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

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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.'' -->
−
[[File:GarageImage_LVT(A)(4)ZIS-2.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
+
<!-- [[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
−
{{break}}
+
{{Break}} -->
−
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 '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai"]] in the [[wt:en/news/4416-special-war-thunder-winter-holiday-en|winter holiday]] event of 2016.
  
−
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.
+
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.
  
 
== 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?''-->
+
<!-- ''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.'' -->
 
'''Armour type:'''
 
'''Armour type:'''
  
Line 38: Line 38:
 
<!-- ''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}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== 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: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
−
<!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
 
 
{{main|ZIS-2 (57 mm)}}
 
{{main|ZIS-2 (57 mm)}}
  
−
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="text-align:center"
+
{| 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)
 
! colspan="5" | [[ZIS-2 (57 mm)|57 mm ZIS-2]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
Line 55: Line 54:
 
|-
 
|-
 
! ''Arcade''
 
! ''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
+
| 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''
 
! ''Realistic''
Line 63: Line 62:
  
 
==== Ammunition ====
 
==== Ammunition ====
−
{| class="wikitable sortable" width="100%" style="text-align:center"
+
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 
|-
 
|-
Line 102: Line 101:
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
[[File:Ammoracks_LVT(A)(4)ZIS-2.png|right|thumbnail|x200px|Ammo Racks|Ammo racksof the LVT(A)(4) ZIS-2.]]
+
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
−
 
+
[[File:Ammoracks_LVT(A)(4)ZIS-2.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
−
==== Ammo Racks ====
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
−
 
 
−
{| class="wikitable sortable" 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
 
|-
 
|-
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
+
| '''76''' || 71 ''(+5)'' || 65 ''(+11)'' || 49 ''(+27)'' || 33 ''(+43)'' || 17 ''(+59)'' || 1 ''(+75)'' || No
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
 
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />  rack empty
 
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th<br />  rack empty
 
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th<br />  rack empty
 
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
|
 
−
'''76'''
 
−
|
 
−
71&nbsp;''(+5)''
 
−
|
 
−
65&nbsp;''(+11)''
 
−
|
 
−
49&nbsp;''(+27)''
 
−
|
 
−
33&nbsp;''(+43)''
 
−
|
 
−
17&nbsp;''(+59)''
 
−
|
 
−
1&nbsp;''(+75)''
 
−
|
 
−
No
 
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== 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.'' -->
 
{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}
 
{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}
  
Line 144: Line 126:
 
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
 
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Mount
+
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
−
! Capacity<br>(Belt capacity)
 
−
! Rate of fire<br>(shots/minute)
 
−
! Vertical<br>guidance
 
−
! Horizontal<br>guidance
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Hull || 3,000 (250) || 500 || -10°/+20° || ±15°
 
| Hull || 3,000 (250) || 500 || -10°/+20° || ±15°
Line 154: Line 132:
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
== Usage in the battles ==
+
== Usage in battles ==
−
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).
+
<!-- ''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 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.
+
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.
 +
 
 +
=== Modules ===
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
! Tier
 +
! colspan="2" | Mobility
 +
! Protection
 +
! colspan="2" | Firepower
 +
|-
 +
| I
 +
| Tracks
 +
|
 +
| Parts
 +
| Horizontal Drive
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| II
 +
| Suspension
 +
| Brake System
 +
| FPE
 +
| Adjustment of Fire
 +
| BR-271K
 +
|-
 +
| III
 +
| Filters
 +
|
 +
| Crew Replenishment
 +
| Elevation Mechanism
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| IV
 +
| Transmission
 +
| Engine
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
=== 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
+
* Good speed and manoeuvrability
 
* Five crew members
 
* Five crew members
 
* Powerful main gun
 
* Powerful main gun
Line 169: Line 186:
 
* Well-armed turret can lead to some shells bouncing
 
* Well-armed turret can lead to some shells bouncing
 
* Amphibious
 
* Amphibious
−
* Spaced Interior
+
* Spaced interior
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
Line 180: Line 197:
  
 
== 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 186: Line 204:
 
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.''
−
 
 
−
== Read also ==
 
−
''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.''
+
== External links ==
−
 
 
−
== Sources ==
 
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
−
 
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 +
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
  
 
{{USA tank destroyers}}
 
{{USA tank destroyers}}
 
{{Winter Event}}
 
{{Winter Event}}

Revision as of 15:19, 6 May 2020

▃LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2)
us_lvt_4_zis_2.png
▃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 ▃LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2) is a gift rank II American tank destroyer with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai" in the winter holiday event of 2016.

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.

General info

Survivability and armour

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

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

Armaments

Main armament

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 145 143 132 119 108 98
BR-271К APHE 145 143 132 119 108 98
O-271 HE 5 5 5 5 5 5
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
Mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive Mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Normalisation at 30°
from horizontal 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
BR-271 APHEBC 990 3.14 1.2 9.0 21.56 +4.0° 48° 63° 71°
BR-271К APHE 990 3.14 1.2 9.0 27.72 -1.0° 47° 60° 65°
O-271 HE 700 3.72 0.4 0.01 220 +0.0° 79° 80° 81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2) (USA)
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

Machine guns

Main article: 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

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.

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tracks Parts Horizontal Drive
II Suspension Brake System FPE Adjustment of Fire BR-271K
III Filters Crew Replenishment Elevation Mechanism
IV Transmission Engine

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Good speed and manoeuvrability
  • Five crew members
  • Powerful main gun
  • Decent elevation and depression
  • Well-armed turret can lead to some shells bouncing
  • Amphibious
  • Spaced interior

Cons:

  • High Profile
  • Very thin hull, penetration by any main armament and machine guns
  • The crew in the turret are very close together, meaning they'll be taken out in a single shot
  • Open Top
  • Limited turret traverse

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

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 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

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