War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Lübeck

2023-01-14T13:37:16Z

U64239879: spelling

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_frigate_koln_lubeck
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|market=items_Lübeck F224 (Germany)
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} German frigate {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Raining Fire"]] as a reward for the [[wt:en/news/6878-event-wargame-strategist-en|2020 Wargame "Strategist" event]].

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

Overall, the survivability of the frigate is not comparable to cruisers or destroyers but is not lackluster either. As a modern frigate, it lacks armour which is compensated by speed and firepower. Despite not being the most well-armoured frigate in the game compared to vessels at the battle rating, it is comparable to other Cold War vessels firepower wise and mobility wise, even comparable with early cruisers and destroyers. The number of crew members, despite being relatively high, are not sufficient if head-on engagements are planned, for this reason the frigate should not be used in the frontlines as it will be often destroyed with couple hits of enemy ships, specially those with high calibre weaponry.

The armour is sufficient enough to stop low calibre munitions at some extent. While not invincible, it is able to withstand even 105 mm shells with decent amount of casualties and damage. Do not rely on the armour unless enemy threat has firepower lower than 76 mm and even then, autocannons like the 40 mm Bofors mounted on USA and British ships will be able to cause critical damage if enough shots are fired.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}

Mobility wise, it is one of the fastest frigates/destroyers seen in game as for now despite the ship displacement and size. As a "modern" frigate, it completely changes the doctrine of previous destroyers and frigates, meaning it compensates armour with speed. It is able to reach speeds above 40 knots (~75 km/h), making it terrifyingly fast for a ship of its size and firepower, almost on par with lighter frigates and sub-chasers ([[Albatros-Klasse (143)]], [[Pr. 35]], etc). It is more than capable of reaching the battlefield faster than other destroyers and will outrun cruisers and battleships. When it comes to manoeuvrability, the F224 leaves nothing to desire. It is able to do tight turns (relatively tight turns but with greater speed than other frigates) as well as accelerate and decelerate quickly. Thanks to the relatively small size of the ship, it is able to stay on shallow waters compared to other frigates and destroyers which are likely to get stuck on rocks and any other obstacles.

{{NavalMobility}}

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

== Armament ==
{{Specs-Fleet-Armaments}}
=== Primary armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Primary}}

{{main|100 mm/55 MLE model 53 (100 mm)}}

The F224 has the same armament as the [[Köln F220]], armed with 2 x 100 mm/55 MLE model 53 semi-automatic cannons divided into 2 turrets, one at the aft and one at the bow. They are capable of decimating enemy vessels in seconds, including heavy cruisers. The 100 mm cannons have access to 2 types of shells, HE and HE-VT. Both shells have the exactly same performance with the exception of the proximity fuse the HE-VT gets. It is recommended to carry HE-VT as there are no downsides to it. HE-VT are an extra when it comes to air defence. They will decimate any enemy plane with the proximity fuse but they are only recommended to be used when attacking low speed aircraft (like bombers) at long ranges (past 10 km) as the relative low fire rate (15 RPM) and targeting speed will cause issues engaging faster aircraft (fighters or even attackers). It should be noted the 100 mm can be used with the tracking radar.

=== Secondary armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Secondary}}

{{main|40 mm/70 MEL58 (40 mm)}}

The F224 is armed with 6 x 40 mm/70 MEL58 automatic cannons divided into 2 dual-mounted turrets and 2 single-mount turrets. They are capable of shredding anything but cruisers. The 40 mm cannons only have access to HE and HE-VT, meaning they will do little to no damage to heavily armoured targets even at point blank range. The 40 mm are your main line of defence against light and medium armoured vessels as the fast rate of fire (0.4-second reload) will cause fatal damage with even just one burst. They are also your main line of defence against any aircraft at any range from 0 to 10 km (AI gunners will not engage targets past ~10 km). They will destroy incoming enemy aircraft within seconds. The captain is able to control them manually and use the tracking radar to engage air targets manually. It is recommended to let the AI gunners engage the targets when the threat is closer than 5 km as the captain will be able to focus on more threatening enemies (other vessels or even aircraft). When letting AI gunners engage targets, be aware of which targeting setting is set (airborne and surface, airborne, surface, none) as each turret will only engage one target at a time.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Additional}}

{{main|12.75 inch Mark 44 (324 mm)|Mk.6 depth charge|M/50 Bofors}}

The F220 is armed with 4 single-tube torpedo launchers. These are your main weapon against heavily armoured threats or when doing sneak attacks at distance. The torpedo range is drastically different to the [[Köln F220‎‎]]. They have a max range of 5.49 km (instead of 13.71 km) and can be used at almost point blank, the torpedo must travel 50 m at minimum to be armed (most of the time "point blank" engagements will be between 100-500 m). Depending on the map, game mode and captain's discretion, torpedo depth can be adjusted in order to achieve multiple tasks.

'''1-meter depth''' - This is the most universal depth used for all types of engagements, being in deep or shallow waters. This depth is capable of hitting all sorts of vessels, including PT boats. The main downside is that enemy ships can see the water trail made by the torpedo which can make enemy vessels evade or fire at the torpedo.

'''4-meter depth''' - This is the recommended depth when on deep water trying to do long range sneaky engagements to big ships (most of them have bulkheads more than 4 m under the waterline). This is one of the riskier techniques as there is no way to launch them on shallow waters (most shallow water maps have water depth of 2-3 m). Only the captain and the team will be able to see the torpedo symbol while traveling close to them and it will not leave any visible water trail compared to the 1 meter depth torpedo.

The F224 can be armed with Mk.6 depth charges. They are useless in all naval battles. It is not recommended to load them in the ship as they do not have any practical use in game. On the other hand, the Bofors rocket system has its advantages in various combat scenarios. First of all, said rockets have an explosive equivalent of 107 kg, almost the same as a 250 kg bomb. They are deadly against all light armoured targets and can be used to destroy unarmed vessels (like in Naval Enduring Confrontation) or to create heavy exterior damage to enemy ships (disable turrets, destroy smoke funnels, destroy bridge, etc). Aiming this rockets requires practice as the low speed makes the fire adjustment tricky. Always use rangefinder to aim vertically, do not attempt to eyeball it as they will be inaccurate.

=== Radar ===
[[File:F224 Radars.png|thumb|Purple: KH14/9 navigation radar Red: M4/1Du FCR (currently not modeled as a functioning radar) Blue: M5/1Du FCR (currently not modeled as a functioning radar) Green: SGR105 air/surface search radar Orange: M9/3Du FCR]]
While similar to the [[Köln F220]], the Lübeck F224 has a different radar configuration as well as types of radars. For game purposes, nothing changes. It has the SGR105 air/surface search radar, M4/1Du, M5/1Du, M9/3Du fire control radars (FCR) and access to the KH14/9 navigation radar, useless in its current state in game. The SGR105 is located on top of the main mast. The KH14/9 navigation radar is located on top of the bridge (replacing the MV2/3Du FCR). M4/1Du is located in front of the mast. M5/1Du is located in the mast below the SGR105 radar. M9/3Du are located at the back of the ship on top of the superstructure behind the main mast. Currently only the M9/3Du is the only one modeled as fire control radar in game. Enemy pilots are often unaware of the presence of the radar as they are uncommon in-game, use surprise to your advantage. Radars can give you a huge advantage with situational awareness as no plane will be able to catch you unsuspected. Be aware of radar interference (mountains, trees, tall structures in general) as they will affect both your search and tracking radar. There are blind spots with the radars which pilots can exploit but most of them will not do so as radars are uncommon in battles. As previously stated, tracking radar can be used to manually engage targets. It is recommended to use tracking radar when engaging immediate threats the gunners are not engaging or low speed flying aircraft at long ranges (bombers). Most of the time, the use of tracking radar will not be necessary as gunners will take care of aircraft while the captain is engaging enemy vessels.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4" | SGR105 - Air/surface Search Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Detection Range|The maximum possible range at which a target can be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Guaranteed Detection Range|The range, below which, detection of a target is practically guaranteed}}
! {{Annotation|Max Azimuth Scan Angle|How far to each side the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Max Elevation Scan Angle|How far up and down the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
|-
| 120,000 m || 10,000 m || 360° || 0°/+85°
|-
! colspan="4" | M9/3Du - Fire Control Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
|-
| 15,000 m || 100 m || ±150° || 0°/+80°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Lübeck, as a Cold War frigate, has a very different playstyle to the WW2 frigates and destroyers, as armour is lacklustre and RPM is limited compared to some cruisers and destroyers. Thus, the Köln should be used as a support and anti air ship. The powerful 100 mm are able to decimate destroyers and even cruisers in minutes, not because of the rounds but for the rate of fire. The high speed and agility make it a decent runner when facing enemy ships and capping points. The torpedo can be formidable if used correctly, not only for the fact they are able to destroy whatever it hits but also because they are hard to aim due to the distances the Lübeck has to navigate in order to get into a decent launch distance. The 40 mm should be used as secondary weapons for everything but sinking heavily armoured ships. They are able to decimate light vessels in seconds as well as planes. For this same reason, the Köln should be used as an anti-air flagship as it is able to detect and engage enemy planes in a range of 130 km. Absolutely no aircraft will surprise the Lübeck while the search radar is active. The Lübeck, when used in Enduring Confrontation events, is the most reliable and "Jack-of-All-Trades" ship seen in-game. Not only because it is able to dominate the skies but also because it is able to decimate enemy convoys within seconds with the firepower and torpedoes, specially if said convoys are unarmed cargo ships.

Absolutely '''NO''' battleship should be engaged with the 100 mm as they are mediocre and most of the time useless due to only using HE ammunition. However, they can damage and destroy outer modules like turrets, bridge, and smoke funnels, and can start fires. When facing heavily armoured vessels, torpedoes are a '''MUST''' as they will be your only reliable weapon against them. The Lübeck should zig-zag when being fired at as a single salvo is more than enough to instantly destroy you. Zig-zagging reduces the chances the enemy has to hit and due to the long reload, the Lübeck is able to close distance and fire torpedoes.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Superb speed
* Access to radar
* Fast targetting primary and secondary weaponry
* Superior air defence
* Fast rate of fire
* Long range torpedoes
* 360° radar coverage with FCR included

'''Cons:'''

* Little to no armour
* Small crew number
* Static torpedo tubes
* Closely packed crew compartments

== History ==


The Lübeck was the fifth ship of the Type 120 Köln class of German frigates built during the Cold War. As her sisters, it featured the same role and combat used but with better electronics and systems, primarily working as a modernized version with newer fire control radars.

It was laid down in October 28, 1959 and launched in January 23, 1960. It entered service in June 6, 1963. In December 1, 1988 it was decommissioned and sold to Turkey.

== Media ==


;Skins

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

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:Lübeck WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:Lübeck WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:Lübeck WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:Lübeck WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:Lübeck WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
File:Lübeck WTWallpaper 006.jpg|
File:Lübeck WTWallpaper 007.jpg|
File:Lübeck WTWallpaper 008.jpg|
</gallery>

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6872-development-crafting-event-strategist-lübeck-frigate-en|[Devblog] Crafting event "Strategist": Lübeck frigate]]

{{ShipManufacturer Stülcken-Werft}}
{{Germany frigates}}
{{Germany premium ships}}

Leclerc

2021-01-25T12:47:14Z

U64239879: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_leclerc_s1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} French medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]].

Developed by GIAT in the late 1980s, this variant of the Leclerc (the Serie 1) was the first production model. Despite this, it sports numerous modern technologies, a powerful NATO-compliant 120mm cannon equipped with an autoloader (as with many French tanks) and a powerful, advanced diesel engine with a gas turbine 'charger'.

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

[[File:Leclerc Serie 1 Protection Density Visualisation.png|thumb|Leclerc Serie 1 [[Protection Density Visualisation]]]]
[[File:Leclerc layout overview.png|thumb|Leclerc S1 Internal Layout]]
The Leclerc MBT is generally well protected with a well-designed layout resulting in good survivability. It does, however, have a number of prominent weak spots which are not easily hidden - most notable of which is the gun mantlet, which is mostly unprotected and can easily be penetrated to disable the cannon breech and often the tank commander, who sits on the exposed side of the mantlet (right side, looking from the front of the vehicle). The LFP (lower front plate) and UFP (upper front plate) are both weakly protected, with only the central front plate providing sufficient protection against incoming rounds. The Leclerc's turret cheeks are extremely well protected by modular composite armour, combining hard metals, semi-reactive and ceramic layers, protecting against even the most powerful kinetic rounds and most chemical rounds.

Despite only seating three crew members, the Leclerc's survivability proves to be reasonable, with spaced out crew members, a blow-out compartment for the primary ammunition storage and the turret crew placed as low as feasible. As such, even successful penetration of the Leclerc is unlikely to disable the vehicle immediately - and even a vehicle fire or crew knockout will not stop the vehicle from reloading, ready to fire back. It is possible to destroy the Leclerc with one round by hitting the two crew on the right (viewed from the front).

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 2,285|rbMinHp= 1,304}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is powered by an excellent V8 diesel engine with a gas turbine auxiliary charger, producing a peak of 1474.5 horsepower at 2500 RPM, transferred to the drive sprockets via a transmission with 8 forward and 4 backward gears. With a maximum power-to-weight ratio of 27.01, the {{PAGENAME}} is more than capable of reaching these speeds, with excellent acceleration and manoeuvrability characteristics to boot. The {{PAGENAME}} will easily keep up with most of its counterparts such as the [[M1A2 Abrams]] or the [[Leopard 2A5]], and as such can comfortably reach strategic positions quickly or make its way into cap points with haste. It can also quickly escape sub-optimal situations, with a perfectly reasonable -38 km/h reverse speed.

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

The OFL 120 F1 round is the most important module to research for the Leclerc, followed closely by NVD (thermals help maintain a comfortable advantage over opponents).

Parts and FPE should be the first modules researched, followed by Adjustment of Fire, Crew Replenishment, your choice of Laser Rangefinder or Smoke Grenades, then OFL 120 F1, NVD, and ideally mobility upgrades afterwards.

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

{{main|GIAT CN120-26 F1 (120 mm)}}

The Leclerc Serie 1 mounts a 120 mm GIAT CN120-26/52 smoothbore cannon, fitted with a two-plane stabiliser and an autoloading system. The CN120 is a competitive cannon, displaying excellent performance with the OFL 120 F1 APFSDS round, up to a maximum of 528 mm of penetration at 0°. Combined with the consistent 6 second reload (independent of crew), this 120 mm cannon is more than competitive when compared to the offerings on its contemporaries. However, it's important to note that the OFL 120 F1 round is a tier 4 modification, and as such a stock Leclerc will be required to use the OCC 120 G1 HEAT-FS round - which, while capable, can prove somewhat unreliable when used against late vehicles with ERA and composite armour.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[GIAT CN120-26 F1 (120 mm)|120 mm GIAT CN120-26 F1]] || 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" | 40 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 28.60 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.90 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| OCC 120 G1 || HEATFS || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480
|-
| OFL 120 G1 || APFSDS || 394 || 393 || 388 || 382 || 376 || 370
|-
| OFL 120 F1 || APFSDS || 575 || 573 || 565 || 557 || 547 || 537
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| OCC 120 G1 || HEATFS || 1,100 || 14.4 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 2,148 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| OFL 120 G1 || APFSDS || 1,650 || 3.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
| OFL 120 F1 || APFSDS || 1,790 || 3.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Leclerc_S2.png|right|thumb|x200px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}. Bustle ammo rack is behind blast doors. Hull ammo rack is inside fuel tank.]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''40''' || 23 ''(+17)'' || 1 ''(+39)'' || No
|-
|}

==== Optics and night vision ====
The Leclerc receives night vision imagers once the tier 4 modification 'NVD' is researched. This unlocks 800 x 600 resolution thermal sights for both the gunner and commander, as well as standard image intensifiers for all crew (available in third person view in AB/RB additionally)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" |{{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
|-
! rowspan="3" |Type of optic
! rowspan="3" |Magnification
! colspan="5" |[[Night Vision Devices]]
|-
! colspan="3" |Image Intensifier
! rowspan="2" |{{Annotation|Thermal Imager Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
! rowspan="2" |Notes
|-
!{{Annotation|Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
!{{Annotation|Light Mult|By how much the image intensifier amplifies the existing light, primarily useful for comparing image intensifiers}}
!{{Annotation|Noise Level|How much noise is present in the image (how grainy the image is)}}
|-
!Gunner's Sight
|4.0x - 12.0x||--||--||--||800 x 600||Intensifier & thermal sights unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 4)
|-
!Commander's View
|6.0x||--||--||--||800 x 600||Intensifier & thermal sights unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 4)
|-
!Driver's View
|1.0x||1200 x 800||7.0||High||N/A||Intensifier unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 4)
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

The Leclerc mounts a single coaxial 12.7mm machine gun. While this coaxial mount limits it to +20° of elevation, if it can be placed on target it can prove effective against low-flying aircraft. Besides this, it can be useful for clearing out light obstacles, knocking out crew on open-top vehicles, and marking targets.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount
! Capacity (Belt capacity)
! Rate of fire (shots/minute)
! Vertical guidance
! Horizontal guidance
|-
| Coaxial || 800 (200) || 576 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Leclerc is an extremely capable MBT, and can be deadly in the right hands. It can prove somewhat vulnerable in close-range engagements, where its numerous weak points are easily targeted, and as such it's preferable to make use of its high round velocity to snipe, or its excellent mobility to flank enemies.

'''Rural Combat'''

The Leclerc's OFL 120 F1 round, with its 1,790 m/s muzzle velocity and high penetration values is a potent sniping round. As such, on open maps (such as [[Kursk (Ground Forces)|Kursk]] or [[Maginot Line (Ground Forces)|Maginot Line]]), it's recommended to operate the Leclerc as a sniper - this allows it to both employ these round characteristics optimally and avoid the Leclerc's large weak spots being easy targets. On maps where flanking is viable (for example, the eastern hill on Maginot Line), the Leclerc's excellent power to weight ratio can be used to access and push through these routes.

'''Urban Combat'''

The Leclerc is less comfortable in urban combat situations, although still more than capable. On maps such as [[Alaska]], it's preferable to take flanking routes around the edges of urban regions where possible or cap points on the outskirts of the map (such as the A point in Alaska Domination), avoiding close quarters. In situations where avoiding close quarters is mostly impossible, it's best to play conservatively and maintain full awareness of enemy presence (audio is extremely important information in War Thunder - you can hear most vehicles coming!). Fortunately the Leclerc has a respectable reverse speed of 38 km/h and providing your engine, transmission and driver remain intact after a penetration it's more than capable of reversing out of trouble.

'''Notable Targets'''

* '''[[Challenger 2]]:''' The CR2's turret cheeks are essentially immune to even OFL 120 F1 - and the Challenger is deadly accurate at long range. As such, sniping matches with the Challenger 2 should be avoided at all costs, instead attempt to flank it where possible. If there is no opportunity to get closer, move around between shots and try to land a shot on the gun mantlet or the UFP/LFP.

* '''[[M1A1 Abrams|M1A1]]/[[M1A2 Abrams]]:''' The Abrams is a deadly opponent, and thanks to the crew and module spacing will often survive multiple shots. In any engagement, first try to disable the cannon breech - this avoids the Abrams firing back and with your quick reload you'll often have time to disable its mobility entirely.

* '''[[Leopard 2A5]]:''' The Leopard 2A5 is a dangerous opponent, with a small gun mantlet weak spot and impenetrable turret cheeks. Fortunately, the OFL 120 F1 round can punch straight through the hull. If the opportunity for a hull shot does not arise, try to shoot through the gun mantlet or turret ring where possible.

* '''[[Ariete (Family)|Ariete]]:''' although its armor protection won't stop your APFSDS, almost all the tank is vulnerable to Ariete's firepower, in fact its rounds can easily penetrate most of the frontal section of the Leclerc even at 2000 m. It is better to disable its gun before trying to destroy the tank, or just shooting at the left turret cheek, killing the gunner and the commander leaving the target harmless

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Six second autoloader is very competitive
* Extremely good composite protection on turret cheeks and centre frontal plate
* Well-spaced crew and modules
* Blow-out contained primary ammunition storage
* Extremely mobile, with excellent acceleration and manoeuvrability characteristics
* Very effective kinetic round

'''Cons:'''

* Only three crew members
* Numerous large vulnerabilities
* Only HEAT-FS available stock, can reasearch a very weak APFSDS shell as a tier I modification and the OFL 120 F1 as a tier IV modification

== History ==

Development of the Leclerc main battle tank dates back to 1964, when the French military initiated a study on possible replacements for the AMX-30 tank, about to be introduced into service at the time. By the early '70s, the inferiority of the AMX-30 compared to more modern Soviet T-series MBTs had become obvious. As a result, work on developing a replacement officially began, with first specifications being drawn up by 1977.

In 1980, France and Germany began joint development of a new main battle tank. However, similarly to the previous Europanzer development decades ago, the joint effort quickly came to an end shortly afterwards due to various disagreements, with France continuing work on its own.

The new main battle tank was intended to offer cutting-edge performance by making use of the latest equipment available. However, as the per unit price was projected to be substantial, France sought partnership with another state to reduce these costs. Eventually, a partnership was established with the UAE, who would be the second and only other primary operator of the new tank, other than France itself.

Thus, in 1986 the tank received its name "Leclerc", with six initial prototypes being produced. Mass production subsequently started in 1990 and went on until 2007. During production, the Leclerc was built in various batches and series, each introducing various tweaks and changes to the design, while some also incorporated major upgrades.

The Leclerc saw service as part of a number of UN peacekeeping missions, primarily in Kosovo and Lebanon, with reported favourable performance. Most recently, the UAE deployed a number of its Leclercs to Yemen, with some vehicles getting damaged. As of the end of production in 2007, a total of around 860 Leclercs were built for both French and UAE forces combined.

''- From [[wt:en/news/6177-development-leclerc-s1-la-r%C3%A9publique-s-finest-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=france&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=fr_leclerc_s1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images

[[File:Leclerc.jpg|thumb|none|Leclerc tank in Saumur museum tank]]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|wJkQW4kSJjM|'''French MBTs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:40 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|p6cWlyUnJQA|'''Top 7 off-road beasts''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:27 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|lBTQGGr-Kxs|'''The Shooting Range #149''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:39 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== 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 ==


* [[wt:en/news/6177-development-leclerc-s1-la-r%C3%A9publique-s-finest-en|[Devblog] Leclerc S1 - La République's Finest]]
* [[wikipedia:GIAT_CN120-26/52|[Wikipedia] GIAT CN120-26/52]]

{{France medium tanks}}

M.B.152C1

2019-10-17T11:20:13Z

U64239879: /* History */

{{Specs-Card
|code=mb_152c1
|market=M.B.152C1 (France)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} French fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was obtainable during the 2018 Festive Quest for five Christmas toys for pilots earned during the event.

Designed by Bloch to be equal to the Luftwaffe Bf-109 "Emil" fighter, it performs this role in War Thunder as well, being able to compete with the Emil's on a more than even footing.

== General info ==
=== Flight Performance ===

The Bloch M.B.152C1 is a "jack of all, master of none" type of plane. However, unlike other planes in this category, the M.B.152 will perform admirably in most combat situations it's thrown in. Wielding a pair of the powerful Hispano 404's, complemented by a pair of MAC 1934 7.5 mm's, it can shred fighters and attackers in a few well-aimed shots.

When flying the Bloch, you can put it into most fighting styles and it will perform fairly well in all of them, with the exception of Boom-&-Zoom due to its mediocre speed, especially when compared to contemporaries like the early Emil Bf 109's. It is, however, suited to energy dogfighting due to its above-average energy retention, good turn rate and acceptable climb rate, so it is recommended to use it in this style.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="8" | Characteristics
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 5,500 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" |Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
|-
| 460 || 444 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 20.1 || 20.9 || 7 || 7 || 300
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 5,500 m)
! rowspan="2" |Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" |Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
|-
| 514 || 484 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 17.9 || 19.0 || 16.1 || 10.8 || 300
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flap (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! +
! -
|-
| {{Specs|разрушение|конструкции}} || {{Specs|разрушение|шасси}} || ??? || ~?? || ~?
|-
|}

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

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

|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 10 mm steel plate behind the pilot
* 10 mm steel plate in front of the cockpit, behind the engine
* 3 mm steel box in the fuselage that serves little purpose

The 152 has the unique feature of being equipped with 10 mm steel plates in front of and behind the pilot, something that is not common for 2.3 fighters. However, this armour doesn't help much versus cannon-armed fighters, as it seems to be particularly vulnerable to 20 mm shells.

== Armaments ==
=== Offensive armament ===

{{main|Hispano 404 (20 mm)|MAC 1934 (7.5 mm)}}

The M.B.152C1 is armed with:

* 2 x 20 mm Hispano 404 cannon, wing mounted (60 rpg = 120 total)
* 2 x 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine gun, wing mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

== Usage in battles ==

As stated before, the Bloch can fit into any combat style the pilot can put it in, with the exception of Boom-&-Zoom, and even in that role, it is decent. The main tactic one should use is energy dogfighting, a mix of energy fighting and dogfighting. Attempt to gain altitude, preferably 4,000 meters, then search for a low flying target. Once you find your prey, examine their energy state and potential energy, determine whether the plane they are flying is superior to yours, then you can choose if you can engage or not. During an engagement, do not let the opponent lock you into rolling manoeuvres, such as the rolling scissors, as the Bloch's roll-rate is mediocre at best.

;Particular enemies to note are as follows

* '''BF 109's:''' Although the Bloch was designed to be equal to the Emil's of the time, the legendary Messerschmitts can give you a run for your money. You will mostly encounter the E-1's through E-4's, and they will be able to out-speed you by a large margin. However, you can turn better than them, although be sure to make effective use of the rudders. Under no circumstance, allow a cannon-armed Emil get a clean shot on you. This will almost certainly critically damage you, if not down the plane.
* '''Early Spitfires:''' While the 152 never had to fight Spitfires in real life, War Thunder poses this threat. The famed British fighters outclass you in every way, shape and form. Do not engage with a Spitfire unless it is critically damaged or you are sure to down them.
* '''Yak's:''' The Yak-1 is one of your most formidable adversaries. It out-speeds, out-turns and out-climbs you by a large margin, while also sporting powerful armament. However, all Russian fighters lose significant performance above 2-3k meters and have a very weak airframe. Attempt to engage one at around 4,000 meters and employ an energy fighting combat style with an emphasis on speed.

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

===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="1" | Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! colspan="1" | Survivability
! Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage Repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 7 mm belts
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 7 mm MG's
|-
| III
| Wings Repair
| Engine
|
| Offensive 20 mm belts
|-
| IV
|
| Engine Injection
| Cover
| New 20 mm cannons
|-
|}
The M.B.152C1 is a premium plane, and as such, has all modules unlocked by default. In terms of belts, the 7.5 mm ''tracer'' belt is made up entirely of incendiary rounds, but have low penetration values, so ''universal'' is a decent choice due to the inclusion of AP rounds. The recommended cannon belts are either ''stealth'' if you are confident in your aim, or ''universal'' if you are just learning the trajectory of the Hispano's.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Decent acceleration
* Competitive turning abilities
* Average climb rate
* High dive Speed
* Extremely powerful armament that can shred anything it comes across
* Can be used effectively in almost any combat style
* Has premium bonuses allowing for faster research
* Low cannon ammo count is offset by their slow fire rate
* Has 10 mm steel plates in front of and behind the pilots

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre speed
* Low cannon ammunition count
* 7.5 mm's are underwhelming
* All armaments are located in the wings, resulting in significant convergence
* Not really good at any specific combat style
* No bulletproof glass
* Vulnerable to < 12.7 mm weapons

== History ==

A French fighter from the initial period of war. During the Battle of France, pilots in MB.152s won no less than 180 victories in the air. This rank II fighter controls very nicely and can reach a maximum speed near 500 km/h. It is equipped with a pair of 20mm Hispano-Suiza cannons and two French 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns.

The MB.152C-1 is a single-engine monoplane fighter that went into production in 1938. Its designers prioritized the aircraft’s flight characteristics – its air-cooled radial engine put out 1,080 horsepower (quite respectable for the time) and was generally on equal footing with the early “Emiles,” Bf 109 fighters from the “E” series. The armament was also extremely modern, and the familiar rifle-calibre machine guns were backed up by 20mm cannons.

-[https://warthunder.com/en/news/5966-development-mb-152c-1-premium-fighter-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> MB.152C-1 Premium fighter]

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== 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 aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5966-development-mb-152c-1-premium-fighter-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> MB.152C-1 Premium fighter]
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5962-special-festive-quest-en [Event<nowiki>]</nowiki> Festive Quest]

{{France fighters}}
{{France premium aircraft}}