Difference between revisions of "M8 LAC"

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(Pros and cons: Revised pros and cons)
(Survivability and armour: Added paragraph on survivability)
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== 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 helpful for survival in combat?''
+
The M8 Greyhound has next to no armour protection. Its armor can stop rifle-caliber machine gun fire, but nothing more. Even then, the vehicle's turret has an open roof and very thin armour on the sides and the rear, so it is still possible for a few unlucky machine gun bullets to find their way inside. The Greyhound also has hull-break, however, generally speaking, losing all your crew members is a greater concern especially given that most vehicles at its battle rating do not have very powerful cannons. In addition, the modules are lined up and the crew is close together when looking straight at the front of the vehicle. From the side, however, this is not the case- there is a small area behind the two crew members in the turret but in front of the fuel tank with no modules in it, and an even larger area of empty space between the turret crew and the driver/machine gunner. Thanks to the thin armour, it is very possible for rounds  to over-penetrate and pass through without dealing significant damage. The vehicles size, or lack thereof, should also be taken into account. The M8 Greyhound is very small and short, making it easy to exploit hiding spots and hills for protection. It can stay out of sight and use stealth to its advantage with little trouble. The .50 caliber machine gun on the roof is raised up, but there are no critical modules surrounding it and it is relatively small so it can be used to shoot over obstacles without risking damage to the armoured car. While the raw armour and protection on the M8 Greyhound is lacking, where it shines is in its ability to hide and use its good top speed to get around quickly and avoid being hit.
 
 
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
 
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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* Fast reload speed  
 
* Fast reload speed  
 
* High penetration for its tier  
 
* High penetration for its tier  
 +
* Enemy rounds can over-penetrate without dealing much damage due to low armour
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
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* Lackluster off-road mobility compared to tracked vehicles
 
* Lackluster off-road mobility compared to tracked vehicles
 
* Wide turning radius, can make maneuvering difficult
 
* Wide turning radius, can make maneuvering difficult
* Low armor and open turret roof
+
* Low armour and open turret roof
 +
* Crew and modules are packed close together from a front perspective
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==

Revision as of 02:00, 7 November 2019

M8 LAC
us_m8_greyhound.png
M8 LAC
AB RB SB
1.0 1.0 1.0
Show in game
MARKET

Description


The Light Armored Car M8 is a rank I American light tank with a battle rating of 1.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update 1.73 "Vive la France" as part of a vehicle giveaway on War Thunder's 5th anniversary.

General info

Survivability and armour

The M8 Greyhound has next to no armour protection. Its armor can stop rifle-caliber machine gun fire, but nothing more. Even then, the vehicle's turret has an open roof and very thin armour on the sides and the rear, so it is still possible for a few unlucky machine gun bullets to find their way inside. The Greyhound also has hull-break, however, generally speaking, losing all your crew members is a greater concern especially given that most vehicles at its battle rating do not have very powerful cannons. In addition, the modules are lined up and the crew is close together when looking straight at the front of the vehicle. From the side, however, this is not the case- there is a small area behind the two crew members in the turret but in front of the fuel tank with no modules in it, and an even larger area of empty space between the turret crew and the driver/machine gunner. Thanks to the thin armour, it is very possible for rounds to over-penetrate and pass through without dealing significant damage. The vehicles size, or lack thereof, should also be taken into account. The M8 Greyhound is very small and short, making it easy to exploit hiding spots and hills for protection. It can stay out of sight and use stealth to its advantage with little trouble. The .50 caliber machine gun on the roof is raised up, but there are no critical modules surrounding it and it is relatively small so it can be used to shoot over obstacles without risking damage to the armoured car. While the raw armour and protection on the M8 Greyhound is lacking, where it shines is in its ability to hide and use its good top speed to get around quickly and avoid being hit.

Mobility

Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.

Armaments

Main armament

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: {{main|Name of the weapon}}. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.

Additional armament

Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on about how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.

Machine guns

Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.

Usage in battles

General Gameplay

Realistic Battles

General Tactics

Specific Enemies Worth Noting

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tires Parts Horizontal Drive M51B1/B2
II Suspension Brake System FPE Adjustment of Fire
III Filters Crew Replenishment Elevation Mechanism
IV Transmission Engine Artillery Support
  • As a gift vehicle, the M8 Greyhound's modifications are automatically unlocked upon purchase of the vehicle.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Roof mounted .50 caliber machine gun can easily damage plenty of tanks at its tier and is useful against planes
  • Roof mounted machine gun can traverse 360 degrees, unlike most roof mounted MGs
  • Very fast on-road speed
  • Fast turret traverse speed
  • Fast reload speed
  • High penetration for its tier
  • Enemy rounds can over-penetrate without dealing much damage due to low armour

Cons:

  • No tracks, cannot turn in place
  • Lackluster off-road mobility compared to tracked vehicles
  • Wide turning radius, can make maneuvering difficult
  • Low armour and open turret roof
  • Crew and modules are packed close together from a front perspective

History

The M8 replaced the M3A1 Scout Car and M2 Halftrack as the main armoured vehicle of the US mechanized cavalry starting in late 1943. 8,500 were built. The vehicle's lightweight and 6x6 drive gave it excellent speed and cross-country mobility. It was well-liked by the crews but was still thin-skinned and under-gunned when compared to the opposition.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • encyclopedia page on the tank;
  • other literature.


USA light tanks
LVT  LVT(A)(1) · ○LVT(A)(1) · LVT(A)(4)
M2  M2A2 · M2A4 · M2A4 (1st Arm.Div.)
M3/M5 Stuart  M3 Stuart · M3A1 Stuart · M3A1 (USMC) · M5A1 · M5A1 TD · ▃Stuart VI (5th CAD)
M22 Locust  M22
M24 Chaffee  M24 · M24 (TL)
M18 Hellcat  M18 GMC · M18 "Black Cat" · Super Hellcat
M41 Walker Bulldog  M41A1
M551 Sheridan  M551 · M551(76)
M3 Bradley  M3 Bradley · M3A3 Bradley
Wheeled  M8 LAC · T18E2 · M1128 · M1128 Wolfpack
Other  M8A1 GMC · T92 · T114 · HSTV-L · CCVL · XM8 · XM800T · AGS

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