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Crusader II

2020-08-24T22:16:07Z

U59237665: Edited some tactics in the "Usage in battles".

{{Specs-Card|code=uk_crusader_mk_2}}
{{About
| about = British light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = Crusader (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced along with the initial British ground tree in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]].

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Machine gun mantlet, Driver's port)
* Structural steel (Side skirts)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (33°) ''Front plate'' 9 mm (78-85°), 20 mm (61°) ''Front glacis'' 20 mm (27-64°) ''Lower glacis'' 18 mm (1°) ''Driver's port'' || 14 + 4 mm || 14 mm (44-51°) ''Top'' (14-51°) 14 mm ''Bottom''|| 7 mm
|-
| Main Turret || 30 mm (11°) ''Turret front'' 30 mm (6-58°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 14 mm (40-49°) || 17 + 12.7 mm (36°) ''Top'' 9 mm (66°) ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm
|-
| Secondary Turret || 30 mm (1-32°) ''Turret front'' 20 mm (3-67°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 mm (1-3°) || 30 mm (5-6°) || 9 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=527|rbMinHp=301}}

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

{{main|QF 2-pounder (40 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[QF 2-pounder (40 mm)|40 mm QF 2-pounder]] || 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" | 110 || rowspan="2" | -15°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 34.27 || 47.44 || 57.60 || 63.69 || 67.76 || rowspan="2" | 3.64 || rowspan="2" | 3.22 || rowspan="2" | 2.97 || rowspan="2" | 2.80
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.42 || 25.20 || 30.60 || 33.84 || 36.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Shot Mk.1 AP/T || AP || 72 || 68 || 52 || 37 || 27 || 19
|-
| Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T || APCBC || 88 || 83 || 64 || 46 || 33 || 24
|-
| Shot Mk.1 APHV/T || AP || 80 || 78 || 67 || 56 || 47 || 40
|-
| Shell Mk.1 AP/T || APHE || 66 || 62 || 49 || 36 || 26 || 20
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| Shot Mk.1 AP/T || AP || 792 || 1.08 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T || APCBC || 792 || 1.24 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Shot Mk.1 APHV/T || AP || 853 || 1.08 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| Shell Mk.1 AP/T || APHE || 792 || 1.08 || 1.2 || 9.0 || 20.9 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''110''' || 89 ''(+21)'' || 67 ''(+43)'' || 45 ''(+65)'' || 23 ''(+87)'' || 1 ''(+109)'' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* Turret & center empty: 45 ''(+65)'' shells.
* Racks disappear after all shells in the rack have been shot or loaded.

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|BESA (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[BESA (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm BESA]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Hull || 4,950 (225) || 600 || ±10° || ±50°
|-
| Coaxial || 3,375 (225) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Crusader Mk II is a quite effective low-range light tank, it is equipped with a fast firing 40 mm cannon, which is excellent at taking out tanks with a cramped interior and the crew close to each other, very fast reload, gun stabilization and its good handling makes up for shell doing not so much damage.

Since it is a light tank it does not have much armour, driving and fighting in the open field should be avoided whatever it is possible, unless there is enough of cover or the terrain shaped in a way so it is possible to use the hull down tactics at which this tank excels at because of its very low profile. The tank also has excellent gun depression and the turret shape makes it hard to hit.

The combination of maneuverability, a great high speed, and good acceleration makes it good at flanking and rushing the enemy positions. Although its max speed may be lacking compared to other fast tanks such as the Stuarts or BTs, it is compensated by its acceleration. It can get to max speed very fast and the turning ability is very good at any speed, except for moving in the same place. Other than that tank is very stable and pleasant to drive.

Any frontal engagement with enemy SPAA units should be avoided, try engaging them only at a long distance, when flanking them, or with the Artillery upgrade (most SPAAs at the rank would have an open cabin so it is easy for artillery to kill their crews). Dealing with other light tanks should not be an issue. Although the 40 mm cannon lacks accuracy, its reload speed is fast and it should not be an issue hitting targets at a close distance. However, fighting against medium tanks and other bigger vehicles could be a problem, as its highly recommended to know the crew position in the enemy tank and where to aim for them. As for shell choice it is recommended to use the last unlockable shell, the Shell Mk. 1 AP/T, as it has more explosive filling that would help take out enemy crews more easily.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="3" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
| Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T
|
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| Adjustment of Fire
| Airstrike
| Shot Mk.1 APHV/T
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
| Improved optics
|
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
| Artillery Support
| Shell Mk.1 AP/T
| Smoke grenade
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 5 man crew
* Frontal armour can bounce the enemy shells when shot from certain angle
* High penetration 2 pdr cannon
* Low profile
* Very good acceleration with good handling
* Additional 4mm side skirts
* Smoke grenades which can be fired one at the time

'''Cons:'''

* Overall weak armour
* Low maximum speed
* Most of shells have no explosive filler and can have trouble killing larger tanks, pinpoint shots are needed
* Crew is packed together, can be one-shotted easily by large calibre shells, notably the early Pz.IV models
* Flat surface on the front turret armour
* Any tank with a respectable gun will be able to penetrate and destroy the Crusader easily

== History ==

===Development===
In 1938, the General Staff of the British Army requested for a cruiser tank that was lighter and more affordable than the heavier A16 cruiser design developed by Nuffield Mechanizations & Aero. One of these designs was the designation ''Tank, Cruiser Mk.V'' based off the [[A13 Mk I|A13 cruiser tanks]], named the "Covenanter", and Nuffield was invited to become part of its development team, but they refused due to interest in developing their own cruiser tank. Their tank was designated the '''Tank, Cruiser Mk.VI Crusader''' and fell under the General Staff specification of ''A15''. The Crusader was a parallel design to the Covenanter, but was ready six weeks earlier than the Covenanter despite starting at a later time. The Crusader was adopted into service with the British Army in 1941 and the 5,300 units were manufactured between 1940 to 1943.

===Design===
The Crusader features a new design that differs from its cruiser tank predecessors. The Christie suspension system on the Crusader had five road wheels for it instead of the usual four, which improves weight distribution of the increased 20 ton weight of the Crusader compared to the 14 tons of the A13 cruisers. The engine, steering system, and cooling system on the Crusader was different as well, but the Covenanter and Crusader use the same main turret. The polygonal shape of the turret gives the crew inside more room for the turret ring diameter.

The Crusader Mk.I and '''Mk.II''' were equipped with the 2-pounder, which was aimed by the gunner inside with a padded shaft that allows them to elevate the gun by simply adjusting his own height. Later in the war where an up-gun of the tank armament was necessary and newer tanks such as the [[Cromwell V|Cromwell]] was delayed, the Crusader was upgraded into the ''[[Crusader Mk III]]'' variant with a 6-pounder instead, which restricted turret space, requiring the turret crew to be reduced from three to two. These saw first action the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942.

===Combat Usage===
The Crusader first saw action at North Africa, right after the British had been pushed back to the Egyptian border by Axis forces. The Crusaders were part of the huge shipment in the Malta Convoys to reequip the British forces there. Enough Crusaders arrive that the entire 6th Royal Tank Regiment was refitted with them, which joined up with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment to form the 7th Armoured Brigade "Desert Rats". The brigade's first action was in Operation Battleaxe, though it was delayed due to adapting the tanks for the desert environment. The operation, which called for the relieve of the siege of Tobruk in June, was initiated in June to which 11 Crusader tanks were lost to anti-tank guns, plus many more to mechanical faults. While more Crusader tanks came in to reinforce the cruiser tank forces, there were never enough to supply the continuously expanding armoured units as 7th Brigade was combine with the 7th Hussars, the 2nd Armoured Brigade was added to the 7th Armoured Division, and the 8th Hussars was combined with the 4th Armoured Brigade. Overall, the Crusaders proved effective in the North African Campaign, the Crusader was faster than any tanks on the opposing side and the 2-pounder was lethal to the [[Pz.III J|Panzer III]], but the tank suffered from its thin armour, mechanical problems in the desert, and the growing deficiency of the 2-pounder, which didn't have enough range to destroy farther tanks. The Crusader design also caused the ammo racks on the tank to easily ignite due to unprotected racks and shot traps on the turret design. Anti-tank guns continue to be the main reason the Crusader units suffer losses, rather than to enemy tanks.

By the end of 1941, only the 2nd Armoured Brigade retained the Crusaders, the rest of the other tank units were being refitted with better tanks, such as the [[Grant I|M3 Grant medium tank]] from the American Lend-Lease. Crusader units were also refitted with the more powerful Crusader Mk.III with the 6-pounder, which improved the Crusader's ability to destroy the gradually stronger German tanks. After General Bernard Montgomery took command of the British Army in 1942, more British tank units were reequipped with the Grant and [[M4|M4 Sherman]] tanks while the Crusaders were relegated from the front-lines to "light squadrons" meant to flank the enemy and attacked at its exposed sides. When the British 1st Army engaged the Axis at Tunisia, some tank regiments still use Crusaders mixed in with [[Valentine Mk I|Valentine tanks]]. These units in the 26th Armoured Brigade, code named "Blade Force", worked alongside the 78th Infantry Division as an independent armoured column. During Tunisia, the 1st Army was already converting the tank regiments into Shermans, but the 8th Army continued to use the Crusaders for much longer, which would see use at the Battle of Wadi Akarit and Mareth Line.

After the North African Campaign, the Crusaders no longer saw any use in the front-lines and were used in other roles such as gun tractors with 17-pounders or anti-aircraft mounts such as the ''[[Crusader AA Mk I|Crusader AA Mk I]]'' and ''[[Crusader AA Mk II|Mk II]]'' Some Crusader tanks equipped the tank regiments that stayed back at the British Homelands such as the 11th Armoured Division.

===Survivors===
About 21 Crusaders still exist intact in various parts of the world. The most notable places with the Crusaders are South Africa with 8 known survivors, a running [[Crusader Mk III]] at Bovington Tank Museum at England, and an anti-aircraft version at Musée des Blindés in France.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=britain&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=light_tank&vehicle=uk_crusader_mk_2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|4_cJ1CpEatw|'''Best gun depression''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:33 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

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

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

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

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

{{Britain light tanks}}

M22

2020-08-24T21:57:32Z

U59237665: Edited tactics in "Usage in battles".

{{Specs-Card|code=us_m22_locust}}
== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_M22Locust.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. One of the tiniest tanks in the game, the Locust is able to manoeuvre some of the smaller areas on the battlefield to get a clean shot on an opponent.

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

Outside of heavy machine guns and autocannon rounds firing at a bad angle-of-attack, the M22's armour offers very little ballistic protection against the standard kinetic shells encountered. With only three men in the tank clumped together around the center, a single penetrating shot through the center is bound to knock out two or more crew member and leave the tank immobile or incapacitated.

Aircraft coming in at certain angles can possess the necessary penetration values to utterly shred apart the Locust, especially the thin roof armour of 9.5 mm at the turret and hull. However, an oblique angle towards the front armour is already enough to get through the sloped 12.7 mm armour plate present.

'''Armour type:'''

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12.7 mm (64-65°) ''Front glacis'' 25.4 mm (7-62°) ''Lower glacis'' 25.4 mm (9-85°) ''Driver's port'' || 9.5 mm (34-51°) ''Top'' 12.7 mm ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm (11-15°) ''Lower''
12.7 mm +9 mm ''Upper''
| 9.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 25.4 mm (25-36°) ''Turret front'' 25.4 mm (22-53°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25.4 mm (3-6°) || 25.4 mm || 9.5 mm
|}
'''Notes:''' 

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, the bogies and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 297|rbMinHp= 170|}}

Aside from its small size, the M22's next famous value is its speed as a light tank. This allows the light tank to zip across the battlefield, possible getting to locations that can annoy enemies like a locust.

In Arcade Battles, be wary of going too fast with the enhanced engine power, especially on paved roads, as it could put the M22 in a speed the transmission would not be able to steer properly without "snaking" the tank. Another worst case scenario is running full speed into an immovable object, which can disable certain components or even flat out knock out the tank.

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

{{main|M6 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]]
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 50 || -10°/+30° || ±180°
|-
! 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|| 19.52 || 27.01 || 32.80 || 36.27 || 38.59
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 12.2 || 14.35 || 17.42 || 19.27 || 20.5
|-
! 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.
|-
| 3.77 || 3.33 || 3.07 || 2.90
|-
|}

===== 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''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| M74B1 || AP || 78 || 76 || 65 || 54 || 44 || 37
|-
| M63 Shell || HE || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2
|-
| M51B1/B2 || APCBC || 87 || 84 || 73 || 60 || 50 || 41
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! 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%
|-
| M74B1 ||883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M63 Shell || 807 || 0.73 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 38 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M51B1/B2 || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks M22.png|right|thumbnail|300px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo rack]] of the M22 Locust.]]
{| 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" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''50''' || 34 ''(+16)'' || 17 ''(+33)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || style="text-align:center" | No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! 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" | 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Perhaps the best word to describe this tank is -- tiny -- it really is, no other tank is as small as the ''Locust'' (save the [[ASU-57]]). This is a pro and a con, which we will cover in a second. The ''Locust'' is a light tank and thus is never really meant to go up against other tanks in the game. This severely limits the opponents you are able to face against "fairly" in this tank as your small size also means the crew is compacted into a small area and a crew knockout is very easy to do onto you, so in order to beat the odds, some trickery has to be put into play...

;Run and Gun

The ''Locust'' is really fast (although it might be hard to handle at its max speed), use this to your advantage to get to favorable positions or the flanks of the enemy. The tiny size of the tank helps by presenting a smaller target to the enemy and allows the usage of smaller cover that could not be typically used by an average tank of the rank. With fast maneuvering and sneaky movements across terrains, you can cross the battlefield quickly and carry out sharp strikes against the enemy. A skilled player can swiftly move from one capture point to another, destroy any opposition there, and capture the point.

;Get in Close

The riskier tactic, which would work if done well, is to just get right up onto the enemy tank. Again the ''Locust'' is ''tiny'' and this could make you easier to be knocked out, but that also means you can exploit some of the other tanks weaknesses, like their gun depression. Get up right on that tank, point blank on the sides, you will find that some enemies will not be able to even move their gun down to hit you if you stay close to them. Also remember that you have an impressive fire rate of about 3 seconds. Use this advantage to find weak points on their side or rear armour and score a subsequent knockout. However, you must be careful as sometimes the enemy tank may move in a way that forces you into their crosshairs or their allies shoot you as you are attacking.

===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
! colspan="2" |Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks||
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive||M51B1/B2
|-
|II
|Suspension||Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire||
|-
|III
|Filters||
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism||
|-
|IV
|Transmission||Engine
|
|Artillery Support||
|-
|}
=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Enormous hp/ton ratio, allowing fast acceleration
* Great speeds across flat terrain
* Extremely low profile; tanks without a lot of gun depression can't shoot at you at close range
* The gun has no trouble penetrating tanks at its BR range
* Easy to turn a complete 180° at low speed and at a stop

'''Cons:'''

* High acceleration and speed make tank handling rather difficult unless familiar with specs
* Handling becomes sluggish at higher speeds, noticeably in 3rd Gear
* Small crew of 3 confined in tiny space, no spare crew members to take over incapacitated ones, a penetrating shot can take out two of them easily
* Weak armour; will only stop 12.7 mm rounds, and sometimes not even
* Due to its low suspension, it may get stuck in the soft or uneven ground
* Strange driving issue, in arcade mode, that causes the ''Locust'' to shudder, wobble, and not accelerate at a constant rate
* Doesn't have explosive filler for the 37 mm shells

== History ==

===Development===
The development of this tank began in late 1941 as a request from the British military for an airmobile light tank that could travel on a glider. The British airborne forces used gliders as a mean to transport troops and equipment, and by 1941 the gliders were rated to be able to carry a tank weighing about 5.5 tons in a 300 to 350-mile flight. The British had a light tank design, the ''[[Tetrarch_Mk_I|Mk. VII Tetrarch]]'', but it was not built for the focus of airborne operations so the request was made for a purely-built airborne light tank to replace the Tetrarch, and for the tank to be made not in Britain due to constraints in industrial capacity.

The request to the Americans called for a tank weighing between 9-10 tons with a 37 mm cannon and a coaxial machine gun with a crew of three. The tank was to have a maximum speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) and could operate in a 320 km radius (200 miles). The turret and front armour thickness were to be between 40-50 mm and the sides 30 mm thick. US Ordnance Department requested three companies, General Motors, J. Walter Christie, and Marmon-Herrington to design a suitable tank, of which the Marmon-Herrington design was accepted. The design was made into a prototype in late 1941 and was designated the ''Light Tank T9''. This design had a crew of three and weighed 7.4 tons, with a 37 mm gun and coaxial machine gun, plus two more machine guns on the right side of the bow. The turret was powered and had a gun stabilizer. The tank was powered by a 162 hp six-cylinder Lycoming engine and the armour thickness was 12.5 mm on the entire hull side of the tank while the sloped area on the sides of the hull was 9.5 mm thick. The tank could go up to 40 mph (64 km/h) with the engine. The T9 was built to be mounted on a Douglas C-54 Skymaster plane, but it could still fit into a glider due to its dimensions and weight. The tank underwent a few changes, such as improvement in the tank suspension and removal of the two machine guns on the bow, the gun stabilizer, and the power traverse on the turret to reduce the weight. The result was designated the ''Light Tank T9E1''. Production was meant to start somewhere in 1942, but issues in the design change and factories caused the production to be delayed until April 1943. The tanks were produced from then until 1945, with a total unit of 830.

The tank was specified the '''Light Tank M22''' at some time in 1943, but this classified it as a "limited standard" equipment due to some faults discovered. Testings showed that loading the M22 tank on a C-54 plane required lots of time and complex equipment, plus the plane had to be landed on an airfield to be unloaded. The durability and reliability of the M22 were also brought into question, concerned that these factors would make it unsuitable for airborne operations and that the design was effectively obsolete. The M22 never saw service in American combat units except for training, and even with the establishment of two units with the M22s, they saw no combat due to America's lack of investment in airborne tanks. The British on the other hand believed that the M22 would be adequate at its role so adopted it as the ''' ''Locust'' ''', giving the name '''Light Tank M22 ''Locust'' ''' to the tank.

===Combat usage===
The British usage in World War II had the airborne light tanks used in 1st and 6th Airborne Division as the Light Tank 'C' Squadron. Although the M22 Locust started replacing the Tetrarch before the initiation of Operation Overlord, the Tetrarch was still used until October 1944, when a restructuring retired all Tetrarch and replaced them with Locusts. The 6th Airborne Division was involved in Operation Varsity in 1945, where eight Locusts were loaded onto Hamilcar gliders and flown to the battlefield on March 24. Of the eight Locusts sent, six landed intact, but two never reached their rendezvous point due to enemy action or mechanical breakdown. Of the four remaining Locusts, only two were undamaged at the rendezvous point. The tanks were deployed at a fortified area, where they engage German troops while being supported by an infantry company, the Locusts were forced to withdraw after the heavy losses in infantry denied them support. The four tanks and what is left of the infantry were finally relieved by the 44th Royal Tank Regiment and the rest of the 6th Airborne Division. Operation Varsity was the only operation the Locust would ever see action in World War II.

The M22 ''Locust'', while serving rather well as an airborne tank, was reported to be obsolete by January 1946 by the War Office in Britain. New designs were to take over the Locust's role in the airborne formations. What's left of the ''Locusts'' in British inventory were given to foreign militaries. Belgium used some as command tanks in their armoured regiments. America received a few tanks back which was converted into agricultural tractors. Egypt used the Locusts in a large number to replace their ageing tank models from the interwar period, these saw service in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Today, sixteen M22 Locusts are known to have survived, though many have replica turrets. Of the batch, only three are known to be in running condition.

=== In-game description ===
"In 1941 an airmobile light tank designated the T9 entered development, with three major companies assigned the project: Christie, GMC, and Marmon-Herrington. The design provided by Marmon-Herrington proved the winner, as it satisfied practically every client requirement.
Trials of the new tank began in the fall of 1941, and in November 1942 the third T9E2 pre-production prototype was built.

Production began in March 1943 and continued through February 1944. Marmon-Herrington assembled and delivered over the space of that year 830 of the 1,800 tanks ordered. The first 26 had a box-shaped compartment for the driver, though it was removed for subsequent models. The frontal plate was then made from a single piece.

The tank was designated the M22 beginning September 1944, though the lack of heavy transport planes in the American army kept it out of the war.

The UK acquired 260 M22s via Lend-Lease, referring to them as Locusts. The British liked the tank thanks to its good mobility, small size, and reasonable weight. Its weak armament and armor, which was no thicker than 25 mm, were considered drawbacks. Some 37 mm cannons were equipped with Littlejohn adaptors, which were designed to boost initial velocity with special shells.

The M22 only saw combat in 1945. Its biggest battle was Operation Varsity, when 12 tanks were flown in using Hamilcar gliders on March 22, 1945. Some M22s may have taken part in the 1944 Normandy invasion."

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=light_tank&vehicle=us_m22_locust Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|YuBjyMQLRy0|'''Airmobile tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:43 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same gun

* [[M3 Stuart (Family)]]
* [[M5 Stuart (Family)]]
* [[M8 Greyhound (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Tetrarch Mk I]]

== External links ==


* [http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_M22_Locusts.pdf Surviving M22 Locusts] (PDF)

{{USA light tanks}}

Pz.IV H

2020-08-24T20:55:02Z

U59237665: Minor edit within the "Usage in the battles" section with tactics against the T-34-85 (D-5T).

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_H}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_Pz.IVH.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ('''Panzer IV Ausf. H''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. The most common iteration of the Panzer IV, the Ausf. H carries the powerful [[KwK 40 (75 mm)|75 mm L/48]] gun that can destroy most tanks at its BR. It also has side-skirts that can provide a small degree of protection to the side armour of the tank.

The most distinctive aspect of this Panzer IV compared to its previous iterations, is that its covered head to toe in 5mm thick spaced armour skirts (known as Schurtzen). These skirts, while they won't stop much in the way of an enemy AP or APBC shell, It can give tanks like the M4A3 (105) some trouble in damaging you. There is a small mobility penalty from having the extra armour though, compared to the G and F2. So keep that in mind. It's also the first Panzer IV to get the upgraded 75mm L/48 gun. Which, while not that much of an upgrade from the L/46 on the G and F2, still packs a punch at it's BR. It also is the only Panzer IV in the game that comes with Zimmereit modelled on the hull, turret, and turret skirts. This just affects the visuals though, as War Thunder doesn't have infantry armed with magnetic mines.

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


'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour
*Cast homogeneous armour (Cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm (11-12°) ''Front plate'' 20 mm (73°) ''Front glacis'' 80 mm (13-14°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 + 5 (6°) mm || 20 mm (4-15°) || 10 mm
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (11°) ''Turret front'' 50 mm (7-29°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 (23-26°) + 5 (0-1°) mm || 30 (15-17°) + 5 mm || 16 mm ''Front'' 25 mm ''Rear''
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 95 mm || 25 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
* The hull and turret side is protected by an extra 5 mm thick plate to provide protection against HEAT and HE rounds.
* [[Add-on Armor|Add-on Armour]] gives an additional 20 mm of armour can be added to the front facing surfaces.

The armour of the Panzer IV H is almost identical to the previous Panzer IV with exception of the up-armoured hull armor from 50 (+ 30 applique armour) mm on the Pz.IV G to a 80 mm solid armour on the Pz.IV H. This tank also has added side skirts that adds an extra 5 mm of rolled homogeneous armor, but due to it being spaced, it may add some nice protection against HEAT shells.

However, the Panzer IV Ausf. H's armour is vulnerable to most front shot engagement, especially so if no serious attempt is made in compound angling. The front plate in its unsloped format is an enticing target, but beware to not hit the front sloping glacis right in front of it as that area has a tendency to bounce everything. Also, avoid hitting straight into the ball machine gun and driver's port in the front as these also have a tendency to nullify an armour-piercing shot. When using APHE rounds, simply hit centre mass of the front plate and let the post-penetration effect do the rest.

In the case of a vehicle with a gun simply unable to penetrate this front plate, aim towards the turret that still retains a 50 mm front plate. Even the weaker non-autocannon armaments can penetrate through this front plate and incapacitate the turret crew. Aim for the turret left side (right side when shooting it) to knock out the gunner and if using ammunition with explosive filler, also ruin the gun breech, loader and commander. Then get around the side and chip away at weak spots until the threat is destroyed.

Alternatively, aim at the Panzer IV from its long vulnerable sides in cases where its turret traverse cannot keep up with a flanking manoeuvre or catching it in an ambush. The interior is fully stocked with ammo racks even when the user is taking a minimum load. Moreover, the fuel tank resides at the very bottom of the centre of the tank, so a penetrating shot with APHE will either detonate the ammunition, set the tank on fire, or knock out a good portion of the crew, if not fully destroy the tank with all three effects.

In every case scenario, it is to the benefit of the surviving player to fire the first shot against the Panzer IV Ausf. H above all else, as it would deny the Panzer IV H even a chance to use its high-penetrating 75 mm gun.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 465|rbMinHp= 265|AoAweight= 0.35}}

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

{{main|KwK 40 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[KwK 40 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK 40 L/48]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 87 || -10°/+20° || ±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'' ||13.33||18.45||22.4||24.77||26.35
|-
| ''Realistic'' ||8.33|| 9.8 ||11.9||13.16||14
|-
! 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.
|-
|7.67||6.78||6.25||5.9
|-
|}

===== 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
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC ||140||137||125||112||100||89
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 177 || 176 || 154 || 130 || 109 || 92
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 750 || 6.8 || 1.3 || 15.0 || 28.9 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 930 || 4.2 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.4 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 872.1 || +0° || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 570 || 5.7 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 686 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity in m/s
! Projectile Mass in kg
! ''Screen radius in m''
! ''Screen time in s''
! ''Screen hold time in s:''
! ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
|-
| K.Gr.Rot Nb. || 570 || 6.8 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

=====Shell types=====

*'''PzGr 39''' - Armour Piercing Ballistic Cap shell - This is your main ammo type, always use this if you think it can penetrate enemy armour. It deals the most damage because of its explosive filler.
*'''PzGr 40''' - Armour Piercing Composite Rigid shell - This type of ammo should be used only if you are having trouble penetrating your opponent, or trying to hit a fast-moving tank at some distance. However, its damaging potential is much lower because it has no explosive filler to further enhance damage after the penetration. It can be also used against highly sloped armour like on the T-34 tanks or the [[M10 GMC|M10 tank destroyer]], as it does not ricochet so easily.
*'''Hl.Gr. 38B''' - Cumulative Anti-armour shell - it is recommended to completely avoid this kind of shell as its performance is vastly inferior in all aspects compared to APCBC or APCR ammo used by this tank.
*'''SprGr. 34''' - High Explosive shell - You should carry only very few of these. They are useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles, to which it is lethal.

===== [[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" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |8th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''87''' || 78 ''(+9)'' || 68 ''(+19)'' || 58 ''(+29)'' || 48 ''(+39)'' || 38 ''(+49)'' || 28 ''(+59)'' || 19 ''(+68)'' || 10 ''(+77)'' || 1 ''(+86)'' || style="text-align:left" | yes
|-
|}

Turret empty: 58 ''(+29)''

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG 34 (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[MG 34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG 34]]
|-
! 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" | 3,000 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in the battles ==

This tank can be described in one word. Capable. While this version of the Panzer IV isn't nearly as renowned and feared as the [[Pz.IV F2|Ausf. F2]] variant that precedes it, it's still a very capable medium tank. The Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H has a new gun that, while not that different to the guns on the G and F2, still packs a deadly punch in it's BR range. The armour is meh, with a paltry 50mm of armour at the front of the turret, and 80mm of armour at the front of the hull. This makes you an easy target for tanks like [[KV-2 (1939)|KV-2]]s, [[T-34-85 (D-5T)]]s, and [[M4A3E2|M4A3E2 Jumbos]] among others. But, with some careful play and some creative use of angling, you can bounce some shots from equal rank tanks, and destroy tanks at the top of your BR range. Mobility of this tank is lacking, albeit not by much. (It is the heaviest version of the entire Panzer 4 series after all). It's acceptable, but it will still take time for it to accelerate to its top speed, as your engine is underpowered and your tracks are narrow, which results in poorer cross-country performance than comparable tanks.

The Pz.Kpfz IV Ausf. H is a capable, versatile tank, perfect for sniping, ambushing, flanking, and second line defence. Make use of its accurate gun for hitting the enemy from a distance. But keep in mind it's weak turret armour should return fire come your way. This tank also works very well supporting heavy tanks. Hide behind a friendly heavy that can tank the damage, while you can pop out and destroy the enemy if your teammate can't. Or you can use your decent mobility and get around to shoot into the enemy tanks flanks. In an equal BR rank or lower, you can reliably bounce shots if angled properly, but remember that frontal confrontation in a full up-tier can lead to a quick end.

Tactics-wise, on an open map like Kursk, make like a true German tank and hit the enemy from range. Don't bother going in close, as your advantages lie at range. On a city map like Advance to the Rhine, go for flank routes, or stick with your heavies, giving them more firepower should they need it. Keep in mind to keep the frontal armour angled as you go around corners to bounce any shots.

Although most tanks in Rank III can destroy you pretty quickly, the tanks you need to avoid in open combat (if possible) are KV-2s, [[SU-152|SU-152s]], T-34-85 (D-5T)s, M4A3E2 Jumbos, and if you're playing in Arcade: [[Tiger H1|Tigers]] and [[Panther D|Panthers]]

* For KV-2s, if it's looking at you, (And hopefully reloading) shoot at the flat of the turret below the mantlet. It's flat, relatively thin armour, and your shell should go right through and take out everyone and everything in the turret. From the side, shoot it in the side of the hull (At a 90-degree angle for best effects) to ignite the fuel tanks and maybe even detonate the ammo. Shooting the turret isn't recommended unless for knocking out the gunner or the breech, as there are a lot of crew members in there, and the shells in the turret rarely ignite. Trying to destroy it that way will take time.

* For SU-152s, shoot to the right of the gun, above the driver's viewport, and it will wreck everything inside. If that's an option, try to get around it. It is a casemate after all. Once you're on its side, shoot it in the crew compartment to obliterate it.

* For T-34-85 (D-5T)s, it is imperative you get the first shot off, as their 85mm will go through you 85 ways from Sunday, and nuke your entire tank interior. Don't shoot the turret unless you have no other option, as it's incredibly trollish and prone to bouncing your shot. Instead, shoot the turret ring right below the turret. This usually will decimate the entire crew of the tank. Pay close attention not to hit the driver's hatch as it's actually more armoured than the glacis itself.

* M4A3E2 Jumbo's will give you the hardest time, as their frontal armour is nigh impenetrable, aside from the machine gun port. It's a small, unreliable target, but it's your only chance of penetrating the Jumbo from the front. If you're lucky and catch a Jumbo on its side, shoot it in its hull. As it's Turret side (and rear!) armour is still thick enough to block your shots. Also, keep in mind, that if the Jumbo is showing its side while angling toward you, that the side armour behind its tracks is very thinly armoured. Try shooting there if you can. There is a chance you can detonate its ammo rack.

===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
! colspan="2" |Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|Ostketten
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Hl.Gr 38B
|Adjustment of Fire
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|PzGr 40
|Elevation Mechanism
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|Add-on Armor
|Artillery Support
|K.Gr.Rot Nb.
|}

As with most tanks make sure you research ''Parts'' and ''FPE''. Then focus on researching ''Pz.Gr. 40'' (APCR shells) so your tank can stand the chance against heavily armoured vehicles like the Panther. After progressing this far into the unlock tree ''Artillery'' should be taken swiftly as well. Accuracy is decent, so sidestepping over to the mobility upgrades to aid the bad acceleration is not a bad idea, in particular ''Filters'' and ''Transmission'' are useful.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* 75 mm KwK 40 gun can destroy most equivalent tanks with stock rounds, with APCR for more heavily armoured vehicles
* Great gun accuracy
* Good turret traverse
* Good gun depression of -10°
* 5 man crew, able to spare 2 casualties before combat efficiency drops
* Decently fast and manoeuvrable for the battlefield
* 80 mm of frontal armour that can absorb some damage when angled properly, and even resist shells in long-range engagements
* Access to 20 mm of additional armour in the form of T-34 tracks (effectively 15 mm RHA) that cover almost the whole of the front of the hull and the turret armour
* Side-skirts can soak up HE and HEAT shells, as well as bomb and rockets at a sufficient distance

'''Cons:'''

* Flat armour on all sides
* Side armour is weak, very vulnerable to 20 mm autocannons at close range
* Very circumstantial protection. Only the upper front vertical glace is actually the listed 80mm thick.
* Small gun mantlet, with weak 50 mm frontal turret armour
* Despite it's upgrades, still only has 10 mm of roof armour, making it vulnerable to 12.7 and 20 mm AP shells fired from aircraft
* Cramped turret crew space means that one hit can knock out entire turret crew
* Cupola extends up from the profile and can be a weak point for enemies to shoot at
* Like all Panzer IV models, ammo racks all over the hull and are likely to be hit
* Heaviest of the Panzer IV model, consequently it is the slowest of them all
* Acceleration is mediocre
* Poor cross-country performance due to the underpowered engine and narrow tracks
* No smoke grenade dischargers

== History ==

=== Development ===
The '''Pz.Kpfw. IV's''' creation, like its predecessor the [[Pz.III E|Pz.Kpfw. III]], was devised by Heinz Guderian, where he envisioned a support tank to be used to handle anti-tank guns and fortifications. The Panzer IV was to work alongside the more numerable Panzer III in Panzer Divisions (three company of IIIs and one of IVs) to engage the enemy, giving the role of fighting enemy armoured forces to the Panzer IIIs. The tank was to have the short 75 mm Howitzer as its main armament and have a weight limit of 24 tons. MAN, Krupp, and Rheinmetall-Borsig worked on the development of the tanks, but the Krupp's model was selected for further testing.

The chosen model from Krupp once finished used a leaf-spring double-bogie system for its suspension, doing away the proposed interleaved or torsion bar suspension system earlier devised. The vehicle held a crew of five, the commander, gunner, loader, radio operator (and hull machine gunner), and driver. Though it looked symmetrical, the Panzer IV turret was actually offset to the left of the chassis centre line a bit while the engine was also offset to the right, this was to allow the torque shaft to turn the turret. The offset also meant that more of the ammo is held on the right side of the tank in storage areas. The Panzer IV was then accepted into service and production began in 1936.

=== Panzer IV Ausf. H ===
In the latter part of World War II, the Panzer IV in its base form was deemed inadequate against the new tanks the Allies have, the Soviet [[T-34 (1942)|T-34]] and American [[M4|M4 Shermans]] was able to come toe-to-toe with the Panzer IV, if not better than it. Germany rapidly upgraded their Panzer IV to compete with the enemy, mainly the armour and gun. From the [[Pz.IV C|Ausf. C]] to the [[Pz.IV G|Ausf. G]], the armour increased from the original 20 mm to 80 mm thick and the original KwK 37 L/24 75 mm Howitzer to the longer KwK 40 L/48 75 mm.

The '''Panzer IV Ausf. H''' began production in June 1943. The 80 mm front glacis armour is now a single piece rather than attached via weld or bolt. ''Zimmerit'' paste is also added onto the Panzer IV hull to prevent the use of magnetic anti-tank mines. ''Schürzen'' side skirts on the hull added 5 mm thickness while the turret added 8 mm thickness, plus its application as spaced armour improved its efficiency. A common complaint of the ''Schürzen'' side skirts was that it was easy for the skirts to just fall off by brushing against the foliage. The Ausf. H return rollers were changed from rubber-rimmed to cast steel. All these modifications increased the tank weight to 25 tons, and despite the use of a new suspension, the cross-country speed dropped to only 10 mph (16 km/h). Despite that, the Panzer IV Ausf. H would go on to be the most produced Panzer IV variant. These features pushed the Panzer IV's limits to its maximum capacity. An attempt to mount the ''Schmalturm'' found on the [[Panther F|Panther Ausf. F]] failed and only further proved this point.

The Panzer IV Ausf. H stayed as the main German tank alongside the [[Panther G|Panther]] tanks throughout the rest of the war. The 80 mm thickness of the frontal armour could withstand the M4 Sherman's 75 mm gun, and the 76.2 mm gun of the T-34. The Ausf. H served in all combat theatres past 1943, from the Battle of Kursk to the Battle of France, and the Ardennes Offensive. Many were lost due to combat or from lack of fuel and supplies and had to be abandoned. The rapid loss of the Panzer IVs in the German inventory caused a simplified variant to be produced. Designated the [[Pz.IV J|Panzer IV Ausf. J]], the construction was simplified and the internal mechanics were modified, but the variant is a retrograde of the Ausf. H.

Twenty Panzer IV Ausf. H went to Spain in 1943, which held them as the best tanks they had in their inventory. Spain sold them to Syria in 1967. Around 130 Panzer IVs of various variants made it to Syria in the 1950s and 1960s. These Panzer IVs served the Syrians alongside [[T-34-85]]s, [[T-54 (1951)|T-54]]s, and T-55s during the Six-Day War against Israel.

=== In-game description ===
"The Ausf. H variant was the most mass-produced tank of this type. It was manufactured by the factories of three companies: Krupp-Gruson AG, VOMAG, and Nibelungenwerke. The first 30 tanks under this designation rolled off of the conveyor belt in April 1943. The front plate of the roof turret was thickened to 16 mm, and the rear plate to 25 mm. All Ausf. H tanks received a Zahnradfabrik ZF SSG77 transmission, reinforced drives with cast drive wheels and Schurzen side skirts, which protected the lower part of the sides from anti-tank and hollow-charge projectiles. The radio antenna was moved to the rear of the hull. From the summer of 1943 onward, to simplify production, solid-rolled 80 mm plates replaced the extra 30-mm-thick outer armor.

In September of the same year, the vertical surfaces of the tanks were coated with Zimmerit paste for protection against magnetic mines. From December 1943 onward, the front plates of the hull were merged into a single plate, improving the new front's resistance against shell impacts. In 1944, the tanks were produced with all-metal supporting rollers. Later Ausf. H models received a turret mount for the MG42 machine gun in the commander's cupola, as well as a vertical rear armor plate instead of the oblique plate featured on all previous variants of the tank. The driver's periscope viewing device was removed. During production, many other changes were implemented to reduce the tank's cost and simplify its manufacture.

Manufacturing of the Ausf. H continued until 1944, and 3960 units were made in all.
Tanks of this variant were supplied to Hungary and Bulgaria. In 1950, the Bulgarian army was still operating 11 of these vehicles.
In Operation Citadel, Pz.Kpfw. IV tanks accounted for nearly 60% of all German tanks. Most of them were G and H variants.

The Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H proved itself to be a reliable combat machine.
Its disadvantages included low maneuverability and speed."

== Media ==
'''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the Panzer 4H series can be found with the search term [http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=#pz_iv_h "#pz_iv_h"] or for more results the general term [http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23panzer4h "#panzeriv"] on [http://live.warthunder.com live.warthunder.com].

*[http://live.warthunder.com/post/81100/ Staff vehicle II.PzRgt, 9.XX PzDiv Hohenstaufen - Tarnopol 1944]
*[http://live.warthunder.com/post/20135/ Anglerfish from ''Girls und Panzer'' for Panzer IV Ausf. H]
*[http://live.warthunder.com/post/24828/ Panzer IV ausf H - Modified 3rd panzer division fictional skin]
*[http://live.warthunder.com/post/96512/ (What if) Japan bought production license from Germany and then started building German tanks for use with the I.J.A.]
*[http://live.warthunder.com/post/149582/ [Realistic<nowiki>]</nowiki> Panzer IV Ausf. H, 12. SS Panzer Division, 1944.]
*[http://live.warthunder.com/post/10136/ Tricolour skin by Dr.Nooooo]
*[http://live.warthunder.com/post/11514/ A German historical camo used on the Panzer IV Ausf. H in June 1944 in Normandy during the World War II.]

===Sights===

* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI]

== 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.''

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Sherman Firefly

2020-08-24T20:47:53Z

U59237665: Added a tactic in "Usage in battles" and edited some of the paragraphs already in that section.

{{Specs-Card|code=uk_sherman_vc_firefly}}
{{About
| about = British medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the British tank with a similar name
| link = Sherman II
}}
== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_ShermanFirefly.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced along with the initial British tree line in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]]. One of the most famous Sherman modifications in World War II, the Firefly introduces the potent [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|17-pounder]] anti-tank gun as the main armament of the Sherman platform, presenting a very drastic increase in firepower over the original [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm gun]]. This variant, the VC, was based off the chassis of an M4A4 Sherman.

The Sherman Firefly is easily distinguishable by its ''very long'' gun, even compared to the Shermans with the American 76 mm guns. The muzzle brake on the cannon is also in a spherical shape rather than a horizontal rectangular shape so that is a distinction between the 76 mm cannon and the 17-pounder. The hull is resemblent to that of the [[M4|M4 Sherman]] although lacking the bow machine gun (it's actually based off an M4A4). The turret is also very similar, although the radio sticks out of the back in a bustle.

This tank should be the supporting line in both offensive and defensive actions, providing flanking fire, long-range fire, or fast and accurate fire to the target while the heavy tanks take up the brunt of the defense. The tank is as mobile as the M4 Sherman, so picking up speed to get around the enemy is not hard. Those familiar with a M4 Sherman control will pick up on this tank very easily. While this tank is also capable of being the frontal attack unit for an assault, it is strongly advised to not due to the thin armour of the tank, necessitating the users to always get the first shot off in an encounter, otherwise the enemy will be able to destroy the Firefly easily. For a conservative, almost TD-like role, it can also perform, destroying tanks from afar.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Transmission area, Turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 50.8 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 50.8 mm (7°) ''Driver's port'' 50.8 mm (1-53°) ''Transmission area'' || 38.1 mm || 38.1 mm (22-23°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm (1°) ''Bottom'' || 19.5 mm 12.7 mm ''Engine deck''
|-
| Turret || 76.2 mm (8-44°) ''Turret roof'' 50.8 + 88.9 mm (1-54°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (2-38°) || 50.8 mm (2-67°) ''Turret rear'' 50.8 mm (1°) ''Radio box'' || 25.4 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 50.8 mm || 25.4 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Access to the [[Add-on Armor|Add-on Armour]] modification will give the tank substantial coverings on the side hull, each track being 17 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
* The bow machine gun area has been welded shut with armour, but is only 25.4 mm thick so may present a viable weakness to weaker enemies.
* Unlike the armour on the American Rank III Shermans which saw itself upped from 50.8 mm to 63.5 mm, the British Firefly in Rank III retains the old 50.8 mm base armour thickness on the front hull, as well as the protruding driver and co-driver hatches in front. This makes the Firefly a much more vulnerable Sherman tank than even the American versions, a trade-off for its more powerful armament.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 659|rbMinHp= 376|AoAweight= 1.805}}

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

{{main|Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|76 mm QF 17-pounder]] || 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" | 77 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 22.8 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.5 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 7.6 || rowspan="2" | 6.8 || rowspan="2" | 6.2 || rowspan="2" | 5.9
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 7.6 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Shot Mk.6:''' {{Annotation|AP|Armour-piercing}} - Standard penetrating round, use until better rounds are unlocked.
* '''Shell Mk.1:''' {{Annotation|HE|High-explosive}} - It is ideal for destroying SPAA and lightly armoured tanks, but useless against anything else.
* '''Shot Mk.4:''' {{Annotation|APC|Armour-piercing capped}} - Cap for better grip against sloped armour.
* '''Shot Mk.8:''' {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-piercing capped ballistic capped}} - Like Shot Mk.4 but with a ballistic cap for improved flight path, as well as better penetration.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Shot Mk.6 || AP || 171 || 168 || 155 || 139 || 126 || 113
|-
| Shell Mk.1 || HE || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9
|-
| Shot Mk.4 || APC || 171 || 168 || 155 || 139 || 126 || 113
|-
| Shot Mk.8 || APCBC || 190 || 187 || 172 || 155 || 140 || 126
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| Shot Mk.6 || AP || 883 || 7.71 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| Shell Mk.1 || HE || 883 || 6.98 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 580 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| Shot Mk.4 || APC || 883 || 7.71 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Shot Mk.8 || APCBC || 883 || 7.71 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| 17pdr Shell SS Mk.1 || 754 || 8.44 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_ShermanFirefly.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo rack]] of the {{PAGENAME}}.]]
{| 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
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |8th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |9th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |10th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''77''' || 70 ''(+7)'' || 62 ''(+15)'' || 54 ''(+23)'' || 46 ''(+31)'' || 38 ''(+39)'' || 30 ''(+47)'' || 22 ''(+55)'' || 15 ''(+62)'' || 8 ''(+69)'' || 1 ''(+76)'' || style="text-align:center" | Yes
|-
|}

Left/front empty: 46 ''(+31)''

==== Optics ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
|-
! Which ones
! Default magnification
! Maximum magnification
|-
! Main Gun optics
| x3 || x6 
|-
! Comparable optics
| colspan="2;" style="text-align:center;" | [[VFW]]
|-
|}

First tank in Medium tank British tech line to have X6 scope. It will not get any better than this until rank VI, so get used to it - it will be the same across entire tech tree for a while with SPAA being the only exception.

As of rank III, this scope is slightly or moderately superior to most medium and heavy tanks, but do not expect to outsnipe German SPG as they have same optics or even better.

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|Browning M2HB (12.7 mm)|L3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[Browning M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Pintle 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" | 750 (200) || 577 || -10°/+15° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[L3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm L3A1]]
|-
! 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" | 5,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

'''Shoot and scoot.''' Unless the enemy's tank gunner has been knocked out (black only), cannon breech has been disabled (red/black), or cannon barrel is disabled (red/black) that inhibits the enemy's ability to fire back, don’t expose the tank after firing. Always try to retreat back into cover to reload. Once reloaded, preferably pop out of an area different from the last firing position and take another shot. Make sure to eliminate the enemy's ability to fire back by destroying their cannon breech and traverse gears, or incapacitate their driver and gunner again if they were replaced. During this whole process, watch out for other enemy tanks and avoid being swarmed. With situational awareness combined with the correct usage of the map, the Firefly becomes a decent tank capable of effectively fighting every medium and heavy tank it faces.

'''Supporting fire.''' Use your allies to your advantage. Your armor is not the best, but your gun can vaporize almost everything it encounters. Follow heavier, more armored allies and use them as a shield. Then, after the enemy has engaged your ally, you can pop out from behind and shoot. This will either destroy or injure the enemy where you or your ally can finish off.

'''Fire from afar.''' The Firefly can excel at vaporizing tanks that have clustered crew, like StuGs, SUs, T-34s, KVs, and even Panzer IIIs and IVs. The post penetration affect of the Firefly's shells after the AP buffs allow it to decimate those tanks. However, it is recommended to still shoot from afar, as all of these tanks can destroy the Firefly easily. If forced into a close-quarters fight, try to shoot first and hit their gunner. Then, you could finish them off with another shot.

'''Play it safe.''' Definitely do not play too aggressively. The huge weakness of the 3/4 crew in the turret is almost always pointed out immediately, because it's a huge issue. It good hit either means a quick trip back to the hangar, or a lengthy crew replenishment time on AB. But this ignores the fact that the tank is just a huge glass cannon, as any shot anywhere will likely cripple the tank.

The Sherman Firefly can dish out the punishment necessary for heavy tanks, but can’t take it. Don’t expose the tank towards enemy fire too long due to the thin armour on the Firefly in comparison to other tanks such as the Russian [[T-34-85]]s and the Germans [[Panther D|Panthers]]. Take a shot, preferably from a flanking location, then retreat into cover regardless of the shot's effect on target, because if the target could swing its gun towards the Firefly, or have friends that could hit it, consider writing off the Firefly very soon. This varies between different enemies, as going against something like the [[KV-2 (1939)|KV-2]] would be different than going against a [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]].

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="3" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Shot Mk.4
| Horizontal Drive
|
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| Shot Mk.8
| Adjustment of Fire
|
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
|
|
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
| Add-on Armor
| Artillery Support
| 17pdr Shell SS Mk.1
| Smoke grenade
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Uses the tried and tested Sherman chassis. Experienced players will find this tank easy to use.
* Very fast turret traverse speed.
* The 17-Pounder gun, which can penetrate every single tank it faces, although newer players may struggle against the Panther.
* Fast reload even with untrained crew.
* 77 rounds maximum.
* Fast and very mobile.
* Access to [[Add-on Armor|additional armour]] that covers most of the front and sides.
* Has .50 cal AA machine gun that's unique among other vehicles as it can rotate for 360°.
* Has no side bulges unlike the Premium version.
* Post penetration damage tends to be enough to knock out crews when clustered together, such as on the T-34 series or turrets.

'''Cons:'''

* Armour of a [[M4|M4 Sherman]], very thin for a Rank III vehicle.
* Large profile.
* 4 crew members, 3 of which are clustered in the turret, making it easier to knock out.
* Bad gun depression of only -5 degrees.
* Gun post penetration damage is decent with the AP buffs, but still won't always one shot a tank.
* Smart enemies will shoot the spot where the radio operator gunner usually sat, as in the Firefly, that spot is replaced by ammo (unless carrying 54 ammo).
* Additional armour doesn't really help.
* Reverse speed is bad.
* Like all vehicles armed with early version of the 17-pounder gun, it will struggle before it has the Shot Mk.8.
* Stock AP round is painful to use. It fragments poorly, bounces often and does very little damage unless hitting ammo or modules.
* Unlike other Shermans, it doesn't have access to a gun stabilizer and thus the gun sight will rock up and down on a sudden stop.
* Traverse is mediocre.

== History ==

===Concept===
Around 1943 in World War II, the [[M4|M4 Sherman]] was one of the best tanks in use by the Allies. It superseded the German standard [[Pz.III J|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]] at the time. However, it was during the middle of 1943 that the Sherman design was beginning to wane in superiority with the reveal of newer German tanks in the front lines, namely the [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]] and the [[Panther D|Panther]] tanks.<ref name="ZalogaCh3Panther">Zaloga 2008, ''Chapter 3: The Panzer Nemesis: The Panther Threat''</ref> These tanks are able to not only take out the Sherman at a longer range than the Sherman can compete in, but could also withstand the 75 mm rounds fired from the Sherman with their frontal armour. In order to improve the Sherman’s firepower against these better German tanks, the Americans decided to upgun their tanks with the better [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm gun]]. The British, however, decide to up the ante with one of the Allies’ most powerful anti-tank gun at the time, the 17-pounder.

The ''[[Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|Ordnance QF 17-pounder]]'' was a 76.2 mm anti-tank gun developed by the United Kingdom around 1942, but was considered as far back as 21 November 1940.<ref name="Fletcher17">Fletcher 2008, ''The 17-pounder''</ref> The British predicted that the Germans would be increasing their tank armour gradually to make current anti-tank weapons ineffective in North Africa, a lesson learned when their issued [[Ordnance QF 2-pounder (40 mm)|2-pounder]], [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder Mk.III (57 mm)|6-pounder]], and [[Ordnance QF Mk.V (75 mm)|75 mm]] guns were meeting heavier armoured tanks, and even tanks with superior firepower like the [[KwK 40 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK 40]] on the [[Pz.IV F2|Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2]].<ref name="Fletcher17" /> The first prototype batch was completed in Spring 1942 and the design was finalized in 1943 and accepted into service that same year, where it would see great effect in the Italian Campaign as one of the best Allied anti-tank guns.<ref name="Hunnicutt17pdr">Hunnicutt 1978, pg. 303</ref> One of the reasons why the 17-pounder was so effective was the use of the APDS shot (Armour-Piercing Discarding-Sabot), which could penetrate up to 256 mm of armour at 500 meters distance; this is due to the smaller, but much faster projectile used that contains more kinetic energy than a full-sized shot. However, drawbacks with this ammunition was the lack of tracer to be able to adjust shots, the inaccuracy beyond 500 yards, and the less damage it could cause to the enemy tank.<ref name="FletcherAmmo">Fletcher 2008, ''Ammunition''</ref>

===Development===
====A kick-start====
The 17-pounder effectiveness against the new German tanks and the lackluster anti-armour firepower on British tanks brought upon the concept of mounting the 17-pounder onto tanks. The first mention of mounting the powerful gun onto a tank carriage was as early as 09 December 1941 by Tank Board, which prompted the design specification ''A29'', a 45-ton 17-pounder armed tank that was eventually cancelled for another design. The next design took the [[Cromwell V|Cromwell]] tank as its basis, with development proceeding in 1942 as the ''[[Challenger|A30]]'' (later known as the Challenger). While A30 was in development, the prolonged development time had Tank Board set up for two more 17-pounder projects, the [[Comet I|A34]] (Comet) for a short term project and [[Centurion Mk 1|A41]] (Centurion) for a long term one, in the summer of 1943.<ref name="Fletcher17" /> However, in the same year, a side project for a 17-pounder tank was conducted by two officers.

Royal Tank Regiment major George Brighty, based at the Royal Armoured Corps Gunnery School at Lulworth in Dorset, had the belief that the M4 Sherman was a better tank mount for the 17-pounder than the A30, which was being tested in Lulworth. He experimented around an acquired Sherman, though came to a conclusion that the turret size was too small for the 17-pounder’s breech and recoil. Still, he persisted in his efforts and in a rather absurd solution, fitted the 17-pounder into the turret by locking the gun into the mounts and removing the lengthy recoil system, forcing the tank’s mass and suspension to absorb the entirety of the 17-pounder recoil. Though this proved to have worked, the modification was far from ideal for any practical usage.<ref name="FletcherLulworth">Fletcher 2008, ''Developments At Lulworth''</ref>

During his trials, Brighty joined up with another major of the RTR by the name of George Witheridge. Witheridge was also convinced of the Sherman’s virtues from his time at Fort Knox when advising on tank gunnery techniques. While he appreciated the dual-purpose usage the [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm gun]] on the Sherman provided, he was concerned on improving the armour-piercing properties while retaining the same high-explosive charge. Witheridge arrived at Lulworth to Brighty’s design, which he found unsuitable. In a statement on how confident such a design looked from the outside, Witheridge test-fired Brighty’s 17-pounder Sherman from the outside three times before trying it out inside. Priority soon shifted to develop a recoil system for the Sherman-mounted 17-pounder. However, some time after Witheridge’s arrival, the Department of Tank Design (DTD) sent a directive to the two lads to cease their development on the up-gunning of the Sherman, possibly to protect their A30 project. Witheridge, still keen to the idea of using the Sherman, tried to get this directive reversed by appealing to his connections, namely a man going by Major General Raymond Briggs. Briggs, Witheridge’s commanding officer in North Africa and also enthusiastic about improving British tank firepower, put the word to Claude Gibb, Director General of Weapon and Instrument Production at Ministry of Supply, to which Gibb approved and the 17-pounder Sherman was back up. However, with the Ministry of Supply now involved with the project, the design was shifted from two enthusiastic officers to the engineers.<ref name="FletcherLulworth" />

====Professional’s touch====
One person deemed responsible for completing the project was W.G.K. Kilbourn, a professional engineer at Vickers who was stationed at Chertsey when he was assigned the 17-pounder Sherman by the DTD.<ref name="FletcherDesign">Fletcher 2008, ''Designing The Firefly''</ref> He managed to fit the 17-pounder gun into the Sherman turret by extensively modifying the gun. He replaced the recoil cylinders with shorter ones mounted on the sides, opposite to each other top and bottom, on a special cradle, modified the gun barrel to fit onto the cradle for better support, and placed the gun breech to open horizontally (contrary to the statement that the gun was simply rotated 90 degrees sideways as the operators of the gun have not been rotated along with the breech).<ref name="MoransVideoPt2">Morans 2017, Time (3:00)</ref> The redesigned 17-pounder, named ''Mk IV'' was built on 11 November 1943 at the Royal Ordnance Factory and could fit into the Sherman turret,<ref name="FletcherDesign" /> but now the concern was on the crew inside. The large breech of the modified 17-pounder ate up a lot of internal space and isolated the loader on the left side of the gun and turret; the solution was to cut a hole on top of the loader’s position and add a hatch. The radio, usually mounted on the rear of the turret, was deemed too close to the recoiling breech for comfort so an armoured box was welded to the turret rear for the radio and a hole cut into the turret rear for operating the radio away from the recoiling gun. The armoured box also had the benefit of acting as a counter-weight for the longer and heavier gun for the turret.<ref name="FletcherConversion">Fletcher 2008, ''The Conversion Programme''</ref> Finally, there was an issue of ammo stowage for the larger and heavier 17-pdr rounds, 6 inches longer than the 75 mm shells. The stowage on the tank was in bins in the turret for ready access, but a bulk of it was placed under the turret floor that could only be accessed when the turret was aligned a certain position for each bin, making them more for replenishing the ready racks during breaks in combat. To increase the stowage for more 17-pounder rounds, the bow machine gunner was removed along with his machine gun (the port welded over by a prominent wedge shaped armour) and a rack holding 15 rounds placed in his location, however the position for the rack was also impossible to reach during combat and one location on the rack was so hard to get to that it wasn’t used, making the total stowage 14 rounds instead.<ref name="FletcherDesign" />

Kilbourn efforts and those of assisting engineers managed to finally fit the large 17-pounder gun into the constrained space of the Sherman turret intended to mount the 75 mm gun, as well as perform the necessary modifications to accommodate combat usage of the vehicle. It then moved onto the next stage of being approved for service.

====Conversions====
Inspection of the completed Sherman with the 17-pdr started on 06 January 1944, and the War Office wrote a requirement for up to 2,100 of the tanks to be upgunned. Not every Sherman could follow the conversion, whether by technical or logistics limitations, and only petrol-engined, M34A1 gun mounted, and have a hydraulic turret traverse system. This meant that the Shermans converted were the ''[[Firefly «Scorpion»|Sherman I]]'' ([[M4|M4]]),''Sherman I Hybrid'' (M4 "Composite") , and ''[[Sherman Firefly|Sherman V]]'' (M4A4). Technically the ''[[Sherman II]]'' ([[M4A1|M4A1]]) and Sherman III ([[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3]]) were also eligible for conversion with those standards, but information on the Sherman II are scarce and photographic evidence of cast hull converted Shermans usually turn out to be Sherman I Hybrids; Sherman III are all allocated to the U.S. Army as their mainstay tank so no M4A3 were even available in British service to convert.<ref name="FletcherConversion" /> Tanks armed with the 17-pounder were designated by a ''"C"'' in the name at the end of their mark number, leading to names such as the "Sherman VC" to denote a M4A4 with the 17-pounder conversion. Troops with the upgunned Sherman, as early as March 1944, were describing tank as a '''Firefly''', regardless of the type.<ref name="FletcherName">Fletcher 2008, ''What’s in a Name?''</ref> How it got the name is debatable, but it is most likely due to the very prominent muzzle flash that the 17-pounder produces when firing.<ref name="ZalogaCh4British">Zaloga 2008, ''Chapter 4: The Future Sherman: Improve or Replace?: The British Approach''</ref>

Still, as D-Day approached for the Allied forces and the A30 Challenger was continually delayed, the eagerness of the troops to acquire the Firefly rose substantially. Four factories were prioritized for the conversion, two at London, one at Manchester and another at Nottingham. From the conversion period of 1944 to 1945, up to and between 2,100 to 2,200 Fireflies were converted, making it the most produced tank with the 17-pounder of the war. Allocation of the Fireflies was one troop per three Sherman troop (troop was an equivalent of platoon and consisted of 4 tanks), but even regiments that were equipped with Cromwells were supplemented with Fireflies until the A30 Challenger was fit for service. The Fireflies were also allocated to Canadian and Polish regiments.<ref name="FletcherConversion" /> Due to the relative newness of the Firefly, most of the training done on the utilization and deployment of the Fireflies were done on the combat field by each regiment.<ref name="FletcherDesign" />

===Combat usage===
====Fighting at the theaters====
The Firefly’s first combat action on D-Day was not actually on the land of Normandy, but on the sea. The Firefly’s were assigned an unusual role to, while on the LCT that would carry them to the beaches, would fire over the berm towards concrete fortifications and blast them with the 17-pdr. Six Fireflies were allotted, separated into pairs, to DD tank regiments of the British 13th/18th Hussars at Sword Beach, and the Canadians 1st Hussars and Fort Garry Horse at Juno. Though 13th/18th Hussars were reported to not have fired their Fireflies on the way in, 1st Hussars seemed to have good experiences with it in the rough weather. Once the LCT reached the shore, the Fireflies were ordered to disembark and head inland, finishing off obstacles and join their original tank regiments.<ref name="FletcherConcrete">Fletcher 2008, ''Concrete Busters''</ref>

The first non-DD tank regiment with Fireflies to land was the Staffordshire Yeomanry, which had at least 12 Sherman VC with 48 Sherman IIIs, however little information exists on how it performed on the opening days of the Normandy campaign. Other regiments were originally DD tanks with Fireflies, but were employed as regular tank regiments once inland.<ref name="FletcherConcrete" /> One of such regiments was the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry. It was they who, a few days after the landings, deduced that the Germans seemed to be targeting their Fireflies specifically for their longer guns. Though this deduction was not supported by evidence (19% of total Fireflies were lost, but 29% of regular tanks were lost as well), the concern of Firefly loss was great because of the supply issue. As illustrated that though 22 Fireflies were lost, by June 23 only six replacements had arrived. Experience from the ground and the density of heavy German tanks changed some initial organization of one Firefly troop per three Sherman troop into one Firefly per tank troop. Fireflies were in such high demand that some commanders have expressed thought of obtaining the [[Achilles|17-pdr armed M10]] as supplement.<ref name="FletcherAction">Fletcher 2008, ''The Firefly in Action''</ref> Still, the units acquiring the Fireflies appreciated what they had as it was the only tank in Normandy in the Summer of 1944 that had a reasonable chance of defeating a [[Panther G|Panther]] or [[Tiger E|Tiger]] at combat ranges in the front.<ref name="ZalogaCh6AmericanFirefly">Zaloga 2008, ''Chapter 6: To Paris and Beyond!: American Firefly Deferred''</ref> In fact, the Firefly is most likely the responsible tank that destroyed the Tiger tank containing the Tiger Ace Michael Wittmann on 08 August 1944.<ref name="ZalogaChampionFirefly">Zaloga 2015, ''Chapter 8: The 1944 Tank Contest''</ref>

Once Firefly supply to the Normandy campaign was satisfied in October 1944, Fireflies were allocated to the Italian theater, shared out to the Polish, Canadian, New Zealand, British, and South African regiments stationed there. With that, supply issue arose in that theater for the Firefly, causing the units that received the Fireflies to treasure them greatly. Heeding the comments on how Fireflies were singled out for their long guns, there were attempts to hide the prominent gun barrels, ranging from deceptive paint schemes, camouflage, and even dummy barrels on the back of the Firefly turret that would be pointed forward to mimic the short 75 mm gun.<ref name="FletcherAction" />

Still, the Firefly served in the British Armies in the European Theater of Operations up to and until May 1945, when they were retired along with the end of the war for the replacement of better designs like the [[Comet I|Comet cruiser tank]] and the [[Centurion Mk 1|Centurion tank]].

====Reception====
The Firefly’s performance was very favorable for the troops that had to use them against the heavy German tanks. Though a good portion of Germany’s armour in the Normandy front were Panthers, a good majority were still [[Pz.IV H|Panzer IVs]] and self-propelled guns,<ref name="ZalogaChampionFirefly" /> all of which were manageable even with the 75 mm guns. Field reports by a Colonel W.E.H. Grylls in 1945<ref name="FletcherAction" /> helped highlight the troop’s sentiments on the Firefly in combat, and especially their deficiencies. The muzzle brake sometimes came loose from an inadequate locking design, the traverse gear also failed at times due to the extra turret weight from the gun, rain leaked into the radio box on some tanks, internal space for the Firefly turret crew was comparatively cramped to the Sherman’s, the muzzle flash at the gun’s muzzle brake can obscure the target enough that it is difficult to ensure the firing round hit it, and muzzle flash on the breech end of the gun inside the turret has a tendency to cause a fair share of discomfort and uneasiness for the crew. Grylls also highlighted the crew praise on how the Firefly tended to not catch fire as quickly as Shermans, though this is deduced to by the placement of the majority of ammunition on the bottom of the hull, like the “wet stowage” arrangement on the newer [[M4A1 (76) W|Sherman models]]. Some of the deficiencies were fixed, such as the flashback at the breech end by implementing a delayed action breech on the 17-pounder Mk.VII model, but all these faults never diminished the popularity of the Firefly, highlighted by the statements of Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery that he wished to have Fireflies replace all types of Shermans in British service.<ref name="FletcherAction" />

On the onset, the Americans were not enthusiastic about the Firefly because they believed they had a comparable design in the [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm]] armed [[M4A1 (76) W|Shermans]]. It was not until Normandy when they were proven wrong and learned the 76 mm were unable to contend against Panthers from the front. Though they soon developed the HVAP ammunition, General Omar Bradley’s 12th US Army Group on 13 August 1944 requested for Fireflies to be made until better American armament like the [[M3 (90 mm)|90 mm]] could be fielded.<ref name="FletcherAmerican">Fletcher 2008, ''The American Angle''</ref> Due to supply constraints, they never received any during that time period. Not that the American’s own industries were making the situation easier for the British as when they discontinued their M4A4 Sherman and 75 mm gun production, there was a quick drop in Firefly conversions in the latter part of 1944 until they could supplement the production with enough Sherman I models.<ref name="FletcherSupply">Fletcher 2008, ''Supply and Demand''</ref> In the American’s own program, it was advised that they try mounting the 17-pounder in the T23 turret made for the 76 mm gun, but also mounted on the [[M26|T26]] chassis.<ref name="FletcherAmerican" /> This advice did not make much progress. It wasn’t until February 1945 when the British finally made time for conversions for the Americans. The first trials were converting two M4A3 Shermans to fit American specifications like fitting their larger radios, adding stowage brackets for the M2 machine gun, and attachment of a M9 elevating quadrant on the gun cradle.<ref name="FletcherAmerican" /><ref name="Zaloga76mmUpGun">Zaloga 2003, ''Upgunning the M4 Tank''</ref> A request of 160 Fireflies were specified on 11 March 1945 for completion on April 30, with the Americans shipping suitable tanks from France back to England for conversion. On April 7th, the initial order was halved to 80 due to the incoming end of the war and its demand ending with the lack of encountered German armour after the Ardennes Offensive.<ref name="ZalogaCh9Firefly">Zaloga 2008, ''Chapter 9: On to the Rhine!: Firepower Improvements''</ref> On the war’s end, there were 100 tanks sitting in depots ready for conversion, with 86 converted tanks.<ref name="FletcherAmerican" /> The excess Shermans were given away and the leaders were left on what to do with these Fireflies they no longer needed. It was decided on May 26<ref name="FletcherAmerican" /> that these American Fireflies were to be retained in Europe for equipping the occupational force.<ref name="Zaloga76mmUpGun" /> No evidence exist on what happened to these Fireflies past that point.

===Legacy===
The Firefly’s reputation during and after the war is a product of hindsight. The British understood the trend that was happening in German armoured forces and acted accordingly with the 17-pounder. It should be noted that the 17-pounder’s super round, the APDS, did not appear in Firefly stowage until August 1944,<ref name="FletcherAmmo">Fletcher 2008, ''Ammunition''</ref> and in combat was really inaccurate past 500 yards and the round fouled the barrel that it affected follow-up shots with APCBC rounds. As such, APCBC round would still be standard usage and though the 17-pounder was still slightly more powerful than the 76 mm, it traded crew comfort and design quality in the Firefly in comparison to the 76 mm gun in the larger T23 turret. What solidified the Firefly’s place in history in comparison to the 76 mm Shermans was that on the very first day that the Allies invaded Normandy, the British actually brought the Fireflies while the Americans left their 76 mm guns in English depots.<ref name="Zaloga76mmFrance">Zaloga 2003, ''Initial Deployment Problems''</ref> Thus, the British can claim with great confidence that on the opening days of Operation Overlord, they had a tank that could kill the German cats.

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''

== See also ==


* [[Sherman IC "Trzyniec"]] - Gift version of the vehicle, representing the 2nd «Warsaw» Armoured Division.
* [[M4 Tipo IC]] - Italian Firefly turret on a composite hull.
* [[Sherman Vc (Italy)]] - Italian equivalent of the Firefly
* [[M4A4 (SA50)]] - France's post-war attempt to upgrade the Sherman similarly to the Firefly.

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

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

===References===
'''Citations'''
<references />

'''Bibliography'''

* Fletcher, David. ''Sherman Firefly'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2008. ''Kindle Edition''
* Hunnicutt, R.P. ''Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank'' U.S.A.: Feist Publications, 1978
* Morans, Nicholas. ''Inside the Chieftain's Hatch: Sherman VC "Firefly" part 2'' YouTube, 20 Mar. 2017. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYRFpe27SnA]
* Zaloga, Steven J. ''M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2003. ''Kindle Edition''
* Zaloga, Steven J. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' U.S.A: Stackpole Books, 2008. ''Kindle Edition''
* Zaloga, Steven J. ''Armored Champion: The Top Tanks of World War II'' U.S.A: Stackpole Books, 2015. ''Kindle Edition''

{{Britain medium tanks}}