War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

M8 LAC

2024-09-30T00:43:08Z

U169640344: /* Pros and cons */ added the con from the american m8 lac.

{{About
| about = American gift light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|other
|usage-1 = other versions
|link-1 = M8 Greyhound (Family)
|usage-2 = other uses
|link-2 = M8 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m8_greyhound
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_M8 Greyhound.jpg|ArtImage_M8 Greyhound.png}}
|market=M8
}}

== Description ==

Developed in 1941 as a candidate for the role of a mobile tank destroyer vehicle, the M8 was found to be more ideal in the reconnaissance role for the US armored force, cavalry, and tank destroyer branches. Initially designated as the T22, the car was accepted into service on June 22, 1942 as the "Light Armored Car, M8", and would have the nickname "Greyhound" from the British. It would begin production in March 1943 that would continue until June 1945, with more than 8,000 M8 light armored cars produced. It would see combat in World War II in the Mediterranean, European, and Pacific Theater of Operations. After World War II, the M8 continued its service in the US Army in the Korean War. Though it was retired soon after the Korean War, the M8 continued seeing use by foreign operators as a military aid item.

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was introduced in [[Update 1.73 "Vive la France"]] as part of War Thunder's [[wt:en/news/5066-special-war-thunder-5-years-en|5th anniversary event]]. It was also a reward of the "10 rare vehicles" event during [[wt:en/news/7945-special-happy-anniversary-war-thunder-en|War Thunder's 10th Anniversary]] in 2022. It is one of the few armoured cars available in the early ranks of the United States tech tree. Despite that, it is one of the more capable armoured cars, possessing a 37 mm cannon that is competitive against its opponents as well as a .50 cal machine gun on top that can be effectively used against low-flying aircraft and even the thinner armor of light tanks. The armor of the M8 is less thin than the [[M2A4]] but is still thick enough to provide a small chance of resisting autocannon-caliber shells and the occasional cannon shots at ideal ricochet angles. Finally, the wheel chassis provides the M8 armored car great mobility on solid grounds like roads, though this makes the M8's mobility poorer on rougher cross-country terrain.

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

The M8 Greyhound has next to no armour protection. Its armour can stop rifle-calibre machine gun fire, but nothing more. Even then, the vehicle's turret has an open roof and very thin armour on the sides and the rear, so it is still possible for a few unlucky machine gun bullets to find their way inside. The Greyhound is also vulnerable to overpressure. In addition, the modules are lined up and the crew is close together when looking straight at the front of the vehicle. From the side, however, this is not the case - there is a small area behind the two crew members in the turret but in front of the fuel tank with no modules in it and an even larger area of empty space between the turret crew and the driver/machine gunner.

Thanks to the thin armour, it is very possible for rounds to over-penetrate and passes through without dealing any significant damage. The vehicles size, or lack thereof, should also be taken into account. The M8 Greyhound is very small and short, making it easy to exploit hiding spots and hills for protection. It can stay out of sight and use stealth to its advantage with little trouble. The .50 calibre machine gun on the roof is raised up, but there are no critical modules surrounding it and it is relatively small so it can be used to shoot over obstacles without risking damage to the armoured car. While the raw armour and protection on the M8 Greyhound are lacking, where it shines is in its ability to hide and use its good top speed to get around quickly and avoid being hit.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret, gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12.7 mm (59°) ''Upper Glacis'' 15.9 mm (29°) ''Lower Glacis'' 19.1 mm (44°) ''Upper Plate'' || 9.5 mm || 5 - 9.5 mm || 6.35 mm
|-
| Turret || 19.1 mm ''Turret front'' 25.4 mm ''Gun mantlet'' 19 mm (Additional to mantlet) ''Gun Aperture'' || 19.1 mm || 19.1 mm || 6.35
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* The turret is mostly open-topped, but the very front portion is covered by 6.35 mm
* Wheels - 10 mm
* Suspension - 5 mm
* 4 mm fenders cover most of the hull sides in addition to the base 9.5 mm

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 129|rbMinHp= 97}}

While it has poor armour and survivability, the {{PAGENAME}} excels in terms of mobility. As a wheeled vehicle it reaches 60 km/h on road in arcade with stock modules and 40 km/h off road. In realistic it reaches 38 km/h off road, and 55 km/h on road with 7 gears, it also has -12 km/h reverse speed on two reverse gears.

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

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

{{main|M6 (37 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is armed with an 37 mm M6 cannon as its main armament. This is a small calibre fast-firing gun with a maximum penetration of 84 mm at 100 m (M51B1 shell), being able to penetrate almost all the opponents it will ever face. While it lacks the post-penetration damage to knock out most enemy vehicles with a single shot, it can quickly finish them off with its fast reload. The penetration and trajectory drop significantly beyond 500 m. Note that the gun has a vertical stabiliser, giving the player a huge advantage in some cases, but keep in mind that the stabiliser only works when the tank is slower than 10 km/h.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] || 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" | 80 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 19.0 || 26.4 || 32.0 || 35.4 || 37.6 || rowspan="2" | 4.55 || rowspan="2" | 4.03 || rowspan="2" | 3.71 || rowspan="2" | 3.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.9 || 14.0 || 17.0 || 18.8 || 20.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M6 (37 mm)/Ammunition|M74B1, M51B1}}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''80''' || 73 ''(+7)'' || 65 ''(+15)'' || 33 ''(+47)'' || 1 ''(+79)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* As they are modeled by rows of 4, shells disappear from the rack only after you've fired all shells in the row.
* Turret empty of shells (racks 1 & 2 emptied): 65 ''(+15)'' shells.
* Right side empty: 33 ''(+47)'' shells.

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

The two machine guns on the {{PAGENAME}} are the good old [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|.50 cal M2HB]] and the [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]. The roof-mounted .50 cal can traverse 360 degrees and has great depression & elevation, posting a big threat to any plane that is flying too close to the M8. It has an unbelievable penetration of 31mm at 10m, meaning it can easily penetrate plenty of lightly armoured vehicles and even the side of some medium tanks. The 7.62 mm, on the other hand, can only efficiently damage exposed crews due to its low penetration.

{| 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
|-
| Commander pintle || 400 (200) || 575 || -10°/+40° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,500 (250) || 500 || - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

When using this vehicle keep in mind that you are virtually naked to every main gun, that means you should not expose yourself unnecessarily and not give the opponents a chance to shoot at you, coupled with the fact that the main gun can penetrate every other vehicle in its rank. Its excellent mobility gives this vehicle a very viable hit-and-run tactic. Ambush your opponent on your terms. After you destroy him, change your position again, find concealment or cover, use your fast reverse speed to your advantage, avoid one on one fights, and fair fights.

At the start of the match, the M8 is best used as a point-capturing vehicle. Find a road connecting to a point to unleash its scary 90 km/h on-road top speed, and it is likely to get to the point before the enemy can. Once the point is captured, quickly move away as there are likely to be artillery strikes, which can critically damage the M8.

After capturing a point, there are two good options (just examples, the player is free to play in their way). One is to hide at the side of the point, waiting for the enemy to recapture it. Use its small profile to set up a good ambush, and flank the enemy unexpectedly. The fast-firing gun will genuinely shine when attacking several enemies from the side or rear, allowing the player to knock out a surprising amount of enemies. Once the enemies are wiped out, quickly retake the point and ambush again. Note that the player might want to change their position as some enemies might try and revenge.

Another playstyle is the hit-n-run tactic, thanks to its great mobility and small profile. If careful enough, it can travel between points like a ghost without being noticed and flank the enemies. The stabilizer will help a lot as it gives the player the ability to fire first. If the first shell missed or didn't penetrate, it can even finish off the enemy with the .50 cal alone!

'''Enemies worth noting''':

[[LVT (Family)]] - These amphibious tanks are well known for their huge hull size. Indeed, there is a huge space between the driving compartment and the fighting compartment that will absorb almost any incoming shells, and unfortunately, the M8's solid AP can't cope with this. If an M8 doesn't know where are the crew is located on an LVT, they will die due to not being able to knock out the crew effectively. Remember their crew location, and the M8 can easily take them out.

The driver is at the foremost part of the hull. Behind him, there is absolutely nothing, so you must avoid shooting there. Behind the empty space, the turret houses 2-3 crew. Shoot there to disable its gun. And don't forget, at the very rear of the LVT, the two exposed machine gunners can be taken out with the .50 cal. Memorize those three main locations of the crew, and you can effectively destroy any LVT out there with your rapid reload. Also, if the angle isn't too large, the .50 can penetrate the LVT's weak armour.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* The M51 shell has enough power to penetrate common opponents like the [[Pz.II (Family)|Pz.II]], [[Pz.III B]] or [[Ha-Go (Family)|Ha-Go]], and the fast reload helps to precisely knock out the crew one by one
* Pintle-mounted heavy machine gun is very lethal against other similarly armoured vehicles (e.g. [[AS 42]], [[L3/33 CC]]) and slow biplanes
* One of the fastest vehicles on road with a max speed of 90 km/h allows it to get to positions quickly
* Reverse speed allows it to retreat from danger quickly
* Small profile makes ambushing/hiding easy

'''Cons:'''

* Wheeled vehicle, performs poorly off-road and cannot turn in place, and especially slow in desert maps like [[Sinai]] and snowy maps like [[Frozen Pass (Ground Forces)|Frozen Pass]]
* Virtually no armour, tight crew and open top make this vehicle very vulnerable to rapid-firing tanks like the [[Pz.II (Family)|Pz.II]], [[M13 MGMC|M13]] or strafing planes
* M6 cannon requires precision shots, as post-penetration effects are weak especially against the [[LVT(A)(1)|LVT(A)]] series which are super spacious
* Turret traverse is rather sluggish, might not get the gun on target sometimes
* Looks very similar to the Chinese [[M8 LAC (China)|M8 LAC]], the lighter coloured camouflage can be hard to distinguish in [[Simulator Battles]]
* The open-topped design makes it vulnerable to overpressure from explosive shells

== History ==


The M8 replaced the M3A1 Scout Car and M2 Halftrack as the main armoured vehicle of the US mechanized cavalry starting in late 1943. 8,500 were built. The vehicle's lightweight and 6x6 drive gave it the excellent speed and cross-country mobility. It was well-liked by the crews but was still thin-skinned and under-gunned when compared to the opposition.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m8_greyhound Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|RGeu2yLGeTU|'''Best armoured cars''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:32 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|HT8ErolJO2k|'''M8 Light Armoured Car "Greyhound", American Tier-1, Armoured Car / Light Tank''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Daimler Mk II]]
* [[AB 41]]
* [[AMD.35]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5058-special-m8-light-armoured-car-long-legged-canine-en|[Development] M8 Light Armoured Car: Long Legged Canine]]
* [[wikipedia:M8_Greyhound|[Wikipedia] M8 Greyhound]]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.php?armor_id=65 <nowiki>[Military Factory] M8 Greyhound (Light Armored Car M8)</nowiki>]

{{TankManufacturer Ford}}
{{USA light tanks}}
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}
[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]

Ki-109

2024-09-23T00:12:52Z

U169640344: added 2 more cons/also i want the po-2

{{Specs-Card
|code=ki_109
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is based on the Mitsubishi [[Ki-67 (Family)|Ki-67]] heavy bomber, refitted as an interceptor in an attempt to counter the American high-altitude bombing raids that devastated Japan. It is armed with a 75 mm anti-aircraft gun modified for aircraft use, and almost all defensive armament from the bomber version has been stripped, except for the tail turret, to maximize performance.

This bomber-interceptor was introduced in [[Update 1.71 "New E.R.A."]]. Its 75 mm gun is effective against bombers but should not be used on agile fighters or fast-moving vehicles. The Ki-109's defensive armament is poor, and conflicts with fighters should be avoided at all costs. Alternatively, the 75 mm gun is also effective against tanks if a clean hit can be obtained.

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 6,050 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 531 || 515 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 21.0 || 21.8 || 8.3 || 8.3 || rowspan="2" | 650
|-
! Upgraded
| 570 || 550 || 19.1 || 20.0 || 14.0 || 10.9
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 428 || 399 || 250 || ~5 || ~1
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 360 || < 360 || < 360 || > 313
|-
|}

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

The fuselage durability is strong enough to shrug off machine gun fire and some cannon rounds. The Ki-109 doesn't have any armour except on the bottom of the gun itself, which is quite meaningless for the overall plane. The pilot has neither bulleproof glass nor armoured seat and the tail gunner is not protected either. Due to this, head-on attacks are strongly unadvised. Use the aircraft's manoeuvrability to evade incoming enemies in front of the plane. The Ki-109 is equipped with self-sealing tanks, meaning it can survive one of its wings being set alight and continue to fly. Though, it is advised to retreat to base if that happens.

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

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

{{main|Type 88 (75 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 75 mm Type 88 cannon, nose-mounted (15 rpg)

=== Defensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Defensive}}

{{main|Ho-104 (12.7 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is defended by:

* 1 x 12.7 mm Ho-104 machine gun, dorsal turret (500 rpg)

There is a rear machine gunner who can protect the plane's tail. Its defensive armament can be underwhelming to deal with fighters that will attack you.

== Usage in battles ==


The Ki-109 isn't only about using the gun to attack ground targets, its also about intercepting enemies and returning safe and sound. While designed as an interceptor, the climbing rate is inadequate for this role when in stock condition. Sideclimbing is a mandatory rule one should obey to. Despite its size, which resembles a medium bomber, the Ki-109 is surprisingly manoeuvrable. Comparable to all twin-engined heavy fighters and on par with Germany's Fw 190 series. Still, it's better not to use those blessings for dog-fighting a fighter: use the Ki-109's manoeuvrability to evade the enemy bomber's defensive gunners if the first pass of a bomber interception fails. Another way to use the manoeuvrability is to outmanoeuvre inexperienced pilots in a heavy bomber who try to evade the first shot by making a turn like a single-engine fighter for another pass. Or, in ground attack at low altitude, the Ki-109 can regain its position quickly for another pass on enemy tanks below.

Boasting a 75 mm Type 88 cannon, the gun is quite versatile in taking down both air and ground targets. This, however, is not without drawbacks: 15 rounds of ammo total, combined with its very low rate of fire and relatively low bullet velocity, means every shot counts since there are no other offensive weapons on the Ki-109. It is advised to seek assistance from teammates to hunt down bombers. The recoil of the gun itself is another issue to consider, so in order to minimise inaccurate shots, try to shoot the target during a shallow dive. The armour-piercing rounds used in the Type 88 have a large explosive filler. While they are very deadly against ground and smaller naval targets, the shells will often simply fly though an enemy plane's airframe and will not detonate. They still can severe a wing but this requires an unusual accuracy. Thus it is still recommended to use the HEIF-T belts against air targets as it features a much better shell velocity and will detonate on impact.

The armour-piercing rounds used in the Type 88 do not penetrate light/normal pillboxes in direct hits, but they are very effective against all tanks upon direct hit.

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Powerful 75 mm gun, effective against both bombers and tanks
* Relatively good performance and agility for its size
* Self-sealing fuel tanks

'''Cons:'''

* No forward-firing armament besides the 75 mm gun
* Very low rate of fire for the main gun and low ammunition capacity
* Extremely weak defensive armament
* No armour besides the 75 mm gun cradle
* The 75 mm gun can be hard to aim at times
* This aircraft is quite literally a bomber redesigned with nothing but a 75 mm gun, which can make it hard to fly as well

== History ==

In 1943, the decision was made to develop a new heavy fighter/interceptor based on the existing Ki-67 bomber. The new design was part of Japanese efforts to counter strategic high-altitude bombing conducted by heavy US bombers, such as the [[B-29/Tu-4 (Family)|B-29]] Superfortress, on the Japanese home islands. To achieve this, Mitsubishi engineers proposed the installation of the 75mm Type 88 anti-aircraft cannon inside the aircraft's nose. The project, designated as Ki-109, was approved in early 1944 and the first two prototypes were already completed in late summer of the same year.

However, as initial testing showed that the aircraft was lacking speed due to its high mass, measures were taken to remove unnecessary equipment in order to save on weight. During this process, the Ki-109 lost most of its defensive turrets and only retained the one located in the tail section. Another attempt to improve the aircraft's speed was the intended installation of the new, more powerful Ha-104ru engines in the following production batch, however this idea was quickly dropped due to the engine having reliability issues, thus production continued with the standard Ha-104 engines.

In March of 1945, 22 Ki-109s were delivered to the 107th Sentai unit, which was tasked with protecting the strategically important cities of Tokyo and Yokohama from air raids. In July, only a few months before the war came to a close, the 107th Sentai was formally disbanded, leaving behind some Ki-109s to be tested for effectiveness against ships, this also marking the end of the aircraft's operational service.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ki_109 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|GSSJKUqU3WE|'''The Shooting Range #260''' - ''Challenge'' section at 09:58 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|ObEcMPqFBbE|'''The Shooting Range #259''' - ''Tips & Tricks'' section at 10:29 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


* [[PBJ-1H]]
* [[XA-38]]
* [[Hs 129 B-3]]
* [[P.108A serie 2]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4934-development-mitsubishi-ki-109-an-unexpected-threat-en|[Devblog] Mitsubishi Ki-109: "An Unexpected Threat"]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/378376-ki-109/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Mitsubishi}}
{{Japan twin-engine fighters and strike aircraft}}

M8 LAC (China)

2024-09-23T00:09:58Z

U169640344: added another downside

{{About
| about = light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|other
|usage-1 = other versions
|link-1 = M8 Greyhound (Family)
|usage-2 = other uses
|link-2 = M8 (Disambiguation)

}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_m8_greyhound
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''M8 Greyhound Light Armoured Car (M8 LAC)''' was an armoured car developed by Ford Motor Company during World War II and primarily used by U.S. and British forces in Europe and the Pacific from 1943 until the end of the war. Many of the vehicles were provided to other countries for limited service, notably through the Lend-Lease Act established by the U.S. during World War II. A few of these vehicles, likely used by US Army/USMC, were captured in Mainland China in 1949. One of them is still on display in a Chinese military museum; while additional vehicles were supplied to ROCA after their retreat and were not used during combat, but served as riot-suppression vehicles.

Introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]], the Chinese M8 LAC is identical to the [[M8 LAC]] used by the U.S. Army ground forces. The 37 mm anti-tank gun is essentially found in almost every light tank in the early ranks; therefore, it should be more than familiar to players of the U.S. ground forces in terms of playstyle. It has an M2HB Browning heavy machine gun mounted on the back of the turret, which can be highly valuable when fighting other light tanks and early aircraft. However, given that it is an open-top vehicle, it is vulnerable to aircraft strafing; therefore, it is critical to pay attention when aircraft fly overhead during engagements.

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


This vehicle's armor includes 12.7 mm at a 59° degree slope for the front hull, the side hull is only protected with 9.5 mm, with the strongest part being the gun mantlet, with a 25 mm gun mantlet added to 19.1 mm of turret armour. As a result this vehicle is only protected against rifle-calibre MG fire, with the sides easily penetrated by heavy MG fire. However, the thin armor may provide an advantage when fighting against shells with delayed fuse. The crew is very tight, so one AP shell in the center could knock out everyone inside, but notice that there is huge gap between the driving compartment and the fighting compartment, meaning the M8 LAC can absorb plenty of shells and prevent the player from being destroyed quickly. There are some rounds stored in the turret, and on the vehicle's floor, and bringing less rounds eliminates the rounds stored in the turret. Also keep in mind that it is an open top vehicle, making it vulnerable to artillery and aerial attacks.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, gun mantlet)
* Structural steel (Mudguard, storage boxes, gun breech)
* Wheels (Tires)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12.7 mm (59°) ''Upper Glacis'' 15.9 mm (29°) ''Lower Glacis'' 19.1 mm (44°) ''Upper Plate'' || 9.5 mm (17-19°) || 5-9.5 mm || 6.35 mm (0-6°)
|-
| Turret || 19.1 mm (conical) ''Turret front'' 25.4 mm (15°) + 19.1 mm (conical) ''Gun mantlet'' || colspan="2" style="text-align:center" | 19.1 mm (conical) || N/A
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* The turret is open-topped, but the very front portion is covered by 6.35 mm
* Wheels are 10 mm thick
* Belly armour is 6.35 mm thick.
* The gun breech is 150 mm thick.
* Additional 4 mm mudguards and storage boxes cover most of the hull sides

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 129|rbMinHp= 97}}

While it has poor armour and survivability, the {{PAGENAME}} excels in terms of mobility. As a wheeled vehicle, it reaches 60 km/h on-road in Arcade Mode with stock modules and 40 km/h off-road.

In Realistic Mode, it reaches 38 km/h off-road, and 55 km/h on-road with 7 gears, it also has a maximum of -12 km/h reverse speed with two reverse gears.

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

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] || 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" | 80 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 19.0 || 26.4 || 32.0 || 35.4 || 37.6 || rowspan="2" | 4.55 || rowspan="2" | 4.03 || rowspan="2" | 3.71 || rowspan="2" | 3.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.9 || 14.0 || 17.0 || 18.8 || 20.0
|-
|}

The M8 LAC is armed with an [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] cannon as its main armament. This is a small calibre fast-firing gun with a maximum penetration of 84 mm at 100 m (M51B1 shell), being able to penetrate almost all the opponents it will ever face. While it lacks the post-penetration damage to knock out most enemy vehicles, it can quickly finish them off with its fast reload. The penetration and trajectory drops a lot beyond 500 m. Note that the gun has a vertical stabiliser, giving the player a huge advantage in some cases, but keep in mind that the stabiliser only works when the tank is slower than 10 km/h.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M6 (37 mm)/Ammunition|M74B1, M51B1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks M8 LAC.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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''80''' || 73 ''(+7)'' || 65 ''(+15)'' || 33 ''(+47)'' || 1 ''(+79)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* As they are modeled by rows of 4, shells disappear from the rack only after you've fired all shells in the row.
* Turret empty of shells (racks 1 & 2 emptied): 65 ''(+15)'' shells.

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


{| 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 || 400 (200) || 575 || -10°/+40° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,500 (250) || 500 || - || -
|-
|}

The two machine guns on the M8 LAC are the good old [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|.50 cal M2HB]] and the [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]. The roof-mounted .50 cal can traverse 360 degrees and has great depression & elevation, posting a big threat to any plane that is flying too close to the M8. It has an unbelievable penetration of 31 mm at 10 m, meaning it can easily penetrate plenty of lightly armoured vehicles and even the side of some medium tanks. The 7.62 mm MG, on the other hand, can only efficiently damage exposed crews due to its low penetration.

== Usage in battles ==


When using this vehicle keep in mind that you are virtually naked to every main gun, that means you should not expose yourself unnecessarily and not give the opponents a chance to shoot at you, coupled with the fact that the main gun can penetrate every other vehicle in its rank. Its excellent mobility gives this vehicle a very viable hit-and-run tactic. Ambush your opponent on your terms. After you destroy him, change your position again, find concealment or cover, use your fast reverse speed to your advantage, avoid one on one fights, and fair fights.

At the start of the match, the M8 is best used as a point-capturing vehicle. Find a road connecting to a point to unleash its scary 90 km/h on-road top speed, and it is likely to get to the point before the enemy can. Once the point is captured, quickly move away as there are likely to be artillery strikes, which can critically damage the M8.

After capturing a point, there are two good options (just examples, the player is free to play in their way). One is to hide at the side of the point, waiting for the enemy to recapture it. Use its small profile to set up a good ambush, and flank the enemy unexpectedly. The fast-firing gun will genuinely shine when attacking several enemies from the side or rear, allowing the player to knock out a surprising amount of enemies. Once the enemies are wiped out, quickly retake the point and ambush again. Note that the player might want to change their position as some enemies might try and revenge.

Another playstyle is the hit-and-run tactic, thanks to its great mobility and small profile. If careful enough, it can travel between points like a ghost without being noticed and flank the enemies. The stabilizer will help a lot as it gives the player the ability to fire first. If the first shell missed or didn't penetrate, it can even finish off the enemy with the .50 cal HMG alone.

'''Enemies worth noting''':

[[LVT (Family)]] - These amphibious tanks are well known for their huge hull size. Indeed, there is a huge space between the driving compartment and the fighting compartment that will absorb almost any incoming shells, and unfortunately, the M8's solid AP can't cope with this. If an M8 doesn't know where are the crew is located on an LVT, they will die due to not being able to knock out the crew effectively. Remember their crew location, and the M8 can easily take them out.

The driver is at the foremost part of the hull. Behind him, there is absolutely nothing, so you must avoid shooting there. Behind the empty space, the turret houses 2-3 crew members. Shoot there to disable its gun. And don't forget, at the very rear of the LVT, the two exposed machine gunners can be taken out with the .50 cal. Memorize those three main locations of the crew, and you can effectively destroy any LVT out there with your rapid reload. Also, if the angle isn't too large, the .50 can penetrate the LVT's weak armour.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* The M51 shell has 84 mm penetration at 100 m, enough to penetrate common opponents like the [[Pz.II (Family)|Pz.II]], [[Pz.III B]] or [[Ha-Go (Family)|Ha-Go]], and the fast reload helps to precisely knock out the crew one by one
* The pintle-mounted heavy machine gun is very lethal against other similarly armoured vehicles (e.g. [[AS 42]], [[L3/33 CC|L3/33]]) and slow biplanes
* One of the fastest vehicles on road with a max speed of 90 km/h allows it to get to positions quickly
* Reverse speed of 12 km/h allows it to retreat from danger quickly
* Small profile makes ambushing/hiding easy

'''Cons:'''

* Wheeled vehicle, performs poorly off-road and cannot turn in place, and especially slow in desert maps like [[Sinai]] and snowy maps like [[Frozen Pass (Ground Forces)|Frozen Pass]]
* Virtually no armour, tight crew and open top make this vehicle very vulnerable to rapid-firing tanks like the [[Pz.II (Family)|Pz.II]], [[M13 MGMC|M13]] or strafing planes
* M6 cannon requires precision shots, as post-penetration effects are weak especially against the [[LVT(A)(1)|LVT(A)]] series which are super spacious
* Turret traverse is rather sluggish, might not get the gun on target sometimes
* Looks very similar to the American [[M8 Greyhound]], the lighter coloured camouflage can be hard to distinguish in [[Simulator Battles]]
* Due to the open top, it can easily be killed with a single shot from explosive shells

== History ==


During World War 2, more than 1,000 M8 armoured cars were lend-leased to the Allies, including Free France and Brazil. After WW2, the US Foreign Military Assistance Program donated surplus cars to the United States Constabulary in various Western European and Asian nations. French Forces noted usage of this car, and during the Korean and Vietnam War, both Viet Cong and Chinese got their hands on it as well, but the Korean Army was the primary user, who then donated them to the Vietnamese. Belgium also used these cars as part of NATO, and in UN forces sent to peacekeeping operations in the Congo. M8s are still in service in Columbia, Guatemala, Peru, and Paraguay.

'''Chinese usage'''

The earliest record of M8 LAC in China, according to the vehicle (oddly without its 37 mm cannon) displayed at level B1 of Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution (中国人民革命军事博物馆; 军博), PLAGF captured a M8 Greyhound in mid-May 1949 when the forces captured Shanghai, claiming to be a Nationalist vehicle on the billboard (while the white stars on the vehicle indicated its likely true identity - USMC or US Army stationed in China between 1945-1949); according to the film screenshots from early-1950s, there were likely more than the one M8 LAC captured in varied sources shown in the movie.<ref>https://card.weibo.com/article/m/show/id/2309404644799239028981</ref>

On the Nationalist's side, after the loss of Mainland China where they have abandoned numbers of vehicles on the mainland, as part of the military replenish program to ROCA, it was recorded that numbers of equipment that scattered around Pacific islands were recovered and refurbished by ROCA, including 185 M8 LAC in 1950<ref>https://a2928796.pixnet.net/blog/post/556810678-1950%E5%B9%B4%E5%9C%8B%E8%BB%8D%E8%A3%9D%E7%94%B2%E5%85%B5%E5%8A%9B</ref>; these vehicles were used by ROCA and ROCMC until 1977 with no combat records. Ten of these vehicles were also transferred to the Armored Vehicle Squadron, Police Brigade, Taiwan Province Police Department (臺灣'''省警'''務處'''直'''屬警察大隊'''裝'''甲車中隊; '''省警直裝''') as riot-suppression vehicle in the early days retreat; these vehicles were used until 1999 and scrapped in Ordnance Research Development Center at Jiji Township, Nantou County.<ref>https://adonis1625.pixnet.net/blog/post/232813103</ref>

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_m8_greyhound Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|RGeu2yLGeTU|'''Best armored cars''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:32 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|GCP_b025iYo|'''M8 LAC, Taiwanese , Tier-1, Armored Car / Light Tank''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''}}

== See also ==


* [[M8 Greyhound (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [https://ww2db.com/vehicle_spec.php?q=410 <nowiki>[World War II Database]</nowiki> M8 Greyhound] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210515155845/https://ww2db.com/vehicle_spec.php?q=410 Web Archive])

{{TankManufacturer Ford}}
{{China light tanks}}
[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]
<references />