Difference between revisions of "A.C.IV"

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{{Specs-Card|code=uk_ac4_thunderbolt}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=uk_ac4_thunderbolt
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
−
''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
+
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 +
Australia began the development of the A.C.IV Sentinel as the A.C.I intended to fulfil the role of a cruiser tank. A commission was sent to the US to investigate the M3 Medium Tank since Australia lacked any kind of experience in armour development. It was decided to try a concept similar to the Canadian ''[[M4A5|Ram]]'', using the M3 as a basis and working around its design. Some other parts of the design were also based on the British [[Crusader (Family)|Crusader]] tank. The tank was meant to be armed with a 2-pounder gun, but this was increased to a 6-pounder in future variants. The final version, the A.C.IV, was developed to use the new and more powerful British QF 17-pounder gun, capable of dealing with the best German tanks at the time. The turret ring was also increased to 70 inches, for greater crew comfort.
 +
 
 +
It was released some time after [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]]. The A.C.IV is a well-rounded tank with superior armour layout compared to other British tanks at its BR; it can occasionally bounce shells from Tigers and Panthers if lucky. It is a relatively small medium tank in comparison to the common mainstay of the other countries, especially when compared to the American [[M4A2|Sherman]] tanks. The Sentinel also has a good manoeuvrability and power-to-weight ratio for the propulsion, able to accelerate to its max speed of roughly 30 km/h quickly and stay there on stable terrain. The tank has a great advantage of a decent reverse speed in comparison to other medium tanks of its calibre, with a reverse speed almost the same speed as forward. The addition of the 17-pounder gun also gives this tank strong firepower for its size, so it can stand a chance against tanks of the same tier despite being out of the league in terms of armour.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
−
''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
 +
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
 +
The AC IV Thunderbolt is one of the few British tanks at this BR with sloped armour rather than the traditional boxy armour found in other British tanks. Its armour has a high tendency to bounce shells. This is obvious with the extreme slope on the from of the tank, and turret design. The armour itself is not thick, but thanks to the angle of it this tank can be very fierce competition to enemy vehicles. Although the armour is superior to that of other British tanks, it is not recommended to rely on it too heavily. Other nations, particularly the Germans, have no trouble penetrating the tank from any range. Because the crew compartment is relatively cramped, any penetrating shots can be fatal. The side armour on the Sentinel is extremely weak and vulnerable to SPAA flanking.
 +
 
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
 
 +
* Cast homogeneous armour
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull roof)
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 50.8 mm (66-67°) ''Frontal glacis'' <br> 50.8 mm (30°) ''Driver's port'' <br> 50.8 mm (7-68°) ''Lower glacis'' || 44.45 mm (0-12°) || 22.22 mm (78°) ''Top'' <br> 44.45 mm (21-52°) ''Bottom'' || 22.22 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 63.5 mm (4-47°) ''Turret front'' <br> 25.4-63.5 mm (1-68°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 63.5 mm (0-88°) || 63.5 mm (1-53°) || 35 mm
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Cupola || 63.5 mm || 35 mm
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
  
−
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
* Suspension wheels and bogies are 20 mm thick, tracks are 20 mm.
 +
* The rear bottom area has a track placed there, providing 20 mm of extra armour.
 +
* The commander cupola is extended outwards from the left side of the turret, creating a vulnerable unsloped area vulnerable to weaker guns.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
 +
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
 +
The AC.IV has an overall good mobility, with an acceptable reverse speed not found in other British tanks (e.g., Challenger, Comet, etc.). The manoeuvrability in soft terrain can be significantly reduced and can feel sluggish.
 +
 
 +
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=615|rbMinHp=351}}
 +
 
 +
=== Modifications and economy ===
 +
{{Specs-Economy}}
 +
 
 +
== Armaments ==
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 +
=== Main armament ===
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
 +
<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
 +
{{main|QF 17-pounder (76 mm)}}
 +
The classic Ordnance QF 17-pounder is a very powerful gun: its performance against Tiger I and Panthers is very consistent and satisfactory. The Sentinel offers a smooth gun handling, with a good turret traverse speed and a good gun elevation speed. It has an excellent gun depression of -10 degrees and offers a small silhouette when hull down, comparable to the Comet. Because British tanks do not have access to APHE shells, any shot fired must be accurate; always aim for crew compartments and vital components of enemy tanks.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="5" | [[QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|76 mm QF 17-pounder]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
 +
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 +
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 +
|-
 +
! ''Arcade''
 +
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 17.14 || 23.72 || 28.80 || 31.85 || 33.88 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.79 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
 +
|-
 +
! ''Realistic''
 +
| 10.71 || 12.60 || 15.30 || 16.92 || 18.00
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
==== Ammunition ====
 +
{{:QF 17-pounder (76 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.6, Shell Mk.1, Shot Mk.4, Shot Mk.8, 17pdr Shell SS Mk.1}}
 +
 
 +
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
 +
<!-- '''Last updated: 1.101.1.14''' -->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! Full<br>ammo
 +
! 1st<br>rack empty
 +
! 2nd<br>rack empty
 +
! 3rd<br>rack empty
 +
! 4th<br>rack empty
 +
! 5th<br>rack empty
 +
! 6th<br>rack empty
 +
! 7th<br>rack empty
 +
! 8th<br>rack empty
 +
! 9th<br>rack empty
 +
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
| '''50''' || 45&nbsp;''(+5)'' || 39&nbsp;''(+11)'' || 35&nbsp;''(+15)'' || 31&nbsp;''(+19)'' || 25&nbsp;''(+25)'' || 19&nbsp;''(+31)'' || 15&nbsp;''(+35)'' || 11&nbsp;''(+39)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+49)'' || No
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
 +
'''Notes''':
 +
 
 +
* Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.
 +
 
 +
==== Optics ====
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
 +
|-
 +
! Which ones
 +
! Default magnification
 +
! Maximum magnification
 +
|-
 +
! Main Gun optics
 +
| x1.85 || x3.5
 +
|-
 +
! Comparable optics
 +
| colspan="2" | [[T-34-57]]
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
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== Weaponry ==
+
Does not have improved zoom like the other rank III British tanks of similar BR, thus has worse zoom than many of its opponents, which may have variable zooms up to X5. Do not unnecessarily provoke German SPGs, as they have superior optics and are unlikely to miss.
−
=== Main weaponry ===
 
−
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
 
  
−
=== Additional weaponry ===
+
In full up-tier, do not let Japanese medium tanks (e.g. [[ST-A1]]) get an upper hand at all costs, as they have optics eclipsing these entirely and can easily snipe A.C.IV from 2 km away, with accuracy modifications.
−
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
 
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
−
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
+
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
 +
<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
 +
{{main|Vickers (7.7 mm)}}
 +
There is only one 7.7 mm coaxial MG with a very slow rate of fire, and no roof-mounted MG to defend against incoming planes. The small calibre of the Vickers machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help. While the belt capacity of the machine gun is adequate, its rate of fire is extremely slow for the battle rating.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="5" | [[Vickers (7.7 mm)|7.7 mm Vickers]]
 +
|-
 +
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 +
|-
 +
| Coaxial || 4,250 (250) || 390 || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
== Usage in battles ==
 +
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
 +
 
 +
Exploit the A.C.IV's manoeuvrability against the heavier tanks, plus the 17-pounder tank allows for a penetration through the enemy's armour to cause internal damages. The fast reverse speed makes the "shoot-and-scoot" tactic a viable method against the enemy, and should be the prime one as the armour of the Sentinel is not exactly the most durable at only 50 mm flat.
 +
 
 +
However, the sloping nature of the armour could give the bouncing capability of the tank comparable to the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34]], it's even arguably much better. So while the weight class is definitely against the Sentinel, a chance is always there to take out the opposition. When compared to other British tanks, this tank lacks access to APDS rounds. Extra caution should be paid during full uptier matches as there will be many enemy tanks, particularly German tanks, that this tank will find difficult to engage from the front.
 +
 
 +
"Shoot-and-scoot" tactics are the best tactics to use with this vehicle. The Sentinel's armour does not let the tank be a brawler, so it must be more "sneaky" against the enemies. Another thing to note is the driver's hatch at the front of the tank. To avoid a frontally penetrating shot, always angle the driver's hatch away from the enemy.
 +
 
 +
The A.C.IV is quite mobile, even for a medium tank. Compared to tanks of similar BR like the Shermans and the T-34-85s, it has a very good reverse speed that is specially good when it's used in close quarter scenarios. That means that when it's used in city maps, the A.C.IV is very good for performing ambushes and setting up traps for heavier enemy tanks. It is also very capable in flanking manoeuvres, its gun is excellent to deal with enemies from the front, but it lacks the APHE rounds present in tanks from other nations.
 +
 
 +
This means that the best round available for the A.C.IV is the Shot Mk.8 APCBC round. It is recommended to take at least 5 HE rounds to deal with enemy SPAA and any kind of open top vehicle (to one shot them with overpressure) and 25 rounds of APCBC. More rounds can be taken, but it's recommended taking only 30 to reduce the chances of ammo detonation, but even with that, there is a lot of empty space inside the A.C.IV, so even with a full ammo load, ammo detonation is rare to say the least.
  
−
== Usage in the battles ==
+
When playing in a downtier, the armour of the Sentinel becomes much better, it can reliably bounce shots with good positioning and angling of the chassis, but in downtiers it can be used as a brawler, attacking enemy tanks from the front and using the good penetration of its QF 17-pounder cannon. And in open maps with little to no cover, stay close to your team, since this tank can't brawl the same way heavy tanks will, even in full downtiers. There, the good mobility of the Sentinel can be a great advantage to cover capture points.
−
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
 
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
 
 +
* Good sloped armour
 +
* High penetration solid shot rounds
 +
* Good manoeuvrability
 +
* Fast reverse speed
 +
* Small profile
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
 
  
−
== Historical part ==
+
* Sloped armour only on the front
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
* Susceptible to large calibre HE shells
 +
* Only 44 mm of side armour
 +
* Cannon lacks armour-piercing rounds with high-explosive filler
 +
* No APDS rounds, unlike other British medium tanks at this rank
 +
* Single 7.7 mm coaxial MG with a very slow rate of fire
 +
 
 +
== History ==
 +
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 +
 
 +
===Development===
 +
Australia began designing a tank in November 1940 as the ''AC I'', and was intended to be a cruiser tank weighing between 16 to 20 tons with a [[Ordnance QF 2-pounder (40 mm)|2-pounder gun]]. With no prior experience in producing a domestic tank, Australia sent a task force to the United States to study the [[M3 Lee|M3 Medium]] design to understand the in-and-outs of a tank. They also received the aid of Colonel W.D. Watson MC in December 1940 from Britain, who has many years of tank designing experience. The overall mission ended up having the tank design to have a similar concept as the Canadian ''[[M4A5|Ram]]'' tank, being based off the the M3 Medium chassis and mated with a domestic design of their choice for the upper part along with the incorporation of a suspension system of horizontal rubber cylinder springs seen on many early-war French tanks notably the [[H.39]] and [[H.35]]. The Australian attached the chassis with a hull and turret with design similarities to the British [[Crusader Mk III|Crusader]] tanks. The design started to become less of a cruiser tank and more of a medium tank by American specifications due to the attempt to up-armour and up-gun the tank to keep up with German armour development.
 +
 
 +
The first design was completed in February 1942 as the Cruiser Tank Mark 1 (AC I) and designated the "Sentinel". The design was simplified by using existing parts of current tanks and using a cast hull and turret. The entire hull being casted would be the first in history as many tanks of the era did not use such techniques. Although originally specified for a 2-pounder, it was then asked for a [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder Mk.III (57 mm)|6-pounder]] armament but due to the manufacturing of such guns not begining at the time in Australia they would have to use the 2 pounder for the first 65 produced. Two Vickers machine gun were used as the coaxial and hull machine gun the later having an armoured mount to protect its water sleeve resulting in a rather lewd looking front of which is made fun of to this day. With the power of three Cadillac V8 Petrol engines. It was unorthodox, but powerful enough to propel the vehicle. 65 of these tanks were made by June 1943 before being succeeded by a more advanced design known as ''AC III'', also known as the "Thunderbolt". It had better armour and an improved firepower in the form of the 25-pounder howitzer. Despite the bigger gun, the 54-inch turret ring was never expanded to accommodate for the gun's larger size, so the crew experienced a slightly cramped turret interior for the benefit of having a better high-explosive charge and armour-piercing capability. Other differences in the design was the removal of the hull machine gun and a different set-up of the three Cadillac engines. One pilot model was built and plans were made for a production for 25 tanks for further trials, but the program was terminated.
 +
 
 +
Another attempt was made to increase Australian tank firepower with the '''AC IV''' design. It first started when the designers check to see if the turret could mount the massive 17-pounder in use by the British to fight the heavier and more protected German tanks. When the tests proved successful, the 17-pounder was chosen to be the gun for the ''AC IV'', with a new and larger turret and 70-inch turret ring to improve crew comfort. These tanks were only made for evaluation purposes only and were never mass-produced for equipping the armoured units. However it would be the only commonwealth tank ever to mount such a gun.
 +
 
 +
===Termination===
 +
The ''AC IV'' design, along with the entire Australian Cruiser tank program, was terminated in July 1943, ending with only 65 tanks produced and a few prototype models. The reason was that the funds were better spent improving the infrastructure than building new tanks due to the large number of American tanks such as the [[M4|M4 Medium]] that were being supplied to Australia. The AC "Sentinel" were all put into storage and kept until the end of the war. The only use the Sentinel saw was in the film ''The Rats of Tobruk'' in 1943 when a squadron of ''AC I'' tanks were modified to resemble German tanks.
 +
 
 +
===Survivors===
 +
After the war, the Australian government disposed most of the tanks in 1945, most were sold off by the Commonwealth Disposals Commission. Today, about six Sentinels survive in intact conditions across the world. One notably in the Bovington Tank Museum, and three in Australia in the RAAC Tank Museum, Treloar Technology Centre, and one in the United States in the Collings Foundation.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 +
 
 +
;Skins
 +
 
 +
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_ac4_thunderbolt Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
 
 +
;Videos
 +
{{Youtube-gallery|HR57u5I3V58|'''Australian Cruiser Tanks - AC I "Sentinel" - AC IV "Woomera" (review starts at 5:20)''' - ''Cmdr. Tyrael''|4yihmbBzke8|'''AC IV Thunderbolt''' - ''Ash''}}
 +
 
 +
== See also ==
 +
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
  
−
== Read 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;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
−
''ETC.''
 
  
−
== Sources ==
+
== External links ==
−
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
−
* ''page on the Wikipedia;''
+
* ''other literature.'' -->
−
* ''other literature.''
+
 
 +
* [[wt:en/devblog/current/849/|[Devblog] AC IV Thunderbolt]]
 +
 
 +
{{TankManufacturer New South Wales Railway Company}}
 +
{{Britain medium tanks}}
 +
{{Britain premium ground vehicles}}

Latest revision as of 08:44, 25 October 2023

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
A.C.IV
uk_ac4_thunderbolt.png
GarageImage A.C.IV.jpg
A.C.IV
Britain flag.png Britain
III Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
5.3 5.3 5.3
Class:
PREMIUM
Purchase:3 410 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
Show in game

Description

Australia began the development of the A.C.IV Sentinel as the A.C.I intended to fulfil the role of a cruiser tank. A commission was sent to the US to investigate the M3 Medium Tank since Australia lacked any kind of experience in armour development. It was decided to try a concept similar to the Canadian Ram, using the M3 as a basis and working around its design. Some other parts of the design were also based on the British Crusader tank. The tank was meant to be armed with a 2-pounder gun, but this was increased to a 6-pounder in future variants. The final version, the A.C.IV, was developed to use the new and more powerful British QF 17-pounder gun, capable of dealing with the best German tanks at the time. The turret ring was also increased to 70 inches, for greater crew comfort.

It was released some time after Update 1.55 "Royal Armour". The A.C.IV is a well-rounded tank with superior armour layout compared to other British tanks at its BR; it can occasionally bounce shells from Tigers and Panthers if lucky. It is a relatively small medium tank in comparison to the common mainstay of the other countries, especially when compared to the American Sherman tanks. The Sentinel also has a good manoeuvrability and power-to-weight ratio for the propulsion, able to accelerate to its max speed of roughly 30 km/h quickly and stay there on stable terrain. The tank has a great advantage of a decent reverse speed in comparison to other medium tanks of its calibre, with a reverse speed almost the same speed as forward. The addition of the 17-pounder gun also gives this tank strong firepower for its size, so it can stand a chance against tanks of the same tier despite being out of the league in terms of armour.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull64 / 45 / 45
Turret64 / 64 / 64
Crew4 people
Visibility91 %

The AC IV Thunderbolt is one of the few British tanks at this BR with sloped armour rather than the traditional boxy armour found in other British tanks. Its armour has a high tendency to bounce shells. This is obvious with the extreme slope on the from of the tank, and turret design. The armour itself is not thick, but thanks to the angle of it this tank can be very fierce competition to enemy vehicles. Although the armour is superior to that of other British tanks, it is not recommended to rely on it too heavily. Other nations, particularly the Germans, have no trouble penetrating the tank from any range. Because the crew compartment is relatively cramped, any penetrating shots can be fatal. The side armour on the Sentinel is extremely weak and vulnerable to SPAA flanking.

Armour type:

  • Cast homogeneous armour
  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull roof)
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 50.8 mm (66-67°) Frontal glacis
50.8 mm (30°) Driver's port
50.8 mm (7-68°) Lower glacis 		44.45 mm (0-12°) 22.22 mm (78°) Top
44.45 mm (21-52°) Bottom 		22.22 mm
Turret 63.5 mm (4-47°) Turret front
25.4-63.5 mm (1-68°) Gun mantlet 		63.5 mm (0-88°) 63.5 mm (1-53°) 35 mm
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 63.5 mm 35 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and bogies are 20 mm thick, tracks are 20 mm.
  • The rear bottom area has a track placed there, providing 20 mm of extra armour.
  • The commander cupola is extended outwards from the left side of the turret, creating a vulnerable unsloped area vulnerable to weaker guns.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB54 / 11 km/h
RB and SB48 / 10 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
1 back
Weight26.4 t
Engine power
AB757 hp
RB and SB397 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB28.7 hp/t
RB and SB15.0 hp/t

The AC.IV has an overall good mobility, with an acceptable reverse speed not found in other British tanks (e.g., Challenger, Comet, etc.). The manoeuvrability in soft terrain can be significantly reduced and can feel sluggish.

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 11 26.4 615 757 23.3 28.67
Realistic 48 10 351 397 13.3 15.04

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB1 319 Sl icon.png
RB1 532 Sl icon.png
SB2 031 Sl icon.png
Crew training10 000 Sl icon.png
Experts250 000 Sl icon.png
Aces630 Ge icon.png
Research Aces870 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 90 / 150 / 180 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 160 / 160 / 160 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Mods tank reinforcement uk.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods tank ammo.png
76mm_britain_17pdr_APC_ammo_pack
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Mods tank ammo.png
76mm_britain_17pdr_APCBC_ammo_pack
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Mods tank ammo.png
76mm_britain_Smoke_ammo_pack

Armaments

Main armament

76 mm QF 17-pounder cannon
Ammunition50 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
7.6 → 5.9 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 20°
Main article: QF 17-pounder (76 mm)

The classic Ordnance QF 17-pounder is a very powerful gun: its performance against Tiger I and Panthers is very consistent and satisfactory. The Sentinel offers a smooth gun handling, with a good turret traverse speed and a good gun elevation speed. It has an excellent gun depression of -10 degrees and offers a small silhouette when hull down, comparable to the Comet. Because British tanks do not have access to APHE shells, any shot fired must be accurate; always aim for crew compartments and vital components of enemy tanks.

76 mm QF 17-pounder Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 50 -10°/+20° ±180° N/A 17.14 23.72 28.80 31.85 33.88 7.67 6.79 6.25 5.90
Realistic 10.71 12.60 15.30 16.92 18.00

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
Shot Mk.6 AP 171 168 155 139 126 113
Shell Mk.1 HE 20 20 18 16 15 13
Shot Mk.4 APC 171 168 155 139 126 113
Shot Mk.8 APCBC 190 187 172 155 140 126
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%
Shot Mk.6 AP 883 7.71 - - - 47° 60° 65°
Shell Mk.1 HE 883 6.98 0.2 0.1 580 79° 80° 81°
Shot Mk.4 APC 883 7.71 - - - 48° 63° 71°
Shot Mk.8 APCBC 883 7.71 - - - 48° 63° 71°
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)
17pdr Shell SS Mk.1 229 8.44 13 5 20 50

Ammo racks

Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		7th
rack empty 		8th
rack empty 		9th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
50 45 (+5) 39 (+11) 35 (+15) 31 (+19) 25 (+25) 19 (+31) 15 (+35) 11 (+39) 1 (+49) No
Ammo racks of the A.C.IV

Notes:

  • Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.

Optics

A.C.IV Optics
Which ones Default magnification Maximum magnification
Main Gun optics x1.85 x3.5
Comparable optics T-34-57

Does not have improved zoom like the other rank III British tanks of similar BR, thus has worse zoom than many of its opponents, which may have variable zooms up to X5. Do not unnecessarily provoke German SPGs, as they have superior optics and are unlikely to miss.

In full up-tier, do not let Japanese medium tanks (e.g. ST-A1) get an upper hand at all costs, as they have optics eclipsing these entirely and can easily snipe A.C.IV from 2 km away, with accuracy modifications.

Machine guns

7.7 mm Vickers machine gun (coaxial)
Ammunition4 250 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate390 shots/min
Main article: Vickers (7.7 mm)

There is only one 7.7 mm coaxial MG with a very slow rate of fire, and no roof-mounted MG to defend against incoming planes. The small calibre of the Vickers machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help. While the belt capacity of the machine gun is adequate, its rate of fire is extremely slow for the battle rating.

7.7 mm Vickers
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 4,250 (250) 390 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

Exploit the A.C.IV's manoeuvrability against the heavier tanks, plus the 17-pounder tank allows for a penetration through the enemy's armour to cause internal damages. The fast reverse speed makes the "shoot-and-scoot" tactic a viable method against the enemy, and should be the prime one as the armour of the Sentinel is not exactly the most durable at only 50 mm flat.

However, the sloping nature of the armour could give the bouncing capability of the tank comparable to the T-34, it's even arguably much better. So while the weight class is definitely against the Sentinel, a chance is always there to take out the opposition. When compared to other British tanks, this tank lacks access to APDS rounds. Extra caution should be paid during full uptier matches as there will be many enemy tanks, particularly German tanks, that this tank will find difficult to engage from the front.

"Shoot-and-scoot" tactics are the best tactics to use with this vehicle. The Sentinel's armour does not let the tank be a brawler, so it must be more "sneaky" against the enemies. Another thing to note is the driver's hatch at the front of the tank. To avoid a frontally penetrating shot, always angle the driver's hatch away from the enemy.

The A.C.IV is quite mobile, even for a medium tank. Compared to tanks of similar BR like the Shermans and the T-34-85s, it has a very good reverse speed that is specially good when it's used in close quarter scenarios. That means that when it's used in city maps, the A.C.IV is very good for performing ambushes and setting up traps for heavier enemy tanks. It is also very capable in flanking manoeuvres, its gun is excellent to deal with enemies from the front, but it lacks the APHE rounds present in tanks from other nations.

This means that the best round available for the A.C.IV is the Shot Mk.8 APCBC round. It is recommended to take at least 5 HE rounds to deal with enemy SPAA and any kind of open top vehicle (to one shot them with overpressure) and 25 rounds of APCBC. More rounds can be taken, but it's recommended taking only 30 to reduce the chances of ammo detonation, but even with that, there is a lot of empty space inside the A.C.IV, so even with a full ammo load, ammo detonation is rare to say the least.

When playing in a downtier, the armour of the Sentinel becomes much better, it can reliably bounce shots with good positioning and angling of the chassis, but in downtiers it can be used as a brawler, attacking enemy tanks from the front and using the good penetration of its QF 17-pounder cannon. And in open maps with little to no cover, stay close to your team, since this tank can't brawl the same way heavy tanks will, even in full downtiers. There, the good mobility of the Sentinel can be a great advantage to cover capture points.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Good sloped armour
  • High penetration solid shot rounds
  • Good manoeuvrability
  • Fast reverse speed
  • Small profile

Cons:

  • Sloped armour only on the front
  • Susceptible to large calibre HE shells
  • Only 44 mm of side armour
  • Cannon lacks armour-piercing rounds with high-explosive filler
  • No APDS rounds, unlike other British medium tanks at this rank
  • Single 7.7 mm coaxial MG with a very slow rate of fire

History

Development

Australia began designing a tank in November 1940 as the AC I, and was intended to be a cruiser tank weighing between 16 to 20 tons with a 2-pounder gun. With no prior experience in producing a domestic tank, Australia sent a task force to the United States to study the M3 Medium design to understand the in-and-outs of a tank. They also received the aid of Colonel W.D. Watson MC in December 1940 from Britain, who has many years of tank designing experience. The overall mission ended up having the tank design to have a similar concept as the Canadian Ram tank, being based off the the M3 Medium chassis and mated with a domestic design of their choice for the upper part along with the incorporation of a suspension system of horizontal rubber cylinder springs seen on many early-war French tanks notably the H.39 and H.35. The Australian attached the chassis with a hull and turret with design similarities to the British Crusader tanks. The design started to become less of a cruiser tank and more of a medium tank by American specifications due to the attempt to up-armour and up-gun the tank to keep up with German armour development.

The first design was completed in February 1942 as the Cruiser Tank Mark 1 (AC I) and designated the "Sentinel". The design was simplified by using existing parts of current tanks and using a cast hull and turret. The entire hull being casted would be the first in history as many tanks of the era did not use such techniques. Although originally specified for a 2-pounder, it was then asked for a 6-pounder armament but due to the manufacturing of such guns not begining at the time in Australia they would have to use the 2 pounder for the first 65 produced. Two Vickers machine gun were used as the coaxial and hull machine gun the later having an armoured mount to protect its water sleeve resulting in a rather lewd looking front of which is made fun of to this day. With the power of three Cadillac V8 Petrol engines. It was unorthodox, but powerful enough to propel the vehicle. 65 of these tanks were made by June 1943 before being succeeded by a more advanced design known as AC III, also known as the "Thunderbolt". It had better armour and an improved firepower in the form of the 25-pounder howitzer. Despite the bigger gun, the 54-inch turret ring was never expanded to accommodate for the gun's larger size, so the crew experienced a slightly cramped turret interior for the benefit of having a better high-explosive charge and armour-piercing capability. Other differences in the design was the removal of the hull machine gun and a different set-up of the three Cadillac engines. One pilot model was built and plans were made for a production for 25 tanks for further trials, but the program was terminated.

Another attempt was made to increase Australian tank firepower with the AC IV design. It first started when the designers check to see if the turret could mount the massive 17-pounder in use by the British to fight the heavier and more protected German tanks. When the tests proved successful, the 17-pounder was chosen to be the gun for the AC IV, with a new and larger turret and 70-inch turret ring to improve crew comfort. These tanks were only made for evaluation purposes only and were never mass-produced for equipping the armoured units. However it would be the only commonwealth tank ever to mount such a gun.

Termination

The AC IV design, along with the entire Australian Cruiser tank program, was terminated in July 1943, ending with only 65 tanks produced and a few prototype models. The reason was that the funds were better spent improving the infrastructure than building new tanks due to the large number of American tanks such as the M4 Medium that were being supplied to Australia. The AC "Sentinel" were all put into storage and kept until the end of the war. The only use the Sentinel saw was in the film The Rats of Tobruk in 1943 when a squadron of AC I tanks were modified to resemble German tanks.

Survivors

After the war, the Australian government disposed most of the tanks in 1945, most were sold off by the Commonwealth Disposals Commission. Today, about six Sentinels survive in intact conditions across the world. One notably in the Bovington Tank Museum, and three in Australia in the RAAC Tank Museum, Treloar Technology Centre, and one in the United States in the Collings Foundation.

Media

Skins
Videos
Australian Cruiser Tanks - AC I "Sentinel" - AC IV "Woomera" (review starts at 5:20) - Cmdr. Tyrael
AC IV Thunderbolt - Ash

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


New South Wales Railway Company
Medium tanks  A.C.I · A.C.IV

Britain medium tanks
Valentine  Valentine I · Valentine IX · Valentine XI
Cromwell  Cromwell I · Cromwell V · Cromwell V (RP-3)
Cromwell derivatives  Challenger · Avenger · Comet I · Comet I "Iron Duke IV" · Charioteer Mk VII
Centurion  Centurion Mk 1 · Centurion Mk.2 · Centurion Mk 3 · Centurion Mk.5 AVRE · Centurion Mk 10 · Centurion Action X · FV4202
Vickers MBT  Vickers Mk.1 · Vickers Mk.3 · Vickers Mk.7
Chieftain  Chieftain Mk 3 · Chieftain Mk 5 · Chieftain Mk 10
Challenger 1  Challenger Mk.2 · Challenger Mk.3 · Challenger DS
Challenger 2  Challenger 2 · Challenger 2 (2F) · Challenger 2 TES · Challenger 2 OES · Challenger 2E · Challenger 2 Black Night
Challenger 3  Challenger 3 TD
Australia  A.C.I · A.C.IV · Centurion Mk.5/1
South Africa  Olifant Mk.1A · Olifant Mk.2 · TTD
India  Vijayanta · Bhishma TWMP
Israel  ▄Sho't Kal Dalet
Jordan  Khalid
Sweden  ▄Strv 81 (RB 52)
USA  Grant I · Sherman II · Sherman Firefly · Sherman IC "Trzyniec"

Britain premium ground vehicles
Light tanks  A13 Mk I (3rd R.T.R.) · A13 Mk II 1939 · AEC Mk II · Crusader "The Saint" · Rooikat 105
Medium tanks  A.C.I · Grant I · Cromwell V (RP-3) · Sherman IC "Trzyniec" · A.C.IV · Comet I "Iron Duke IV"
  Centurion Mk.2 · ▄Strv 81 (RB 52) · Centurion Mk.5 AVRE · Centurion Mk.5/1 · ▄Sho't Kal Dalet · Centurion Action X
  Vijayanta · Khalid · Challenger DS · Challenger 2 OES
Heavy tanks  Independent · Matilda Hedgehog · Excelsior · TOG II · Churchill Crocodile · Black Prince
Tank destroyers  Alecto I · Achilles (65 Rg.) · QF 3.7 Ram

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