War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

T-80BVM

2021-08-09T00:13:01Z

U91249210: /* Pros and cons */ added a few pros in the pros and cons section

{{About
| about = Russian medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = T-80 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_80bvm
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

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

The armour protection of the T-80BVM is one of the best, especially if the incoming round hits one of the Relikt ERA plates which are twice as effective as CONTACT-5 ERA against kinetic projectiles (meaning that the Leopard 2A6, one of the most dangerous opponents, cannot penetrate the UFP). The strongest parts of the tank are the turret front and a majority of the upper front plate. It does, however, have some weaker areas, the most important being the driver's hatch, the immediate areas of the turret surrounding the gun and its breech, and its lower frontal plate. These weak spots are however pretty small targets at range, and thus by hiding them properly, the risk of being hit can be minimized. Owing to its very low profile, a hull-down T-80BVM is a small target in itself; the weaker parts of its armour are even smaller.

Fuel tanks on either side of the driver can soak up some shrapnel and add to the overall survivability. However, as with all Russian auto-loaded MBTs, there are only three crew members so a well-placed shot is capable of causing a crew knock-out. It's also worth noting that the placement of the ammo rack, below the turret in a carousel-style setup, leaves the T-80BVM particularly vulnerable to side shots causing ammunition detonation. The protection of the T-80BVM is very similar to the T-80U in terms of the size and placement of the weak areas. The sides of your tank should always be protected, and when engaging an enemy, your front armour should always be aligned directly towards him to reduce the risks of a shot penetrating your weaker side. The tank does, however, have some Relikt ERA plates on its upper front skirts, meaning that you have some extra protection against kinetic penetrators, and a lot against chemical shells, until the ERA bricks are detonated (leaving the area vulnerable for another hit).

As mentioned above, the T-80BVM also benefits from the typical low silhouette Russian tankers will be accustomed to, with the vehicle being significantly smaller than its competitors. This allows the T-80BVM to be hidden behind small terrain deformities which other MBTs would otherwise be visible. It's also harder for an enemy tank commander to immediately tell which area is the most vulnerable.

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armor

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 50 mm (68°) || 80 mm ''Top'' 20 mm ''Bottom'' || 50 mm || 20-30 mm
|-
| Turret || Variable thickness ''Turret front'' Variable thickness ''Gun mantlet'' || Variable Thickness || Variable Thickness || 30-45 mm
|-
| Cupola || 80 mm || 80 mm || 80 mm || 45 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Relict: 20 mm High Hardness Rolled Armour
* Tracks: 20 mm

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

Overall mobility is exactly the same as the T-80U, meaning it can easily keep up with most top-tier MBTs.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1937|rbMinHp=1106}}

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

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

{{main|2A46M-1 (125 mm)}}
The T-80BVM has access to the 2A46M-1 125 mm smoothbore main gun. This gun fires the same ammunition as previous T-64 and T-80 models. The projectiles include the 3BM60 (modern round for the T-90BVM), the 9M119 ATGM and the 9M119M1, a modernized 9M119 with a tandem charge and a slightly reduced speed.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A46M-1 (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M-1]] || 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" | 38 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 38.1 || 52.7 || 64.0 || 70.8 || 75.3 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 6.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
The T-80BVM has access to capable rounds, able to destroy any enemy tank or vehicle it faces at the battle rating. The T-80BVM gets the powerful 3BM60 Svinets APFSDS.

''HEAT-FS:''

The 3BK18M is the first round the T-80BVM has access to, it can be considered a mediocre round as most of the enemies which will be faced will be able to withstand it due to composite armour. However, it is particulary useful when facing light armoured vehicles which are prompt to hull break (SPAA, light tanks, etc) and useful when facing enemy helicopters as it has enough explosive mass and flight speed to be competitive as last resort. As a hollow charge, it is prompt to detonate mid air due to trees, bushes and fences. This makes the round difficult to use when in long range engagements as some field elements may not be rendered.

''APFSDS:''

The T-80BVM has access to 2 types of APFSDS: the 3BM42 and 3BM60. The 3BM42 is a decent round with decent penetration and stopping power. While it lacks penetration to penetrate Leopard 2 tanks, Leclercs or M1A1/2 turret plates, it has enough penetration to hit and cause critical damage in weak spots and side shots. 3BM60 however, different from the 3BM42, has much more penetration which can penetrate all tanks from all sides (be aware of Leopard 2 turret wedges and firing at M1A2 turret with an obliquity greater than 45°).

''ATGM:''

The 9M119M1is a tandem version of the previously seen 9M119 SACLOS ATGM. The main upgrade is the tandem charge, everything else remains practically the same with exception of reduction of flight speed.

{| 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
|-
| 3BK18M || HEATFS || 550 || 550 || 550 || 550 || 550 || 550
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42
|-
| 3BM42 || APFSDS || 479 || 477 || 470 || 462 || 453 || 445
|-
| 9M119M1 || ATGM (tandem) || 850 || 850 || 850 || 850 || 850 || 850
|-
| 3BM60 || APFSDS || 580 || 576 || 567 || 555 || 543 || 532
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| 3BK18M || HEATFS || 905 || 19 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 2,790 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 850 || 23 || 0 || 0.1 || 5,240 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| 3BM42 || APFSDS || 1,700 || 4.85 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
| 9M119M1 || ATGM (tandem) || 350 || 17.2 || 0.4 || 0.01 || 4,720 || 80° || 82° || 90°
|-
| 3BM60 || APFSDS || 1,660 || 5.12 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''38''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}
The 12.7 mm NSVT machinegun, seen on all previous soviet MBTs, can help take out some lightly armoured vehicles from the side as well as to destroy low-flying aircraft and helicopters. The roof-mounted MG allows it to spin a full 180 degrees to the left and right the tank.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 300 (150) || 700 || -5°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
The coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun however is lacking against enemy vehicles, it still can mow down some small bushes and fences to provide better view or use it to help pin enemies.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,250 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The T-80BVM has a higher survivability and better ammunition than the T-80U, meaning it is able to hold much more fire and deal more damage with the Svinets APFSDS than with the Mango APFSDS. The most dangerous enemy to the T-80BVM is helicopters, although the Relikt will usually protect against one or two missiles. However, it is still ERA, and will be blown off after it is detonated. Since the interior of the tank is so compact, this makes it easy for good pilots to knock you out in 2-3 rapid missile shots. To avoid helicopters, stay close to buildings or hide next to trees/large bushes and wait for an anti-air vehicle or a plane to take it out. Another option is to use the ATGM or range finder to shoot down the enemy yourself.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Armour is superb, most of the hull and turret is immune to all shells in the game, including the dreaded DM53 APFSDS shell utilized by the [[Leopard 2A6]]
* Access to the unlockable 3BM60 APFSDS shell with 580 mm of penetration
* Autoloader grants a short and constant reload time
* Decent acceleration
* Has the very good Relikt ERA

'''Cons:'''

* Relatively low reverse speed, hard to retreat from a threatening situation
* The cramped interior, with the crew placed tightly together, means that the tank is easily disabled if a shot penetrates
* Poor survivability from side shots due to the massive ammunition carousel mounted in the centre of the hull
* Spare ammunition not carried in the autoloader is distributed around the hull and turret - meaning a penetrating shot might ignite a round carried as a spare, setting off the carousel
* Poor gun depression of -5° due to the low turret height. This makes it difficult to shoot over hills and other obstacles, especially on maps with rough terrain
* While the front is covered with ERA, the gaps between ERA plates are weak spots

== History ==

The T-80BVM is a current program for the Russian army in the modernization of Soviet T-80BV tanks to the level of the T-72B3 and T-90M main battle tanks, as well as unification with them. The modernization includes an up-to-date fire control system with a duplicate sight for the commander, and the ability to operate the 9M119 tandem ATGMs, as well as the "Relikt" ERA pack instead of outdated "Kontakt-1". Thanks to the latter, the protection of the vehicle from HEAT and AP projectiles was significantly increased.

The modernization of the T-80BVM takes place at the facilities of the Omsk heavy machinery plant (Omsktransmash) and enter service with units of the marines and motorized infantry of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

''- Taken from [[wt:en/news/7192-development-t-80bvm-era-of-improvements-en|Devblog.]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_t_80bvm Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|X08w5IAydF4|'''The Shooting Range #258''' - ''Round Study'' section at 08:34 discusses how to penetrate the {{PAGENAME}}.|4NPt7dr-fKo|'''The Shooting Range #256''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:25 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== 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/7192-development-t-80bvm-era-of-improvements-en|[Devblog] T-80BVM: ERA of improvements]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

Sd.Kfz.251/22

2021-08-08T03:34:20Z

U91249210: I added a few Pros in the pros and cons section, I also changed a spelling mistake. Fyling to flying.

{{About
| about = German tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Sd.Kfz.251 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_sdkfz_251_22
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage Sd.Kfz.251-22.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} German tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update "Red Skies"]] as a reward for [[Battle Pass: Season IV, "Fearless Voltigeur"]].

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

The most protected parts of this vehicle are the front-facing plates of the hull and the driver compartment where the armour is the thickest.

The weakest area on the whole tank is the gun shield protecting the cannon's servants. It doesn’t help when 3 out of 5 crew members are behind it. The gunner and loader are next to each other and when a shot hits them, the 4 mm gun shield armour doesn’t protect them from anything other than rifle-calibre gunfire. The ammo stowage positions aren’t bad since they’re right behind the machine gunner and driver which will take all shrapnel from incoming rounds, but can still be easily destroyed.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, gun shield)
* Wheel (front tires)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 14.5 mm (20°) ''Engine compartment'' 14.5 mm (29°) ''Driver cabin'' 8 mm (42°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (41°) ''Top - Engine'' 8 mm (35°) ''Top - Crew compartment'' 8 mm (19°) ''Bottom - Engine'' 8 mm (34°) ''Bottom - Crew compartment'' 8 mm + 8 mm (34°) ''Storage bins'' 8 mm ''Bottom - Undercarriage'' || 8 mm (30°) 5.5 mm (41°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (9°) ''Engine compartment'' 5.5 mm ''Driver compartment''
|-
| Gun shield || 4 + 4 mm (29°) || 4 + 4 mm (18°) || colspan="2" style="text-align:center" | N/A
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick and tracks are 7 mm thick while torsion bars are 10 mm thick.
* Wheels are 10 mm thick and mudguards are 5 mm thick.
* The belly armour is 5.5 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=142|rbMinHp=88}}

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

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

{{main|PaK40/3 L46 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PaK40/3 L46 (75 mm)|75 mm PaK40/3 L46]] || 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" | 24 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+9° || rowspan="2" | ±22° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 12.3 || 17.1 || 20.7 || 22.9 || 24.4 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.78 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.3 || 9.8 || 11.9 || 13.2 || 14.0
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 151 || 148 || 135 || 121 || 108 || 96
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 182 || 177 || 159 || 140 || 122 || 107
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || 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%
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 792 || 6.8 || 1.2 || 14 || 28.9 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.4 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 872.1 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 990 || 4.1 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 550 || 5.74 || 0 || 0.1 || 686 || 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)
|-
| K.Gr.Rot Nb. || 540 || 6.2 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Sd.Kfz.251-22.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
|-
| '''24''' || 20 ''(+4)'' || 8 ''(+16)'' || 1 ''(+23)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.

== Usage in battles ==

The Sd.Kfz.251/22 with its long 75 mm cannon is great for penetrating the heavily armoured vehicles such as the Matilda and KV-1. The infamous T-34s are easy to penetrate and many infamous Russians.

It can't be exposed directly to enemy fire but the vehicle is good for hanging behind larger tanks, assisting with supporting fire.

Use the long range to your advantage, since this tank destroyer was designed to engage tanks from a safe distance. Being on a hill top or across a lake is perfect for this. Always take into account that the light armour is a downisde and you can be destroyed by even light armament aircraft with basic 7.62 mm machineguns, so try to find some cover when planes are around.

There are not many tanks to avoids in the BR for this tank, engaging more than one enemy at a time is not recommended due the light armor and open top exposing the crew.

Penetrating tanks like the T-34s, KV1s, M4s, Matildas is very easy due to the cannon's high penetration power.

Enemies the Sd.Kfz.251/22 should avoid are the vehicles equipped with fast-firing autocannons like SPAAs or light tanks. Due to their high rate of fire, they can knock out your exposed crew very quickly. Avoid tanks that fire high-calibre HE shells, since the Sd.Kfz.251/22 is vulnerable to overpressure.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Effective cannon even from long range
* Can make sharp turns while driving at good speed
* Good forward speed
* Excellent gun for its battle rating
* Shells often over-penetrate, causing no to little damage.
* Very good at long range engagements

'''Cons:'''

* Open top leaves crew exposed against HE shells, aircraft and artillery strikes
* No machine gun for defense against lightly armoured vehicles and low-flying aircraft
* Armour is too thin to block even 12.7 mm HMG fire
* Small ammunition capacity of 24 shells
* Sluggish acceleration

== History ==

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

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_sdkfz_251_22 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|477cgrAHIQg|'''Battle Pass "Fearless Voltigeur"''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 02:45 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|XNdE6jLs_Io|'''The German Half track that Paks a Punch! - Sd.Kfz.251/22''' - ''Ash''}}

== 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/7246-development-battle-pass-vehicles-sd-kfz-251-22-en|[Devblog] Battle Pass vehicles: Sd.Kfz.251/22]]

{{Germany tank destroyers}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}
[[Category:Half-tracks]]

B-25J-1

2020-06-10T22:41:39Z

U91249210: /* Description */

{{Specs-Card|code=b_25j_1}}
{{About
| about = American medium bomber '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = B-25 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American bomber {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.29]].

Design of the B-25 was the result of years of work and failed bids to win contracts with the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Initially designed to meet requirements for a payload of 1,200 lb (540 kg), a range of 1,200 mi (1,900 km) and flying at speeds faster than 200 mph (320 kph), prototypes were built, tested and refined. Although the original XB-21 and NA-40 never materialized into a production aircraft, requirements from the USAAC came out in March of 1939 for a medium bomber carrying a payload of 2,400 lb (1,100 kg) over 1,200 mi (1,900 km) at speeds around 300 mph (480 kph), North American modified their design of NA-40 and developed the NA-62 which went into prototype testing as the YB-25 and then ordered into production as the B-25.

The B-25 turned out to be the archetype of the medium bomber, carrying upwards of 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) of bombs and could fly at speeds up to 340 mph (547 kph). This twin-engine bomber was fast, it could carry a large payload for its size and had several defensive turrets and gunner stations at which it could defend itself from almost any angle. To increase its versatility, several models had forward-facing fixed machine guns fitted into the nose and the cheeks of the aircraft. Later models opted to removed the glazed nose and bombardier/nose-gunner station and outfit more machine guns and even a 75 mm autocannon for strafing ground targets and especially ships. This medium bomber at times acted more like a heavy attacker opting for low-level flights which would skim treetops and the ocean to sneak up on unwary targets. It was not uncommon for B-25s to fly just above the mast/smokestack height of enemy ships when attacking.

As later models moved from the dedicated bomber position and morphed into more of an attacker role, bomb payloads were reduced to allow for more armour around the cockpit and more offensive weapons and ammunition to fill the attacker mode it took on, especially under the command of U.S. Marine Corps squadrons. With more than 10,000 B-25 aircraft variants built, they saw action in all theatres of war and were even subject to part of the lend-lease program which China and the USSR benefitted from. So versatile was this aircraft that a flight of them were specifically outfitted and their crews trained to take off from an aircraft carrier and bomb mainland Japan in a daring raid. This historical mission was called the "[[wikipedia:Doolittle_Raid|Doolittle Raid]]". Impressive for an aircraft not meant to take off from an aircraft carrier.

The B-25 is a fantastic bomber, attacker or both and will suit many different pilots and their different approaches to the battlefields found in War Thunder. The tail gunner has been known to set many fighters alight with their dual .50 calibre machine guns and help to prolong the life of this bomber to allow the pilot to make it to their target whether it is to bomb it or strafe it.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="8" | Characteristics
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 3,049 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
| 420 || 407 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 32.4 || 33.8 || 5.4 || 5.3 || 750
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 3,049 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
| 472 || 444 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 29.7 || 31.0 || 10.6 || 7.7 || 750
|-
|}
[[File:B-25j-1 hugotroop 001.jpg|350px|thumb|right|'''{{PAGENAME}}''' releasing its bombs over a target.]]
==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|constructions}} || {{Specs|destruction|chassis}} || 340 || ~6 || ~2
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
|-
! Ailerons (km/h)
! Rudder (km/h)
! Elevators (km/h)
! Radiator (km/h)
|-
| < 300 || < 270 || < 350 || > 330
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 524 m || 1,500 hp || 1,669 hp
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 2
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 3,700 m || 1,350 hp || 1,502 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 9.5 mm Steel plates throughout the cockpit
* 8 mm Steel plate behind the pilot
* 8 mm Steel plate under nose gunner
* 9.5 mm Steel plate behind the dorsal gunner
* 6.35 mm Steel plate behind beam gunners
* 38 mm Bulletproof glass in front of the tail gunner
* 9.5 mm Steel plates in front of the tail gunner

Rugged, sturdy, though, the B-25 is all of those things. Featuring crew armour protection that outclasses the [[B-17G-60-VE|B-17 ''Flying Fortress'']] in a handier, smaller design, the Mitchell is a tough nut to crack and even harder to devoid of the crew. Calibres above 20 mm are a must for a quick kill, otherwise, the B-25 will repay in kind. Forgoing all defence is good, but all offence, too? It is called overkill, of the pursuit fighter.

The two Wright R-2600 air-cooled radial engines are themself hard to destroy and with dropped payload, the Mitchell will just keep flying on a single damaged one. Denying under armed fighters the ability to lethally cripple it. Yet this aircraft has got one downside: fuel tanks. While present in all planes, the armour, crew and bomb bay take up all the fuselage. Leaving only space in the wings. A common cause of a crash of a B-25 is hence a fire and thus a structural failure of the wing spar.

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

[[File:B-25j-1 jonigustavo 001.jpg|400px|thumb|right|'''{{PAGENAME}}''' unloading on ground targets with its five forward-facing machine guns (not including the single machine gun controlled by the nose gunner/bombardier).]]

{{main|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine gun, nose-mounted (400 rpg)
* 4 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, cheek-mounted (400 rpg = 1,600 total)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|AN-M30A1 (100 lb)|AN-M57 (250 lb)|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|AN-M65A1 (1,000 lb)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
[[File:B-25j-1 an trn 26 001.jpg|400px|thumb|right|'''{{PAGENAME}}''' diving on a ground target.]]

* 12 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (1,200 lb total)
* 4 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 4 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs + 8 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (1,800 lb total)
* 8 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 8 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (1,800 lb total)
* 4 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 1 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb + 10 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (3,000 lb total)

=== Defensive armament ===

{{main|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine gun, nose turret (300 rpg)
* 2 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, dorsal turret (400 rpg = 800 total)
* 1 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine gun, 2 x beam turrets (250 rpg)
* 2 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, tail turret (600 rpg = 1,200 total)

== Usage in battles ==

[[File:B-25j-1 hc dwain 001.jpg|400px|thumb|right|'''{{PAGENAME}}''' tangling with a Japanese fighter over enemy territory.]]

In Realistic battles (and Arcade to an extent), it is highly recommended against exclusively bombing strategic bases and in general to not bomb from high altitudes. It was rarely used this way in combat, and it makes it very easy for enemy fighters to approach and attack you from your defenceless belly. Also, the bomber's maximum payload of 3 x 1,000 lb of bombs is not enough to destroy an enemy base in Realistic battles, which is useless in regards to decreasing ticket count and, most importantly, does not help your team. Thus, leave base bombing to the British heavy bombers you will likely also encounter on your team, whose payloads vastly outclass yours, and instead - if you wish to help your team as much as possible - use your five nose-mounted Browning machine guns on ground targets. Ground target strafing is not only infinitely more exciting than base bombing, but it can also lower the enemy's ticket count drastically, therefore helping your team win. Fly at low altitudes and attack light pillboxes and soft targets with your guns. If you fail to destroy a target, then pitch up and use your turrets to finish it off. Save your bombs for targets your guns cannot kill, such as heavy tanks and heavy pillboxes; the bombsight is very helpful in doing this (something which the dedicated strafing variants such as the [[PBJ-1J]] lack). Make sure to use a fuse timer, 3 seconds should be enough when bombing at treetop level with 1,000 lb bombs.

When strafing, be sure to watch your minimap at all times for any incoming enemies so you can adequately prepare for an attack. When being attacked, fly away from the assailant and try to get them on your tail, and manually open fire with your defensive guns, making sure to watch your tracers and adjust the direction of fire, so they hit the target. Remember that turret guns will jam if fired for a long duration, requiring them to be reloaded, which usually takes almost twenty seconds, during which an attacker will most certainly kill you. If the reticle starts blinking, the guns are very close to jamming, so immediately stop firing and wait for the weapons to cool down. Many experienced players will attempt to utilise the dead zones on your belly and the arcs beyond your twin rudders in their attack. If you find an enemy doing this to you, then switch back to flight view and manoeuvre so that they are in the firing arcs of your guns again and try as much as possible to keep them out of your dead zones and, mostly, make their attack as difficult as possible. The attacker will then either eventually lose patience and try for a head-on, or you will get a successful snipe on their aircraft. It is also very advantageous to use the keyboard controls for pitch, roll, and yaw in the gunner view as it will allow you to make small manoeuvres while still concentrating on defending yourself, letting you, for example, dodge fire or roll/pitch/yaw and shoot someone in your dead zones. Also, use ''Universal'' belts for your turrets as they will do the most damage to enemies and cause devastating fires.

[[File:B-25j-1 billythekid 001.png|400px|thumb|right|'''{{PAGENAME}}''' showing how deadly the tail gunner can be.]]

If you lose tail control for whatever reason, then immediately turn back to the airfield and use combat flaps to keep your nose up. Make a landing by alternating between takeoff and combat flaps and, if needed, landing flaps. Make sure that your speed does not go too low; if you start nosing down with takeoff flaps then do not use landing flaps (unless in an emergency) as you'll lose speed and potentially crash. Instead, engage WEP and wait for your nose to rise. There is no set method for doing this and it takes lots of practice, but making these daring landings is very rewarding. If you lose an engine, '''do not''' engage flaps as you will lose speed, end up in a stall and will die, fly straight and slowly make your way back to base, using WEP if needed. If using manual engine controls, close the radiator of the dead engine, feather it, and open the radiator of the working engine to allow you to use WEP all the way back to the airfield without overheating.

=== Carrier Landing Technique ===
Approach at 150 km/h (92 mph/80 kt), flaps set to landing. Keep applying about 60% thrust, or as necessary to maintain 150 km/h. Touchdown at the beginning of the carrier runway, slightly to the left to avoid the island. Apply hard braking, immediately retract flaps, and if necessary fire forward-facing guns to utilize the recoil to stop faster.

=== 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 Not auto controlled || Not controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Auto control available || Separate || Controllable 2 gears || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! colspan="2" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
| Protective vest
| Offensive 12 mm
| SBC-25
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 12 mm MGs
| MBC-25
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| Turret 12 mm
|
|-
| IV
|
| Engine injection
| Cover
| New 12 mm MGs (turret)
| LBC-25
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Very effective front-facing armament of 5 x 12.7 mm machine for aerial attack or ground strafing
* Durable airframe which can take a beating from weak guns like 20mm Type 99
* Heavy defensive armament on two sides, top and especially the tail gunner
* Can provide initial cover for other bombers until fighters reach their altitude
* Can be used as a tactical bomber, strategic bomber, attacker or even an interceptor
* Able to land on an aircraft carrier
* Rather fast dive acceleration

'''Cons:'''

* Manoeuvres stiffly, cannot turnfight
* Rudder severely locks up over 400kph, meaning it cannot adjust its aim in time and need a second pass.
* Difficult to pull out of a dive due to elevator lockup.
* Often the fuel tank in wings will catch fire, leading to the failure of spars.
* No downward-facing defensive armament
* If tail control is damaged, return to base and land utilizing flaps and engine throttling
* Relatively low payload compared to a heavy bomber
* Forward facing gunner will automatically fire at approx 1,000 m, alerting your target
* Low energy retention; any attacks that require manoeuvring will cost speed and altitude

== History ==


Early in 1939 as tensions were rising throughout Europe, the Soviet Union and Asia, the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) issued requirements for a new medium bomber contract. Specifications for the medium bomber included carrying a payload of 2,400 lb (1,100 kg) while flying over 1,200 mi (1,900 km) at a speed of 300 mph (480 km/h). Fortuitously North American Aviation (NAA) already had a previous design for their NA-40B which they had already built as a prototype known as NA-62. After initial service tests, the USAAC placed an order with NAA to produce the NA-62 as the B-25. Alongside the B-25, the USAAC also ordered the Martin B-26 Marauder into production, though it was still only drawings on paper.

NAA had a head start through utilising their existing NA-62 aircraft. Initially, the plane had a constant-dihedral or and upward angle to the main wings. Unfortunately, this configuration caused stability issues which resolved when the wing shape became slightly anhedral just from the engine nacelle to the wingtip. The flattening of the outer wing led the aircraft to have gull shaped wings; however, this eliminated any stability problems previously encountered. Though not as noticeable was the increase in the size of the tail fins and decrease their inward tilt. These factors would also help improved stability and increase the aircraft's responsiveness, especially when carrying heavy loads.

Development continued through 1941 and in 1942 the first B-25A and B-25B models reported for duty with the USAAC. Variants of the B-25 from B through H changed over time, and the military experimented with using the aircraft as a bomber and a strafing aircraft specialising in an anti-shipping role with its skip-bombs, 14-18 forward-facing machine guns or even a 75 mm M4 cannon. The B-25J versions of the plane were essentially the same as a B-25H; however the 75 mm cannon was removed, and the nose of the aircraft was changed out. Now there were two versions of the nose which could be field swapped to change the usage of the aircraft. The B-25J-1 strafer version incorporated a metal nose outfitted with eight 12.7 mm Browning machine guns while the second option utilised a glass nose with a single crew usable 12.7 mm Browning and single 12.7 mm Browning which was fixed and operated by the pilot often in conjunction with four blister mounted 12.7 mm machine guns. This aircraft while developed for mid-level bombing instead excelled as a low altitude strafing bomber, often flying at tree-top levels and at times mast-level with ships. Frequently strafing B-25s lead the charge to eliminate enemy gunners and anti-aircraft instalments while bomber B-25s followed immediately behind to destroy airfields or vessels, often causing havoc at the target site.

=== In-game description ===
North American B-25J-1 Mitchell twin-engine medium bomber/ground-attack aircraft

The B-25J (NA-108) was the most largely produced Mitchell variant. The first aircraft of this type left the factory floor in December 1943, and the variant drove the B-25C and B-25D completely out of production by March of the next year.

B-25J bombers had two 1,700 hp Wright R-2600-29 fourteen-cylinder, double-row, radial air-cooled engines with Hamilton Standard Hydromatic 23E50 three-bladed automatic metal propellers.

One feature of this variant was that it could be used both as a bomber and as a ground-attack aircraft.

When used as a bomber, the B-25J-1's armament was: one fixed front machine gun (with 400 rounds) and one mobile machine gun (with 300 rounds) mounted on the navigator's cockpit in the forward fuselage; four front machine guns, with 400 rounds each, mounted in pairs on both sides of the lower fuselage section, near the pilot's cockpit; a Bendix A-9 upper turret housing twin machine guns, with 400 rounds each; a twin Bell M-7 rear mount, with 600 rounds each; and two machine guns, with 600 rounds each, in the fuselage blisters on the starboard and port sides. All gun emplacements had 12.7 mm Colt-Browning ANM2.5 machine guns. The total number of machine guns was 12.

Thus, the B-25J was practically as good in its armament as heavy bombers like the B-17 or the B-24, except for coverage from below.

To use the B-25J-1 as a ground-attack aircraft, the nose section with the navigator/bombardier's cockpit could be easily removed and replaced by a solid unglazed nose with a battery of eight 12.7 mm Colt-Browning ANM2.5 machine guns, with 400 rounds each. Thus the number of front machine guns was increased to 12, and the total number of guns to 18.

The B-25J-1's maximum bomb capacity was 4,000 lb (1,815 kg). Starting with the 151st machine, one bomb rack, meant to suspend a 2,000 lb (908 kg) bomb, was removed from production B-25J-1 bombers, since it was almost never used in combat units and did nothing but take up a lot of space in the bomb bay.

The aircraft usually carried three 1,000 lb (454 kg) or two 1,600 lb (726 kg) bombs. Different combinations of bombs of smaller sizes were also used. 10 kg parachute bombs were used, as well. The B-25J could carry a Mk.13 torpedo weighing 907 kg. In addition, removable bomb racks for bombs up to 250 kg could be mounted under the wing panels.

When used as a bomber, the aircraft had a crew of six people: two pilots, a navigator/bombardier/gunner, a turret gunner/engineer, a radio operator/waist gunner, and a tail gunner. When used as a ground-attack aircraft, the crew consisted of five people, excluding the navigator/bombardier.

Both pilot seats were equipped with an armoured backrest. One armour plate was located behind the instrument panel, and the second was under the cockpit windshield. Two armour sheets were fixed outside to the sides. Armour protection was provided for all gunners.

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|7qCr6W00F8k|'''B-25J-1 [Versatility Reborn!]''' - ''Jengar''|oLzkjIqEF9Q|'''B-25J-1 Mitchell - Hard Target''' - ''tx141TX''}}

== See also ==


;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* de Haviland [[Mosquito (Family)|Mosquito]]
* Douglas [[DB-7 (Family)|DB-7]] and its many derivatives (such as [[A-20G-25|A-20G]])
* Douglas [[A-26 (Family)|A-26 ''Invader'']]
* Tupolev [[Tu-2 (Family)|Tu-2]]

;Other B-25 variants in-game

* [[B-25J-20]] - Very little difference between the J-1 and J-20, an additional nose-mounted machine gun, slight armour difference.
* [[B-25J-30_(China)|B-25J-30]] (Chinese lend-lease) - Virtually same as J-20 variant.
* [[B-25J-30_(USSR)|B-25J-30]] (Soviet lend-lease) - Same as Chinese lend-lease version with the exception it utilises Soviet bombs.
* [[PBJ-1H]] - U.S. Marine variant - 75 mm autocannon and eight nose-mounted machine guns, lower service ceiling, reduced bomb load compared to J-1, J-20 and J-30 variants, increased armour around the cockpit.
* [[PBJ-1J]] - U.S. Marine variant - Identical to PBJ-1H in-flight characteristics and bomb loadout, no 75 mm cannon, a total of 12 nose-mounted machine guns.

== External links ==


* [http://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/22479-b-25j-mitchell-official-thread/ [Forums] B-25J Mitchell, Official Thread]

{{AirManufacturer NAA}}
{{USA bombers}}

Staghound AA

2020-06-08T20:56:33Z

U91249210: /* Description */ Added some things

{{Specs-Card|code=uk_t17e2}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} British Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft (SPAA) Gun {{Battle-rating|5}}. It was introduced in [[Update_1.55_"Royal_Armour"|Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]] along with the rest of the [[:Category:Britain_ground_vehicles|British ground vehicles]]. A very mobile self-propelled anti-tank gun with a dual-mounted .50 cal machine gun, it also has armour rivaling some of the Rank I vehicle and can withstand a majority of the small shells, warranting its high battle rating.

The T17E2 has two obvious characteristics. It has wheels, giving it excellent speed and mobility, especially on hard surfaces like rock or roads. The wheels also mean that it struggles in mud, sand or snow. Then, there are the guns, the T17E2 is armed with a seemingly light armament of two 12.7 mm (.50 cal) machine guns. Compared to other SPAA of the rank, the armament are light. German and Japanese SPAA are armed with highly potent 20mm auto cannons, which inflict far more damage to aircraft and vehicles alike. Instead, the T17E2 relies on its longevity and high rate of fire.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 22 mm (47°) ''Front glacis'' 22 mm (43°) ''Lower glacis'' 15 mm (32°) ''Driver's port'' || 19 mm (8-12°) || 9 mm (2-53°) || 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 31.7 mm (2-42°) || 31.7 mm (0-1°) || 31.7 mm (2°) || N/A
|-
|}

* Wheels are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 276|rbMinHp= 172}}

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

{{main|Browning M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

With two 12.7 mm machine guns, the T17E2 shares the same anti-aircraft armament as the early USA's SPAAs (M13 MGMC and M16 MGMC). While the 12.7 mm is not strong enough to down planes with a single hit, the rapid-fire will ensure a screen of rounds will hit the target at the same time. With tracers, one can use the turret's fast traverse rate to "trace" the rounds towards the target and stay on them to cause enough damage to destroy planes.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Browning M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm Browning M2HB]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode
! Capacity (Belt capacity each)
! Fire rate (Shots/minute)
! Vertical
! Horizontal
! Stabilizer
! Stock
! Upgraded
! Full
! Expert
! Aced
! Stock
! Full
! Expert
! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 2,610 (200) || rowspan="2" | 577|| rowspan="2" | -10°/+75° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 37.87 || 52.41 || __.__ || __.__ || 74.87 || rowspan="2" | 10.40 || rowspan="2" | 9.20 || rowspan="2" | 8.48 || rowspan="2" | 8.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 25.59 || 30.10 || __.__ || __.__ || 43.00
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| AP || 26 || 25 || 19 || 12 || 7 || 5
|-
| I || 2 || 2 || 2 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
| AP-I || 23 || 22 || 16 || 10 || 6 || 5
|-
| APIT || 23 || 22 || 16 || 10 || 6 || 5
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| AP || 856 || 0.05 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 56° || 65°
|-
| I || 944 || 0.04 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 56° || 65°
|-
| AP-I || 887 || 0.04 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 56° || 65°
|-
| APIT || 887 || 0.04 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 56° || 65°
|-
|}

=====Belt types=====
{| class="wikitable"
| '''Belts''' || '''Shell composition''' || '''Combat usage'''
|-
| align="left" |''Default'' || align="left" | '''API-T''' / '''I''' / '''AP''' / '''API-T''' || align="left" | These rounds work well until the others are researched.
|-
| align="left" |''API'' || align="left" | '''API-T''' / '''AP-I''' / '''API-T''' || align="left" | These are absolutely devastating in the AA role with slightly less performance against enemy tanks than AP.
|-
| align="left" |''AP'' || align="left" | '''AP''' / '''AP''' / '''API-T''' || align="left" | These are best against enemy tanks at close range and do good damage to planes.
|-
| align="left" |''APIT'' || align="left" | '''API-T''' || align="left" | Better than API in all regards but not as good against tanks as AP, this is the belt choose in almost all situations. Since every bullet is a tracer makes killing aircraft much easier and detect-ability is not greatly increased over AP-I, however is increased a bit over AP.
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks {{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumbnail|[[Ammo racks|Ammo rack]] of T17E2|300px]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''12''' || 2 ''(+10)'' || style="text-align:center" | No
|-
|}

===== Optics =====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
|-
! Which ones
! Default magnification
! Maximum magnification
|-
! Main Gun optics
| x2.1 || x3.7 
|-
! Comparable optics
| colspan="2;" style="text-align:center;" | [[M13 MGMC]]
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="2" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tires
|
| Parts
| API
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| AP
| Adjustment of Fire
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| APIT
| Elevation Mechanism
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
| Artillery Support
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

*Twin 50 caliber machine guns, are good against enemy air targets.
*High rate of fire.
*Good mobility.
*Fast turret rotation.
*Turret transverse, offers good speed for hitting fast moving targets.
*Fast on roads.
*More efficient than tracked vehicles when turning, due to it having all wheel drive.
*Very effective against aircraft.

'''Cons:'''

*Wheeled vehicles are slower than treaded vehicles in the water.
*Very vulnerable, weak armour.
*Cannot pivot turn like a tank, drives like a truck.
*Has difficulty against heavy armor tanks.
*T17E2 Armour is only effective protecting against low caliber machine gun rounds.

== History ==

===Development===
The '''T17E2''' started as an armoured car requested by US Army Ordnance in July 1941. The request asked for a medium armoured car for combat services. Two companies, Ford Motor Company and Chevrolet, submitted designs to this request, Ford's was an all driven 6x6 wheeled vehicle and Chevrolet's was an all driven 4x4 wheeled vehicle. These two were called ''T17'' and ''T17E1'' respectively, both were powered by two Hercules JXD engines in order to standardize on parts. These two vehicles were to use a turret developed by Rock Island Arsenal with a 37 mm cannon and machine guns, this would house a crew of five. Despite their development, the United States interest on the design waned and were never adopted fully by their armed forces, instead taking in the lighter M8 Greyhound car and using the T17 until the M8 production could be started. Had it been adopted, it would've been designated the ''M6''.

===British Adoption===
During the T17's development, the British Purchasing Commission was also looking for a medium armoured car that could be used in the current campaign in North Africa. British requirements were a bit different than the American's and asked for the turret of the car to house at least two people and with a radio in the turret rather than in the hull. The British soon adopted the car and named it the ''"Deerhound"'', with production starting in October 1942. The T17E1 was also adopted as the ''"Staghound"'' and the British requested a production of 300 for testing, after which they then ordered another 1,500 for use. Production for the T17E1 also started on October 1942. When the US Army standardized their armoured cars to the M8 Greyhounds, the British vouched for the T17E1 production to continue for their use, to which the T17 was cancelled in early 1943 and only T17E1 were brought in by Lend-Lease. About 4,000 T17E1 "Staghounds" were produced in total for British use.

===T17E2===
While the armoured car variants of the T17 served as a light reconnaissance force and armoured car regiments, some were converted into self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. The T17E1 was modified with a new turret developed by Frazer-Nash that equipped two .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns, this modified vehicle was given the name '''T17E2'''. The turret was open-topped, had an electric-hydraulic traverse system, and reduced the number of crew on the T17E2 to three: the commander, gunner, and driver. About 789 Staghounds were converted into the T17E2, also named the ''"Staghound AA"'', in the period of October 1943 and April 1944.

== Media ==

===Live.Warthunder===
[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23t17e2 '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the T17E2 series from live.warthunder.com.]

===Images===
<gallery mode="packed-hover">
Image:T17E2_WT_poster1.jpg|T17E2 - Front view
Image:T17E2_WT_poster2.jpg|T17E2 - Right view
Image:T17E2_WT_poster3.jpg|T17E2 - Left view
Image:T17E2_WT_poster4.jpg|T17E2 - Rear view
</gallery>
===Video===
{{Youtube-gallery|0ZhWzyhvFGg|''ABSOLUTE MASSACRE - T17E2 ARMOURED CAR - War Thunder Tanks'' - '''By: PhlyDaily'''|LC8vrINiv3c|''T17E2 Tank Review <nowiki>|</nowiki> War Thunder'' - '''By: NUSensei'''}}

== See also ==


* [[AC Mk II AA]]: The succeeding vehicle in the British SPAA branch, featuring 20 mm autocannons.
* [[BTR-152A]]: A Soviet SPAA which also features dual-mounted machine guns atop an armoured car.

== External links ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/854/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> T17E2 and Armoured Car Mk II SPAA]

{{Britain anti-aircraft vehicles}}

AS 42

2020-06-08T20:49:42Z

U91249210: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=it_as_42_metropolitana}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (shortened as just '''{{Specs|pseudonym}}''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian self-propelled anti-aircraft gun {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].

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


The AS42 lacks in armour and is very vulnerable to attacks from the air. While the sloped 3 mm of armour may be sufficient against standard machine guns, most heavy machine guns are able to shred this tank and as such it is not recommended to engage in slugging matches.

Though the armour itself is not sufficient against heavy machine guns, it is possible to use the rear engine compartment as armour to protect the crew from the heavy machine guns projectiles. The ammunition compartments at the sides of the vehicle may stop machine guns from penetrating all the way through to harm the crew, but these have dubious protection values in the long run. However, due to these extreme thin armour thickness, standard armour-piercing rounds tend to penetrate straight through with minimal damage.

The AS42 has 2 crew with ammo to the turret placements sides. The gun's armour is thick enough to protect the gunner in rare circumstances.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 156|rbMinHp= 97}}

The tank has very high mobility with speeds exceeding 80 km/h on concrete and 35 km/h offroad.

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

{{main|Breda Mod.35 (20 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Breda Mod.35 (20 mm)|20 mm Breda Mod.35]]
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="2" | 1,200 (12) || 501 || -10°/+90° || ±150° || N/A
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 30.8 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 20.8 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 3.9 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| Granata mod.35 || HEFI-T || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2
|-
| Perforante mod.35 || API-T || 40 || 38 || 29 || 20 || 14 || 10
|-
| PzGr 40 || HVAP-T || 64 || 63 || 29 || 20 || 14 || 10
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| Granata mod.35 || HEFI-T || 830 || 0.14 || 0.3 || 0.1 || 3 || ° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| Perforante mod.35 || API-T || 832 || 0.14 || 1.3 || 15 || 1 || ° || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| PzGr 40 || HVAP-T || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''XX''' || XX ''(+XX)'' || XX ''(+XX)'' || XX ''(+XX)'' || XX ''(+XX)'' || XX ''(+XX)'' || XX ''(+XX)'' || style="text-align:left" | No
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


With its high speed, the AS42 has the ability to flank and, with its autocannon, able to cause high amounts of damage fast. If unable to penetrate, you will be able to escape quite quickly and leave to fight another day. The tank loses most of its advantages of stealth and positioning when going into Arcade Battles.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High top speed
* Access to PzGr 40 rounds
* Sloped frontal armor, may deflect some rounds
* High penetration for the 20mm cannon

'''Cons:'''

* Small magazine for SPAA
* Virtually no protection at all. Even rifle rounds will penetrate the armour
* Only has two crew members
* Crew is exposed

== History ==


The AS (Autosahariana) 42 was derived from the AB 41 armoured car. It was, however, unarmored and did not have the rear driver position. Designed for long-range reconnaissance in North Africa, it had a cross country range of almost 500 miles (800 km). It was also known as the Camionetta Desertica (Desert Weapons Carrier) mod. 42, or "la Sahariana" (the Saharan). The main armament varied: 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons, 20 mm anti-tank rifles, and machine guns were common alternatives. About 200 were built and saw service in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. After the armistice, some continued in use with Fascist Italian forces and Germany, including on the Eastern Front, and in the Ardennes in 1944-5.

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

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

{{Italy anti-aircraft vehicles}}

M3 Lee

2020-06-08T17:18:06Z

U91249210: /* Usage in battles */ Added some more info.

{{Specs-Card|code=us_m3_lee}}
{{About
| about = American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = M3 (Disambiguation)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_M3Lee.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{specs|name}}''' is a rank {{specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. This tank was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. The M3 Lee gives the player a substantial upgrade in firepower and armour compared to the [[M2|M2 Medium]] and [[M2A4|M2 Lights]] with a combination of 37 mm and 75 mm cannon on the tank. The two guns make this tank awkward and hard to control for a new player but will give an edge when its handling and operation are mastered properly.

The M3 Lee is most well recognized for its tall profile and two cannons. The suspension resembles that of the [[M4|M4 Sherman]], the only notable difference being the return rollers' positions. The hull front is also stepped into two plates, where the upper is closer to vertical. The large sponson on the right side of the tank carries the main 75 mm gun; note that with 2 crew, it is the operational gun. The 37 mm gun is in a turret, mounted with a leftward offset, and has a small MG cupola on top.

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

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 38.1 mm (54°) ''Front Glacis'' 50.8 mm (15-55°) ''Transmission area'' 50.8 mm (29°) ''Driver port'' 38.1 mm (0-57°) ''Hull gun mount'' || 38.1 mm (0-22°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm ''Bottom'' || 38.1 mm (1-14°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm (15-53°) ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 50.8 mm (11-65°) ''Turret front'' 38.1 mm (1-82°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (0-66°) || 50.8 mm (1-54°) || 22.2 mm
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 17 mm thick.
* Hull doors and vision ports are 38.1 mm thick.

When combating this tank, avoid its 75 mm gun by flanking the vehicle, then get in close and hug the sides or rear of the vehicle to prevent them from turning and going under the 37 mm's depression range. Aim for the large superstructure, a solid penetration will knock out all 6 crew members or make the ammunition combust. Note that firing through the side hatch will usually destroy the tank in a single shot, owing to the lack of sloping and ammunition storage.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 620|rbMinHp= 354|}}

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

{{main|M5 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[M5 (37 mm)|37 mm M5]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 179 || -7°/+60° || ±180° || Vertical
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 10.70 || 14.80 || 18.00 || 19.90 || 21.20
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 10.70 || 12.60 || 15.30 || 16.92 || 18.0
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 3.77 || 3.33 || 3.07 || 2.90
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| M74B1 || AP || 78 || 76 || 65 || 54 || 44 || 37
|-
| M51B1/B2 || APC || 78 || 76 || 65 || 54 || 44 || 37
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| M74B1 || AP || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M51B1/B2 || APC || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_M3Lee.png|right|thumbnail|400px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the M3 Lee.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |8th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |9th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |10th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |11th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |12th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |13th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |14th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''179''' || 176 ''(+3)'' || 172 ''(+7)'' || 168 ''(+11)'' || 160 ''(+19)''|| 153 ''(+26)''|| 148 ''(+31)'' || 140 ''(+39)'' || 133 ''(+46)'' || 129 ''(+50)'' || 116 ''(+63)'' || 105 ''(+50)'' || 63 ''(+116)'' || 21 ''(+158)'' || 1 ''(+178)''|| Yes
|-
|}

=== Additional armament ===

{{main|M2 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[M2 (75 mm)|75 mm M2]]
|-
! colspan="6" | ''Hull mount''
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 50 || -9°/+20° || ±15° || Vertical
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert Qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace Qualif.
|-
| 6.50 || 5.75 || 5.30 || 5.00
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| M72 shot || AP ||84||82||73||62||53||46
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| M62 shot || APCBC ||96||94||84||73||63||55
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 588 || 6.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 448 || 6.3 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 666 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M62 shot || APCBC || 588 || 6.8 || 1.2 || 20 || 63.7 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity in m/s
! Projectile Mass in kg
! ''Screen radius in m''
! ''Screen time in s''
! ''Screen hold time in s:''
! ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
|-
| M89 || 259 || 3 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''50''' || 10 ''(+40)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|Browning (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[Browning (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Commander cupola mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 3,000 (250) || 500 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The multiple cannons allow for different combinations of attack. The 37 mm gun on the full 360° traverse turret allows for a diverse role on the M3, with its high-velocity and effective round for long-range fighting, but with a fast reload for close-quarter encounters. The 75 mm on the sponson mount has the same penetration level as the 37 mm, but with a very high post-penetration damage with the right ammo at the cost of lower velocity, and thus a shorter battle range. The limited traverse on the 75 mm mount also means it is not as flexible as the turreted 37 mm. With these two cannon, the M3 Lee can focus on close-range combat with the two cannons fighting a single tank or engage two separate tanks at a longer range. Closer range combat is supported by the M3's adequate sloped frontal armour, able to withstand most enemy fire at its battle rating. It is recommended to set the keys to allow separate firing of the cannons for maximum effectiveness.

Still, different guns mean different styles of play. The M3 can also play as a tank destroyer, using its sponson gun to take shots at medium range and it's 37 mm to cover the flanks and make longer range snipe shots. The M3 Lee can also be used as an assault tank, quickly advancing on points while switching between the powerful 75 mm gun and the faster-firing 37 mm. It is also possible to completely ignore the 37 mm and focus solely on the 75 mm as it is a far more effective gun with its HE filler in its APCBC, as well as being easier to manage for newer players. In all game modes, the weapons should be assigned to different keys, this will allow the tank to aim using the sights of the three guns separately, allowing more accurate targeting at ranges, especially for the 75 mm gun. Since the 75 mm is in a side sponson, it is also possible to approach cover to where only the 37 mm is showing, allowing the tank to fire with most of the tank's profile hidden.

Being at BR 2.7, the M3 Lee has a possibility of facing long-barrelled [[Pz.III L|Pz.Kpfw. III]], and [[Pz.IV F2|Pz.Kpfw. IV]], as well as [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]]s and [[Sd.Kfz.234/2]]. The ZiS-30 is also very deadly, as its gun is competitive even at 5.7. The 75 mm gun can reliable penetrate all of these tanks at short range (save the T-34), whereas the 37 mm will require some particular shot placement. Another particular enemy worth noting is the Sd.Kfz.234/2 "Puma". This light tank mounts a 50mm KwK.39/1 cannon which can easily penetrate your armor all around. You should try to angle the tank in a way that the shells will just slide harmlessly off. Another tactic is to only expose your turret, that way, you can minimize the amount of damage dealt to you.
===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
! colspan="2" |Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks||
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|M51B1/B2
|-
|II
|Suspension||Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|M61 shot
|-
|III
|Filters||
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|
|-
|IV
|Transmission||Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|M89
|-
|}
=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Ability to use two guns: a 37mm and a 75mm - which is unique as well as useful at this rank
* Acceptable frontal armour
* Side mounted 75mm gives the ability for some unique tactics
* 75mm gun is comparable to the ones mounted on the later Sherman tanks
* Despite the tall profile, the "wedding cake" design of the turret has thick sloped armour, providing extra protection to make up for its height
* 6 crew members, harder to fully knock-out
* Has three different turrets. The 75 mm sponson, the 37 mm, and the .30 cal mounted above the 37 mm turret, and all of them can be controlled differently through key mapping
* Very effective when using weapon selection as one turret can cover the other when it's reloading
* 75mm is good for stationary

'''Cons:'''

* Tall profile, big target
* Losing crew members means losing functionality of one of the turrets
* 75mm sponson weapon does not allow for hull-down combat
* Tall position of turret restricts gun depression
* Slow traverse speeds make it easy for a light or a particularly speedy medium tank to sneak around the sides
* Weak-side armour
* Very awkward to use for new players
* Driver's port is a weak spot

== History ==


===Development===
The current main tank in US inventory in 1940 was the [[M2|M2 medium tank]], but the Battle of France showed that such a tank was not going to be capable to go up against the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]] and their Panzer Divisions. With the Western Allies now embroiled in the North African campaign against the Germans and Italians, the Allies needed a good tank capable of going against the Panzer tanks, and they needed it quickly.<ref name="ZalogaM3Med">Zaloga Steven. ''M3 Lee/Grant Medium Tank 1941-45'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2005</ref>

The new tank design took elements from the M2 Medium, using the chassis and its VVSS suspension system. Part of the requirement for the new tank was to mount the more powerful 75 mm cannon. However, it was discovered that the United States does not have a turret design that could mount the 75 mm gun. Turret development would take time, and a new tank capable of fighting the Germans was needed by the British, which the Americans were building tanks for even though the United States was not yet at war. Taking elements from French designs such as the Char B1, with its two cannon mounts, the American designers decided that the 75 mm, if it couldn't yet be mounted on a turret, should be mounted on a sponson design on the hull. This design was tested on the M2 medium tank as the ''T5E2''. It was always considered a stopgap, using the same chassis as the future M4 Sherman to minimize issues with transition when the new design was ready. Ordnance approved it as combat-capable and the design was approved as the '''M3 Medium'''. The M3 Medium design had two cannons, the 75 mm on the hull sponson mount, and a 37 mm with a coaxial machine gun on a turret, a cupola on the turret had its own machine gun. The M3 Lee's 75 mm gun, however, presented a huge advantage over contemporary tank armaments as the 75 mm could fire high-explosive rounds for fortifications and artillery pieces, yet could fire a shell with a high enough velocity for anti-tank purposes.

The M3 design's faults were the high profile and the sponson mount for its armament. The M3 was 10 ft. 3 in. tall, a foot taller than the M2 medium tank. The 75 mm on a sponson mount meant that the main armament of the tank had a limited traverse compared to a rotatable turret and forced the tank to reveal much of its body in order to aim the gun at the enemy. The M3 Medium was also constructed out of rivets (which increased spalling) and had a smooth track design which reduced ground traction. Despite these disadvantages, the Allies happily accepted them as they were critically low on tanks, and German Colonel Hans von Luck considered them superior to the [[Pz.IV E|Panzer IV]]s from his experience in Africa.

The initial batch of M3s were given to the British for their campaign for North Africa. The original British M3s had a radio in the turret, a new cast turret with room for radio, and the turret cupola and cupola machine gun was replaced with a simple hatch. The modified M3 also required one less crew member due to the radio now being in the turret for the commander rather than for a radio operator. The British ordered 1,250 of these modified M3 medium tanks, which they called the Grant. Additional tanks built and sent to the UK later with the original US model turret were called the Lee.

On August 1941, production officially started on the M3 Mediums, though the armour was thicker than initials batches of the tank due to its combat experiences. A majority of these were completed at Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the total 6,258 M3s built between startup to the end of production in December 1942, 2,855 units went to the British and 1,386 went to the Soviet Union. Other users of the M3 were the Australians and Indians in the India-Burma Theater. The M3 Mediums arriving in British arsenal caused confusion as the same "M3" designation was given to the [[M3 Stuart|M3 Light Tank]], plus there were two different design types of the M3 Mediums. This set off the tradition of naming American tanks after generals, where the M3 medium tank earned the ''Lee'' for the initial Americans design, [[Grant I|''Grant'']] for the British redesign, and the M3 light tank and its [[M5A1|successors]] earned the ''Stuart''.

Only 1,400 M3s were kept by the US. Three US crews, sent to help the British with training on the new tanks, had fought in British M3s at the battle of Gazala in June, 1942, with the 1st Royal Tank Regiment. In the US North Africa landings and Tunisia campaign later that year, two battalions of the US 13th Armored Regiment (1st Armored Division) also used M3s, until replaced with Shermans. By the end of the Tunisia campaign in May 1943, all M3s had been taken out of US service in Europe.

===Combat usage===
Combat experience with the M3 Lee was complicated but favourable. In Africa, the Lees and Grants in British and American service surprised the German forces when they could withstand the [[KwK 38 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK 38 L/42 gun]] and [[KwK 37 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK 37 L/24 howitzer]] armament on the Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs. The M3 proved reliable and adequate in armour protection in British and American service. The Soviet's experience with the M3 was less favourable, as their T-34 tanks were much better in combat performance. The Soviets euphemistically called it a "grave for six men" and their Lee tanks were relegated to the secondary fronts or repurposed as armoured personnel carriers. In the Pacific, the M3s were lent to the Australians and Indians, which proved vastly superior to the Japanese tanks in service. The high gun elevation on its 37 mm turret and machine guns proved effective in knocking Japanese snipers off from trees. The only American use of the M3 Lee at the Pacific Theater was during the Battle of Makin Island by the 193rd Tank Battalion in November, 1943.

The M3 served fine as a stop-gap solution for the American tank development. They performed very well on the combat field and proved very reliable. However, once a 75 mm turret was finally designed, the M3 was redesigned to use it, and the resulting tank was the [[M4|M4 Sherman]], which will go on to replace the M3 tanks in the Allies as they are withdrawn from service. Even if it wasn't, the M3 was becoming obsolete due to newer German tanks being deployed, such as the [[Panther D|Panther]], [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]], or improvement of old chassis like the [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IV Ausf. G]] and [[StuG III F|StuG III Ausf. F]]. Its obsolescence was a consequence of its own rather unique development and anachronistic design, limiting this medium tank's service life to a mere two years in Allied hands. However, it lived on until the end of World War II in some modifications such as tractor and recovery vehicle. The chassis and running gear were adapted by the Canadians to develop their [[M4A5|''Ram'' medium tank]].<ref name="ZalogaM3Med" />

===An anecdote===

::"The 75 (mm gun) is firing. The 37 (mm gun) is firing, but it is traversed around the wrong way. The Browning (machine gun) is jammed. I am saying ‘Driver advance’ on the A set and the driver, who can’t hear me, is reversing. And as I look over the top of the turret and see twelve enemy tanks fifty yards away, someone hands me a cheese sandwich.” —''British Lieutenant Ken Giles, tank commander of a M3 Grant''<ref name="GrantAnecdote">Bell, Chris. "Fury: All You Need to Know about Life in a Tank." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 24 Oct. 2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2017. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/11167575/Fury-all-you-need-to-know-about-life-in-a-tank.html Website]</ref>

=== In-game description ===
"The M3 was created based on the M2 medium tank, using almost all its components and powertrain assemblies in addition to its transmission and running gear. The tank offered a multi-tiered armament configuration and, as the first American tank armed with a 75 mm cannon, represented an important step forward in the development of tank design in the US.

In 1940 the Ordnance Department brought up requirements for a new medium tank, primary among them being a 75 mm weapon. The 2,134 mm long T7 75 mm cannon met the requirement as a modified version of the T6 cannon, which was designed for standard ammunition from 1897. The modernized weapon was designated the M2, and installing it had a positive impact on the tank's firepower. On the other hand, mounting it in a side sponson greatly limited its arc of fire. The gun could only be moved horizontally by hand and was limited to 15° in either direction.

The next weapon modification was the M3 cannon. Its barrel length was extended to 2,810 mm, which both boosted initial shell velocity from 564 m/s to 610 m/s and eliminated the need for a counterweight.

The M3 used a riveted hull, while its configuration featured a forward-sitting transmission, battle compartment in the middle, and engine bay in the back. The tank's outline was quite exotic as a result of trying to combine comfort for the crew and high firepower.

The first modification was under full-scale production from April 1941 to August 1942, with five companies building a total of 4,924 units.
The M3 Lee launched its combat career in North Africa in 1942. Deliveries were also made to the USSR via Lend-Lease for use on the Eastern Front from 1942 to 1943."

== Media ==


* [http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=#M3_Lee Skins and camouflages for the M3 Lee from live.warthunder.com.]

== 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 ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/2658/current/ [Historical<nowiki>]</nowiki> Steel Generals: M3 Lee]
* [http://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/712/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Developers about M3 Lee]

{{USA medium tanks}}
<references />

Strv m/31

2020-06-07T19:50:49Z

U91249210: /* Usage in battles */

{{Specs-Card|code=sw_strv_m31}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_Strv_m31.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Swedish light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]].

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

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

{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 310|rbMinHp= 177}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===
{{main|kan m/38 (37 mm)}}

''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[kan m/38 (37 mm)|37 mm kan m/38]] || 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" | 127 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 15.2 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || rowspan="2" | 4.1 || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 9.5 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| 3,7 cm slpprj m/49 || APDS || 105 || 103 || 97 || 89 || 82 || 75
|-
| slpgr m/39 || APBC || 55 || 51 || 37 || 26 || 17 || 12
|-
| slpprj m/38 || APBC || 59 || 55 || 41 || 28 || 19 || 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%
|-
| 3,7 cm slpprj m/49 || APDS || 1,150 || 0.71 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
| slpgr m/39 || APBC || 800 || 0.74 || 1.2 || 9.0 || 15 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| slpprj m/38 || APBC || 785 || 0.74 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''127''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

==== [[Optics]] ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} Optics
|-
!
! Default magnification
! Maximum magnification
|-
! Main Gun optics
| x1.8 || x3.5
|-
! Comparable optics
| colspan="2" | ___
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|ksp m/14-29 (6.5 mm)}}

The Strv m/31 is equipped with a 6.5 mm machine gun, nothing out of the ordinary. It is useful for attacking AA vehicles or more lightly armoured foes.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ksp m/14-29 (6.5 mm)|6.5 mm ksp m/14-29]]
|-
! Mount
! Capacity (Belt capacity)
! Rate of fire (shots/minute)
! Vertical guidance
! Horizontal guidance
|-
| Coaxial || 4,000 (250) || 498 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==
The Stv m/31 is a light tanks with poor armor. It shouldn't be used to rush into the heat of the battle or you will get knocked out very soon. Its armor is inadequate, it can't even stop 12.6 HMG (High Machine Gun) fire. Instead, it should be used to flank other enemy tanks, using your excellent speed to your advantage. The Stv m/31 has an unconventional armor layout. Its frontal area (eg.upper hull, glacis area) armor is very weak while the rear is really strong. This tanks also have pretty good speed in reverse, so you can drive into battle facing backwards using your rear armor and engine to soak up damage.

{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="3" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
|
|
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| Adjustment of Fire
|
|
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
|
|
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
| Artillery Support
| slpgr m/39
| 3,7 cm slpprj m/49
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Access to APDS ammunition that can penetrate up to 105 mm
* APDS has high velocity, making it easy to aim at longer distances

'''Cons:'''

* APDS has no explosive filler, multiple shots will be needed to finish off a tank

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

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|CDl68kOR9ig|'''The Shooting Range #191''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:50 discusses the Strv m/31.}}

== 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/6589-development-swedish-ground-forces-stridsvagn-m-31-en|[Devblog] Stridsvagn m/31]]

{{Sweden light tanks}}

Sd.Kfz.234/2

2020-06-07T16:52:17Z

U91249210: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_sdkfz_234_2}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_Sd.Kfz.234 2.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica"]].

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Vision ports)
* Structural steel (Side skirts)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 mm (40°) ''Front plate'' 15 mm (70°), 30 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 30 mm (35°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (34-35°) ''Top'' 8 (19-35°) + 4 mm || 10 mm (21-46°) || 5 mm
|-
| Turret || 30 mm (20°) ''Turret front'' 50 mm (1-79°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 14.5 mm (24-26°) || 14.5 mm (25°) 8 mm (21°) ''Pistol port'' || 8 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Wheels provide 10 mm thick protection.
* Vision ports on car body are 10 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 325|rbMinHp= 186|}}

The Puma can reach a speed of around 45 km/h on flat terrain. Thanks to its transmission, it can drive in reverse with the same speed and manoeuvrability. Due to its wheeled design, it struggles in sand, snow and mud. It is also hard to keep going straight in a line at high speeds. The game does offer some degree of compensation for this via the "Activate Cruise Mode" control binding under the "Tank Driving" subsection. When using Cruise Mode, hold down the desired key you bound its activation to, and steer with mouse movements, allowing pinpoint steering while retaining speed. However, you cannot shoot while using Cruise Mode, so use it wisely.

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

{{main|KwK 39 (50 mm)}}

The Puma fields the KwK.39/1 cannon, a similar cannon to that seen in the late Panzer III models, as well as the same ammunition. The cannon was designed for a anti-tank role and it does its job well at 2.7. It can select from a 95mm pen APC-HE shell, which should be your main round, two APCR shells with 128mm and 150mm pen, respectively (you should carry a few of the better ones, especially if you uptier the Puma so it might see KV-1s, as well for long range sniping) and an HE shell witch can be used against AA trucks. As the APC-HE shell has no ballistic cap, it might struggle against angled armour, so it is best to go for side shots. With a reload of 4.1 seconds and high velocity shells, this tank can do the job both in close-quarters and at long range.

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG 42 (7.92 mm)}}
The Puma has a coaxial MG 42 that is only useful against exposed crew members.

== Usage in battles ==


The Puma adopts a lot of typical light tank tactics. To play this vehicle well, you must shoot and scoot. Your fast reload times in combination with a very fast reverse speed makes it ideal for firing around a corner then backing up and flanking. The tank is very fast on road, however it has poor performance off-road so it is not recommended on desert maps and muddy maps where you can get slowed down by the terrain. Due to the fact that you have weak armour and a compact crew module, penetrative shots typically result in your destruction. It is advised to not brawl with tanks and to flank whenever possible, using your speed and mobility versus enemy tanks as your armour. Use the terrain to your advantage, firing over hills and making good use of your gun depression. Sidescrape corners and do not hold angles, as you will most likely be destroyed.

The tank's speed in combination with its low spawn cost in RB as a light tank makes it ideal to spawn in at the start of the game and capture the objective in 2 or 3 point domination. This guarantees you spawn points for a respawn and gives you opportunities to flank the enemy.

The real beauty of the Puma is its ability to flank around different parts of the map very quickly. It is extremely maneuverable and can traverse most types of terrain very quickly (avoid mud). You should take up a covert play style with this vehicle. Even if you see an enemy, you should only fire at the perfect moment, where you are guaranteed a score. This especially applies to T-34s and KV-1's, where hits to the side or rear are far more effective. This being said, the 5cm gun is a great gun. It is easy to use, high velocity, accurate and has a good range of ammunition.

Notable enemies you will meet are the [[T-34 (1942)]] and [[M4|M4 Sherman]], along with armoured tanks like the [[Churchill Mk I|Churchill]], [[Matilda Mk II|Matilda II]], [[Valentine Mk XI|Valentine]], and the [[KV-1_(L-11)|KV-1]] These tanks are difficult to penetrate and require advanced knowledge of weakspots, so it is advised to avoid these where possible. Medium tanks are easier to combat if flanked, however it is not always reliable due to the weak penetration of the PzGr 39 and the poor penetration to sloped armour for PzGr 40.

Out of all the enemies you will meet, the T-34s are probably the biggest threat. The sloped armour is difficult to penetrate and they have excellent mobility, meaning you will meet them often. The gun is also utterly devastating for the Puma. The high explosive filler and range of shells will make short work of your vehicle. If you encounter an T-34 (any variant), aim for the turret cheeks and take out the gunner. Aiming at the frontal hull armour is unreliable and often results in a ricochet. T-34s are also very, very mobile, so it is best to go for side shots on them if you insist on engaging them.

Shermans also present the problem of sloped frontal armour. The M4A1 isn't as much of a problem, but the M4/M4A2/M4A3 variants are more difficult to penetrate. From the side, Shermans have flat armour and tall profiles. They are easy to destroy when flanked, but they too have exceptionally good mobility, especially cross-country, so they can prove to be even more of a pain to deal with than T-34s. They also have short-stop stabilizers and .50cals which make them even more of a threat.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Main cannon is powerful. It has great penetration, reload speed and nice trajectory. AP penetrates normal targets (T-34, M4) easily and APCR (up to 128 mm penetration) can also effectively pen heavy targets like the [[KV-1]]
* Extremely high forward and reverse speed makes it the fastest vehicle on road; can get to positions quickly or retreat fast
* Small and narrow frontal profile allows it to hide behind small bushes or rocks; it's also harder to get hit
* Can be a great scout vehicle in higher ranks due to its fast speed. Even the [[M18 “Black Cat”|M18]] cannot easily outrun it
* Only 8 mm side armour meaning some shells will go straight through without being detonated, for example, the BR-471 from the [[IS-2]]
* Has a wide range of good-looking camouflage to unlock. Suitable for almost every terrain/map
* Has 6 smoke shells that create a wide frontal screen when launched; very useful when trying to cover up a general area
* Surprisingly durable at times, due to inexperienced players shooting at the front, ignoring the crew member lying in the back

'''Cons:'''

* Thin armour overall, can get killed by almost anything including artillery strikes, strafing planes and [[M2 Browning (12.7 mm)|M2 Browning]]
* Extremely slow turret rotation, combined with the sharp turns at high speed, it is hard to aim
* Relatively low calibre shells tend to bounce off angled armour, angled hull of the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]] is almost impossible to penetrate
* Compact crew compartment, will be easily destroyed in one shot by a skilled player
* Starts to snake around at high speeds making it hard to control, needing counter-steering.
* Sluggish mobility on snowy (eg. Frozen pass) and desert (eg. Sinai) maps which take away its biggest advantage: speed
* Cannot turn in place due to wheels
* Smoke shells can only be launched all at once which limits its effectiveness

== History ==

===Development===
The blitzkrieg tactics in Poland and France gave the Germans a new appreciation of mobile and lethal reconnaissance vehicles. The Germans especially valued the armoured cars due to their speed, firepower, and their pre-war build-up as they were not restricted by the Versailles Treaty. The Germans started with armoured cars like the Sd.Kfz.231 family, each with different armaments. However, these vehicles had its flaws and in August 1940, Germany sought a replacement following the conclusion of the Battle of France.

The new vehicle was built off an improved Sd.Kfz.232 chassis made in monocoque construction by Büssing-NAG, its armoured body was made by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke, the turret by Daimler-Benz and Schichau, and air-cooled diesel engines by Ringhoffer-Tatra-Werke AG. The monocoque chassis design was built with an eight-wheel steering system, six forward and reverse gears, as well as having an additional driver seat in the rear for quick reversal get-aways. This construction led to '''Sd.Kfz.234''' family. Vehicle construction first started in 1943 as the [[Sd.Kfz.234/2|Sd.Kfz.234/2]], which had a turret originally intended for the VK 1602 Leopard mounting a [[KwK 39 (50 mm)|5 cm L/60]] gun, construction continued on this vehicle until mid-1944. The Sd.Kfz.234/2 earned the nickname "Puma" from the soldiers using it.

Production for Sd.Kfz.234/2 shifted towards other armaments in 1944 that replaced the original. This produced variants such as the Sd.Kfz. 234/1 which replaced the turret with an open-top one carrying a [[KwK 30 (20 mm)|2 cm KwK 38]], this was produced between mid-1944 to early 1945. Right besides that, the Sd.Kfz.234/3 was produced with an open-top structure to mount a [[KwK 37 (75 mm)|75 mm howitzer]], this was produced from mid-1944 until the end of 1944. At the Sd.Kfz.234/3's production end, it was replaced by the [[Sd.Kfz.234/4|Sd.Kfz.234/4]], also known as the "Pakwagen", that had the armament replaced by a [[KwK 40 (75 mm)|7.5 cm PaK 40]] anti-tank gun. This last variant was produced from the end of 1944 to the capitulation of Germany in World War II. A total of 478 Sd.Kfz.234 armoured cars were produced, 200 of the 234/1, 101 of the 234/2, 88 of the 234/3, and 89 of the 234/4.

===Combat usage===
The Sd.Kfz.234 cars were originally intended for the conflicts in North Africa. However, the engine development took abnormally long to complete and by the time it was ready, the North African theater had concluded. Nevertheless, they served in the Western and Eastern front with success, but was impeded by its low production count.

The Sd.Kfz. 234/2 variant was arguably the most popular, as the staple of the 234 family. The vehicle served in the Panzer Lehr Division, 1st and 2nd SS Panzer Division, 2nd, 7th, 13th, and 20th Panzer Division. The Sd.Kfz.234 in the recon companies were allocated in 19 or 25 vehicles per division, further split into platoons up to six vehicles and one as the headquarters. However, due to their low production numbers, this allocation was rarely kept in full strength in the war,

The Sd.Kfz.234 first saw combat in Normandy after D-Day in the stationed Panzer Lehr and 2nd Panzer Division in the Sd.Kfz.234/2 variant. The divisions used these vehicles in recon roles until their withdrawal behind the Seine River, with Panzer Lehr having 8 Sd.Kfz.234/2 of the original 26 it had. These divisions were rebuilt in the fall of 1944 with the Sd.Kfz.234/1 and Sd.Kfz.234/3 after the 234/2 ceased production.

== Media ==

[https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23puma '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the Sd.Kfz.234/2 "Puma" from live.warthunder.com.]

===Sights===

* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI] (Sd.Kfz.234/2 included)

== See also ==


* [[Sd.Kfz.234/3]] - Tank destroyer version of the chassis, with a [[K51 L/24 (75 mm)|75 mm K51]] gun.
* [[Sd.Kfz.234/4]] - Another tank destroyer version with the longer [[PaK 40/3 (75 mm)|75 mm PaK 40/3]] gun.

== External links ==


* [http://warthunder.com/en/news/4713-development-sd-kfz-234-2-puma-the-nimble-feline-predator-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma: The Nimble Feline Predator]

{{Germany light tanks}}

Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)

2020-06-05T17:17:18Z

U91249210: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_sdkfz_221_s_pz_b_41}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]].

The le.Pz.Sp.Wg. (s.Pz.B.41) Sd.Kfz.221 is a unique vehicle in its own right. This vehicle is a lightly armoured, highly mobile car, with a 20 mm squeeze bore cannon. What that means is that a 28 mm wide shell is inserted into a 28 mm wide breech, and subsequently fired down a barrel that narrows down to 20 mm at the end. This gives you a projectile that was 28 mm, now squeezed down to 20 mm. In effect, this gives you a heavier, longer 20 mm shell. This allows old and outdated anti-tank weapon calibres to be re-designed and revitalized so that they could be effective again.

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


The Sd.Kfz.221 has almost no armour at all. It gets penetrated on every side even by rifle-caliber rounds.

The problem of the Sd.Kfz. 221 isn't really the armour. It's that the gunner is exposed. A single coaxial bullet can knock him out and due to the vehicle only having two crew members, will either take out the vehicle entirely from the game in RB/SB, or leave it a sitting duck in AB due to Crew Replenishment.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=116|rbMinHp=66}}

The mobility is great for a wheeled vehicle. The double steering axles allow it to make tight turns even though it is a wheeled vehicle. There is, however, one main flaw with the double steering axles design, it is difficult to drive straight forward after making the slightest turn. The vehicle has a tendency to oversteer by itself and requires adjustments to keep it driving straight. This is extremely problematic if driving at full speed. To counter this problem, it is best to simply slow down before making turns. An alternative is to enable "Driver Assist" in the controls, so slight adjustments of the mouse steer it properly instead.

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

{{main|s.Pz.B.41 (28/20 mm)}}

The 28/20 mm s.Pz.B.41 squeeze-bore cannon fires only one ammo type, the 2.8/2 cm PzGr.41. The round has an extremely high muzzle velocity of 1,400 m/s and penetrates 95 mm at 10 m distance against flat armour. Against 30-degree armour, it penetrates an acceptable 73 mm, but at steep angles, it penetrates just 22 mm. Rate of fire is excellent like most low-rank guns, but currently, like all APCR, the post-penetration damage is poor.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[s.Pz.B.41 (28/20 mm)|28/20 mm s.Pz.B.41]] || 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" | 60 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±20° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 33.32 || 46.12 || 56.0 || 61.92 || 65.88 || rowspan="2" | 3.90 || rowspan="2" | 3.45 || rowspan="2" | 3.18 || rowspan="2" | 3.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.83 || 24.50 || 29.75 || 32.90 || 35.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable" 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
|-
| 2.8/2cm Pzgr.41 || APCR || 95 || 94 || 66 || 38 || 15 || 8
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" 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%
|-
| 2.8/2cm Pzgr.41 || APCR || 1,400 || 0.14 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''60''' || 55 ''(+5)'' || 49 ''(+11)'' || 43 ''(+17)'' || 37 ''(+23)'' || 31 ''(+29)'' || 25 ''(+35)'' || 19 ''(+41)'' || 13 ''(+47)'' || 7 ''(+53)'' || 1 ''(+59)'' || No
|-
|}

[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}, located behind the driver and at the feet of the commander/gunner.]]
'''Notes:'''

* Recommended ammo load is 37 to remove rear ammo racks.

== Usage in battles ==

This vehicle has a powerful cannon and very weak survivability, and therefore is effectively played as a sniper at medium to far ranges. However, positioning will be very important if the player decides to pursue this play-style, as opportunities to engage at long range are rare at this battle rating. Most fights occur at short to medium ranges.

Unfortunately, it is in these close combat scenarios that this vehicle suffers. Gun traverse is limited, so the vehicle is easily flanked, and when up close, enemies will be able to dispatch the crew with a short machine-gun burst. So, brawling is often an ineffective strategy. More useful is an ambush-based play-style, where the vehicle can use its incredible speed (on paved surfaces, at least) to reach a favourable position early in the game, and destroy enemies passing by.

Again, this vehicle has virtually no armour protection, and what it does have will not protect against but lightest shrapnel blasts. Again, one of the two crew members is completely exposed, and if they are knocked unconscious, then the vehicle is destroyed. This means that the player should avoid taking damage at all costs. If an enemy plane is in the air, it is advisable to find cover immediately. If there is an artillery strike inbound, it is similarly advised to leave the area as soon as possible.

If sniping and ambushing are both not working, it is also possible to use this vehicle as a highly-mobile strike attacker. By constantly moving around, this vehicle can quickly find the best firing positions throughout the map, and its high penetration allow it to destroy enemies from almost any angle. Combined this vehicle's high speed, a small profile means that enemies will have a difficult time aiming and achieving a hit. Still, the most important thing is to stay out of sight, using speed as an advantage to destroy vehicles without the enemy knowing.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! Firepower
|-
| I
| Tires
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| Adjustment of Fire
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
| Artillery Support
|-
|}

Due to this vehicle's extremely limited survivability, the Parts and FPE modifications are not as important as they are on most other tanks. Instead, the most important modifications are the mobility-based modules.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very fast in a straight line (80 km/h)
* Excellent power/weight ratio allows for great acceleration
* Small profile
* Good rate of fire
* Good penetration and muzzle velocity

'''Cons:'''

* Limited gun traverse
* Limited post-penetration damage
* The thin armour is easily penetrable by all vehicles and aircraft
* Only two crew members
* Incapable of neutral steering
* Poor mobility on soft surfaces
* Can easily tip over in a sharp turn

== History ==


The Sd.Kfz. 221, also known as the PSW 221, along with its sister Sd.Kfz. 222 was the standard German light armoured car in 1939. A total of 339 Sd.Kfz. 221s and 989 Sd.Kfz. 222's were built. The Sd.Kfz. 221 carried a machine gun in an open-top turret, while the Sd.Kfz. 222 carried a 20 mm cannon, sometimes with or without a shield. The 221 was taken out of service by the end of 1942.

The 2.8 cm sPzB 41 taper-bore heavy anti-tank rifle had a 28mm breech calibre, but due to malleable skirts around the projectile, the projectile emerged from the barrel with a 20 mm calibre. This greatly increased the possible muzzle velocity (4,600 ft/sec at the muzzle) but required rounds with tungsten carbide cores to prevent shattering on impact, and rapidly wore out the gun bore. In 1942 the other requirements for and scarcity of tungsten forced its discontinuation in anti-tank round production, and the weapons that could only use tungsten ammunition were no longer usable after existing ammo supplies ran out. During its short service life, it was sometimes mounted on light armoured cars like the 221 and armoured half-tracks in place of their usual machine gun.

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|_L5i_oupaCU|'''Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)''' - ''by TheEuropeanCanadian''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

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

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

{{Germany light tanks}}

Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)

2020-06-05T17:16:29Z

U91249210: /* Usage in battles */

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_sdkfz_221_s_pz_b_41}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]].

The le.Pz.Sp.Wg. (s.Pz.B.41) Sd.Kfz.221 is a unique vehicle in its own right. This vehicle is a lightly armoured, highly mobile car, with a 20 mm squeeze bore cannon. What that means is that a 28 mm wide shell is inserted into a 28 mm wide breech, and subsequently fired down a barrel that narrows down to 20 mm at the end. This gives you a projectile that was 28 mm, now squeezed down to 20 mm. In effect, this gives you a heavier, longer 20 mm shell. This allows old and outdated anti-tank weapon calibres to be re-designed and revitalized so that they could be effective again.

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


The Sd.Kfz.221 has almost no armour at all. It gets penetrated on every side even by rifle-caliber rounds.

The problem of the Sd.Kfz. 221 isn't really the armour. It's that the gunner is exposed. A single coaxial bullet can knock him out and due to the vehicle only having two crew members, will either take out the vehicle entirely from the game in RB/SB, or leave it a sitting duck in AB due to Crew Replenishment.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=116|rbMinHp=66}}

The mobility is great for a wheeled vehicle. The double steering axles allow it to make tight turns even though it is a wheeled vehicle. There is, however, one main flaw with the double steering axles design, it is difficult to drive straight forward after making the slightest turn. The vehicle has a tendency to oversteer by itself and requires adjustments to keep it driving straight. This is extremely problematic if driving at full speed. To counter this problem, it is best to simply slow down before making turns. An alternative is to enable "Driver Assist" in the controls, so slight adjustments of the mouse steer it properly instead.

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

{{main|s.Pz.B.41 (28/20 mm)}}

The 28/20 mm s.Pz.B.41 squeeze-bore cannon fires only one ammo type, the 2.8/2 cm PzGr.41. The round has an extremely high muzzle velocity of 1,400 m/s and penetrates 95 mm at 10 m distance against flat armour. Against 30-degree armour, it penetrates an acceptable 73 mm, but at steep angles, it penetrates just 22 mm. Rate of fire is excellent like most low-rank guns, but currently, like all APCR, the post-penetration damage is poor.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[s.Pz.B.41 (28/20 mm)|28/20 mm s.Pz.B.41]] || 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" | 60 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±20° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 33.32 || 46.12 || 56.0 || 61.92 || 65.88 || rowspan="2" | 3.90 || rowspan="2" | 3.45 || rowspan="2" | 3.18 || rowspan="2" | 3.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.83 || 24.50 || 29.75 || 32.90 || 35.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable" 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
|-
| 2.8/2cm Pzgr.41 || APCR || 95 || 94 || 66 || 38 || 15 || 8
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" 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%
|-
| 2.8/2cm Pzgr.41 || APCR || 1,400 || 0.14 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''60''' || 55 ''(+5)'' || 49 ''(+11)'' || 43 ''(+17)'' || 37 ''(+23)'' || 31 ''(+29)'' || 25 ''(+35)'' || 19 ''(+41)'' || 13 ''(+47)'' || 7 ''(+53)'' || 1 ''(+59)'' || No
|-
|}

[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}, located behind the driver and at the feet of the commander/gunner.]]
'''Notes:'''

* Recommended ammo load is 37 to remove rear ammo racks.

== Usage in battles ==

This vehicle has a powerful cannon and very weak survivability, and therefore is effectively played as a sniper at medium to far ranges. However, positioning will be very important if the player decides to pursue this play-style, as opportunities to engage at long range are rare at this battle rating. Most fights occur at short to medium ranges.

Unfortunately, it is in these close combat scenarios that this vehicle suffers. Gun traverse is limited, so the vehicle is easily flanked, and when up close, enemies will be able to dispatch the crew with a short machine-gun burst. So, brawling is often an ineffective strategy. More useful is an ambush-based play-style, where the vehicle can use its incredible speed (on paved surfaces, at least) to reach a favourable position early in the game, and destroy enemies passing by.

Again, this vehicle has virtually no armour protection, and what it does have will not protect against but lightest shrapnel blasts. Again, one of the two crew members is completely exposed, and if they are knocked unconscious, then the vehicle is destroyed. This means that the player should avoid taking damage at all costs. If an enemy plane is in the air, it is advisable to find cover immediately. If there is an artillery strike inbound, it is similarly advised to leave the area as soon as possible.

If sniping and ambushing are both not working, it is also possible to use this vehicle as a highly-mobile strike attacker. By constantly moving around, this vehicle can quickly find the best firing positions throughout the map, and its high penetration allow it to destroy enemies from almost any angle. Combined this vehicle's high speed, a small profile means that enemies will have a difficult time aiming and achieving a hit. Still, the most important thing is to stay out of sight, using speed as an advantage to destroy vehicles without the enemy knowing.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! Firepower
|-
| I
| Tires
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| Adjustment of Fire
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
| Artillery Support
|-
|}

Due to this vehicle's extremely limited survivability, the Parts and FPE modifications are not as important as they are on most other tanks. Instead, the most important modifications are the mobility-based modules.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very fast in a straight line (80 km/h)
* Excellent power/weight ratio allows for great acceleration
* Small profile
* Good rate of fire
* Good penetration and muzzle velocity

'''Cons:'''

* Limited gun traverse
* Limited post-penetration damage
* The thin armour is easily penetrable by most all vehicles and aircraft
* Only two crew members
* Incapable of neutral steering
* Poor mobility on soft surfaces
* Can easily tip over in a sharp turn

== History ==


The Sd.Kfz. 221, also known as the PSW 221, along with its sister Sd.Kfz. 222 was the standard German light armoured car in 1939. A total of 339 Sd.Kfz. 221s and 989 Sd.Kfz. 222's were built. The Sd.Kfz. 221 carried a machine gun in an open-top turret, while the Sd.Kfz. 222 carried a 20 mm cannon, sometimes with or without a shield. The 221 was taken out of service by the end of 1942.

The 2.8 cm sPzB 41 taper-bore heavy anti-tank rifle had a 28mm breech calibre, but due to malleable skirts around the projectile, the projectile emerged from the barrel with a 20 mm calibre. This greatly increased the possible muzzle velocity (4,600 ft/sec at the muzzle) but required rounds with tungsten carbide cores to prevent shattering on impact, and rapidly wore out the gun bore. In 1942 the other requirements for and scarcity of tungsten forced its discontinuation in anti-tank round production, and the weapons that could only use tungsten ammunition were no longer usable after existing ammo supplies ran out. During its short service life, it was sometimes mounted on light armoured cars like the 221 and armoured half-tracks in place of their usual machine gun.

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|_L5i_oupaCU|'''Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)''' - ''by TheEuropeanCanadian''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

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

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

{{Germany light tanks}}

Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)

2020-06-05T17:14:10Z

U91249210: /* General info */

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_sdkfz_221_s_pz_b_41}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]].

The le.Pz.Sp.Wg. (s.Pz.B.41) Sd.Kfz.221 is a unique vehicle in its own right. This vehicle is a lightly armoured, highly mobile car, with a 20 mm squeeze bore cannon. What that means is that a 28 mm wide shell is inserted into a 28 mm wide breech, and subsequently fired down a barrel that narrows down to 20 mm at the end. This gives you a projectile that was 28 mm, now squeezed down to 20 mm. In effect, this gives you a heavier, longer 20 mm shell. This allows old and outdated anti-tank weapon calibres to be re-designed and revitalized so that they could be effective again.

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


The Sd.Kfz.221 has almost no armour at all. It gets penetrated on every side even by rifle-caliber rounds.

The problem of the Sd.Kfz. 221 isn't really the armour. It's that the gunner is exposed. A single coaxial bullet can knock him out and due to the vehicle only having two crew members, will either take out the vehicle entirely from the game in RB/SB, or leave it a sitting duck in AB due to Crew Replenishment.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=116|rbMinHp=66}}

The mobility is great for a wheeled vehicle. The double steering axles allow it to make tight turns even though it is a wheeled vehicle. There is, however, one main flaw with the double steering axles design, it is difficult to drive straight forward after making the slightest turn. The vehicle has a tendency to oversteer by itself and requires adjustments to keep it driving straight. This is extremely problematic if driving at full speed. To counter this problem, it is best to simply slow down before making turns. An alternative is to enable "Driver Assist" in the controls, so slight adjustments of the mouse steer it properly instead.

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

{{main|s.Pz.B.41 (28/20 mm)}}

The 28/20 mm s.Pz.B.41 squeeze-bore cannon fires only one ammo type, the 2.8/2 cm PzGr.41. The round has an extremely high muzzle velocity of 1,400 m/s and penetrates 95 mm at 10 m distance against flat armour. Against 30-degree armour, it penetrates an acceptable 73 mm, but at steep angles, it penetrates just 22 mm. Rate of fire is excellent like most low-rank guns, but currently, like all APCR, the post-penetration damage is poor.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[s.Pz.B.41 (28/20 mm)|28/20 mm s.Pz.B.41]] || 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" | 60 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±20° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 33.32 || 46.12 || 56.0 || 61.92 || 65.88 || rowspan="2" | 3.90 || rowspan="2" | 3.45 || rowspan="2" | 3.18 || rowspan="2" | 3.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.83 || 24.50 || 29.75 || 32.90 || 35.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable" 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
|-
| 2.8/2cm Pzgr.41 || APCR || 95 || 94 || 66 || 38 || 15 || 8
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" 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%
|-
| 2.8/2cm Pzgr.41 || APCR || 1,400 || 0.14 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''60''' || 55 ''(+5)'' || 49 ''(+11)'' || 43 ''(+17)'' || 37 ''(+23)'' || 31 ''(+29)'' || 25 ''(+35)'' || 19 ''(+41)'' || 13 ''(+47)'' || 7 ''(+53)'' || 1 ''(+59)'' || No
|-
|}

[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}, located behind the driver and at the feet of the commander/gunner.]]
'''Notes:'''

* Recommended ammo load is 37 to remove rear ammo racks.

== Usage in battles ==

This vehicle has a powerful cannon and very weak survivability, and therefore is effectively played as a sniper at medium to far ranges. However, positioning will be very important if the player decides to pursue this play-style, as opportunities to engage at long range are rare at this battle rating. Most fights occur at short to medium ranges.

Unfortunately, it is in these close combat scenarios that this vehicle suffers. Gun traverse is limited, so the vehicle is easily flanked, and when up close, enemies will be able to dispatch the crew with a short machine-gun burst. So, brawling is often an ineffective strategy. More useful is an ambush-based play-style, where the vehicle can use its incredible speed (on paved surfaces, at least) to reach a favourable position early in the game, and destroy enemies passing by.

This vehicle has virtually no armour protection, and what it does have will not protect against anything but the weakest small-calibre guns and the lightest shrapnel blasts. Even worse, one of the two crew members is completely exposed, and if they are knocked unconscious, then the vehicle is destroyed. This means that the player should avoid taking damage at all costs. If an enemy plane is in the air, it is advisable to find cover immediately. If there is an artillery strike inbound, it is similarly advised to leave the area as soon as possible.

If sniping and ambushing are both not working, it is also possible to use this vehicle as a highly-mobile strike attacker. By constantly moving around, this vehicle can quickly find the best firing positions throughout the map, and its high penetration allow it to destroy enemies from almost any angle. Combined this vehicle's high speed, a small profile means that enemies will have a difficult time aiming and achieving a hit. Still, the most important thing is to stay out of sight, using speed as an advantage to destroy vehicles without the enemy knowing.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! Firepower
|-
| I
| Tires
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| Adjustment of Fire
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
| Artillery Support
|-
|}

Due to this vehicle's extremely limited survivability, the Parts and FPE modifications are not as important as they are on most other tanks. Instead, the most important modifications are the mobility-based modules.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very fast in a straight line (80 km/h)
* Excellent power/weight ratio allows for great acceleration
* Small profile
* Good rate of fire
* Good penetration and muzzle velocity

'''Cons:'''

* Limited gun traverse
* Limited post-penetration damage
* The thin armour is easily penetrable by most all vehicles and aircraft
* Only two crew members
* Incapable of neutral steering
* Poor mobility on soft surfaces
* Can easily tip over in a sharp turn

== History ==


The Sd.Kfz. 221, also known as the PSW 221, along with its sister Sd.Kfz. 222 was the standard German light armoured car in 1939. A total of 339 Sd.Kfz. 221s and 989 Sd.Kfz. 222's were built. The Sd.Kfz. 221 carried a machine gun in an open-top turret, while the Sd.Kfz. 222 carried a 20 mm cannon, sometimes with or without a shield. The 221 was taken out of service by the end of 1942.

The 2.8 cm sPzB 41 taper-bore heavy anti-tank rifle had a 28mm breech calibre, but due to malleable skirts around the projectile, the projectile emerged from the barrel with a 20 mm calibre. This greatly increased the possible muzzle velocity (4,600 ft/sec at the muzzle) but required rounds with tungsten carbide cores to prevent shattering on impact, and rapidly wore out the gun bore. In 1942 the other requirements for and scarcity of tungsten forced its discontinuation in anti-tank round production, and the weapons that could only use tungsten ammunition were no longer usable after existing ammo supplies ran out. During its short service life, it was sometimes mounted on light armoured cars like the 221 and armoured half-tracks in place of their usual machine gun.

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|_L5i_oupaCU|'''Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)''' - ''by TheEuropeanCanadian''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

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

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

{{Germany light tanks}}

Chi-Ha (China)

2020-06-05T16:54:36Z

U91249210: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=cn_type_97_chi_ha}}
{{About
| about = medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|other
|usage-1 = other uses
|link-1 = Chi-Ha (Family)
|usage-2 = the original vehicle
|link-2 = Chi-Ha
}}
== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]].

== General info ==
The Type 97 Chi-Ha is an upgraded version of the earlier Type 89 I-Go. The engine has been upgraded, from the Mitsubishi A6120VD air-cooled straight-six diesel with 120 hp to a Mitshubishi SA12200VD air-cooled V12 diesel with 170 hp. As such, the top speed has increased from 27 kph on the I-Go to 38 kph on the Chi-Ha. The armament stays the same, with the same shells and gun characteristics. The 5.7 cm Tank Gun Type 97 is robust, but will get the job done. It still has four crewmen inside, no armour, and a 7.7 mm Type 97 in the hull. Overall, it's in general a better I-Go.

=== Survivability and armour ===

Armour: Light, but effective against weaker guns (i.e. early French), weaker shells (low-caliber HE), and in long range engagements.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 25 mm (12-32°) ''Front plate'' 17 mm (63-81°) ''Front glacis'' 15 mm (37-59°) ''Lower glacis'' || 25 mm (40°) ''Top Left'' 25 mm (25-27°) ''Top Right'' 20 mm ''Bottom'' || 20 mm (4-58°) || 12 mm
|-
| Turret || 25 mm (9-41°) ''Turret front'' 25 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 25 mm (10-11°) || 25 mm (12°) || 10 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 17 mm || 6 mm
|}

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 263|rbMinHp= 150}}

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

{{main|Type 97 (57 mm)}}

The gun is the same as on the I-Go. Not much to write home about, but we're hardly complaining, especially with the HEAT shell.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Type 97 (57 mm)|57 mm Type 97]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 120 || -15°/+20° || ±180° || Vertical
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 14.47 || 20.03 || 24.41 || 26.9 || 28.61
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 9.04 || 10.64 || 12.90 || 14.3 || 15.20
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 4.09 || 3.80 || 3.5 || 3.30
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| Type 92 APHE || APHE || 21 || 20 || 17 || 14 || 12 || 10
|-
| Type 3 HEAT || HEAT || 55 || 55 || 55 || 55 || 55 || 55
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| Type 90 APHE || APHE || 349 || 2.6 || 1.2 || 15 || 103 || -1° || 43° || 30° || 25°
|-
| Type 3 HEAT || HEAT || 380 || 1.8 || N/A || 0.1 || 303.36 || +0° || 28° || 21° || 17°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_Type97Chi-Ha.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] for the Chi-Ha.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''120''' || 117 ''(+3)'' || 113 ''(+7)'' || 89 ''(+31)'' || 69 ''(+51)'' || 1 ''(+129)'' || style="text-align:left" | No
|-
|}
Right side only: 69 ''(+51)''

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|Type 97 tank (7.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[Type 97 tank (7.7 mm)|7.7 mm Type 97]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Hull mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 3,000 (20) || 499 || ±10° || ±15°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Chi-Ha is the most interesting tank to play in Rank I tanks as it has little armour, a shot-put like a muzzle velocity and looks like a bus in some sense as to how long it is.

However, there is a way to play this tank despite all the negatives to this tank and to play it to the best of its abilities, one can play it as a support tank in every way (apart from long distance as the rounds drop like a brick after 500m). Stay close to teammates and always play sneaky as the Chi-Ha can be easily one-shotted by everything like all Japanese tanks in this Rank.

But if facing a heavy tank or medium tank of early Rank 2 are very hard to verse from head-on and the fact that the 57 mm APHE rounds lack penetration to destroy it from the front. So the best option is to go up behind it or attack from the side to destroy them. Another problem that shows itself strongly in close quarter fights is that the Chi-Ha has a hand-cranked turret and turning the tank is painful at best.

So it is best to plan ahead before attacking, think where the enemy may be and find a place to hide the bulky tank from the enemy and wait for the enemy to come to the firing range. The Type 3 HEAT shell changes this. With 55mm of penetration, the tank is capable of penetrating tanks that it previously couldn't - which is most tanks at rank I and II. In addition to this, the Type 3 HEAT has the potential to hull break lightly armored targets like LVTs or the Sturmpanzer. Use the protection analysis feature to figure out which tanks you can and can't get through, and adapt your playstyle accordingly when those vehicles are encountered. Now, this is somewhat important "'''Don't''' look for the enemy, let the '''enemy''' look for the Chi-Ha." Of course, the Chi-Ha could still go look for the enemy, but always be on alert and make sure to have a friend for firing support.

Engine power is not that powerful, which then means that the acceleration will be slow to start up, but it will slowly get faster over time. But reversing is like all British tanks when they reverse, It's going to be slow. But this is compensated for the turning speed of this tank as it is better to turn and run in some cases then reverse.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
!Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Improved sloped armour compared to the reserve vehicles
* Quite fast (up to 44 km/h). Can get to positions in time
* Lovely climbing ability, combined with the amazing 15 degrees gun depression it is capable of fighting in hilly terrains.
* The vertical stabiliser is a big advantage in a sudden encounter, as most tanks it faces don't have stabilisers therefore need to wait longer to fire.
* Due to its curved 57 mm shell trajectory, it can shoot from behind cover without showing the tank to some degree
* Type 3 HEAT can penetrate most opponents frontally, and can hull break light targets like the LVT(A)s.
* Great turning ability in low gear

'''Cons:'''

* 57 mm armament may be underpowered in uptier frontal engagements
* Although fast, it still gets outran by M3 & M5 Stuarts and the Sd.kfz,234 series.
* Thin armour gets penetrated by lots of guns. Beware of any tank with the PzGr.40 shells (Pz.II, FlakPz 38)
* Abysmal penetration on APHE. Will struggle to penetrate most Rank 1 and Reserve tanks.

== History ==

{{main|Chi-Ha (Family)|l1=History of the Type 97 Chi-Ha}}

Some Japanese tanks, after being captured by Soviet troops during the Soviet–Japanese War in Manchuria and Korea, were given to the Chinese Communists to help their efforts in the Chinese Civil War. After their war, the Chinese kept the Japanese tanks in their inventory until 1949.

== 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 ==
''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}}

Pz.IV F2

2020-06-05T16:51:46Z

U91249210: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_F2}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage Pz.IVF2.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. It is essentially the earlier [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV Ausf. F1]] rearmed with a long-barreled 75 mm gun for much greater anti-tank capabilities.

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


The armour of the Panzer IV Ausf. F2 is virtually identical to that of the Ausf. F1. With a maximum thickness of only 50 mm, it is quite thin compared to that of its arch-rivals, the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]] and [[Sherman|M4]] medium tanks, and can be easily penetrated by most medium calibre guns and is also mostly unangled. The side and rear armour is even thinner, and is highly vulnerable to even autocannons commonly used by anti-aircraft vehicles at medium and close ranges.

The hull armour can be supplemented by add-on armour in the form of track links, but the turret remains highly vulnerable since it receives no extra protection even with the upgrade. The turret also sports a relatively large cupola that is just thick enough to cause some rounds with explosive filler to detonate after penetration, potentially killing the entire turret crew. It is also important to note that the roof armour is only 10 mm thick, and is quite vulnerable to aircraft heavy machine guns and cannons.

The crew compartment is relatively compact, and has a lot of ammunition scattered all over. Penetrating hits are likely to be quite devastating, especially if the shell has an explosive filler.

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour
*Cast homogeneous armour (Cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 50 mm (12°) ''Front plate'' 20 mm (73°) ''Front glacis'' 50 mm (13-59°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm || 30 mm (4-15°) || 10 mm
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (11°) ''Turret front'' 50 mm (7-29°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 mm (23-26°) || 30 mm (15-17°) || 10 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 30 mm || 10 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, while the tracks are 20 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 465|rbMinHp= 265|AoAweight= 0.35}}

The mobility of the Ausf. F2 is comparable to that of the earlier Ausf. F1, though slightly worse due to the heavier gun. It is decent enough for a medium tank, especially since the Ausf. F2 is less reliant on flanking due to its powerful gun, and it can keep up with most advances without problems. The reverse speed of 10 km/h is also relatively good, allowing it to back off fairly quickly for a medium tank.

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

{{main|KwK 40 (75 mm)}}

The biggest difference between the Ausf. F2 and the Ausf. F1 is the new long-barreled '''7,5 cm KwK 40 L/43''' gun. As easily the best gun available to any medium tank at the Ausf. F2's BR, the KwK 40 has absolutely no problems dealing with all but the heaviest tanks at this BR, even from the front. It is even quite capable against higher tiered tanks, with only a few exceptions. The turret also provides the gun with an excellent amount of gun depression, allowing the effective use of hull-down tactics.

The stock '''PzGr 39''' APCBC shell is also the best all-round ammunition to use. It is much more effective against sloped armour than the '''PzGr 40''' APCR shot and even at 2,000 m has more penetration than the '''HlGr 38B''' HEAT shell. The only reason to carry any APCR at all is in case of a full uptier, where very heavily armoured tanks such as the [[Churchill Mk VII|Churchill VII]] may be faced and only shots to the front are possible.

Smoke and HE shells are also available, although their use is rather situational.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[KwK 40 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK 40]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 87 || -10°/+20° || ±180° || N/A
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 13.33 || 18.45 || 22.40 || 24.77 || 26.35
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 8.33 || 9.80 || 11.90 || 13.16 || 14.00
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 7.67 || 6.78 || 6.25 || 5.90
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC ||137||135||123||110||98||88
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 175 || 173 || 151 || 127 || 108 || 91
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 740 || 6.8 || 1.3 || 15.0 || 28.9 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 919 || 4.2 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.4 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 872.1 || +0° || 62° || 69° || 71°
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 550 || 5.7 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 686 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity in m/s
! Projectile Mass in kg
! ''Screen radius in m''
! ''Screen time in s''
! ''Screen hold time in s:''
! ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
|-
| K.Gr.Rot Nb. || 423 || 6.8 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_Pz.IVF2.png|right|thumbnail|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the Panzer IV F2]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |8th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''87''' || 78 ''(+9)'' || 68 ''(+19)'' || 58 ''(+29)'' || 48 ''(+39)'' || 38 ''(+49)'' || 28 ''(+59)'' || 19 ''(+68)'' || 10 ''(+77)'' || 1 ''(+86)'' || style="text-align:left" | Yes
|-
|}

The tank can carry up to 87 rounds, which is more than sufficient for most battles. It is recommended to carry only 58 rounds at most, as this will reduce the likelihood of ammunition detonation if the turret is penetrated.

=== Machine guns ===

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[MG 34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG 34]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 3,000 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battle ==


A veritable glass cannon, the Ausf. F2 has one of the best guns of its battle-rating, balanced by its poor armour. This makes it rather more oriented towards long and medium range combat, where the thin armour is less of an issue and its powerful gun gives it a big advantage in firepower over its peers. Like the American [[Sherman|M4s]], the Ausf. F2 has a good amount of gun depression, which allows the player to hide the tank's entire hull behind terrain and only expose its turret while shooting. Unlike the M4, however, the F2's turret is unable to deflect almost anything that hits it, and it will wither quickly under concentrated fire. Unlike the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]], the Ausf. F2 cannot hope to bounce anything but the weakest guns from the front, and should thus be played a lot more cautiously.

The 75 mm gun will frontally penetrate all but the most heavily armoured tanks even with the stock APCBC. Combined with the explosive filler in the APCBC shell, the Ausf. F2 is a very dangerous threat that even higher BR tanks can ill-afford to ignore. Only the [[Churchill Mk VII|Churchill VII]] is reasonably immune, but even its frontal armour can be penetrated by the APCR shell at cose ranges. However, it may be more efficient to simply flank around and use the APCBC shell against the sides, since the APCR round lacks post-penetration effectiveness. This combination of an excellent gun, relatively good mobility, and good gun depression allow the Ausf. F2 to remain quite competitive even in uptiers, where other medium tanks begin to struggle against the heavier tanks that can be faced.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
! colspan="3" |Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|Ostketten
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|
|
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Hl.Gr 38B
|Adjustment of Fire
|
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|PzGr 40
|Elevation Mechanism
|Smoke grenade
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|Add-On Armor
|Artillery Support
|K.Gr.Rot Nb.
|
|}

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Outstanding penetration and lethality with the stock APCBC shell. Easily one-shots common targets like the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]], [[M4]] and even [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]].
* High-penetration APCR shot can effectively deal with uptier heavy tanks, eg. [[Churchill Mk VII]]
* Excellent gun depression of -10° provides great mountain warfare capacity.
* Great mobility and top speed compared to later Panzer IV variants. Hull traverse is better than the [[M4 Sherman (Family)|M4 Sherman]]<nowiki/>s.
* Space between the driving and fighting compartment can absorb some solid shells, might be helpful when facing British tanks like the [[Cromwell (Family)|Cromwell]]
* Reasonably small profile, can hide behind some large objects.

'''Cons:'''

* Thin armour overall, can be one-shot by common targets like the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]] and [[M4]], or even low tier tanks like the [[M3 Stuart (Family)|M3 Stuart]]. The add-on armor generally doesn't help much.
* Rather cramped crew compartment with ammunition scattered all over
* Large and weak commander's cupola. When penetrated by an explosive shell, all crew inside the turret, including the gunner, are likely to get knocked out.

== History ==

===Development===
The '''Pz.Kpfw. IV's''' creation, like its predecessor the [[Pz.III E|Pz.Kpfw. III]], was devised by Heinz Guderian. He envisioned a support tank to be used to handle anti-tank guns and fortifications. The Panzer IV was to work alongside the more numerable Panzer III in Panzer Divisions (three company of IIIs and one of IVs) to engage the enemy, giving the role of fighting enemy armoured forces to the Panzer IIIs. As a support tank, the tank was to have the short 75 mm howitzer as its main armament and have a weight limit of 24 tons. MAN, Krupp, and Rheinmetall-Borsig worked on the development of the tanks, but the Krupp's model was selected for further testing.

The chosen model from Krupp, once finished, used a leaf-spring double-bogie system for its suspension, doing away the proposed interleaved or torsion bar suspension system earlier devised for the sake of faster production. The vehicle held five crew members: the commander, gunner, loader, radio operator (and hull machine gunner), and driver. Though it looked symmetrical, the Panzer IV turret was actually offset to the left of the chassis centerline a bit while the engine was also offset to the right. This was to allow the torque shaft to turn the turret. The offset also meant that most of the ammo is held on the right side of the tank in storage areas. The Panzer IV was then accepted into service and production began in 1936.

===Panzer IV Ausf. F2===
With the appearance of the Soviet [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] tanks. The [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV Ausf. F1]] with its short 75 mm howitzer was upgraded with the KwK 40 L/43, then designating it the '''Panzer IV Ausf. F2'''. The new cannon was able to penetrate 77 mm of armour at 1,800 meters with standard armour-piercing rounds compared to the 43 mm of the howitzer. The new gun helped put the Panzer IV back into balance and could theoretically hold against the T-34s and KV-1s that the Soviets were sending. The Panzer IV Ausf. F2 still retained the 50 mm front armour thickness with 30 mm on the sides.

Despite the new gun, it had some deficiency on the tank. First is a new weight, the tank now weighed 23.6 tons, and the heavy gun in front made the vehicle nose-heavy, enough that the forward suspension springs were always under compression, causing the tank to sway even without any steering.

Most of the F2 variants saw service in either Russia or against the Allies in Africa (though in very small quantities). In Russia, the Ausf. F could penetrate the T-34 at up to 1,600 meters now and took part in Case Blue Offensive. In Africa, the Panzer IV Ausf. F2 could deal with all of the Allied armour available. The venerable [[Matilda Mk II|Matilda]] was no match to its long range gun, and the [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] was also helpless.

The Panzer IV Ausf. F2 still had some faults, and three months after its production started, it was renamed the [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IV Ausf. G]] with a few upgrades.

=== In-game description ===
The next variant of this tank was designed to increase its combat power. A new 75 mm 7,5 cm KwK 40 gun with a long 43-caliber barrel and a muzzle velocity of 770 mps for armor-piercing rounds was developed by designers worked at the companies Krupp and Rheinmetall. The gun's barrel had a characteristic single-chamber muzzle brake and was mounted in a new mantlet with a new TZF 5f sight. A new ammunition stacking system was used, and the amount of ammunition carried was upgraded to 87 rounds, 32 of which were located in the turret. The armor on the gun's recoil devices was modified. This variant's operational weight was 23,000 kilograms.

Production began releasing the new tanks in April 1942. The new tanks entered combat in the summer of 1942 and were able to fight the Soviet T-34 and KV, matching their firepower. The new tanks were completely superior to British and American tanks of the day. By July 1942, 175 Pz. IV Ausf. F2 had been manufactured, and another 25 had been converted from the F1. In May 1942, 8 tanks with increased armor thickness were released.

These tanks took part in combat in Africa and on the Eastern Front in 1942 and 1943.

In September 1942, 10 Ausf. F2 tanks were delivered to Nazi Germany's most loyal ally, Hungary.

A number of captured tanks were used by the Red Army.

Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2 tanks in use in 1942 and 1943 sported a huge variety of color schemes, since new types of camouflage were being adopted in February 1943.

== Media ==

[https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23pz_iv_f2 '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the "Panzer IV F2" from live.warthunder.com.]
[[File:PZ-4 F2 alongside 15 cm Pz.W.42.jpg|none|thumb|Panzer IV with winter camo alongside a [[15 cm Pz.W.42]] halftrack.]]

===Sights===

* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI]

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

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

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

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Pz.III J1

2020-06-05T16:46:58Z

U91249210: /* Description */

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_pzkpfw_III_ausf_J}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage Pz.IIIJ1.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ('''Panzer III J1''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.43]]. An improvement over the J version with the longer [[KwK 39 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK 39]] gun: the Panzer III J1 provides a better punch.

This variant, compared to its predecessor - [[Pz.III J|Pz.III J]], features only few, but very important upgrades.

Most importantly, the J1 variant is the first Panzer III to have the long barreled KwK 39 L/60 50mm tank gun. This gun offers 96mm of armour penetration at a range of 100 m and 79 mm at 500 m. In a practical sense, it is just enough to deal with most tanks at this BR, although targeting weakspots, or side/rear armour is often necessary, especially against well-armoured heavy tanks like the KV-1 but that is why you have APCR ammunition. APCR comes in two sets, PzGr40 and PzGr40/1. PzGr40 has the highest penetration - 150mm at close range, but loses penetration quite rapidly when shooting far targets and is also a higher tier modification. ''(->More info can be found below in the "[[#Ammunition|Ammunition]]" section.)''

The second important upgrade is the electric turret drive - greatly improving the turret traverse speed, and removing the long present weakness of all older Panzer III variants.

Optimal combat distance for this vehicle is somewhere between medium to close range. But don't be mistaken, the Panzer III J1 is not an frontline tank. You should be always on the move and harass the enemy without rest as any return fire will be lethal. Don't trust your armour and instead rely on your mobility. Flanking is the best option for J1 as you can use the high RoF for good effect and hopefully avoid the incoming retribution. You don't have the best mobility for a medium tank, but you definitely remain competitive against most enemy tanks you may encounter. Always try to find some good firing positions, with available cover, and if necessary, pull back and relocate. Always avoid direct close range confrontations with main enemy force; never try to fight more than 1 enemy at the time. However - playing purely as support/sniper tank isn't optimal either, because of your lower armour penetration.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Barrel shroud, Cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 50 mm (12°) ''Front plate'' 25 mm (86°), 50 mm (53°) ''Front glacis'' 50 mm (23-69°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm || 50 mm (15-41°) ''Top'' 50 mm (11-66°) ''Bottom'' || 15 mm
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (12-25°) ''Turret front'' 50 mm (12-46°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 mm (22-25°) || 30 mm (13-16°) || 10 mm
|-
| Cupola || 50 mm || 10 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 465|rbMinHp= 265|}}

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

{{main|KwK 39 (50 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[KwK 39 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK 39]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 92 || -10°/+20° || ±180° || N/A
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 13.33 || 18.45 || 22.4 || 24.77 || 26.35
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 8.33 || 9.80 || 11.90 || 13.16 || 14.00
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 4.81 || 4.25 || 3.92 || 3.70
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| PzGr 39 || APC || 95 || 92 || 76 || 61 || 49 || 39
|-
| PzGr 40/1 || APCR || 128 || 126 || 91 || 61 || 40 || 27
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 150 || 149 || 108 || 72 || 48 || 32
|-
| Sprgr. 38 || HE || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| PzGr 39 || APC || 835 || 2.05 || 1.2 || 25 || 28.9 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| PzGr 40/1 || APCR || 1,140 || 1.07 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 1,180 || 0.93 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| Sprgr. 38 || HE || 550 || 1.81 || 2.0 || 0.1 || 170 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

====Shell types====

*'''PzGr 39''' - Armour Piercing Capped shell - This is your main ammo type, use it whenever you think it has enough penetration to penetrate your target. It deals the most damage because of its explosive filler.
*'''PzGr 40/1''' - Armour Piercing Composite Rigid shell - This type of ammo should be used if you are having trouble penetrating your opponent, or trying to hit a fast moving tank at some distance. However, its damaging potential is much lower, because it has no explosive filler to further enhance damage after the penetration.
*'''PzGr 40''' - Armour Piercing Composite Rigid shell - this variation of APCR is lighter, slightly faster and offers the best penetration (up to 150mm). Use it against heavily armoured beasts like the [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]] (If you can't flank them). However, don't expect it to cause any real damage upon penetration, it is even worse than that of PzGr 40/1. It basically only deals damage to modules/crew straight in its path. It is therefore almost useless to fire them at things like turret cupolas, as it will usually just fly right through them.
* '''SprGr 38''' - High Explosive ammo - You should carry only very few of these. They are completely useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles, to which it is lethal.

==== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Pz.IIIJ1.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the Panzer III J1.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''92''' || 70 ''(+22)'' || 47 ''(+45)'' || 24 ''(+68)'' || 1 ''(+91)'' || style="text-align:left" | Yes
|-
|}

Turret empty: 70 ''(+22)''

=== Machine guns ===

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[MG 34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG 34]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 3,750 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

'''Offensive'''

With this tank, you have essentially a "jack of all trades, somewhat good at all of them" kind of option set. You can stick with friendly tanks, and use the cannon's high rate-of-fire and excellent stats with APCR to nab scores from either destroying the enemy or getting team assists. Another way to go on the offensive is to go for a flanking move, since at practical distances (400-1000m) the gun's penetration statistics are far less than the maximum advertised. However, the cannon still has enough power at those ranges to at least immobilize particularly important enemy tanks like a [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] or [[Churchill Mk I|Churchill]] with a drivetrain shot. You can attempt multiple shots to destroy enemies, but by that point you will begin receiving "responsive fire", and your tank's armour is not good enough to withstand more than 1-2 hits before being taken out.

A possible solution is to use "shoot and scoot" manuvers, popping out to fire and then scurrying to a different spot, but this poses issues if the terrain won't allow you to have consistent cover (which may result in a downed tank between cover) or if there simply isn't much of any cover (like on the [[Kursk (Ground Forces)|Kursk map's]] outer capture points).

'''Defensive'''

When on the defense, you have a number of advantages and some severe disadvantages - being able to hunker down and hammer in shots with the long 5 cm cannon away from the immediate frontlines mean that most tanks that you will face will likely be more focused on more offensive-oriented players in your team, which may cause them to unintentionally show their hull sides towards the Panzer III J1's position. This scenario, combined with your excellent rate of fire and penetration statistics, means you can make quick work of an unsuspecting light or medium tank, assuming you can find cover in a location the enemy will not be looking at.

If detected or ranged by a tank or tank destroyer (assuming they have an angle that negates your cover's protection), your armour will not protect you from very much, as even 20mm AP rounds can penetrate the armour plates if close enough. If you simply find yourself stuck behind cover because the enemy has your position, it is advised to pop smoke (as you have multiple use smoke-grenade launchers) and use the smoke to full effect, making it as difficult as possible for enemy tanks to get an exact bearing on your position as you try to move to better or other cover in general.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
! colspan="2" |Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|PzGr 40/1
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|PzGr 40
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|}

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* High rate of fire
* High shell velocity
* Mobile and fast
* Excellent gun depression
* APCR ammo is great against moving targets
* Can be very durable at times when you angle the armor.

'''Cons:'''

* Poor damage against modules and crew
* Gun lacks penetration at range, is likely to bounce on armour slopes
* Overall weak armour
* Modules are sensitive to damage
* APCR is pathetic at long ranges and deals very little damage upon penetration

== History ==


===Development===
The '''Panzerkampfwagen III''' medium tank, or the '''Panzer III''' was developed in the 1930s. Starting in early 1934, Heinz Guderian set down some specifications for a new tank, which the Army Weapons Department took up to design the tank to weigh no more than 24,000 kilograms with a top speed of 35 km per hour. This tank's role was to be the main tank of the German army and was expected to destroy opposing tanks, as opposed to a tank made to destroy anti-tank guns and opposing infantrymen, which the [[Pz.IV C|Panzer IV]] served as.

Daimler-Benz, Krupp, MAN, and Rheinmetall produced prototypes meeting the specifications and the Daimler-Benz model was chosen after testing in 1936-1937. The Panzer III model used a leaf-spring suspension in its early models (Ausf. A - Ausf. D) before utilizing a six-wheeled torsion-bar suspension in the [[Pz.III E|Ausf. E]] and beyond. The Panzer III had a crew of five men, the commander, gunner, loader, driver, and assistant driver. The best feature of the Panzer III during its introduction that is the most overlooked was the three-man turret, which was not as common at the time. This frees the commander to be able to effectively command the tank while maintaining situational awareness, rather than be burdened by the role of a loader or gunner, improving combat effectiveness of the tank. The 37 mm (later 50 mm) anti-tank gun was also very effective against contemporary tanks. Despite this rather advanced design, the turret did not have a turret basket for the crew. It was a proven design and production began in May 1937. The total number of Panzer III tanks constructed in its production life was 5,774 units (excluding the far more produced [[StuG III F|StuG III]] variant).

===Specifications===
The '''Panzer III Ausf. J1''' features a much better 50 mm gun compared to its predecessors, the 50 mm KwK 39, which is an improvement over the 50 mm KwK 38 by its longer barrel that provided additonal accuracy. Longer cartridges with more propellant charge were used, providing extra velocity and penetration. This new 50 mm gun gives the Panzer III a fighting edge against [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]]s and [[M4|M4 Shermans]], which the older 50 mm KwK 38 had trouble fighting against. The Panzer III Ausf. J1 still featured the 50 mm armour thickness on the front and rear originally from the [[Pz.III J|Ausf. J]] variant, but later models had new offset armour on the front of the hull and turret that provide 20 mm of effective protection These armour also apply as spaced armour due to not being attached to the hull or turret mantlet. The spaced armour on the front helped defend the tank against Soviet anti-tank rounds or HEAT rounds fired at it on those plates, as it dissipates the penetration power before striking the hull.

===Combat usage===
The Panzer III J1 was only a stopgap design to integrate the 50 mm KwK 39 into service as fast as possible. The final designs in its later models were later redesignated the [[Pz.III L|Panzer III Ausf. L]] and [[Pz.III M|Panzer III Ausf. M]]. It saw service on the eastern front, where it performed poorly against superior [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]] tanks. However, it also saw service in North Africa, where it would easily defeat allied light tanks such as the [[M3 Stuart]] and the [[Crusader Mk III|Crusader]], even when outnumbered. However, the introduction of more medium tanks by the allies in the African theater would prove to be problematic for the Panzer III. Those that survived the defeat in Africa would try to defend Sicily from the allied invasion of Italy.

=== In-game description ===
One of the serial modification to the Pz.Kpfw.III light tank, 1,549 of these tanks were produced from March to October, 1941.
The armor plating installed on tanks of the Ausf.H modification was a temporary measure. Tanks of the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.J modification began to be released in March, 1941. The thickness of the single-layer, homogeneous armor of the front and rear plates was 50 mm.

The design of the spherical machine gun installation had to be modified due to the increase in the thickness of the armor plates. A large number of less significant changes were also made.

The first vehicles released were added to the arsenal of the African Corps, but the overwhelming majority entered divisions that were performing combat operations in the incipient war with the Soviet Union.

== Media ==


'''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the ''Panzer III Ausf. J1'' from live.warthunder.com. There are plenty of category terms flying around. So looking through every one of them will be necessary. Some of these might not work. Look for the Panzer 3 tanks with the very long barrel, or see what the description says.

*[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23panzer_iii_j1 #panzer_iii_j1]

===Sights===

* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI]

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

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

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

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Pz.III J1

2020-06-05T16:43:06Z

U91249210: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_pzkpfw_III_ausf_J}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage Pz.IIIJ1.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ('''Panzer III J1''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.43]]. An improvement over the J version with the longer [[KwK 39 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK 39]] gun: the Panzer III J1 provides a better punch.

This variant, compared to its predecessor - [[Pz.III J|Pz.III J]], features only few, but very important upgrades.

Most importantly, the J1 variant is the first Panzer III to have the long barreled KwK 39 L/60 50mm tank gun. This gun offers 96mm of armour penetration at a range of 100 m and 79 mm at 500 m. In a practical sense, it is just enough to deal with most tanks at this BR, although targeting weakspots, or side/rear armour is often necessary, especially against well-armoured heavy tanks like the KV-1 but that is why you have APCR ammunition. APCR comes in two sets, PzGr40 and PzGr40/1. PzGr40 has the highest penetration - 150mm at close range, but loses penetration quite rapidly when shooting far targets and is also a higher tier modification. ''(->More info can be found below in the "[[#Ammunition|Ammunition]]" section.)''

The second important upgrade is the electric turret drive - greatly improving the turret traverse speed, and removing the long present weakness of all older Panzer III variants.

Optimal combat distance for this vehicle is somewhere between medium to close range. But don't be mistaken, the Panzer III J1 is not an frontline tank. You should be always on the move and harass the enemy without rest as any return fire will be lethal. Don't trust your armour and instead rely on your mobility. Flanking is the best option for J1 as you can use the high RoF for good effect and hopefully avoid the incoming retribution. You don't have the best mobility for a medium tank, but you definitely remain competitive against most enemy tanks you may encounter. Always try to find some good firing positions, with available cover, and if necessary, pull back and relocate. Always avoid direct close range confrontations with main enemy force; never try to fight more than 1 enemy at the time. However - playing purely as support/sniper tank isn't optimal either, because of your lower armour penetration.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Barrel shroud, Cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 50 mm (12°) ''Front plate'' 25 mm (86°), 50 mm (53°) ''Front glacis'' 50 mm (23-69°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm || 50 mm (15-41°) ''Top'' 50 mm (11-66°) ''Bottom'' || 15 mm
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (12-25°) ''Turret front'' 50 mm (12-46°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 mm (22-25°) || 30 mm (13-16°) || 10 mm
|-
| Cupola || 50 mm || 10 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 465|rbMinHp= 265|}}

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

{{main|KwK 39 (50 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[KwK 39 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK 39]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 92 || -10°/+20° || ±180° || N/A
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 13.33 || 18.45 || 22.4 || 24.77 || 26.35
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 8.33 || 9.80 || 11.90 || 13.16 || 14.00
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 4.81 || 4.25 || 3.92 || 3.70
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| PzGr 39 || APC || 95 || 92 || 76 || 61 || 49 || 39
|-
| PzGr 40/1 || APCR || 128 || 126 || 91 || 61 || 40 || 27
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 150 || 149 || 108 || 72 || 48 || 32
|-
| Sprgr. 38 || HE || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| PzGr 39 || APC || 835 || 2.05 || 1.2 || 25 || 28.9 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| PzGr 40/1 || APCR || 1,140 || 1.07 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 1,180 || 0.93 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| Sprgr. 38 || HE || 550 || 1.81 || 2.0 || 0.1 || 170 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

====Shell types====

*'''PzGr 39''' - Armour Piercing Capped shell - This is your main ammo type, use it whenever you think it has enough penetration to penetrate your target. It deals the most damage because of its explosive filler.
*'''PzGr 40/1''' - Armour Piercing Composite Rigid shell - This type of ammo should be used if you are having trouble penetrating your opponent, or trying to hit a fast moving tank at some distance. However, its damaging potential is much lower, because it has no explosive filler to further enhance damage after the penetration.
*'''PzGr 40''' - Armour Piercing Composite Rigid shell - this variation of APCR is lighter, slightly faster and offers the best penetration (up to 150mm). Use it against heavily armoured beasts like the [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]] (If you can't flank them). However, don't expect it to cause any real damage upon penetration, it is even worse than that of PzGr 40/1. It basically only deals damage to modules/crew straight in its path. It is therefore almost useless to fire them at things like turret cupolas, as it will usually just fly right through them.
* '''SprGr 38''' - High Explosive ammo - You should carry only very few of these. They are completely useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles, to which it is lethal.

==== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Pz.IIIJ1.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the Panzer III J1.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''92''' || 70 ''(+22)'' || 47 ''(+45)'' || 24 ''(+68)'' || 1 ''(+91)'' || style="text-align:left" | Yes
|-
|}

Turret empty: 70 ''(+22)''

=== Machine guns ===

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[MG 34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG 34]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 3,750 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

'''Offensive'''

With this tank, you have essentially a "jack of all trades, somewhat good at all of them" kind of option set. You can stick with friendly tanks, and use the cannon's high rate-of-fire and excellent stats with APCR to nab scores from either destroying the enemy or getting team assists. Another way to go on the offensive is to go for a flanking move, since at practical distances (400-1000m) the gun's penetration statistics are far less than the maximum advertised. However, the cannon still has enough power at those ranges to at least immobilize particularly important enemy tanks like a KV-1 or Churchill with a drivetrain shot. You can attempt multiple shots to destroy enemies, but by that point you will begin receiving "responsive fire", and your tank's armour is not good enough to withstand more than 1-2 hits before being taken out.

A possible solution is to use "shoot and scoot" manuvers, popping out to fire and then scurrying to a different spot, but this poses issues if the terrain won't allow you to have consistent cover (which may result in a downed tank between cover) or if there simply isn't much of any cover (like on the [[Kursk (Ground Forces)|Kursk map's]] outer capture points).

'''Defensive'''

When on the defense, you have a number of advantages and some severe disadvantages - being able to hunker down and hammer in shots with the long 5 cm cannon away from the immediate frontlines mean that most tanks that you will face will likely be more focused on more offensive-oriented players in your team, which may cause them to unintentionally show their hull sides towards the Panzer III J1's position. This scenario, combined with your excellent rate of fire and penetration statistics, means you can make quick work of an unsuspecting light or medium tank, assuming you can find cover in a location the enemy will not be looking at.

If detected or ranged by a tank or tank destroyer (assuming they have an angle that negates your cover's protection), your armour will not protect you from very much, as even 20mm AP rounds can penetrate the armour plates if close enough. If you simply find yourself stuck behind cover because the enemy has your position, it is advised to pop smoke (as you have multiple use smoke-grenade launchers) and use the smoke to full effect, making it as difficult as possible for enemy tanks to get an exact bearing on your position as you try to move to better or other cover in general.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
! colspan="2" |Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|PzGr 40/1
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|PzGr 40
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|}

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* High rate of fire
* High shell velocity
* Mobile and fast
* Excellent gun depression
* APCR ammo is great against moving targets
* Can be very durable at times when you angle the armor.

'''Cons:'''

* Poor damage against modules and crew
* Gun lacks penetration at range, is likely to bounce on armour slopes
* Overall weak armour
* Modules are sensitive to damage
* APCR is pathetic at long ranges and deals very little damage upon penetration

== History ==


===Development===
The '''Panzerkampfwagen III''' medium tank, or the '''Panzer III''' was developed in the 1930s. Starting in early 1934, Heinz Guderian set down some specifications for a new tank, which the Army Weapons Department took up to design the tank to weigh no more than 24,000 kilograms with a top speed of 35 km per hour. This tank's role was to be the main tank of the German army and was expected to destroy opposing tanks, as opposed to a tank made to destroy anti-tank guns and opposing infantrymen, which the [[Pz.IV C|Panzer IV]] served as.

Daimler-Benz, Krupp, MAN, and Rheinmetall produced prototypes meeting the specifications and the Daimler-Benz model was chosen after testing in 1936-1937. The Panzer III model used a leaf-spring suspension in its early models (Ausf. A - Ausf. D) before utilizing a six-wheeled torsion-bar suspension in the [[Pz.III E|Ausf. E]] and beyond. The Panzer III had a crew of five men, the commander, gunner, loader, driver, and assistant driver. The best feature of the Panzer III during its introduction that is the most overlooked was the three-man turret, which was not as common at the time. This frees the commander to be able to effectively command the tank while maintaining situational awareness, rather than be burdened by the role of a loader or gunner, improving combat effectiveness of the tank. The 37 mm (later 50 mm) anti-tank gun was also very effective against contemporary tanks. Despite this rather advanced design, the turret did not have a turret basket for the crew. It was a proven design and production began in May 1937. The total number of Panzer III tanks constructed in its production life was 5,774 units (excluding the far more produced [[StuG III F|StuG III]] variant).

===Specifications===
The '''Panzer III Ausf. J1''' features a much better 50 mm gun compared to its predecessors, the 50 mm KwK 39, which is an improvement over the 50 mm KwK 38 by its longer barrel that provided additonal accuracy. Longer cartridges with more propellant charge were used, providing extra velocity and penetration. This new 50 mm gun gives the Panzer III a fighting edge against [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]]s and [[M4|M4 Shermans]], which the older 50 mm KwK 38 had trouble fighting against. The Panzer III Ausf. J1 still featured the 50 mm armour thickness on the front and rear originally from the [[Pz.III J|Ausf. J]] variant, but later models had new offset armour on the front of the hull and turret that provide 20 mm of effective protection These armour also apply as spaced armour due to not being attached to the hull or turret mantlet. The spaced armour on the front helped defend the tank against Soviet anti-tank rounds or HEAT rounds fired at it on those plates, as it dissipates the penetration power before striking the hull.

===Combat usage===
The Panzer III J1 was only a stopgap design to integrate the 50 mm KwK 39 into service as fast as possible. The final designs in its later models were later redesignated the [[Pz.III L|Panzer III Ausf. L]] and [[Pz.III M|Panzer III Ausf. M]]. It saw service on the eastern front, where it performed poorly against superior [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]] tanks. However, it also saw service in North Africa, where it would easily defeat allied light tanks such as the [[M3 Stuart]] and the [[Crusader Mk III|Crusader]], even when outnumbered. However, the introduction of more medium tanks by the allies in the African theater would prove to be problematic for the Panzer III. Those that survived the defeat in Africa would try to defend Sicily from the allied invasion of Italy.

=== In-game description ===
One of the serial modification to the Pz.Kpfw.III light tank, 1,549 of these tanks were produced from March to October, 1941.
The armor plating installed on tanks of the Ausf.H modification was a temporary measure. Tanks of the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.J modification began to be released in March, 1941. The thickness of the single-layer, homogeneous armor of the front and rear plates was 50 mm.

The design of the spherical machine gun installation had to be modified due to the increase in the thickness of the armor plates. A large number of less significant changes were also made.

The first vehicles released were added to the arsenal of the African Corps, but the overwhelming majority entered divisions that were performing combat operations in the incipient war with the Soviet Union.

== Media ==


'''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the ''Panzer III Ausf. J1'' from live.warthunder.com. There are plenty of category terms flying around. So looking through every one of them will be necessary. Some of these might not work. Look for the Panzer 3 tanks with the very long barrel, or see what the description says.

*[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23panzer_iii_j1 #panzer_iii_j1]

===Sights===

* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI]

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

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

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

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Sd.Kfz.234/2

2020-06-05T16:39:32Z

U91249210: /* Pros and cons */ Added a "Pro" column.

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_sdkfz_234_2}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_Sd.Kfz.234 2.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica"]].

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Vision ports)
* Structural steel (Side skirts)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 mm (40°) ''Front plate'' 15 mm (70°), 30 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 30 mm (35°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (34-35°) ''Top'' 8 (19-35°) + 4 mm || 10 mm (21-46°) || 5 mm
|-
| Turret || 30 mm (20°) ''Turret front'' 50 mm (1-79°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 14.5 mm (24-26°) || 14.5 mm (25°) 8 mm (21°) ''Pistol port'' || 8 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Wheels provide 10 mm thick protection.
* Vision ports on car body are 10 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 325|rbMinHp= 186|}}

The Puma can reach a speed of around 45 km/h on flat terrain. Thanks to its transmission, it can drive in reverse with the same speed and manoeuvrability. Due to its wheeled design, it struggles in sand, snow and mud. It is also hard to keep going straight in a line at high speeds. The game does offer some degree of compensation for this via the "Activate Cruise Mode" control binding under the "Tank Driving" subsection. When using Cruise Mode, hold down the desired key you bound its activation to, and steer with mouse movements, allowing pinpoint steering while retaining speed. However, you cannot shoot while using Cruise Mode, so use it wisely.

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

{{main|KwK 39 (50 mm)}}

The Puma fields the KwK.39/1 cannon, a similar cannon to that seen in the late Panzer III models, as well as the same ammunition. The cannon was designed for a anti-tank role and it does its job well at 2.7. It can select from a 95mm pen APC-HE shell, which should be your main round, two APCR shells with 128mm and 150mm pen, respectively (you should carry a few of the better ones, especially if you uptier the Puma so it might see KV-1s, as well for long range sniping) and an HE shell witch can be used against AA trucks. As the APC-HE shell has no ballistic cap, it might struggle against angled armour, so it is best to go for side shots. With a reload of 4.1 seconds and high velocity shells, this tank can do the job both in close-quarters and at long range.

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG 42 (7.92 mm)}}
The Puma has a coaxial MG 42 that is only useful against exposed crew members.

== Usage in battles ==


The Puma adopts a lot of typical light tank tactics. To play this vehicle well, you must shoot and scoot. Your fast reload times in combination with a very fast reverse speed makes it ideal for firing around a corner then backing up and flanking. The tank is very fast on road, however it has poor performance off-road so it is not recommended on desert maps and muddy maps where you can get slowed down by the terrain. Due to the fact that you have weak armour and a compact crew module, penetrative shots typically result in your destruction. It is advised to not brawl with tanks and to flank whenever possible, using your speed and mobility versus enemy tanks as your armour. Use the terrain to your advantage, firing over hills and making good use of your gun depression. Sidescrape corners and do not hold angles, as you will most likely be destroyed.

The tank's speed in combination with its low spawn cost in RB as a light tank makes it ideal to spawn in at the start of the game and capture the objective in 2 or 3 point domination. This guarantees you spawn points for a respawn and gives you opportunities to flank the enemy.

The real beauty of the Puma is its ability to flank around different parts of the map very quickly. It is extremely maneuverable and can traverse most types of terrain very quickly (avoid mud). You should take up a covert play style with this vehicle. Even if you see an enemy, you should only fire at the perfect moment, where you are guaranteed a score. This especially applies to T-34s and KV-1's, where hits to the side or rear are far more effective. This being said, the 5cm gun is a great gun. It is easy to use, high velocity, accurate and has a good range of ammunition.

Notable enemies you will meet are the [[T-34 (1942)]] and [[M4|M4 Sherman]], along with armoured tanks like the [[Churchill Mk I|Churchill]], [[Matilda Mk II|Matilda II]], [[Valentine Mk XI|Valentine]], and the [[KV-1_(L-11)|KV-1]] These tanks are difficult to penetrate and require advanced knowledge of weakspots, so it is advised to avoid these where possible. Medium tanks are easier to combat if flanked, however it is not always reliable due to the weak penetration of the PzGr 39 and the poor penetration to sloped armour for PzGr 40.

Out of all the enemies you will meet, the T-34s are probably the biggest threat. The sloped armour is difficult to penetrate and they have excellent mobility, meaning you will meet them often. The gun is also utterly devastating for the Puma. The high explosive filler and range of shells will make short work of your vehicle. If you encounter an T-34 (any variant), aim for the turret cheeks and take out the gunner. Aiming at the frontal hull armour is unreliable and often results in a ricochet. T-34s are also very, very mobile, so it is best to go for side shots on them if you insist on engaging them.

Shermans also present the problem of sloped frontal armour. The M4A1 isn't as much of a problem, but the M4/M4A2/M4A3 variants are more difficult to penetrate. From the side, Shermans have flat armour and tall profiles. They are easy to destroy when flanked, but they too have exceptionally good mobility, especially cross-country, so they can prove to be even more of a pain to deal with than T-34s. They also have short-stop stabilizers and .50cals which make them even more of a threat.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Main cannon is powerful. It has great penetration, reload speed and nice trajectory. AP penetrates normal targets (T-34, M4) easily and APCR (up to 128mm penetration) can also effectively pen heavy targets like the [[KV-1]].
* Extremely high forward and reverse speed makes it the fastest vehicle on road. Can get to positions quickly or retreat fast.
* Small and narrow frontal profile allows it to hide behind small bushes or rocks. It's also harder to get hit
* Can be a great scout vehicle in higher ranks due to its fast speed. Even the [[M18 “Black Cat”|M18]] cannot easily outrun it.
* Only 8mm side armor meaning some shells will go straight through without being detonated, for example the BR-471 from the [[IS-2]].
* Has a wide range of good-looking camouflage to unlock. Suitable for almost every terrain / map.
* Has 8 smoke shells that create a wide screen when launched. Very useful when trying to cover up a general area
* Surprisingly durable at times, due to inexperienced players shooting at the front, ignoring the crew member lying in the back.

'''Cons:'''

* Thin armour overall, can get killed by almost anything including artillery strikes, strafing planes and [[M2 Browning (12.7 mm)|M2 Browning]].
* Extremely slow turret rotation, combined with the sharp turns at high speed, it is hard to aim
* Relatively low caliber shells tend to bounce off angled armor. Angled hull of the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]] are almost impossible to penetrate
* Compact crew compartment, will be easily destroyed in one shot by a skilled player
* Starts to snake around at high speeds making it hard to control
* Sluggish mobility on snowy (eg. Frozen pass) and desert (eg. Sinai) maps which takes away its biggest advantage: speed.
* Cannot turn in place due to wheels
* Smoke shells can only be launched once which limits its effectiveness.

== History ==

===Development===
The blitzkrieg tactics in Poland and France gave the Germans a new appreciation of mobile and lethal reconnaissance vehicles. The Germans especially valued the armoured cars due to their speed, firepower, and their pre-war build-up as they were not restricted by the Versailles Treaty. The Germans started with armoured cars like the Sd.Kfz.231 family, each with different armaments. However, these vehicles had its flaws and in August 1940, Germany sought a replacement following the conclusion of the Battle of France.

The new vehicle was built off an improved Sd.Kfz.232 chassis made in monocoque construction by Büssing-NAG, its armoured body was made by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke, the turret by Daimler-Benz and Schichau, and air-cooled diesel engines by Ringhoffer-Tatra-Werke AG. The monocoque chassis design was built with an eight-wheel steering system, six forward and reverse gears, as well as having an additional driver seat in the rear for quick reversal get-aways. This construction led to '''Sd.Kfz.234''' family. Vehicle construction first started in 1943 as the [[Sd.Kfz.234/2|Sd.Kfz.234/2]], which had a turret originally intended for the VK 1602 Leopard mounting a [[KwK 39 (50 mm)|5 cm L/60]] gun, construction continued on this vehicle until mid-1944. The Sd.Kfz.234/2 earned the nickname "Puma" from the soldiers using it.

Production for Sd.Kfz.234/2 shifted towards other armaments in 1944 that replaced the original. This produced variants such as the Sd.Kfz. 234/1 which replaced the turret with an open-top one carrying a [[KwK 30 (20 mm)|2 cm KwK 38]], this was produced between mid-1944 to early 1945. Right besides that, the Sd.Kfz.234/3 was produced with an open-top structure to mount a [[KwK 37 (75 mm)|75 mm howitzer]], this was produced from mid-1944 until the end of 1944. At the Sd.Kfz.234/3's production end, it was replaced by the [[Sd.Kfz.234/4|Sd.Kfz.234/4]], also known as the "Pakwagen", that had the armament replaced by a [[KwK 40 (75 mm)|7.5 cm PaK 40]] anti-tank gun. This last variant was produced from the end of 1944 to the capitulation of Germany in World War II. A total of 478 Sd.Kfz.234 armoured cars were produced, 200 of the 234/1, 101 of the 234/2, 88 of the 234/3, and 89 of the 234/4.

===Combat usage===
The Sd.Kfz.234 cars were originally intended for the conflicts in North Africa. However, the engine development took abnormally long to complete and by the time it was ready, the North African theater had concluded. Nevertheless, they served in the Western and Eastern front with success, but was impeded by its low production count.

The Sd.Kfz. 234/2 variant was arguably the most popular, as the staple of the 234 family. The vehicle served in the Panzer Lehr Division, 1st and 2nd SS Panzer Division, 2nd, 7th, 13th, and 20th Panzer Division. The Sd.Kfz.234 in the recon companies were allocated in 19 or 25 vehicles per division, further split into platoons up to six vehicles and one as the headquarters. However, due to their low production numbers, this allocation was rarely kept in full strength in the war,

The Sd.Kfz.234 first saw combat in Normandy after D-Day in the stationed Panzer Lehr and 2nd Panzer Division in the Sd.Kfz.234/2 variant. The divisions used these vehicles in recon roles until their withdrawal behind the Seine River, with Panzer Lehr having 8 Sd.Kfz.234/2 of the original 26 it had. These divisions were rebuilt in the fall of 1944 with the Sd.Kfz.234/1 and Sd.Kfz.234/3 after the 234/2 ceased production.

== Media ==

[https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23puma '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the Sd.Kfz.234/2 "Puma" from live.warthunder.com.]

===Sights===

* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI] (Sd.Kfz.234/2 included)

== See also ==


* [[Sd.Kfz.234/3]] - Tank destroyer version of the chassis, with a [[K51 L/24 (75 mm)|75 mm K51]] gun.
* [[Sd.Kfz.234/4]] - Another tank destroyer version with the longer [[PaK 40/3 (75 mm)|75 mm PaK 40/3]] gun.

== External links ==


* [http://warthunder.com/en/news/4713-development-sd-kfz-234-2-puma-the-nimble-feline-predator-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma: The Nimble Feline Predator]

{{Germany light tanks}}

BT-7

2020-06-05T16:33:50Z

U91249210: /* Pros and cons */ Added "Great suspension for driving."

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_bt_7_1937}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{specs|name}}''' is a rank {{specs|rank}} Soviet light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. Like the [[BT-5]], but with improved front armour, it is fast and has an adequate 45 mm cannon able to destroy opposing tanks.

The BT-7 is a fast tank with relatively thin armour. It can be useful to flank and hit the side armour of enemy tanks, taking advantage of its very high top speed. The armour is very well angled at certain points, however being as thin as it is, don't count on it to protect you very well; your speed can be your best defence, so move fast and try to zig-zag a bit to make yourself a more difficult target for tanks farther away (not too much though, or you'll bleed off too much speed).

The BT-7 surprises with its Christie suspension. Closer to a race-car than a tank, this lightning on tracks is fun to drive, but not particularly easy. With its high top speed and lightweight, this tank will drift in turns. For maximum control in turns, reduce throttle beforehand and the only tip/nudge the turn-keys. It needs some time to get used to, however, it does prepare you for the T-34s break-turns.

Off-road behaviour is good and the aforementioned drifts aren't as extreme as on city-roads. Top speed is not really reduced as well, making the BT-7 one of the fastest early tanks due to its very wide tracks, something both the ''[[M2A4|Light tank M2]]'' and [[Pz.II C|Panzer II]] miss.

The crew compartment is very small and only inhabited by the driver, commander and another crew member. The latter has to perform the tasks of the gunner and radio-man. "Not getting shot at" is the best advice for the crew to survive.

The BT-7 was the last of the BT series of Soviet cavalry tanks that were produced in large numbers between 1935 and 1940. They were lightly armoured, but reasonably well-armed for their time, and had much better mobility than other contemporary tank designs. The BT tanks were known by the nickname Betka from the acronym, or its diminutive, Betushka.

The BT-7 tank's successor would be the famous T-34 medium tank, introduced in 1940, which would replace all of the Soviet fast tanks, infantry tanks, and medium tanks then in service.

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

[[File:BT-7 Firing its cannon.jpg|thumb|BT-7 Firing its cannon]]
With 20 mm armour on the front and with all that inclination on the armour panels, this vehicle had decent protection. With 5 mm less armour on the turret, that's the vulnerability of the tank, especially on the turret's backside, where the ammo is stored. However, you only get 3 crew members in the vehicle, making the tank vulnerable to any "crew knocked out" scenarios. One strong point for the vehicle is that you have speed, and the trade-off of speed vs. armour can come in handy especially travelling around 59 km/h (It's very hard to reach 60 km/h) ensures any enemy SPG will be very unlikely to hit close to you!

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 15 mm (62°) ''Front glacis'' 20 mm (19°) ''Driver's hatch'' 20 mm (5-52°) ''Lower hull''|| 20 mm ''Front'' 15 mm ''Rear'' || 10 mm (55°) ''Top'' 13 mm (16-58°) ''Bottom'' || 10 mm
|-
| Turret || 15 mm (7-53°) ''Gun mantlet'' 15 mm (13-14°) ''Turret front'' || 15 mm (13°) ''Front'' 13 mm (10°) ''Rear'' || 13 mm (15°) || 10 mm
|}
'''Notes'''

* Tracks and suspension wheel are both 15 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===

[[File:BT-7 Screenshot 2.jpg|thumb|BT-7 driving through "[[Advance to the Rhine|Advance To The Rhine]]"]]

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=620|rbMinHp=354}}

Like its predecessor the [[BT-5]], the BT-7 has competitive mobility, easily being able to reach capture points before most other tanks or get to competitive camping spots before anyone else, the 400 hp engine gives the BT-7 29.2 hp per ton, which also allows the BT-7 to scale hills and smaller obstacles with relative ease.

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

{{main|20-K (45 mm)}}

The 20-K is the typical Soviet rank I gun. Players should get used to it since it will be your main armament up until rank II. The APHEBC round has a good amount of HE filler, meaning penetrating shells will do good damage, sometimes even one-shotting enemies. At much longer ranges, shells begin to lose penetration and accuracy but on most common low tier maps this is not a problem due to the smaller map sizes.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[20-K (45 mm)|45 mm 20-K]] || 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" | 188 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 15.23 || 21.08 || 25.60 || 28.31 || 30.12 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 9.52 || 11.20 || 13.60 || 15.04 || 16.00
|-
|}

==== 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-240 || APHEBC || 70 || 68 || 59 || 50 || 42 || 35
|-
| BR-240SP || AP || 73 || 71 || 62 || 52 || 44 || 37
|-
|}
{| 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-240 || APHEBC || 760 || 1.43 || 1.2 || 9.0 || 29.3 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-240SP || AP || 757 || 1.43 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! 11th rack empty
! 12th rack empty
! 13th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''188''' || 174 ''(+14)''|| 162 ''(+24)'' || 147 ''(+41)'' || 135 ''(+53)'' || 123 ''(+65)''|| 108 ''(+80)''||89 ''(+99)''|| 73 ''(+115)'' || 57 ''(+131)'' || 41 ''(+147)'' || 25 ''(+163)'' || 13 ''(+175)'' || 1 ''(+187)''|| No
|-
|}

[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
Turret empty: 147 ''(+41)''; Side racks empty: 89 ''(+99)''

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! Mount
! Capacity (Belt capacity)
! Rate of fire (shots/minute)
! Vertical guidance
! Horizontal guidance
|-
| Coaxial || 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

There are two common schools of thought when driving the BT-7, firstly rushing a capture point using your better than average mobility to get there before other friendly or enemy tanks, this tactic can help to gain points early in the game and perhaps even a few kills as enemy tanks try to take the point that you captured, but your fairly thin armour will leave you at risk of being crippled and destroyed by enemy fire unless you retreat to cover or get backup from friendly vehicles. A second school of thought it not charge right into the combat, but wait a while to see how the battle develops - observe where and how many enemy tanks go, maybe fire a few shots from a distance. Use your great mobility to get to the best positions and flank the enemy, from these positions you could snipe into the main battler area to damage and kill enemy vehicles you could then decide to use the BT-7's mobility to charge at lonely opponents, which at close range have no chance of keeping their guns pointed at you as you can essentially drive circles around them. Keep in mind that charging into more than 1 opponent is usually a quick end as it is very hard to not get hit from either of them at the same time. There is basically paper armour on BT-7 to stop anything other than machine gun fire, overall speed is key, being mobile and changing your position often will be a great way to avoid enemy fire and potential revenge kill attempts.

You should be aware of vehicles with high calibre machine guns and autocannons, in most cases you will have trouble stopping these as they will easily go through your armour, particular examples are German vehicles with the [[KwK38 (20 mm)|20 mm KwK/FlaK38]] cannon such as the [[Pz.II C|Pz.II]], [[Flakpanzer 38]] and more, this gun might be small but can have up too 64mm of pen which is more that enough to cause lasting damage to the BT-7, luckily majority of these vehicles have fairly thin armour, so if you identify one near your location it would be wise to destroy them before they destroy you.

If you lose one of your 3 crew members it would be advisable to head to a friendly capture point to use your crew replenishment as your vehicle needs 2 members to operate, and having a 'spare' crew member can come in handy

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="2" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
| BR-240SP
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| Adjustment of Fire
|
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
|
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
| Artillery Support
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very fast and nimble
* Excellent offroad capability
* Powerful engine and wide tracks make the BT-7 a good climber
* Good cannon with a good rate of fire
* APHEBC round packs enough punch to deal with every target you will face
* Great suspensions for driving.

'''Cons:'''

* Exposed tracks and suspensions are prone to be damaged
* The whole tank is basically ammo rack and fuel tank on tracks
* Difficult to drive with precision - can slew on turns and bounces a lot after braking.
* Thin armour overall, making it easy for enemy vehicles to critically damage the BT-7
* Vulnerable to heavy machine gun fire
* Worse gun depression than earlier BT-5

== History ==

===Development===
The success of the [[BT-5|BT light tanks]] in Soviet service prompted additional upgrades and other developmental projects done on the design to increase its service life. The development led to the final model of the BT light tank series, the '''BT-7'''. The tank differed from the older BT-5 tank with a welded hull, redesigned hull front, and a new engine in the Model 1935 version. The '''Model 1937''' version of the BT-7 added a redesigned turret that featured sloping armour.

The tank initially had a canted-ellipse shaped turret mounting the main gun and coaxial machine guns with the focus of allowing the tank to mount different tanks without changing the whole design, which led to the development of two main kinds of BT-7s, the normal variant with a 45 mm 20K gun for anti-armour and a artillery variant called the ''BT-7A'' which mounted a 76.2 mm KT-26 howitzer for anti-infantry. The tank was redesigned before it entered production by using the BT-5 turret instead with the main gun and coaxial machine gun still attached, though the concept of swapping to different guns was still in development for the tank. A radio was also installed on the turret as well. The tank had a three-man crew, the commander/gunner and loader in the turret, and the driver in the front. Production started in 1935 but was redesigned in 1937 with a new conical turret that allowed more ammunition to be stored and a machine gun on the rear of the turret. The BT-7 mod. 1937 also had improvements on the drive wheels, gearbox, and tracks by 1938. The BT-7 went on to be produced from 1935 to 1940 for a total unit production of between 2,700 to 5,300 tanks.

===Combat usage===
The BT-7 served alongside its older counterpart BT-5 tanks. The BT light tanks were meant to be a cavalry tank, and at the time of their introduction, they were considered some of the finest tanks against other countries' tanks. They had great mobility of all available tanks, and it's 45 mm gun could perform very well in combat. The only drawbacks of the design were its light armour and its gasoline engine, which caused the design to be rather flammable to improvised incendiary weapons. The BT-7's most notable combat service came against the Japanese at Khalkhin Gol. The tactics of Soviet Marshal Georgi Zhukov and the performance of his BT-5 and BT-7 tanks led to a decisive victory. It was during this battle that the BT tanks tendency to catch fire was found, but its performance was positive against the inferior Japanese armoured forces.

The BT-7 next combat use was during the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa when Nazi Germany invades the Soviet Union. The superior German tanks [[Pz.III F|Panzer III]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV]] was able to easily take out these lightly armoured tanks. Reports note that about 2,000 BT-7 tanks were lost in the first 12 months alone against the German forces, with hundreds broken down from low maintenance and were abandoned. Despite their inferiority, the Soviets continued to produce and field them among armour and mechanized units to boost their operational capacity, though most were kept away from the front lines due to their inadequacy. The BT-7 would finally see its service again in Soviet invasion of Japanese-controlled Manchuria. The Soviets fielded the BT-7 and other tanks in its inventory against the inferior Japanese forces in Manchuria, where it proved very effective against the more lightly armoured Japanese tanks employed. The BT series were all retired after the end of World War II due to their obsolete design as an inter-war period tank design.

===Legacy===
Perhaps the most important impact the BT light tanks series was that it kick-started the development of the [[T-34 (1940)|T-34]] medium tank, which would go on as the most produced tank of World War II. A new design team was formed in 1937 at the KhPZ factory, where they built prototypes utilizing the more armour and a heavier gun onto the design, which was called the ''A-32'' and was approved for production as the T-34 tank. The BT tanks also serve as the basis of support vehicles such as the ''BT-7A'' artillery tan, ''BT-7TU'' command tank, ''OP-7'' flamethrower tank, and even the ''TT-BT-7'' remote-controlled tank. An attempt in 1940 also had the BT-7 up-armoured with hinged homogeneous armour, which added five tons to the design weight. These vehicles are not known to have seen service in combat units.

{{Notice|The BT-7 also holds the record for the furthest jump in a tank, at 42 metres, set in 1936.}}

=== In-game description ===
In the second half of 1937, the BT-7 tank was mass-produced with a conical turret, a three-speed gearbox and strengthened suspension. In comparison to the BT-7 Mod. 1935, the tank's weaponry became more powerful due to the inclusion of a DT machine gun in the turret. Its ammunition capacity was increased by 44 and totalled 188 rounds in the battle vehicles and 145 rounds in the command vehicles equipped with a radio set. Some of the tanks were equipped with an anti-aircraft gun.

The unit command vehicles were equipped with a 71-TK-1 radio set with a hand-rail antenna, and later with a rod antenna. To allow the vehicle to fire its cannon and coaxial machine gun at night, it was equipped with two special projector headlights. Over the course of its modernisation, the thickness of its frontal hull armour reached 22 mm. The turret's armour was also strengthened using vertically sloping armour plates. Its combat-loaded weight grew to 13,925 kg. Factory No. 183 alone manufactured 4,727 tanks of this series.

The BT-7 underwent its trial by fire in the Khalkhyn Gol river region as part of the 6th and 11th tank brigades. In the process, the latter undertook a hurried 500 km trek to the scene of the conflict. On the whole, the tanks gained a good reputation, but their drawbacks were noted as well: they were difficult to drive, which meant they required highly trained drivers, and they had insufficient armour and poor communication equipment. All these flaws were confirmed in the Poland Campaign of September 1939 and in the Winter War with Finland.

With appropriate tactics and a well-trained crew, the BT-7 could successfully oppose all types of German tanks at the beginning of the war, being inferior to them only in armour.

BT-7 tanks participated in combat operations on the Soviet-German front right up until 1944, and in 1945 they served in the war with Japan. A few captured tanks served in the Finnish army until the beginning of the 50s.

== Media ==


* [http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23bt7 Skins and camouflages for the BT-7 from live.warthunder]

== 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.''

{{USSR light tanks}}