MPK pr.122A
| This page is about the Soviet sub-chaser MPK pr.122A. For the premium version, see MPK Pr.122bis. |
Contents
Description
The MPK pr.122A is a small anti-submarine ship that was developed in early 1939. The vessel was intended to serve a dual purpose as both a submarine hunter and a maritime border guard. However, the construction of the vessel progressed rather slowly, with only the first vessel completed in 1941 due to the outbreak of the war.
This vessel was introduced during Update 1.79 "Project X" when the Soviet fleet was implemented into the game. The MPK pr.122A boasts good survivability thanks to its numerous crew and can effectively destroy enemy boats or lightly armoured targets, as well as armoured targets thanks to its 76 mm APHE shell.
General info
Survivability and armour
Due to its large size and decent crew, this is a difficult boat to sink. The whole vessel is unarmoured except for the gun shield, meaning that machinery and ammunition are left exposed. Although magazine explosions are rare, it's common for both the gun and engine to be knocked out, either of which will spell disaster for this vessel. Fortunately, due to its size, the crew is spread out and there are more compartments to disable, increasing your life expectancy greatly.
Mobility
The boat is reasonably fast in a straight line, able to keep up with slower PT boats and outpace German minesweepers. However, turning is awful due to large hull length. The boat tends to spin, meaning the stern will hit rocks or the shoreline if sailed too close. Stopping distance is also a problem, with no easy way to escape trouble once you've found it. All in all, it has decent mobility, adequate for the role, but it does have some shortcomings to be mindful of.
| Mobility Characteristics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||
| AB | |||
| Upgraded | 66 | 31 | |
| RB/SB | |||
| Upgraded | 43 | 20 | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armament
Primary armament
Primary armament consists of a single rapid fire 76 mm gun positioned on the bow, which is able to shred smaller boats in a few hits while holding its own against larger vessels. The gun is protected by steel plate, however due to its position, it will often get knocked out by enemy fire.
HE is deadly against small and medium-sized vessels, disabling compartments in one or two hits. While AP is good for armoured targets such as the Soviet gunboats, it will over-penetrate most vehicles this boat will face.
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 100 m | 1,000 m | 2,000 m | 3,000 m | 4,000 m | 5,000 m | ||
| O-361K | HE | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| O-361D | HE-TF | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| BR-361 | APHEBC | 121 | 100 | 81 | 65 | 53 | 43 |
| 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% | ||||||||||
| O-361K | HE | 845 | 6.95 | 0 | 0.1 | 483 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| O-361D | HE-TF | 810 | 6.61 | 0 | 0.1 | 182 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| BR-361 | APHEBC | 816 | 6.5 | 1.6 | 4 | 119 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
Secondary armament
Secondary armaments that also double for anti-air duties on the vessel are the three 12.7 mm DShK heavy machine guns in single mounts at the stern. While they may be classed as combined AA/auxiliaries, they are only really useful for engaging aerial targets. Due to the location of the guns, they have decent firing arcs and have no problem tracking low flying aircraft. Optimal range for these guns is less than a kilometer, where their combined fire will easily down any aircraft that loiter in the vicinity, while gunners will start opening up from 2 km away.
- Universal: AP-I · API-T · IAI
- 12.7 mm HE belts: IAI · IAI · IAI · API-T
- 12.7 mm APIT belts: API-T · AP-I · IAI · AP-I
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | ||||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| AP-I | 30 | 29 | 25 | 21 | 18 | 15 | |
| API-T | 29 | 28 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 14 | |
| IAI | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| AP-I | 850 | 0.05 | - | - | - | 47° | 56° | 65° | ||||
| API-T | 850 | 0.05 | - | - | - | 47° | 56° | 65° | ||||
| IAI | 850 | 0.05 | 0 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 47° | 56° | 65° | ||||
Additional armament
While depth charges and bomb throwers can be equipped, they are mostly useless and should only be used in specific situations, otherwise concentrate on using the guns.
Usage in battles
(AB) The ship should be pointed towards the bow (front) at all times, greatly increasing survivability, and used to hunt smaller PT boats with the 76 mm cannon while staying away from larger ships with bigger or more numerous guns. While this boat isn't immune to PT boats, they are its primary target, and parking the boat behind cover near a cap allows you to mop up any intruders. Particular enemies to note are:
- Well-armed American PT boats (PT-314, etc.)
- British and Soviet gunboats (SGB, Fairmile, MPK-163)
- German barges (SF40's or AF D1's)
- British Isles/Flower-class boats
- Also large, tough bombers such as the Catalina or Wellington will break through your air defence, try to keep moving and not make yourself an easy target.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Rapid-fire cannon, which deals decent damage
- Self-defence AA is capable of shooting down planes at short range (1 km or closer)
- Fast in a straight line
- Good survivability
Cons:
- Auxiliary armament of 3 heavy machine guns are mostly ineffective against other ships, and A.I. Gunners tend to be inefficient
- Big turning circle and big length mean difficulty traversing in tight spaces - beware of running aground
- Cannon does get knocked out easily
History
In 1922, the Soviet Navy recognized the need for an anti-submarine vessel, which was later included in the "Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Red Navy" in March 1925. However, due to difficulties and financial issues, the initial plan was scaled down to two classes of ships: small hunters (such as OD-200) and large hunters (which were later reclassified as "малые противолодочные корабли" or MPK).
Due to financial constraints, the development did not commence until 1936. The initial vessel design did not meet the expectations of the sailors, prompting the designer to make improvements, leading to the emergence of Project 122.
Project 122's design was approved in 1939 and featured a steel-welded hull, three diesel engines, a top speed of 22 knots, and armaments including an artillery gun and depth charges.
In 1941, the Soviet Navy expressed dissatisfaction with the vessel and requested that the designer upgrade Pr. 122 to enhance its armament, speed, range, and displacement. This led to Project 122a, which included improvements in anti-aircraft capabilities, the addition of a new hydroacoustic system, and the introduction of a new 76 mm artillery gun.
Because of the challenges of WW2, further changes were made to Project 122a. In 1944 the designer proposed an improved version. The vessel's hull was widened, and its anti-aircraft capability was enhanced further by adding more DShK machine guns and two 37 mm autocannons. This led to the designation of Project 122bis.
Media
- Skins
See also
Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the ship;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| USSR sub-chasers | |
|---|---|
| Pr. 122 | MPK pr.122A · MPK Pr.122bis |
| Pr. 163 | MPK-163 |
| Pr. 201 | MPK Pr.201K · MPK Pr.201M |
| Pr. 204 | MPK Pr.204 |
