T28/T95 Super Heavy Tank — The Doom Turtle

The T28 is one of the most iconic and unique vehicles in War Thunder and much can be said about its design, role, and performance. It often gets compared to its sibling, the T95, as it shares so many striking similarities with the latter. However, it does come with a number of noticeable differences that make this tank its own beast. So let’s take a close look at what makes this such a memorable addition to your lineup.

T28 vs T95? Same same, but different!

At first glance, the T28 appears almost identical to the T95 — both share the same hull and have an identical armament. Indeed, the only major difference appears in the side-mounted extra tracks for reducing ground pressure and improving cross-country mobility on the T95, which also provided a host of extra side armor — this is what differentiates it from the T28. Without these outer tracks, the T28 is narrower and sleeker, trading off some protection for reduced weight and a slightly better power-to-weight ratio.

Importantly, the outer tracks of the T95 could be detached in about two hours to allow for rail transport. The removed tracks were designed to be towed behind the vehicle. Historically, both vehicles are the exact same vehicle. It was originally designed as the 105 mm Gun Motor Carriage T95 in 1945, before becoming the Super Heavy Tank T28 in 1946, regardless of whether the outer tracks were mounted or not.

The T28 had been designed to break through the Siegfried Line — a complex of heavy German defenses. However, by the time the T28 underwent trials, the Siegfried Line had already been overrun by Allied forces. Consequently, the T28 stayed within the United States and later was considered for use in the planned invasion of the Japanese mainland, a mission that never materialized.

Survivability and Armor: The Turtle

The T28/T95's armor profile is one of its most defining traits, allowing it to absorb an impressive amount of punishment when properly positioned. While its side and rear armor leave much to be desired, its frontal protection is almost unparalleled for its BR.

Let’s break down its armor:

Hull Front: 305 mm

Sides: 50/63 mm

T28

T95

Rear: 50 mm

This makes the T28/95 exceptionally durable against most opponents, even in uptiers, where its front armor can shrug off most rounds with ease. Only high-penetration HEAT or APDS rounds stand a chance of defeating its front plate significantly.

However, it does have two major weak points: the commander’s and driver’s cupolas. These hatches are vulnerable to almost any tank capable of accurately hitting them, and a well-placed shot with sufficient explosive filler will usually result in a one-shot kill.

To mitigate this weakness, players can use camouflage bushes to obscure these cupolas. While it’s tempting to suggest bushes to conceal these cupolas, I’ll leave that decision to your discretion. The rear-mounted engine and transmission on the T28/95 can occasionally absorb incoming fire, allowing the vehicle a chance to be saved by an allied player.

Firepower: The 105mm Doom Dealer

The T28’s main armament, the 105 mm T5E1 gun, is nothing short of devastating at its BR. The gun offers excellent penetration and versatile ammunition choices, making it a threat to almost any opponent on the battlefield.

What ammo should you use? Let’s check them, so you can pick your own poison:

T32 APCBC Shot (Base ammo)	T13 APCBC-HE Shell (Researched with modifications)	T29E3 APCR (Researched with modifications)	T30E1 HE (Base Ammo)
Penetration: 253 mm at 100 meters.	Penetration: 250 mm at 100 meters.	Penetration: 287 mm at 100 meters.	Penetration: 27mm at 100 meters.
Lacks explosive filler but makes up for this by the high penetration value. Good until T13 is unlocked.	Has 181 grams of explosive filler and is the best to cause catastrophic damage upon penetration.	Great to pierce through heavy targets. Angled penetration and post-penetration damage is poor, though.	As all HE, awesome against lightly armored vehicles or open tops. 1.5kg of explosive mass, shell goes boom.

Vertical guidance for the gun is between -5° and +19°, with horizontal traverse limited to -10°/+11° in reflection of its casemate design. The gun takes 20 seconds to reload; an aced crew brings it down to 15.4 seconds. Together with the fantastic firepower and front armor, this makes the T28/95 virtually untouchable in long-range engagements and possibly frontal assaults.

For secondary armament, the T28/95 is fitted with a 12.7 mm M2HB machine gun mounted on the roof, commonly known as a .50. While primarily useful against lightly armored vehicles and SPAA, it has also saved me countless times from CAS. Never underestimate the power of this freedom dispenser!

Mobility: Not a turtle only because of the armor

The T28's greatest weakness is its mobility. With a top speed of just 8 mph (13 km/h), you’ll often arrive late to the action. Its GAF V-8 engine (The same used on the M26 Pershing) delivers 500 horsepower at 2,600 rpm, resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of 8.4 hp/ton. While this is an improvement over the T95’s 5.8 hp/ton due to the absence of the auxiliary tracks, it’s still painfully slow. While this slight improvement in mobility helps, the T28/95 remains the slowest vehicles in the whole game, that’s why most people won’t even try it.

Simple “How to use”:

On large open maps such as Second Battle of El Alamein, the T28/T95 is in its element as a sniper. (Don’t even try to advance, the maps are so big that you won’t go far.) Camp at long ranges where your 305 mm frontal armor will serve to block or bounce most incoming shots. Use your gun to smack opponents before they get close. However, be very aware of light tanks attempting to flank you and CAS targeting you.

On tighter, more urban maps like Normandy or Advance to the Rhine, I like to use the T28/T95 as a spearhead. With frontal armor that can absorb most incoming fire, it can be quite useful when leading an assault, even if you are the last one, because everyone is faster than you, but always remain cautious of side and rear attacks. Despite its slow speed, its ability to pivot quickly thanks to its neutral steering can sometimes counter flanking maneuvers unless too late.

Final Thoughts

I bought the T28 for full price, and for me it’s been worth every Golden Eagle. I also own the T95, and despite being at a higher BR, it’s still a very good tank. While its mobility is far from perfect, in my opinion, the firepower and frontal armor of the T28/95 more than compensate. Learning how to position it and protect the weak points takes it from slow-moving practice target to the legendary Doom Turtle, spilling Freedom and Doom everywhere.

Few things in War Thunder are as satisfying as watching enemies panic as their shots ricochet harmlessly off your armor, only for you to return fire and obliterate them with your 105 mm cannon. Of course, this often leads to being revenge-bombed by CAS.