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G.55 serie 1

2022-02-16T12:42:49Z

U90981443: /* Armaments */

{{About
| about = Italian fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = G.55 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=g_55_serie1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|cockpit=Cockpit g.55 serie 1.jpg
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica"]].

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

Adequate is the word that comes to mind when referring to the flight characteristics of the G.55. While not particularly good at anything, it isn't particularly bad at anything either, which makes it a solid jack-of-all-trades type plane. Overall, it is a smooth flyer that has decent acceleration, speed and climb rate while sporting a powerful triad of MG 151's which load the feared Minengeschoß round that can tear through planes like a hot knife through butter. It excels the most in medium altitude (3-5 km) as a powerful energy-based dogfighter which can take advantage of its great engine power to defeat most allied fighters it comes across.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 6,500 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
| 623 || 607 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 20.9 || 21.6 || 13.5 || 13.5 || rowspan="2" | 300
|-
! Upgraded
| 670 || 646 || 19.1 || 20.0 || 20.7 || 16.7
|-
|}

==== 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}} || 437 || 408 || 260 || ~12 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 400 || < 420 || < 450 || > 715
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 5,700 m || 1,260 hp || 1,399 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


* 8 mm Steel - Pilot's seat
* 50 mm Bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
* Critical components located at the front of aircraft (pilot, engine, controls)
* Fuel tanks located in wings
* Fuel tank in the fuselage behind the pilot

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|MG 151 (20 mm)|Breda-SAFAT (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons, nose-mounted (250 rpg)
* 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons, wing-mounted (200 rpg = 400 total)
* 2 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)

The two cannons are mounted in each wing. A single 20 mm cannon is mounted in the nose of the aircraft, firing through the propeller hub. The two machine guns are nose-mounted, positioned between the pilot and the engine of the aircraft. If fired continuously, the wing-mounted cannons will run out of ammunition before the nose-mounted cannon.

The twin Breda HMG's are reliable for easily taking down opponents with air targets or stealth belts, however they have fairly poor ballistics beyond 300 meters. The pilot should use them as scouting weapons in order to line-up shots for the MG 151's to save ammunition, which isn't necessarily needed as the 151's have a large pool of ammunition, but it does help when trying to play more conservatively.

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|GP 50 (50 kg)|GP 100 (100 kg)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 2 x 50 kg GP 50 bombs (100 kg total)
* 2 x 100 kg GP 100 bombs (200 kg total)

== Usage in battles ==

The G.55's main strong points come down to its engine power, its light construction and its wing profile, which grant it a high sustained rate of climb, a tight turning circle and the power output to endure sustained horizontal manoeuvring. It performs best up to medium altitudes around 5,000 m (16,404 feet), after which it is generally outperformed by its competition. unfortunately, its light construction and its wing profile mean that when the "Centauro" goes into the vertical, it bleeds speed very easily. Its top speed in a dive is unimpressive and it can barely catch up in a zoom climb with its competitors. The armament is very effective as well, however, the MG 151 is not very accurate at range, which should be taken into account when engaging in head-on passes.

You should primarily enforce an energy fighting flying style to take advantage of the aircraft's descent energy retention and solid manoeuvrability, and also to try to cover the Centauro's weakness of mediocre speed. Try to stay above your enemy, but take care to recognize the threat your attacker poses by observing the plane they are flying.

'''Specific enemies worth noting'''

* [[P-51D-30]] - The P-51D-30 is another enemy you should take note of. It is arguably one of the best aircraft at this battle rating thanks to its excellent speed, great climb rate, relatively powerful armament and solid high-speed manoeuvrability due to its Laminar flow wings. The Packard V-1650 is basically a Merlin engine tuned for high altitude, and it can propel the D-30 to speeds the G.55 can only dream of. However, the D-30 has extremely poor manoeuvrability at low speeds due to the same Laminar flow wings that allow it to turn well at high speeds, so if you cannot engage one with an energy advantage you can turn-fight it.
* [[Yak-3P]] - The feared red Russian menace is an extremely dangerous opponent that can engage you on a more than even footing. It turns well, outruns you, and has a solid climb rate while also sporting a relatively powerful set of 3 B-20 cannons, but its performance suffers above 3,000 m where its already mediocre speed becomes crippling and has slightly worse turn than G.55 when flaps are properly used. As long as you take care to engage it above 4,000 m or turnfight it properly, not a threat.
* Late [[Bf 109 (Family)|Bf 109]] models (G2/trop-G6) - The G-2 and G-6 outruns and outclimbs you. When they are above you and starts Boom and Zoom on you, lure them into turnfight or seek for teammates to help.

=== 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
|-
| Not controllable || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Auto control available || Controllable Auto control available || Separate || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good climb rate
* Exceptional low and mid-altitude performance
* Relatively robust airframe
* Good turn and roll rate
* Effective armament with a large ammunition pool
* Multi-role fighter which can carry bombs

'''Cons:'''

* Lack of armour means the pilot is more prone to being knocked out in a head-on pass
* Engine overheats quickly on WEP without manual engine control
* Roll and yaw are limited at high speeds
* Metal beams on canopy window obstruct the first-person view
* Mediocre top speed

== History ==

The Fiat G.55 serie 1 (G.55/1) was the first production aircraft series of the Fiat G.55 family. The aircraft's origins can be traced to a variant of the Fiat G.50, to be powered by a new Fiat RA.1050 inline engine (a license-built variant of the DB-605). The first G.55 prototype flew on 30 April 1942, immediately exhibiting its great flight performance and handling characteristics. Though initially equipped with a 20 mm MG151/20 cannon and four Breda SAFAT machine guns, the design was revised to include two additional cannons replacing two of the wing-mounted machine guns. This armament scheme became the standard for G.55/1 aircraft, though some had field-modified wing machine guns instead of the cannons.

The aircraft was test flown against its rivals, the C.205 and Re.2005. Of the three, the G.55 exhibited the second best characteristics. As a result, it and the C.205 were both ordered into mass production, with 1,800 G.55 aircraft ordered. The first 34 pre-production aircraft were completed identical to the prototype, and later modified to serie 1 standard, with underwing racks for a single 50 kg or 100 kg bomb. The aircraft's strong high-altitude performance and adequate armament made it well-suited for the bomber interception role it was meant to fulfil, as the Italians intended it to be used against American heavy bombers such as the B-17 and B-24.

The first G.55/1 aircraft began deliveries in summer of 1943, and soon began flying sorties against American bombers. However, the aircraft's complicated construction process meant that only 35 aircraft had been delivered before the Italian Armistice in September of that year. However, several G.55/1s went on to serve with the Northern Italian air force, still loyal to the Nazis. These aircraft served until late 1944, when they were replaced by later variants of the Bf 109.

In early 1942, the German and Italian air forces exchanged officers for visits to their respective aircraft production lines, to investigate ways to standardize axis aircraft production. In particular, the Germans were interested in the G.55 and its counterparts - so interested that it attracted the attention of Hermann Göring. After various flight tests, the German Air Ministry decided that the G.55 was an excellent fighter and started setting up a production line in Germany as well. As a result, various G.55 variants were produced in Germany. However, due to the relatively short production run before the Armistice, only 35 G.55/1 aircraft were built.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=g_55_serie1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

[[File:G.55 serie 1 Francesca Lucchini.mp4|thumb|"Francesca Lucchini" collaboration camouflage|none]]

== See also ==


;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* [[Bf 109 G-2/trop]]
* [[Bf 109 G-6]] / {{Specs-Link|bf-109g-6_finland}}
* [[Ki-61-I hei]]
* [[C.205N2]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4812-vehicle-profile-fiat-g-55-serie-1-en|[Vehicle Profile] Fiat G.55 serie 1]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/364974-fiat-g55-serie-i-centauro/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Fiat}}
{{Italy fighters}}

T-34-85 Gai

2021-12-09T07:50:30Z

U90981443: Edited for brevity and certain common enemies faced at the certain BR

{{About
| about = Chinese medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = T-34 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_type_58
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]].

Generally similar to the earlier [[T-34-85 (S-53) (China)|T-34-85 (S-53)]], which itself is identical to the Soviet [[T-34-85]], the Gai's gameplay should be very familiar to experienced players. It differentiates itself with a number of cosmetic differences, and more importantly, a roof-mounted 12.7 mm DShK heavy machine gun. For the first time, T-34 drivers can enjoy the utility offered by a heavy machine gun similar to the ubiquitous M2 Browning featured on American tanks.

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


'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Cupola, Driver's hatch, Machine gun port)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 45 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 45 mm (60°) ''Lower glacis'' 75 mm (60°) ''Driver's hatch'' 65 mm (30°) ''Machine gun port'' || 45 mm (39-40°) ''Top'' 45 mm ''Bottom'' || 45 mm (47-49°) ''Top'' 45 mm (46°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 90 mm (1-69°) ''Turret front'' 90 + 40 mm (8-61°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 75 mm (19-22°) ''Front 2/3rd'' 52 mm (13-19°) ''Rear 1/3rd'' || 52 mm (9°) || 20 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 90 mm || 20 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* The gun mantlet has 90 mm in front with additional small and thin 40 mm plates on the sides of the gun.
* Suspensions wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 18 mm thick

The armour layout of the T-34-85 Gai is virtually identical to the [[T-34-85]]. The hull armour, while well angled, is very thin for its rank and can be penetrated by nearly any tank cannon. Creative use of angling can still lead to the occasional bounce. The 90 mm thick turret is also thin for its rank, but the good sloping on the sides can also lead to bounces with some luck.

The T-34-85 has very poor survivability due to the fact that all 5 crew members are packed close to each other. A hull penetration will likely knock out all of them. However, inexperienced players that face this tank will often shoot the lower hull part of the driver hatch, which is infamous for being surprisingly resilient.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=442}}

The {{PAGENAME}} has excellent mobility for a medium tank, as expected of a T-34. It can reach high speeds both on and off road thanks to its wide tracks. The reverse speed is not exactly great, but it is significantly better than those of comparable Shermans, Panthers, and early T-34s (76 mm, 57 mm variants).

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

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

{{main|ZIS-S-53 (85 mm)}}

This is where the T-34-85 Gai excels. Like other 85 mm-armed T-34s, its APHE rounds have large amounts of explosive filler and sufficient penetration values to deal with most of the common enemies you will face. Do keep in mind that you have a few different types of shells to choose from. The stock BR-365K APHE rounds have good penetration and a decent quantity of explosive filler. The unlockable BR-365A APHEBC rounds may appear to be a downgrade from the BR-365K at first, but they are deceptively powerful; excellent normalization modifiers make them far more effective against angled armour and the 164 grams of explosive filler (twice as much as the BR-365K) will guarantee the destruction of almost any target upon penetration. The BR-365P APCR rounds have the highest velocity and best flat penetration, but they are comparatively anemic in terms of post-penetration damage and are dreadful against angled armour. Lastly, the O-365 HE shell is only useful against very thinly armoured or open-top targets and should generally be avoided, as the APHE/APHEBC rounds and heavy machine gun are generally sufficient for this task.

In general it is a good idea to carry mainly BR-365A shells, as the bit of extra flat penetration on the BR-365K does not really help in penetrating more targets, while the BR-365A's slope modifiers and extra explosive filler are very useful, especially when flanking. It may be a good idea to bring a few APCR shells for emergencies, but its power is limited - it cannot penetrate the turret of a [[Tiger II (H)]], for example.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ZIS-S-53 (85 mm)|85 mm ZIS-S-53]] || 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" | 55 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+22° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 23.8 || 32.9 || 40.0 || 44.2 || 47.1 || rowspan="2" | 9.62 || rowspan="2" | 8.51 || rowspan="2" | 7.84 || rowspan="2" | 7.40
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.9 || 17.5 || 21.3 || 23.5 || 25.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-365K || APHE || 148 || 143 || 126 || 106 || 90 || 77
|-
| BR-365A || APHEBC || 135 || 133 || 125 || 115 || 106 || 97
|-
| BR-365P || APCR || 195 || 187 || 154 || 120 || 94 || 74
|-
| O-365K || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-365K || APHE || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 14 || 73.92 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-365A || APHEBC || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 14 || 164 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-365P || APCR || 1,050 || 4.99 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| O-365K || HE || 793 || 9.54 || 0 || 0.1 || 660 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[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
|-
| '''55''' || 52 ''(+3)'' || 40 ''(+15)'' || 38 ''(+17)'' || 36 ''(+19)'' || 1 ''(+54)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note:'''

* To go into battle with the turret and the flanks empty of ammo, pack 36 ''(+19)'' shells.
* Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.



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

{{main|DShK (12.7 mm)|DT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DShK (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm DShK]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 200 (50) || 600 || -4°/+82° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


While the T-34-85 Gai is a fairly well-rounded tank, its poor armour and high speed mean that one should play it more like a light tank than a medium. The gun is very lethal but the penetration is not particularly good, so it is better to flank and go for side shots, which can instantly knock out all but the largest and most spacious opponents. During frontal engagements, [[Tiger E|Tiger I]]s should be shot in the flat portions of the hull (avoiding the driver's port), [[Panzer V Panther (Family)|Panthers]] should be shot in the turret (in the less curved portion of the mantlet) or possibly in the lower glacis, and [[M4 Sherman (Family)|non-Jumbo Shermans]] can generally be shot anywhere. The [[Tiger II (P)]] is only vulnerable in a small portion of the turret cheeks and the [[Tiger II (H)]] is essentially frontally immune, so for these kinds of targets, circle around to get a good shot at the hull sides and let the slope modifiers take care of the rest. Watch out for American tanks like the [[M4A3 (76) W]] and [[T25]], as they have vertical stabilizers and can often shoot first if they are aware of you.

In AB, you should play this tank like any other T-34. Push because you have a pretty well-rounded tank and will generally be able to adapt to whatever situation that develops. The AB meta generally favours more heavily armed and armoured tanks due to the presence of markers, making flanking and ambushes more difficult, so play carefully and take advantage of your high mobility.

In RB, play this tank offensively yet carefully. Use your speed and keep up with your teammates, or alternatively play it like a light tank and go on long flanks. In RB, one will often encounter enemy flankers like the infamous [[M18 GMC|M18 Hellcat]] or [[R3 T20 FA-HS]]; while the main gun is adequate for dispatching these soft targets, the heavy machine gun can also rip through them in a pinch, particularly from the sides. The machine gun can be especially helpful if one's tank is otherwise disabled due to a jammed turret ring, destroyed gun breech, etc. Diving aircraft expecting to strafe an innocuous T-34 can also be given a nasty surprise, though the DShK's small belt capacity makes this more difficult.

In SB, play this tank very cautiously because the optics aren't that good and most of the time you will face tanks from pretty far distances. Panthers generally have better optics than you so try to avoid encounters with Panthers or Tigers.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

[[Panther A]]/[[Panther D|D]], [[Tiger II (P)|Tiger II P]]:

The Panthers are one of the most common tanks around BR 5.7, and they pose a great threat with their deadly long 75 mm cannon, thick frontal armour and adequate speed. You want to avoid engaging them at long range as the T-34 has only x3.5 scope magnification, making long range shooting super hard. Engage the Panthers within 500 m and avoid shooting their frontal hull. Their biggest weak spot is the gun mantlet, which is only 100 mm thick and has a flat part in the middle. That is where you want to aim at, the T-34's APHE has sufficient damage to instantly destroy the Panther even from its turret. The second weak spot is of course the sides, guaranteeing an instant kill. Generally APHE is enough to deal with the Panthers, and no APCR is needed.

For the Tiger II P, aim at the vertical area of the frontal turret which is also 100 mm. The best tactic is still to flank it however.

[[Tiger H1]]/[[Tiger E|E]]:

The Tiger's weak spots are the opposite with the Panthers. Their hull are unsloped and rather thin, while the gun mantlet is weirdly shaped and can absorb quite some shells. The best engaging range remains the same, within 500 m. If the Tiger is angling, aim at the hull side below the side skirt, which is only 60 mm. If it is not angling, aim between the driver's vision port and the MG for an instant kill. Avoid shooting at these two parts as they tend to bounce/absorb shells. For the Tiger E, don't shoot at the lower glacis as there will be add-on tracks installed there, making it harder to penetrate. Avoid shooting at the turret or turret ring as your round will most likely be absorbed by overlapping armour plates

[[Ho-Ri Production|Ho-Ri]]:

In a frontal engagement, APCR is required as the APHE shells don't have enough penetration. With APCR loaded, aim at the further sides of the fighting compartment, away from the gun, because the further from the gun, the thinner the armour gets, with the thinnest part being around 160 mm unsloped. Penetrating there will knock out its loader, gunner or commander, or detonate the ammo. Of course, the best way is still side-shooting with APHE.

[[Panzer IV/70(V)|Panzer IV/70]](V), [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)]]:

These small tank destroyers with their well angled frontal armour can be quite a problem from a distance. With APHE, you can disable their transmission by shooting at their lower glacis. Now if you can, flank them. The 85 mm APHE does a great job at penetrating sloped, thin armour, so you don't have to get to their absolute sides. For the Pz IV/70, you can also aim at the downward part of the gun mantlet since the shell might ricochet downwards into the hull, knocking out every crew member. The Jagdpanzer 38(t) doesn't have this problem, so side-shooting is required to destroy it effectively.

[[M4A3E2]] Jumbo:

This is another common enemy. It is recommended to use the BR-365A, the one with less pen but more explosive filler. The reason is that it is better at penetrating sloped armour, which the Jumbo has. With that shell you can easily destroy a M4A3E2 who's not angling. If it is, aim at the hull side just above the tracks, or load APCR and shoot straight at its gun mantlet. Against a 75 mm M4A3E2 you can relax a bit as it will struggle to penetrate your armour, but your cupola is a rather large weak spot and a shot through there can knock out the T-34. Be more careful with the M4A3E2 76 W, as they can easily pierce through your armour.

[[Tiger II (H)]]: Your shells cannot penetrate the turret face. Try to flank it and get a shot at the turret side, as your shells normalize very well, and due to the BR365A's large amount of explosive filler, a penetrating hit on the turret will in most cases blow up the ammunition stowed in either the hull or the turret rear.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Top mounted heavy machine gun is useful against soft targets and perhaps incoming aircraft
* Excellent gun with adequate penetration, destructive damage and good reload rate
* 56 km/h top speed and great maneuverability allows it to reposition easily
* 5-man crew increases survivability
* Access to BR-365P APCR to effectively penetrate tough tanks up close (Tigers & Panthers)
* Has two types of AP for players to choose: BR-365K with higher pen but less TNT, and BR-365A with less pen but plenty of TNT
* Similar playstyle with the previous T-34s which is rather beginner-friendly
* Fast turret traverse to easily deal with targets from multiple directions
* Sloped hull and round frontal turret might bounce small calibre shells

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is inadequate at its rank, providing very limited protection against common guns (American 76 mm, British 17 pdr, German 75 mm & 88 mm, etc)
* May have issues penetrating hard targets frontally (Tiger II, Ferdinand, Ho-Ri, Panzer IV/70(V)
* Heavy machine gun needs to reload frequently, due to the small magazine capacity
* Fairly tall, top machine gun makes the tank even more noticeable
* Awkward to place bushes on upper front hull due to the obstruction of MG port and driver's optics
* Heavy machine gun has extremely limited ammunition reserves

== History ==

The Soviet Union sold numerous [[T-34-85]] tanks along with other vehicles to the People's Republic of China in the early 1950s since the new nation had few and often obsolete tanks in its inventory after the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War. The T-34s saw limited deployments with the People's Liberation Army during the Korean War. The history of the tank afterwards has been the subject of debate; according to some sources the PRC attempted and possibly succeeded at creating a local copy of the T-34 under a "Type 58" designation, and according to others this was never a goal, no such tanks ever existed, and only efforts to maintain and repair the T-34s were carried out. Regardless the T-34s were soon superseded by the far superior [[Type 59]], a licensed copy of the Soviet T-54A. However, stocks of T-34s remained in the PLA inventory for a long period of time before domestic tanks were available in sufficient quantity.

T-34s in Chinese service were often upgraded to a standard referred to by some as the "Type 58". The exact details and universality of these upgrades are also nebulous, but known characteristics include a new loader's cupola capable of mounting a heavy machine gun, hardpoints on the right turret cheek for stowing away said machine gun, and a modified hinge for the rear transmission cover. Other upgrades may have been carried out as well.

The vehicle represented in War Thunder also features a splashboard welded onto the upper glacis. The "Gai" in its designation (改) means "modified" in Chinese.

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|ly9JS6errQQ|'''Best secondary armaments''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:38 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== 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.''

{{China medium tanks}}

ST-A1

2021-12-06T10:42:29Z

U90981443: Edited some grammar errors for brevity

{{About
| about = Japanese medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other variants
| link = Type 61 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=jp_st_a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (also known by '''STA-1''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Japanese medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced along with the initial Japanese Ground Forces tree in [[Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai"]].

The ST-A1, similar to most Japanese tanks, is lightly armoured. Although the sloped upper glacis and the rounded turret are capable of bouncing off the occasional shot at BR 6.3, most enemies it faces will not have any problems in penetrating the armour. Combined with the tight placement of crew, modules, and ammo, the ST-A1 is easily taken out in a single shot. The ST-A1 can serve as a sniper or flanker (although it does not have the best speed), however, full utilization of the terrain is essential for survival - due to its powerful gun and low profile, the tank is able to fire off long-range shots without exposing itself. The excellent reverse speed should also be taken advantage of to quickly retreat into cover.

The ST-A1 bears the common Japanese post-war camouflage-schemes - green, bi-colour green and the white spotted winter camouflage, as well as the beige-grey-green and multi-colour camouflage patterns that are purchasable with Golden Eagles. The tank has a distinct silhouette with its rounded turret and long, low chassis, and carries the 90 mm M3A1 cannon found on the [[M46|M46 Patton]] tank.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 75 mm (52°) ''Front glacis'' 75 mm (47°) ''Lower glacis'' || 25 mm (45°) ''Top'' 25 mm ''Bottom'' || 15 mm (15-44°) ''Top'' 15 mm ''Bottom'' || 15 mm
|-
| Turret || 75 mm (5-55°) ''Turret front'' 50 mm (8-65°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 40 mm (16-32°) || 25 mm (7-10°) || 15 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 40 mm || 15 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.

When facing the ST-A1, the left side of the turret holds the gunner and commander whereas the right side holds the ammunition. A well-placed shot into the turret will result in a catastrophic explosion or a possible double crew knock out with a solid shot. If unable to disable the gunner, the breech which is the largest thing in the turret will do as a target due to the repair time is close to one minute (or less depending on the crew skills) giving enough time for the attacker to reload and finish off the tank.

However, in arcade battles, if all of turret crew members knocked out, the "last stand" is very forgiving and the tank seems to soak up damage as if gunner is not even present in the turret. As long as the vehicle doesn't take full ammunition load and spends all of their pre-loaded ammunition, the turret can tank AP and HEAT shots while only likely to lose the gun breech. This makes the tank extremely hard to destroy from a distance, especially from the left side as long as the hull is not hit. Caution must be taken with the turret to avoid being shot directly with APHE or HESH. Close range combat with multiple tanks should be avoided.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=442}}

Its offroad speed is about (AB/RB) 40/33 km/h forward and -18/-15 km/h backwards, and its top speed is 50/45 forward and -20/-17 backwards, reached by driving in one direction for a long time.

Suspension of {{PAGENAME}} allows it to stay on rather high hills, but without mobility upgrades it will still slide off them eventually. It also cannot rush steep hills even in Arcade mode, even at maximum speed, unless you researched everything (And even then it may slide back down at the last moment).

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

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

{{main|M3A1 (90 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3A1 (90 mm)|90 mm M3A1]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 40 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.47 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 9.75 || rowspan="2" | 8.63 || rowspan="2" | 7.95 || rowspan="2" | 7.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

While gun performs at an acceptable level at its battle rating, the module "Adjustment of fire" should be the first module upgraded as well as the available ammunition upgrades. The base ammunition is solely armour-piercing and low quality at that, so it is unsuited to fight other tanks from long range, unlocking other shells will provide the tank operator harder hitting shells.

Progression goes as follows:

;Stock:

* Able to fight light tanks and some medium tanks within about 500 m. Without upgrades, the main gun tends to miss a lot and even if you hit the target the round may ricochet. Attacking heavy tanks is really not recommended with the default ammunition due to the poor quality and low damage.

;APHE and adjustment of fire:

* Able to fight heavy tanks of your own battle rating like the [[IS-2]] or [[Tiger II (P)]] by firing at their frontal turret weak spot at relatively close range and snipe certain medium tanks, although anything of higher battle rating like [[Centurion Mk 3]] should not be attacked directly due to their protective armour. Many tanks will still bounce your long-range shots, because APHE flies at a high angle since 700 m, and in up-tier, the rounds will not affect any of the heavy tanks. However, you can take flanking snipe routes and use your high-level zoom to snipe them from great distance into their sides where the armour is weaker and with APHE, unlike normal AP, will definitely destroy their entire tank for you as long as it penetrates.

;APCR and elevation mechanism:

* Many will be puzzled by a tank which carries into battle two different APCR rounds. Though the M304 and M332 rounds have different masses, they effectively do the same amount of damage. The larger M304 is a blunt force shell and due to its weight, the main gun must be angled up to ensure the heavy shell reaches its target. Unfortunately, with the higher angle of attaching, the shell does lose some penetration power. The M332, on the other hand, is a smaller mass round, however, it can be fired more like a rifle round almost level at the target. This smaller round impacts its targets at a higher velocity breaching heavily armoured tanks from longer distances with a minimal chance of ricochet. With the smaller mass comes smaller damage, but because of this, the M304 and M332 are doing roughly the same damage. It may still one-shot cramped-quarter tanks if you shoot straight through the middle of them or aim for the crew specifically. Most of enemy heavy SPG and some up-tier superheavies will still ignore your shots and attempt to one-shot you back so you will find yourself constantly using both APHE and APCR, trying to adapt to your current enemy.

;HEAT-FS:

* With M348 unlocked, you can now simply destroy [[T-44]] by firing at the left of their tank (right for you if head-on) and [[IS-2]] by firing straight at the middle of their hull. You also can destroy all the enemy SPG and heavy tanks which were bullying you this entire time from any range, for example, you can destroy a [[Jagdtiger]] with two shots by crew knockout, destroy [[T32E1]] which is normally a pain to hit into hull weak spot with APHE even with X16 zoom, and, if playing AB, you can now destroy the superior [[Leopard I]] without any issues. It's worth remembering though, that certain rare tanks like [[Centurion Mk.5 AVRE]] and [[T95]] are highly resistant to HEAT or just damage in general, requiring you to aim very well or retreat, and HEAT often explodes if touches anything on its flight path, so kinetic shells are still required.

At all progression stages it is important to remember that your engine deck blocks your gun from depressing to -10 degrees and any tank with low profile can exploit this weakness, if they have to.

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M318 shot || APBC || 175 || 173 || 161 || 147 || 135 || 123
|-
| M82 shot || APCBC || 185 || 182 || 170 || 155 || 142 || 130
|-
| M304 shot || APCR || 287 || 281 || 259 || 234 || 211 || 191
|-
| M332 shot || APCR || 291 || 286 || 264 || 240 || 217 || 197
|-
| M348 shell || HEATFS || 305 || 305 || 305 || 305 || 305 || 305
|-
| M71 shell || HE || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| M318 shot || APBC || 853 || 10.98 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M82 shot || APCBC || 853 || 10.94 || 1.2 || 14 || 137.2 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| M304 shot || APCR || 1,021 || 7.62 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| M332 shot || APCR || 1,165 || 5.7 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| M348 shell || HEATFS || 853 || 6.5 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 926.17 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| M71 shell || HE || 823 || 10.55 || 0 || 0.1 || 925 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| M313 || 821 || 10.7 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[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
|-
| '''40''' || 39 ''(+1)'' || 30 ''(+10)'' || 1 ''(+39)'' || No
|-
|}


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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

The machine guns of ST-A1 can be used to destroy super light SPG like [[M56]] and 12 mm MG is capable of destroying [[AUBL/74]] and similar vehicles. They also can be used to fire at planes, though the damage is minimal.

Despite of them being useful, it's better to rely on your main gun first, as light vehicles at BR of 6.3 are capable of dishing out unexpected fatal damage and they should be destroyed the very moment you spot them.

{| 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 || 660 (200) || 577 || -5°/+90° || ±30°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,500 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


As the ST-A1 is Japan's first tank for a new era of tank development, it shows the same gameplay issues as the [[Chi-Ha#Usage in battles|Chi-Ha]]. The weak armor, the slow to mediocre turret rotation speed, quite a long hull and high drop-rate of shells.

But its not just all negatives, the mobility is good for what it is, has adequate gun depression and the ST-A1 even comes with HEAT like the [[Chi-Ha]], this time in the form of M348 HEAT-FS researchable as tier IV modification.

Other than the similarities to the Chi-Ha, the ST-A has its own factors good and bad which should be kept in mind when playing. From the very good reverse speed, great zoom factor, the additional .50 cal as roof mount and many shell options to large ammo racks that are bound to be set off, the elevated engine deck not allowing to shoot behind the tank.

=== Gameplay ===
The plan is simple and similar to the Chi-Ha & other early Japanese medium tanks, you want to stay either near or behind your allies and not rush forward, you can't take much damage, but you can deliver a punch. Pre-aim the turret and guide the enemy tanks into the sights as the rotation speed isn't of the fastest.

The further you are from your enemy the better for the inadequate armor, The ST-A comes with an amazing zoom factor and allows for clear sniping, but do keep in mind the shell drop-off are rather high.

Before you have your hands on the HEAT-FS, the safest bet is to exploit the flanks of the enemy, especially when starting with only AP, frontal penetrations won't happen reliable with the tanks the ST-A faces, try aiming for ammo racks, put a solid round into cramped crew members while trying to get the M82 shot and back up into cover or behind corners as the crew reloads the shell.

After unlocking the M82 APHE, placing shots is less important, once it penetrates, it's most likely to blow up good. It will come at the cost of the extra penetration, but when aiming for the sides, extra penetration isn't required. It's still a good idea to bring some AP shells with the tank just in-case you have to fight in a frontal engagement and the APHE fails to penetrate.

With the HEAT-FS finally unlocked, you can fully make use of the punches you can deal and the zoom you have, help your allies out with the toughest of enemies and simply frontally penetrate them.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Vehicle body is thin and low = small front profile
* Adequate gun depression of -10°
* 90 mm gun that allows for combat against contemporary medium tanks
* .50 cal machine gun allows for AA defence
* Good speed, OK mobility
* Very good reverse speed
* Access to HEAT-FS shells
* Has x16 zoom as maximum with competition generally using x8 at best

'''Cons:'''

* Elevated engine deck prevents rear gun depression
* Large ammo rack all over the turret, especially left side (Aiming right side), if you take more than 29 shells and don't spend the "first stage" rack fast
* Inadequate hull raw armour of 75 mm at the front, relies on slopes and bounces for resistance against shots
* Even more inadequate turret armour of around 40-75 mm overall
* Gun sub-par against the heavy tanks like the [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]]
* Miserable accuracy without modifications; even short range shots are quite difficult
* High drop-rate of shells make long-range engagements difficult
* 15 mm of armour on top of the turret and engine deck make it easy to penetrate for Strafing Air and Artillery

== History ==
{{main|Type 61 (Family)|l1=History of the Type 61 MBT}}


Once Japan acknowledged defeat in World War II, its military institutions had to be reformed with new systems and production methods. The country was prohibited from having an official military, and was instead permitted to create a paramilitary national police force. During this time they used American tanks lent to them by the US. Later, as the Korean war intensified, the United States allowed Japan to have its own defense force in the face of increased tensions. By the mid 50's, it became clear that the Self-Defense Force required their own tank development to fit the terrain of the country. New lightweight Japanese tanks were planned to be compact and maneuverable, making them able to be transported cross-country through mountainous terrain. The vehicles borrowed from the main armament of the American 90mm caliber gun, familiar and favoured by War Thunder players as the main armament of the American M46 and M47 tanks.

To fulfill the military's requirements, tank designers offered several promising projects, the first of which was the ST-A1. The tank ended up quite compact, with a height of only 2.2 meters. This allowed it to have excellent cover abilities, with a cast turret and traditional Japanese tank layout: the engine installed behind the transmission. Two finished vehicles of this model were built. Despite the fact that the ST-A1 series did not continue, it was a starting point for the future of Japanese tank development.

''- From [[wt:en/news/4334-development-st-a1-stepping-into-a-new-era-en|Devblog]]''

== 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 ==


* [[wt:en/news/4334-development-st-a1-stepping-into-a-new-era-en/|[Devblog] ST-A1: Stepping into a New Era]]

{{Japan medium tanks}}