War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Crusader AA Mk I

2021-09-21T20:03:21Z

U84592827: /* Pros and cons */ piccole correzioni

{{About
| about = British SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other variants
| link = Crusader (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_crusader_aa_mk_1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British self-propelled anti-aircraft gun {{Battle-rating}}. It was released along with the initial British tree line in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]]. Compared to the [[Crusader AA Mk II|Mk II variant]], the Mk I features a single 40 mm Bofors auto-cannon as its main armament. While it means a reduced rate of fire compared to the faster firing 20 mm Oerlikon auto-cannons, the 40 mm can cause devastating damage if it hits an aircraft.

In comparison to its predecessor and other 40 mm contemporaries like the American [[M19]], the Crusader AA Mk I unfortunately has some disadvantages. The single 40 mm cannon means that it cannot fire as fast as the 20 mm auto-cannons on the predecessor or have the fire density of the dual-cannons on the M19. Thus, accuracy is important to conserve what little ammo the SPAA can hold and to make sure that airplane gets hit.

The Crusader AA Mk I is meant to be a SPAA, meaning it must stay away from the front lines or else it will easily be destroyed by the enemy. Instead, stay at least a good distance from the fighting and stay in cover, hopefully in an area where the gun has full 360° view of the whole sky to knock out any airplane attempting to strafe your allies.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (33°) ''Front plate'' 9 mm (85°) ''Front glacis'' 20 mm (27°, 61°) ''Joint plate'' 20 mm (65°) ''Lower glacis'' 18 mm (1°) ''Driver's Port''|| 14 + 14 mm || 14 mm (14°), 12 mm (51°) ''Rear plate'' 14 mm (44-46°) ''Engine grille'' || 7 mm
|-
| Turret || 30 mm (36°) || 12 mm (14-15°) || 12 mm (19°) || N/A
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=483|rbMinHp=301}}

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

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

{{main|Bofors (40 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Bofors (40 mm)|40 mm Bofors]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 160 (8) || rowspan="2" | 120 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+70° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 35.22 || 48.75 || 59.20 || 65.47 || 69.65 || rowspan="2" | 0.65 || rowspan="2" | 0.57 || rowspan="2" | 0.53 || rowspan="2" | 0.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.80 || 28.00 || 34.00 || 37.60 || 40.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These work fine, a hit on an aircraft means certain death for it and still is able to hurt ground vehicles, especially if it is side into the side of a enemy tank. These seem like a good I don't know what i will run into belt.
* '''Mk.II:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These mean certain death for aircraft, what should be used for AA work.
* '''M81A1:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}} - These are the worst belts against airplanes. however, they are able to hurt ground vehicles especially if it is side into the side of a enemy tank. If you plan on killing tanks load this and flank, since side shots are almost a necessity.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Default || 72 || 69 || 58 || 47 || 38 || 30
|-
| Mk.II || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| M81A1 || 72 || 69 || 58 || 47 || 38 || 30
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Belt details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! 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%
|-
| Mk.II || HEFI-T* || 874 || 0.86 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 63 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M81A1 || AP-T || 874 || 0.88 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 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
|-
| '''20''' || 17 ''(+3)'' || 13 ''(+7)'' || 9 ''(+11)'' || 5 ''(+15)'' || 1 ''(+19)'' || No
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


Despite being an SPAA vehicle, the Crusader struggles in an AA role. The gun is slow firing and fires at quite a low velocity, meaning that you will struggle to target fast moving enemy aircraft. Granted, a single hit will often spell doom for an enemy aircraft. Therefore, it is important to hide and wait for an opportune moment to open fire on an enemy aircraft. A low flying aircraft within 1km, flying at low speed, should be easier to hit. However, higher ranked and faster planes will can be a much harder target to his with the slow turret traverse for tracking and the slow fire rate of the gun.

The Crusader AA Mk I can also serve in an anti tank role. With armour piercing rounds, the Crusader performs better than most SPAA in this role. With 76 mm of penetration, you can penetrate the frontal armour of light and some medium tanks and the side or rear armour of some heavy tanks. Poor post penetration damage means that you will need to target various sections of an enemy tank in order to destroy it. Some tanks will be almost invulnerable to your rounds, and while tanks KV-1 ZiS-5 can be dealt at point-blank range on the side or rear, there are many other heavy tanks that the 40 mm cannon will not penetrate.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fast speed of the Crusader light tank
* 40 mm Bofors auto-cannon can heavily damage aircraft if the Mk.II shell contacts
* Tall turret armour makes aircraft require to be a near vertical angle to hit the crew inside with machine guns
* Though thin, the turret armour is enough to protect the Crusader from anything up to 20 mm cannons on German aircraft
* Offers more protection to the gunnery crew than its German competitors
* AP shells have enough power to penetrate some tank armour, like the Panther's sides

'''Cons:'''

* Very little armour, especially the AA turret
* Cannon slot in front turret armour allows machine gun bullets to go through and injure/kill the crew
* If not taken in important points, attackers and bombers are difficult to take down
* Exposed top leave crew vulnerable
* Slow firing gun
* Slow muzzle velocity
* Limited ammo, which could be a problem since the gun requires leading of shots
* Will be serving as a primary British SPAA until the [[Falcon]], leading to having to track and fire against some of the fastest piston engine aircraft in the game and early jets, which are very difficult targets for the gun

== 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 ''[[Crusader Mk II|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.

The AA Tank Mk. 1 was issued to artillery light anti-aircraft regiments starting with the landing in Normandy, but the Mark I's were withdrawn from service soon after D-Day due to the Allied air supremacy and lack of Luftwaffe targets meaning significantly fewer anti-aircraft weapons ended up being required.

===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 ==


;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Crusader AA Mk I in Normandy.jpg|left|thumb|Crusader AA Mk I in [[Normandy (Ground Forces)|Normandy map]]]] </li>
</ul></div>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|j70UIeYGUok|'''Crusader AA Mk. I Tank Review <nowiki>|</nowiki> War Thunder''' ''By: NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


* [[Crusader AA Mk II]] - Preceding SPAA on similar chassis.
* [[L-62 ANTI II]] - Swedish SPAA with similar construction of a 40 mm anti-aircraft gun on a light tank chassis.

== External links ==


;War Thunder associated

* [[wt:en/devblog/current/855/|[Devblog] Crusader AA Mk.I and Crusader AA Mk.II]]

;Other websites

* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/Cruiser-MkVI_Crusader.php [Tanks-Encyclopedi<nowiki>a]</nowiki> Cruiser Mk.VI Crusader] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210511224314/https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/Cruiser-MkVI_Crusader.php Web Archive])

{{Britain anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Crusader AA Mk I

2021-09-21T19:58:27Z

U84592827: /* Pros and cons */ approfondimento e conoscenza migliore del veicolo

{{About
| about = British SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other variants
| link = Crusader (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_crusader_aa_mk_1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British self-propelled anti-aircraft gun {{Battle-rating}}. It was released along with the initial British tree line in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]]. Compared to the [[Crusader AA Mk II|Mk II variant]], the Mk I features a single 40 mm Bofors auto-cannon as its main armament. While it means a reduced rate of fire compared to the faster firing 20 mm Oerlikon auto-cannons, the 40 mm can cause devastating damage if it hits an aircraft.

In comparison to its predecessor and other 40 mm contemporaries like the American [[M19]], the Crusader AA Mk I unfortunately has some disadvantages. The single 40 mm cannon means that it cannot fire as fast as the 20 mm auto-cannons on the predecessor or have the fire density of the dual-cannons on the M19. Thus, accuracy is important to conserve what little ammo the SPAA can hold and to make sure that airplane gets hit.

The Crusader AA Mk I is meant to be a SPAA, meaning it must stay away from the front lines or else it will easily be destroyed by the enemy. Instead, stay at least a good distance from the fighting and stay in cover, hopefully in an area where the gun has full 360° view of the whole sky to knock out any airplane attempting to strafe your allies.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (33°) ''Front plate'' 9 mm (85°) ''Front glacis'' 20 mm (27°, 61°) ''Joint plate'' 20 mm (65°) ''Lower glacis'' 18 mm (1°) ''Driver's Port''|| 14 + 14 mm || 14 mm (14°), 12 mm (51°) ''Rear plate'' 14 mm (44-46°) ''Engine grille'' || 7 mm
|-
| Turret || 30 mm (36°) || 12 mm (14-15°) || 12 mm (19°) || N/A
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=483|rbMinHp=301}}

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

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

{{main|Bofors (40 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Bofors (40 mm)|40 mm Bofors]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 160 (8) || rowspan="2" | 120 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+70° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 35.22 || 48.75 || 59.20 || 65.47 || 69.65 || rowspan="2" | 0.65 || rowspan="2" | 0.57 || rowspan="2" | 0.53 || rowspan="2" | 0.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.80 || 28.00 || 34.00 || 37.60 || 40.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These work fine, a hit on an aircraft means certain death for it and still is able to hurt ground vehicles, especially if it is side into the side of a enemy tank. These seem like a good I don't know what i will run into belt.
* '''Mk.II:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These mean certain death for aircraft, what should be used for AA work.
* '''M81A1:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}} - These are the worst belts against airplanes. however, they are able to hurt ground vehicles especially if it is side into the side of a enemy tank. If you plan on killing tanks load this and flank, since side shots are almost a necessity.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Default || 72 || 69 || 58 || 47 || 38 || 30
|-
| Mk.II || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| M81A1 || 72 || 69 || 58 || 47 || 38 || 30
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Belt details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! 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%
|-
| Mk.II || HEFI-T* || 874 || 0.86 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 63 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M81A1 || AP-T || 874 || 0.88 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 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
|-
| '''20''' || 17 ''(+3)'' || 13 ''(+7)'' || 9 ''(+11)'' || 5 ''(+15)'' || 1 ''(+19)'' || No
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


Despite being an SPAA vehicle, the Crusader struggles in an AA role. The gun is slow firing and fires at quite a low velocity, meaning that you will struggle to target fast moving enemy aircraft. Granted, a single hit will often spell doom for an enemy aircraft. Therefore, it is important to hide and wait for an opportune moment to open fire on an enemy aircraft. A low flying aircraft within 1km, flying at low speed, should be easier to hit. However, higher ranked and faster planes will can be a much harder target to his with the slow turret traverse for tracking and the slow fire rate of the gun.

The Crusader AA Mk I can also serve in an anti tank role. With armour piercing rounds, the Crusader performs better than most SPAA in this role. With 76 mm of penetration, you can penetrate the frontal armour of light and some medium tanks and the side or rear armour of some heavy tanks. Poor post penetration damage means that you will need to target various sections of an enemy tank in order to destroy it. Some tanks will be almost invulnerable to your rounds, and while tanks KV-1 ZiS-5 can be dealt at point-blank range on the side or rear, there are many other heavy tanks that the 40 mm cannon will not penetrate.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fast speed of the Crusader light tank
* 40 mm Bofors auto-cannon can heavily damage aircraft if the Mk.II shell contacts
* Tall turret armour makes aircraft require to be a near vertical angle to hit the crew inside with machine guns
* Though thin, the turret armour is enough to protect the Crusader from anything up to 20 mm cannons on German aircraft
* Offers more protection to the gunnery crew than its German competitors
* AP shells have enough power to penetrate some tank armour, like the Panther's sides at long distance (approximately 1000 M)
* It is possible to pierce the some front parts of heavy tanks, such as the coat of the gun
* if hit, even with a single shot, a heavy bomber at critical points can be fatal

'''Cons:'''

* Very little armour, especially the AA turret, but it can withstand a few rounds of 20mm guns from medium distances
* Cannon slot in front turret armour allows machine gun bullets to go through and injure/kill the crew
* Against attacker and bombers, 40 mm cannon is not a one-hit kill and repeated contact is necessary,
* Exposed top leave crew vulnerable
* Slow firing gun
* Slow muzzle velocity
* Limited ammo, which could be a problem since the gun requires leading of shots
* Will be serving as a primary British SPAA until the [[Falcon]], leading to having to track and fire against some of the fastest piston engine aircraft in the game and early jets, which are very difficult targets for the gun

== 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 ''[[Crusader Mk II|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.

The AA Tank Mk. 1 was issued to artillery light anti-aircraft regiments starting with the landing in Normandy, but the Mark I's were withdrawn from service soon after D-Day due to the Allied air supremacy and lack of Luftwaffe targets meaning significantly fewer anti-aircraft weapons ended up being required.

===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 ==


;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Crusader AA Mk I in Normandy.jpg|left|thumb|Crusader AA Mk I in [[Normandy (Ground Forces)|Normandy map]]]] </li>
</ul></div>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|j70UIeYGUok|'''Crusader AA Mk. I Tank Review <nowiki>|</nowiki> War Thunder''' ''By: NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


* [[Crusader AA Mk II]] - Preceding SPAA on similar chassis.
* [[L-62 ANTI II]] - Swedish SPAA with similar construction of a 40 mm anti-aircraft gun on a light tank chassis.

== External links ==


;War Thunder associated

* [[wt:en/devblog/current/855/|[Devblog] Crusader AA Mk.I and Crusader AA Mk.II]]

;Other websites

* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/Cruiser-MkVI_Crusader.php [Tanks-Encyclopedi<nowiki>a]</nowiki> Cruiser Mk.VI Crusader] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210511224314/https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/Cruiser-MkVI_Crusader.php Web Archive])

{{Britain anti-aircraft vehicles}}

P.108A serie 2

2020-12-15T11:26:46Z

U84592827: can't carry bombs

{{Specs-Card|code=p_108a_serie2}}
{{About
| about = Italian attacker '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| and
| usage = the bombers
| link-1 = P.108B serie 1
| link-2 = P.108B serie 2
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian attacker {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica"]]. It features a 102 mm cannon in its fuselage, one of the largest armament placed onto an aircraft.

The P.108A serie 2 is your normal P.108, but with a 102 mm anti-shipping gun containing 50 rounds. In saying that, you're basically an over-sized [[Hs 129 (Family)|Hs 129]] or [[PBJ-1H]]. The main reason for not seeing the aircraft on Air AB, RB or even Sim is due to the fact the plane is demanding on takeoff due to its low horsepower engines and will not take off if combat flaps or take-off flaps are down (if you don't, it's going to be quite hard to take off). The defensive weaponry is decent for its battle rating but will not survive if it get uptiered to 4.3.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===


It is difficult to compliment the P.108A's flight performance. It is for all intents and purposes a heavy bomber repurposed into an attacker. It flies somewhat acceptably compared to other bombers but by attacker standards it is terrible. It is slow, turns poorly, and does not accelerate or climb well at all. Roll rate and energy retention are not worth mentioning. The sheer weight and bulk of the plane give it a large amount of inertia. Getting guns on target during a strafing run can be a major challenge due to its weak rudder and extremely sluggish controls, and once its altitude is expended, there is little chance of getting it back in a timely manner. Think twice before attacking a ground or naval target and avoid steep dives. There are better uses of your time than fighting with the P.108A's controls in a futile attempt to pull up!

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 3,049 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 426 || 412 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 32.5 || 34.1 || 6.0 || 5.9 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| 464 || 444 || 29.6 || 31.0 || 9.8 || 7.7
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 400 || 400 || 249 || ~3 || ~2
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 330 || < 310 || < 270 || > 250
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 8 mm Steel - Cockpit armour - instrument panel, pilot's seat, co-pilot's seat and floor plate below pilot
* 8 mm Steel - Armour plate protecting ammo located in wings
* 8 mm Steel - Side gunner armoured walls
* 8 mm Steel - Ventral gunner position
* Fuel tanks located in wings

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

{{main|102/35 mod 14 (102 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 102 mm 102/35 mod 14 cannon, nose-mounted (50 rpg)

=== Defensive armament ===

{{main|Breda-SAFAT (12.7 mm)|Breda-SAFAT (7.7 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is defended by:

* 2 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun, 2 x wing turret (300 rpg = 1,200 total)
* 1 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun, ventral turret (450 rpg)
* 1 x 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun, 2 x beam turret (400 rpg = 800 total)

== Usage in battles ==

The Piaggio P.108A Serie 2 is a 4 engine attacker. Despite being an attacker, the 102 mm cannon is relatively inaccurate which means the targets that suit this plane the best are usually stationary targets that the 102 mm cannon can penetrate and destroy. The plane's defensive firepower is relatively poor and you should try to avoid enemy planes as much as possible. If an enemy plane is lining up to attack you from the front, try to swing your plane and give him the tail of the plane so your gunners can shoot back at the enemy aircraft.

Stay low and do not go above 1,900 m. Speed is key: try to maintain a speed of close to 200 km/h as that gives you wiggle room as your stall speed is 155 km/h despite the massive weight.

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

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! colspan="2" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
|
| Turret 7 mm
|
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 7 mm MGs (turret)
| Offensive 102 mm
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| Turret 12 mm
|
|-
| IV
|
| Engine injection
| Cover
| New 12 mm MGs (turret)
| New 102 mm cannons
|-
|}

# The first tier modifications to be unlocked should be ''Radiator'' and ''Fuselage repair'', then ''Turret 7 mm''. This is so you can improve the poor performance of the plane. The belts should be last as no matter what the defensive firepower of the plane with or with out the belts would still remain poor.
# The second tier upgrades should start with the ''Airframe'' so your plane is a bit more durable. Then get the ''New 7 mm MGs (turret)'' and ''Offensive 102 mm'' for increase in firepower and defensive armament. Finally go get the ''Compressor''.
# The Third tier modifications should start off with the ''Engine'', then unlock the ''Wings repair''. Last of all unlock the ''Turret 12.7 mm.''
# The fourth tier modification should start off with the ''New 12.7 mm MGs (turret)'' then ''Cover''. And your last two modification should be ''Engine Injection'' and ''New 102 mm Cannons''.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 102 mm cannon can prove devastating on a direct hit
* Large amount of ammo for the cannon
* 2 turrets are placed on the distant engines allowing for more guns to face backwards
* Repair cost is negligible (less than 1000 SL)
* High SL multiplier

'''Cons:'''

* Inaccurate cannon and sluggish airframe make lining up shots very difficult
* Gunners are bunched together and easily knocked out
* Turrets on the engines cannot face forwards
* Relatively weak defensive armament
* Head on attacks are usually fatal for this plane
* Massive target
* Prone to fuel tank fire due to tremendous fuel load
* can't carry bombs

== History ==


The Piaggio P.108 heavy bomber series were the only strategic bombers to see service with the Italian military during World War II. The P.108 was developed prior to the war as a continuation of the earlier prototype Piaggio P.50. With long range and considerable bombload, the P.108 was supposed to offer the Regia Aeronautica the ability to attack ships and bases throughout the Mediterranean region, particularly at Gibraltar. The resulting aircraft was fairly advanced by the standards of the Italian industry, featuring all-metal construction, electric welding, and remote-control gun turrets on the outer engine nacelles. It looked somewhat like an Italian equivalent of the American B-17 Flying Fortress, which itself had been considered for license production in Italy. The P.108 first flew in late 1939.

The P.108 had its fair share of issues, largely related to its engines. During one test flight in February 1941, all four Piaggio R.XI engines of the P.108 prototype failed due to heavy icing. The pilot miraculously made a safe emergency landing. Later examples switched to the Piaggio R.XXII engine instead. The reputation of the bomber also took a hit when Bruno Mussolini, the son of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and the commander of a P.108 crew, died after a crash on August 7, 1941 caused by hydraulic and engine failure shortly after takeoff. The P.108 only entered combat service in 1942 and saw middling success at first; engine troubles aside, Italian crews were not prepared for the navigation and fuel management challenges that long range bombing missions entailed. By 1943, the P.108s began to encounter stiff resistance from enemy aircraft and several were lost to British fighters. After the Italian armistice, the remaining P.108s saw little service. The transport versions served to the end of the war.

The '''P.108A''' was a curious modification of the P.108B bomber variant developed in late 1942. It was designed to attack ships, and to this end it was equipped with an enormous 102 mm cannon in the lower part of the nose. The cannon was a bored-out development of the [[90/53 mod.41 (90 mm)|90/53]] cannon used by the Italian Army, capable of firing larger shells. The installation added two tons of weight to the P.108. The airframe was revised and a special gun sight was installed, later including an analog computer. The P.108A underwent extensive testing and was deemed an effective anti-ship attacker. Plans were made to assemble 5 additional P.108As for a dedicated attack unit, but the Italian armistice halted them. Thus, only one P.108A was ever built. It fell into German hands and was evaluated by the Luftwaffe at their test center in Rechlin, Germany. It was damaged and later destroyed by Allied bombing some time after 1944.

The P.108 did not make a significant impact in World War II, only being produced in small numbers and encountering many obstacles during testing and operational use. It was used in Gibraltar, North Africa, and Sicily with mixed results. The P.108A avoided the developmental troubles of the bomber versions but never entered service, and the single prototype never fired its gun in anger. In spite of its faults, the P.108 can be credited with being the pinnacle of Italian bombers. It served as a basis for the improved P.133 design, which promised superior performance and armament but was canceled after the armistice and never built.

No P.108s are known to survive today.

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|PrqqMtZin1U|'''The Shooting Range #48''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 02:35 discusses the P.108A.}}

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

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

{{AirManufacturer Piaggio}}
{{Italy attackers}}