Rockets act as a massive (and unarmoured) ammunition rack
** Rockets only have 29 mm of penetration
** Loses access to the .50 cal M2 machine gun
** The distinctive firing sound of the rockets can lure unwanted enemies
** The rocket launcher is not linked to the main gun and will also aim at the target marker, meaning it will point downwards when you have returned to cover and the target marker is on the cover directly in front of you.
* Armour:
** Overall armour protection is no longer effective against tougher foes, especially against the German long 75 mm gun
** The extra 25.4 mm side plating indicates the location of ammunition racks (can be resolved by taking less than 23 cannon rounds)

== History ==
[[File:T-34-rocket-launcher-France.jpg|x250px|thumb|right|The T34 "Calliope" firing a salvo of 4.5 inch rockets.]]

===Development===
Midway into World War II in 1943, the Western Allies realized that unlike the Soviet Union, they did not have any form of a "multiple rocket launcher system" that the Soviets had with their ''Katyusha Launchers'' trucks. The idea of rocket launchers isn't new at this period, they present some advantage over the standard mortar or howitzer. The rocket launcher can launch massive amounts of high-explosive ammunition at a longer distance at a shorter time with a greater psychological impact than normal artillery, at the price of a longer reload time and less accuracy. The Soviets showed the best utilization of this weapon with their ''Katyushas'', having a whole bunch of them fire at a designated target, minimizing accuracy loss with a full area saturation of fire. The effectiveness of this system prompted the Allies to start producing some form of multiple rocket launcher system as well.

In 1943, the project began in the United States and the design was to use the current [[M4|M4 Sherman]] tanks in service to mount the rocket launchers to bring into combat. The design, developed by Victor Hawkins, had a rocket mount on the Sherman turret with sixty launch tubes, all made to fire the 4.5 in. M8 rockets. The project gave the experimental tank design the designation '''T34''', and the troops adopted the name '''"Calliope"''', which was the name of a steam organ and has a similar look.

===Combat usage===
These rocket launcher tanks were sent to France in 1944, although many never saw combat for various reasons. During its development, three different variants were made. The original T34 had 60 tubes for the 4.5 in. rockets with 36 fixed tubes on top and 24 on the bottom able to be jettisoned (except on the [[M4A1|M4A1 Sherman]] variant). The second, T34E1, has the 24 jettisonable tubes replaced by 28 tubes, though the total tubes were still 60. The T34E2 had the rocket calibre increased from 4.5 in. to 7.2 in. with the same 60 tubes. This saw combat during the 1944-1945 time span.

However, the modifications of the Shermans seem unnecessary as the war progressed, new development had the rocket launcher system mated to trucks, armoured chassis, and jeeps so the tanks could be left alone to do its purpose. But when the Calliope saw service in the Pacific and Europe, its performance was moderately successful. The T34 was replaced by the T40 "Whiz Bang" Sherman, which was a Sherman with a tank-mounted multiple rocket launcher system like the T34, but only saw combat in the last few months of the war and had the 7.2 in. rockets.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
A jet-powered volley-fire system on the base of regular Sherman tank, it received the addition of a T34E1 launch system with a tubes for M8 missiles. The first versions had the body of a T34, which did not allow them to fire the tank cannon, so a modification of the T34E1 was created that was equipped with a special adapter that allowed the tank cannon to be fired on that body.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m4_sherman_calliope Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|RuBjkyZT6Yw|'''The Shooting Range #6''' - ''Challenge'' section at 05:58 discusses hunting aircraft with the Calliope.}}

== See also ==


;[[M4 Sherman (Family)|Related development]]

* [[M4]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[15 cm Pz.W.42]]
* [[BM-13N]]
* [[Cromwell V (RP-3)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/775/|[Devblog] РCЗО T34 Sherman Calliope]]

{{USA medium tanks}}
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}

Calliope

2024-06-27T08:55:16Z

U130216289:

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m4_sherman_calliope
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Rocket Launcher T34 (Calliope)''' was a special modification of the second variant of the early-generation [[M4 Sherman (Family)|Medium Tank M4 (Sherman) family]]. The U.S. Ordnance Department initiated a series of projects experimenting with the attachment of rocket launchers to the [[M4|M4 Sherman]], in order to provide enhanced firepower to its infantry. Despite the fact that its 75 mm M3 tank gun was capable of firing very efficient ammunition, it was unable to handle massive waves of assaulting enemies. Furthermore, it was also insufficient against the Germans' heavily entrenched strongholds. Although not as precise as traditional artillery, rockets can cover a bigger area in less time with explosives and shrapnel, saturating a target in seconds. Rockets also have a negative psychological impact on enemies under rocket attack because of the howling sounds they make as they fly through the air. The most renowned of these tank-mounted rocket launchers was the Rocket Launcher T34, which was called "Calliope" after the Steam Organ due to the deafening roar that burst from the tubes when the rockets were fired.

Introduced in [[Update 1.49 "Weapons of Victory"]], the Calliope is a unique modified M4 Sherman capable of firing rockets (60 rockets in total) at adversaries as a secondary weapon. Originally designed for anti-infantry use, the 114 mm M8 rockets with high-explosive (HE) warhead rockets carry high explosive warheads that can effectively destroy light enemy vehicles and damage heavier armoured targets sufficiently to make the enemy's repair time extremely long and miserable. It is advised to use many rockets on enemies since a single rocket is frequently insufficient to damage them. Furthermore, the weapon, like any other ground vehicle firing unguided rockets, would emit an extremely loud but distinct firing signature, allowing opponents to identify the type of vehicle as well as its location on the map. The unique smoke trail left by fired rockets might potentially reveal the player's location. However, the M8 rockets' faster fire rate enables many volleys of rockets to be fired at a target in rapid succession. The resulting flash, fire, and smoke effects of continuous bombardment on a target can temporarily blind targets and can thus be employed as an emergency smoke cover. However, the rocket should not be used as a primary anti-tank weapon because it lacks the explosive strength and penetration to successfully destroy tanks. The Calliope's primary weapon is the 75 mm M3 tank cannon, which is more than capable of engaging most opponents in its ranks.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Front, Side, Rear, Hull roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 50.8 mm (56°) ''Front glacis'' 50.8 mm (12-56°) ''Transmission area'' 50.8 (13-20°) + 25.4 mm (35°) ''Protruding hatches'' || 38.1 mm 38.1 + 25.4 mm ''Appliqué addition'' || 38.1 mm (0-10°) ''Top'' 25.4 mm (33-64°) ''Bottom'' || 19.5 mm ''Sides'' 12.7 mm ''Engine deck and center''
|-
| Turret || 76.2-88.9 mm (4-67°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 + 88.9 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (0-68°) || 50.8 mm (2-66°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm || 25.4 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 17 mm thick.
* The front armour has two protruding areas for the driver and co-driver hatches. These are weak points, as they present a flat armour surface.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.

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


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

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 97 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.47 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

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

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_M4.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the M4 Sherman.]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
|-
| '''97''' || 91 ''(+6)'' || 88 ''(+9)'' || 86 ''(+11)'' || 78 ''(+19)''
|-
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| 63 ''(+34)'' || 46 ''(+51)'' || 31 ''(+66)'' || 1 ''(+96)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* To go into battle with the turret basket empty of ammo, pack 78 ''(+19)'' shells (racks 1 to 4 emptied).
* To go into battle with the turret basket and the flanks empty of ammo, pack 31 ''(+66)'' shells (Racks 1 to 7 empty).
* The 8th rack is large and located at a weak spot: the bottom section of the armour. In case of penetration, there is a high risk of ammo rack detonation. Make sure not to expose your flanks unnecessarily.

=== Additional armament ===

{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
{{main|M8}}

Rocket launcher tubes can easily be detonated by high-explosives when they are loaded with rockets.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | 114 mm [[M8]] rocket
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
|-
| 60 || -10°/+25° || ±180° || N/A
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M8/Ammunition|M8}}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Sherman Calliope offers 114 M8 rockets which are mounted on top of the turret, stored in racks which houses them. The racks are also a separate ammo rack, and if hit, can destroy the rockets, with a repair will having to be performed. Machine gun fire can also destroy the rockets, with large volumes of fire from heavy machine guns, autocannons or larger-caliber armaments will destroy the rack and rockets.

With a high amount of HE as its payload, a single hit to the rocket rack can knock out the entire tank, since the round detonates all the rockets in the rack, causing an apocalyptic explosion which blows the turret off and knocks out the crew.

The rocket racks are not protected by any armour plates, with only 5 mm of structural steel. Since the rocket racks are installed above the turret, they are able to fire over objects, although this is a double-edged sword, meaning that you are no longer able to hide behind rocks and objects for safety.
Using the M8 rockets, the M8 rockets are not armour piercing, instead being filled with high explosive, meaning they will detonate when they hit something. The M8 rockets can be used to distract or blind enemy tankers and cause damage to their tanks. The rockets also fire rapidly, and can knock out light tanks, lightly armoured vehicles and open-topped vehicles with ease.

The Sherman Calliope is armed with the 75 mm, M3 cannon, that is able to make short work of most enemy tanks at this BR. To best utilize it, use the shot and AP rounds. It's best not to have any rockets in your rocket ammo rack when you engage in CQC, due to the risk of a HE or an artillery round knocking out your tank by detonating the rockets.

However, using the cannon and rockets together can be an exceptionally good combination – the fast reload of the cannon combined with the rockets makes for a very potent weapon. To get the best out of them, use the terrain to your advantage. Use taller buildings and trees to hide behind, then pop out when the enemy drives by and shoot them fire the rockets to cause disorientation. These will produce a thick dark cloud preventing your target from locating you. Then fire the 75 mm M3 cannon into the enemy turret and knock it out. Do not rely on the rockets to reliably destroy enemy medium or heavy tanks, and otherwise play as you would in an ordinary Sherman.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Armament:
** Quick-firing 75 mm gun with adequate shell options
** Is now equipped with 60 rockets, a salvo can blind or even cripple, if not destroy other enemy tanks
** Despite the rockets having very low penetration, the rack sits about a 1 meter above the already tall Sherman, allowing the calliope to hit the very weak top armour of its target at close range
* Armour:
** Reasonably good frontal protection, can work nicely when in down-tiers
** Turret is quite strong

'''Cons:'''

* Size:
** The Sherman is already a pretty large vehicle, the addition of the rockets makes the Calliope stick out like a sore thumb.
* Armament:
** The 75 mm gun begins to lack the penetration to go up against tougher foes
** Does not get access to the T45 APCR shot
** Rockets are inaccurate past ~100 m
** Rockets act as a massive (and unarmoured) ammunition rack
** Rockets only have 29 mm of penetration
** Loses access to the .50 cal M2 machine gun
** The distinctive firing sound of the rockets can lure unwanted enemies
** The rocket launcher is not linked to the main gun and will also aim at the target marker, meaning it will point downwards when you have returned to cover and the target marker is on the cover directly in front of you.
* Armour:
** Overall armour protection is no longer effective against tougher foes, especially against the German long 75 mm gun
** The extra 25.4 mm side plating indicates the location of ammunition racks (can be resolved by taking less than 23 cannon rounds)

== History ==
[[File:T-34-rocket-launcher-France.jpg|x250px|thumb|right|The T34 "Calliope" firing a salvo of 4.5 inch rockets.]]

===Development===
Midway into World War II in 1943, the Western Allies realized that unlike the Soviet Union, they did not have any form of a "multiple rocket launcher system" that the Soviets had with their ''Katyusha Launchers'' trucks. The idea of rocket launchers isn't new at this period, they present some advantage over the standard mortar or howitzer. The rocket launcher can launch massive amounts of high-explosive ammunition at a longer distance at a shorter time with a greater psychological impact than normal artillery, at the price of a longer reload time and less accuracy. The Soviets showed the best utilization of this weapon with their ''Katyushas'', having a whole bunch of them fire at a designated target, minimizing accuracy loss with a full area saturation of fire. The effectiveness of this system prompted the Allies to start producing some form of multiple rocket launcher system as well.

In 1943, the project began in the United States and the design was to use the current [[M4|M4 Sherman]] tanks in service to mount the rocket launchers to bring into combat. The design, developed by Victor Hawkins, had a rocket mount on the Sherman turret with sixty launch tubes, all made to fire the 4.5 in. M8 rockets. The project gave the experimental tank design the designation '''T34''', and the troops adopted the name '''"Calliope"''', which was the name of a steam organ and has a similar look.

===Combat usage===
These rocket launcher tanks were sent to France in 1944, although many never saw combat for various reasons. During its development, three different variants were made. The original T34 had 60 tubes for the 4.5 in. rockets with 36 fixed tubes on top and 24 on the bottom able to be jettisoned (except on the [[M4A1|M4A1 Sherman]] variant). The second, T34E1, has the 24 jettisonable tubes replaced by 28 tubes, though the total tubes were still 60. The T34E2 had the rocket calibre increased from 4.5 in. to 7.2 in. with the same 60 tubes. This saw combat during the 1944-1945 time span.

However, the modifications of the Shermans seem unnecessary as the war progressed, new development had the rocket launcher system mated to trucks, armoured chassis, and jeeps so the tanks could be left alone to do its purpose. But when the Calliope saw service in the Pacific and Europe, its performance was moderately successful. The T34 was replaced by the T40 "Whiz Bang" Sherman, which was a Sherman with a tank-mounted multiple rocket launcher system like the T34, but only saw combat in the last few months of the war and had the 7.2 in. rockets.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
A jet-powered volley-fire system on the base of regular Sherman tank, it received the addition of a T34E1 launch system with a tubes for M8 missiles. The first versions had the body of a T34, which did not allow them to fire the tank cannon, so a modification of the T34E1 was created that was equipped with a special adapter that allowed the tank cannon to be fired on that body.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m4_sherman_calliope Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|RuBjkyZT6Yw|'''The Shooting Range #6''' - ''Challenge'' section at 05:58 discusses hunting aircraft with the Calliope.}}

== See also ==


;[[M4 Sherman (Family)|Related development]]

* [[M4]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[15 cm Pz.W.42]]
* [[BM-13N]]
* [[Cromwell V (RP-3)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/775/|[Devblog] РCЗО T34 Sherman Calliope]]

{{USA medium tanks}}
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}

Calliope

2024-06-27T08:54:30Z

U130216289: Much needed proofreading and grammar changes.

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m4_sherman_calliope
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Rocket Launcher T34 (Calliope)''' was a special modification of the second variant of the early-generation [[M4 Sherman (Family)|Medium Tank M4 (Sherman) family]]. The U.S. Ordnance Department initiated a series of projects experimenting with the attachment of rocket launchers to the [[M4|M4 Sherman]], in order to provide enhanced firepower to its infantry. Despite the fact that its 75 mm M3 tank gun was capable of firing very efficient ammunition, it was unable to handle massive waves of assaulting enemies. Furthermore, it was also insufficient against the Germans' heavily entrenched strongholds. Although not as precise as traditional artillery, rockets can cover a bigger area in less time with explosives and shrapnel, saturating a target in seconds. Rockets also have a negative psychological impact on enemies under rocket attack because of the howling sounds they make as they fly through the air. The most renowned of these tank-mounted rocket launchers was the Rocket Launcher T34, which was called "Calliope" after the Steam Organ due to the deafening roar that burst from the tubes when the rockets were fired.

Introduced in [[Update 1.49 "Weapons of Victory"]], the Calliope is a unique modified M4 Sherman capable of firing rockets (60 rockets in total) at adversaries as a secondary weapon. Originally designed for anti-infantry use, the 114 mm M8 rockets with high-explosive (HE) warhead rockets carry high explosive warheads that can effectively destroy light enemy vehicles and damage heavier armoured targets sufficiently to make the enemy's repair time extremely long and miserable. It is advised to use many rockets on enemies since a single rocket is frequently insufficient to damage them. Furthermore, the weapon, like any other ground vehicle firing unguided rockets, would emit an extremely loud but distinct firing signature, allowing opponents to identify the type of vehicle as well as its location on the map. The unique smoke trail left by fired rockets might potentially reveal the player's location. However, the M8 rockets' faster fire rate enables many volleys of rockets to be fired at a target in rapid succession. The resulting flash, fire, and smoke effects of continuous bombardment on a target can temporarily blind targets and can thus be employed as an emergency smoke cover. However, the rocket should not be used as a primary anti-tank weapon because it lacks the explosive strength and penetration to successfully destroy tanks. The Calliope's primary weapon is the 75 mm M3 tank cannon, which is more than capable of engaging most opponents in its ranks.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Front, Side, Rear, Hull roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 50.8 mm (56°) ''Front glacis'' 50.8 mm (12-56°) ''Transmission area'' 50.8 (13-20°) + 25.4 mm (35°) ''Protruding hatches'' || 38.1 mm 38.1 + 25.4 mm ''Appliqué addition'' || 38.1 mm (0-10°) ''Top'' 25.4 mm (33-64°) ''Bottom'' || 19.5 mm ''Sides'' 12.7 mm ''Engine deck and center''
|-
| Turret || 76.2-88.9 mm (4-67°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 + 88.9 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (0-68°) || 50.8 mm (2-66°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm || 25.4 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 17 mm thick.
* The front armour has two protruding areas for the driver and co-driver hatches. These are weak points, as they present a flat armour surface.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.

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


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

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 97 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.47 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

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

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_M4.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the M4 Sherman.]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
|-
| '''97''' || 91 ''(+6)'' || 88 ''(+9)'' || 86 ''(+11)'' || 78 ''(+19)''
|-
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| 63 ''(+34)'' || 46 ''(+51)'' || 31 ''(+66)'' || 1 ''(+96)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* To go into battle with the turret basket empty of ammo, pack 78 ''(+19)'' shells (racks 1 to 4 emptied).
* To go into battle with the turret basket and the flanks empty of ammo, pack 31 ''(+66)'' shells (Racks 1 to 7 empty).
* The 8th rack is large and located at a weak spot: the bottom section of the armour. In case of penetration, there is a high risk of ammo rack detonation. Make sure not to expose your flanks unnecessarily.

=== Additional armament ===

{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
{{main|M8}}

Rocket launcher tubes can easily be detonated by high-explosives when they are loaded with rockets.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | 114 mm [[M8]] rocket
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
|-
| 60 || -10°/+25° || ±180° || N/A
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M8/Ammunition|M8}}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Sherman Calliope offers 114 M8 rockets which are mounted on top of the turret, stored in racks which houses them. The racks are also a separate ammo rack, and if hit, can destroy the rockets, with a repair will having to be performed. Machine gun fire can also destroy the rockets, with large volumes of fire from heavy machine guns, autocannons or larger-caliber armaments will destroy the rack and rockets.

With a high amount of HE as its payload, a single hit to the rocket rack can knock out the entire tank, since the round detonates all the rockets in the rack, causing an apocalyptic explosion which blows the turret off and knocks out the crew.

The rocket racks are not protected by any armour plates, with only 5 mm of structural steel. Since the rocket racks are installed above the turret, they are able to fire over objects, although this is a double-edged sword, meaning that you are no longer able to hide behind rocks and objects for safety.
Using the M8 rockets, the M8 rockets are not armour piercing, instead being filled with high explosive, meaning they will detonate when they hit something. The M8 rockets can be used to distract or blind enemy tankers and cause damage to their tanks. The rockets also fire rapidly, and can knock out light tanks, lightly armoured vehicles and open-topped vehicles with ease.

The Sherman Calliope is armed with the 75 mm, M3 cannon, that is able to make short work of most enemy tanks at this BR. To best utilize it, use the shot and AP rounds. It's best not to have any rockets in your rocket ammo rack when you engage in CQC, due to the risk of a HE or an artillery round knocking out your tank by detonating the rockets.

However, using the cannon and rockets together can be an exceptionally good combination – the fast reload of the cannon combined with the rockets makes for a very potent weapon. To get the best out of them, use the terrain to your advantage. Use taller buildings and trees to hide behind, then pop out when the enemy drives by and shoot them fire the rockets to cause disorientation. These will produce a thick dark cloud preventing your target from locating you. Then fire the 75 mm M3 cannon into the enemy turret and knock it out. Do not rely on the rockets to reliably destroy enemy medium or heavy tanks, and otherwise play as you would an ordinary Sherman.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Armament:
** Quick-firing 75 mm gun with adequate shell options
** Is now equipped with 60 rockets, a salvo can blind or even cripple, if not destroy other enemy tanks
** Despite the rockets having very low penetration, the rack sits about a 1 meter above the already tall Sherman, allowing the calliope to hit the very weak top armour of its target at close range
* Armour:
** Reasonably good frontal protection, can work nicely when in down-tiers
** Turret is quite strong

'''Cons:'''

* Size:
** The Sherman is already a pretty large vehicle, the addition of the rockets makes the Calliope stick out like a sore thumb.
* Armament:
** The 75 mm gun begins to lack the penetration to go up against tougher foes
** Does not get access to the T45 APCR shot
** Rockets are inaccurate past ~100 m
** Rockets act as a massive (and unarmoured) ammunition rack
** Rockets only have 29 mm of penetration
** Loses access to the .50 cal M2 machine gun
** The distinctive firing sound of the rockets can lure unwanted enemies
** The rocket launcher is not linked to the main gun and will also aim at the target marker, meaning it will point downwards when you have returned to cover and the target marker is on the cover directly in front of you.
* Armour:
** Overall armour protection is no longer effective against tougher foes, especially against the German long 75 mm gun
** The extra 25.4 mm side plating indicates the location of ammunition racks (can be resolved by taking less than 23 cannon rounds)

== History ==
[[File:T-34-rocket-launcher-France.jpg|x250px|thumb|right|The T34 "Calliope" firing a salvo of 4.5 inch rockets.]]

===Development===
Midway into World War II in 1943, the Western Allies realized that unlike the Soviet Union, they did not have any form of a "multiple rocket launcher system" that the Soviets had with their ''Katyusha Launchers'' trucks. The idea of rocket launchers isn't new at this period, they present some advantage over the standard mortar or howitzer. The rocket launcher can launch massive amounts of high-explosive ammunition at a longer distance at a shorter time with a greater psychological impact than normal artillery, at the price of a longer reload time and less accuracy. The Soviets showed the best utilization of this weapon with their ''Katyushas'', having a whole bunch of them fire at a designated target, minimizing accuracy loss with a full area saturation of fire. The effectiveness of this system prompted the Allies to start producing some form of multiple rocket launcher system as well.

In 1943, the project began in the United States and the design was to use the current [[M4|M4 Sherman]] tanks in service to mount the rocket launchers to bring into combat. The design, developed by Victor Hawkins, had a rocket mount on the Sherman turret with sixty launch tubes, all made to fire the 4.5 in. M8 rockets. The project gave the experimental tank design the designation '''T34''', and the troops adopted the name '''"Calliope"''', which was the name of a steam organ and has a similar look.

===Combat usage===
These rocket launcher tanks were sent to France in 1944, although many never saw combat for various reasons. During its development, three different variants were made. The original T34 had 60 tubes for the 4.5 in. rockets with 36 fixed tubes on top and 24 on the bottom able to be jettisoned (except on the [[M4A1|M4A1 Sherman]] variant). The second, T34E1, has the 24 jettisonable tubes replaced by 28 tubes, though the total tubes were still 60. The T34E2 had the rocket calibre increased from 4.5 in. to 7.2 in. with the same 60 tubes. This saw combat during the 1944-1945 time span.

However, the modifications of the Shermans seem unnecessary as the war progressed, new development had the rocket launcher system mated to trucks, armoured chassis, and jeeps so the tanks could be left alone to do its purpose. But when the Calliope saw service in the Pacific and Europe, its performance was moderately successful. The T34 was replaced by the T40 "Whiz Bang" Sherman, which was a Sherman with a tank-mounted multiple rocket launcher system like the T34, but only saw combat in the last few months of the war and had the 7.2 in. rockets.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
A jet-powered volley-fire system on the base of regular Sherman tank, it received the addition of a T34E1 launch system with a tubes for M8 missiles. The first versions had the body of a T34, which did not allow them to fire the tank cannon, so a modification of the T34E1 was created that was equipped with a special adapter that allowed the tank cannon to be fired on that body.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m4_sherman_calliope Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|RuBjkyZT6Yw|'''The Shooting Range #6''' - ''Challenge'' section at 05:58 discusses hunting aircraft with the Calliope.}}

== See also ==


;[[M4 Sherman (Family)|Related development]]

* [[M4]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[15 cm Pz.W.42]]
* [[BM-13N]]
* [[Cromwell V (RP-3)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/775/|[Devblog] РCЗО T34 Sherman Calliope]]

{{USA medium tanks}}
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}

Strv m/39

2024-06-27T08:37:34Z

U130216289: Grammer fixes, clarification.

{{About
| about = Swedish premium light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = Twitch Drop gift version
| link = Strv m/39 TD
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_strv_m39
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Strv_m39.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was ordered in 1939 by KAF, that saw how new tank designs were shaping the battlefield, and the m/38 was considered to be too weak in terms of armour. The m/39 would have been a minor upgrade to its predecessor, with upgraded armour and other minor changes. AB Landsverk was against it however, since the m/38s hull was not able to sustain the increased weight. In the end, the turret was slightly modified, it included a new fire control system, as well as a lever steering system which was more favourable. While the m/38 was named L-60-S, the {{Specs|name}} was designated L-60-S/II.

Introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]], the Strv m/39 plays much like the [[Strv m/38]]: it is fast, manoeuvrable, and has excellent firepower. While it lacks APHE, it has access to a powerful APDS shell with insanely good penetration values for such a low BR tank. The new turret has increased armour, up to 50 mm thickness. Its gun handling is also great, with a good turret traverse rate and excellent gun depression of -15 degrees. However the hull has very light armour, and the small crew makes the tank vulnerable to even autocannon fire.

== 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 || 13 mm (58°) ''Upper glacis'' 13 mm (45°) ''Lower glacis'' 13 mm (30°) ''Upper plate'' 13 mm + 35 mm ''Driver's cupola''
| 13 mm || 13 mm (33°) ''Lower'' 9 + 15 mm (14°) ''Upper'' || 4-13 mm
|-
| Turret || 13 mm + 35 mm (14°) ''Turret front'' 13 mm + 35 mm (9°-72°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 13 mm || 13 mm || 5- 8 mm
|-
| Cupola || 13 mm || 13 mm || 13 mm || 5 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 15 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=220|rbMinHp=126}}

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

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

{{main|kan m/38 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[kan m/38 (37 mm)|37 mm kan m/38]] || 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" | 100 || rowspan="2" | -15°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 15.23 || 21.08 || 25.60 || 28.31 || 30.12 || rowspan="2" | 4.03 || rowspan="2" | 3.57 || rowspan="2" | 3.29 || rowspan="2" | 3.10
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 9.52 || 11.20 || 13.60 || 15.04 || 16.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:kan m/38 (37 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/38, slpgr m/39, 3.7 cm slpprj m/49}}

==== [[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
! 11th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''100''' || 81 ''(+19)'' || 71 ''(+29)'' || 61 ''(+39)'' || 51 ''(+49)'' || 41 ''(+59)'' || 34 ''(+66)'' || 28 ''(+72)'' || 21 ''(+79)'' || 14 ''(+86)'' || 8 ''(+92)'' || 1 ''(+99)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_Strv_m38.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the [[Strv m/38]] (identical)]]

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

{{main|ksp m/39B (8 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ksp m/39B (8 mm)|8 mm ksp m/39B]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,750 (250) || 649 || -10°/+25° || N/A
|-
| Coaxial || 1,750 (250) || 649 || -10°/+25° || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Strv m/39 has a similar gameplay style to the [[Strv m/38]]. It's a fast light manoeuvrable tank with excellent firepower and adequate protection for its battle rating. Unlike the predecessor m/38, the m/39 got a more heavily armoured frontal turret with 50 mm thickness, making it an excellent hulled down vehicle. The Strv m/39 like its predecessor has an excellent gun depression and is able to look over hills without exposing itself too much to the enemies.

The Strv m/39 has an APDS round at a very low BR, which gives it a good advantage in long distance engagements and against more heavily armoured vehicles. As such, it can make a very reliable sniper, even when brought to higher BRs. While the APDS has a high penetration, it has mediocre post-penetration damage, making it hard to take out the spaced out crew members with a single hit in big vehicles like the [[LVT(A)(1)]] or the [[T-28 (Family)|T-28]]. This forces the player to aim properly at crew positions and modules on the tanks, giving the enemy time to return fire, unless the gunner and commander are immediately eliminated.

The Strv m/39 is good at getting quickly to locations, making it an excellent vehicle to employ hit-and-run and ambush strategies with, as well as being useful as an objective taker . The best part of the Strv m/39 is being able to utilize hilly terrain on certain maps to its advantage while in a hull down position, making it a dangerous target to face in the hands of a good player.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Still effective in up-tiers, since it has access to a high-penetrating APDS shell with an amazing 105mm penetration and high velocity
* Amazing -15 degrees gun depression means that it can adapt different terrains very well
* Fast reload, up to 3.1 seconds with an ACE crew.
* Decent turret armour, offering up to 35mm at the front and with sloping for increased protection.
* Fast top speed up to 45 km/h
* Is a small target

'''Cons:'''

* Only 3 crew members
* Armour is inadequate to resist high-penetrating shells, for example a [[Pz.II (Disambiguation)|Pz.II]] can penetrate it frontally
* Slow turret traverse speed with 11.2°/s
* Very average reverse speed of -7 km/h
* 5-8 mm roof armour can be penetrated by common aircraft such as ones with 12.7 mm M2, and [[He 112 A-0|He-112 A0]]

== History ==


The Strv m/39 is a continued design from the Strv m/38. In 1939, KAF had started discussions about ordering 20 new Strv m/38s to improve the strength of the armoured company and, seeing the international way of designing tanks equipped with cannons, they requested that new designs of Strv m/38 should have improved armour by making it thicker to combat this threat. AB Landsverk was against it since the construction of the L-60-S (Strv m/38) would not be able to handle this request of the additional weight the new armour would add to it. And because of this made them a contract that there would be small changes to the L-60-S, mainly modifications to the turret adding room for an additional machine gun to be placed. Additionally, there would a new control system for the tank, Strv m/38 had the old system using a steering wheel, the new tank would use lever steering which was more favourable.

When the contract was signed for these new tanks 19 December 1939, the new improved tank got the designation L-60-S/II and was supposed to be delivered in middle of October 1940, but trouble and delays for the 37 mm Bofors cannons for the tanks delayed it until Spring 1941 which at time tanks had improved a lot and there was demand for thicker armour again. They wanted to increase the frontal armour of the L-60-S/II from 15 to 50 mm but this would only happen in case of combat that it would be added as add-on armour onto the tanks. But during exercise the tanks would not have this additional armour on them to not wear out the new vehicles. L-60-S/II would get the designation Strv m/39 by the army.

The Strv m/39 was in use till 1957.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_strv_m39 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|KU-AO0SoeSU|'''Strv M/39 Premium Tank Review. An excellent all rounder''' - ''Joseph 2000''}}

== See also ==


* [[Strv m/39 TD]]
* [[Strv m/38]]
* [[Toldi IIA]]

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

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

{{TankManufacturer Landsverk}}
{{Sweden light tanks}}
{{Sweden premium ground vehicles}}

Pbil m/40

2024-06-27T08:28:16Z

U130216289: Elaborated somewhat, and discouraged use as SPAA unless necessary.

{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_pbil_m40
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|Garageimage_Pbil_m40.jpg|ArtImage Pbil m-40.png}}
|market=id50150_pbil_m_40_sweden
}}

== Description ==


The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was an armoured car and was used by the Swedish Army. Originally designed for the Danish Army, several units were to be delivered until World War 2 broke out, in which the remaining units intended for the Danish Army instead entered service for the Swedish Army. {{PAGENAME}} are similar to the m/39 but were manufactured by Volvo instead of Landsverk due to limited capacity from the latter. A total order of 30 {{PAGENAME}} were ordered by the Swedish army where they would have a new Volvo engine, an improved turret and change of the ammunition storage. {{PAGENAME}} got the same nickname as the Landsverk version m/39 of the name "Lynx", they were well liked within the Army and would serve within the Swedish Armed forces between 1941 to 1958. Only one version remains in Sweden and are located in Strängnäs at the military museum Arsenalen.

The {{PAGENAME}} was introduced during [[Update "Direct Hit"]] as a reward for the [[wt:en/news/7350-event-export-order-en|2021 Export Order]] event. It's an armoured car with a 20 mm autocannon similar to the [[Pvlvv fm/42]]. It has light armour but comes with an large 6-person crew that improves the survivability against solid AP shells, the {{PAGENAME}} are capable to go the same speed forward and backwards. Its agile maneuverability and speed grants it the ability to move around the map with ease and move to positions to flank and engage unaware enemies, due to the relatively low penetration of its rounds its wise to not engaging well armoured hostiles in a head-on engagement and makes flanking the most viable option to grant effectiveness of the gun. So the {{PAGENAME}} should be used to flank around the map, hit unaware enemies from the side or the back where it will have greatest possibility to knock out the hostile.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Wheel (tires)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12 mm ''Upper glacis'' 9 mm ''Lower glacis'' || 5-10 mm ''Top'' 8 mm ''Bottom'' || 12 mm ''Upper glacis'' 5-12 mm ''Lower glacis'' || 5-10 mm
|-
| Turret || 12 mm ''Turret front'' 12 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 9 mm || 7 mm || 5-12 mm
|-
| Cupola || 9 mm || 9 mm || 9 mm || 5 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Wheels are 10 mm thick and torsion bars are 1 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=209|rbMinHp=119}}

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

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

{{main|Pvlvkan m/40 (20 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Pvlvkan m/40 (20 mm)|20 mm Pvlvkan m/40]] || 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" | 252 (36) || rowspan="2" | 360 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 13.3 || 18.4 || 22.4 || 24.8 || 26.4 || rowspan="2" | 1.30 || rowspan="2" | 1.15 || rowspan="2" | 1.06 || rowspan="2" | 1.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.3 || 9.8 || 11.9 || 13.2 || 14.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''slsgr m/42:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''slpgr m/42:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}

{{:Pvlvkan m/40 (20 mm)/Ammunition|Default AP-T, slsgr m/42, slpgr m/42}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Pbil_m-40.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''7''' || 7 ''(+0)'' || 6 ''(+1)'' || 5 ''(+2)'' || 4 ''(+3)'' || 3 ''(+4)'' || 2 ''(+5)'' || 1 ''(+6)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Ammunition is modeled as 7 magazines of 36 rounds each.

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

{{main|ksp m/36 (8 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ksp m/36 (8 mm)|8 mm ksp m/36]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 649 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The fast speed allows the Pbil m/40 to get into positions where the enemy team would not suspect you. Take advantage of your 20 mm cannon's high rate of fire and sizable magazine to quickly dispose of unaware tanks, although take care to aim for vital components, due to its relatively low damage. If you are engaging someone in CQC, you should try to take out their gunner or barrel before trying to finish your enemy off, although you should be able to penetrate most enemy tanks frontally. You can also utilise its speed to reach capture points early before attacking the enemy, which will also help your team as you are essentially scouting for them when they catch up to you. As always, use speed as your primary defence, and attempt to avoid direct confrontation, entering engagements on your own terms via ambush or flanking. Using the Pbil m/40 as an improvised SPAA is unadvisable due to its relatively poor elevation, but can still be possible, especially with the generally less durable and slower CAS at this BR.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Its AP-T belt can penetrate most tanks at its BR
* Its 20 mm has a high rate of fire, making quick work of most tanks
* Fast reload allows for almost continuous fire
* High top speed of 78 km/h both forwards and backwards
* Great survivability due to a crew of 6
* Modules in the tank are somewhat small and difficult to damage

'''Cons:'''

* Slow turret traverse, does not respond well to being flanked
* Turn radius is large since it has a long hull and it is a wheeled vehicle
* It has next to no armour all round

== History ==

=== [[wt:en/news/7348-development-export-order-pansarbil-m-40-en|Devblog:]] ===
In 1937, the Danish Army requested the development of an armoured car from the Swedish AB Landsverk company. Developed under the name 'Lynx', three of the 18 units ordered were already shipped to Denmark before the outbreak of WWII. However, after the outbreak of hostilities, Sweden placed an export ban on all military equipment and the remaining Lynx armoured cars remained in Sweden.

Subsequently, the Swedish military commissioned the remaining vehicles into its own service under the designation Pansarbil m/39 while already issuing an order for 30 more vehicles to be built. Part of this order was licensed out to Volvo, with these vehicles receiving the designation Pansarbil m/40. The vehicles remained in Swedish service until 1958 before being decommissioned and sold off to the Dominican Republic where the last units remained in service until the mid 1990's.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_pbil_m40 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7348-development-export-order-pansarbil-m-40-en|[Devblog] "Export Order": Pansarbil m/40]]

{{TankManufacturer AB Landsverk}}
{{Sweden light tanks}}
{{Sweden premium ground vehicles}}
[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]