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Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)

2024-02-28T09:13:24Z

U149585981: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = premium heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Churchill (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_infanterie_kampfpanzer_churchill
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The Churchill tank was an infantry tank produced by Great Britain intended for supporting an infantry assault with its armour and firepower. The Churchill tank's first action was during the disastrous Dieppe Raid in August 1942, which saw a number of them committed then lost when the Allies were unable to recover the tank during their retreat. The Germans captured these tanks and subjected them through evaluations. Their initial impressions were poor, thinking the Churchill tank as obsolete. The captured Churchills were repurposed within the Wehrmacht in roles such as ''Beutepanzers'' or shore fortifications.

Introduced in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]], the Pz.Kpfw. Churchill is a German captured [[Churchill Mk III]] that is distinguished by being painted grey (with the same tone as the Panzer IV and Panzer III) and possess white Wehrmacht markings. The Pz.Kpfw. Churchill is one of the best heavy tanks in rank III, sporting heavy frontal armour, a 6-pounder gun that is suitable for its rank, and 30 smoke grenades that are fired separately from the roof, great for covering great areas with smoke. The Churchill also has great gun depression and turret traverse, meaning it can fire at different targets very efficiently. However, the low acceleration and speed makes it a slug on the battlefield, making it difficult to manoeuvre and a large target against enemy guns. The thin roof armour also means that the tank is perfect prey to fighter-bombers and rocket attacks.

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


There are very few enemies which can successfully penetrate the Churchill, the [[M10 GMC|M10]] and the [[Achilles]] can quickly take care of this vehicle even at long ranges! Other tanks like the [[Jagdpanzer IV]], the [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)]], and the [[Dicker Max]] can also make quick work of the Churchill, but only in arcade battles, as in realistic battles, they all belong in the same tree.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 452|rbMinHp= 310}}

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

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

{{main|6pdr OQF Mk.V (57 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[6pdr OQF Mk.V (57 mm)|57 mm 6pdr OQF Mk.V]] || 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" | 85 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 19.42 || 26.88 || 32.64 || 36.10 || 38.40 || rowspan="2" | 5.20 || rowspan="2" | 4.60 || rowspan="2" | 4.24 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:6pdr OQF Mk.V (57 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.8, Shot Mk.5 HV, Shot Mk.9, Shell Mk.10}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Churchill_III.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the Churchill III (identical)]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''85''' || 82 ''(+3)'' || 43 ''(+42)'' || 22 ''(+63)'' || 5 ''(+80)'' || 1 ''(+84)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Racks disappear after all shells in the rack have been shot or loaded.
* Turret empty: 82 ''(+3)'' shells.

==== Optics ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
|-
! Which ones
! Default magnification
! Maximum magnification
|-
! Main Gun optics
| x1.85 || x3.5
|-
! Comparable optics
| colspan="2" | [[Pz.IV G]]
|-
|}

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

{{main|BESA (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[BESA (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm BESA]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 9,350 (225) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Like its British counterpart, the Churchill can be used as a very efficient brawler with its excellent turret traverse and gun depression, and heavy frontal armour. Though in urban environments, you should be careful in case someone tries to flank your weak side and rear armour.

This tank can be effectively be played in a brawling style, going into the front lines. This tank, due to its excellent armour and gun, can even hold off an entire enemy flank with minimal backup. In city maps, be careful not to expose your side armour as it is quite weak and your engine might get damaged. With its good gun, it can be as a support tank as well, in the second line destroying tanks. Angle your armour to maximize its effectiveness. When frontally angled, even the sides will be tough to penetrate. Many tanks will struggle penetrating you. There are some tanks that you don't even need to worry at all penetrating you from the front, such as the Panzer III. Angling your armour will make you even tough against the high penetration Panzer IV F2. However, be aware of higher penetration tanks. The M10 is a worthy mention as most of the time it might be able to penetrate your armour. The far deadlier Achilles can penetrate your front with little effort. Thus, it is advised to take cover, angle, or destroy them first. Shermans are not much threat since they won't really penetrate your armour, but sometimes they do. They are easy to deal with as your 57 mm gun can punch straight through. Your 57 oddly does a lot of damage for a 57 mm gun. It can one shot Panzer III's, and sometimes Shermans if you aim correctly. Overall, the Churchill III is a very powerful Rank III vehicle that is capable of holding off an entire flank, while destroying tanks easily in quick succession.

If you are not in an up-tiered situation, you can effectively enter a battle and absorb all the enemy rounds which could've been fired at your weaker teammates and either engage the enemy with your 57 mm cannon or let your teammates return fire. Companion vehicles such as the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV F2]], [[8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl.]] and other German vehicles possess superior firepower compared to the other country vehicles in rank III (Except for other special TDs, such as the American [[M10 GMC]] and British [[Achilles]]) and can in most cases hold their own.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Long, tough hull is easily angled
* 90 mm turret armour is effective at medium & long range
* Large tracks can absorb shells fired at the side
* Fast turret traverse, easy to engage people without turning
* 57 mm gun reloads quickly
* Good penetration
* Slow speed makes it easy to hit enemies after a shortstop
* 30 individually fired smoke grenades, great for covering points and areas with smoke
* Good gun depression
* Has access to a low-speed stabilizer for firing on the move, pairs well with the vehicle's slow speed

'''Cons:'''

* No HE filler for any rounds, unless hitting an ammo rack, it will require multiple shots to take the target down
* Large target, easily spotted by bombers/fighter-bombers
* Very poor speed, both forward and backward
* Unangled armour fares poorly at close ranges
* Lack of camouflage, only urban grey and winter livery
* Machine gun port is only 50 mm
* Roof armour is very thin, can be penetrated by .50 cal rounds
* Engine mostly affected when hit from the side or turret
* Large tracks are vulnerable to damage

== History ==

The German military first encountered the [[Churchill (Family)|Churchill]] tank in August of 1942, following the disastrous Dieppe raid made by British and Canadian military elements. On August 8th, the Churchill Mk IV made its debut, as almost 60 of them had been allocated to assist the 6,000 British and Canadian troops raiding the beach. Of those, only the first 30 were deployed, and of those 30, one became trapped in its damaged landing craft, another two sank, and 11 were disabled by indirect fire and rough terrain. Despite the losses, this was the first successful use of heavy tanks in amphibious landings. In the chaotic evacuation that followed, the tanks that had deployed and survived the raid were unable to be recovered by the British and were abandoned. They, along with many other examples of British equipment, were captured by the Germans.

These tanks were later evaluated by the Germans. Though none were damaged by direct anti-tank fire, the Germans had come to the conclusion that the tanks were virtually obsolete, too underpowered and lacking proper firepower. Two of the twenty-nine tanks captured at Dieppe were used as ''Beutepanzers'' and saw service with the German military, repainted into the German standard grey colouration and marked with prominent Iron Crosses on the sides of the turret. The rest of the captured Churchills were repurposed for secondary combat roles, destroyed, or taken apart, with their turrets being used as improvised beach defences at Dieppe after the raid.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_infanterie_kampfpanzer_churchill 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 Vauxhall}}
{{Germany heavy tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Brummbar

2024-02-28T09:12:41Z

U149585981: /* Pros and cons */

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

== Description ==


Seeing a need to create a new direct-fire infantry support self-propelled gun for the infantry, Alkett developed a self-propelled artillery piece based on the chassis of the Panzer IV medium tank in service. The vehicle became known as the ''Sturmpanzer IV'', though it would become known more popularly by the nickname '''Brummbär''' (German: "Grouch") that the Allied intelligence assigned to it. With 300 units manufactured between March 1943 to May 1945, the Sturmpanzer IV saw its first use at the Battle of Kursk and was present at most major combat operations afterwards, proving to be an extremely effective tool for neutralizing fortified positions, enemy troops, and armored vehicles.

Introduced in [[Update 1.61 "Road to Glory"]], the Brummbär's main strength lies in its 150 mm cannon, akin to that found on the [[KV-2 (1939)]]. Due to its long reload and decent armour, this machine is suited to ambushes or supported urban combat. Its ~100 mm frontal armour is a force to be reckoned with (being about the same as a [[Tiger H1|Tiger I's]]). However, its sides are weak (as any Panzer IV is) and its rear is as well. Its gun has a lot of drop (it is very low velocity), so "sniping" at ranges over ~750 m will basically be indirect fire. This is why this vehicle should stick to short-range attacks. Due to the potential of all of its shells, it is almost guaranteed a one-hit knock-out, assuming the shell hits relatively on-target.

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

The armour protection of the Brummbär is one of its main advantages. The bulky fighting compartment occupies most of its frontal silhouette, and its gently sloped 100 mm armour plate gives an effective thickness of ~125 mm which makes it immune to all light tanks' cannons and most medium tanks' cannons at its tier (e.g. [[M24 (Family)|M24]], [[Cromwell (Family)|Cromwell I]], [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 1942]]). Most players, not knowing the locations of the Brummbär's weak spots, will naturally shoot at this huge attention-grabbing armour plate. The tapering plates joining the front and the sides are 60 mm, giving an effective thickness of ~100 mm when looking from the front, which is also able to neglect most tanks' ammunition.

However, one frontal weak spot is the 20 mm upper glacis. Although well angled it can still be penetrated due to the insufficient thickness, especially when the shell has good overmatching characteristics (e.g. USSR 76 mm/85 mm, US 75 mm). Thus, the Brummbär's frontal protection is great, but with some flaws.

The side and rear armour range from 20 to 50 mm, which is not enough to stop any rounds without significant angling. They can only stop HE shells, rifle-calibre bullets, or some autocannon shells.

The post-penetration survivability of the Brummbär is quite bad. Similar to the StuG series tank destroyers, the Brummbär has 3 crew members sitting tightly in a column at the right side of the fighting compartment (when looking at its front), and 2 on the left. This means that a frontal penetrating shot through the right side can take out 3 men if the shell is solid, or even all 5 crw members if it is explosive. Frontal penetration through the hull can destroy the transmission, leaving the tank immobile. It may also hurt the driver.

'''Armour type:'''

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (74°) ''Front glacis'' 50 + 50 mm (12°) ''Joint plate'' 30 + 30 mm (57°) ''Lower glacis'' || 20 + 5 mm || 20 mm (11-12°) || 10 mm
|-
| Superstructure || 100 mm (39°) 250 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 60 mm (21°) ''Front-to-Side joint plate'' 50 mm (15°) ''Sides'' || 30 mm (29°) || 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 10 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===

{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

The mobility of the Brummbär is overall inferior. The forward speed on average is ~20 km/h on dirt road and ~15 km/h on worse offroad conditions. It can only reach a maximum speed of ~30 km/h on well-paved flat roads, which is not a common infrastructure on most maps. The acceleration is also very slow especially when offroad. This low speed significantly limits the Brummbär's positioning ability, and it will always arrive at a position later than most teammates.

The hull traverse is quite bad too. The tank will need a short forward/backward acceleration before turning on the tracks. This is worsened on loose terrain like sand and snow, meaning the Brummbär not only cannot change direction quickly, but will also easily get circled and not be able to respond in time. The reverse speed of -7 km/h is not fast enough to retreat the Brummbär from danger, but luckily its strong frontal armour might compensate it.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=426|rbMinHp=265}}

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

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

{{main|Stu.H 43 L/12 (150 mm)}}

The Brummbär's 150 mm howitzer is a deadly weapon thanks to its explosive shells. The gun has a usable vertical traverse of -8°/+30°, and a good horizontal traverse of ±15°, meaning that if you position yourself correctly you don't need to move the entire tank a lot. The gun rotates at an average speed of ~12°/s, which is adequate to target medium and heavy vehicles. Against fast-moving vehicles, this targeting speed is generally not enough to keep up with them especially if they are up close.

The reload speed is approximately 20 seconds, which is reasonable for its calibre and power, though still quite slow comparing to other guns. Thus the Brummbär should stay behind cover during the reload, and aim carefully to make every shot count.

The gunsight zoom is not particularly good, and combined with the slow muzzle velocity and extremely curved trajectory it makes long range shooting very hard even for experienced players.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Stu.H 43 L/12 (150 mm)|150 mm Stu.H 43 L/12]] || 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" | 38 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±15° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 13.2 || 18.3 || 22.2 || 24.6 || 26.1 || rowspan="2" | 22.36 || rowspan="2" | 19.78 || rowspan="2" | 18.23 || rowspan="2" | 17.20
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.9 || 10.5 || 12.8 || 14.1 || 15.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
The 150 mm howitzer offers 2 ammunition types, a HE shell and a HEAT shell.

* '''I.Gr.38; HE:''' recommended primary shell choice. this HE packs 8.6 kg of explosives, one of the most explosive shell in game, which is extremely fatal against all tanks. It can knock out all light, medium tanks and SPAAs with a single shot, and most heavy tanks and tank destroyers, or even modern MBTs if hit properly. Its shrapnel can also cripple or destroy thinly armoured/unarmoured vehicles when exploding nearby. However, if there are no thin armour around the hit point, it will most likely cause zero damage.
* '''I.Gr.39 HI/A; HEAT:''' secondary choice, recommended to only bring less than 5 rounds. It has an impressive 185 mm penetration, but the fact that most tanks the Brummbär faces have less than 100 mm of armour makes this shell an overkill. However if you plan to bring this tank to a higher BR, it might become handy. It will be able to penetrate tanks like M4A3E2, M6A1, Churchill VII easily. But the nature of HEAT gives it a small post-penetration damage, and only the things directly in its path will be affected. This requires you to accurately hit exactly what you want to disable. This HEAT also has a slightly less curved trajectory than the HE, as well as a slightly faster velocity.

{{:Stu.H 43 L/12 (150 mm)/Ammunition|I.Gr.38, I.Gr.39 HI/A}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo part
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''38''' || style="text-align:right" | ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 27 ''(+11)'' 31 ''(+7)'' || 14 ''(+24)'' 1 ''(+37)'' || 1 ''(+37)''   || No
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

If in a large, open map, move with as much teammates as possible since the Brummbär will not be able to fire at enemies from long range due to the nature of the gun. Stay a bit behind your teammates if you can to better protect yourself when providing fire support. If little to no teammates are in your area, find yourself a place that offers a cover and overwatches a key enemy area and avoid being in the open at all costs, since the Brummbär can only face enemies from its front, while an open space means countless threat directions. The tapering armour plates joining the frontal fighting compartment and the sides are only 60 mm thick, meaning any shell hitting it at an angle will very likely penetrate.

Urban combat is probably where this vehicle does best, as its armour can bounce many shots if it peeks around corners properly. The short ideal range (0-600 m) of the gun makes short range urban combat its friend. This coupled with lots of cover for the long reload makes any city the best place to play this tank. Find a street/pathway with buildings at the sides so your flanks are covered. The place should also overwatch an area where enemies can appear. This way you only need to worry about enemies from one direction, which is your front, allowing you to concentrate on fighting. You can also present your sturdy frontal armour towards the threat confidently. When conducted well, the Brummbär can be a fortress that blockades the advancement of multiple enemy tanks through a key street (e.g. the rightmost street in [[Advance to the Rhine]]), which is very beneficial in leading to a victory or delaying a defeat. However it is best to fight alongisde teammates, as being alone can very much result in you getting swarmed and flanked. The Brummbär's slow reload does not allow it to fight multiple enemies at once.

If you need to reposition under enemy fire, do not turn the tank to the side too much unless all enemies are unable to fire when you turn. This is to avoid your thin side getting penetrated. Instead, turn no more than 10° each time to slowly "wriggle" towards the new place. This ensures that your frontal armour is always facing the front even when moving sideways.

Be wary of fast-moving vehicles, as, they are harder to hit with the slow, heavy gun, and especially since the Brummbär does not have a turret, they will flank easily. In addition, heavy SPAA will ruin the Brummbär's day if they get to even the side armour, being relatively thin for its rank. Regardless, most guns of the rank can penetrate the Brummbär frontally from medium ranges, so be careful. Always beware of multiple/squad enemies, as the Brummbär cannot engage them all at once. Sometimes, if they don't see the vehicle, it's better to just let them go and avoid exposing the Brummbär.

Whenever you arrive at a fighting spot it is good to range-find the areas where enemies might appear prior to them actually showing up, and memorise the ranges. This way you can fire as soon as an enemy appears instead of wasting another 10 seconds which is beneficial given the unfriendly trajectory, velocity, and slow reload.

=== Enemies worth noting: ===

* [[SU-85]]: this USSR tank destroyer carries a long 85 mm gun capable of frontally penetrating the Brummbär, which is very rare at this BR. The 85 mm shell can enter through the well angled 20 mm upper glacis using its great overmatching ability and one-shot all the crew, or through the frontal hull and knock out the transmission. The SU-85 also has a low silhouette making it rather hard to spot. Luckily, the SU-85 has an average armour protection that becomes nonexistent in front of the Brummbär's 150 mm HE. Hitting it anywhere can result in its crew being knocked out by overpressur, just avoid hitting the tracks, the gun mantlet, and the driver's hatch.
* [[KV-2 (1939)|KV-2]]: similar to the Brummbär, the KV-2 also has a large-calibre 152 mm howitzer as its main weapon. Its HE shell, although inferior in terms of explosive mass, can still destroy the Brummbär with overpressure if hit on the thin upper glacis, the top, or the side, so you must avoid getting hit by it. The KV-2's turret rotates extremely slowly meaning its agility as a turreted tank is not a lot better than the turretless Brummbär. However it requires accurate hits to be destroyed, since it has good armour against HE on the hull and turret (75 mm). To trigger an overpressure, the Brummbär must land a hit near the bottom-most area of the turret, so the blast will travel down through the hull roof into the crew compartment. Hitting the middle of an armour plate will very likely result in no damage at all.
* [[Sherman Firefly]], [[M4A4 (SA50)]]: these Sherman variants can appear fragile in front of your 150 mm gun, but they will give a strong bite in return. They are armed with long barrel 75/76 mm anti-tank guns with over 190 mm of penetration, which is more than enough to frontally penetrate the Brummbär even from 800 m away. Also, despite firing solid shots, their ammo can cause quite a bit of shrapnel due to their good calibres. Against them, do not expect your armour to hold up anymore. Try your best to fire first and finish them off to avoid getting hit.

=== Against the Brummbär: ===

* '''Light tanks & SPAA''': players of light vehicles can very much feel powerless in front of a Brummbär, and that is perfectly normal. Because in order to feel the joy of getting a kill, you must not stand in front of it, instead utilise your superior manoeuvrability to get behind or flank it, where the Brummbär's armour plates are thin. An average light tank like [[M24 (Family)|M24]] should be confident to flank it as the Brummbär has very poor acceleration and hull traverse, preventing it from keeping its howitzer on target. The closer you are, the easier it is to circle it, and the harder it is for the Brummbär to keep up with you. As for SPAA, because of the slightly worsened mobility of most SPAAs comparing to light tanks you must pick the time to flank carefully. Once at its side, if your SPAA has low penetration (e.g. [[M16 MGMC]]), target the lower part of the hull that has sideskirts attached, it is only 25 mm thick. If you have over 50 mm penetration (e.g. [[CCKW 353 AA]]), the fighting compartment's side (50 mm) can also be penetrated. The rear (20-30 mm) is an easy target for any SPAA. If a frontal engagement is a must, SPAAs can also destroy the Brummbär's tracks and then the short, thick gun barrel.
* '''Medium tanks''': compared to light tanks, medium tanks have upgraded firepower, thicker armour, and worsened mobility. Only the upgraded firepower is useful against a Brummbär, as your armour will still be useless when hit by a large-calibre HE. Again, rely on your speed to get to the Brummbär's side or rear. Now because of your better gun, the tapered armour between its frontal fighting compartment and the sides are also an option since they are only 60 mm thick. As a result medium tanks like [[T-34 (1942)]] and [[M4]] will be able to knock a Brummbär out at a slight angle from the front, without doing a full flanking manoeuvre. However you are now slower, so be decisive in your actions to avoid getting hit.
* '''Heavy tanks''': perhaps heavy tanks are the most challenging vehicles to use when fighting a Brummbär, because its 150 mm HE can ignore all armour regardless of the thickness, making your armour useless dead weight. You also have a subpar mobility that might not be any better than the Brummbär's, making it harder to flank. Plus, most heavy tanks at this tier are only equipped with medium tank level cannons (e.g. [[Churchill III]], [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|KV-1]]) meaning you cannot enjoy the luxury of destroying it frontally. As such, in a head-on fight, it is safer to either target its tracks and gun barrel, or to straight up avoid engaging it. Be patient and peek out when the Brummbär is distracted and exposes its weak spots. In the meanwhile, don't forget to pin it out on the minimap.
* '''Tank destroyers''': having a powerful anti-tank cannon can be the biggest assurance when facing a heavily armoured vehicle like the Brummbär. As a tank destroyer, you should have no problem penetrating the Brummbär's frontal armour. However lots of tank destroyers are thinly armoured (e.g. [[ASU-57]], [[Archer]], [[Breda 501]]) which means that the Brummbär doesn't even need a direct hit to injure or knock out your crew with shrapnel. Other tank destroyers have some armour (e.g. [[SU-85]], [[Gun Carrier (3-in)]]), but will still get destroyed easily. Therefore, with strong firepower yet low survivability, tank destroyers can be more adaptable in terms of positioning as they can penetrate the Brummbär anywhere, but they must conceal themselves until the Brummbär appears. Be quick and accurate on the aim to shoot first, before the Brummbär fires.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 100 mm frontal armour stops the shells of most tanks (e.g. [[T-34 (1943) (China)|T-34 1943]], [[M4A2]], [[Cromwell (Family)|Cromwell]]), granting high protection
* 15 cm gun can knock out most tanks with overpressure with a single shot
* Fear factor: intimidates the enemy and delays their actions with the deadly 15cm howitzer
* Curved trajectory allows shell-lobbing over covers

'''Cons:'''

* Thin side armour with ammo stored behind lowers post-penetration survivability
* Very slow traveling rounds with curvy trajectory, hitting moving targets at range can be extremely difficult.
* Optic only provides aiming marks up to 800 m, aiming past that is either in 3rd person view or guestimations
* Poor mobility, greatly limiting its positioning speed
* Is a big target
* Frontal 20 mm plate, though extremely sloped, can still get overmatched by Sherman 75 mm and Soviet 57 and 76 mm guns
* No machine gun to help clear obstacles

== History ==


===Development===
The '''Sturmpanzer''' is a development of the Wehrmacht on the needed for a heavy assault gun to provide direct fire support for the infantry in urban areas. It took a Panzer IV chassis, turned it into a casemate structure, and added a 15 cm StuH 43 howitzer (derived from the 15 cm sIG 33) onto the vehicle. The official names were "Sturmpanzer", "Sturmpanzer 43", or the "Sturmpanzer IV", however it was not known as the '''Brummbär''' by the Germans as that name was actually coined by the Allied forces. The Wehrmacht accepted it in 1943 and about 300 units were built from 1943 to 1945.

===Design===
The Sturmpanzer was heavily armoured and equipped with a gun capable of leveling buildings. The 15 cm howitzer has 38 two-piece rounds available in storage, though rate of fire is low due to the heavy weight of each shell, the HE shell weighing around 38 kg (84 lb.) alone. Though its armour ensures great survivability, the heavy weight of the design stressed the chassis and breakdowns were frequent on the transmission and suspension.

The Sturmpanzer underwent four different designs during its production life, mostly fixing problems experienced with the preceding models. The first series were produced from April to December 1943 with 52 from [[Pz.IV G|Ausf. G]] chassis and 8 from [[Pz.IV E|Ausf. E]] and [[Pz.IV F2|Ausf. F]] chassis. The second series of vehicles began in December 1943 using the [[Pz.IV H|Ausf. H]] chassis until March 1944 with improvements to the driver's compartment, internal ventilation, and steel-rimmed road wheels. The third series of vehicles lasted from March to June 1944 with to the driver's optic and a lighter 15 cm StuH 43/1 howitzer as the armament. The fourth and last series from June 1944 to March 1945 featured the chassis and engine of the [[Pz.IV J|Ausf. J]] model, it had a redesigned gun collar, a reduction in overall height, and a ball mount for an MG34 in the front casemate structure.

===Combat usage===
The Sturmpanzer was equipped in four independent battalions in the course of the war in the Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 216, 217, 218, and 219. The first to receive the Sturmpanzers was the 216th in April 1943 with about 45 vehicles split into three companies with 14 each and 3 in the battalion headquarters. They saw use in the Battle of Kursk in Operation Citadel and was assigned to the Panzerjäger Regiment 656 in the 9th Army of Army Group Center. It stayed in play all the way to December 1943, assisting German soldiers in attacking and withdrawing from the Russian front. The battalion was transferred in February 1944 to counter the Allied invasion of Italy. Though intended to attack the Allies at the beachhead, the operation failed and the battalion was stationed there all the way until Germany's surrender. The 217th was made in April 1944 and was stationed in Normandy in early June 1944. They did not see use early in the Battle of Normandy as the Allies and the French Resistance sabotaged the rail network to France and the Sturmpanzers, forced to drive to France, broke down en route. They did see combat at Caen in August 1944 however, but withdrew to recuperate after suffering major casualties. The 217th also saw combat in the Battle of the Bulge, before retreating due to losses and continued withdrawing until captured in the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945.

The 218th started as the Sturmpanzer-Kompanie z.b.V. 218 and was raised in August 1944. It stayed in the Eastern Front and saw combat in the Warsaw Uprising. It continued fighting until it was wiped out in East Prussia in April 1945. A similar unit known as the Sturmpanzer-Kompanie z.b.V. 2./218 was made alongside the 218th, though not much is known except that it went to form the actual Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 218 in January 1945. Though expected to be equipped with 45 Sturmpanzers, it ended up with [[StuG III G|StuG III]]s instead. The 219th was made in September 1944. In October 1944, it only had 10 Sturmpanzers when Operation Panzerfaust was launched and Germany enters Hungary. It arrived on October 19th when it was no longer needed and was sent to Slovakia for further training and equipping before returning to Hungary to relieve the German troops at Budapest. It stayed until forced to retreat by the Soviets before either being wiped out or surrendering.

Today, four Sturmpanzers are known to have survived in intact conditions. Each one is in France, Germany, Russia, and the United States.

== Media ==


;Skins

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

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|Ah9gpdy7IPI|'''The Shooting Range #333''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:01 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|HEI1o43SMzw|'''Only rank I ammunition available? No problem! Brummbär''' - ''HowToPlay1337''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[Pz.IV]] Family

;Vehicles equipped with the same ammunition

* [[15cm sIG 33 B Sfl]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[KV-2 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4149-development-sturmpanzer-iv-brummb%C3%A4r-the-high-calibre-grouch-en|[Development] Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär – The High-Calibre Grouch]]
* [[Wikipedia:Brummb%C3%A4r|[Wikipedia] Brummbär]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/sturmpanzer-iv_brummbar.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär]

{{Germany tank destroyers}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)

2024-02-28T09:11:18Z

U149585981: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = premium heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Churchill (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_infanterie_kampfpanzer_churchill
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The Churchill tank was an infantry tank produced by Great Britain intended for supporting an infantry assault with its armour and firepower. The Churchill tank's first action was during the disastrous Dieppe Raid in August 1942, which saw a number of them committed then lost when the Allies were unable to recover the tank during their retreat. The Germans captured these tanks and subjected them through evaluations. Their initial impressions were poor, thinking the Churchill tank as obsolete. The captured Churchills were repurposed within the Wehrmacht in roles such as ''Beutepanzers'' or shore fortifications.

Introduced in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]], the Pz.Kpfw. Churchill is a German captured [[Churchill Mk III]] that is distinguished by being painted grey (with the same tone as the Panzer IV and Panzer III) and possess white Wehrmacht markings. The Pz.Kpfw. Churchill is one of the best heavy tanks in rank III, sporting heavy frontal armour, a 6-pounder gun that is suitable for its rank, and 30 smoke grenades that are fired separately from the roof, great for covering great areas with smoke. The Churchill also has great gun depression and turret traverse, meaning it can fire at different targets very efficiently. However, the low acceleration and speed makes it a slug on the battlefield, making it difficult to manoeuvre and a large target against enemy guns. The thin roof armour also means that the tank is perfect prey to fighter-bombers and rocket attacks.

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


There are very few enemies which can successfully penetrate the Churchill, the [[M10 GMC|M10]] and the [[Achilles]] can quickly take care of this vehicle even at long ranges! Other tanks like the [[Jagdpanzer IV]], the [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)]], and the [[Dicker Max]] can also make quick work of the Churchill, but only in arcade battles, as in realistic battles, they all belong in the same tree.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 452|rbMinHp= 310}}

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

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

{{main|6pdr OQF Mk.V (57 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[6pdr OQF Mk.V (57 mm)|57 mm 6pdr OQF Mk.V]] || 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" | 85 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 19.42 || 26.88 || 32.64 || 36.10 || 38.40 || rowspan="2" | 5.20 || rowspan="2" | 4.60 || rowspan="2" | 4.24 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:6pdr OQF Mk.V (57 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.8, Shot Mk.5 HV, Shot Mk.9, Shell Mk.10}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Churchill_III.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the Churchill III (identical)]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''85''' || 82 ''(+3)'' || 43 ''(+42)'' || 22 ''(+63)'' || 5 ''(+80)'' || 1 ''(+84)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Racks disappear after all shells in the rack have been shot or loaded.
* Turret empty: 82 ''(+3)'' shells.

==== Optics ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
|-
! Which ones
! Default magnification
! Maximum magnification
|-
! Main Gun optics
| x1.85 || x3.5
|-
! Comparable optics
| colspan="2" | [[Pz.IV G]]
|-
|}

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

{{main|BESA (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[BESA (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm BESA]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 9,350 (225) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Like its British counterpart, the Churchill can be used as a very efficient brawler with its excellent turret traverse and gun depression, and heavy frontal armour. Though in urban environments, you should be careful in case someone tries to flank your weak side and rear armour.

This tank can be effectively be played in a brawling style, going into the front lines. This tank, due to its excellent armour and gun, can even hold off an entire enemy flank with minimal backup. In city maps, be careful not to expose your side armour as it is quite weak and your engine might get damaged. With its good gun, it can be as a support tank as well, in the second line destroying tanks. Angle your armour to maximize its effectiveness. When frontally angled, even the sides will be tough to penetrate. Many tanks will struggle penetrating you. There are some tanks that you don't even need to worry at all penetrating you from the front, such as the Panzer III. Angling your armour will make you even tough against the high penetration Panzer IV F2. However, be aware of higher penetration tanks. The M10 is a worthy mention as most of the time it might be able to penetrate your armour. The far deadlier Achilles can penetrate your front with little effort. Thus, it is advised to take cover, angle, or destroy them first. Shermans are not much threat since they won't really penetrate your armour, but sometimes they do. They are easy to deal with as your 57 mm gun can punch straight through. Your 57 oddly does a lot of damage for a 57 mm gun. It can one shot Panzer III's, and sometimes Shermans if you aim correctly. Overall, the Churchill III is a very powerful Rank III vehicle that is capable of holding off an entire flank, while destroying tanks easily in quick succession.

If you are not in an up-tiered situation, you can effectively enter a battle and absorb all the enemy rounds which could've been fired at your weaker teammates and either engage the enemy with your 57 mm cannon or let your teammates return fire. Companion vehicles such as the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV F2]], [[8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl.]] and other German vehicles possess superior firepower compared to the other country vehicles in rank III (Except for other special TDs, such as the American [[M10 GMC]] and British [[Achilles]]) and can in most cases hold their own.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Long, tough hull is easily angled
* 90 mm turret armour is effective at medium & long range
* Large tracks can absorb shells fired at the side
* Fast turret traverse, easy to engage people without turning
* 57 mm gun reloads quickly
* Good penetration
* Slow speed makes it easy to hit enemies after a shortstop
* 30 individually fired smoke grenades, great for covering points and areas with smoke
* Good gun depression
* Has access to a stabilizer for firing on the move, pairs well with the vehicle's slow speed
*

'''Cons:'''

* No HE filler for any rounds, unless hitting an ammo rack, it will require multiple shots to take the target down
* Large target, easily spotted by bombers/fighter-bombers
* Very poor speed, both forward and backward
* Unangled armour fares poorly at close ranges
* Lack of camouflage, only urban grey and winter livery
* Machine gun port is only 50 mm
* Roof armour is very thin, can be penetrated by .50 cal rounds
* Engine mostly affected when hit from the side or turret
* Large tracks are vulnerable to damage

== History ==

The German military first encountered the [[Churchill (Family)|Churchill]] tank in August of 1942, following the disastrous Dieppe raid made by British and Canadian military elements. On August 8th, the Churchill Mk IV made its debut, as almost 60 of them had been allocated to assist the 6,000 British and Canadian troops raiding the beach. Of those, only the first 30 were deployed, and of those 30, one became trapped in its damaged landing craft, another two sank, and 11 were disabled by indirect fire and rough terrain. Despite the losses, this was the first successful use of heavy tanks in amphibious landings. In the chaotic evacuation that followed, the tanks that had deployed and survived the raid were unable to be recovered by the British and were abandoned. They, along with many other examples of British equipment, were captured by the Germans.

These tanks were later evaluated by the Germans. Though none were damaged by direct anti-tank fire, the Germans had come to the conclusion that the tanks were virtually obsolete, too underpowered and lacking proper firepower. Two of the twenty-nine tanks captured at Dieppe were used as ''Beutepanzers'' and saw service with the German military, repainted into the German standard grey colouration and marked with prominent Iron Crosses on the sides of the turret. The rest of the captured Churchills were repurposed for secondary combat roles, destroyed, or taken apart, with their turrets being used as improvised beach defences at Dieppe after the raid.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_infanterie_kampfpanzer_churchill 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 Vauxhall}}
{{Germany heavy tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)

2024-02-28T09:10:41Z

U149585981: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = premium heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Churchill (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_infanterie_kampfpanzer_churchill
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The Churchill tank was an infantry tank produced by Great Britain intended for supporting an infantry assault with its armour and firepower. The Churchill tank's first action was during the disastrous Dieppe Raid in August 1942, which saw a number of them committed then lost when the Allies were unable to recover the tank during their retreat. The Germans captured these tanks and subjected them through evaluations. Their initial impressions were poor, thinking the Churchill tank as obsolete. The captured Churchills were repurposed within the Wehrmacht in roles such as ''Beutepanzers'' or shore fortifications.

Introduced in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]], the Pz.Kpfw. Churchill is a German captured [[Churchill Mk III]] that is distinguished by being painted grey (with the same tone as the Panzer IV and Panzer III) and possess white Wehrmacht markings. The Pz.Kpfw. Churchill is one of the best heavy tanks in rank III, sporting heavy frontal armour, a 6-pounder gun that is suitable for its rank, and 30 smoke grenades that are fired separately from the roof, great for covering great areas with smoke. The Churchill also has great gun depression and turret traverse, meaning it can fire at different targets very efficiently. However, the low acceleration and speed makes it a slug on the battlefield, making it difficult to manoeuvre and a large target against enemy guns. The thin roof armour also means that the tank is perfect prey to fighter-bombers and rocket attacks.

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


There are very few enemies which can successfully penetrate the Churchill, the [[M10 GMC|M10]] and the [[Achilles]] can quickly take care of this vehicle even at long ranges! Other tanks like the [[Jagdpanzer IV]], the [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)]], and the [[Dicker Max]] can also make quick work of the Churchill, but only in arcade battles, as in realistic battles, they all belong in the same tree.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 452|rbMinHp= 310}}

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

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

{{main|6pdr OQF Mk.V (57 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[6pdr OQF Mk.V (57 mm)|57 mm 6pdr OQF Mk.V]] || 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" | 85 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 19.42 || 26.88 || 32.64 || 36.10 || 38.40 || rowspan="2" | 5.20 || rowspan="2" | 4.60 || rowspan="2" | 4.24 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:6pdr OQF Mk.V (57 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.8, Shot Mk.5 HV, Shot Mk.9, Shell Mk.10}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Churchill_III.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the Churchill III (identical)]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''85''' || 82 ''(+3)'' || 43 ''(+42)'' || 22 ''(+63)'' || 5 ''(+80)'' || 1 ''(+84)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Racks disappear after all shells in the rack have been shot or loaded.
* Turret empty: 82 ''(+3)'' shells.

==== Optics ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
|-
! Which ones
! Default magnification
! Maximum magnification
|-
! Main Gun optics
| x1.85 || x3.5
|-
! Comparable optics
| colspan="2" | [[Pz.IV G]]
|-
|}

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

{{main|BESA (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[BESA (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm BESA]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 9,350 (225) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Like its British counterpart, the Churchill can be used as a very efficient brawler with its excellent turret traverse and gun depression, and heavy frontal armour. Though in urban environments, you should be careful in case someone tries to flank your weak side and rear armour.

This tank can be effectively be played in a brawling style, going into the front lines. This tank, due to its excellent armour and gun, can even hold off an entire enemy flank with minimal backup. In city maps, be careful not to expose your side armour as it is quite weak and your engine might get damaged. With its good gun, it can be as a support tank as well, in the second line destroying tanks. Angle your armour to maximize its effectiveness. When frontally angled, even the sides will be tough to penetrate. Many tanks will struggle penetrating you. There are some tanks that you don't even need to worry at all penetrating you from the front, such as the Panzer III. Angling your armour will make you even tough against the high penetration Panzer IV F2. However, be aware of higher penetration tanks. The M10 is a worthy mention as most of the time it might be able to penetrate your armour. The far deadlier Achilles can penetrate your front with little effort. Thus, it is advised to take cover, angle, or destroy them first. Shermans are not much threat since they won't really penetrate your armour, but sometimes they do. They are easy to deal with as your 57 mm gun can punch straight through. Your 57 oddly does a lot of damage for a 57 mm gun. It can one shot Panzer III's, and sometimes Shermans if you aim correctly. Overall, the Churchill III is a very powerful Rank III vehicle that is capable of holding off an entire flank, while destroying tanks easily in quick succession.

If you are not in an up-tiered situation, you can effectively enter a battle and absorb all the enemy rounds which could've been fired at your weaker teammates and either engage the enemy with your 57 mm cannon or let your teammates return fire. Companion vehicles such as the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV F2]], [[8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl.]] and other German vehicles possess superior firepower compared to the other country vehicles in rank III (Except for other special TDs, such as the American [[M10 GMC]] and British [[Achilles]]) and can in most cases hold their own.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Long, tough hull is easily angled
* 90 mm turret armour is effective at medium & long range
* Large tracks can absorb shells fired at the side
* Fast turret traverse, easy to engage people without turning
* 57 mm gun reloads quickly
* Good penetration
* Slow speed makes it easy to hit enemies after a shortstop
* 30 individually fired smoke grenades, great for covering points and areas with smoke
* Good gun depression
*

'''Cons:'''

* No HE filler for any rounds, unless hitting an ammo rack, it will require multiple shots to take the target down
* Large target, easily spotted by bombers/fighter-bombers
* Very poor speed, both forward and backward
* Unangled armour fares poorly at close ranges
* Lack of camouflage, only urban grey and winter livery
* Machine gun port is only 50 mm
* Roof armour is very thin, can be penetrated by .50 cal rounds
* Engine mostly affected when hit from the side or turret
* Large tracks are vulnerable to damage

== History ==

The German military first encountered the [[Churchill (Family)|Churchill]] tank in August of 1942, following the disastrous Dieppe raid made by British and Canadian military elements. On August 8th, the Churchill Mk IV made its debut, as almost 60 of them had been allocated to assist the 6,000 British and Canadian troops raiding the beach. Of those, only the first 30 were deployed, and of those 30, one became trapped in its damaged landing craft, another two sank, and 11 were disabled by indirect fire and rough terrain. Despite the losses, this was the first successful use of heavy tanks in amphibious landings. In the chaotic evacuation that followed, the tanks that had deployed and survived the raid were unable to be recovered by the British and were abandoned. They, along with many other examples of British equipment, were captured by the Germans.

These tanks were later evaluated by the Germans. Though none were damaged by direct anti-tank fire, the Germans had come to the conclusion that the tanks were virtually obsolete, too underpowered and lacking proper firepower. Two of the twenty-nine tanks captured at Dieppe were used as ''Beutepanzers'' and saw service with the German military, repainted into the German standard grey colouration and marked with prominent Iron Crosses on the sides of the turret. The rest of the captured Churchills were repurposed for secondary combat roles, destroyed, or taken apart, with their turrets being used as improvised beach defences at Dieppe after the raid.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_infanterie_kampfpanzer_churchill 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 Vauxhall}}
{{Germany heavy tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

KW II 754 (r) (Germany)

2024-02-28T09:07:50Z

U149585981: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
|about= heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage= other versions
|link= KV-2 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_kv_2_754r
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} German heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]]. A captured [[KV-2 (1940)|KV-2]] in German service, several modifications were done for the Germans' convenience.

The KV-II presents itself as one of the behemoth vehicles of the Rank III German tank line. With a 152 mm gun, it presents most of the pros and cons of the original Soviet [[KV-2 (1939)|KV-2]] in the game.

Its armament allows the vehicle to dispatch any ground vehicles in one hit. The HE and AP shells, each carrying more than 5 kg of explosive filler, all have the capacity to destroy a tank upon penetration or contact. However, because of the KV-II's high profile, and now added with the German commander cupola on top, the vehicle is easily targeted and attacked from a distance. The best way to take advantage of this tank is through peek-a-boom tactics and staying behind others. Roll forward, take your shot, and then pull back for the over half-minute reload time, and then repeat.

The KV-II is distinguishable by its "Dunkelgelb" yellow coat, instead of the green coat the Russians use on their tanks. If yellow coat is covered with a different camouflage skin, other features to look out for is the German cupola on top that looks like its from a Panzer IV. There are also a large collection of the German "jerry" fuel cans on the right rear hull, on top of the tracks. The front hull is also absent of a headlamp, though the vehicle horn is still present. Finally, there is an empty bustle rack on the rear of the tank that is not present on other KV-2 variants.

The gun on this tank is what makes it special, the 152mm howitzer is capable of destroying any tank in the game (OF-530), and many with a single hit. Most times even if a shot does not destroy the target, it will damage it enough to force the foe to disengage. High Explosive is the preferred shell able to destroy almost any tank in a single shot. In order to accomplish this aim for the roof of a tank or under it and let the fragment penetrate the roof/floor. The shockwave is powerful enough to rip through up to 75 mm of armour, and has a huge blast radius. You can, and will, destroy tanks such as [[Tiger H1|Tigers]] and [[IS-1]]s with the KV-2. Again: The greatest weakness of this tank is it extremely long reload time leaving you a sitting duck for long periods of time. Basically, the strategy is to come out aim carefully at closest target and fire, and then pull back behind cover or friendly tanks. This cannot be said enough. Albeit being a heavy tank, it must rely on cover by other threats to scare the enemy away or force them to shoot another target.

Mobility is that of a KV-1 powerplant, but with six more tons added. This causes the KV-2 to feel sluggish, especially in turns as a prolonged turn radius would sap the speed of the vehicle. This means hull-turns are not reliable and combined with the turret's low traverse speed, equals a poor reaction to an unexpected enemy at the flanks. Armour on the KV-II is not as reliable as the earlier KV-1 vehicles as the new BR causes it to meet Rank III vehicles with stronger guns able to penetrate through the front hull and turret armour of the KV-II. Though the relatively unsloped front hull presents a large target, the KV-II's usage of the [[KV-2 (1940)|mod. 1940]] turret design presents an even larger target above the front hull, as right under the gun mantlet holding the 152 mm gun is a very flat 75 mm plate for the turret front armour, easily penetrated by even Rank II vehicles. As for the profile of the vehicle, the KV-II is just tall and will always expose itself heavily when bringing its gun to aim. However, this profile is worsen by the addition of a German cupola to the top, which is even more weakly armoured than the turret and could cause exploding shots to reach in and severely damage the turret crew.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 75 mm (30°) ''Front plate'' 70 mm (70°) ''Front glacis'' 75 mm (26-58°) ''Lower glacis'' || 75 mm || 60 mm (3-86°) ''Top'' 70 mm (11-58°) ''Bottom'' || 35 mm ''Front'' 30 mm ''Rear''
|-
| Turret || 75 mm ''Front turret'' 75 mm (2-41°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 75 mm || 75 mm 45 mm (2-49°) ''Machine gun port'' || 40 mm
|-
| Cupola || 50 mm || 50 mm || 50 mm || 30 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick, torsion bars are 20 mm thick, and tracks are 30 mm thick.

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


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

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

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

{{main|M-10T (152 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M-10T (152 mm)|152 mm M-10T]] || 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" | 36 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+12° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 4.86 || 6.72 || 8.16 || 9.02 || 9.60 || rowspan="2" | 43.29 || rowspan="2" | 38.30 || rowspan="2" | 35.30 || rowspan="2" | 33.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 3.57 || 4.20 || 5.10 || 5.64 || 6.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''G-530''' (SAPCBC) The semi armour-piercing round has the same speed as the HE shell with decent amount of penetration for nearly all [[:Category:Third rank ground vehicles|rank III]] tanks. In ranges greater than 1,000 m, the OF-530 shell should be loaded to effectively deal with any vehicle including heavy tanks. Compared to the PB-35, it has much greater speed, improving long range accuracy.
* '''OF-530''' (HE) The "High-explosive" shell requires careful aim as despite its infamous power, a solid hit on the front of an enemy tank would not necessarily defeat the enemy. One must preferably aim beneath tanks or below the gun mantlets to sneak into thinly armoured portions such as the roof or belly armour.
* '''PB-35''' (SAPCBC) The shell with the most penetration on all ranges and the one with the worst accuracy, given due its abysmal slow velocity of 436 m/s (975 mph). Thus it is not advised to be used, except in close range combat.

{{:M-10T (152 mm)/Ammunition|G-530, OF-530, PB-35}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_KV-2_(1940).png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the KV-2 (1940) (Identical).]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo type
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''36''' || ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 25 ''(+11)'' 21 ''(+15)'' || 13 ''(+23)'' 9 ''(+27)'' || 1 ''(+35)'' 1 ''(+35)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* The {{PAGENAME}} uses two-piece ammunition, composed of projectiles (yellow) and propellant bags (orange). Both have separate racks.
* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Turret empty: 9 ''(+27)'' 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 || 3,087 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Make sure to plan your route ahead of time make sure to avoid large distances in the open, this is a slow moving tank with a large profile making it an easy target for long barreled guns. Mobility is not a strength of this tank with slow acceleration coupled with a low hull traverse and gun elevation/depression, these aspects of the tank make close range brawling a bad idea. As for top speed in a straight line on flat ground this tank can achieve 30kph. The KV-2 is best used in medium to long range, or in close combat with a second squad mate, where if you fail to destroy a target you can seek cover to reload. It's almost always advisable to be with friendly tanks when taking out the KV-2, because of it's long reload. As for the armour you can bounce shots but don't rely on your armour to save you, since the enemy its faces can pierce its armour even at range. Don't forget that in the half-minute period between your shots enemy tanks can shot you 2 or more times.

The KV-II, while able to destroy most enemies in one hit, is very vulnerable to return fire as its armour is easily penetrable by its enemies at the BR. The 76 mm in the Americans, the long 75 mm and 88 mm in the Germans, the 85 mm in the Russians, and the Type 5 guns in the Japanese are able to blast through the front, unsloped armour of the vehicle to deal a mortal blow. That said, even fast vehicles with weaker guns could travel faster than the KV-2's 152 mm turret traverse and even the gun depression in close range to be immune and free to plink away at the KV-II.

===Arcade battles===
The target lead indicator make the slow, but long range penetrating PB-35 a destructive force to be afraid of. On more open maps like Karelia and Carpathians, the KV-II can hang back (mostly due its speed) and snipe of unsuspecting targets while being itself mostly immune to return fire. Smaller maps benefit the low shell velocity due to closer engagement distances, but also empowers the enemy medium tanks who will have it much easier to get juicy shots into your side. Situational awareness is the key to victory or rather ''survival''.

===Realistic/Simulator battles===
The KV-II's best friend are the binoculars. Keep the turret in a well angled position while scouting for targets with your glasses or normal eyesight. Unfortunately, in this mode the PB-35 is practically useless as the usual fighting ranges exceed 600 m and without aim assistance getting hits with this howitzer are rare. Exceptions are town fights, but CQC is nothing a lone KV-2 should indulge in. A case could be made to focus on the OF-530 HE shell on long ranges. Not to destroy the enemy, but to track them and then sent a nice and juicy G-530 SAPCBC shell afterwards. Do not forget: G-530 and OF-530 share the same ballistics, if one hits the other one is likely to hit in the same wide area.

===Counter-tactics===
'''Getting close''': Probably the most difficult part, if spotted a 40 kg shell with your name and address is coming for you. Thus sneaking up, or attacking from outside the KV-2's field of view is advised. Of course after the HE-trash-can has left the barrel a window of opportunity and hope will open up for you. With moving up and aiming two shots can be placed on the moving Soviet tower tank. An attack route from the side or rear is preferable, not only are you hidden, but the turret traverse is so awful on the KV-2 that it will not have the time to react fast enough. Just make sure to hit, or you are in a world of pain as soon as it tank gets its chassis traverse to speed.

[[File:Where to shoot KV-2 side and rear.jpg|right|thumb|350px|Blue = bad, Red = Shoot me!]]

'''Shooting''': Targets should be the gunner (right side) to stop the loading process (yes, weird mechanic) and the loader (left and right) to reduce loading time. If shooting HE filled AP shells two penetrating hits will often take out the gun breech as well, stopping reload and return fire ability entirely. The easiest way of performing these hits is via the turret ring which will always not be angled at certain parts from the front. If APHE shells hit below the side hull, it will possibly detonate the main storage of ammunition, resulting in an ammo rack detonation. If that is not the case the gunner, commander, cannon breech, loader, and ammunition and turret ring will be damaged or wounded.

Shooting a KV-2 from the side is much easier, just one massive turret reaching into the sky. But do not shoot anywhere! The tracks will often eat shots and most KV-2 drivers are by now smart enough to not fully load up their KV-2, leaving the rear turret empty of shells.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Huge howitzer, dealing high damage with incredible force
* Fear factor, the sight of this behemoth tends to send smaller tanks fleeing in terror
* Acceptable armour, especially for its rank
* Able to destroy higher rank tanks (although not advised)
* Bouncy hull and turret, the chassis may effectively absorb shots as well
* As is the case with all Soviet 152 mm armed tanks, the KW II can knock out any tank in the game with a single HE shell to the turret or rear hull
* Has a coaxial machine gun, useful for clearing obstacles such as fences to prevent HE shells from detonating prematurely

'''Cons:'''

* Long reload, resulting in difficult 1-vs-1 fights since missing gives the enemy an opportunity to destroy the KV-II
* Slow rotation speed of the turret means that flank attacks are difficult to respond to
* Tall turret is very vulnerable from the side and difficult to hide
* Turret has a lot of flat areas which are easy to punch through if not angled
* If more than 19 rounds loaded ammo racks in the side of the turret means that most penetrating shots to the side of the turret are lethal
* A characteristic trait of Soviet tanks, the KV-2 has terrible gun depression, worse when compared to other Soviet tanks
* Driver's viewport is a juicy weak spot, easily exploitable by experienced players
* Has a tendency, although a rare but dreaded occurrence, to overshoot targets at close range when using the sights
* Large easily recognizable silhouette

== History ==

===Development===
The start of the KV heavy tanks began after the heavy tank [[T-35]] flaws came to light. Designers were ordered to draw up new designs to become the basis of a breakthrough heavy tank needed for the Soviet doctrine. This made for a tank that was heavily armoured, but not very mobile as it was to be for siege warfare. The designs offered all had heavy armour, wide tracks, and used the torsion-bar suspension. The designs were the [[SMK]], T-100, and what would be the '''KV-1 tank''', which was named after the then Soviet Defense Commissar '''K'''liment '''V'''oroshilov.

During the developmental progress, the prototypes of all these heavy tanks were made and the Winter War with Finland was on its way. The Soviets sent these tanks into Finland for combat testing, to which the KV design outperform in every way with its superior armour and firepower. The armour on the KV tank was impenetrable by an tank cannon in service and most anti-tank guns as well, the 76.2 cannon also gave it a huge firepower boost compared to the usual 37 mm in use by other countries. However, the design was found to be difficult to steer, the transmission was unreliable, ergonomics was poor and vision was limited, plus with its 45 ton weight, it was a very heavy tank for its time. In truth, while formidable in power and protection, courageous crew member willing to curse the name would speak out about the trouble the KV tank really was. The main variant of production before World War II broke out was the [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|KV-1]] model.

===KV-2===
Despite its superiority on the battlefield, some observed that the KV-1's armament was not enough to destroy some of the Finnish fortifications that they encountered. For this, a request to mount a 152 mm howitzer on the KV-1 was made, and resulted in the '''KV-2''' with its extremely large turret and an increased weight of 52 tons. The KV-2 suffered from a very high profile, low speed, and was too turret heavy. Compared to the KV-1 height of about 9 feet, the KV-2 was at 11 ft. tall. The increased weight of the tank slowed it down drastically, and the very heavy turret mixed with a low-powered traverse speed meant that the KV-2 can only traverse on level ground, as a slope would cause the turret to start turning with gravity. The combat ineffectiveness and flaws of the KV-2 came to light, and was only put on limited production due to them, resulting in only about 334 units being produced from 1939 to 1941.

===Combat usage===
During the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa, the KV tanks came as a huge surprise from the Germans as they had no prior intel about these tanks, resulting in a lack of capable anti-tank weapons that could destroy these tanks aside from 88 mm Flak guns. The KV-2 served alongside the KV-1 in stalling the German Offensive to Moscow. During the Battle of Raseiniai, in Lithuania, a single KV-2 was able to hold up the entire 6th Panzer Divison for a full day by firing at them from a concealed location before it ran out of ammunition, ending with about two dozen tanks destroyed.

Due to the low quantity of KV-2 produced, they didn't see much service past the opening stages of the war due to loss from attrition or mechanical failures, however 10 were still in service with the Voronezh Front on 4 July 1943 for the Battle of Kursk. These were transferred to the 3rd Mech Corps on 9 July, and by 18 July only 1 was left serviceable - 5 were destroyed on 12 July, and 4 are recorded as being in repair from 13 July. <ref name="3rdMechKursk">[http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA360311 Link, open at your own discretion!] Source provided by‎ user Stalins Organ. US Army Center for Strategy and Force Evaluation - detailed day-day analysis of formation strengths at Kursk - both sides. 12MB PDF download </ref>

===Survivors===
Only one KV-2 is left intact as a survivor of the war, it is housed at the Central Armed Forces Museum in Moscow.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_kv_2_754r Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[KV-2 (Family)]] / [[KV-1 (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[SU-152]]
* [[Brummbar|Brummbär]]
* [[Lorraine 155 Mle.50]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/3698-development-new-additions-to-the-kv-2-series-en|[Devblog] New additions to the KV-2 series]]

=== References ===
<references />

{{TankManufacturer Kirov}}
{{Germany heavy tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

T 34 747 (r) (Germany)

2024-02-28T09:02:36Z

U149585981: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
|about= premium medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage= other versions
|link= T-34 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_t_34_747
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]].

This captured version of [[T-34 (1942)]] is a Soviet T-34-76 modified with additional appliqué armour on the front and removed forward mudguards. There are few cosmetic changes to the turret: the significant improvement is the commander's cupola and few minor changes, but it still plays the same as the Soviet T-34 (1942). The "(r)" in the designation stands for "russisch", indicating a Soviet-captured vehicle.

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

The T 34 747 (r) has an armour profile that is a combination of the [[T-34 (1942)]] and the [[T-34E STZ]], due to the hexagonal turret's 53 mm thickness and the added-on 15 mm plate to the front hull plate. The addition of 20 mm track armour on the side hull also provide significant side protection against glancing incoming shots.

Beyond the armour profile however, the ability of the T 34 747 (r) to survive a penetrating AP round is rather low. With the ammunition, fuel, and the crew condensed to the front half of the tank, a penetrating shot will likely cripple or outright destroy the tank.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Gun mantlet, Turret roof, Cupola)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Machine gun port, Driver port)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 45 + 15 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 99 mm (13-53°) ''Armour joint'' 45 + 15 mm (60°) ''Lower glacis'' || 40 + 20 mm (39-41°) ''Top'' 45 mm (0-2°) ''Bottom'' || 40 mm (7-48°) ''Top'' 40 mm (11-45°) ''Bottom'' || 16 mm 10 mm ''Engine grille cover''
|-
| Turret || 53 mm (2-28°) ''Turret front'' 45 mm (0-65°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 53 mm (0-21°) || 53 mm (19-29°) || 15 mm
|-
| Cupola || 53 mm (9°) || 53 mm (9°) || 53 mm (9°) || 15 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Tracks and suspension wheels has a thickness of 20 mm.

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


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

The T 34 747 (r) is not much slower than the [[T-34 (1942)]], nor much faster than the armour-ladened [[T-34E STZ]]. As such, the handling of the T 34 747 (r) should be familiar to users of the 76 mm armed T-34 tanks.

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

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

{{main|F-34 (76 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[F-34 (76 mm)|76 mm F-34]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 100 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 23.80 || 32.94 || 40.00 || 44.24 || 47.06 || rowspan="2" | 8.45 || rowspan="2" | 7.48 || rowspan="2" | 6.89 || rowspan="2" | 6.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.88 || 17.50 || 21.25 || 23.50 || 25.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:F-34 (76 mm)/Ammunition|BR-350A (MD-5 fuze), BR-350B (MD-8 fuze), BR-350SP, BR-354P, BP-353A, OF-350M, Sh-354T}}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''100''' || 97 ''(+3)'' || 93 ''(+7)'' || 89 ''(+11)'' || 69 ''(+31)'' || 45 ''(+55)'' || 25 ''(+75)'' || 1 ''(+99)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* As they are modeled by sets of 2, shells disappear from the rack only after you fire both shells in the set.
* Taking 89 ''(+11)'' rounds will leave only the ammunition racks at the bottom of the hull, decreasing the risk of ammunition detonation if penetrated.

=== 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 || 2,898 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

While it is a heavier beast (due to its applique armour on the front) than its [[T-34 (1942)|mod.42 in-tree Soviet counterpart]], it presents a slightly different playstyle, because the player will face the original T-34s. As a captured vehicle, the player will have to apply the same strategies as they would play a normal T-34. The player will reap success against other T-34 users, due to the F-34 cannon's ability to punch through hull weak spots and wreck them from the inside with the high amount of explosive filler in each shell. Hitting the turret ring is also a viable option, but it will struggle to go through the gun mantlet. Applique armour on the front, if unangled, can also stop the occasional shell. It is always recommended to angle the front if facing any opponent listed below. The tank doesn't possess an add-on armour option, but the spare tracks cover both sides providing a few additional millimetres of armour when angling. It is not much, but it is there. The tank also has its front mudguards removed, which leaves your tracks exposed and will be a problem in any engagement. Cover your sides, engage at the medium to close range, and you will reap the rewards.

;Notable opponents

* [[M4]], [[M4A2]] - The T-34's 76 mm gun cannot penetrate the welded hull M4/M4A2 reliably from the front, while the 75 mm gun on the M4/M4A2 can penetrate the T-34's turret and disable or cripple it. They have fragile lower side hull armour (only 38 mm) that can be overmatched by the 76 mm APHEBC round if exposed. The flat areas on the turret can also be penetrated fairly reliably if they can be hit. Generally, avoid head-on engagements, especially if the M4 is hull-down.
* [[M4A1]], [[Sherman II]] - This is similar to the M4/M4A2, except that the cast hull is weaker than the welded hull M4/M4A2, and can be penetrated frontally. Otherwise, the same advice applies.
* [[Pz.IV F2]], [[Pz.IV G|G]], [[Pz.IV H|H]], [[Pz.IV J|J]] (Arcade) - The Ausf. F2 variant is the first Panzer IV to mount a long-barreled 75 mm gun. This gun is one of the most lethal mounted on any tank within the T-34's BR range, and it is easily capable of penetrating the T-34 at most ranges. The Ausf. F2 has fragile armour, however, and is something of a glass cannon. The Ausf. G, H, and J have up-armoured hulls that are quite difficult to penetrate, but their turrets are as weak as those on the F2. The Ausf. J, in particular, has manual turret traverse and is very vulnerable to being flanked. Avoid long-range duels with them.
* [[Chi-Nu II]] - Essentially the Japanese counterpart to the German Panzer IV Ausf. F2.
* [[Churchill Mk III]] - The 6-pounder gun on the Churchill will be hard-pressed to penetrate the sloped T-34 hull, but it can easily penetrate the turret and disable the turret crew. It isn't easy to penetrate the frontal armour of the Churchill at long ranges. However, it is a slow, cumbersome heavy tank, and is easy to outflank and dispatch with shots to the side armour.
* [[Churchill Mk VII]] - The Churchill VII is virtually immune to the T-34 from the front, while its 75 mm gun can penetrate the T-34's turret reasonably easily. Even from the side, it has 95 mm of armour that cannot be penetrated by the BR-350B APHEBC round except at very close range, and even slight angling will render it all but immune. It is even slower than the Churchill III, however, and thus easy to avoid and outflank.
* [[M10 GMC]]/[[Achilles]] - With the powerful 76 mm gun, they can easily penetrate the frontal armour of the T-34 in close to medium range combat. The turret is a shell sponge, as the breech is prone to absorbing shells and shrapnel. However, the hull is only 30 mm thick on the front and will be easily penetrated. An HE shell to the pintle-mounted HMG can also knock out the turret crew.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* The 76 mm cannon can penetrate and knock out most tanks with a single shot
* Good optics
* Very fast and manoeuvrable
* Fast turret rotation
* Can easily flank the enemy team
* Among all the T-34s in the game it has the best armour (most armoured hull with well protected and bouncy turret)
* It doesn't face German 75 mm cannons (RB/SB) and other nations except for Japan and can hardly penetrate the tanks front armour
* The turret and hull both have a high chance of deflecting shots

'''Cons:'''

* The cannon still can't penetrate tanks effectively from long ranges
* The armour is very good but still penetrable
* The turrets ring is easily penetrated by any tank
* Limited gun depression of -5°
* The crew members in the tank are cramped, any shot that penetrates has a high chance of knocking them out
* Relatively slow reload compared to other medium tanks at the same BR

== History ==

T-34s were the bread and butter of the Red Army, just like IL-2s were for the Air force. But as Germans pushed on Moscow, many tank depots, repair stations and some factories were captured by the Germans, who took the abandoned T-34 and played with them. During the testing, Germans realized that T-34 has few problems, which they tried to correct, and were somewhat successful. Few modifications were made, including the installation of the proper radio equipment since most of the tanks were lacking it (only command variants had a radio) and add-on armour, which increased protection, but Germans still didn't like them as much, due to poor view range and visibility, which was corrected by installing a German commander's cupola. Germans also had to paint them with large crosses and markings, so they don't get attack by friendly aircraft. These T-34s in German service were designated as "Panzerkampfwagen T 34 - 747(r)"

T-34s in German service were used mostly in front-line service, a strange role for a Beutepanzer, as most of them were used in police or anti-partisan duties. The "T 34" was considered too useless for offensive actions, due to the poor visibility inside the tank and poor tank-to-tank communication, but proved to be quite good at the defensive role as a Panzerjäger and infantry support, according to the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 128's experience.<ref name=":0">Vollert, J. (2013). ''Panzerkampfwagen T 34 - 747(r): The Soviet T-34 Tank as Beutepanzer and Panzerattrappe in German Wehrmacht Service 1941–45''. Tankograd.</ref>

Some T-34s were produced under German management by the SS-Panzerwerk Charkow in the Spring of 1943, which were handed to the SS-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 2. However, it was not a massive batch, but rather a completion of the remaining unfinished vehicles with the available parts.<ref name=":0" />

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_t_34_747 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 ==


=== References ===
<references />

{{TankManufacturer Morozov}}
{{Germany medium tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

KV-1E

2024-02-28T08:59:36Z

U149585981: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = gift Soviet heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = KV-1 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_kv_1e
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

In 1940, a new variant of the venerable KV-1 heavy tank appeared on the frontlines of the Eastern front. This new KV had ditched its older, weak L-11 cannon in favour of a F-32 gun, similar to those found on the T-34s of the time. However, the biggest upgrade was its add-on armour. By riveting large steel plates to the hull's weakspots and the turret faces, the KV-1 suddenly became almost impenetrable to its enemies, with the German army having to call in air support or heavy towed 88 mm field guns every time one of these 1940 model KVs was encountered.

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was introduced as a [[wt:en/news/668--en|premium pack]] in [[Update_1.41#19.06.2014_-_1.41.27.12|Update 1.41.27]]. The KV-1E is characterized by its strong armour and decent mobility (for a heavy tank). As such, it can be quite the tough nut to crack for most opponents that it can face. The vehicle is best played aggressively, relying on its good armour to get close to the enemy, as its gun does not have the best penetration at range.

The KV-1E was removed after the [[wt:en/news/5232-shop-winter-sales-special-bundle-and-gift-certificates-en|2018 Winter sale]]. It has since been made available for purchase in-game for Golden Eagles ({{GE}}) for specific Soviet/Russian mini-events like the "Defender of the Fatherland" and "Tankers' Day" in [[wt:en/news/6048-event-defender-of-the-fatherland-en|2019]], [[wt:en/news/6862-special-happy-tankers-day-en|2020]], [[wt:en/news/7054-event-defender-of-the-fatherland-en|2021]] [[wt:en/news/7333-special-happy-tankers-day-en|(twice)]], [[wt:en/news/7568-special-esport-defender-tournament-and-gaijin-store-sale-en|2022]], [[wt:ru/news/16127-akciya-kibersport-magazin-den-sozdaniya-rkka-ru|2023]], and [[wt:en/news/8754-esport-special-defender-of-the-fatherland-tournaments-a-decal-decoration-and-vehicles-for-golden-eagles-en|2024]].

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Barrel shroud)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 75 + 25 mm (30-31°) ''Front plate'' 40 mm (72°) ''Front glacis'' 25 + 40-75 mm (7-71°) ''Joint plate'' 75 mm + 25 mm (26-51°) ''Lower glacis'' || 75 + 25 mm || 60 mm (13-89°) ''Top'' 70 mm (14-57°) ''Bottom'' || 30 mm
|-
| Turret || 75 + 30 mm (14°) ''Turret front'' 90 mm (0-62°) ''Gun mantlet shield'' 75 mm (4-36°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 75 + 30 mm (14-15°) || 75 mm (15-16°) || 40 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick, tracks are 30 mm thick.
* Roof armour is quite excellent. 30-40 mm is nothing to ignore, even for heavy fighters. Although some aircraft might still pierce it, it will reliably protect from most aircraft cannons. More importantly, it makes the vehicle quite resilient against rocket strikes from vehicles such as the [[Calliope]].
* The lower glacis, unlike most other tanks, is not a weak spot! it is including your own turrets height significantly better angled than the upper frontal plate. Further, neither the MG port nor the drivers view slit are weak points. Discard them as targets if aiming for them.
* Gun mantlet is an extra 75 mm bolted on to the turret, with some parts with an extra 90 mm added instead. This results in a spaced overlapped part with ~150 mm. Only the cheeks left and right of the mantlet bulges should be shot! However, these areas are quite small and easily missed, if the turret is traversed.
* Extra armour indicated by the addition to the armour is not placed all over the tank, thus revealing some weaker areas on the front hull and sides.

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


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

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

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

{{main|F-32 (76 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[F-32 (76 mm)|76 mm F-32]] || 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" | 111 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 9.7 || 13.4 || 16.3 || 18.0 || 19.2 || rowspan="2" | 8.19 || rowspan="2" | 7.25 || rowspan="2" | 6.68 || rowspan="2" | 6.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 7.1 || 8.4 || 10.2 || 11.3 || 12.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:F-32 (76 mm)/Ammunition|BR-350A (MD-5 fuze), BR-350B (MD-8 fuze), OF-350M, Sh-354T, D-350A}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_KV-1_(L-11).png|right|thumbnail|x250px|Ammo racks of the KV-1 (L-11) (identical to {{PAGENAME}}).]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''111''' || 107 ''(+4)'' || 102 ''(+9)'' || 79 ''(+32)'' || 1 ''(+110)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Racks are modeled by sets of 5 shells (+ 1 set of 3 & 2 sets of 4) and sets disappear from the rack once all shells in the set have been loaded/fired.
* Turret empty: 102 ''(+9)'' 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 || 3,024 (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. The clip capacity of the machine gun 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 ==


In game, this tank is possesses great armour and an adequate gun. However, it may not be able to destroy the enemy from the front at times. As such, the tank may require being at a very close distance or a flank shot to disable certain targets. The defining characteristic of this tank is its armour. It can be a tough tank to destroy, given that most of the weak spots from the predecessor have been armoured and, from the front, the only weak spot is the centre of the upper hull. When using this tank, do not be afraid to advance towards the enemy, especially against tanks such as the 75 mm M4s and T-34s since they will find it very difficult to penetrate your thick armour. This tank can also be used for long-range support, since when the armour is properly angled, almost no tank that it faces can pierce its armour.

The KV-1E's frontal turret protection is not as reliable as its other uparmored locations. As such, it may be a good idea to angle the turret along with the hull when not firing at the enemy.

=== Combat tactics ===

;Urban environment

Urban areas tend to result in very close range engagements. At this range, the armour of this tank can no longer offer the degree of protection that it does at range. With this being said, urban can also present nice medium range opportunities, such as open-air squares and long streets in which this tank can utilise its armour. Urban fighting presents the largest challenge for this tank, as close range flank shots can easily pierce its mighty armour. As such, here are some tactics to use in a city setting:

* Hold down a street - set up in a way that minimizes the chance to be flanked while allowing for the largest angle fire. This will allow the KV-1E to fire at the enemy while minimizing the chance of getting knocked out by a close-range flank shot
* Move with a group of tanks - try to stay in the middle of a group as this will minimize the chances of a close-range flank shot. At this range, the cannon of the tank can penetrate most tanks and has a decent rate of fire, allowing it to quickly engage multiple targets.
* Never blindly drive through an intersection - always check both ways before crossing, as this presents the largest opportunity for danger for this tank.

;Open country

The armour of this tank allows it to engage in the long-range fighting that defines an open country. However, the gun on this tank does not allow it to engage targets at range. This means that in while playing in open country, it is a good idea to get into a good overwatch position or to charge the enemy until the KV-1E is capable of engaging at the optimal range for the 76 mm weapon. While the armour on this tank is among the best for the enemies it faces, there are still certain tanks to worry about. The main tanks to work about are those with the American 76 mm, German 75 mm L/48, Soviet 57 mm and 85 mm, and of course all the large calibre guns such as the KV-2. These weapons are capable of piercing through the KV-1B armour at range, though this requires a lucky hit on an un-angled plate. Here are some tips when fighting in open country:

* Always angle the tank - the unangled armour is good, but it is nearly impossible to pierce when properly angled.
* Don't be afraid to expose the tank - use the armour to give a degree of freedom in finding the targets.
* Advance - take the point or lead the charge, the KV-1B has the armour to break through enemy lines.

;Hill country

This is the type of terrain that this tank excels in. The average range of engagements allows for both the armour and gun to shine. This type of terrain also makes flanking hard, since going over a hill exposes a tank to fire from multiple directions. Even with this, don't forget to check your surroundings. Here are some tips and tactics for fighting in this environment:

* Move through the area between hills - this will allow a degree of control on where the enemy will come from and angle the armour in accordance.
** Going over large hills can be dangerous as it exposes the KV-1B to fire from all directions and also exposes the bottom of the tank to fire.
* Check your surroundings - while it is dangerous to go over hills, many newer player will attempt to do this and will sometimes manage to flank the tank.

;Long range

This tank does not excel here due to the low penetration of the gun. However, the armour of this tank makes it almost invulnerable to enemy fire at long ranges. Due to this, it is possible to safely attack enemies with little fear of penetrating return fire. Just remember to properly angle the tank in order to maximize its armour. While long range combat is not the best option for this tank, it can use its armour to sit in positions that no other tank could do safely. When using this tank from long range, the first piece of advice would be to close in on the enemy, though this is sometimes not possible. When one finds that long-range combat is necessary or is a preferred strategy, one can place this tank in a highly visible position to draw enemy fire. This will allow teammates to find the enemy and eliminate them. This will also allow for one to choose their target, since its gun necessitates shooting at weakly armoured targets or the sides and rear of tanks.

;Medium range

This tank excels in medium range combat due to great armour. Many tanks it faces will find penetrating this tank almost impossible even from the side due to the additional armour.

;Close range

This tank does not excel here due to bad mobility, and the greatest strength of this tank, its great armour, is no longer as potent.

=== Enemies worth noting ===
Generally, it is a good idea to avoid engaging the enemy armoured vehicles mentioned below frontally if possible, as they can reliably harm you and vice versa.

* - '''[[Pz.IV F2]] / [[Pz.IV G|G]] / [[Pz.IV H|H]] / [[Pz.IV J|J]]''' - Their long cannons have lethal penetrations at short ranges. Shoot their turret or hull side. Frontal hull is not recommended since they can equip add-on armour and/or spare tracks, increasing the thickness up to 100 mm.
* - '''[[M4A3E2]] Jumbo / [[M4A3E2 (France)]]''' - Shoot at sides/rear, commander cupola or Hull MG.
* - '''[[T14]]''' - Shoot at the hull MG port, turret ring, or lower side hull. Its 75 mm gun has great depression angles, is vertically stabilised, and has around 100 mm penetration at close range, giving it a fair chance to shoot first and even penetrate the KV-1E's weakspots.
* - '''[[Churchill III]] / [[Churchill VII]]''' - Target their hull at the MG port, hull sides when facing vertically, or rear. Or you can take your time and destroy their gun barrels and tracks, their cannons can only fire solid shots with relativlely poor pentration, thus they will have a hard time disabling your crew.
* - '''[[ARL-44 (ACL-1)]]''' - Target their front sprocket wheels when their hull are facing straight at you. The shot will go through the sprocket and penetrate a weakly protected "box" behind it which is connected to the hull, sending its shrapnels to the crew inside the hull. Or, shoot its sides/rear whenver possible. Do not shoot at its upper front plate.
* - '''Tanks destroyers''' in general - Vehicles like the [[Dicker Max]], [[Sturer Emil]], [[Breda 501]], [[8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl.|8,8 cm Flak 37 sfl]]., etc all have high penetration and large explosive fillers, allowing them to critically damage the KV-1E at a distance/angle where other tanks cannot. Morever they tend to have other qualities such as great gun depression, high-zoom gunsight, high speed, allowing them to ambush the KV-1E from far away or in an unexpected flank. Thus, if you know the presence of a tank destroyer near by, target them first. If not, be careful and watch out for suspecious bushes and corners.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Heavily armoured for its battle rating, can easily bounce off shells from common foes like [[M4A1]]
* Acceleration is good on flat terrain
* Crew of five brings high survivability, especially against British solid shells
* Gun does a lot of post penetration damage. Can one shot compact tanks like [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]]

'''Cons:'''

* Some other tank (destroyer)s are able to easily penetrate its armour, such as [[Dicker Max]]
* Lacklusture mobility: poor top speed, decreases speed dramatically in a turn or climbing hills
* Large exposed gun breech, very vulnerable to damage
* Large fuel tanks lined up on the side
* The 76 mm F-32 gun struggles against some tanks like the [[M4A2]], [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]]
* Slow turret traverse: if you need to face another direction quickly you must rotate both the turret and the hull

== History ==

===Development===
The start of the KV-1 heavy tanks began after the heavy tank [[T-35]] flaws came to light. Designers were ordered to draw up new designs to become the basis of a breakthrough heavy tank needed for the Soviet doctrine. This made for a tank that was heavily armoured, but not very mobile as it was to be for siege warfare. The designs offered all had heavy armour, wide tracks, and used the torsion-bar suspension. The designs were the [[SMK]], T-100, and what would be the '''KV tank''', which was named after the then Soviet Defense Commissar '''K'''liment '''V'''oroshilov.

During the developmental progress, the prototypes of all these heavy tanks were made and the Winter War with Finland was on its way. The Soviets sent these tanks into Finland for combat testing, to which the KV design outperform in every way with its superior armour and firepower. The armour on the KV tank was impenetrable by any tank cannon in service and most anti-tank guns as well, the 76.2 cannon also gave it a huge firepower boost compared to the usual 37 mm in use by other countries. However, the design was found to be difficult to steer, the transmission was unreliable, ergonomics was poor and vision was limited, plus with its 45-ton weight, it was a very heavy tank for its time. In truth, while formidable in power and protection, courageous crew member willing to curse the name would speak out about the trouble the KV tank really was. The main variant of production before World War II broke out was the KV-1 model.

===KV-1E===
The initial production in 1939 had the KV-1 equipped with an [[KV-1 (L-11)|L-11 cannon]], this was upgraded to the F-32 in 1940. The Model 1940 production was the main KV-1 variant that was available during the German invasion in Operation Barbarossa. During the German invasion, it was found that the KV-1s, while invulnerable to even the German [[Pz.III J|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]], was easily taken out by the German 88 mm FlaK cannon used in anti-tank roles. This caused the KV-1 production model to be up-armoured for increased survivability with applique armour bolted onto the tank. Though it varies on how much extra armour is bolted on, some KV-1s have overall armour width of 100 mm thick. These up-armoured Model 1940 KV-1s were called '''KV-1E''', with "E" standing for ''"ekranami "'', which means "with shields". This up-armouring of the tank caused the weight to be increased from its original 45 tons to 50 tons, further straining the drive system of the tank.

===Combat usage===
The main bulk of these up-armoured tanks was sent to the Northwestern and Leningrad fronts. Some of these tanks were captured intact and used by German forces against their former users. Nevertheless, the KV-1 continued to serve until the end of the war, though in dwindling numbers as they are lost due to mechanical failures or combat. Some 1941-built KV-1s still saw service in 1944 at the Leningrad front before being replaced by [[IS-2]] tanks, then they saw service in Manchuria in 1945.

===Survivors===
Several KV-1s survive after the war, most as monuments, but also in museums. Only one genuine KV-1 was restored to running condition in Russia after it was found in the bottom of the Neva River. One KV-1B can also be found at the Bovington Tank Museum at England.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
After receiving the first reports from the front about the heavy tanks' deployment in battle, the LKZ factory began to work on strengthening the KV's armour. The only weapon capable of penetrating the Soviet tank's frontal armour was the 88 mm 8.8 Flak 18 anti-aircraft cannon. Its anti-aircraft rounds, even without an armour-piercing steel core, had an 810 m/s muzzle velocity and could penetrate an 80 mm thick armour plate set at a 30 degree angle from a range of 1,000 metres. As a rule, it disabled the KV-1 with 2-3 hits to its turret and hull.

Specialists at the Leningrad Kirovsk factory developed a simple but effective up-armouring design previously used on the T-28 tank. The tank's turret and hull sides were fitted with 25 mm add-on armour plates, increasing the overall armour width to 100 mm. Furthermore, a small gap was left between the turret and the add-on armour. This improved the tank's defences when under fire from shaped high explosive shells. These modifications increased the tank's combat-loaded weight to 50 tonnes. Tanks modified in such a way could be discerned by the huge heads of the bolts used to attach the add-on armour plates.

The main bulk of these up-armoured tanks was sent to the Northwestern and Leningrad fronts. Some of these tanks were captured intact and used by German forces.
The stationary nature of combat encounters did not allow the KV to truly come into its own. Apart from that, tank units constantly complained about the vehicle's high weight, which didn't just lead to technical problems. All it took was a few KV tanks driving along a road to make it difficult to negotiate for other vehicles, even tracked ones. The heavy tank's mobility on loose ground or boggy terrain was unsatisfactory.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
File:ArtImage2 KV-1E.png|The KV-1E with battle scars after a combat at [[Abandoned Factory]].
</gallery>

;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_kv_1e Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|x7lBM-poxh0|'''Should You Buy: KV-1E''' - ''ConeOfArc''|KwF-bx-XDeA|'''EASTERN BLOC - KV-1E in War Thunder''' - ''OddBawZ''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Churchill III]]
* [[ARL-44 (ACL-1)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/792--en|[Historical] Zinovy Kolobanov's feat of arms]]
* [[wikipedia:Kliment_Voroshilov_tank|[Wikipedia] Kliment Voroshilov tank]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_KV-1.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> KV-1]

{{TankManufacturer Kirov}}
{{USSR heavy tanks}}
{{USSR premium ground vehicles}}

Sd.Kfz. 140/1

2024-02-25T02:31:11Z

U149585981: /* Machine guns */

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_38t_Aufklarungspanzer
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_SdKfz140-1.jpg}}
|store=11230
}}

== Description ==

The '''Aufklärungspanzer 38(t)''' ([[Abbreviations#.28DE.29 Sd.Kfz. Index|Sd.Kfz. Index:]] '''Sd.Kfz. 140/1''') was a reconnaissance vehicle used by the German Army during World War II. Its task was to scout out enemy positions ahead of the main attack column. They would then radio back the number of hostile forces and their location. They might occasionally direct an artillery or airstrike. German half-tracked and wheeled armoured cars were used for armoured reconnaissance but suffered in the tough circumstances of the Eastern Front. The Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) was intended to replace both of these vehicles as a key reconnaissance vehicle. It was outfitted with a 'Hangelafette turret' armed with a 20 mm Kampfwagenkanone (KwK) 38 autocannon and a single 7.92 mm MG42 light machine gun capable of anti-aircraft and ground fire.

Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) performs similarly to a [[Pz.II (Family)|Panzer II]] but with a more resilient overall structure. It retains its mobility, but players should be aware that it lacks the primitive vertical stabilizer present in Panzer IIs. Nonetheless, it is a highly versatile light tank capable of both anti-aircraft and ground tasks. However, due to its low gun depression, this light tank may struggle to perform in rugged terrain.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret)
* Structural steel (storage boxes, mudguards)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 15 mm (25°) ''Upper plate - Top'' 50 mm (19°) ''Upper plate - Bottom'' 15 mm (15°) ''Upper plate - Cheeks'' 30 mm (74°) ''Upper glacis'' 50 mm (15°) ''Lower plate'' 8 mm (66°) ''Lower glacis'' || 15 mm (6-31°) ''Top'' 30 mm ''Bottom'' || 15 mm (2-10°) ''Upper plate'' 30 mm (14°) ''Lower plate'' || 30 mm (16°) ''Front glacis'' 10 mm ''Crew compartment'' 15 mm (0-30°) ''Engine deck''
|-
| Turret || 30 mm (36°) ''Turret front'' 10 mm (6°) + 30 mm (36°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 10 mm (37°) || 8 mm (38°) || N/A
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, tracks and bogies are 15 mm thick.
* The belly armour is 8 mm thick.
* Mudguards and storage boxes are 4 mm thick.

This vehicle is all-around better than the Flakpanzer I at the same BR in the tech tree. It has a 50 mm front plate, a 30 mm sloped turret, and four crew members spaced out nicely.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=248|rbMinHp=142}}

The speed and power-to-weight ratio of the {{PAGENAME}} are both superior to the [[Flakpanzer I]], being 58 km/h forward, -6 km/h backwards, and a power-to-weight ratio of 15.45 hp/ton.

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

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

{{main|KwK38 (20 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[KwK38 (20 mm)|20 mm KwK38]] || 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" | 300 (10) || rowspan="2" | 450 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+70° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 38.1 || 52.7 || 64.0 || 70.8 || 75.3 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

The 20 mm KwK38 autocannon is one of the most lethal low-rank guns.

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These rounds work well until the others are researched.
* '''Sprgr.:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These are absolutely devastating in the AA role.
* '''PzGr:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}} - These are suited for the anti-tank role at close range and do good damage to planes.
* '''PzGr 40:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}} - The best belt for the anti-tank role with the best penetrating shell for this cannon. While the post-penetration damage can be quite poor, the rapid fire from the autocannon can mitigate this problem by following up quickly with another penetrating shot. In close combat, these shells should be used against modules and crew members to make the most of each shell. Against angled armour, however, the HVAP ammo may not be very effective. Unlike the Flakpanzer 1 and Flakpanzer 38, this belt is still 100% HVAP.

{{:KwK38 (20 mm)/Ammunition|HEFI-T*, API-T, HVAP-T}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Sd.Kfz._140-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''30''' || 25 ''(+5)'' || 19 ''(+11)'' || 13 ''(+17)'' || 7 ''(+23)'' || 1 ''(+29)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Racks disappear after all shells in the rack have been shot or loaded.

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

{{main|MG42 (7.92 mm)}}

This tank has a coaxial 7.92 mm MG 42 machine gun that is a sufficient fallback to the FlaK 38. The MG42 is unlikely to be of help against other ground vehicles but is best used between reloads to maintain a semi-constant rate of fire on enemy aircraft.

Considering the prevalence of open-topped/unarmored vehicles such as the [[GAZ-MM (72-K)]] at or around the Sd.Kfz. 140/1's battle rating, the MG42 may be a devastating weapon against certain ground targets as well. But this is a niche use case and the MG42 is probably best viewed as a secondary weapon/last-ditch resort (as fun as it is to hear the infamous GPMG go BRRRRRR). It does have significantly better sustained fire capabilities due to not having to reload after every 10 rounds so do feel free to use it liberally when it does apply.

{| 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 || 1,800 (150) || 1,200 || - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Sd.Kfz. 140/1 is a multirole armoured vehicle which mainly focuses on light/medium armour and air targets. It can be considered a combination between the Pz.II and the Flakpanzer 1.

''As a scout:''

The Sd.Kfz. 140/1 has a decent speed, low profile and scouting abilities. It is able to move fast to certain advantage points and scout enemy targets for friendlies. When playing as a sneaky scout, it is recommended to only fire if forced to maintain cover and let enemy tanks destroy those spotted. It is able to mark an enemy with fire (either main gun or machine gun) but its not recommended.

''As a support vehicle:''

Due to its high rate of fire, the 20 mm gun is able to not only damage tracks but all tank modules at its BR. This is particularly helpful when engaging heavier targets which cannot be penetrated by the HVAP belts. The gun barrel, tracks, engine deck or any other module that can disable the tank are the main targets the player must aim to in order to disable the tank and make it an easier prey for friendlies who can take down the heavy armour. It is also able to repair assist, meaning it is able to reduce the repair time of a friendly vehicle in helped. This is not only an RP incomer but also can save your life in a tense situation in which 2 guns are better than a single 20 mm.

''As an anti-air:''

Despite being a light tank with a relatively slow traverse and gun elevation, the Sd.Kfz. 140/1 can be comparable to the Flakpanzer 1 when engaging aircraft. It has a 70° elevation, more than enough to engage low flying aircraft with ease. It is able to become a formidable anti air not only at its battle rating capable of destroying any aircraft in a small burst. Although the AP-I belts have more crippling power compared to the HVAP, with the amount of shells the gun can put on the aircraft, it is not as crucial although this is up to player's discretion. It works very well against low passing bombers and fighters as it only takes about 4 seconds to completely take out and aircraft (if you hit all shots).

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Armed with a powerful 20 mm cannon with a very high rate of fire
* The 20 mm HVAP magazine has incredible close range penetration and damage potential thanks to all the spalling. Hitting an enemy with all 10 rounds will either kill crew, or leave the vehicle severely damaged
* Can carry almost twice the amount of ammo that the [[Pz.II C]] or [[Pz.II F|F]] can
* The high rate of fire coupled with the 70 degrees of gun elevation makes this vehicle an effective anti-aircraft tank
* The hull has an impressive 50 mm of armour on the front while the turret has 30 mm of angled armour
* Very fast and highly mobile. Can keep up with many of the armoured cars at Rank I
* Many tanks at this BR have exposed crew members. This makes the coaxial MG42 an excellent way of taking out exposed enemy crew without having to waste any 20 mm shells

'''Cons:'''

* There's only a 15 mm plate of armour between the turret and chassis making it a massive weak spot
* Only 15 mm of armour on the flat corners of the upper hull and hull sides. Angling is not a good tactic to employ
* A really tall tank with a high centre of gravity. Not only is this tank difficult to hide, but a really sharp turn can cause the tank to flip over
* Only 4 degrees of gun depression. That coupled with this tank's height makes this vehicle ill-suited for cresting ridge lines
* Longer reload time between magazine reloads
* Only performs well at close quarters combat, as both the AP and HVAP penetration drop below 30 mm past 500 m
* The turret crew are exposed to strafing aircraft and artillery, as well as machine gun fire
* Lacks a shoulder stabilizer

== History ==


=== Development ===
In 1934, the Czechoslovak tank manufacturer ČKD developed an alternative design for the LT-35 tank. The latter was made by competitor Škoda. The LT-35 was too complex and had many shortcomings; its reliability was poor. ČKD's engineer Alexander Surin decided to use leaf spring suspension and four large wheels for the newly developed tank. The resulting type was reliable and an export success. The new running gear was first used for a light tank, the AH-IV, with only machine gun armament; it was first delivered to Iran, as the RH, of which fifty were bought in 1935; a second version, the R-1, was delivered to Romania in a number of 35 in 1936 and 1937, and a third, the AH-IV-Sv in a number of 48 to Sweden from 1937. In 1935 this enlarged running gear was combined with the hull of the light LT Vz 34 tank previously produced for the Czechoslovak army, which had a real 37 mm gun. The new vehicle was called the TNH. In 1935, Iran ordered fifty vehicles. On April 17, 1936, Switzerland ordered 26 vehicles of the LTH, a modified version with 24 mm gun. In 1938, 24 units of the LTP were ordered by Peru, and 21 LTL vehicles, with a more powerful engine, were ordered by Latvia, which, incidentally, were never delivered due to occupation by the Soviet Union. The United Kingdom also acquired a specimen just before the occupation of the Czech Republic and tested it between 16 and 29 March 1939. The opinion on the type was strongly dismissive: the tank was found to be too tight and the speed through rough terrain too bumpy.

In March 1937, the Czechoslovakian Ministry of Defense asked both country's tank producers to propose a new type to supplement the LT-35, which could be mass-produced as soon as possible. They indicated that they would purchase at least 400 vehicles and guaranteed an initial order of 260. Naturally, ČKD offered the TNH, which was already fully developed. In tests from January 25, 1938, the type proved superior to all counterparts. On July 22, 1938, Czechoslovakia ordered 150 vehicles of the Type Lt Vz.38, for 620,146 crowns each. The intention was to achieve a monthly production of 20. However, when the first tank left the factory in February, the land was already divided; shortly afterwards, the Czech hull state was also occupied: none of the tanks could eventually serve the army before the German occupation began.

=== In German service ===
As early as March, the factory management had contacted the Germans to continue production after the occupation. Germany had a great shortage of medium tanks and although the now LTM 38 tank was officially called a light tank, with its 37 mm gun it was no worse armed than the German medium Panzerkampfwagen III and much better than the light Panzerkampfwagen I and Panzerkampfwagen II; it was not only more reliable than the LT-35, but also than the light German tanks. Czech production capacity in the early years allowed Germany to form about a third more armoured divisions and was thus critical to success during that time of the war. The production of the tank continued as Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) (the name from January 16, 1940) until June 1942 and 1411 were built; monthly production peaked in September 1941 with 76 vehicles. There was also exported to the countries on the German side: Hungary took 102, Slovakia 69, Romania 50 and Bulgaria 10. Due to the rapid technical developments during the war, the type soon became obsolete. She was too small to carry a bigger cannon in a tower; several plans to do so were rejected. From 1942, the LT-38s were replaced or assigned less important tasks.

However, Germany could not afford to leave production capacity idle; the chassis was extremely useful due to its reliability. A modified chassis of the PzKpfw 38 (t) therefore became the basis for various types of mechanized artillery, mechanized artillery and tank hunters, including the successful German Jagdpanzer 38, better known today as the "Hetzer".

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
The Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) reconnaissance tank was based on the Pz.38(t) towards the end of 1943, by the BMM construction office in Prague. The order specifications required a 20 mm automatic cannon and a 75 mm regular cannon.

A Praga AE engine with 160 hp at 2,600 rpm replaced the Praga AC. This required a change in the exhaust system and the introduction of a longer exhaust pipe, which, together with a muffler, was put on the tank's roof. The tank's hull received a new superstructure, with modified inclination and with riveted joints for its armour plates.

The tank's armament consisted of a 20 mm automatic KwK38 L/55 cannon paired with a 7.92 mm MG42 machine gun. The guns could be pointed anywhere between -4 and 70 degrees and so could fire at air targets. The tank's ammunition included 300 shells and 1,500 machine gun rounds.

The open-top hexahedral turret, manufactured by the company Appelt, was equipped with a metal mesh to protect against hand grenades. The tank's armour thickness ranged from 8 to 50 mm. Its operational weight reached 9,750 kg. At this weight, its maximum highway speed was 52 km/h, and its maximum highway range was 240 km.

The Aufklärungpanzer 38(t) tank was accepted into the Wehrmacht in 1944, but large-scale production of the machine was never successfully introduced. A total of 70 tanks were produced.

The tanks were used on both the West and the Eastern Fronts.

Its design was successful, reliable, and advanced. However, the rivet joints in its armour plating were a detriment to its survivability.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_38t_Aufklarungspanzer Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|ejKGyrDj8E0|'''Premium Review, Sd.Kfz. 140/1. A Nasty Sealclubber!''' - ''Joseph 2000''|y1cgs1cHhGA|'''Aufklärungspanzer 38(t), German Premium Tier-1 Light Tank''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[LT-38 (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[T-60]]
* [[L6/40]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:Panzer_38(t)|[Wikipedia] Panzer 38(t)]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/aufklarungspanzer-38t-2cm-kwk-38-l55-sd-kfz-1401.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Aufklärungspanzer 38(t)]
* [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_aufklarungspanzer_38t.html <nowiki>[History of War]</nowiki> Aufklarungspanzer 38(t) (Sdkfz 140/1)]

{{Germany light tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Sd.Kfz. 140/1

2024-02-25T02:29:56Z

U149585981: /* Machine guns */

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_38t_Aufklarungspanzer
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_SdKfz140-1.jpg}}
|store=11230
}}

== Description ==

The '''Aufklärungspanzer 38(t)''' ([[Abbreviations#.28DE.29 Sd.Kfz. Index|Sd.Kfz. Index:]] '''Sd.Kfz. 140/1''') was a reconnaissance vehicle used by the German Army during World War II. Its task was to scout out enemy positions ahead of the main attack column. They would then radio back the number of hostile forces and their location. They might occasionally direct an artillery or airstrike. German half-tracked and wheeled armoured cars were used for armoured reconnaissance but suffered in the tough circumstances of the Eastern Front. The Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) was intended to replace both of these vehicles as a key reconnaissance vehicle. It was outfitted with a 'Hangelafette turret' armed with a 20 mm Kampfwagenkanone (KwK) 38 autocannon and a single 7.92 mm MG42 light machine gun capable of anti-aircraft and ground fire.

Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) performs similarly to a [[Pz.II (Family)|Panzer II]] but with a more resilient overall structure. It retains its mobility, but players should be aware that it lacks the primitive vertical stabilizer present in Panzer IIs. Nonetheless, it is a highly versatile light tank capable of both anti-aircraft and ground tasks. However, due to its low gun depression, this light tank may struggle to perform in rugged terrain.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret)
* Structural steel (storage boxes, mudguards)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 15 mm (25°) ''Upper plate - Top'' 50 mm (19°) ''Upper plate - Bottom'' 15 mm (15°) ''Upper plate - Cheeks'' 30 mm (74°) ''Upper glacis'' 50 mm (15°) ''Lower plate'' 8 mm (66°) ''Lower glacis'' || 15 mm (6-31°) ''Top'' 30 mm ''Bottom'' || 15 mm (2-10°) ''Upper plate'' 30 mm (14°) ''Lower plate'' || 30 mm (16°) ''Front glacis'' 10 mm ''Crew compartment'' 15 mm (0-30°) ''Engine deck''
|-
| Turret || 30 mm (36°) ''Turret front'' 10 mm (6°) + 30 mm (36°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 10 mm (37°) || 8 mm (38°) || N/A
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, tracks and bogies are 15 mm thick.
* The belly armour is 8 mm thick.
* Mudguards and storage boxes are 4 mm thick.

This vehicle is all-around better than the Flakpanzer I at the same BR in the tech tree. It has a 50 mm front plate, a 30 mm sloped turret, and four crew members spaced out nicely.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=248|rbMinHp=142}}

The speed and power-to-weight ratio of the {{PAGENAME}} are both superior to the [[Flakpanzer I]], being 58 km/h forward, -6 km/h backwards, and a power-to-weight ratio of 15.45 hp/ton.

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

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

{{main|KwK38 (20 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[KwK38 (20 mm)|20 mm KwK38]] || 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" | 300 (10) || rowspan="2" | 450 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+70° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 38.1 || 52.7 || 64.0 || 70.8 || 75.3 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

The 20 mm KwK38 autocannon is one of the most lethal low-rank guns.

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These rounds work well until the others are researched.
* '''Sprgr.:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These are absolutely devastating in the AA role.
* '''PzGr:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}} - These are suited for the anti-tank role at close range and do good damage to planes.
* '''PzGr 40:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}} - The best belt for the anti-tank role with the best penetrating shell for this cannon. While the post-penetration damage can be quite poor, the rapid fire from the autocannon can mitigate this problem by following up quickly with another penetrating shot. In close combat, these shells should be used against modules and crew members to make the most of each shell. Against angled armour, however, the HVAP ammo may not be very effective. Unlike the Flakpanzer 1 and Flakpanzer 38, this belt is still 100% HVAP.

{{:KwK38 (20 mm)/Ammunition|HEFI-T*, API-T, HVAP-T}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Sd.Kfz._140-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''30''' || 25 ''(+5)'' || 19 ''(+11)'' || 13 ''(+17)'' || 7 ''(+23)'' || 1 ''(+29)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Racks disappear after all shells in the rack have been shot or loaded.

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

{{main|MG42 (7.92 mm)}}

This tank has a coaxial 7.92 mm MG 42 machine gun that is a sufficient fallback to the FlaK 38. The MG42 is unlikely to be of help against other ground vehicles but is best used between reloads to maintain a semi-constant rate of fire on enemy aircraft.

Considering the prevalence of open-topped/unarmored vehicles such as the [[GAZ-MM (72-K)]] at or around the Sd.Kfz. 140/1's battle rating, the MG42 may be a devastating weapon against certain ground targets as well. But this is a niche use case and the MG42 is probably best viewed as a secondary weapon/last-ditch resort (as fun as it is to hear the famous GPMG go BRRRRRR). It does have significantly better sustained fire capabilities due to not having to reload after every 10 rounds so do feel free to use it liberally when it does apply.

{| 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 || 1,800 (150) || 1,200 || - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Sd.Kfz. 140/1 is a multirole armoured vehicle which mainly focuses on light/medium armour and air targets. It can be considered a combination between the Pz.II and the Flakpanzer 1.

''As a scout:''

The Sd.Kfz. 140/1 has a decent speed, low profile and scouting abilities. It is able to move fast to certain advantage points and scout enemy targets for friendlies. When playing as a sneaky scout, it is recommended to only fire if forced to maintain cover and let enemy tanks destroy those spotted. It is able to mark an enemy with fire (either main gun or machine gun) but its not recommended.

''As a support vehicle:''

Due to its high rate of fire, the 20 mm gun is able to not only damage tracks but all tank modules at its BR. This is particularly helpful when engaging heavier targets which cannot be penetrated by the HVAP belts. The gun barrel, tracks, engine deck or any other module that can disable the tank are the main targets the player must aim to in order to disable the tank and make it an easier prey for friendlies who can take down the heavy armour. It is also able to repair assist, meaning it is able to reduce the repair time of a friendly vehicle in helped. This is not only an RP incomer but also can save your life in a tense situation in which 2 guns are better than a single 20 mm.

''As an anti-air:''

Despite being a light tank with a relatively slow traverse and gun elevation, the Sd.Kfz. 140/1 can be comparable to the Flakpanzer 1 when engaging aircraft. It has a 70° elevation, more than enough to engage low flying aircraft with ease. It is able to become a formidable anti air not only at its battle rating capable of destroying any aircraft in a small burst. Although the AP-I belts have more crippling power compared to the HVAP, with the amount of shells the gun can put on the aircraft, it is not as crucial although this is up to player's discretion. It works very well against low passing bombers and fighters as it only takes about 4 seconds to completely take out and aircraft (if you hit all shots).

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Armed with a powerful 20 mm cannon with a very high rate of fire
* The 20 mm HVAP magazine has incredible close range penetration and damage potential thanks to all the spalling. Hitting an enemy with all 10 rounds will either kill crew, or leave the vehicle severely damaged
* Can carry almost twice the amount of ammo that the [[Pz.II C]] or [[Pz.II F|F]] can
* The high rate of fire coupled with the 70 degrees of gun elevation makes this vehicle an effective anti-aircraft tank
* The hull has an impressive 50 mm of armour on the front while the turret has 30 mm of angled armour
* Very fast and highly mobile. Can keep up with many of the armoured cars at Rank I
* Many tanks at this BR have exposed crew members. This makes the coaxial MG42 an excellent way of taking out exposed enemy crew without having to waste any 20 mm shells

'''Cons:'''

* There's only a 15 mm plate of armour between the turret and chassis making it a massive weak spot
* Only 15 mm of armour on the flat corners of the upper hull and hull sides. Angling is not a good tactic to employ
* A really tall tank with a high centre of gravity. Not only is this tank difficult to hide, but a really sharp turn can cause the tank to flip over
* Only 4 degrees of gun depression. That coupled with this tank's height makes this vehicle ill-suited for cresting ridge lines
* Longer reload time between magazine reloads
* Only performs well at close quarters combat, as both the AP and HVAP penetration drop below 30 mm past 500 m
* The turret crew are exposed to strafing aircraft and artillery, as well as machine gun fire
* Lacks a shoulder stabilizer

== History ==


=== Development ===
In 1934, the Czechoslovak tank manufacturer ČKD developed an alternative design for the LT-35 tank. The latter was made by competitor Škoda. The LT-35 was too complex and had many shortcomings; its reliability was poor. ČKD's engineer Alexander Surin decided to use leaf spring suspension and four large wheels for the newly developed tank. The resulting type was reliable and an export success. The new running gear was first used for a light tank, the AH-IV, with only machine gun armament; it was first delivered to Iran, as the RH, of which fifty were bought in 1935; a second version, the R-1, was delivered to Romania in a number of 35 in 1936 and 1937, and a third, the AH-IV-Sv in a number of 48 to Sweden from 1937. In 1935 this enlarged running gear was combined with the hull of the light LT Vz 34 tank previously produced for the Czechoslovak army, which had a real 37 mm gun. The new vehicle was called the TNH. In 1935, Iran ordered fifty vehicles. On April 17, 1936, Switzerland ordered 26 vehicles of the LTH, a modified version with 24 mm gun. In 1938, 24 units of the LTP were ordered by Peru, and 21 LTL vehicles, with a more powerful engine, were ordered by Latvia, which, incidentally, were never delivered due to occupation by the Soviet Union. The United Kingdom also acquired a specimen just before the occupation of the Czech Republic and tested it between 16 and 29 March 1939. The opinion on the type was strongly dismissive: the tank was found to be too tight and the speed through rough terrain too bumpy.

In March 1937, the Czechoslovakian Ministry of Defense asked both country's tank producers to propose a new type to supplement the LT-35, which could be mass-produced as soon as possible. They indicated that they would purchase at least 400 vehicles and guaranteed an initial order of 260. Naturally, ČKD offered the TNH, which was already fully developed. In tests from January 25, 1938, the type proved superior to all counterparts. On July 22, 1938, Czechoslovakia ordered 150 vehicles of the Type Lt Vz.38, for 620,146 crowns each. The intention was to achieve a monthly production of 20. However, when the first tank left the factory in February, the land was already divided; shortly afterwards, the Czech hull state was also occupied: none of the tanks could eventually serve the army before the German occupation began.

=== In German service ===
As early as March, the factory management had contacted the Germans to continue production after the occupation. Germany had a great shortage of medium tanks and although the now LTM 38 tank was officially called a light tank, with its 37 mm gun it was no worse armed than the German medium Panzerkampfwagen III and much better than the light Panzerkampfwagen I and Panzerkampfwagen II; it was not only more reliable than the LT-35, but also than the light German tanks. Czech production capacity in the early years allowed Germany to form about a third more armoured divisions and was thus critical to success during that time of the war. The production of the tank continued as Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) (the name from January 16, 1940) until June 1942 and 1411 were built; monthly production peaked in September 1941 with 76 vehicles. There was also exported to the countries on the German side: Hungary took 102, Slovakia 69, Romania 50 and Bulgaria 10. Due to the rapid technical developments during the war, the type soon became obsolete. She was too small to carry a bigger cannon in a tower; several plans to do so were rejected. From 1942, the LT-38s were replaced or assigned less important tasks.

However, Germany could not afford to leave production capacity idle; the chassis was extremely useful due to its reliability. A modified chassis of the PzKpfw 38 (t) therefore became the basis for various types of mechanized artillery, mechanized artillery and tank hunters, including the successful German Jagdpanzer 38, better known today as the "Hetzer".

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
The Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) reconnaissance tank was based on the Pz.38(t) towards the end of 1943, by the BMM construction office in Prague. The order specifications required a 20 mm automatic cannon and a 75 mm regular cannon.

A Praga AE engine with 160 hp at 2,600 rpm replaced the Praga AC. This required a change in the exhaust system and the introduction of a longer exhaust pipe, which, together with a muffler, was put on the tank's roof. The tank's hull received a new superstructure, with modified inclination and with riveted joints for its armour plates.

The tank's armament consisted of a 20 mm automatic KwK38 L/55 cannon paired with a 7.92 mm MG42 machine gun. The guns could be pointed anywhere between -4 and 70 degrees and so could fire at air targets. The tank's ammunition included 300 shells and 1,500 machine gun rounds.

The open-top hexahedral turret, manufactured by the company Appelt, was equipped with a metal mesh to protect against hand grenades. The tank's armour thickness ranged from 8 to 50 mm. Its operational weight reached 9,750 kg. At this weight, its maximum highway speed was 52 km/h, and its maximum highway range was 240 km.

The Aufklärungpanzer 38(t) tank was accepted into the Wehrmacht in 1944, but large-scale production of the machine was never successfully introduced. A total of 70 tanks were produced.

The tanks were used on both the West and the Eastern Fronts.

Its design was successful, reliable, and advanced. However, the rivet joints in its armour plating were a detriment to its survivability.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_38t_Aufklarungspanzer Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|ejKGyrDj8E0|'''Premium Review, Sd.Kfz. 140/1. A Nasty Sealclubber!''' - ''Joseph 2000''|y1cgs1cHhGA|'''Aufklärungspanzer 38(t), German Premium Tier-1 Light Tank''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[LT-38 (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[T-60]]
* [[L6/40]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:Panzer_38(t)|[Wikipedia] Panzer 38(t)]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/aufklarungspanzer-38t-2cm-kwk-38-l55-sd-kfz-1401.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Aufklärungspanzer 38(t)]
* [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_aufklarungspanzer_38t.html <nowiki>[History of War]</nowiki> Aufklarungspanzer 38(t) (Sdkfz 140/1)]

{{Germany light tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Sd.Kfz. 140/1

2024-02-25T02:24:17Z

U149585981: Added a short little passage describing the coaxial MG42's potential use against ground targets as well.

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_38t_Aufklarungspanzer
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_SdKfz140-1.jpg}}
|store=11230
}}

== Description ==

The '''Aufklärungspanzer 38(t)''' ([[Abbreviations#.28DE.29 Sd.Kfz. Index|Sd.Kfz. Index:]] '''Sd.Kfz. 140/1''') was a reconnaissance vehicle used by the German Army during World War II. Its task was to scout out enemy positions ahead of the main attack column. They would then radio back the number of hostile forces and their location. They might occasionally direct an artillery or airstrike. German half-tracked and wheeled armoured cars were used for armoured reconnaissance but suffered in the tough circumstances of the Eastern Front. The Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) was intended to replace both of these vehicles as a key reconnaissance vehicle. It was outfitted with a 'Hangelafette turret' armed with a 20 mm Kampfwagenkanone (KwK) 38 autocannon and a single 7.92 mm MG42 light machine gun capable of anti-aircraft and ground fire.

Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) performs similarly to a [[Pz.II (Family)|Panzer II]] but with a more resilient overall structure. It retains its mobility, but players should be aware that it lacks the primitive vertical stabilizer present in Panzer IIs. Nonetheless, it is a highly versatile light tank capable of both anti-aircraft and ground tasks. However, due to its low gun depression, this light tank may struggle to perform in rugged terrain.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret)
* Structural steel (storage boxes, mudguards)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 15 mm (25°) ''Upper plate - Top'' 50 mm (19°) ''Upper plate - Bottom'' 15 mm (15°) ''Upper plate - Cheeks'' 30 mm (74°) ''Upper glacis'' 50 mm (15°) ''Lower plate'' 8 mm (66°) ''Lower glacis'' || 15 mm (6-31°) ''Top'' 30 mm ''Bottom'' || 15 mm (2-10°) ''Upper plate'' 30 mm (14°) ''Lower plate'' || 30 mm (16°) ''Front glacis'' 10 mm ''Crew compartment'' 15 mm (0-30°) ''Engine deck''
|-
| Turret || 30 mm (36°) ''Turret front'' 10 mm (6°) + 30 mm (36°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 10 mm (37°) || 8 mm (38°) || N/A
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, tracks and bogies are 15 mm thick.
* The belly armour is 8 mm thick.
* Mudguards and storage boxes are 4 mm thick.

This vehicle is all-around better than the Flakpanzer I at the same BR in the tech tree. It has a 50 mm front plate, a 30 mm sloped turret, and four crew members spaced out nicely.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=248|rbMinHp=142}}

The speed and power-to-weight ratio of the {{PAGENAME}} are both superior to the [[Flakpanzer I]], being 58 km/h forward, -6 km/h backwards, and a power-to-weight ratio of 15.45 hp/ton.

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

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

{{main|KwK38 (20 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[KwK38 (20 mm)|20 mm KwK38]] || 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" | 300 (10) || rowspan="2" | 450 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+70° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 38.1 || 52.7 || 64.0 || 70.8 || 75.3 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

The 20 mm KwK38 autocannon is one of the most lethal low-rank guns.

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These rounds work well until the others are researched.
* '''Sprgr.:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These are absolutely devastating in the AA role.
* '''PzGr:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}} - These are suited for the anti-tank role at close range and do good damage to planes.
* '''PzGr 40:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}} - The best belt for the anti-tank role with the best penetrating shell for this cannon. While the post-penetration damage can be quite poor, the rapid fire from the autocannon can mitigate this problem by following up quickly with another penetrating shot. In close combat, these shells should be used against modules and crew members to make the most of each shell. Against angled armour, however, the HVAP ammo may not be very effective. Unlike the Flakpanzer 1 and Flakpanzer 38, this belt is still 100% HVAP.

{{:KwK38 (20 mm)/Ammunition|HEFI-T*, API-T, HVAP-T}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Sd.Kfz._140-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''30''' || 25 ''(+5)'' || 19 ''(+11)'' || 13 ''(+17)'' || 7 ''(+23)'' || 1 ''(+29)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Racks disappear after all shells in the rack have been shot or loaded.

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

{{main|MG42 (7.92 mm)}}

This tank has a coaxial 7.92 mm MG 42 machine gun that is a sufficient fallback to the FlaK 38. The MG42 is unlikely to be of help against other ground vehicles but is best used between reloads to maintain a semi-constant rate of fire on enemy aircraft.

Considering the prevalence of open-topped/unarmored vehicles at the Sd.Kfz. 140/1's battle rating, the MG42 may be a devastating weapon against certain ground targets as well.

{| 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 || 1,800 (150) || 1,200 || - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Sd.Kfz. 140/1 is a multirole armoured vehicle which mainly focuses on light/medium armour and air targets. It can be considered a combination between the Pz.II and the Flakpanzer 1.

''As a scout:''

The Sd.Kfz. 140/1 has a decent speed, low profile and scouting abilities. It is able to move fast to certain advantage points and scout enemy targets for friendlies. When playing as a sneaky scout, it is recommended to only fire if forced to maintain cover and let enemy tanks destroy those spotted. It is able to mark an enemy with fire (either main gun or machine gun) but its not recommended.

''As a support vehicle:''

Due to its high rate of fire, the 20 mm gun is able to not only damage tracks but all tank modules at its BR. This is particularly helpful when engaging heavier targets which cannot be penetrated by the HVAP belts. The gun barrel, tracks, engine deck or any other module that can disable the tank are the main targets the player must aim to in order to disable the tank and make it an easier prey for friendlies who can take down the heavy armour. It is also able to repair assist, meaning it is able to reduce the repair time of a friendly vehicle in helped. This is not only an RP incomer but also can save your life in a tense situation in which 2 guns are better than a single 20 mm.

''As an anti-air:''

Despite being a light tank with a relatively slow traverse and gun elevation, the Sd.Kfz. 140/1 can be comparable to the Flakpanzer 1 when engaging aircraft. It has a 70° elevation, more than enough to engage low flying aircraft with ease. It is able to become a formidable anti air not only at its battle rating capable of destroying any aircraft in a small burst. Although the AP-I belts have more crippling power compared to the HVAP, with the amount of shells the gun can put on the aircraft, it is not as crucial although this is up to player's discretion. It works very well against low passing bombers and fighters as it only takes about 4 seconds to completely take out and aircraft (if you hit all shots).

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Armed with a powerful 20 mm cannon with a very high rate of fire
* The 20 mm HVAP magazine has incredible close range penetration and damage potential thanks to all the spalling. Hitting an enemy with all 10 rounds will either kill crew, or leave the vehicle severely damaged
* Can carry almost twice the amount of ammo that the [[Pz.II C]] or [[Pz.II F|F]] can
* The high rate of fire coupled with the 70 degrees of gun elevation makes this vehicle an effective anti-aircraft tank
* The hull has an impressive 50 mm of armour on the front while the turret has 30 mm of angled armour
* Very fast and highly mobile. Can keep up with many of the armoured cars at Rank I
* Many tanks at this BR have exposed crew members. This makes the coaxial MG42 an excellent way of taking out exposed enemy crew without having to waste any 20 mm shells

'''Cons:'''

* There's only a 15 mm plate of armour between the turret and chassis making it a massive weak spot
* Only 15 mm of armour on the flat corners of the upper hull and hull sides. Angling is not a good tactic to employ
* A really tall tank with a high centre of gravity. Not only is this tank difficult to hide, but a really sharp turn can cause the tank to flip over
* Only 4 degrees of gun depression. That coupled with this tank's height makes this vehicle ill-suited for cresting ridge lines
* Longer reload time between magazine reloads
* Only performs well at close quarters combat, as both the AP and HVAP penetration drop below 30 mm past 500 m
* The turret crew are exposed to strafing aircraft and artillery, as well as machine gun fire
* Lacks a shoulder stabilizer

== History ==


=== Development ===
In 1934, the Czechoslovak tank manufacturer ČKD developed an alternative design for the LT-35 tank. The latter was made by competitor Škoda. The LT-35 was too complex and had many shortcomings; its reliability was poor. ČKD's engineer Alexander Surin decided to use leaf spring suspension and four large wheels for the newly developed tank. The resulting type was reliable and an export success. The new running gear was first used for a light tank, the AH-IV, with only machine gun armament; it was first delivered to Iran, as the RH, of which fifty were bought in 1935; a second version, the R-1, was delivered to Romania in a number of 35 in 1936 and 1937, and a third, the AH-IV-Sv in a number of 48 to Sweden from 1937. In 1935 this enlarged running gear was combined with the hull of the light LT Vz 34 tank previously produced for the Czechoslovak army, which had a real 37 mm gun. The new vehicle was called the TNH. In 1935, Iran ordered fifty vehicles. On April 17, 1936, Switzerland ordered 26 vehicles of the LTH, a modified version with 24 mm gun. In 1938, 24 units of the LTP were ordered by Peru, and 21 LTL vehicles, with a more powerful engine, were ordered by Latvia, which, incidentally, were never delivered due to occupation by the Soviet Union. The United Kingdom also acquired a specimen just before the occupation of the Czech Republic and tested it between 16 and 29 March 1939. The opinion on the type was strongly dismissive: the tank was found to be too tight and the speed through rough terrain too bumpy.

In March 1937, the Czechoslovakian Ministry of Defense asked both country's tank producers to propose a new type to supplement the LT-35, which could be mass-produced as soon as possible. They indicated that they would purchase at least 400 vehicles and guaranteed an initial order of 260. Naturally, ČKD offered the TNH, which was already fully developed. In tests from January 25, 1938, the type proved superior to all counterparts. On July 22, 1938, Czechoslovakia ordered 150 vehicles of the Type Lt Vz.38, for 620,146 crowns each. The intention was to achieve a monthly production of 20. However, when the first tank left the factory in February, the land was already divided; shortly afterwards, the Czech hull state was also occupied: none of the tanks could eventually serve the army before the German occupation began.

=== In German service ===
As early as March, the factory management had contacted the Germans to continue production after the occupation. Germany had a great shortage of medium tanks and although the now LTM 38 tank was officially called a light tank, with its 37 mm gun it was no worse armed than the German medium Panzerkampfwagen III and much better than the light Panzerkampfwagen I and Panzerkampfwagen II; it was not only more reliable than the LT-35, but also than the light German tanks. Czech production capacity in the early years allowed Germany to form about a third more armoured divisions and was thus critical to success during that time of the war. The production of the tank continued as Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) (the name from January 16, 1940) until June 1942 and 1411 were built; monthly production peaked in September 1941 with 76 vehicles. There was also exported to the countries on the German side: Hungary took 102, Slovakia 69, Romania 50 and Bulgaria 10. Due to the rapid technical developments during the war, the type soon became obsolete. She was too small to carry a bigger cannon in a tower; several plans to do so were rejected. From 1942, the LT-38s were replaced or assigned less important tasks.

However, Germany could not afford to leave production capacity idle; the chassis was extremely useful due to its reliability. A modified chassis of the PzKpfw 38 (t) therefore became the basis for various types of mechanized artillery, mechanized artillery and tank hunters, including the successful German Jagdpanzer 38, better known today as the "Hetzer".

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
The Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) reconnaissance tank was based on the Pz.38(t) towards the end of 1943, by the BMM construction office in Prague. The order specifications required a 20 mm automatic cannon and a 75 mm regular cannon.

A Praga AE engine with 160 hp at 2,600 rpm replaced the Praga AC. This required a change in the exhaust system and the introduction of a longer exhaust pipe, which, together with a muffler, was put on the tank's roof. The tank's hull received a new superstructure, with modified inclination and with riveted joints for its armour plates.

The tank's armament consisted of a 20 mm automatic KwK38 L/55 cannon paired with a 7.92 mm MG42 machine gun. The guns could be pointed anywhere between -4 and 70 degrees and so could fire at air targets. The tank's ammunition included 300 shells and 1,500 machine gun rounds.

The open-top hexahedral turret, manufactured by the company Appelt, was equipped with a metal mesh to protect against hand grenades. The tank's armour thickness ranged from 8 to 50 mm. Its operational weight reached 9,750 kg. At this weight, its maximum highway speed was 52 km/h, and its maximum highway range was 240 km.

The Aufklärungpanzer 38(t) tank was accepted into the Wehrmacht in 1944, but large-scale production of the machine was never successfully introduced. A total of 70 tanks were produced.

The tanks were used on both the West and the Eastern Fronts.

Its design was successful, reliable, and advanced. However, the rivet joints in its armour plating were a detriment to its survivability.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_38t_Aufklarungspanzer Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|ejKGyrDj8E0|'''Premium Review, Sd.Kfz. 140/1. A Nasty Sealclubber!''' - ''Joseph 2000''|y1cgs1cHhGA|'''Aufklärungspanzer 38(t), German Premium Tier-1 Light Tank''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[LT-38 (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[T-60]]
* [[L6/40]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:Panzer_38(t)|[Wikipedia] Panzer 38(t)]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/aufklarungspanzer-38t-2cm-kwk-38-l55-sd-kfz-1401.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Aufklärungspanzer 38(t)]
* [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_aufklarungspanzer_38t.html <nowiki>[History of War]</nowiki> Aufklarungspanzer 38(t) (Sdkfz 140/1)]

{{Germany light tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}