Difference between revisions of "Pz.38(t) n.A."

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You should use the Pzgr. 34(t) as your main round, as it can reliably penetrate most, if not all, of the tanks of your BR. It has a better post-penetration damage than the APCR if you can penetrate the target because it has high-explosive filler. Always carry a few PzGr 40 rounds additionally to the APC shell. The APCR has the most penetration out of all the available shells, so it should be carried, just in case you meet a heavily armoured target.
 
You should use the Pzgr. 34(t) as your main round, as it can reliably penetrate most, if not all, of the tanks of your BR. It has a better post-penetration damage than the APCR if you can penetrate the target because it has high-explosive filler. Always carry a few PzGr 40 rounds additionally to the APC shell. The APCR has the most penetration out of all the available shells, so it should be carried, just in case you meet a heavily armoured target.
  
; '''Enemies worth noting'''<nowiki>:</nowiki>
+
; '''Enemies worth noting'''
 
;* Regardless of distance, the Pz.38 n.A. will have trouble penetrating heavily armoured enemies: the [[Valentine I]], the [[B1 bis]] or [[B1 ter|ter]], the [[Matilda III]], the [[Churchill I]] and the [[M4A3 (105)]].
 
;* Regardless of distance, the Pz.38 n.A. will have trouble penetrating heavily armoured enemies: the [[Valentine I]], the [[B1 bis]] or [[B1 ter|ter]], the [[Matilda III]], the [[Churchill I]] and the [[M4A3 (105)]].
  

Revision as of 15:52, 1 August 2023

This page is about the German light tank Pz.38(t) n.A.. For other versions, see Pz.38(t) A and Pz.38(t) F.
Pz.38(t) n.A.
germ_pzkpfw_38t_na.png
GarageImage Pz.38(t) n.A..jpg
ArtImage Pz.38(t) n.A..png
Pz.38(t) n.A.
AB RB SB
2.3 2.3 2.3
Class:
Research:3 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:6 300 Specs-Card-Lion.png

Description

The Pz.38(t) n.A. is a rank I German light tank with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "La Royale".

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull30 / 25 / 20
Turret30 / 25 / 20
Crew4 people
Visibility72 %

The Pz.38(t) n.A. has similarly bad survivability as the Pz.35(t) and Pz.38(t) A. It boasts 30 mm of armour on the front hull and turret front. This makes it frontally vulnerable to most guns, staying out of sight is key to not get destroyed by the enemy.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet, sights)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 30 mm 25 mm Top
25 mm Bottom
20 mm 10 - 20 mm
Turret 30 - 50 mm Turret front
50 mm Gun mantlet
12 - 25 mm 12 - 20 mm 12 mm
Cupola 20 mm 25 mm 20 mm 12 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 15 mm thick.
  • Add-on tracks on the front hull are 15 mm thick.
  • Mudguards are 4 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB68 / 10 km/h
RB and SB61 / 9 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
1 back
Weight11.5 t
Engine power
AB420 hp
RB and SB220 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB36.5 hp/t
RB and SB19.1 hp/t

As a light tank, the Pz.38(t) A accelerates decently and is able to reach its top speed of 46 km/h in a dozen of seconds. Braking happens quickly but the hull wobbles for a full second afterwards.The narrow tracks will grant you a decent mobility on hard terrain (solid ground, roads) but poor mobility on soft terrain (mud, snow, sand). Light obstacles (fences and bushes) are not a problem but medium to large obstacles (posts, trees, concrete blocks and parked vehicles) will reduce your mobility: avoid them.

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 68 10 11.5 _,___ 420 __.__ 36.52
Realistic 61 9 _,___ 220 __.__ 19.13

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB257 → 330 Sl icon.png
RB294 → 378 Sl icon.png
SB368 → 473 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications5 970 Rp icon.png
4 500 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost410 Ge icon.png
Crew training1 800 Sl icon.png
Experts6 300 Sl icon.png
Aces75 Ge icon.png
Research Aces135 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
20 / 20 / 20 % Sl icon.png
106 / 106 / 106 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
230 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
270 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
270 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
380 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
640 Rp icon.png
Cost:
480 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
640 Rp icon.png
Cost:
480 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
230 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
270 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement ger.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
380 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
230 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
37mm_kwk_38_t_APCBC_ammo_pack
Research:
300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
230 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
270 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
37mm_kwk_36_APCR_ammo_pack
Research:
270 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
380 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
640 Rp icon.png
Cost:
480 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

Shoulder stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in one plane while moving
Ammunition60 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
4.3 → 3.3 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 25°
Main article: KwK38(t) (37 mm)

The KwK38(t) gun offers a below-average penetration power at its battle rating. Its average muzzle velocity allows for a rather flat firing trajectory but the accuracy drop is noticeable from 700 m distance and becomes a handicap over 1,000 m. The rotation speed of the turret is slow but average compared to other tanks at the same rank or battle rating. Elevation and depression angles of the gun are important, allowing you to fire from unusual positions (behind a ridge, on a slope, etc.). The shoulder-stop stabilizer allows for a good targeting but at very slow speed (under 8 km/h). The reload time of the gun is short, in line with other tanks equipped with a 37 mm cannon at the same BR. Your recoil is non-existent: coupled with the short reload time, this allows you to make rain shells on a target. The average penetration power of the APC shot and the important loss of penetration of the APCR above 500 m are the biggest weaknesses of the Pz.38 n.A. regarding its armament. This will force you to get close to enemy tanks to have a chance at penetrating them, nullifying your increased armour advantage in the process.

37 mm KwK38(t) Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 60 -10°/+25° ±180° Shoulder 18.45 __._ __._ __._ 26.35 4.29 _.__ _.__ 3.33
Realistic 9.8 __._ __._ __._ 14.0

Ammunition

The ammunition available to the Pz.38 n.A. allows for engaging all types of targets:

  • Pzgr. 34(t): APC; a shell with explosive filler but an average penetration power. It should be the main ammunition used in battle.
  • PzGr 40: APCR; a composite round with the best penetration but no explosive filler and that will only penetrate flat vertical surfaces. Pack a few of these shells to use against heavily armoured foes that the Pzgr. 34(t) can't penetrate. This round however becomes fairly ineffective above 500 m distance.
  • Pzgr.(t) umg.: APC; a shell offering a penetration power similar to the Pzgr. 34(t) while being a bit faster and slightly lighter.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Pzgr. 34(t) APC 62 59 45 32 23 17
PzGr. 40 APCR 86 77 47 26 14 8
Pzgr.(t) umg. APC 61 58 44 31 22 15
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Pzgr. 34(t) APC 741 0.85 1.2 9 22.1 48° 63° 71°
PzGr. 40 APCR 1,020 0.37 - - - 66° 70° 72°
Pzgr.(t) umg. APC 750 0.82 1.2 9 22.1 48° 63° 71°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Pz.38(t) n.A.
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
60 37 (+23) 31 (+29) 25 (+35) 19 (+41) 13 (+47) (+53) No

Notes:

  • Turret empty: 37 (+23) shells.
  • Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.

Machine guns

Ammunition2 100 rounds
Belt capacity150 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate900 shots/min
Main article: MG34 (7.92 mm)

The small calibre of the MG34 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment.

7.92 mm MG34
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 2,100 (150) 900 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

Pros and cons

The Pz.38 n.A. is used in much the same way as the Pz.38(t) F. It is less armored and faster than its predecessor. The gun is the same, but the high battle rating pits it against better armoured threats that it cannot deal with easily, even with its APCR shell.

Where to go?

The Pz.38 n.A. is not a front-line tank. This is the most important aspect of playing this tank, this tank does not brawl well. Use its mobility to get to an ambush position that the enemy will not expect it to be at, but do not rush too far forward, as the armour will likely not save you if you come up against an enemy tank. From an ambush position you will hopefully be able to hit the enemy in the side with the Pzgr. 34(t) round. The HE filler in the round should be able to disable an enemy tank in 1-2 well placed shots, and it is likely to cripple the enemy tank with only 1 shot, if not outright destroy it. Don't drive out in the open, unless you are absolutely sure it is clear, or if the situation requires it. Most enemy tanks can penetrate the Pz.38 n.A.'s frontal armour at range, so do not expose it to them.

Hull-down

Do not stray to far from hard cover. The armour will not protect you from anything more than machine gun fire. If you spot an enemy that is looking in your direction, assume they are going to fire, and try to either shoot first, or take cover, or both - if your shot does not take out the enemy's gun. Do not risk your tank to enemy fire, as it will often end badly for you. In order to reduce the chances of the enemy hitting your tank, hull-down tactics can be quite successful. The Pz.38 n.A. has 10 degrees of gun depression, allowing the use of a ridge or hill to fire upon the enemy with only the turret showing to the enemy tanks. This is the ideal position to be in, especially if side shots of the enemy present themselves from that hull-down position.

Which rounds to carry?

You should use the Pzgr. 34(t) as your main round, as it can reliably penetrate most, if not all, of the tanks of your BR. It has a better post-penetration damage than the APCR if you can penetrate the target because it has high-explosive filler. Always carry a few PzGr 40 rounds additionally to the APC shell. The APCR has the most penetration out of all the available shells, so it should be carried, just in case you meet a heavily armoured target.

Enemies worth noting
Regardless of distance, the Pz.38 n.A. will have trouble penetrating heavily armoured enemies
How to defeat a Pz.38 n.A.

In a frontal encounter, shoot right in the front plate if the Pz.38 n.A. did not angle its hull. This will knock out the gunner and the commander at least as the crew is cramped in a very tight space. If the tank is angled, aim for the gun mantlet. When flanking, the plate right under the turret or the turret itself are the weakest spots.

Pros:

  • Shoulder stabilizer
  • Adequate Speed
  • Being a light tank it has access to Scouting

Cons:

  • Inadequate gun at its BR
  • Poor Armour
  • The small crew compartment provides low survivability

History

Devblog

Experimental light tank Pz.Kpfw.38 (t) n.A. was developed in 1941 by the Czech company BMM to participate in the reconnaissance tank contest for the German army. The tank was built on the chassis of the light Czechoslovak tank LT vz.38 and was distinguished by a more powerful gun, a new 8-cylinder engine, bigger wheels and wider tracks. Despite the best results in mobility trials, the tank was denied mass production due to high fuel consumption, a cramped turret and a 37 mm gun, which was considered excessive. Developments under the program Pz.Kpfw.38 (t) n.A. were further developed into light tank destroyer Jagdpanzer 38(t), also known as the Hetzer.

Development

By 1942, action in Operation Barbarossa had seen the Pz.38(t) lose its capability as a regular tank, instead preforming reconnaissance missions, but production capacity for Pz.38(t) chassis still remained. As a solution Pz.38(t) n.A., which stood for Neuer Art, was a proposed modernized version of the Pz.38(t), but was rejected and Pz.38(t) chassis were instead used to build other vehicles such as the Marder III and Hetzer.

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Related development

External links


Germany light tanks
Pz.II  Pz.II C · Pz.II C (DAK) · Pz.II C TD · Pz.II F · Pz.Sfl.Ic
Sd.Kfz.234  Sd.Kfz.234/1 · Sd.Kfz.234/2 · Sd.Kfz.234/2 TD
Marder  Marder A1- · Marder 1A3 · Begleitpanzer 57 · DF105
SPz PUMA  PUMA · PUMA VJTF
Wheeled  Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41) · Class 3 (P) · Radkampfwagen 90 · Boxer MGS
Other  Ru 251 · SPz 12-3 LGS
Argentina  TAM · TAM 2C · TAM 2IP · JaPz.K A2
Czechoslovakia  Pz.35(t) · Pz.38(t) A · Pz.38(t) F · Pz.38(t) n.A. · Sd.Kfz. 140/1
France  Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK
Lithuania  Vilkas
USA  leKPz M41
USSR  SPz BMP-1