Difference between revisions of "M4A5"
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== 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 ''' | + | The '''Ram II*''' Tank was a Canadian cruiser tank developed during the Second World War. It was based on the chassis of the American M3 Medium tank, but with a new turret that could mount the British 6-pounder gun. The Ram II was designed to replace the Valentine infantry tank, which was considered inadequate for Canadian needs. The first prototype was completed in November 1941, and serial production began shortly after. However, the Ram II was never used in combat as a gun tank, because it was inferior to the American M4 Sherman in terms of armament and protection. The Ram II was only used for training purposes in Britain until mid-1944, and some of its chassis were converted into other roles, such as flamethrower tanks, observation posts and armoured personnel carriers. |
| − | + | It was introduced in [[Update 1.61 "Road to Glory"]]. The M4A5 is quite a hybrid of traits from the British and American ground forces trees. The Ram is made up of the transmission, suspension, and engine from the American M3 Lee, the turret platform of an M4 Sherman, and the British [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder Mk.III (57 mm)|6-pounder]] gun. Thus, in its place in Rank 2, the play style is akin to the M3 Lee's mobility with the power of a turreted tank. It should then be played like any standard American medium tank, with extra caution on the weak points presented on the front armour right next to the front machine gun turret. | |
| − | The | + | ;US Designation* |
| + | |||
| + | The '''Ram II''' was a Canadian tank that was based on the American M3 Medium Tank chassis. The US Army identified it as the '''M4A5''', but it was not a M4 Sherman variant. They used a system to name tanks by engine and hull. The '''Ram II''' had the same engine (A1/A4) and cast hull (A1), so it got the next available M4 number: '''M4A5'''. However, this designation was not widely used and the tank was usually referred to as the '''Ram II''' or simply the '''Ram'''. | ||
== General info == | == General info == | ||
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==== Ammunition ==== | ==== Ammunition ==== | ||
| − | { | + | {{:6pdr OQF Mk.III (57 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.5, Shot Mk.5 HV, Shot Mk.8, Shot Mk.9, Shell Mk.10}} |
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| − | | Shot Mk.5 | ||
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==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ||
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! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal | ! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | Coaxial || 1, | + | | Coaxial || 1,500 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | Pintle || 1, | + | | Pintle || 1,500 (250) || 500 || -10°/+70° || ±60° |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | Hull || 1, | + | | Hull || 1,500 (250) || 500 || -8°/+60° || -120°/+50° |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
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However, the one weakness is the side armour past the turret ring and towards the engine, which is only 50 mm thick. Behind this armour, the crew, engine and access to the ammo racks are located. A single hit with an APCBC or High Explosive round will blow the poor tank up like a firework. To get the best from this, charge into battle and find cover when the enemy starts to flank you. Stay behind cover, only exposing the sides of the tank when your teammates are with you and can handle any flanking tanks which may try to flank and knock you out. The Ram II can deter enemy planes, its Browning 7.62 mm machine gun with its high firing arcs can shoot down planes that try to dive bomb you in battle. | However, the one weakness is the side armour past the turret ring and towards the engine, which is only 50 mm thick. Behind this armour, the crew, engine and access to the ammo racks are located. A single hit with an APCBC or High Explosive round will blow the poor tank up like a firework. To get the best from this, charge into battle and find cover when the enemy starts to flank you. Stay behind cover, only exposing the sides of the tank when your teammates are with you and can handle any flanking tanks which may try to flank and knock you out. The Ram II can deter enemy planes, its Browning 7.62 mm machine gun with its high firing arcs can shoot down planes that try to dive bomb you in battle. | ||
| − | The Shot Mk. 9 is the round that should be used as main ammunition, it provides good penetration, allowing for the toughest and scariest tanks on the battlefield to knocked out with well-placed shots to their weak spots. | + | The Shot Mk. 9 is the round that should be used as main ammunition, it provides good penetration, allowing for the toughest and scariest tanks on the battlefield to be knocked out with well-placed shots to their weak spots. |
The M4A5 Ram II has two main playstyles: | The M4A5 Ram II has two main playstyles: | ||
| − | * Offensive | + | * Offensive - Head towards the cap zone as fast possible, fire around every four seconds this is able to scare the enemy tankers away. However, if you encounter a heavy tank such as KV-1 – stop, aim for the lower turret, cannon and turret ring and knock that tank out before you proceed or detrack it and shoot its cannon, disabling its firing capability allowing your team mates behind you to finish it off. |
| − | Then once in the | + | |
| + | Then once in the point and it has been capped, head out and flank the rear of the enemy team. The M4A5's Shot Mk.9 can handle any threats which can be encountered. However, do not let the enemy tankers flank you and shoot you in your rear or side, this will knock you out. | ||
* Defensive - The M4A5 Ram II provides great frontal protection, keep the front angled and pointed towards the enemy with the rear and sides protected by rocks, remains of tanks, and objects. Or use the tow hook and tow some knocked out tanks to provide your sides and rear with extra protection. Then once the enemy tanks have been knocked out move out and stay with your team mates or bunker down at a strategic point and set an ambush up. | * Defensive - The M4A5 Ram II provides great frontal protection, keep the front angled and pointed towards the enemy with the rear and sides protected by rocks, remains of tanks, and objects. Or use the tow hook and tow some knocked out tanks to provide your sides and rear with extra protection. Then once the enemy tanks have been knocked out move out and stay with your team mates or bunker down at a strategic point and set an ambush up. | ||
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* Great balance of armour, speed and firepower: relatively easy to play | * Great balance of armour, speed and firepower: relatively easy to play | ||
* Extremely good at taking hits with 5 crew members, similar playstyle to M4A3E2 Jumbo | * Extremely good at taking hits with 5 crew members, similar playstyle to M4A3E2 Jumbo | ||
| − | * Fast firing punchy 57 mm main gun that can handle most foe it encounters (4 second | + | * Fast firing, punchy 57 mm main gun that can handle most foe it encounters (4 second reload when aced) |
| − | |||
* Main gun is semi-stabilized | * Main gun is semi-stabilized | ||
* Small profile for a medium tank | * Small profile for a medium tank | ||
* Access to engine-generated smoke | * Access to engine-generated smoke | ||
| + | * highly mobile | ||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
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* Slow reverse speed and acceleration | * Slow reverse speed and acceleration | ||
* Very cramped turret, a single shot will likely disable all 3 crew members | * Very cramped turret, a single shot will likely disable all 3 crew members | ||
| − | * No standard .50 calibre machine gun only | + | * No standard .50 calibre machine gun, only rifle calibre MGs are available |
== History == | == History == | ||
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The aftermath of the Battle of France left the British military decimated as most of their equipment had to be left behind in their withdrawal at Dunkirk. Desperate for military equipment, particularly tanks, they requested from the U.S. to help produce the necessary vehicles to supplement the armoured forces. Canada further assisted the British with armoured vehicle production. The Canadian Pacific Railway's Angus Shops were contracted to build 300 [[Valentine Mk I|Valentine tanks]] for the British, and later Canada themselves ordered 488 Valentines to build up their own tank forces. The Canadians realized that, in addition to the Valentines, they needed a cruiser tank to attack and exploit breakthroughs. Complications between adapting British designs to North American standards and the difference in material quality caused the Canadians to seek an American-derived cruiser tank rather than a British design. | The aftermath of the Battle of France left the British military decimated as most of their equipment had to be left behind in their withdrawal at Dunkirk. Desperate for military equipment, particularly tanks, they requested from the U.S. to help produce the necessary vehicles to supplement the armoured forces. Canada further assisted the British with armoured vehicle production. The Canadian Pacific Railway's Angus Shops were contracted to build 300 [[Valentine Mk I|Valentine tanks]] for the British, and later Canada themselves ordered 488 Valentines to build up their own tank forces. The Canadians realized that, in addition to the Valentines, they needed a cruiser tank to attack and exploit breakthroughs. Complications between adapting British designs to North American standards and the difference in material quality caused the Canadians to seek an American-derived cruiser tank rather than a British design. | ||
| − | The current standard U.S. tank at the time was the interim design [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]]. With the 75 mm gun on a sponson rather than its own turret, the M3 Medium tank currently wasn't a suitable candidate as the standard cruiser tank. In 1941, the Canadian Interdepartmental Tank Committee decided to use the M3 chassis as a foundation for a new and better, locally-produced design. The British took interest on this redesigning of the M3 Medium tank and sent a tank expert, L.E.Carr, to assist in the designing of the hull and turret. The hull itself was to be cast and the turret was designed around the expectations to mount the [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder Mk.V (57 mm)|6-pounder]] or the 75 mm gun. The name for the design was the Ram, while the US would designate the Canadian models as the M4A5 | + | The current standard U.S. tank at the time was the interim design [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]]. With the 75 mm gun on a sponson rather than its own turret, the M3 Medium tank currently wasn't a suitable candidate as the standard cruiser tank. In 1941, the Canadian Interdepartmental Tank Committee decided to use the M3 chassis as a foundation for a new and better, locally-produced design. The British took interest on this redesigning of the M3 Medium tank and sent a tank expert, L.E.Carr, to assist in the designing of the hull and turret. The hull itself was to be cast and the turret was designed around the expectations to mount the [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder Mk.V (57 mm)|6-pounder]] or the 75 mm gun. The name for the design was the Ram, while the US would designate the Canadian models as the M4A5. |
| − | Throughout the Ram's designing and testing, the Canadians ran into problems due to their | + | Throughout the Ram's designing and testing, the Canadians ran into problems due to their inexperience in tank design as well as lacking the production lines suitable for the production of tank parts. Since the tank was derived from the M3, the production line required parts such as the transmission and engine that were being built in the USA, but which were required for US tank production, resulting in little surplus for Canadian use. The United States assisted in the production of the Ram by producing the pilot models and the Canadian Tank Arsenal was to be built by Montreal Locomotive Works, themselves a subsidiary of the American Locomotive Company who had experience building M3 tanks for the Americans. |
| − | The first prototype was produced in June 1941 and featured a full 360 degree traversable turret with a cast steel body, featuring the same powertrain and engine as the M3 it was derived from. The Ram was also adapted for British specifications with adaption to a right-hand drive and weaponry. Overall the Ram was also shorter than the M3. It also featured | + | The first prototype was produced in June 1941 and featured a full 360 degree traversable turret with a cast steel body, featuring the same powertrain and engine as the M3 it was derived from. The Ram was also adapted for British specifications with adaption to a right-hand drive and weaponry. Overall the Ram was also shorter than the M3. It also featured side doors and a machine gun turret on the front, but these were removed in later versions. Production for the Ram started in November. Though intended to be fitted with the 6-pounder, the first 50 Rams produced used a 2-pounder due to lack of guns or mounts available for the Canadians. These were labelled Ram Mk.I. By February 1942, the Ram design switched back to the 6-pounder, which was designated the Ram Mk.II, production of which continued until July 1943. During that time span, about 2,032 Rams and its variants were produced. |
===Combat history=== | ===Combat history=== | ||
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The Ram never saw combat as a tank, but variants of it did. Many Ram tanks were converted into armoured personnel carriers known as the Kangaroo, flamethrower vehicles known as the Badger, artillery observation vehicles, ammunition carriers, armoured recovery vehicles, and anti-tank gun tractor. Its most combat-oriented variant was the Sexton self-propelled gun with the 25-pounder howitzer developed to support the infantry, though the Sexton was also produced by the chassis from the Grizzly design. | The Ram never saw combat as a tank, but variants of it did. Many Ram tanks were converted into armoured personnel carriers known as the Kangaroo, flamethrower vehicles known as the Badger, artillery observation vehicles, ammunition carriers, armoured recovery vehicles, and anti-tank gun tractor. Its most combat-oriented variant was the Sexton self-propelled gun with the 25-pounder howitzer developed to support the infantry, though the Sexton was also produced by the chassis from the Grizzly design. | ||
| − | After World War II, the Netherlands were free to take possession of any Ram tanks in army dumps on their territory. The Dutch used these tanks to equip their first tank units, the 1st and 2nd Tank Battalions. The Rams were in a poor state from low maintenance and disuse so they received additional Rams from Britain in slightly better conditions in 1947. By 1950, most of the Rams were broken down and only 50 were available for use between the two battalions. They were all replaced, along with Shermans in their inventory, by the [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion]] tank in 1952. The | + | After World War II, the Netherlands were free to take possession of any Ram tanks in army dumps on their territory. The Dutch used these tanks to equip their first tank units, the 1st and 2nd Tank Battalions. The Rams were in a poor state from low maintenance and disuse so they received additional Rams from Britain in slightly better conditions in 1947. By 1950, most of the Rams were broken down and only 50 were available for use between the two battalions. They were all replaced, along with Shermans in their inventory, by the [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion]] tank in 1952. The Ram's only usage past that was as static pillboxes on the IJssel line facing the Soviets in the Cold War. |
===Legacy=== | ===Legacy=== | ||
| − | The Ram, unfortunately, went down in history as one of Canada's war design failures, with the M4 Sherman being produced in parallel by the U.S. overtaking it. It is also a testament to the disparity in the industrial base between the two countries. The Ram could still be attributed to kick-starting Canadian production lines to be able to produce the M4A1 | + | The Ram, unfortunately, went down in history as one of Canada's war design failures, with the M4 Sherman being produced in parallel by the U.S. overtaking it. It is also a testament to the disparity in the industrial base between the two countries. The Ram could still be attributed to kick-starting Canadian production lines to be able to produce the M4A1 Sherman, which were designated the Grizzly. |
About 6 Ram tanks still survive today, with only 3 being the original tank design. | About 6 Ram tanks still survive today, with only 3 being the original tank design. | ||
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;Skins | ;Skins | ||
| + | |||
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m4a5_ram_2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.] | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m4a5_ram_2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.] | ||
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== See also == | == See also == | ||
| − | ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:'' | + | <!-- ''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.'' --> |
| + | |||
| + | ;Other Canadian ground vehicles present in the game | ||
| + | |||
| + | * [[QF 3.7 Ram]] | ||
| + | * [[Stuart VI (5th CAD) (USA)]] | ||
| + | * [[C2A1]] | ||
| + | * [[ADATS (M113)]] | ||
| + | * [[Skink]] | ||
| + | * [[Leopard 2A4M|Leopard 2A4M CAN]] | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
Latest revision as of 13:50, 23 August 2024
| This page is about the American medium tank M4A5. For other uses of the designation, see M4 (Disambiguation). |
Contents
Description
The Ram II* Tank was a Canadian cruiser tank developed during the Second World War. It was based on the chassis of the American M3 Medium tank, but with a new turret that could mount the British 6-pounder gun. The Ram II was designed to replace the Valentine infantry tank, which was considered inadequate for Canadian needs. The first prototype was completed in November 1941, and serial production began shortly after. However, the Ram II was never used in combat as a gun tank, because it was inferior to the American M4 Sherman in terms of armament and protection. The Ram II was only used for training purposes in Britain until mid-1944, and some of its chassis were converted into other roles, such as flamethrower tanks, observation posts and armoured personnel carriers.
It was introduced in Update 1.61 "Road to Glory". The M4A5 is quite a hybrid of traits from the British and American ground forces trees. The Ram is made up of the transmission, suspension, and engine from the American M3 Lee, the turret platform of an M4 Sherman, and the British 6-pounder gun. Thus, in its place in Rank 2, the play style is akin to the M3 Lee's mobility with the power of a turreted tank. It should then be played like any standard American medium tank, with extra caution on the weak points presented on the front armour right next to the front machine gun turret.
- US Designation*
The Ram II was a Canadian tank that was based on the American M3 Medium Tank chassis. The US Army identified it as the M4A5, but it was not a M4 Sherman variant. They used a system to name tanks by engine and hull. The Ram II had the same engine (A1/A4) and cast hull (A1), so it got the next available M4 number: M4A5. However, this designation was not widely used and the tank was usually referred to as the Ram II or simply the Ram.
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour type:
- Cast homogeneous armour
- Rolled homogeneous armour (Machine gun turret, Transmission, Lower side hull, Rear engine, Roof)
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear (Slope angle) | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 88.9 mm (26-66°) Front glacis 50.8 mm (0-58°) Lower glacis 50.8 mm (12-87°) Driver's port |
63.5 mm (0-67°) Upper 38.1 mm Lower |
38.1 mm (0-64°) Top <br. 38.1 mm (0-52°) | 38.1 mm 25.4 mm Engine deck |
| Turret | 60.325 mm (22-26°) Turret front 69.85 (0-71°) + 38.1 mm Gun shield 44.45 + 63.5 mmGun mantlet |
69.85 - 76.2 mm (0-70°) | 69.85 mm (0-58°) | 38.1 mm |
| Machine gun turret | 63.5 + 50.8 mm | 63.5 mm | 63.5 mm | 50.8 mm |
| Armour | Sides | Roof | ||
| Cupola | 22.2 + 50.8 mm | 25.4 mm |
Notes:
- Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 17 mm thick.
- 8 mm RHA plate separating the engine and crew compartment.
- Only the upper hull sides are 63.5 mm thick, the lower part is still only 38.1 mm
- Armour protecting the transmission is only 50.8 mm thick
- Most ammo racks are located below the turret and underneath the upper hull where it's only protected by 38.1 mm unangled armour
Mobility
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 45 | 6 | 29.5 | 620 | 763 | 21.02 | 25.86 |
| Realistic | 40 | 6 | 354 | 400 | 12 | 13.56 | |
Modifications and economy
2 × 50 / 80 / 110 % 2 × 130 / 130 / 130 % | Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
Main armament
| 57 mm 6pdr OQF Mk.III | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 92 | -7°/+20° | ±180° | Vertical | 19.04 | 26.35 | 32.00 | 35.39 | 37.65 | 5.20 | 4.60 | 4.24 | 4.00 |
| Realistic | 11.90 | 14.00 | 17.00 | 18.80 | 20.00 | ||||||||
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.5 | AP | 101 | 97 | 82 | 66 | 53 | 43 |
| Shot Mk.5 HV | AP | 108 | 104 | 87 | 70 | 57 | 46 |
| Shot Mk.8 | APC | 110 | 106 | 89 | 72 | 59 | 48 |
| Shot Mk.9 | APCBC | 122 | 118 | 101 | 84 | 70 | 58 |
| Shell Mk.10 | HE | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay | Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| Shot Mk.5 | AP | 815 | 2.8 | - | - | - | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
| Shot Mk.5 HV | AP | 853 | 2.8 | - | - | - | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
| Shot Mk.8 | APC | 853 | 2.87 | - | - | - | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
| Shot Mk.9 | APCBC | 801 | 3.23 | - | - | - | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
| Shell Mk.10 | HE | 655 | 2.72 | 0 | 0.1 | 590 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92 | 83 (+9) | 74 (+18) | 62 (+30) | 46 (+46) | 33 (+59) | 1 (+91) | No |
Turret clear: 74 (+18)
Machine guns
| 7.62 mm M1919A4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 1,500 (250) | 500 | N/A | N/A |
| Pintle | 1,500 (250) | 500 | -10°/+70° | ±60° |
| Hull | 1,500 (250) | 500 | -8°/+60° | -120°/+50° |
Usage in battles
The M4A5 Ram II is a tank that can hold its own. It is a highly mobile tank that can conquer the toughest of terrain, with a top speed of up to 40 km/h in Realistic battles and up to 44 km/h in Arcade battles. It also has great frontal and turret armour, when angled it can bounce rounds.
However, the one weakness is the side armour past the turret ring and towards the engine, which is only 50 mm thick. Behind this armour, the crew, engine and access to the ammo racks are located. A single hit with an APCBC or High Explosive round will blow the poor tank up like a firework. To get the best from this, charge into battle and find cover when the enemy starts to flank you. Stay behind cover, only exposing the sides of the tank when your teammates are with you and can handle any flanking tanks which may try to flank and knock you out. The Ram II can deter enemy planes, its Browning 7.62 mm machine gun with its high firing arcs can shoot down planes that try to dive bomb you in battle.
The Shot Mk. 9 is the round that should be used as main ammunition, it provides good penetration, allowing for the toughest and scariest tanks on the battlefield to be knocked out with well-placed shots to their weak spots.
The M4A5 Ram II has two main playstyles:
- Offensive - Head towards the cap zone as fast possible, fire around every four seconds this is able to scare the enemy tankers away. However, if you encounter a heavy tank such as KV-1 – stop, aim for the lower turret, cannon and turret ring and knock that tank out before you proceed or detrack it and shoot its cannon, disabling its firing capability allowing your team mates behind you to finish it off.
Then once in the point and it has been capped, head out and flank the rear of the enemy team. The M4A5's Shot Mk.9 can handle any threats which can be encountered. However, do not let the enemy tankers flank you and shoot you in your rear or side, this will knock you out.
- Defensive - The M4A5 Ram II provides great frontal protection, keep the front angled and pointed towards the enemy with the rear and sides protected by rocks, remains of tanks, and objects. Or use the tow hook and tow some knocked out tanks to provide your sides and rear with extra protection. Then once the enemy tanks have been knocked out move out and stay with your team mates or bunker down at a strategic point and set an ambush up.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Great balance of armour, speed and firepower: relatively easy to play
- Extremely good at taking hits with 5 crew members, similar playstyle to M4A3E2 Jumbo
- Fast firing, punchy 57 mm main gun that can handle most foe it encounters (4 second reload when aced)
- Main gun is semi-stabilized
- Small profile for a medium tank
- Access to engine-generated smoke
- highly mobile
Cons:
- While the sloped frontal armour is adequate, there are several weak spots on the hull and the turret
- 57 mm gun lacks explosive filler and might require follow-up shots
- Slow reverse speed and acceleration
- Very cramped turret, a single shot will likely disable all 3 crew members
- No standard .50 calibre machine gun, only rifle calibre MGs are available
History
Development
The aftermath of the Battle of France left the British military decimated as most of their equipment had to be left behind in their withdrawal at Dunkirk. Desperate for military equipment, particularly tanks, they requested from the U.S. to help produce the necessary vehicles to supplement the armoured forces. Canada further assisted the British with armoured vehicle production. The Canadian Pacific Railway's Angus Shops were contracted to build 300 Valentine tanks for the British, and later Canada themselves ordered 488 Valentines to build up their own tank forces. The Canadians realized that, in addition to the Valentines, they needed a cruiser tank to attack and exploit breakthroughs. Complications between adapting British designs to North American standards and the difference in material quality caused the Canadians to seek an American-derived cruiser tank rather than a British design.
The current standard U.S. tank at the time was the interim design M3 Lee. With the 75 mm gun on a sponson rather than its own turret, the M3 Medium tank currently wasn't a suitable candidate as the standard cruiser tank. In 1941, the Canadian Interdepartmental Tank Committee decided to use the M3 chassis as a foundation for a new and better, locally-produced design. The British took interest on this redesigning of the M3 Medium tank and sent a tank expert, L.E.Carr, to assist in the designing of the hull and turret. The hull itself was to be cast and the turret was designed around the expectations to mount the 6-pounder or the 75 mm gun. The name for the design was the Ram, while the US would designate the Canadian models as the M4A5.
Throughout the Ram's designing and testing, the Canadians ran into problems due to their inexperience in tank design as well as lacking the production lines suitable for the production of tank parts. Since the tank was derived from the M3, the production line required parts such as the transmission and engine that were being built in the USA, but which were required for US tank production, resulting in little surplus for Canadian use. The United States assisted in the production of the Ram by producing the pilot models and the Canadian Tank Arsenal was to be built by Montreal Locomotive Works, themselves a subsidiary of the American Locomotive Company who had experience building M3 tanks for the Americans.
The first prototype was produced in June 1941 and featured a full 360 degree traversable turret with a cast steel body, featuring the same powertrain and engine as the M3 it was derived from. The Ram was also adapted for British specifications with adaption to a right-hand drive and weaponry. Overall the Ram was also shorter than the M3. It also featured side doors and a machine gun turret on the front, but these were removed in later versions. Production for the Ram started in November. Though intended to be fitted with the 6-pounder, the first 50 Rams produced used a 2-pounder due to lack of guns or mounts available for the Canadians. These were labelled Ram Mk.I. By February 1942, the Ram design switched back to the 6-pounder, which was designated the Ram Mk.II, production of which continued until July 1943. During that time span, about 2,032 Rams and its variants were produced.
Combat history
Unfortunately, by the time the Ram became battle-worthy for the front-lines, the Americans had started their mass-production of the M4 Shermans. The M4 Sherman was by all means similar in automotive performance, but benefited by the mass-production of the American automotive industry. The Ram was designed primarily to give the M3 Medium a turret, and the arrival of the M4 made the design redundant, and obsolete. In March 1942, the Canadian government made the decision to switch all production lines to produce the M4A1, with the Ram production only continuing until the proper machinery was ready. The Ram never saw combat usage and was only used as a training vehicle in Britain until mid-1944.
The Ram never saw combat as a tank, but variants of it did. Many Ram tanks were converted into armoured personnel carriers known as the Kangaroo, flamethrower vehicles known as the Badger, artillery observation vehicles, ammunition carriers, armoured recovery vehicles, and anti-tank gun tractor. Its most combat-oriented variant was the Sexton self-propelled gun with the 25-pounder howitzer developed to support the infantry, though the Sexton was also produced by the chassis from the Grizzly design.
After World War II, the Netherlands were free to take possession of any Ram tanks in army dumps on their territory. The Dutch used these tanks to equip their first tank units, the 1st and 2nd Tank Battalions. The Rams were in a poor state from low maintenance and disuse so they received additional Rams from Britain in slightly better conditions in 1947. By 1950, most of the Rams were broken down and only 50 were available for use between the two battalions. They were all replaced, along with Shermans in their inventory, by the Centurion tank in 1952. The Ram's only usage past that was as static pillboxes on the IJssel line facing the Soviets in the Cold War.
Legacy
The Ram, unfortunately, went down in history as one of Canada's war design failures, with the M4 Sherman being produced in parallel by the U.S. overtaking it. It is also a testament to the disparity in the industrial base between the two countries. The Ram could still be attributed to kick-starting Canadian production lines to be able to produce the M4A1 Sherman, which were designated the Grizzly.
About 6 Ram tanks still survive today, with only 3 being the original tank design.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Other Canadian ground vehicles present in the game
External links
| USA medium tanks | |
|---|---|
| M2 | M2 |
| M3 | M3 Lee · ▃Grant I |
| M4 | M4 · Calliope · M4A1 · M4A1 (76) W · M4A2 · M4A2 (76) W · M4A3 (105) · M4A3 (76) W · M4/T26 |
| M26 Pershing | T20 · T25 · M26 · M26 T99 · M26E1 |
| M46/47/48 Patton | M46 · M46 "Tiger" · M47 · M48A1 · T54E1 · T54E2 |
| M60 | M60 · M60A1 (AOS) · M60A1 RISE (P) · M60A2 · M60A3 TTS · M728 CEV · 120S |
| MBT-70 | MBT-70 · XM803 |
| M1 Abrams | XM1 (Chrysler) · XM1 (GM) |
| M1 Abrams · M1 KVT · IPM1 | |
| M1A1 · M1A1 HC · M1A1 Click-Bait | |
| M1A2 Abrams · M1A2 SEP · M1A2 SEP V2 | |
| Other | T95E1 |
| Australia | M1A1 AIM |
| Canada | M4A5 |
| Israel | ▃Magach 3 (ERA) · ▃Merkava Mk.1 · ▃Merkava Mk.2B · ▃Merkava Mk.3D |
| Turkey | M60 AMBT |
| USA premium ground vehicles | |
|---|---|
| Light tanks | LVT(A)(4) · M2A4 (1st Arm.Div.) · M3A1 (USMC) · ▃Stuart VI (5th CAD) · M8 LAC · M8A1 GMC |
| M18 "Black Cat" · Super Hellcat · T18E2 · M551(76) · T114 · M1128 Wolfpack | |
| Medium tanks | ▃Grant I · M4A5 · Calliope · T20 · M26 T99 · M26E1 · M46 "Tiger" · T54E1 · T54E2 · ▃Magach 3 (ERA) · M728 CEV |
| XM1 (GM) · XM1 (Chrysler) · M1 KVT · M1A1 Click-Bait | |
| Heavy tanks | T14 · Cobra King · M6A2E1 · T29 · T30 |
| Tank destroyers | T28 · T55E1 |
