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M60A2

2021-04-02T18:15:21Z

U24736238: /* poor grammar */

{{About
| about = American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = M60 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m60a2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==


The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica"]].

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

The M60A2 shares the hull with the other M60 variants. That means that the front hull armour is sufficient to stop 100 mm/105 mm kinetic ammunition of the same tier, while it does not protect you against hollow charge shells with a calibre of 90 mm and above. It also has the same 114 mm thick turret base, which is a weak point. The centre part of the turret is a cast 220 mm plate in front of the cannon breech, which while not thick enough to protect you against any shells of even outdated guns, often eats shots (at cost of the cannon breech). The outer parts of the turret are significantly lower than the breech and rounded like in most post war soviet tanks. If not hit head-on, these sides can bounce most of the incoming shots. On top of the turret is a massive cupola for the commander, which is a big weakpoint and often gets your commander killed, even the whole tank if your opponent is firing shells with explosive filler. The side armour on the hull is thick enough to withstand cannon fire of up to 25 mm (excluding APDS and the part around the gearbox), while cannons with a calibre of up to 40 mm will have significant problems and the tank may withstand a large number of shells. It will however not stop shells fired out of cannons of equal tier. The back of the hull can even be penetrated by HMGs. The turret side is around the cannon is 120-140 mm thick and will resist most shots if angled. The lower part however will most likely get penetrated often due to the reduced thickness the further towards the turret back you get. The hull is completely filled with ammunition, ammo is placed to the left, right and behind the driver (which is sitting in the middle of the front hull). Taking a reduced amount of shells is therefore advisable. The crew is well spaced, a solid shot in the front turret will likely only kill a single crew member, since all crew members sit next to each other and not behind each other like in most other tanks, but this obviously increases the chance to get destroyed due to a side-shot. Overall the armour will not completely protect you, but you have good chances to eat a bigger amount of shells than most other tanks.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,162|rbMinHp=663}}

The mobility of the vehicle is average for its tier. With a top speed of 48 km/h (RB) and -11km/h in reverse, it is not as fast as other tanks like the Leopard 1, but fast enough to get where you want quickly. The manoeuvrability is average to bad: you lose a lot of speed while turning. You can, however, turn on the spot thanks to neutral steering.

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

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

{{main|M162 (152 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M162 (152 mm)|152 mm M162]] || 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" | 46 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 38.1 || 52.7 || 64.0 || 70.8 || 75.3 || rowspan="2" | 15.60 || rowspan="2" | 13.80 || rowspan="2" | 12.72 || rowspan="2" | 12.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M409A1 || HEAT || 380 || 380 || 380 || 380 || 380 || 380
|-
| M657A2 || HE || 38 || 38 || 38 || 38 || 38 || 38
|-
| MGM-51B Shillelagh || ATGM || 431 || 431 || 431 || 431 || 431 || 431
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| M409A1 || HEAT || 682 || 18.9 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 3,730 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| M657A2 || HE || 682 || 22 || 0 || 0.1 || 4,300 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| MGM-51B Shillelagh || ATGM || 323 || 27.8 || 0 || 0.1 || 3,600 || 80° || 82° || 90°
|-
|}

==== [[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
|-
| '''46''' || 46 ''(+0)'' || 39 ''(+7)'' || 33 ''(+13)'' || 25 ''(+21)'' || 12 ''(+32)'' || 1 ''(+45)'' || No
|-
|}

Vertical rounds: 33 ''(+13)'' Empty turret: 25 ''(+21)''

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

{{main|M85 (12.7 mm)|M73 (7.62 mm)}}

The M60A2 is equipped with a coaxial 7.62 mm LMG and a 12.7 mm HMG on top of the turret. Like on most American vehicles, this allows you to engage lightly armoured vehicles and slow aeroplanes at small to medium ranges.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M85 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M85]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,080 (200) || 626 || -15°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M73 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M73]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 5,500 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The M60A2 Starship is the perfect combination of armour, firepower and speed. Based on the chassis of the M60, it has decent mobility and armour. While the addition of the 152 mm gun/launcher allows the player to reliably pierce enemy tanks armour at its tier. The Shillelagh missile unlocks the possibility of long-range sniping, along with the powerful HEAT shell. Or if you are a more aggressive player, flank the enemy and hide your position using your smoke grenade launchers. However, reload time is not that great so immediately go back to cover after you take a shot. Suggested roles are support, sniper, and flanker.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very fast turret rotation
* Turret front is hard to predictably penetrate due to its odd design
* Has smoke launchers
* Same ammunition as the [[M551|M551 Sheridan]]
* Stabilizer allows for accurate firing on the move and fast reaction time, especially for a vehicle with the ability to launch ATGMs
* The armour can be very good

'''Cons:'''

* Slow - off road the Starship struggles to reach 30 km/h on a slight downhill
* Cannot fire from cover like the [[IT-1]] or [[RakJPz 2|Raketenjagdpanzers]]
* Cupola is one huge weak point sticking out up top
* ATGM has a reload several seconds longer than normal ammunition
* Can only hold 7 ATGM ammunition total
* ATGM has a very low starting speed making it hard to hit moving targets at closer ranges

== History ==


'''<big>Design</big>'''
[[File:M60A2 at AAF Museum (1).jpg|thumb|M60A2 at American Armoured Foundation Museum in Danville, Virginia.]]
The M60A2 used the Type B turret which featured an unconventional low profile design. The turret base was disc shaped and was very low profile, while the center part was much larger and consisted of a lane running front to rear that mounted the gun breach and behind that the commander's position. The gunner was seated under the disc portion of the right side of the turret, while the loader was located on the opposite side under the disc portion. The commander was located in a a rotating cupola at the rear of the center part of the turret. The turret received an interior Kevlar spall liner. A basket was mounted to the rear of the turret for stowage. A bank of four M226 smoke grenades is located on each side of the turret for a total of eight smoke grenade launchers. Additionally, a xenon white light or infrared spotlight could be fitted to the left of the gun for night operations.

The M60A2's main armament consisted of a two-plane stabilized 152 mm M162 gun/launcher mounted in the center part of the turret. The M162 could fire both HE and HEAT conventional rounds as well as the MGM-51 Shillelagh ATGMs. The HE rounds were used against enemy infantry or emplacements, the HEAT rounds were used against enemy armour at close range (it had an effective range of 1.5 km), and the ATGMs were used against enemy armour at longer ranges of up to 3 km for the MGM-51B and C variants. 33 conventional rounds and 13 missiles could be carried in the tank.

Testing of the weapon system found a number of issues. Notably, there were a number of misfires and premature detonations caused by leftover propellant in the gun barrel and breech. As such, a fume extractor was fitted which was later replaced by a Closed Bore Scavenger System (CBSS) which used compressed air to push the fumes out of the gun.

Secondary armament of the M60A2 consisted of two machine guns. One was a coaxial 7.62 mm M73 machine gun and the other was a 12.7 mm M85 machine gun in the commander's cupola. These were later replaced by the 7.62 mm M240 and 12.7 mm M2HB Browning respectively. 5,560 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition and 1,080 rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition were carried.

The M60A2 received the M51 Missile Guidance System (MGS), produced by Ford's Aerospace Division. The M51 MGS included an AN/WG-1 ruby laser rangefinder as well as an infrared beam system for control of the MGM-51 Shillelagh ATGMs. The MGM-51 was guided after launch by IR beam which the gunner had to keep on the target (by way of his aiming sight) the entire flight in order to hit the target. The M60A2 was one of if not the very first production tank used by the US Army to include a laser rangefinder. The laser rangefinder allowed accurate ranging of the target up to 4,000 meters to provide the gunner with a firing solution. On the other hand, the laser rangefinder was ineffective at night and was only accurate out to 600 meters at 25% moonlight.

The hull of the M60A2 was originally identical to that of the M60A1. It was powered by a 750 horsepower Continental AVDS-1790-2A engine coupled to the General Motors CD-850-5 cross-drive transmission with two forward and one reverse gear, allowing the M60A2 to reach a top speed of 48 km/h. It used the standard T97 track assembly. Many M60A2s were later upgraded to the RISE standard with an improved AVDS-1790-2C engine and T142 tracks.

'''<big>Production and Service</big>'''

After the M60A1E2 prototype was designated as the Tank, Combat, Full Tracked: 152-mm Gun/Launcher, M60A2 in 1970, the US Army ordered the M60A2 in 1971. Production lasted from 1973 to 1975 with the total production of the M60A2 at 540, all of which were produced at the Chrysler Tank Plant in Warren, Michigan.

The first US Army unit to receive its M60A2 tanks was the B Company, 1st Battalion, 32 Armor Battalion in June 1975.

Ultimately the M60A2 tank was a failure, mostly down to the weapon system. The MGM-51 Shillelagh proved to be an extremely expensive and problematic system due to its advanced technology. There were issues with the propellant as well as the tracking and guidance systems. Not only this, but the fact that the MGM-51 was the only anti-tank weapon at range limited the anti-tank role of the M60A2 greatly; the gunner had to keep the target in his sight during the entire flight of the ATGM from the gun barrel to the impact point. Additionally, the MGM-51 ATGM could not be fired while on the move despite the fully stabilized gun, as well as the fact that the MGM-51 was much more expensive than a conventional round.

These issues, among others, contributed to a poor opinion of the tank by the US Army. The M60A2 even gained the unofficial nickname of "Starship" due to its unconventional turret appearance and advanced technology. The M60A2 was removed completely from service by 1981. Many former M60A2s had their turret removed and replaced by the more conventional M60A3 turret and were put back into service. M60A2s were also converted to noncombat variants in 1985, including the M60A1 AVLB bridge layer and the M60 Panther MDCV mine-clearing vehicle. Many M60A2s were also converted to the M728A1 CEV (combat engineering vehicle) variant as well.

The M60A2 was never cleared for export.
[[File:M60A1E1 Prototype.jpg|thumb|M60A1E1 Prototype at AMVETS Post 93 in Armada, Michigan. Vehicle since repainted.]]

'''<big>Variants</big>'''

* XM66 - Designation for Type A, B, and C turret concepts.
* M60A1E1 - M60E1 hulls with Type A turret fitted with XM81 gun/launcher.
* M60A1E2 - M60A1 hull with Type B turret fitted with XM81E13 gun/launcher. The M60A1E2 was accepted for service, with modifications, as the M60A2.
* M60A1E3 - M60A1E2 experimentally fitted with 105 mm M68E1 rifled gun.
* M60A1E4 - Concept of M60 hull fitted with Type C turret with remote weapons system. Only a turret mock-up was built.
* M60A2 - Production version of the M60A1E2, fitted with M162 gun/launcher and received minor modifications such as a laser rangefinder.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=us_m60a2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|60IVWW1_Flw|'''The Shooting Range #52''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 02:24 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|zoBPU0n65_A|'''The M60 family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:22 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

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

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

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

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

{{TankManufacturer Chrysler Defense}}
{{USA medium tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

T34

2021-03-27T06:45:34Z

U24736238: /* Description */ grammatical error

{{About
|about=American heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=other uses
|link=T-34 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_t34
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.67 "Assault"]]. A formidable heavy tank with thick armour and heavy gun, the T34 presents a radical new tank design, more so than any of its predecessors.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull sides, Hull rear)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 102 mm (52-56°) ''Front Glacis'' 70.25 mm (26-59°) ''Bottom Glacis'' 102 mm (6-81°) ''Machine gun port'' || 76.2 mm ''Front'' 51 mm ''Rear'' || 51 mm (4°) ''Upper'' 51 mm (60°) ''Lower'' || 38.1 mm
|-
| Turret || 158.7 mm (18-31°) ''Turret front'' 203 mm (0-9°) ''Gun mantlet'' 305 mm (1-57°) ''Gun mantlet border'' || 158.7 mm (3-42°) || 101 + 102 mm (1-20°) ''Rear'' 102 mm (63-84°) ''Bottom of turret overhang'' || 38.1 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 152.4 mm || 38.1 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick.
* Front belly armour is 25.4 mm thick while the rear is 13 mm.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,046|rbMinHp=716}}

Mobility is surprisingly decent for its size and weight, it's even on par with some medium tanks, and it will often reach its top speed, even off-road, altough at lower speeds it can be quite sluggish to manoeuvre.

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

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

{{main|T53 (120 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[T53 (120 mm)|120 mm T53]] || 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" | 34 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 14.6 || 20.2 || 24.5 || 27.1 || 28.8 || rowspan="2" | 19.37 || rowspan="2" | 17.14 || rowspan="2" | 15.79 || rowspan="2" | 14.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 10.7 || 12.6 || 15.3 || 16.9 || 18.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| T14E3 || APCBC || 283 || 279 || 263 || 243 || 225 || 209
|-
| T17E1 || APCR || 306 || 301 || 281 || 258 || 237 || 218
|-
| M73 || HE || 29 || 29 || 29 || 29 || 29 || 29
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| T14E3 || APCBC || 960 || 22.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| T17E1 || APCR || 1,082 || 16.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| M73 || HE || 944 || 22.5 || 0 || 0.1 || 2,380 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo part
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''34''' || style="text-align:right" | ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 33 ''(+1)'' 31 ''(+3)'' || 28 ''(+6)'' 29 ''(+5)'' || 23 ''(+11)'' 23 ''(+11)'' || 21 ''(+13)'' 15 ''(+19)'' || 13 ''(+21)'' 9 ''(+25)'' || 7 ''(+27)'' 1 ''(+33)'' || 1 ''(+33)''   || No
|-
|}

Turret empty: 23 (+11)

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|4}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

{| 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 || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
|-
| Coaxial || 1,200 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Coaxial || 1,200 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The T34 is a very strong tank and few tanks have the guns to take it out effectively from the battlefield. If you're fighting tanks of your own BR or lower, the German long 88 mm guns (whether it be PaK guns or KwK guns) will be able to contest your armour at close range if used well. This includes the [[Waffentrager]], [[Tiger II (P)]] and [[Tiger_II_(H)|(H)]] models, the [[Nashorn]], the [[Ferdinand]], and the [[Jagdpanther]]s. There is also the threat of the occasional [[Ru 251]], which packs a 320 mm pen HEAT-FS shell. The Russians also have a few weaponry that can be used against the T34, be on the lookout for tanks which utilize the 100 mm, such as the [[T-44-100]], [[SU-100P]], or [[SU-100]]. These 100 mm shells will not struggle ''too'' much against your hull or turret, at least at close range. The same can be applied to the ISU variants. (The [[ASU-85]]) does get a HEATFS shell which defeats your armour most of the time, more on that below.) The tanks mentioned above can be dealt with against with relative ease at medium range with the 120 mm cannon. Another country which catches most people off guard is France. The [[AMX-50]] and [[Lorraine 40t]] with their magazine systems will shred your armour given if they have the time to aim properly. Their shot rounds will break your gun breech quickly, but if you play well the T34's armour will hold up.

At long range, tanks with the long 88 mm guns will only be able to penetrate with the APCR at you, which in effect makes your upper hull armour very good, since APCR does not fare well against slopes. The flat turret face can put you at a disadvantage most of the time. Specific enemies worth noting when fighting the Germans at your BR are Waffentrager, Tiger II (P) and (H) models, Nashorn, the Jagdpanthers, and even the Sturer Emil with its 230 mm of penetration with its monstrous 128 mm armament. Most of these tanks (except for the Emil) can fire APCR at you and penetrate if they are good shots and hit your gun shield. When engaging the Russians at long range, the ASU-85 will be your most dangerous enemy at your own BR. The HEATFS shell it packs penetrates 300 mm of armour, making your armour more often than not obsolete against it. One more tank you must be aware of that most people forget about is the [[Type-62]]. It gets the same gun as the [[T-44]], but with better shells, utilizing a strong HEATFS round on a turreted, fast light tank.

When you're fighting at a maximum BR up-tier of 7.7 (which can happen quite frequently), your enemies as previously mentioned stay the same except for more prevalent Rank V vehicles like the [[Leopard_I|Leopard 1A0]]. The Leopard I is everything you are not: fast, stealthy, good rate of fire and a punchy good gun at any range. With its DM13 APFSDS round that can penetrate 303 mm of armour straight up, life is not easy against it. The round can still penetrate 257 mm of armour at 1,500 meters, which is still very easy against your turret shield. The Leopards also packs a DM12 HEATFS round which can tear through 400 mm of armour with ease with 1,173 m/s shell velocity. If at all possible, do not engage Leopards at long range without doing it smartly. Remember: They can penetrate you regardless of angling or range.

Another enemy at an up-tier to worry about is the [[Object 120|Object 120 "Taran"]]. The Object 120 posses a shell that presents 405 mm of pen APFSDS with 1,710 m/s shell. The drawback of the Object is its lack of gun depression and armour that even .50 cal machine guns can destroy it. Almost all of the Taran users will choose that shell instead of the HEATFS it packs simply because of the shell velocity. The HEATFS shell in question can penetrate 480 mm of armour. A good rule of thumb when fighting these tanks: if you can avoid being hit, do so quickly; your armour will not save you.

Other enemies at 7.7 (or 7.3, or even 7.0) worth noting is the [[IS-3]]. It is almost impossible to injure it from the front, much less destroy it in one shot. The only shot you can make is the turret ring (which is tough sometimes) or the ''extremely small'' flat pieces of armour on the sides of the gun barrel on the turret: other than that, try to flank it. The [[Maus]] is also a significant threat to the T34 for much the same reason as the IS-3, but with greater firepower due to its 128 mm armament. Trying to penetrate a Maus without the use of the APCR the T34 gets is a fool's folly: it can't be done against an angling Maus tank. The Tiger II (H) 10.5cm heavy tank is also able to contest you better than the Tiger II (P) and (H) simply because of the gun and power behind it, but not to a dangerously high degree like the Leopards. The Jagdtiger packs much the same gun with albeit slightly less armour and no turret, but it makes this tank no less dangerous. The Jadgpanzer 4-5, on the other hand, is quite stealthy with the same gun and ammo as the RU 251, with albeit no turret but a better reload makes this tank good at contesting your armour at any range. One more enemy you will undoubtedly face are the 6.7 and 7.0 Italian armored cars who with their recoil-less rifles and very good mobility can prove to be very dangerous to you despite their size and low amount of armor. Another thing to watch while playing this tank is the possibility to be killed very fast by facing someone who can hit your cupola on you turret beware of German and Russian 88, 105 and 122mm APHE shells which might be able to one shot you through your cupola. While its a hard target at distance closer up it will be a very easy target so keep it hidden.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Great upper glacis armour
* Good gun mantlet armour
* Powerful 120 mm gun; essentially a precursor to the M103
* Has three .50 calibre machine guns for shredding lightly armoured vehicles or for warding off enemy aircraft
* Decently fast on level ground
* Good post-penetration damage for stock ammunition, when it hits in the right spot
* Crew is quite far apart from each other, quite difficult to one-shot without ammo racking
* Has very good gun depression, 10°, like most american tanks, allowing for easy hull down situations

'''Cons:'''

* Reload time is long, but shorter than some contemporary tanks
* Doesn't like to climb hills
* Gun mantlet can still be penetrated by 88 mm or 122 mm shells
* Side armour can be penetrated - even when angled sharply
* Weak lower glacis
* Turning capabilities are quite bad for an american tank
* Shells penetrating the turret will most often result in ammo racking
* Sluggish when moving at lower speeds, especially when turning
* Turret rotation isnt the best
* Gun is easily taken out because of its large size
* Not close combat friendly due to the weak UFP and gun mantlet

== History ==

===Development===
Projects for a dedicated heavy tank for the U.S. Armed Forces began in March 1944 as a response to the German heavy tanks that have been popping up in Europe. While the T26E3 tank, later known as the [[M26|M26 Pershing]] was slated to be the next-generation American tank, it was still considered unsuitable against the even heavier [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]]. A project to increase the armour and firepower commenced to counter this problem, the project titled ''[[T29|Heavy Tank T29]]''. Using design elements from the T26E3 with thicker armour and lengthened hull, the T29 also was equipped with the [[T5E1 (105 mm)|105 mm Gun T5]], a gun in development alongside the heavy assault tank [[T95|T95]]. Other features included a 770 hp Ford GAC engine, armour thickness up to 279 mm effective, and a coincidence range-finder. The heavy armour and armament made the tank weigh about 64 tons, making it a close match to the Tiger II.

Though the T29 was monstrous itself, side projects involving the T29 crafted the ''[[T30|Heavy Tank T30]]''. Itself similar to the T29 in terms of armour, but featured a monstrous 155 mm Gun T7 with a more powerful engine and an extra crew member to facilitate loading the gun.

===Effect in World War II===
Throughout World War II, the T29 and the T30 stayed in development under the priority "limited procurement". Eventually, the war in Europe ended in May 1945, but the small ordered stayed in hope it may be useful in the Japan invasion in Operation Downfall. That hope was smashed as well when Japan surrendered in September 1945, ending World War II. Even if an operation commenced that used these vehicles, the Army Ground Forces objected to the use of such heavy equipment due to the lack of adequate transporters. Further production was cancelled in the post-war demilitarization.

===Post World War Effect===
The heavy tank concept didn't die with the end of hostility and a final attempt was made to remake the T29 into a more modern, lethal weapon system. This produced the [[T34]], which mounted a 120 mm gun based on the M1 anti-aircraft gun. The calibre made an adequate balance of firepower and loading ease between the 105 mm and the 155 mm used in the T29 and T30. In fact, the two T34 pilot models made were a converted T29 and T30. However, the demilitarization took down the T34 program as well, but the experience in this project help engineers in the development of the ''[[M103|M103 heavy tank]]''.

Today, there are a few T29s still in display across the United States, most of them residing in storage at Fort Benning, Georgia where they will be used as a display in the future National Armor and Cavalry Museum.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23us_t34 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images

[[File:T34 Heavy Tank.jpg|thumb|none|T34 Heavy Tank at Aberdeen Proving Grounds|300px]]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|RQ7dTh1w-_0|'''How to destroy the T34''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|9ayZTC2A6Ks|'''T34 vs Caernarvon''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|ly9JS6errQQ|'''Best secondary armaments''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:13 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


* Similar Vehicles:
** [[T29]]
** [[T30]]
** [[M103]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4537-development-heavy-tank-t34-commanding-respect-en/|[Devblog] Heavy Tank T34: Commanding Respect]]

{{USA heavy tanks}}