Magach 1

This page is about the Israeli medium tank Magach 1. For other versions, see Magach (Family).

Magach 1

M-51

Magach 2

Magach 1

M-51

Magach 2

Israel

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.7	7.7	7.7

Class:

Medium tank

Research:63 000

Purchase:200 000

Show in game

Description

Magach 1 (Hebrew: מגח‎ - "battering ram") was the Israeli designation for American M48A1 Patton III tanks. Israel began receiving M48 tanks from the USA in the 1960s, and at the start of the Six-Day War, it had around 120 operational vehicles of various modifications, some of which were modified directly within Israel. Moreover, during the war, the Jordanian army deployed its M48 tanks west of the Jordan River, violating an agreement made at their purchase. This resulted in several of their Pattons being captured as war trophies by the Israeli Defence Forces and later adopted for their own use. Subsequently, most tanks were upgraded to the Magach 3 version.

Introduced in Update "Wind of Change", the Magach 1 boasts good mobility, armour and a fairly decent 90 mm gun with HEATFS and APCBC rounds. It should stay close behind the more heavily armoured vehicles on the front lines, taking well-aimed shots to either destroy or cripple enemy vehicles. However, the Magach 1 lacks a gun stabiliser, which complicates firing on the move, and its large silhouette is difficult to conceal behind cover.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull110 / 76 / 35

Turret130 / 76 / 51

Crew4 people

Visibility117 %

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (hull roof, engine vents)
• Cast homogeneous armour (hull front, sides, rear, turret, cupola)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	110 mm (52-60°) Upper glacis 100 mm (38-62°) Lower glacis	76 mm (29°) Top - Front 51 mm (26°) Top - Rear 38 mm (63°) Bottom - Front 25 mm (60°) Bottom - Rear	35 mm (32°) Top 25 mm (62°) Bottom	110 mm (40°) Front glacis 57 mm Crew and engine compartments 10 mm Engine vents
Turret	152 mm (23-32°) Turret front 152 (25°) Gun mantlet 70 mm Turret ring	69-100 mm (12-36°)	50-58 mm (35°)	26 mm
Cupola	29.7 mm (spherical)			29.7 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels, tracks, and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 38 mm thick under the crew compartment, and 25 mm thick under the engine compartment.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB51 / 10 km/h

RB and SB46 / 9 km/h

Number of gears6 forward

2 back

Weight44.9 t

Engine power

AB1 545 hp

RB and SB810 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB34.4 hp/t

RB and SB18.0 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	51	10	44.9	1,255	1,545	27.95	34.41
Realistic	46	9		716	810	15.95	18.04

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 359 → 4 400

RB3 800 → 4 978

SB5 390 → 7 060

Total cost of modifications52 600

90 800

Talisman cost1 700

Crew training57 000

Experts200 000

Aces800

Research Aces520 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

120 / 180 / 200 %

172 / 172 / 172 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 2 600 Cost: 4 500 165 Suspension Research: 2 400 Cost: 4 100 150 Brake System Research: 2 400 Cost: 4 100 150 Filters Research: 3 300 Cost: 5 700 210 Transmission Research: 3 400 Cost: 5 900 220 Engine Research: 3 400 Cost: 5 900 220	Improved Parts Research: 2 600 Cost: 4 500 165 Improved FPE Research: 2 400 Cost: 4 100 150 Crew Replenishment Research: 3 300 Cost: 5 700 210	Horizontal Drive Research: 2 600 Cost: 4 500 165 90mm_us_M82_m48_ammo_pack Research: 2 600 Cost: 4 500 165 Adjustment of Fire Research: 2 400 Cost: 4 100 150 90mm_us_T142E3_HESH_ammo_pack Research: 2 400 Cost: 4 100 150 Elevation Mechanism Research: 3 300 Cost: 5 700 210 90mm_us_M431_HEAT_ammo_pack Research: 3 300 Cost: 5 700 210 Artillery Support Research: 3 400 Cost: 5 900 220 90mm_us_M313_Smoke_ammo_pack Research: 3 400 Cost: 5 900 220 Rangefinder Research: 3 400 Cost: 5 900 220

Armaments

Rangefinder

Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder

Main armament

90 mm M41 cannon

Ammunition60 rounds

First-order23 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

8.7 → 6.7 s

Vertical guidance-9° / 19°

90 mm M41					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	60	-9°/+19°	±180°	-	22.8	31.6	38.4	42.5	45.2	8.71	7.70	7.10	6.70
Realistic					14.3	16.8	20.4	22.6	24.0

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
M332 shot	APCR	321	316	292	265	240	218
T142E3	HESH	102	102	102	102	102	102
M82 shot	APCBC	185	182	169	155	142	130
M431 shell	HEATFS	320	320	320	320	320	320
M71 shell	HE	20	20	18	17	16	16

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%
M332 shot	APCR	1,249	5.7	-	-	-	66°	70°	72°
T142E3	HESH	792	10.6	0.1	4	3,050	73°	77°	80°
M82 shot	APCBC	853	10.91	1.2	14	137.2	48°	63°	71°
M431 shell	HEATFS	1,216	5.8	0.05	0.1	712.64	65°	72°	77°
M71 shell	HE	823	10.55	0.2	0.1	1,210	79°	80°	81°

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)
M313	821	10.7	9	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M48A1 (identical).

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
60	53 (+7)	42 (+18)	24 (+36)	17 (+43)	1 (+59)	No

Notes:

• Shells are modeled by sets of 2 and disappear from the rack after you've fired both shells in the set.
• Racks 4 and 5 are first stage ammo racks. They total 23 shells and get filled first when loading up the tank.
  • These rack are also emptied early: the depletion order at full capacity is: 4 - 5 - 1 - 2 - 3.
  • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-3 into rack 5 then 4. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition600 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-9° / 60°

7.62 mm M73 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition6 000 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	600 (200)	575	-9°/+60°	±180°

7.62 mm M73
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	6,000 (250)	500	-	-

Usage in battles

The Magach 1 will feel familiar to tankers from the American and German tank trees, as it is essentially a copy-paste M48A1/M48A2 C from those trees. Being the first true MBT that the Israelis have access to (alongside the Sho't) it will bring a new playstyle to those who have been using the M-51s and French light tanks before it.

This vehicle is a first-generation MBT and an American one at that, so its mobility is still average compared to other early MBTs such as the Leopard I and T-54 (1949). The gun has access to decent ammunition in the form of the final HEATFS shell but is still limited in that it's a 90 mm cannon when many contemporaries are sporting 105 mm weapons that sport APDS along with their own HEATFS shells. Staying out of close-range engagements is a must due to the limited damage potential of the gun and balky turret/suspension handling.

The Magach 1 will feel right at home staying close behind the more heavily armoured vehicles in the front line and taking well-aimed, surgical shots with its smaller weapon and either killing the target or crippling it so that its teammates can go in and finish the job safely. If caught in close-quarters combat, take advantage of the neutral steering and somewhat trolly armour angles to try and get the gun back on target.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Decent front hull armour, both thickness and angling, when compared to some contemporary MBTs
• Nice roof armour, only aircraft with heavy AP/dedicated anti-armour rounds will get through
• Has access to a very effective M431 HEATFS shell

Cons:

• Early M48 model, still suffers from sluggish mobility.
• Gun is effective but still only 90 mm when contemporary opponents start bringing higher-velocity 100+ mm cannons.
• Large profile target, more easily targeted by dedicated tankbuster aircraft and sniping tanks
• The commander .50 cal is placed in a clumsy mini-turret, defending against aircraft/fast light tanks is difficult
• The stock round, M332 APCR, has very limited damage potential and bounces easily

History

Development

In February 1951, the US Army opted for a new design to replace their M46/M47 tanks. Designated the 90 mm Gun Tank T-48, it featured a novel (for American Cold War tanks) hemispherical turret, hull, and suspension design. The crew was reduced to four, and it began production in 1952 after being named for the famous General George S. Patton. During initial production, several protection defects were identified and a program to refit them began, resulting in the M48A1 with a slightly different driver's hatch and commander's cupola, now equipped with a .50 M2HB.

Israeli Service

Israel's first M48s were acquired from West Germany in the early 1960s in a secret arms deal, with the United States providing further vehicles after the deal was exposed. The M48A1 variants came from the United States transfers.

During the Six Day War in 1967, the M48A1s served in their stock US configuration and acquitted themselves well. However, by the Yom Kippur War their 90 mm cannons had been recognized as obsolete for Israeli purposes and the only remaining M48 tanks in the IDF were later versions equipped with 105 mm cannons or conversions of the M48A1/A2/A3s to the 105 mm cannon.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Magach 1 from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Related development

• Magach (Family)

External links

• [Wikipedia] Magach