Begleitpanzer 57

Begleitpanzer 57

JaPz.K A2

Radkampfwagen 90

Begleitpanzer 57

JaPz.K A2

Radkampfwagen 90

Germany

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.7	9.3	9.3

Class:

Light tank

Research:190 000

Purchase:520 000

Description

The Begleitpanzer 57 was a combined project from the Thyssen-Henschel and Bofors companies. It was developed to engage and destroy Soviet APC and IFV formations without the need of additional anti tank weaponry, be that from Panzer companies or dedicated anti-tank infantry. The design was basically a Marder IFV chassis with a rapid fire 57 mm autocannon, as well as a TOW ATGM launcher with a reload mechanism that could be operated from inside the vehicle. However for an IFV, the Begleitpanzer had very little armour, and was too heavy and sluggish for a scout vehicle, as such, the project was canceled.

It was introduced in Update 1.73 "Vive la France". At first glance, the Begleitpanzer 57 may be confused for a SPAA due to the light armoured chassis and the rapid-firing 57 mm autocannon. On the turret is also a TOW launcher with SACLOS guidance, meaning it will automatically align itself with where the crosshair is pointing. As it shares the same chassis, the Begleitpanzer 57's construction is similar to that of the Marder A1-, with light armour all around and sides that heavy machine guns can penetrate. The main cannon's exterior mounting also means it can be disabled by machine guns and shrapnel. As a light tank, the Begleitpanzer 57 carries great firepower and high mobility. The 57 mm autocannon has a penetration power close to that of the ZSU-57-2's, but the addition of a TOW launcher system makes this vehicle able to engage heavier targets.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull32 / 15 / 11

Turret25 / 15 / 15

Crew3 people

Visibility89 %

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	11 mm (76°), 32 mm (32°) Front glacis 32 mm (31-61°) Lower glacis	15 mm (30°) Top 15 mm	11 mm (24°) Top 11 mm (26°)	11 mm
Turret	25 mm (39°) Turret front 25 mm (0-9°) Gun mantlet	15 mm (12-16°) Left side 15 mm Right side	15 mm (39°)	11 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 11 mm thick.

Mobility

Reverse gearbox

Forward and backward movement is possible at the same maximum speed

Speedforward / back

AB84 / 84 km/h

RB and SB76 / 76 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

8 back

Weight28.5 t

Engine power

AB1 145 hp

RB and SB600 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB40.2 hp/t

RB and SB21.1 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	84	84	28.5	1,116	1,145	39.16	40.18
Realistic	76	76		637	600	22.35	21.05

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 550 → 5 580

RB3 396 → 5 338

SB4 351 → 6 839

Total cost of modifications159 200

264 400

Talisman cost2 600

Crew training150 000

Experts520 000

Aces2 100

Research Aces950 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

130 / 160 / 210 %

220 / 220 / 220 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 6 700 Cost: 11 000 310 Suspension Research: 6 300 Cost: 9 900 290 Brake System Research: 6 300 Cost: 9 900 290 Filters Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 390 Transmission Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 510 Engine Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 510	Improved Parts Research: 2 000 Cost: 11 000 310 Improved FPE Research: 1 900 Cost: 9 900 290 Crew Replenishment Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 390	Horizontal Drive Research: 6 700 Cost: 11 000 310 57mm_germ_Bofors_SAP_ammo_pack Research: 6 700 Cost: 11 000 310 Scout UAV Research: 6 700 Cost: 11 000 310 Adjustment of Fire Research: 6 300 Cost: 9 900 290 Airstrike Research: 6 300 Cost: 9 900 290 127mm_us_itow_ammo_pack Research: 6 300 Cost: 9 900 290 Elevation Mechanism Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 390 57mm_germ_Bofors_HE_VT_ammo_pack Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 390 NVD Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 390 Artillery Support Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 510 Improved optics Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 510 Laser rangefinder Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 510

Armaments

Laser rangefinder

Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder

Night vision device

Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Thermal imager

Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

57 mm Bofors L/70 Mk.1 cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Autoloader

Automatically feeds projectiles into the breech. The speed does not depend on the skills of the loader

Ammunition144 rounds

First-order48 rounds

Reload0.3 s

Vertical guidance-8° / 45°

57 mm Bofors L/70 Mk.1						Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Autoloader
Arcade	148	200	-8°/+45°	±180°	Two-plane	52.4	72.5	88.0	97.3	103.5	0.30
Realistic						32.7	38.5	46.8	51.7	55.0

Ammunition

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
57x438 AP-T	APCBC	137	133	119	102	89	77
57x438 SAP-T	SAPHEI	47	46	41	35	31	26
57x438 HE-T	HE*	16	15	13	11	11	11
57x438 HE-VT	HE-VT*	16	15	13	11	11	11

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%
57x438 AP-T	APCBC	950	2.7	-	-	-	48°	63°	71°
57x438 SAP-T	SAPHEI	950	2.7	1.2	9	510	79°	80°	81°
57x438 HE-T	HE*	1,020	2.4	0.4	0.1	765	79°	80°	81°

Proximity-fused shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Arming distance (m)	Trigger radius (m)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
									0%	50%	100%
57x438 HE-VT	HE-VT*	1,020	2.4	0.2	0.1	500	6	765	79°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Begleitpanzer 57

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	Visual discrepancy
148	48 (+100)	24 (+124)	0 (+148)	No

Notes:

• Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
• Racks 2 and 3 are first stage ammo racks. They total 48 shells and get filled first when loading up the tank.
• As the Begleitpanzer 57 is equipped with mechanized magazines, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
• Once racks 2 and 3 have been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the mechanized magazines. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
• Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 into rack 3 then 2. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
• The depletion order at full capacity is: 2 - 3 - 1.

Additional armament

BGM-71 TOW ATGM

Autoloader

Automatically feeds projectiles into the breech. The speed does not depend on the skills of the loader

Ammunition6 rounds

First-order5 rounds

Belt capacity1 rounds

Fire rate7 shots/min

Vertical guidance-6° / 20°

Fire on the moveup to 5 km/h

BGM-71 TOW ATGM				Reloading rate (seconds)
Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Autoloader
6	-6°/+20°	-	-	10.00

Ammunition

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
TOW	ATGM	430	430	430	430	430	430
I-TOW	ATGM	630	630	630	630	630	630

Missile details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Range (m)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
								0%	50%	100%
TOW	ATGM	299	3,000	18.82	0.05	0.1	3.75	80°	82°	90°
I-TOW	ATGM	296	3,750	19.05	0.05	0.1	2.88	80°	82°	90°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Begleitpanzer 57

Full ammo	Visual discrepancy
6	No

Machine guns

7.62 mm MG3A1 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition5 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reload8.0 s

Fire rate1 200 shots/min

7.62 mm MG3A1
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	5,000 (200)	1,200	-	-

Usage in battles

The Begleitpanzer 57 is a very capable light tank and support vehicle. With proximity fuse HE shells in its 57 mm cannon, it can effectively engage air targets, and can destroy enemy IFVs and even MBTs with its high-penetration rounds. However, when shooting at enemy planes, it is best to wait until they are close before firing, since the vehicle does not have a very high ammo count. Alternatively, the vehicle carries missiles which can be used very effectively to destroy both helicopters and tanks at long ranges. The missile's travel time must be taken in to consideration, but it is nice to have when the enemy is too far away to engage with the 57 mm cannon.

The Begleitpanzer's main cannon can sometimes destroy MBTs from the front, but does damage much more consistently when shooting the enemy's weaker armoured side. For this reason, it is often wise to adopt an ambushing or flanking playstyle. This is helped by the vehicle's small profile and good mobility. It is easy to reach good firing positions and manoeuvre around the enemy quickly and without being seen. (And since the vehicle has poor armour, avoiding being seen will be very important for survival).

While the cannon shares its calibre with the Soviet 57 mm S-68 cannon, it is quite different in performance with a slower rate of fire and a lesser accuracy. The penetration power is considerably inferior compared to the APCBC belt of the S-68 at 1 km distance. The HE round can be completely ignored as it can not reliably go through the side armour of most MBTs it faces. All of this means that long range firepower relies mainly on your ATGM, of which you only have 6. Upgrading to the better ATGM is highly encouraged due to its increased penetration.

At the end of the day, the Begleitpanzer can be played as a light tank scout. It can't engage the enemy front-on, but it can be a valuable asset to the team and is lethal when played in the correct positions. Be sure to use the scouting ability to help friendly players locate enemy tanks. During night battles, the NVD modification will make scouting both easier to do and even more helpful to the team.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Effective against tanks and aircraft/helicopters
• Has ability to utilise scouting mechanic
• Lethal when shooting enemies from the side
• 1st generation gunner thermals
• Proximity HE shells are very good against helicopters (proxy fuse is only active after 500 m)
• Has access to a laser rangefinder

Cons:

• Limited gun elevation (45°) to deal with enemy planes
• Cannot destroy many enemies frontally
• Fairly low ammunition count
• Gun breech is easily destroyed
• Must stop to fire ATGMs
• Loses accuracy when firing continuously
• No smoke of any kind

History

Devblog

The armoured fire-support vehicle Begleitpanzer 57 is a combined project from the Thyssen-Henschel and Bofors companies, developed for scouting and destroying lightly armoured Soviet APCs and IFVs without needing tank divisions for support. To achieve this, the engineers chose the chassis of the German Marder infantry fighting vehicle and installed an adapted version of an automatic 57mm ship cannon on it. Moreover, for fighting with enemy tanks, the Begleitpanzer was equipped with American TOW guided anti-tank rockets and a reloading system for the rocket launcher was developed and placed inside the vehicle's hull.

The result was a fast and light infantry fighting machine capable of destroying enemy tanks and armoured personnel carriers at impressive ranges. At the same time, it could also land a small group of 3 infantry scouts. Sounds like a great idea! But it was the very universality of the Begleitpanzer 57 that prevented the vehicle from going into series production. The Begleitpanzer 57 turned out to be too lightly armoured for an infantry fighting machine, and too heavily armoured for a scout tank, plus it was not adapted for overcoming significant water obstacles. The military commission rejected the experimental prototype and the project was closed.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Begleitpanzer 57 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Begleit Becomes "Balanced" - Begleitpanzer - JustinPlays

The Shooting Range #73 - Metal Beasts section at 00:30 discusses the Begleitpanzer 57.

Best IFVs discusses the Begleitpanzer 57 at 3:41 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

Light tanks based on the same chassis

• Marder A1-
• Marder 1A3

External links

• [Devblog] Begleitpanzer 57: Bofors/Marder united at last!