Daimler Mk II

Daimler Mk II

Tetrarch I

Daimler Mk II

Tetrarch I

Britain

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.3	1.3	1.3

Class:

Light tank

Research:2 900

Purchase:700

Show in game

Description

The Armoured Car, Daimler Mk II is a rank I British light tank with a battle rating of 1.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.71 "New E.R.A.". Boasting the usual British Rank I QF 2-pounder on a wheeled platform, it is the first vehicle in the AC/AA line of the British tech tree.

A QF 2-pounder on 4x4 wheels. This vehicle is made to support infantry in a way similar to the cavalry. It is not made to withstand heavy fire. Notably, its wheeled configuration means the car will not get good fire when on the move and it will turn in an arc. Meanwhile, its good reverse speed could possibly save the car as long as the move happens before the enemy shoots. The Daimler is recognisable from other AC by its hexagonal hull centre and its short length. It has 4 mm boxes scattered across the hull and a spare tire on the left side. Besides the main armament, it is equipped with a coaxial BESA MG (same MG as higher rank British vehicles), a decent gun to spread onto an open-topped SPG with lead, ending him rightly.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour
• Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	14 mm (1°) Front plate 14 + 4 mm Front glacis 14 mm (34°) Lower glacis 16 mm (1°) Driver's port	10 mm (19-34°) Top 10 mm Bottom	14 mm (1°) Top 14 mm (18-24°) Bottom	8 mm
Turret	16 mm (16°) Turret front 16 mm (0-79°) Gun mantlet	14 mm (16-17°)	10 + 4 mm	4 mm

Notes:

• Belly armour is 7 mm thick.
• Wheels provide 2 mm thick armour.
• A 14 mm RHA plate separates the engine compartment from the crew.

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	89	41	7.6	112	181	14.74	23.82
Realistic	80	37		84	95	11.05	12.5

Armaments

Main armament

40 mm QF 2-pounder					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	52	-12°/+25°	±180°	Vertical	__.__	__.__	__.__	__.__	__.__	3.60	_.__	_.__	_.__
Realistic					9.50	__.__	__.__	__.__	__.__

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
Shot Mk.1 AP/T	AP	72	68	52	37	27	19
Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T	APCBC	88	83	64	46	33	24
Shot Mk.1 APHV/T	AP	80	78	67	56	47	40
Shell Mk.1 AP/T	APHE	66	62	49	36	26	20

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%
Shot Mk.1 AP/T	AP	792	1.08	N/A	N/A	N/A	47°	60°	65°
Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T	APCBC	792	1.24	N/A	N/A	N/A	48°	63°	71°
Shot Mk.1 APHV/T	AP	853	1.08	N/A	N/A	N/A	47°	60°	65°
Shell Mk.1 AP/T	APHE	792	1.08	1.2	9.0	19	47°	60°	65°

Ammo racks

File:Ammoracks DaimlerACMkII.png

Ammo racks of the Daimler Mk II

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
52	40 (+12)	27 (+25)	14 (+38)	1 (+51)	No

Optics

Daimler Mk II Optics
Which ones	Default magnification	Maximum magnification
Main Gun optics	x1.85	x3.5
Comparable optics	AMR.35 ZT3

Machine guns

7.92 mm BESA
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	500 (225)	600	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

The Daimler AC is very similar to other British light tanks at the tier, but with one major difference: it has wheels rather than tracks. This difference allows the Daimler to reach high speeds on road. Because of this, Daimler drivers should consider planning their route based on what roads are available on the map, however once engaged with the enemy, it is best to find cover rather than remain exposed on the road. The Daimler has very weak armour, only able to stop rifle-calibre ammunition reliably. Having both thin armour and a small crew, the Daimler cannot sustain enemy fire. While the armour is weak, drivers can take advantage of the good manoeuvrability and gun to ambush enemies.

The 40 mm 2-pounder cannon is one of the best weapons for its tier, and has a good selection of ammunition. The Shell Mk.1 AP/T (APHE) has sufficient penetration for the tier and the post-penetration effects are worth the comparably low penetration. However when facing enemies with more armour, or playing at a higher tier, the Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T has excellent penetration characteristics. Drivers can also remember that the 40 mm 2-pounder has a very fast fire rate, and you often reload faster than opponents. This means that if you and your enemy both miss the first shot, the Daimler is likely to get in the second shot before the enemy has reloaded.

The enemy to be most wary of in the Daimler is any vehicle with a rapid firing cannon. German vehicles with 20 mm cannons and most enemy AA vehicles are very dangerous for the Daimler, because their rounds will shred its armour.

Generally, the best play style for the Daimler is to flank using a road until near the enemy, and then fire from cover. The Daimler is capable at both short and long range fights. At long range make sure to use cover and wait till the enemy looks away before exposing yourself. At close range you can use your speed to outmanoeuvre the enemy. The main thing to consider when playing the Daimler is to never expose yourself to enemy fire.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Good reverse speed and acceleration.
• Does not lose speed when turning, smooth driving
• Decent turret traverse
• Armour is thin enough to avoid detonating APHE shells
• Has smoke grenade launchers
• Many 4 mm boxes scattered on the hull, offering bonus protection against shrapnel and machine guns
• -12° of gun depression
• Compact ammo racks

Cons:

• Armour is lacking overall
• Bad off-road mobility
• As it has no tracks, does not turn on point
• Has difficulty reaching max speed
• Vulnerable to HMG, especially the tires
• Has a tendency to tip over in sharp turns if not careful
• Poor stock performance
• Only three crewmen means poor survivability
• Generally high profile

History

The excellent performance of the turretless Daimler Scout Car led people to suggest that a larger armoured car version with a turret be built as well. The Daimler AC was similar in design but also introduced a rear-facing wheel for the commander to use in an emergency. It carried the same turret as the Tetrarch light tank, putting it on a par with early-war British tanks. German bombing raids over England hampered production, however, and the vehicle did not enter combat until mid-1942. 2,694 would be built. In the Desert Campaign, they were used by the King's Dragoon Guards and the Royal Dragoons, and by the time of the Tunisia campaign, additional armoured car regiments. In the desert, the Daimler was normally the heaviest-armed armoured car, with one in each three-car troop. After the North Africa campaign, armoured car troops were reorganized into 4-car troops with two Daimlers and two lighter armoured scout cars. Daimlers were also used by the 11th Cavalry in the Burma campaign. They remained in British service until 1960.

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

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the tank;
• other literature.