Pr.206-M
| This page is about the Soviet motor torpedo gun boat Pr.206-M. For the other versions, see Pr.206 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The Pr.206-M "Shtorm", was a series of torpedo boats differed from its predecessor, the Pr. 206 "Shershen", due to its improved weaponry and new combat capabilities. It was produced in the 1970s for the Soviet navy and exported to its allies in a small quantity, used for coastal patrol and anti-submarine warfare.
It was introduced during Update 1.79 "Project X" when the Soviet fleet was implemented into the game. This torpedo boat is one of the top tier in the Soviet coastal fleet tree. Captains who have it in their fleet have an exceptional weapon capable of wreaking havoc on enemy offensives. But watch out for the sailors, this will be the boat's first vulnerability.
General info
The Pr. 206M is easily recognized for its large gun at the stern of the hydrofoil boat and also how vulnerable to the guns of a similarly BR ranked destroyer.
Survivability and armour
The hull armour consists of 6 mm steel and the superstructure of 3 mm steel.
Its 57 mm main turret is protected by about 4 mm of laminated homogeneous armour and its auxiliary turret by about 10 mm of hardened armour, making them very vulnerable to all types of projectiles except low-calibre machine guns.
The survival of the boat is not at all impressive due to its low crew of only 25 (21 sailors and 4 officers). This line of boats must have good crew skills that can effectively improve the performance of the boat. The crew is remarkably packed on the bridge, this being also very vulnerable to impacts. A fire in the ammunition inside the bridge, in the torpedoes, or the engines below it can be deadly by itself if not put out quickly.
Ammunition depots are located on the bridge and under the main turret at the stern. Because of the storage of the ready ammo-rack and the ammunition stored in the same point under the main turret, this is the most explosive point of the boat; vulnerable to either direct damage or fires.
Mobility
When fully upgraded, the Pr. 206M reaches a top speed of 81 km/h in a straight line. Along with the 35 km/h it can reach in reverse.
The turning radius is completely affected by the speed, which means the boat has to accelerate to turn in a less wide range than its predecessor the Pr. 206 "Shershen" and yet much larger compared to other boats in the same BR. But this wide turn radius is not a bad thing its size and weight is considered. It has three engines that allow to accelerate quickly and maintain a constant speed of 40 km/h in a 360° turn, very useful when dropping torpedoes and escaping.
The mobility of the boat is notably affected by the modifications investigated.
It is important to take into account that it has a braking time of approximately 23s when going at maximum speed. And about 7s in reverse.
Its manoeuvrability on closed maps is quite good, but take into account two factors:
- Start turning preemptively in closed places, so the boat won't end hitting shore rocks and losing crew.
- Do not go through shallow places or near the coastline. The ship's hydrofoil could get stuck giving the enemy time to easily sink the boat.
| Mobility Characteristics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||
| AB | |||
| Upgraded | 109 | 46 | |
| RB/SB | |||
| Upgraded | 81 | 35 | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armament
Primary armament
The main armament is a 57 mm dual-gun automatic turret, located at the stern of the boat, with the ability to rotate 360°. Its targeting speed is 35°/s while its vertical aim speed is 30°/s when the "Primary Armament Targeting" modification is installed. If not, they are reduced to 30°/s and 26°/s respectively.
The AK-725 turret has a storage capacity of 2,200 rounds, 1,100 of these rounds are in ready-to-use ammunition. Its base reload time is about 11.2s, this time can be reduced by improving the skills of the crew. It should be taken into account that once all the ammunition for immediate use has been fired, the turret will fire slower.
Immediate use ammunition
The ammunition for immediate use has 1,100 rounds. During combat, take into account to give it a reasonable amount of time so that the ammunition for immediate use is replenished. One way to avoid running out of immediate-use ammo is to retreat to a safe zone, giving the turret's automatic system time to replenish ammo.
This turret has a high rate of fire that allows the user an uninterrupted fire time for an average of 14-18s before overheating the guns. This overheating should not happen if the player wants to stay in combat with enough ammunition to continue the fight. In case of being in distress, the captains should not doubt to keep their finger on the trigger.
The weapon's performance is formidable against other torpedo boats such as the British Fairmile series or the German Albatros and the Jaguar. In the same way, they can be incredibly effective against most of the early destroyers and frigates such as the Isuzu and IJN Akizuki of Japan. The rapid fire of the weapon, scattered from bow to stern against one of these boats or destroyers may be enough to finish off its crew before overheating.
It is worth noting the dead zone that the main turret has, and to be able to shoot forward, the boat will need to be turned.
Ammunition
The AK-725 has two types of ammunition:
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 100 m | 1,000 m | 2,000 m | 3,000 m | 4,000 m | 5,000 m | ||
| OR-281U | HEF-I* | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| BR-281U | APCBC | 147 | 114 | 87 | 66 | 50 | 38 |
| 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% | ||||||||||
| OR-281U | HEF-I* | 1,000 | 2.8 | 0 | 0.1 | 235.62 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| BR-281U | APCBC | 1,000 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 20 | 20.02 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
These two munitions have very good ballistics for firing on the move at high speed or stationary, from short and medium distances (<8,000 m). This occupies a space of 1,100 rounds in the boat.
- OR-281U
The OR-281U is a self-destructing high-explosive fragmentation incendiary projectile. It has a mass of 2.8 kg, travels at a speed of 1,000 m/s, and its explosive is equivalent to 235.62 g of TNT giving it an explosive penetration of 5 mm in all directions.
This ammunition, together with the rate of fire, is a lethal combination against small boats and destroyers with little armour. Like all HE ammunition, its weakness is the armour so be aware of when to change strategy. Its capabilities lie in its potential to eliminate the enemy's crew by damaging the hull modules completely, astoundingly fast. If looking to help the allies, quickly aim and fire at the enemy turrets, the bridge or the torpedoes of the targets. All in a single attack to overload the enemy with repair tasks and fire suppression. (If not sink it in the process)
This projectile does not have a radio or timed fuse that allows to shoot down planes without a direct shot, but radar can help to better lead the fire. Even more if they are flying in a straight line at different distances and altitudes. When shooting at airplanes, try to fire short bursts or simple interspersed shots as it would be a waste of ammunition to fire 90 rounds and have the enemy dodge, because they saw a large red burst in the air.
This will be the main ammunition of the weapon at all times and which the captains will be able to obtain the majority of their marks of victory.
These HE projectiles are perfect for cargo freighters. Thanks to their good ballistics, is advisable to aim from a safe area. It is likely the Shtorm will sink them, stationary or while they move.
- BR-281U
The BR-281U is an armour-piercing shell with explosive filler and ballistic cap. It has a mass of 2.8 kg, travels at a speed of 1,000 m/s and its explosive is equivalent to 20.02 g of TNT, it has a 20 mm fuse sensitivity along with a 1.2 m fuse delay.
Considering the aforementioned enemy ships, it can be said that the BR-281U ammunition is emergency-only. It is ineffective against most light enemies (PT boats, cargo ships) since it passes straight through without exploding and causes minimal module damage. However, the belt has good penetration at short and medium distances, mostly effective against heavily armoured enemies such as the MBK pr.186 and MBK-161 of the USSR, and the USS Sumner and USS Fletcher for the United States.
The trick of this ammunition is to focus the impacts on important modules on enemy ships such as the bridge, the turrets, the engine room and large ammunition depots. This will cause damage to their mobility, making them easy prey for an allied vessel or the Shtorm itself.
Its anti-aircraft utility is reduced by its penetrating characteristics. Even high-altitude straight-line flying bombers can be a difficult target to eliminate, as once they notice an impact or see the blasts in the distance they will begin to manoeuvre defensively - it is possible to take out an enemy with this ammunition, a hit to the engines is lethal and Shtorm can achieve this by using the radar as aid or by letting the gunners fire. The AP capacity might even rip the entire wing-off!
Secondary armament
Secondary armament is a 25 mm dual-gun automatic turret, located at the bow of the boat, with the ability to rotate 360°. Its horizontal turning speed is 40°/s while its vertical aiming speed is 70°/s when the modification "Auxiliary Armament Targeting" is installed. If it is not, they are reduced to 34°/s and 60°/s respectively.
The 2M-3 turret has a capacity of 130 rounds in each weapon and storage of 1,950 rounds, all completely stored just under the bridge. Its base reload time is about 4.9s, this time can be reduced by improving the skills of the crew together with increasing its precision.
This turret has a good rate of fire that can allow the user an uninterrupted fire time of around 15s until they have to reload the guns. Overheating is completely imperceptible and even during manual use of the weapon, it is notable that the barrels will not stop firing and it is because they can start to reload at different times making the weapon feel that it can fire infinitely.
The use of this turret can be an emergency. Normally the primary weaponry is enough to take out most opponents at sea, but this has its limitations and different situations and this is where the use of this turret comes in. The weapon is located in the part of the bow, giving it a large field of fire frontally, but a considerable dead zone towards the stern due to the bridge. Its position is very useful when moving in closed areas or environments that do not allow the correct aiming of the primary armament, thus forcing the use of this cannon to defend from boats or planes that come from the bow. It can also be used when the primary armament has been disabled or is reloading.
The auxiliary turret is automatically fired by the sailors and its effectiveness depends on how well trained they are.
Its naval capabilities are most notable against light enemies such as other torpedo boats or early destroyers, however, its penetrating capabilities against lightly and moderately armoured foes should not be underestimated. It is worth noting its low effectiveness against large opponents such as heavily armed and armoured destroyers, such as the Italian RN Bartolomeo Colleoni, and early light and heavy cruisers such as the Italian RN Trento and the German Emden.
As anti-aircraft, this pair of cannons are effective against most aircraft that can be seen in combat and their best performance can occur when sailors (AI) fire it since they will attack all air targets within their range. Taking into account a situation with multiple enemies, captains must manually locate the closest and most dangerous or simply give the attack order. If captains prefer to use the weapon manually, it is recommended that they use the radar to improve their chances of taking down the enemy.
Ammunition
The ammunition of the secondary armament is only composed of two types of AP and FI-T projectiles, dispersed in greater and lesser quantities within their different cartridges.
- Universal: AP-T · FI-T
- 25 mm HE magazines: FI-T · FI-T · FI-T · AP-T
- 25 mm AP magazines: AP-T · AP-T · AP-T · FI-T
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | ||||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| FI-T | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| AP-T | 55 | 52 | 42 | 32 | 25 | 19 | |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| FI-T | 900 | 0.28 | 0 | 0.1 | 30.8 | 47° | 56° | 65° | ||||
| AP-T | 900 | 0.28 | - | - | - | 47° | 60° | 65° | ||||
These rounds must be viewed in a percentage way so that they can vary their effectiveness against various targets or specific targets.
- Universal
As the name implies, this cartridge is for universal purpose, it is composed of both rounds in an AP / FI-T / AP / FI-T sequence.
Its use in naval combat has good effectiveness against light and moderately armoured targets. Since it has a combination that provides an explosive and a penetrating impact, this ensures that the targets that are hit have multiple types of damage on their ships. Seen in this way the targets will have HE damage, which will damage the external modules and the hull killing the crew, and the AP will damage the hull to a lesser extent, but a greater extent the internal modules that the HE does not reach.
Its use in anti-aircraft combat is formidable. Its good combination provides what is necessary against all types of aircraft, thanks to this it can damage an aircraft or end it quickly, since AP shots could damage the engines, kill the pilot or pierce their fuel tanks causing a leak where the projectiles HE takes importance by setting these tanks on fire, damaging the frame or directly breaking part of the structure and surface controls.
A good example of the use of this cartridge is when we let the sailors (AI) control the weapon and shoot at all kinds of targets since the captains could be performing other combat actions while the weapon fires at nearby aircraft or enemy boats.
- 25 mm HE ammunition
As the name implies, this cartridge has a mostly explosive damage purpose, it is composed of both rounds, but in greater quantity, HE shells in a sequence of FI-T / FI-T / FI-T / AP.
Its use in naval combat is limited but highly effective against light targets such as torpedo boats and early destroyers. Since it has a combination that provides multiple explosive rounds and makes it overwhelmingly fast in damaging the hull and outer modules not protected by armour, killing the crew. This also has an AP projectile that, although to a lesser extent, can do sporadic damage to the internal modules since it is repeated only once in the cartridge. The great weakness of the explosive is the armour and you will often find destroyers with armoured turrets or large parts of the hull like USS Fletcher that this cartridge will find it difficult to damage effectively.
Its use in anti-aircraft combat is incredibly powerful against small or unarmoured aircraft. Its good combination together with the rate of fire of the weapon gives it good explosive damage, due to this the projectiles can damage or destroy parts of the aircraft quickly, its single AP ammunition is imperceptible, however, there is the possibility that it damages an internal module or ends with the pilot.
Since not everything can be good, there are disadvantages with the use of this ammunition and they are:
- The boat will be very easy to detect due to a large number of tracer projectiles
- Heavy and armoured bombers will resist impacts
- There is a risk that your hits will only cause "sparks" and the enemy will reach their objective
A proper example is the use of this cartridge is during a low BR where the enemies come in a greater number of torpedo boats and early destroyers. Regardless of whether the player of the AI gunners controlling the weapon, this belt could do alot of damage to aeroplanes.
- 25 mm AP ammunition
This cartridge has a mostly penetrating damage purpose, it is composed of both rounds, but in greater quantity AP shells in an AP / AP / AP / FI-T sequence.
Its use in naval combat is limited, but with considerable effectiveness against armoured targets such as gunboats and destroyers. Is indispensable to damage the armoured hull and interior modules of targets with considerable armour, creating greater internal damage and with the ability to easily disable enemy turrets. This also has an HE projectile that, although to a lesser extent, can damage the hull and external modules since it is repeated only once in the cartridge. It should be taken into consideration that it only has a maximum penetration of 53 mm at 10 m, which further limits its use.
Using this belt against light targets is not recommended, due to its AP composition it will over-penetrate the target's hull, giving it time to respond to fire or escape. As last resort, try to aim at internal modules.
Its use in anti-aircraft combat is unpredictable against unarmoured aircraft or bombers. Even with the good rate of fire of the weapon, using this ammunition against aircraft can be frustrating because it is composed mostly of AP projectiles without a tracer. Which means is very likely that it will pass through the enemy aircraft without major damages; visible as a yellow zone at the point of impact. It features an HE projectile that could hit and ignite if the other AP rounds previously damaged any fuel tanks.
There are some beneficial things that can be highlighted:
- The round is capable of taking down enemies without them noticing! (Due to its few FI-T rounds, it is difficult to see it)
- These rounds could easily damage the aircraft engines, even weakening spars and ripping off wings.
- Useful to take the pilot in frontal attacks even with armoured protected cockpits.
A good example is the use of this cartridge when we face impenetrable objectives for the HE belt, such is the case of the MBK series or when is needed to damage the turrets of a destroyer.
Additional armament
The 533 mm SET-65 torpedo has an explosive mass of 205 kg of TNT. Without the "Torpedo Mode" modification it can travel at 16 km with a speed of 74 km/h, with the modification installed it can travel at 21 km at a speed of 56 km/h.
The Pr. 206M has 4 torpedo tubes placed to port and starboard, 2 on each side. These do not point directly in the direction of the bow, therefore it is necessary to turn to be able to launch them at a target in that direction.
Usage in battles
The "Shtorm" is best played when sailed calmly and smartly. While it provides great firepower and mobility to the captains, this is a large boat which makes it an easy target. Thus patient players could change the course of a confrontation with intelligence and stealth. Due to a low number of sailors, taking fire from multiple directions is fatal. Moving behind larger allies or hiding in coastal positions or rock formations is essential.
This boat can be most effective in combat if captains use tactics such as:
- Artillery Emplacement
It consists in placing the boat behind an obstacle such as a rock formation with the stern facing the enemy, which gives the main weapon total freedom of movement and reduces the exposure of your boat to enemy damage. When placed in this position, the Pr. 206M is able to fire the main gun at targets at close and medium distance. In the meatime, the secondary armament defends the airspace (AI gunner). Players can also hide and come out of cover at the precise moment when the enemy is busy and sink it quickly.
- Domination
When deploying it is important not to jump directly to a capture point, it is best to move quickly to a safe position from where we can see the enemy coming towards that point. Thus having the opportunity to finish him with the main armament, particularly the lighter and quick first wave of enemies. We must take into account that the destroyers are coming sometime thereafter.
- Conquest
In high seas maps there is no natural protection, so moving fast and constantly changing directions can give the players an advantage against larger enemies. Smokescreens here are a double-edged blade as these can be easily seen by your enemies, but you shouldn't hesitate to use them at the first sign of trouble along with directional changes. Players will likely face enemies as destroyers and some light and heavy cruisers but should focus on the lighter targets (PT boats, Frigates and Gunboats). Also remember the use of the radar and its fire director to defend the airspace and cover the bigger allied ships.
- Encounters
In this game mode, cargo ships must be destroyed to achieve victory. On the way to the freighters, you may see other light boats that you can eliminate with the main armament. Depending on the map the following tactics can be applied:
- The first more conservative approach consists of releasing our long-ranged torpedoes in the direction of the freighters and returning to look for more.
- The second more daring approach is to sneak around the edges of the map, (maps like Fuego islands and Norway) avoiding all contact with the enemy and once the boat arrives near enemy freighters, deplete the whole arsenal first the torpedoes, then using the quick-firing main gun.
On this mode we can additionally play as a coastal defence. Using the point near freighters to reload the torpedoes. This tactic consists of dropping torpedoes in the direction of the enemy and retreating to search for more while defending the air and coastal space close to allied freighters. The standard torpedo mode is quite useful so you should take into account not to use the "Torpedo Mode" modification for this tactic.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Increased main armament firepower compared to the earlier Pr. 206 with two AK-725, 57 mm cannons
- The Hydrofoil provides a good turn rate at high speed, keeping a constant speed of 40 km/h
- Long range torpedoes, useful in Encounter mode
- Good reverse and forward speed despite being a large and heavy boat
- Long ranged radar with lead indicator; useful for anticipated air threats
Cons:
- Big sized boat with only 25 crew members
- Main armament AK-725 is located in the stern, which means you have to turn into the emeries and expose your side
- Is a large target for bigger ships
- No time fused or proximity-fused rounds
- The Hydrofoil can get stuck in coastal shallow water, important to keep an eye on the banks
- Explosive mass in torpedoes are lesser than other torpedoes, which means you need to target the weaker areas on light or heavy cruisers
History
The Pr. 206M (NATO designation: Turya class) was a class of hydrofoil torpedo boats built by the Soviet Navy in the 1970s. The ships were an evolution of the Pr. 206 Shtorm (NATO designation: Shershen class) and featured a hydrofoil, allowing for high speeds despite the greater weight of a new weapons system. 30 ships were built between 1972 and 1976 for the Soviet navy, and several vessels were exported to Warsaw pact countries. 3 remain in service today with the Russian Caspian flotilla.
The Pr. 206M was designed as a derivative of the previous Pr. 206 and featured several modifications. Firstly, the armament was dramatically increased, from two six-barrel AK-230 guns to a combination of two 25 mm cannons and two 57 mm autocannons. This was done to counter the 76 mm OTO Melara rifles mounted on western torpedo boats. As well, a variety of other improvements were made to the ship's equipment and hull, resulting in a dramatically-increased loaded weight of 250 tons compared to 172 tons for the Pr. 206. As a result, the ships of the Pr. 206M class had more powerful engines delivering 2,500 more hp than the Pr. 206 (15,000 hp vs. 12,500 hp), as well as a hydrofoil enabling better speed and mobility. Despite this, the Pr. 206M was only capable of a top speed of 40 knots (74 km/h) compared to the Pr. 206's 45 knots.
30 boats were built for the Soviet navy between 1972 and 1976 at Vladivostok - of these, two boats were transferred to the Latvian navy. 22 additional boats were exported to Warsaw pact allies including Cuba (9 boats), Vietnam and Cambodia (5 boats each). Russia has since retired most of the Pr. 206M class boats, but three remain in service with the Caspian flotilla.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the ship;
- 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.
| USSR boats | |
|---|---|
| Motor torpedo boats | D-3 · G-5 · G-5 (ShVAK) · Pr.123-bis · Pr.123K (A-10bis) · Pr.123K · Pr.183 |
| Motor gun boats | TKA-412 · MO-4 · OD-200 · Pr.253L · Pr.183 BM-21 · Ya-5M |
| Motor torpedo gun boats | Pr. 206 · Pr.206-M · MPK Pr.12412 · MPK Pr.12412P · MPK Pr.11451 |
| Gunboats | Groza |
| Armoured gun boats | BMO · MBK-161 early · MBK-161 late · MBK pr.186 · MBK pr.186 (MK 85) · Pr.1124 early · Pr.1124 late · Pr.1124 MLRS |
| Pr.191 · Pr.191M · Pr.1204 · Pr.1204 late | |
