M109G

This page is about the German tank destroyer M109G. For other versions, see M109 (Family).

M109G

Waffenträger

leKPz M41

M109G

Waffenträger

leKPz M41

Germany

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
6.0	6.0	6.0

Class:

Tank destroyer

Research:46 000

Purchase:155 000

Show in game

Description

The M109G is a rank IV German tank destroyer with a battle rating of 6.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Kings of Battle".

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull32 / 32 / 32

Turret32 / 32 / 32

Crew6 people

Visibility96 %

Similar to all other vehicles in the M109 family, the M109G lacks for armour whatsoever, and will only stop light machine gun rounds. Although, on paper, the vehicle is protected by ~30 mm of armour frontally, it being made of aluminium reduces its effectiveness. Strafing aircraft, even those with only .50 cals, will be deadly to the M109.

The SPH has a generous 6 crew member count, five in the turret and one in the hull. Thanks to the gigantic gun breech, the turret crew sits far apart, with the gunner sitting on the left (from rear POV). Thus, a penetrating hit from AP/APHE shells will rarely one-shot you. They will most likely take out the large breech or destroy the gun barrel instead, far worse than losing a few crew members. Thankfully, the driver and engine sit away from the turret, oftentimes allowing you to escape after suffering a hit. Other HE/HEAT slingers, though (e.g. M109A1, 2S1), will perforate your vehicle no matter what. Overall, try not to be hit, and break cover only to fire.

Armour type:

• Aluminium alloy 5083 (Hull, turret)
• Rolled homogeneous armor (Radiator covers)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	32 mm (27-74°) Upper Glacis 32 mm (0-49°) Lower Glacis	32 mm Top 32 mm Bottom	32 mm	32 mm Hull Roof 10 mm Radiator Covers
Turret	32 mm (28-73°) Turret front 32 mm (4-56°) Gun mantlet	32 mm (23-50°)	32 mm	32 mm
Cupola	32 mm			32 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels - 20 mm (Structural steel of chassis)
• Tracks - 15 mm

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB62 / 13 km/h

RB and SB57 / 12 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

4 back

Weight24.5 t

Engine power

AB773 hp

RB and SB405 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB31.6 hp/t

RB and SB16.5 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	62	13	24.5	575	773	23.47	31.55
Realistic	57	12		358	405	14.61	16.53

The M109G is sufficiently fast to allow it to be able to get to a position in time, without being flanked immediately by other, faster tanks. The M109G does feature neutral steering, which allows it to turn in place which helps its agility when turning. The M109G's turning is also decent enough for the job.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB2 324 → 3 016

RB2 737 → 3 552

SB3 594 → 4 665

Total cost of modifications40 400

78 400

Talisman cost1 400

Crew training45 000

Experts155 000

Aces630

Research Aces440 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

100 / 160 / 220 %

160 / 160 / 160 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 900 120 Suspension Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 500 110 Brake System Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 500 110 Filters Research: 3 400 Cost: 6 600 210 Transmission Research: 4 400 Cost: 8 500 270 Engine Research: 4 400 Cost: 8 500 270	Improved Parts Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 900 120 Improved FPE Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 500 110 Crew Replenishment Research: 3 400 Cost: 6 600 210 Smoke grenade Research: 4 400 Cost: 8 500 270	Horizontal Drive Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 900 120 155mm_M110_Smoke_ammo_pack Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 900 120 Adjustment of Fire Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 500 110 155mm_M107_HE_PF_ammo_pack Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 500 110 Elevation Mechanism Research: 3 400 Cost: 6 600 210

Like with all ground vehicles, always research parts first. Proceed, then, to mitigate the terrible turret traverse with "Horizontal Drive" and (if you so desire) "Tracks". An improved "Brake System" and "Suspension" will help the gun stabilize faster. At Tier III, prioritize "Elevation Mechanism" for even better gun controls. Then, research smoke screen, or skip to engine upgrades.

Armaments

Main armament

155 mm M126E1 cannon

Ammunition28 rounds

First-order16 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

17.3 → 13.3 s

Vertical guidance-3° / 70°

What makes the M109G so lethal is its gun: a huge 155 mm howitzer. Being a cold-war invention, the gun can fire HE rounds with 9 kilograms of TNT equivalent. When properly aimed, it will take out any tank, up to top-tier MBTs. To do so, aim at either the lower turret face or turret top to destroy the weak roof armour on tanks. Refrain from shooting the hull, as tracks will frequently absorb the round, or pure armour will prevent it from dealing damage. The stock HE shell should be your main choice.

There is an unlockable HE-VT round that can be utilized against planes, but its mere 3 metre trigger radius and low velocity discourages an AA play style. Another option, the M110 shell, will deploy a smoke screen wherever it lands. On other tanks, this may be useful in certain situations, but the long reload time, and the fact that HE shells do not lose penetration over range, makes firing smoke questionable at best.

155 mm M126E1					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	28	-3°/+70°	±180°	-	9.7	13.4	16.3	18.0	19.1	17.29	15.30	14.10	13.30
Realistic					6.5	7.7	9.4	10.3	11.0

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
M107	HE	61	61	61	61	61	61
M107 (PF)	HE-VT	61	61	61	61	61	61

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M107	HE	684	43.1	0.3	0.1	9.14	79°	80°	81°

Proximity-fused shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Arming distance (m)	Trigger radius (m)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
									0%	50%	100%
M107 (PF)	HE-VT	684	43.1	0	0	300	3	9.14	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)
M110	684	44.63	21	5	30	50

Ammo racks of the M109G

Ammo racks

Full ammo	Ammo part	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
28	Projectiles Propellants	24 (+4) 23 (+5)	19 (+9) 17 (+11)	17 (+11) 1 (+27)	1 (+27) N/A	No

Notes:

• M109G uses two-piece ammunition, composed of propellant bags (orange) and projectiles (yellow). Both have separate racks.
• Projectiles and propellant bags are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
• 4th rack (for the projectiles) and 3rd rack (for the propellants) are first stage ammo rack. It totals 16 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
• Loading 17 (+11) shells will keep the hull floor and part of both sides empty of ammo.

Machine guns

7.62 mm MG3A1 machine gun

Ammunition2 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate1 200 shots/min

A main feature that separates the M109G from most others in the M109 family is the lack of a .50 cal defensive MG. Instead, a low-calibre 7 mm is present, offering little protection against planes. Never rely on this gun, and certainly do not fire at planes with this (unless they are diving at you), since it will attract their attention to a juicy target.

7.62 mm MG3A1
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	2,000 (200)	1,200	-10°/+50°	±180°

Usage in battles

Originally designed to provide heavy fire support for armoured forces by the United States Army, the M109G should be played in a similar role in War Thunder. Stick close to allies, and act as manually-aimed artillery, engaging enemies while they are distracted.

It is advised not to engage in a sniping engagement with other tanks, especially if you have the high ground. Due to the poor gun depression and difficult to master shell arc, it is extremely difficult to hit enemies at range. Instead, attempt to target enemies at medium to short range, preferably with immediate cover available after firing. Utilize the reverse speed to back away from cover, exposing only your turret, and fire. Never attempt to brawl on this vehicle; an inadequate turret traverse, coupled with painfully long reload speed, reduces your ability to quickly react.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Quite mobile with good reverse speed
• Smoke grenades can cover you whilst reloading
• Thin armour
  • Most APHE shells won't fuse
  • Most AP derivatives won't create sufficient spalling
• Powerful armament, can one-shot anything
• Neutral steering
• The commander mounted MG3A1 (7.62 mm) has an extremely fast fire rate making it effective against closeby flying aircraft

Cons:

• Only -3° gun depression
• Slow turret traverse speed
• Almost nonexistent armour
  • .50 cal's and above can pen turret (Even though the armor value is 32mm)
• Long reload
• Slow shell velocity and average optics zoom making it hard for sniping
• No .50 cal HMG

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: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the M109G from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Related development

• M109 (Family)

External links

• [Devblog] M109: The King of Battle