Difference between revisions of "TO-55"
(New Description Project - USSR Priority: TO-55) (Tag: Visual edit) |
(More detailed differences, advantages over the T-54 series and flamethrower usage) (Tag: Visual edit) |
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| + | {{About | ||
| + | | about = premium Soviet medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}''' | ||
| + | | usage = other versions | ||
| + | | link = T-54/55 (Family) | ||
| + | }} | ||
{{Specs-Card | {{Specs-Card | ||
|code=ussr_to_55 | |code=ussr_to_55 | ||
| Line 6: | Line 11: | ||
== Description == | == Description == | ||
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should 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 a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> | <!-- ''In the description, the first part should 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 a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> | ||
| − | The '''TO-55''' | + | The '''TO-55''' was a modification of the [[T-55A|T-55]] fitted with a flamethrower, intended to assist infantry in pushing against enemy defensive positions during battle, while allowing for increased survivability of such a weapon system when compared to flamethrowers carried by infantry. The original tank turret was modified by incorporating an ATO-200 flamethrower coaxial with the main armament. The standard ammunition stowage in the bow next to the driver was modified to accommodate a flammable liquid tank with a capacity of 460 litres. The flamethrower was aimed by rotating the entire turret, and ignited by pyrotechnic charges. Instead of being manually controlled, the rate of fuel consumption was standard, averaging 36 litres per burst of flame. The flamethrower had a maximum effective range of about 200 metres and an initial muzzle velocity of about 100 meters per second. |
| + | |||
| + | Introduced in [[Update "Sons of Attila"]], the TO-55 resembles the standard T-55 variant in appearance, but its coaxial armament has been replaced by a flame projector. The flamethrower, while appealing, has a very limited range and is only useful for open/lightly armoured vehicles, making it a very situational armament. However, being built on the basis of the T-55, the TO-55 is a tried-and-true platform with dependable armour and adequate firepower, and can still shine in the right hands with good tactics and careful planning. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The TO-55 is much like the [[T-54 (1951)]] and [[T-55A]] sharing the same ammo. However, it is basically a better T-54 whilst being at the same BR. It can be considered as a direct upgrade, since the TO-55 is really just the T-55A with T-54 (1951) ammo. This brings some advantages compared to the T-54, for example, the T-55 series carries the D-10T2S compared to the T-54's D-10T. The biggest difference is that is has a two-plane stabilizer, giving it a good advantage when shooting on the move. It also has ESS capabilities and the 3D3 smoke shell, allowing it to confuse enemies or create a smokescreen. Another advantage it has is the V-55V diesel engine, which has more horsepower over the T-54's V-54 engine. The last difference is the addition of a NVD. | ||
| − | + | The only advantage the T-54 has over the TO-55 is a higher ammo capacity (34 > 25) and a larger ready rack (20 > 7) so keep in mind. However, with the potent D-10T2S cannon, ammo should not be too much of an issue. The flamethrower also replaces the PKT machine gun, but it is barely an issue. | |
| + | [[File:TO-55 Frontal View.png|thumb|The front of the TO-55. Note the flamethrower module on the left side, which looks like a circle.]] | ||
== General info == | == General info == | ||
| Line 120: | Line 130: | ||
== Usage in battles == | == Usage in 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 instead 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 instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' --> | ||
| − | ' | + | The TO-55 is basically a better version of the T-54 (1951) by having a stabilizer, smoke screen options. So, it is generally best to use it [[T-54 (1951)|as described in the tank's page.]] The added 3D3 smoke shell can prove useful in situations where repositioning or stealth is required. |
| + | |||
| + | The main highlight of the TO-55 is the flamethrower. With 800 units of incendiary mixture/napalm, the TO-55's flamethrower can coat an entire area in flames. It has a maximum range of about '''≈''' 200-225 meters. It is a very situational but deadly weapon, depending on the enemy's armor. It is similar to the [[Churchill Crocodile]] but is coaxially mounted instead of having a dedicated flamethrower port | ||
| + | |||
| + | Against vehicles with any semblance of all around armor, (even 3mm thick), the flamethrower will not do anything at all except coat the tank in fire. It could prove useful against an enemy by blinding them with the flamethrower, but is otherwise useless. However, it will absolutely shred open-topped vehicles to a crisp. Even one unit of incendiary mixture against an open top will set it on fire and destroy it in less than 10 seconds. The incendiary mixture also damages crew on a direct hit, and when the TO-55 can spit around 15 incendiary mixtures per second, it is practically impossible for an open top to survive the flamethrower. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Common open topped enemies such as exported [[ZSU-57-2 (Family)|ZSU-57-2]]<nowiki/>s, the [[M113A1 (TOW)]], [[M163]], [[M56]] aswell as other occasional lower tier open tops are basically signing their death sentence once they are within close range to you. The flamethrower, when fully elevated, can arc over hills and obstacles and hit enemies behind cover, almost literally "raining fire". The most common enemy that you will probably fight is the ZSU-57-2. It is very deadly on a flank and must be dealt with before it can unleash havoc. However, if you are aware of one's presence, you can spray the flamethrower on the ground, walls or even above. This will likely trap the enemy or just burn them down to a crisp entirely. | ||
| + | |||
| + | In general, treat the TO-55 as a T-54 (1951) with the capability to shoot on the move and cause total area denial against open tops. | ||
=== 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 a 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 a 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:''' | ||
| − | * | + | * Wonderful APHECBC shell; one-shots enemies while flanking |
| + | * Has a stabilizer which helps you aim the gun faster and on the move. Good for corner peeking | ||
| + | * Various smoke options, with ESS that can be used when retreating and smoke shells to capture points in the open | ||
| + | * Better engine power than the basic T-54s | ||
| + | * Flamethrower can blind enemies in close combat | ||
| + | * Flamethrower is extremely lethal against open-tops | ||
| + | |||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
| − | * | + | * Low main gun ammo storage and ready rack compared to other T-54/T-55s |
| + | * First stage ammo rack gets moved to the turret, thus most of the time there will be ammo in the turret which increases the chance to be destroyed when hit even when you're hull down. | ||
| + | * APHECBC have hard time penetrating other MBTs from the front, requiring targeting of weak points. | ||
| + | * Subpar turret rotation | ||
| + | * Slightly weaker ammo compared to some Western tanks | ||
| + | * Low gun depression | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
| Line 142: | Line 170: | ||
== 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.'' --> | ||
| − | + | ||
| + | ;Skins | ||
| + | |||
| + | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_to_55 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.] | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
| Line 148: | Line 179: | ||
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;'' | * ''reference to the series of the vehicles;'' | ||
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' --> | * ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' --> | ||
| − | |||
| − | + | ;Related development | |
| − | * | + | |
| + | * [[T-54/55 (Family)]] | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
| Line 157: | Line 188: | ||
* ''topic on the official game forum;'' | * ''topic on the official game forum;'' | ||
* ''other literature.'' --> | * ''other literature.'' --> | ||
| − | |||
| − | * | + | * [[wt:en/news/8418-development-to-55-the-scorched-land-en|[Devblog] TO-55: the Scorched Land]] |
| − | |||
{{USSR medium tanks}} | {{USSR medium tanks}} | ||
{{USSR premium ground vehicles}} | {{USSR premium ground vehicles}} | ||
Latest revision as of 01:00, 11 August 2024
| This page is about the premium Soviet medium tank TO-55. For other versions, see T-54/55 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The TO-55 was a modification of the T-55 fitted with a flamethrower, intended to assist infantry in pushing against enemy defensive positions during battle, while allowing for increased survivability of such a weapon system when compared to flamethrowers carried by infantry. The original tank turret was modified by incorporating an ATO-200 flamethrower coaxial with the main armament. The standard ammunition stowage in the bow next to the driver was modified to accommodate a flammable liquid tank with a capacity of 460 litres. The flamethrower was aimed by rotating the entire turret, and ignited by pyrotechnic charges. Instead of being manually controlled, the rate of fuel consumption was standard, averaging 36 litres per burst of flame. The flamethrower had a maximum effective range of about 200 metres and an initial muzzle velocity of about 100 meters per second.
Introduced in Update "Sons of Attila", the TO-55 resembles the standard T-55 variant in appearance, but its coaxial armament has been replaced by a flame projector. The flamethrower, while appealing, has a very limited range and is only useful for open/lightly armoured vehicles, making it a very situational armament. However, being built on the basis of the T-55, the TO-55 is a tried-and-true platform with dependable armour and adequate firepower, and can still shine in the right hands with good tactics and careful planning.
The TO-55 is much like the T-54 (1951) and T-55A sharing the same ammo. However, it is basically a better T-54 whilst being at the same BR. It can be considered as a direct upgrade, since the TO-55 is really just the T-55A with T-54 (1951) ammo. This brings some advantages compared to the T-54, for example, the T-55 series carries the D-10T2S compared to the T-54's D-10T. The biggest difference is that is has a two-plane stabilizer, giving it a good advantage when shooting on the move. It also has ESS capabilities and the 3D3 smoke shell, allowing it to confuse enemies or create a smokescreen. Another advantage it has is the V-55V diesel engine, which has more horsepower over the T-54's V-54 engine. The last difference is the addition of a NVD.
The only advantage the T-54 has over the TO-55 is a higher ammo capacity (34 > 25) and a larger ready rack (20 > 7) so keep in mind. However, with the potent D-10T2S cannon, ammo should not be too much of an issue. The flamethrower also replaces the PKT machine gun, but it is barely an issue.
General info
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 helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.
Armour type:
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | ___ mm | ___ mm Top ___ mm Bottom |
___ mm | ___ - ___ mm |
| Turret | ___ - ___ mm Turret front ___ mm Gun mantlet |
___ - ___ mm | ___ - ___ mm | ___ - ___ mm |
| Cupola | ___ mm | ___ mm | ___ mm | ___ mm |
Notes:
Mobility
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 56 | 9 | 36 | 899 | 1,107 | 24.97 | 30.75 |
| Realistic | 51 | 8 | 513 | 580 | 14.25 | 16.11 | |
Modifications and economy
2 × 130 / 200 / 240 % 2 × 202 / 202 / 202 % | Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
Main armament
| 100 mm D-10T2S | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 25 | -5°/+18° | ±180° | Two-plane | 14.3 | 19.8 | 24.0 | 26.5 | 28.2 | 9.75 | 8.63 | 7.95 | 7.50 |
| Realistic | 8.9 | 10.5 | 12.8 | 14.1 | 15.0 | ||||||||
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 | ||
| BR-412D | APCBC | 239 | 236 | 220 | 202 | 185 | 170 |
| OF-412 | HE | 27 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 21 |
| 3BM-8 | APDS | 336 | 332 | 317 | 299 | 282 | 265 |
| 3BK-5 | HEATFS | 380 | 380 | 380 | 380 | 380 | 380 |
| 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-412D | APCBC | 887 | 15.88 | 1.2 | 19 | 100.1 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
| OF-412 | HE | 900 | 15.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1,460 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| 3BM-8 | APDS | 1,415 | 4.13 | - | - | - | 75° | 78° | 80° | |||
| 3BK-5 | HEATFS | 900 | 12.38 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 1,240 | 65° | 72° | 77° | |||
| Smoke shell characteristics | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Screen radius (m) |
Screen deploy time (s) |
Screen hold time (s) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
| 3D3 | 880 | 15.6 | 16 | 5 | 25 | 50 |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ |
Additional armament
| Flamethrower | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity (Belt) | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer |
| 800 (800) | -3°/+16° | - | - |
Machine guns
| 12.7 mm DShK | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Pintle | 300 (50) | 600 | -10°/+60° | ±180° |
Usage in battles
The TO-55 is basically a better version of the T-54 (1951) by having a stabilizer, smoke screen options. So, it is generally best to use it as described in the tank's page. The added 3D3 smoke shell can prove useful in situations where repositioning or stealth is required.
The main highlight of the TO-55 is the flamethrower. With 800 units of incendiary mixture/napalm, the TO-55's flamethrower can coat an entire area in flames. It has a maximum range of about ≈ 200-225 meters. It is a very situational but deadly weapon, depending on the enemy's armor. It is similar to the Churchill Crocodile but is coaxially mounted instead of having a dedicated flamethrower port
Against vehicles with any semblance of all around armor, (even 3mm thick), the flamethrower will not do anything at all except coat the tank in fire. It could prove useful against an enemy by blinding them with the flamethrower, but is otherwise useless. However, it will absolutely shred open-topped vehicles to a crisp. Even one unit of incendiary mixture against an open top will set it on fire and destroy it in less than 10 seconds. The incendiary mixture also damages crew on a direct hit, and when the TO-55 can spit around 15 incendiary mixtures per second, it is practically impossible for an open top to survive the flamethrower.
Common open topped enemies such as exported ZSU-57-2s, the M113A1 (TOW), M163, M56 aswell as other occasional lower tier open tops are basically signing their death sentence once they are within close range to you. The flamethrower, when fully elevated, can arc over hills and obstacles and hit enemies behind cover, almost literally "raining fire". The most common enemy that you will probably fight is the ZSU-57-2. It is very deadly on a flank and must be dealt with before it can unleash havoc. However, if you are aware of one's presence, you can spray the flamethrower on the ground, walls or even above. This will likely trap the enemy or just burn them down to a crisp entirely.
In general, treat the TO-55 as a T-54 (1951) with the capability to shoot on the move and cause total area denial against open tops.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Wonderful APHECBC shell; one-shots enemies while flanking
- Has a stabilizer which helps you aim the gun faster and on the move. Good for corner peeking
- Various smoke options, with ESS that can be used when retreating and smoke shells to capture points in the open
- Better engine power than the basic T-54s
- Flamethrower can blind enemies in close combat
- Flamethrower is extremely lethal against open-tops
Cons:
- Low main gun ammo storage and ready rack compared to other T-54/T-55s
- First stage ammo rack gets moved to the turret, thus most of the time there will be ammo in the turret which increases the chance to be destroyed when hit even when you're hull down.
- APHECBC have hard time penetrating other MBTs from the front, requiring targeting of weak points.
- Subpar turret rotation
- Slightly weaker ammo compared to some Western tanks
- Low gun depression
History
The predecessor of the Soviet TO-55 was the TO-54 tank, developed on the basis of the T-54 medium tank at the Malyshev Factory. In 1957, a new flamethrower tank was developed on the chassis of the T-55 tank, which used the more advanced ATO-200 flamethrower. TO-55 successfully passed the tests and was put into service in 1960. The tank was mass-produced in Omsk and Kharkov, a total of 830 TO-55 units were produced. The flamethrower tank was in service with the army until 1997.
- From Devblog
Media
- Skins
See also
- Related development
External links
| USSR medium tanks | |
|---|---|
| T-28 | T-28 (1938) · T-28 · T-28E |
| T-34-76 | T-34 (Prototype) · T-34 (1940) · T-34 (1941) · T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-34 (1942) · T-34E STZ · T-34E |
| T-34-57 | T-34-57 · T-34-57 (1943) |
| T-34-85 | T-34-85 (D-5T) · T-34-85 · T-34-85E |
| T-34-100 | T-34-100 |
| T-44 | T-44 · T-44-100 · T-44-122 |
| T-54 | T-54 (1947) · T-54 (1949) · T-54 (1951) |
| T-55 | TO-55 · T-55A · T-55AM-1 · T-55AMD-1 |
| T-62 | T-62 · T-62M-1 |
| T-64 | Object 435 · T-64A (1971) · T-64B |
| T-72 | T-72A · T-72AV (TURMS-T) · T-72B · T-72B (1989) · T-72B3 · T-72M2 Moderna |
| T-80 | T-80B · T-80U · T-80UD · T-80UK · T-80UM2 · Т-80U-Е1 · T-80BVM · Object 292 |
| T-90 | Т-90А · T-90M |
| Trophies/Lend-Lease | |
| Germany | ▂T-III · ▂T-V |
| Great Britain | ▂МК-IX "Valentine" |
| USA | ▂M3 Medium · ▂M4A2 |
| USSR premium ground vehicles | |
|---|---|
| Light tanks | BA-11 · RBT-5 · BT-7A (F-32) · T-26 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-26E · T-126 · PT-76-57 · 2S38 |
| Medium tanks | T-34 (Prototype) · T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-34E · T-34-57 (1943) · T-34-85E · T-34-100 · T-44-122 · TO-55 · T-55AM-1 · T-72AV (TURMS-T) · T-80UD · Т-80U-Е1 |
| ▂M3 Medium · ▂M4A2 · ▂T-III · ▂T-V · ▂МК-IX "Valentine" | |
| Heavy tanks | SMK · T-35 · ▂MK-II "Matilda" · KV-1E · KV-2 (1940) · KV-2 (ZiS-6) · KV-122 · KV-220 · IS-2 "Revenge" · Object 248 · IS-6 · T-10A |
| Tank destroyers | BM-8-24 · BM-13N · BM-31-12 |
| SU-57 · SU-76D · SU-76M (5th Gv.Kav.Corps) · SU-85A · SU-100Y · SU-122P · Object 120 | |
| SPAA | ▂Phòng không T-34 · ZUT-37 |
