FV4005

FV4005

Avenger

▄M109A1

FV4005

Avenger

▄M109A1

Britain

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
6.3	6.3	6.7

Class:

Tank destroyer

Research:46 000

Purchase:155 000

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Description

The FV4005 Stage II is a Rank IV British tank destroyer with a battle rating of 6.3 (AB/RB) and 6.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.67 "Assault".

The FV4005 holds the distinction of being the single largest cannon available in War Thunder Ground Forces at 183mm, as well as having the longest reload with a stock time of 43.3 seconds. It can only fire HESH (High Explosive Squash Head) and has a limited turret rotation of +/- 45°.

General info

Survivability and armour

The FV4005 Stage II has essentially negligible armour, the turret providing 14mm of protection from any given angle. Due to this and the vehicle's crew being largely based in the turret, the 4005 is extremely vulnerable to even .50 calibre machine guns. The only redeeming trait in regards to survivability is that the crew may survive some side-on attacks due to the sheer size of the gun breech. Regardless, an FV4005 player should not rely on surviving anything bar the lightest of machine gun fire.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour
• Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	76.2 mm (61°) Front glacis 76.2 mm (44°) Lower glacis	50.8 (12°) + 6 mm	38 mm (6°) Top 38 mm (13°) Bottom	38 mm 29 mm Engine deck
Turret	14 mm (10°) Turret front 14 mm (12-61°) Gun mantlet	14 mm (0-8°)	14 mm (1°)	14 mm

Notes:

• Tracks and suspension wheels are both 20 mm thick.
• Spaced armour plates are placed on the side of the Centurion chassis, giving an additional 6 mm of side armour.
• The rear has a steel rack providing an additional 15 mm of protection.

Crew

• Commander
• Gunner
• Loader x2
• Driver

Total: 5 crew members

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	31	11	50	923	1,240	18.46	24.8
Realistic	28	10		575	650	11.5	13

The FV4005 doesn't represent anything special in terms of mobility; the vehicle utilises a Centurion hull and retains most of the same characteristics, including the somewhat sub-par reverse speed. Hull traverse times are reasonable, but not exceptional, and maximum forwards speed is a limited 28 km/h in RB/SB.

Due to the vehicle's limited mobility, players should play conservatively, avoiding flanking routes and any areas where there is no immediate escape route available. The Tracks upgrade is particularly valuable on the FV4005, as due to its limited turret traverse distance the improved hull traverse will on occasion be a saving grace.

Armaments

Main armament

The FV4005 Stage II sports the largest cannon available in War Thunder Ground Forces, the 183mm QF L4A1, with the longest base reload time of any vehicle at 43.3 seconds. The L4A1 is restricted to the use of HESH only, due to the weapon originally being envisaged as an anti-emplacement howitzer. Despite this, HESH can be used to great effect against almost any possible target, provided shots are placed well - ideally on angled side armour (while ensuring the armour isn't angled enough to bounce). Despite the size and weight of the round, it has reasonable ballistics at 716 m/s velocity.

183 mm QF L4A1
Capacity			Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance	Stabilizer
12			-7°/+15°	±45°	N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade	15.9	21.94	26.64	29.46	31.34
Realistic	10.7	12.6	15.3	16.92	18.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
43.3	34.38	31.69	29.9

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration in mm @ 0° Angle of Attack
		10m	100m	500m	1000m	1500m	2000m
Shell L1	HESH	228	228	228	228	228	228

Important note: HESH round performance improves, within reason, when targets are angled. This is due to the 'squash head' the rounds are tipped by - on larger angles the head will 'squash' further and result in more internal damage. However, the improvements with angling are limited once the rounds reach their ricochet angles - past 73° of angling the rounds have a chance to bounce. As such it's best to limit rounds to less than 70° where possible.

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity in m/s	Projectile Mass in kg	Fuse delay in m:	Fuse sensitivity in mm:	Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):	Normalization At 30° from horizontal:	Ricochet:
								0%	50%	100%
Shell L1	HESH	716	72	0.4	2.0	28,900	+0°	73°	77°	80°

Important note: This particular HESH shell has a slow fuse, which does not react to literally every obstacle it hits, unlike with the normal HEAT, HE or HESH, sometimes allowing FV4005 to fire through some foliage, flimsy fences and the likes. While it does not look very useful at first, it can be especially beneficial in Arcade mode or in some specific sniper setup, as AB players are often extremely uncomfortable with firing without aim assist confirmation, which is easily prevented by obstacles such as a weak metal fence built around a capture point, while you can learn the gun ballistics and train yourself to fire by using distance indicators and tank profile (use "select" hotkey, which is by default set to mouse wheel, to see hostile tank overall size and position) instead, to surprise them and thus avoid return fire.

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the FV4005.

Full ammo	Ammo part	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
12	Projectiles Propellants	7 (+5) 11 (+1)	1 (+11) 9 (+3)	5 (+7)	1 (+11)	yes

The FV4005 has extremely limited ammunition, with a maximum of 12 rounds. Despite this, it's no mean feat to run out of ammo due to the extended reload time.

Machine guns

The FV4005's coaxial machine gun is of limited value; it should be used to clear small obstacles or if possible crew members in open-top vehicles. It can be used as a ranging machine gun while keeping in mind that the main weapon's ballistics do not follow the machine gun's trajectory exactly as the MG has a slightly higher round velocity.

7.62 mm L3A1
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
3,600 (250)				500	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

The main in-game use of this tank is the elimination of hull-down tanks (similar to T30), super-armoured heavy tanks in general (similar to IS-7), well-armoured SPG's (similar to Ho-Ri) and the likes of them. Meanwhile, you still can help your team by hiding around and eliminating reckless rushers in 1 hit, when they aren't looking.

Your main goal in between your hunts is to survive and stay hidden, as you only have enough armour to stop 7.64 mm machineguns, and your reloading time is exceptionally long, especially if you lose either of the loaders. Contrary to popular belief, if you aim poorly with FV4005 it does not one-shot anything out of existence anyway. You should first get out of your cover (or wait for the enemy to get into your firing lines), then take aim at the enemy, and only then fire. HESH shell will do the rest for you if your aim and weak spot suggestion was correct.

Weak spots depend on the mode you play in. As an example, for most Soviet Union tanks, the frontal weak spot is the left side of the hull (for you - right side). It's also possible to target the back of their turrets in Realistic battle. However, if you fire at back of the turret of IS-2 in arcade mode, it may still survive with just 1 crew member (driver with very high "vitality" level), go into "last stand" mode, turn it's turret and fire back at you. As such, try to aim at places, from which spalling can definitely hit every last crew member.

likewise, in arcade mode, it's not enough to just eliminate crew in your turret, and your driver is hidden in the decently armoured hull. However, if your gun breech got damaged, there is a chance, that the shell in it will also be destroyed, and you won't be able to avenge yourself.

Going into sniper duels without preparations, like rangefinding and adjusting the gun beforehand, with this tank is ill-advised, as any sniper tank needs significantly less time to aim at you, due to fact that your turret cannot turn freely, your enormous profile and different ammunition type. They also can destroy you in 1 hit as well, by hitting your ammo.

Modules

Tier	Mobility	Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks	Parts	Horizontal drive
II	Suspension, Brake system	FPE	Adjustment of fire
III	Filters	Crew replenishment	Elevation mechanism
IV	Transmission, Engine

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Armed with the gigantic 183mm cannon. This is the biggest gun mounted on any tank in the game.
• 183 mm HESH will cause the spalling of enemy armour that is 254 mm thick or less. Devastating to even the most heavily armored tanks.
• Has the hull of a centurion. So the upper plate is actually strong.
• Large gun breech can potentially protect some of the turret crew from incoming fire and shrapnel.
• The co-axial machine gun has a very similar trajectory to the 183 mm gun, making it ideal for ranging.

Cons:

• Huge turret with only 14mm of armor all around. Can be shredded by .50 cal machine guns and auto cannons.
• Lots of ammo lining the entire turret which can be detonated with little effort.
• 4 of the 5 crew are in turret. An APHE penetration or high calibre HE shells hit will likely one-shot the tank.
• HESH is inherently unreliable, a hit to a wrong spot on certain enemy tank chassis or armour may do no damage at all despite shell's potential, while a close miss might annihilate enemy tank regardless
• Carries only 12 shells.
• Due to the little turret armor and sheer size of the tanks, is a prime target for AA guns and all aircraft at the BR.

History

Work started on a 180 mm self-propelled gun in 1950 by Nuffield Mechanizations & Aero. Designated the FV215B, the plan was to mount the gun onto the Conqueror hull. It was intended for the three trial vehicles to be built from the span of 1951-1955. The project was cancelled in early 1957 with no prototypes produced.

During the development phase of the FV215B, another project was done on the Centurion. Labeled the FV4005, it was an attempt to mount the 180 mm on the Centurion hull. The design phase is distinctive in two parts, Stage I and II. Stage I had the gun mounted on an open-topped hull. The gun had a concentric recoil system and an auto-loader. Stage II had the gun encased in a lightly armoured, splinter-proof turret with a conventional recoil system and manual loading.

In December 1952, the 180 mm gun was increased into a 183 mm gun mounting. Though a single prototype was made for testing, the project never passed basic feasibility. In August 1957, the project was abandoned as well. The lone prototype is currently stationed outside at Bovington Tank Museum.

Media

Skin and Camouflages for the FV4005 Stage II in Warthunder Live.

See also

• Conway - A vehicle built under a similar principle of a large gun on a Centurion chassis.

External links

• [Devblog] FV4005 - Big Box Surprise
• [Wikipedia] Centurion (tank) - Fighting Vehicle numbers

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Ware Pat. Images of War: British Tanks: 1945 to the Present Day Great Britain: Pen & Sword Military, 2012a
• Ware Pat. Images of War Special: The Centurion Tank Great Britain: Pen & Sword Military, 2012b

Britain tank destroyers
Infantry tank derivatives	Archer · Gun Carrier (3-in)
Light tank derivatives	Alecto I
M10 Achilles	Achilles · Achilles (65 Rg.)
Centurion derivatives	FV4005 · Conway
ATGM	Swingfire · Striker
Other	Tortoise · ▄M109A1
Canada	QF 3.7 Ram
South Africa	G6 · ZT3A2