M728 CEV

2023-10-13T09:37:38Z

U76249722: /* Survivability and armour */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m728
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_005.jpg}}
|store=11818
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Apex Predators"]]. The M728 is a full-tracked combat engineer vehicle designed to provide maximum ballistic protection for the crew. It is a heavily armed derivative of the M60 series tank modified to provide a mobile and maneuverable weapon for combat support of ground troops and vehicles.

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

''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''

'''Armour type:''' 


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

'''Notes:''' 


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

''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,162|rbMinHp=663}}

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

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

{{main|M135 (165 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M135 (165 mm)|165 mm M135]] || 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" | 30 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 19.0 || 26.4 || 32.0 || 35.4 || 37.6 || rowspan="2" | 27.69 || rowspan="2" | 24.50 || rowspan="2" | 22.58 || rowspan="2" | 21.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.9 || 14.0 || 17.0 || 18.8 || 20.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M135 (165 mm)/Ammunition|M123}}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''30''' || 24 ''(+6)'' || 15 ''(+15)'' || 1 ''(+29)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Racks 2 and 3 are first stage ammo racks. They totals 23 shells and get filled first when loading up the tank.
* These racks are also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 2 - 3 - 1.
* Full reload speed will be realized as long as shells are available in the ready racks 2 and 3. If the ready racks are empty, a penalty to reload speed will occur.
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 into rack 2. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.

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

{{main|M85 (12.7 mm)|M73 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M85 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M85]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 720 (180) || 626 || -9°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M73 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M73]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,750 (250) || 500 || - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

''The M728 CEV has a very unique role in combat due to its High survivability and low velocity gun. On a city map or a winding mountainous map the M782 performs the best as it has heavy armor in the right places to survive high intensity engagements and its gun can decimate almost every tank you will encounter at its BR with a well placed shot. On maps with larger open areas it is best to either stay back and try to play as artillery, although this usually requires you to know a bit about your shells trajectory, or you can rush in as close as possible tanking sniper shots on your armor as you close the distance to wreck havoc. In AB this tank struggles in the usual ways, Its gun becomes horribly inaccurate and you are usually given false information on your marker saying you can't pen. Using this tank in AB requires you to have knowledge on the mechanics of overpressure and critical spall points. In RB the problem of the inaccurate gun are gone almost completely but this is were your knowledge of shell drop and trajectory as well as being able to tell a distance from a glance will become essential to playing this tank successfully. Most of the tactics of AB carry over to the other modes the only real difference is the skill climb between the modes. Using the M728 on SB is a lot like RB although situational awareness is the newest of the skills you need to learn and get good at while playing this tank, Because most Sims that this tank are allowed in include tanks far above its BR making its armor near ineffective but its gun does get batter because the more modern tanks you'll be fighting (as long as they don't have ERA) will have thinner armor and larger flat spots and roofs for your shells to turn into large sheets of shrapnel to turn on the tanks inhabitants.''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has a powerful 165 mm gun that fires shells with the explosive mass of 15.87 kg, equal to 20.31k g TNT, one hit can always deal serious damage to the enemy vehicles
* Low muzzle velocity can allow the trajectory to hit some enemies hiding behind the slope, especially in AB
* The dozer blade in front it can provide additional utility, especially to protect the lower glacis

'''Cons:'''

* Terrible muzzle velocity makes this vehicle not very useful in spaced area, especially in RB
* Low reverse speed
* Top of the engine deck can be easily penetrated by planes
* HESH is inherently unreliable, a hit to a wrong spot on a certain enemy tank chassis or armour may do no damage at all despite the shell's potential, while a close miss might annihilate the enemy tank regardless

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m728 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|Q7WJfgt3LuY|'''The Shooting Range #337''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:26 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[M60 (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Centurion Mk.5 AVRE]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/8014-development-m728-combat-engineer-en|[Devblog] M728: Combat Engineer]]

{{USA medium tanks}}
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}

War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

M728 CEV