Difference between revisions of "A13 Mk I"

From War Thunder Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Visual (beta)Wikitext
(Link Fixes)
Line 13: Line 13:
  
 
=====Shooting=====
 
=====Shooting=====
−
Since the [[Ordnance QF 2-pounder|QF 2-pounder]] is used on most tanks of Rank 1, it's important to know it well. This cannon has a major disadvantage at distances since it's bullet loose around 20mm of penetration for each 500 m it travels, which is a lot. As if this was not enough, it has poor accuracy, even with the ''Adjustement of fire'' modification, hence, one should target large components (crewmens, engine, transmission), of the ennemy or, as distance increases (500 m or more), the general center of the foe. Firing it, you will easily notice it's last but not least flaw: it does almost no post-penetration damage, which means you will need to snipe crew members one by one. Combine this difficulty with a bit of distance and this task can prove tricky pretty quick, sometimes leaving the enemy enough time to replenish it's crew before you finish it off.
+
Since the [[Ordnance QF 2-pounder (40 mm)|QF 2-pounder]] is used on most tanks of Rank 1, it's important to know it well. This cannon has a major disadvantage at distances since it's bullet loose around 20mm of penetration for each 500 m it travels, which is a lot. As if this was not enough, it has poor accuracy, even with the ''Adjustement of fire'' modification, hence, one should target large components (crewmens, engine, transmission), of the ennemy or, as distance increases (500 m or more), the general center of the foe. Firing it, you will easily notice it's last but not least flaw: it does almost no post-penetration damage, which means you will need to snipe crew members one by one. Combine this difficulty with a bit of distance and this task can prove tricky pretty quick, sometimes leaving the enemy enough time to replenish it's crew before you finish it off.
  
−
On the other hand, this cannon has 5 major advantages: reload speed, close-quarter penetration, a primitive stabilizing system, lots of ammo and awesome gun depression. It's fast reload speed allows it to compensate it's poor accuracy: missed a shot ? why not take another even before you can reposition! Close quarter penetration, one of the best at it's tier, is also a plus: your enemies will only block you shot if you happen to hit a steep-angled plate of armour. This tank has good mobility ? nice !, it can fire on the move too, at low speeds and on relatively flat road though but still, it is much more precise than the comparable [[BT-7 mod. 1937|BT-7]]  with its [[45 mm 20-K|20-K]]. Last but not least, small bullets means more bullets: the A13 can bring up to 87 bullets into the game, much more than you need to knock out 3-4 tanks, which means you can try to suppress an enemy and keep it into cover by constantly firing near it (at this rank, this tactic can prove effective against new players). Finally, its good gun depression enables it to fire over hills, peeking only it's small turret, shooting and disappearing swiftly. Use these features cunningly.
+
On the other hand, this cannon has 5 major advantages: reload speed, close-quarter penetration, a primitive stabilizing system, lots of ammo and awesome gun depression. It's fast reload speed allows it to compensate it's poor accuracy: missed a shot ? why not take another even before you can reposition! Close quarter penetration, one of the best at it's tier, is also a plus: your enemies will only block you shot if you happen to hit a steep-angled plate of armour. This tank has good mobility ? nice !, it can fire on the move too, at low speeds and on relatively flat road though but still, it is much more precise than the comparable [[BT-7]]  with its [[20-K (45 mm)|20-K]]. Last but not least, small bullets means more bullets: the A13 can bring up to 87 bullets into the game, much more than you need to knock out 3-4 tanks, which means you can try to suppress an enemy and keep it into cover by constantly firing near it (at this rank, this tactic can prove effective against new players). Finally, its good gun depression enables it to fire over hills, peeking only it's small turret, shooting and disappearing swiftly. Use these features cunningly.
  
 
=====Others=====
 
=====Others=====
Line 26: Line 26:
 
''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:'''
 
'''Armour type:'''
 +
 
* Rolled homogeneous armour
 
* Rolled homogeneous armour
 
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
 
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
 +
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
Line 42: Line 44:
 
|}
 
|}
 
'''Notes:'''
 
'''Notes:'''
 +
 
* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick while the torsion bars in between the side armour are 10 mm thick.
 
* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick while the torsion bars in between the side armour are 10 mm thick.
  
Line 48: Line 51:
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
|-
 
|-
−
!colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
+
! colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
 
|-
 
|-
 
! Weight (tons)
 
! Weight (tons)
−
!colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
+
! colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
−
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
+
! colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 
|-
 
|-
−
|rowspan="2" | 13.8 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 53 (AB)  
+
| rowspan="2" | 13.8 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 53 (AB)  
 
|-
 
|-
 
|48 (RB/SB)
 
|48 (RB/SB)
 
|-
 
|-
−
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
+
! colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 
|-
 
|-
−
!colspan="1" | Mode
+
! colspan="1" | Mode
 
!Stock
 
!Stock
 
!Upgraded
 
!Upgraded
Line 72: Line 75:
 
|340
 
|340
 
|-
 
|-
−
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
+
! colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 
|-
 
|-
−
!colspan="1" | Mode
+
! colspan="1" | Mode
 
!Stock
 
!Stock
 
!Upgraded
 
!Upgraded
Line 226: Line 229:
 
This vehicle's role is that of a light tank in the truest sense, sporting an acceptable gun, great mobility and virtually no armour to speak of.
 
This vehicle's role is that of a light tank in the truest sense, sporting an acceptable gun, great mobility and virtually no armour to speak of.
  
−
This tank has a very active play style and should not be used in the front lines. Instead, use your mobility to your advantage: Spot, flank and provide artillery support for your teammates, blind your enemies with well-placed smokes screens in key avenues. Make sure to only target secluded enemies in flanking tactics so you can take full advantage of the element of surprise and outflank your opponent. Never expose yourself for too long because even anti-aircraft guns are a potential threat to your unangled armour. The QF-2 pounder has an awful long range accuracy so you must get close to your enemies to actually land a shot where you expect. Load up this agile (but reluctant) cat with ammo and flank your enemies with a constant flow of bullets.
+
This tank has a very active play style and should not be used in the front lines. Instead, use your mobility to your advantage: Spot, flank and provide artillery support for your teammates, blind your enemies with well-placed smokes screens in key avenues. Make sure to only target secluded enemies in flanking tactics so you can take full advantage of the element of surprise and outflank your opponent. Never expose yourself for too long because even anti-aircraft guns are a potential threat to your unangled armour. The [[Ordnance QF 2-pounder (40 mm)|QF 2-pounder]] has an awful long range accuracy so you must get close to your enemies to actually land a shot where you expect. Load up this agile (but reluctant) cat with ammo and flank your enemies with a constant flow of bullets.
  
 
=== 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 for its rank.
 
*Good gun for its rank.
 
*Fast.
 
*Fast.
Line 242: Line 246:
 
*-15° gun depression
 
*-15° gun depression
 
*4 crewmen
 
*4 crewmen
 +
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
 +
 
*Next to no armour.
 
*Next to no armour.
 
*Barely any response from the engine.
 
*Barely any response from the engine.
Line 252: Line 258:
 
<!--''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===
 
===Development===
−
The British development on their cruiser tanks, tanks that focus on mobility to exploit breakthroughs beyond enemy lines, took a turn in 1936 after General Giffard LeQuesne Martel became the Assistant Director of Mechanization at the British War Office, the head of the army in the government. Martel, an advocate of the tanks, and developer of the concept of "tankettes", witnessed a tank demonstration in 1936 that had Soviet designs. The one that attracted his attention was the [[BT-5 mod. 1933|BT light tank]]. The BT's use of the Christie suspension had Martel argue for the usage of the same suspension in their tank designs, to which the British government complied with the purchase and licensing of the system from the Nuffield Organization.  
+
The British development on their cruiser tanks, tanks that focus on mobility to exploit breakthroughs beyond enemy lines, took a turn in 1936 after General Giffard LeQuesne Martel became the Assistant Director of Mechanization at the British War Office, the head of the army in the government. Martel, an advocate of the tanks, and developer of the concept of "tankettes", witnessed a tank demonstration in 1936 that had Soviet designs. The one that attracted his attention was the [[BT-5|BT light tank]]. The BT's use of the Christie suspension had Martel argue for the usage of the same suspension in their tank designs, to which the British government complied with the purchase and licensing of the system from the Nuffield Organization.  
  
−
The acquired vehicle from the purchase of the Christie suspension was labeled as the ''A13E1'' and became part of the design development under the designation ''Cruiser Mk III (A13)''. The General Staff requested for the vehicle to have 30 mm of armour, a 2-pounder gun, and a road speed of 48 km/h. The original vehicle was extensively reworked due to many interior and mechanical issues. Until the tank design was finished, the British Army adopted the ''Cruiser Mk I (A9)'' tank for use, but these tanks were delayed due to the A13's near completion. The first prototype was delivered in 1937 under the name ''A13E2'', this featured the turret from the A9 cruiser tank, with a 2-pounder and a Vickers machine gun. The armour on the prototype was 15 mm and the design could reach a top speed under a governor of 48 km/h (64 km/h ungoverned). The last and revised design was the ''A13E3'' that became adopted by the British Army and ordered into production in 1939. The General Staff specification number for the tank was the '''A13 Mk. I, Cruiser Tank Mark III'''. 65 of these tanks were ordered from the Nuffield Mechanization & Aero Limited, to which 30 were built before War Office decided to upgrade the A13 Mk.I with more armour than the ''[[Mark IV A13 Mk.II Britain| A13 Mk.II, Cruiser Tank Mk IV]]''. Some of the A13 Mk.I Cruiser Mk III were also converted into Mk IV to stay modernized.
+
The acquired vehicle from the purchase of the Christie suspension was labeled as the ''A13E1'' and became part of the design development under the designation ''Cruiser Mk III (A13)''. The General Staff requested for the vehicle to have 30 mm of armour, a 2-pounder gun, and a road speed of 48 km/h. The original vehicle was extensively reworked due to many interior and mechanical issues. Until the tank design was finished, the British Army adopted the ''Cruiser Mk I (A9)'' tank for use, but these tanks were delayed due to the A13's near completion. The first prototype was delivered in 1937 under the name ''A13E2'', this featured the turret from the A9 cruiser tank, with a 2-pounder and a Vickers machine gun. The armour on the prototype was 15 mm and the design could reach a top speed under a governor of 48 km/h (64 km/h ungoverned). The last and revised design was the ''A13E3'' that became adopted by the British Army and ordered into production in 1939. The General Staff specification number for the tank was the '''A13 Mk. I, Cruiser Tank Mark III'''. 65 of these tanks were ordered from the Nuffield Mechanization & Aero Limited, to which 30 were built before War Office decided to upgrade the A13 Mk.I with more armour than the '' [[A13 Mk II|A13 Mk.II, Cruiser Tank Mk IV]]''. Some of the A13 Mk.I Cruiser Mk III were also converted into Mk IV to stay modernized.
  
 
===Combat usage===
 
===Combat usage===
 
The A13 first saw combat in the Battle of France under the British Expeditionary Force in 1940. The A13 encountered many troubles during its employment, the crew having little to no training with the new tanks due to their rushed adoption into service. The tanks were in poor condition and some were even missing parts. The A13s were used in the 1st Armoured Division, but many were either destroyed by the superior German armoured forces or abandoned at Calais during the evacuation of Allied troops at Dunkirk, which forced the units to leave behind their heavier equipment.  
 
The A13 first saw combat in the Battle of France under the British Expeditionary Force in 1940. The A13 encountered many troubles during its employment, the crew having little to no training with the new tanks due to their rushed adoption into service. The tanks were in poor condition and some were even missing parts. The A13s were used in the 1st Armoured Division, but many were either destroyed by the superior German armoured forces or abandoned at Calais during the evacuation of Allied troops at Dunkirk, which forced the units to leave behind their heavier equipment.  
  
−
After the disaster at France, the A13 were still used to support the war. Some were sent to Greece to support their defense against Germany in the Battle of Greece, but a majority were sent to North Africa as part of the Western Desert Campaign near Libya under the 7th Armoured Division. Compared to the time in France, the A13s in North Africa fared much better, ironing out most of its initial defects, and was even more suited to the environment than other tank designs. The A13 was popular with the crew for its high speed, reliability, and a powerful 2-pounder cannon that could engage a majority of Axis tanks in 1941. However, there was an insufficient number of A13s available for use, so tank units were mixed with the faster cruiser tanks and slower infantry tanks, which caused tactical and logistical difficulties trying to accommodate all of the tanks. Another deficiency with the tank and every other British tank with the 2-pounder was the lack of high-explosive shell issued to the tankers, which made them vulnerable to anti-tank guns, which caused a majority of British tank losses in the North African Campaign. Still, the A13 fared very well with its armour and armament until the late 1941 where better armoured [[Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. L|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. G|Panzer IVs]] began to appear on the battlefield.
+
After the disaster at France, the A13 were still used to support the war. Some were sent to Greece to support their defense against Germany in the Battle of Greece, but a majority were sent to North Africa as part of the Western Desert Campaign near Libya under the 7th Armoured Division. Compared to the time in France, the A13s in North Africa fared much better, ironing out most of its initial defects, and was even more suited to the environment than other tank designs. The A13 was popular with the crew for its high speed, reliability, and a powerful 2-pounder cannon that could engage a majority of Axis tanks in 1941. However, there was an insufficient number of A13s available for use, so tank units were mixed with the faster cruiser tanks and slower infantry tanks, which caused tactical and logistical difficulties trying to accommodate all of the tanks. Another deficiency with the tank and every other British tank with the 2-pounder was the lack of high-explosive shell issued to the tankers, which made them vulnerable to anti-tank guns, which caused a majority of British tank losses in the North African Campaign. Still, the A13 fared very well with its armour and armament until the late 1941 where better armoured [[Pz.III L|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IVs]] began to appear on the battlefield.
  
−
Due to its growing obsolescence on the battlefield, the A13 was replaced in 1941 by the better armoured [[Crusader Mk.II|A15 Crusader tank]].
+
Due to its growing obsolescence on the battlefield, the A13 was replaced in 1941 by the better armoured [[Crusader Mk II|A15 Crusader tank]].
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
Line 268: 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.''
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 +
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
  
 
{{Britain light tanks}}
 
{{Britain light tanks}}

Revision as of 21:30, 13 January 2019

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
A13 Mk I
uk_a_13_mk1.png
A13 Mk I
Britain flag.png Britain
I Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
1.0 1.0 1.0
Class:
Research:Free
Purchase:Free
Show in game

Description

GarageImage A13 Mk I.jpg


The Mark IV A13 Mk I is a reserve British light tank with a battle rating of 1.0. It was introduced along with the initial British tree line in Update 1.55 "Royal Armour".

This tank is a good representative of later rank 2-3 british tanks: good mobility, flat and thin frontal armour, bad reverse speed and minimal post-penetration damage.

Driving

Even though the A13 has good mobility, it sometimes feels weird: it looses speed on turns, does not accelerates quite as fast as it's overpowered engine (38.19 HP/ton, stock) should provide it and hill climbing feels hard. All of these flaws come from the gearbox, which has bad and uneven ratios, resulting in a kick when changing speed. Knowing that, you should always keep an eye on the "gear" counter top-left of your screen (activate it in the option menu) since it provides you crucial information on how your tank will react to your commands. With a bit of practice, one should swiftly masters these peculiarities.

Shooting

Since the QF 2-pounder is used on most tanks of Rank 1, it's important to know it well. This cannon has a major disadvantage at distances since it's bullet loose around 20mm of penetration for each 500 m it travels, which is a lot. As if this was not enough, it has poor accuracy, even with the Adjustement of fire modification, hence, one should target large components (crewmens, engine, transmission), of the ennemy or, as distance increases (500 m or more), the general center of the foe. Firing it, you will easily notice it's last but not least flaw: it does almost no post-penetration damage, which means you will need to snipe crew members one by one. Combine this difficulty with a bit of distance and this task can prove tricky pretty quick, sometimes leaving the enemy enough time to replenish it's crew before you finish it off.

On the other hand, this cannon has 5 major advantages: reload speed, close-quarter penetration, a primitive stabilizing system, lots of ammo and awesome gun depression. It's fast reload speed allows it to compensate it's poor accuracy: missed a shot ? why not take another even before you can reposition! Close quarter penetration, one of the best at it's tier, is also a plus: your enemies will only block you shot if you happen to hit a steep-angled plate of armour. This tank has good mobility ? nice !, it can fire on the move too, at low speeds and on relatively flat road though but still, it is much more precise than the comparable BT-7 with its 20-K. Last but not least, small bullets means more bullets: the A13 can bring up to 87 bullets into the game, much more than you need to knock out 3-4 tanks, which means you can try to suppress an enemy and keep it into cover by constantly firing near it (at this rank, this tactic can prove effective against new players). Finally, its good gun depression enables it to fire over hills, peeking only it's small turret, shooting and disappearing swiftly. Use these features cunningly.

Others

Since the addition of smoke in War Thunder, light tanks have it easier. Use your forward-lauching smoke to create a wall of smoke in a strategic place. It can be used to cover your allies, when capturing a point, flanking in a street (urban environment).

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 14 mm Front plate
14 mm (0-62°) Front glacis
14 mm (64°) Lower glacis 		7 + 7 mm 14 mm (0-62°) 14 mm
Turret 14 mm (0-15°) Turret front
14 mm (1-63°) Gun mantlet 		14 mm (21°) 14 mm (2°) 14 mm
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 14 mm 14 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick while the torsion bars in between the side armour are 10 mm thick.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons) 		Max speed (km/h)
13.8 N/A 53 (AB)
48 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 527 649
Realistic/Simulator 301 340
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 38.19 47.03
Realistic/Simulator 21.81 24.64

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: Ordnance QF 2-pounder (40 mm)
40 mm OQF 2-pounder
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance 		Stabilizer
87 -15°/+20° ±180° Vertical
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 9.50 13.20 _.__ _.__ _.__
Realistic 9.50 11.20 _.__ _.__ _.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
3.64 _.__ _.__ _.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
Shot Mk.1 AP/T AP 80 79 61 46 32 21
Shot Mk.1 APCBC/T APCBC 74 72 64 58 48 43
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.1 AP/T AP 853 1.1 N/A N/A N/A -1° 47° 60° 65°
Shot Mk.1 APCBC/T APCBC 853 1.2 N/A N/A N/A +4° 48° 63° 71°
Ammo racks

Last updated: 1.77.2.128

File:Ammoracks A13MkI.png
Ammo racks of the A13 Mk I.
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		7th
rack empty 		8th
rack empty 		9th
rack empty 		10th
rack empty 		11th
rack empty 		12th
rack empty 		13th
rack empty 		14th
rack empty 		15th
rack empty 		16th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
87 78 (+9) 75 (+12) 72 (+15) 69 (+18) 66 (+21) 62 (+25) 60 (+27) 56 (+31) 51 (+36) 47 (+40) 43 (+44) 41 (+46) 36 (+51) 31 (+56) 16 (+71) 1 (+86) No

Center hull empty: 41 (+46)

Machine guns

Main article: Vickers (7.7 mm)
7.7 mm Vickers
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
3,500 (250) 390 N/A N/A

Usage in the battles

This vehicle's role is that of a light tank in the truest sense, sporting an acceptable gun, great mobility and virtually no armour to speak of.

This tank has a very active play style and should not be used in the front lines. Instead, use your mobility to your advantage: Spot, flank and provide artillery support for your teammates, blind your enemies with well-placed smokes screens in key avenues. Make sure to only target secluded enemies in flanking tactics so you can take full advantage of the element of surprise and outflank your opponent. Never expose yourself for too long because even anti-aircraft guns are a potential threat to your unangled armour. The QF 2-pounder has an awful long range accuracy so you must get close to your enemies to actually land a shot where you expect. Load up this agile (but reluctant) cat with ammo and flank your enemies with a constant flow of bullets.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Good gun for its rank.
  • Fast.
  • Slim target.
  • Has a "lock", which is a primitive form of stabilisation.
  • Brings lots of ammo.
  • Has forward-lauching smoke lauchers!
  • Coaxial MG
  • Good HP/ton ratio
  • Decent turret sewing rate
  • -15° gun depression
  • 4 crewmen

Cons:

  • Next to no armour.
  • Barely any response from the engine.
  • Looses speed when turning
  • Wiggles when trying to turn on 5th gear.
  • Regular MGs can penetrate side armour.

History

Development

The British development on their cruiser tanks, tanks that focus on mobility to exploit breakthroughs beyond enemy lines, took a turn in 1936 after General Giffard LeQuesne Martel became the Assistant Director of Mechanization at the British War Office, the head of the army in the government. Martel, an advocate of the tanks, and developer of the concept of "tankettes", witnessed a tank demonstration in 1936 that had Soviet designs. The one that attracted his attention was the BT light tank. The BT's use of the Christie suspension had Martel argue for the usage of the same suspension in their tank designs, to which the British government complied with the purchase and licensing of the system from the Nuffield Organization.

The acquired vehicle from the purchase of the Christie suspension was labeled as the A13E1 and became part of the design development under the designation Cruiser Mk III (A13). The General Staff requested for the vehicle to have 30 mm of armour, a 2-pounder gun, and a road speed of 48 km/h. The original vehicle was extensively reworked due to many interior and mechanical issues. Until the tank design was finished, the British Army adopted the Cruiser Mk I (A9) tank for use, but these tanks were delayed due to the A13's near completion. The first prototype was delivered in 1937 under the name A13E2, this featured the turret from the A9 cruiser tank, with a 2-pounder and a Vickers machine gun. The armour on the prototype was 15 mm and the design could reach a top speed under a governor of 48 km/h (64 km/h ungoverned). The last and revised design was the A13E3 that became adopted by the British Army and ordered into production in 1939. The General Staff specification number for the tank was the A13 Mk. I, Cruiser Tank Mark III. 65 of these tanks were ordered from the Nuffield Mechanization & Aero Limited, to which 30 were built before War Office decided to upgrade the A13 Mk.I with more armour than the A13 Mk.II, Cruiser Tank Mk IV. Some of the A13 Mk.I Cruiser Mk III were also converted into Mk IV to stay modernized.

Combat usage

The A13 first saw combat in the Battle of France under the British Expeditionary Force in 1940. The A13 encountered many troubles during its employment, the crew having little to no training with the new tanks due to their rushed adoption into service. The tanks were in poor condition and some were even missing parts. The A13s were used in the 1st Armoured Division, but many were either destroyed by the superior German armoured forces or abandoned at Calais during the evacuation of Allied troops at Dunkirk, which forced the units to leave behind their heavier equipment.

After the disaster at France, the A13 were still used to support the war. Some were sent to Greece to support their defense against Germany in the Battle of Greece, but a majority were sent to North Africa as part of the Western Desert Campaign near Libya under the 7th Armoured Division. Compared to the time in France, the A13s in North Africa fared much better, ironing out most of its initial defects, and was even more suited to the environment than other tank designs. The A13 was popular with the crew for its high speed, reliability, and a powerful 2-pounder cannon that could engage a majority of Axis tanks in 1941. However, there was an insufficient number of A13s available for use, so tank units were mixed with the faster cruiser tanks and slower infantry tanks, which caused tactical and logistical difficulties trying to accommodate all of the tanks. Another deficiency with the tank and every other British tank with the 2-pounder was the lack of high-explosive shell issued to the tankers, which made them vulnerable to anti-tank guns, which caused a majority of British tank losses in the North African Campaign. Still, the A13 fared very well with its armour and armament until the late 1941 where better armoured Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs began to appear on the battlefield.

Due to its growing obsolescence on the battlefield, the A13 was replaced in 1941 by the better armoured A15 Crusader tank.

Media

Bovington Tank Museum Tank Chats: A13 Cruiser

Read 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.

ETC.

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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


Britain light tanks
A13  A13 Mk I · A13 Mk I (3rd R.T.R.) · A13 Mk II · A13 Mk II 1939
A15  Crusader II · Crusader "The Saint" · Crusader III
A17  Tetrarch I
IFV  Warrior · Desert Warrior (Kuwait)
Wheeled  Daimler Mk II · AEC Mk II · Fox · Vickers Mk.11
Other  VFM5
South Africa 
SARC  SARC MkIVa · SARC MkVI (2pdr) · SARC MkVI (6pdr)
Ratel  Ratel 90 · Ratel 20
Rooikat  Rooikat Mk.1D · Rooikat 105 · Rooikat MTTD
Other  Concept 3 · Eland 90 Mk.7
USA  Stuart I · Stuart III

Retrieved from "https://wiki.warthunder.com/index.php?title=A13_Mk_I&oldid=12518"