Difference between revisions of "Achilles (65 Rg.)"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
−
''In the description, the first part needs to 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 the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
+
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to 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 the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
 +
[[File:GarageImage Achilles65th.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''Achilles 65 Reg.''' (technically '''17 pounder, Self-Propelled M10 Achilles (65th Anti-Tank Regiment)''') is a premium Rank III British tank destroyer with a battle rating of 4.0. It was introduced in [[Update_1.53_"Firestorm"|Update 1.53 "Firestorm"]] and is one of the first British tanks introduced in the game. It is an Achilles tank destroyer with insignia of 7th Armored Division, 65th Anti-Tank Regiment "Norfolk Yeomanry".
 +
 
 +
The [[17 pounder Self-Propelled M10|Achilles]] is based on the American [[3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10|M10]], but carries [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder|17-pounder]] as the main armament, making it an effective tank destroyer. Thanks to a well assigned BR you won't feel in the wrong game even when facing higher rank tanks. For a Battle Rating 4.0, you have a plenty of firepower, especially once you have unlocked the Mk.8 APCBC shot, which is more effective against the [[T-34 1942|T-34]] sloped armour. The 17-pdr literally cuts through enemy [[Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. M|Panzer III]] and [[Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H|IV]] (the shots enter the front and exit from the rear) so try to aim vital points to cause the maximum damage (first shot to the turret to disable enemy firepower). The T-34 is a bigger problem due to its sloped armour. When facing Russians your first shot should be always to the gunner. The Mk.8 APCBC is quite able to penetrate the T-34 glacis even from distance but keep in mind that the damage you'll cause is unreliable (sometimes 3 or more shots are required to destroy a T-34, sometimes one shot is enough). The M10 mobility is not outstanding but the Achilles is pretty capable to carry you where you want to go.
 +
 
 +
Protection is not good. The sloped armour and the track links added to the front will protect you from some low calibre shots but the vast majority of your enemies'll be able to easily destroy you. Side armour is paper thin. The high profile and the very slow turret traverse (man powered) are not good for close range combat so avoid deep flanking tactics.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== 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 helpfull for survival in combat?''
+
<!--''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 helpfull for survival in combat?''
  
−
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Transmission area)
 +
* Structural steel (Counterweight)
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 38.1 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 50.8 mm (7-55°) ''Transmission area'' || 19.05 mm (38°) ''Top hull'' <br/> 25.4 mm ''Bottom hull''|| 19.05 (28-33°) ''Top Hull''  <br/> 25.4 mm (7-52°) ''Bottom hull'' || 19.05 mm ''Front'' <br> 9.5 mm ''Rear''
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 25.4 mm (66-88°) ''Turret front'' <br> 57.15 mm (0-47°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25.4 mm (22-46°) || 25.4 mm (1-29°) ''Turret rear'' <br> 50 mm (0-50°) ''Counterweight'' || N/A
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick while the bogies are 10 mm thick.
 +
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
 +
* Hull rear sides are protected by attached grousers that gives 20 mm of extra armour.
 +
* Tracks placed on the front transmission area provide 30 mm extra armour.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
+
<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="2" | 29.6 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | 0.3 || colspan="1" | 45 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|41 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|587
 +
|717
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|363
 +
|410
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|19.66
 +
|24.22
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|12.26
 +
|13.85
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
−
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
+
<!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
 +
{{main|Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|76 mm OQF 17-pounder]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | 50 || -10°/+30° || ±180° || N/A
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| ''Arcade'' || 2.70 || 3.70 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 2.70 || 3.10 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 8.70 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== Ammunition =====
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| Shot Mk.6 || AP || 160 || 157 || 133 || 112 || 96 || 86
 +
|-
 +
| Shell Mk.1 || HE || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9
 +
|-
 +
| Shot Mk.4 || APC || 165 || 160 || 138 || 108 || 94 || 81
 +
|-
 +
| Shot Mk.8 || APCBC || 171 || 168 || 156 || 143 || 130 || 120
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="10" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| Shot Mk.6 || AP || 883 || 7.7 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
 +
|-
 +
| Shell Mk.1 || HE || 883 || 7.0 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 580 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
| Shot Mk.4 || APC || 883 || 7.7 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
| Shot Mk.8 || APCBC || 883 || 7.7 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Ammunition
 +
! Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! ''Screen radius <br /> in m''
 +
! ''Screen time <br /> in s''
 +
! ''Screen hold time <br /> in s:''
 +
! ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
|-
 +
| 17pdr Shell SS Mk.1 || 754 || 8.4 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== [[Ammo Racks|Ammo racks]] =====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks_Achilles.png|right|thumbnail|[[Ammo Racks|Ammo rack]] of the Achilles|300px]]
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
|| '''50''' || 48&nbsp;''(+2)'' || 45&nbsp;''(+5)'' || 34&nbsp;''(+16)'' || 23&nbsp;''(+27)'' || 12&nbsp;''(+38)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+49)'' || style="text-align:center" | Yes
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
+
Turret empty: 45&nbsp;''(+5)''  
−
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
 
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
−
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
+
<!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''-->
 +
{{main|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[Browning M2 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Pintle mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 300 (200) || 577 || -10°/+70° || ±60°
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Usage in the battles ==
 
== Usage in the 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 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 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 Achilles is best used for sniping and for shoot and scoot tactics. Find a good spot where to shoot at enemies, aim carefully (RB need a good use of mils range estimation) and enjoy the fireworks!
 +
 
 +
Keep in mind the low fire rate (compared to other 17-pdr AFVs). Once you have destroyed (or damaged) the enemy the best thing to do is to relocate. Don't stay in the same spot for too long: you have weak armour and open top. Artillery barrages will cripple your TD and kill your crew.
 +
 
 +
Another thing to think about is the turret traverse. Yes... It is **really** slow. Therefore, you need to make some changes to your play style. If you need to target an enemy quickly, do not rely on the turret. Instead, traverse the entire tank so that your hull is facing the enemy head on, similar to turretless, casemate style tank destroyers. To avoid situations like this, you should stay way back, avoiding urban areas and other areas where you will be flanked easily.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
−
 
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
* Good gun (17-pounder!)
−
 
+
* High level of penetration. Will often pass through the front of lighter vehicles and leave through the back.
 +
* Premium vehicle - instant access to the best shell (Shot Mk.8)
 +
* Good speed
 +
* 5 crew members
 +
* .50 cal Heavy machine gun on top to fight lightly armoured tanks and aircraft
 +
* Sloped armour makes incoming rounds more likely to ricochet
 +
* Spare tracks that provided some limited protection on the front and on the rear section of the side armour.
 +
* Good gun depression
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
* Armour is rather thin
 +
* Big ammo racks
 +
* Open top turret makes it vulnerable to artillery and strafing planes
 +
* Very slow turret traverse
 +
* Lack of explosive filler for AP shells
 +
* Handling is poor on some rough terrain before mobility modifications are researched
 +
* Reverse speed is bad
 +
* Low ammo reserve for Commander's machine gun (300 rds total)
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''-->
 +
===Development===
 +
The [[3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10|M10 tank destroyer]] was developed in 1942 to fulfill the anti-tank doctrine established by the US military. The doctrine, creating the tank destroyer force, was established with the objective to stop German blitzkrieg tactics by attacking the tanks. Unlike the other armoured fighting vehicles in the theater, the tank destroyers were made to be placed in reserves to counter any breach in the front lines by taking out the enemy with ambushes. This role led to the desire for a fast vehicle with a powerful gun, armour was not a concern due to the emphasis in speed. The design ended up taking a turret design developed from the [[Heavy Tank M6A1|M6A1 Heavy Tank]] and the body from the [[Medium Tank M4A2 Sherman| M4A2 Sherman]], this with the 3-inch 1918 gun, provided the backbone of the American tank destroyer force in much of World War II. In total, 6,706 M10s and its variants were produced between September of 1942 to 1943 of the same month.
 +
 
 +
===British Use===
 +
These M10s were given out to America’s allies, though the British were the most well-known of these users, receiving about 1,650 M10s from the Americans from 1943 onward. The British designated the M10s under their service as the '''Achilles''' and unlike popular usage, was called that for both the 3-inch gun variant (''Achillies I/II'') and the variant mounting the 17-pounder (''Achillies Ic / IIc''). Though in most usage, the vehicle was called the ''17pdr M10'', or ''17pdr SP M10'', or even the ''"Firefly"'', despite that name being used for a different design.
 +
 
 +
The British first received the M10s with the 3-inch cannons, which were much more powerful than the British tank armament at the time, giving them an edge in many tank confrontations in the North African Campaign. It was around 1943 that a conversion is done onto the M10 to increase its firepower capabilities against the gradually upgraded German tank designs such as the [[Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. H1|Tiger I]] and the [[Pz.Kpfw. V Ausf. D|Panthers]]. The conversion used one of the best Allied anti-tank guns at the time, the 17-pounder, which could penetrate about 140 mm of armour at 500 meters away with APCBC rounds, and 209 mm at the same distance with APDS rounds (Armour-Penetrating Discarding Sabot). The conversion done onto the M10 also required a counterweight to be placed on the 17-pounder to compensate the heavier weight of the 17-pounder compared to the 3-inch gun. This gave the M10 Achilles a much more defining profile and attempts were made to hide this larger cannon length with optical illusion. Aside from the gun conversion, the M10 Achilles also had an extra 17 mm of armour welded onto the front and sides of the hull for added protection, plus a 20 mm shield on the top of the turret to compensate for the open-turret design. About 1,000 M10 Achilles with the 17-pounders were ordered, but by D-Day, only 124 were available and 816 were done by the end of the year. The low number of these converted Achilles made meant that any lost units were hard to replace with a 17-pounder one, and the disgruntled crew would be issued a M10 with a 3-inch gun instead. In the end, about a total of 1,000 Achilles were converted into 17-pounder ones by the end of World War II, making the M10 Achillies the second-most numerous design to mount the 17-pounder, coming before the [[Sherman VC Firefly|Sherman Firefly]].
 +
 
 +
The Achilles were issued out as part of the Royal Artillery in armoured divisions in anti-tank regiments. One of such regiments was the '''65th Anti-Tank Regiment''' assigned to the 7th Armoured division during 1942 and onward until the end of the war.
 +
 
 +
===Combat Usage===
 +
The British doctrine with the Achilles differed from the Americans who saw it as a reserve tank destroyer, the British viewed it as a mobile anti-tank gun, thus the Achilles served in a role akin to the [[Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G|StuG III]] in German service, moving the 17-pounder into position to take a shot on incoming German [[Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger Ausf. E|Tiger]] or [[Pz.Kpfw. V Ausf. G|Panther]] tanks. These Achilles were used more with Churchill tank units rather than the medium tanks due to the lack of 17-pounder equipped on [[Mark IV A22B Churchill Mk.III|Churchills]] while the medium tanks have the Firefly available for use. Disadvantages with the M10 Achilles design were carried over from the original, the slow turret traverse speed, high profile, and open-top turret made it a rather harder vehicle to use than a regular tank, but it still had it advantages and was still suitable for the role it had.
 +
 
 +
The Achilles were deployed on D-Day onward in artillery forces in anti-tank regiments in armoured divisions. A typical anti-tank regiment would have four batteries, two with towed 17-pounders, one equipped with 17-pounder Achilles, and another with regular M10s with the 3-inch gun (though replaced with another Achilles unit once more were available). A notable event with the Achilles was during Operation Charnwood, where Achilles in the 62nd Anti-Tank Regiment fought off a German counterattack comprising of [[Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H|Panzer IVs]] and [[Pz.Kpfw. V Ausf. G|Panthers]] from the 12th Panzer Regiment were routed by the Achilles 17-pounder fires, destroying about 13 German tanks with the loss of four Achilles knocked out and four more damaged.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
Line 42: Line 274:
  
 
== Read also ==
 
== Read also ==
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+
<!--''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;''
 
* ''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.''
−
''ETC.''
+
''ETC.''-->
 +
[https://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/827/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Pioneering British Tanks in War Thunder with developer's answers]<br/>
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
Line 51: Line 284:
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
 +
 +
{{Britain tank destroyers}}

Revision as of 05:10, 20 October 2018

RANK 5 FRANCE
Somua SM PACK
Achilles (65 Rg.)
uk_17_pdr_m10_achilles_norfolk_yeomanry.png
Achilles (65 Rg.)
Britain flag.png Britain
III Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
3.7 3.3 3.3
Class:
PREMIUM
Purchase:Bundle or Gift
Show in game

Description

GarageImage Achilles (65 Rg.).jpg


The Achilles 65 Reg. (technically 17 pounder, Self-Propelled M10 Achilles (65th Anti-Tank Regiment)) is a premium Rank III British tank destroyer with a battle rating of 4.0. It was introduced in Update 1.53 "Firestorm" and is one of the first British tanks introduced in the game. It is an Achilles tank destroyer with insignia of 7th Armored Division, 65th Anti-Tank Regiment "Norfolk Yeomanry".

The Achilles is based on the American M10, but carries 17-pounder as the main armament, making it an effective tank destroyer. Thanks to a well assigned BR you won't feel in the wrong game even when facing higher rank tanks. For a Battle Rating 4.0, you have a plenty of firepower, especially once you have unlocked the Mk.8 APCBC shot, which is more effective against the T-34 sloped armour. The 17-pdr literally cuts through enemy Panzer III and IV (the shots enter the front and exit from the rear) so try to aim vital points to cause the maximum damage (first shot to the turret to disable enemy firepower). The T-34 is a bigger problem due to its sloped armour. When facing Russians your first shot should be always to the gunner. The Mk.8 APCBC is quite able to penetrate the T-34 glacis even from distance but keep in mind that the damage you'll cause is unreliable (sometimes 3 or more shots are required to destroy a T-34, sometimes one shot is enough). The M10 mobility is not outstanding but the Achilles is pretty capable to carry you where you want to go.

Protection is not good. The sloped armour and the track links added to the front will protect you from some low calibre shots but the vast majority of your enemies'll be able to easily destroy you. Side armour is paper thin. The high profile and the very slow turret traverse (man powered) are not good for close range combat so avoid deep flanking tactics.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Transmission area)
  • Structural steel (Counterweight)
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 38.1 mm (55°) Front glacis
50.8 mm (7-55°) Transmission area 		19.05 mm (38°) Top hull
25.4 mm Bottom hull		 19.05 (28-33°) Top Hull
25.4 mm (7-52°) Bottom hull 		19.05 mm Front
9.5 mm Rear
Turret 25.4 mm (66-88°) Turret front
57.15 mm (0-47°) Gun mantlet 		25.4 mm (22-46°) 25.4 mm (1-29°) Turret rear
50 mm (0-50°) Counterweight 		N/A

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick while the bogies are 10 mm thick.
  • Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
  • Hull rear sides are protected by attached grousers that gives 20 mm of extra armour.
  • Tracks placed on the front transmission area provide 30 mm extra armour.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons) 		Max speed (km/h)
29.6 0.3 45 (AB)
41 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 587 717
Realistic/Simulator 363 410
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 19.66 24.22
Realistic/Simulator 12.26 13.85

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)
76 mm OQF 17-pounder
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance 		Stabilizer
50 -10°/+30° ±180° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 2.70 3.70 _.__ _.__ _.__
Realistic 2.70 3.10 _.__ _.__ _.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
8.70 _.__ _.__ _.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
Shot Mk.6 AP 160 157 133 112 96 86
Shell Mk.1 HE 9 9 9 9 9 9
Shot Mk.4 APC 165 160 138 108 94 81
Shot Mk.8 APCBC 171 168 156 143 130 120
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent): 		Normalization At 30°
from horizontal: 		Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
Shot Mk.6 AP 883 7.7 N/A N/A N/A -1° 47° 60° 65°
Shell Mk.1 HE 883 7.0 0.4 0.5 580 +0° 79° 80° 81°
Shot Mk.4 APC 883 7.7 N/A N/A N/A -1° 48° 63° 71°
Shot Mk.8 APCBC 883 7.7 N/A N/A N/A +4° 48° 63° 71°
Smoke characteristic
Ammunition Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Screen radius
in m 		Screen time
in s 		Screen hold time
in s: 		Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
17pdr Shell SS Mk.1 754 8.4 13 5 20 50
Ammo racks
Ammo rack of the Achilles
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
50 48 (+2) 45 (+5) 34 (+16) 23 (+27) 12 (+38) 1 (+49) Yes

Turret empty: 45 (+5)

Machine guns

Main article: Browning M2 (12.7 mm)
12.7 mm M2HB
Pintle mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
300 (200) 577 -10°/+70° ±60°

Usage in the battles

The Achilles is best used for sniping and for shoot and scoot tactics. Find a good spot where to shoot at enemies, aim carefully (RB need a good use of mils range estimation) and enjoy the fireworks!

Keep in mind the low fire rate (compared to other 17-pdr AFVs). Once you have destroyed (or damaged) the enemy the best thing to do is to relocate. Don't stay in the same spot for too long: you have weak armour and open top. Artillery barrages will cripple your TD and kill your crew.

Another thing to think about is the turret traverse. Yes... It is **really** slow. Therefore, you need to make some changes to your play style. If you need to target an enemy quickly, do not rely on the turret. Instead, traverse the entire tank so that your hull is facing the enemy head on, similar to turretless, casemate style tank destroyers. To avoid situations like this, you should stay way back, avoiding urban areas and other areas where you will be flanked easily.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Good gun (17-pounder!)
  • High level of penetration. Will often pass through the front of lighter vehicles and leave through the back.
  • Premium vehicle - instant access to the best shell (Shot Mk.8)
  • Good speed
  • 5 crew members
  • .50 cal Heavy machine gun on top to fight lightly armoured tanks and aircraft
  • Sloped armour makes incoming rounds more likely to ricochet
  • Spare tracks that provided some limited protection on the front and on the rear section of the side armour.
  • Good gun depression

Cons:

  • Armour is rather thin
  • Big ammo racks
  • Open top turret makes it vulnerable to artillery and strafing planes
  • Very slow turret traverse
  • Lack of explosive filler for AP shells
  • Handling is poor on some rough terrain before mobility modifications are researched
  • Reverse speed is bad
  • Low ammo reserve for Commander's machine gun (300 rds total)

History

Development

The M10 tank destroyer was developed in 1942 to fulfill the anti-tank doctrine established by the US military. The doctrine, creating the tank destroyer force, was established with the objective to stop German blitzkrieg tactics by attacking the tanks. Unlike the other armoured fighting vehicles in the theater, the tank destroyers were made to be placed in reserves to counter any breach in the front lines by taking out the enemy with ambushes. This role led to the desire for a fast vehicle with a powerful gun, armour was not a concern due to the emphasis in speed. The design ended up taking a turret design developed from the M6A1 Heavy Tank and the body from the M4A2 Sherman, this with the 3-inch 1918 gun, provided the backbone of the American tank destroyer force in much of World War II. In total, 6,706 M10s and its variants were produced between September of 1942 to 1943 of the same month.

British Use

These M10s were given out to America’s allies, though the British were the most well-known of these users, receiving about 1,650 M10s from the Americans from 1943 onward. The British designated the M10s under their service as the Achilles and unlike popular usage, was called that for both the 3-inch gun variant (Achillies I/II) and the variant mounting the 17-pounder (Achillies Ic / IIc). Though in most usage, the vehicle was called the 17pdr M10, or 17pdr SP M10, or even the "Firefly", despite that name being used for a different design.

The British first received the M10s with the 3-inch cannons, which were much more powerful than the British tank armament at the time, giving them an edge in many tank confrontations in the North African Campaign. It was around 1943 that a conversion is done onto the M10 to increase its firepower capabilities against the gradually upgraded German tank designs such as the Tiger I and the Panthers. The conversion used one of the best Allied anti-tank guns at the time, the 17-pounder, which could penetrate about 140 mm of armour at 500 meters away with APCBC rounds, and 209 mm at the same distance with APDS rounds (Armour-Penetrating Discarding Sabot). The conversion done onto the M10 also required a counterweight to be placed on the 17-pounder to compensate the heavier weight of the 17-pounder compared to the 3-inch gun. This gave the M10 Achilles a much more defining profile and attempts were made to hide this larger cannon length with optical illusion. Aside from the gun conversion, the M10 Achilles also had an extra 17 mm of armour welded onto the front and sides of the hull for added protection, plus a 20 mm shield on the top of the turret to compensate for the open-turret design. About 1,000 M10 Achilles with the 17-pounders were ordered, but by D-Day, only 124 were available and 816 were done by the end of the year. The low number of these converted Achilles made meant that any lost units were hard to replace with a 17-pounder one, and the disgruntled crew would be issued a M10 with a 3-inch gun instead. In the end, about a total of 1,000 Achilles were converted into 17-pounder ones by the end of World War II, making the M10 Achillies the second-most numerous design to mount the 17-pounder, coming before the Sherman Firefly.

The Achilles were issued out as part of the Royal Artillery in armoured divisions in anti-tank regiments. One of such regiments was the 65th Anti-Tank Regiment assigned to the 7th Armoured division during 1942 and onward until the end of the war.

Combat Usage

The British doctrine with the Achilles differed from the Americans who saw it as a reserve tank destroyer, the British viewed it as a mobile anti-tank gun, thus the Achilles served in a role akin to the StuG III in German service, moving the 17-pounder into position to take a shot on incoming German Tiger or Panther tanks. These Achilles were used more with Churchill tank units rather than the medium tanks due to the lack of 17-pounder equipped on Churchills while the medium tanks have the Firefly available for use. Disadvantages with the M10 Achilles design were carried over from the original, the slow turret traverse speed, high profile, and open-top turret made it a rather harder vehicle to use than a regular tank, but it still had it advantages and was still suitable for the role it had.

The Achilles were deployed on D-Day onward in artillery forces in anti-tank regiments in armoured divisions. A typical anti-tank regiment would have four batteries, two with towed 17-pounders, one equipped with 17-pounder Achilles, and another with regular M10s with the 3-inch gun (though replaced with another Achilles unit once more were available). A notable event with the Achilles was during Operation Charnwood, where Achilles in the 62nd Anti-Tank Regiment fought off a German counterattack comprising of Panzer IVs and Panthers from the 12th Panzer Regiment were routed by the Achilles 17-pounder fires, destroying about 13 German tanks with the loss of four Achilles knocked out and four more damaged.

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

Read also

[Devblog] Pioneering British Tanks in War Thunder with developer's answers

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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


Britain tank destroyers
Infantry tank derivatives  Archer · Gun Carrier (3-in)
Light tank derivatives  Alecto I
M10 Achilles  Achilles · Achilles (65 Rg.)
Centurion derivatives  FV4005 · Conway
ATGM  Swingfire · Striker
Other  Tortoise · ▄M109A1
Canada  QF 3.7 Ram
South Africa  G6 · ZT3A2

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