Difference between revisions of "A13 Mk II"
bangerland (talk | contribs) (→Armaments: seems same as mk1, copy-pasting.) |
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{{Specs-Card|code=uk_a_13_mk2}} | {{Specs-Card|code=uk_a_13_mk2}} | ||
| − | {{ | + | {{About |
| + | | about = British light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}''' | ||
| + | | usage = other uses | ||
| + | | link = A13 (Family) | ||
| + | }} | ||
== Description == | == Description == | ||
| Line 6: | Line 10: | ||
[[File:GarageImage_A13 Mk II.jpg|420px|thumb|left]] | [[File:GarageImage_A13 Mk II.jpg|420px|thumb|left]] | ||
{{break}} | {{break}} | ||
| − | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a | + | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced along with the initial British tree line in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]]. Featuring the [[Ordnance QF 2-pounder (40 mm)|QF 2-pounder]] as the main armament coupled with good mobility, this vehicle is a typical light tank and plays as such. |
| − | This tank is a good representative of later rank 2-3 | + | This tank is a good representative of later rank 2-3 British tanks: good mobility, flat and thin frontal armour, bad reverse speed and minimal post-penetration damage. |
| − | + | ;Driving | |
| − | Even though the A13 has good mobility, it sometimes feels weird: it | + | Even though the A13 has good mobility, it sometimes feels weird: it loses speed on turns, does not accelerates quite as fast as it's overpowered engine(38.19 HP/ton, stock) should provide it and hill-climbing feels hard. All of these flaws come from the gearbox, which has bad and uneven ratios, resulting in a kick when changing speed. Knowing that you should always keep an eye on the "gear" counter top-left of your screen (activate it in the options menu) since it provides you crucial information on how your tank will react to your commands. With a bit of practice, one should swiftly masters these peculiarities. |
| − | + | ;Shooting | |
| − | Since the [[Ordnance QF 2-pounder (40 mm)|QF 2-pounder]] is used on most tanks of Rank 1, it's important to know it well. This cannon has a major | + | Since the [[Ordnance QF 2-pounder (40 mm)|QF 2-pounder]] is used on most tanks of Rank 1, it's important to know it well. This cannon has a major disadvantage at distances since it's bullet lose around 20 mm of penetration for every 500 m it travels, which is a lot. As if this was not enough, it has poor accuracy, even with Adjustment of fire, hence, one should target large components (crewmen, engine, transmission), of the enemy or, as distance increases (500m or more), the general centre of the foe. Firing it, you will easily notice it's last but not least flaw: it does almost no post-penetration damage, which means you will need to snipe, crew members, one by one. Combine this difficulty with a bit of distance and this task can prove tricky pretty quick, sometimes leaving the enemy enough time to replenish it's crew before you finish it off. |
| − | On the other hand, this cannon has 5 major advantages: reload speed, close-quarter penetration, a primitive stabilizing system, LOTS of ammo and awesome gun depression. | + | On the other hand, this cannon has 5 major advantages: reload speed, close-quarter penetration, a primitive stabilizing system, LOTS of ammo and awesome gun depression. Its fast reloading speed allows it to compensate its poor accuracy: missed a shot? why not take another even before you can reposition ! Close quarter penetration, one of the best at its tier, is also a plus: your enemies will only block you shot if you happen to hit a steep-angled plate of armour. Does this tank have good mobility? nice !, it can fire on the move too, at low speeds and on the relatively flat road though but still, it is much more precise than the comparable [[BT-7]] with its [[20-K (45 mm)|20-K]]. Last but not least, small bullets means more bullets: the A13 can bring up to 87 bullets into the game, much more than you need to knock out 3-4 tanks, which means you can try to suppress an enemy and keep it into cover by constantly firing near it (at this rank, this tactic can prove effective against new players). Finally, its good gun depression enables it to fire over hills, peeking only it's a small turret, shooting and disappearing swiftly. Use these features cunningly. |
| − | + | ;Others | |
| − | Since the addition of smoke in War Thunder, light tanks have it easier. Use your forward- | + | Since the addition of smoke in War Thunder, light tanks have it easier. Use your forward-launching smoke to create a wall of smoke in a strategic place. It can be used to cover your allies, when capturing a point, flanking in a street (urban environment), |
== 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 | + | <!--''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 helpful for survival in combat?'' |
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''--> | ''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''--> | ||
| Line 94: | Line 98: | ||
== 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 | + | <!--''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: <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|Ordnance QF 2-pounder (40 mm)}} | {{main|Ordnance QF 2-pounder (40 mm)}} | ||
| Line 237: | Line 241: | ||
=== Machine guns === | === Machine guns === | ||
| − | <!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft | + | <!--''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|Vickers (7.7 mm)}} | {{main|Vickers (7.7 mm)}} | ||
| Line 257: | Line 261: | ||
== 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).''--> | ||
| − | This vehicle's role it that of a light tank in the truest sense, sporting an acceptable gun, great mobility and virtually no armour to speak of. The main difference from the Mk II to the Mk I is that the former has | + | This vehicle's role it that of a light tank in the truest sense, sporting an acceptable gun, great mobility and virtually no armour to speak of. The main difference from the Mk II to the Mk I is that the former has better turret protection, adding 0,8 tons of steel without hindering mobility. |
| − | This tank has a very active playstyle and should not be used in the front lines. Instead, use your mobility to your advantage: Spot, flank and provide artillery support for your teammates, blind your enemies with well-placed smokes screens in key avenues. Make sure to only target secluded enemies in flanking tactics so you can take full advantage of the element of surprise and outflank your opponent. Never expose yourself for too long because even anti-aircraft guns are a potential threat to your | + | This tank has a very active playstyle and should not be used in the front lines. Instead, use your mobility to your advantage: Spot, flank and provide artillery support for your teammates, blind your enemies with well-placed smokes screens in key avenues. Make sure to only target secluded enemies in flanking tactics so you can take full advantage of the element of surprise and outflank your opponent. Never expose yourself for too long because even anti-aircraft guns are a potential threat to your untangled armour. The QF-2 pounder has an awful long-range accuracy so you must get close to your enemies to actually land a shot where you expect. Load up this agile (but reluctant) cat with ammo and flank your enemies with a constant flow of bullets. |
=== Pros and cons === | === Pros and cons === | ||
| Line 265: | Line 269: | ||
'''Pros:''' | '''Pros:''' | ||
| − | *Better turret armour than it's predecessor | + | * Better turret armour than it's predecessor |
| − | *Good gun for its rank | + | * Good gun for its rank |
| − | *Fast | + | * Fast |
| − | *Slim target | + | * Slim target |
| − | *Has a "lock", which is a primitive form of stabilisation | + | * Has a "lock", which is a primitive form of stabilisation |
| − | *Brings lots of ammo | + | * Brings lots of ammo |
| − | *Has forward-launching smoke launchers | + | * Has forward-launching smoke launchers |
| − | *Coaxial MG | + | * Coaxial MG |
| − | *Good HP/ton ratio | + | * Good HP/ton ratio |
| − | *Decent turret sewing rate | + | * Decent turret sewing rate |
| − | *-15° gun depression | + | * -15° gun depression |
| − | *4 crewmen | + | * 4 crewmen |
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
| − | *Thin armour | + | * Thin armour |
| − | *The gun is too small for | + | * The gun is too small for its own good |
| − | *Barely any response from the engine | + | * Barely any response from the engine |
| − | * | + | * Loses speed when turning |
| − | *Wiggles when trying to turn on 5th gear | + | * Wiggles when trying to turn on 5th gear |
| − | *Regular MGs can penetrate side armour | + | * Regular MGs can penetrate side armour |
== History == | == History == | ||
Revision as of 00:51, 28 October 2019
Contents
| This page is about the British light tank A13 Mk II. For other uses, see A13 (Family). |
Description
The Tank, Cruiser, Mk IV (A13 Mk II) is a rank I British light tank
with a battle rating of 1.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced along with the initial British tree line in Update 1.55 "Royal Armour". Featuring the QF 2-pounder as the main armament coupled with good mobility, this vehicle is a typical light tank and plays as such.
This tank is a good representative of later rank 2-3 British tanks: good mobility, flat and thin frontal armour, bad reverse speed and minimal post-penetration damage.
- Driving
Even though the A13 has good mobility, it sometimes feels weird: it loses speed on turns, does not accelerates quite as fast as it's overpowered engine(38.19 HP/ton, stock) should provide it and hill-climbing feels hard. All of these flaws come from the gearbox, which has bad and uneven ratios, resulting in a kick when changing speed. Knowing that you should always keep an eye on the "gear" counter top-left of your screen (activate it in the options menu) since it provides you crucial information on how your tank will react to your commands. With a bit of practice, one should swiftly masters these peculiarities.
- Shooting
Since the QF 2-pounder is used on most tanks of Rank 1, it's important to know it well. This cannon has a major disadvantage at distances since it's bullet lose around 20 mm of penetration for every 500 m it travels, which is a lot. As if this was not enough, it has poor accuracy, even with Adjustment of fire, hence, one should target large components (crewmen, engine, transmission), of the enemy or, as distance increases (500m or more), the general centre of the foe. Firing it, you will easily notice it's last but not least flaw: it does almost no post-penetration damage, which means you will need to snipe, crew members, one by one. Combine this difficulty with a bit of distance and this task can prove tricky pretty quick, sometimes leaving the enemy enough time to replenish it's crew before you finish it off.
On the other hand, this cannon has 5 major advantages: reload speed, close-quarter penetration, a primitive stabilizing system, LOTS of ammo and awesome gun depression. Its fast reloading speed allows it to compensate its poor accuracy: missed a shot? why not take another even before you can reposition ! Close quarter penetration, one of the best at its tier, is also a plus: your enemies will only block you shot if you happen to hit a steep-angled plate of armour. Does this tank have good mobility? nice !, it can fire on the move too, at low speeds and on the relatively flat road though but still, it is much more precise than the comparable BT-7 with its 20-K. Last but not least, small bullets means more bullets: the A13 can bring up to 87 bullets into the game, much more than you need to knock out 3-4 tanks, which means you can try to suppress an enemy and keep it into cover by constantly firing near it (at this rank, this tactic can prove effective against new players). Finally, its good gun depression enables it to fire over hills, peeking only it's a small turret, shooting and disappearing swiftly. Use these features cunningly.
- Others
Since the addition of smoke in War Thunder, light tanks have it easier. Use your forward-launching smoke to create a wall of smoke in a strategic place. It can be used to cover your allies, when capturing a point, flanking in a street (urban environment),
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour
- Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
| Armour | Front | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 14 mm Front plate 14 mm (0-62°) Front glacis 14 mm (64°) Lower glacis |
7 mm | 14 mm (0-62°) | 14 mm |
| Turret | 14 mm (0-15°) Turret front 14 mm (1-63°) Gun mantlet |
14 (40°) + 14 mm (21°) | 14 (21-30°) + 14 mm (2°) | 14 mm |
| Armour | Sides | Roof | ||
| Cupola | 14 mm | 14 mm |
Notes:
- Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
Mobility
| Mobility characteristic | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weight (tons) | Add-on Armour weight (tons) |
Max speed (km/h) |
| 14.5 | N/A | 53 (AB) |
| 48 (RB/SB) | ||
| Engine power (horsepower) | ||
| Mode | Stock | Upgraded |
| Arcade | 527 | 649 |
| Realistic/Simulator | 301 | 340 |
| Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | ||
| Mode | Stock | Upgraded |
| Arcade | 36.34 | 44.76 |
| Realistic/Simulator | 20.76 | 23.45 |
Armaments
Main armament
| 40 mm OQF 2-pounder | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Vertical guidance |
Horizontal guidance |
Stabilizer | ||
| 87 | -15°/+20° | ±180° | Vertical | ||
| Turret rotation speed (°/s) | |||||
| Mode | Stock | Upgraded | Prior + Full crew | Prior + Expert qualif. | Prior + Ace qualif. |
| Arcade | 9.50 | 13.20 | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ |
| Realistic | 9.50 | 11.20 | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ |
| Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||
| Stock | Prior + Full crew | Prior + Expert qualif. | Prior + Ace qualif. | ||
| 3.64 | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ | ||
Ammunition
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration in mm @ 90° | |||||
| 10m | 100m | 500m | 1000m | 1500m | 2000m | ||
| Shot Mk.1 AP/T | AP | 71 | 68 | 52 | 37 | 27 | 19 |
| Shot Mk.1 APCBC/T | APCBC | 88 | 83 | 64 | 46 | 33 | 24 |
| Shot Mk.1 APHV/T | AP | 80 | 78 | 67 | 56 | 47 | 40 |
| Shell Mk.1 AP/T | APHE | 65 | 62 | 49 | 36 | 26 | 20 |
| 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% | ||||||||
| Shot Mk.1 AP/T | AP | 792 | 1.08 | N/A | N/A | N/A | -1° | 47° | 60° | 65° |
| Shot Mk.1 APCBC/T | APCBC | 792 | 1.24 | N/A | N/A | N/A | +4° | 48° | 63° | 71° |
| Shot Mk.1 APHV/T | AP | 853 | 1.08 | N/A | N/A | N/A | -1° | 47° | 60° | 65° |
| Shell Mk.1 AP/T | APHE | 792 | 1.08 | 1.2 | 9 | 19 | +4° | 47° | 60° | 65° |
Ammo racks
Last updated: 1.77.2.128
| 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 |
14th rack empty |
15th rack empty |
16th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 | 78 (+9) | 75 (+12) | 72 (+15) | 69 (+18) | 66 (+21) | 62 (+25) | 60 (+27) | 56 (+31) | 51 (+36) | 47 (+40) | 43 (+44) | 41 (+46) | 36 (+51) | 31 (+56) | 16 (+71) | 1 (+86) | No |
Center hull empty: 41 (+46)
Optics
Explain how the optic's status can affect the tank's gameplay in any unique or meaningful way. A comparison to rival tanks of the rank is welcome.
If you are having problems with it, refer to the optics gallery page for examples.
| A13 Mk II Optics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Which ones | Default magnification | Maximum magnification |
| Main Gun optics | x1.85 | x3.5 |
| Comparable optics | AMR.35 ZT3 | |
Machine guns
| 7.7 mm Vickers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coaxial mount | ||||||
| Capacity (Belt capacity) | Fire rate (shots/minute) |
Vertical guidance |
Horizontal guidance | |||
| 3,500 (250) | 390 | N/A | N/A | |||
Usage in the battles
This vehicle's role it that of a light tank in the truest sense, sporting an acceptable gun, great mobility and virtually no armour to speak of. The main difference from the Mk II to the Mk I is that the former has better turret protection, adding 0,8 tons of steel without hindering mobility.
This tank has a very active playstyle and should not be used in the front lines. Instead, use your mobility to your advantage: Spot, flank and provide artillery support for your teammates, blind your enemies with well-placed smokes screens in key avenues. Make sure to only target secluded enemies in flanking tactics so you can take full advantage of the element of surprise and outflank your opponent. Never expose yourself for too long because even anti-aircraft guns are a potential threat to your untangled armour. The QF-2 pounder has an awful long-range accuracy so you must get close to your enemies to actually land a shot where you expect. Load up this agile (but reluctant) cat with ammo and flank your enemies with a constant flow of bullets.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Better turret armour than it's predecessor
- Good gun for its rank
- Fast
- Slim target
- Has a "lock", which is a primitive form of stabilisation
- Brings lots of ammo
- Has forward-launching smoke launchers
- Coaxial MG
- Good HP/ton ratio
- Decent turret sewing rate
- -15° gun depression
- 4 crewmen
Cons:
- Thin armour
- The gun is too small for its own good
- Barely any response from the engine
- Loses speed when turning
- Wiggles when trying to turn on 5th gear
- Regular MGs can penetrate side armour
History
Development
The British development on their cruiser tanks advanced greatly with the implementation of the Christie suspension system, which they acquired from an American firm. The tank underwent a development program under the name Cruiser Mk III (A13) and the first accepted variant for the military was the A13 Mk.I. The Mk.I featured 15 mm of armour, a 2-pounder cannon, and a Vickers machine gun as its coaxial armament. An order of 65 of these tanks were asked for in 1939 at the Nuffield Mechanization & Auto Limited, but only 30 were made before the a decision was made to upgrade the existing model with more armour and different armament.
The redesigned cruiser tank, the A13 Mk.II, Cruiser Tank Mk IV, had a new armour thickness of 30 mm and additional sloping armour was put onto the sides and rear of the turret. The Vickers machine gun used as the coaxial armament was also replaced by the BESA machine gun, a licensed Czech ZB-53 machine gun, due to issues with the Vickers gun. Around 225 to 665 A13 Mk.II tanks were produced from 1940 until late 1941.
Combat Usage
The A13 first saw combat in the Battle of France under the British Expeditionary Force in 1940. The A13 encountered many trouble during its employment, the crew have little to no training with the new tanks due to their rushed adoption into service, the tanks were in poor condition and some were even missing parts. The A13s were used in the 1st Armoured Division, but many were either destroyed by the superior German armoured forces or abandoned at Calais during the evacuation of Allied troops at Dunkirk, which forced the units to leave behind their heavier equipment.
After the disaster at France, the A13 were still used to support the war. Some were sent to Greece to support their defense against Germany in the Battle of Greece, but a majority were sent to North Africa as part of the Western Desert Campaign near Libya under the 7th Armoured Division. Compared to the time in France, the A13s in North Africa fared much better, ironing out most of its initial defects, and was even more suited to the environment than other tank designs. The A13 was popular with the crew for its high speed, reliability, and a powerful 2-pounder cannon that could engage a majority of Axis tanks in 1941. However, there was an insufficient number of A13s available for use, so tank units were mixed with the faster cruiser tanks and slower infantry tanks, which caused tactical and logistical difficulties trying to accommodate all of the tanks. Another deficiency with the tank and every other British tank with the 2-pounder was the lack of high-explosive shell issued to the tankers, which made them vulnerable to anti-tank guns, which caused a majority of British tank losses in the North African Campaign. Still, the A13 fared very well with its armour and armament until the late 1941 where better armoured Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs began to appear on the battlefield.
Due to its growing obsolesce on the battlefield, the A13 was replaced in 1941 by the better armoured A15 Crusader tank.
Media
An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.
Videos
Read also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,
- reference to the series of the vehicles;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
ETC.
Sources
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Britain light tanks | |
|---|---|
| A13 | A13 Mk I · A13 Mk I (3rd R.T.R.) · A13 Mk II · A13 Mk II 1939 |
| A15 | Crusader II · Crusader "The Saint" · Crusader III |
| A17 | Tetrarch I |
| IFV | Warrior · Desert Warrior (Kuwait) |
| Wheeled | Daimler Mk II · AEC Mk II · Fox · Vickers Mk.11 |
| Other | VFM5 |
| South Africa | |
| SARC | SARC MkIVa · SARC MkVI (2pdr) · SARC MkVI (6pdr) |
| Ratel | Ratel 90 · Ratel 20 |
| Rooikat | Rooikat Mk.1D · Rooikat 105 · Rooikat MTTD |
| Other | Concept 3 · Eland 90 Mk.7 |
| USA | Stuart I · Stuart III |
