War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

15cm sIG 33 B Sfl

2020-05-22T21:14:46Z

U69562057: /* History */ added some more info

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_sturmpanzer_II}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.67 "Assault"]]. Based on the Panzer II chassis, it mounted a 150 millimeter cannon and was used during the North African campaign.

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

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

Despite having very little armor, it does have a lot of empty space in the tank to resist multiple penetrating hits before being destroyed. However, it is hull-breakable against 75mm or larger guns with sufficient AP velocity or HEAT capability.

=== Mobility ===


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

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

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

{{main|SIG 33 (150 mm)}}

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

The J.Gr.38 HE shell penetrates 65 mm against vertical armour and 60 mm against armour sloped back 60 degrees from vertical (30 degrees from horizontal), due to it having similar mechanics to naval Guns of the same calibre. The 8.6 kg explosive mass ensures that anything that gets penetrated is instantly knocked out or is so badly crippled that a follow-up shot is guaranteed.

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

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

== Usage in battles ==


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

Due to the huge HE splash ability and sheer calibre of the gun, it can even be used to hull break high-rank IFVs - BMP-1s at 7.3 are especially common to encounter. It does the same thing to BMP-2s, M3 Bradleys, Warriors, Centauros, and many other vehicles. The HE splash, however, is strong enough that it can one-shot the light, but non-hull-breakable vehicles such as the M41A1 Bulldog, any AMX-13 variation, Crusaders in lower ranks, and many others. Purposely up-tiering it can be a very effective way to earn Silver Lions with the "God Mode!" award - destroying an enemy vehicle 5.0 BR ranks higher (BR 7.0+) than you which nets 20,000 Silver Lions.
===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
!Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|
|-
|}
=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has the most powerful gun in the game at its rank
* Excels when up-tiered, only starts to become obsolete when newer main battle tanks arrive
* Can survive hits it will take from rank 1 tanks
* Can make a fair turn at speed when driving along
* Low profile and small front make it easy to hide and easy to camouflage with bushes
* Speedy for its size and gun caliber
* Can withstand a few blows on the front armour

'''Cons:'''

* Reload means it is inadequate for close-range combat without allied support
* HE and HEAT are both stopped by various soft debris found on most maps such as fences, concrete blocks, brick walls, wood objects, etc.
* Open-topped and very vulnerable to aircraft as a result
* Very slow at turning
* Limited firing arc
* Easily penetrated and immobilized by machine guns (M2, M3A1, etc) and also the guns of light tanks
* When firing gives significant recoil
* Almost certain you will be destroyed if flanked by enemy without allied support

== History ==
During the Battle of France, the 15 cm sIG 33 (Sf) auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B was found to be too heavy for the Panzer 1 chassis, as well as being a massive 9 feet tall, so when Field Marshal Erwin Rommel needed SPGs were needed to support his armor in North Africa, methods for mounting the sIG 33 on the Panzer 2 were explored. The first prototype was built on a plain Panzer 2 chassis, but due to space issues, it was widened and lengthened, and an extra roadwheel was added. Another difference is that it used a Büssing-NAG L8V engine instead of the original Maybach HL62 TRM. 12 were built at the end of 1941, and were shipped off to Rommel the next year, where they fought until the Axis surrender in Tunisia in 1943, and the British found 6 abandoned and dismantled in a tank workshop.

== Media ==


;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:15cm slG 33 B Sfl.jpg|thumb|250px|15cm slG 33 B Sfl]] </li>
</ul></div>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|iE4wTuJbe2I|'''The Shooting Range #40''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 02:43 discusses the Sturmpanzer II.}}

== 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.''

{{Germany tank destroyers}}

15cm sIG 33 B Sfl

2020-05-22T21:13:12Z

U69562057: /* History */ added history

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_sturmpanzer_II}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.67 "Assault"]]. Based on the Panzer II chassis, it mounted a 150 millimeter cannon and was used during the North African campaign.

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

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

Despite having very little armor, it does have a lot of empty space in the tank to resist multiple penetrating hits before being destroyed. However, it is hull-breakable against 75mm or larger guns with sufficient AP velocity or HEAT capability.

=== Mobility ===


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

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

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

{{main|SIG 33 (150 mm)}}

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

The J.Gr.38 HE shell penetrates 65 mm against vertical armour and 60 mm against armour sloped back 60 degrees from vertical (30 degrees from horizontal), due to it having similar mechanics to naval Guns of the same calibre. The 8.6 kg explosive mass ensures that anything that gets penetrated is instantly knocked out or is so badly crippled that a follow-up shot is guaranteed.

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

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

== Usage in battles ==


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

Due to the huge HE splash ability and sheer calibre of the gun, it can even be used to hull break high-rank IFVs - BMP-1s at 7.3 are especially common to encounter. It does the same thing to BMP-2s, M3 Bradleys, Warriors, Centauros, and many other vehicles. The HE splash, however, is strong enough that it can one-shot the light, but non-hull-breakable vehicles such as the M41A1 Bulldog, any AMX-13 variation, Crusaders in lower ranks, and many others. Purposely up-tiering it can be a very effective way to earn Silver Lions with the "God Mode!" award - destroying an enemy vehicle 5.0 BR ranks higher (BR 7.0+) than you which nets 20,000 Silver Lions.
===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
!Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|
|-
|}
=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has the most powerful gun in the game at its rank
* Excels when up-tiered, only starts to become obsolete when newer main battle tanks arrive
* Can survive hits it will take from rank 1 tanks
* Can make a fair turn at speed when driving along
* Low profile and small front make it easy to hide and easy to camouflage with bushes
* Speedy for its size and gun caliber
* Can withstand a few blows on the front armour

'''Cons:'''

* Reload means it is inadequate for close-range combat without allied support
* HE and HEAT are both stopped by various soft debris found on most maps such as fences, concrete blocks, brick walls, wood objects, etc.
* Open-topped and very vulnerable to aircraft as a result
* Very slow at turning
* Limited firing arc
* Easily penetrated and immobilized by machine guns (M2, M3A1, etc) and also the guns of light tanks
* When firing gives significant recoil
* Almost certain you will be destroyed if flanked by enemy without allied support

== History ==
During the Battle of France, the 15 cm sIG 33 (Sf) auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B was found to be too heavy for the Panzer 1 chassis, as well as being a massive 9 feet tall, so when Field Marshal Erwin Rommel needed SPGs were needed to support his armor in North Africa, methods for mounting the sIG 33 on the Panzer 2 were explored. The first prototype was built on a plain Panzer 2 chassis, but due to space issues, it was widened and lengthened, and an extra roadwheel was added. Another difference is that it used a Büssing-NAG L8V engine instead of the original Maybach HL62 TRM. 12 were built at the end of 1941, and were shipped off to Rommel the next year, where they fought until the Axis surrender in North Africa in 1943

== Media ==


;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:15cm slG 33 B Sfl.jpg|thumb|250px|15cm slG 33 B Sfl]] </li>
</ul></div>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|iE4wTuJbe2I|'''The Shooting Range #40''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 02:43 discusses the Sturmpanzer II.}}

== 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.''

{{Germany tank destroyers}}

Ersatz M10

2019-07-25T08:54:40Z

U69562057: /* History */

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_pzkpfw_V_ersatz_m10}}
{{About
|about = mocked up German Panther tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage = other vehicles of the family
|link = Panther tank (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_ErsatzM10Panther.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift Rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]] in the 2017 "Festive Quest" that took place between 22 December 2017 to 22 January 2018. It was obtained via completing 13 tanker's Christmas toys.

The Ersatz M10, built on the purpose of mimicking the American [[M10 GMC|M10 tank destroyer]], will present external features to fit this purpose. Performance-wise the Ersatz M10 has the standard Panther's high-power 75 mm KwK 42 gun with the armour layout of the [[Panther G|Ausf. G]], but the automotive power of the [[Panther A|Ausf. A]]. The Ersatz M10 has a steel structure around the base armour that transforms the outside look into a mimicry of the American M10 tank destroyer. The Ersatz's gun mantlet is curved shape like on the Panther A and [[Panther D|D]] instead of the "chin" version on the Ausf. G. One of the customizable camouflage "Ersatz M10 Panther" is extremely sly by adding American markings on the tank without the usage of decal slots, with a white star and circle on the front hull, turret sides, and roof, as well as miscellaneous unit marking of the US 5th Armored Division, 10th Tank Battalion.

The front of the Ersatz "M10" has been mocked up to look like the front slope of the M10 with its transmission housing. The hull machine gun cover on the armour cover is off, showing the machine gun that the M10 did not have, perhaps one of the most noteworthy feature from the front view distinguishing the Ersatz Panther from the M10. The features on the side is the best way to tell the Panther apart with with the wheels, of which the Panther presents the ''Schachtellaufwerk'' interleaved wheel suspension instead of the M10 bogie suspensions. Otherwise, the sloped side armour and the steel structure hanging off the edge looks the part of the M10. The Panther is also a good length longer than the M10 hull. The hull rear is also well disguised with the Panther's distinctive rear slope in the armour covered by a steel structure, the only feature noticeable is the engine exhausts coming out the top of the hull structure rather than from the bottom.

The Ersatz "M10" turret is also a good indicator in distinguishing the M10 from this Panther mock up. The only similar layout to the M10 on the Ersatz is the gun mantlet, with its prism shape, though it is a lot wider and smaller than the American's M10. Even then, a hole on the Ersatz's gun's right side is a giveaway as this is the hole for a coaxial machine gun, something that the M10 did not have. The Ersatz's turret sides is added on with flat steel structure to imitate the M10's welded turret side, but the Ersatz "M10" sides are long flat plates while the M10's turret are distinctively pentagonal shape. The turret rear is then a big giveaway as exposed bits on the Ersatz's steel structure shows the Panther's turret with its rear loader hatch. As such, even though the hull rear may be immaculately matching, the turret rear is not. Finally, the presence of a turret roof is another giveaway as the M10 has no turret roof. A method the German used to hide this fact from a ground level view is the removal of the Panther cupola, decreasing the Ersatz's profile somewhat.

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

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour
*Structural steel (Ersatz)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides (Slope angle) !! Rear (Slope angle) !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 + 3.5 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 50 + 7 mm (56°) ''Lower glacis'' || 50 mm (30°) ''Top'' 41.5 + 3.5 mm ''Lower'' || 40 + 3.5 mm (24°) || 17 mm
|-
| Turret || 100 + 3.5 mm ''Turret front'' 100-120 + 3.5 mm ''Gun mantlet''|| 45 + 3.5 mm || 45 + 3.5 mm || 15 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspensions wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Wheels are interleaved and can provide layered 20 mm armour.
* Belly armour front part is 18 mm thick while the back part is 15 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
|-
! Weight (tons)
! colspan="1" | Add-on Armor weight (tons)
! colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
|-
| rowspan="2" | 45.3 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 61 (AB)
|-
|55 (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
|-
! colspan="1" | Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|1,085
|1,336
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|619
|700
|-
! colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
! colspan="1" | Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|23.95
|29.49
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|13.66
|15.45
|-
|}

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

{{main|KwK 42 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[KwK 42 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK 42]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 82 || -8°/+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'' || 11.90 || 16.50 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 11.90 || 14.00 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
! 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.
|-
| 9.60 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
|}

===== 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
|-
| PzGr 39/42 || APCBC || 187 || 185 || 168 || 149 || 132 || 116
|-
| Sprgr. 42 || 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 39/42 || APCBC || 935 || 6.8 || 1.2 || 25.0 || 28.9 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Sprgr. 42 || HE || 700 || 5.7 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 725 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! 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
|-
|| '''82''' || 74 ''(+8)'' || 65 ''(+17)'' || 57 ''(+25)'' || 49 ''(+33)'' || 41 ''(+41)'' || 33 ''(+49)'' || 25 ''(+57)'' || 17 ''(+65)'' ||9 ''(+73)'' || 1 ''(+81)'' || style="text-align:center" | Yes
|-
|}

=== 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 battles ==

The Ersatz M10 can be played by its mobility or its firepower, along with its frontal armour, in a movement battle or a sniping battle. Both actions can be interleaved for a flexible fighting style on the battlefield.

'''Movement''' 
The Ersatz M10's basis of a Panther has a rather high top speed for its weight, along with its stable suspension, and so it can be used to get towards locations not typically expected of a vehicle of its calibre. It can be decided to move up to the direct front of the fighting or the flank locations.

Moving up front favors an assault/brawling style of fighting and so the mobility, armour, and firepower is emphasized to resist surprise encounters in the front and take down defenses quickly and efficiently. A benefit the Ersatz has over its fellow BR 5.7 [[Panther D|Panther D]] is its fast turret traverse, making reactions to enemies much faster. Make sure allies are present as the Ersatz's side armour are very weak to enemy flanking fire and the relatively slow reload rate would desire an additional gun to protect the Ersatz during these down times. Be very cautious when moving up in enemy territory as the Ersatz's poor reverse speed will make extraction from a dangerous situation nigh-impossible, with the more preferable action being a fighting last stand in the worst case scenario.

An Ersatz moving through the flanks will put it into a prime location for sniping fire away from enemy focus, while utilizing distance as a secondary protection against enemy fire, which could lose enough penetration to not go through the front glacis.

'''Firepower''' 
The Ersatz's 75 mm gun is powerful enough to use in a sniping manner, with a small shell drop-off by distance that gives range estimation a smaller margin of error. As such, while the allies push up towards an objective, the Ersatz can stand back in an overwatch position and look out for enemy tanks that are approaching. The Ersatz can then use its long reach to attack these enemies as they are more focused on allies than the far-off Ersatz. Even in cases when the 75 mm will not penetrate, it can provide cover fire so that the enemy would not risk moving in fear of being nailed by a high-velocity 75 mm shell. Standing far would also be able to make the most of the front armour with the aformentioned penetration drop by distance. However, beware that the enemies would then try to target the turret and knock out the gun or turret crew.

There are a number of vehicles to take caution of in enemy sides.

'''Americans''' 
At its BR, the American mediums of M4 Shermans are not too hard to defeat, but the 76 mm guns are powerful enough to penetrate the turret front through the flat sections or the gun mantlet. The [[M4A3E2 (76) W|M4A3E2 (76) Jumbo]] can resist the 75 mm from the front, but weak points like the transmission, machine gun port, and hull sides are targets to shoot to destroy. The M18 Hellcat is a definite worry as their fast speed and play style would favor attacking the Panther on its flanks. It would also have access to the APCR ammunition which can increase its lethality if the enemy player knows how to use them. At higher BR, the American heavies of [[T29|T29]] and [[T34|T34]] are of higher concerns due to their great front armour and high firepower that can penetrate through the Ersatz's front armour. Without access to APCR ammunition, the Ersatz can't exploit the flat gun mantlet on those two heavy tanks, resorting to very clever placements in the turret with the default APCBC or the front lower glacis for a frontal encounter.

'''British''' 
Any British tank that fires APDS can penetrate the upper glacis. The 17 pounder can sometimes go through the lower glacis at shorter ranges too. Any standard AP or APHE shell of a caliber above the 80-90mm range (aka 100mm and above) will penetrate the {{PAGENAME}} anywhere frontally.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Excellent mobility
* Good gun for long range fighting
* Fast turret traverse, contrasting with [[Panther D|Panther D]]
* Good sloped frontal armour
* Additional 3.5 mm of armour to the front, sides, and rear
* Additional steel plates can screen the prominent turret weak points from easy targeting by the enemy
* The removal of the commander's cupola removes a potential weak spot when going hull-down

'''Cons:'''

* Still suffers from the terrible reverse speed of normal Panthers
* Even with the additional armour plating, the side armour is still incredibly thin
* Does not have access to APCR rounds
* Massive size for a vehicle designed to mimic an M10. Smart sim players will easily be able to tell the two apart
* Not within the matchmaking range of the actual M10, hard to mimic a tank which is not in the match

== History ==

===Operation Griffin===
During the planning of ''Unternehmen Wacht am Rein'' (Operation Watch on the Rhine) in late 1944, the battle plan for the offensive that would later become famous as the "Battle of the Bulge", SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny, an SS commando most famous for his break-out of Benito Mussolini from Allied captivity in September of 1943, came up with a plan to sabotage Allied forces by infiltrating their ranks with men disguised as American and British soldiers equipped with captured Allied weapons, vehicles and equipment to cause mass confusion and paranoia behind Allied lines. The plan was approved immediately, and given the code name "''Unternehmen Greif'' (Operation Griffin).

Part of this plan included the formation of Panzer Brigade 150, a unit formed from all branches of the German armed forces. Originally, the request was made for fifteen tanks, twenty armored cars, one hundred jeeps, forty motorcycles and one hundred and twenty trucks, along with 3,000 men and enough British and American weapons and uniforms to outfit them all.

Almost immediately, however, problems arose during the planning stage. First, Skorzeny had only five or six weeks to plan the operation, which limited his available forces and material considerably. Second, of the 3,000 men requested, only 2,500 men could be provided. Of that number, less than ten of them could convincingly speak English, the vast majority having only basic education in English through primary school classes, which they spoke with German accents and with no knowledge of British or American idioms or slang. Finally, there were numerous problems with equipment. Attacks on German rail lines meant that most of the requested equipment would be delayed until well past the deadline for the start of the operation, which greatly limited available supply of Allied material. Of the fifteen tanks requested, only two Shermans in poor condition could be found in time, and far fewer numbers of armored cars, jeeps and trucks were sent to the brigade than the plan had originally called for. Communication problems had also caused Polish and Russian equipment to get sent to the brigade, which would be useless for infiltrating American and British lines.

One of the ways which the Germans made up for the lack of suitable Allied tanks was to disguise Panther tanks as M10 tank destroyers by removing their tall commander's cupolas with a flat two-piece hatch, applying sheets of thin angled metal to their hulls and turrets, painting them OD green and giving them U.S military identification marks, though nothing could be done about the Schachtellaufwerk suspension, which looked nothing like the VVSS system of the M10, the muzzle brake, which was needed to fire safely, and did not appear on the M10 except the British 17-pounder armed Achilles. These "Ersatz M10's" were intended to look convincing from a distance, allowing them to get in close and strike Allied targets before they could react. The Germans planned to get around the inevitable problem of friendly fire by having the tanks signal their true identities to friendly forces in a number of ways. These included keeping their guns aimed in the 9 o'clock position, the commanders and crew wearing colored scarves or removing their helmets, and identifying markers on the tanks themselves such as a yellow triangle, and flashing blue or red torch lights for identification at night.

Despite these numerous problems with material and manpower, ''Unternehmen Greif'' would proceed as scheduled on the 16th of December, 1944.

===The Battle of Malmedy===
The initial plan for the Ersatz M10's along with the rest of Panzer Brigade 150 was to advance behind the 1st SS Panzer Division, the 12th SS Panzer Division and the 12th Volksgrenadier Division until they reached the High Fens, a heavily forested plateau. At that point, they would move around the divisions and split into three units, with the aim of going behind enemy lines and attacking and holding the bridges over the Meuse river at Amay, Huy and Andenne before they could be destroyed by the Allies to halt the German advance.

However, for Panzer Brigade 150, ''Unternehmen Greif'' effectively ended before it even started. Massive traffic jams had formed during the initial stages of the battle, holding up the entire German offensive. Among these, the 1st Panzer Brigade was delayed and did not arrive in the assembly area for over two days, which meant that Panzer Brigade 150 was delayed from its objectives as well. Skorzeny realized that he no longer had the time required to complete his objectives and rather than continue with the doomed plan, he requested that his forces be used as a regular fighting force and used to take the town of Malmedy.

After several attempts to take the town, the Brigade was repelled by American forces and suffered heavy losses from American artillery strikes. Skorzeny was himself one of the casualties, wounded by shrapnel from an artillery shell. One American soldier, Private Frances S. Currey of the 120th Infantry Division, would later receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for knocking out four of tanks with bazooka fire and anti-tank grenades, including at least one of these disguised Panthers, rescuing five of his comrades in the process. This would be the Germans only attempt at taking the town, and Panzer Brigade 150 would later be relieved, disbanded and replaced by the 18th Volksgrenadier Division on the 28th of December.

Despite Panzer Brigade 150's failure to achieve its objectives, the overall objective of ''Unternehmen Greif'' succeeded to a limited degree. Paranoia among Allied troops led to numerous friendly fire incidents, and false information by a captured commando of a plot to assassinate Supreme Allied Commander Eisenhower in Paris led to his brief confinement. Ultimately, however, this confusion and paranoia had little overall effect on the battle. Numerous damaged and abandoned Ersatz M10's were captured after the Battle of Malmedy and were evaluated by Allied intelligence. No records of what happened to these disguised tanks are available, though it can be reasonably assumed that the tanks were scrapped after their evaluations by the Allies, and no examples are known to have survived to the present day.

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

== External links ==


* [http://www.warthunder.com/en/news/5223/current [News<nowiki>]</nowiki> Panther Ersatz M10: Master of Sabotage]

{{Germany medium tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Pz.III B

2019-07-08T14:53:59Z

U69562057: Added history of the tank

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_pzkpfw_III_ausf_B}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update_1.59_"Flaming_Arrows"|Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]].

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

Like many low-BR tanks, the armour is thin enough that it can be frontally penetratable by .50 cal machine guns found on most American tanks, as well as the French [[P.7.T_AA|P.7.T AA]] and the Russian [[GAZ-AAA_(DShK)|GAZ-AAA DShK]]. Every low rank cannon, except maybe the French [[SA18 L/21 (37 mm)|37 mm SA18 L/21]], has no trouble penetrating the Pz.III B anywhere. The crew inside the Pz.III B is well-spaced out, however, so you can generally survive a frontal penetration or two.

=== Mobility ===

The Pz.III B has average to below-average mobility for low rank with 35 km/h top speed, and a usable, but not great, reverse speed of 5.5 km/h. Power/weight ratio is 20.8 hp/ton in Arcade, but only 15.62 in RB/SB, which is average to below-average.

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

{{main|KwK 36 (37 mm)}}

The Pz.III B is the first vehicle in the German ground tree armed with the 37 mm KwK 36. This gun has two ammo types, PzGr. APHE with 46 mm penetration at point blank range against flat armour, and the PzGr.40 with 91 mm penetration at point blank range against flat armour.

The PzGr. APHE fires at 745 m/s and has a 13 g PETN explosive mass with a TNT equivalent of 22 g. With 46mm pen, it is sufficient to harm most things it comes across, but is best used in side shots.

The PzGr.40 APCR fires at 1020 m/s and pens 91 mm.

=== Machine guns ===

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

This vehicle has two coaxial 7.92 mm MG34 machine guns, which helps when facing against the common flak trucks and such that you encounter at low ranks.

== Usage in battles ==


This tank is more or less average in most respects. American and Russian reserves best it in speed. British reserves have similar speed, worse reverse, much better guns, better gun depression, and similar armour. French reserves have worse guns but nearly double the frontal armour. Japanese reserves have better speed, nearly identical guns, and much better gun depression. Italian reserves are slower, have slower fire rates, and have much better armour.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Decent top speed of 35 km/h
* Reasonable acceleration to achieve top speed
* Gun works well enough against most things you encounter, though side shots are preferable
* Has high-penetrating APCR to deal with more irritating opponents frontally

'''Cons:'''

* Easily incapacitated by .50 cal machine guns, even frontally
* Only stock shell has useful post-penetration damage, but it can barely penetrate M3 Stuarts frontally
* APCR post-penetration damage is generally terrible, yet tank has to rely on this a lot of the time to penetrate front armours
* Slow turret traverse of only 5.1 degrees/sec
* Requires APCR to penetrate even the side of the fairly common French B1 bis
* Roof armour thin enough to be penned by .50 cal machine guns

== History ==
The Panzer III Ausf B was the second development version of the Panzer III, and like the first was produced during 1937. The biggest changes were made to the suspension system. This time there were eight small road wheels per side, connected in pairs. The suspension was provided by a pair of long leaf springs, with a pair of road wheels at each end. The number of return rollers was also increased, to three on each time. This suspension system was no more successful than that used on the Ausf A.

Other changes were relatively minor. The commander’s cupola was replaced by the design used on the Panzer IV Ausf A and the engine exhaust and driver’s vision ports were modified.

During 1937-38 five of the fifteen Panzer III Ausf Bs were used to develop the StuG assault gun, which would be produced in much larger numbers than the Panzer III itself. The remaining Ausf Bs joined the Panzer regiments, seeing active service in Poland in 1939. Like the Ausf A they were withdrawn in February 1940 because of their poor suspension and thin armour, and transferred to training units.

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

== External links ==


* [http://warthunder.com/en/news/3727-development-pzkpfw-iii-ausf-b-en/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> PzKpfw III Ausf. B]

{{Germany medium tanks}}