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Spitfire Mk IIb

2021-02-11T17:09:17Z

U49285336: /* General info */ i have talked about how the spitfire was brilliant towards BF-109s

{{About
| about = British fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Spitfire (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=spitfiremkii
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

The {{PAGENAME}} is an excellent turn-fighter and has excellent climb and speed characteristics - forming a middle ground between the sheer speed of the German fighters and American fighters and the nimble agility of the Japanese machines. These aircraft, however, have little in the way of armour protection - any hits will most likely damage something, and in addition, you will be helpless if you try to head-on something. Turn-fighting is the most efficient way of using this nimble, fast fighter, and it should be used in this way most of the time. A suggested loadout is to equip Tracers on the 7.7 mm machine guns, and Stealth Belts on the 20 mm cannons - this allows maximal amounts of damaging rounds - namely the Armour-Piercing Incendiary (AP-I), High-Explosive Fragmentation Semi-Armour-Piercing Incendiary (HEF-SAPI) and High-explosive Fragmentation Incendiary (HEF-I) rounds. The technique to use this loadout will be described in the "Usage in battles" section.

Note, however, that with the two 20 mm cannons, the {{PAGENAME}} can also be used as a reasonable Boom & Zoom fighter with fewer results. It is recommended to maximise the use of AP-I ammo for the {{PAGENAME}}'s 7.7 mm machine guns and the HEF-I ammo for the 20 mm cannons for air damage. It is also advisable to make sure that you conserve your ammo and only fire when you have a clear target, as you'll find you'll run out of ammo very quickly. Sixty rounds of 20 mm is not a very large ammunition pool and will run out faster than the machine guns in most cases.

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

As mentioned constantly, the {{PAGENAME}} has excellent turn-fighting, climbing, and speed characteristics for a fighter. With the Merlin engine, the {{PAGENAME}} can utilise the power to gain speed and altitude for an energy advantage over its opponents, as well as having the manoeuverability to perform aerobatic maneuvres to get out of a sticky situation. this plane was very god during the second ww and was also very good against the german BF-109 it would fire 20 bullets with its 14 seconds of ammunition.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 4,572 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time<br>(seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run<br>(metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 550 || 534 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 15.9 || 16.5 || 16.0 || 16.0 || rowspan="2" | 300
|-
! Upgraded
| 597 || 571 || 14.4 || 15.1 || 23.9 || 19.4
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || N/A || 230 || ~10 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 321 || < 400 || < 350 || > 500
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 4,490 m || 1,140 hp || 1,311 hp
|-
|}

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


* 38 mm Bulletproof glass in cockpit front.
* 4 mm Steel plate in pilot's seat
* 6-7 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.
* Critical components located at the front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)
* More fuel tanks located in wings near the fuselage
* Cooling systems heat up ridiculously fast

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

Your priorities should be the weaponry upgrades and engine upgrades. It is suggested to research the gun upgrades first, and use engine upgrades to unlock tiers. New 7 mm MGs are not really needed since the Brownings are relatively reliable. Airframe upgrades can take priority over the 7 mm MGs. However, to really make this bird sing, you need to have the radiator upgrade and all 20 mm cannon upgrades.

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

{{main|Hispano Mk.I (20 mm)|Browning .303 (7.7 mm)}}

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

* 2 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.I cannons, wing-mounted (60 rpg = 120 total)
* 4 x 7.7 mm Browning .303 machine guns, wing-mounted (350 rpg = 1,400 total)

In continuous firing, assuming that no jams happen at all, the Hispano's ammo will dry up quicker than the 7.7 mm Brownings. However, jams do happen and the Hispanos will jam quicker than the Brownings.

== Usage in battles ==

[[File:Spitfire Mk IIb Pretty Picture.png|thumb|450px|right|A Spitfire Mk IIb, perched on a hill...]]
The Spitfire is a high-performance thoroughbred, which is more than a match for any and all opposition it faces at 3.0. However, if you don't know what you're up against and just try to out-turn everything with flat turns, you'll be able to get kills you need to grind up the tree, but you will ''not'' be able to excel in using the plane. Something important to remember is the seven P's: '''Proper Perusal, Planning & Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.'''

In order to use your plane most effectively, you need to know your own plane almost inside-out ('''Perusal'''). In order to fight, you need to plan your every move well and have a good idea of how you're going to start your match and at what point you're going to RTB ('''Planning'''). You need to know and be prepared to fight enemies that may have better performance than you in a turn, in the vertical, in a straight line, or all three, and have tactics to combat them when necessary ('''Preparation''').

The {{PAGENAME}} is a very good turn-fighter, being one of the most agile aircraft in the game, and has good weapons configurations that can be used against enemies. It can reliably out-turn many of the aircraft in-game, and out-zoom-climb some as well with WEP on. It has an excellent rate of climb, and due to this and the armament, is a good bomber interceptor. Using its agility, speed, and rate of climb, it can easily run rings around enemy fighters and dispense punishing blows as well. However, there are several points to be kept in mind while flying the {{PAGENAME}}. These are:

# The relatively low amount of damage that the 7.7 mm Browning machine guns put out
# The propensity of the 20 mm Hispanos to jam after prolonged firing
# Lack of any armour on the engine and (relatively) small amounts of windscreen glass armour
# Decreased engine power at altitudes higher than ~3900-4300 metres
# Proximity of vital systems towards the front of the aircraft, including a forward fuel tank that '''does not self-seal, and will keep burning until all the fuel inside has disappeared.'''
# Lack of combat flaps
# Increased efficiency of control surfaces (ailerons, elevators, rudder) at medium speeds (300 km/h-450 km/h) and engine efficiency at low altitudes (below 4,500 m)
# Inability to hold WEP for long before the engine begins overheating without MEC.
# The float carburettor, should the plane pull '''any''' negative G's, the carburettor will be fuel-starved cutting power to the engine.
# Similarity of the muzzle velocity of the 20 mm Hispanos and the 7.7 mm Brownings (meaning that they'll have similar trajectories- this seems unimportant, but the significance will be explained shortly.)

This fighter, unlike American and German fighters, is neither a gun platform nor a potent Boom & Zoom fighter. It is well-armed and can Boom & Zoom decently, but if an aspiring pilot tries to fly it like a P-40, the Spitfire will be shot down very, very quickly. Conversely, if a pilot tries to fly it like a Bf 109, while they might have some amounts of success, the Spitfire is outperformed as a B&Z fighter by US fighters such as the F4U-1A and German fighters such as the Bf 109. It will not be able to hold its top speed for very long due to its lacking cooling systems unless the radiator is forced open by manual engine control - which doubles or triples the WEP time when used properly (forced 100% radiator directly after takeoff). In addition, the aircraft is unable to deploy combat flaps, which means you cannot have 'reserve manoeuvrability' to out-turn a fighter in order to retreat.

Try to find lone opponents to face off against as the Spitfire performs best when facing enemies one at a time. Always keep an eye on the tactical map as your adversaries (mostly 109s) will travel in "wolf packs" and shoot you down. For fighting at low altitude stay above the opponent you have singled out and dive on them. If you have too much energy go for a high yo-yo manoeuvre to bleed your energy. 90% of the time you will easily out-manoeuvre anything you face so get on their tail and shoot them down. For high altitude fighting, try to get the altitude advantage and bait your opponent into a turn fight. Stay away from energy sapping manoeuvres as at high altitude this will lead to the Mk IIb being left a sitting duck (also stay away from 1v2s and the like).

Abuse the vertical ''as well as'' the horizontal in a fight. Use maneuvers such as yo-yos and chandelles that will bleed the speed of an enemy while allowing you to retain more speed than your enemy. Your primary opponent - Bf-109s (Primarily [[Bf 109 E-3|E-3s]] and [[Bf 109 E-4|E-4s]], sometimes even [[Bf 109 F-4|F-4s]]) - perform better in the vertical than you do, so do not try to out-dive or out-climb them. Should you try to climb against a Bf-109 ending its dive and entering a loop, usually, you will bleed speed and stall out, making you a sitting duck for anybody who decides to target you. If you can, try to fly downwards instead of heading up. Make a split-S instead of an Immelmann to perform a reversal- roll inverted (upside down) and then pull hard on the elevator, looping back up to get back into a fight. Use your superior turning abilities in the semi-vertical, making chandelles instead of pure loops. You ''can'' theoretically use flat turns only, but if you get into an uptier, you'll be out-performed by Zeroes (who perform better at lower speeds) and [[Fw 190 A-1]]s (which have excellent energy retention and will still be going fast when you're stalled out in a turn). When fighting these aircraft, it is recommended that you fight less in terms of ''strictly'' up or down, but instead, plan your engagement according to whether you're travelling at a faster speed (You're outrunning them) or above/below them. When engaging these aircraft, having altitude definitely helps. Spitfires can out-dive A6M2s, and can out-turn Fw-190s. In both cases, however, if you bleed too much speed, you will be shot down due to becoming easy meat. The A6M2 stalls at a lower speed than you and also turns better at speeds below 330 km/h (205 mph), while the Fw-190, although unable to turn as fast as you do, will be able to keep its speed for longer.

Of course, to do everything that was described, it is better to have altitude before doing so. For example, you can't make a split-S from the astronomically low altitude of 200 metres (650 ft) and expect not to crash into the ground. While pilots may tell you otherwise, you should ''not'' climb to 3000m and stay there for the entire match. Remember the proverb: '''Speed is Life. Altitude is Speed in the Bank.''' Spitfire pilots should use their excellent Merlin engine to climb into the 4000m range in order to be able to gain energy when necessary to either run away or to fight an enemy.

Experienced players may recommend that you use landing flaps below 250 km/h to get an edge in turn time. Don't do this if you're a new pilot. The Spitfire IIb will slow down dramatically if you do so and you'll end up losing too much speed. Landing flaps ''may'' increase lift, but they also reduce your speed by acting as brakes by increasing drag. They also rip easily, and unless micromanaged, they will immediately rip off, leading to difficulties in controlling the plane.

'''Using the armaments:'''

A possible strategy for the {{PAGENAME}}'s set of armaments is one akin to that used on the [[Hurricane Mk IV]], using the cannons sparingly to conserve ammo and reduce changes of jamming. Use the cannons when in the aircraft's most effective convergence range and envelope, and use the machine guns to 'sight' the cannons. Fire the machine guns tracer belts for maximum AP-I and tracer ammo to get an idea of where the cannon rounds will go, and then fire cannons once you know where you should aim. This technique works well because the Hispano cannons and the 7.7mm guns share similar muzzle velocities to one another.

The video below shows how to use the aiming technique described:

{{Youtube-gallery|7Gp8Q8MqMQg|An example of an attack made using the machine guns to "aim" the cannons. This attack was done with a
Spitfire Mk IIb, but it should be actively used in any Spitfire with .303s coupled with cannons (Spitfires IIb through LF Mk IXc)}}

Go for deflection shots against enemy aircraft. These shots are side-on shots where you "lead" an enemy aircraft in front of you, and get off a burst when you're not directly behind them, but instead when they're turning. While this may be difficult to newer players, it provides valuable training and is a good learning experience for later tiers. In addition, should you use this technique, you can easily cause enemy planes' wings to completely fall off if you pull it off right and hit a wing spar. Bf 109s, with their single wing spars, are especially vulnerable to a well-aimed side-on shot. If your cannon ammo drops to 50 rounds or below that, try and return to base quickly. That way, if you get bounced on the way back, you can at least have some cannon ammo left to surprise any raider looking to attack you.

'''Fighting the enemy:'''
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Click '''Expand''' to show
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{{Notice|Disclaimer: This is a very general guide to the aircraft's capabilities. Following these to the letter without consideration of the enemy's abilities can still lead to a loss.}}

Tips for using the Spitfire against other nations' fighters are as follows:

*Japanese fighters - Japanese fighters are more nimble than you. If you enter a turn-fight with them, and the pilot is smart, he or she '''can''' and '''will''' deploy their combat flaps and shoot you down. Attempt to bait them into energy-fighting manoeuvres (otherwise known as Boom-and-zoom), where your superior speed, acceleration, and climb rate will prove you to be the victor.

*American fighters - In mixed battle, you will face US fighters such as the F4F, the P-39s and sometimes P-47Ds (Including the German and ussian premiums) and many other aircraft which have .50 calibre machine guns. These large-calibre machine guns will shred a Spitfire to pieces if given the opportunity to fire a long, sustained burst at you, such as in a head-on engagement. Lure the enemy down and force them to lose energy, using your manoeuvrability to break the enemy's aiming solution at the last moment with manoeuvres such as the scissors and barrel rolls.

*German fighters - German and Italian fighters will usually have cannons and hold a speed advantage over you, as well as being more capable at higher speeds and altitudes. If you head-on a German fighter, you will lose over 90% of the time, unless you are lucky and manage to land critical hits on the engine and the pilot - and this is also unlikely given that the 7.7 mm machine guns and thie hispano cannons are not known for their armour-piercing abilities. Like with American fighters, try to make the enemy bleed speed, while dodging enemy fire. You can also attempt to lure the enemy into turning with you. You may have a chance with a head-on, but this requires that you '''know''' your plane completely. Head-ons are suicide, since F-model [[Bf 109 (Family)|Bf 109 Variants]] have their guns mounted near the engine, and the [[Fw 190 A-1]] has an overwhelming frontal armament. Although the spitfire can shrug off a few hits from machine guns or [[MG FF (20 mm)|MG FFs]], it cannot survive hits from mine-shell equipped [[MG FF/M (20 mm)|MG FF/M]] or [[MG 151/20 (20 mm)|MG 151/20]] cannons, such as those on the [[Bf 109 E-4]].

*Italian fighters - Italian fighters are the high-performance counterparts of the Germans, just like the British are to the Americans. They possess either similar agility ([[Re.2001 (Family)|Re.2001-series aircraft]]) or superior speed and energy retention in vertical maneuvers ([[C.202 (Family)|C.202]] & [[C.205 (Family)|C.205]]-series aircraft). In addition, all of them are equipped with versions of the Bf-109's DB-605 engine, and they do well at high operating altitudes. Most Italian aircraft at the BR range of 2.3-3.3 are extremely poorly armed, with only two low-velocity, low-rate-of-fire [[Breda-SAFAT (12.7 mm)|Breda-SAFAT 12.7mm]] machine guns coupled with a pair of [[Breda-SAFAT (7.7 mm)|Breda-SAFAT 7.7 mm]] machine guns. However, a few aircraft- namely the [[Re.2001 CN]] and the [[C.202EC]]- have two [[MG 151/20 (20 mm)|MG 151/20]] 20mm cannons, making them dangerous opponents.

*Russian fighters - Russian fighters will have cannons, large-calibre machine guns, or both, in conjunction with small-calibre guns, mounted in-line on the fuselage, but are weak and vulnerable to fires. Again, facing these head-on is suicide, and at the low altitudes you will meet them at, you cannot disengage by running or climbing away. Keep in mind that while you can turnfight, Russian fighters are very, very manoeuvrable at low altitudes. Again, like always, abuse the vertical with the horizontal. Russian planes have inferior ShVak cannons, but they have 12.7mm Berezin UBs with API ammo. Do '''not''' try to head-on them unless you know how to get your shots into the enemy's fuel tank or engines or pilot ''on the first try''. If you let them get into firing range in a head-on, you're absolutely cooked.

*French fighters - French fighters are a bit of a mixed bag, having some of the more heavily armed aircraft and some of the less heavily armed aircraft in the game. In general, however, they will have either cannons or heavy-calibre machine guns, and good maneuverability. Turn-fighting these aircraft is preferable to a head-on engagement. They will also do better at high altitudes and speeds. Rope-a-dope them into fighting you on your own terms at lower speeds and altitudes where you'll have a chance. In addition, they have low ammo count (60 rounds for cannons and 300-500 for machine guns), just like you do, so try and make them waste their ammo.
</div>
</div>

'''Specific enemies of note:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:1100px; overflow:auto;">
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<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
* [[BV 238]] - Don't face these things from above, level, or from the rear. The massive amounts of defence armaments on this flying boat will ensure the Spitfire will be shot down. They're also massive - but not impossible to shoot down. The only reasonable chance of shooting the BV 238 down is via aiming for the cockpit at the front (very hard), or by aiming at the wings. The process to do this is to get to its rear and dive down below the enemy, corkscrewing and rolling and skidding across the sky seemingly at random and get within 600 metres of it and approximately a hundred metres below. Start firing machine guns at the wings. Once closed into 400 metres, fire the cannons. Once you set fire to a BV, usually, it will not go out

* [[A6M2]] - These nimble fighters may have low-velocity cannons, but they can easily out-turn you with combat flaps and stay with you in a fight, and out-turn you with flaps on. Don't even bother trying to turn-fight them. Use boom-and-zoom manoeuvres. Even if the enemy pilot wants to, the A6M2's climb rate is not very good compared to the Spitfire, and it will not be able to keep up. Get at least 2 km away from the enemy before you go in again, or at least wait until it is distracted by another enemy.

* [[I-153P]] "Chaika" - The I-153P is a 3.0 Russian biplane from the late 1930s. These small biplanes will rip you to shreds if you don't play smart. These biplanes have an insane turn rate and will effortlessly out-turn you without any flaps. They are armed with two [[ShVAK (20 mm)|20 mm ShVAK]] cannons that will obliterate you if you present a side-on profile to them (i.e. let them get a "deflection" shot on you), and they can destroy you in a head-on if you're not careful. To counter these aircraft you '''do not''' engage in a turn fight, instead you [[Energy fighting|energy fight]] (a recommended tactic is to use yo-yos and to out-climb/out-speed the enemy) as your Spitfire is much faster, has an excellent climb rate, and has superior energy retention.

* [[Bf 109 E-1]]/[[Bf 109 E-3]]/[[Bf 109 E-4]] - These planes have superior high-altitude performance, top speed, dive characteristics, as well as two centrally mounted machine guns and two cannons. However, you ''can'' outclimb them at low altitudes. You may find it hard to out-turn them, though. Trying to out-turn a Bf 109 is harder than it seems, since the two planes are both very agile. Abuse the vertical to get a definite edge on them. Use low-yo-yos and high-yo-yos to gain the altitude or speed advantage over a turning Bf 109.

* [[Bf 109 F-1]]/[[Bf 109 F-2]]/[[Bf 109 F-4]] - These aircraft climb, accelerate and dive faster than you. However, they will find it '''much''' harder to out-turn you. Use split-S's to get under them and a combination of high/low yo-yos. If one tries to engage in a head-on, fire off a desultory burst of MG fire and hope to hit something, and '''immediately''' dive and try to get under it. If you lock into a head-on, it is likely that they will hit your cooling system and your engine will die, along with your plane.

* [[Fw 190 A-1]] - This aircraft has a similar turn radius to you, but superior acceleration, (arguably) superior armament, superior high-altitude performance and better top speed than you do, but a worse rate of climb. You can turn '''faster''' than it, but you can't '''out-turn''' it per se. Don't get baited into a turn-fight. You should have the altitude advantage, since most Fw 190 pilots stay low (3500-ish m), where their engine does best. You can out-climb them when they're slow, so try and energy fight them. Just don't use loops, since the Fw 190 will happily slice and dice you when you're in a loop using its superior energy retention. Don't turn-fight it, since it'll make you bleed speed and subsequently use its superior energy retention to turn and burn for longer periods of time and eventually get on your six and shoot you down in flames. This plane has the feared "minengeschoß" (Mine shot) round for its 20mm cannons, and four machine guns, so '''do not''' head-on this plane.

* [[C.202EC]] - This aircraft is easily the most dangerous enemy that you will ever face. It brings '''excellent''' armament, top speed, energy retention and dive characteristics to the table, along with excellent high-altitude performance and climb rate. '''Do not''' head-on this plane. This aircraft has '''two MG151/20s''' with Mine shot, and will absolutely shred you into pieces should you enter a head-on. C.202EC pilots are usually confident in their abilities to chop enemy aircraft into pieces in a head-on, and some (including this contributor) will actively seek it. It also has two 12.7mm machine guns, centrally mounted in the nose, which can do some damage if the C.202 can get close. You can out-turn a C.202EC, and possibly out-climb it, but not much else. The C.202EC does best at high speeds and high altitudes, so try and bring things into your favour. Force it into a low-speed fight, or bait it towards other friends who are better able to deal with it.
</div>
</div>

=== Manual Engine Control ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil !! Water !! Type
|-
| Controllable || Controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Not controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Separate || Not controllable<br>1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Absolutely amazing turn capabilities, even at low speeds
* Superb climb capabilities
* Relatively good armament with a 20 mm and 7.7 mm combination arrangement
* Very easy aircraft to control
* Good acceleration
* Short bursts can decimate the enemy, even bombers if aimed correctly

'''Cons:'''

* 7.7 mm machine guns have low damage and stopping power
* Cannons have a low ammo count in general - just enough for 6 seconds of firing
* Hispano Mk.I 20 mm has a tendency to jam under continuous firing when not upgraded
* Hispano cannons may be finicky to use if you are not able to aim them well
* Due to aforementioned weapon disadvantages, proper trigger discipline, convergence, and knowing the effective cone of fire is key
* Wings overload quickly when turning at high speeds
* Most enemy contemporaries at the 2.3-3.3 matchmaking range can out-dive you
* Low dive speed limit
* Poor roll rate, especially at high speed
* Poor high-altitude performance (compared to lower altitudes)
* Engines easily overheat
* The only position for flaps is in landing mode

== History ==


=== In-game description ===
The Supermarine Spitfire was a British fighter which served with various nations from the late 1930's up into the 1950's. It was a single-engine, all-metal, low-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear. Various modifications served as fighters, interceptors, high-altitude fighters, fighter-bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. A total of some 20,300 Spitfires of all types were built during the war, including two-seater trainers.

In the summer of 1939, an early Spitfire Mk I was fitted with the new Rolls Royce Merlin XII engine, which had a higher output of 1175 HP and was fitted with a Coffman engine starter instead of the previous Merlin's electrical starter system. This, combined with the Rotol variable pitch propeller which had been used on many Spitfire Mk Is would now form the powerplant of the new Spitfire Mk II, although some production models used the De Havilland propeller. The Mk II was some 6-7 mph faster than the later Spitfire Mk I, but still slower than the original Spitfires before a series of modifications increased the aircraft's weight. As with the Mk I, the Spitfire Mk II was produced with either eight machine guns as the Spitfire Mk IIA, or two 20mm cannon and four machine guns as the Mk IIb. The earlier problems with cannon fitted to the Mk IB had now been solved by introducing a belt feed system to the weapon to replace the earlier drum, turning the cannon on its side and fitting a blister on the wing to house the new mechanism.

920 Spitfire Mk IIs entered service; 750 Mk IIA and 170 MK IIB, although fighters used in the air-sea rescue role were later designated Mk IIC. The Spitfire II quickly replaced the Spitfire I, with the older variant being relegated to use in Operational Training Units. By April 1941, RAF Fighter Command had completed re-equipping with the Mk II, although this too would soon be replaced by the Mk V.

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|9_txEPailKc|'''The Shooting Range #92''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 02:45 discusses the Spitfire Mk IIb.}}

== See also ==


* [[Spitfire Mk Ia]]
* [[Spitfire Mk IIa]]
* [[Sea Hurricane Mk IC]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4507-development-spitfire-mk-iib-an-old-friend-en|[Devblog] Spitfire Mk IIb: an old friend]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/287256-supermarine-spitfire-mk-iib/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Spitfire_(early_Merlin-powered_variants)#Mk_II_(Type_329) Wikipedia - Supermarine Spitfire (early Merlin-powered variants)]

{{AirManufacturer Supermarine}}
{{Britain fighters}}

15cm sIG 33 B Sfl

2021-02-11T17:05:46Z

U49285336: /* General info */

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_sturmpanzer_II
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.67 "Assault"]]. Based on the Panzer II chassis, it mounted a 150 mm cannon and was used during the North African campaign.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
!Armour
!Front (Slope angle)
!Sides
!Rear
!Roof
|-
|Hull
|35 mm (11°) ''Front plate'' <br> 20 mm (73°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 35 mm (14°) ''Lower glacis''
|15 mm
|15 mm
!
|-
|Superstructure
|30 mm (12°) ''Gun mantlet''
|15 mm
|15 mm
!
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 10 mm thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Hull underside right above tracks is 15 mm thick and belly armour is 5 mm thick.

The Sturmpanzer II does have enough armour to stop low BR tank rounds, however it should not be relied upon to stop high velocity or high penetration rounds, especially from other SPGs. It is an open-topped vehicle, and since it has no machine guns, it is very vulnerable to air attack.

Despite having very little armour, it does have a lot of empty space in the tank to resist multiple penetrating hits before being destroyed. However, it is hull-breakable against 75 mm or larger guns with sufficient AP velocity or HE capability. This vehicle is very good at penetrating other heavy targets at long range and high BR.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=220|rbMinHp=137}}

The Sturmpanzer II can go up to 45 km/h, but due to the low power-to-weight ratio of 17.04 hp/ton in AB and 9.74 hp/ton in RB, the practical top speed is significantly less. Reverse speed is decent, up to -8.4 km/h. It has a decent turning capability when moving at higher speeds, but when stopped it can barely turn due to its weight.

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

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

{{main|s.I.G.33 (150 mm)}}

The Sturmpanzer II mounts a s.I.G.33 infantry support cannon, which can fire HEAT or HE rounds. The shell velocity is very slow (240 m/s), so slow that it can be awkward to target moving targets or those at long ranges, especially with HE rounds. The calibre of the gun is 15 cm (150 mm/5.9 in). The Sturmpanzer does not have any other weapons.

The J.Gr.38 HE shell penetrates 61 mm against all armour angles. The 8.6 kg explosive mass ensures that anything that gets penetrated is instantly knocked out or is so badly crippled that a follow-up shot is guaranteed.

* Note: the HE on this is so powerful that it can even one-shot top rank tanks reliably, but due to the huge mobility disadvantage, this is not recommended unless you know exactly what you are getting yourself into.

The J.Gr.39 HI/A HEAT shell penetrates 185 mm against vertical armour and still has a 4.16 kg TNT equivalent of explosives behind it, giving it effectively 40-45 mm penetration from the explosion splash on top of the HEAT superplastic copper jet penetration. In one of the minor updates, 120 mm and larger HEAT rounds were altered to act more like HE shells to benefit top rank vehicles - tanks such as the Sturmpanzer are unintentional beneficiaries of this change.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[s.I.G.33 (150 mm)|150 mm s.I.G.33]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 18 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+40° || rowspan="2" | -1°/+6° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 5.28 || 7.31 || 8.88 || 9.82 || 10.45 || rowspan="2" | 19.50 || rowspan="2" | 17.25 || rowspan="2" | 15.90 || rowspan="2" | 15.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 3.57 || 4.20 || 5.10 || 5.64 || 6.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''J.Gr.38 (HE):''' This round is extremely powerful, and can destroy pretty much every tank at the same battle rating as the {{PAGENAME}}. It requires only a hit on the tank, underneath it, or in close proximity to be effective. It completely ignores the armour of most tanks you will face, and is very good at destroying a tank in one shot. It is likely that you will knock out several crew members and/or detonate their ammunition. The shell can also hull break lightly armoured vehicles, such as SPAA.
* '''J.Gr.39 HI/A (HEAT):''' This round is effective, just as is the high-explosive round, but unless you are up-tiering the vehicle, the HEAT round is likely a worse choice. It has more penetration, but that penetration is unlikely to be useful at this BR. Plus, the HEAT does not have near as much post-penetration damage as the HE round, meaning you may waste 2 shots on 1 tank, whereas the HE round may have knocked it out in 1 shot. As such, unless you are up-tiering the tank you will not need HEAT, and you should probably only take a few rounds (if any), just in case you run across something like a B1 Bis. Note: The J.Gr.39 HI/A HEAT round can also hull break the lightly armoured SPAA vehicles you will come across at this BR.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| J.Gr.38 || HE || 61 || 61 || 61 || 61 || 61 || 61
|-
| J.Gr.39 HI/A || HEAT || 185 || 185 || 185 || 185 || 185 || 185
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| J.Gr.38 || HE || 240 || 38 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 8,600 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| J.Gr.39 HI/A || HEAT || 280 || 24.58 || 0 || 0.1 || 5,320 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full<br>ammo
! Ammo<br>part
! 1st<br>rack empty
! 2nd<br>rack empty
! 3rd<br>rack empty
! Visual<br>discrepancy
|-
| '''18''' || ''Projectiles''<br>''Propellants'' || 9 ''(+9)''<br>10 ''(+8)'' || 5 ''(+13)''<br>6 ''(+12)'' || 0 ''(+18)''<br>0 ''(+18)'' || No
|-
|}

'''How much ammo to carry?'''

The most logical ammo loadout would probably either be 18 shells or 9 shells. 18 shells would be logical if you expect to be in the battle for a long time where you might run out of ammunition otherwise. If you don't expect to be firing as much or for as long, then you might consider taking only 9 shells. Taking only 9 shells removes all the ammo from the right side of the tank, which could possibly save your life. 9 shells is probably the most balanced ammunition loadout in terms of survivability and endurance. Of course, you can also take an amount of shells between 9 and 18 in order to partially (but not completely) deplete this first ammo rack. This would be useful if the user desires a longer firing time but still wishes for better survivability. At higher BRs 3.0 or more, recommended amount of shells is 18 or any number of them, since even if you ammunition doesnt detonate, you can still be destroyed due to hull break.

== Usage in battles ==


The Sturmpanzer has no air defence weapons, therefore partnering with an SPAA tank at the back of the map is a viable option. For those operators who prefer to close-range brawl with other low-tier tanks, then sticking with another tank is a good idea, mainly due to the long reload time, allowing your partner tank to help fend off any enemy advancers. It has the capability to knock out much higher battle rated tanks, so if you're up-tiered, there is still a good chance of survival. However, it is imperative to get a shot off first, because if you come across a higher tier tank, there may not be a second chance. Stay on the move after firing, fall back to safety to reload and then re-engage. Another tactic is to try facing down a street while partly undercover. The Sturmpanzer is a relatively small vehicle and many beginning players will not notice the tank, especially if only part of the vehicle is exposed. Patiently wait for an easy target to turn onto the street then fire before they realize where they are being fired from. It is critical to remember the shell drop of the tank cannon after being fired, compared to other tanks, the shell drop is significant over any distance. It is advisable to always fire just above where other tanks would typically target to allow for shell drop and hitting of the enemy vehicle where intended instead of lower than expected.

Due to the huge HE splash ability and sheer calibre of the gun, it can even be used to hull break high-rank IFVs - BMP-1s at 7.3 are especially common to encounter. It does the same thing to BMP-2s, M3 Bradleys, Warriors, Centauros, and many other vehicles. The HE splash, however, is strong enough that it can one-shot the light, but non-hull-breakable vehicles such as the M41A1 Bulldog, any AMX-13 variation, Crusaders in lower ranks, and many others. Purposely up-tiering it can be a very effective way to earn Silver Lions with the "God Mode!" award - destroying an enemy vehicle 5.0 BR ranks higher (BR 7.0+) than you which nets 20,000 Silver Lions.

'''Notable Opponents'''

'''[[B1 bis]]''': This is one of the few tanks that you will face while playing at your original BR that you may struggle to destroy. These tanks are heavily armoured and much of their hulls can withstand a shot from your gun, even from the side. If you are facing one of these tanks, aim for the turret. The turret is one of the only places you can reliably do damage to the B1 bis, and you can often get a 1 shot kill if you hit the turret. Note: The B1 bis looks extremely similar to its less well-armoured predecessor, the B1 ter, and it can be incredibly hard to tell which variety it is except at closer ranges. If you can't tell which it is, just aim for the turret to be safe, but if it is a B1 ter the hull is a viable option.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Deadly HE with 65 mm penetration and 8.6 kg TNT filler destroys anything at its rank (eg. [[B1 bis]], [[M5A1]], [[T-50]]) or even in a purposely up-tiered battle (eg. [[Leopard 1 (Family)|Leopard 1]], [[AMX-30 (Family)|AMX-30]] or even the [[M1 Abrams (Family)|M1 Abrams]])
* HEAT offers 185 mm penetration, posing a great threat against WW2 heavy targets like [[M4A3E2]], [[IS-1]], [[KV-1E]], etc
* Adequate mobility: moderate top speed and fast hull traverse when driving allows it to deliver heavy blows from unexpected positions
* Low and small profile makes it easy to hide behind bushes or covers
* Can withstand a few hits on certain parts of frontal armour, which may bounce low-penetrating tanks like [[M16 MGMC]] or [[P.7.T AA]]

'''Cons:'''

* Very long reload means close-range combat is impossible without allied support, as it will be defenceless for around 20 seconds
* Quite hard to find a chance to fire: limited gun traverse and extremely curved trajectory means it's hard to track and hit moving/distant targets
* HE and HEAT get detonated by various obstacles like fences and brick walls, making some positions difficult to shoot from
* Poor survivability overall: thin armour can get penetrated by anything, especially heavy MG found on [[M16 MGMC]], and the open top means it is vulnerable to strafing aircraft, nearby bombs and exploding artillery shells
* Very slow at turning on the spot, might not be able to get gun on target in time
* Although speed is decent, most opponents still outrun it easily, for example [[M5A1]], [[T-50]], [[M22]]

== History ==

{{main|Pz.II C#History|l1=History of the Panzer II}}

=== Design ===
The Sturmpanzer I Bison was a self-propelled gun, consisting of a 150 mm sIG 33 heavy infantry gun mounted on top of a Panzer I chassis, together with a lightly armoured casemate to protect the gun servants. It was stop-gap vehicle used as an infantry support vehicle and showed its limits during the invasion of France and the Low Countries. The weight of the gun and the additional armour strongly hindered the mobility of the tank and caused premature mechanical wear. The gun installed very high on the chassis together with the casemate made the Sturmpanzer I a target of choice on the battlefield due to its very tall silhouette. The casemate did not protect all gun servants: the gunner and the commander were protected but loaders were extremely exposed as the casemate wasn't designed long enough to cover the rear of the vehicle. The extremely cramped layout of the vehicle made it impossible to stow ammunition: it had to be brought by a separate dedicated tank.

The need for the Sturmpanzer II was born early in 1941 when Rommel requested self-propelled guns to support his armoured divisions in North Africa.
This led the German Army to consider mounting the heavy gun sIG 33 on a vehicle chassis more fit to the task. The requirements for the new vehicle were to provide a less cramped layout for the gun and the crew to operate in optimal conditions, to give a silhouette as small as possible and to carry its own ammunition onboard, while maintaining the crew count, operational range and top speed of the previous Sturmpanzer.

=== Development ===
After the battle of France, the German Army focused on equipping their tank divisions with Panzer III and IV. The Panzer II tanks were recycled into other vehicles to assume different combat roles: tank destroyers, self-propelled guns, training vehicles or reconnaissance tanks. The availability of the Panzer II made it a natural successor of the Panzer I for the project. The first prototype used the standard chassis of a Panzer II, which revealed a similarly cramped layout. To remedy the issue, the chassis was widened by 32 cm, lengthened by 60 cm and a 6th roadwheel added along with track links.
The new casemate was open-topped but effectively surrounded the crew compartment, with a reinforced frontal gun shield. The {{PAGENAME}} also carried 30 rounds. The loaders were still slightly exposed to gun fire when fetching ammunition around the vehicle but the emphasis was put on keeping a silhouette as small as possible. The operational range was increased and the crew count of 4 maintained together with the top speed.
12 vehicles were built in November and December 1941.

=== Combat action ===
The {{PAGENAME}} served in North Africa, in the German 707th and 708th Heavy Infantry Gun Companies Heavy Infantry Gun Company until their destruction or surrender in 1943.

== Media ==


;Skins

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

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|iE4wTuJbe2I|'''The Shooting Range #40''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 02:43 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|_xCgMBOiA8U|'''High-explosive power''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 6:06 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[Panzer II]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[SU-122]]
* [[Ho-Ro]]
* [[fm/43-44]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:15_cm_sIG_33_auf_Fahrgestell_Panzerkampfwagen_II_(Sf)|[Wikipedia] 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf)]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/15-cm-sig-33-auf-fahrgestell-panzerkampfwagen-ii-sf/ <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> 15cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf)]

{{Germany tank destroyers}}