Type 74 (C)

2023-02-19T07:27:59Z

U8538615: added history

{{About
| about = Japanese medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Type 74 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=jp_type_74_c
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Japanese medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Direct Hit"]].

The earliest of the production variant of the [[Type 74 (Family)|Type 74]], it has some of the early ammunition set for the 105 mm L7A3 cannon. The most distinctive difference between the {{PAGENAME}} and the next [[Type 74 (E)]] is the C version lacks the thermal shroud around the 105 mm L7A3 cannon (this feature was introduced in the Type 74 (D) variant).

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


'''Armour type:'''

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 40 mm (74°), 80 mm (65°) ''Front glacis'' 80 mm (57°) ''Lower glacis'' || 35 mm (44°) ''Top'' 30 mm, 10 mm (55-56°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm ''Top'' 25 mm (47-48°) ''Bottom'' || 25 mm
|-
| Turret || 132 mm (27-53°) ''Turret front'' 200 mm (34-73°) , 150 + 170 mm (0-44°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 132 mm (5-57°) ''Front'' 67 mm (37-47°) ''Rear'' || 37 mm (17-39°) || 67 mm ''Front'' 37 mm ''Rear''
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 80 mm || 80 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are both 20 mm thick.
* Has additional 10 mm mounting plates scattered on the front hull
* The Type 74's hydropneumatic suspension means it could vary the sloped angle of its armour towards the enemy.
* Hull roof is rated to be 25 mm effective against HE.

As with most medium tanks of the rank, the hull of the {{PAGENAME}} is only capable of stopping some autocannon fire and has very vulnerable sides, however, the turret armour of the {{PAGENAME}} is closer to US and British turret armour level. While it's unlikely to stop most APFSDS, it is very likely to deflect stray APDS and APHE. Light tanks will likely have to get close and personal to penetrate it, as penetrating cupola even with APDS belt is a challenge due to its size.

The advantage can be kept even when creeping onto the enemy high ground by using hydropneumatic suspension before driving uphill to not allow the enemy to fire at the roof. In rare cases, the tank can "duck" behind cover to hide at least a portion of the turret from enemy fire.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,116|rbMinHp=637}}

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

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

{{main|L7A3 (105 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L7A3 (105 mm)|105 mm L7A3]] || 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" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+9° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 22.8 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.5 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

While the 105 mm gun is relatively equal to one of other nations. It has all the same shell types of NATO tanks at its BR range. The {{PAGENAME}} also has a laser rangefinder, which makes it really easy to check aim in RB, compared to tanks it fights in down-tiers and sometimes even in up-tier.

The gun depression is somewhat limited at -6°, but the vehicle's hydropneumatic suspension can be used to compensate for this to -12°.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:L7A3 (105 mm)/Ammunition|M392A2, Type 75, M456}}

==== [[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
|-
| '''50''' || 17 ''(+33)'' || 10 ''(+40)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || Yes
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Racks 2 and 3 are first stage ammo racks. They total 16 shells and get filled first when loading up the tank.
** These racks are also emptied early: the depletion order at full capacity is: 2 - 3 - 1.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-8 into rack 9. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.
* The visual discrepancy concerns racks 1 and 3.
** Rack 1 has 3 shells which, while modelled in the rack, are never present (crossed out shells).
** Rack 1 is modelled as 30 shells but contains 34 shells.
** Rack 3 has a shell which remains in the rack even after having been shot.

==== Optics and night vision ====
{| 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
| X8 - X16 || 800X600 || 8.0 || High || Not Fitted || Image intensifier unlocked by "NVD" modification (tier 4)
|-
! Commander's View
| X6 || 800X600 || 8.0 || High || Not Fitted || Image intensifier unlocked by "NVD" modification (tier 4)
|-
! Driver's View
| X1 / 3PV || 800X600 || 5.0 || High || Not Fitted || Image intensifier unlocked by "NVD" modification (tier 4)
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|Type 74 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 577 || -10°/+60° || -180°/+80°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 74 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Type 74]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,500 (250) || 701 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

While it's not recommended, it's still possible to use 12.7 mm to fight light tanks like [[AUBL/74 HVG]] or [[Rooikat Mk.1D]] and most SPAA tanks at <100 m range.

Do not charge them with just the MG, especially at long range, as even poorly armoured rank V light tanks can survive frontal MG fire long enough to disarm and explode Type 74 - let them come to you, hit them with the main gun and ensure they never move again by firing at their sides or flat parts, while hiding yours.

Any melee oriented light tanks like [[BMP-2]] or [[Warrior]] with add-on armour will have enough armour to absorb the MG fire and will greet Type 74 back with point blank ATGM attack, which machine guns will be unable to stop at such range.

== Usage in battles ==
{{Main|Type_74_(E)#Usage_in_battles|l1=Type 74 Usage}}

As all [[Type 74 (Family)|Type 74s]], they closely resemble and play like the [[Leopard (Family)|Leopard 1s]] while providing slightly better protection in exchange of top speed and stock depression, which [[Hydropneumatic suspension]] compensates for up to -12°.

As the earliest in-game production model of the [[Type 74 (Family)|Type 74s]], just coming after the [[STB-1]] it changes up the game with a single shell: M456 HEATFS. While overall gameplay remains the same compared to the rest of the Type 74s, the drawback of only providing HEATFS can be negated by the lower rating of the tank facing against easier-to-punch-through vehicles and less protected vehicles against chemical penetration. All the tools that make the tank shine ranging from laser rangefinder, decent mobility, full stabilizer allow it to as versatile as the tank commander wishes. Allowing for a sniper role in the back of the map, cresting over a hill with the suspension, firing on laser-found ranges or CQB with split-second reaction times allowed by the stabilizer.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* A little bit more agile than the [[Leopard A1A1]]
* .50 cal machine gun proves useful against SPAAGs, as well as strafing aircraft
* Better frontal armour overall than the Leopards, [[ZSU-57-2]] will have a much harder time defeating it from the front, can also bounce some medium tank APDS
* Hydropneumatic suspension system can give up to -12° of gun depression as well as more compatibility for terrain
* Offers laser rangefinder

'''Cons:'''

* Lacks APDSFS
* [[Hydropneumatic suspension]] system takes time to deploy and undeploy
* Only -6° of gun depression without deploying the suspension
* 53 km/h top speed compared to [[Leopard A1A1]]'s 65 km/h (however, both tanks rarely reach this speed)

== History ==

The JGSDF began studies on new tank designs with Mitsubishi in 1962, after the Type 61 had been shown to be outmatched by new Soviet tanks such as the T-62. Features from several designs were incorporated, including the controllable suspension of the US-German MBT-70 project, the hull of the Leopard 1, and a similar 105mm gun. The design included a rotating cupola for the commander, and a new autoloader for the main gun. Prior to the 1965 decision to design an entirely new tank, some technologies which would later be used in the STB-1 (first prototype) were already in development independently in Japan. The design was finalized in 1964 and various test rigs were built between 1964 and 1967.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=jp_type_74_c Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
{{Skin-gallery|market|ugcitem_1001161|Type 74 (C) 90-7360.png|Camo "Type 74 (C) 72nd Sensha Rentai, 1st Chutai"}}

== See also ==


;Related Development

* [[STB-1]] - (Prototype Stage)
* [[Type 74 (Family)]]
* [[Type 87]] - (SPAAG built on a modified Type 74 Hull)

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Leopard 1 (Family)]]
** [[Leopard I]]
* [[AMX-30 (Family)]]
** [[AMX-30]]
** [[AMX-30 (1972)]]
* [[OF-40 (Family)]]

== External links ==

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

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

{{Japan medium tanks}}

War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Type 74 (C)