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M50

2024-06-26T06:10:55Z

U167614333: /* Armaments */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m50_ontos
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''', also known by the nickname '''Ontos''', is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.71 "New E.R.A."]].

The M50 "Ontos" is pretty much a bulky carrier of recoilless rifles, carrying a payload of six shells of devastating HEAT and HESH shells. With six launchers pointing forwards, a well-emplaced M50 can point itself downrange and once a target comes into its sights, unleash all shells until the target is annihilated.

A stealthy and pouncing game style is needed to make the most of the hard-hitting guns and the thin armour of the Ontos.

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 10-13 (70°) ''Front glacis'' 13 mm (45-66°) ''Lower glacis'' || 13 mm (43°) ''Top'' 13 mm ''Bottom'' || 13 mm (36°) ''Top'' 13 mm ''Bottom'' || 13 mm
|-
| Cupola || 13 mm || 13 mm || 13 mm || 13 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and torsion bars are 20 mm thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=206|rbMinHp=128}}

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

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

{{main|M40A1C (106 mm)}}

The turret displacement is limited without being a huge handicap as it allows to cover a wide area (±40°) without having to reposition the hull. And in the case your guns reach a stop, repositioning the hull is quickly done.

The targeting process is manual and in average twice slower than tanks with turrets at the same tier or battle rating. However, the recoilless nature of the guns eliminates the need for retargetting between shots as the recoil is minimal. The short delay between shots eliminates the need for repositioning as it does not leave the target any time to retaliate.

An aspect to consider is the offset of the guns from the central target sight: at close range its impact is minimal but becomes noticeable when firing at specific weak spots on targets at a distance. Using the scouting MGs can help you assess the off-set but will reveal your position. Given the rifles layout of the Ontos, it is recommended to fire by salvos of 3 shells to guarantee a good balance between rate of fire and accuracy.

Like an SPAA belt, you have to fire all 6 rifles before being allowed to start the reloading process. Your ammo capacity of 18 shells total (or 3 belts of 6) is limited, which will impact your combat performance as you're very likely to have to disengage in order to restock during a battle.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M40A1C (106 mm)|106 mm M40A1C]] (x6) || 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" | 18 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±40° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 15.9 || 21.9 || 26.6 || 29.5 || 31.3 || rowspan="2" | 16.90 || rowspan="2" | 14.95 || rowspan="2" | 13.78 || rowspan="2" | 13.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 10.7 || 12.6 || 15.3 || 16.9 || 18.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M40A1C (106 mm)/Ammunition|M344A1, M361A1}}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''18''' || 14 ''(+4)'' || 0 ''(+18)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Individual tube reload is not possible. You have to empty all 6 rifles first in order to reload 6 new projectiles.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M80 (12.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M80 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M80]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 120 (5) || 300 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Coaxial || 120 (5) || 300 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Coaxial || 120 (5) || 300 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Coaxial || 120 (5) || 300 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

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

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,000 (250) || 500 || -5°/+50° || ±70°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

[[File:M50 Ontos at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.jpg|thumb|310x310px|M50 Ontos at the National Museum of the Marine Corps]]

Obviously the M50 is not a main battle tank, with its thin armour even Reserve units are a threat. Stealth and guile is the tactic, using its high mobility and small size to get in ambush or outflank an enemy push fast. Memorize shooting spots, be it concealed ambush points or sheltered ranged locations overlooking active routes. The most important tactic is learn how to operate it. Define a separate keybind for the trigger of the spotting gun and learn the firing sequence. There is nothing worse than sighting a perfect target, but firing the gun into a rock because it is on the wrong side. Also keep in mind the turret has only 80 degrees of traverse (±40°), a consideration during tactical manoeuvres. Still, compared to other anti-tank guns this traverse is much wider, and also has a respectable -10 depression. Add that -10 degrees and angled position to the already extremely sloped front glacis armour and one could be bouncing large calibre AP rounds. Don't forgot to spot enemies too, make them feel the pressure, not you.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Six recoilless 106 mm rifles
* The guns can be fired within 0.5 seconds of each other, allowing rapid fire on one helpless target
* Stock shells of HEAT and HESH
* The HEAT shell is really effective, literally point and shoot
* Four heavy machine guns coaxial to guns - can be used for spotting to adjust aim and estimate ranges
* Nice 53 km/h (33 mph) speed, can get to ambush or sniping positions early game or rush capture point
* Quite effective in urban fighting since low-velocity shells do not matter in close quarter combat

'''Cons:'''

* No armour whatsoever (can be easily destroyed by heavy MG rounds or via air strafing)
* Only 18 rounds - can't miss and be wasteful
* Only 2 crew members - one shot is most likely to put you out of action
* Spotting machine guns are hard to utilize, firing only in unison with the guns as default or separately with key bindings
* Pintle mounted machine gun is quite ineffective against even aircraft found at this rank
* Use of spotting gun and main gun needs practice to be proficient and successful
* Guns are very loud and will bring the enemy's notice to your location
* Extremely hard to use for new players, not user friendly

== History ==

It was such a strange "tank" the only word the US Army could think of for this strange thing was, well, "Thing", except someone was clever and used the Greek word, '''ὄντος''' (really, truly [exists]). Due to mountainous and difficult terrain of Korea brought the US Army revisited the idea of a light tank. It was quite an ingenious design made very quickly. The prototype was based on an M56 Scorpion ATG chassis, used a common truck engine, and mounted six very powerful M40A1C recoilless rifle guns and be light enough for air transport. The prototype was finished in 1952 and by 1955 completed its testing where it fulfilled its design requirements, but the Army simply did not like this monstrosity and decided against it. The US Marines on the other hand was not as picky and loved this highly mobile light tank with a huge punch, so ordered 297 in 1955. The design was reworked with a new chassis, new running gear with wide thread (ditching the M56 design), better internal layout, and other minor improvements that made the Ontos a unique one off design. While it had a few flaws, it was reliable enough to accomplish its mission.

The key to the M50's offensive power is the 106 mm M40A1C recoilless rifle firing devastating HEAT or HESH (later an anti-infantry "beehive") rounds with its integrated M8C .50 cal spotting rifle using a 10 or 20 round magazine. It should be noted the M8C is a shorter round (12.7x77 mm, M48A2 Spotter-Tracer (S) bullets only) that the better known .50 AN/M2 BMG (12.7x99 mm). Every M40 produced had the M8C, but on the M50 the lowest 2 barrels have this spotting rifle removed leaving an empty mounting post. If wanted (but not recommended) all 6 guns can be fired at once delivering far more destructive offensive load than any tank then or today. The nature of recoilless rifles is a powerful blow back, during a test firing all 6 simultaneously it knocked bricks out of a building and shattered a few car windows. In between is mounted a single pintle-mounted .30 calibre M1919A4 machine gun for anti-infantry use.

The first combat use of the Ontos occurred in 1964 Dominican Republic Civil War where it reported destroyed an AMX-13 and an old Swedish L-60 (the only time it was used for purpose built, destroying tanks). But it was the following year when it was deployed to Vietnam did it shine.

Vietnam was extremely hostile to tanks not due to enemies but the environment. Jungle, swamp, rice fields, mountains, rivers, a limited road network with small bridges; it was a nightmare for regular tanks but the Ontos could glide over them with ease. Enemy Vietnamese troops rarely used tanks and few anti-tank guns so there was little threat from them, the paper thin armour was more than enough to resist small arms and heavy MG fire most often encountered. The significant vulnerability of reloading the 6 guns was largely moot as the fearsome reputation of this 6 shooter beast often cleared out enemy positions soon after it started shooting. Unfortunately its age was its greatest enemy. Over 10 years old and long out of production breakdowns became more frequent, some were cannibalized for parts and the turrets where mounted to fixed positions as point defence. Despite its unprecedented success in Vietnam its limited numbers, scattered deployment, breakdowns, and frequent rotation, it did not gain as much fame as it could have. More of footnote today, this unusual tank was the perfect vehicle for very difficult conflict.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m50_ontos Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|VFEv4q3G5Us|'''Most unusual vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:38 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|YuBjyMQLRy0|'''Airmobile tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:44 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[T114]]
* [[Type 60 SPRG (C)]]
* [[FIAT 6614]]
* [[R3 T106 FA]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4905-gamescom-m50-ontos-something-out-of-the-ordinary-en|[Devblog] M50 Ontos - Something Out of The Ordinary]]

{{TankManufacturer Allis-Chalmers}}
{{USA tank destroyers}}

Cromwell V

2024-04-17T23:37:01Z

U167614333: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = British medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Cromwell (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_a27m_cromwell_5
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (or just '''{{Specs|pseudonym}}''') is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was released along with the initial British ground tree in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]]. An adequately armoured cruiser tank that is armed with a rather inadequate [[Ordnance QF Mk.V (75 mm)|75 mm cannon]] due to poor post-penetration performance. However, the Cromwell V's speed makes it a very good flag runner akin to the [[M18 GMC|M18 Hellcat]].

The Cromwell V, despite being a later and more modern version than the Mk I, has a slightly lower (3.0-3.3) BR than the [[Cromwell I|Mk.I]] and arrives first in the tech tree. This is due to its 75 mm gun, which offers less penetration than the [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder Mk.III (57 mm)|57 mm]] in the Mk. I, and thus makes many higher BR tanks effectively invulnerable to it. Those few points of BR make little the difference; in its match-ups the Cromwell V is an average opponent, but will easily outrun anything on the map to take up effective positions for the first shot, and then doling out some of the worst damage in the game at its BR from its 75 before running off to another location.

This tank is not a beginner-friendly vehicle. Though fast, the vehicle's gun does not provide reliable victories against enemy tanks. Skill is required to maximize the vehicle's speed, rectangular armour, and firepower against enemy vehicles with AP rounds with HE fillers. Excellent aim is very important to get the job done.

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

'''Armour type:'''

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 63.5 mm (1°) ''Front plate'' 25.4 mm (71°) ''Front glacis'' 57 mm (18°) ''Joint plate'' 25.4 mm (65°) ''Lower glacis'' || 25.4 mm || 32 mm || 14 mm
|-
| Turret || 76.2 mm (1°) ''Turret front'' 63.5 (1°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 63.5 mm || 57.1 mm (1°) || 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.

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


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

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

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

{{main|OQF Mk.V (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[OQF Mk.V (75 mm)|75 mm 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" | 64 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 23.8 || 32.9 || 40.0 || 44.2 || 47.1 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.9 || 17.5 || 21.3 || 23.5 || 25.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:OQF Mk.V (75 mm)/Ammunition|M72 shot, M61 shot, M48 shell, M89}}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''64''' || 50 ''(+14)'' || 45 ''(+19)'' || 31 ''(+33)'' || 17 ''(+47)'' || 12 ''(+52)'' || 0 ''(+64)'' || No
|-
|}

==== 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.III L]]
|-
|}

=== 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 || 4,950 (225) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Cromwell fighting prowess is due to its manoeuvrability and gun rotation. This is thanks to the combination of the Rover Meteor engine, essentially a Rolls-Royce Merlin of Spitfire fame with the supercharger removed, and its Merrit-Brown triple-differential transmission. This gives the Cromwell power even while it manoeuvres so it maintains speed much better than those tanks using traditional clutch-and-brake systems like practically everything in this BR. This not only allows it to spin in place and easily run around obstacles, but it can also out-climb almost every tank in the game, allowing it to go places the enemy might not expect to find you. But mostly this gives it unmatched speed, allowing you to reach the good sniping spots before anyone else in the match. But there is a down side to the Cromwell's amazing speed, going in reverse will only let you go up to 3 km/h, and rarely will you be able to damage a tank enough to get a similarly effective second shot; either the tanks was still drivable and retreated to cover, angled to best bounce your next shot, or 1 shot you in return with APHE.

Once upgraded, the Cromwell's turret rotation is one of the best for the rank, only beaten by the [[T-34 (1940)|T-34]] that has a rotation speed of 29°/s (fully aced crew). This allows an upgraded Cromwell to quickly engage targets in different angles, important for close-quarter fighting. German tanks will come close to you but not be able to catch up with you in some situations, but this being said; '''do not''' go into the hell of battle thinking "My turret rotation is fast enough to beat all of yours!" because that will get the Cromwell destroyed by a tank who only needs to hit your turret from the front to disable you. And as said before your reverse speed isn't that fast so if you are in this situation all you can do is pray and hope that your team mates come up to help you out or in worst case scenario you get taken out straight away from a side on hit. But instead help out the team from a distance of around 0-550m or if you feel like sniping from a distance your max range is 850m.

The downside to this tank is its thin hull armour, especially on the sides. Everything on the map can penetrate the Cromwell hull, even from the front. This includes SPAAs, who will easily tear the Cromwell apart, especially the [[Wirbelwind]] that will do so at almost all ranges typically encountered and any angle. The Cromwell's turret is somewhat better off, with just over 60 mm on the front and sides, but the flat plates are easily penetrated by any type of shell. The closely packed interior means it's a one-hit-to-burn design for anything with a 75 mm, and at 3.3 BR these will be on almost all tanks you face. Keep moving! If you take a shot or get shot at, re-position, don't ever try to fight it out. You're so much faster and more manoeuvrable than anything you meet that you can almost always find a better location to go after any target. Just don't try to reverse; it's single reverse gear gets you 2 mph (3 km/h), meaning you're likely better off spinning in place and then driving away.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent gun depression of -12°.
* Very fast acceleration.
* Very sensitive brakes enables Cromwell to land shots almost immediately after stopping.
* Decent front turret armour of 64 mm, with overlapping plates adding up to around 150mm of armour
* Exceptional speed for a medium tank.
* Acceptable reload for 75 mm gun that allows a steady rate of fire.
* Armour can be compounded angled to the sides for extra effectiveness.
* Very good flanker and rushing caps at early game.
* Has neutral steering.
* Performs exceptionally well when working with other allied tanks with different role.
* Excellent manoeuvrability.
* Standard 5 crew members allow a margin of crew casualties before a decrease in combat performance.
* Low profile.
* Excellent climbing ability (both in reverse and forwards).
* Great turret rotation for a Rank 2 medium tank (beaten only by the T-34).
* Quite survivable with the interior plates

'''Cons:'''

* Only solid shot ammunition for armour-piercing shells, which is not very amazing compared to APHE other tanks have
* 75 mm gun only average in anti-tank capabilities.
* The sensitive brakes can throw aim off in the instance, letting a prepared enemy fire first.
* Armour is only supported by raw thickness due to its flat, boxy construction. Requires manual compound angling to improve effectiveness.
* Using the Cromwell for frontal engagements is not advised, should use flanking tactics instead and let heavier allies like the Matildas and Churchills to take frontal assault.
* Weak side armour.
* Ammunition racks litter all around the hull center.
* Prone to fishtailing or breaking out, A and D keys can be merely tapped, effectively uncontrollable at high speeds.
* Very poor reverse speed, just 3 km/h (1.8 mph).
* Unlockable M61 APCBC shell with acceptable ricochet characteristics loses extra penetration the stock M72 shell has.
* Lacks any sort of gun stabilization.
* Gun elevation speed is extremely poor.
* Neutral steering only works on flat terrain.

== History ==

===Development===
Development for the tank started back in 1940, just around the time the [[Crusader Mk II|Crusader cruiser tank]] was being put into service in the British Army. The development of a stronger cruiser tank was initiated due to the belief that that the Crusader would become obsolete in the face of more advanced German tanks as the time pass. The initial plans was for the tank to mount the OQF 6-pounder gun and was to be completed in 1942. The project was taken up by three companies who submitted their designs. Vauxhall developed the ''A23'', a scaled down [[Churchill Mk III|Churchill tank]] with 75 mm of armour and a 12-cylinder Bedford engine. Nuffield developed the ''A24'' based off the Crusader that was powered by the Liberty engine and had an advantage of being put into production quickly. Leyland and Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon developed a design that was similar to Nuffield's, but with different suspension and track designs. All these designs were examined in January 1941 and it was decided that Nuffield's A24 would become the vehicle of choice for the project. Six prototypes of the vehicle, now called ''Cromwell I'' were ordered for delivery in the Spring of 1942, but arrived four months late, with current events making the tank designs outdated. Despite that, the tank was put into production and experienced an unsatisfactory performance history as being an under-powered tank. The lack of available tanks led to the demands for more 6-pounders on the battlefield, which were used to be mounted on the older tank designs.

When Britain entered the war, Rolls-Royce stopped producing cars and set up a team to find ways to use their production lines. The team was made under Roy Robotham at Clan Foundry near the city of Belper. Meeting with Henry Spurrier of Leyland, they talked tank designs and a project began of fitting a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine onto a tank. A Leyland-built Crusader was used for the test, removing the supercharger from the engine before installing it in the tank. The result was an absurdly fast tank, able to reach a speed of 80 km/h, estimated since timing the speed runs was difficult. The impressive performance had Leyland organize a production for 1,000 units of the engine, renamed as the ''Meteor''. This plan was changed after concerns of the engine's cooling was raised, Leyland decides to produce their own version of Meteor which was weaker (350 hp) compared to the Rolls design (500 hp). Thus, the Tank Board decided to just order the engine straight from Rolls-Royce for the Meteor engine. The A24 tank design with the Meteor engine was redesignated as the A27. During the development, Leyland suggested that the tank should be made to fit both the Meteor and the American-designed Liberty engine, thus the designation expanded to A27M (Meteor) and the A27L (Liberty) and were called ''Cromwell III'' and ''Cromwell II'' respectively. Leyland's attempt at building their own engine was abandoned. The A27M tank was made into a prototype and delivered on January 1942, it proved extremely mobile with its 600 hp engine and orders were placed for both engine versions. This proved difficult due to production difficulties with the Meteor and soon Leyland took over production of both versions. Production lines for the Meteor engine continued to be strained until late 1942, where Ernest Hives of Rolls met with Spencer Wilks of the company Rover made a deal in January 1943 to exchange factories, with Rolls establishing a Meteor engine factory at Barnoldswick, Lancashire.

Production of the tank began in November 1942 with new names given out the tanks. The original A24 Cromwell I from Nuffield was renamed the ''Cavalier'', the Liberty powered Cromwell II became the ''Centaur'', and the Meteor powered Cromwell III retained the name as the '''Cromwell'''. The actual Cromwell tank production was delayed until January 1943 due to low supply of Meteor engines until the Rover factory began producing it. With more Meteor engines being produced, the Centaur tanks were often converted to use the Meteor engine, turning them into Cromwells. Field tests with the tanks took place in August to September in 1943 alongside the [[M4A2|M4A2]] and M4A4 Shermans. The tests proved the Shermans to be more reliable than the Cromwell and Centaurs, needing only about 0.03 hours of mechanical attention every mile compared to the Cromwell's 0.07 hours per mile and the Centaur's 0.08 hours per mile. The two tanks were thus given time to iron out these deficiencies, the Cromwell suffered from oil leaks along with brake and clutch failures. While the tank suffered from these defects, the crews expressed their satisfaction of the designs for their speed and handling, but the Centaur was not given the same attention as the Cromwell. A second test in November had the Cromwell perform with improved results while the Centaur was still experiencing the same problems. The production model was finalized on February 2, 1944 after a specifications for a "Battle Cromwell" came in from Leyland, which included some design changes, an increase of 6 mm on the bottom of the tank, seam welding the joints, and the standard usage of the Meteor engine and the Merritt Brown transmission. The Centaur was relegated to training roles or modified for specialist roles such as anti-aircraft guns or engineering vehicles. Total production for the A27 tank series is 4,016 tanks, of which 950 are Centaurs and 3,066 are Cromwells.

===Design===
The Cromwell's frame used a riveted construction in its initial production models, but this later changed to welding. The frame was strengthened with bolted armour plates. Companies involved in the A27 production were LMS Railway, Morris Motors, Metro-Cammell, Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company, and English Electric. Some of these models were not consistent in construction, such as some variants built with 360 mm wide tracks and some with 393 mm tracks. Suspension was the Christie suspension derived from the earlier cruiser tank designs. Four of the tanks's road wheels have shock absorbers, and no return rollers are available, the tracks are supported on the top of the large road wheels. The gearbox has five forward and one reverse gear, with the first forward gear made for confined areas and sharp turns. While the Meteor engine is capable of going faster, it is restricted to 540 hp output with a governor to avoid straining the engine and suspension. The Cromwell's armaments changed over a few times, it's initial model [[Cromwell I|mounted the 6-pounder gun]], but the later models mounted the 75 mm gun. The adaption was easy due to the 75 mm gun being a 6-pounder bored for the larger calibre. A 7.92 mm BESA machine gun was available for coaxial firing on the turret. The armour on the Cromwell started as a 76 mm plate, which increased gradually to 83 mm and 100 mm over time for additional protection.

The '''A27M Cromwell V''' was Cromwell variant that used the 75 mm gun and a welded construction, no riveting was used in the frame.

===Combat usage===
The British, at the time of Operation Overlord, primarily service the [[M4|M4 Sherman]] as the main tank of their armoured units, only the armoured brigades of the 7th Armoured Division were equipped with the Cromwell tanks. Although the Cromwell also saw use as armoured reconnaissance regiments in other British divisions such as the Guards Armoured Division and the 11th Armoured Division. Compared to the Sherman, the Cromwell was much faster, so fast that it earned the title as the fastest British tank in World War II. The Cromwell also presented a smaller profile, making it a lower target, and has a thicker frontal armour plate. However, the Cromwell's armour was not sloping, was not as reliable in comparison to the Sherman, and a slightly smaller crew space inside the tank. Nevertheless, the Cromwell proved very mobile and effective on the battlefield alongside the Sherman, often outflanking German armour with their superior speed to hit the tanks on their sides or rear. Since the Cromwells are not able to mount the larger and more powerful 17-pounder and a derivative, the [[Challenger|A30 Challenger]], met with production issues, Cromwell units were equipped with [[Sherman Firefly|Sherman Fireflies]] in order to supplement the firepower of the 17-pounder. Later in the war, these units began to be succeeded by the [[Comet I|Comet tank]] which had more armour and a more powerful 77 mm gun derived from the 17-pounder.

During the war, the Cromwell chassis was used in various specialized roles on the battlefield. The ''A30 Challenger'' is a tank design that attempted to mount the 17-pounder on a lengthened Cromwell chassis, the ''[[Avenger|A30 SP Avenger]]'' was another attempt to equip the 17-pounder, but used a lighter turret instead. Some were made into observation posts or command tanks. The Centaur saw a wider conversion with some becoming engineering vehicles, armoured recovery vehicles, and armoured personnel carriers. After the war, the British attempted to up-gun the Cromwell into the ''[[Charioteer Mk VII|Charioteer]]'', which was designed in the 1950s to supplement tank units before the [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion]] was mass-issued.

The Cromwells were also given out to Allied units such as the 1st Polish Armoured Division and the 1st Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade. These units served in the northern Europe with the Allies as they breakthrough deeper into Europe. After World War II, some Cromwell stayed in service and saw service in the Korean War with the 7th Royal Tank Regiment and the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars. The Cromwells also were given to Greece, where it had the distinction of being the first tank put into service by the Greek Army. 52 Centaurs were given to Greece in 1946 to fight in the Greek Civil War, but these were stored due to lack of crews with adequate training. Formal training began in Greece began in 1947 with the return of trained officers from Britain. The Centaur saw limited service in the Greek Armoured Corps, fighting in the Greek mountains. These units kept the Centaurs up until 1963 where it was replaced by the American [[M47|M47 Pattons]].

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_a27m_cromwell_5 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|HhXW8pe1Flk|'''Cromwell V - Tank Review''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[Cromwell (Family)]]

== External links ==

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

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

{{Britain medium tanks}}

Charioteer Mk VII

2024-04-17T23:34:45Z

U167614333: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = British medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the Swedish version
| link = Charioteer Mk VII (Sweden)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_charioteer_mk_7
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (or just ''Charioteer'') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]] alongside the rest of the initial British Ground Forces Tree. The Charioteer takes the hull of a [[Cromwell V|Cromwell]] and replaces the turret with a larger one mounting the heavy-hitting [[Ordnance QF 20-pounder Mk.I (84 mm)|84 mm 20-pdr]] cannon, which can deal with the enemies it faces at Rank IV.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret)
* Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet, driver port joint, obturated MG port)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 63.5 mm ''Upper plate'' 63.5 mm (spherical) ''Driver port'' 32 mm ''obturated MG port'' 30 mm (70°) ''Upper glacis'' 57 (19°) ''Lower glacis - Top'' 25.4 mm (65°) ''Lower glacis - Bottom'' || 44 mm ''Top - Front half'' 38 mm + 32 mm (30°) ''Top - Rear half'' 32 mm ''Bottom - Front half'' 25.4 mm ''Bottom - Rear half'' || 32 mm ''Rear plate'' 20 mm (58°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm (20°) ''Front glacis'' 20 mm ''Centre'' 14 mm ''Rear''
|-
| Turret || 30 mm (8-18°) ''Turret front'' 20 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun mantlet'' 14 mm ''Turret ring'' || 30 mm (1-18°) 14 mm ''Turret ring'' || 30 mm 14 mm ''Turret ring'' 14 mm (69-75°)''Turret underside'' || 14 mm (0-7°)
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

*Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
*The area where the machine gun port would be has an additional 63 mm of armour placed on it.
* 3 internal structural plates of 5 mm thickness separate:
** the driver compartment in two,
** the driver compartment from the crew compartment,
** the crew compartment from the engine bay.
* These plates have large openings at some places, as visible in X-ray mode.

"Lacking" is the term that comes to mind when thinking about the Charioteer's armour. 63.5 mm of non slopped frontal armour is not enough and the turret armour is only 30 mm thick all around. The turret ring technically can be penetrated by 12.7 mm HMG fire, but not many people will go for that. However, it's best to not get flanked by autocannon-armed tanks (SPAA, late light tanks, etc.).

With only 3 crew members inside, any APHE shot to the turret means instant elimination (RB) or entering crew replenishment mode (AB).

The few advantages of this vehicle are: internal shields (to ensure that at least one crew member survives) and its low ammo load (there are no huge ammo racks everywhere like with the Centurion). Another positive aspect is the presence of improved smoke launchers, equipped with 12 grenades shot in 2 salvos (one forward, one to the sides). They can create a smoke wall in seconds, hiding the Charioteer in an arc of about 200°. These smoke launchers are also found on later British tanks.

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


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

As said earlier, the {{PAGENAME}} share the hull of a typical Cromwell tank featuring 5 wheels on each side (not like the [[Avenger]] or [[Challenger]], which have the lengthened 6-wheeled chassis). For any experienced British tanker, this tank will be very familiar as it shares the mobility with its predecessors, with maybe a little loss in power due to heavier weight. A negative aspect of the {{PAGENAME}} is its extremely poor reverse speed: only -3 km/h.

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

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

{{main|20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} carries an 84 mm 20pdr gun in a lightly armoured turret protected only with 30 mm RHA box. As the gun is very consequent, the turret traverse is quite slow so one should have to preventively aim towards a corner before going around it. The high penetration power of the gun compensates the poor slewing rate. Plus, even the stock shells has as much penetration as the [[QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|76 mm QF 17pdr]]'s APDS shell found on other Rank III tanks, this only gets better with the upgraded APDS shot, which can pierce up to 363 mm of armour at 500 m distance (or a [[Tiger II (H)]]'s UFP at point-blank range).

The tank commander has the ability to control the weapon if the gunner is knocked out, which is very unusual at the rank and might allow to aggressively trade shots, or even straight up rush some tanks in AB.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm)|84 mm 20pdr OQF Mk.I]] || 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" | 25 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+10° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 19.0 || 26.4 || 32.0 || 35.4 || 37.6 || rowspan="2" | 8.19 || rowspan="2" | 7.25 || rowspan="2" | 6.68 || rowspan="2" | 6.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.9 || 14.0 || 17.0 || 18.8 || 20.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.1, Shot Mk.3, Shell Mk.1, 20pdr Shell SS Mk.1}}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''25''' || 21 ''(+4)'' || 11 ''(+14)'' || 1 ''(+24)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.

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

{{main|L3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

The small calibre of the L3A1 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm L3A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 5,000 (250) || 500 || - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Charioteer, as with most western tank destroyers, is fitted with a very powerful gun, has good mobility, but is very lightly armoured. As such, it is best to play with its mobility to evade the enemy until the opportune moment. As it uses the same hull as a Cromwell, the reverse speed is atrocious that can make any withdrawal very hard once discovered by the enemy. It is recommended that the Charioteer be used with the forward movement more often, and back up by rotating the entire vehicle before whistling away since the armour back and front is inadequate to deal with any of the tanks you face at its battle rating.

'''Flanking'''

This is a classical sniper/flanker tank: fast, a good gun but no armour. One should never engage in front line fights since most tanks at the rank use APHE and will just blast the Charioteer away. The best way to play this tank is to use range and/or speed as armour, only stopping to take a shot and speed up again. Do not worry about sniping, this cannon has been made for that: shells have a very low ballistic trajectory, and keep good penetration values even at distances. When fired at, move into safety while blasting out these smoke cannisters on the move, creating a large smoke wall for the enemy, leaving some space for your allies to manoeuvre without being noticed.

In urban maps, pre-aim before getting around corners since turret slewing rate is slow. One could also use its engine/transmission as an armour when ambushed: quick reaction shots will often "only" ignite the tank without damaging the crew too much, plus, if the shot is missed, you are already in a position to escape swiftly since frontwards speed is good. When zipping past an alley, blast a smoke screen to cover allies from enemy fire while shooting a hasty shot in the general direction of the enemy. Some enemies will turn their turret in order to protect themselves from flanking only to get shot by allied tanks. Your best weapons in close-range fights are both surprise and speed.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good reload speed without an autoloader
* 20-pdr has access to powerful rounds - AP which can destroy [[Panther D|Panther]] in a single hit and APDS with extreme muzzle velocity and even more penetration, can potentially be played in higher BR games
* Has no ammo in the turret, and commander can use the gun instead of gunner, meaning that even if intercepted, the Charioteer still has an extremely high chance of taking down enemy tanks with itself (even more likely in AB)
* Decent gun optics for the rank, but difficult to use with APDS
* Very speedy tank due to Cromwell chassis, can fill a role of a medium support tank for rushing capture points
* Arguably the best turreted tank destroyer at Rank IV, with benefits of a medium tank (can call artillery)
* Good smoke screen system with a useful spreading angle; great for retreats
* Very low risk of fire due to rear mounted transmission and no fuel tanks on the front of the tank.

'''Cons:'''

* As with all Cromwell chassis, reverse speed is awful
* Extremely vulnerable to APHE, even the angled roof top which is supposed to bounce shots will not stop it
* Only 3 crew members, easy crew knock out in RB
* Low post-penetration damage with APDS due to punctual damage
* Poor gun depression and elevation (-5° to 10°)
* Unstable gun platform; must short-stop or slow down before firing precisely
* Very poor ammo capacity; on the co-op Tank Assault mode, this forces to stay close to repair bonuses, which can eventually backfire

== History ==


===Development===
After World War II, the Western Allies prepared plans to repel a possible invasion by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Britain called for its Royal Armoured Corps formation to be stationed at West Germany with their tank units. However, due to the low number of the newer [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion tank]], the armoured corps were to be equipped with the more plentiful [[Cromwell V|Cromwell]] cruiser tank. Due to the deficiency of the Cromwell in the face of the much stronger Soviet tanks, it was required to upgrade the tank with a 20-pounder gun, the same one used on the Centurion at the time. However, the gun mounting required a new turret to accommodate the gun, and the limited space restricted the turret crew to only two crew members. This vehicle with the 20-pounder turret would be known as the '''Charioteer'''.

===Design===
The improvement on the Cromwell focused only on its offensive armaments. Armour was not taken into priority and the turret used very thin armour ranging from 20 to 30 mm thick. Some Charioteers were given additional welded armour over the hull for improved protection. The turret mounted the 84 mm 20-pounder gun with a 7.62 mm Browning machine gun as a coaxial weapon. Smoke dischargers were attached to the left and right of the turret, and a flap on the rear of the turret allow the removal of fired ammunition casings from the turret interior. To mount the larger turret, the turret ring was increased to the limits of the Cromwell's hull width, requiring the turret to have a larger profile to make up the room needed for it. Despite this enlargement, ammunition stowage was limited, the hull machine gunner position was removed to make additional room for the large ammunition, but only allowed 25 rounds to be carried inside the tank. Primary ammunition carried in the tank were high-explosive and armour-piercing discarding-sabot (APDS) rounds.

The Cromwell tanks were converted to Charioteers at the Robinson & Kershaw Ltd at Dukinfield, Cheshire. The first order was for 630 vehicles in 1951, but the production was cut short at a later time. The first 200 were delivered in March 1953 and another 200 the next year. The total number produced is believed to be around 442 vehicles.

===Service life===
The Charioteers were assigned to the Royal Armoured Corps unit in the British Territorial Army in West Germany. In practice, the vehicle's three man crew was increased to a fourth additional man due to the restricted visibility inside the tank. The fourth crew member was to act as an external observer like a commander to pick out targets. The high profile turret on the Charioteer was beneficial in providing a good hull down position to fire at the targets. Despite that, the Charioteers never saw combat action in the British forces before being fully replaced by the [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion]].

The surplus vehicles were sold to Austria, Finland, Jordan, and Lebanon. The vehicles saw more action in the Six-Day war in the middle east in the Arab countries surrounding Israel. It is suspected that the Charioteers continue to see action in the many conflicts in the middle east region.

During its service life, the Charioteer saw many upgrades, such as one using an improved 20-pounder which has a fume extractor along the barrel. In Jordanian use, the Charioteer upgraded the turret traverse motors and also allowed a mounting of a .50 caliber machine gun. In 1969, the Charioteer saw an up-gunning with the Royal Ordnance L7 105 mm gun, though only one was produced for trials. This was intended for export, but never saw service.

===Survivors===
About six Charioteers exist in intact condition in the world. One is in Austria in the Museum of Military History. Two are in Finland in outdoor display in the Parola tank museum and the Army Academy in Lappeenranta. One is in Israel in the Yad la-Shiryon Museum. Two more are in the United Kingdom, with one normal one in the Bovington Tank Museum and the 105 mm Charioteer variant at the East of England Tank Museum.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_charioteer_mk_7 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|o8cbjw-Izo4|'''I Shouldn't Have Ignored This Tank: Charioteer Mk VII Tank Destroyer''' - ''Virus''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[Cromwell (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Avenger]]
* [[Challenger]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:Charioteer_(tank)|[Wikipedia] Charioteer (tank)]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/UK/FV-4101_charioteer_tank_destroyer.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Fv 401 Charioteer]

{{Britain medium tanks}}

Charioteer Mk VII

2024-04-17T23:31:42Z

U167614333: /* Mobility */

{{About
| about = British medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the Swedish version
| link = Charioteer Mk VII (Sweden)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_charioteer_mk_7
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (or just ''Charioteer'') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]] alongside the rest of the initial British Ground Forces Tree. The Charioteer takes the hull of a [[Cromwell V|Cromwell]] and replaces the turret with a larger one mounting the heavy-hitting [[Ordnance QF 20-pounder Mk.I (84 mm)|84 mm 20-pdr]] cannon, which can deal with the enemies it faces at Rank IV.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret)
* Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet, driver port joint, obturated MG port)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 63.5 mm ''Upper plate'' 63.5 mm (spherical) ''Driver port'' 32 mm ''obturated MG port'' 30 mm (70°) ''Upper glacis'' 57 (19°) ''Lower glacis - Top'' 25.4 mm (65°) ''Lower glacis - Bottom'' || 44 mm ''Top - Front half'' 38 mm + 32 mm (30°) ''Top - Rear half'' 32 mm ''Bottom - Front half'' 25.4 mm ''Bottom - Rear half'' || 32 mm ''Rear plate'' 20 mm (58°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm (20°) ''Front glacis'' 20 mm ''Centre'' 14 mm ''Rear''
|-
| Turret || 30 mm (8-18°) ''Turret front'' 20 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun mantlet'' 14 mm ''Turret ring'' || 30 mm (1-18°) 14 mm ''Turret ring'' || 30 mm 14 mm ''Turret ring'' 14 mm (69-75°)''Turret underside'' || 14 mm (0-7°)
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

*Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
*The area where the machine gun port would be has an additional 63 mm of armour placed on it.
* 3 internal structural plates of 5 mm thickness separate:
** the driver compartment in two,
** the driver compartment from the crew compartment,
** the crew compartment from the engine bay.
* These plates have large openings at some places, as visible in X-ray mode.

"Lacking" is the term that comes to mind when thinking about the Charioteer's armour. 63.5 mm of non slopped frontal armour is not enough and the turret armour is only 30 mm thick all around. The turret ring technically can be penetrated by 12.7 mm HMG fire, but not many people will go for that. However, it's best to not get flanked by autocannon-armed tanks (SPAA, late light tanks, etc.).

With only 3 crew members inside, any APHE shot to the turret means instant elimination (RB) or entering crew replenishment mode (AB).

The few advantages of this vehicle are: internal shields (to ensure that at least one crew member survives) and its low ammo load (there are no huge ammo racks everywhere like with the Centurion). Another positive aspect is the presence of improved smoke launchers, equipped with 12 grenades shot in 2 salvos (one forward, one to the sides). They can create a smoke wall in seconds, hiding the Charioteer in an arc of about 200°. These smoke launchers are also found on later British tanks.

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


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

As said earlier, the {{PAGENAME}} share the hull of a typical Cromwell tank featuring 5 wheels on each side (not like the [[Avenger]] or [[Challenger]], which have the lengthened 6-wheeled chassis). For any experienced British tanker, this tank will be very familiar as it shares the mobility with its predecessors, with maybe a little loss in power due to heavier weight. A negative aspect of the {{PAGENAME}} is its extremely poor reverse speed: only -3 km/h.

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

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

{{main|20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} carries an 84 mm 20pdr gun in a lightly armoured turret protected only with 30 mm RHA box. As the gun is very consequent, the turret traverse is quite slow so one should have to preventively aim towards a corner before going around it. The high penetration power of the gun compensates the poor slewing rate. Plus, even the stock shells has as much penetration as the [[QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|76 mm QF 17pdr]]'s APDS shell found on other Rank III tanks, this only gets better with the upgraded APDS shot, which can pierce up to 363 mm of armour at 500 m distance (or a [[Tiger II (H)]]'s UFP at point-blank range).

The tank commander has the ability to control the weapon if the gunner is knocked out, which is very unusual at the rank and might allow to aggressively trade shots, or even straight up rush some tanks in AB.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm)|84 mm 20pdr OQF Mk.I]] || 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" | 25 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+10° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 19.0 || 26.4 || 32.0 || 35.4 || 37.6 || rowspan="2" | 8.19 || rowspan="2" | 7.25 || rowspan="2" | 6.68 || rowspan="2" | 6.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.9 || 14.0 || 17.0 || 18.8 || 20.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.1, Shot Mk.3, Shell Mk.1, 20pdr Shell SS Mk.1}}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''25''' || 21 ''(+4)'' || 11 ''(+14)'' || 1 ''(+24)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.

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

{{main|L3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

The small calibre of the L3A1 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm L3A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 5,000 (250) || 500 || - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Charioteer, as with most western tank destroyer, is fitted with a very powerful gun, has good mobility, but is very lightly armoured. As such, it is best to play with its mobility to evade the enemy until the opportune moment. As it uses the same hull as a Cromwell, the reverse speed is atrocious that can make any withdrawal very hard once discovered by the enemy. It is recommended that the Charioteer be used with the forward movement more often, and back up by rotating the entire vehicle before whistling away since the armour back and front is inadequate to deal with any of the tanks you face at its battle rating.

'''Flanking'''

This is a classical sniper/flanker tank: fast, a good gun but no armour. One should never engage in front line fights since most tanks at the rank use APHE and will just blast the Charioteer away. The best way to play this tank is to use range and/or speed as armour, only stopping to take a shot and speed up again. Do not worry about sniping, this cannon has been made for that: shells have a very low ballistic trajectory, and keep good penetration values even at distances. When fired at, move into safety while blasting out these smoke cannisters on the move, creating a large smoke wall for the enemy, leaving some space for your allies to manoeuvre without being noticed.

In urban maps, pre-aim before getting around corners since turret slewing rate is slow. One could also use its engine/transmission as an armour when ambushed: quick reaction shots will often "only" ignite the tank without damaging the crew too much, plus, if the shot is missed, you are already in a position to escape swiftly since frontwards speed is good. When zipping past an alley, blast a smoke screen to cover allies from enemy fire while shooting a hasty shot in the general direction of the enemy. Some enemies will turn their turret in order to protect themselves from flanking only to get shot by allied tanks. Your best weapons in close-range fights are both surprise and speed.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good reload speed without an autoloader
* 20-pdr has access to powerful rounds - AP which can destroy [[Panther D|Panther]] in a single hit and APDS with extreme muzzle velocity and even more penetration, can potentially be played in higher BR games
* Has no ammo in the turret, and commander can use the gun instead of gunner, meaning that even if intercepted, the Charioteer still has an extremely high chance of taking down enemy tanks with itself (even more likely in AB)
* Decent gun optics for the rank, but difficult to use with APDS
* Very speedy tank due to Cromwell chassis, can fill a role of a medium support tank for rushing capture points
* Arguably the best turreted tank destroyer at Rank IV, with benefits of a medium tank (can call artillery)
* Good smoke screen system with a useful spreading angle; great for retreats
* Very low risk of fire due to rear mounted transmission and no fuel tanks on the front of the tank.

'''Cons:'''

* As with all Cromwell chassis, reverse speed is awful
* Extremely vulnerable to APHE, even the angled roof top which is supposed to bounce shots will not stop it
* Only 3 crew members, easy crew knock out in RB
* Low post-penetration damage with APDS due to punctual damage
* Poor gun depression and elevation (-5° to 10°)
* Unstable gun platform; must short-stop or slow down before firing precisely
* Very poor ammo capacity; on the co-op Tank Assault mode, this forces to stay close to repair bonuses, which can eventually backfire

== History ==


===Development===
After World War II, the Western Allies prepared plans to repel a possible invasion by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Britain called for its Royal Armoured Corps formation to be stationed at West Germany with their tank units. However, due to the low number of the newer [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion tank]], the armoured corps were to be equipped with the more plentiful [[Cromwell V|Cromwell]] cruiser tank. Due to the deficiency of the Cromwell in the face of the much stronger Soviet tanks, it was required to upgrade the tank with a 20-pounder gun, the same one used on the Centurion at the time. However, the gun mounting required a new turret to accommodate the gun, and the limited space restricted the turret crew to only two crew members. This vehicle with the 20-pounder turret would be known as the '''Charioteer'''.

===Design===
The improvement on the Cromwell focused only on its offensive armaments. Armour was not taken into priority and the turret used very thin armour ranging from 20 to 30 mm thick. Some Charioteers were given additional welded armour over the hull for improved protection. The turret mounted the 84 mm 20-pounder gun with a 7.62 mm Browning machine gun as a coaxial weapon. Smoke dischargers were attached to the left and right of the turret, and a flap on the rear of the turret allow the removal of fired ammunition casings from the turret interior. To mount the larger turret, the turret ring was increased to the limits of the Cromwell's hull width, requiring the turret to have a larger profile to make up the room needed for it. Despite this enlargement, ammunition stowage was limited, the hull machine gunner position was removed to make additional room for the large ammunition, but only allowed 25 rounds to be carried inside the tank. Primary ammunition carried in the tank were high-explosive and armour-piercing discarding-sabot (APDS) rounds.

The Cromwell tanks were converted to Charioteers at the Robinson & Kershaw Ltd at Dukinfield, Cheshire. The first order was for 630 vehicles in 1951, but the production was cut short at a later time. The first 200 were delivered in March 1953 and another 200 the next year. The total number produced is believed to be around 442 vehicles.

===Service life===
The Charioteers were assigned to the Royal Armoured Corps unit in the British Territorial Army in West Germany. In practice, the vehicle's three man crew was increased to a fourth additional man due to the restricted visibility inside the tank. The fourth crew member was to act as an external observer like a commander to pick out targets. The high profile turret on the Charioteer was beneficial in providing a good hull down position to fire at the targets. Despite that, the Charioteers never saw combat action in the British forces before being fully replaced by the [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion]].

The surplus vehicles were sold to Austria, Finland, Jordan, and Lebanon. The vehicles saw more action in the Six-Day war in the middle east in the Arab countries surrounding Israel. It is suspected that the Charioteers continue to see action in the many conflicts in the middle east region.

During its service life, the Charioteer saw many upgrades, such as one using an improved 20-pounder which has a fume extractor along the barrel. In Jordanian use, the Charioteer upgraded the turret traverse motors and also allowed a mounting of a .50 caliber machine gun. In 1969, the Charioteer saw an up-gunning with the Royal Ordnance L7 105 mm gun, though only one was produced for trials. This was intended for export, but never saw service.

===Survivors===
About six Charioteers exist in intact condition in the world. One is in Austria in the Museum of Military History. Two are in Finland in outdoor display in the Parola tank museum and the Army Academy in Lappeenranta. One is in Israel in the Yad la-Shiryon Museum. Two more are in the United Kingdom, with one normal one in the Bovington Tank Museum and the 105 mm Charioteer variant at the East of England Tank Museum.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_charioteer_mk_7 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|o8cbjw-Izo4|'''I Shouldn't Have Ignored This Tank: Charioteer Mk VII Tank Destroyer''' - ''Virus''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[Cromwell (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Avenger]]
* [[Challenger]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:Charioteer_(tank)|[Wikipedia] Charioteer (tank)]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/UK/FV-4101_charioteer_tank_destroyer.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Fv 401 Charioteer]

{{Britain medium tanks}}

M109A1

2024-04-15T02:05:27Z

U167614333: /* Machine guns */

{{About
|about = American tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage = other versions
|link = M109 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m109a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was introduced into American service in 1973 as an improved version of the M109 self-propelled howitzer. The main improvement was the installation of a new 155 mm M185 cannon, which had a longer barrel and a higher muzzle velocity than the previous M126. This increased the effective range of the M109A1 from 14.6 km to 18 km, giving it an advantage over foreign artillery. It was known for its role in supporting the US Army's operations in Europe and the Middle East, where it could provide fire support for ground forces and counter-battery fire against enemy artillery. The existing M109A1's were later converted to the M109A2 standard, which incorporated 27 RAM (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability) improvements.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update "Kings of Battle"]]. It has similar characteristics to the Soviet [[2S3M]] and can deliver powerful 155 mm shells over long distances and relocate swiftly to evade enemy fire. The M109A1 has an average rate of fire and large ammo capacity, and its mobility is complemented by a good top speed and acceleration. However, its armour is not very thick, so it's recommended to use the M109A1's speed to avoid direct confrontations when possible. Moreover, it is essential to keep in mind that the M109A1 has low gun depression and cannot depend on firing from elevated positions.

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

The armour on the M109 is nearly non-existent, being surrounded by 32 mm thick aluminium alloy 5083, which effectively comes down to 13-20 mm RHA. This leaves the vehicle vulnerable to even light machine gun fire from any angle. The weakness of the armour turns into a strong-suit against AP shells that will pass straight through, unable to fuse or create enough spall to inflict major damage. Direct hits from HE and other chemical shells such as HEAT, will most likely leave the M109 a burning wreck. The 6 crew members are pretty spaced apart in the turret, giving a plus to crew survivability.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 32 mm || 32 mm ''Top'' 32 mm ''Bottom'' || 32 mm || 10 - 34 mm
|-
| Turret || 37 mm ''Turret front'' 3 3mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 32 mm || 32 mm || 7 - 33 mm
|-
| Cupola || 33 mm || 33 mm || 33 mm || 33 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


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

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

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=575|rbMinHp=358}}

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

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

{{main|M185 (155 mm)}}

The M109A1 has a derp gun, and it is best used as such. Its high projectile speed compared to other M109 variants makes it a bit easier to aim, but generally still low. Its high explosive round is very effective against German tanks, not so much against Russian ones. Remember to pre-turn your turret, as your rotation speed is abysmal.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M185 (155 mm)|155 mm M185]] || 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" | 28 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+75° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 9.7 || 13.4 || 16.3 || 18.0 || 19.1 || rowspan="2" | 17.29 || rowspan="2" | 15.30 || rowspan="2" | 14.10 || rowspan="2" | 13.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 6.5 || 7.7 || 9.4 || 10.3 || 11.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M185 (155 mm)/Ammunition|M107, M107 (PF), M110}}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''28''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

The 12.7 mm M2HB is able to penetrate lightly-armoured vehicles, take down low-flying aircraft or mow down obstacles. The machine gun has a limited amount of ammo, so use it sparingly.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 575 || -10°/+50° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The 155 mm cannon is surprisingly adept at destroying any tank, even up to heavies of the same or slightly higher BRs. It is important to remember that accuracy is low with this gun, but destructive capability is astronomical. Thus, it is best to put yourself in a well defended position and rely on ambush tactics, at least in Realistic mode. The M109 makes an exceptionally good target for planes with its large profile and thin armour, so plane strafing is something you'll have to be careful of.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Access to HE and HE-VT shells with more than 9 kg of TNT
* Top speed of 56 km/h that it can easily reach
* Can be surprisingly survivable, usually not taken out in a single shot
* Impressive 75° elevation limit
* Top mounted .50 cal for taking out softer targets

'''Cons:'''

* Hindered by a limited gun depression of -3 degrees
* The gunner optics have a low zoom level (4X)
* Thin armour, will only stop small arms fire
* Long reload (17.1 seconds stock)

== History ==


=== [[wt:en/news/8537-development-m109-the-king-of-battle-en|Devblog]] ===
Development of the M109 began in the early 1950s under a U.S. program to develop a common chassis for a number of different SPH designs. Upon entering service, the M109 was immediately deployed to the Vietnam War. However, its operational service during the conflict was cut short due to serious mechanical malfunctions which rendered the fleet inoperable. Nonetheless, after being addressed and receiving its first upgrade to the A1 standard, the M109 would continue service with U.S. forces for decades to come, taking part in virtually all military conflicts where U.S. forces were deployed in. Once its design eventually matured, the M109 successfully resisted replacement on multiple occasions and continuously received upgrades until the present day.

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|QjkKhVqNmfY|'''The Shooting Range #381''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:26 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[M109 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/8537-development-m109-the-king-of-battle-en|[Devblog] M109: The King of Battle]]

{{USA tank destroyers}}

M109A1

2024-04-13T07:25:03Z

U167614333: /* Machine guns */

{{About
|about = American tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage = other versions
|link = M109 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m109a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was introduced into American service in 1973 as an improved version of the M109 self-propelled howitzer. The main improvement was the installation of a new 155 mm M185 cannon, which had a longer barrel and a higher muzzle velocity than the previous M126. This increased the effective range of the M109A1 from 14.6 km to 18 km, giving it an advantage over foreign artillery. It was known for its role in supporting the US Army's operations in Europe and the Middle East, where it could provide fire support for ground forces and counter-battery fire against enemy artillery. The existing M109A1's were later converted to the M109A2 standard, which incorporated 27 RAM (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability) improvements.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update "Kings of Battle"]]. It has similar characteristics to the Soviet [[2S3M]] and can deliver powerful 155 mm shells over long distances and relocate swiftly to evade enemy fire. The M109A1 has an average rate of fire and large ammo capacity, and its mobility is complemented by a good top speed and acceleration. However, its armour is not very thick, so it's recommended to use the M109A1's speed to avoid direct confrontations when possible. Moreover, it is essential to keep in mind that the M109A1 has low gun depression and cannot depend on firing from elevated positions.

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

The armour on the M109 is nearly non-existent, being surrounded by 32 mm thick aluminium alloy 5083, which effectively comes down to 13-20 mm RHA. This leaves the vehicle vulnerable to even light machine gun fire from any angle. The weakness of the armour turns into a strong-suit against AP shells that will pass straight through, unable to fuse or create enough spall to inflict major damage. Direct hits from HE and other chemical shells such as HEAT, will most likely leave the M109 a burning wreck. The 6 crew members are pretty spaced apart in the turret, giving a plus to crew survivability.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 32 mm || 32 mm ''Top'' 32 mm ''Bottom'' || 32 mm || 10 - 34 mm
|-
| Turret || 37 mm ''Turret front'' 3 3mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 32 mm || 32 mm || 7 - 33 mm
|-
| Cupola || 33 mm || 33 mm || 33 mm || 33 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


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

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

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=575|rbMinHp=358}}

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

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

{{main|M185 (155 mm)}}

The M109A1 has a derp gun, and it is best used as such. Its high projectile speed compared to other M109 variants makes it a bit easier to aim, but generally still low. Its high explosive round is very effective against German tanks, not so much against Russian ones. Remember to pre-turn your turret, as your rotation speed is abysmal.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M185 (155 mm)|155 mm M185]] || 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" | 28 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+75° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 9.7 || 13.4 || 16.3 || 18.0 || 19.1 || rowspan="2" | 17.29 || rowspan="2" | 15.30 || rowspan="2" | 14.10 || rowspan="2" | 13.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 6.5 || 7.7 || 9.4 || 10.3 || 11.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M185 (155 mm)/Ammunition|M107, M107 (PF), M110}}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''28''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

The 12.7 mm M2HB is able to shred lightly armoured vehicles, take down low-flying aircraft or mow down obstacles. The machine gun has a good amount of ammo to use for the entire battle.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 575 || -10°/+50° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The 155 mm cannon is surprisingly adept at destroying any tank, even up to heavies of the same or slightly higher BRs. It is important to remember that accuracy is low with this gun, but destructive capability is astronomical. Thus, it is best to put yourself in a well defended position and rely on ambush tactics, at least in Realistic mode. The M109 makes an exceptionally good target for planes with its large profile and thin armour, so plane strafing is something you'll have to be careful of.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Access to HE and HE-VT shells with more than 9 kg of TNT
* Top speed of 56 km/h that it can easily reach
* Can be surprisingly survivable, usually not taken out in a single shot
* Impressive 75° elevation limit
* Top mounted .50 cal for taking out softer targets

'''Cons:'''

* Hindered by a limited gun depression of -3 degrees
* The gunner optics have a low zoom level (4X)
* Thin armour, will only stop small arms fire
* Long reload (17.1 seconds stock)

== History ==


=== [[wt:en/news/8537-development-m109-the-king-of-battle-en|Devblog]] ===
Development of the M109 began in the early 1950s under a U.S. program to develop a common chassis for a number of different SPH designs. Upon entering service, the M109 was immediately deployed to the Vietnam War. However, its operational service during the conflict was cut short due to serious mechanical malfunctions which rendered the fleet inoperable. Nonetheless, after being addressed and receiving its first upgrade to the A1 standard, the M109 would continue service with U.S. forces for decades to come, taking part in virtually all military conflicts where U.S. forces were deployed in. Once its design eventually matured, the M109 successfully resisted replacement on multiple occasions and continuously received upgrades until the present day.

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|QjkKhVqNmfY|'''The Shooting Range #381''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:26 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[M109 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/8537-development-m109-the-king-of-battle-en|[Devblog] M109: The King of Battle]]

{{USA tank destroyers}}

M109A1

2024-04-13T07:24:40Z

U167614333: /* Machine guns */

{{About
|about = American tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage = other versions
|link = M109 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m109a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was introduced into American service in 1973 as an improved version of the M109 self-propelled howitzer. The main improvement was the installation of a new 155 mm M185 cannon, which had a longer barrel and a higher muzzle velocity than the previous M126. This increased the effective range of the M109A1 from 14.6 km to 18 km, giving it an advantage over foreign artillery. It was known for its role in supporting the US Army's operations in Europe and the Middle East, where it could provide fire support for ground forces and counter-battery fire against enemy artillery. The existing M109A1's were later converted to the M109A2 standard, which incorporated 27 RAM (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability) improvements.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update "Kings of Battle"]]. It has similar characteristics to the Soviet [[2S3M]] and can deliver powerful 155 mm shells over long distances and relocate swiftly to evade enemy fire. The M109A1 has an average rate of fire and large ammo capacity, and its mobility is complemented by a good top speed and acceleration. However, its armour is not very thick, so it's recommended to use the M109A1's speed to avoid direct confrontations when possible. Moreover, it is essential to keep in mind that the M109A1 has low gun depression and cannot depend on firing from elevated positions.

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

The armour on the M109 is nearly non-existent, being surrounded by 32 mm thick aluminium alloy 5083, which effectively comes down to 13-20 mm RHA. This leaves the vehicle vulnerable to even light machine gun fire from any angle. The weakness of the armour turns into a strong-suit against AP shells that will pass straight through, unable to fuse or create enough spall to inflict major damage. Direct hits from HE and other chemical shells such as HEAT, will most likely leave the M109 a burning wreck. The 6 crew members are pretty spaced apart in the turret, giving a plus to crew survivability.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 32 mm || 32 mm ''Top'' 32 mm ''Bottom'' || 32 mm || 10 - 34 mm
|-
| Turret || 37 mm ''Turret front'' 3 3mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 32 mm || 32 mm || 7 - 33 mm
|-
| Cupola || 33 mm || 33 mm || 33 mm || 33 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


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

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

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=575|rbMinHp=358}}

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

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

{{main|M185 (155 mm)}}

The M109A1 has a derp gun, and it is best used as such. Its high projectile speed compared to other M109 variants makes it a bit easier to aim, but generally still low. Its high explosive round is very effective against German tanks, not so much against Russian ones. Remember to pre-turn your turret, as your rotation speed is abysmal.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M185 (155 mm)|155 mm M185]] || 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" | 28 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+75° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 9.7 || 13.4 || 16.3 || 18.0 || 19.1 || rowspan="2" | 17.29 || rowspan="2" | 15.30 || rowspan="2" | 14.10 || rowspan="2" | 13.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 6.5 || 7.7 || 9.4 || 10.3 || 11.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M185 (155 mm)/Ammunition|M107, M107 (PF), M110}}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''28''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

The 12.7 mm M2HB is able to shred lightly armoured vehicles, take down low-flying aircraft or mow down obstacles. The machine gun has a good amount of ammo to use for the entire battle

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 575 || -10°/+50° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The 155 mm cannon is surprisingly adept at destroying any tank, even up to heavies of the same or slightly higher BRs. It is important to remember that accuracy is low with this gun, but destructive capability is astronomical. Thus, it is best to put yourself in a well defended position and rely on ambush tactics, at least in Realistic mode. The M109 makes an exceptionally good target for planes with its large profile and thin armour, so plane strafing is something you'll have to be careful of.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Access to HE and HE-VT shells with more than 9 kg of TNT
* Top speed of 56 km/h that it can easily reach
* Can be surprisingly survivable, usually not taken out in a single shot
* Impressive 75° elevation limit
* Top mounted .50 cal for taking out softer targets

'''Cons:'''

* Hindered by a limited gun depression of -3 degrees
* The gunner optics have a low zoom level (4X)
* Thin armour, will only stop small arms fire
* Long reload (17.1 seconds stock)

== History ==


=== [[wt:en/news/8537-development-m109-the-king-of-battle-en|Devblog]] ===
Development of the M109 began in the early 1950s under a U.S. program to develop a common chassis for a number of different SPH designs. Upon entering service, the M109 was immediately deployed to the Vietnam War. However, its operational service during the conflict was cut short due to serious mechanical malfunctions which rendered the fleet inoperable. Nonetheless, after being addressed and receiving its first upgrade to the A1 standard, the M109 would continue service with U.S. forces for decades to come, taking part in virtually all military conflicts where U.S. forces were deployed in. Once its design eventually matured, the M109 successfully resisted replacement on multiple occasions and continuously received upgrades until the present day.

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|QjkKhVqNmfY|'''The Shooting Range #381''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:26 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[M109 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/8537-development-m109-the-king-of-battle-en|[Devblog] M109: The King of Battle]]

{{USA tank destroyers}}