Pr.123-bis

Pr.123-bis

MPK-163

Pr.123K

Pr.123-bis

MPK-163

Pr.123K

USSR

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.3	2.3	2.3

Class:

Motor torpedo boat

Boat

Research:14 000

Purchase:32 000

Description

The Pr.123-bis is a rank II Soviet motor torpedo boat with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update 1.79 "Project X" when the Soviet fleet was implemented into the game.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull4 mm (steel)

Superstructure4 mm (steel)

Number of section3

Displacement21 t

Crew7 people

X-Ray view of the Pr.123bis showing key components that are prone to be damaged when taking enemy fire.

The Pr.123bis doesn't have any armour in the game. When under fire, it is almost certain that an opponent will disable your engines and/or set you on fire (see image on the right). However, you will very rarely be destroyed due to an ammunition explosion.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB125 / 45 km/h

RB89 / 32 km/h

The Pr.123bis can reach speeds over 120 km/h in AB and around 90 km/h in RB and SB. Backwards, the Pr.123bis can reach -45 km/h, so there should be no trouble reaching strategic points first or at the same time as the lighter boats. The Pr.123bis turns very quickly, a tactic which should be used to flank opponents and destroy them with machine guns. Lastly, it is unwise to come to a full stop, due to the fact the ship becomes a "sitting duck", easy to pick off by enemy ships or aircraft.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode	Upgrade Status	Maximum Speed (km/h)		Turn Time (s)	Turn Radius (m)
		Forward	Reverse
AB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded	125	45
RB/SB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded	89	32

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB820 → 1 011

RB1 126 → 1 388

Total cost of modifications13 880

19 800

Talisman cost860

Crew training9 200

Experts32 000

Aces320

Research Aces250 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

70 / 110 / 100 %

130 / 130 / 130 %

Modifications

Seakeeping	Unsinkability	Firepower
Dry-Docking Research: 920 Cost: 1 300 125 Rudder Replacement Research: 780 Cost: 1 100 105 Propeller Replacement Research: 1 200 Cost: 1 700 165 Engine Maintenance Research: 1 100 Cost: 1 600 150	Damage Control Division Research: 920 Cost: 1 300 125 Fire Division Research: 780 Cost: 1 100 105 Smokescreen Research: 780 Cost: 1 100 105 New Pumps Research: 1 100 Cost: 1 600 150	12mm_dshk_navy_he_ammo_pack Research: 920 Cost: 1 300 125 12mm_dshk_navy_ap_ammo_pack Research: 780 Cost: 1 100 105 Primary Armament Targeting Research: 1 200 Cost: 1 700 165 Depth Charges Research: 1 200 Cost: 1 700 165 Artillery Support Research: 1 100 Cost: 1 600 150 Torpedo Mode Research: 1 100 Cost: 1 600 150

Armament

Primary armament

2 х Turret2 x 12.7 mm DShK machine gun

Ammunition4000 rounds

Belt capacity50 rounds

Fire rate600 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 60°

Primary armament composes of two, dual mounted DShK heavy machine gun turrets, with one located at the stern and the other at the centre of the vessel just above and behind the bridge. Note that the turret at the stern is obstructed when pointed towards the bow due to the other turret, therefore somewhat restricting fire coverage. The turret just behind the bridge has near 360°, though it is slightly obstructed by the mast when pointing towards the bow.

The DShK 12.7 mm guns provide good firepower and rate of fire against similarly sized ships and somewhat larger ships thanks to its heavy calibre. They have an ammunition capacity of 1,000 rounds, with reloads taking ~4.7 seconds. Available belts to research include the high explosive incendiary (HEI) and armour piercing incendiary tracer (APIT) rounds.

Additional armament

Setup 12 x 450 mm wet-heating 45-36NU torpedo

Setup 26 x BM-1 small depth charge

Setup 32 x 450 mm wet-heating 45-36NU torpedo

6 x BM-1 small depth charge

The Pr.123bis carries two 450 mm wet-heating 45-36NU torpedoes. They have a range of 3 km at a speed of 78 km/h or a range of 6 km at 73 km/h with the Torpedo Mode module installed. They are placed at the bow of the boat and fired out already at speed, so you can surprise your opponents with your torpedoes, unlike early American boats, which simply throw the torpedoes to their sides.

Be careful with your torpedoes! Due to torpedoes being fired out of their tubes at an upwards angle, this means that your torpedoes might over-shoot (literally) any boats which are passing right in front of the Pr.123bis.

The Pr.123bis can carry 6 x BB-1 depth charges, which can be used as timed mines to damage/destroy tougher enemies. You can place depth charges around a capture point if you get there first, or in front of an enemy.

Remember to set your Depth Charge activation time before battle, if you carry depth charges. The default option of 3 seconds is too short to be useful, so it is advised to set it to something between 5-8 seconds to keep your options open.

Usage in battles

The Pr.123bis is one of the first Soviet boats that get decent firepower, which can destroy its opponents very quickly. Moreover, it gets two torpedoes, which are fired forwards at speed (can be an advantage, but also a disadvantage). All of that weaponry is placed on a motorboat which can reach very high speeds. It's a boat that will help you grind out USSR rank I fleet.

The Pr.123bis strikes a balance between speed and weaponry. At its low battle rating, the two dual 12.7 mm machine guns reliably destroy all light boats, experiencing difficulty only in a full uptier. For the most part, the Pr.123bis should be used as a flanker. Your machine guns destroy compartments with 3-5 bursts, and if you get the first shot on most of your opponents, they are most likely going to die very soon after. However, if you meet tougher opponents, it is viable to simply cross the map around the flank, (ignoring the lighter boats) while the opponents are focused on their front, and fire your torpedoes at their sides (best done when up close and personal).

As a rule of thumb, you should never remain stationary. The Pr.123bis doesn't have any armour, and all other boats at its battle rating can kill it, so to make it much more difficult for the opponents, try to stay at your top speed and avoid head-on encounters. Although, you can still handle some threats from the sides because your guns' rotation speeds are very fast.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Decent firepower with four DShK machine guns, enough to deal with most ships at its BR
  • Good firing angles and turret rotation speeds for the machine guns
• Extremely good mobility - very high top speed and snappy rudder response
• Access to torpedoes which fire forwards at speed

Cons:

• Terrible survivability even for an MTB, with only seven crew members
• Only has two torpedoes, which aren't particularly good torpedoes either
  • Torpedo tubes are fixed, only being able to fire forwards
• Guns tend to bob up and down when travelling at top speed, making aiming extremely difficult

History

The Pr.123bis was the first variant of the Pr.123 series of motor torpedo boats built by the Soviet navy during and shortly after the Second World War. Originally intended to carry a single machine gun mount, the ship was instead fitted with two 12.7 mm machine gun turrets and two heavy torpedo tubes. As well, the ships were fitted with American Packard-built engines, enabling a higher top speed. The Pr.123bis was produced from 1942 - in total, 118 ships were built before the ship was replaced by the later Pr.123K.

The Pr.123bis was the first major upgrade of the original Pr.123 design. The ship was considerably improved over the original Pr.123 in several ways. The most noticeable addition was the installation of a second dual 12.7 mm DShK machine gun installation on top of the deckhouse, which offered a dramatic increase in firepower compared to the original Pr.123. As well, the ship used lend-lease Packard aircraft engines imported from the United States, each developing 1,200 hp. Despite the heavier engines, the ship was actually slower than the Pr.123, as the added weight of the weapons and equipment weighed the hull down.

The first Pr.123bis was built in 1942, and was accepted for production shortly thereafter. Being constructed by Plant No. 639 in Tyumen, a total of 118 ships were built. The first ship entered service in 1944, while the last boats were accepted in service in 1955. Many Pr.123bis boats were exported to Warsaw pact allies. In service, the Pr.123bis was complemented and succeeded by the more advanced Pr.123K, featuring improved systems and armament. The last Pr.123bis ships were retired in the 1970s and 1980s, replaced by more modern torpedo boats and small ships.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Pr.123-bis from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Related development

• Pr.123K
• Pr.123K (A-11)

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.