Difference between revisions of "SAu 40"

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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 should 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 a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
−
{{break}}
+
{{Break}}
−
The '''{{specs|name}}''' (DE 75 mm Self-Propelled Gun SAu 40) is a Rank {{specs|rank}} French tank destroyer {{Battle-rating|1}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]]. It distinguish itself by its very tall cupola and thick gun barrel. This tank is equipped with APHE rounds, a rare feature in the French tech tree.
+
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (DE 75 mm Self-Propelled Gun SAu 40) is a rank {{Specs|rank}} French tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]]. It distinguishes itself by its very tall cupola and thick gun barrel. This tank is equipped with APHE rounds, a rare feature in the French tech tree.
  
−
As it was developped from the French [[S.35]], this tank shares many of its characteristics such as ~40 mm cast hull bolted onto the chassis, which is barely a widened version of its original. The track system is mostly the same as on the [[S.35]], with 25 mm plates covering the roller wheels. As for the hull, its two 8 mm ''grilles'' over the engine compartment and doors on the side reinforces the impression that it's just a widened [[S.35]] hull.
+
As it was developed from the French [[S.35]], this tank shares many of its characteristics such as ~40 mm cast hull bolted onto the chassis, which is barely a widened version of its original. The track system is mostly the same as on the [[S.35]], with 25 mm plates covering the roller wheels. As for the hull, its two 8 mm ''grilles'' over the engine compartment and doors on the side reinforces the impression that it's just a widened [[S.35]] hull.
  
 
== 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?''
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<!-- ''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.'' -->
−
 
+
As this tank is based off the [[S.35]], it shares many of its attributes when it comes to armour. A slight angle can defeat most shots this tank will take at this BR, this is useful to know when getting into position: from a distance and not showing neither side nor front to the enemy, you should be safe. As for frontal armour, its 40 mm overall thickness is not strong enough to withstand anything bigger than AA fire. But, a thing to consider with this weird pattern is its "bouncy" behaviour, principally around the gun mantlet: complex angles may just bounce some shots, making them loose some energy before hitting the main armour, this feature is peculiarly distinctive at gun's height.
−
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
 
−
As this tank is based off the [[S.35]], it shares many of its attributes when it comes to armour. A slight angle can defeat most shots this tank will take at this BR, this is useful to know when getting into position: from a distance and not showing neither side nor front to the enemy, you should be safe. As for frontal armour, its 40 mm overall thickness is not strong enough to withstand anything bigger than AA fire. But, a thing to consider with this weird pattern is its "bouncy" behaviour, principally around the gun mantlet: complex angles may just bounce some shots, making them loose some energy before hitting the main armour, this feature is peculiarly distinctive at gun's height.  
 
  
 
The main weakness of this tank is its ''very tall'' commander's cupola, which makes it quite easy to spot and destroy, as it is thinner than the main armour. Any APHE penetrating this area will knock out the tank's commander, thus disabling its only MG and some shrapnels may even damage or incapacitate the driver, disabling this tank for good. A way to avoid getting spotted too easily is buying camouflage for the front cupola area, making it look more like a bush popping out a hill than a tank's turret. Try to hide the tank's lower hull part as it is only 35 mm thick.
 
The main weakness of this tank is its ''very tall'' commander's cupola, which makes it quite easy to spot and destroy, as it is thinner than the main armour. Any APHE penetrating this area will knock out the tank's commander, thus disabling its only MG and some shrapnels may even damage or incapacitate the driver, disabling this tank for good. A way to avoid getting spotted too easily is buying camouflage for the front cupola area, making it look more like a bush popping out a hill than a tank's turret. Try to hide the tank's lower hull part as it is only 35 mm thick.
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
  
−
{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 270|rbMinHp= 168}}
+
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=270|rbMinHp=168}}
  
 
While being mounted on a widened [[S.35]] hull, the heavier {{PAGENAME}} has about 70 HP less than its predecessor, making it quite slow and unwieldy. In order to fulfill the task of getting into position, one should choose its route wisely and avoid risky spots as this tank's ''awful'' reverse speed and hull turning rate makes it quite bad at hasty retreats. Mobility with the {{PAGENAME}} is an issue. It is arguably what makes this tank hard to master as it does not allow for good map placement.
 
While being mounted on a widened [[S.35]] hull, the heavier {{PAGENAME}} has about 70 HP less than its predecessor, making it quite slow and unwieldy. In order to fulfill the task of getting into position, one should choose its route wisely and avoid risky spots as this tank's ''awful'' reverse speed and hull turning rate makes it quite bad at hasty retreats. Mobility with the {{PAGENAME}} is an issue. It is arguably what makes this tank hard to master as it does not allow for good map placement.
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== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
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<!--''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 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|APX (75 mm)}}
 
{{main|APX (75 mm)}}
  
 
As any casemate SPG, this tank's main feature is its main gun...kind of. With average penetration rates for this BR with a maximum of 73 mm at point-blank ranges (comparably, the Russian [[SU-76M]] penetrates 80 mm with its basic APHE shell and up to 135 mm with APCR shots). While being one of the rare French tank shooting APHE shells, increasing its one-shot potential, this round noticeably fails to explode when flanking enemies as this round takes 25 mm of steel to detonate. Another concern being its slow horizontal traverse, which makes it hard to react to fast-paced situations. This gun placement makes this tank quite vulnerable: being low, it exposes the SOMUA 40 to enemy fire when popping up a hill.
 
As any casemate SPG, this tank's main feature is its main gun...kind of. With average penetration rates for this BR with a maximum of 73 mm at point-blank ranges (comparably, the Russian [[SU-76M]] penetrates 80 mm with its basic APHE shell and up to 135 mm with APCR shots). While being one of the rare French tank shooting APHE shells, increasing its one-shot potential, this round noticeably fails to explode when flanking enemies as this round takes 25 mm of steel to detonate. Another concern being its slow horizontal traverse, which makes it hard to react to fast-paced situations. This gun placement makes this tank quite vulnerable: being low, it exposes the SOMUA 40 to enemy fire when popping up a hill.
  
−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
−
|-
 
−
! colspan="6" | [[APX (75 mm)|75 mm APX]]
 
−
|-
 
−
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 
−
|-
 
−
| colspan="3" | 102 || -10°/+30° || -7°/+7.6° || N/A
 
−
|-
 
−
! 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'' || 5.3 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
+
! colspan="5" | [[APX (75 mm)|75 mm APX]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''Realistic'' || 3.6 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
+
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
 +
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 +
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
|-
 
|-
−
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
+
! ''Arcade''
 +
| rowspan="2" | 101 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±7° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 5.3 || 7.3 || 8.9 || 9.8 || 10.4 || rowspan="2" | 7.15 || rowspan="2" | 6.33 || rowspan="2" | 5.83 || rowspan="2" | 5.50
 
|-
 
|-
−
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
+
! ''Realistic''
−
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
+
| 3.6 || 4.2 || 5.1 || 5.6 || 6.0
−
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 
−
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 
−
|-
 
−
| 7.2 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
===== Ammunition =====
+
==== Ammunition ====
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 
|-
 
|-
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
−
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
+
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
−
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
+
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
! 10m
+
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
−
! 100m
 
−
! 500m
 
−
! 1000m
 
−
! 1500m
 
−
! 2000m
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Mle1910M || APHE || 76 || 74 || 66 || 57 || 49 || 42  
+
| Mle1910M || APHE || 76 || 74 || 66 || 57 || 49 || 42
 +
|-
 +
| Mle1917 || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Mle1917 || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
 
−
|-
 
 
|}
 
|}
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
−
! colspan="11" | Shell details
+
! colspan="10" | Shell details
 
|-
 
|-
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
−
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
+
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
−
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
+
! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
−
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
+
! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
−
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
+
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
−
''in m:''
+
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
−
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
+
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
−
''in mm:''
+
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
−
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
+
|-
−
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
+
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
−
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! 0%
+
| Mle1910M || APHE || 570 || 6.4 || 1.2 || 14 || 90 || 47° || 60° || 65°
−
! 50%
 
−
! 100%
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Mle1910M || APHE || 570 || 6.4 || 1.2 || 25 || 90 || ° || 47° || 60° || 65°
+
| Mle1917 || HE || 577 || 6.12 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 675 || 79° || 80° || 81°
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Mle1917 || HE || 577 || 6.13 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 675 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 
−
|-
 
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
+
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
−
[[File:Ammoracks {{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}.]]
+
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
−
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
|-
 
|-
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
+
! Full<br>ammo
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br /> rack empty
+
! 1st<br>rack empty
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br /> rack empty
+
! 2nd<br>rack empty
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br /> rack empty
+
! 3rd<br>rack empty
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br /> rack empty
+
! 4th<br>rack empty
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th<br /> rack empty
+
! 5th<br>rack empty
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" width="10%" |Recommendations
+
! Visual<br>discrepancy
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
|| '''102''' || 84&nbsp;''(+18)'' || 66&nbsp;''(+36)'' || 42&nbsp;''(+60)'' || 18&nbsp;''(+84)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+83)'' || style="text-align:left" | Floor only: 18&nbsp;(+83) || style="text-align:left" | no
+
| '''102''' || 84&nbsp;''(+18)'' || 66&nbsp;''(+36)'' || 42&nbsp;''(+60)'' || 18&nbsp;''(+84)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+83)'' || No
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 +
 +
Floor only: 18&nbsp;(+83)
  
 
=== 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|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}
 
{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}
  
 
As for the turreted MAC 31 MG, it does not helps at anything more than taking down truck-mounted guns. This turret is slow, which negates the possibility of chasing planes with it. It also has poor rate of fire and is low calibre, so even if you manage to hit a plane, it will not do much to it.
 
As for the turreted MAC 31 MG, it does not helps at anything more than taking down truck-mounted guns. This turret is slow, which negates the possibility of chasing planes with it. It also has poor rate of fire and is low calibre, so even if you manage to hit a plane, it will not do much to it.
  
−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 
|-
 
|-
−
! colspan="7" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
+
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
! colspan="7" | ''Cupola mount''
+
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 
|-
 
|-
−
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
+
| Cupola turret || 3,250 (150) || 1,350 || -9°/+20° || ±180°
−
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
−
|-
 
−
| colspan="4" | 3,250 (150) || 1,350 || -9°/+20° || N/A
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in 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 instead 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 {{PAGENAME}} behaves as a classical casemate SPG as it should provide its teammates with superior firepower from medium to far distance, behind the frontlines where it will be harder to flank. As this is its purposed role, this tank has some issues accomplishing it. The first being its relatively low penetration and shell velocity, which makes long range engagements (>750 m)a bit hard to manage. The second being bad mobility, which complicates the task of positioning.
 
The {{PAGENAME}} behaves as a classical casemate SPG as it should provide its teammates with superior firepower from medium to far distance, behind the frontlines where it will be harder to flank. As this is its purposed role, this tank has some issues accomplishing it. The first being its relatively low penetration and shell velocity, which makes long range engagements (>750 m)a bit hard to manage. The second being bad mobility, which complicates the task of positioning.
  
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=== 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. Try not to 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".''-->
+
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 +
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
 
* Firepower
 
* Firepower
−
** Decent 75mm cannon with explosive filler gives it good one-shot potential.
+
** Decent 75 mm cannon with explosive filler gives it good one-shot potential.
 
** "Terrific" MAC 31 gun mounted in cupola.
 
** "Terrific" MAC 31 gun mounted in cupola.
 
** Competitive reload time
 
** Competitive reload time
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'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
 
* Commander's cupola is badly designed.
 
* Commander's cupola is badly designed.
−
** Tall commander’s cupola.
+
** Tall commander's cupola.
 
** Turret-mounted 7.5 mm MG does not allow for shooting down planes.
 
** Turret-mounted 7.5 mm MG does not allow for shooting down planes.
 
** Weak, unslopped armour makes it a shot trap
 
** Weak, unslopped armour makes it a shot trap
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== 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 "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article.''-->
+
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
−
The SAu 40 self-propelled gun was developed by the SOMUA company between 1935 and 1937 as part of the same order the French cavalry placed for the S35 tank.  
+
The SAu 40 self-propelled gun was developed by the SOMUA company between 1935 and 1937 as part of the same order the French cavalry placed for the S35 tank.
  
−
The two tanks combined were intended to equip light mechanized divisions of the French army and support the larger “battle tanks” (chars de bataille). The vehicle inherited the S35’s characteristic chassis with a redesigned front section of the hull to accommodate the 75mm APX cannon. In addition, the rotating turret on top of the fighting compartment was redesigned to a commander’s cupola and moved to the side of the vehicle, but the turret’s 47mm cannon was replaced with a single 7.5mm machine gun.  
+
The two tanks combined were intended to equip light mechanized divisions of the French army and support the larger "battle tanks" (chars de bataille). The vehicle inherited the S35's characteristic chassis with a redesigned front section of the hull to accommodate the 75mm APX cannon. In addition, the rotating turret on top of the fighting compartment was redesigned to a commander's cupola and moved to the side of the vehicle, but the turret's 47mm cannon was replaced with a single 7.5mm machine gun.
  
−
The body of the SAu 40 was ready by 1937, but it couldn’t be immediately completed. Because the cannon was not yet ready to be installed on the chassis, SOMUA engineers had to wait nearly 2 years before the cannon was finally made available. It wasn’t until 1939 that the fully assembled prototype was completed, and orders for mass production were received in October of the same year.  
+
The body of the SAu 40 was ready by 1937, but it couldn't be immediately completed. Because the cannon was not yet ready to be installed on the chassis, SOMUA engineers had to wait nearly 2 years before the cannon was finally made available. It wasn't until 1939 that the fully assembled prototype was completed, and orders for mass production were received in October of the same year.
  
 
Whether or not any additional vehicles other than the prototype were built or if the vehicle took part in active fighting is unknown.
 
Whether or not any additional vehicles other than the prototype were built or if the vehicle took part in active fighting is unknown.
  
−
''-From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5169-development-sau-40-the-ugly-duckling-en Devblog]''
+
''-From [[wt:en/news/5169-development-sau-40-the-ugly-duckling-en|Devblog]]''
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
<!--Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.-->
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 
{{Youtube-gallery|uhgodizubC4|'''The Shooting Range #77''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 00:31 discusses the SAu 40.}}
 
{{Youtube-gallery|uhgodizubC4|'''The Shooting Range #77''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 00:31 discusses the SAu 40.}}
  
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== External links ==
 
== External links ==
−
<!--''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''encyclopedia page on tank;''
 
* ''encyclopedia page on tank;''
−
* ''other literature.''-->
+
* ''other literature.'' -->
−
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5169-development-sau-40-the-ugly-duckling-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> SAu 40 - The Ugly Duckling]
+
* [[wt:en/news/5169-development-sau-40-the-ugly-duckling-en|[Devblog] SAu 40 - The Ugly Duckling]]
  
 
{{France tank destroyers}}
 
{{France tank destroyers}}

Revision as of 17:56, 19 October 2020

SAu 40
fr_somua_sau40.png
SAu 40
France flag.png France
I Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
1.7 1.7 1.7
Class:
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Description

GarageImage SAu 40.jpg


The Canon Automoteur DE 75 mm SAu 40 (DE 75 mm Self-Propelled Gun SAu 40) is a rank I French tank destroyer with a battle rating of 1.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.75 "La Résistance". It distinguishes itself by its very tall cupola and thick gun barrel. This tank is equipped with APHE rounds, a rare feature in the French tech tree.

As it was developed from the French S.35, this tank shares many of its characteristics such as ~40 mm cast hull bolted onto the chassis, which is barely a widened version of its original. The track system is mostly the same as on the S.35, with 25 mm plates covering the roller wheels. As for the hull, its two 8 mm grilles over the engine compartment and doors on the side reinforces the impression that it's just a widened S.35 hull.

General info

Survivability and armour

As this tank is based off the S.35, it shares many of its attributes when it comes to armour. A slight angle can defeat most shots this tank will take at this BR, this is useful to know when getting into position: from a distance and not showing neither side nor front to the enemy, you should be safe. As for frontal armour, its 40 mm overall thickness is not strong enough to withstand anything bigger than AA fire. But, a thing to consider with this weird pattern is its "bouncy" behaviour, principally around the gun mantlet: complex angles may just bounce some shots, making them loose some energy before hitting the main armour, this feature is peculiarly distinctive at gun's height.

The main weakness of this tank is its very tall commander's cupola, which makes it quite easy to spot and destroy, as it is thinner than the main armour. Any APHE penetrating this area will knock out the tank's commander, thus disabling its only MG and some shrapnels may even damage or incapacitate the driver, disabling this tank for good. A way to avoid getting spotted too easily is buying camouflage for the front cupola area, making it look more like a bush popping out a hill than a tank's turret. Try to hide the tank's lower hull part as it is only 35 mm thick.

Armour type:

  • Cast homogeneous armour
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 40 mm (0-73°) Front glacis
34 mm (1-54°) Lower glacis
60 mm (0-53°) Gun mantlet 		40 mm (0-24°), 34 mm (43-63°) Top
40 (1-3°) + 25 mm (0-89°) Bottom 		34 mm (20-49°) Top
34 mm (4-71°) Bottom 		20 mm
8 mm Engine grille
Turret 38 mm (5-48°)
25 mm Gun mantlet 		38 mm (16-38°) 38 mm (11-38°) 20 mm
34 mm Dome

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
  • Turret underside is 20 mm thick.
  • Turret ring is 30 mm thick.
  • Turret base is 34 mm thick.

Mobility

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 41 6 24 270 363 11.25 15.13
Realistic 37 5 168 190 7 7.92

While being mounted on a widened S.35 hull, the heavier SAu 40 has about 70 HP less than its predecessor, making it quite slow and unwieldy. In order to fulfill the task of getting into position, one should choose its route wisely and avoid risky spots as this tank's awful reverse speed and hull turning rate makes it quite bad at hasty retreats. Mobility with the SAu 40 is an issue. It is arguably what makes this tank hard to master as it does not allow for good map placement.

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: APX (75 mm)

As any casemate SPG, this tank's main feature is its main gun...kind of. With average penetration rates for this BR with a maximum of 73 mm at point-blank ranges (comparably, the Russian SU-76M penetrates 80 mm with its basic APHE shell and up to 135 mm with APCR shots). While being one of the rare French tank shooting APHE shells, increasing its one-shot potential, this round noticeably fails to explode when flanking enemies as this round takes 25 mm of steel to detonate. Another concern being its slow horizontal traverse, which makes it hard to react to fast-paced situations. This gun placement makes this tank quite vulnerable: being low, it exposes the SOMUA 40 to enemy fire when popping up a hill.

75 mm APX Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 101 -10°/+30° ±7° N/A 5.3 7.3 8.9 9.8 10.4 7.15 6.33 5.83 5.50
Realistic 3.6 4.2 5.1 5.6 6.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Mle1910M APHE 76 74 66 57 49 42
Mle1917 HE 10 10 10 10 10 10
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
Mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive Mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Mle1910M APHE 570 6.4 1.2 14 90 47° 60° 65°
Mle1917 HE 577 6.12 0.4 0.1 675 79° 80° 81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the SAu 40
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
102 84 (+18) 66 (+36) 42 (+60) 18 (+84) 1 (+83) No

Floor only: 18 (+83)

Machine guns

Main article: MAC 31 (7.5 mm)

As for the turreted MAC 31 MG, it does not helps at anything more than taking down truck-mounted guns. This turret is slow, which negates the possibility of chasing planes with it. It also has poor rate of fire and is low calibre, so even if you manage to hit a plane, it will not do much to it.

7.5 mm MAC 31
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Cupola turret 3,250 (150) 1,350 -9°/+20° ±180°

Usage in battles

The SAu 40 behaves as a classical casemate SPG as it should provide its teammates with superior firepower from medium to far distance, behind the frontlines where it will be harder to flank. As this is its purposed role, this tank has some issues accomplishing it. The first being its relatively low penetration and shell velocity, which makes long range engagements (>750 m)a bit hard to manage. The second being bad mobility, which complicates the task of positioning.

Act as a classical SPG while keeping in mind your slow pace. There is nothing very much interesting nor special you can do with this tank.

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tracks Parts Horizontal Drive
II Suspension Brake System FPE Adjustment of Fire
III Filters Crew Replenishment Elevation Mechanism
IV Transmission Engine

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Firepower
    • Decent 75 mm cannon with explosive filler gives it good one-shot potential.
    • "Terrific" MAC 31 gun mounted in cupola.
    • Competitive reload time
    • Good HE shells for dealing with SPAAs.
    • Depression and elevation angles are acceptable.
  • Armour is quite thick on all sides.
  • Gun mantlet area is strong

Cons:

  • Commander's cupola is badly designed.
    • Tall commander's cupola.
    • Turret-mounted 7.5 mm MG does not allow for shooting down planes.
    • Weak, unslopped armour makes it a shot trap
    • Makes it easy to spot while bringing no tactical advantage.
  • Slow in all domains.
    • Engine is underpowered
    • Turret is slow
    • Guns feels "lazy"
  • Rather weak frontal armour due to bad sloping
  • Three crew members can quickly lead to combat efficiency loss.
  • Huge ammo rack near gunner makes it easy to one-shot.

History

The SAu 40 self-propelled gun was developed by the SOMUA company between 1935 and 1937 as part of the same order the French cavalry placed for the S35 tank.

The two tanks combined were intended to equip light mechanized divisions of the French army and support the larger "battle tanks" (chars de bataille). The vehicle inherited the S35's characteristic chassis with a redesigned front section of the hull to accommodate the 75mm APX cannon. In addition, the rotating turret on top of the fighting compartment was redesigned to a commander's cupola and moved to the side of the vehicle, but the turret's 47mm cannon was replaced with a single 7.5mm machine gun.

The body of the SAu 40 was ready by 1937, but it couldn't be immediately completed. Because the cannon was not yet ready to be installed on the chassis, SOMUA engineers had to wait nearly 2 years before the cannon was finally made available. It wasn't until 1939 that the fully assembled prototype was completed, and orders for mass production were received in October of the same year.

Whether or not any additional vehicles other than the prototype were built or if the vehicle took part in active fighting is unknown.

-From Devblog

Media

The Shooting Range #77 - Pages of History section at 00:31 discusses the SAu 40.

See 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.

External links


France tank destroyers
Lorraine 40t derivatives  CA Lorraine · Lorraine 155 Mle.50
ATGM  MEPHISTO · AMX-10M
Other  AMR.35 ZT3 · Lorraine 37L · SAu 40 · ARL-44 · ELC bis · AMX-50 Foch · AuF1
USA  ▄M10 GMC · ▄M36B2

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