Difference between revisions of "Le Malin"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 
<!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' -->
 
<!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' -->
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} French destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "La Royale"]].
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'''Le Malin''' was the first of the [[Le Fantasque (Family)|Le Fantasque destroyers]] to be launched off slipway in 1933. With the beginning of World War Two, she was delegated to hunting down German commerce raiders in the central Atlantic. Following the fall of France, she avoided British attack on Mers-el-Kébir, and escorted surviving French ships to the mainland, fighting for the Vichy France. In 1942, she underwent refit in Casablanca until the port was attacked by the US Navy. A near-miss from the battleship USS Massachusetts blew up a hole in the hull of the vessel, killing 7 crewmen, disabling one of the boilers and causing a significant list to the port. The vessel was captured by Americans and passed on to the Free French, but due to the lack of facilities she received only a temporary repairs and was rebased to Boston, where she received repairs and refit that we currently see in the game. In service of the Free French, she participated in Battle of Ist and numerous minor duties across the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Post-war she served as an escort vessel for French carriers, later being delegated to the role of a stationary training vessel and eventually a floating jetty before being stricken off in 1964.
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Le Malin was introduced in [[Update "La Royale"]] and, typically for French destroyers, she features a combination of excellent speed with great firepower, but her main guns suffer from being unable to rotate fast enough to keep up with the turn rate of the vessel, having horizontal targeting speed slower than most of the heavy cruisers. She's best used as a somewhat limited destroyer - to deal with enemy vessels (including light cruisers), and capture the points, preferably always keeping the enemies on one side of the vessel to ensure they remain within firing angles for as long as possible.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
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* [[wt:en/news/8232-development-le-malin-the-malign-destroyer-en|[Devblog] Le Malin: the malign destroyer]]
 
* [[wt:en/news/8232-development-le-malin-the-malign-destroyer-en|[Devblog] Le Malin: the malign destroyer]]
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* [[Wikipedia:French destroyer Le Malin|[Wikipedia] French destroyer Le Malin]]
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* [https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/6048.html <nowiki>[uboat.net]</nowiki> FR Le Malin]
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* [https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?283930 <nowiki>[Wrecks-Site]</nowiki> Le Malin (1956~1964) Le Malin (Q359)]
  
 
{{Manufacturer FCM}}
 
{{Manufacturer FCM}}
 
{{France destroyers}}
 
{{France destroyers}}

Revision as of 21:42, 14 April 2024

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
fr_destroyer_le_fantasque_class_le_malin.png
GarageImage Le Malin.jpg
Le Malin
AB RB SB
4.7 4.7 4.7
Class:
Research:18 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:47 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

Le Malin was the first of the Le Fantasque destroyers to be launched off slipway in 1933. With the beginning of World War Two, she was delegated to hunting down German commerce raiders in the central Atlantic. Following the fall of France, she avoided British attack on Mers-el-Kébir, and escorted surviving French ships to the mainland, fighting for the Vichy France. In 1942, she underwent refit in Casablanca until the port was attacked by the US Navy. A near-miss from the battleship USS Massachusetts blew up a hole in the hull of the vessel, killing 7 crewmen, disabling one of the boilers and causing a significant list to the port. The vessel was captured by Americans and passed on to the Free French, but due to the lack of facilities she received only a temporary repairs and was rebased to Boston, where she received repairs and refit that we currently see in the game. In service of the Free French, she participated in Battle of Ist and numerous minor duties across the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Post-war she served as an escort vessel for French carriers, later being delegated to the role of a stationary training vessel and eventually a floating jetty before being stricken off in 1964.

Le Malin was introduced in Update "La Royale" and, typically for French destroyers, she features a combination of excellent speed with great firepower, but her main guns suffer from being unable to rotate fast enough to keep up with the turn rate of the vessel, having horizontal targeting speed slower than most of the heavy cruisers. She's best used as a somewhat limited destroyer - to deal with enemy vessels (including light cruisers), and capture the points, preferably always keeping the enemies on one side of the vessel to ensure they remain within firing angles for as long as possible.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Main fire tower5 / 5 / 0 mm
Hull16 mm (steel)
Superstructure4 mm (steel)
Number of section7
Displacement3 380 t
Crew265 people

The vehicle's survivability is mediocre at best. While the vehicle has a fairly sized crew and lots of empty space to absorb shells, it also has a huge silhouette which makes it easy to get hit. Additionally, the large unarmoured bridge can be taken out with ease, which can negate one of your most powerful advantages- your potent mobility. This can be especially crippling as your turret traverse is extremely poor, which means if you get stuck in a turn with your bridge destroyed, you are highly unlikely to be able to return fire to the enemy.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB96 / 31 km/h
RB78 / 25 km/h

The ship has good manoeuvrability. It is exceptionally fast in a straight line and it is quite agile, with a reasonable rudder shift speed and turn rate. Compared to Tashkent, which has nearly identical maximum speed, it has a ~20% smaller turn radius, making it much easier to avoid torpedoes or throw enemy aim off. It's reverse speed is average, although it does take quite a while to stop from full speed.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode Upgrade Status Maximum Speed (km/h) Turn Time (s) Turn Radius (m)
Forward Reverse
AB Stock 70 23 ~122.55 ~265.48
Upgraded 96 31 ___ ___
RB/SB Stock ___ ___ ___ ___
Upgraded 78 25 ___ ___

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB2 117 → 2 756 Sl icon.png
RB3 307 → 4 305 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications19 850 Rp icon.png
32 500 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost980 Ge icon.png
Crew training13 000 Sl icon.png
Experts47 000 Sl icon.png
Aces400 Ge icon.png
Research Aces280 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
190 / 460 / 100 % Sl icon.png
136 / 136 / 136 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
Mods new ship hull.png
Dry-Docking
Research:
790 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship rudder.png
Rudder Replacement
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship screw.png
Propeller Replacement
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship engine.png
Engine Maintenance
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods ship damage control crew.png
Damage Control Division
Research:
790 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods ship fire control crew.png
Fire Division
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
Smokescreen
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods ship venting.png
Ventilation
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods ship anti fragmentation protection.png
Shrapnel Protection
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship pumps.png
New Pumps
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods ship ammo wetting.png
Ammo Wetting
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
40 mm HE clips
Research:
790 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new aa caliber turrets.png
Anti-Air Armament Targeting
Research:
790 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
138.6 mm SAP
Research:
790 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
40 mm AP clips
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods new aux caliber turrets.png
Auxiliary Armament Targeting
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods ship rangefinder.png
Improved Rangefinder
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods new main caliber turrets.png
Primary Armament Targeting
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods ship mortar.png
Bomb mortar
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods torpedo.png
Torpedo Mode
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png

Armament

Primary armament

5 х Turret138.6 mm/50 model 1929 gun
Ammunition200 rounds
Vertical guidance-10° / 30°

The main guns of this ship are generally very potent, but in a few situations they can be near useless. They have a fast reload and high-yield SAP which will deal plenty of damage and will overpen less than pure AP or APCBC rounds. However, they have limited capability against larger ships with more armour, because they have very little pen. The guns also have a slow traverse rate, which can make getting guns on target quite difficult, especially when a target is moving.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
1,000 m 2,500 m 5,000 m 7,500 m 10,000 m 15,000 m
OEA Mle 1928 HE 36 36 36 36 36 36
OPFA Mle 1924 SAPBC 77 67 54 43 36 30
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(s)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
OEA Mle 1928 HE 800 40.2 0 0.1 3.41 79° 80° 81°
OPFA Mle 1924 SAPBC 800 39.9 0.05 6 2.53 48° 63° 71°

Secondary armament

Turret4 x 40 mm Bofors L/60 Mark 2 gun
Ammunition8000 rounds
Belt capacity4 rounds
Fire rate156 shots/min
2 х Turret2 x 40 mm Bofors L/60 Mark 2 gun
Ammunition4000 rounds
Belt capacity4 rounds
Fire rate156 shots/min

The 40mm Bofors guns are powerful against small coastal vessels, and using AP clips gives them increased potency against more armoured vessels. They can be used with some success against early destroyers, although this should be a last-ditch effort, in case the main armament is unable to fire for some reason.

  • Universal: AP-T · HEFI-T
  • 40 mm HE clips: HEFI-T · HEFI-T · HEFI-T · AP-T
  • 40 mm AP clips: AP-T · AP-T · AP-T · HEFI-T

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
HEFI-T 3 3 3 3 3 3
AP-T 81 78 68 58 49 41
Shell details
Ammunition Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
HEFI-T 874 0.9 0 0.1 67.13 79° 80° 81°
AP-T 874 0.89 - - - 47° 60° 65°

Anti-aircraft armament

10 х Turret20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II autocannon
Ammunition1800 rounds
Belt capacity60 rounds
Fire rate450 shots/min

The AA suite of this vessel is quite powerful. It consists of the ubiquitous 40mm Bofors and the 20mm Oerlikon guns. The fast-rotation rate of the Oerlikons provides a useful close-defence against small torpedo boats, which is a real weakness of the ship at close range because of the slow rotation speed of the main batteries. The AA is very effective against all sizes of planes, being able to produce a large screen of lead that will take down even the most manoeuvrable fighters at quite impressive ranges.

Additional armament

Setup 16 x 550 mm model 1923DT torpedo
Setup 212 x Y-gun Mk.VII depth charge
Setup 36 x 550 mm model 1923DT torpedo
4 x Y-gun Mk.VII depth charge

The ship has a triple torpedo tube on either side of the superstructure amidships near the funnels. These torpedoes are often of limited use as they are quite slow, but can be useful in a pinch at close range or against larger ships which the high-yield SAP of the main armament will struggle to penetrate. The location of these tubes can be somewhat annoying, as unlike on other ships, each set of tubes can only fire to one side. This means only one will be able to bear on a target at a time.

Usage in battles

Le Malin is best characterised by its excellent firepower and speed, at the expense of a lack of flexibility, due to the slow turret traverse. Once you are engaging the enemies either port or starboard, it takes an entire 36 seconds for the main guns to rotate 180° (that's the time in Realistic Battles - in Arcade there's a multiplier applied that makes turrets rotate faster. See: game modes for more information). This makes it difficult to switch between targets when manoeuvring, and especially tricky to deal with any surprises or when moving between islands (such as it is common on Palau islands or some portions of South Kvarken). This makes it necessary to get used to switching manual control to the secondary or even anti-air guns in order to deal with enemy Motor Torpedo Boats and other coastal vessels, or even to quickly disable enemy primary guns.

That said, when Le Malin has an opportunity to dictate the encounter it will outgun most of the enemy destroyers, often being able to one-shot aft magazines with the large explosive filler of the guns.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Fast
  • Average agility
  • Excellent firepower
  • SAP has plenty of explosive filler
  • Potent AA armament
  • Fast reloading main guns

Cons:

  • Large profile
  • Unarmoured
  • SAP shells have very little pen- will struggle to deal with more armoured vessels
  • Very slow turret traverse
  • Somewhat awkward position of torpedo tubes

History

The Le Malin was a member of the Le Fantasque class of contre-torpilleurs that were built in the 1930s. The Le Malin herself entered service in 1935. The class was built to counter the Condottieri-class light cruisers of the Italian Navy. The ships were extremely fast (Le Terrible set a new speed record for a conventionally hulled boat of 45 knots during her trials) and had a powerful armament of five 138.6 mm/50 model 1929 (138.6 mm) guns in single mounts. They had a range of 2,900 miles at 15 knots. The ship was a member of the Force de Raid at the start of WW2, and engaged German units in Norway in April 1940. She escorted convoys evacuating personnel from France to French North Africa, and stayed with Vichy France after the French surrender.

Media

Skins

See also

Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

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

External links


Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée (FCM)
Ships 
Destroyers 
Aigle-class  Vautour
Le Fantasque-class  Le Malin
Battleships 
Courbet-class  Paris
Tanks 
Light tank  FCM.36
Heavy tank  2C · 2C bis

France destroyers
Bourrasque-class  Bourrasque · Tornade
Chacal-class  Chacal · Leopard · Panthere
Aigle-class  Aigle · Vautour · Milan
Vauquelin-class  Vauquelin
Le Fantasque-class  Le Malin · Le Triomphant
Mogador-class  Mogador
Hunt-class  La Combattante
Trophies  Germany
Desaix-class¹  Kleber
Type 1936  Marceau
  Italy
Chateaurenault-class²  Guichen
  Modified: ¹Type 1934A-class destroyers · ²Capitani Romani-class cruisers