Difference between revisions of "AB 43"

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{{Italy light tanks}}
 
{{Italy light tanks}}
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[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]

Revision as of 03:25, 13 March 2021

Rank VII | Premium | Golden Eagles
Challenger DS Pack
AB 43
it_ab_43.png
GarageImage AB 43.jpg
AB 43
AB RB SB
2.3 2.7 2.7
Class:
Research:7 900 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:10 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Fiat-Ansaldo Autoblinda 43 (shortened as AB 43) is a rank II Italian light tank with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB) and 2.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.85 "Supersonic".

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull8 / 8 / 8
Turret18 / 8 / 8
Crew4 people
Visibility75 %

Armour type::

  • Rolled Homogeneous Armor (hull, turret)
  • Gun Steel (main gun, machine gun)
  • Wheel (tires)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 8 mm (22°) Upper Plate
8 mm (44-68°) Upper Glacis
8 mm (19-50°) Lower Glacis
8 mm 8 mm (16°) Crew Compartment
5 mm (33°) Engine Compartment
8 mm (27°) Lower plate
6 mm Crew Compartment
6 mm (18°) Engine Compartment - Centre
8 mm (39°) Engine Compartment - Sides
Turret 18 mm (16°) Turret front
37 mm (cylindrical) Gun mantlet
8 mm (28-29°) 8 mm

Notes:

  • The wheels are 10 mm thick while the torsion bars are 1 mm thick.
  • The gun barrel is 10 mm thick while the coaxial machine gun is 5 mm thick.


As a thin-skinned armoured car, the AB 43 offers very little in the way of real protection with 8 mm of armour all around, and a slightly thicker 35 mm gun mantlet. This struggles to keep out heavy machine gun fire at anything other than long range and remains extremely vulnerable to artillery and strafing aircraft. However, the vehicle's internal modules are relatively widely spaced, so that AP rounds will often not knock out the AB 43 in a single hit. The car's low-mounted racks also reduce the likelihood of ammunition detonation.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB91 / 43 km/h
RB and SB82 / 39 km/h
Number of gears6 forward
4 back
Weight7.8 t
Engine power
AB210 hp
RB and SB110 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB26.9 hp/t
RB and SB14.1 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 91 43 7.8 170 210 21.79 26.92
Realistic 82 39 97 110 12.44 14.1

The AB 43 offers outstanding mobility on flat smooth ground. As well as a very high top speed, the vehicle also has an excellent turning circle making it extremely agile on more urban maps. The car also has fantastic reverse speed, being almost as fast in reverse as it is going forward. This allows the AB 43 to escape from a bad situation incredibly quickly when the need arises.

As with most wheeled vehicles, however, the AB 43 loses much of its speed on soft ground. Sand, thick mud and water of almost any depth slow the car to a crawl making it extremely vulnerable to enemy fire.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB337 → 464 Sl icon.png
RB377 → 519 Sl icon.png
SB472 → 649 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications6 910 Rp icon.png
6 730 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost530 Ge icon.png
Crew training3 000 Sl icon.png
Experts10 000 Sl icon.png
Aces115 Ge icon.png
Research Aces160 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
30 / 30 / 30 % Sl icon.png
112 / 112 / 112 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new wheels.png
Tires
Research:
460 Rp icon.png
Cost:
450 Sl icon.png
85 Ge icon.png
Mods new car suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
580 Rp icon.png
Cost:
560 Sl icon.png
105 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
560 Rp icon.png
Cost:
550 Sl icon.png
100 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
560 Rp icon.png
Cost:
550 Sl icon.png
100 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
460 Rp icon.png
Cost:
450 Sl icon.png
85 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement it.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
580 Rp icon.png
Cost:
560 Sl icon.png
105 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
460 Rp icon.png
Cost:
450 Sl icon.png
85 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods airstrike.png
Airstrike
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
580 Rp icon.png
Cost:
560 Sl icon.png
105 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
560 Rp icon.png
Cost:
550 Sl icon.png
100 Ge icon.png
Mods scouting.png
Improved optics
Research:
560 Rp icon.png
Cost:
550 Sl icon.png
100 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition146 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
4.3 → 3.3 s
Vertical guidance-7° / 20°
Main article: 47/40 mod.38 (47 mm)
47 mm 47/40 mod.38 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 146 -7°/+20° ±180° N/A 15.3 18.5 22.4 54.8 26.4 5.98 5.29 4.88 4.60
Realistic 8.3 9.8 11.9 13.2 14.0

The 47/40 mod.38 gun offers an average penetration power at its battle rating. Its good muzzle velocity still allows for pretty flat firing trajectories. The accuracy drop is noticeable from 700 m distance and becomes a handicap over 1,000 m. The rotation speed of the turret is rather slow but average compared to other tanks at the same rank or battle rating. The elevation angle of the gun is important, allowing you to fire at an elevated position and the depression angle average, making it possible to fire only from behind mild ridges. Lacking a stabilizer, the tank can't reliably fire on the move. The reload time of the gun is long when compared with other tanks equipped with a 47 mm cannon at the same BR (twice longer in average). The gun recoil is important but it does not turn out to be a handicap as its effect is offset by the length of the reloading process.

Ammunition

The shells available for the AB 43 are limited:

  • Granata mod.35: HE; a high-explosive useful for destroying open and lightly armoured vehicles. It however is a very slow shell travelling (twice slower than the other projectile). You can pack a few of those as you lack a heavy machine gun.
  • Granata Perforante mod.39: APBC; a solid shot with an average penetration but no explosive filler. Make sure to target modules and crew positions to maximise the damage. Disabling the enemy gunner on your first shot will be critical to win engagements as you'll most likely need several shots to destroy an enemy vehicle. This shell should be your default 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
Granata mod.35 HE 5 5 5 5 5 5
Granata Perforante mod.39 APBC 69 67 59 51 43 37
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
Mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive Mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Granata mod.35 HE 364 2.37 2 0.1 150 79° 80° 81°
Granata Perforante mod.39 APBC 755 1.44 1.2 9 30 47° 60° 65°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the AB 43
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
146 74 (+72) (+145) No

Notes:

  • As they are modeled by sets of 3 or 4, shells disappear from the rack only after you fire all shells in the set.
  • Both racks are massive and deplete from rear to front.

Machine guns

Ammunition1 992 rounds
Belt capacity24 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min
Main article: Breda Mod. 38 (8 mm)
8 mm Breda Mod. 38
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 1,992 (24) 600 N/A N/A

The small calibre of the Breda Mod. 38 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

Usage in battles

The AB43 makes for an extremely effective vehicle at its BR, combining outstanding mobility with an effective gun. This allows the vehicle to scout extremely well for its team, while still having the firepower to punish enemies who allow it to flank. Urban maps give the vehicle a chance to use its speed and mobility to quickly enter caps and good flanking positions, and their close-range gives the car a chance to outmanoeuvre larger enemies and fire shots into their rear and side armour.

On larger rural maps the AB43 will have to stick to roads in order to maintain its speed advantage, so players should be careful not to charge directly into enemy tanks. Players must be careful not to get caught out in the open, as the vehicles' tall profile makes it an easy target for enemies firing from a distance even when moving quickly.

The vehicle remains a fairly effective scout at higher battle ratings and can be a viable choice in higher-rank lineups if properly played. The 47 mm gun can still penetrate the side armour of most medium tanks up to 3.7, and its strong post-penetration effects give it good one-shot potential

The most consistently dangerous enemies for the AB43 are those with fast traversing, fast-firing guns that can hit the car as it races around the map. Heavy tanks such as the KV-1 are effectively immune to the 47mm gun, but only appear if the AB43 is teamed with higher-rank Italian tanks.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Excellent speed and agility on flat ground, with an outstanding reverse speed
  • Effective high-velocity gun against enemy contemporaries
  • Speed and scouting ability remains useful in higher-rank lineups

Cons:

  • Very poor armour and general survivability
  • Extremely slow over poor terrain
  • Large flat profile presents a good target for enemy guns
  • The Italian tech tree lacks effective vehicles on par with AB43's matchmaking, often forcing players to make a lineup with higher-rank tanks

History

Main article: History of the AB 41

A prototype successor to the successful AB 41 armoured car. The turret was widened, with plans for a 47 mm gun (either the 47/32 or the new 47/40 to be used in the new M15/42 tanks) and a more powerful engine. The Germans seized the prototypes in the fall of Italy and ordered 102 made for their own use, which used the AB 41's 20 mm gun instead. These were sometimes designated AB 41/43s in German service.

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
Vehicles equipped with the same gun
Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

External links


Italy light tanks
  Italy
L6/40  L6/40 · L6/40 (31 Rgt.)
M11/39  M11/39
Autoblindo  AB 41 · AB 43
Fiat 6614/6616  FIAT 6614 · AUBL/74 · AUBL/74 HVG
R3 Capraia  R3 T106 FA
Centauro  Centauro I 105 · Centauro I 105 R · Centauro I 120 · Centauro RGO · VRCC
Freccia  VBC (PT2) · Freccia
Dardo  Dardo · VCC-80/60 · VCC-80/30
Other  C13 T90
USA  ▄M3A3 · ▄M24 · ▄M18
  Hungary
WWII  Csaba · Toldi IIA
Post  ◔BTR-80A · KF41