M46 - Revision history

U38088265: /* Description */

2023-07-29T15:04:14Z

‎Description

U28580205: /* Description */ Updated description to new format

2023-07-29T12:54:37Z

‎Description: Updated description to new format

U44629479: Edits

2023-04-17T12:45:18Z

Edits

U44629479: Edits

2023-04-17T12:41:19Z

Edits

U44629479: /* Ammunition */ Converted to transclusion

2023-01-31T18:05:09Z

‎Ammunition: Converted to transclusion

U28580205: /* Korean War Breaks Out */ Edits to correct the chain of development events.

2023-01-10T19:23:34Z

‎Korean War Breaks Out: Edits to correct the chain of development events.

U38088265: /* In-game description */ Reformatted

2022-10-24T21:29:48Z

‎In-game description: Reformatted

U38088265: /* Main armament */ Updated

2022-09-15T15:24:17Z

‎Main armament: Updated

U38088265: /* Machine guns */

2022-09-13T10:17:46Z

‎Machine guns

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2022-07-04T14:39:20Z

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 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The end of World War II left the US Army in a state of demobilization, with budget cuts interfering with many of the US Army's projects, including those aiming to continually improve the tank fleet that has begun seeing the [[M26|M26 Pershing] put]] into the service. Without the funds for a major overhaul, it was decided to modernize their existing M26s in 1946. The first prototype was created in 1948, with the project large enough that by its acceptance it was designated the M46. The M46 would see itself put into action sooner than expected with the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, where it served along its predecessors against Korean and Chinese troops. By the end of the war, with newer tanks like the [[M47]] coming into service, the M46 was retired from US service but continued to serve for a few more years as foreign aid.
+The end of World War II left the US Army in a state of demobilization, with budget cuts interfering with many of the US Army's projects, including those aiming to continually improve the tank fleet that began seeing the [[M26|M26 Pershing]] put into the service. Without the funds for a major overhaul, it was decided to modernize their existing M26s in 1946. The first prototype was created in 1948, with the project large enough that by its acceptance it was designated the M46. The M46 would see itself put into action sooner than expected with the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, where it served alongside its predecessors against Korean and Chinese troops. By the end of the war, with newer tanks like the [[M47]] coming into service, the M46 was retired from US service but continued to serve for a few more years as foreign aid.
 The '''{{Specs|name}}''', introduced with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]], is an improved version of the M26 Pershing. The two biggest shortcomings of the M26, the mobility and firepower, have been improved on to allow a better player experience with the tank. The M46 can stand up against most enemies it faces with the improved firepower of the HEAT-FS shell, but should take care that the enemy doesn't get the first shot off as the armour remains the same otherwise.

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 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. As an upgraded version of the [[M26|M26 Pershing]], it features many similarities to its predecessors but is improved with a better gun and engine for increased firepower and mobility.
+The end of World War II left the US Army in a state of demobilization, with budget cuts interfering with many of the US Army's projects, including those aiming to continually improve the tank fleet that has begun seeing the [[M26|M26 Pershing] put]] into the service. Without the funds for a major overhaul, it was decided to modernize their existing M26s in 1946. The first prototype was created in 1948, with the project large enough that by its acceptance it was designated the M46. The M46 would see itself put into action sooner than expected with the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, where it served along its predecessors against Korean and Chinese troops. By the end of the war, with newer tanks like the [[M47]] coming into service, the M46 was retired from US service but continued to serve for a few more years as foreign aid.
 == General info ==

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 * ''topic on the official game forum;''
 * ''other literature.'' -->
-;War Thunder site
 * [[wt:en/news/3154--en|[Vehicle Profile] M46 Patton]]
 * [https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/m46.htm [Global Security<nowiki>]</nowiki> M46 Patton]
 * [http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/m46patton.html [American Fighting Vehicle Data Base<nowiki>]</nowiki> Medium Tank M46 Patton]

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 | Turret || 101.6 mm (1-55°) ''Turret front'' <br> 114.3 mm (1-84°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 76.2 mm (3-54°) || 76.2 mm (0-79°) || 25.4 mm
 |-
-! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
+| Cupola || 76.2 mm || 76.2 mm || 76.2 mm || 25.4 mm
 |-
 |}
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 '''Realistic Battles'''
-The M46 is not as effective in Realistic, due to much slower and focused gameplay, in the sense that a spotted vehicle is often a dead vehicle. The lack of armour doesn't help you here, either, because players take longer to aim at you, reducing any chances of lucky ricochets.
+The M46 is not as effective in Realistic, due to a much slower and focused gameplay, in the sense that a spotted vehicle is often a dead vehicle. The lack of armour doesn't help you here, either, because players take longer to aim at you, reducing any chances of lucky ricochets.
 If you can't rely on armour, mobility comes into question, and in Realistic it is dampened. Here, the tank behaves much more like a general medium tank, like the Centurion or the T-34. You are mobile, and quick, but you won't be able to run away from encounters, or flank an enemy in seconds (like you can do in Arcade). Therefore, you should play much more carefully, and avoid being seen at all, which can be easily accomplished because you can still manoeuvre rather easily in close quarters.
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 As the Korean War demanded large numbers of tanks, the M46 Pattons were sent alongside M4A3 Shermans and M26 Pershings into the fray. The first unit with M46 tanks in Korea was the 6th Tank Battalion, which was unloaded into Pusan on 08 August 1950.<ref name="Hunnicutt_1984(25-30)">Hunnicutt 1984, 25-30</ref> The 6th Tank Battalion was soon followed by the 64th Tank Battalion on August 13th that was also equipped with M46s.<ref name="Pike_2021">Pike 2021</ref> Of the 1,326 American tanks sent to Korea, 200 were M46 Pattons while the rest were 309 M26 Pershings, 679 M4A3 (76) W HVSS Shermans and 138 M24 Chaffees.<ref name="Zaloga_2000(35)"/>
-The M46s benefitted from the more powerful powertrain to be more maneuverable than the M26 Pershing in the theater. However, the rapid development and fielding of the M46 showed technical problems in the field, with breakdowns associated to problems with components like the engine oil cooler fan.<ref name="Connor_1992 (73)">Connor 1992, 73</ref> Nevertheless, the M46s were used effectively before and after the Chinese became involved with the Korean War, with 97 M46s in the Eight Army being involved with the January 1951 counter-offensive against the Chinese.<ref name="Zaloga_2000(35)"/> One feature that was tested with the M46 Pattons was the attachment of a searchlight onto the tank to have better battlefield illumination for night battles. The original idea called for taking a M4A3 Sherman tank to be designed with a special turret accommodating a searchlight and a 75 mm gun, designated the ''T52'' searchlight tank. An alternative solution was devised by attaching searchlights atop tank cannons, which proved to be cheap enough to not warrant a new tank design and convenient enough for any tank to be equipped with a searchlight.<ref name="Hunnicutt_1984(25-30)"/>
+The M46s benefitted from the more powerful powertrain to be more manoeuvrable than the M26 Pershing in the theater. However, the rapid development and fielding of the M46 showed technical problems in the field, with breakdowns associated to problems with components like the engine oil cooler fan.<ref name="Connor_1992 (73)">Connor 1992, 73</ref> Nevertheless, the M46s were used effectively before and after the Chinese became involved with the Korean War, with 97 M46s in the Eight Army being involved with the January 1951 counter-offensive against the Chinese.<ref name="Zaloga_2000(35)"/> One feature that was tested with the M46 Pattons was the attachment of a searchlight onto the tank to have better battlefield illumination for night battles. The original idea called for taking a M4A3 Sherman tank to be designed with a special turret accommodating a searchlight and a 75 mm gun, designated the ''T52'' searchlight tank. An alternative solution was devised by attaching searchlights atop tank cannons, which proved to be cheap enough to not warrant a new tank design and convenient enough for any tank to be equipped with a searchlight.<ref name="Hunnicutt_1984(25-30)"/>
 [[File:M46 with searchlight 1st Tank Batt.png|x250px|left|thumb|none|A M46 with an 18-inch searchlight, a concept that was put in practice in the Korean War.]]
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 {{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
 {{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
-The M26, which appeared close to the end of World War II, was an excellent tank. However, power-to-weight ratio, maneuverability, and range were lacking. A special new 12-cylinder, air-cooled engine developed by Continental Motors to take care of the maneuverability issue reached 29,361 cm³, and at 2,800 rpm its 704 hp outstripped the M26's 500 hp. The 6.5-fold compression, which was large for the time, required 80 octane fuel, and the air-cooling system often overheated the engine. Giving the tank a new power plant required a replacement roof for the compartment housing the engine and transmission, resulting in the use of a single grating.
+The M26, which appeared close to the end of World War II, was an excellent tank. However, power-to-weight ratio, manoeuvrability, and range were lacking. A special new 12-cylinder, air-cooled engine developed by Continental Motors to take care of the manoeuvrability issue reached 29,361 cm³, and at 2,800 rpm its 704 hp outstripped the M26's 500 hp. The 6.5-fold compression, which was large for the time, required 80 octane fuel, and the air-cooling system often overheated the engine. Giving the tank a new power plant required a replacement roof for the compartment housing the engine and transmission, resulting in the use of a single grating.
 The new automatic CD-850 gearbox and steering mechanism were operated using a single lever that served both as a gearshift and steering wheel. The M46's running gear gained another small roller to keep constant tension on the tracks and prevent them from slipping between the leading wheels and rear road wheels. In addition, the front suspension points were given second shock absorbers. The tank was built for low temperatures and had water-crossing special equipment. As a result, it was heavier, though it did not suffer from reduced speed thanks to its upgraded power plant.
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 ;Videos
-{{Youtube-gallery|p6cWlyUnJQA|'''Top 7 off-road beasts'''  discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:55  - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|Xwid3UCLr5U|'''The Patton Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:29 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|yz92Myi-Anc|'''Tank Chats #85 - M46 Patton''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}
+{{Youtube-gallery|p6cWlyUnJQA|'''Top 7 off-road beasts''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:55 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|Xwid3UCLr5U|'''The Patton Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:29 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|yz92Myi-Anc|'''Tank Chats #85 - M46 Patton''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}
 == See also ==

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 ==== Ammunition ====
-{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
+{{:M3A1 (90 mm)/Ammunition|M318 shot, M82 shot, M304 shot, M332 shot, M348 shell, M71 shell, M313}}
 ==== [[Ammo racks]] ====

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 ===Korean War Breaks Out===
 [[File:USMC M-46 Patton Medium Tank in 1952.jpg|x350px|right|thumb|none|A M46 moves down a hill with its turret traversed over the engine deck. Here the distinctive engine exhausts and mufflers can be seen on the M46's fenders on both sides.]]
-As the US Army began ramping up production and conversion programs for the M46 tank, the Korean War began in June 1950. The Korean War's demand for armour caused tanks in all US Army depots and stockpiles to be reactivated and sent to the Korean peninsula. This unfortunately means that the M26 Pershing tanks meant to be converted to M46s were limited. The M46, of which only 319 units were produced by the Korean War's outbreak,<ref name="Zaloga_2000(35)"/> fell into a quagmire within the US Army of not having enough M26s available to convert, but being outdated enough to not warrant the production of new units. To shorten the development time for a new, modern tank, an emergency development program was started in the US known as the ''T42'', which would use the M46 chassis to accommodate a new turret design.<ref name="Hunnicutt_1984(9-17)"/> A version of the M46 used to test the T42 prior to their production is the ''M46E1'', which saw a T42 turret placed directly onto an unmodified M46 hull.<ref name="Hunnicutt_1984(53)">Hunnicutt 1984, 53</ref> The T42 tank will eventually develop into the [[M47]].
+As the US Army began ramping up production and conversion programs for the M46 tank, the Korean War began in June 1950. The Korean War's demand for armour caused tanks in all US Army depots and stockpiles to be reactivated and sent to the Korean peninsula. This unfortunately means that the M26 Pershing tanks meant to be converted to M46s were limited. The M46, of which only 319 units were produced by the Korean War's outbreak,<ref name="Zaloga_2000(35)"/> fell into a quagmire within the US Army of not having enough M26s available to convert, but being outdated enough to not warrant the production of new units. In an effort to get new, modern tanks ready as quick as possible, it was suggested in July 1950 that the turret of an ongoing medium tank development, the ''T42'', be placed onto the M46 hull<ref name="Hunnicutt_1984(9-17)"/> A pilot model was produced and shipped to Aberdeen Proving Ground on March 1951, designated ''M46E1''.<ref name="Hunnicutt_1984(52-53)">Hunnicutt 1984, 52-53</ref> Following further modifications, this combination would culminate into the [[M47]] tank.
 Continued field testing with the M46 and the development of the T42 led to more improvements in the M46 design. Initially designated the "M46(New)", this new improvement included a more efficient oil cooling system, new instrument panel, new hull wiring, improved brakes, and a new fire extinguishing system. A new Continental AV-1790-5B and General Motors CD-850-4 transmission was also designed that was interchangeable between the improved M46 and the T42. The "M46(New)" was eventually redesignated to ''M46A1'' when it went into production with a contract for 360 units in 01 April 1951.<ref name="Hunnicutt_1984(9-17)"/> These M46A1 tanks started production from registration numbers 30163849 and up.<ref name="Zaloga_2000(35)"/>

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 After the end of the Korean War, the M46 became part of America's weapon exports to Europe. However, as America's tank productions churn out the M47 Patton II tank, the value of the M26 and M46 for combat-ready units was not high. The M26 and M46 tanks would be exported as training vehicles to prepare crew for the receiving of M47s. Though France, Belgium, and Italy received M26s for this role, Belgium would also receive eight M46A1 that were used as training vehicles at Leopoldsburg tank training center.<ref name="Zaloga_2000(35)"/> Many more M46s would find themselves as range targets.<ref name="Pike_2021"/>
-=== In-game description ===
+{{break}}
 The M26, which appeared close to the end of World War II, was an excellent tank. However, power-to-weight ratio, maneuverability, and range were lacking. A special new 12-cylinder, air-cooled engine developed by Continental Motors to take care of the maneuverability issue reached 29,361 cm³, and at 2,800 rpm its 704 hp outstripped the M26's 500 hp. The 6.5-fold compression, which was large for the time, required 80 octane fuel, and the air-cooling system often overheated the engine. Giving the tank a new power plant required a replacement roof for the compartment housing the engine and transmission, resulting in the use of a single grating.
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 The M46 medium tank was used by US forces during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953 and also served as part of the American forces in Europe.
 == Media ==

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 |-
 ! ''Arcade''
-| rowspan="2" | 70 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 24.3 || 33.6 || 40.8 || 45.1 || 48.0 || rowspan="2" | 9.7 || rowspan="2" | 8.6 || rowspan="2" | 7.9 || rowspan="2" | 7.5
+| rowspan="2" | 70 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 20.0 || 27.7 || 33.6 || 37.2 || 39.5 || rowspan="2" | 9.75 || rowspan="2" | 8.63 || rowspan="2" | 7.95 || rowspan="2" | 7.50
 |-
 ! ''Realistic''
-| 15.2 || 17.9 || 21.7 || 24.0 || 25.5
+| 12.5 || 14.7 || 17.9 || 19.7 || 21.0
 |-
 |}

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 ! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 |-
-| Pintle || 550 (200) || 577 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
+| Pintle || 600 (200) || 577 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
 |-
 |}
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 == External links ==
-<!--''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 * ''topic on the official game forum;''
-* ''other literature.''-->
+* ''other literature.'' -->
 ;War Thunder site
 * [[wt:en/news/3154--en|[Vehicle Profile] M46 Patton]]
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 * Zaloga, Steven J. 2000. ''M26/M46 Pershing Tank 1943-1953''. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd.
 {{USA medium tanks}}

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 ! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 |-
-| Pintle || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
+| Pintle || 550 (200) || 577 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
 |-
 |}
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 ! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 |-
-| Coaxial || 4,900 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
+| Coaxial || 5,500 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
 |-
 |}
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 The tank plays almost like the M26 Pershing, it's relatively fast for its size yet has a very powerful gun. In comparison, the M46 Patton features improved manoeuvrability with increased acceleration, it also has a better gun to combat the foes it will face at its rank. Due to this, the M46 Patton can fit into multiple roles like the Pershing as an offensive or supporting unit. Attack and flank enemy units with the cooperation of allied units to get their more vulnerable sides.
-At this rank, the more heavy duty vehicles appears such as the [[IS-3]], [[Tiger II (10.5 cm Kw.K)|10.5cm Tiger II]], [[T32|T32]], and the [[Maus|Maus]]. These tanks are a menace to not just you, but possibly your entire team. Taking these tanks out in the M46 Patton require close cooperation with other allies in order to get around and hit them in their side armour. More powerful ammunition unlocked in later modifications may improve your attempts at destroying these beasts.
+At this rank, the more heavy duty vehicles appears such as the [[IS-3]], [[Tiger II (10.5 cm Kw.K)|10.5cm Tiger II]], [[T32]], and the [[Maus]]. These tanks are a menace to not just you, but possibly your entire team. Taking these tanks out in the M46 Patton require close cooperation with other allies in order to get around and hit them in their side armour. More powerful ammunition unlocked in later modifications may improve your attempts at destroying these beasts.
 '''Arcade Battles'''
-The M46 plays like a light tank in Arcade, because it can reach speeds over 50 km/h in perfect conditions. Furthermore, it's very agile - turning on the spot and maneuvering in close quarters is extremely easy. Altogether, this tank is a pleasure to play in cities in Arcade, because you can escape stand-offs and flank the enemy tank, or you may decide to bait a shot by showing your side, then instantly reversing, or you might want to just leave the encounter altogether and help out a teammate who is relatively nearby. Oh, and your agility can also help you bounce shots - just move your hull and turret around slightly if you think you will get shot.
+The M46 plays like a light tank in Arcade, because it can reach speeds over 50 km/h in perfect conditions. Furthermore, it's very agile - turning on the spot and manoeuvring in close quarters is extremely easy. Altogether, this tank is a pleasure to play in cities in Arcade, because you can escape stand-offs and flank the enemy tank, or you may decide to bait a shot by showing your side, then instantly reversing, or you might want to just leave the encounter altogether and help out a teammate who is relatively nearby. Oh, and your agility can also help you bounce shots - just move your hull and turret around slightly if you think you will get shot.
 However, the agility of the tank comes at a cost: the armour is non-existent. In the BR bracket all tanks can penetrate you anywhere. Try not to get shot at, because you're likely to be very crippled, or disabled, with a single shot.
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 If you can't rely on armour, mobility comes into question, and in Realistic it is dampened. Here, the tank behaves much more like a general medium tank, like the Centurion or the T-34. You are mobile, and quick, but you won't be able to run away from encounters, or flank an enemy in seconds (like you can do in Arcade). Therefore, you should play much more carefully, and avoid being seen at all, which can be easily accomplished because you can still manoeuvre rather easily in close quarters.
 In terms of firepower, it's still very reliable, penetration-wise. However, in Realistic it is advised to take your time to learn to identify enemy vehicles and their ammo racks, because you would want to take out enemies with a single shell (if you don't, it's harder to escape from retaliatory shots). Hence why it's advised to flank your enemies and take your time, instead of running around the map like one might do in Arcade. The HEATFS shell has a tendency to cause ammo racks detonations. Also carry some APHE shells, as more often than not, HEATFS shells have a tendency to be a bit unreliable. Even when uptiered, the M46's APHE can deal devastating blows on the enemy's armour, if you know where to aim.
 In general, in Realistic, just play calm and try to create a false sense of security for the enemies. Instead of tackling someone head-on, you should retreat and let them move into your ambush, because you don't have a stabilizer, nor armour.