Difference between revisions of "LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2) (USA)"

From War Thunder Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Visual (beta)Wikitext
(→‎Usage in the battles)
(→‎Ammo racks: added info on empty ammo racks ~~~~)
 
(49 intermediate revisions by 13 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 +
{{About
 +
| about = tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 +
| usage = other versions
 +
| link = LVT (Family)
 +
}}
 
{{Specs-Card
 
{{Specs-Card
 
|code=us_lvt_4_zis_2
 
|code=us_lvt_4_zis_2
 +
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
 
|market=LVT(A)(4) ZIS-2
 
|market=LVT(A)(4) ZIS-2
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
== 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.'' -->
−
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American SPG {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced the [[wt:en/news/4416-special-war-thunder-winter-holiday-en|winter holiday]] event of 2016.
+
The '''Amphibious Vehicle, Tracked, Armoured, Mark 4, 57 mm ZiS-2 - LVT(A)(4)(ZiS-2)''' is an up-gunned modification of the LVT(A)(4), which is the fourth armoured, infantry support variant of the [[LVT (Family)|Amphibious Vehicle, Tracked - LVT]]. The LVT(A)(4)(ZiS-2) was modified by the Chinese People's Liberation Army, which was based on the [[LVT(A)(4)]]. During the Chinese Civil War, the Chinese Nationalist Army deployed a large number of LVT(4)s and LVT(A)(4)s. Following the defeat of the Chinese Nationalist Army in 1949, the Chinese People's Liberation Army captured many of the LVT(4)s and LVT(A)(4)s. The Chinese People's Liberation Army removed the original turret mounting the 75 mm M2 howitzer and replaced it with the high-velocity 57 mm ZIS-2 anti-tank gun for dual anti-tank and infantry support purposes after the US stopped supplying ammunition for the original LVT(A)(4) to China after the Chinese Civil War ended.
  
−
Being based off the LVT(A)(1) with the difference of a new turret that hosts a soviet zis gun, offering much more firepower compared to its counterpart.
+
Introduced in [[Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai"]] as a reward vehicle for the [[wt:en/news/4416-special-war-thunder-winter-holiday-en|2016 "Winter Holiday"]] event, as well as in [[wt:en/news/6120-news-how-can-you-get-premium-vehicles-warbonds-en|April 2019]] as a battle trophy vehicle in the [[Warbonds]] shop, the LVT(A)(4) (ZiS-2) provides U.S. Army ground forces players with a very unusual tank that combines U.S. and Soviet philosophies. Despite its light armour, the LVT(A)(4) (ZiS-2) proves to be a formidable opponent when matched against opponents of similar ranks. The high-velocity 57 mm ZiS-2 anti-tank gun allows players to engage opponents from a significantly greater range than the original LVT(A)(4). The tank, however, is extremely vulnerable to aircraft strafing and artillery hits because of its high profile and open-top turret.
  
 
== 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?''-->
+
{{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.'' -->
 +
Its large and spacious hull might seem hard to knock out all of its crew, but that's only true when you are getting shot from the side. From your side, there is a huge empty area between the driving compartment and the fighting compartment that will absorb any shell, regardless of their explosive fillers. However an experienced player will know to shoot at these two compartments and avoid the empty space. From the front, the spacious hull does not help to keep the crew safe as a penetrating shell will travel through the empty space and hit any crew at the back, so you could die sooner than you expected. Avoid tanks with solid shots, for example British/Swedish tanks.
 +
 
 
'''Armour type:'''
 
'''Armour type:'''
  
−
*Rolled homogeneous armour
+
* Rolled homogeneous armour
−
*Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Machine gun shield)
+
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Machine gun shield)
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
Line 27: Line 36:
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
  
−
'''''Notes:'''''
+
* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
−
 
+
* Front hull has flat armour area where driver & co-driver sits.
−
* ''Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.''
 
−
* ''Front hull has flat armour area where driver & co-driver sits.''
 
  
 
=== 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= 355|rbMinHp= 221|<!--AoAweight=(optional) -->}}
+
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=355|rbMinHp=221}}
 +
 
 +
The LVT's mobility is adequate. On hard surfaces it easily reaches its top speed of around 38 km/h. On soft surfaces it needs more time to accelerate, and the top speed is lowered. The hull traverse is great, allowing you to quickly change direction, however a downside is that when you turn the hull to aim, you might over-turn and swing the gun past the target, increasing the aiming time which can be fatal.
 +
 
 +
Due to its big and tall tracks, the LVT can drive over some obstacles that are too tall for normal-sized tanks.
 +
 
 +
=== 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.'' -->
 +
{{main|ZIS-2 (57 mm)}}
  
−
''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.''
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="5" | [[ZIS-2 (57 mm)|57 mm ZIS-2]] || 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" | 76 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±25° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 10.6 || 14.6 || 17.8 || 19.6 || 20.9 || rowspan="2" | 8.7 || rowspan="2" | 7.7 || rowspan="2" | 7.1 || rowspan="2" | 6.7
 +
|-
 +
! ''Realistic''
 +
| 7.1 || 8.4 || 10.2 || 11.3 ||12.0
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
==== Ammunition ====
 +
{{:ZIS-2 (57 mm)/Ammunition|BR-271, BR-271K, O-271}}
 +
 
 +
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks_LVT(A)(4)ZIS-2.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the LVT(A)(4) ZIS-2.]]
 +
<!-- '''Last updated:''' -->
 +
{| 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
 +
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
| '''76''' || 71&nbsp;''(+5)'' || 65&nbsp;''(+11)'' || 49&nbsp;''(+27)'' || 33&nbsp;''(+43)'' || 17&nbsp;''(+59)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+75)'' || No
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
 
 +
* Turret Empty: 65 (+11) shells
 +
* Turret plus mid-hull empty: 33 (+43) shells
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
−
[[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)]]
+
{{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.'' -->
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
 +
|-
 +
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 3,000 (250) || 500 || -10°/+20° || ±15°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
== 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).'' -->
 +
 
 +
LVT(A)(4) ZIS-2 is a fragile tank with a strong bite. The main gun is a very powerful Soviet 57 mm ZIS-2 that has no problem penetrating through the hardest of enemies at its BR. Being such a large tank it has amazing manoeuvrability that works on most terrain. Its high profile makes it an easy target for the enemy to spot from afar and behind objects, fences and hills. Since the LVT(A)(4) has such thin hull armour, it is vulnerable to machine gun and autocannon fire. This makes Self Propelled Anti-Air vehicles and vehicles with 20 mm automatic cannons a lethal enemy, but that is not all the worries, large-calibre guns with HEAT and HE can penetrate with ease and cause detonation on the soft armour of the LVT(A)(4).
 +
 
 +
LVT(A)(4) ZIS-2 has decent speed and is manoeuvrable enough to handle close combat even lacking a full 360° turret. But, to best counter the most dangerous of enemies, utilize the long gun to its advantage.
 +
 
 +
You should memorise certain spots on different maps to make the most out of your amazing firepower. Pick spots that:
 +
 
 +
* Overlook a key passageway/street
 +
* Are not too close or too far from the frontline
 +
* Have hard cover/slopes around
 +
* Are mostly flat (as your gun depression is bad and gun is mounted very high)
 +
* Have some vegetation, if possible
 +
 
 +
This way you can sit at a comfortable spot, stay away from most dangers and target opponents that appear. The rather flat trajectory of your gun does not require as much elevation when shooting at distant targets which is beginner friendly, however the shell velocity is not fast, so you have to lead more than you think for moving targets. Because this is a sniper's tactic, if you are to bush up for better concealment, it is recommended to stack all bushes onto the upper front of the LVT. This is because you will mostly face targets from one direction only (your front) so you just have to cover up the front. The lower glacis does not need as much bush as it will usually get blocked by vegetations on the ground, acting as natural camouflage.
  
−
== Usage in the battles ==
+
'''Enemies worth noting:'''
−
LVT(A)(4) Zis-2 is a fragile tank with a strong bite. The main gun is a very powerful Soviet Zis-2 that have no problem penetrating through the hardest of enemies at its BR. Being such a large tank it got an amazing manouverbility that works on most terrain. It's high profile makes it a easy target for enemy to spot from afar and behind objects, fences and hills. Since the LVT(A)(4) got such thin hull armor makes it vulnerable to machine gun and auto cannon fire. This makes Self Propelled Anti-Air vehicles and vehicles with a 20mm Automatic cannons a lethal enemy, but that is not all the worries, large caliber guns with HEAT and HE can with ease penetrate and cause detonation to the soft armor of the LVT(A)(4).
 
  
−
LVT(A)(4) Zis-2 got a decent speed and maneuverable to handle close combat with even with a lacking of a full 360'''°''' turret. But to best counter the most dangerous of enemies is to utilize the long gun to its advantage.
+
[[M4A3 (105) (France)]]: this low-tier Sherman is one tough tank to destroy, but luckily your LVT is one of the few that can destroy it with ease (most of the time). Within 500 m, your default shell can easily penetrate its frontal/side armour with an appropriate angle. You can also penetrate its turret between the edge of the gun mantlet and the gun barrel. A penetrating shell is very likely to knock out most of its crew. However, when it's angling, hull down, or more than 500 m away, either aim really carefully at the turret or wait until it reveals other weak spots (eg. side). Note that you will be easily knocked out by its HEAT shell so avoid getting hit by it.
  
 
=== 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 speed and maneuverability
+
* Very powerful cannon for its BR: 145 mm penetration can effectively go through any tank frontally, even in an uptier; upon penetration the 20 g TNT does a great job at finishing off most, if not all the crew
−
* Five crew members
+
* Good speed and manoeuvrability
−
* Powerful main gun
+
* Five crew members with huge space between them increases survivability, especially when most guns it faces have small calibre and little explosive filler (eg. the [[M3 Stuart (Family)|Stuarts']] 37 mm)
−
* Decent elevation and depression
+
* Decent horizontal gun traverse of 50° for a turretless design
−
* Well-armed turret can lead to some shells bouncing
+
* Well-angled turret can lead to some shells bouncing
−
* Amphibious
+
* Is amphibious, meaning it can launch surprise attacks using rivers
−
* Spaced Interior
 
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
−
* High Profile
+
* Huge and tall hull makes it easy to be seen/shot at
−
* Very thin hull, penetration by any main armament and machine guns
+
* Very thin armour, can be penetrated by any cannon/heavy MG
−
* The crew in the turret are very close together, meaning they'll be taken out in a single shot
+
* Easily destroyed with overpressure by large-calibre HE or HEAT shells, such as the [[Chi-Ha]]'s 57 mm HEAT shell
−
* Open Top
+
* Below-average 5° gun depression plus the tall hull makes it quite difficult to fight in hilly terrain
−
* Limited turret traverse
+
* Very slow reverse speed can prevent it from retreating back to cover in time
 +
* The crew in the open topped turret are very close together, meaning they can be taken out in a single shot or by aircraft
 +
* The turret has a limited traverse, making it vulnerable to flanking enemies
 +
* Poor zoom of the gunsight makes it hard to see and aim at distant targets
  
 
== 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).'' -->
 
The LVT series of tracked amphibious vehicles originated from a pre-war civilian design, the ''Alligator'' hurricane rescue vehicle which had been designed by Donald Roebling (1908-1959) in 1935. An article on a further development of this vehicle in 1937 caught the attention of the US Marine Corps, but initially the proposal of militarising the Alligator met resistance both from the US Navy, who felt conventional landing craft could do the job just as well, and from Roebling himself, who disliked the idea of his vehicle being used for military purposes. The outbreak of war in Europe persuaded Roebling into building it anyway, and by May of 1940 he had completed a militarised prototype, which was tested in November 1940 and subsequently approved for production.
 
The LVT series of tracked amphibious vehicles originated from a pre-war civilian design, the ''Alligator'' hurricane rescue vehicle which had been designed by Donald Roebling (1908-1959) in 1935. An article on a further development of this vehicle in 1937 caught the attention of the US Marine Corps, but initially the proposal of militarising the Alligator met resistance both from the US Navy, who felt conventional landing craft could do the job just as well, and from Roebling himself, who disliked the idea of his vehicle being used for military purposes. The outbreak of war in Europe persuaded Roebling into building it anyway, and by May of 1940 he had completed a militarised prototype, which was tested in November 1940 and subsequently approved for production.
  
Line 78: Line 168:
 
Combat experience with the LVT(A)(1) soon showed that the 37 mm gun was insufficient for fire support purposes, so the original M3 Stuart turret was replaced by that of a 75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8, creating the LVT(A)(4) variant, of which 1890 were built. Of these, several dozen were delivered to Nationalist China under the Lend-Lease Agreement.
 
Combat experience with the LVT(A)(1) soon showed that the 37 mm gun was insufficient for fire support purposes, so the original M3 Stuart turret was replaced by that of a 75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8, creating the LVT(A)(4) variant, of which 1890 were built. Of these, several dozen were delivered to Nationalist China under the Lend-Lease Agreement.
  
−
In KMT service, the LVT(A)(4) ended up being used both against the Japanese forces during World War II, as well as against the PLA during the ensuing civil war. Most of them eventually fell into PLA hands. The lack of western supplies meant that ammo soon became sparse for the 75 mm M3 Howitzer gun mounted by the LVT(A)(4); to keep them useful as well as to bolster the number of available armoured vehicles in the PLA inventory, the LVT(A)(4)s were locally converted to either accept the 37 mm M6 tank gun - essentially retrofitting them to LVT(A)(1) status - or the 57 mm ZiS-2 anti-tank gun - identical to the gun used on the [[ZiS-30]] tank destroyer, and technically similar to the ZiS-4 gun used on both the [[T-34-57]] and the [[SU-57B]].
+
In KMT service, the LVT(A)(4) ended up being used both against the Japanese forces during World War II, as well as against the PLA during the ensuing civil war. Most of them eventually fell into PLA hands. The lack of western supplies meant that ammo soon became sparse for the 75 mm M3 Howitzer gun mounted by the LVT(A)(4); to keep them useful as well as to bolster the number of available armoured vehicles in the PLA inventory, the LVT(A)(4)s were locally converted to either accept the 37 mm M6 tank gun - essentially retrofitting them to LVT(A)(1) status - or the 57 mm ZIS-2 anti-tank gun - identical to the gun used on the [[ZiS-30]] tank destroyer, and technically similar to the ZiS-4 gun used on both the [[T-34-57]] and the [[SU-57B]].
  
 
The haphazard way in which these conversions took place, as well as the lack of official documents on them, make it unclear how many LVT(A)(4)s were converted. The lack of available spares for their automotive components makes it unlikely that they were used for long, and it is likely they were withdrawn from frontline use as soon as Soviet deliveries of tanks and armoured vehicles started in the early 1950s.
 
The haphazard way in which these conversions took place, as well as the lack of official documents on them, make it unclear how many LVT(A)(4)s were converted. The lack of available spares for their automotive components makes it unlikely that they were used for long, and it is likely they were withdrawn from frontline use as soon as Soviet deliveries of tanks and armoured vehicles started in the early 1950s.
  
 
== 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
  
−
== Read also ==
+
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_lvt_4_zis_2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
 
  
 +
== 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;''
 
* ''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.''
+
* [[LVT(A)(4) (ZiS-2) (China)]] - Identical vehicle in Chinese tree
  
−
== Sources ==
+
== External links ==
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
  
Line 99: Line 192:
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
  
 +
{{TankManufacturer Food Machinery Corporation (FMC)}}
 
{{USA tank destroyers}}
 
{{USA tank destroyers}}
 
{{Winter Event}}
 
{{Winter Event}}

Latest revision as of 22:12, 20 June 2024

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
This page is about the tank destroyer LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2) (USA). For other versions, see LVT (Family).
▃LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2)
us_lvt_4_zis_2.png
GarageImage LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2) (USA).jpg
▃LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2)
USA flag.png USA
II Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
2.3 2.3 2.3
Class:
Purchase:Bundle or Gift
Show in game
MARKET

Description

The Amphibious Vehicle, Tracked, Armoured, Mark 4, 57 mm ZiS-2 - LVT(A)(4)(ZiS-2) is an up-gunned modification of the LVT(A)(4), which is the fourth armoured, infantry support variant of the Amphibious Vehicle, Tracked - LVT. The LVT(A)(4)(ZiS-2) was modified by the Chinese People's Liberation Army, which was based on the LVT(A)(4). During the Chinese Civil War, the Chinese Nationalist Army deployed a large number of LVT(4)s and LVT(A)(4)s. Following the defeat of the Chinese Nationalist Army in 1949, the Chinese People's Liberation Army captured many of the LVT(4)s and LVT(A)(4)s. The Chinese People's Liberation Army removed the original turret mounting the 75 mm M2 howitzer and replaced it with the high-velocity 57 mm ZIS-2 anti-tank gun for dual anti-tank and infantry support purposes after the US stopped supplying ammunition for the original LVT(A)(4) to China after the Chinese Civil War ended.

Introduced in Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai" as a reward vehicle for the 2016 "Winter Holiday" event, as well as in April 2019 as a battle trophy vehicle in the Warbonds shop, the LVT(A)(4) (ZiS-2) provides U.S. Army ground forces players with a very unusual tank that combines U.S. and Soviet philosophies. Despite its light armour, the LVT(A)(4) (ZiS-2) proves to be a formidable opponent when matched against opponents of similar ranks. The high-velocity 57 mm ZiS-2 anti-tank gun allows players to engage opponents from a significantly greater range than the original LVT(A)(4). The tank, however, is extremely vulnerable to aircraft strafing and artillery hits because of its high profile and open-top turret.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull12 / 6 / 6
Turret38 / 25 / 25
Crew5 people
Visibility167 %

Its large and spacious hull might seem hard to knock out all of its crew, but that's only true when you are getting shot from the side. From your side, there is a huge empty area between the driving compartment and the fighting compartment that will absorb any shell, regardless of their explosive fillers. However an experienced player will know to shoot at these two compartments and avoid the empty space. From the front, the spacious hull does not help to keep the crew safe as a penetrating shell will travel through the empty space and hit any crew at the back, so you could die sooner than you expected. Avoid tanks with solid shots, for example British/Swedish tanks.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Machine gun shield)
Armour Front (Slope angle°) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 12.7 mm (31°) Front plate
6.35 mm (83-84°) Upper glacis
6.35 mm (41-81°) Lower glacis 		6.35 mm (11-51°) Top
6.35 + 6.35 mm Bottom 		6.35 mm (0-62°) 6.35 mm
Turret 38 mm (10°) Turret front
5 mm (1-81°) Gun mantlet		 25 mm 25 mm N/A

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
  • Front hull has flat armour area where driver & co-driver sits.

Mobility

Amphibious
The design allows you to swim and control movement in the water
Speedforward / back
AB44 / 6 km/h
RB and SB40 / 5 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
1 back
Weight18.3 t
Engine power
AB477 hp
RB and SB250 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB26.1 hp/t
RB and SB13.7 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 44 6 18.3 355 477 19.4 26.07
Realistic 40 5 221 250 12.08 13.66

The LVT's mobility is adequate. On hard surfaces it easily reaches its top speed of around 38 km/h. On soft surfaces it needs more time to accelerate, and the top speed is lowered. The hull traverse is great, allowing you to quickly change direction, however a downside is that when you turn the hull to aim, you might over-turn and swing the gun past the target, increasing the aiming time which can be fatal.

Due to its big and tall tracks, the LVT can drive over some obstacles that are too tall for normal-sized tanks.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB412 → 509 Sl icon.png
RB480 → 593 Sl icon.png
SB576 → 712 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications6 870 Rp icon.png
6 730 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost530 Ge icon.png
Crew training3 000 Sl icon.png
Experts10 000 Sl icon.png
Aces115 Ge icon.png
Research Aces160 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
30 / 50 / 60 % Sl icon.png
112 / 112 / 112 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
460 Rp icon.png
Cost:
450 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
580 Rp icon.png
Cost:
560 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 100 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 100 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
460 Rp icon.png
Cost:
450 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement us.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
580 Rp icon.png
Cost:
560 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
460 Rp icon.png
Cost:
450 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
57mm_AP_ammo_pack
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
580 Rp icon.png
Cost:
560 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

57 mm ZIS-2 cannon
Ammunition76 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
8.7 → 6.7 s
Vertical guidance-5° / 15°
Horizontal guidance-25° / 25°
Main article: ZIS-2 (57 mm)
57 mm ZIS-2 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 76 -5°/+15° ±25° N/A 10.6 14.6 17.8 19.6 20.9 8.7 7.7 7.1 6.7
Realistic 7.1 8.4 10.2 11.3 12.0

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-271 APHEBC 145 142 128 112 98 86
BR-271K APHE 145 140 118 95 77 63
O-271 HE 12 12 10 8 6 5
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-271 APHEBC 990 3.14 1.2 9 21.56 48° 63° 71°
BR-271K APHE 990 3.14 1.2 9 27.72 47° 60° 65°
O-271 HE 700 3.72 0.4 0.1 220 79° 80° 81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the LVT(A)(4) ZIS-2.
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
76 71 (+5) 65 (+11) 49 (+27) 33 (+43) 17 (+59) 1 (+75) No

Notes:

  • Turret Empty: 65 (+11) shells
  • Turret plus mid-hull empty: 33 (+43) shells

Machine guns

7.62 mm M1919A4 machine gun (coaxial)
Ammunition3 000 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate500 shots/min
7.62 mm M1919A4
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Hull 3,000 (250) 500 -10°/+20° ±15°

Usage in battles

LVT(A)(4) ZIS-2 is a fragile tank with a strong bite. The main gun is a very powerful Soviet 57 mm ZIS-2 that has no problem penetrating through the hardest of enemies at its BR. Being such a large tank it has amazing manoeuvrability that works on most terrain. Its high profile makes it an easy target for the enemy to spot from afar and behind objects, fences and hills. Since the LVT(A)(4) has such thin hull armour, it is vulnerable to machine gun and autocannon fire. This makes Self Propelled Anti-Air vehicles and vehicles with 20 mm automatic cannons a lethal enemy, but that is not all the worries, large-calibre guns with HEAT and HE can penetrate with ease and cause detonation on the soft armour of the LVT(A)(4).

LVT(A)(4) ZIS-2 has decent speed and is manoeuvrable enough to handle close combat even lacking a full 360° turret. But, to best counter the most dangerous of enemies, utilize the long gun to its advantage.

You should memorise certain spots on different maps to make the most out of your amazing firepower. Pick spots that:

  • Overlook a key passageway/street
  • Are not too close or too far from the frontline
  • Have hard cover/slopes around
  • Are mostly flat (as your gun depression is bad and gun is mounted very high)
  • Have some vegetation, if possible

This way you can sit at a comfortable spot, stay away from most dangers and target opponents that appear. The rather flat trajectory of your gun does not require as much elevation when shooting at distant targets which is beginner friendly, however the shell velocity is not fast, so you have to lead more than you think for moving targets. Because this is a sniper's tactic, if you are to bush up for better concealment, it is recommended to stack all bushes onto the upper front of the LVT. This is because you will mostly face targets from one direction only (your front) so you just have to cover up the front. The lower glacis does not need as much bush as it will usually get blocked by vegetations on the ground, acting as natural camouflage.

Enemies worth noting:

M4A3 (105) (France): this low-tier Sherman is one tough tank to destroy, but luckily your LVT is one of the few that can destroy it with ease (most of the time). Within 500 m, your default shell can easily penetrate its frontal/side armour with an appropriate angle. You can also penetrate its turret between the edge of the gun mantlet and the gun barrel. A penetrating shell is very likely to knock out most of its crew. However, when it's angling, hull down, or more than 500 m away, either aim really carefully at the turret or wait until it reveals other weak spots (eg. side). Note that you will be easily knocked out by its HEAT shell so avoid getting hit by it.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Very powerful cannon for its BR: 145 mm penetration can effectively go through any tank frontally, even in an uptier; upon penetration the 20 g TNT does a great job at finishing off most, if not all the crew
  • Good speed and manoeuvrability
  • Five crew members with huge space between them increases survivability, especially when most guns it faces have small calibre and little explosive filler (eg. the Stuarts' 37 mm)
  • Decent horizontal gun traverse of 50° for a turretless design
  • Well-angled turret can lead to some shells bouncing
  • Is amphibious, meaning it can launch surprise attacks using rivers

Cons:

  • Huge and tall hull makes it easy to be seen/shot at
  • Very thin armour, can be penetrated by any cannon/heavy MG
  • Easily destroyed with overpressure by large-calibre HE or HEAT shells, such as the Chi-Ha's 57 mm HEAT shell
  • Below-average 5° gun depression plus the tall hull makes it quite difficult to fight in hilly terrain
  • Very slow reverse speed can prevent it from retreating back to cover in time
  • The crew in the open topped turret are very close together, meaning they can be taken out in a single shot or by aircraft
  • The turret has a limited traverse, making it vulnerable to flanking enemies
  • Poor zoom of the gunsight makes it hard to see and aim at distant targets

History

The LVT series of tracked amphibious vehicles originated from a pre-war civilian design, the Alligator hurricane rescue vehicle which had been designed by Donald Roebling (1908-1959) in 1935. An article on a further development of this vehicle in 1937 caught the attention of the US Marine Corps, but initially the proposal of militarising the Alligator met resistance both from the US Navy, who felt conventional landing craft could do the job just as well, and from Roebling himself, who disliked the idea of his vehicle being used for military purposes. The outbreak of war in Europe persuaded Roebling into building it anyway, and by May of 1940 he had completed a militarised prototype, which was tested in November 1940 and subsequently approved for production.

Even before the first prototype had been tested, Roebling had started designing a turret-equipped armed version of his LVT, intended for providing fire support for landings. Originally the design languished, but in June of 1941 the USMC recommended the development of a fire support version of the LVT. Development of this variant was slow, as the entire LVT had to be redesigned: light armour was added to the hull and a 37 mm armed turret similar to that of the M3 Stuart light tank was mounted on top, resulting in the initial fire support variant, the LVT(A)(1).

Combat experience with the LVT(A)(1) soon showed that the 37 mm gun was insufficient for fire support purposes, so the original M3 Stuart turret was replaced by that of a 75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8, creating the LVT(A)(4) variant, of which 1890 were built. Of these, several dozen were delivered to Nationalist China under the Lend-Lease Agreement.

In KMT service, the LVT(A)(4) ended up being used both against the Japanese forces during World War II, as well as against the PLA during the ensuing civil war. Most of them eventually fell into PLA hands. The lack of western supplies meant that ammo soon became sparse for the 75 mm M3 Howitzer gun mounted by the LVT(A)(4); to keep them useful as well as to bolster the number of available armoured vehicles in the PLA inventory, the LVT(A)(4)s were locally converted to either accept the 37 mm M6 tank gun - essentially retrofitting them to LVT(A)(1) status - or the 57 mm ZIS-2 anti-tank gun - identical to the gun used on the ZiS-30 tank destroyer, and technically similar to the ZiS-4 gun used on both the T-34-57 and the SU-57B.

The haphazard way in which these conversions took place, as well as the lack of official documents on them, make it unclear how many LVT(A)(4)s were converted. The lack of available spares for their automotive components makes it unlikely that they were used for long, and it is likely they were withdrawn from frontline use as soon as Soviet deliveries of tanks and armoured vehicles started in the early 1950s.

Media

Skins

See also

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Food Machinery Corporation (FMC)
Amphibious AFVs  LVT(A)(1) · LVT(A)(4)
IFVs  M3 Bradley · M3A3 Bradley

USA tank destroyers
M10  M10 GMC
M36  M36 GMC · M36B2
T95  T28 · T95
M109  M109A1
ATGM  LOSAT · M901
Wheeled  M3 GMC · T55E1
Other  M8 HMC · M50 · M56
China  ▃LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2)

Winter events
2022  Winter Quest
Pilot stars  Late 298D · ◄Tornado IDS MFG
Tanker stars  T-80UM2
Sailor stars  USS Newport News
2021  Operation W.I.N.T.E.R.
Pilot stars  C. 202D · ◊MiG-23MF
Tanker stars  A.C.I · AGS
Sailor stars  IJN Hayanami · MPK Pr.201K
2020  Operation W.I.N.T.E.R.
Pilot stars  Ro.57 Quadriarma · MiG-21PFM
Tanker stars  E.B.R. (1954) · Class 3 (P)
Sailor stars  Type K-8 No.13 · USS Baltimore
2019  Operation F.R.O.S.T.
Pilot stars  TIS MA · J6K1
Tanker stars  QF 3.7 Ram · ▃Merkava Mk.2B
Sailor stars  PT-811 · Jaguar
2018  Festive Quest
Pilot stars  M.B.152C1 · Fw 190 C
Tanker stars  SU-85A · T30
Christmas Lights  P-43A-1 · Comet I "Iron Duke IV"
2017  Festive Quest
Pilot christmas toys  P-40C · NC.900
Tanker christmas toys  AEC Mk II · Ersatz M10
Christmas Lights  Fw 189 A-1 · KV-2 (1940)
2016  Winter Holiday
Pilot stages  Ki-21-I hei · Me 262 A-2a
Tanker stages  ▃LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2) · ▂Type 62
2015  War Thunder Fulfills Your Wishes!
Pilot reward  ▂P-63C-5
Tanker reward  VK 45.01 (P)
2014  Holiday War Thunder Marathon!
Pilot reward  I-301
Tanker reward  M8A1 GMC

Retrieved from "https://wiki.warthunder.com/index.php?title=LVT(A)(4)_(ZIS-2)_(USA)&oldid=187763"