DF105

DF105

Marder 1A3

TAM

DF105

Marder 1A3

TAM

Germany

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
8.0	8.0	8.0

Class:

Light tank

Research:61 000

Purchase:340 000

Description

The DF105 was a support/light tank developed between France and Germany during the 1980s by the company Thyssen Henschel. The DF105 was intended to be used only as an export vehicle and not for domestical purposes. The DF105 introduced the same gun and turret as the Austrian SK-105, and had an overall very similar design. It's design and components were also based in the French AMX-13 and German TAM, developed for Argentina. The gun was the new CN105-57 (105 mm) only found on modernized AMX-13 tanks and the already mentioned SK-105. This tank had an autoloader making good use of it's oscillating turret. The vehicle also used the same hull as the Marder I IFV and a relatively powerful powerplant. However at the end the vehicle did not evolve and stayed as a prototype due to a lack of foreign buyers.

Introduced in Update "Winged Lions", the DF105 is very lightly armoured, only having 40 mm of armour at most, but decent mobility having a 720 hp engine for its 30t weight. However, its armament is where it shines. It is equipped with a CN-105-57 cannon, with its main ammo being HEAT with 400 mm of penetration. While the shells it fires might not be the best, however it makes up by having only a 5-second reload in a 12-round first stage ammo rack. Even though its armour may be lacking it is still the hull of the Marder I IFV, this means that it would survive strafing runs from jets with 50.Cal or even 20 mm cannons and it would also be enough to provide cover against autocannon shots from the front, specially from BTR-80s, Bradleys and other Marders.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull32 / 15 / 11

Turret30 / 25 / 15

Crew3 people

Visibility89 %

The DF105 has very thin armour. It can be penetrated in the sides by .50 cals quite easily. This does not mean it is not survivable. The tank is very spacious inside, making it quite survivable against the APFSDS which is the most common ammunition you will be shot at with. However, HE, HESH, and HEAT rounds are devastating against this vehicle. Its simple geometry and quite large size mean that it is relatively easy to knock out with explosive-type munitions.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (entire hull, turret sides, turret roof, turret back)
• Cast homogeneous armour (front turret, lower side turret, cupola)
• Rubber-fabric screens (side skirts)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	11 mm (76°) Upper glacis 32 mm (22°) Lower plate 32 mm (48°-57°) Lower glacis	15 mm (30°) Top 15+5 mm Bottom	10 - 11 mm (21°)	11 mm (14°) Front glacis 10 - 11 mm Crew compartment
Turret	40 mm (36°-44°) Turret front 40 mm (cylindrical) Gun mantlet	15 - 20 mm	20 mm Bustle 20 mm (spherical) Underside	10 mm 50 mm Cupola area
Cupola	20 mm (spherical) Outer ring 50 mm (spherical) Dome

Notes:

• Tracks, suspension wheels, and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
• There is 5 mm internal RHA plating separating engine compartment from the crew compartment.
• Mudguards and storage boxes are 4 mm thick
• Belly armour is 11 mm thick.

Mobility

Reverse gearbox

Forward and backward movement is possible at the same maximum speed

Speedforward / back

AB83 / 83 km/h

RB and SB75 / 75 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

8 back

Weight30.0 t

Engine power

AB1 374 hp

RB and SB720 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB45.8 hp/t

RB and SB24.0 hp/t

The mobility of the DF105 is respectable. It allows for quickly getting to capture points and flanking positions. Powered by a 720 hp MB-833 Ka-500 engine just like the TAM, it can reach up to 70 km/h. It can also reach the same speed in reverse, which can be extremely useful for close-quarters fights, and for when a risky flank might be needed. It is overall very nimble, and its mobility will not let you down.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	83	83	30	1,116	1,374	37.2	45.8
Realistic	75	75		637	720	21.23	24

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 160 → 4 540

RB3 734 → 5 365

SB4 745 → 6 818

Total cost of modifications98 500

166 800

Talisman cost2 200

Crew training98 000

Experts340 000

Aces1 300

Research Aces780 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

110 / 170 / 200 %

202 / 202 / 202 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 5 100 Cost: 8 200 210 Suspension Research: 4 600 Cost: 7 400 185 Brake System Research: 4 600 Cost: 7 400 185 Filters Research: 8 500 Cost: 14 000 340 Transmission Research: 6 600 Cost: 11 000 270 Engine Research: 6 600 Cost: 11 000 270	Improved Parts Research: 3 300 Cost: 8 200 210 Improved FPE Research: 3 000 Cost: 7 400 185 Crew Replenishment Research: 8 500 Cost: 14 000 340 Smoke grenade Research: 6 600 Cost: 11 000 270	Horizontal Drive Research: 5 100 Cost: 8 200 210 105mm_fr_CN105_Smoke_ammo_pack Research: 5 100 Cost: 8 200 210 Adjustment of Fire Research: 4 600 Cost: 7 400 185 Airstrike Research: 4 600 Cost: 7 400 185 Elevation Mechanism Research: 8 500 Cost: 14 000 340 Artillery Support Research: 6 600 Cost: 11 000 270 Improved optics Research: 6 600 Cost: 11 000 270

The DF105 is quite okay when stock. It comes stock with its best and only shell that can deal with armoured targets.

When spading this vehicle, Parts and FPE are always the most important things to have. "Artillery support", "Smoke grenade", and "Crew replenishment" are modifications that are generally important, so a balance between those "support" modifications along with your "main" modification is needed.

Depending on your playstyle, you might prefer to play this as a scout so "Airstrike", "Improved Optics", "Artillery Support" and "Crew Replenisment" is what you would want, along with "Engine", "Transmission", "Filters" and "Tracks" to increase its overall mobility, helping it reach advantageous positions first.

You can also use this tank as a Support tank, where mobility and firepower counts most. If you prefer to play like this, prioritising "Adjustment of Fire", "Horizontal Drive" and "Elevation mechanism" would be your top priority, followed closely by "Engine", "Transmission", "Filters" and "Tracks" and "Smoke grenade" for getting out of tricky situations

Armaments

Main armament

105 mm CN105-57 cannon

Autoloader

Automatically feeds projectiles into the breech. The speed does not depend on the skills of the loader

Ammunition38 rounds

First-order12 rounds

Reload5.0 s

Vertical guidance-6° / 13°

The CN-105-57 that the DF105 sports is a pretty powerful cannon due to its very low reloading time. You sometimes have enough time to shoot the enemy a 2nd time before they get their guns on you in case you missed your first shot, or you did not disable their ability to shoot.

The only con of this gun is the fact that it only shoots HEAT. At this BR, it is a very good shell, being able to deal devastating damage to most vehicles you will face, and has enough punching power to penetrate virtually any vehicle you face from the front. However, the shell is quite slow at 800 m/s, giving it quite some drop compared to more conventional ammo.

The turret rotation is decent, but its vertical guidance is somewhat lacking. Due to its oscillating turret design, the turret has a tendency when stopping to go up and down more times and more aggressively than a conventional design, which can be a significant disadvantage compared to stabilized platforms.

You also get access to a smoke shell and an HE shell. Both of which have their own uses, but should only be brought in small numbers, as they are nowhere nearly as effective as the main HEAT round.

105 mm CN105-57					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Autoloader
Arcade	38	-6°/+13°	±180°	-	28.6	39.5	48.0	53.1	56.5	5.00
Realistic					17.9	21.0	25.5	28.2	30.0

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
OCC 105 F1	HEAT	400	400	400	400	400	400
OE 105 F1 Mle.60	HE	25	25	25	25	25	25

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
OCC 105 F1	HEAT	800	10.95	0.05	0.1	1.02	62°	69°	73°
OE 105 F1 Mle.60	HE	800	12.1	0	0.1	2	79°	80°	81°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
OFPH 105 F1	600	11.4	20	5	25	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the DF105

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
38	34 (+4)	13 (+25)	7 (+31)	1 (+37)	No

Notes:

• Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
• Rack 3* and 4* (autoloader magazines) are first stage ammo racks. They total 12 shells.
  • These racks get filled first when loading up the tank and are also emptied first.
  • As the DF105 is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
  • Once the autoloader magazines have been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun.
  • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 2 into rack 4 then 3. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
  • The depletion order at full capacity is: 3 - 4 - 1 - 2.

Machine guns

7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition2 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reload8.0 s

Fire rate1 001 shots/min

7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	2,000 (200)	600	-	-

Usage in battles

Due to its high mobility, high penetration HEAT round, and autoloader, the tank offers great potential for flanking around the frontline and picking off enemy vehicles from a variety of angles. The HEAT round allows the player to destroy nearly every vehicle they might encounter (except for tanks featuring composite armour) at every range. However, the high drop, the low velocity of the ammo, and the lack of a rangefinder make hitting the first shot at longer ranges difficult. Thus, it is best used at around 800 m or in a squad with vehicles featuring rangefinders. The greatest danger to the tank, when in a flanking role, would be other light tanks (especially those outfitted with autocannons), which remain operational after the first shot. Aircraft also pose a high risk to the tank, since the roof armour is only 10 mm thick.

The tank is also very useful at suppressing enemies, since the autoloader and relatively high turret traverse enable the tank to fire at multiple targets in a short time. It can also be used to engage medium/heavy tanks in close proximity and on urban maps. However, one should try to destroy the enemies' cannon first, since return fire can be expected prior to the second shot. Using the tank for such tactics comes at a relative risk, since shots from cannons can often disable the tank. Another risk of this strategy is the swift destruction one may face when encountering light tanks with autocannons or anti-air vehicles.

Regardless of strategy, the tank works best when using cover. While it has a small turret, leaving it exposed is not favourable, since it not only houses two of the three crew members, but also up to 12 shots of ammunition. Baiting enemy tanks to push you by firing a shot is also a good idea. However, whilst the autoloader is fast, one has to remember that is not instantaneous, and that taking hits is a bad idea in the DF105.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Good mobility
• Powerful HEAT shell
• Autoloader grants a short and steady reload time
• Small turret profile. It is possible to peek over hills at long range with lower chance of getting hit
• Very spacious interior leading to non-explosive shells dealing little to no damage unless they hit critical components

Cons:

• Little to no armour. Explosive-type ammunition and .50 cals will have an easy time to go through you
• Lacks a gun stabilizer leads to a bouncy gun sight when moving and slowing to a stop
• Quite big in size, which can be a disadvantage in close-quarters fights
• No kinetic energy shells, can be a problem when facing tanks with ERA

History

The Combat Tank DF 105 was a prototype developed between France and Germany in the mid 1980s by Thyssen Henschel with intentions of being used as an export vehicle, rather than for national use. The vehicle used the hull of the Marder I, with the French made FL-15 oscillating turret housing the CN105-57 (105 mm) which was meant for the AMX-13 series.

Even though it was meant to be a support/light tank the vehicle could still carry a total of 5 dismounted infantrymen in the back of the tank thanks to the Marder's crew compartment. However, carrying those soldiers meant that the DF105 would loose the 50 rounds of ammunition stored in this area. Like many tanks and other vehicles of that era the DF105 had to be fitted with modern equipment's and electronics to stay relevant as an import candidate for many countries. As such, the vehicle used the TCV 186 laser rangefinder and SOPTAC fire control system. Also, the DF105 used an autoloader and a favourable gun depression for the gun even though it was an oscillating turret.

With the autoloader the DF105 had a fire rate of up to 12 rounds per minute and a total ammo capacity of 50 shots including those already present in the autoloader. The DF105 was able to fire HE, HEAT, APDS and eventually APFSDS, but since it was also meant to be used as a support tank or a direct fire tank in infantry formations (similar role to an infantry support tank) the most common rounds for the DF105 in battle would have been HE (T) and HEAT shells to penetrate fortifications and deal with entrenched infantry, as well as some lightly armed vehicles like BTR-60/70s.

The vehicle was relatively light, with a weight of up to 30 tons when fully loaded. To power this tank, a 720hp MB-833 Ka-500 engine was used, just like the one the TAM uses. While top speed is still unknown, it is estimated to be around the same as the one of the Marder IFV (75 km/h).

The development of the Combat Tank DF 105 can be traced to the French and Dutch AMX-13s and to the TAM project developed by Germany. Things like the similarities in the design, turret choices and other components used can be attributed to this tanks, since many of the design choices where made based on the performance and already available experience with these tanks that had very good success in the international markets. However, even though it was a promising design the DF105 stayed as a prototype, since no countries were interested in acquiring it. This lack of interest can be attributed in part to the inspirations of this tank. The AMX-13 was already operated by many countries that saw very little upgrade in the DF105, also, Argentina already operated the TAM so it was not needed a new support tank in their army. Not only that, the Austrian SK-105 used the AMX-13 design with the same gun and turret as the DF105, this meant that it was a cheaper upgrade for many countries that where trying to get rid of their old AMX-13s but wanted something similar in terms of performance and logistic.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the DF105 from live.warthunder.com.

See also

• Marder A1-
• Marder 1A3

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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