Difference between revisions of "Le Malin"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 
<!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' -->
 
<!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' -->
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} French destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "La Royale"]].
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'''Le Malin''' was the first of the [[Le Fantasque (Family)|Le Fantasque destroyers]] to be launched off slipway in 1933. With the beginning of World War Two, she was delegated to hunting down German commerce raiders in the central Atlantic. Following the fall of France, she avoided British attack on Mers-el-Kébir, and escorted surviving French ships to the mainland, fighting for Vichy France. In 1942, she underwent refit in Casablanca until the port was attacked by the US Navy. A near-miss from the battleship USS Massachusetts blew a hole in the hull of the vessel, killing 7 crewmen, disabling one of the boilers, and causing a significant list to the port. The vessel was captured by Americans and passed on to the Free French, but due to the lack of facilities she received only temporary repairs and was rebased to Boston, where she received repairs and refit (as modelled in-game). In service of the Free French, she participated in the Battle of Ist and numerous minor duties across the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Post-war, she served as an escort vessel for French carriers, later being delegated to the role of a stationary training vessel and eventually a floating jetty before being stricken off in 1964.
 +
 
 +
Le Malin was introduced in [[Update "La Royale"]] and, typically for French destroyers, she features a combination of excellent speed with great firepower. However, her main guns suffer from being unable to rotate fast enough to keep up with the turn rate of the vessel, having horizontal targeting speed slower than most heavy cruisers. She's best used as a somewhat limited destroyer - to deal with enemy vessels (including light cruisers), and capture the points, preferably always keeping the enemies on one side of the vessel to ensure they remain within firing angles for as long as possible.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
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{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
 
<!-- ''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.'' -->
''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.''
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The vehicle's survivability is mediocre at best. While the vehicle has a fairly sized crew and lots of empty space to absorb shells, it also has a huge silhouette which makes it easy to get hit. Additionally, the large unarmoured bridge can be taken out with ease, which can negate one of your most powerful advantages- your potent mobility. This can be especially crippling as your turret traverse is extremely poor, which means if you get stuck in a turn with your bridge destroyed, you are highly unlikely to be able to return fire to the enemy.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}
 
<!-- ''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.'' -->
''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.''
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The ship has good manoeuvrability. It is exceptionally fast in a straight line and it is quite agile, with a reasonable rudder shift speed and turn rate. Compared to [[Tashkent]], which has nearly identical maximum speed, it has a ~20% smaller turn radius, making it much easier to avoid torpedoes or throw enemy aim off. Its reverse speed is average, although it does take quite a while to stop from full speed.
  
{{NavalMobility}}
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{{NavalMobility
 +
|SpeedForwardStockAB = 70
 +
|SpeedBackStockAB = 23
 +
|TurnTimeStockAB = 122.55
 +
|TurnSpeedStockAB = 49
 +
}}
  
 
=== Modifications and economy ===
 
=== Modifications and economy ===
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{{main|138.6 mm/50 model 1929 (138.6 mm)}}
 
{{main|138.6 mm/50 model 1929 (138.6 mm)}}
  
''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.''
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The main guns of this ship are generally very potent, but in a few situations they can be near useless. They have a fast reload and high-yield SAP which will deal plenty of damage and will overpenetrate less than pure AP or APCBC rounds. However, they have limited capability against larger ships with more armour, because they have very little penetration. The guns also have a slow traverse rate, which can make getting guns on target quite difficult, especially when a target is moving.
  
 
{{:138.6 mm/50 model 1929 (138.6 mm)/Ammunition|138.6 mm OEA Mle 1928, 138.6 mm OPFA Mle 1924}}
 
{{:138.6 mm/50 model 1929 (138.6 mm)/Ammunition|138.6 mm OEA Mle 1928, 138.6 mm OPFA Mle 1924}}
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{{main|Bofors L/60 Mark 2 (40 mm)}}
 
{{main|Bofors L/60 Mark 2 (40 mm)}}
  
''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.''
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The 40 mm Bofors guns are powerful against small coastal vessels, and using AP clips gives them increased potency against more armoured vessels. They can be used with some success against early destroyers, although this should be a last-ditch effort, in case the main armament is unable to fire for some reason.
  
 
* '''Universal:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
 
* '''Universal:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
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{{main|20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II (20 mm)}}
 
{{main|20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II (20 mm)}}
  
''An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select anti-aircraft weapons</code>. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.''
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The AA suite of this vessel is quite powerful. It consists of the ubiquitous 40 mm Bofors and the 20 mm Oerlikon guns. The fast-rotation rate of the Oerlikons provides a useful close-defence against small torpedo boats, which is a real weakness of the ship at close range because of the slow rotation speed of the main batteries. The AA is very effective against all sizes of planes, being able to produce a large screen of lead that will take down even the most manoeuvrable fighters at quite impressive ranges.
  
 
=== Additional armament ===
 
=== Additional armament ===
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{{main|Model 1923DT (550 mm)|Y-gun Mk.VII depth charge}}
 
{{main|Model 1923DT (550 mm)|Y-gun Mk.VII depth charge}}
  
''Describe the available additional armaments of the ship: depth charges, mines, torpedoes. Talk about their positions, available ammunition and launch features such as dead zones of torpedoes. If there is no additional armament, remove this section.''
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The ship has a triple torpedo tube on either side of the superstructure amidships near the funnels. These torpedoes are often of limited use as they are quite slow, but can be useful in a pinch at close range or against larger ships which the high-yield SAP of the main armament will struggle to penetrate. The location of these tubes can be somewhat annoying, as unlike on other ships, each set of tubes can only fire to one side. This means only one will be able to bear on a target at a time.
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).''
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Le Malin is best characterised by its excellent firepower and speed, at the expense of a lack of flexibility, due to the slow turret traverse. This makes it difficult to switch between targets when manoeuvring, and especially tricky to deal with any surprises or when moving between islands (such as is common on Palau islands or some portions of South Kvarken). This makes it necessary to get used to switching manual control to the secondary or even anti-air guns in order to deal with enemy Motor Torpedo Boats and other coastal vessels, or even to quickly disable enemy primary guns.
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That said, when Le Malin has an opportunity to dictate the encounter it will outgun most of the enemy destroyers, often being able to one-shot aft magazines with the large explosive filler of the guns.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''
 
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
*
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 +
* Fast
 +
* Average agility
 +
* Excellent firepower
 +
* SAP has plenty of explosive filler
 +
* Potent AA armament
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* Fast reloading main guns
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
*
+
 
 +
* Large profile
 +
* Unarmoured
 +
* SAP shells have very little pen- will struggle to deal with more armoured vessels
 +
* Very slow turret traverse
 +
* Somewhat awkward position of torpedo tubes
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship 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 ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-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>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship 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 ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-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>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship 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 ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-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>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''
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The ''Le Malin'' was a member of the ''Le Fantasque'' class of ''contre-torpilleurs'' that were built in the 1930s. The ''Le Malin'' herself entered service in 1935. The class was built to counter the [[Condottieri-class]] light cruisers of the Italian Navy. The ships were extremely fast (''Le Terrible'' set a new speed record for a conventionally hulled boat of 45 knots during her trials) and had a powerful armament of five [[138.6 mm/50 model 1929 (138.6 mm)]] guns in single mounts. They had a range of 2,900 miles at 15 knots. The ship was a member of the ''Force de Raid'' at the start of WW2, and engaged German units in Norway in April 1940. She escorted convoys evacuating personnel from France to French North Africa, and stayed with Vichy France after the French surrender.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
 
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
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;Skins
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_destroyer_le_fantasque_class_le_malin Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
 
''Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 
''Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 +
 
* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
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* [[wt:en/news/8232-development-le-malin-the-malign-destroyer-en|[Devblog] Le Malin: the malign destroyer]]
 
* [[wt:en/news/8232-development-le-malin-the-malign-destroyer-en|[Devblog] Le Malin: the malign destroyer]]
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* [[Wikipedia:French destroyer Le Malin|[Wikipedia] French destroyer Le Malin]]
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* [https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/6048.html <nowiki>[uboat.net]</nowiki> FR Le Malin]
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* [https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?283930 <nowiki>[Wrecks-Site]</nowiki> Le Malin (1956~1964) Le Malin (Q359)]
  
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{{Manufacturer FCM}}
 
{{France destroyers}}
 
{{France destroyers}}

Latest revision as of 10:02, 20 April 2024

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
fr_destroyer_le_fantasque_class_le_malin.png
GarageImage Le Malin.jpg
Le Malin
AB RB SB
4.7 4.7 4.7
Class:
Research:18 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:47 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

Le Malin was the first of the Le Fantasque destroyers to be launched off slipway in 1933. With the beginning of World War Two, she was delegated to hunting down German commerce raiders in the central Atlantic. Following the fall of France, she avoided British attack on Mers-el-Kébir, and escorted surviving French ships to the mainland, fighting for Vichy France. In 1942, she underwent refit in Casablanca until the port was attacked by the US Navy. A near-miss from the battleship USS Massachusetts blew a hole in the hull of the vessel, killing 7 crewmen, disabling one of the boilers, and causing a significant list to the port. The vessel was captured by Americans and passed on to the Free French, but due to the lack of facilities she received only temporary repairs and was rebased to Boston, where she received repairs and refit (as modelled in-game). In service of the Free French, she participated in the Battle of Ist and numerous minor duties across the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Post-war, she served as an escort vessel for French carriers, later being delegated to the role of a stationary training vessel and eventually a floating jetty before being stricken off in 1964.

Le Malin was introduced in Update "La Royale" and, typically for French destroyers, she features a combination of excellent speed with great firepower. However, her main guns suffer from being unable to rotate fast enough to keep up with the turn rate of the vessel, having horizontal targeting speed slower than most heavy cruisers. She's best used as a somewhat limited destroyer - to deal with enemy vessels (including light cruisers), and capture the points, preferably always keeping the enemies on one side of the vessel to ensure they remain within firing angles for as long as possible.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Main fire tower5 / 5 / 0 mm
Hull16 mm (steel)
Superstructure4 mm (steel)
Number of section7
Displacement3 380 t
Crew265 people

The vehicle's survivability is mediocre at best. While the vehicle has a fairly sized crew and lots of empty space to absorb shells, it also has a huge silhouette which makes it easy to get hit. Additionally, the large unarmoured bridge can be taken out with ease, which can negate one of your most powerful advantages- your potent mobility. This can be especially crippling as your turret traverse is extremely poor, which means if you get stuck in a turn with your bridge destroyed, you are highly unlikely to be able to return fire to the enemy.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB96 / 31 km/h
RB78 / 25 km/h

The ship has good manoeuvrability. It is exceptionally fast in a straight line and it is quite agile, with a reasonable rudder shift speed and turn rate. Compared to Tashkent, which has nearly identical maximum speed, it has a ~20% smaller turn radius, making it much easier to avoid torpedoes or throw enemy aim off. Its reverse speed is average, although it does take quite a while to stop from full speed.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode Upgrade Status Maximum Speed (km/h) Turn Time (s) Turn Radius (m)
Forward Reverse
AB Stock 70 23 ~122.55 ~265.48
Upgraded 96 31 ___ ___
RB/SB Stock ___ ___ ___ ___
Upgraded 78 25 ___ ___

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB2 117 → 2 756 Sl icon.png
RB3 307 → 4 305 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications19 850 Rp icon.png
32 500 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost980 Ge icon.png
Crew training13 000 Sl icon.png
Experts47 000 Sl icon.png
Aces400 Ge icon.png
Research Aces280 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
190 / 460 / 100 % Sl icon.png
136 / 136 / 136 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
Mods new ship hull.png
Dry-Docking
Research:
790 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship rudder.png
Rudder Replacement
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship screw.png
Propeller Replacement
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship engine.png
Engine Maintenance
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods ship damage control crew.png
Damage Control Division
Research:
790 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods ship fire control crew.png
Fire Division
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
Smokescreen
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods ship venting.png
Ventilation
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods ship anti fragmentation protection.png
Shrapnel Protection
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship pumps.png
New Pumps
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods ship ammo wetting.png
Ammo Wetting
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
40 mm HE clips
Research:
790 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new aa caliber turrets.png
Anti-Air Armament Targeting
Research:
790 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
138.6 mm SAP
Research:
790 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
40 mm AP clips
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods new aux caliber turrets.png
Auxiliary Armament Targeting
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods ship rangefinder.png
Improved Rangefinder
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods new main caliber turrets.png
Primary Armament Targeting
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods ship mortar.png
Bomb mortar
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods torpedo.png
Torpedo Mode
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png

Armament

Primary armament

5 х Turret138.6 mm/50 model 1929 gun
Ammunition200 rounds
Vertical guidance-10° / 30°

The main guns of this ship are generally very potent, but in a few situations they can be near useless. They have a fast reload and high-yield SAP which will deal plenty of damage and will overpenetrate less than pure AP or APCBC rounds. However, they have limited capability against larger ships with more armour, because they have very little penetration. The guns also have a slow traverse rate, which can make getting guns on target quite difficult, especially when a target is moving.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
1,000 m 2,500 m 5,000 m 7,500 m 10,000 m 15,000 m
OEA Mle 1928 HE 36 36 36 36 36 36
OPFA Mle 1924 SAPBC 77 67 54 43 36 30
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(s)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
OEA Mle 1928 HE 800 40.2 0 0.1 3.41 79° 80° 81°
OPFA Mle 1924 SAPBC 800 39.9 0.05 6 2.53 48° 63° 71°

Secondary armament

Turret4 x 40 mm Bofors L/60 Mark 2 gun
Ammunition8000 rounds
Belt capacity4 rounds
Fire rate156 shots/min
2 х Turret2 x 40 mm Bofors L/60 Mark 2 gun
Ammunition4000 rounds
Belt capacity4 rounds
Fire rate156 shots/min

The 40 mm Bofors guns are powerful against small coastal vessels, and using AP clips gives them increased potency against more armoured vessels. They can be used with some success against early destroyers, although this should be a last-ditch effort, in case the main armament is unable to fire for some reason.

  • Universal: AP-T · HEFI-T
  • 40 mm HE clips: HEFI-T · HEFI-T · HEFI-T · AP-T
  • 40 mm AP clips: AP-T · AP-T · AP-T · HEFI-T

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
HEFI-T 3 3 3 3 3 3
AP-T 81 78 68 58 49 41
Shell details
Ammunition Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
HEFI-T 874 0.9 0 0.1 67.13 79° 80° 81°
AP-T 874 0.89 - - - 47° 60° 65°

Anti-aircraft armament

10 х Turret20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II autocannon
Ammunition1800 rounds
Belt capacity60 rounds
Fire rate450 shots/min

The AA suite of this vessel is quite powerful. It consists of the ubiquitous 40 mm Bofors and the 20 mm Oerlikon guns. The fast-rotation rate of the Oerlikons provides a useful close-defence against small torpedo boats, which is a real weakness of the ship at close range because of the slow rotation speed of the main batteries. The AA is very effective against all sizes of planes, being able to produce a large screen of lead that will take down even the most manoeuvrable fighters at quite impressive ranges.

Additional armament

Setup 16 x 550 mm model 1923DT torpedo
Setup 212 x Y-gun Mk.VII depth charge
Setup 36 x 550 mm model 1923DT torpedo
4 x Y-gun Mk.VII depth charge

The ship has a triple torpedo tube on either side of the superstructure amidships near the funnels. These torpedoes are often of limited use as they are quite slow, but can be useful in a pinch at close range or against larger ships which the high-yield SAP of the main armament will struggle to penetrate. The location of these tubes can be somewhat annoying, as unlike on other ships, each set of tubes can only fire to one side. This means only one will be able to bear on a target at a time.

Usage in battles

Le Malin is best characterised by its excellent firepower and speed, at the expense of a lack of flexibility, due to the slow turret traverse. This makes it difficult to switch between targets when manoeuvring, and especially tricky to deal with any surprises or when moving between islands (such as is common on Palau islands or some portions of South Kvarken). This makes it necessary to get used to switching manual control to the secondary or even anti-air guns in order to deal with enemy Motor Torpedo Boats and other coastal vessels, or even to quickly disable enemy primary guns.

That said, when Le Malin has an opportunity to dictate the encounter it will outgun most of the enemy destroyers, often being able to one-shot aft magazines with the large explosive filler of the guns.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Fast
  • Average agility
  • Excellent firepower
  • SAP has plenty of explosive filler
  • Potent AA armament
  • Fast reloading main guns

Cons:

  • Large profile
  • Unarmoured
  • SAP shells have very little pen- will struggle to deal with more armoured vessels
  • Very slow turret traverse
  • Somewhat awkward position of torpedo tubes

History

The Le Malin was a member of the Le Fantasque class of contre-torpilleurs that were built in the 1930s. The Le Malin herself entered service in 1935. The class was built to counter the Condottieri-class light cruisers of the Italian Navy. The ships were extremely fast (Le Terrible set a new speed record for a conventionally hulled boat of 45 knots during her trials) and had a powerful armament of five 138.6 mm/50 model 1929 (138.6 mm) guns in single mounts. They had a range of 2,900 miles at 15 knots. The ship was a member of the Force de Raid at the start of WW2, and engaged German units in Norway in April 1940. She escorted convoys evacuating personnel from France to French North Africa, and stayed with Vichy France after the French surrender.

Media

Skins

See also

Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the ship;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links


Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée (FCM)
Ships 
Destroyers 
Aigle-class  Vautour
Le Fantasque-class  Le Malin
Battleships 
Courbet-class  Paris
Tanks 
Light tank  FCM.36
Heavy tank  2C · 2C bis

France destroyers
Bourrasque-class  Bourrasque · Tornade
Chacal-class  Chacal · Leopard · Panthere
Aigle-class  Aigle · Vautour · Milan
Vauquelin-class  Vauquelin
Le Fantasque-class  Le Malin · Le Triomphant
Mogador-class  Mogador
Hunt-class  La Combattante
Trophies  Germany
Desaix-class¹  Kleber
Type 1936  Marceau
  Italy
Chateaurenault-class²  Guichen
  Modified: ¹Type 1934A-class destroyers · ²Capitani Romani-class cruisers