Difference between revisions of "Cobra King"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
−
''In the description, the first part needs to 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 the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
+
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to 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 the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
 +
[[File:GarageImage_CobraKing.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''M4A3E2 "Cobra King"''' is a premium Rank III American heavy tank with a battle rating of 4.7. It is one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. A premium version of the [[Assault Tank M4A3E2 Jumbo|M4A3E2 Jumbo]]. As a side note, the nickname "Jumbo" was likely never used during WWII, as there is no record of it. However, its use both on the Wiki and In-Game is still prevalent.
 +
 
 +
The "Cobra King" is in many respects the same as the regular [[Assault Tank M4A3E2 Jumbo|M4A3E2]] with some notable cosmetic differences. The most notable is a different shade of green on the vehicle than the standard US olive-drab green, with a more pronounced green colour than the subdued mix with brown. On vehicles that did not meddle with the decals, the large white text of "First in Bastogne" is present on the tank hull's left side, boasting about the tank's actual achievement in the US Third Army in World War II. A bit lower on the hull sides will show a decal giving the tank its name "Cobra King". Another large difference is the presence of kit, canvas, gear, tracks, and fuel tanks on the rear of the Cobra King vehicle, those of which are absent on the regular vehicle.
 +
 
 +
The "Cobra King" still features the double layered front armour giving the vehicle its distinctive 101.6 mm total front armour. The transmission housing is also considerably beefier too from an addition of armour at the area as well. The front of the T23-style turret is also distinctive with the very blocky gun mantlet and circular barrel shroud around the rather underwhelming 75 mm gun barrel.
 +
 
 +
The sides and suspension look like the usual game with the M4 Sherman series, but with minor differences. The flat side armour of the hull, instead of 38.1 mm thick is now 76.2 mm thick for a much stronger side protection. However, the lower side hull around the bogie suspension area is still only 38.1 mm thick, vulnerable to most regular anti-tank weapons. Another minor difference is the tracks, the T48 rubber chevron tracks are equipped with extended end connectors in an effort to improve ground pressure performance for the additional weight of the armour.
 +
 
 +
This tank is used as a breakthrough tank to attack fortified enemy positions due to it's thick armour. It is a great tank when fighting Tigers as the 88mm cannons cannot penetrate the armour of the Jumbo Sherman from it's sides when angled efficiently. As such it allows players to get close to Tigers and attack them from the sides, or force them to retreat. When fighting Panthers the Jumbo Sherman is less effective as the 75mm cannon on the Panther can penetrate the armour of the Jumbo Sherman from the front even when angled more than 30 degrees at 500 meters.
 +
 
 +
The Jumbo's armour is nothing to underestimate. It can bounce 88mm shells from the Tiger 1 at point blank range when angled more than 30 degrees. And the turret is well armoured from all sides, too.
 +
 
 +
On the downside the gun is wimpy without M61 shot and even then it still bounces more often than not. Best to take a bit more ammo than normal to compensate for all the shots that will bounce.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
−
''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 helpfull for survival in combat?''
+
<!--''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 helpfull for survival in combat?''
 +
 
 +
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
*Rolled homogeneous armour (Front, Side, Rear, Roof)
 +
*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area)
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 63.5 + 38.1 mm (47°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 114.3-139.7 mm (7-66°) ''Transmission housing'' || 76.2 mm ''Top'' <br> 38.1 mm ''Bottom'' || 38.1 mm (10°) ''Top'' <br> 38.1 mm (7-24°) ''Bottom'' || 19.5 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 152.4 mm (0-52°) ''Turret front'' <br> 177.8 mm (4-60°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 152.4 mm (4-42°) || 152.4 mm (0-79°) || 63.5 mm ''Front'' <br> 25.4 mm
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Cupola || 51 mm || 25.4 mm
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, the bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 17 mm thick.
 +
* Belly armour is 25.4 mm thick.
 +
* Hull underside right above the tracks are 9.5 mm thick.
 +
* Gun breech is 300 mm thick in structural steel.
  
−
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
The M4A3E2 Jumbo presents very little frontal weak spots in an engagement. It is best to try and force the Jumbo to try and angle his vehicle towards the player or his allies. An angle more than 30 degrees can expose the much weaker lower side hull armour in the suspension that is only 38.1 mm thick. With a powerful enough gun, a round can penetrate this area and damage the crew, or even set off the ammunition all cluttered up on the bottom of the tank.
 +
 
 +
If a frontal engagement is unavoidable and are unfortunately armed with guns unable to penetrate through the front glacis, there are only two areas that are viable. First is the machine gun port, which is one of the areas that is not layered with the extra 38.1 mm added on top of the base armour. Guns like the Panzer IV 75 mm KwK 40 guns that are unable to cleave through the front glacis can push their luck in this area, with small "sweet spots" that the round can pass through. Another way to attack the M4A3E2 in this scenario is exploiting a shot-trap in the gun mantlet. The small corner flaps on the bottom corners of the gun mantlet have a tendency to deflect rounds downwards onto the 19.5 mm hull roof armour. While this will be left to the ricochet chances, it is still possible and can be used if no other scenarios are favorable.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
+
<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="2" | 37.8 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 38 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|35 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|646
 +
|795
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|442
 +
|500
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|17.09
 +
|21.03
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|11.69
 +
|13.23
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
−
''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 flexibilty 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.''
+
<!--''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 flexibilty 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.''-->
 +
{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | 104 || -10°/+25° || ±180° || Vertical
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| ''Arcade'' || 14.28 || 19.80 || 24.0 || 26.60 || 28.20
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.4 || 22.60 || 24.00
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 6.50 || 5.75 || 5.30 || 5.00
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== Ammunition =====
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| M72 shot || AP || 110 || 109 || 92 || 76 || 62 || 51
 +
|-
 +
| M48 shell || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
 +
|-
 +
| M61 shot || APCBC || 90 || 88 || 81 || 73 || 65 || 59
 +
|-
 +
| T45 shot || APCR || 143 || 137 || 127 || 106 || 86 || 70
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| M72 shot || AP || 619 || 6.3 ||  N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
 +
|-
 +
| M48 shell || HE || 463 || 6.3 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 666 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
| M61 shot || APCBC || 618 || 6.8 || 1.2 || 20 || 63.7 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
| T45 shot || APCR || 868 || 3.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Ammunition
 +
! Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! ''Screen radius <br /> in m''
 +
! ''Screen time <br /> in s''
 +
! ''Screen hold time <br /> in s:''
 +
! ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
|-
 +
| M89 || 259 || 3 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
+
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
−
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
+
[[File:Ammoracks_M4A3E2Jumbo.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|Ammo racks of the M4A3E2 Jumbo.]]
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" width="10%" |Recommendations
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
|| '''104''' || 101&nbsp;''(+3)'' || 51&nbsp;''(+53)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+103)'' || style="text-align:center" | No
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
Turret empty: 101&nbsp;''(+3)''
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
−
''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.''
+
<!--''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.''-->
 +
{{main|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)|Browning (7.62 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[Browning M2 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Pintle mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 600 (200) || 577 || -10°/+30° || ±60°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[Browning (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Usage in the battles ==
 
== Usage in the battles ==
−
''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 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).''
+
<!--''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 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).''-->
 +
The M4A3E2 Jumbo is best in assaulting enemy positions with allies. Its great mobility for a heavy tank, especially with its armour, makes it a vehicle able to charge into battle and take anything head-on with confidence. It can act as a bullet magnet against enemy tanks more worried about the M4A3E2, diverting fire that would've gone to more vulnerable teammates. Though the 75 mm gun's AP performance is not suited to the type of enemies expected at the BR, it can still harass enemies and the gun is lethal enough that enemies will be forced to show their front armour towards the Jumbo else a 75 mm penetrates their side armour. Their focus on the Jumbo can allow allies to move around and eliminate them. During all this, take care not to overangle and show the lower side armour too much as this will allow vehicles to penetrate through down there and damage modules, even the ammunition storage if they are lucky.
 +
 
 +
Another role the M4A3E2 is good in is as a flanker. Due to its great mobility as a heavy tank, the M4A3E2 Jumbo can maneuver like a medium tank around the battlefield. This is also beneficial to the 75 mm gun as it would permit the M4A3E2 a chance to attack the weaker side armours of enemy vehicles. Once flanking around and finding a prime position in a fire angle right into an enemy chokepoint, minimize exposure to anything but the front armour and the M4A3E2 can remain a formidable obstacle to all opponents. Take care not to be outflanked by enemy players aware of the M4A3E2 position.
 +
 
 +
Due to the M4A3E2 Jumbo having a slightly higher battle-rating than the other M4 Shermans at 4.7, it can be up-tiered against tanks such as the [[Panther D]] and [[Pz.Kpfw._VI_Tiger_Ausf._H1|Tiger H1]], meaning its 75 mm cannon starts becoming less effective. For this reason, it is advisable to take the T45 APCR ammo into battle once unlocked, at least enough to take on the armoured targets the Jumbo will face.
 +
 
 +
The Soviet 85 mm can be a threat, so caution is advised when going up against tanks armed with the 85 mm, such as the [[T-34-85]], [[SU-85]], and [[IS-1]]. The [[Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer|Jagdpanzer 38(t)]] and [[Jagdpanzer IV]] can be tricky when facing off against them. Their frontal armour are too thick and sloped for the 75 mm M3 gun to have any effect on it. For these two targets, it is advised to target their tracks and transmission and then flank for a side shot, where the armour is much weaker. Finally, the Dicker Max wields an 105 mm that can penetrate the front plate of the M4A3E2 Jumbo, so caution is advised against those as well.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
−
 
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
*Decent 75 mm gun with APCR rounds.
−
 
+
*High rate of fire for main gun.
 +
*Excellent gun depression.
 +
*Very strong turret armour from all sides, very good at hull down position.
 +
*Excellent frontal armour, about 101 mm thick!
 +
*Can absorb a lot of damage.
 +
*Better mobility than the Russian KV-1 and the British Churchill.
 +
*Equipped with gun stabilizer, making it more accurate at moving and when preparing a shot after moving.
 +
*Good acceleration.
 +
*Incredibly tough when angled.
 +
*Wide tracks enable it to have a decent off road mobility, unlike other previous Sherman models.
 +
*Learning curve from previous M4 Sherman variant will help a lot at mastering this tank.
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
*[[75 mm Gun M3|75 mm gun]] lacks penetration against [[:Category:Heavy Tanks|heavy tanks]]
 +
*APCR shot is quite expensive, using it as a primary shell will seriously lowers the Silver Lion reward by a large margin.
 +
*Armour weak spot above the gun-mantlet (63.5 mm @ 60°)
 +
*Small bottom corners on M4A3E2 gun mantlet can serve as shot traps.
 +
*Side armour better than normal, but still weak (76.2 mm), but the lower side hull armour is even worse (38.1 mm).
 +
*Very thin rear armour.
 +
*Inability to compound angle greatly due to very weak lower side hull armour that would be penetrated.
 +
*Tall profile makes it a bigger target.
 +
*Bad off-road maneuverability
 +
*Low topspeed of 35 km/h
 +
*Reverse speed is bad.
 +
*Hull MG is a weak spot.
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''-->
 +
===Development===
 +
Even before the invasion of Normandy, the Allied commanders had to figure out a method in order to breach heavily-defended fortification lines such as the Siegfried Line blocking the path from France to Germany. One of the solutions was the implementation of "assault tanks" that would enter enemy territory and root out the enemy fortifications. The initial plan was for the production of the [[Medium Tank M26 Pershing|M26 Pershing]] tanks to fulfill this role, but setbacks in its development caused the M26 deployment to be delayed until 1945. A quick solution had to be made to fill this "assault tank" role for the invasion of Europe in 1944.
 +
 
 +
The US ordinance then took their abundant [[Medium Tank M4 Sherman|M4 Shermans]] in stock and fixed them up for the new role they've been assigned . Although keeping the same engine, the armour was upped from around 76.2 mm initial thickness to 102 mm and angled at 47 degrees from vertical. This angle would influence later Sherman designs such as the M4A3 by changing the original 56 degree angled glacis with protruding crew hatches to 47 degree angled glacis without any protrusion from the crew hatches. This modified M4 Sherman's armour when angled would then be 150 mm line-of-sight (LOS) thick and 180 mm effective. The side armour was also increased to 76.2 mm thick and the turret was redesigned to provide more protection. These modified Shermans were designated as the [[Assault Tank M4A3E2 Jumbo|'''M4A3E2''']] by the Ordnance Department, whereas the nickname "Jumbo" was likely a post-war invention. At the end of the modifications, the Sherman "Jumbo" now weighed about 42 tons and moved at a lower speed of 22 miles per hour. A drawback to the increased weight of the Sherman is that the Vertical Volute Suspension System (VVSS) from the Sherman was unable to take the weight easily, so extra care was taken by the crew members to not break the suspension.
 +
 
 +
In March of 1944, the US Army ordered 254 of these vehicles to be delivered for use in European Operations. Intended to assault the Normandy Beachhead, it was deployed in Normandy after D-Day to assist the infantry push through German defenses. The M4A3E2 originally came with the 75 mm cannon to support infantry with its better HE shells compared to the planned 76 mm installment, but the 76 mm was installed later in the campaign and called the [[Assault Tank M4A3E2 (76) W Jumbo|M4A3E2 (76) W Jumbo]].
 +
 
 +
===Combat usage===
 +
The M4A3E2s were well-liked by the crew and commanders due to its protection value. Despite the weight difference and strain on the suspension, it performed reliably and could absorb damage that would otherwise destroy regular Shermans. Later in the war, when the quantity of the M4 Sherman "Jumbos" were unable to meet the demand, George S. Patton ordered the existing M4 Shermans to weld on armour plates scavenged from knocked out tanks to makeshift "on-the-field" Jumbos. This caused the newer shermans such as the [[Medium Tank M4A3 (76) W HVSS Sherman|M4A3 (76) W HVSS]] to have the same protection by welding metal onto the hull. One of the Jumbo's notable participation in the war was in Patton's Third Army where it spearheaded the assault of Bastogne to relieve the pinned down 101st Paratroopers. The '''M4A3E2 "Cobra King"''' was the tank Lt Charles P. Boggess commanded to lead elements of Patton's Third Army into Bastogne on December 25, 1944. The 101st were finally relieved and reconnected with the Third Army on December 27. "Cobra King", however, was knocked out sometime during the fighting (maybe during the Hammelburg Raid) and had its interior destroyed by an internal fire. When the tank's remnants were identified in 2008, it was shipped back to the United States to Fort Knox at the Patton museum to be restored by Len Dyer, director of the Patton museum and the soon-to-be National Armor and Cavalry Museum. After two years of restoration work, the tank was put into display at Fort Benning as a dedication to the Charlie Company of the 4th Armored Division’s 37th Tank Battalion. It was moved in August 2017 to the future National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.<ref name="WPRuaneCobraKing">Ruane 2017, ''A Battered World War II Hero of Bastogne Gets a New Home, and a Museum Built around It.''</ref>
 +
 
 +
When war in the European Theater ended, the M4A3E2s were then placed stateside for the preparation for the invasion of the Japanese Home Islands. However, this was never to be fulfilled as Japan surrendered to the United States in September 1945. The M4A3E2 Shermans proved to be a very effective stop gap solution until heavier armoured tanks such as the Pershing could come into play. In 1948, about 96 Sherman Jumbos still remained in US inventory.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
[[File:CobraKing LeftHull Bastogne.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|Left hull side of the "Cobra King", where the crew decided to boast about their achievements.]]
 +
[[File:Cobra King Bastogne.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|Historical photo of the "Cobra King" at the Battle of the Bulge (National Archive).]]
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
<references />
  
 
== Read also ==
 
== Read also ==
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+
[http://www.stripes.com/news/vilseck-tank-confirmed-as-cobra-king-1.86612 Vilseck Tank confirmed as "Cobra King"]<br>
−
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
+
[http://www.americainwwii.com/articles/cobra-king-today/ "Cobra King" - Where is it today?]<br>
−
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
+
[http://www.army.mil/article/17393/ "Cobra King" Combat History - Army News Archive]<br>
−
''ETC.''
+
[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/08/03/a-battered-world-war-ii-hero-of-bastogne-gets-a-new-home-and-museum-built-around-it/ Washington Post - A battered World War II hero of Bastogne gets a new home, and a museum built around it]
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
−
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+
* Ruane, Michael E. ''A Battered World War II Hero of Bastogne Gets a New Home, and a Museum Built around It.'' The Washington Post, WP Company, 3 Aug. 2017, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/08/03/a-battered-world-war-ii-hero-of-bastogne-gets-a-new-home-and-museum-built-around-it/?utm_term=.7d7604b9ecab Website].
−
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
+
 
−
* ''other literature.''
+
{{USA heavy tanks}}
 +
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}

Revision as of 17:15, 22 November 2018

Cobra King
us_m4a3e2_sherman_jumbo_cobra_king.png
Cobra King
USA flag.png USA
III Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
5.3 5.7 5.7
Class:
PREMIUM
Purchase:2 980 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage Cobra King.jpg


The M4A3E2 "Cobra King" is a premium Rank III American heavy tank with a battle rating of 4.7. It is one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals". A premium version of the M4A3E2 Jumbo. As a side note, the nickname "Jumbo" was likely never used during WWII, as there is no record of it. However, its use both on the Wiki and In-Game is still prevalent.

The "Cobra King" is in many respects the same as the regular M4A3E2 with some notable cosmetic differences. The most notable is a different shade of green on the vehicle than the standard US olive-drab green, with a more pronounced green colour than the subdued mix with brown. On vehicles that did not meddle with the decals, the large white text of "First in Bastogne" is present on the tank hull's left side, boasting about the tank's actual achievement in the US Third Army in World War II. A bit lower on the hull sides will show a decal giving the tank its name "Cobra King". Another large difference is the presence of kit, canvas, gear, tracks, and fuel tanks on the rear of the Cobra King vehicle, those of which are absent on the regular vehicle.

The "Cobra King" still features the double layered front armour giving the vehicle its distinctive 101.6 mm total front armour. The transmission housing is also considerably beefier too from an addition of armour at the area as well. The front of the T23-style turret is also distinctive with the very blocky gun mantlet and circular barrel shroud around the rather underwhelming 75 mm gun barrel.

The sides and suspension look like the usual game with the M4 Sherman series, but with minor differences. The flat side armour of the hull, instead of 38.1 mm thick is now 76.2 mm thick for a much stronger side protection. However, the lower side hull around the bogie suspension area is still only 38.1 mm thick, vulnerable to most regular anti-tank weapons. Another minor difference is the tracks, the T48 rubber chevron tracks are equipped with extended end connectors in an effort to improve ground pressure performance for the additional weight of the armour.

This tank is used as a breakthrough tank to attack fortified enemy positions due to it's thick armour. It is a great tank when fighting Tigers as the 88mm cannons cannot penetrate the armour of the Jumbo Sherman from it's sides when angled efficiently. As such it allows players to get close to Tigers and attack them from the sides, or force them to retreat. When fighting Panthers the Jumbo Sherman is less effective as the 75mm cannon on the Panther can penetrate the armour of the Jumbo Sherman from the front even when angled more than 30 degrees at 500 meters.

The Jumbo's armour is nothing to underestimate. It can bounce 88mm shells from the Tiger 1 at point blank range when angled more than 30 degrees. And the turret is well armoured from all sides, too.

On the downside the gun is wimpy without M61 shot and even then it still bounces more often than not. Best to take a bit more ammo than normal to compensate for all the shots that will bounce.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Front, Side, Rear, Roof)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 63.5 + 38.1 mm (47°) Front glacis
114.3-139.7 mm (7-66°) Transmission housing 		76.2 mm Top
38.1 mm Bottom 		38.1 mm (10°) Top
38.1 mm (7-24°) Bottom 		19.5 mm
Turret 152.4 mm (0-52°) Turret front
177.8 mm (4-60°) Gun mantlet 		152.4 mm (4-42°) 152.4 mm (0-79°) 63.5 mm Front
25.4 mm
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 51 mm 25.4 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, the bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 17 mm thick.
  • Belly armour is 25.4 mm thick.
  • Hull underside right above the tracks are 9.5 mm thick.
  • Gun breech is 300 mm thick in structural steel.

The M4A3E2 Jumbo presents very little frontal weak spots in an engagement. It is best to try and force the Jumbo to try and angle his vehicle towards the player or his allies. An angle more than 30 degrees can expose the much weaker lower side hull armour in the suspension that is only 38.1 mm thick. With a powerful enough gun, a round can penetrate this area and damage the crew, or even set off the ammunition all cluttered up on the bottom of the tank.

If a frontal engagement is unavoidable and are unfortunately armed with guns unable to penetrate through the front glacis, there are only two areas that are viable. First is the machine gun port, which is one of the areas that is not layered with the extra 38.1 mm added on top of the base armour. Guns like the Panzer IV 75 mm KwK 40 guns that are unable to cleave through the front glacis can push their luck in this area, with small "sweet spots" that the round can pass through. Another way to attack the M4A3E2 in this scenario is exploiting a shot-trap in the gun mantlet. The small corner flaps on the bottom corners of the gun mantlet have a tendency to deflect rounds downwards onto the 19.5 mm hull roof armour. While this will be left to the ricochet chances, it is still possible and can be used if no other scenarios are favorable.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons) 		Max speed (km/h)
37.8 N/A 38 (AB)
35 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 646 795
Realistic/Simulator 442 500
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 17.09 21.03
Realistic/Simulator 11.69 13.23

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: M3 (75 mm)
75 mm M3
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance 		Stabilizer
104 -10°/+25° ±180° Vertical
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 14.28 19.80 24.0 26.60 28.20
Realistic 14.28 16.80 20.4 22.60 24.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
6.50 5.75 5.30 5.00
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
M72 shot AP 110 109 92 76 62 51
M48 shell HE 10 10 10 10 10 10
M61 shot APCBC 90 88 81 73 65 59
T45 shot APCR 143 137 127 106 86 70
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%
M72 shot AP 619 6.3 N/A N/A N/A -1° 47° 60° 65°
M48 shell HE 463 6.3 0.4 0.5 666 +0° 79° 80° 81°
M61 shot APCBC 618 6.8 1.2 20 63.7 +4° 48° 63° 71°
T45 shot APCR 868 3.8 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 66° 70° 72°
Smoke characteristic
Ammunition Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Screen radius
in m 		Screen time
in s 		Screen hold time
in s: 		Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
M89 259 3 13 5 20 50
Ammo racks
File:Ammoracks M4A3E2Jumbo.png
Ammo racks of the M4A3E2 Jumbo.
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		Recommendations Visual
discrepancy
104 101 (+3) 51 (+53) 1 (+103) No

Turret empty: 101 (+3)

Machine guns

Main articles: Browning M2 (12.7 mm), Browning (7.62 mm)
12.7 mm M2HB
Pintle mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
600 (200) 577 -10°/+30° ±60°
7.62 mm M1919A4
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
3,000 (250) 500 N/A N/A

Usage in the battles

The M4A3E2 Jumbo is best in assaulting enemy positions with allies. Its great mobility for a heavy tank, especially with its armour, makes it a vehicle able to charge into battle and take anything head-on with confidence. It can act as a bullet magnet against enemy tanks more worried about the M4A3E2, diverting fire that would've gone to more vulnerable teammates. Though the 75 mm gun's AP performance is not suited to the type of enemies expected at the BR, it can still harass enemies and the gun is lethal enough that enemies will be forced to show their front armour towards the Jumbo else a 75 mm penetrates their side armour. Their focus on the Jumbo can allow allies to move around and eliminate them. During all this, take care not to overangle and show the lower side armour too much as this will allow vehicles to penetrate through down there and damage modules, even the ammunition storage if they are lucky.

Another role the M4A3E2 is good in is as a flanker. Due to its great mobility as a heavy tank, the M4A3E2 Jumbo can maneuver like a medium tank around the battlefield. This is also beneficial to the 75 mm gun as it would permit the M4A3E2 a chance to attack the weaker side armours of enemy vehicles. Once flanking around and finding a prime position in a fire angle right into an enemy chokepoint, minimize exposure to anything but the front armour and the M4A3E2 can remain a formidable obstacle to all opponents. Take care not to be outflanked by enemy players aware of the M4A3E2 position.

Due to the M4A3E2 Jumbo having a slightly higher battle-rating than the other M4 Shermans at 4.7, it can be up-tiered against tanks such as the Panther D and Tiger H1, meaning its 75 mm cannon starts becoming less effective. For this reason, it is advisable to take the T45 APCR ammo into battle once unlocked, at least enough to take on the armoured targets the Jumbo will face.

The Soviet 85 mm can be a threat, so caution is advised when going up against tanks armed with the 85 mm, such as the T-34-85, SU-85, and IS-1. The Jagdpanzer 38(t) and Jagdpanzer IV can be tricky when facing off against them. Their frontal armour are too thick and sloped for the 75 mm M3 gun to have any effect on it. For these two targets, it is advised to target their tracks and transmission and then flank for a side shot, where the armour is much weaker. Finally, the Dicker Max wields an 105 mm that can penetrate the front plate of the M4A3E2 Jumbo, so caution is advised against those as well.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Decent 75 mm gun with APCR rounds.
  • High rate of fire for main gun.
  • Excellent gun depression.
  • Very strong turret armour from all sides, very good at hull down position.
  • Excellent frontal armour, about 101 mm thick!
  • Can absorb a lot of damage.
  • Better mobility than the Russian KV-1 and the British Churchill.
  • Equipped with gun stabilizer, making it more accurate at moving and when preparing a shot after moving.
  • Good acceleration.
  • Incredibly tough when angled.
  • Wide tracks enable it to have a decent off road mobility, unlike other previous Sherman models.
  • Learning curve from previous M4 Sherman variant will help a lot at mastering this tank.

Cons:

  • 75 mm gun lacks penetration against heavy tanks
  • APCR shot is quite expensive, using it as a primary shell will seriously lowers the Silver Lion reward by a large margin.
  • Armour weak spot above the gun-mantlet (63.5 mm @ 60°)
  • Small bottom corners on M4A3E2 gun mantlet can serve as shot traps.
  • Side armour better than normal, but still weak (76.2 mm), but the lower side hull armour is even worse (38.1 mm).
  • Very thin rear armour.
  • Inability to compound angle greatly due to very weak lower side hull armour that would be penetrated.
  • Tall profile makes it a bigger target.
  • Bad off-road maneuverability
  • Low topspeed of 35 km/h
  • Reverse speed is bad.
  • Hull MG is a weak spot.

History

Development

Even before the invasion of Normandy, the Allied commanders had to figure out a method in order to breach heavily-defended fortification lines such as the Siegfried Line blocking the path from France to Germany. One of the solutions was the implementation of "assault tanks" that would enter enemy territory and root out the enemy fortifications. The initial plan was for the production of the M26 Pershing tanks to fulfill this role, but setbacks in its development caused the M26 deployment to be delayed until 1945. A quick solution had to be made to fill this "assault tank" role for the invasion of Europe in 1944.

The US ordinance then took their abundant M4 Shermans in stock and fixed them up for the new role they've been assigned . Although keeping the same engine, the armour was upped from around 76.2 mm initial thickness to 102 mm and angled at 47 degrees from vertical. This angle would influence later Sherman designs such as the M4A3 by changing the original 56 degree angled glacis with protruding crew hatches to 47 degree angled glacis without any protrusion from the crew hatches. This modified M4 Sherman's armour when angled would then be 150 mm line-of-sight (LOS) thick and 180 mm effective. The side armour was also increased to 76.2 mm thick and the turret was redesigned to provide more protection. These modified Shermans were designated as the M4A3E2 by the Ordnance Department, whereas the nickname "Jumbo" was likely a post-war invention. At the end of the modifications, the Sherman "Jumbo" now weighed about 42 tons and moved at a lower speed of 22 miles per hour. A drawback to the increased weight of the Sherman is that the Vertical Volute Suspension System (VVSS) from the Sherman was unable to take the weight easily, so extra care was taken by the crew members to not break the suspension.

In March of 1944, the US Army ordered 254 of these vehicles to be delivered for use in European Operations. Intended to assault the Normandy Beachhead, it was deployed in Normandy after D-Day to assist the infantry push through German defenses. The M4A3E2 originally came with the 75 mm cannon to support infantry with its better HE shells compared to the planned 76 mm installment, but the 76 mm was installed later in the campaign and called the M4A3E2 (76) W Jumbo.

Combat usage

The M4A3E2s were well-liked by the crew and commanders due to its protection value. Despite the weight difference and strain on the suspension, it performed reliably and could absorb damage that would otherwise destroy regular Shermans. Later in the war, when the quantity of the M4 Sherman "Jumbos" were unable to meet the demand, George S. Patton ordered the existing M4 Shermans to weld on armour plates scavenged from knocked out tanks to makeshift "on-the-field" Jumbos. This caused the newer shermans such as the M4A3 (76) W HVSS to have the same protection by welding metal onto the hull. One of the Jumbo's notable participation in the war was in Patton's Third Army where it spearheaded the assault of Bastogne to relieve the pinned down 101st Paratroopers. The M4A3E2 "Cobra King" was the tank Lt Charles P. Boggess commanded to lead elements of Patton's Third Army into Bastogne on December 25, 1944. The 101st were finally relieved and reconnected with the Third Army on December 27. "Cobra King", however, was knocked out sometime during the fighting (maybe during the Hammelburg Raid) and had its interior destroyed by an internal fire. When the tank's remnants were identified in 2008, it was shipped back to the United States to Fort Knox at the Patton museum to be restored by Len Dyer, director of the Patton museum and the soon-to-be National Armor and Cavalry Museum. After two years of restoration work, the tank was put into display at Fort Benning as a dedication to the Charlie Company of the 4th Armored Division’s 37th Tank Battalion. It was moved in August 2017 to the future National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.[1]

When war in the European Theater ended, the M4A3E2s were then placed stateside for the preparation for the invasion of the Japanese Home Islands. However, this was never to be fulfilled as Japan surrendered to the United States in September 1945. The M4A3E2 Shermans proved to be a very effective stop gap solution until heavier armoured tanks such as the Pershing could come into play. In 1948, about 96 Sherman Jumbos still remained in US inventory.

Media

Left hull side of the "Cobra King", where the crew decided to boast about their achievements.
Historical photo of the "Cobra King" at the Battle of the Bulge (National Archive).

References

  1. ↑ Ruane 2017, A Battered World War II Hero of Bastogne Gets a New Home, and a Museum Built around It.

Read also

Vilseck Tank confirmed as "Cobra King"
"Cobra King" - Where is it today?
"Cobra King" Combat History - Army News Archive
Washington Post - A battered World War II hero of Bastogne gets a new home, and a museum built around it

Sources

  • Ruane, Michael E. A Battered World War II Hero of Bastogne Gets a New Home, and a Museum Built around It. The Washington Post, WP Company, 3 Aug. 2017, Website.


USA heavy tanks
M4 Jumbo  M4A3E2 · Cobra King · M4A3E2 (76) W
M6  M6A1 · T1E1 · T1E1 (90) · M6A2E1
T26  T26E1-1 · T26E5
T29/30/34  T29 · T30 · T34
T32  T32 · T32E1
M103  M103
Others  T14

USA premium ground vehicles
Light tanks  LVT(A)(4) · M2A4 (1st Arm.Div.) · M3A1 (USMC) · ▃Stuart VI (5th CAD) · M8 LAC · M8A1 GMC
  M18 "Black Cat" · Super Hellcat · T18E2 · M551(76) · T114 · M1128 Wolfpack
Medium tanks  ▃Grant I · M4A5 · Calliope · T20 · M26 T99 · M26E1 · M46 "Tiger" · T54E1 · T54E2 · ▃Magach 3 (ERA) · M728 CEV
  XM1 (GM) · XM1 (Chrysler) · M1 KVT · M1A1 Click-Bait
Heavy tanks  T14 · Cobra King · M6A2E1 · T29 · T30
Tank destroyers  T28 · T55E1

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