Difference between revisions of "WA318 (57 mm)"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
−
WA318, based on the Type 59 (PG59) 57 mm anti-aircraft cannon (59式57毫米高射炮) is the twin-barrel version of the PG59, sharing many similarities to its Soviet equivalent [[S-68 (57 mm)|S-68]] (AZP S-60).
+
<!-- ''Write an introduction to the article in 2-3 small paragraphs. Briefly tell us about the history of the development and combat using the weaponry and also about its features. Compile a list of air, ground, or naval vehicles that feature this weapon system in the game.'' -->
 +
The WA318, based on the Type 59 (PG59) 57 mm anti-aircraft cannon (59式57毫米高射炮) is the twin-barrel version of the PG59, sharing many similarities to its Soviet equivalent [[S-68 (57 mm)|S-68]] (AZP S-60).
  
−
An attempt to built a Chinese version of ZSU-57-2, WA318 retains all the traits of S-68 with devastating firepower when facing lightly-armored targets or low-flying aircrafts; while WA318 has a domestic VT shell which vastly boost its capability to keep the sky clear.
+
Resulting from the attempt to build a Chinese version of the ZSU-57-2, the WA318 retains all the traits of S-68 with devastating firepower when facing lightly-armoured targets or low-flying aircraft, as well as a unique domestic VT shell which vastly boosts its capability to keep the skies clear.
  
 
=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===
 
=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===
 
<!-- ''List out vehicles that are equipped with the weapon.'' -->
 
<!-- ''List out vehicles that are equipped with the weapon.'' -->
  
−
* {{Specs-Link|cn_wz_305|short}}
+
* {{Specs-Link|cn_wz_305}}
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
−
The base gun, Type 59(PG59) is a licensed copy of AZP S-60 (S-68 for twin-barrel version), both guns share the very same ballistic characteristics and dimensions.
+
<!-- ''Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.'' -->
 +
The base gun, Type 59 (PG59) is a licensed copy of AZP S-60 (S-68 for twin-barrel version), both guns share the very same ballistic characteristics and dimensions.
  
 
=== Available ammunition ===
 
=== Available ammunition ===
 +
<!-- ''Describe the shells that are available for the weapon and their features and purpose. If it concerns autocannons or machine guns, write about different ammo belts and what is inside (which types of shells).'' -->
  
−
* '''Default:''' HE* · APCBC - 50% of this belt are useless against tanks or planes. However, against other SPAA this belt can reliably take out crew, armament, ammo and engine. Having one belt in reserve does not hurt.
+
* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|HE*|High-explosive fragmentation (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-piercing capped ballistic capped}} - The stock belt. Only half of the clip will be useful against tanks or planes at any one time, but with the same comprising shells as the unlockable belts, it can still serve as a versatile option until more specialised choices become available.
−
* '''BR-281:''' APCBC - For use against ground vehicles. With around 150 mm of penetration at point blank, this belt can go through side armour and take out lightly armoured targets. Actual MBTs can typically resist it from the front. It does not contain much explosive filler per round, but since the WZ305 has two cannons (each with a clip of 4 rounds) multiple penetrations have a high chance of knocking out the target.
+
* '''BR-281SP:''' {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-piercing capped ballistic capped}} - For use against ground vehicles. With around 150 mm of penetration at point blank, this belt can go through side armour and take out lightly armoured targets. Actual MBTs can typically resist it from the front.
−
* '''OR-281U:''' HE* - For use against planes. One or two hits usually get the job done. However, heavy armoured attackers and bombers may require several hits.
+
* '''Type 59 HE:''' {{Annotation|HE*|High-explosive fragmentation (self-destroying)}} - For use against planes. One or two hits usually get the job done. However, heavy armoured attackers and bombers may require several hits.
−
* '''BR-281U:''' APCBC · HE* - For use against ground vehicles. A solid shot projectile, it currently has the same penetration as the ordinary BR-281 APCBC and there is thus no real reason to use it.
+
* '''Type 59 APCBC:''' {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-piercing capped ballistic capped}} - For use against ground vehicles. While the shells have the same penetration values as the BR-281SP belt, they also contain a small amount of explosive filler, making their use slightly more efficient against ground vehicles.
−
* '''DKY-1:''' HE-VT* - For use against planes. The huge explosive mass will blow most aircraft out of the sky with a fairly close hit, 15 m trigger radius means that one can be much more lenient with aiming. However, the proximity fuse requires 500 meters of arming distance and within this distance it acts only like a powerful HE round.
+
* '''DKY-1:''' {{Annotation|HE-VT*|High-explosive variable time fuse (self-destroying)}} - For use against planes. The huge explosive mass will blow most aircraft out of the sky with a fairly close hit, while the 6 m trigger radius means that one can be much more lenient with aiming. However, the proximity fuse requires 500 m of arming distance and within this distance it acts only like a powerful HE round.
  
−
{| class="wikitable sortable"
+
{{:{{PAGENAME}}/Ammunition|BR-281SP, Type 59 HE, Type 59 APCBC, DKY-1}}
−
! colspan="7" |Penetration statistics
 
−
|-
 
−
! rowspan="2" |Belt
 
−
! colspan="6" |Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
 
−
|-
 
−
!10 m
 
−
!100 m
 
−
!500 m
 
−
!1,000 m
 
−
!1,500 m
 
−
!2,000 m
 
−
|-
 
−
|Default
 
−
|151
 
−
|147
 
−
|132
 
−
|114
 
−
|100
 
−
|87
 
−
|-
 
−
|BR-281
 
−
|151
 
−
|147
 
−
|132
 
−
|114
 
−
|100
 
−
|87
 
−
|-
 
−
|OR-281U
 
−
|5
 
−
|5
 
−
|5
 
−
|5
 
−
|5
 
−
|5
 
−
|-
 
−
|BR-281U
 
−
|151
 
−
|147
 
−
|132
 
−
|114
 
−
|100
 
−
|87
 
−
|-
 
−
|DKY-1
 
−
|8
 
−
|8
 
−
|8
 
−
|8
 
−
|8
 
−
|8
 
−
|}
 
  
 
=== Comparison with analogues ===
 
=== Comparison with analogues ===
−
[[S-68 (57 mm)|S-68]]: its Soviet mirrored self; sharing most of the performance while his Chinese cousin has DKY-1 HE-VT shell at its disposal, making S-68 worse at anti-aircraft operations; but the turret traverse speed is slower than S-68 so the reaction time for WA318 will be longer.  
+
<!-- ''Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.'' -->
 +
* [[S-68 (57 mm)|S-68]]: Soviet counterpart of the WA318, it shares most of the same performance. However, it lacks the HE-VT shell found on the Chinese cannon, making the S-68 comparatively worse at anti-aircraft operations.
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
−
Indeed, both WA318 and S-68 share most of the performance: sufficient rate of fire to annihilate lightly-armored targets or those who showed their sides, BR-281APHE also has the required explosive mass to make sure a confirmed kill to enemies; while the sheer explosive content of its HE shells is enough to blow up aircrafts with ease if they land on the target. But keep in mind that WA318 has a worse traverse speed than its Soviet cousin, so plan ahead and turn your gun before engaging.
+
<!-- ''Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.'' -->
 +
Both the WA318 and S-68 share most of the same performance: sufficient rate of fire to annihilate lightly-armoured targets or those who showed their sides, BR-281 APCBC also has the required explosive mass to ensure a confirmed kill to penetrated enemies; while the sheer explosive content of its HE shells is enough to blow up aircraft with ease if they land on the target.
  
−
But there's one trait that makes WA318 (and its weapon platform, WZ305) stand out among all his analogues at similar tier- DKY-1 HE-VT; thanks to its straight ballistic and 2 shells per salvo, any aircrafts that are 500m away (safety) and within 6 m radius of either shell will meet their miserable end very quickly. This also applies to helicopters at even 5 km away, as long as it triggers the built-in radio in the projectile, it can sometimes earn a long shot kill, literary.
+
There is one trait that makes the WA318 (and its weapon platform, WZ305) stand out among all the analogues at similar rank - DKY-1 HE-VT. Thanks to its straight ballistics and 2 shells per salvo, any aircraft that are 500 m away (to allow the fuse to arm) and within 6 m radius of either shell will meet their miserable end very quickly. This also applies to helicopters at even 5 km away, as long as it triggers the built-in radio fuse in the projectile, it can sometimes earn a long shot kill, literally.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 +
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.'' -->
 +
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
−
* High penetration APHE round  
+
* High penetration APHE round
−
* High rate of fire (2 seconds per reload when aced)
 
 
* Access to HE-VT shell
 
* Access to HE-VT shell
 
* Long range even at higher tiers (up to 5 km)
 
* Long range even at higher tiers (up to 5 km)
−
 
−
*
 
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
−
* Huge, making concealment a major problem
+
* Low rate of fire compared to typical smaller-calibre anti-aircraft autocannons
−
* Slower traverse speed than its Soviet cousin
+
* HE or HMG fire can disable the gun with ease
−
* Only has protection for up to rifle caliber ammunitions; HE or HMG can disable the gun with ease
 
−
 
 
−
*
 
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
In 1955, Mainland China purchased 64 S-60 AA gun from Soviet Union and these were equipped to some anti-aircraft battalion of PLAGF, this gun was then licensed as Type 59 57 mm anti-aircraft gun, but it would be in commission almost 5 years later in 1965. With variants of tow guns and shipborne guns; while the overall anti-aircraft capability was unknown, its twin-barrel naval variant did exceptionally well during conflicts with Nationalist forces and South Vietnamese Navy, where the rate of fire shone over the caliber advantage of South Vietnamese destroyer escorts.
+
<!-- ''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon 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 weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-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>.'' -->
 +
In 1955, Mainland China purchased 64 S-60 AA guns from the Soviet Union and these were equipped to some anti-aircraft battalions of PLAGF, this gun was then licensed as Type 59 57 mm anti-aircraft gun, but it would be in commission almost 5 years later in 1965, along with variants of towed and shipborne guns. While the overall anti-aircraft capability was unknown, the twin-barrel naval variant did exceptionally well during conflicts with Nationalist forces and the South Vietnamese Navy, where the rate of fire shone over the calibre advantage of South Vietnamese destroyer escorts.
  
−
Later in 1980s, as Chinese acquired some [[ZSU-57-2]] from Iraq, they decided to reverse-engineer it with a WZ321 (the chassis of [[PTZ89]]), then on a Type 69-II chassis; later known as its industrial code WZ305 (or PGZ80, if it was ever put into commission) with VT shell available. But due to the already outdated technology of a twin 57 mm gun against supersonic jets or even later long-range weapons, this project was dropped eventually.
+
Later in the 1980s, as the Chinese acquired some [[ZSU-57-2]]s from Iraq, they decided to reverse-engineer it with a WZ321 (the chassis of [[PTZ89]]), then on a Type 69-II chassis; later known as its industrial code WZ305 (or PGZ80, if it had ever been put into commission) with VT shells available. But due to the already outdated technology of a twin 57 mm gun against supersonic jets or even later long-range weapons, this project was dropped eventually.
  
 
While the twin-barrel WA318 bit the dust, its single-barrel base model is still kept with some quantities in second-line PLAGF anti-aircraft troops or militia.
 
While the twin-barrel WA318 bit the dust, its single-barrel base model is still kept with some quantities in second-line PLAGF anti-aircraft troops or militia.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article would be a video guide, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
Line 120: Line 70:
  
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
−
* ''encyclopedia page on the weapon;''
 
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
  

Latest revision as of 18:25, 7 March 2023

Description

The WA318, based on the Type 59 (PG59) 57 mm anti-aircraft cannon (59式57毫米高射炮) is the twin-barrel version of the PG59, sharing many similarities to its Soviet equivalent S-68 (AZP S-60).

Resulting from the attempt to build a Chinese version of the ZSU-57-2, the WA318 retains all the traits of S-68 with devastating firepower when facing lightly-armoured targets or low-flying aircraft, as well as a unique domestic VT shell which vastly boosts its capability to keep the skies clear.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

General info

The base gun, Type 59 (PG59) is a licensed copy of AZP S-60 (S-68 for twin-barrel version), both guns share the very same ballistic characteristics and dimensions.

Available ammunition

  • Default: HE* · APCBC - The stock belt. Only half of the clip will be useful against tanks or planes at any one time, but with the same comprising shells as the unlockable belts, it can still serve as a versatile option until more specialised choices become available.
  • BR-281SP: APCBC - For use against ground vehicles. With around 150 mm of penetration at point blank, this belt can go through side armour and take out lightly armoured targets. Actual MBTs can typically resist it from the front.
  • Type 59 HE: HE* - For use against planes. One or two hits usually get the job done. However, heavy armoured attackers and bombers may require several hits.
  • Type 59 APCBC: APCBC - For use against ground vehicles. While the shells have the same penetration values as the BR-281SP belt, they also contain a small amount of explosive filler, making their use slightly more efficient against ground vehicles.
  • DKY-1: HE-VT* - For use against planes. The huge explosive mass will blow most aircraft out of the sky with a fairly close hit, while the 6 m trigger radius means that one can be much more lenient with aiming. However, the proximity fuse requires 500 m of arming distance and within this distance it acts only like a powerful HE round.

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-281SP APCBC 151 147 132 114 100 87
Type 59 HE HE* 17 17 15 13 11 10
Type 59 APCBC APCBC 151 147 132 114 100 87
DKY-1 HE-VT* 17 17 15 13 11 10
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%
BR-281SP APCBC 1,000 2.8 - - - 48° 63° 71°
Type 59 HE HE* 1,000 2.8 0.4 0.1 244.86 79° 80° 81°
Type 59 APCBC APCBC 1,000 2.8 1.2 9 20.02 48° 63° 71°
Proximity-fused shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Arming
distance (m) 		Trigger
radius (m) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
DKY-1 HE-VT* 1,012 2.8 0.2 0.1 200 6 446.6 79° 80° 81°

Comparison with analogues

  • S-68: Soviet counterpart of the WA318, it shares most of the same performance. However, it lacks the HE-VT shell found on the Chinese cannon, making the S-68 comparatively worse at anti-aircraft operations.

Usage in battles

Both the WA318 and S-68 share most of the same performance: sufficient rate of fire to annihilate lightly-armoured targets or those who showed their sides, BR-281 APCBC also has the required explosive mass to ensure a confirmed kill to penetrated enemies; while the sheer explosive content of its HE shells is enough to blow up aircraft with ease if they land on the target.

There is one trait that makes the WA318 (and its weapon platform, WZ305) stand out among all the analogues at similar rank - DKY-1 HE-VT. Thanks to its straight ballistics and 2 shells per salvo, any aircraft that are 500 m away (to allow the fuse to arm) and within 6 m radius of either shell will meet their miserable end very quickly. This also applies to helicopters at even 5 km away, as long as it triggers the built-in radio fuse in the projectile, it can sometimes earn a long shot kill, literally.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • High penetration APHE round
  • Access to HE-VT shell
  • Long range even at higher tiers (up to 5 km)

Cons:

  • Low rate of fire compared to typical smaller-calibre anti-aircraft autocannons
  • HE or HMG fire can disable the gun with ease

History

In 1955, Mainland China purchased 64 S-60 AA guns from the Soviet Union and these were equipped to some anti-aircraft battalions of PLAGF, this gun was then licensed as Type 59 57 mm anti-aircraft gun, but it would be in commission almost 5 years later in 1965, along with variants of towed and shipborne guns. While the overall anti-aircraft capability was unknown, the twin-barrel naval variant did exceptionally well during conflicts with Nationalist forces and the South Vietnamese Navy, where the rate of fire shone over the calibre advantage of South Vietnamese destroyer escorts.

Later in the 1980s, as the Chinese acquired some ZSU-57-2s from Iraq, they decided to reverse-engineer it with a WZ321 (the chassis of PTZ89), then on a Type 69-II chassis; later known as its industrial code WZ305 (or PGZ80, if it had ever been put into commission) with VT shells available. But due to the already outdated technology of a twin 57 mm gun against supersonic jets or even later long-range weapons, this project was dropped eventually.

While the twin-barrel WA318 bit the dust, its single-barrel base model is still kept with some quantities in second-line PLAGF anti-aircraft troops or militia.

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 article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;
  • references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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


China anti-aircraft guns
25 mm  PG87 · ZPT90
35 mm  PG99-35-2
37 mm  Type 65
57 mm  WA318
  Foreign:
12.7 mm  M2HB (USA)
20 mm  KwK30 (Germany)
40 mm  Dual Automatic Gun M2 (USA)

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