M8 HMC (China)
| This page is about the SPG M8 HMC (China). For other vehicles of the family, see M8 General Scott (Family). For other uses, see M8 (Disambiguation). |
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Contents
Description
The 75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8 (M8 HMC) is a self-propelled howitzer vehicle used by the U.S. Army during World War II. It was built on the chassis of the Light Tank M5 and was armed with an M116 howitzer (later changed to M2 howitzer; also known as the M101 howitzer) mounted on an M7 mount. During World War II, the M8 HMC was transported to China as part of the lend-lease program, where it functioned as a fire support vehicle for the Chinese Nationalist Army. However, since the Japanese conquered most of the coastal areas and ports later in World War II, the M8 HMC were transported to China in relatively small numbers as the allies had difficulty finding an appropriate landing spot for bringing in equipment while avoiding Japanese capture at the same time. The only occasion the M8 HMC may have seen limited combat was during the Huai Hai campaign of the Chinese Civil War, when both sides deployed tanks.
Introduced in Update 1.91 "Night Vision", the M8 HMC provides yet another unique experience for players in the early ranks of Chinese Army ground forces. Since the primary 75 mm howitzer fires low-velocity projectiles, long-range engagement is undesirable. However, given the low velocity of the shells, it is possible to engage opponents who are not in the line of sight, such as by moving behind low obstacles and firing shells in a short arc to target enemies behind the cover. The turret roof was outfitted with an M2HB Browning heavy machine gun, which is capable of engaging enemy lightly armored vehicles and early planes.
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour
- Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 28.5 mm (48-49°) Front Glacis 38.1 mm (15-30°) Lower glacis |
28.5 mm Front 25.4 mm Rear |
25.4 mm (1-47°) Top 25.4 mm (1-20°) Bottom |
12.7 mm |
| Turret | 38.1 mm (6-40°) Turret front 38.1 mm (1-65°) Gun mantlet |
25.4 mm (18-20°) | 25.4 mm (1°) | N/A |
Notes:
- Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 10 mm thick.
- Tracks are peppered on the turret sides that give 17 mm extra where they are.
- Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick
Mobility
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 70 | 19 | 15.6 | 420 | 565 | 26.92 | 36.22 |
| Realistic | 64 | 17 | 262 | 296 | 16.79 | 18.97 | |
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
Main armament
| 75 mm M2 Howitzer | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 46 | -20°/+40° | ±180° | N/A | 5.28 | 7.31 | 8.88 | 9.82 | 10.45 | 4.29 | 3.80 | 3.50 | 3.30 |
| Realistic | 3.57 | 4.20 | 5.10 | 5.64 | 6.00 | ||||||||
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 | ||
| M48 shell | HE | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| M66 | HEAT | 89 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 89 |
| 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% | ||||||||||
| M48 shell | HE | 381 | 6.3 | 0 | 0.1 | 666 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| M66 | HEAT | 304 | 6.02 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 548.13 | 62° | 69° | 73° | |||
| 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) |
| M64 | 381 | 6.9 | 13 | 5 | 20 | 50 |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 35 (+11) | 23 (+23) | 12 (+34) | 1 (+45) | No |
Machine guns
| 12.7 mm M2HB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Pintle | 400 (200) | 576 | -5°/+70° | ±180° |
Usage in battles
In general, the M8 Scott plays like a beefed-up M5A1. Being based on the same chassis, the massive increase in gun calibre and destructive potential means that enemies the light tank previously had difficulty destroying can now be dealt with more easily. One strategy is to push for the capture point and take it immediately using the high speed the chassis is capable of reaching. Once the capture point is held, find a good hull-down position and use the 75 mm HEAT to destroy any and all oncoming tanks.
When attacking open-topped vehicles like SPAAs, tank destroyers and trucks, the 75 mm HEAT round can demolish a vehicle in one hit. If the 75 mm is reloading or is unoperational, the .50 cal M2HB machine gun can be used to great effect against the target. This machine gun can even be used from behind cover, with the entire vehicle hidden behind an object and the machine gun poking up and over it.
Against heavier armour, the need to find a good hidden position is critical. On certain tanks, the addition of track armour can give the M8 difficulty in penetrating them. A good hull down position on their flank can provide a shot to hit their side armour, which is generally less armoured. Keep in mind that some tanks like the Pz.III M, Pz.III N, and the 41M Turan II are equipped with sideskirts and spaced armour. These are designed to counter HEAT rounds and often can absorb at least one HEAT round with no damage to the components behind it.
Tanks like the Pz.IV F2 and its line of tanks can be a serious headache for the M8 Scott. A recommended strategy is to aim for the right side of their turret and knock-out their gunner first, then aim for the middle of their hull (upper or lower glacis works) for a final shot. Outside of that, most of the heavy armour will be out of the M8's BR range leaving most encountered vehicles viable to destroy.
If you finds itself under attack from the air, find cover as the M8 Scott's roof is open to any and all strafing fire. Once sufficient cover is found, you can switch to the cupola-mounted M2HB and attempt to shoot down the attackers. The .50 cal machine gun can output a decent amount of damage against critical components on an aircraft, and can pilot snipe an enemy due to its high penetration.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Great firepower, HEAT has enough power to penetrate tough adversaries like the B1 bis and Matilda III
- 12.7 mm M2HB heavy machine gun is lethal at the battle rating and can quickly destroy vehicles like the Ha-Go or the He 51 C-1
- Excellent gun depression of -20 degrees, able to peek above almost every slope and launch surprise attacks
- When hull-down, its double layer turret front can bounce some low-calibre or low-penetrating shells like the Pz.IIs' 20 mm
- Very fast reload for the calibre allows quick follow up shots
- Low muzzle velocity shell's parabolic path can allow for shooting over hills which can be surprisingly useful
- Speed and mobility of the M5 Stuart light tanks, allowing it to manoeuvre and flank with ease
Cons:
- Extremely slow turret traverse makes CQB challenging, especially if the vehicle is immobilized
- Short gun can be difficult to use in long range engagements
- Open-top turret exposes crew to artillery and aircraft strafing fire
- Thin armour and tightly packed crew makes it very vulnerable to tank destroyers that have APHE, like the SU-76M
- Shells have low muzzle velocity, making shooting at long-range or moving targets difficult
- Tightly packed crew which can be knocked out easily
History
The Republic of China's M8 Scott Howitzer Motor Carriages were purchased around 1948 from the United States. Approximately 200 M8 arrived in Taiwan alongside batches of M7 Priest self-propelled guns and M4 Sherman medium tanks.
In 1948, the Chinese Civil War battles were still ongoing. Numerous battles were won by the Communist Party of China's armoured forces and they started to show rising superiority in tank and troop numbers. This superiority lead to their eventual total control of mainland China and the retreat of the Kuomintang to Taiwan.
The M8s were designated to provide close artillery support in case of massive Communist amphibious assaults in Taiwan and adjacent islands. This large-scale invasion never occurred and it is uncertain if the M8 Scotts took any part in combat on the Chinese Civil War aside from training exercises.
There are several preserved M8s currently in display in Taiwan.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
US similar versions
External links
- "Tanke Mao," Ching-shih Ch'iang-chia, and T'ien Li-jen: "The Evolution of the Republic of China Army Armored Artillery." Illustrated Guide of Weapons & Tactics [兵器戰術圖解], v20 May 2005, p78-82.
- The Developmental History of the Nationalist Armored Force [國軍裝甲兵發展史] by Said Mohamed 孫建中; Sun Chien-chung, 2005
- ROC's M8 pictures
- English forum discussion related to the ROC's M8 combat use
- English forum discussion related to the arrival of the M8 to Taiwan
| China tank destroyers | |
|---|---|
| PLA | |
| Gun vehicles | PLZ83 · PLZ83-130 · PTZ89 |
| Missile vehicles | AFT09 |
| ROC | |
| Missile vehicles | CM25 |
| USA | |
| Gun vehicles | ␗M8 HMC · LVT(A)(4) (ZiS-2) · ␗M10 GMC · ␗M36 GMC |
| Missile vehicles | ␗M113A1 (TOW) |
| USSR | |
| Gun vehicles | ␗SU-76M · ␗ISU-152 · ␗ISU-122 · ␗SU-100 |
