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M18 Hellcat's Top Speed

Author: Priory_of_Sion

The top speed of the M18 Hellcat has been a point of conversation ever since it was implemented. WG has set the top speed of the M18 as 72 km/h as of today. This however is lower than historical top speed and since the introduction of the Panzer I ausf. C speeds higher than 72 km/h are possible. The Hellcat deserves some more speed IMO. Many people want the speed to be 97 km/h, this speed however is only attainable is short spurts in perfect circumstances and still causes damage to the engine and transmission, lets not have that. According to US Ordnance Corps the M18's official maximum speed is 80 km/h. This 80 km/h mark is much more comfortable and reasonable top speed than the 97 km/h that isn't sustainable and isn't backed by US Ordnance Corps records.

Also in WoT the M18 can mount the M36 turret and the M3 90 mm gun, in this configuration the M18 goes from having ~23.6 hp/t to ~21 hp/t. I would expect that the top speed to decrease along with the hp/t ratio, so the speed in WoT of 72 km/h should be fairly accurate in describing the M18 with the M36 turret/90 mm.

I didn't want this post to be pic-less, so look at the 90 mm Hellcat.


In WoT it would be accurate and not game-breaking IMO to increase the top speed for the M18 Hellcat to ~80 km/h for the configuration with the stock turret and top engine. The top speed for the elite M18 is fine IMO. Just my 2 cents.

Sources:
M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer 1943-97 by Steven J. Zaloga

Stuart: History of the American Light Tank Vol 1 by R. P. Hunnicutt

British and American Tanks of World War Two, The Complete Illustrated History of British, American, and Commonwealth Tanks 1933-1945 by Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis


Brainstorming British Premiums

By EnsignExpendable

Based on some documents Yuri Pasholok came across, he designed these two tanks that could very well one day become British premiums.

"Ensign, you scoundrel," you may interject. "These are obviously Soviet tanks! That's just some kind of silly gun on the T-34 Model 1942 and KV-1!"

As some of you may know, a T-34 and a KV-1 were tested in the US to find out what American and Soviet tank builders could learn from each other. Fewer people know that the same thing happened in Britain. While the Americans only liked some features of Soviet tanks, the British liked all of them. A lot. Aside from some minor complaints, they were ready to produce T-34s and KVs locally, with British guns. Let's take a look at what these tanks can do in World of Tanks.

The T-34 goes first. The British were planning to produce it with a 17-pounder gun. The gun in game weighs 826 kg. The S-54 on the T-34 weighs a whopping 1390 kg, so it should have no problems with overloading the tank or reducing its maneuverability.

The undeniable top gun on the T-34 is the ZiS-4, with 112 penetration and 85 damage. The 17-pounder has 171 penetration, 150 damage. This gun is comparable to the T-34-85's D5T-85BM, with more penetration and less damage. Obviously, the 17-pounder won't be a tier 5 gun, but a tier 6 premium T-34 Firefly is feasible, especially with preferential matchmaking to compensate for that reduced turret armour. Drop the ROF to 9-10, and it would be set.

The KV-1 is a little harder. Its gun isn't in the game, so that allows me to be a little creative. The rate of fire obviously won't be fantastic. The KV-2, with an M-10 howitzer (that has a rate of fire of 3-4 outside of a tank) has an in-game ROF of 2.5 RPM. The 6-inch howitzer the British proposed to put in the KV-1 has a ROF of 2 RPM. Inside a turret, and a small KV-1 turret at that, the RPM is going to drop like a rock. Even with its original 2 RPM, the tank isn't going to be very good.

However, there is a saving grace. The British put a very big emphasis on indirect fire, so their hypothetical KV would have the sights for it. The British KV could be an artillery piece like the leFH18B1. A somewhat armoured hull with a 2 RPM 152 mm howitzer in a fully rotating turret would be an interesting tier 5 artillery. Or maybe 6, since British SPGs are coming after the artillery trees are normalized.




7.4.2013

- the reason a T7 Soviet premium med will be implemented is that suitable tier 8 Soviet premium medium tank was not found
- Type 59 MM spread is considered "normal"
- AMX-13 better than T71 in anything? "It's adequate complex-of-characteristics-wise"
- tier 10 arties will make the work easier for the matchmaking mechanism
- regarding the question why T-54-2 won't be implemented as Soviet T8 premium MT: "You want another Type 59? We don't." (SS: not as a Type 59 visual copy, but as another balanced medium that would flood the random battles) and "T-54-2 is not worse in any way than Type 59"
- IS-7 maximum speed buff only presents itself when the tank goes downhill (engine power was unchanged)
- test server hardware is apparently not used between tests
- Deathmatch mode is not even in long-term plans
- the devs didn't find enough materials about Leopard prototyp B to implement it. It still exists as a built prototype tank, but photographing it is forbidden for now, might get implemented if the data are found
- second round of 0.8.5 test is planned
- apparently, one of the devs answered incorrectly before (as the RU players are also confused), so: British arty is NOT planned to come at the same time as other tier 10 arty, it will come afterwards, "British arty was never planned for 0.8.6"
- plans for 0.8.6 will be officially revealed very soon
- when an artillery HE shell lands between two close standing tanks (splash), each tank gets its own HE average shell (+/-25) damage (eg the damage is not halved)