M5A1 TD

This page is about the light tank M5A1 TD. For other versions, see M5 Stuart (Family). For other uses, see M5 (Disambiguation).

M5A1 TD

M5A1 TD

USA

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.3	2.7	2.7

Class:

Light tank

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Description

The Light Tank M5A1 TD Stuart is a gift rank II American light tank with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB) and 2.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced during Update "Hot Tracks" as reward for watching Enlisted streams on Twitch.TV. It represents a tank named "Carol" that served in C Company, 3rd Battalion, 33rd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division, U.S. Army.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull28 / 28 / 25

Turret50 / 32 / 32

Crew4 people

Visibility79 %

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour
• Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Lower glacis)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	28.5 mm (49°) Front glacis 63.5 mm (33-37°) Lower glacis	28.5 mm	28.5 mm (46°) Top 25.4 mm (1°) Middle 25.4 mm (20°) Bottom	12.7 mm
Turret	44.4 mm (11-13°) Turret front 50.8 mm (2-43°) Gun mantlet	31.75 mm (1°)	31.75 mm (1°)	12.7 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels, bogies, and tracks are 15 mm thick.
• Tracks are placed on the turret side and rear that can provide about 10 mm of extra armour.
• An extra 12.7 mm RHA metal plate is present on the right side of the turret near the pintle 7.62 mm machine gun.
• A 5 mm Structural steel box is present, mounted on the vehicle rear.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB65 / 17 km/h

RB and SB58 / 15 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

2 back

Weight15.7 t

Engine power

AB565 hp

RB and SB296 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB36.0 hp/t

RB and SB18.9 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	65	17	15.7	459	565	29.24	35.99
Realistic	58	15		262	296	16.69	18.85

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB340 → 463

RB380 → 518

SB477 → 650

Total cost of modifications6 930

6 740

Talisman cost530

Crew training3 000

Experts10 000

Aces115

Research Aces160 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

30 / 30 / 30 %

112 / 112 / 112 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 350 Cost: 340 70 Suspension Research: 310 Cost: 300 60 Brake System Research: 310 Cost: 300 60 Filters Research: 580 Cost: 560 115 Transmission Research: 560 Cost: 550 110 Engine Research: 560 Cost: 550 110	Improved Parts Research: 350 Cost: 340 70 Improved FPE Research: 310 Cost: 300 60 Crew Replenishment Research: 580 Cost: 560 115	Horizontal Drive Research: 350 Cost: 340 70 37mm_usa_m3_APC_ammo_pack Research: 350 Cost: 340 70 Adjustment of Fire Research: 310 Cost: 300 60 Airstrike Research: 310 Cost: 300 60 Elevation Mechanism Research: 580 Cost: 560 115 Artillery Support Research: 560 Cost: 550 110 Improved optics Research: 560 Cost: 550 110

Armaments

Main armament

37 mm M6 cannon

Vertical stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in one plane while moving

Ammunition147 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

3.7 → 2.9 s

Vertical guidance-12° / 20°

The M5A1 Stuart is armed with a 37 mm cannon as its main armament, the same gun as the preceding M3A3. While being at 2.3, the gun still packs a fierce punch if aiming at the correct area and firing at the correct distance. It is a small calibre fast-firing gun with a maximum penetration of 84 mm at 100 m (M51B1 shell), being able to penetrate most of the opponents it will face. The penetration power and gun accuracy drop a lot beyond 500 m and become unreliable past 700 m. The gun is equipped with a vertical stabiliser, giving the M5A1 Stuart a huge advantage in some cases as you can fire precisely while moving, but keep in mind that it activates only when the tank is driving under 10 km/h.

While it lacks the post-penetration damage to disable most enemies in one shot, it can quickly finish them off with its fast reload. Knowledge of enemy vehicle layouts is essential with ammunition lacking post-penetration explosive damage. Make sure to target modules and crew positions to maximise the damage. Disabling the enemy gunner on your first shot will be critical to win engagements as you'll most likely need several shots to destroy an enemy vehicle.

37 mm M6					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	147	-12°/+20°	±180°	Vertical	22.8	31.6	38.4	42.5	45.2	3.77	3.33	3.07	2.90
Realistic					14.3	16.8	20.4	22.6	24.0

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
M74B1	AP	79	76	65	54	45	37
M63 shell	SAPHEI	32	31	26	21	16	13
M51B1	APCBC	87	84	73	60	50	41

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%
M74B1	AP	883	0.87	N/A	N/A	N/A	47°	60°	65°
M63 shell	SAPHEI	792	0.73	1.2	9	38	79°	80°	81°
M51B1	APCBC	883	0.87	N/A	N/A	N/A	48°	63°	71°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M5A1 (identical)

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
147	135 (+12)	111 (+36)	56 (+91)	1 (+146)	No

Notes:

• Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.

Machine guns

7.62 mm M1919A4 machine gun

Ammunition3 000 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

7.62 mm M1919A4 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition3 500 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

The M5A1 Stuart has two 7.62 mm M1919A4 machine guns, one being coaxial to the main gun and the other roof mounted on the right side of the turret. The two machine guns can quickly incapacitate the exposed crews on some vehicles or do some serious damage to those low-passing planes. However it lacks the ability to effectively damage even lightly armoured vehicles due to its low penetration of only 10 mm.

7.62 mm M1919A4
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	3,000 (250)	500	-10°/+70°	±60°
Coaxial	3,500 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

The M5A1 Stuart preserves the Rank I style of fighting. With very good mobility and fast reload, the light tank can speed to an optimal position on the enemy's side and riddle them with the 37 mm cannon. It is recommended to attack from the flanks as the weak armour on the Stuart makes it vulnerable to the newer enemy guns that can penetrate the armour with ease.

With the fast reloading 37 mm cannon, the M5A1 Stuart can deliver some good-hitting rounds if shooting at the flank at the enemies. A frontal engagement is possible but detrimental as Stuart's thin armour makes any incoming shot lethal. If coming up to heavily armoured vehicles like the KV-1, load the M74B1 AP round for maximum penetration. In the case the M5A1 does come across a KV-1, the recommended course of action to take it out is to get in a point-blank range and fire at the turret ring or engine rear, otherwise, there is no way for the Stuart's 37 mm to penetrate the armour.

With its weak overall armour, most enemies are able to penetrate the M5A1 Stuart. A specific concern should be to vehicles with a high rate of fire weaponry such as the SPAA, which might be able to penetrate through weak points around the Stuart with enough effort. Enemies with strong shells like the Panzer IV with its short 75 mm and its HEAT rounds could also destroy the Stuart with ease.

With its speed and relatively small size, as well as the ability to scout, the Stuart can be used as a reconnaissance vehicle. Even if you cannot penetrate heavily armoured opponents, you can help your allies by scouting the opposing tanks. This, combined with its decent firepower, makes the Stuart an amazing scout vehicle.

Enemies worth noting

• Sd.Kfz.234 family: When your opposite team has Germany, you might want to reconsider the option of capping a point straight away, since the German Sd.Kfz.234 series are very likely to be there first. The Sd.Kfz.234/2 (also known as the Puma) is a turreted 8-wheel vehicle with a small profile, extremely high on-road speed and a powerful 50 mm gun. But it cannot turn in place, has a very slow turret traverse and only 8 mm of side hull armour, so a good tactic is to circle with it and utilise your rather quick turret traverse and fast reload. In an intense tank "dogfight", you want to aim with the greatest care, as your 37 mm shells won't do much damage, so even a slight miss will result in the failure of knocking out the enemies' crew. The Sd.Kfz.234/3 and Sd.Kfz.234/4, although being equally deadly, are turretless. You can use some quick turns to avoid their guns or tear through the thin armour plate protecting their gunners with your 7.62 mm MG. Note that the penetration of the MG isn't great, so aim for their side armour.
• T-34 (all variants). The M5 can sometimes face the T-34 tank. They possess 76 mm cannons that fire APHE rounds with massive amounts of explosive filler - disabling the Stuart in one shot most of the time. The T-34s are also very mobile and will often be the first medium tanks to get to the battlefield. To boot they have very strong frontal armour, the UFP is immune to the 37 mm M6 carried by the M5A1. Against those foes, try to shoot at their weaker sides. If a head-on encounter is inevitable, the driver's hatch can be exploited, knocking out the driver, gunner, and often the engine, leaving the enemy completely debilitated, easy to finish off. The turret cheeks can also be exploited on the 1940 and '41 models. The turret ring should be targeted on the '42 and '43 models.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• High top speed, good acceleration especially on flat terrain
• Better handling than its predecessors, quick turning speeds
• Sloped armour can deflect some shots from small calibre projectiles
• Good rate of fire
• Gun can penetrate most tanks of this rank
• Can quickly rotate in place while not in forward or reverse motion
• Roof mounted .30 cal is useful for engaging aircraft
• Has access to scouting ability

Cons:

• Crew of four leaving one spare, vehicle efficiency decreases after the spare crew is used up
• Exposed engine and fuel tank, prone to fires
• As with the American 37 mm cannons, AP rounds does not contain HE filler
• AP Shots often fail to fragment when penetrating other vehicles
• Relatively tall for a light tank, a challenge to find adequate defensive positions
• 37 mm cannon has low penetration which makes it difficult to fight enemy tanks at its BR
• Little armour; can easily be penetrated by enemy tanks
• Although armour is better than the the previous Stuarts, its at an higher battle rating meaning plenty more vehicles can penetrate it
• Weighs three more tons than its predecessor, noticeably slower acceleration

History

The M5A1 TD represents an early production M5A1 Stuart, designated 3051254-S. It was used by C Company, 3rd Battalion, 33rd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division, U.S. Army in Normandy, France, November 1944. Its designation in the unit was C-34 and it was given the name "Carol".

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the M5A1 can be used for the M5A1 TD.

Images

Devblog image

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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

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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