M48A2 C

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Rank 6 USA
F-5C Pack
This page is about the German medium tank M48A2 C. For other versions, see M48 Patton (Family).
germ_mkpz_m48a2c.png
GarageImage M48A2 C.jpg
ArtImage M48A2 C.png
M48A2 C
AB RB SB
7.7 7.7 7.7
Class:
Research:95 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:270 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The M48A2 C is a rank V German medium tank with a battle rating of 7.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.91 "Night Vision".

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull110 / 76 / 35
Turret130 / 76 / 51
Crew4 people
Visibility117 %

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (hull roof, hull rear - engine vents, turret roof, turret ring)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 85-200 mm (59-74°) Front glacis
63-200 mm (13-60°) Lower glacis
76 mm (5-45°) Front
51 mm (0-44°) Rear
35 mm Top
25 mm (32-62°) Bottom
57 mm (0-58°)
30 mm Engine access panel
12.7 mm (76°) Engine vents
Turret 83.2-173 mm (0-48°) Turret front
152 + 82 mm (17-26°) Gun mantlet
69-100 mm (12-36°) 51-55 mm (2-71°)
25.4 mm (75-82°) Underpart of the turret
25-69 mm
Cupola 70 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
  • The turret ring is 70 mm thick.

The armour of the M48A2 C is identical to the M48A1. The ammo rack in the turret is removed and the shape of the front hull ammo racks are improved. The front armour is able to handle almost most APHE shells it might face, but struggles against HEATFS and APDS rounds. The lower front plate is a weak spot. The sides are decently armoured, but not thick enough to make angling the hull a valid tactic. Some thin vents on the top of the hull are vulnerable to strafing runs by enemy aircraft, which may cause engine fires. Overall, the M48A2 C has excellent armour protection for its tier.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB54 / 10 km/h
RB and SB49 / 9 km/h
Number of gears4 forward
2 back
Weight47.8 t
Engine power
AB1 574 hp
RB and SB825 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB32.9 hp/t
RB and SB17.3 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 54 10 47.8 1,279 1,574 26.76 32.93
Realistic 49 9 730 825 15.27 17.26

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB3 670 → 5 460 Sl icon.png
RB4 147 → 6 170 Sl icon.png
SB5 843 → 8 694 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications77 600 Rp icon.png
129 500 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 000 Ge icon.png
Crew training78 000 Sl icon.png
Experts270 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 100 Ge icon.png
Research Aces670 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
130 / 200 / 220 % Sl icon.png
190 / 190 / 190 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
3 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
3 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 800 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
3 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 800 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
4 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 500 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
5 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 400 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
5 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 400 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
2 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 800 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement ger.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
4 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 500 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
3 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
3 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
90mm_us_M82_m48_ammo_pack
Research:
3 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
3 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 800 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
90mm_ger_DM502_JPz_HESH_ammo_pack
Research:
3 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 800 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
4 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 500 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
90mm_us_M431_HEAT_ammo_pack
Research:
4 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 500 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods night vision device.png
NVD
Research:
4 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 500 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
5 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 400 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
90mm_us_M313_Smoke_ammo_pack
Research:
5 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 400 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods tank rangefinder.png
Rangefinder
Research:
5 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 400 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Rangefinder
Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder
Night vision device
Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Main armament

Ammunition64 rounds
First-order27 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
8.7 → 6.7 s
Vertical guidance-9° / 19°
Main article: M41 (90 mm)
90 mm M41 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 64 -9°/+19° ±180° - 22.8 31.6 38.4 42.5 45.2 8.71 7.70 7.10 6.70
Realistic 14.3 16.8 20.4 22.6 24.0

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
M332 shot APCR 321 316 292 265 240 218
M82 shot APCBC 185 182 169 155 142 130
M431 shell HEATFS 320 320 320 320 320 320
DM502 HESH 102 102 102 102 102 102
M71 shell HE 20 20 18 17 16 16
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
M332 shot APCR 1,249 5.7 - - - 66° 70° 72°
M82 shot APCBC 853 10.91 1.2 14 137.2 48° 63° 71°
M431 shell HEATFS 1,216 5.8 0.05 0.1 712.64 65° 72° 77°
DM502 HESH 853 10.6 0.1 4 3,050 73° 77° 80°
M71 shell HE 823 10.55 0.2 0.1 1,210 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)
M313 821 10.7 9 5 20 50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M48A2 C
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
64 57 (+7) 46 (+18) 28 (+36) 21 (+43) (+63) No

Notes:

  • Shells are modeled by sets of 2 and disappear from the rack after you've fired both shells in the set.
  • Racks 4 and 5 are first stage ammo racks. They total 27 shells and get filled first when loading up the tank.
    • These racks are also emptied early: the depletion order at full capacity is: 4 - 5 - 1 - 2 - 3.
    • Full reload speed will be realized as long as shells are available in the ready racks 4 and 5. If both ready racks are empty, a penalty to reload speed will occur.
    • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 3 into rack 5 then 4. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
  • If you pack 21 (+43) shells, it will keep the front hull and the turret bustle empty of ammo.

Machine guns

Ammunition1 400 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate575 shots/min
Vertical guidance-10° / 60°
Ammunition6 000 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate500 shots/min
12.7 mm M2HB
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 1,400 (200) 575 -10°/+60° ±180°
7.62 mm M73
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 6,000 (250) 500 - -

Usage in battles

Stock Gameplay:

The stock grind of the M48A2 C is problematic since the M332 APCR shot is the only stock ammunition provided, excluding the HE shell. Because of the lacklustre performance of APCR shots against angles, and the limited post-penetration damage it inflicts, players need to aim very carefully. Players may find the most success through flanking, and assisting teammates disable enemy armour. Sticking close to allies is near mandatory, as being caught off guard with the APCR is often times a death sentence. Players should prioritize unlocking the M82 APCBC round immediately, as it improves the tank's offensive capability significantly. Along with the M48A2 C's decent manoeuvrability while stock, flanking with the APCBC shell is a viable, and quite effective, option.

Spaded Gameplay:

The M48A2 C is a powerful tank. The M431 HEATFS round has adequate penetration, and in the event that a round with higher post-penetration effects is needed, the M82 APCBC is also available. The gun and reload rate are comparable to other main battle tanks of the battle rating, although the M48A2 C relies on its HEATFS round for most situations. The armour on the M48A2 C is adequate, able to bounce enemy shells depending on the angle. The night vision image intensifier equipment and IR lamp can be a big advantage during night battles, but M48A2 C players should be careful not to expose themselves using their own IR lamp. The M48A2 C does not excel spectacularly in any way, but it is an adequate medium tank that is well suited to most situations.

Close Range Engagements:

The M48A2 C is capable at close range, but it is not exceptional. It has decent acceleration and gun handling, meaning it will do decently. Additionally the armour can prove useful even at close range. The only issue for the M48A2 C at close range is the post-penetration on the HEATFS round. Generally using the APCBC round is more effective at close ranges.

Long Range Engagements:

The M48A2 C is very capable at long range. The HEATFS round will easily penetrate almost any enemy tank at any range. The biggest issues the M48A2 C will face in regards to long range engagements is the velocity and drop on the HEATFS round. Once this can be accounted for, it will perform very well. Additionally, the armour is even more effective at long range.

Gameplay summary:

Although the M48A2 C is very difficult to play when stock, it is an adequate frontline tank while spaded. The good HEATFS round gives it a strong position in the German tech tree. The M48A2 C is a true main battle tank, and will perform well in any situation. The one disadvantage the M48 may suffer from is a lack of a stabilizer on the main gun. While most tanks which it faces also lack stabilization, those that have it will have a big advantage over the M48A2 C.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Decent frontal hull armour, impenetrable UFP for most conventional ammo
  • Good firepower
  • Good mobility
  • Has a commander's .50 calibre machine gun
  • APCBC round with devastating high-explosive filler for great damage upon penetration
  • Surprisingly survivable, two crew members often survive a shot
  • Gun mantlet tend to stop conventional rounds
  • More favourable matchmaking compared to other 90 mm armed M48 Pattons

Cons:

  • Difficult APCR stock grind
  • Turret armour isn't reliable
  • Commander's cupola weak spot
  • Ineffective armour in an uptier
  • No stabilizer
  • Ammunition explosions are common as most of the shells are in the front next to the driver

History

In the mid 1950s, West Germany received several versions of the M48 Patton III tank from the US. Of these versions were the standard M48A2 and the M48A2C, the latter featuring the M13 fire control system and lacking the rear track tension roller present on the standard M48A2. Later on, these vehicles would be modified by the Germans. They would receive IR equipment, new storage boxes, and banks of four smoke grenades on either side of the turret face. These upgrades were not performed on all German M48A2s and was thus not standardized, however, the vehicles that did receive the upgrades would be unofficially referred to as M48A2 G and M48A2 C G, similar to the M47 which was unofficially referred to as M47 G after it received a similar upgrade. (The vehicle represented in-game is an M48A2 C G) These upgraded vehicles would see service until the 1970's were it was replaced by the M48A2 GA2.

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Related development

External links


Chrysler Defense
MBTs 
M48 Patton  M48A1
M60  M60 · M60A1 (AOS) · M60A2 · M60A1 RISE (P) · M60A3 TTS
M1  XM1 (Chrysler) · M1 Abrams
Export 
M48  M48A2 C · M48A2 G A2 · ␗M48A1 · Magach 1 · Magach 2
M60  ␗M60A3 TTS · M60A1 "D.C.Ariete" ·
Note  Chrysler Defense was purchased by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) in 1982.

Germany medium tanks
Pz.III  Pz.III B · Pz.III E · Pz.III F · Pz.III J · Pz.III J1 · Pz.III J1 TD · Pz.III L · Pz.III M · Pz.III N
Pz.IV  Pz.IV C · Pz.IV E · Pz.IV F1 · Pz.IV F2 · Pz.IV G · Pz.IV H · Pz.IV J · Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J
Pz.V  VK 3002 (M) · Panther A · Panther D · Panther F · Panther G · Ersatz M10 · Panther II
M48 upgrades  M48A2 G A2 · M48 Super
Leopard 1  Leopard I · Leopard A1A1 · Leopard A1A1 (L/44) · Leopard 1A5 · C2A1 · Turm III
Leopard 2  PT-16/T14 mod. · Leopard 2K · Leopard 2AV
  Leopard 2A4 · Leopard 2 (PzBtl 123) · Leopard 2 PL · Leopard 2A5 · Leopard 2 PSO · Leopard 2A6 · Leopard 2A7V
Trophies  ▀M4 748 (a) · ▀T 34 747 (r)
Other  Nb.Fz. · KPz-70
USA  mKPz M47 G · M48A2 C
USSR  ◊T-72M1