Difference between revisions of "SAu 40"
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| − | {{Specs-Card|code=fr_somua_sau40}} | + | {{Specs-Card |
| + | |code=fr_somua_sau40 | ||
| + | |images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}} | ||
| + | }} | ||
== Description == | == Description == | ||
<!-- ''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.'' --> | <!-- ''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.'' --> | ||
| − | + | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was developed by SOMUA between 1935 and 1937 alongside the S.35 tank for French cavalry. It featured a redesigned hull to house a 75 mm cannon and a new commander's cupola with a machine gun. The prototype was finished in 1939 after delays in acquiring the cannon. It is uncertain if more vehicles were produced or if it saw combat action. Doctrinally, the vehicle was relegated to a support role, intended to provide cover for heavier tanks like the Char B1. | |
| − | |||
| − | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' | ||
| − | As it was developed from the French [[S.35]], this tank shares many of its characteristics such as the ~40 mm thick cast hull bolted onto the chassis, which is barely a widened version of its original. The track system is mostly the same as on the [[S.35]], with 25 mm plates covering the roller wheels. As for the hull, it's a widened variant of the [[S.35]]'s hull with two 8 mm | + | It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]]. It distinguishes itself by its very tall cupola and thick gun barrel. This tank is equipped with APHE rounds, a rare feature in the French tech tree. As it was developed from the French [[S.35]], this tank shares many of its characteristics such as the ~40 mm thick cast hull bolted onto the chassis, which is barely a widened version of its original. The track system is mostly the same as on the [[S.35]], with 25 mm plates covering the roller wheels. As for the hull, it's a widened variant of the [[S.35]]'s hull with two 8 mm grilles over the engine compartment and doors on the side. The tank features an APHE shell, this increases the chances of one-shots at enemy tanks. In terms of mobility, it is a pretty slow tank, and it's not very survivable either, it has a very large profile and the commander's cupola is a big weak point that can be exploited by other vehicles. |
== General info == | == General info == | ||
=== Survivability and armour === | === Survivability and armour === | ||
| + | {{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.'' --> | <!-- ''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.'' --> | ||
| − | As this tank is based off the [[S.35]], it shares many of its attributes when it comes to armour. A slight angle can defeat most shots this tank will take at this BR, this is useful to know when getting into position: from a distance and not showing neither side nor front to the enemy, you should be safe. As for frontal armour, its 40 mm overall thickness is not strong enough to withstand anything bigger than AA fire. But, a thing to consider with this weird pattern is its "bouncy" behaviour, principally around the gun mantlet: complex angles may just bounce some shots, making them | + | As this tank is based off the [[S.35]], it shares many of its attributes when it comes to armour. A slight angle can defeat most shots this tank will take at this BR, this is useful to know when getting into position: from a distance and not showing neither side nor front to the enemy, you should be safe. As for frontal armour, its 40 mm overall thickness is not strong enough to withstand anything bigger than AA fire. But, a thing to consider with this weird pattern is its "bouncy" behaviour, principally around the gun mantlet: complex angles may just bounce some shots, making them lose some energy before hitting the main armour, this feature is peculiarly distinctive at gun's height. |
The main weakness of this tank is its very tall MG turret, which makes it quite easy to spot and destroy, as it is thinner than the main armour. Any APHE penetrating this area will knock out the tank's commander, thus disabling its only MG and some shrapnels may even damage or incapacitate the driver, disabling this tank for good. A way to avoid getting spotted too easily is buying camouflage for the front cupola area, making it look more like a bush popping out a hill than a tank's turret. Try to hide the tank's lower hull part as it is only 34 mm thick. | The main weakness of this tank is its very tall MG turret, which makes it quite easy to spot and destroy, as it is thinner than the main armour. Any APHE penetrating this area will knock out the tank's commander, thus disabling its only MG and some shrapnels may even damage or incapacitate the driver, disabling this tank for good. A way to avoid getting spotted too easily is buying camouflage for the front cupola area, making it look more like a bush popping out a hill than a tank's turret. Try to hide the tank's lower hull part as it is only 34 mm thick. | ||
'''Armour type:''' | '''Armour type:''' | ||
| + | |||
* Cast homogeneous armour (hull, turret) | * Cast homogeneous armour (hull, turret) | ||
* Rolled homogeneous armour (side skirts, engine vents, exhaust pipes) | * Rolled homogeneous armour (side skirts, engine vents, exhaust pipes) | ||
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=== Mobility === | === Mobility === | ||
| + | {{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.'' --> | <!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' --> | ||
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=270|rbMinHp=168}} | {{tankMobility|abMinHp=270|rbMinHp=168}} | ||
| − | While being mounted on a widened [[S.35]] hull, the heavier {{PAGENAME}} has | + | While being mounted on a widened [[S.35]] hull, the heavier {{PAGENAME}} has the same engine as its predecessor, making it quite slow and unwieldy, with a very low power-to-weight ratio. In order to fulfill the task of getting into position, one should choose their route wisely and avoid risky spots as this SPG's terrible reverse speed makes it quite bad at hasty retreats. Mobility with the {{PAGENAME}} is an issue. It is arguably what makes this tank hard to master as it does not allow for good map placement. One positive of this tank's mobility, however, is that it has a decent hull traverse because of the ability to use both tracks when turning in place. |
| + | |||
| + | === Modifications and economy === | ||
| + | {{Specs-Economy}} | ||
== Armaments == | == Armaments == | ||
| + | {{Specs-Tank-Armaments}} | ||
=== Main armament === | === 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.'' --> | <!-- ''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|APX (75 mm)}} | {{main|APX (75 mm)}} | ||
| − | As any casemate SPG, this tank's main feature is its main gun | + | As any casemate SPG, this tank's main feature is its main gun, it is also one of the rare French tanks firing APHE shells. However, the cannon has an average penetration power for its BR. And the APHE round fails to explode when targeting enemies' sides, as the round has a rather high fuse sensitivity. Another concern is its slow horizontal traverse, which makes it hard to react to fast-paced combat situations. The gun placement makes this tank quite vulnerable: being low, it exposes the SAu 40 to enemy fire when popping up a hill. |
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%" | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%" | ||
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==== Ammunition ==== | ==== Ammunition ==== | ||
| − | { | + | {{:APX (75 mm)/Ammunition|Mle1910M, Mle1917}} |
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==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
| − | Notes: | + | '''Notes''': |
* As they are modeled by sets of 3 or 4, shells disappear from the rack only after you've fired all shells in the set. | * As they are modeled by sets of 3 or 4, shells disappear from the rack only after you've fired all shells in the set. | ||
| − | * Flank racks empty: 18 (+83) shells | + | * Flank racks empty: 18 (+83) shells. |
=== Machine guns === | === Machine guns === | ||
| + | {{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.'' --> | <!-- ''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|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}} | {{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}} | ||
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! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal | ! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | MG turret || 3, | + | | MG turret || 3,300 (150) || 551 || -9°/+20° || ±180° |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
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Act as a classical SPG while keeping in mind your slow pace. There is nothing very much interesting nor special you can do with this tank. | Act as a classical SPG while keeping in mind your slow pace. There is nothing very much interesting nor special you can do with this tank. | ||
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=== Pros and cons === | === Pros and cons === | ||
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'''Pros:''' | '''Pros:''' | ||
| − | + | ||
| − | + | * 75 mm APHE shell gives it good single-shot knock-out potential | |
| − | + | * Competitive reload time | |
| − | * | + | * Strong armour on gun mantlet |
| − | |||
| − | |||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
| − | * Commander's turret is | + | |
| − | + | * Commander's turret is poorly armoured and a shot trap | |
| − | + | * Machine gun placement makes AA use difficult | |
| − | + | * Poor mobility due to underpowered engine | |
| − | * | + | * Slow gun traverse |
| − | * Poor mobility | ||
| − | |||
| − | * | ||
| − | |||
* Frontal armour has many weak spots due to bad sloping | * Frontal armour has many weak spots due to bad sloping | ||
| − | * Only three crew members | + | * Only three crew members decreases survivability |
| − | * | + | * Large ammo rack near gunner makes easy target for ammo rack detonations |
== History == | == 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).'' --> | <!-- ''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).'' --> | ||
| − | The SAu 40 self-propelled gun was developed by the SOMUA company between 1935 and 1937 as part of the same order the French cavalry placed for the | + | The SAu 40 self-propelled gun was developed by the SOMUA company between 1935 and 1937 as part of the same order the French cavalry placed for the S.35 tank. |
| − | The two tanks combined were intended to equip light mechanized divisions of the French army and support the larger "battle tanks" (chars de bataille). The vehicle inherited the | + | The two tanks combined were intended to equip light mechanized divisions of the French army and support the larger "battle tanks" (chars de bataille). The vehicle inherited the S.35's characteristic chassis with a redesigned front section of the hull to accommodate the 75 mm APX cannon. In addition, the rotating turret on top of the fighting compartment was redesigned to a commander's cupola and moved to the side of the vehicle, but the turret's 47 mm cannon was replaced with a single 7.5 mm machine gun. |
The body of the SAu 40 was ready by 1937, but it couldn't be immediately completed. Because the cannon was not yet ready to be installed on the chassis, SOMUA engineers had to wait nearly 2 years before the cannon was finally made available. It wasn't until 1939 that the fully assembled prototype was completed, and orders for mass production were received in October of the same year. | The body of the SAu 40 was ready by 1937, but it couldn't be immediately completed. Because the cannon was not yet ready to be installed on the chassis, SOMUA engineers had to wait nearly 2 years before the cannon was finally made available. It wasn't until 1939 that the fully assembled prototype was completed, and orders for mass production were received in October of the same year. | ||
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;Skins | ;Skins | ||
| − | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/? | + | |
| + | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_somua_sau40 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.] | ||
;Videos | ;Videos | ||
| − | {{Youtube-gallery|gch68D19_C4|''' | + | {{Youtube-gallery|gch68D19_C4|'''SAu 40, French, Tier-2, Tank Destroyer''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''|uhgodizubC4|'''The Shooting Range #77''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 00:31 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}} |
== See also == | == See also == | ||
| Line 230: | Line 170: | ||
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' --> | * ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' --> | ||
| − | ;Vehicles equipped with a | + | ;Vehicles equipped with a similar chassis |
| + | |||
* [[S.35]] | * [[S.35]] | ||
;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role | ;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role | ||
| + | |||
* [[Sav m/43 (1944)]] | * [[Sav m/43 (1944)]] | ||
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* [[wikipedia:SOMUA_S35#Projects|[Wikipedia] SOMUA S35 - Projects]] | * [[wikipedia:SOMUA_S35#Projects|[Wikipedia] SOMUA S35 - Projects]] | ||
| + | {{TankManufacturer SOMUA}} | ||
{{France tank destroyers}} | {{France tank destroyers}} | ||
Latest revision as of 20:12, 26 February 2024
Contents
Description
The Canon Automoteur DE 75 mm SAu 40 was developed by SOMUA between 1935 and 1937 alongside the S.35 tank for French cavalry. It featured a redesigned hull to house a 75 mm cannon and a new commander's cupola with a machine gun. The prototype was finished in 1939 after delays in acquiring the cannon. It is uncertain if more vehicles were produced or if it saw combat action. Doctrinally, the vehicle was relegated to a support role, intended to provide cover for heavier tanks like the Char B1.
It was introduced in Update 1.75 "La Résistance". It distinguishes itself by its very tall cupola and thick gun barrel. This tank is equipped with APHE rounds, a rare feature in the French tech tree. As it was developed from the French S.35, this tank shares many of its characteristics such as the ~40 mm thick cast hull bolted onto the chassis, which is barely a widened version of its original. The track system is mostly the same as on the S.35, with 25 mm plates covering the roller wheels. As for the hull, it's a widened variant of the S.35's hull with two 8 mm grilles over the engine compartment and doors on the side. The tank features an APHE shell, this increases the chances of one-shots at enemy tanks. In terms of mobility, it is a pretty slow tank, and it's not very survivable either, it has a very large profile and the commander's cupola is a big weak point that can be exploited by other vehicles.
General info
Survivability and armour
Armourfront / side / back
Hull40 / 40 / 34
Turret38 / 38 / 38
Crew3 people
Visibility99 %
As this tank is based off the S.35, it shares many of its attributes when it comes to armour. A slight angle can defeat most shots this tank will take at this BR, this is useful to know when getting into position: from a distance and not showing neither side nor front to the enemy, you should be safe. As for frontal armour, its 40 mm overall thickness is not strong enough to withstand anything bigger than AA fire. But, a thing to consider with this weird pattern is its "bouncy" behaviour, principally around the gun mantlet: complex angles may just bounce some shots, making them lose some energy before hitting the main armour, this feature is peculiarly distinctive at gun's height.
The main weakness of this tank is its very tall MG turret, which makes it quite easy to spot and destroy, as it is thinner than the main armour. Any APHE penetrating this area will knock out the tank's commander, thus disabling its only MG and some shrapnels may even damage or incapacitate the driver, disabling this tank for good. A way to avoid getting spotted too easily is buying camouflage for the front cupola area, making it look more like a bush popping out a hill than a tank's turret. Try to hide the tank's lower hull part as it is only 34 mm thick.
Armour type:
- Cast homogeneous armour (hull, turret)
- Rolled homogeneous armour (side skirts, engine vents, exhaust pipes)
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 40 mm (0-73°) Front glacis 34 mm (1-54°) Lower glacis 60 mm (spherical) Gun mantlet 34 mm (cylindrical) Top - Turret base |
40 mm (20-46°) Top - Front 34 mm (43-63°) Top - Roof junction 34 mm (cylindrical) Top - Turret base 40 mm Top - Centre and rear 40 + 25 mm Bottom |
34 mm (26°) Upper plate 34 mm (4) Centre plate 34 mm (29-33°) Lower plate |
20 mm (9-15°) 8 mm (14°) Engine vents |
| MG turret | 38 mm (15-38°) Turret front 38.5 mm (5°) + 25 mm Machine gun mantlet |
38 mm (16-38°) | 38 mm (23-32°) | 20 mm (8-17°) |
| Cupola | 34 mm (spherical) | 34 mm | ||
Notes:
- Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
- Turret underside is 20 mm thick.
- Turret ring is 30 mm thick.
- Hull underside above the tracks is 12.7 mm thick.
- Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
Mobility
Speedforward / back
AB41 / 6 km/h
RB and SB37 / 5 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
1 back
Weight24.0 t
Engine power
AB363 hp
RB and SB190 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB15.1 hp/t
RB and SB7.9 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 | 41 | 6 | 24 | 270 | 363 | 11.25 | 15.13 |
| Realistic | 37 | 5 | 168 | 190 | 7 | 7.92 | |
While being mounted on a widened S.35 hull, the heavier SAu 40 has the same engine as its predecessor, making it quite slow and unwieldy, with a very low power-to-weight ratio. In order to fulfill the task of getting into position, one should choose their route wisely and avoid risky spots as this SPG's terrible reverse speed makes it quite bad at hasty retreats. Mobility with the SAu 40 is an issue. It is arguably what makes this tank hard to master as it does not allow for good map placement. One positive of this tank's mobility, however, is that it has a decent hull traverse because of the ability to use both tracks when turning in place.
Modifications and economy
Repair costBasic → Reference
AB298 → 368 
RB332 → 410
SB400 → 494
Total cost of modifications5 960 
4 500
Talisman cost410 
Crew training1 800
Experts6 300
Aces75
Research Aces135 000
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
20 / 30 / 40 %
106 / 106 / 106 %
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
Main armament
Ammunition101 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
7.2 → 5.5 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 30°
Horizontal guidance-7° / 7°
As any casemate SPG, this tank's main feature is its main gun, it is also one of the rare French tanks firing APHE shells. However, the cannon has an average penetration power for its BR. And the APHE round fails to explode when targeting enemies' sides, as the round has a rather high fuse sensitivity. Another concern is its slow horizontal traverse, which makes it hard to react to fast-paced combat situations. The gun placement makes this tank quite vulnerable: being low, it exposes the SAu 40 to enemy fire when popping up a hill.
| 75 mm APX | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 101 | -10°/+30° | ±7° | N/A | 5.3 | 7.3 | 8.9 | 9.8 | 10.4 | 7.15 | 6.33 | 5.83 | 5.50 |
| Realistic | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 5.6 | 6.0 | ||||||||
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 | ||
| Mle1910M | APHE | 77 | 75 | 66 | 57 | 49 | 42 |
| Mle1917 | HE | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 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% | ||||||||||
| Mle1910M | APHE | 570 | 6.4 | 1.2 | 14 | 90 | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
| Mle1917 | HE | 577 | 6.13 | 0 | 0.1 | 675 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
Ammo racks
Ammo racks of the SAu 40
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | 84 (+17) | 66 (+35) | 42 (+59) | 18 (+83) | 1 (+100) | No |
Notes:
- As they are modeled by sets of 3 or 4, shells disappear from the rack only after you've fired all shells in the set.
- Flank racks empty: 18 (+83) shells.
Machine guns
Ammunition3 300 rounds
Belt capacity150 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
6.5 → 5.0 s
Fire rate551 shots/min
| 7.5 mm MAC 31 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| MG turret | 3,300 (150) | 551 | -9°/+20° | ±180° |
The small calibre of the MAC 31 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 or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight. The turret is slow, which also negates the possibility of tracking low-flying aircraft with it.
Usage in battles
The SAu 40 behaves as a classical casemate SPG as it should provide its teammates with superior firepower from medium to far distance, behind the frontlines where it will be harder to flank. As this is its purposed role, this tank has some issues accomplishing it. The first being its relatively low penetration and shell velocity, which makes long range engagements (>750 m)a bit hard to manage. The second being bad mobility, which complicates the task of positioning.
Act as a classical SPG while keeping in mind your slow pace. There is nothing very much interesting nor special you can do with this tank.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- 75 mm APHE shell gives it good single-shot knock-out potential
- Competitive reload time
- Strong armour on gun mantlet
Cons:
- Commander's turret is poorly armoured and a shot trap
- Machine gun placement makes AA use difficult
- Poor mobility due to underpowered engine
- Slow gun traverse
- Frontal armour has many weak spots due to bad sloping
- Only three crew members decreases survivability
- Large ammo rack near gunner makes easy target for ammo rack detonations
History
The SAu 40 self-propelled gun was developed by the SOMUA company between 1935 and 1937 as part of the same order the French cavalry placed for the S.35 tank.
The two tanks combined were intended to equip light mechanized divisions of the French army and support the larger "battle tanks" (chars de bataille). The vehicle inherited the S.35's characteristic chassis with a redesigned front section of the hull to accommodate the 75 mm APX cannon. In addition, the rotating turret on top of the fighting compartment was redesigned to a commander's cupola and moved to the side of the vehicle, but the turret's 47 mm cannon was replaced with a single 7.5 mm machine gun.
The body of the SAu 40 was ready by 1937, but it couldn't be immediately completed. Because the cannon was not yet ready to be installed on the chassis, SOMUA engineers had to wait nearly 2 years before the cannon was finally made available. It wasn't until 1939 that the fully assembled prototype was completed, and orders for mass production were received in October of the same year.
Whether or not any additional vehicles other than the prototype were built or if the vehicle took part in active fighting is unknown.
-From Devblog
Media
- Skins
- Videos
SAu 40, French, Tier-2, Tank Destroyer - Angry Nerd Gaming
The Shooting Range #77 - Pages of History section at 00:31 discusses the SAu 40.
See also
- Vehicles equipped with a similar chassis
- Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
External links
| Société d'Outillage Mécanique et d'Usinage d'Artillerie (SOMUA) | |
|---|---|
| Tanks | |
| Medium tanks | S.35 |
| Heavy tanks | Somua SM |
| Tank destroyers | SAu 40 |
| France tank destroyers | |
|---|---|
| Lorraine 40t derivatives | CA Lorraine · Lorraine 155 Mle.50 |
| ATGM | MEPHISTO · AMX-10M |
| Other | AMR.35 ZT3 · Lorraine 37L · SAu 40 · ARL-44 · ELC bis · AMX-50 Foch · AuF1 |
| USA | ▄M10 GMC · ▄M36B2 |
