T-54 (1949)

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This page is about the Soviet medium tank T-54 (1949). For other versions, see T-54/55 (Family).
ussr_t_54_1949.png
GarageImage T-54 (1949).jpg
ArtImage T-54 (1949).png
T-54 (1949)
AB RB SB
8.0 8.0 8.0
Class:
Research:61 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:340 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The T-54 Model 1949 is the second variant of the T-54 main battle tank family. The T-54 Model 1949 variant, manufactured from 1949 to 1952, incorporated several improvements to the turret from the previous T-54 Model 1949 variant, as well as a wider track and a better, modernized transmission. The turret is dome-shaped with flat sides, and the shot trap has been removed to provide slightly better protection. The new turret was inspired by the one used on the IS-3 heavy tank but with a distinctive rear overhang and shorter bustle. The original fender machine gun mounts were replaced with more traditional bow machine gun mounts.

Introduced in Update 1.47 "Big Guns", the T-54 (1949) is an upgraded variant of its predecessors. It has a better-designed turret without the shot-trap and slightly improved protection. However, this is offset by weaker hull armour, which has a small impact on its overall survivability. Access to new armour-piercing discarding sabot (APDS) ammunition, which has superior penetration but lacks post-penetration damage, is another upgrade. As a result, this new ammunition should only be used to engage the most heavily armoured targets.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull100 / 80 / 45
Turret200 / 125 / 50
Crew4 people
Visibility83 %

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 100 mm (61°) Front glacis
100 mm (53°) Lower glacis
80 mm 45 mm (18°) Upper
30 mm (73°) Lower
30 mm
Turret 200 mm (7-64°) Turret front
200 mm Gun mantlet
90 - 160 mm (9-48°) 50 mm (16-52°) 30 mm
Cupola 100 mm 100 mm 100 mm 30 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick while tracks are 18 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB56 / 9 km/h
RB and SB51 / 8 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
1 back
Weight35.5 t
Engine power
AB992 hp
RB and SB520 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB27.9 hp/t
RB and SB14.6 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 56 9 35.5 806 992 22.7 27.94
Realistic 51 8 460 520 12.96 14.65

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB4 224 → 5 715 Sl icon.png
RB4 790 → 6 480 Sl icon.png
SB6 759 → 9 144 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications99 000 Rp icon.png
166 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 200 Ge icon.png
Crew training98 000 Sl icon.png
Experts340 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 300 Ge icon.png
Research Aces780 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
140 / 210 / 230 % Sl icon.png
202 / 202 / 202 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
4 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
4 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
5 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 200 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
2 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
3 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement ussr.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
5 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 200 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
100mm_APHE_ammo_pack
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
100mm_APCR_ammo_pack
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
4 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
4 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
5 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 200 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
100mm_APCBC_ammo_pack
Research:
5 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 200 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
100mm_ussr_Smoke_ammo_pack
Research:
5 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 200 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
100mm_APDS_ammo_pack
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
100mm_HEAT_ammo_pack
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png

After Parts and FPE, the player should focus on mobility upgrades or the Horizontal Drive modification, since both mobility and turret rotation are limited when the tank is stock.

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition34 rounds
First-order20 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
9.7 → 7.5 s
Vertical guidance-4° / 17°
Main article: D-10T (100 mm)
100 mm D-10T Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 34 -4°/+17° ±180° - 9.5 13.2 16.0 17.7 18.8 9.75 8.63 7.95 7.5
Realistic 5.9 7.0 8.5 9.4 10.0

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
BR-412 APHE 218 212 189 164 142 124
BR-412B APHEBC 218 215 201 184 169 155
BR-412D APCBC 239 236 220 202 185 170
BR-412P APCR 224 216 186 153 127 105
3BM-8 APDS 336 332 317 299 282 265
OF-412 HE 27 27 26 24 23 21
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%
BR-412 APHE 895 15.88 1.2 19 100.1 47° 60° 65°
BR-412B APHEBC 895 15.88 1.2 19 100.1 48° 63° 71°
BR-412D APCBC 887 15.88 1.2 19 100.1 48° 63° 71°
BR-412P APCR 1,050 8.53 - - - 66° 70° 72°
3BM-8 APDS 1,415 4.13 - - - 75° 78° 80°
OF-412 HE 900 15.6 0.2 0.1 1,460 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)
3D3 880 15.6 16 5 25 50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the T-54 (1949)
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
34 33 (+1) 27 (+7) 24 (+10) 23 (+11) 21 (+13) (+33) No

Notes:

  • Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
  • If you pack 27 (+7) shells, it will keep the turret empty of ammo.
  • Rack 6 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 20 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
    • This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 6 - 1 - 2 - etc. until 5.
    • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-5 into rack 6. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.

Machine guns

Ammunition250 rounds
Belt capacity50 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min
Vertical guidance-4° / 82°
Ammunition3 500 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min
12.7 mm DShK
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 250 (50) 600 -4°/+82° ±180°
7.62 mm SGMT
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 3,500 (250) 600 - -

Usage in battles

The T-54 (1949) is an upgraded version of the T-54 (1947), it has a turret without the shot-trap, and it has generally more armour, however this is counteracted with weaker hull armour, and this does make a difference for some early APFSDS and some HEAT rounds (the War Thunder community generally accepts the T-54 (1947) as having the best armour overall). Another upgrade is the new APDS round, which has superior penetration. This round should be used to take on only the most armoured targets frontally because it does minimal damage - BR-412D still is considered the better round because it has enough penetration and it knocks out vehicles with a single shot easily.

General Playstyle

The T-54 (1949) continues in the steps of its predecessor, still being a Jack-of-All-Trades tank, on the same platform with the same gun. Importantly, it has improved turret armour, although at the cost of hull armour, which promotes hull-down gameplay. In Arcade, the T-54 (1949) retains the mobility of the T-54 (1947), but now you have the back-up option of using APDS. (Read the T-54 (1947) article, as it covers general playstyle with more depth)

For the major gameplay differences from the T-54 (1947), read the T-54 (1947) article prior to reading this.

  • You are now able to snipe more accurately, because of your APDS round that goes over 1,400 m/s. This can be taken advantage of at the start of matches, especially in Realistic Battles.
  • Your upgraded turret is now able to outright block some rounds, especially in a downtier, and it's not worth wiggling or angling it.

The Stock Grind

When grinding the first modifications, Arcade Battles might be more fun, because of faster-paced gameplay and the ability to see all threats. Now, it's a priority to research Parts and FPE. (Activating universal back-ups for this vehicle to speed up the grind is an option, but it is not an exceptional vehicle, and it's best to just research the T-54 (1951), as it has more ammunition choices).

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Potent D-10 100 mm gun
  • Access to APDS ammunition
  • Fast reload rate
  • New elliptical turret removes the frontal turret shot trap found on the T-54 (1947)
  • Good mobility

Cons:

  • Armour is not as thick in comparison to the T-54 (1947)
  • Angling the armour is not advised, as the side armour will be exposed
  • Ammo racks can be detonated fairly easily from the side
  • Slow turret traverse speed in general

History

Predecessors

During World War II, the Soviet Union fielded the T-34 in large numbers to overrun the German tanks. The initial T-34 variant with the 76 mm gun soon became insufficient due to further German development on potent anti-tank weaponry. The response was the development of the T-34-85 with the more powerful 85 mm gun. However, the T-34-85 was still insufficient fighting against the German "big cats" tanks. This prompted for further tank development to make a more protected medium tank for the Soviet armoured forces. This developed into the T-44, which proved superior to the T-34 in armour, but retained the same 85 mm gun.

Development

The army then requested that the gun on the tank be increased for additional firepower. This developed into adding the 100 mm gun onto the T-44 and was designated the T-44-100. The T-44-100 proved successful in testing, but still suffered drawbacks that impeded its efficiency. It was decided that instead of quickly sending the tank into production, further development and modernization on the overall tank design should be made to make the tank the full transition from a World-War-II-era tank into the next generation. This developed into the T-54 tank that was accepted into service on 29 April 1946.

The tank would enter production at Nizhni Tagil in 1947 and Kharkov in 1948. However, the initial production was slow as the serial production models underwent 1,490 different modifications. The first model produced was designated the T-54-1 (Object 137), which had a thicker hull armour than its future model. This production model suffered a quality deficiency, and was cancelled and upgraded into the T-54-2 (Object 137R) in 1949 that featured a new turret and other changes to the hull, transmission, and track design. In 1951, another change was made to the design and was designated the T-54-3 (Object 137Sh). The T-54-3 design featured a new turret design that removed shot traps. New gun sight and the smoke generating system were also installed into the tank. The T-54-3 would become the basis of future T-54 design, with the turret design staying in all of its successors.

Despite the T-54's great performance in its design, the T-54 did not stop at its base model. The first upgrades done was in 1953 and 1955 when the tank's D-10 gun was given stabilization gear, first with a vertical stabilizer in 1953 before upgrading again with a 2-plane stabilizer in 1955. These tank upgrades renamed the T-54 to T-54A and T-54B for the respective years. While an improvement in the tank's performance, the biggest jump came with the advent of nuclear technology in the Soviet arsenal. When testings show that a T-54 can survive the blast of a 2 - 15 kt nuclear charge at 300 m (700 m for crew survival), the T-54 was slated for the instalment of a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) protection system to protect the crew from the weapons of mass destruction. This project was given to the KB-60 design bureau in Kharkov and this was finished in 1956. Along with many other changes to the tank interior, such as a new engine, heating system, fuel tanks, ammo storage, and new guns sights, the tank became the more common T-55 tank, which would replace the T-54 design in production past 1958. The difference in the T-54 and the T-55 other than the mechanical differences is the presence of a dome-shaped ventilator in front of the loaders hatch, it is a T-54 if present as it was removed in order to seal the tank with NBC protection. All in all, the T-54/55 tank series became the most widely produced tank ever, surpassing the T-34 with an estimated 100,000+ built, many due to the export market and licensed manufacturing the Soviets gave to their allies.

Design

The T-54 is a simple and reliable, yet deadly machine compared to its contemporaries at its introduction. The T-54 retained the same interior compartments as traditional designs, with the driving in the front, fighting and turret in the centre, and the engine at the rear. The most distinctive features on the T-54 is the dome turret and the space between the first and second road wheels in the front, which would be absent in its successor, the T-62.

The T-54 simplicity and reliability made it a very easy tank to operate, not requiring a thoroughly trained crew to operate (though a better crew can give better performance). The T-54 also presents a very low profile compared to the American and British tank, which makes it a smaller target to hit. The lightweight of the design at only 36 tons made it very easy to transport around on flatbed. The tank also features extra abilities like a cold-weather starting system and a snorkel for deep-wading that were mostly absent on similar vehicles. Finally, the 100 mm D-10T gun was much better than anything fielded as tank armament, able to defeat the American Patton and the British Centurions, which were their mainstay tanks. Even after the introduction of superior tanks like the M60 tank with the 105 mm M68 gun, the T-54 is able to keep up with new HEAT and APDS rounds.

However, the T-54 design suffered from some of these advantages. The small profile gave the tank a small interior volume, which causes such a constraint to crew space that a height limit had to be set. The low turret silhouette also made the tank unable to depress the gun in a large angle due to the gun's breech hitting the roof, which restricts the T-54 ability to enter a hull-down position. Like other tanks in its generation, the T-54 also had unprotected ammo storage, which increased the chance of a catastrophic explosion of the ammunition if the tank is penetrated in battle.

Despite that, the T-54 design, upgraded into the T-55, proved very successful as a cost-effective weapon of war that can still stand on its own today. Its utility is further demonstrated by the many variants created from the chassis, such as bridge-layers, fire-fighting vehicles, flamethrowers, armoured-personnel carriers, engineer vehicles, and anti-aircraft vehicles.

Combat usage

Most of the service recorded in the T-54 and the T-55 are interchangeable as the two are essentially identical aside from the NBC protection. They will be referred to as the "T-54/55" unless specified otherwise.

The Soviets main tank during the course of the Cold War was the T-54/55 and the T-62 tanks, comprising about 85% of the Soviet armoured force in the mid-1970s. The first combat usage of the T-54 was in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. During the conflict, one T-54A was captured by the Hungarian rebels and delivered it to the British embassy. This act inspired the production of the 105 mm L7 gun and the M60 MBT when tests on this T-54 found it superior in firepower and armour. Afterwards, the Soviets did not have many activities with the T-54/55, but they are still in reserve status after being replaced by the Soviet T-72 and T-90 tanks.

The Middle East region saw more usage of the T-54/55 in the conflicts that ensured there, notably in the Israel-Arab conflicts in the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War. Israel was able to beat back the T-54/55 in both conflicts due to superior tactics and air superiority in the Six-Day War, and the presence of superior tanks such as the 105 mm equipped M60 and Centurion tanks, which could more easily deal with the T-54/55 in the Yom Kippur War. Israel was able to capture many T-54/55 tanks intact in both wars and upgraded these tanks with the 105 mm L7 gun, designated as the Tiran-5. The T-54/55 also saw usage in the Jordanian Civil War of 1970 on the Syrian side, the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, and even as recent as Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, a testament to the utility and reliability of the T-54/55 tanks to still be in use 60 years after its introduction despite its inferiority to the American M1A1 Abrams and the British Challenger II's.

The T-54/55 also saw use in the Vietnam War on the North Vietnamese side, equipping the NVA 203rd Armoured Regiment and many other divisions. The T-54/55 also made an appearance in Angola and Mozambique, which were supplied from the Soviets to support the rising Marxist influences in South Africa. These T-54/55s saw use in the South African Border War and Angolan Civil War, but many were lost against the turreted armoured car with HEAT rounds. Many other countries in the world used the T-54/55 as well, whether given by the Soviets and their allies or licensed to produce in-country, up to 50 countries in the world used the T-54/55 in their military, including irregular forces in these countries. Notable conflicts using the T-54/55 was in the Indo-Pakistani War in the Indian Army, in the Ugandan-Tanzanian War, Yugoslav Wars, Sino-Vietnamese War, and the Sri Lankan Civil War. The T-54/55 is still being used today in the modern century, such as the Libyan Civil War in 2011, and the ongoing conflicts of the Syrian Civil War in many sides, including ISIS and the Syrian Army.


Archive of the in-game description

The tank received a streamlined cast turret with an improved shape designed to reduce ricochets to the hull roof. Its weapon was equipped with a new gun mantlet. One fender-mounted SG-43 machine gun was removed from the driver's compartment. The upper frontal hull plate was reduced to 100 mm thickness and the lower armour plate's slope was increased. The engine cooling system was modernised. The 500 mm wide tracks were replaced by new 580 mm wide tracks, which reduced ground pressure to acceptable levels.

The tank's wheels received independent torsion-bar suspension, reducing its weight by 1,700 kg. This lead to a significant increase in the tank's durability, a height reduction of 30 cm and an increase in its driving performance. The T-54's armoured hull was fully welded from rolled plates and homogeneous steel sheets.

The tanks were manufactured until 1951, and around 2,523 of them were made.

The T-54 tank was noted for its adequate mobility, well-designed hull and turret and greater firepower in comparison to vehicles of this class made by other countries.

However, although the hull's configuration ensured the Soviet tank's advantages over its foreign counterparts, it also restricted opportunities for further increasing the tank's defences, particularly against the new 90 and 105 mm high-explosive anti-tank warheads and armour-piercing subcalibre rounds. The unstabilised 100 mm D-10T tank cannon's accuracy and rate of fire were too low when firing on the move. In addition, it became necessary to introduce new armour-piercing subcalibre rounds and high-explosive rounds in particular to the cannon's ammunition complement.

These vehicles served in the armies of the former Warsaw Pact member states. Additionally, they were supplied to many countries in Asia and the Middle East.


Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links


Kharkov Design Bureau for Mechanical Engineering named after A. A. Morozov
Light Tanks 
BT-5  BT-5 · RBT-5
BT-7  BT-7 · BT-7M · BT-7A (F-32)
Medium Tanks 
T-34-76  T-34 (Prototype) · T-34 (1940) · T-34 (1941) · T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-34 (1942) · T-34E STZ · T-34E
T-34-57  T-34-57 · T-34-57 (1943)
T-34-85  T-34-85 (D-5T) · T-34-85 · T-34-85E
T-34-100  T-34-100
T-44  T-44 · T-44-100 · T-44-122
Main Battle Tanks 
T-54  T-54 (1947) · T-54 (1949) · T-54 (1951)
T-64  T-64A (1971) · T-64B
Export/Captured 
T-34  ▀T 34 747 (r) · ▄T-34 · ▄T-34-85 · ␗T-34 (1943) · ␗Т-34-85 (S-53)
T-54  ▄T-54
See Also  Uralmashzavod · Uralvagonzavod

USSR medium tanks
T-28  T-28 (1938) · T-28 · T-28E
T-34-76  T-34 (Prototype) · T-34 (1940) · T-34 (1941) · T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-34 (1942) · T-34E STZ · T-34E
T-34-57  T-34-57 · T-34-57 (1943)
T-34-85  T-34-85 (D-5T) · T-34-85 · T-34-85E
T-34-100  T-34-100
T-44  T-44 · T-44-100 · T-44-122
T-54  T-54 (1947) · T-54 (1949) · T-54 (1951)
T-55  TO-55 · T-55A · T-55AM-1 · T-55AMD-1
T-62  T-62 · T-62M-1
T-64  Object 435 · T-64A (1971) · T-64B
T-72  T-72A · T-72AV (TURMS-T) · T-72B · T-72B (1989) · T-72B3 · T-72M2 Moderna
T-80  T-80B · T-80U · T-80UD · T-80UK · T-80UM2 · Т-80U-Е1 · T-80BVM · Object 292
T-90  Т-90А · T-90M
Trophies/Lend-Lease 
Germany  ▂T-III · ▂T-V
Great Britain  ▂МК-IX "Valentine"
USA  ▂M3 Medium · ▂M4A2