M8 LAC

M8 LAC

M8 LAC

USA

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.0	1.0	1.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Light tank

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

MARKET

Description

File:GarageImage M8 LAC.jpg

420px

The Light Armored Car M8 is a rank I American light tank with a battle rating of 1.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update 1.73 "Vive la France" as part of a vehicle giveaway on War Thunder's 5th anniversary.

General info

Survivability and armour

The M8 Greyhound has next to no armour protection. Its armor can stop rifle-caliber machine gun fire, but nothing more. Even then, the vehicle's turret has an open roof and very thin armour on the sides and the rear, so it is still possible for a few unlucky machine gun bullets to find their way inside. The Greyhound also has hull-break, however, generally speaking, losing all your crew members is a greater concern especially given that most vehicles at its battle rating do not have very powerful cannons. In addition, the modules are lined up and the crew is close together when looking straight at the front of the vehicle. From the side, however, this is not the case- there is a small area behind the two crew members in the turret but in front of the fuel tank with no modules in it, and an even larger area of empty space between the turret crew and the driver/machine gunner. Thanks to the thin armour, it is very possible for rounds to over-penetrate and pass through without dealing significant damage. The vehicles size, or lack thereof, should also be taken into account. The M8 Greyhound is very small and short, making it easy to exploit hiding spots and hills for protection. It can stay out of sight and use stealth to its advantage with little trouble. The .50 caliber machine gun on the roof is raised up, but there are no critical modules surrounding it and it is relatively small so it can be used to shoot over obstacles without risking damage to the armoured car. While the raw armour and protection on the M8 Greyhound is lacking, where it shines is in its ability to hide and use its good top speed to get around quickly and avoid being hit.

Mobility

Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.

Armaments

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 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: {{main|Name of the weapon}}. 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.

Additional armament

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 about how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.

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.

Usage in battles

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tires		Parts	Horizontal Drive	M51B1/B2
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism
IV	Transmission	Engine		Artillery Support

• As a gift vehicle, the M8 Greyhound's modifications are automatically unlocked upon purchase of the vehicle.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Roof mounted .50 caliber machine gun can easily damage plenty of tanks at its tier and is useful against planes
• Roof mounted machine gun can traverse 360 degrees, unlike most roof mounted MGs
• Very fast on-road speed
• Fast turret traverse speed
• Fast reload speed
• High penetration for its tier
• Enemy rounds can over-penetrate without dealing much damage due to low armour

Cons:

• No tracks, cannot turn in place
• Lackluster off-road mobility compared to tracked vehicles
• Wide turning radius, can make maneuvering difficult
• Low armour and open turret roof
• Crew and modules are packed close together from a front perspective

History

The M8 replaced the M3A1 Scout Car and M2 Halftrack as the main armoured vehicle of the US mechanized cavalry starting in late 1943. 8,500 were built. The vehicle's lightweight and 6x6 drive gave it excellent speed and cross-country mobility. It was well-liked by the crews but was still thin-skinned and under-gunned when compared to the opposition.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

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

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the tank;
• other literature.