War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Somua SM

2023-12-19T03:03:27Z

U133959407: /* General info */ Updated armour/survivability description and values post buffs

{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_somua_sm
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_001.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_005.jpg}}
|store=9313
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was originally developed as part of a competition between AMX and SOMUA to produce a heavily armoured tank that shared similar components and parts, due to the French army forcing both companies to work under identical specifications. The order to build a prototype was given in 1946, but the vehicle was only delivered in October 1951, weighing 56 tonnes but still lacking an engine. In contrast, the [[AMX-50 (Family)|AMX-50]], the SOMUA SM's direct competitor, had already been tested, and a variant of the AMX-50 with a 120 mm cannon was already being designed. Ultimately, the SOMUA SM was not tested until 1953, by which point the [[AMX-50 Surbaissé]] had already been delivered for testing, and the [[AMX-50 (TOA100)]] had been deemed insufficient due to its armament. These delays would doom the project, leading to eventual cancellation of the project and scrapping of the only constructed prototype.

Introduced in [[Update "Raining Fire"]] as a [[wt:en/news/6852-news-meet-major-update-raining-fire-en|premium pack]] in the Gaijin store, the '''{{Specs|name}}''' will be a familiar tank to French players; it possesses the excellent [[SA47 L/58 (100 mm)|100 mm SA47 L/58]] autoloaded cannon that is equipped on both the [[Lorraine 40t]] and [[AMX-50 (TOA100)]], while featuring similar mobility. Unlike the tanks previously mentioned, however, the Somua SM possesses decent armour, capable of bouncing almost all APCBC and even some APDS rounds aimed to its hull and upper turret front. The armour on the Souma SM, combined with the slightly larger ready rack for the gun compared to the Lorraine and AMX-50, allows the player to use the tank more aggressively.

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

The upper glacis of the hull and the turret (aside from an area beneath the gun) are the only well-protected areas, which will give you good protection against most conventional rounds, especially from far ranges. However, the rest of the armour is very weak and can be easily penetrated by pretty much everything, and you will still be vulnerable against HEAT-FS, ATGMs, APFSDS and such. Your best bet is to flank the enemy and take them out with your auto-loading gun before they can get a hit on you. If an enemy spots you, face them so they can only hit the front of the tank, and hope that they don't hit the very weak bottom portion of your turret. Try not to angle your tank as the sides can easily be penetrated. Since you have 5 crew members, with 2 in the front of the hull and 3 in the turret, and come equipped with a handy autoloader, you can take a few hits and lose a couple of crew members without much effect on combat performance. Additionally, the Somua SM features Commander Aiming, which allows your Commander to take over control of the gun quickly in the case that your Gunner is knocked out.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (oscillating turret, turret base, cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 150 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 60 mm (55°) ''Lower glacis'' || 40 mm (25°) ''Top'' 40 mm ''Bottom'' || 40 mm (30°) || 5 - 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 120 mm ''Turret front'' and ring 200 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 40 - 60 mm ''Top''
120 mm ''Bottom''
| 40 mm || 30 mm
|-
| Cupola || 30 mm || 30 mm || 30 mm || 30 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.

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

Although heavier and not as mobile as the [[AMX-50]] or [[Lorraine 40t]], the Somua SM is still pretty mobile for a heavy tank. You will still want to flank the enemy as much as possible and take them out quickly with your auto-loading gun, but don't be afraid to take a few hits from the front. However, your reverse speed is pretty slow and will not save you, so watch out for that.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1291|rbMinHp=884}}

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

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

{{main|SA47 L/58 (100 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SA47 L/58 (100 mm)|100 mm SA47 L/58]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A ||24.3||33.6||40.8||45.1||48.0|| rowspan="2" | 4.00 || rowspan="2" | 4.00 || rowspan="2" | 4.00 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
|17.9||21.0||25.5||28.2||30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:SA47 L/58 (100 mm)/Ammunition|100 mm Obus de rupture, 100 mm Obus explosif}}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''50''' || 46 ''(+4)'' || 39 ''(+11)'' || 32 ''(+18)'' || 25 ''(+25)'' || 18 ''(+32)'' || 14 ''(+36)'' || 10 ''(+40)'' || 9 ''(+41)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modelled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 9* (autoloader magazine) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 9 shells.
** This rack gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
* As it is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
* Once the autoloader magazine has been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 8 into rack 9*. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
* The depletion order at full capacity is: 9 - 1 - 2 - up to 8.

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

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,800 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The small calibre of the MAC 31 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help.

== Usage in battles ==

Try to play the Somua SM quite aggressively because it has a very strong autoloader. Hardly anyone else on the battlefield owns an autoloader like the French do at this battle rating.

It's best to find a good, but safe position close to the front to get good shots onto targets. If encountering an enemy tank with good turret armor like a Tiger II, try to shoot the weak spots. Though the gun should be sufficient for front penetration, the {{PAGENAME}} can drive around to hit the target's side armour do to its semi-good mobility. If the enemy tank tries to drive away, shoot it in the tracks to immobilise it.

Though the 4-second autoloader is the {{PAGENAME}}'s greatest asset, try not to fire too quickly as the autoloader can only carry 8 rounds at a time. Refilling the autoloader can take a long time. Once the 8 shots are depleted, look for a safe position behind the terrain or other cover and wait until the autoloader is refilled with shells.

A {{PAGENAME}}'s main worry on the battlefield is its own armour, as while the hull front is somewhat good, everywhere else is easy to penetrate by most tank shells being shot at the {{PAGENAME}}. This is especially the case when encountering tanks with HEAT rounds, as then nowhere on the tank is safe from a penetration. Always make sure that no one shoots the {{PAGENAME}} from the side because the damage can be very serious due to the ammunition stowage.

When fighting at the front lines, always try to drive with other tanks so that the {{PAGENAME}} does not get as much focus. Attacking the enemies while they are attacking allies is the best way to catch them off guard with the 100 mm cannon. With its autoloader, the {{PAGENAME}} can be a deadly machine by picking off the enemies one by one before they can react.

Plan carefully your moves as there is no good way to get out of a bad position without having either to expose its weak sides or to reverse at a very slow speed.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Great 100 mm gun
* Equipped with a huge 9-shell autoloader, making this one of the best tanks to attack multiple enemies at once
*Unlike most French tanks, the SOMUA has good frontal armour; the upper turret and upper plate are basically immune to all conventional rounds
* Due to the frontal armour and nine shot autoloader, the tank is not only great at flanking and ambushing, but also very good at brawling
* The strong upper turret coupled with the eight degrees of gun depression makes this tank great at hull-down fighting and cresting ridgelines
* Due to how tall this tank is and how high the gun is placed, it can shoot over obstacles that many tanks have trouble seeing over
* Quick and manoeuvrable for a heavy tank
* This tank has a high level of survivability thanks to the spacious crew compartment and a five-man crew
* Good set of optics with 6x magnification
* The APCBC round has a tendency to cause lots of spalling upon penetration

'''Cons:'''

* Absolutely huge tank. Longer, wider, and taller than a Tiger II. Finding proper concealment is difficult
* The neck of the turret a prime weak spot that's hard to effectively hide
* The lower plate is as weak as British lower plates. Any APHE shell that enters here will likely knock out the whole crew
* Will face a lot of enemies that fire APDS and HEAT, the upper turret and upper plate just can't absorb those kinds of shells
* Terrible side armour, side-scraping or angling the tank is extremely hazardous
* Is much slower than the Lorraine and AMX-50
* Mediocre elevation angles thanks to the inherent nature of oscillating turrets
* Once the autoloader is expended, reloading the magazine takes a considerable amount of time
* Because of the 4.0s reload, you can quite easily empty the 9 round magazine

== History ==

At the end of WW2, the French army realized that they needed a new modern heavy tank. The SOMUA Company competed with AMX to design a new heavy tank for France, and they were given the order to build a prototype in 1946. The hull of the tank was based off the German Tiger II, and the tank used an oscillating turret armed with an auto-loading 100 mm gun. Because the two companies were forced to make a new design with the same requirements, the Somua SM design looked similar to the AMX 50, and both tanks had equipped the 100 mm gun. The prototype was delivered in October of 1951 but was still lacking an engine and some other parts. Due to delays, the prototype was not tested until 1953, but it was already too late. The SOMUA's design was rejected in favour of the AMX 50.

=== [[wt:en/news/6825-development-somua-sm-heavy-weight-fighter-en|Devblog]] ===
In 1946, at the same time when AMX was given the order to develop what would eventually become the AMX-50 tank, SOMUA was instructed to come up with a competing design that would act as an alternative to the AMX.

Due to both companies being issued identical technical requirements by the French Army and taking much inspiration from the German "King Tiger" at the same time, both designs turned out to be very similar. In fact, SOMUA's design stood out from AMX's only in increased mass, coming as a result of heavier protection, and in its more simple running gear.

The SOMUA SM, as it became known, was presented for the first time to army officials in October 1951, albeit without its engine installed. At the same time, prototypes of the AMX-50 had already been tested. By 1953, SOMUA had completed the construction of its SM tank, subsequently conducting trials.

During testing however, several design issues were revealed. Because of this and the fact that the upgunned version of the AMX-50 with a 120mm gun was already available, the decision was made to cancel further work on the project. As a result, the SOMUA SM never left the prototype stage and the only constructed vehicle was scrapped shortly after the project's cancellation.

== Media ==


;Skins

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

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Somua SM Devblog Images" heights="150">
File:Somua SM WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:Somua SM WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:Somua SM WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:Somua SM WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:Somua SM WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
File:Somua SM WTWallpaper 006.jpg|
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|KSaBs_8yOno|'''Premium Vehicles: Somua SM''' - ''War Thunder Wiki''|cj5yjwMfmAM|'''The Shooting Range #217''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:30 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|vQQSE0uTjnM|'''Should You Buy The {{PAGENAME}}?''' - ''Sako Sniper''|5aOvTs0novk|'''Frenchtastic - {{PAGENAME}} new French Heavy''' - ''Napalmratte''|wXLZaDh0uEQ|'''Should You Buy: {{PAGENAME}}''' - ''ConeOfArc''}}

== See also ==


* [[AMX-50_Surbaisse|AMX-50 Surbaissé]]
* [[AMX-50_Surblinde|AMX-50 Surblindé]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6825-development-somua-sm-heavy-weight-fighter-en|[Devblog] SOMUA SM: Heavy Weight Fighter]]

{{France heavy tanks}}
{{France premium ground vehicles}}

AMX M4

2023-12-19T02:12:49Z

U133959407: /* Main armament */ Updated main armament description to reflect AP penetration buff

{{About
| about = French medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = M4 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_amx_m4
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} French medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]]. It uses an improved 90 mm SA47 cannon over the [[ARL-44]] and has a 7-round autoloader and a better armour pattern while being more mobile. It is clearly better than any rank III French tanks, offering new battle opportunities.

This is the sturdiest representative of French rank IV vehicles, from which it shares some common features: good mobility, an oscillating turret (fitted with an autoloader), sloped armour in front and back, high hull, high gun placement, good gun depression, 4 crew member, a coaxial MAC 31 machine gun and large tracks. What distinguishes the AMX M4 is its [[Panther D|Panther]]-like hull, its efficient 90 mm SA47 gun developed from the [[ARL-44]] and the thickest armour pattern of all French ground forces with 80 mm sloped at ~55° in the frontal area.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret rear)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret, cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm (54°) ''Front glacis'' 35 mm (61°) ''Lower glacis'' 60 mm (38°) ''Front cheeks'' || 60 mm (38°) ''Top - Front cheeks'' 40 mm (24°) ''Top - Centre & rear'' 40 mm ''Bottom'' || 40 mm (1°) ''Upper plate'' 40 mm (29°) ''Lower glacis'' || 20 mm 5 mm ''Radiator vents''
|-
| Turret || 85 mm (60°) ''Turret front - Upper glacis'' 40+85 mm (cylindrical) ''Turret front - Base'' 60 mm (56-60°) ''Gun mantlet'' 85+100 mm ''Barrel shroud'' || 60 mm (0-61°) ''Turret'' 40 mm (0-27°) ''Turret base'' || 40 mm (0-60°) ''Turret bustle'' 25 mm (16-25°) ''Pivot ball'' 20 mm ''Turret underside'' || 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 60 mm (spherical) || 60 mm ''Outer ring'' 20 mm ''Centre''
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick. Suspension wheels are interleaved and thus overlap in some areas.
* The turret and the base overlap in some areas, leading to cumulative armour.
* The internal armour plate separating the crew compartment and the engine bay is 5 mm thick.
* Floor armour is 20 mm thick, with the underside of the sponsons also being 20 mm thick.

As said above, this tank's armour is very similar to that of the famous German tanks, its hull even shares the same general patterns and dimensions, the distinctive features being...weak spots: an almost flat portion between UFP and LFP and two 60 mm "corners" above the tracks. As for the frontal turret part, it is sufficiently thick to endure many nasty hits, as long as you do not leave your foe enough time to aim: the turret ring area, while still being 80 mm thick, is flat. As for side armour, it is a good reason to keep away from front line duty: 35 mm flat armour does not protect from anything bigger than HMG fire. the hull's back is sloped, which may deviate some shots and prevent long-range "back flanking". The most exposed part of this tank is the turret's back, with only 20 mm of armour between the bulge and the turret ring.

In sum, engage frontally, avoid anything bigger than a slight angle as it may expose the 60 mm UFP "corners". Distance is a great tool to avoid your weak spots being easily targeted. This armour's role quite fluctuates as it depends on if what it faces can penetrate it or not.

Dealing with an opponent AMX M4 leads to a new sort of challenge. It is hard to penetrate from a distance, but if you can do it, then it's sniper battle time. If your guns do not provide enough power at distances, then get personal: the closer you are, the better you can disable it, here are a few tips for dealing with an AMX M4:

;Frontal assault:

Any French rank IV tank has a good gun capable of going through most armours at standard combat ranges (and above), they are even more frightful when knowing about their good reload rates (they all have autoloaders). With that in mind, engage them first so that they (maybe) will not have enough time to reload a second shell. Specifically, to the AMX M4, this tank's armour is virtually as resistant as a Panther tank: if you can't go through a Panther, you neither cannot with this tank, unless you shoot its weak spots. Don't panic though, its side armour is only 35 mm, which makes it very vulnerable to flanking and "multi-target" engagements: it can't protect itself well from two tank if they are enough apart from each other.

;Flanking:

As for flanking onto a single AMX M4, it must be dealt with quick: its fast turret turning speed allows it to react quite fast to either of its sides. Try to disable its ''large gun breech'' first so it won't be able to fire in a long time (this may also ammo-rack it if detonating a pre-loaded ammo), only then finish it off, if the first hit/series of hits (SPAAs) does not disable it from firing back, consider yourself done.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,550|rbMinHp=884}}

Post-war French designs are all very good at moving around: they have good engines, wide tracks and can easily achieve ~40 km/h on most terrains. The {{PAGENAME}} may be the worst of them all, on par with the [[AMX-50 (TOA100)]] as they share a ''very similar'' hull, they still have ''above average'' mobility, when compared to other medium tanks at the same BR.

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

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

{{main|SA47 (90 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SA47 (90 mm)|90 mm SA47]] || 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" | 49 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 6.70 || rowspan="2" | 6.70 || rowspan="2" | 6.70 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

The gun has exceptionally good armour penetration for its rank, exceeding even that of the 8.8cm ''KwK'' 43 L/71 gun used on the Tiger 2. This firepower advantage is further exaggerated by its autoloader mechanism, providing a fire rate of 9 rounds a minute until the 7 shot magazine is empty, a very good rate of fire for the BR. All French medium rank IV tanks share this good reload rate, this is their most prominent selling point. Note that like most French tanks of this period, the 90mm only fires solid shot armour-piercing rounds. However the fragmentation effect of these larger shells is much greater than the long 75mm gun of the AMX-13, and is sufficient for one-shot kills on most enemy vehicles with careful aiming.

The oscillating turret design also allows an high gun placement, this means you can fire over hills by exposing only the strong top portion of your tank, even more so with its good depression angles. When it comes to elevation, there is a problem: this tank can only lift its gun 15°, which make defending against planes impossible and uphill battle a bit challenging.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:SA47 (90 mm)/Ammunition|90 mm Obus de rupture, 90 mm Obus explosif}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''49''' || 45 ''(+4)'' || 43 ''(+6)'' || 36 ''(+13)'' || 29 ''(+20)'' || 22 ''(+27)'' || 15 ''(+34)'' || 11 ''(+38)'' || 8 ''(+41)'' || 1 ''(+48)'' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 9 (autoloader magazine) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 7 shells.
** This racks gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
** As the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
** Once the autoloader magazine has been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun (about 15 seconds). Take this into account when playing.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 5 into rack 7* then 6*. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
** The depletion order at full capacity is: 9 - 1 - 2 up to 8.

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

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 5,100 (150) || 551 || - || -
|-
|}

The small calibre of the MAC 31 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==

At its BR, 80 mm of sloped frontal armour is more than sufficient to endure close range fights (as long as it is facing the enemy with its frontal armour). But what this tank is really good at is, as any other French rank IV, ''sniping'': a very good gun, great depression and fire rate make it very deadly, even more so that it ''can'' take a few hits. The AMX M4 offers the best survivability of all French rank IV tanks since its BR is low and armour, thick. It is a true "medium tank" capable of all roles, given the good context.

This tank can be used in almost all roles on the battlefield, as long as the context is on its side. Here are some roles this tank is the most efficient at:

'''Sniper:'''

This is clearly this tank's intended role: at all BR placements, it provides the best results for this tank. There is only a few things that can defeat such tactic: drastically better firepower and thick frontal armour faced towards it. This gun's performance is not the best at its rank, in that way, the AMX M4 may have to rely on surprise attacks to its foes' sides in order to disable them. Use this tank's great mobility to get into a good spot and reposition whenever it is needed do not allow approaching targets as they increase their chances to take you out. Plan you escape in advance: your reverse speed won't allow for hasty retreats.

'''Frontline fights:'''

When facing lower BR tanks, the AMX can easily be used in the same role as Panther tanks: breakthrough... but with reserve, your side armour won't allow even the slightest side shot. Use your good reload speed and turret rate to their best: fast reaction times and multi-target engagements are possible.

'''Flanking:'''

Use your speed and firepower to outpace the enemy advance. All considerations from the sniper role can be taken into consideration when flanking, the only difference being a more consistent usage of this tank's mobility.

'''Support:'''

The AMX M4 is not fit for brawling due to the relatively light armour it has. However, there is still a place for it in the Frontline if its commander is ever so daring. The supporting tank follows closely behind the heavy tanks, using them as shields. When an enemy fires at the heavy tank, the support tank should momentarily get out of cover, fire into the soft part of their frontal armour, cannon barrel, and/or the enemy's tracks. The support tank then comes back behind cover, readying itself for attacking again.

The AMX M4 wields this role well, as it has good manoeuvrability, good acceleration, and a quick-firing cannon. It is however, a tall tank, so be wary of seeking cover behind any low-profile heavy tank and it has a below average reverse speed.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fast and good manoeuvrability
* Decent reverse speed
* Front glacis is 80 mm and is heavily sloped for a high chance of ricochets, similar to the [[Panther D|Panther]]'s
* Potent 90 mm gun (same as [[ARL-44]] or [[Char 25t]]: easy learning curve)
* Good gun depression
* Good turret rotation
* Very good reload rate between 7 shots due to the autoloader

'''Cons:'''

* Overall armour is quite thin against expected opponents
** Thin side armour
** Thin UFP "corners" makes angling ineffective
** Vulnerable to planes (thin top armour)
* Bad elevation angles
* Long reload time after 7 shots due to autoloader
* Only two ammo choice between APC and HE rounds
* Ammo always held in reload mechanism makes it easy ammo rack targets

== History ==


===Design===
In the late 1940s, the French Army was looking to replace the medium tanks Panther and ARL 44 that were becoming obsolete with a new 50t medium tank. The new tank was to be the future spearhead of French armoured divisions. The French company AMX started working on a proposal which was essentially an improved Tiger II on the drawing board. The project evolved and later resulted in the AMX-50 tank. The AMX M4 present in the game is the first prototype of the project.

===Development===
In order to save weight from the Tiger II's initial weight of 70 tons, the first AMX proposal was an underarmoured version of the Tiger II with only 30 mm armour plates. The French Army quickly indicated that such a thickness was too weak for the intended purpose. The armour of the hull was increased to 80 mm frontally and 40 mm for the sides and the weight-saving measures were then applied to other components. The original turret was changed for an oscillating turret whose design was already available and the suspension wheels were redesigned to get rid of the interleaving wheels. The new version was approved and a first prototype was produced at the end of 1949. It sported the already available 90 mm SA 45 gun from the ARL 44, whose performance was equal to the 88 mm KwK43 equipping the Tiger II. The first prototype was dubbed M4 and had a weight slightly above 50 tons. The second prototype was produced 1 year later with the 100 mm SA 47 L/50 gun and a slightly modified turret, and resulted in the AMX-50 tank.

===Combat usage===
The AMX M4 was the first prototype of what would be the AMX-50 and never saw either service or combat action with the French Army.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_amx_m4 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|3aCHooDoyCI|'''AMX M4, French, Tier-4, Medium Tank''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''|zUDt1Fhrjpk|'''AMX M4 - Last Man Running - Don't Be This Guy!''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[AMX-50 (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Panther II]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5265-vehicle-amx-m4-en|[News] AMX M4]]
* [[wikipedia:AMX-50|[Wikipedia] AMX-50]]

{{TankManufacturer AMX}}
{{France medium tanks}}

Char 25t

2023-11-28T10:01:59Z

U133959407: /* Pros and cons */ Fixed reload time and magazine size

{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_bat_chat_25t
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Batignolles-Chatillon Char 25T''' was a French early Cold War tank developed by the Batignolles-Chatillon company in 1954. The vehicle was never developed further than the two prototypes. It was built for a weight class of 25 tons, which is approximately double the weight of the AMX-13 light tanks. It was armed with a 90 mm D.911 APX tank gun and was manned by four crew members. Its top speed is 65 km/h. Despite the project being abandoned, several of the design ideas and technology were applied to subsequent French armoured vehicles. It never saw duty with the French Army.

Introduced in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]], the Char 25T is a fast tank with minimal armour, so it is important not to engage enemy tanks in frontal combat. It is strongly encouraged to take full advantage of its superb mobility for flanking manoeuvres during battle. The tank also has an acceptable reverse speed, allowing it to quickly disengage after firing. The Char 25t can engage all but the heaviest targets at close range, while at range, it can successfully hit targets from the flank. Players using the Char 25T should always stay out of the enemy's direct line of fire. The Char 25T, like other French light tanks, has a low-profile tank with a tiny autoloader turret in the back.

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


The {{PAGENAME}} has more armour than other French light tanks, at steeper angles. With distance, it may be able to bounce the 40 mm Bofors, though it will be rare. The top of the tank is well armoured and will easily defeat .50 cal (12.7 mm) rounds from airborne enemies though anything bigger will go through. The sides and rear are nonexistent comparatively and anything "antitank" will go through with ease. Most APHE shells fired at thinner parts of the tank may fail to detonate inside, it may save your life once or twice but don't rely on it. The driver has a 50 mm plate in front of him so that will help once or twice. The engine may also block poorly-aimed shots.

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour (hull cheeks, turret base, turret, cupola)
* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof, cupola roof)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 mm (64°) ''Front glacis - Left'' 50 mm (64°) ''Front glacis - Right'' 50 mm (36°) ''Lower glacis'' || 25 mm || 30 mm ''Top'' (53°) 20 mm ''Fuel Cover'' 30 mm ''Bottom'' (24°) || 30-50 mm (26°) ''Front glacis'' 20 mm ''Centre and rear'' 15 mm ''Driver's hatch''
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (53-56°) ''Turret front'' 30 mm (20-59°) ''Turret base'' 50 mm ''Barrel shroud'' || 25 mm ''Turret'' 30 mm (0-22°) ''Turret base'' || 20 mm ''Turret bustle'' 20 mm (11-21°) ''Pivot ball'' 15 mm ''Turret underside'' || 20 mm
|-
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 20 mm (conical) || 20 mm (conical) ''Outer ring'' 20 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 15 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 20 mm thick.
* 8 mm Structural steel firewall separates the driver from the engine.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 775|rbMinHp= 442}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is very fast, both in top speed (even in reverse) and acceleration. With a top speed of 65 km/h and great horsepower to weight ratio, it will conquer most terrain you put it through. The wide tracks compared to its low weight are just another cherry on top. The transmission has 12 gears, 6 forward and 6 backward, and then a neutral. The reverse gears are identical to the forward gears, so driving in reverse is no problem (except for the more exposed crew). Also, the {{PAGENAME}} can neutral steer and does so rather quickly.

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

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

{{main|D.911 APX (90 mm)}}

The gun is decent for its BR and role. Although it lacks a HEATFS shell like another vehicle near its BR, the AMX-13-90, the Char 25t carries the M82 APCBC and T33 APBC rounds.

The reload time is short, 4 seconds between shots (even with a knocked out loader). It carries 12 shots in the drum, like the AMX M4, allowing for a sustained fire at multiple enemies. Although great at post-penetration damage, the M82 round used by the Char 25t has mediocre penetration for its BR, especially when taking into account the presence of HEATFS and APDS rounds.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D.911 APX (90 mm)|90 mm D.911 APX]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 52 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+11° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 34.3 || 47.4 || 57.6 || 63.7 || 67.8 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.4 || 25.2 || 30.6 || 33.8 || 36.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:D.911 APX (90 mm)/Ammunition|T33 shot, M71A1 shell, M82 shot}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''52''' || 49 ''(+3)'' || 40 ''(+12)'' || 31 ''(+21)'' || 22 ''(+30)'' || 13 ''(+39)'' || 1 ''(+51)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 6 (autoloader magazine) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 12 shells.
** This rack gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
** As it is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
** Once the autoloader magazine has been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 5 into rack 6. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.

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

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,950 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 1,200 (150) || 551 || -5°/+80° || ±180°
|-
|}

The small calibre of the MAC 31 machine guns makes them largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. They still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==

The Char 25t is a very fast tank with little protection so engaging enemy tanks frontally is ill-advised. Thanks to its good mobility and a reversible gearbox that enables to disengage just as swiftly, it can resort to flanking to perform in combat. The Char 25t can engage all but the heaviest (e.g. IS-3) targets at close range and it can reliably engage targets from the side at range. However, remember that you are in a light tank so make sure not to be in the enemy's direct line of fire. Your engine may absorb a hit or two, but do not rely on it for survival.

The following tactics could be used proficiently with the Char 25t:

'''Long range sniper/flanker'''

Start off the match by heading for one of the flanks. If it's an open map, hide behind hills and passively scout as you drive or head for the outermost capture point. Be wary of the speedy M18 tank destroyers, any of the Sd.Kfz. 234 series, or any other quick tanks that may be trying the same thing as you. Once in a nice position (shadow cover, somewhere to retreat, nice sight lanes), sit and wait for someone to pass by. Don't stay tunnel visioned! Slower tanks may be approaching and they will be able to instantly destroy the Char 25t if it gets the chance. If you notice enemies at a far distance, first scout them using the scout key so your team knows where they are in case you miss or are destroyed. Next, either range-find, or just go for the shot if they are close enough. Neutralize the target, and either change position and then rinse and repeat.

'''Brawler'''

Surprisingly, this tank makes a decent brawler with its compact size, incredible speed, and great reload rate. Keep near the outer flanks of any main road or capture point, and drive around looking to shoot out engines/turrets. Try not to engage any heavier tank frontally, as you will be wiped out quite quickly, and you will rarely penetrate through their frontal armour. If you manage to get the first shot, you will have the superior reload for the follow-up shot, especially if their gunner is knocked out from the first shot. Be wary though, and assume the enemy always has a shot loaded, so either be prepared to go back into cover if they're gunner gets replaced.

'''Support'''

With light tanks repair mechanics, the Char 25t can help repair teammates if a friendly repair has been initiated. Stick with your teammates, especially heavier ones like the T95 or Maus which may occasionally meet. When they engage in a firefight, either flank around the enemy to disable their gun/movement, or if your teammate already finished off the enemy and is repairing, help them. Go around and help your teammates repair and disable/destroy enemies.

'''Mixed'''

Mix and match the tactics above and of other French lights. Try to flank and don't get destroyed. The roof machine gun can allow the Char 25t to harass planes trying for a ground strike at the team, so there's always a role that the Char 25t can play as.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Low profile.
* Thin armour will sometimes cause APHE to penetrate straight through without detonating.
* Frontally-placed engine may absorb some shots
* Has smoke launchers (high arc of fire).
* Can reach its top speed quite fast.
* Reversible gearbox (same speed in both directions)
* The addition of the M82 round increases the tank's effectiveness.
* Fast turret rotation.
* Good gun depression value: high gun placement make hull-down positions very efficient.
* Short reload time thanks to the 12-round autoloader: 1 shot every 4 seconds, comparable to reload times at low ranks.
* Has scouting ability and teammate repair/firefighting function.

'''Cons:'''

* Thin sides will get shredded easily by nearby SPAAs.
* Bad at stop-and-shoot due to oscillating turret design.
* Gun penetration rates are subpar at longer ranges: relies heavily on flanking manoeuvres.
* Poor gun elevation angle of 11 degrees.
* Ammo is stored everywhere, a single penetrating shot can easily cause an ammo rack detonation.
* Restocking the autoloader is very slow once it has been depleted and severely degrades combat performance.

== History ==


===Design===
The Batignolles-Châtillon 25t or project Super AMX-13 was designed in the 1950s for a weight class twice bigger than the AMX-13. It reused many parts from the AMX-13 like the oscillating turret and the autoloader. Its primary armament was a 90mm cannon capable of shooting the same ammunition as US M47 and M48 tanks. It was equipped with a 500 HP engine and could reach 65 km/h. It was operated by 4 crew members.

===Development===
Two prototypes were made in 1954 before the project was abandoned. The hurdles of the concept were the impossibility to guarantee NBC protection on the oscillating turret, the external reload of the autoloader exposing the crew during combat, an unreliable hydraulic suspension and external shot traps on the turret. Proofs of concept and technologies developed in this program were however later reused on other French tank projects, especially the AMX-30 (transmission).

===Combat usage===
As a prototype vehicle, Char 25t never saw service or combat action in the French Army.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_bat_chat_25t Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|ryx7Uxo_3X0|'''The Shooting Range #250''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:25 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|PosWOnOGkSo|'''Best experimental vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:00 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|gI20EyYU4-M|'''Char 25t - Stock vs Spaded - First Impressions''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[AMX-13 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5713-development-char-25t-and-t-80b-en|[Devblog] Char 25t and T-80B]]
* [[wikipedia:Batignolles-Chatillon_Char_25T|[Wikipedia] Batignolles-Chatillon Char 25T]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/France/batignolles-chatillon-char-25t.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Bâtignolles-Chatillon Char 25 tonnes]

{{France light tanks}}

Char 25t

2023-11-28T10:01:11Z

U133959407: /* Main armament */ Fixed Reload time > 4 seconds

{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_bat_chat_25t
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Batignolles-Chatillon Char 25T''' was a French early Cold War tank developed by the Batignolles-Chatillon company in 1954. The vehicle was never developed further than the two prototypes. It was built for a weight class of 25 tons, which is approximately double the weight of the AMX-13 light tanks. It was armed with a 90 mm D.911 APX tank gun and was manned by four crew members. Its top speed is 65 km/h. Despite the project being abandoned, several of the design ideas and technology were applied to subsequent French armoured vehicles. It never saw duty with the French Army.

Introduced in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]], the Char 25T is a fast tank with minimal armour, so it is important not to engage enemy tanks in frontal combat. It is strongly encouraged to take full advantage of its superb mobility for flanking manoeuvres during battle. The tank also has an acceptable reverse speed, allowing it to quickly disengage after firing. The Char 25t can engage all but the heaviest targets at close range, while at range, it can successfully hit targets from the flank. Players using the Char 25T should always stay out of the enemy's direct line of fire. The Char 25T, like other French light tanks, has a low-profile tank with a tiny autoloader turret in the back.

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


The {{PAGENAME}} has more armour than other French light tanks, at steeper angles. With distance, it may be able to bounce the 40 mm Bofors, though it will be rare. The top of the tank is well armoured and will easily defeat .50 cal (12.7 mm) rounds from airborne enemies though anything bigger will go through. The sides and rear are nonexistent comparatively and anything "antitank" will go through with ease. Most APHE shells fired at thinner parts of the tank may fail to detonate inside, it may save your life once or twice but don't rely on it. The driver has a 50 mm plate in front of him so that will help once or twice. The engine may also block poorly-aimed shots.

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour (hull cheeks, turret base, turret, cupola)
* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof, cupola roof)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 mm (64°) ''Front glacis - Left'' 50 mm (64°) ''Front glacis - Right'' 50 mm (36°) ''Lower glacis'' || 25 mm || 30 mm ''Top'' (53°) 20 mm ''Fuel Cover'' 30 mm ''Bottom'' (24°) || 30-50 mm (26°) ''Front glacis'' 20 mm ''Centre and rear'' 15 mm ''Driver's hatch''
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (53-56°) ''Turret front'' 30 mm (20-59°) ''Turret base'' 50 mm ''Barrel shroud'' || 25 mm ''Turret'' 30 mm (0-22°) ''Turret base'' || 20 mm ''Turret bustle'' 20 mm (11-21°) ''Pivot ball'' 15 mm ''Turret underside'' || 20 mm
|-
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 20 mm (conical) || 20 mm (conical) ''Outer ring'' 20 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 15 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 20 mm thick.
* 8 mm Structural steel firewall separates the driver from the engine.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 775|rbMinHp= 442}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is very fast, both in top speed (even in reverse) and acceleration. With a top speed of 65 km/h and great horsepower to weight ratio, it will conquer most terrain you put it through. The wide tracks compared to its low weight are just another cherry on top. The transmission has 12 gears, 6 forward and 6 backward, and then a neutral. The reverse gears are identical to the forward gears, so driving in reverse is no problem (except for the more exposed crew). Also, the {{PAGENAME}} can neutral steer and does so rather quickly.

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

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

{{main|D.911 APX (90 mm)}}

The gun is decent for its BR and role. Although it lacks a HEATFS shell like another vehicle near its BR, the AMX-13-90, the Char 25t carries the M82 APCBC and T33 APBC rounds.

The reload time is short, 4 seconds between shots (even with a knocked out loader). It carries 12 shots in the drum, like the AMX M4, allowing for a sustained fire at multiple enemies. Although great at post-penetration damage, the M82 round used by the Char 25t has mediocre penetration for its BR, especially when taking into account the presence of HEATFS and APDS rounds.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D.911 APX (90 mm)|90 mm D.911 APX]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 52 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+11° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 34.3 || 47.4 || 57.6 || 63.7 || 67.8 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.4 || 25.2 || 30.6 || 33.8 || 36.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:D.911 APX (90 mm)/Ammunition|T33 shot, M71A1 shell, M82 shot}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''52''' || 49 ''(+3)'' || 40 ''(+12)'' || 31 ''(+21)'' || 22 ''(+30)'' || 13 ''(+39)'' || 1 ''(+51)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 6 (autoloader magazine) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 12 shells.
** This rack gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
** As it is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
** Once the autoloader magazine has been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 5 into rack 6. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.

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

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,950 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 1,200 (150) || 551 || -5°/+80° || ±180°
|-
|}

The small calibre of the MAC 31 machine guns makes them largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. They still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==

The Char 25t is a very fast tank with little protection so engaging enemy tanks frontally is ill-advised. Thanks to its good mobility and a reversible gearbox that enables to disengage just as swiftly, it can resort to flanking to perform in combat. The Char 25t can engage all but the heaviest (e.g. IS-3) targets at close range and it can reliably engage targets from the side at range. However, remember that you are in a light tank so make sure not to be in the enemy's direct line of fire. Your engine may absorb a hit or two, but do not rely on it for survival.

The following tactics could be used proficiently with the Char 25t:

'''Long range sniper/flanker'''

Start off the match by heading for one of the flanks. If it's an open map, hide behind hills and passively scout as you drive or head for the outermost capture point. Be wary of the speedy M18 tank destroyers, any of the Sd.Kfz. 234 series, or any other quick tanks that may be trying the same thing as you. Once in a nice position (shadow cover, somewhere to retreat, nice sight lanes), sit and wait for someone to pass by. Don't stay tunnel visioned! Slower tanks may be approaching and they will be able to instantly destroy the Char 25t if it gets the chance. If you notice enemies at a far distance, first scout them using the scout key so your team knows where they are in case you miss or are destroyed. Next, either range-find, or just go for the shot if they are close enough. Neutralize the target, and either change position and then rinse and repeat.

'''Brawler'''

Surprisingly, this tank makes a decent brawler with its compact size, incredible speed, and great reload rate. Keep near the outer flanks of any main road or capture point, and drive around looking to shoot out engines/turrets. Try not to engage any heavier tank frontally, as you will be wiped out quite quickly, and you will rarely penetrate through their frontal armour. If you manage to get the first shot, you will have the superior reload for the follow-up shot, especially if their gunner is knocked out from the first shot. Be wary though, and assume the enemy always has a shot loaded, so either be prepared to go back into cover if they're gunner gets replaced.

'''Support'''

With light tanks repair mechanics, the Char 25t can help repair teammates if a friendly repair has been initiated. Stick with your teammates, especially heavier ones like the T95 or Maus which may occasionally meet. When they engage in a firefight, either flank around the enemy to disable their gun/movement, or if your teammate already finished off the enemy and is repairing, help them. Go around and help your teammates repair and disable/destroy enemies.

'''Mixed'''

Mix and match the tactics above and of other French lights. Try to flank and don't get destroyed. The roof machine gun can allow the Char 25t to harass planes trying for a ground strike at the team, so there's always a role that the Char 25t can play as.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Low profile.
* Thin armour will sometimes cause APHE to penetrate straight through without detonating.
* Frontally-placed engine may absorb some shots
* Has smoke launchers (high arc of fire).
* Can reach its top speed quite fast.
* Reversible gearbox (same speed in both directions)
* The addition of the M82 round increases the tank's effectiveness.
* Fast turret rotation.
* Good gun depression value: high gun placement make hull-down positions very efficient.
* Short reload time thanks to the 7-round autoloader: 1 shot every 6.7 seconds, comparable to reload times at low ranks.
* Has scouting ability and teammate repair/firefighting function.

'''Cons:'''

* Thin sides will get shredded easily by nearby SPAAs.
* Bad at stop-and-shoot due to oscillating turret design.
* Gun penetration rates are subpar at longer ranges: relies heavily on flanking manoeuvres.
* Poor gun elevation angle of 11 degrees.
* Ammo is stored everywhere, a single penetrating shot can easily cause an ammo rack detonation.
* Restocking the autoloader is very slow once it has been depleted and severely degrades combat performance.

== History ==


===Design===
The Batignolles-Châtillon 25t or project Super AMX-13 was designed in the 1950s for a weight class twice bigger than the AMX-13. It reused many parts from the AMX-13 like the oscillating turret and the autoloader. Its primary armament was a 90mm cannon capable of shooting the same ammunition as US M47 and M48 tanks. It was equipped with a 500 HP engine and could reach 65 km/h. It was operated by 4 crew members.

===Development===
Two prototypes were made in 1954 before the project was abandoned. The hurdles of the concept were the impossibility to guarantee NBC protection on the oscillating turret, the external reload of the autoloader exposing the crew during combat, an unreliable hydraulic suspension and external shot traps on the turret. Proofs of concept and technologies developed in this program were however later reused on other French tank projects, especially the AMX-30 (transmission).

===Combat usage===
As a prototype vehicle, Char 25t never saw service or combat action in the French Army.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_bat_chat_25t Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|ryx7Uxo_3X0|'''The Shooting Range #250''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:25 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|PosWOnOGkSo|'''Best experimental vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:00 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|gI20EyYU4-M|'''Char 25t - Stock vs Spaded - First Impressions''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[AMX-13 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5713-development-char-25t-and-t-80b-en|[Devblog] Char 25t and T-80B]]
* [[wikipedia:Batignolles-Chatillon_Char_25T|[Wikipedia] Batignolles-Chatillon Char 25T]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/France/batignolles-chatillon-char-25t.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Bâtignolles-Chatillon Char 25 tonnes]

{{France light tanks}}