Independent

Independent

Independent

Britain

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.3	1.3	1.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Heavy tank

Purchase:2 100

Description

The Independent (A1E1) is a premium rank I British heavy tank with a battle rating of 1.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.63 "Desert Hunters". The A1E1, with its five turrets, serve as the instigator of the multi-turreted concept that spread to the Soviet T-35 and the German Neubaufahrzeug.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour

Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	28 mm (0-27°)	13 mm Top 13 + 10 mm Bottom	13 mm (0-58°)	8 mm
Main turret	28 mm (6-48°) Turret front 20 mm (6°) Gun mantlet	28 mm	28 mm	8 mm
Secondary turrets	13 mm (0-3°)	13 mm	13 mm	8 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, tracks are 20 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 20 mm thick.

Mobility

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	35	5	31.7	478	706	15.08	22.27
Realistic	32	4		327	370	10.32	11.67

Armaments

Main armament

The QF 3-pounder is a somewhat unique weapon, being one of the few guns you will come across in the British tree capable of firing shells with explosive filler, indeed Amour-piercing high explosive (APHE) is the only ammo type available for it. The explosive filler gives the QF 3-pounder somewhat better damage than that of the far more common QF 2-pounder, however this comes at the cost of significantly worse penetration. The reload rate is also slightly slower than the QF 2-pounder, however it still fairly quick with a shortest possible reload of 3.0 seconds (compared to 2.8 seconds for the QF 2-pounder).

The penetration of the QF 3-pounder is adequate although being lower than that of the QF 2-pounder you may find some targets harder to deal with than you were expecting. Although having fairly good damage the gun is often still not powerful enough to kill some larger tanks with a single shot.

47 mm OQF 3-pounder
Capacity			Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance	Stabilizer
201			-4°/+20°	±180°	Vertical
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade	8.09	11.2	13.6	15.0	16.0
Realistic	5.95	7.0	8.5	9.4	10.0
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
3.9	3.5	3.2	3.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration in mm @ 90°
		10m	100m	500m	1000m	1500m	2000m
Shell Mk.I	APHE	49	47	38	29	22	17

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity in m/s	Projectile Mass in kg	Fuse delay in m:	Fuse sensitivity in mm:	Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):	Normalization At 30° from horizontal:	Ricochet:
								0%	50%	100%
Shell Mk.I	APHE	563	1.65	1.2	9	15	-1°	47°	60°	65°

Ammo racks

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty	9th rack empty	10th rack empty	11th rack empty	12th rack empty	13th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
201	181 (+20)	166 (+35)	151 (+50)	136 (+65)	121 (+80)	106 (+95)	91 (+110)	76 (+125)	61 (+140)	46 (+155)	31 (+170)	16 (+185)	1 (+200)	No

Ammo racks of the Independent

Notes:

• Turret empty: 181 (+20)

Optics

The Independent has poor optics, a default magnification of x1.85 is the joint worst in the game (many other tanks have x1.85 optics, but no tank has less); and the maximum magnification of x3.5 is only marginally better than the minimum possible value of x3 (for balance reasons all tanks have at least x3 maximum magnification). Although the optics are objectively poor they are somewhat typical for tanks of this era, and many of the tanks the Independent will face have the same (or very similar) magnification values.

Independent Optics
Which ones	Default magnification	Maximum magnification
Main Gun optics	x1.85	x3.5
Comparable optics	Nb.Fz.

Machine guns

7.7 mm Vickers
Front left turret mount							Front right turret mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance	Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
4,000 (250)				390	-10°/+15°	-130°/+40°	4,000 (250)				390	-10°/+15°	-40°/+130°
Rear left turret mount							Rear right turret mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance	Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
4,000 (250)				390	-10°/+15°	-0°/+130°	4,000 (250)				390	-10°/+15°	-130°/+0°

Usage in battles

Gameplay Overview:

The A1E1 Independent is a large and somewhat slow tank that has a fairly unique playstyle. The multiple turret design is rare, with only a few other vehicles having this feature. Unfortunately, the independent’s turrets are only armed with machine guns, meaning they will not be useful against most enemies. However, the large size and multiple turret design allows the Independent to survive large amounts of enemy fire. This is not because it has armour capable of bouncing enemy shells, but because it is exceptionally difficult for enemies to knock out all of the crew. The crew count can be considered a sort of health bar, while on low crew the Independent will be easily destroyed. The firepower is decent, but may struggle in many scenarios. The 3 pounder cannon is one of few guns in the British tree that fires APHE, but it suffers from low velocity and an unreliable fuze. The independent is best used as a heavy tank, trying to get close to enemy tanks, and tank damage for friendly tanks.

Close Range Engagements:

At close range the Independent is at an advantage against most foes. The survivability allows it to tank multiple hits from enemies. So long as you are able to destroy the enemy tank within the first few shots, you have the advantage.

Long Range Engagements:

Long range engagements are not the strong suit of the Independent. The Independent’s gun is unreliable at range, and some enemies will be able to slowly incapacitate the Independent’s crew, until it is destroyed. At range, make sure to use cover and not overexpose the tank, as your crew members are your most valuable asset.The turret armor may be able to bounce shots at range.

Notable Enemies:

There are several tanks that the Independent may encounter near its BR that pose a serious threat to it. These tanks are dangerous because they are able to quickly destroy the Independents' biggest asset, the large crew count. One example is the HO-RO which can knock out the entire tank in a single hit due to it's large artillery cannon. Similarly, the Panzer II series can quickly cut through the crew of an Independent with their KwK-30 and KwK-38 cannons.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	Horizontal Drive
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism
IV	Transmission	Engine
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

• 47 mm gun is adequate
• Large ammo reserve
• One available ammo type makes it easier to use for beginners
• A rare sight. Many players will not know where the critical components are
• It has explosives in the AP rounds, very rare in British vehicles
• Like other large tanks (eg T-35, T-28 and SMK) it is a very complex vehicle to destroy with plenty of turrets, big tracks and curvy/angled parts to soak up rounds and 8 crew members to boot

Cons:

• Very long tank, hard to hide side from flankers
• Only one ammo type
• Armour is quite thin
• Vulnerable to 20mm auto cannons. In many ways they are more effective than normal cannons due to their high rate of fire
• APHE is inconsistent due to vehicles the Independent will be facing in general have less than 25 mm of armor

History

Development

During the interwar period, British General Staff requested for a heavy tank design in 1924. The project, undertaken by an engineer named Walter Gordon Wilson, was designed by the Armstrong Siddeley engineering group. The finished prototype model was delivered to War Office in 1926. The design of the tank, named "Independent", was a multi-turreted design with a total of five turrets. The one in the center held a 3-pounder 47 mm gun while the other smaller turrets at the main turret's corner held Vickers machine guns. The tank can hold 8 crew members, a driver, four machine gunners, and three in the turret. It was around 28 tons and 25 feet long, despite being only 8 feet wide. This length caused some early problems as the tracks were too thin for the width, causing the rear sprocket wheels to peel the vehicle design as it continues to turn. W.G. Wilson attempted to fix this with an epicyclic steering system, but the tracks still wore out quickly. A unique feature on the Independent was a small opening on the left side of the tank that allowed for the placement of a stretcher for wounded crew members inside the tank to be pulled out from.

During the development and testing process, the Independent design was a item of espionage by the international community. Plans of the design ended up in the Soviet Union and in Germany, with a British officer named Norman Baillie-Stewart court-martialled for supplying secrets to the Germans, including the Independent plans. This espionage influenced several tank designs from these countries, with the T-28 and T-35 in the Soviet Union and the Neubaufahrzeug in Germany.

Cancellation

The Independent was tested by War Office all the way until 1935, but it was a troublesome design. Most of the tests focused on its automotive performance, not even passing along to gunnery trials. The Independent was also used in a officer school for recommendations and examinations. The only model built, the prototype, was deemed worn out in 1935 as the War Office saw no need to spend more money on the design when other vehicles were being produced. They retired the Independent and sent the model to the Bovington Tank Museum, where it sits today for display.

Media

Videos

Bovington Tank Museum Tank Chats: A1E1 Independent

The Shooting Range #31 - Metal Beasts section at 06:37 discusses the Independent.

See also

• T-35
• Nb.Fz.

External links

• [Devblog] A1E1 Independent - A Land Ironclad