Difference between revisions of "M6A1"

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== 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 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.''-->
 +
[[File:GarageImage_M6A1Heavy.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
 
 +
The '''Heavy Tank M6A1''' is a Rank III American heavy tank with a battle rating of 4.7. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. A rather unusual tank design mounting two cannons in the turret, however it has a durable frontal armour for the battle rating it occupies.
 +
 
 +
The M6A1 is a one of the most unique tanks in the game, with it large hull and being as tall as a Tiger I. Another interesting feature is that it is one of the most maneuverable heavy tanks in the game with a powerful Wright G-200 engine (the same engine powering the [[B-17E|B-17 ''Flying Fortress'' bomber]]) with a max speed of 35 km/h, making it very mobile in a battle situation. The tank has two 12.7 mm's in the hull which can be used but cannot be angled sideways. The M6A1 is one of the first American tanks as well in the game to have the transmission at the rear of the tank.
 +
 
 +
Some thing to keep in mind is the shell arc of the secondary 37 mm cannon. Its shell will usually hit the same spot on distances up to 1400 m (~1 mile). But do not forget that the gun is offset to the left in close combat, or it will not hit the target.
  
 
== 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 helpfull for survival in combat?''
  
−
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
* Cast homogeneous armour (Front, Transmission area, Turret)
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Front, Side, Rear, Roof)
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 82.5 mm (5-35°) ''Front'' <br> 101.6 mm (5-35°) ''Transmission''|| 44.4 mm || 44.4 mm || 25.4 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 250 mm (6-65°) ''Turret front'' <br> 50.8 + 50.8 mm (7-62°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 82.5 mm (0-12°) || 82.5 mm (0-68°) || 25.4 mm
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Cupola || 82.5 mm || 25.4 mm
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 17 mm thick.
 +
* Front armour is rounded so have variable slope angle along the surface.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
+
<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="2" | 56.8 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 37 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|35 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|1,033
 +
|1,272
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|708
 +
|800
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|18.19
 +
|22.39
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|12.46
 +
|14.08
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== 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 flexibilty 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 flexibilty 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|M7 (76 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[M7 (76 mm)|76 mm M7]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 75 || -10°/+30° || ±180°
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| ''Arcade'' || 10.70 || 14.80 || 18.00 || 19.90 || 21.20
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 10.70 || 12.60 || 15.30 || 16.92 || 18.0
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 7.67 || 6.78 || 6.25 || 5.90
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== Ammunition =====
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| M62 Shell || APCBC || 127 || 125 || 116 || 106 || 97 || 89
 +
|-
 +
| M42A1 Shell || HE || 7 || 7 || 7 || 7 || 7 || 7
 +
|-
 +
| M79 Shot || AP || 155 || 154 || 131 || 107 || 88 || 72
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="10" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| M62 Shell || 792 || 7 || 1.2 || 20 || 63.7 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
| M42A1 Shell || 800 || 5.8 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 390 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
| M79 Shot || 792 || 6.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== [[Ammo Racks|Ammo racks]] =====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks M4.png|right|thumbnail|[[Ammo Racks|Ammo racks]] of the M4 Sherman|x250px]]
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
|| '''75''' || 40&nbsp;''(+35)'' || 4&nbsp;''(+71)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+74)'' || style="text-align:center" | Yes
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
=== Additional armament ===
 
=== 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 how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
+
<!--''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 how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''-->
 +
{{main|M3 (37 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[M3 (37 mm)|37 mm M3]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 202 || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert Qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace Qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 3.77 || 3.33 || 3.07 || 2.90
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== Ammunition =====
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| M74B1 || AP || 90 || 89 || 69 || 50 || 37 || 27
 +
|-
 +
| M63 Shell || HE || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2
 +
|-
 +
| M51B1/B2 || APC || 79 || 78 || 69 || 59 || 51 || 43 
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="10" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| M74B1 ||883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65° 
 +
|-
 +
| M63 Shell || 807 || 0.73 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 38 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
| M51B1/B2 || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71° 
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== [[Ammo Racks|Ammo racks]] =====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks M4.png|right|thumbnail|[[Ammo Racks|Ammo racks]] of the M4 Sherman|x250px]]
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 +
! 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
 +
|-
 +
|| '''202''' || 85&nbsp;''(+12)'' || 161&nbsp;''(+41)'' || 121&nbsp;''(+81)'' || 81&nbsp;''(+121)'' || 41&nbsp;''(+161)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+201)'' || style="text-align:center" | Yes
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
=== 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.''
+
<!--''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|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[Browning M2 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | ''Pintle mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Magazine count)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 1,000 (100) || -10°/+50° || ±120°
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | ''Hull mount #1''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Magazine count)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 3,000 (100) || -10°/+35° || ±15°
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | ''Hull mount #2''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Magazine count)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 3,000 (100) || -10°/+35° || ±15°
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Usage in the battles ==
 
== Usage in the 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 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).''
+
<!--''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 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).''-->
 +
The M6A1 is at first a powerful machine with a 76 mm gun able to penetrate the front of most Rank III tanks. Once, bought make sure you stay behind cover as much as possible as one good hit can knock out your 76 mm gun. Another note is that with all multi-gun tanks, the secondary gun should be fired separately to maximize efficiency of the shells. Since the tank is at Rank III, beware of [[IS-1]]s,[[Panther D|Panther]]s, [[Tiger H1|Tiger]]s and [[M4A3E2|Jumbos]] as they can all easily penetrate your weak frontal armour. Make sure you keep your rear safe as the M6A1's engine is very large for a heavy and is likely to set fire on first hit. The M6A1 is only as powerful as to how player uses it to its advantages.
  
 
=== 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".''
+
<!--''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".''-->
−
 
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
* Great main gun.
−
 
+
* Very fast reload times, you will fire twice with the 37mm for every 76mm shot.
 +
* Very good gun depression.
 +
* Good power-to-weight ratio.
 +
* Good acceleration.
 +
* Good climb abilities.
 +
* Secondary gun has the same shell arc as main gun.
 +
* Very good cross country performance due to large tracks.
 +
* Big hull increases chance of surviving after a penetrating hit.
 +
* Surprisingly still can fire both cannons with only skeleton crew.
 +
* Reload rate isn't generally affected when losing crew members.
 +
* Lower portion of the hull sides are protected by additional 25.4 mm armour sheet.
 +
* Can be independent from teammates, but works wonderfully when supported.
 +
* First heavy tank in the US tree that can dish and take punishment equally.
 +
* Rear mounted transmission.
 +
* Adequate roof armour.
 +
* Now has .50 cal AA machine gun.
 +
* Provides a good learning curve to the Maus.
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
* Slow top speed.
 +
* Mediocre turn speed.
 +
* Pretty large in general, will stand out in the battlefield.
 +
* Gun mantlet is weak.
 +
* Weak upper side armour with only ~40mm
 +
* Ammo is stored in the lower side armour!
 +
* Drivers and MG-port are frontal weak spots.
 +
* Large engine and transmission mounted in the rear.
 +
* Rear compartment of the vehicle is filled with fuel tanks that can easily set ablaze or explode altogether when shot.
 +
* Tank cannot be angled as it exposes the cheeks.
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''-->
 +
===Development===
 +
When World War II broke out, limited development in United States meant that the military possessed very few tanks and so development hastened and eventually gave them tanks such as the [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] and [[M4|M4 Sherman]]. On May 20, 1940, the US Army Ordinance Corps began to work on a 50-ton heavy tank for their army. Initially, it was going to have a multi-turret design, two turrets with the 75 mm gun and one secondary turret with a 37 mm gun with a coaxial machine gun, then one more with a 20 mm gun with coaxial. Plus, four .30 cal machine guns were to be put on ball mounts on the front glacis and rear corners of the hull. This project was approved on June 11, 1940 and moved on as the ''Heavy Tank T1''. However at the same time, similar concepts in Europe of heavy breakthrough tanks such as the Soviet [[T-35]] and the German [[Nb.Fz.|Neubaufahrzeug]] tanks were falling out of favour due to lack of combat effectiveness and unfavourable performance for their cost, and the US did the same in October so the design was changed.
 +
 
 +
The tank now had one turret with a 3-inch (76.2 mm) gun alongside a coaxial 37 mm gun. The turret housed three crew members and was powered by an electrical traverse system. The commander's cupola was copied from the M3 Lee, featuring a hatch with it sown machine gun. Two .50 cal machine guns now protruded from the bow mount (fired by bow gunner) and two .30 cal machine guns as well (fired by driver). The entire tank held six crew members, the commander, gunner, driver, assistant driver, loader #1, and loader #2. While the construction of the vehicle was feasible, the engine was not enough to power the vehicle reliably due to heavy 57 ton weight.
 +
 
 +
In 1941 to 1942, three prototypes were constructed with different transmission, one with electrical and the rest with a torque converter. The ones with the torque converters were designated the '''Heavy Tank M6''' and '''M6A1'''. The electrical transmission design, designated '''M6A2''', was never approved by Ordinance, but was to be manufactured anyway. It was hoped that 115 of these tanks could be built for further testing and production started in December 1942 with design changes. The commander's cupola now featured a regular hatch rather than the machine gun one, which was removed along with one of the machine gun in the front hull. By the time the M6 were ready for production, the Army were moving forward and interest waned on these heavy tanks with the [[M4|M4 Sherman's]] performance in the war. The M6's armour was only slightly more thicker than the Sherman's and the 3-inch gun didn't offer too much improvement over the 75 mm gun, plus it had a large profile and low ergonomics, not to mention mechanical issues.
 +
 
 +
===Production and cancellation===
 +
In early 1942, the M6 production was set for 250 a month, but was cut down in September from 5,000 to a mere 100 when manufacturing focus moved to planes. By the end of 1942, the Sherman's performance in the war proved its role in the war was more adaptable than the M6 heavy tank, while remaining cheaper and lighter for transportation and supplying. This caused the M6 production to lower even more to just 40, before being shut down. Though testing with a 90 mm gun found the M6 to be a good gun mount, the poor layout of the tank restricted it, and the project was shut down before further development could be made.
 +
 
 +
In August 1944, the Ordinance Corps planned to modify some of the M6 heavy tanks with more armour and heavier armament to breach fortified areas. These were to be the '''M6A2E1''' and weighed 77 tons with a 190 mm front armour and a 105 mm gun. Eisenhower rejected these as impractical, and cancelled it. The M6 was found to be obsolete by December 1944 with only 40 units produced and never seeing combat service. They served as a propaganda piece during the war and were all scrapped after it except one, which is put on display at Aberdeen, Maryland at the United States Army Ordinance Museum. During development, the M6 turret was modified to become the turret for the [[M10 GMC|M10 Tank Destroyer]].
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
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== Read also ==
 
== Read also ==
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''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
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* ''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.''
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* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/3209/current/ Official War Thunder forum article: [Vehicle Profile<nowiki>]</nowiki> Heavy Tank M6A1]
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
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* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
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{{USA heavy tanks}}

Revision as of 23:05, 30 September 2018

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
M6A1
us_m6a1.png
M6A1
USA flag.png USA
III Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
4.7 5.0 5.0
Class:
Research:26 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:76 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage M6A1.jpg

The Heavy Tank M6A1 is a Rank III American heavy tank with a battle rating of 4.7. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals". A rather unusual tank design mounting two cannons in the turret, however it has a durable frontal armour for the battle rating it occupies.

The M6A1 is a one of the most unique tanks in the game, with it large hull and being as tall as a Tiger I. Another interesting feature is that it is one of the most maneuverable heavy tanks in the game with a powerful Wright G-200 engine (the same engine powering the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber) with a max speed of 35 km/h, making it very mobile in a battle situation. The tank has two 12.7 mm's in the hull which can be used but cannot be angled sideways. The M6A1 is one of the first American tanks as well in the game to have the transmission at the rear of the tank.

Some thing to keep in mind is the shell arc of the secondary 37 mm cannon. Its shell will usually hit the same spot on distances up to 1400 m (~1 mile). But do not forget that the gun is offset to the left in close combat, or it will not hit the target.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Cast homogeneous armour (Front, Transmission area, Turret)
  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Front, Side, Rear, Roof)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 82.5 mm (5-35°) Front
101.6 mm (5-35°) Transmission		 44.4 mm 44.4 mm 25.4 mm
Turret 250 mm (6-65°) Turret front
50.8 + 50.8 mm (7-62°) Gun mantlet 		82.5 mm (0-12°) 82.5 mm (0-68°) 25.4 mm
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 82.5 mm 25.4 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 17 mm thick.
  • Front armour is rounded so have variable slope angle along the surface.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons) 		Max speed (km/h)
56.8 N/A 37 (AB)
35 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 1,033 1,272
Realistic/Simulator 708 800
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 18.19 22.39
Realistic/Simulator 12.46 14.08

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: M7 (76 mm)
76 mm M7
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
75 -10°/+30° ±180°
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 10.70 14.80 18.00 19.90 21.20
Realistic 10.70 12.60 15.30 16.92 18.0
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
7.67 6.78 6.25 5.90
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
M62 Shell APCBC 127 125 116 106 97 89
M42A1 Shell HE 7 7 7 7 7 7
M79 Shot AP 155 154 131 107 88 72
Shell details
Ammunition 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%
M62 Shell 792 7 1.2 20 63.7 +4° 48° 63° 71°
M42A1 Shell 800 5.8 0.1 0.5 390 +0° 79° 80° 81°
M79 Shot 792 6.8 N/A N/A N/A -1° 47° 60° 65°
Ammo racks
Ammo racks of the M4 Sherman
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
75 40 (+35) 4 (+71) 1 (+74) Yes

Additional armament

Main article: M3 (37 mm)
37 mm M3
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
202 N/A N/A
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert Qualif. Prior + Ace Qualif.
3.77 3.33 3.07 2.90
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
M74B1 AP 90 89 69 50 37 27
M63 Shell HE 2 2 2 2 2 2
M51B1/B2 APC 79 78 69 59 51 43
Shell details
Ammunition 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%
M74B1 883 0.87 N/A N/A N/A -1° 47° 60° 65°
M63 Shell 807 0.73 0.1 0.5 38 +0° 79° 80° 81°
M51B1/B2 883 0.87 N/A N/A N/A +4° 48° 63° 71°
Ammo racks
Ammo racks of the M4 Sherman
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
202 85 (+12) 161 (+41) 121 (+81) 81 (+121) 41 (+161) 1 (+201) Yes

Machine guns

Main article: Browning M2 (12.7 mm)
12.7 mm M2HB
Pintle mount
Capacity (Magazine count) Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
1,000 (100) -10°/+50° ±120°
Hull mount #1
Capacity (Magazine count) Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
3,000 (100) -10°/+35° ±15°
Hull mount #2
Capacity (Magazine count) Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
3,000 (100) -10°/+35° ±15°

Usage in the battles

The M6A1 is at first a powerful machine with a 76 mm gun able to penetrate the front of most Rank III tanks. Once, bought make sure you stay behind cover as much as possible as one good hit can knock out your 76 mm gun. Another note is that with all multi-gun tanks, the secondary gun should be fired separately to maximize efficiency of the shells. Since the tank is at Rank III, beware of IS-1s,Panthers, Tigers and Jumbos as they can all easily penetrate your weak frontal armour. Make sure you keep your rear safe as the M6A1's engine is very large for a heavy and is likely to set fire on first hit. The M6A1 is only as powerful as to how player uses it to its advantages.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Great main gun.
  • Very fast reload times, you will fire twice with the 37mm for every 76mm shot.
  • Very good gun depression.
  • Good power-to-weight ratio.
  • Good acceleration.
  • Good climb abilities.
  • Secondary gun has the same shell arc as main gun.
  • Very good cross country performance due to large tracks.
  • Big hull increases chance of surviving after a penetrating hit.
  • Surprisingly still can fire both cannons with only skeleton crew.
  • Reload rate isn't generally affected when losing crew members.
  • Lower portion of the hull sides are protected by additional 25.4 mm armour sheet.
  • Can be independent from teammates, but works wonderfully when supported.
  • First heavy tank in the US tree that can dish and take punishment equally.
  • Rear mounted transmission.
  • Adequate roof armour.
  • Now has .50 cal AA machine gun.
  • Provides a good learning curve to the Maus.

Cons:

  • Slow top speed.
  • Mediocre turn speed.
  • Pretty large in general, will stand out in the battlefield.
  • Gun mantlet is weak.
  • Weak upper side armour with only ~40mm
  • Ammo is stored in the lower side armour!
  • Drivers and MG-port are frontal weak spots.
  • Large engine and transmission mounted in the rear.
  • Rear compartment of the vehicle is filled with fuel tanks that can easily set ablaze or explode altogether when shot.
  • Tank cannot be angled as it exposes the cheeks.

History

Development

When World War II broke out, limited development in United States meant that the military possessed very few tanks and so development hastened and eventually gave them tanks such as the M3 Lee and M4 Sherman. On May 20, 1940, the US Army Ordinance Corps began to work on a 50-ton heavy tank for their army. Initially, it was going to have a multi-turret design, two turrets with the 75 mm gun and one secondary turret with a 37 mm gun with a coaxial machine gun, then one more with a 20 mm gun with coaxial. Plus, four .30 cal machine guns were to be put on ball mounts on the front glacis and rear corners of the hull. This project was approved on June 11, 1940 and moved on as the Heavy Tank T1. However at the same time, similar concepts in Europe of heavy breakthrough tanks such as the Soviet T-35 and the German Neubaufahrzeug tanks were falling out of favour due to lack of combat effectiveness and unfavourable performance for their cost, and the US did the same in October so the design was changed.

The tank now had one turret with a 3-inch (76.2 mm) gun alongside a coaxial 37 mm gun. The turret housed three crew members and was powered by an electrical traverse system. The commander's cupola was copied from the M3 Lee, featuring a hatch with it sown machine gun. Two .50 cal machine guns now protruded from the bow mount (fired by bow gunner) and two .30 cal machine guns as well (fired by driver). The entire tank held six crew members, the commander, gunner, driver, assistant driver, loader #1, and loader #2. While the construction of the vehicle was feasible, the engine was not enough to power the vehicle reliably due to heavy 57 ton weight.

In 1941 to 1942, three prototypes were constructed with different transmission, one with electrical and the rest with a torque converter. The ones with the torque converters were designated the Heavy Tank M6 and M6A1. The electrical transmission design, designated M6A2, was never approved by Ordinance, but was to be manufactured anyway. It was hoped that 115 of these tanks could be built for further testing and production started in December 1942 with design changes. The commander's cupola now featured a regular hatch rather than the machine gun one, which was removed along with one of the machine gun in the front hull. By the time the M6 were ready for production, the Army were moving forward and interest waned on these heavy tanks with the M4 Sherman's performance in the war. The M6's armour was only slightly more thicker than the Sherman's and the 3-inch gun didn't offer too much improvement over the 75 mm gun, plus it had a large profile and low ergonomics, not to mention mechanical issues.

Production and cancellation

In early 1942, the M6 production was set for 250 a month, but was cut down in September from 5,000 to a mere 100 when manufacturing focus moved to planes. By the end of 1942, the Sherman's performance in the war proved its role in the war was more adaptable than the M6 heavy tank, while remaining cheaper and lighter for transportation and supplying. This caused the M6 production to lower even more to just 40, before being shut down. Though testing with a 90 mm gun found the M6 to be a good gun mount, the poor layout of the tank restricted it, and the project was shut down before further development could be made.

In August 1944, the Ordinance Corps planned to modify some of the M6 heavy tanks with more armour and heavier armament to breach fortified areas. These were to be the M6A2E1 and weighed 77 tons with a 190 mm front armour and a 105 mm gun. Eisenhower rejected these as impractical, and cancelled it. The M6 was found to be obsolete by December 1944 with only 40 units produced and never seeing combat service. They served as a propaganda piece during the war and were all scrapped after it except one, which is put on display at Aberdeen, Maryland at the United States Army Ordinance Museum. During development, the M6 turret was modified to become the turret for the M10 Tank Destroyer.

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

Read also

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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


USA heavy tanks
M4 Jumbo  M4A3E2 · Cobra King · M4A3E2 (76) W
M6  M6A1 · T1E1 · T1E1 (90) · M6A2E1
T26  T26E1-1 · T26E5
T29/30/34  T29 · T30 · T34
T32  T32 · T32E1
M103  M103
Others  T14

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