AMX-13

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AMX-13
AB RB SB
6.3 6.7 6.7
Class:
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Description

GarageImage AMX-13.jpg


The AMX-13 is a Rank IV French light tank with a battle rating of 6.3 (AB) and 6.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.75 "La Résistance". The AMX-13's chassis is the mainstay of France's light tank technology for the post-war period and this one is its most iconic iteration as it is mounted with the FL10 turret. This vehicle is one of the best light tank at its BR, capable of fulfilling many roles on the battlefield.

The AMX-13 series has one of the most distinctive looks of all armoured warfare's history as it combines many unusual design choices. First, this tank does not feature a "classical" layout: engine deck is next to the driver and the turret ring is at the rear of the tank's hull. Speaking of turrets, this tank has an oscillating one, which means that both gun and turret armour are welded together and that the whole assembly has to rotate to elevate the gun. This way of mounting allows the placement of an autoloader mechanism in the long turret bulge. As for its size, it is very small.

Even though this tank has unimpressive armour values, its sloped profile will protect it from autocannon fire (with some distance, even the Bofors can't go through this tank). Any dedicated antitank gun/missile/contraption will go right through this tank's armour. While this may sound a bit bad "getting easily pierced" also has its advantages: some APHE rounds will not detonate upon impact, which will minimise the damage done. If you happen to get shot at, the best way to survive is by showing your right front corner towards the enemy, this way, the engine deck may catch some shells. Don't ever rely on this tank's armour, take every shot you survive as a second chance.

This vehicle can carry you wherever you want as long as you do not give yourself up. With 28 HP/ton, this tank's engine allows for fast accelerations and good, sustained, top speed, it will never let you down. Run this vehicle around the battlefield as you wish, deserting points to find other ones to fire from.

Well-positioned, this gun can make your enemies cry: with its quick firing rate it is "one-two, goodbye" for any foe caught from the sides/rear. In usual one-on-one engagements, foes usually exchange shots but, with the AMX-13, this is a lie: it can fire twice before its foe can reload, this can hurt very much. This high rate of fire makes it very efficient at long-distance sniping: it can adjust fire faster than its foes.

High gun placement and good gun depression angles make this tank very efficient at keeping low behind hills while showing very little of itself. Said shortly, this tank's armament is amazing.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Cast homogeneous armour (Turret base, Turret front)
  • Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 20 mm (67°) Front glacis
20-40 mm (5-50°) Lower glacis
20 mm 15 mm Top
15 mm (45°) Bottom
10 mm
5 mm Engine grille
Turret 40 mm (32-47°) Turret front
40 mm (12-41°) Turret base
40 mm (15-75°) Barrel shroud
20 mm (0-30°) Turret
20 mm (12-14°) Turret base
20 mm Turret bustle
20 mm (17-22°) Pivot ball
10 mm (77-90°) Turret underside
10 mm
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 20 mm 10 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
  • Belly armour is 10 mm thick.
  • 8 mm Structural steel firewall separates the driver from the engine.
  • The track and wheel on the front glacis offer about 15 mm structural steel thickness.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons)
Max speed (km/h)
14.7 N/A 67 (AB)
60 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 418 515
Realistic/Simulator 239 270
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 28.43 35.03
Realistic/Simulator 16.26 18.37

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: SA50 (75 mm)
75 mm SA50 L/57
Capacity Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
Stabilizer
36 -6°/+13° ±180° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 17.9 _.__ _.__ _.__ _.__
Realistic 17.9 _.__ _.__ _.__ _.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
45.0 _.__ _.__ _.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
POT-51A APC 168 163 140 110 95 82
75mm HE HE 10 10 10 10 10 10
PCOT-51P APCBC 180 176 163 150 136 126
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
in m/s
Projectile
Mass in kg
Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
Normalization At 30°
from horizontal:
Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
POT-51A APC 1,000 6.4 N/A N/A N/A ° 48° 63° 71°
75mm HE HE 753 6.2 0.4 0.1 675 +0° 79° 80° 81°
PCOT-51P APCBC 1,000 6.4 N/A N/A N/A ° 48° 63° 71°
Ammo racks
Ammo racks of the AMX-13.
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
7th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
36 31 (+5) 27 (+9) 22 (+14) 17 (+19) 12 (+24) (+30) (+35) no

Machine guns

Main article: MAC 31 (7.5 mm)
7.5 mm MAC 31
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
4,950 (150) 1,350 N/A N/A

Usage in the battles

The AMX-13 is a very competitive tank as it can reach tricky positions quite fast on the battlefield. Its low profile allows it to hide behind many obstacles, serving as armour for this light vehicle. Keeping hull-down, behind a hill on the border of the map is the best way to use this tank: frontal engagements are a no-go with such little armour. AMX-13 commanders will be surprised to be able to shoot 1 round every 6 seconds with such accuracy and power at this BR.

Long range sniper/flanker: Stay low and scout targets for your team. When spotting a vulnerable enemy, shoot its engine/transmission/driver, don't get back into cover and finish it off 6 second later, only then, fade back into the shadows. Do not get out of cover too often as enemies too much aware of your position may kill you easily. If spotted, stay as far as possible from enemy fire: this tank's small size can avoid a lot of shots since it takes some serious gunnery skills to hit such a fast and small target from a distance (1000+ m).

Brawler: Even though this is not recommended usage, this can tank actually be taken in close quarter combat. In this role, it behaves much like any SPAA in the same context: flanking and surprising its foes from the sides with an hailstorm of bullets. Use smoke launchers in order to secure roads and advance concealed towards unsuspecting foes.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Can reach its top speed quite fast
  • Awesome reload rate: 1 shot every 5 seconds, comparable to most rank 1 reload times
  • Gun performance is comparable to the British QF 17-pounder's solid shots.
  • 12 rounds autoloader mechanism.
  • Has smoke launchers (high ark of fire)
  • Good gun depression value
  • Fast turret rotation
  • Thin armour will often not detonate APHE ammo.
  • Low profile
  • High gun placement make hull-down positions very efficient

Cons:

  • Bad reverse speed for a light tank
  • Gun penetration rates are often subpar: relies heavily on flanking manoeuvres
  • Thin sides will get shredded by SPAAs and HMGs
  • Poor gun elevation value
  • Lacks defensive armament against aircraft
  • Thin top armour: vulnerable to strafing planes
  • Bad at stop-and-shoot due to oscillating turret design.

History

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

Read 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.

ETC.

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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

Template:French light tanks