The M-51 is an Israeli modification of the age-old Sherman armed with a HEAT-slinging 105mm gun designed by the French. It has a decently armored gun mantlet which is capable of withstanding some enemy fire, weak hull armor and a powerful cannon. The poor velocity and inconsistent damage of the gun combined with its poor mobility makes for a unique learning curve for anyone wanting to try out the Israeli tech tree.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Penetration is more than enough for its rank. | The HEAT rounds provide inconsistent damage. |
| The gun mantlet can be effective at blocking some enemy fire. | The overall armor and mobility are quite poor. |
| Even when stock, the gun has good accuracy. | Lacking a stabilizer, firing on the move is difficult. |
* * *
* * *
Armament
With its penetration being similar to tanks of much higher BRs, such as the AMX-30 and the DM12 round on the Leopard 1, it has a large advantage over its adversaries. For example, the long-barreled KwK43 of the Tiger II has 237 millimeters of penetration at point blank range, and it drops over distance.
However, the primary flaw of this gun is that the post-penetration damage is very inconsistent. Although it has excellent penetration, aiming for critical components is a necessity to make the most out of it.
An important note about this cannon is its sub-optimal reload speed. At 9.75 seconds long when stock, the only tanks you will be out-reloading are heavy tanks like the T26E1-1 Super Pershing or the formidable IS-2. In addition, the shells' velocity being slightly lower than normal APHE can be used in your advantage to shoot over hills, catching enemies off guard. An important note is that the vertical elevation speed is terrible when stock, but the gun accuracy is good, making for an interesting experience.
* * *
Armor and Survivability
Possibly one of the most important things to note about this tank is its poor hull armor. Using the hull of the M4A1, not only does it have very poor armor compared to other medium tanks at its BR but also unlike its premium brother, the M-51 (W), it cannot even angle its hull. Even low-caliber SPAAs at this rank can penetrate it through the curved cheeks on the sides of the hull with some 40-millimeter SPAAs being able to go straight through the hull at close range.
That being said, the gun mantlet is the saving grace of this tank. It is entirely capable of bouncing enemy shots at medium to long range. Combined with the decent gun depression, this tank can excel in hull-down tactics, utilizing the long-range penetration of its HEAT shells and the relatively strong mantlet to become a very capable sniper.
The survivability of this tank is on the low side, as the weak hull armor will easily get penetrated by APHE rounds and, so long as they don't get eaten by the transmission, any penetrating APHE shot to the hull is almost a guaranteed death. The turret roof armor is also a weak spot, especially when having a dead crew member in the hull and getting strafed by an aircraft with cannons (like the Su-11, Do-335 B, or the Pulkzerstörer.) An APHE shot to the turret roof will also likely result in the turret crew being knocked out. Despite occasionally being able to survive a hit from an AP/APCBC round that lacks explosive filler, you shouldn't count on it.
* * *
Mobility
If the mobility of the M-51 could be described in one word, it would be lacking. Although it is built on an M4A1 chassis, the extra weight from the new turret and the upgraded but still underpowered engine means that you will most likely never be the first to the front lines. With a max forward speed of 43 km/h and reverse speed of 3-5 km/h, you will need to chose your positions carefully.
When stock, its acceleration is very poor and loss of momentum is significant when turning. This, combined with the low crew level, can make it frustrating to drive to the capture points that you once thought you could rush.
When spaded, it is more agile and will reach its maximum speed faster than before. The only races that you'll be winning anytime soon are against heavy tanks however since most of your medium tank friends will reach the front lines before you, so don't think that you will be able to capture the point on your side of the map before your teammates.
* * *
Usage in battles
With its poor mobility, weak armor and powerful long-range firepower, there are two different ways to use this tank. One playstyle for this vehicle is sniping, using the gun depression and long-range penetration. It can also be played as a support tank, staying behind the front lines and assisting allies in destroying heavily armored targets.
Usage #1: Sniper
Utilizing the good gun depression, the M-51 can excel in the role of a hull-down sniper. Use your mediocre mobility to get to a good spot, then open fire on your enemies from long range. You will quite possibly be the best player on your team for this role, as not only do you have excellent penetration, but it also does not drop over range. The main advantage over using it as a sniper is that you do not need to worry about firing on the move. However, the disadvantage is that you will need to have practice with the odd gun velocity. The velocity is only slightly lower than normal APHE, so it will not take too long to get used to.
Usage #2: Support tank
Due to its poor mobility, the M-51 will rarely be able to get to the front lines before its teammates can. This means that you have two options. You can either stay behind your teammates, only popping out from cover when you are sure that the enemy tank cannot return fire, or you can carefully try to flank around the enemy, aim for weak spots and fire before retreating to the safety of your cover. This strategy has somewhat higher risk, as there may be an enemy with their gun trained on the corner of the cover where you are about to peek. Thus, you need to be comfortable and practice firing this quite bouncy gun accurately on the move.
All in all, the M-51 can be a joy to play, destroying those pesky post-war heavy tanks that you always thought were invincible! However, just make sure you don't get shot, or you will end up with a smaller SL balance that you had before.
Huge thanks to @F-16D Barak II for helping me with editing this article!
