Difference between revisions of "M8 LAC (China)"

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{{Specs-Card|code=cn_m8_greyhound}}
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{{About
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| about = light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
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|other
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|usage-1 = other versions
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|link-1 = M8 Greyhound (Family)
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|usage-2 = other uses
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|link-2 = M8 (Disambiguation)
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}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=cn_m8_greyhound
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== 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.'' -->
 
<!-- ''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.'' -->
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[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
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The '''M8 Greyhound Light Armoured Car (M8 LAC)''' was an armoured car developed by Ford Motor Company during World War II and primarily used by U.S. and British forces in Europe and the Pacific from 1943 until the end of the war. Many of the vehicles were provided to other countries for limited service, notably through the Lend-Lease Act established by the U.S. during World War II. A few of these vehicles, likely used by US Army/USMC, were captured in Mainland China in 1949. One of them is still on display in a Chinese military museum; while additional vehicles were supplied to ROCA after their retreat and were not used during combat, but served as riot-suppression vehicles.  
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{{break}}
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]]. It is identical to the USA [[M8 Greyhound]].
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Introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]], the Chinese M8 LAC is identical to the [[M8 LAC]] used by the U.S. Army ground forces. The 37 mm anti-tank gun is essentially found in almost every light tank in the early ranks; therefore, it should be more than familiar to players of the U.S. ground forces in terms of playstyle. It has an M2HB Browning heavy machine gun mounted on the back of the turret, which can be highly valuable when fighting other light tanks and early aircraft. However, given that it is an open-top vehicle, it is vulnerable to aircraft strafing; therefore, it is critical to pay attention when aircraft fly overhead during engagements.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
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This vehicle´s intended design leaves us with only 12.7 mm. of armor at a 59° angle slope in front hull, Side hull is only protected with 9.5 mm. And the strongest part being the gun mantlet with 25 mm. plus 19.1 mm. of turret armor. As a result this vehicle is only protected against machinegun caliber fire, with the sides easily penned by heavy machine gun fire. Altough this may prove an advantage when fighting against shells with delayed fuse. The crew is very tight, so one AP shell at center mass could kill everyone inside, there are some rounds stored at the turret, and at the vehicle´s floor, bringing less rounds eliminates the rounds stored in the turret. Also keep in mind that it is an open top vehicle, making it vulnerable to artillery and aerial attacks.
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
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<!-- ''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.'' -->
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 +
This vehicle's armor includes 12.7 mm at a 59° degree slope for the front hull, the side hull is only protected with 9.5 mm, with the strongest part being the gun mantlet, with a 25 mm gun mantlet added to 19.1 mm of turret armour. As a result this vehicle is only protected against rifle-calibre MG fire, with the sides easily penetrated by heavy MG fire. However, the thin armor may provide an advantage when fighting against shells with delayed fuse. The crew is very tight, so one AP shell in the center could knock out everyone inside, but notice that there is huge gap between the driving compartment and the fighting compartment, meaning the M8 LAC can absorb plenty of shells and prevent the player from being destroyed quickly. There are some rounds stored in the turret, and on the vehicle's floor, and bringing less rounds eliminates the rounds stored in the turret. Also keep in mind that it is an open top vehicle, making it vulnerable to artillery and aerial attacks.
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 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
 
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull)
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* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, gun mantlet)
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* Structural steel (Mudguard, storage boxes, gun breech)
 +
* Wheels (Tires)
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 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 12.7 mm (59°) ''Upper Glacis'' <br> 15.9 mm (29°) ''Lower Glacis'' <br> 19.1 mm (44°) ''Upper Plate'' || 9.5 mm (17-19°) || 5-9.5 mm || 6.35 mm (0-6°)
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 19.1 mm (conical) ''Turret front'' <br> 25.4 mm (15°) + 19.1 mm (conical) ''Gun mantlet'' || colspan="2" style="text-align:center" | 19.1 mm (conical) || N/A
 +
|-
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|}
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'''Notes:'''
 +
 
 +
* The turret is open-topped, but the very front portion is covered by 6.35 mm
 +
* Wheels are 10 mm thick
 +
* Belly armour is 6.35 mm thick.
 +
* The gun breech is 150 mm thick.
 +
* Additional 4 mm mudguards and storage boxes cover most of the hull sides
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
  
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While it has poor armour and survivability this vehicle excels in terms of mobility, as a wheeled vehicle it reaches 60 km/h on road in arcade with stock modules. and 40 km/h off road.
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 129|rbMinHp= 97}}
  
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On realistic it reaches 38 km/h off road, and 55 km/h on road with 7 gears, it also has 12 km/h reverse speed on two reverse gears.
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While it has poor armour and survivability, the {{PAGENAME}} excels in terms of mobility. As a wheeled vehicle, it reaches 60 km/h on-road in Arcade Mode with stock modules and 40 km/h off-road.
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In Realistic Mode, it reaches 38 km/h off-road, and 55 km/h on-road with 7 gears, it also has a maximum of -12 km/h reverse speed with two reverse gears.
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 +
=== Modifications and economy ===
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{{Specs-Economy}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
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{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
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{{main|M6 (37 mm)}}
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
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<!-- ''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.'' -->
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
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|-
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! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
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! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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|-
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! ''Arcade''
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| rowspan="2" | 80 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 19.0 || 26.4 || 32.0 || 35.4 || 37.6 || rowspan="2" | 4.55 || rowspan="2" | 4.03 || rowspan="2" | 3.71 || rowspan="2" | 3.50
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|-
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! ''Realistic''
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| 11.9 || 14.0 || 17.0 || 18.8 || 20.0
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|-
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|}
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The M8 LAC is armed with an [[M6 (37 mm)|37 mm M6]] cannon as its main armament. This is a small calibre fast-firing gun with a maximum penetration of 84 mm at 100 m (M51B1 shell), being able to penetrate almost all the opponents it will ever face. While it lacks the post-penetration damage to knock out most enemy vehicles, it can quickly finish them off with its fast reload. The penetration and trajectory drops a lot beyond 500 m. Note that the gun has a vertical stabiliser, giving the player a huge advantage in some cases, but keep in mind that the stabiliser only works when the tank is slower than 10 km/h.
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 +
==== Ammunition ====
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{{:M6 (37 mm)/Ammunition|M74B1, M51B1}}
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==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
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[[File:Ammoracks M8 LAC.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
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<!-- '''Last updated:''' -->
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|-
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! Full<br>ammo
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! 1st<br>rack empty
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! 2nd<br>rack empty
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! 3rd<br>rack empty
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! 4th<br>rack empty
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! Visual<br>discrepancy
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|-
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| '''80''' || 73 ''(+7)'' || 65 ''(+15)'' || 33 ''(+47)'' || 1 ''(+79)'' || No
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|-
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|}
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'''Notes''':
  
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''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. Advise about how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
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* As they are modeled by rows of 4, shells disappear from the rack only after you've fired all shells in the row.
 +
* Turret empty of shells (racks 1 & 2 emptied): 65 ''(+15)'' shells.
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
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{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
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<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
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|-
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! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
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|-
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| Pintle || 400 (200) || 575 || -10°/+40° || ±180°
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|-
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|}
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
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|-
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! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
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|-
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| Coaxial || 1,500 (250) || 500 || - || -
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|-
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|}
  
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''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
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The two machine guns on the M8 LAC are the good old [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|.50 cal M2HB]] and the [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]. The roof-mounted .50 cal can traverse 360 degrees and has great depression & elevation, posting a big threat to any plane that is flying too close to the M8. It has an unbelievable penetration of 31 mm at 10 m, meaning it can easily penetrate plenty of lightly armoured vehicles and even the side of some medium tanks. The 7.62 mm MG, on the other hand, can only efficiently damage exposed crews due to its low penetration.
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
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''When using this vehicle keep in mind that you are virtually naked to every main gun, that means you shouldnt expose yourself unnecesarily and not give the opponents a chance to shoot at you, coupled with the fact that the main gun can penetrate every other vehicle in its rank and its excellent mobility makes this vehicle a hit and run tactic very viable, ambushing your opponent on your terms, after you destroyed it change your position again and find concealment and or cover, use your fast reverse speed to your advantage, avoid 1 on 1 fights, and fair fights.''
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<!-- ''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 instead 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).'' -->
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When using this vehicle keep in mind that you are virtually naked to every main gun, that means you should not expose yourself unnecessarily and not give the opponents a chance to shoot at you, coupled with the fact that the main gun can penetrate every other vehicle in its rank. Its excellent mobility gives this vehicle a very viable hit-and-run tactic. Ambush your opponent on your terms. After you destroy him, change your position again, find concealment or cover, use your fast reverse speed to your advantage, avoid one on one fights, and fair fights.
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At the start of the match, the M8 is best used as a point-capturing vehicle. Find a road connecting to a point to unleash its scary 90 km/h on-road top speed, and it is likely to get to the point before the enemy can. Once the point is captured, quickly move away as there are likely to be artillery strikes, which can critically damage the M8.
 +
 
 +
After capturing a point, there are two good options (just examples, the player is free to play in their way). One is to hide at the side of the point, waiting for the enemy to recapture it. Use its small profile to set up a good ambush, and flank the enemy unexpectedly. The fast-firing gun will genuinely shine when attacking several enemies from the side or rear, allowing the player to knock out a surprising amount of enemies. Once the enemies are wiped out, quickly retake the point and ambush again. Note that the player might want to change their position as some enemies might try and revenge.
 +
 
 +
Another playstyle is the hit-and-run tactic, thanks to its great mobility and small profile. If careful enough, it can travel between points like a ghost without being noticed and flank the enemies. The stabilizer will help a lot as it gives the player the ability to fire first. If the first shell missed or didn't penetrate, it can even finish off the enemy with the .50 cal HMG alone.
 +
 
 +
'''Enemies worth noting''':
 +
 
 +
[[LVT (Family)]] - These amphibious tanks are well known for their huge hull size. Indeed, there is a huge space between the driving compartment and the fighting compartment that will absorb almost any incoming shells, and unfortunately, the M8's solid AP can't cope with this. If an M8 doesn't know where are the crew is located on an LVT, they will die due to not being able to knock out the crew effectively. Remember their crew location, and the M8 can easily take them out.
 +
 
 +
The driver is at the foremost part of the hull. Behind him, there is absolutely nothing, so you must avoid shooting there. Behind the empty space, the turret houses 2-3 crew members. Shoot there to disable its gun. And don't forget, at the very rear of the LVT, the two exposed machine gunners can be taken out with the .50 cal. Memorize those three main locations of the crew, and you can effectively destroy any LVT out there with your rapid reload. Also, if the angle isn't too large, the .50 can penetrate the LVT's weak armour.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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<!--Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".-->
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<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
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* M6 Cannon has 67 mm. pen at 500m. Enough to pen every other vehicle in its tier.
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* The M51 shell has 84 mm penetration at 100 m, enough to penetrate common opponents like the [[Pz.II (Family)|Pz.II]], [[Pz.III B]] or [[Ha-Go (Family)|Ha-Go]], and the fast reload helps to precisely knock out the crew one by one
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* Pintle mounted HMG is very lethal against other similiarly armoured vehicles and slow planes, such as tier 1 biplanes.
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* The pintle-mounted heavy machine gun is very lethal against other similarly armoured vehicles (e.g. [[AS 42]], [[L3/33 CC|L3/33]]) and slow biplanes
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* One of the fastest vehicles on road with a max speed of 60 km/h.
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* One of the fastest vehicles on road with a max speed of 90 km/h allows it to get to positions quickly
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* Reverse speed of 12 km/h.
+
* Reverse speed of 12 km/h allows it to retreat from danger quickly
 +
* Small profile makes ambushing/hiding easy
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
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* Wheeled vehicle, performs poorly off-road and cannot turn in place
+
* Wheeled vehicle, performs poorly off-road and cannot turn in place, and especially slow in desert maps like [[Sinai]] and snowy maps like [[Frozen Pass (Ground Forces)|Frozen Pass]]
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* Virtually no armor, tight crew and open top make this vehicle very vulnerable.
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* Virtually no armour, tight crew and open top make this vehicle very vulnerable to rapid-firing tanks like the [[Pz.II (Family)|Pz.II]], [[M13 MGMC|M13]] or strafing planes
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* M6 Cannon requires precision shots, as post penetration effects are weak.
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* M6 cannon requires precision shots, as post-penetration effects are weak especially against the [[LVT(A)(1)|LVT(A)]] series which are super spacious
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* Turret traverse is rather sluggish
+
* Turret traverse is rather sluggish, might not get the gun on target sometimes
−
* Looks very similar to the USA [[M8 Greyhound]], the lighter colored camouflage can be hard to distinguish in Simulator Battles
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* Looks very similar to the American [[M8 Greyhound]], the lighter coloured camouflage can be hard to distinguish in [[Simulator Battles]]
 +
* The open-topped design makes it vulnerable to overpressure from explosive shells
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
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''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).''
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<!-- ''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).'' -->
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 +
During World War 2, more than 1,000 M8 armoured cars were lend-leased to the Allies, including Free France and Brazil. After WW2, the US Foreign Military Assistance Program donated surplus cars to the United States Constabulary in various Western European and Asian nations. French Forces noted usage of this car, and during the Korean and Vietnam War, both Viet Cong and Chinese got their hands on it as well, but the Korean Army was the primary user, who then donated them to the Vietnamese. Belgium also used these cars as part of NATO, and in UN forces sent to peacekeeping operations in the Congo. M8s are still in service in Columbia, Guatemala, Peru, and Paraguay.
 +
 
 +
'''Chinese usage'''
 +
 
 +
The earliest record of M8 LAC in China, according to the vehicle (oddly without its 37 mm cannon) displayed at level B1 of Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution (中国人民革命军事博物馆; 军博), PLAGF captured a M8 Greyhound in mid-May 1949 when the forces captured Shanghai, claiming to be a Nationalist vehicle on the billboard (while the white stars on the vehicle indicated its likely true identity - USMC or US Army stationed in China between 1945-1949); according to the film screenshots from early-1950s, there were likely more than the one M8 LAC captured in varied sources shown in the movie.<ref>https://card.weibo.com/article/m/show/id/2309404644799239028981</ref>
 +
 
 +
On the Nationalist's side, after the loss of Mainland China where they have abandoned numbers of vehicles on the mainland, as part of the military replenish program to ROCA, it was recorded that numbers of equipment that scattered around Pacific islands were recovered and refurbished by ROCA, including 185 M8 LAC in 1950<ref>https://a2928796.pixnet.net/blog/post/556810678-1950%E5%B9%B4%E5%9C%8B%E8%BB%8D%E8%A3%9D%E7%94%B2%E5%85%B5%E5%8A%9B</ref>; these vehicles were used by ROCA and ROCMC until 1977 with no combat records. Ten of these vehicles were also transferred to the Armored Vehicle Squadron, Police Brigade, Taiwan Province Police Department (臺灣'''省警'''務處'''直'''屬警察大隊'''裝'''甲車中隊; '''省警直裝''') as riot-suppression vehicle in the early days retreat; these vehicles were used until 1999 and scrapped in Ordnance Research Development Center at Jiji Township, Nantou County.<ref>https://adonis1625.pixnet.net/blog/post/232813103</ref>
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
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''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
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<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
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;Skins
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_m8_greyhound Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
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;Videos
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{{Youtube-gallery|RGeu2yLGeTU|'''Best armored cars''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:32 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|GCP_b025iYo|'''M8 LAC, Taiwanese , Tier-1, Armored Car / Light Tank''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''}}
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
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''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
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<!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
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* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 +
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
  
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* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
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* [[M8 Greyhound (Family)]]
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
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''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
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<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 +
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 +
* ''other literature.'' -->
  
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* ''topic on the official game forum;''
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* [https://ww2db.com/vehicle_spec.php?q=410 <nowiki>[World War II Database]</nowiki> M8 Greyhound] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210515155845/https://ww2db.com/vehicle_spec.php?q=410 Web Archive])
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* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
 
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* ''other literature.''
 
  
 +
{{TankManufacturer Ford}}
 
{{China light tanks}}
 
{{China light tanks}}
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[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]
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<references />

Latest revision as of 12:46, 23 November 2024

Introducing Wiki 3.0
This page is about the light tank M8 LAC (China). For other versions, see M8 Greyhound (Family). For other uses, see M8 (Disambiguation).
␗M8 LAC
us_m8_greyhound.png
GarageImage M8 LAC (China).jpg
ArtImage M8 LAC (China).png
␗M8 LAC
China flag.png China
I Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
1.0 1.0 1.0
Class:
Research:Free
Purchase:Free

Description

The M8 Greyhound Light Armoured Car (M8 LAC) was an armoured car developed by Ford Motor Company during World War II and primarily used by U.S. and British forces in Europe and the Pacific from 1943 until the end of the war. Many of the vehicles were provided to other countries for limited service, notably through the Lend-Lease Act established by the U.S. during World War II. A few of these vehicles, likely used by US Army/USMC, were captured in Mainland China in 1949. One of them is still on display in a Chinese military museum; while additional vehicles were supplied to ROCA after their retreat and were not used during combat, but served as riot-suppression vehicles.

Introduced in Update 1.91 "Night Vision", the Chinese M8 LAC is identical to the M8 LAC used by the U.S. Army ground forces. The 37 mm anti-tank gun is essentially found in almost every light tank in the early ranks; therefore, it should be more than familiar to players of the U.S. ground forces in terms of playstyle. It has an M2HB Browning heavy machine gun mounted on the back of the turret, which can be highly valuable when fighting other light tanks and early aircraft. However, given that it is an open-top vehicle, it is vulnerable to aircraft strafing; therefore, it is critical to pay attention when aircraft fly overhead during engagements.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull19 / 9 / 5
Turret19 / 19 / 19
Crew4 people
Visibility80 %

This vehicle's armor includes 12.7 mm at a 59° degree slope for the front hull, the side hull is only protected with 9.5 mm, with the strongest part being the gun mantlet, with a 25 mm gun mantlet added to 19.1 mm of turret armour. As a result this vehicle is only protected against rifle-calibre MG fire, with the sides easily penetrated by heavy MG fire. However, the thin armor may provide an advantage when fighting against shells with delayed fuse. The crew is very tight, so one AP shell in the center could knock out everyone inside, but notice that there is huge gap between the driving compartment and the fighting compartment, meaning the M8 LAC can absorb plenty of shells and prevent the player from being destroyed quickly. There are some rounds stored in the turret, and on the vehicle's floor, and bringing less rounds eliminates the rounds stored in the turret. Also keep in mind that it is an open top vehicle, making it vulnerable to artillery and aerial attacks.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, gun mantlet)
  • Structural steel (Mudguard, storage boxes, gun breech)
  • Wheels (Tires)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 12.7 mm (59°) Upper Glacis
15.9 mm (29°) Lower Glacis
19.1 mm (44°) Upper Plate 		9.5 mm (17-19°) 5-9.5 mm 6.35 mm (0-6°)
Turret 19.1 mm (conical) Turret front
25.4 mm (15°) + 19.1 mm (conical) Gun mantlet 		19.1 mm (conical) N/A

Notes:

  • The turret is open-topped, but the very front portion is covered by 6.35 mm
  • Wheels are 10 mm thick
  • Belly armour is 6.35 mm thick.
  • The gun breech is 150 mm thick.
  • Additional 4 mm mudguards and storage boxes cover most of the hull sides

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB101 / 15 km/h
RB and SB91 / 13 km/h
Number of gears8 forward
2 back
Weight7.9 t
Engine power
AB210 hp
RB and SB110 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB26.6 hp/t
RB and SB13.9 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 101 15 7.9 129 210 16.33 26.58
Realistic 91 13 97 110 12.28 13.92

While it has poor armour and survivability, the M8 LAC (China) excels in terms of mobility. As a wheeled vehicle, it reaches 60 km/h on-road in Arcade Mode with stock modules and 40 km/h off-road.

In Realistic Mode, it reaches 38 km/h off-road, and 55 km/h on-road with 7 gears, it also has a maximum of -12 km/h reverse speed with two reverse gears.

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
ABfree
RBfree
SBfree
Total cost of modifications3 730 Rp icon.png
174 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost190 Ge icon.png
Crew trainingfree
Experts1 000 Sl icon.png
Aces10 Ge icon.png
Research Aces80 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
10 / 10 / 10 % Sl icon.png
100 / 100 / 100 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new wheels.png
Tires
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 Sl icon.png
35 Ge icon.png
Mods new car suspension.png
Suspension
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
380 Rp icon.png
Cost:
17 Sl icon.png
40 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
720 Rp icon.png
Cost:
35 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Mods tank reinforcement cn.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 Sl icon.png
35 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
37mm_usa_m3_APC_ammo_pack
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 Sl icon.png
35 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
380 Rp icon.png
Cost:
17 Sl icon.png
40 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
540 Rp icon.png
Cost:
25 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
720 Rp icon.png
Cost:
35 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

37 mm M6 cannon
Ammunition80 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
4.6 → 3.5 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 20°
37 mm M6 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 80 -10°/+20° ±180° - 19.0 26.4 32.0 35.4 37.6 4.55 4.03 3.71 3.50
Realistic 11.9 14.0 17.0 18.8 20.0

The M8 LAC is armed with an 37 mm M6 cannon as its main armament. This is a small calibre fast-firing gun with a maximum penetration of 84 mm at 100 m (M51B1 shell), being able to penetrate almost all the opponents it will ever face. While it lacks the post-penetration damage to knock out most enemy vehicles, it can quickly finish them off with its fast reload. The penetration and trajectory drops a lot beyond 500 m. Note that the gun has a vertical stabiliser, giving the player a huge advantage in some cases, but keep in mind that the stabiliser only works when the tank is slower than 10 km/h.

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
M74B1 AP 79 76 65 54 45 37
M51B1 APCBC 87 84 73 60 50 41
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%
M74B1 AP 883 0.87 - - - 47° 60° 65°
M51B1 APCBC 883 0.87 - - - 48° 63° 71°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M8 LAC (China)
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
80 73 (+7) 65 (+15) 33 (+47) 1 (+79) No

Notes:

  • As they are modeled by rows of 4, shells disappear from the rack only after you've fired all shells in the row.
  • Turret empty of shells (racks 1 & 2 emptied): 65 (+15) shells.

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun
Ammunition400 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate575 shots/min
Vertical guidance-10° / 40°
7.62 mm M1919A4 machine gun (coaxial)
Ammunition1 500 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate500 shots/min
12.7 mm M2HB
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 400 (200) 575 -10°/+40° ±180°
7.62 mm M1919A4
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 1,500 (250) 500 - -

The two machine guns on the M8 LAC are the good old .50 cal M2HB and the 7.62 mm M1919A4. The roof-mounted .50 cal can traverse 360 degrees and has great depression & elevation, posting a big threat to any plane that is flying too close to the M8. It has an unbelievable penetration of 31 mm at 10 m, meaning it can easily penetrate plenty of lightly armoured vehicles and even the side of some medium tanks. The 7.62 mm MG, on the other hand, can only efficiently damage exposed crews due to its low penetration.

Usage in battles

When using this vehicle keep in mind that you are virtually naked to every main gun, that means you should not expose yourself unnecessarily and not give the opponents a chance to shoot at you, coupled with the fact that the main gun can penetrate every other vehicle in its rank. Its excellent mobility gives this vehicle a very viable hit-and-run tactic. Ambush your opponent on your terms. After you destroy him, change your position again, find concealment or cover, use your fast reverse speed to your advantage, avoid one on one fights, and fair fights.

At the start of the match, the M8 is best used as a point-capturing vehicle. Find a road connecting to a point to unleash its scary 90 km/h on-road top speed, and it is likely to get to the point before the enemy can. Once the point is captured, quickly move away as there are likely to be artillery strikes, which can critically damage the M8.

After capturing a point, there are two good options (just examples, the player is free to play in their way). One is to hide at the side of the point, waiting for the enemy to recapture it. Use its small profile to set up a good ambush, and flank the enemy unexpectedly. The fast-firing gun will genuinely shine when attacking several enemies from the side or rear, allowing the player to knock out a surprising amount of enemies. Once the enemies are wiped out, quickly retake the point and ambush again. Note that the player might want to change their position as some enemies might try and revenge.

Another playstyle is the hit-and-run tactic, thanks to its great mobility and small profile. If careful enough, it can travel between points like a ghost without being noticed and flank the enemies. The stabilizer will help a lot as it gives the player the ability to fire first. If the first shell missed or didn't penetrate, it can even finish off the enemy with the .50 cal HMG alone.

Enemies worth noting:

LVT (Family) - These amphibious tanks are well known for their huge hull size. Indeed, there is a huge space between the driving compartment and the fighting compartment that will absorb almost any incoming shells, and unfortunately, the M8's solid AP can't cope with this. If an M8 doesn't know where are the crew is located on an LVT, they will die due to not being able to knock out the crew effectively. Remember their crew location, and the M8 can easily take them out.

The driver is at the foremost part of the hull. Behind him, there is absolutely nothing, so you must avoid shooting there. Behind the empty space, the turret houses 2-3 crew members. Shoot there to disable its gun. And don't forget, at the very rear of the LVT, the two exposed machine gunners can be taken out with the .50 cal. Memorize those three main locations of the crew, and you can effectively destroy any LVT out there with your rapid reload. Also, if the angle isn't too large, the .50 can penetrate the LVT's weak armour.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • The M51 shell has 84 mm penetration at 100 m, enough to penetrate common opponents like the Pz.II, Pz.III B or Ha-Go, and the fast reload helps to precisely knock out the crew one by one
  • The pintle-mounted heavy machine gun is very lethal against other similarly armoured vehicles (e.g. AS 42, L3/33) and slow biplanes
  • One of the fastest vehicles on road with a max speed of 90 km/h allows it to get to positions quickly
  • Reverse speed of 12 km/h allows it to retreat from danger quickly
  • Small profile makes ambushing/hiding easy

Cons:

  • Wheeled vehicle, performs poorly off-road and cannot turn in place, and especially slow in desert maps like Sinai and snowy maps like Frozen Pass
  • Virtually no armour, tight crew and open top make this vehicle very vulnerable to rapid-firing tanks like the Pz.II, M13 or strafing planes
  • M6 cannon requires precision shots, as post-penetration effects are weak especially against the LVT(A) series which are super spacious
  • Turret traverse is rather sluggish, might not get the gun on target sometimes
  • Looks very similar to the American M8 Greyhound, the lighter coloured camouflage can be hard to distinguish in Simulator Battles
  • The open-topped design makes it vulnerable to overpressure from explosive shells

History

During World War 2, more than 1,000 M8 armoured cars were lend-leased to the Allies, including Free France and Brazil. After WW2, the US Foreign Military Assistance Program donated surplus cars to the United States Constabulary in various Western European and Asian nations. French Forces noted usage of this car, and during the Korean and Vietnam War, both Viet Cong and Chinese got their hands on it as well, but the Korean Army was the primary user, who then donated them to the Vietnamese. Belgium also used these cars as part of NATO, and in UN forces sent to peacekeeping operations in the Congo. M8s are still in service in Columbia, Guatemala, Peru, and Paraguay.

Chinese usage

The earliest record of M8 LAC in China, according to the vehicle (oddly without its 37 mm cannon) displayed at level B1 of Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution (中国人民革命军事博物馆; 军博), PLAGF captured a M8 Greyhound in mid-May 1949 when the forces captured Shanghai, claiming to be a Nationalist vehicle on the billboard (while the white stars on the vehicle indicated its likely true identity - USMC or US Army stationed in China between 1945-1949); according to the film screenshots from early-1950s, there were likely more than the one M8 LAC captured in varied sources shown in the movie.[1]

On the Nationalist's side, after the loss of Mainland China where they have abandoned numbers of vehicles on the mainland, as part of the military replenish program to ROCA, it was recorded that numbers of equipment that scattered around Pacific islands were recovered and refurbished by ROCA, including 185 M8 LAC in 1950[2]; these vehicles were used by ROCA and ROCMC until 1977 with no combat records. Ten of these vehicles were also transferred to the Armored Vehicle Squadron, Police Brigade, Taiwan Province Police Department (臺灣省警務處直屬警察大隊裝甲車中隊; 省警直裝) as riot-suppression vehicle in the early days retreat; these vehicles were used until 1999 and scrapped in Ordnance Research Development Center at Jiji Township, Nantou County.[3]

Media

Skins
Videos
Best armored cars discusses the M8 LAC (China) at 0:32 - War Thunder Official Channel
M8 LAC, Taiwanese , Tier-1, Armored Car / Light Tank - Angry Nerd Gaming

See also

External links


Ford Motor Company
Armoured cars  M8 Greyhound
SPAAGs  M247 Sergeant York
Export  ␗M8 LAC

China light tanks
Type 63  Object 211 · Type 63 · ZTS63
Type 62  Type 62
WZ551  ZSL92 · PTL02 · WMA301
ZBL08  ZLT11
Type 86  ZBD86
WZ502  ZBD04A
ROC  M41D · M64
Type 59  QN506
USA  ␗M8 LAC · ␗M3A3 Stuart · ␗M3A3 (1st PTG) · ␗M5A1 · ␗M24 · ␗M18 GMC · ␗M41A3
USSR  ␗T-26 · T-26 No.531 · ␗PT-76

  1. ↑ https://card.weibo.com/article/m/show/id/2309404644799239028981
  2. ↑ https://a2928796.pixnet.net/blog/post/556810678-1950%E5%B9%B4%E5%9C%8B%E8%BB%8D%E8%A3%9D%E7%94%B2%E5%85%B5%E5%8A%9B
  3. ↑ https://adonis1625.pixnet.net/blog/post/232813103
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