Pr.1204 late

This page is about the Soviet armoured gun boat Pr.1204 late. For the premium version, see Pr.1204.

Pr.1204 late

Pr.1204 late

Description

The Pr.1204 late modification is a rank Soviet armoured gun boat with a battle rating of (AB), (RB), and (SB). It was introduced during Update 1.79 "Project X" when the Soviet fleet was implemented into the game. It bears strong resemblance to the Pr.1124 (1940), and inherits its main gun and its tactics.

General info

Survivability and armour

The turret is the most heavily armoured section of the ship, with 15 mm of RHA, meaning that it cannot be knocked out by HE shells under 100 mm in calibre. In addition, the bridge and Automatic Grenade Launchers are protected by a thin layer of hardened armour, making them more resistant against low-calibre HE. However, this armour is insufficient to stop large-calibre autocannon fire or armour-piercing machine gun rounds.

In addition, there is an armoured compartment protecting the engine. This gives some resistance against engine knockouts, which will help the stock grind (before FPE).

Mobility

The ship has a moderate top speed both forward and reverse, meaning that you will never be the first to capture points. Your stopping time is also somewhat poor, and so to turn round it would be better to do a U-turn in most cases. However, your rudder speed is good, and gets much better with the modification installed, so avoiding torpedoes is not an issue for the Pr. 1204.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode	Upgrade Status	Maximum Speed (km/h)		Turn Time (s)	Turn Radius (m)
		Forward	Reverse
AB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded
RB/SB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded

Armament

Primary armament

The primary armament is roughly the same as the Pr. 1124, and offers no new shell types. It is conveniently mounted on the bow of the boat, with a blind spot directly behind the boat. Being moderately armoured, it is rarely knocked out. HE shells are sufficient against most boats, but it is sensible to carry some APHE as well, especially to face some Russian armoured boats, where your 11 mm of penetration with HE rounds won't be enough.

Use HE whenever possible, especially at longer ranges, because the APHE needs a solid hit to damage anything.

Secondary armament

The dual 25 mm turret tears aircraft apart in a few hits, and it can help against very fast PT boats. A small group of these boats together with a destroyer have a decent combined AA.

Anti-aircraft armament

The "anti-air" armament of 4 x 30 mm grenade launchers is largely ineffective at ranges of over 1 km. It is useful, however, in close quarters fighting (though not recommended), or for fending off patrol boats that get too close, something that is very challenging with only the main gun. This is a major improvement over the Pr. 1124, which had to use its 12.7 mm machine guns for this, leaving it vulnerable to the air.

Note that the grenade launchers are classified as AA, but the true AA is your 25 mm gun, which you can use against pretty much anything.

Additional armament

Like prior Soviet river boats, there is an option to mount a Katyusha rocket launcher on the back. This can be effective against large or static targets, making up for the lack of torpedoes.

Note: this artillery rocket launcher has a larger calibre than others in the tech tree. This allows you to fire up to 17 rockets 3 km away, very effective against destroyers.

You also have the option to carry a few mines. These mines are very small, and were designed to be used in rivers. Using them against destroyers has very little effect, even several of them. These should be used against other PT boats, but are not really worth the trouble.

Usage in battles

The Pr. 1204 late is very similar in playstyle to the Pr.1124 (1940), which you will have played before this boat. Remaining at long range is still important due to your thin armour, however more ships have guns capable of engaging at range at the higher BR. You have better defence against fast and evasive enemies and air power thanks to your 25 mm AA gun and the 30 mm grenade launchers, but these can be easily overwhelmed by large numbers of enemies. You are also still relatively flammable, and going into close-quarters battle is not recommended.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Has a 30 mm grenade launcher weapon for defence in close quarter battles
• Effective AA turret
• Powerful main gun
• Rocket launcher, highly effective on a hit
• Moderate armour protects well against small arms fire
• Good turn rate to avoid torpedoes

Cons:

• 30 mm grenade launcher has short range
• Only one AA turret, easily overwhelmed
• Only one main gun, unlike Pr. 1124
• Rocket launcher is very difficult to hit with (similar to MO-4)
• Armour is insufficient against 20 mm autocannons present on many boats at this BR
• Low top speed

History

The Pr.1204 (or "Shmel") class of river boats were developed in the mid 1960s as a successor to the USSR's ageing fleet of WWII era river boats. 118 Shmel class river boats were built between 1967 and 1974. The boats were designed specifically to operate in shallow waters, such as rivers or littoral waters. The Shmel class was designed to support operations in rivers or shallow water conditions such as denying waterway passages, protecting harbours supporting troop movements, as well as providing fire support for ship to shore scenarios. As of 2017, several are still in service with the Russian Navy, with at least 4 assigned to the Caspian fleet.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Pr.1204 late from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the ship;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Military Factory] Shmel (class) / Project 1204 Armored Artillery Gunboat / Patrol Boat