War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Stuart III

2023-02-22T15:54:16Z

U39464374: /* Ammo racks */ corrected ammo amount per rack

{{About
| about = British light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage = other versions
|link = M3 Stuart (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_m3a1_stuart
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]].

The main difference from the Stuart III's predecessor, the [[Stuart I]], is a welded turret that has thicker mantlet armour and better sloping, as well as a lower profile thanks to the removal of the cupola. This turret also boasts the upgraded M6 cannon, which can fire higher-penetrating versions of the previous ammo. The transmission is also improved, and is capable of slightly higher speeds both forward and backward.

== General info ==
[[File:M3A1 screenshot 3.jpg|thumb|M3A1 takes hits while engaging enemy vehicles.]]
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


Being a light tank the Stuart III has fairly thin armour, it can generally protect against most machine guns and some smaller (20 mm) cannons, but will usually not stand up against the main weapons of most enemy tanks at its battle rating. There is a fair amount of empty space inside the tank thanks to the addition of seats for the turret crew. This means that some poorly placed shots can go through your tank without causing much damage.

'''Armour type:'''

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 38.1 mm (18°) ''Driver Port'' 15.8 mm (69°) ''Front Glacis'' 44.4 mm (5-43°) ''Lower Glacis'' || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 50.8 mm ''Mantlet'' 38.1 mm (13°) ''Turret Face'' || 31.8 mm || 31.8 mm || 12.7 mm
|-
|}

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 406|rbMinHp= 232}}
[[File:M3A1 Turning Demo.gif|thumb|400px|Demonstration of the slow and fast turning of the Stuart III]]
The Stuart III has competitive mobility with a ratio of 20.8 hp per ton. At lower speeds (5-10 km/h) the turning can feel rather sluggish, but once a bit of forward movement is applied and the speed is increased the turning will feel much smoother and faster. The forward drive of the Stuart III can max out at 47 km/h off-road and 58 km/h on-road which will usually allow you to reach capture points or desirable camping spots quickly. The 6 km/h reverse speed of the Stuart III is certainly usable in most situations.

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

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

{{main|M6 (37 mm)}}

The main weapon on the Stuart III is a 37 mm M6 cannon featuring two rounds, AP & APCBC. This is a fairly standard gun for early American tanks as it is also featured on the [[M5A1]], [[M22]] & [[LVT(A)(1)]] although some of these vehicles also include a HE round that the Stuart III lacks. This gun packs a fierce punch if aiming at the correct area and firing at the correct distance. It is a small calibre fast-firing gun with a maximum penetration of 84 mm at 100 m (M51B1 shell), being able to penetrate most of the opponents it will face. The penetration power and gun accuracy drop a lot beyond 500 m and become unreliable past 700 m. The gun is equipped with a vertical stabiliser, giving the Stuart III a huge advantage in some cases as you can fire precisely while moving, but keep in mind that it activates only when the tank is driving under 10 km/h.

While it lacks the post-penetration damage to disable most enemies in one shot, it can quickly finish them off with its fast reload. Knowledge of enemy vehicle layouts is essential with ammunition lacking post-penetration explosive damage. Make sure to target modules and crew positions to maximise the damage. Disabling the enemy gunner on your first shot will be critical to win engagements as you'll most likely need several shots to destroy an enemy vehicle.
{| 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" | 106 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 16 km/h}} || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.39 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 || 17.00 || 18.80 || 20.00
|-
|}

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

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_M3A1_Stuart.jpg|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
|-
| '''106''' || 99 ''(+7)'' || 52 ''(+54)'' || 1 ''(+105)'' || No
|-
|}

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

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

The Stuart III employs a turret top machine gun and a coaxial machine gun, both of which are the same 7.62 mm M1919A4, these guns are limited to a single AP & T belt type with up to 10 mm of penetration.

The machine gun is only enough to destroy poorly protected vehicles such as the [[AS 42]], [[Flakpanzer I]], and [[GAZ-AAA (4M)|GAZ-AAA]]. The penetration of around 10 mm is not enough to go through the frontal armour of not-so-weakly-armoured tanks like [[SU-5-1]], [[Panzerjager I]], or [[15cm sIG 33 B Sfl]]. If you are skilled, the two machine guns can be used effectively against low-flying biplanes.

{| 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 || 3,250 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 3,000 (250) || 500 || -5°/+70° || ±60°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

[[File:M3A1 Screenshot 1.jpg|thumb|M3A1 attacking a StuG III]]
Due to its light armour, it is advisable not to use the Stuart III frontally at closer ranges, especially not against higher rated enemy vehicles that will go through your strongest frontal armour (50.8 mm) without issue. The ideal tactic to use is to employ your competitive speed to flank the enemy and find a position that will allow you to attack them will little resistance, even in a match against higher rated enemy vehicles your rounds will have no issue going through the side armour of said enemy vehicles, common maps such as [[Eastern Europe (Ground Forces)|Eastern Europe]] and [[Cargo Port]] offer clear opportunity's to flank the enemy vehicles with good amounts of cover, this is especially clear on [[Eastern Europe (Ground Forces)|Eastern Europe]] where you can flank on the other side of the river that runs through the map, this puts you at close range to the side of enemy vehicles, allowing you to prevent them reaching capture points such as the central B point.

To take down enemy vehicles it is advisable to destroy both their turret and engine to prevent escape and stop them engaging you or your allies, due to the fast reload (at best 2.9s) you can hit both parts of an enemy quickly, usually before they can fire back, if they are still not dead after the gun and engine have been hit, shots into the crew compartment should finish the job, but most enemies are usually eliminated by the first 2 shots, it is common for any side shot against an enemy to penetrate and cause a fair level of damage, even if the enemy is not killed your fast reload will grant you a second chance quickly to place an adjusted shot into the enemy. Even at longer ranges, the Stuart III can be a competent sniper, especially if facing lighter vehicles with flat armour or the side armour of a targeted enemy, firing from long range is another way to ensure that your light armour does not hold you back, being at long range will usually prevent or make it difficult for enemies to successfully hit your vehicle.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

Specific enemy vehicles that bear mentioning are firstly any Germans with the [[KwK38 (20 mm)|20 mm KwK/FlaK38]] cannon, this gun might be small but can have up too 48 mm of penetration, which is enough to go through the Stuart III at almost any point, these guns can also fire 10 rounds at 280 rounds/min before having to reload the clip, this means that they will very easily take out your crew before you have a chance to respond, as far as countering the best chance you have is to angle your frontal armour which can make it difficult for the PzGr 40 rounds to penetrate. Keeping your distance to those tanks will also help, as their cannons lose all penetration after 300 m.

The Russian [[T-50]] and [[T-126]] are vehicles you will also see commonly, these have fairly thick & angled frontal armour that will prevent you from easily getting through, these tanks also poses an APHEBC round that will destroy you in one shot with little difficulty, to counter you should use your speed to attempt to get a side shot into either the turret or engine if the T-50 cannot move you can outrun its turret and finish it without much difficulty.

It is likely that the M3 will encounter some rough heavies, like the B1 bis. The best tactic against this type of targets is to use the M3A3's fast speed, get within 200 m from then and attack, with shooting at point-blank range being the most effective way. Before conducting an attack, check the M3A3's and the enemy's surroundings to make sure no one will ambush the M3A3. While charging, use the M3A3's quick turns to suddenly change direction to avoid being shot if they are aiming and firing at the M3A3. Once the tank is at the ideal distance, manoeuvre so that the gun is vertical to their armour. Do not shoot if the enemy is angling! The small calibre 37 mm gun is very likely to bounce off or not penetrate against sloped armour.

For the B1 specifically, either aim for the near-vertical frontal armour plate at the right side of the hull, or the turret ring to incapacitate the commander/gunner. Or simply move to its side and knock out the crews one by one by hitting its flat side armour.[[File:M3A1 Screenshot 2.jpg|thumb|M3A1 flanking on Eastern Europe]]

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Frontal armour useful against MGs and light cannons
* Competitive mobility
* Reliable gun with a good rate of fire
* Ammo has good penetration
* Lots of empty space, so poorly aimed shots tend to not do much damage

'''Cons:'''

* All crew members can be eliminated by a well-placed shot
* Brakes are weak
* Turning is sluggish at slower speeds
* No AP ammunition with HE filler

== History ==


===Development===
The American light tank design prior to World War II, the [[M2A4|M2 light tank]], was seen as obsolete after observing Germany's Panzer forces tear through Europe. The design was to be upgraded with more armour, a better suspension, and a new gun recoil system. The revised version was designated the [[M3_Stuart|Light Tank M3]], which the British named the Stuart. At its basis, the light tank had a 37 mm cannon with a similar layout as the M2 light tank, with the radial engine at the rear and the transmission on the front, though the radial engine was in high demand so the Guiberson diesel T-1210 were fitted in some models to substitute the engine. The design used the VVSS bogie system seen on previous American tank designs. The tank had a crew of four: driver, assistant driver, gunner, and commander, who doubled as the loader.

The first variant of the M3 Stuart light tank was very similar to the M2 light tanks. It had five machine gun armaments scattered around like the M2 but featured better armour and a better cannon with the 37 mm M6 cannon. The design did not have a turret basket for the crew and it was constructed out of rivets, which increased the chance of spalling in the tank. Nevertheless, the first variant M3 saw about 5,811 units produced. The second variant, the '''Light Tank M3A1 Stuart''', featured a new turret with no cupola on it, plus an added gun stabilizer. The machine guns on the hull sides were removed, so now the total machine guns were reduced from five to three. The design also featured a welded armour design to remove the weakness of riveted armour. 4,621 of this variant was produced from May 1942 to February 1943. The most used variant, the [[M5A1|M5A1 Stuart]], had a completely redesigned hull and turret, with the hull most notably having a full sloping frontal armour than the previous designs. This variant had about 6,810 units produced. All in all, the M3 light tank design and its variants were produced in massive quantities from March 1941 to October 1943 with a total of 25,000 units produced.

===Combat usage===
The British were the first to use the M3 Stuart in Africa in 1941, using it in Operation Crusader. However, the result ended with heavy losses, due to the better training the German Afrika Korps had compared to the British tank doctrine. The encounter also pointed out many flaws in the M3, mainly the cramped interior and limited operational range, but was praised for its high mobility and reliability when compared to the British contemporary designs. In 1942, the Stuarts were generally kept as recon units rather than combat units, and some were even modified to improve speed and range by removing the turret, and others were converted to armoured personnel carriers and command vehicles. Though the British used it extensively, it was still in small proportion compared to American usage. The Soviet Union was also another user of the M3 but found it unfavourable due to their own logistics, plus it was not made to withstand the Russian [[wikipedia:Rasputitsa|Rasputitsa]] or even the winter. The Soviet eventually turned down any more offers for the Stuart by 1943. The M3s also supported the British and Chinese forces in Asia against the Japanese Army, and also France and Yugoslavia in Europe against the German Wehrmacht.

The Americans used it widely in both operational theatres. In the Pacific, the M3s were the first tanks America used in a tank vs. tank operation against the Imperial Japanese Army, where five M3s fought [[Ha-Go|Type 95 Ha-Gos]] in the Phillippines. Though the Stuarts were newer than the Japanese tank designs by about five years, they were seen as equal in performance and firepower, but the M3 benefited by the support of the American industry arm. The Stuarts served in the Pacific slightly better than its heavier counterparts such as the [[M4|M4 Shermans]] due to its lighter weight and manoeuvrability in the poor jungle terrain, but the M3 Stuarts in the Pacific were gradually replaced by M4 Shermans due to heavy losses from its thinner armour. The M3 was also some of the first US tanks to be converted into flamethrower tanks, named as the "Satan". The Satan tanks provided favourable results to the concept of a flamethrower tank and were replaced by flamethrower-equipped M4 Shermans in 1945.

In Europe, the M3 formed a large part of the American tank battalions, though following the British path by sidelining the Stuarts from combat duties after heavy losses and to serve alongside Shermans as scouting units. A typical tank battalion for the US Army consisted of three companies of Shermans and one of Stuarts. Other than scouting, the M3s were also used in cavalry roles and infantry support since their cannon are unable to compete with the German tank designs. Despite their dwindling capabilities in battle, the M3 was kept in service up until the end of the war due to the large production numbers.

After World War II, the Stuarts were given out as cheap surplus, countries such as China, India, and Pakistan picked up a few and used them in their conflicts. Portuguese also picked up a few M3s for the war in Angola, and the South African Corps continued using the Stuarts until 1955, where some were still kept in service until 1968 due to available parts. Today, Paraguay is still a user of the M3 light tanks, though as the only tracked armour used in the country.

The Stuart light tank design was also quite versatile that it was made into different variants for different roles on the battlefield. It served as an infantry support vehicle as to the [[M8 Scott|75 mm GMC M8]] and experiments were also taken to see if it could be adapted to an anti-aircraft gun and a flamethrower as well. However, the M3 was becoming an ageing design with inferior armour, cramped interior layout, and a small 37 mm gun, so a program to replace the light tank began in 1943 and became the [[M24|M24 Chaffee]], which would eventually replace the M3 Light Tank mostly after World War II.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_m3a1_stuart Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="150">
File:Stuart III side view.jpeg|A side view of the Stuart III tank.
File:Stuart III high front view.jpeg|A front view of the Stuart III tank.
File:Stuart III rear view smoke.jpeg|A rear view of the Stuart III tank.
File:Stuart III high side view.jpeg|A front view of the Stuart III tank.
File:Stuart III ground view.jpg|A front view of the Stuart III tank.
File:Stuart III.jpg|A front view of the Stuart III tank.
</gallery>

== 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 Ordnance Department}}
{{Britain light tanks}}

Stuart I

2023-02-22T15:46:56Z

U39464374: /* Ammo racks */ corrected amount of rounds per rack

{{About
| about = British light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage = other versions
|link = M3 Stuart (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_m3_stuart
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]].

== General info ==
[[File:M3 Stuart Screenshot 3.jpg|thumb|M3 Stuart driving in the Snow ([[Frozen Pass (Ground Forces)|Frozen Pass]])]]
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Being a light tank, the Stuart I has fairly thin armour. It can generally protect against most machine guns but will usually not stand up against the main weapons of enemy tanks at its battle rating. The inside of the tank is fairly cramped with the two turret members standing, this means that the likelihood of a crew member being hit is fairly high.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (lower frontal plate)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 38.1 mm (18°) ''Driver Port'' 15.8 mm (69°) ''Front Glacis'' 44.4 mm (21°) ''Lower Glacis'' || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 38.1 mm || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 12.7 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, bogies and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Most of the mantlet reaches 76.2 mm thickness due to overlapping plates.

[[File:M3 Stuart turning updated.gif|thumb|426x426px|Stuart I Turning Demo at Slow and Fast speeds]]

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 406|rbMinHp= 232}}

The {{PAGENAME}} feels fresh compared to most early British vehicles, and not even the Tetrarch can compare to its swiftness and manoeuvrability. The Stuart's speed both forward and backward is equal or better to the other vehicles in Rank I.

The Stuart I can reach a speed of 49 km/h off-road and up to 50 km/h on road. It can feel sluggish while turning at a slower speed as it lacks neutral steering, but when moving forward the turning is much smoother and quicker. The vehicle reverses at up to 6 km/h which, while somewhat slow, is still usable in most situations on the battlefield.

You will find this vehicle very useful at climbing up hills and flanking through the sides of the map. It feels better in the countryside or open places rather than urban areas. This helps it reach its full flanking potential and prevents it from being confined to close quarters.

Reverse speed, while still rather slow, is a refreshing leap from the usually lacking British reverse gear. Learn how to use it and remember it's not the same with all British tanks. The Stuart has a very fast turning rate and can easily sneak through tight spaces.

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

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

{{main|M5 (37 mm)}}

The main gun of the Stuart I is a 37 mm M5 cannon. This gun is also featured on the [[M2A4]] and [[M3 Lee]]. On the Stuart I the M5 can use 2 round types, either M74 (AP) or M51 (APCBC) with the latter being a Tier 1 modification.

The overall firepower is decent. The main cannon has an adequate penetration of about 60 mm which is more than enough to go through most tanks below 2.0, such as the T-26, Pz.III and Pz.35t. Although the available ammunition is all solid shells, they still make quite a bit of shrapnel when penetrating which is enough to one-shot compact tanks like the T-26 and Pz.35t. For larger tanks like the LVT(A), accurate shots pinpointing the crew are required which might be a little hard for new players. The cannon has enough accuracy to precisely knock out the enemy's crew within 500 m. If one shot misses, the reload time of around 3.5 seconds allows quick following shots.

The cannon is provided with a nice shoulder stabiliser, which is a big advantage when exchanging fire, as it allows you to move out of cover and fire (usually before the enemy) without having to wait for your tank to stop wobbling. The stabiliser should be utilised to maximise your chance of surviving and killing. Note that it only works below 10 km/h, so remember to slow down or it will not stabilise the gun.

Targets like the 15cm sIG 33 B Sfl or M3 GMC can be quite hard to destroy, as their armour is thin enough to create little shrapnel, but are also thick enough to stop MG bullets. Against them, you can only rely on your fire rate, accuracy and of course your knowledge of their crew position to knock out their crew one by one. Always go for the gunners or drivers first, because if you fail to do so they can always fight back and one-shot you.

The main cannon is only effective in close quarters combat (usually within 200 m) or against weakly armoured targets, since the penetration drops drastically as the range increases, plus the small calibre makes the shells easy to ricochet. When encountering fairly well armoured tanks like the M13/40 or H.35, try and break their gun barrels first or track them. If they are too far away, pin them on the map and call teammates to help.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M5 (37 mm)|37 mm M5]] || 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" | 103 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 16 km/h}} || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.00 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 || 17.00 || 18.80 || 20.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M5 (37 mm)/Ammunition|M74 shot, M51B1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_M3_Stuart.jpg|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
|-
| '''103''' || 84 ''(+19)'' || 41 ''(+62)'' || 1 ''(+102)'' || No
|-
|}

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

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

Alongside the main gun, the Stuart I has 2 additional 7.62 mm M1919A4 machine guns. The first machine gun noted is in a coaxial mount aligned with the gun, second is mounted on the turret top in a pintle mount. Unlike its American counterpart, the Stuart I lacks the two machine guns mounted on the hull sides. The Stuart I does also have a hull front machine gun but this cannot be fired.

The machine gun is only enough to destroy poorly protected vehicles such as AS 42, Flakpanzer I and GAZ-AAA. The penetration of around 10 mm is not enough to go through the frontal armour of those not-so-weakly-armoured tanks like SU-5-1, Panzerjager I or 15cm sIG 33 B Sfl. If you are skilled the two MG can effectively damage low-flying biplanes.

The machine guns will allow you to shoot low-flying planes, but do very poor damage. Biplanes may be easily shot down, but anything more durable will likely be too tough to damage significantly. The pintle MG has good elevation allowing it to aim high enough to target even planes almost directly above, but its traverse speed is often too slow to keep up with aircraft. Moving the turret or sometimes the hull itself may be necessary in order to successfully attack an airplane.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 3,000 (250) || 500 || -10°/+70° || ±60°
|-
| Coaxial || 3,250 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

When driving the Stuart I, it is best to maintain some distance from enemy vehicles, this is advisable due to the somewhat thin armour and closely packed crew that you have to work with, if you are on a smaller map where keeping distance from enemy vehicles is not possible then it would be a good idea to use buildings and landscape features for cover and to keep your vehicle concealed.

'''Offensive rear support'''

A way to use this tank is as a support vehicle behind the main tank offensive, with your high reloading gun, velocity and decent pen you will be able to provide quick support firing for the vehicles advancing.

In the majority of cases, you will be able to go through the frontal armour of enemy tanks (best pen is 86 mm) although some vehicles with heavily angled front armour may be able to stop your round being effective. A consistently effective tactic is to flank an enemy vehicle and fire into the side of the crew compartment, aiming near the turret to disable their ability to fire is a good way to use your first shot, thanks to the quick (at best 2.9s) reload of the Stuart I, you can then put second and third shots into the enemy if needed to finish off their crew.

If the assault seems deemed to fail, you can quickly turn back and speed your escape out the frontline, this thanks to its highly mobile transmission.

'''Flanker'''

Another aspect worth mentioning here is the mobility of the Stuart I, while not the fastest vehicle at its BR it certainly still has competitive mobility that will allow it to reach capture points in quickly or get to a good camping or flanking position before most enemy or friendly vehicles alike.

Using the map to your advantage, choosing rather lonely areas of the map and lurking in the smallest of the corners is the little Stuart's job. Covering with the forest or using the landscape for attacking the enemy with surprise by the sides, or the rear. This tactic applies even when using the vehicle in an up-tiered battle rating match, as there will be plenty of light tanks trying to do the same as you.

'''Enemies worth noting'''

'''German tanks''' - Specific enemy vehicles that bear mentioning are any German vehicles with the [[KwK38 (20 mm)|20 mm KwK/FlaK38]] cannon, this gun might be small but can have up to 64 mm of penetration, which is enough to go through the Stuart I at almost any point even frontally, these guns can also fire 10 rounds at 280 rounds/min before having to reload the clip, this means that they will easily take out your crew before you have a chance to respond. As far as countering, the best chance you have is to angle your frontal armour, which can make it difficult for the PzGr 40 rounds to penetrate. It will also help to to maintain distance from enemy, because the PzGr 40 round loses penetration very quickly. However generally speaking you will not stand much of a chance against vehicles equipped with this gun if you are openly exposed to their fire. Some German medium tanks can be surprisingly tough frontally. Use the Protection Analysis feature in the hangar to know where to properly shoot them.

'''Swedish tanks''' - Swedish tanks are usually lacking in the armour department, so the Stuart I, it's able to do good work with its gun. Keep in mind that they have powerful guns and fast-firing tanks. Be aware of their APDS shells, which are very fast and easy to aim at long ranges, don't try to fight them at long distances. Tankers must be precise when engaging them. Their shaped turret is capable of even bouncing some of the inbound shots, it is best to always aim for the centre area of the hull or the turret.

[[File:M3 Stuart Screenshot 2.jpg|thumb|An M3 Stuart attacking a [[BT-7]]]]

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good front armour, can deflect weak shells when angled
* Fast and agile, competitive with the BT-5
* Decent firepower: good rate of fire and penetration
* -10 degrees gun depression means good terrain adaptation

'''Cons:'''

* Crew are located close together, lowering survivability
* Brakes are weak especially at high speed
* Turning can be bad at slower speeds
* No ammunition with HE filler (only solid shots) meaning poor damage
* Despite being a small tank, quite tall and boxy profile

== History ==

===Development===
The American light tank design prior to World War II, the [[M2A4|M2 light tank]], was seen as obsolete after observing Germany's Panzer forces tear through Europe. The design was to be upgraded with more armour, a better suspension, and a new gun recoil system. The revised version was designated the '''Light Tank M3''', which the British named the Stuart. At its basis, the light tank had a 37 mm cannon with a similar layout as the M2 light tank, with the radial engine at the rear and the transmission on the front, though the radial engine was in high demand so the Guiberson diesel T-1210 were fitted in some models to substitute the engine. The design used the VVSS bogie system seen on previous American tank designs. The tank had a crew of four: driver, assistant driver, gunner, and commander, who doubled as the loader.

The first variant of the M3 Stuart light tank was very similar to the M2 light tanks. It had five machine gun armaments scattered around like the M2, but featured better armour and a better cannon with the 37 mm M6 cannon. The design did not have a turret basket for the crew and it was constructed out of rivets, which increased the chance of spalling in the tank. Nevertheless, the first variant M3 saw about 5,811 units produced. The second variant, the [[M3A1 Stuart|M3A1 Stuart]], featured a new turret with no cupola on it, plus an added gun stabilizer. The machine guns on the hull sides were removed, so now the total machine guns were reduced from five to three. The design also featured a welded armour design to remove the weakness of riveted armour. 4,621 of this variant was produced from May 1942 to February 1943. The most used variant, the [[M5A1|M5A1 Stuart]], had a completely redesigned hull and turret, with the hull most notably having a full sloping frontal armour than the previous designs. This variant had about 6,810 units produced. All in all, the M3 light tank design and all its later variants were produced in massive quantities from March 1941 to October 1943 with a total of 25,000 units produced.

===Combat usage===
The British were the first to use the M3 Stuart in Africa in 1941, using it in Operation Crusader. However, the result ended with heavy losses, due to the better training the German Afrika Korps had compared to the British tank doctrine. The encounter also pointed out many flaws in the M3, mainly the cramped interior and limited operational range, but was praised for its high mobility and reliability when compared to the British contemporary designs. In 1942, the Stuarts were generally kept as recon units rather than combat units, and some were even modified to improve speed and range by removing the turret, and others were converted to armoured personnel carriers and command vehicles. Though the British used it extensively, it was still in small proportion compared to American usage. The Soviet Union was also another user of the M3 but found it unfavourable due to their own logistics, plus it was not made to withstand the Russian Rasputitsa or even the winter. The Soviet eventually turned down any more offers for the Stuart by 1943. The M3s also supported the British and Chinese forces in Asia against the Japanese Army, and also France and Yugoslavia in Europe against the German Wehrmacht.

The Americans used it widely in both operational theatres. In the Pacific, the M3s were the first tanks America used in a tank vs. tank operation against the Imperial Japanese Army, where five M3s fought [[Ha-Go|Type 95 Ha-Gos]] in a well-known action in the Phillippines. In total 108 M3s served with the 192nd and 194th Tank Battalions, also known as the 1st Provisional Tank Group, in the 1941 U.S. defence of the Phillippines, despite having no HE ammo issued. More than 30 were captured by the Japanese, who equipped their 7th Tank Regiment with them, who used them to defend the Philippines again, against the US in 1944. M3s were also used by Company B of the 1st Marine Tank Battalion at Guadalcanal in 1942. Though the Stuarts were newer than the Japanese tank designs by about five years, they were seen as equal in performance and firepower, but the M3 benefited by the support of the American industry arm. The Stuarts served in the Pacific slightly better than its heavier counterparts such as the [[M4|M4 Shermans]] due to its lighter weight and manoeuvrability in the poor jungle terrain, but the M3 Stuarts in the Pacific were gradually replaced by M4 Shermans due to heavy losses from its thinner armour. The M3 was also some of the first US tanks to be converted into flamethrower tanks, named as the "Satan". The Satan tanks provided favourable results to the concept of a flamethrower tank and were replaced by flamethrower-equipped M4 Shermans in 1945.

In Europe, the M3 formed a large part of the American tank battalions, though following the British path by sidelining the Stuarts from combat duties after heavy losses and to serve alongside Shermans as scouting units. A typical tank battalion for the US Army consisted of three companies of Shermans and one of Stuarts. Other than scouting, the M3s were also used in cavalry roles and infantry support since their cannon are unable to compete with the German tank designs. Despite their dwindling capabilities in battle, the M3 was kept in service up until the end of the war due to the large production numbers.

After World War II, the Stuarts were given out as cheap surplus, countries such as China, India, and Pakistan picked up a few and used them in their conflicts. Portuguese also picked up a few M3s for the war in Angola, and the South African Corps continued using the Stuarts until 1955, where some were still kept in service until 1968 due to available parts. Today, Paraguay is still a user of the M3 light tanks, though as the only tracked armour used in the country.

The Stuart light tank design was also quite versatile that it was made into different variants for different roles on the battlefield. It served as an infantry support vehicle as to the [[M8 Scott|75 mm GMC M8]] and experiments were also taken to see if it could be adapted to an anti-aircraft gun and a flamethrower as well. However, the M3 was becoming an ageing design with inferior armour, cramped interior layout, and a small 37 mm gun, so a program to replace the light tank began in 1943 and became the [[M24|M24 Chaffee]], which would eventually replace the M3 Light Tank mostly after World War II.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_m3_stuart Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==

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

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

{{TankManufacturer Ordnance Department}}
{{Britain light tanks}}

Sav m/43 (1944)

2023-02-21T12:02:04Z

U39464374: /* Ammo racks */ corrected amounts of shells per rack

{{About
| about = Swedish tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the later version
| link = Sav m/43 (1946)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_sav_m43_1944
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Sav_m43_(1944).jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Swedish tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]].

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

The Sav m/43 has up to 50 mm of armour in front, which is capable of deflecting some guns commonly encountered but is still vulnerable to larger calibres. It has better frontal protection than the [[Ikv 72]], but is still rather lightly armoured from other angles. The engine deck is only 10 mm thick, and can be penetrated by aircraft heavy machine guns and cannons. The side armour is only 15 mm thick at most, and can also be penetrated quite easily by heavy machins guns and autocannon fire. Due to the cramped crew compartment and scattered ammunition within the compartment, any penetration by a shell is likely to cause critical damage to multiple modules and/or crew members.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 227|rbMinHp= 142}}

The Sav m/43 is based on the chassis of the [[Strv m/41 S-II|Strv m/41]] and thus has a similar level of mobility. It is considerably heavier, however, and thus correspondingly more sluggish. While the forward top speed is adequate, the reverse speed is quite poor, making it hard to retreat. It is also noticeably slower than the [[Ikv 72]].

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

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

{{main|kan m/02 (75 mm)}}

The Sav m/43 is armed with the 7,5 cm kan m/02, an older and weaker 75 mm field gun compared to that used in the [[Ikv 72]]. It has wider traverse arcs and higher maximum elevation, but less gun depression than the Ikv 72, though still quite good at -10 degrees. It starts off with the unremarkable '''slpprj m/40''' uncapped AP shot, which is adequate against most opposition it may encounter but tends to suffer ricochets against sloped armour. However, once upgraded, the gun may fire the '''slpgr m/39''' uncapped APHE shell and the '''slpprj m/40B''' APBC shot. The former round has a very lethal 260 g TNT filler but tends to ricochet more and has less penetration, while the latter has better penetration and ricochets less, and is thus more useful in uptiers. It is recommended to carry a mixture of both APHE and APBC unless the Sav m/43 is top tier, in which case the APHE alone is sufficient.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[kan m/02 (75 mm)|75 mm kan m/02]] || 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°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±15° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 7.0 || 9.8 || 11.8 || 13.1 || 13.9 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.79 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 4.8 || 5.6 || 6.8 || 7.5 || 8.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:kan m/02 (75 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/40, sgr m/22-38, rökgr m/22, slpprj m/40B, slpgr m/39}}

==== [[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
|-
| '''80''' || 78 ''(+2)'' || 67 ''(+13)'' || 64 ''(+16)'' || 55 ''(+25)'' || 43 ''(+37)'' || 1 ''(+79)'' || No
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Sav m/43 (1944) is a more forgiving alternative to the [[Ikv 72]]. Like the Ikv 72, it performs best in a hull-down position, as it can use the depression to present a steeper angle on the frontal armour to increase its effective thickness. It has a relatively weak armour from the sides, top and rear, even if less vulnerable than the Ikv 72. It is best to play this vehicle cautiously since it has a slower manoeuvrability than the Ikv 72.

The armour on its own is adequate enough to survive most hits to the frontal armour at this battle rating, but leaving its side and rear exposed to enemies will make a quick work of it. Hence, it's a good support role vehicle to help allied vehicles by either finishing the enemies off or drawing attention to itself with the frontal armour so other allied vehicles avoid being targeted. Against heavier armoured vehicles or just vehicles with better guns such as [[M3 Lee]] and [[B1 ter]], it is better to avoid direct confrontation and not fight on equal terms.

While the gun is quite adequate against most enemies at its battle rating, it can be seen obsolete in uptiers where it will face opponents with considerably more armour. The gun might not be efficient in an uptier but it can still do damage if resorting to ambushing and shooting from hills, using the angled armour and the depression of the gun to its advantage. It can lock down areas and buy time for allied tanks to come to its aid doing flanking manoeuvres. The Sav m/43 (1944) can also move around to flank heavier armoured vehicles, getting to their side armour will give it a chance to penetrate and the ability to disable the better protected tanks when frontal engagement is not a viable option.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

[[M4A3 (105)]] - The M4A3 (105) is a dangerous vehicle for the SAV m/43 (1944) to encounter, angled armour making the shells of the [[Kan m/02 (75 mm)|Kan m/02]] next to unusable against its angled frontal armour. It also got a gun with a HEAT shell that will make quick work of the Sav's armour and most likely detonate the ammunition or knock out the crew if it gets a good shot on the Sav. Best to stay away or ambush it where it shows off its less armoured and flat side armour.

[[B1 ter]] - The B1 ter has an armour thick enough that it can ignore the penetration capability of the SAV m/43's rounds, lacking in firepower compared to vehicles like [[M4A3 (105)]] or [[M3 Lee]], it can still do quite the damage with the 47 mm gun in the turret. The best way to eliminate this type of target is to either hit the less armoured turret or the flat armoured rear.

[[M3 Lee]] - Similar to the M4A3 (105), the M3 Lee's armour can prove to be quite resilient against the SAV m/43 (1944)'s shells forcing it to avoid the direct confrontation with the M3 Lee. The Lee is not just a well armoured medium tank, it also got a 75 mm anti-tank gun and a 37 mm gun in a turret which can prove to be efficient against the SAV m/43's armour. This makes it also a lethal opponent to face, where the best chance is to catch one off guard on the side or rear and attack the weaker side or rear armour.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Decent frontal armour in a downtier
* Lethal APHE round, able to frontally penetrate and knock out almost any tank it faces with a single shot
* Wide gun traverse arc and good gun depression allows turret to acquire target without requiring constant adjustment of the hull
* Decent top speed
* Has smoke shells which can "lock down" an enemy area by shooting smoke shells there
* Adequate reload speed
* Has small silhouette

'''Cons:'''

* Low penetration works poorly against heavy targets such as [[M4A3 (105)]], [[B1 ter]]
* Very thin side, rear, and roof armour
* Very slow shell velocity, leading and shooting fast tanks (e.g. [[M22]], [[BT-5]]) is hard
* Curved shell trajectory demands precise aiming at long range
* Shells have weak penetration past 500 m
* Mediocre mobility and poor reverse speed

== History ==


In March of 1940, Sweden ordered about 90 TNH tanks (known as the Panzer 38(t) in German service) from ČKD, but Germany, which had occupied Czechoslovakia in 1938, confiscated the tanks for its own use as the Panzer 38(t) Ausf. S. Sweden still needed the light tanks, and after negotiations the Swedish manufacturer Scania-Vabis was allowed to produce them under license, and compensation for the lost tanks. Sweden ordered 116 Strv M/41 SI in June, 1941, and in June of 1942 Sweden ordered 122 Strv M/41 SII. The last 18 Strv M/41 SII were built as the Sav M/43 in 1944. Another 18 Sav M/43 were purpose-built afterwards. The Sav M/43 was a casemate assault gun made by removing the turret of the Strv M/41, and adding a casemate superstructure, initially housing a 75 mm gun. The 75 mm gun was replaced by a 105 mm M/44 Bofors cannon. The Sav M/43 served in artillery units until 1951, when they were given to armoured units instead. They served until 1973.

=== [[wt:en/news/6595-development-stormartillerivagn-m-43-en|Devblog]] ===
In 1942, Sweden began developing a new SPG built on a modified chassis from the Czech LT vz.38, better known as the Pz.38(t) in the German army. This new SPG was supposed to be equipped with the 75 mm L/31 cannon that was already in production. By autumn of 1942, a wooden model of the planned vehicle had been created and, after a number of improvements, the project advanced to manufacturing prototypes. Exactly one year later, in October of 1943, testing began. The SPG passed with flying colours and hit assembly lines under the designation Sav m/43 (short for "Stormartillerivagn", Swedish for "assault artillery carriage"). A little later, a version with a 105 mm gun came out, and, by the end of 1946, all m/43 SPGs had been re-equipped with this new cannon. The Swedish army had used this SPG until the early 70s. From the moment it entered military service until the end of the Second World War in Europe, the Sav m/43 vehicles were grouped by the Norwegian border and then assigned to infantry units as fire-support vehicles when the army was reorganised.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_sav_m43_1944 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:Sav m 43 1944 WTWallpaper 01.jpg
File:Sav m 43 1944 WTWallpaper 02.jpg
File:Sav m 43 1944 WTWallpaper 03.jpg
</gallery>

== See also ==

{{main|LT-38 (Family)}}

;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[Strv m/41 S-I]]
* [[Strv m/41 S-II]]

;Related development

* [[Spj fm/43-44]]
* [[Sav m/43 (1946)]]
* [[Pvkv II]]
* [[Pbv 301]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[StuG III A]]
* [[SU-76M]]
* [[M8 HMC (China)|M8 HMC]]
* [[75/18 M41]]
* [[SAu 40]]

== External links ==


=== References ===

;Bibliography

* Stormartillerivagn m/43. (2020, March 6). In ''Wikipedia''. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stormartillerivagn_m/43&oldid=944240648
* Moore, Craig. (2016, September 9). Sormartillerivagn m/43. Tank Encyclopedia. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/sweden/stormartillerivagn-m43-105mm-spg.php

{{TankManufacturer Scania}}
{{Sweden tank destroyers}}

Strv m/40L

2023-02-19T08:35:26Z

U39464374: minor changes in wording

{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_strv_m40l
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Strv_m40L.jpg|ArtImage Strv m-40L.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (shortened '''{{Specs|pseudonym}}''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Swedish light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]].

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

The Strv m/40L is essentially the [[Strv m/38]] with increased frontal armour. The frontal hull armour is increased to a maximum of 43 mm, while the turret is uparmoured to 50 mm. This provides a decent degree of protection against autocannons and heavy machine guns as well as low calibre anti-tank guns. However, the rest of the tank's armour profile remains identical (13 mm), and it is thus still very vulnerable from directions other than the front.

'''Armour type:'''

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 13 mm (58°) + 30 mm (46°-58°) ''Upper glacis'' 13 mm (45°) ''Lower glacis'' 13 mm (30°) + 35 mm (29°) ''Upper plate'' 13 mm + 35 mm ''Driver's cupola'' || 13 mm || 13 mm (33°) ''Lower'' 9 + 15 mm (14°) ''Upper'' || 4-13 mm
|-
| Turret || 15 mm + 35 mm (14°) ''Turret front'' 15 mm + 35 mm (9°-72°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 13 mm || 13 mm || 5-8 mm
|-
| Cupola || 13 mm || 13 mm || 13 mm || 5 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

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

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 220|rbMinHp= 126}}

The engine of the Strv m/40L is identical to that on the Strv m/38. However, the tank is considerably heavier due to the increased armour, thus somewhat worsening its acceleration. Mobility characteristics are otherwise almost identical to its predecessor.

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

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

{{main|kan m/38 (37 mm)}}

The Strv m/40L uses the same '''3,7 cm kan m/38''' gun as the Strv m/38. The turret mounting has been modified, however, to provide an even greater amount of gun depression (15°). The ammunition choice is identical: it starts with the unremarkable '''slpprj m/38''' APBC shot. At tier IV, the '''slpgr m/39''' APBC and '''slpprj m/49''' APDS rounds can be unlocked. The former round has a small explosive filler while having only slightly less penetration than the stock APBC shot. The APDS round has over 100 mm of penetration at close range and a muzzle velocity of 1,150 m/s and is capable of penetrating anything the Strv m/40L is likely to face. The high velocity makes it good for sniping, but the APDS round tends to be less accurate than the APBC rounds.

It should be noted that if the "Camera from tank gunner sight" option is enabled, there is a protrusion in front of the gunner's sight that can block part of the gunner's sight view when depressing the gun.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[kan m/38 (37 mm)|37 mm kan m/38]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 100 || rowspan="2" | -15°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 15.2 || 21.1 || 25.6 || 28.3 || 30.1 || rowspan="2" | 4.03 || rowspan="2" | 3.57 || rowspan="2" | 3.29 || rowspan="2" | 3.10
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 9.5 || 11.2 || 13.6 || 15.0 || 16.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:kan m/38 (37 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/38, slpgr m/39, 3.7 cm slpprj m/49}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Strv_m38.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the [[Strv m/38]] (identical)]]

{| 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
|-
| '''100''' || 81 ''(+19)'' || 71 ''(+29)'' || 61 ''(+39)'' || 51 ''(+49)'' || 41 ''(+59)'' || 34 ''(+66)''
|-
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! 11th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
!
|-
| 28 ''(+72)'' || 21 ''(+79)'' || 14 ''(+86)'' || 8 ''(+92)'' || 1 ''(+99)'' || No
!
|-
|}

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

{{main|ksp m/39B (8 mm)}}

The tank is also armed with two 8 mm ksp m/39B machine guns mounted alongside the main gun.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ksp m/39B (8 mm)|8 mm ksp m/39B]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,750 (250) || 649 || -10°/+25° || N/A
|-
| Coaxial || 1,750 (250) || 649 || -10°/+25° || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Strv m/40L is a light tank with a large bite for its small calibre. Being armed with a 37 mm Bofors gun doesn't seem like a huge threat to most tanks that it faces, as its contemporaries will often equip similar or larger calibres. However, unlike other nations' tanks, the Strv m/40L is able to research potent APDS rounds.

The Strv m/40L excels in hull-down combat where it can exploit its outstanding gun depression and relatively good rounded turret armour. The powerful APDS round allows it to easily penetrate and disable even the heaviest of tanks it can normally encounter, such as the [[B1 bis]] and [[Valentine Mk I|Valentine]]. However, it has relatively weak post-penetration effects, and will often require multiple shots to destroy larger tanks due to the larger crew compartments. The tank's mobility is quite respectable and allows it to keep up with other medium tanks and making it able to move around the battlefield with ease, not only fighting from hull down positions but also bringing the fight to the enemy side. The frontal armour is quite good, but thin elsewhere making the tank vulnerable to side and rear shots so it is best to always point the frontal armour towards the enemy.

Strv m/40L might have a lot of positives to it but there are also negative sides. Until the APDS round is researched, it has to deal with using the Slpprj m/38 and Slpgr m/39 APBC rounds which have 59/55 mm penetration at 10 m forcing it to fight up close and personal. The APDS also does not hit accurately at longer distances, making it mostly useful at medium to close range to be a fully effective round. Though forward mobility is good, Strv m/40L lacks the means to reverse away out of danger, making it better for it to turn around fast and drive back into cover. Doing that exposes the Strv m/40L's weak side armour and possibly the rear armour which will be a good chance for the enemy to knock it out with ease.

Enemies to be aware of include tanks like [[M4A3 (105)]], [[Pz.IV E]] and [[StuG III A]], which have HEAT rounds easily knocking out the Strv m/40L. With the crew compartment being so compact they can easily take out the 3 man crew with one shot making a lot of these targets a priority enemy for the Strv m/40L. Targets with large crew compartments and higher numbers of crew like [[B1 ter]], [[LVT (Family)|LVT]] and [[T-28E]] can also be a threat to the Strv m/40L as having a lot of crew can make it hard for the Strv m/40L to knock them out fast, which forces it to try to knock out the enemy tank's gun and work down its crew one by one. Taking too long here will expose it to being surrounded or outflanked by nearby enemies that will come to assist the target in need.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good frontal armour
* Access to an outstanding APDS round
* Good mobility
* Fast reload
* Excellent gun depression in combination with good turret armour makes it great at hull-down

'''Cons:'''

* APDS is somewhat inaccurate at long range and lacks post-penetration damage
* Very thin armour other than on the front
* Poor reverse speed
* APDS is tier IV modification, and without it you have to shoot terrible AP shell with 59 mm of max penetration and low post-pen damage

== History ==


In 1934, a new light tank was designed for Sweden by Landsverk, the L-60. It was based on the Landsverk L-10/[[Strv m/31]], but with a new torsion bar suspension system. The torsion bar suspension system was a large improvement over the Christie suspension system. The L-60 S/1 entered service with the Swedish military in 1938 as the [[Strv m/38]]. The L-60 S/1 Strv m/38 was armed with a Bofors 37 mm gun. In 1939, Sweden ordered an improved version of the Strv m/38. It was designated as the L-60 S/II Strv m/39. The Strv m/39 was armed with an improved Bofors 37 mm gun and had a new engine. During World War 2, the Strv m/39 was upgraded with additional armour welded onto the glacis and mantlet.

At the same time, there was a need for another upgrade of the Strv m/39. The turret mantlet was modified and a commander's cupola was added along with side hatches. These also received the upgraded armour of the Strv m/39, and were designated as L-60 S/III [[Strv m/40L]]. The L-60 served with the Swedish military throughout World War 2, and also became the basis of the [[L-62 ANTI II|L-62 Anti II SPAAG]] designed for Finland, which also saw service with Hungary as the 40M Nimrod. In 1960, 20 L-60 tanks were sold to the Dominican Republic by Sweden. Rebels, backed by the US Marine Corps, fought against the L-60 during the Dominican Civil War. 3 were destroyed by [[M48A1|M48 Patton III]]'s, [[M50|M50 Ontos]], and anti-tank fire. 12 were upgraded and saw service until 2002.

=== [[wt:en/news/6592-development-strv-m-40l-en|Devblog]] ===
We recently told you about the Swedish "reserve": the Strv m/31 light tank. Landsverk's work on this tank resulted in a project with the factory designation L-60, where the mistakes the m/31's trials had encountered were taken into consideration – including, among other things, problems with the suspension. The enhanced tanks were put into service under the designation Strv m/38, and Landsverk was commissioned to manufacture a series of these tanks. All 16 tanks of the m/38 series were Sweden's only armoured vehicles when WWII erupted in Europe. However, the military wasn't thoroughly satisfied with these vehicles – and, on top of that, they needed a whole lot more of them. The outcome of future upgrades in the L-60 project were two new models: the Strv m/39 and the Strv m/40. They received a turret with a new shape, a fully upgraded engine compartment, and a set of add-on hull armour. The m/40 was equipped with an automatic gearbox and an enhanced frontal turret section to which another machine gun, not paired to the cannon, was added. The Strv m/40 was manufactured until March 1942. A total of about 100 units of this modification were released.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_strv_m40l Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:Strv m 40l WTWallpaper 01.jpg|
File:Strv m 40l WTWallpaper 02.jpg|
File:Strv m 40l WTWallpaper 03.jpg|
File:Strv m 40l WTWallpaper 04.jpg|
File:Strv m 40l WTWallpaper 05.jpg|
File:Strv m 40l WTWallpaper 06.jpg|
</gallery>

== See also ==


;Related Development:

* [[Strv m/38]]
* [[Strv m/39]]

;Similar Role:

* [[Pz.38(t) F]]
* [[Strv m/41 S-II]]
* [[M3A1 Stuart]]
* [[T-26 (Family)|T-26]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6592-development-strv-m-40l-en|[Devblog] Strv m/40L]]

=== References ===

;Bibliography

* David B. (2014, December 1). Stridsvagn m/38, m/39 & m/40 L-60. Tank Encyclopedia. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/sweden/L60_stridsvagn_M38-39-40.php
* ''Stridsvagn m/40''. (2019, February 1). Military Today. Retrieved May 24, 2020, from https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=549

{{TankManufacturer Landsverk}}
{{Sweden light tanks}}

Sav m/43 (1944)

2023-02-19T08:30:03Z

U39464374: Spelling, and small changes in wording.

{{About
| about = Swedish tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the later version
| link = Sav m/43 (1946)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_sav_m43_1944
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Sav_m43_(1944).jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Swedish tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]].

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

The Sav m/43 has up to 50 mm of armour in front, which is capable of deflecting some guns commonly encountered but is still vulnerable to larger calibres. It has better frontal protection than the [[Ikv 72]], but is still rather lightly armoured from other angles. The engine deck is only 10 mm thick, and can be penetrated by aircraft heavy machine guns and cannons. The side armour is only 15 mm thick at most, and can also be penetrated quite easily by heavy machins guns and autocannon fire. Due to the cramped crew compartment and scattered ammunition within the compartment, any penetration by a shell is likely to cause critical damage to multiple modules and/or crew members.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 227|rbMinHp= 142}}

The Sav m/43 is based on the chassis of the [[Strv m/41 S-II|Strv m/41]] and thus has a similar level of mobility. It is considerably heavier, however, and thus correspondingly more sluggish. While the forward top speed is adequate, the reverse speed is quite poor, making it hard to retreat. It is also noticeably slower than the [[Ikv 72]].

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

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

{{main|kan m/02 (75 mm)}}

The Sav m/43 is armed with the 7,5 cm kan m/02, an older and weaker 75 mm field gun compared to that used in the [[Ikv 72]]. It has wider traverse arcs and higher maximum elevation, but less gun depression than the Ikv 72, though still quite good at -10 degrees. It starts off with the unremarkable '''slpprj m/40''' uncapped AP shot, which is adequate against most opposition it may encounter but tends to suffer ricochets against sloped armour. However, once upgraded, the gun may fire the '''slpgr m/39''' uncapped APHE shell and the '''slpprj m/40B''' APBC shot. The former round has a very lethal 260 g TNT filler but tends to ricochet more and has less penetration, while the latter has better penetration and ricochets less, and is thus more useful in uptiers. It is recommended to carry a mixture of both APHE and APBC unless the Sav m/43 is top tier, in which case the APHE alone is sufficient.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[kan m/02 (75 mm)|75 mm kan m/02]] || 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°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±15° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 7.0 || 9.8 || 11.8 || 13.1 || 13.9 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.79 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 4.8 || 5.6 || 6.8 || 7.5 || 8.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:kan m/02 (75 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/40, sgr m/22-38, rökgr m/22, slpprj m/40B, slpgr m/39}}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''80''' || 46 ''(+34)'' || 37 ''(+43)'' || 25 ''(+55)'' || 22 ''(+58)'' || 19 ''(+61)'' || 8 ''(+72)'' ||1 ''(+79)''|| No
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Sav m/43 (1944) is a more forgiving alternative to the [[Ikv 72]]. Like the Ikv 72, it performs best in a hull-down position, as it can use the depression to present a steeper angle on the frontal armour to increase its effective thickness. It has a relatively weak armour from the sides, top and rear, even if less vulnerable than the Ikv 72. It is best to play this vehicle cautiously since it has a slower manoeuvrability than the Ikv 72.

The armour on its own is adequate enough to survive most hits to the frontal armour at this battle rating, but leaving its side and rear exposed to enemies will make a quick work of it. Hence, it's a good support role vehicle to help allied vehicles by either finishing the enemies off or drawing attention to itself with the frontal armour so other allied vehicles avoid being targeted. Against heavier armoured vehicles or just vehicles with better guns such as [[M3 Lee]] and [[B1 ter]], it is better to avoid direct confrontation and not fight on equal terms.

While the gun is quite adequate against most enemies at its battle rating, it can be seen obsolete in uptiers where it will face opponents with considerably more armour. The gun might not be efficient in an uptier but it can still do damage if resorting to ambushing and shooting from hills, using the angled armour and the depression of the gun to its advantage. It can lock down areas and buy time for allied tanks to come to its aid doing flanking manoeuvres. The Sav m/43 (1944) can also move around to flank heavier armoured vehicles, getting to their side armour will give it a chance to penetrate and the ability to disable the better protected tanks when frontal engagement is not a viable option.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

[[M4A3 (105)]] - The M4A3 (105) is a dangerous vehicle for the SAV m/43 (1944) to encounter, angled armour making the shells of the [[Kan m/02 (75 mm)|Kan m/02]] next to unusable against its angled frontal armour. It also got a gun with a HEAT shell that will make quick work of the Sav's armour and most likely detonate the ammunition or knock out the crew if it gets a good shot on the Sav. Best to stay away or ambush it where it shows off its less armoured and flat side armour.

[[B1 ter]] - The B1 ter has an armour thick enough that it can ignore the penetration capability of the SAV m/43's rounds, lacking in firepower compared to vehicles like [[M4A3 (105)]] or [[M3 Lee]], it can still do quite the damage with the 47 mm gun in the turret. The best way to eliminate this type of target is to either hit the less armoured turret or the flat armoured rear.

[[M3 Lee]] - Similar to the M4A3 (105), the M3 Lee's armour can prove to be quite resilient against the SAV m/43 (1944)'s shells forcing it to avoid the direct confrontation with the M3 Lee. The Lee is not just a well armoured medium tank, it also got a 75 mm anti-tank gun and a 37 mm gun in a turret which can prove to be efficient against the SAV m/43's armour. This makes it also a lethal opponent to face, where the best chance is to catch one off guard on the side or rear and attack the weaker side or rear armour.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Decent frontal armour in a downtier
* Lethal APHE round, able to frontally penetrate and knock out almost any tank it faces with a single shot
* Wide gun traverse arc and good gun depression allows turret to acquire target without requiring constant adjustment of the hull
* Decent top speed
* Has smoke shells which can "lock down" an enemy area by shooting smoke shells there
* Adequate reload speed
* Has small silhouette

'''Cons:'''

* Low penetration works poorly against heavy targets such as [[M4A3 (105)]], [[B1 ter]]
* Very thin side, rear, and roof armour
* Very slow shell velocity, leading and shooting fast tanks (e.g. [[M22]], [[BT-5]]) is hard
* Curved shell trajectory demands precise aiming at long range
* Shells have weak penetration past 500 m
* Mediocre mobility and poor reverse speed

== History ==


In March of 1940, Sweden ordered about 90 TNH tanks (known as the Panzer 38(t) in German service) from ČKD, but Germany, which had occupied Czechoslovakia in 1938, confiscated the tanks for its own use as the Panzer 38(t) Ausf. S. Sweden still needed the light tanks, and after negotiations the Swedish manufacturer Scania-Vabis was allowed to produce them under license, and compensation for the lost tanks. Sweden ordered 116 Strv M/41 SI in June, 1941, and in June of 1942 Sweden ordered 122 Strv M/41 SII. The last 18 Strv M/41 SII were built as the Sav M/43 in 1944. Another 18 Sav M/43 were purpose-built afterwards. The Sav M/43 was a casemate assault gun made by removing the turret of the Strv M/41, and adding a casemate superstructure, initially housing a 75 mm gun. The 75 mm gun was replaced by a 105 mm M/44 Bofors cannon. The Sav M/43 served in artillery units until 1951, when they were given to armoured units instead. They served until 1973.

=== [[wt:en/news/6595-development-stormartillerivagn-m-43-en|Devblog]] ===
In 1942, Sweden began developing a new SPG built on a modified chassis from the Czech LT vz.38, better known as the Pz.38(t) in the German army. This new SPG was supposed to be equipped with the 75 mm L/31 cannon that was already in production. By autumn of 1942, a wooden model of the planned vehicle had been created and, after a number of improvements, the project advanced to manufacturing prototypes. Exactly one year later, in October of 1943, testing began. The SPG passed with flying colours and hit assembly lines under the designation Sav m/43 (short for "Stormartillerivagn", Swedish for "assault artillery carriage"). A little later, a version with a 105 mm gun came out, and, by the end of 1946, all m/43 SPGs had been re-equipped with this new cannon. The Swedish army had used this SPG until the early 70s. From the moment it entered military service until the end of the Second World War in Europe, the Sav m/43 vehicles were grouped by the Norwegian border and then assigned to infantry units as fire-support vehicles when the army was reorganised.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_sav_m43_1944 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:Sav m 43 1944 WTWallpaper 01.jpg
File:Sav m 43 1944 WTWallpaper 02.jpg
File:Sav m 43 1944 WTWallpaper 03.jpg
</gallery>

== See also ==

{{main|LT-38 (Family)}}

;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[Strv m/41 S-I]]
* [[Strv m/41 S-II]]

;Related development

* [[Spj fm/43-44]]
* [[Sav m/43 (1946)]]
* [[Pvkv II]]
* [[Pbv 301]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[StuG III A]]
* [[SU-76M]]
* [[M8 HMC (China)|M8 HMC]]
* [[75/18 M41]]
* [[SAu 40]]

== External links ==


=== References ===

;Bibliography

* Stormartillerivagn m/43. (2020, March 6). In ''Wikipedia''. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stormartillerivagn_m/43&oldid=944240648
* Moore, Craig. (2016, September 9). Sormartillerivagn m/43. Tank Encyclopedia. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/sweden/stormartillerivagn-m43-105mm-spg.php

{{TankManufacturer Scania}}
{{Sweden tank destroyers}}

BT-7

2020-03-23T09:29:00Z

U39464374: Corrected details for BR-240 and BR-240SP ammuniton and updated ammo rack data (incl. updated screenshot) according to current in-game data.

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_bt_7_1937}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_BT-7.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{specs|name}}''' is a rank {{specs|rank}} Soviet light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. Like the [[BT-5]], but with improved front armour, it is fast and has an adequate 45 mm cannon able to destroy opposing tanks.

The BT-7 is a fast tank with relatively thin armour. It can be useful to flank and hit the side armour of enemy tanks, taking advantage of it's very high top speed. The armour is very well angled at certain points, however being as thin as it is, don't count on it to protect you very well; your speed can be your best defense, so move fast and try to zig-zag a bit to make yourself a more difficult target for tanks farther away (not too much though, or you'll bleed off too much speed).

The BT-7 surprises with its Christie suspension. Closer to a race-car than a tank, this lightning on tracks is fun to drive, but not particularly easy. With its high top speed and lightweight, this tank will drift in turns. For maximum control in turns, reduce throttle beforehand and the only tip/nudge the turn-keys. It needs some time to get used to, however, it does prepare you for the T-34s break-turns.

Off-road behaviour is good and the aforementioned drifts aren't as extreme as on city-roads. Top speed is not really reduced as well, making the BT-7 one of the fastest early tanks due to its very wide tracks, something both the ''[[M2A4|Light tank M2]]'' and [[Pz.II C|Panzer II]] miss.

The crew compartment is very small and only inhabited by the driver, commander and another crew member. The latter has to perform the tasks of the gunner and radio-man."Not getting shot at" is the best advice for the crew to survive.

The BT-7 was the last of the BT series of Soviet cavalry tanks that were produced in large numbers between 1935 and 1940. They were lightly armoured, but reasonably well-armed for their time, and had much better mobility than other contemporary tank designs. The BT tanks were known by the nickname Betka from the acronym, or it's diminutive, Betushka.

The BT-7 Tank's successor would be the famous T-34 medium tank, introduced in 1940, which would replace all of the Soviet fast tanks, infantry tanks, and medium tanks then in service.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 15 mm (62°) ''Front glacis'' 20 mm (19°) ''Driver's hatch'' 20 mm (5-52°) ''Lower hull''|| 20 mm ''Front'' 15 mm ''Rear'' || 10 mm (55°) ''Top'' 13 mm (16-58°) ''Bottom'' || 10 mm
|-
| Turret || 15 mm (7-53°) ''Gun mantlet'' 15 mm (13-14°) ''Turret front'' || 15 mm (13°) ''Front'' 13 mm (10°) ''Rear'' || 13 mm (15°) || 10 mm
|}
'''Notes'''

* Tracks and suspension wheel are both 15 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 620|rbMinHp= 354|}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|20-K (45 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[20-K (45 mm)|45 mm 20-K]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 188 || -6°/+25° || ±180° || N/A
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 9.50 || 13.20 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 9.50 || 11.20 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 3.80 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| BR-240 || APHEBC ||70||68||59||50||42||35
|-
| BR-240SP || AP || 73 ||71||62||52||44||37
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| BR-240 || APHEBC || 760 || 1.43 || 1.2 || 9 || 29.26 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-240SP || AP || 757 || 1.43 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
!7th rack empty
!8th rack empty
!9th rack empty
!10th rack empty
!11th rack empty
!12th rack empty
!13th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''188''' || 174 ''(+14)''|| 162 ''(+24)'' || 147 ''(+41)'' || 135 ''(+53)'' || 123 ''(+65)''|| 108 ''(+80)''
|89 (+99)
|73 (+115)
|57 (+131)
|41 (+147)
|25 (+163)
|13 (+175)
|1 (+187)|| style="text-align:center" | No
|-
|}

Turret empty: 147 ''(+41);'' Side racks empty: 89 (+99)

[[File:Ammo racks BT-7.png|thumb|257x257px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the BT-7.]]

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in the battles ==

Best tactics are probably, however, to not charge right into the combat, but wait a while to see how the battle develops - observe where and how many enemy tanks go, maybe fire a few shots from the distance. Use your great mobility to get to the best positions. And then use its awesome speed to charge at lonely opponents, which at close range have no chance of keeping their guns pointed at you. Keep in mind that charging into more than 1 opponent is usually a quick end, as it is very hard to not get hit from either of them at the same time. There is basically paper armour on BT-7 to stop anything other than machine gun fire. Finally, try to avoid AA vehicles, as they will have no problem targeting and destroying you, even from the distance.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Very fast and nimble
* Excellent offroad capability
* Powerful engine and wide tracks make the BT-7 a good climber
* Good cannon with a good rate of fire
* Often used as a rusher/scout in higher rank matches. It can get to capture points more quickly than most tanks

'''Cons:'''

* Exposed tracks and suspensions are prone to be damaged
* The whole tank is basically ammo rack and fuel tank on tracks
* Very large and difficult to hide
* Difficult to drive with precision - can slew on turns and bounces a lot after braking.
* Very weak armour all around, more flat un-angled areas than BT-5
* Vulnerable to heavy machine gun fire

* Worse gun depression than BT-5 (below average now)
* Sometimes stalls on turns on soft terrain

== History ==

===Development===
The success of the [[BT-5|BT light tanks]] in Soviet service prompted additional upgrades and other developmental projects done on the design to increase its service life. The development led to the final model of the BT light tank series, the '''BT-7'''. The tank differed from the older BT-5 tank with a welded hull, redesigned hull front, and a new engine in the Model 1935 version. The '''Model 1937''' version of the BT-7 added a redesigned turret that featured sloping armour.

The tank initially had a canted-ellipse shaped turret mounting the main gun and coaxial machine guns with the focus of allowing the tank to mount different tanks without changing the whole design, which led to the development of two main kinds of BT-7s, the normal variant with a 45 mm 20K gun for anti-armour and a artillery variant called the ''BT-7A'' which mounted a 76.2 mm KT-26 howitzer for anti-infantry. The tank was redesigned before it entered production by using the BT-5 turret instead with the main gun and coaxial machine gun still attached, though the concept of swapping to different guns was still in development for the tank. A radio was also installed on the turret as well. The tank had a three-man crew, the commander/gunner and loader in the turret, and the driver in the front. Production started in 1935 but was redesigned in 1937 with a new conical turret that allowed more ammunition to be stored and a machine gun on the rear of the turret. The BT-7 mod. 1937 also had improvements on the drive wheels, gearbox, and tracks by 1938. The BT-7 went on to be produced from 1935 to 1940 for a total unit production of between 2,700 to 5,300 tanks.

===Combat usage===
The BT-7 served alongside its older counterpart BT-5 tanks. The BT light tanks were meant to be a cavalry tank, and at the time of their introduction, they were considered some of the finest tanks against other countries' tanks. They had great mobility of all available tanks, and it's 45 mm gun could perform very well in combat. The only drawbacks of the design were its light armour and its gasoline engine, which caused the design to be rather flammable to improvised incendiary weapons. The BT-7's most notable combat service came against the Japanese at Khalkhin Gol. The tactics of Soviet Marshal Georgi Zhukov and the performance of his BT-5 and BT-7 tanks led to a decisive victory. It was during this battle that the BT tanks tendency to catch fire was found, but its performance was positive against the inferior Japanese armoured forces.

The BT-7 next combat use was during the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa when Nazi Germany invades the Soviet Union. The superior German tanks [[Pz.III F|Panzer III]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV]] was able to easily take out these lightly armoured tanks. Reports note that about 2,000 BT-7 tanks were lost in the first 12 months alone against the German forces, with hundreds broken down from low maintenance and were abandoned. Despite their inferiority, the Soviets continued to produce and field them among armour and mechanized units to boost their operational capacity, though most were kept away from the front lines due to their inadequacy. The BT-7 would finally see its service again in Soviet invasion of Japanese-controlled Manchuria. The Soviets fielded the BT-7 and other tanks in its inventory against the inferior Japanese forces in Manchuria, where it proved very effective against the more lightly armoured Japanese tanks employed. The BT series were all retired after the end of World War II due to their obsolete design as an inter-war period tank design.

===Legacy===
Perhaps the most important impact the BT light tanks series was that it kick-started the development of the [[T-34 (1940)|T-34]] medium tank, which would go on as the most produced tank of World War II. A new design team was formed in 1937 at the KhPZ factory, where they built prototypes utilizing the more armour and a heavier gun onto the design, which was called the ''A-32'' and was approved for production as the T-34 tank. The BT tanks also serve as the basis of support vehicles such as the ''BT-7A'' artillery tan, ''BT-7TU'' command tank, ''OP-7'' flamethrower tank, and even the ''TT-BT-7'' remote-controlled tank. An attempt in 1940 also had the BT-7 up-armoured with hinged homogeneous armour, which added five tons to the design weight. These vehicles are not known to have seen service in combat units.

=== In-game description ===
In the second half of 1937, the BT-7 tank was mass-produced with a conical turret, a three-speed gearbox and strengthened suspension. In comparison to the BT-7 Mod. 1935, the tank's weaponry became more powerful due to the inclusion of a DT machine gun in the turret. Its ammunition capacity was increased by 44 and totalled 188 rounds in the battle vehicles and 145 rounds in the command vehicles equipped with a radio set. Some of the tanks were equipped with an anti-aircraft gun.

The unit command vehicles were equipped with a 71-TK-1 radio set with a hand-rail antenna, and later with a rod antenna. To allow the vehicle to fire its cannon and coaxial machine gun at night, it was equipped with two special projector headlights. Over the course of its modernisation, the thickness of its frontal hull armour reached 22 mm. The turret's armour was also strengthened using vertically sloping armour plates. Its combat-loaded weight grew to 13,925 kg. Factory No. 183 alone manufactured 4,727 tanks of this series.

The BT-7 underwent its trial by fire in the Khalkhyn Gol river region as part of the 6th and 11th tank brigades. In the process, the latter undertook a hurried 500 km trek to the scene of the conflict. On the whole, the tanks gained a good reputation, but their drawbacks were noted as well: they were difficult to drive, which meant they required highly trained drivers, and they had insufficient armour and poor communication equipment. All these flaws were confirmed in the Poland Campaign of September 1939 and in the Winter War with Finland.

With appropriate tactics and a well-trained crew, the BT-7 could successfully oppose all types of German tanks at the beginning of the war, being inferior to them only in armour.
BT-7 tanks participated in combat operations on the Soviet-German front right up until 1944, and in 1945 they served in the war with Japan. A few captured tanks served in the Finnish army until the beginning of the 50s.

== Media ==
[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23bt7 Skins and camouflages for the BT-7 from live.warthunder]

== Read 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.''

''ETC.''

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

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

{{USSR light tanks}}