Difference between revisions of "M36 GMC"

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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_M36GMC.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''90-mm Gun Motor Carriage M36''' (or the '''M36''', unofficially the ''Jackson'') is a Rank IV American tank destroyer with a battle rating of 5.7. It was introduced in [[Update 1.49 "Weapons of Victory"]]. The M36 is an upgrade of the [[3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10|M10 GMC]], owning a more powerful gun in the form of the [[90 mm Gun M3|90 mm]]. This vehicle can be a great threat for enemy and very fun to play if used correctly.
  
 
== 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:'''
 +
*Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
*Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Transmission area)
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 38.1 mm (56°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 50.8-107.8 (9-63°) ''Transmission housing'' || 19.05 mm (37°) ''Top'' <br> 25.4 mm ''Bottom'' || 19.05 mm (42°) ''Top'' <br> 19.05 (1-45°) ''Bottom'' || 19.5 mm ''Front roof'' <br> 9.5 mm ''Engine deck''
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 31.75 mm (2-53°) ''Turret front'' <br> 76.2 mm (°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 31.75 mm (0-21°) || 25.4 mm (2-23°) || N/A
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
* Tracks are 30 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick while the wheels are 20 mm thick.
 +
* Small slivers of 5 mm armour hang off the top side hull armour, giving miniscule protections at those areas.
 +
* Track blocks on the side hull armour allows an extra 30 mm of armour at their locations.
  
 
=== 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" | 30.8 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 46 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|42 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|710
 +
|874
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|442
 +
|500
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|23.05
 +
|28.38
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|14.35
 +
|16.23
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== 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|M3 (90 mm)}}
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
−
''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.''
+
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[M3 (90 mm)|90 mm M3]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | 47 || -10°/+20° || ±180° || N/A
 +
|-
 +
! 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'' || 14.28 || 19.80 || 24.0 || 26.60 || 28.20
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.4 || 22.60 || 24.00
 +
|-
 +
! 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.
 +
|-
 +
| 11.05 || 9.78 || 9.01 || 8.50
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== 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
 +
|-
 +
| T33 shot || AP || 189 || 188 || 163 || 137 || 115 || 96
 +
|-
 +
| M71 shell || HE || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19
 +
|-
 +
| M82 shot || APCBC || 165 || 164 || 150 || 137 || 125 || 114
 +
|-
 +
| M304 shot || APCR || 264 || 260 || 245 || 226 || 210 || 191
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! 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%
 +
|-
 +
| T33 shot || AP || 822 || 11 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
 +
|-
 +
| M71 shell || HE || 823 || 11 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 925 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
| M82 shot || APCBC || 807 || 11 || 1.2 || 20 || 137.2 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
| M304 shot || APCR  || 1021 ||  7.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Ammunition
 +
! Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! ''Screen radius <br /> in m''
 +
! ''Screen time <br /> in s''
 +
! ''Screen hold time <br /> in s:''
 +
! ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
|-
 +
| M313 || 821 || 11 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks_M36GMC.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|Ammo racks of the M36.]]
 +
{| 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
 +
|-
 +
| '''47''' || 43&nbsp;''(+4)'' || 37&nbsp;''(+10)'' || 28&nbsp;''(+19)'' || 19&nbsp;''(+28)'' || 10&nbsp;''(+37)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+46)'' || style="text-align:center" | No
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
Turret empty: 37&nbsp;(+10)
  
 
=== 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="7" | [[Browning M2 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Pintle mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 1,000 (200) || 577 || -10°/+70° || ±60°
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== 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).''-->
 +
Play style with the M36 should be about the same as the [[3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10|M10]]. The speed is about the same and armour is still just as thin, but it has an improved turret traverse rate and a 90 mm gun, making it able to engage targets much easier.
 +
 
 +
===Modules===
 +
# M82 shot (APCBC). This will greatly improve your killing power.
 +
# Parts. So you can repair.
 +
# Adjustment of fire, to improve gun accuracy.
 +
# FPE, to put out fires in the event you aren't one shot.
 +
# Elevation Mechanism, to improve gun accuracy.
 +
# Your discretion from here. M304 shot (APCR), Engine, Horizontal Drive are all good next choices. Engine is probably the best bet if taking into RB, but less important in AB.
  
 
=== 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:'''
−
*
+
* Access to 90mm gun and all its ammo types.
−
 
+
* Good handling off road.
 +
* Good gun depression.
 +
* Powered turret traverse give better turn rate than the [[3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10|M10]]
 +
* .50 cal machine gun for AA defense.
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
* Armour is very thin, M10 thin.
 +
* Open top vehicle, vulnerable to strafing and artillery.
 +
* Slow acceleration.
 +
* Reverse speed is bad.
 +
* Unable to perform as efficiently as most other vehicles in it's BR bracket due to armour and speed deficiency - requires careful usage to get the most from it.
 +
* Outmatched by most contemporary enemy tanks.
  
 
== 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===
 +
United State's anti-tank doctrine called for the formation of a tank destroyer force filled with vehicles that are fast and have powerful guns. One of the vehicle designed for this job was the [[3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10|M10 GMC]] carrying the [[3-inch Gun M7|3-inch M7 gun]]. While adequate at the time of its introduction, later in the war it was encountering more heavily armoured German vehicles that could withstand its caliber. Some M10 were upgunned to the [[76 mm Gun M1|76mm gun]], but even that was determined to not be enough. The army needed a tank-killing cannon to be placed on its most numerous tank destroyer vehicle to deal with any armoured threat that could possibly come.
 +
 
 +
The 90mm gun started as the anti-aircraft M1 and M1A1 gun. It wasn't until the M2 model that it earned a dual-purpose role of anti-aircraft and anti-tank in May 1943. Finally, it was decided to mount the mighty gun onto a vehicle, starting with the M10 GMC. The tank mountable variant was called the [[90 mm Gun M3|90 mm M3]] and was tested on the M10 tank destroyer in early 1943. After installing a modified turret onto the M10 body, the vehicle was designated the ''T71 GMC'' , it was approved for service and renamed as the '''M36 GMC'''. The nickname ''Jackson'' for the M36 was given in September 1944 by Ordnance Department, however this nickname never saw use during war documents. The nickname only became well-known to the public in the 1970s, and soon became synonymous to the vehicle. Like its predecessor, it features an open-top turret and exposes the crew to the elements and enemy fire. However, a postwar modification allows a folding armoured roof to protect the crew from rain and shrapnel.
 +
 
 +
===Combat usage===
 +
The M36 GMC arrived at Europe in September 1944. Though 1,400 were produced during the course of the war, the demand for self-propelled 90mm guns were so high that 187 [[Medium Tank M4 Sherman]] were converted with the 90mm and sent as the ''M36B1''. The 90mm was met with much approval by not only the crew, but other units around the area as the 90mm could deal with the thick German armour on the Panthers and Tigers. The M36 GMCs were deployed in the Battle of the Bulge along with its other tank destroyer types, where it took out many German tanks with ease due to its high-power cannon and ability to ambush the tanks by the flanks. Humorously, there was an account sometime in March 1945 where a unit of the 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion radioed in to their logistic support asking why their newly supplied 90 mm shells were more than a foot too long for their gun chambers. A few forwarding later got the message to a Captain Elmer Gray, who happened to be looking for the misplaced rounds for the new [[Heavy Tank T26E1-1 "Super Pershing"|"Super Pershing"]] doing combat tests.<ref name="PershingHunnicutt">Hunnicutt, R.P. ''Pershing: A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series'' U.S.A.: Feist Publications, 1971</ref>
 +
 
 +
At the end of World War II, The M36 GMC's role in the tank destroyer doctrine became obsolete. Mainly due to increasing prevalence of well-armoured tanks that could do its job more efficiently such as the [[Medium Tank M26 Pershing|M26 Pershings]] (which also had the 90mm gun), but also the lack of German AFVs at the time of the war and a study on ammo usage indicates that the tank destroyers spent more time supporting infantry with high-explosive shells than killing tanks with armour-piercing, rendering the anti-tank section an unnecessary component in the modernizing armoured forces.
 +
 
 +
The M36 then served in the Korean War, able to destroy all the Soviet tank designs used by the North Koreans and the Chinese. An addition of a ball-mounted machine gun on the assistant driver's side was done as well. The M36 served well with the South Koreans until American [[Medium Tank M26 Pershing|M26 Pershings]] and [[Medium Tank M46 Patton|M46 Pattons]] could be built up as reinforcements. Aside from that, the M36 was exported to many countries and are still in use by some today. Some of the notable post-World War II conflicts the M36 GMCs served in was the First Indochina War, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, and the Croatian War of Independence of 1991, which proved that the M36 GMCs were still useful to countries half a century after they were introduced.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23m36 Skins and camouflages for the M36 from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
<references />
  
 
== Read also ==
 
== Read also ==
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+
[https://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/772/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Attacker FB.1 and M10 & M36 Slugger]<br/>
−
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
−
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
−
''ETC.''
 
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
Line 51: Line 273:
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
 +
 +
{{USA tank destroyers}}

Revision as of 17:16, 20 November 2018

Rank 7 USA
F-5C Pack
M36 GMC
us_m36.png
M36 GMC
USA flag.png USA
III Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
5.3 5.3 5.3
Class:
Research:33 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:105 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage M36 GMC.jpg


The 90-mm Gun Motor Carriage M36 (or the M36, unofficially the Jackson) is a Rank IV American tank destroyer with a battle rating of 5.7. It was introduced in Update 1.49 "Weapons of Victory". The M36 is an upgrade of the M10 GMC, owning a more powerful gun in the form of the 90 mm. This vehicle can be a great threat for enemy and very fun to play if used correctly.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Transmission area)
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 38.1 mm (56°) Front glacis
50.8-107.8 (9-63°) Transmission housing 		19.05 mm (37°) Top
25.4 mm Bottom 		19.05 mm (42°) Top
19.05 (1-45°) Bottom 		19.5 mm Front roof
9.5 mm Engine deck
Turret 31.75 mm (2-53°) Turret front
76.2 mm (°) Gun mantlet 		31.75 mm (0-21°) 25.4 mm (2-23°) N/A

Notes:

  • Tracks are 30 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick while the wheels are 20 mm thick.
  • Small slivers of 5 mm armour hang off the top side hull armour, giving miniscule protections at those areas.
  • Track blocks on the side hull armour allows an extra 30 mm of armour at their locations.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons) 		Max speed (km/h)
30.8 N/A 46 (AB)
42 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 710 874
Realistic/Simulator 442 500
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 23.05 28.38
Realistic/Simulator 14.35 16.23

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: M3 (90 mm)
90 mm M3
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance 		Stabilizer
47 -10°/+20° ±180° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 14.28 19.80 24.0 26.60 28.20
Realistic 14.28 16.80 20.4 22.60 24.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
11.05 9.78 9.01 8.50
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
T33 shot AP 189 188 163 137 115 96
M71 shell HE 19 19 19 19 19 19
M82 shot APCBC 165 164 150 137 125 114
M304 shot APCR 264 260 245 226 210 191
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%
T33 shot AP 822 11 N/A N/A N/A -1° 47° 60° 65°
M71 shell HE 823 11 0.4 0.5 925 +0° 79° 80° 81°
M82 shot APCBC 807 11 1.2 20 137.2 +4° 48° 63° 71°
M304 shot APCR 1021 7.6 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 66° 70° 72°
Smoke characteristic
Ammunition Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Screen radius
in m 		Screen time
in s 		Screen hold time
in s: 		Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
M313 821 11 13 5 20 50
Ammo racks
Ammo racks of the M36.
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
47 43 (+4) 37 (+10) 28 (+19) 19 (+28) 10 (+37) 1 (+46) No

Turret empty: 37 (+10)

Machine guns

Main article: Browning M2 (12.7 mm)
12.7 mm M2HB
Pintle mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
1,000 (200) 577 -10°/+70° ±60°

Usage in the battles

Play style with the M36 should be about the same as the M10. The speed is about the same and armour is still just as thin, but it has an improved turret traverse rate and a 90 mm gun, making it able to engage targets much easier.

Modules

  1. M82 shot (APCBC). This will greatly improve your killing power.
  2. Parts. So you can repair.
  3. Adjustment of fire, to improve gun accuracy.
  4. FPE, to put out fires in the event you aren't one shot.
  5. Elevation Mechanism, to improve gun accuracy.
  6. Your discretion from here. M304 shot (APCR), Engine, Horizontal Drive are all good next choices. Engine is probably the best bet if taking into RB, but less important in AB.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Access to 90mm gun and all its ammo types.
  • Good handling off road.
  • Good gun depression.
  • Powered turret traverse give better turn rate than the M10
  • .50 cal machine gun for AA defense.

Cons:

  • Armour is very thin, M10 thin.
  • Open top vehicle, vulnerable to strafing and artillery.
  • Slow acceleration.
  • Reverse speed is bad.
  • Unable to perform as efficiently as most other vehicles in it's BR bracket due to armour and speed deficiency - requires careful usage to get the most from it.
  • Outmatched by most contemporary enemy tanks.

History

Development

United State's anti-tank doctrine called for the formation of a tank destroyer force filled with vehicles that are fast and have powerful guns. One of the vehicle designed for this job was the M10 GMC carrying the 3-inch M7 gun. While adequate at the time of its introduction, later in the war it was encountering more heavily armoured German vehicles that could withstand its caliber. Some M10 were upgunned to the 76mm gun, but even that was determined to not be enough. The army needed a tank-killing cannon to be placed on its most numerous tank destroyer vehicle to deal with any armoured threat that could possibly come.

The 90mm gun started as the anti-aircraft M1 and M1A1 gun. It wasn't until the M2 model that it earned a dual-purpose role of anti-aircraft and anti-tank in May 1943. Finally, it was decided to mount the mighty gun onto a vehicle, starting with the M10 GMC. The tank mountable variant was called the 90 mm M3 and was tested on the M10 tank destroyer in early 1943. After installing a modified turret onto the M10 body, the vehicle was designated the T71 GMC , it was approved for service and renamed as the M36 GMC. The nickname Jackson for the M36 was given in September 1944 by Ordnance Department, however this nickname never saw use during war documents. The nickname only became well-known to the public in the 1970s, and soon became synonymous to the vehicle. Like its predecessor, it features an open-top turret and exposes the crew to the elements and enemy fire. However, a postwar modification allows a folding armoured roof to protect the crew from rain and shrapnel.

Combat usage

The M36 GMC arrived at Europe in September 1944. Though 1,400 were produced during the course of the war, the demand for self-propelled 90mm guns were so high that 187 Medium Tank M4 Sherman were converted with the 90mm and sent as the M36B1. The 90mm was met with much approval by not only the crew, but other units around the area as the 90mm could deal with the thick German armour on the Panthers and Tigers. The M36 GMCs were deployed in the Battle of the Bulge along with its other tank destroyer types, where it took out many German tanks with ease due to its high-power cannon and ability to ambush the tanks by the flanks. Humorously, there was an account sometime in March 1945 where a unit of the 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion radioed in to their logistic support asking why their newly supplied 90 mm shells were more than a foot too long for their gun chambers. A few forwarding later got the message to a Captain Elmer Gray, who happened to be looking for the misplaced rounds for the new "Super Pershing" doing combat tests.[1]

At the end of World War II, The M36 GMC's role in the tank destroyer doctrine became obsolete. Mainly due to increasing prevalence of well-armoured tanks that could do its job more efficiently such as the M26 Pershings (which also had the 90mm gun), but also the lack of German AFVs at the time of the war and a study on ammo usage indicates that the tank destroyers spent more time supporting infantry with high-explosive shells than killing tanks with armour-piercing, rendering the anti-tank section an unnecessary component in the modernizing armoured forces.

The M36 then served in the Korean War, able to destroy all the Soviet tank designs used by the North Koreans and the Chinese. An addition of a ball-mounted machine gun on the assistant driver's side was done as well. The M36 served well with the South Koreans until American M26 Pershings and M46 Pattons could be built up as reinforcements. Aside from that, the M36 was exported to many countries and are still in use by some today. Some of the notable post-World War II conflicts the M36 GMCs served in was the First Indochina War, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, and the Croatian War of Independence of 1991, which proved that the M36 GMCs were still useful to countries half a century after they were introduced.

Media

Skins and camouflages for the M36 from live.warthunder.com.

References

  1. ↑ Hunnicutt, R.P. Pershing: A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series U.S.A.: Feist Publications, 1971

Read also

[Devblog] Attacker FB.1 and M10 & M36 Slugger

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • 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)

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