War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Panther F

2024-10-22T09:35:59Z

U142271152: More neutral expression

{{About
|about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|other
|usage-1 = other uses
|link-1 = Panther (Disambiguation)
|usage-2 = other versions
|link-2 = Panther tank (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_V_ausf_f_panther
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Panzerkampfwagen V Ausführung F (Panther F)''' ([[Abbreviations#.28DE.29 Sd.Kfz. Index|Sd.Kfz. Index:]] '''Sd.Kfz. 171''') is the fourth production variant of the iconic [[Panther tank (Family)|Panzerkampfwagen V Panther medium tank family]]. In November 1943, Rheinmetall designed a new turret with a narrow front plate 120 mm (4.72 in) thick. From a distance, the narrow turret presented a smaller target for the enemy. In March 1944, the design was revised under the name Schmale Blende Turm-Panther. This was one of several designs that were eventually dubbed "Schmalturm" (narrow turret). The Schmale Blende appears to be a modification that served as one of numerous proposals for the [[Panther II|Panzerkampfwagen V Ausfuehrung II (Panther II)]]. This updated turret design weighed less than the original Panther turret (from 7,665 kg to 7,565 kg) and reduced the area of frontal armour while maintaining interior crew space. It also reduced production time by around 30-40%. However, due to the end of World War II, the Panther F did not see serial production, but eight hulls and three turrets were completed in 1945.

Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the Panther F is one of the redesigned Panthers that would eventually become the Panther II. However, due to the conclusion of World War II and Germany's lack of practically all resources, the Panther F did not see combat. Players can experience this one-of-a-kind Panther with much better turret cheek protection. Trap shot problems have also been resolved as the redesigned turret has no surface for shells to ricochet into the hull. It is also the first Panther tank to include an optical rangefinder, which allows players to measure ranges much faster than before, up to more than 2 kilometres.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet, cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 50 mm (56°) ''Lower glacis'' || 50 mm (30°) ''Top'' 41.5 + 5 mm ''Lower'' || 40 mm (24°) || 25 mm
|-
| Turret || 120 mm 100 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 60 mm || 60 mm || 40 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="4" style="text-align:center" | 80 mm
|-
|}

From the hull up, the F variation of the Panther is similar to previous models. However, the biggest and most noticeable change is seen in the turret design. Instead of the transverse-cylindrical mantlet of the [[Panther D|D]] and [[Panther A|A]] models or the chinned mantlet of the [[Panther G|G]] model, the Panther F features a brand new trapezoidal turret named the ''Schmalturm'' (or "Narrow Turret"). This new turret features a bevy of positives over its previous iterations, including beefier armour and the removal of the prominent shot trap caused by the cylindrical nature of the previous model's mantlet. Although this new turret is a welcome addition, it is not without its weaknesses. The Panther will occasionally be facing enemies that can and will penetrate its turret from the front, namely the [[M26]], [[T26E1-1]], [[Tiger II (P)|Tiger II]], [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2]], [[Tortoise]], [[AMX M4]].

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=930|rbMinHp=531}}

As expected of the Panther series, it features excellent mobility as a result of its very high power to weight ratio. However its mobility has been toned down a few notches due to the limiting of the engine to improve engine lifespan, which is unfortunately useless as reliability has no function in War Thunder. It is also important to note that the reverse has not improved from its lethargic 3 km/h, but the Panther's ability to neutral turn helps tremendously when trying to escape.

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

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

{{main|KwK44 (75 mm)}}

The KwK44 is an incredibly effective gun when engaging enemy armour due to its penetration. Although not as effective as the later legendary [[KwK43 (88 mm)|KwK43]], it's enough to penetrate most enemies it will face, resulting in many two-shot kills with the help of the PzGr 39's explosive filler. The penetration combined with the excellent accuracy makes it an ideal sniping cannon.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK44 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK44]] || 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" | 82 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 14.28 || 19.76 || 24.00 || 26.55 || 28.24 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.93 || 10.50 || 12.75 || 14.10 || 15.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:KwK44 (75 mm)/Ammunition|PzGr 39/42, PzGr 40/42, Sprgr. 42}}

==== [[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
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''82''' || 80 ''(+2)'' || 74 ''(+8)'' || 62 ''(+20)'' || 50 ''(+32)'' || 38 ''(+44)'' || 26 ''(+56)'' || 22 ''(+60)'' || 12 ''(+70)'' ||4 ''(+78)'' || 1 ''(+81)'' || style="text-align:center" | Yes
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Right side empty: 50 ''(+32)'' shells.
* Both sides empty: 22 ''(+60)'' shells.

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

{{main|MG42 (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG42 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG42]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (150) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Panther is a great "hunter," locating weak (slow, damaged, or alone) tanks and taking them out is by far its greatest capability. Mobility is a big advantage and the tanker should use it to their advantage, especially when fighting higher-rank vehicles. You should find a suitable location as soon as possible; when you do this, you can easily push off advancing enemy tanks while heavier allies join the action. Just when you notice that you have strong opposition it is time to retreat. Your role is not to fight directly but rather spot weaknesses in the enemy defence. Once you learn how to take advantage of its speed and gun, you'll easily take out enemy targets by surprise.

Despite its slower turret traverse speed and mobility over the Panther A, it receives better turret armour, a rangefinder and faster reload.

Most of the heavy tanks that the Panther faces are not fast enough to counter its attacks. However, this does not mean that they are harmless. Be careful when approaching the enemy and always try to have the advantage. It is not advised to attack enemy heavy tanks directly or frontally; this is where they have most of their armour, and the Panther will probably not be able to penetrate it. It is better to retreat and try to find an alternative route before engaging the enemy.

The Panther has no anti-air capabilities, so it is best to find cover if there are enemy aircraft nearby that are equipped with bombs or rockets.

If the map allows it and you prefer this kind of playstyle, the Panther F also excels at sniping. Although having a slower turret traverse speed and mobility compared to the Panther A, the F version trades it for better turret armour, a rangefinder and faster reload. The distance will make your armour almost impenetrable to a lot of guns while being able to use the rangefinder, high muzzle velocity and great optics to pick off enemies.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Flat mantlet removes the shot trap which plagued earlier models
* Nigh impenetrable turret cheeks when facing from the front
* 75 mm KwK44 is an accurate and powerful gun
* Explosive filler on PzGr 39 shell allows for easy one- or two-shot kills
* APCR shell can allow the tank to compete with the heavier armour found in an uptier
* Features excellent, although toned down mobility as well as neutral steering
* Hull can become even more difficult to penetrate when angled properly
* Slightly faster reload than the previous models of Panthers
* Optical rangefinder, allows you to measure the range faster than the normal rangefinder and up to 2,200-2,500 m (depending on your crew qualification)

'''Cons:'''

* Turret is a massive weak spot
* Hull suffers similarly to turret; although good by itself, it becomes paper when facing higher tier guns
* 75 mm KwK44 can become difficult to use as a sniper in an uptier
* Pitiful reverse speed
* Slower turret traverse than the Panther A and G
* Turret cheeks can be penetrated by high penetration guns (German 88 mm or US 90 mm)

== History ==


{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}|expand=true}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
In the autumn of 1944, production of a new variant of the Panther was planned, the Ausf. F variant. This version had stronger front armour on its hull (80 mm), its sides (50 mm), and the front part of its roof (25 mm). The Schmalturm 605 turret, developed by the company Daimler-Benz AG, was slightly smaller than the standard Panther turret. This allowed the forward armour to be reinforced up to 120 mm, at an inclination of 20°. The sides of the new turret had a thickness of 60 mm and an inclination of 25°, and the thickness of the gun mantlet reached 150 mm. Stereoscopic rangefinders produced by the company Zeiss were mounted on the sides of the turret. The vehicle was armed with a 75 mm KwK42/1 L/70 or KwK44/1 L/70 gun in a new mantlet.

A project was launched to equip the Panther with the longer 75 mm KwK L/100. Instead of a directional machine gun, the radio operator/gunner used an MP 44 assault rifle. Production plans stipulated that production Ausf. F tanks would only be released with road wheels with internal shock absorbers. During mass production, the tank was supposed to be fitted with a periscope sight with an optical stabilizer. Each tank could, if necessary, be equipped with an FG 1250 night vision device.

In October 1944, production of the Ausf. F was set to launch in the Daimler-Benz plant in Berlin in March 1945. But by January 1945, a single Panther Ausf. G prototype with a Schmallturm turret was ready. Due to the overall difficulty of Germany's situation at the time, only a few prototypes with a narrow turret and 8 tank hulls had been constructed by the end of the war. Some sources indicate that several Ausf. F variants were completed by Daimler-Benz between April 20 and 23, 1945, and they may have been used in combat operations.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_V_ausf_f_panther 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 ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

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

{{TankManufacturer MAN AG}}
{{Germany medium tanks}}

Kleber

2024-05-22T14:08:42Z

U142271152: Added a bit of history to the description

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

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} French destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Alpha Strike"]]. It was laid down by german dockyards in 1935 in Bremen, and taken over by France as reparation along with other destroyers of the same class.<ref>[https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.navypedia.org%2Fships%2Ffrance%2Ffr_dd_desaix.htm#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url]</ref>

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

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

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

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

{{NavalMobility}}

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

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

{{main|12.8 cm/45 SK C/34 (128 mm)}}
''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.''

{{:12.8 cm/45 SK C/34 (128 mm)/Ammunition|12.8 cm Sprgr. L/4.4 Kpf.Z, 12.8 cm Sprgr. L/4.4 Bd.Z, 12.8 cm Sprgr. L/4.4 Zt.Z}}

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

{{main|Bofors L/60 Mark 3 (40 mm)}}
''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.''

* '''Universal:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''40 mm HE clips:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}
* '''40 mm AP clips:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}

{{:Bofors L/60 Mark 3 (40 mm)/Ammunition|HEFI-T, AP-T}}

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

{{main|2 cm/65 Flakvierling 38 (20 mm)|2 cm/65 Flakzwilling 38 (20 mm)}}
''An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select anti-aircraft weapons</code>. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.''

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

{{main|G7a (533 mm)}}
''Describe the available additional armaments of the ship: depth charges, mines, torpedoes. Talk about their positions, available ammunition and launch features such as dead zones of torpedoes. If there is no additional armament, remove this section.''

== Usage in battles ==

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

=== Pros and cons ===

''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''

'''Pros:'''

*

'''Cons:'''

*

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

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

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

;Related development

* [[Type 1934A (Family)]]

== External links ==

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

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

{{ShipManufacturer DeSchiMAG}}
{{France destroyers}}

User:U142271152

2024-03-20T13:25:07Z

U142271152: Created page with "From Toulouse"

From Toulouse

NC.900

2023-12-18T16:20:24Z

U142271152: /* Description */ Typo

{{About
| about = French fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the German version
| link-1 = Fw 190 A-8
| usage-2 = other versions
| link-2 = Fw 190 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=fw-190a-8_france
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The SNCAC NC.900 had its beginnings quite early in the war. Cravant, a chalk quarry, was abandoned until a French builder saw the quarry as a place for an aircraft factory. However, that plan wouldn't come to fruition due to the German invasion. The quarry was left alone for quite a while until the Germans utilized the quarry as a repair facility for their [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190]]s. As the tides turned in the war and Germany was pushed back from France, the repairmen at the quarry had to destroy all the Fw 190s that would be left behind. That plan failed and left many Fw 190s intact, and they were soon discovered by French forces. Due to the large number of aircraft and parts, it was decided to utilize the Fw 190 and redesignate it as the NC.900. Many NC.900s were cobbled together from different Focke-Wulf variants and would prove consequential later. After the first unit was assigned to the NC.900, problems quickly began. Sabotage and reliability issues plagued the NC.900s. Furthermore, the squadron flying them, Normandie-Niemen, hated the Fw 190 due to fighting them earlier in the war. It was quickly removed from service, and many were scrapped.

Introduced during [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]] as a reward for the [[wt:en/news/5224-special-festive-quest-en|2017 "Festive Quest"]] event, the '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a very unique aircraft. Although plagued with issues in real life, in-game it is quite a decent aircraft. It features excellent weaponry and decent performance. It has four wing-mounted 20 mm [[MG 151/20 (20 mm)|MG 151]] cannons and two nose-mounted 13 mm machine guns. They can easily destroy enemy aircraft with a tiny burst with the air target belt. The guns also have plentiful ammunition, so players can be more generous with firing. As for performance, the NC.900 lacks climb rate and acceleration. It also has a poor turn rate, and flaps must be used to stay competitive with enemy fighters. However, it does make up for these deficiencies with an excellent roll rate and a structural speed limit of over 900 km/h (562 mph). Overall, the NC.900 is a decent aircraft, but it does take getting used to its unique playstyle.

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 5,500 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 622 || 601 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 24.2 || 25.3 || 10.2 || 10.2 || rowspan="2" | 450
|-
! Upgraded
| 687 || 652 || 21.4 || 22.8 || 19.5 || 14.1
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 700 || 310 || ~12 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 420 || < 300 || < 550 || > 320
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 700 m || 1,498 hp || 1,874 hp
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 2
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 5,300 m || 1,301 hp || 1,628 hp
|-
|}

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


* 57 mm Bulletproof glass in front of the cockpit.
* 3-5 mm Steel plates in front of oil cooling system.
* 6 mm Steel plate under the radial engine.
* 12 mm Steel plate in pilot's headrest, and a 8 + 6 mm steel plates behind the pilot.
* 8 mm Steel plate under the cockpit.
* 5 mm Steel plate behind the fuel tank.

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

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

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

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

* 4 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons, wing-mounted (140 rpg outer + 250 rpg inner = 780 total)
* 2 x 13 mm MG 131 machine guns, nose-mounted (400 rpg = 800 total)

The four cannons are arranged in bundles of two mounted in each wing. The two outer cannons have 110 less rounds compared to the two inner cannons and will run empty first. The two machine guns are mounted in the nose of the aircraft have the same amount of ammunition and will deplete at the same time if out of ammo.

== Usage in battles ==

Flying the NC.900 tends to be very defensive and relies on neutralising an enemy's energy advantage and capitalising on the plane's advantages. Manoeuvres that work well include the Split-S, Chandelle and anything that requires a high rate of roll. One of these is to dive and roll in a single direction whilst applying rudder. This causes a very tight barrel roll that few aircraft can hope to gain a firing solution on. Another way to clear the NC.900's six is to pitch steeply up and roll over forcing an overshoot and potentially giving a firing solution. It's possible to dismember superior aircraft simply because of the roll rate and firepower this plane possesses. If skilled enough to press for a gun solution when scissoring an enemy, it could be greatly rewarded.

In summary, climb to the side, BnZ steadily, never get in a sustained turn fight, and use the roll rate to outgame the enemy when cornered.

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Great roll rate at all speeds.
* Good energy retention (though somewhat poor compared to [[Spitfire_LF_Mk_IX|Spitfire LF Mk IX]] in the BnZ role).
* Excellent high speed control.
* Heavy armament, with plenty of ammunition.
* Well armoured from the front, especially cockpit.
* Small and rugged air-frame.
* Has interceptor airspawn.

'''Cons:'''

* Poor acceleration at all altitudes.
* Poor turn time and energy retention in turns.
* Poor control at low speed.
* Rate of climb is mediocre.
* Bad at altitude performance.
* Very bricky to fly in general.

== History ==


The '''SNCAC NC.900''' was a French version of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, constructed from a number of abandoned Fw 190A-5 and A-8 airframes found in the former chalk quarry of Cravant after the Liberation of France.

The chalk quarry of Cravant was used for about 800 years for mining chalkstone, used in the construction of local buildings. After the quarry was abandoned in 1935, centuries of extractions of chalk had resulted in large underground caverns. During 1939, the French constructor ''Loire et Olivier'' became interested in the abandoned quarry, seeing the underground caverns as an ideal location to construct an additional aircraft factory. Before any airframe could be built at the Cravant installation, the Germans managed to occupy France, and for a couple of years, the installations at Cravant lay dormant. However, following the intensification of the Allied bombing offensive in 1943, the Germans started looking at alternative repair depots, and the installations at Cravant were reactivated. Following preparations, the repair facilities at Cravant were taken in use on February 6th 1944 as the ''Sonderreparaturbetrieb G.L & Elbag Lager 918 Auxerre'', also known as the ''Frontrepareturbetrieb 918''. Cravant soon became the main repair works for Focke-Wulf Fw 190s on the Western Front.

Over the next 6 months, about 163 Focke Wulf 190s were repaired at Cravant until the region was liberated by Allied forces on August 18th 1944. The German Forces tried to destroy the facilities before abandoning them by setting them on fire, however, according to local legends, the fire was asphyxiated through a lack of oxygen in the underground caverns. As such, when the factory was discovered by the Allied forces, they discovered 156 sets of wings and 112 fuselages of various marques of Focke Wulf Fw 190, including Fw 190 A-3s, A-4s, A-5s, A-6s, A-7s, A-8s, F-8s and G-3s. A large number of these fuselages were in a damaged state, either through pre-existing damage which had seen the aircraft end up at the facility in the first place or through damage caused by the fire set by the retreating German forces. After an inventory was made, it was found that of 112 fuselages about 70 to 75 were more or less in a useable state. With a large supply of available parts and a need for fighter planes, the decision was taken to rebuild a number of Focke Wulfs for use by French units.

Assembly of the airframes was started under the supervision of the ''Société Nationale de Construction Aéronautique du Centre'' (SNCAC), and the French-built Fw 190s were given the new designation of NC.900. Despite using a mixture of A-5, A-6 and A-8 fuselages and wings, no separate designations were given to the two variants; the main problem faced by the SNCAC was a lack of BMW 801 engines, necessitating the use of a large stock of engines built by the French Voisin factories. However, at the time it was not fully understood that these engines, built during the German occupation, had been subtly sabotaged by the French labourers, often in such a way that the sabotage could not be determined unless one knew where to look.

The first NC.900 flew on March 16th 1945, and the first aircraft was officially accepted by the French Air Force on May 11th 1945. The first unit which would be converted to the NC.900 was the Groupe du Chasse III/5 : the legendary ''Normandie-Niemen'' group which had arrived from the Soviet Union to France on June 20th 1945, and which in the first few months after its return had been flying the Yakolev Yak 3 with which the unit had returned from the Soviet Union. As spares for these aircraft were impossible to come by in France, and the unit's aircraft had one by one been cannibalised to keep them flying, the decision was made to assign the NC.900 to them first - and that could not have been a worse choice. After all, ''Normandie-Niemen'' had just spent three years on the Eastern Front, where they had fought intense battles against the Focke-Wulf Fw 190s of JG51 and had lost many of their comrades to the Butcher Bird's guns. As a result, the pilots hated the Fw 190/NC.900 and thoroughly disliked flying it. Despite their protests, the unit was officially converted to NC.900 on February 1st 1946.

Due to the way in which the NC.900s had been assembled at Cravant - using numerous parts of various variants without any real attempt at matching parts - the end result was that the NC.900 proved to be an unbalanced and unstable aircraft, with each separate airframe having distinctly different flying characteristics. Additionally, sabotage to both engines and individual parts meant that numerous incidents soon started happening with the NC.900s; added to that the pilots of ''Normandie-Niemen'' had been used to flying the lighter and more nimble Yak fighters, and conversion to the 'hated' Butcher Bird proved more problematic than expected. A series of incidents, accidents and mechanical breakdowns - often due to failure of sabotaged parts or engines - soon gave the NC.900 a very bad reputation, and already two weeks after its official introduction into service, on February 18th, the decision was taken to end production of the type, with the type being grounded in April pending thorough inspections. This resulted in a partial lifting of the ban, and 9 airframes were greenlit for service in July of 1946, but only one of them appears to have flown until the NC.900 was permanently grounded on November 1st 1946. The circa 70 NC.900s built flew barely 100 hours in service between February 1st and November 1st 1946.

Following the permanent flight ban of the NC.900s, the remaining airframes were scrapped except for one which now stands as an Fw 190 at the ''Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace'' at Bourget; France's remaining stock of Focke Wulf spare parts was subsequently sold to Turkey to keep its remaining Fw 190A-3a's flying (they, in turn, were withdrawn from service towards the end of 1947).

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fw-190a-8_france Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
File:NC.900 Alt Camo.png|"Non-standard bicolor camouflage pattern", given during the event
File:NC.900 Tail.png|Close-up on unique tail marking
</gallery>

== See also ==


; Equivalent aircraft from the [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190]] lineage:

* [[Fw 190 A-8]]

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/129411-fw-190-a-8-sncac-nc900/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211023162452/https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/129411-fw-190-a-8-sncac-nc900/ Archive])
* [https://www.histavia21.net/Cravant/cravant.htm [Histavia21 website<nowiki>]</nowiki> CRAVANT, L' USINE SOUTERRAINE Focke Wulf 190 et NC 900] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211023162556/https://www.histavia21.net/Cravant/cravant.htm Archive])
* [https://www.aviationsmilitaires.net/v2/base/view/Variant/6596.html [Aviationsmilitares website<nowiki>]</nowiki> SNCAC NC.900] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211023162645/https://aviationsmilitaires.net/v3/kb/aircraft/show/17293/sncac-nc900 Archive])
* [https://www.avionslegendaires.net/avion-militaire/sncac-nc-900/ [Avionslegendaries website<nowiki>]</nowiki> SNCAC NC.900] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211023162701/https://www.avionslegendaires.net/avion-militaire/sncac-nc-900/ Archive])

{{AirManufacturer SNCAC}}
{{France fighters}}
{{France premium aircraft}}
{{Winter Event}}

TPK 6.41

2023-12-14T21:34:57Z

U142271152: Added stuff

{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_tpk_641_vpc
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} French SPAA {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Air Superiority"]].

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

''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''

The turret has 1 crew, and the hull has 5 crewmembers. The gunner is in a turret at the back of the vehicle, far from the rest of the crew.

You are not immune to light machine gun fire, and any exposure to machine gun fire will knock out all your crew out. However thanks to the 6 person crew and the absence of armor, hits by solid shot will not be deadly most of the time.

'''Armour type:''' 

* Structural steel (hull, turret)
* Cast homogenous armor (thin and narrow shield in front of the gunner, on the turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 3 mm || 3 mm || 3 mm || 3 mm
|-
| Turret || 5-10 mm shield || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


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

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

{{tankMobility}}

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

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

{{main|Oerlikon KAD (20 mm)}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Oerlikon KAD (20 mm)|20 mm Oerlikon KAD]] (x2) || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 1,200 (120) || rowspan="2" | 996 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+81° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''HE, 20 mm:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}
* '''AP, 20 mm:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}

{{:Oerlikon KAD (20 mm)/Ammunition|HVAP-T, HEFI-T}}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''10''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

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

Always stay out of ennemy fire, make sure that you won't be hit or spotted by the adverse team before engaging an ennemy.

=== Pros and cons ===

''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''

'''Pros:'''

* High top speed
* Excellent firepower against planes

*

'''Cons:'''

* No armor
* High recoil
* Minimal gun depression

*

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==

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

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

{{France anti-aircraft vehicles}}
[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]

KV-85

2023-11-27T15:18:55Z

U142271152: /* Description */"the conflict" => "the Second World War" in description

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_kv_85
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''KV-85''' is the heavily modified sixth variant of the [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1 heavy tank family]]. It was a stopgap design comprised of a modified [[KV-1S]] hull connected to an IS-85 ([[IS-1]]) turret and mounted with an 85 mm D-5T tank gun. By the middle of the Second World War, all existing KV-1 variants were considered obsolete. Its firepower was less effective than it had been in the early war. To fight the increasingly strong German tanks, the Soviet Union required a new heavy tank with enhanced firepower. By 1943, there were 21 heavy tank designs, but they were all cancelled due to assessments of weak firepower and poor mobility, which cost the Red Army dearly. The final KV-1 variant, the KV-1S, exacerbated things by being a substantially inferior tank that attempted to balance two opposed attributes: armour and speed. Kotin divided his TsKB-2 department in two in order to speed up the development of heavy tanks. The first team chose to upgrade the KV-1S variant, while the second began work on the IS-85 (later renamed IS-1), a considerably better balance of speed and armour. The original KV-85 design was substantially different from the one that was ultimately adopted. It was a slightly modified KV-1S with a forcibly mounted 85 mm D-5T tank gun in a KV-1S cast turret. There appears to have been only one prototype, which was found unsatisfactory. This is probably owing to the shortage of turret space. Fortunately, the IS-85 turret was available at this point, but not the IS hull. Due to severe technical delays in IS-85 manufacturing as well as urgent needs for more heavy tanks with heavier weaponry, a new tank was created by modifying an existing KV-1S chassis and putting an IS-85 turret on top. The KV-85 was accepted for service by the State Defense Committee on August 8th, immediately after trials, resulting in 148 KV-85s being constructed as a stopgap from September to December at Chelyabinsk. The fifth crew member (the radio operator) was no longer required due to increased demand for larger ammunition racks (70 rounds) and the size of the gun breech.

Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the KV-85 is a unique heavy tank with significantly increased firepower when compared to the standard variants of the KV-1 heavy tank family. However, when faced with foes of its rank, the KV-85 armour will provide limited protection against other hostile vehicles. With only 75 mm front and 60 mm side armour, practically all adversaries and ammunition will pass through with ease. In comparison to other heavy tanks on the market, the KV-85's handling and combat style is very similar to the IS-1, making it an excellent jack-of-all-trades heavy tank: fast rate of fire, lighter weight, adequate mobility, fast turret traverse speed, fast targeting, good ammunition penetration, and explosive filler. Despite its limits, a skilled and experienced player of this vehicle may regularly tip the balance in their favour regardless of the battlefield, making the best use of the firepower while limiting the exposure of vulnerabilities at the same time.

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


The armour of the KV-85 is overall ineffective. Frontally, it does retain the 75 mm hull armour of the original KV-1, and a new 100 mm thick turret, but it can only be effective in a downtier against tanks with weak cannons. For the turret, the middle sections of the gun mantlet and turret cheeks can all be penetrated with ease, but outward sections will have very high effective thickness. This level of armour is inadequate to resist higher-tier opponents. The main weak spot of the KV-85 comes from the hull side. To house the larger turret ring for an 85 mm gun, there are 2 unapparent bulges right below the turret, 1 on each side. They are only 40 mm thick meaning even SPAA and low tier light tanks can easily penetrate there and result in the turret crew being cleaned or an ammo detonation. Due to this design flaw the KV-85 cannot angle, reducing its armour protection significantly. Roof armour is between 30-40 mm, which is not strong considering that around this BR there are some attackers equipped with high-penetrating cannons such as the [[Me 410 B-2/U4]] and [[Hs 129 B-3]], however these planes are not likely to perform vertical diving runs, rather they usually shallow dive, and your side armour is quite sturdy.

Post-penetration survivability is not good as the turret crew sit very close together, making them vulnerable to any explosive shells. The driver's port and gun mantlet has a chance to get penetrated without setting off a shell's fuse, creating minimal shrapnel.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, gun mantlet, turret roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret, turret cheeks, cupola, rear MG port)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 75 mm (30°) ''Upper plate'' 75 mm (70°) ''Upper glacis'' 25 mm (25-70°) ''Joint plate'' 75 mm (26-50°) ''Lower glacis'' || 60 mm 40 mm ''Turret base''|| 40 mm (cylindrical) ''Top'' 75 mm (cylindrical) ''Bottom'' || 40 mm (0-8°) 30 mm ''Radiator vents''
|-
| Turret || 100 mm (spherical) ''Turret front'' 100 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun mantlet'' || 100 mm (8-20°) || 100 mm (12-34°) 120 + 30 mm (spherical) ''MG port'' || 30 mm (0-3°) 35 mm ''Loader hatch''
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 82 mm (cylindrical) || 82 mm ''Outer ring'' 35 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 30 mm thick.
* A 45 mm thick piece of armour lays on the boundary of the gun mantlet.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=531}}

The KV-85's mobility is average for a heavy tank of its weight and size. Although it has a similar 600 hp engine and a matching weight with the earlier [[KV-1S]], its top speed is significantly lower, at 34 km/h. Still, the average top speed on most terrain remains similar, at around 30 km/h. The KV-85 does start to feel more sluggish when accelerating and turning comparing to the more agile KV-1S, even on concrete roads, but this is beneficial for getting prepared for the later IS series tanks. A forward/backward acceleration is often needed prior to turning if the player wants to traverse the hull faster in response to flankers. The reverse speed is good at around 13 km/h, far better than other tanks like T-34 and Panther.

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

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

{{main|D-5T (85 mm)}}

The KV-85, as the name suggests, is armed with a 85 mm D-5T cannon, the same gun as on the [[T-34-85 (D-5T)|early T-34-85]]. Its standard BR-365K APHE shell has very good penetration, damage, and adequate velocity and shell drop, making it a nice jack-of-all-trades round. The unlockable BR-365A goes further in terms of explosive fillers and penetration against sloped armour, and can penetrate tough tanks such as the [[M4A3E2]] and [[Panzer V Panther (Family)|Panther]] at surprising angles, making it the backbone ammo of Soviet tanks around this BR. Both shells have no problem knocking out common opponents with a single shot. However, unlike the T-34-85, the KV-85 does not have access to APCR, but it generally does not face tanks that are too well protected (e.g. [[Tiger II (Family)|Tiger II]], [[M26 (Family)|M26]]) while the T-34 has to.

While the cannon and ammunition make great firepower, the poor gun handling brings the firepower down. The gun depression is an awful -3 degrees, so the KV-85 can barely fight in a flat urban environment. Any sort of slope will prevent the player from aiming down at a target. The vertical and horizontal targeting speeds are not very fast too. The gunsight only has a maximum zoom of 3.5x, forcing the KV-85 to engage targets at a closer distance.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm D-5T]] || 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" | 70 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+23° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 11.3 || 15.7 || 19.0 || 21.1 || 22.4 || rowspan="2" | 9.62 || rowspan="2" | 8.51 || rowspan="2" | 7.84 || rowspan="2" | 7.40
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.3 || 9.8 || 11.9 || 13.2 || 14.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:D-5T (85 mm)/Ammunition|BR-365K, BR-365A, O-365K}}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''70''' || 66 ''(+4)'' || 51 ''(+19)'' || 46 ''(+24)'' || 41 ''(+29)'' || 29 ''(+41)'' || 17 ''(+53)'' || 11 ''(+59)'' || 1 ''(+69)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
'''Notes''':

* Shells in racks 1 to 7 are modeled by sets of 5 or 6 and are modeled as a set of 10 in rack 8.
* Shells disappear from the rack after all shells in the set having been shot or loaded.
* Turret empty: 51 (+19) shells.
* Turret and flanks empty: 41 (+29) shells.

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

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

The small calibre of the DT 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. The clip capacity is quite poor as it relies on a magazine of 63 bullets instead of a belt like similar machine guns from other nations.

== Usage in battles ==

At its rank and battle rating, the KV-85's armour is no longer up to par against newer and more powerful weapon systems of opposition vehicles it will face. Although unlike the [[IS-1]] successor of which is unable to protect itself by angling due to the rounded turret mount causing a vulnerability, the KV-85 has less of this issue as the entire front portion of the front and lower-plate is designed to be straight and rectangular and allowing it to deflect or ricochet some shots when angled optimally. The tactical usage and efficiency sit somewhere between the IS-1 and the [[T-34-85 (D-5T)]]; it is almost as armoured to par as the IS-1 in some aspects but is not as fast as the T-34-85 whilst still retaining the same armaments. Although of an older design, the KV-85 makes a crude, yet still effective jack-of-all-trades vehicle sufficient in holding its own on the battlefield in many situations by experienced users.

Another significant note of this vehicle is its considerably fast reverse rate, the second highest of its rank and battle rating for the nation's heavy tank line, topping at 14 km/h behind the [[IS-1]]'s 17 km/h. Players can use this advantage to cross from cover to cover whilst engaging hostile targets or to make a tactical retreat. During situations where close-quarters engagement is expected, an unorthodox strategy can be utilized when the operator of the KV tank re-positions the vehicle 180 degrees and drive in reverse towards the enemy. By driving in reverse with the rear facing the opposition, the engine blocks make a crude yet somewhat effective shield and protecting the more delicate crew. Many opponents the KV-85 will face will fire APHE as its main ammunition armament; the engine blocks and fuel tanks act as spaced-armour and causing APHE to detonate prematurely prior to reaching the crew compartment. In situations where the operator wants the best chance of victory in a 'round-the-corner' head on engagement, the surviving crew after a first-shot volley may be given the opportunity for a retaliatory strike and second-volley after being hit. This tactic should only be utilized in a case-by-case situation basis where it is an absolute necessity, as the engine compartment will almost certainly catch fire when struck. This is of little consequence if the user has Fire Extinguisher equipped. Be aware that this tactic is not suitable against opponents who fire solid-shot armour piercing shells such as certain British and American vehicles, as these will go straight through the rear, into the crew compartment and out the other side without stopping.

Although equally capable and effective in operating alone, the KV-85 also operates efficiently with other friendly vehicles. Of note are vehicles that act as bullet magnets such as the [[Churchill Mk VII]] with its heavy armour and large target to act as a distraction or to soak up shots, whilst the user of the KV-85 or other friendly vehicles may trail behind it and fire off shots 'over-the-shoulder' to dispatch more powerful opponents of which the guns of the Churchill may have difficulty dealing damage against.

Japanese tanks faced by the KV-85 are of little concern as their armour protection is largely inferior, as well as being relatively rare to tanks of other nations. Vehicles of American and British of the same Rank and Battle Rating are also less of a concern as their weapons and armour (excluding the Churchill Mk VII) are also generally inferior to some extent. When situation persists, hostile vehicles of German and Soviet origins should be prioritized first. Tiger tanks should be targeted 'between-the-eyes' of the front plate between the MG and driver's viewport, or to the left or right side of the same front plate to set off ammunition racks. All Panzers models IV and below are of little concern - a single shot anywhere and everywhere will almost always guarantee to penetrate and destroy them. The [[Panther D|Panther]] of which it may occasionally face will be invulnerable in its sloped front plate. Target instead of the turret, or flank to the side and destroy with a single APHE shot.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good firepower with the 85 mm gun
* Fast targeting and tracking
* High rate of fire
* Rectangular armour shape allows for good angling effectiveness
* Good mobility, identical to [[KV-1 (L-11)]]
* Significantly fast reverse speed
* Player skill compatibility between older and newer T-34, KV and IS models

'''Cons:'''

* Insufficient flat armour that would be penetrated if not angled
* Poor gun depression of -3°
* Large gun turret silhouette and profile
* Max speed relatively slow and inferior compared to contemporary tanks
* Limited crew (4 maximum)
* Vehicle center hull is a mass of ammunition, fuel, and crew that can all be damaged with a shot to the area

== History ==

During World War II, the USSR developed the KV-85 (originally known as Object 239) as an interim heavy tank solution to counter the emerging German Wehrmacht Panther medium tank. The Panther is a ground-breaking design that provides an excellent balance of mobility, protection, and firepower. It proved to be more than a match for the early T-34 medium tank.

===Development===
The KV-85 is an interesting combination of several tanks: it is a KV-1S chassis with an Object 237 (IS-85; later known as IS-1) turret that was still in development, while mounting an early version of the 85 mm (D-5T) gun. The 85 mm gun, capable of penetrating the Tiger I from 1,000 m, was a vast improvement over the previous 76 mm F-34 gun. However, production is extremely limited, with only 148 built between August and October 1943 as more resources are allocated to developing Object 237. Because the armament of choice was the 85 mm D-5T gun (the same model as fitted to the SU-85), the new stopgap heavy tank was eventually designated the KV-85. Lessons learned during the development and operational use of the KV-85 paved the way for the creation of a Soviet war classic - the IS heavy tank series.

Although the KV-85 was an excellent improvement over the previous KV-1 and T-34, capable of engaging Tigers and Panthers on relatively equal terms, it was designed from the start to be a stopgap tank, and thus was built in limited numbers. The Object 237 was completed later and entered service as the IS-85 (later changed to IS-1) in the autumn and winter of 1943-44. When the more powerful IS-2 version was developed, production of the IS-1 was eventually halted by the spring of 1944.

===Replacement===
The KV tank series was eventually succeeded by the Iosef Stalin (IS) series heavy tanks in 1943, with the first IS-1, which featured the same turret and 85 mm gun as the KV tank series.

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This tank was created based on the KV-1S due to delays in the IS-1's development. It was equipped with the turret developed for the IS-1 with an enlarged traverse circle, strengthened armour and an 85 mm cannon. The new vehicle was the next step on the path to creating a heavy tank significantly different from a medium tank not only in its armour, but in its firepower as well. The new cannon required a new ammo rack, and the ammunition complement had to be reduced to 70 shells. The tank's main armament was an 85 mm D-5T-85 cannon with a rate of fire of up to 8 shots per minute. Standard ammunition for the 85 mm Mod. 1939 air defence gun was used in the cannon. Instead of a frontal machine gun, a fixed bow machine gun was installed in a socket mount to the right of the driver, which he used to lay down unaimed fire. This allowed the gunner/radio officer to be removed from the crew. Part of the ammunition complement and an additional fuel tank were installed in his place.

Owing to the fact that the tank was an intermediate model, it was manufactured for a relatively short time. In total, 130 of them were made.

KV-85 tanks served in guards assault tank regiments. The first regiment of these new tanks reached the front as early as the first days of September 1943 during battles to liberate Left-bank Ukraine. Alongside other vehicles, the heavy tank was tasked with breaking through enemy positions and fighting armoured vehicles. When used correctly, it could oppose the newest German heavy tanks, which previously technically surpassed it. The tank had insufficient hull armour for the end of 1943, providing adequate defence only against German guns below with a calibre below 75 mm.

The KV-85 was an important intermediate link between pre-war heavy tank designs and the powerful IS tanks built to replace them.
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== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_kv_85 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Sights

* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/682644/en/ RideR2's Realistic and semi-realistic gunsight reticles for Soviet vehicles.]
* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/1037413/en/ Caff_Gunner's (Soviet) Historical and semi-historical gun reticles.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|PUw2CQ8e0lE|'''Best Combo #1''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:47 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[KV-1 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_KV-85.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> KV-85]

{{TankManufacturer ChTZ}}
{{USSR heavy tanks}}