Difference between revisions of "Ru 251"

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{{Specs-Card|code=germ_ru251}}
 
{{Specs-Card|code=germ_ru251}}
  
−
== 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 Ru251.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''Spähpanzer Ru 251''' is a premium Rank IV German light tank with a battle rating of 6.7. It was introduced in [[Update 1.67 "Assault"]]. A very mobile light tank developed for the Bundeswehr to replace their [[Light_Tank_M41A1_Walker_Bulldog|M41 Walker Bulldogs]], the Ru 251 boasts great mobility and firepower for its users.
 +
 
 +
The Ru-251 has a relatively small profile for a tank, but for a light tank its profile is average. The Ru-251 utilizes a 90mm [[90 mm BK-90|BK-90]], the same gun as on the [[Hanomag-Henschel JPz 4-5|Kanonenjagdpanzer]]. It is capable of firing HEAT-FS, a potent round, and has a reasonably quick reload. Best for medium range engagements, but can fulfill close range and long range applications as well. Similarly to the Leopards, it has a raised engine deck at the rear, which messes with the gun depression. While it has 9 degrees of gun depression for about 130 degrees of turret rotation to the left or right (Gun pointing straight ahead), for the rear 100 degrees of angle, the gun depression is only a degree or two.
 +
 
 +
The bigger the map (provided it has cover), the more successful the Ru-251 will be. This is because it can use its speed to reach places early in battle that the enemy would not suspect an enemy tank already occupying.
 +
 
 +
The smaller the map (Even with cover), the less successful the Ru-251 will be. This is because it cannot make use of the single biggest advantage it has, speed. Essentially it will be forced into slugging matches, and the enemy will always have a pretty good idea of where the Ru-251 will be.
  
 
== 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 (Hull, Turret hatches)
 +
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Driver's bulge)
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 30 mm (60°) ''Frontal glacis'' <br> 30 mm (38°), 12.7 mm (69°) ''Lower glacis'' || 20 mm (35°) ''Top'' <br> 20 mm ''Bottom'' || 8 mm (45°) ''Top'' <br> 8 mm (41°) ''Bottom'' || 10 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 20 mm (23-38°) ''Turret front'' <br> 15 + 30 mm (12-37) ''Gun mantlet'' <br> 30 mm (0-78°) ''Gun mantlet border'' || 20 mm (30-35°) || 20 mm (30-32°) || 10 mm
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Cupola || 30 mm || 30 mm
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
* Suspension wheels, torsion bars, and tracks are 15 mm thick
 +
* Lower part of gun mantlet have additional 20 mm underneath
 +
* Belly armour is 9.5 mm thick.
  
 
=== 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 Armour<br>weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="2" | 25.5 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 89 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|80 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|1,023
 +
|1,259
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|584
 +
|660
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|40.12
 +
|49.37
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|22.90
 +
|25.88
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== 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|BK 90 (90 mm)}}
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
−
''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.''
+
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[BK 90 (90 mm)|90 mm BK 90]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | 61 || -10°/+20° || ±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'' || 14.30 || 19.76 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 14.30 || 16.80 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
 +
|-
 +
! 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.
 +
|-
 +
| 9.75 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== 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
 +
|-
 +
| DM502 || HESH || 102 || 102 || 102 || 102 || 102 || 102
 +
|- 
 +
| M71 shell || HE || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13
 +
|-
 +
| M431 shell || HEATFS || 320 || 320 || 320 || 320 || 320 || 320
 +
|- 
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="11" | 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%
 +
|-
 +
| DM502 || HESH || 853 || 11.0 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 3,050 || +0° || 73° || 77° || 80°
 +
|- 
 +
| M71 shell ||  HE || 823 || 11.0 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 925 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
| M431 shell || HEATFS || 1216 || 5.8 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 712.64 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
 +
|- 
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
 +
'''Last updated: 1.77.1.40'''
 +
[[File:Ammoracks_Ru251.png|right|x250px|thumbnail|[[Ammo Racks|Ammo racks]] of the Ru 251]]
 +
{| 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" |7th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
|| '''61''' || 57&nbsp;''(+4)'' || 51&nbsp;''(+10)'' || 41&nbsp;''(+20)'' || 31&nbsp;''(+30)'' || 21&nbsp;''(+40)'' || 11&nbsp;''(+50)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+60)'' || style="text-align:left" | No
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
Turret empty: 51&nbsp;''(+10)''
  
 
=== 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|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG 3A1]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial 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" | 2,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
! 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" | 2,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || -10°/+25° || ±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 Ru-251 is a very quick light tank, but it is not always fast. While it is true that the tank has a very high road speed, it can only make use of it in certain situations, much like the [[M18 Gun Motor Carriage|M18 Hellcat]]. That being said, thanks to almost 26 horsepower per ton, it can maneuver much more quickly over smooth and rough terrain than most other tanks. An important thing to remember is that just because you have the capability of covering large distances quickly, doesn’t mean it is advisable. This tank, like many german post-war vehicles, has virtually no armour, and a huge ammo rack located in the front of the hull.
 +
 
 +
This tank is highly effective in ambushes, and sniping from cover and the sides of maps. As mentioned prior, this vehicle is not being played to its fullest extent when the enemy knows where you are, or in slugging matches.
 +
 
 +
Because the Ru-251 enjoys a gun similar to the [[90 mm Gun Tank M47 Patton II|M47 Patton]] and [[Hanomag-Henschel JPz 4-5|Jagdpanzer 4-5]] that utilizes HEAT-FS, HESH, and HE, which are extremely potent at 6.7. There are virtually no enemies that can withstand the power of the HEAT-FS, even if it only penetrates 320mm of armour compared to later HEAT-FS that can penetrate 380mm of armour or even more.
 +
 
 +
It should be noted that thanks to the transmission in the Ru-251, it can travel as fast forward as it can backwards. As many German tanks have poor reversing speed, this is a welcome change. Another wonderful feature of the transmission is the neutral steer. Unlike other tanks that are sluggish in their neutral-steering abilities, the Ru-251 will turn quickly when the input is made (Unlike the M41, which feels sluggish when neutral-turning, and at times feels hesitant).
 +
 
 +
===Tactics===
 +
Even though the Ru-251 is a light tank, it utilizes advanced HEAT-FS that allows it to penetrate even the most challenging of opponents, such as the Maus. Upon contact with ammo racks and fuel tanks, serious damage will be done, if it does not outright kill your opponent.
 +
 
 +
Before all, avoid colorful or bright decals. Camouflage is a main part of your defense. Your chances for good performance in battle are: be "invisible", fast and effective. Your speed is your best ally. This speed has to be used for flanking maneuvers and relocate. Not for trying to cross open field. That`s a poor tactic.
 +
 
 +
'''Relocate:''' You will have to do this movement again and again. Choose wisely a good spot, if you need to clear it of trees for better visibility of the battlefield use your machine gun in short bursts. Remember, your tracers can easily reveal your position. When in your shooting spot, use your gun depression and keep your hull down until you find a target. Once you have acquired your target, aim at critical components by firing into the fuel tanks or the ammo storage. If you miss, but are sure the enemy hasn't discovered you, try another shot. Keep in mind, even if your target is oblivious, other members of the enemy team may have seen you, so be careful. If you´ve been detected, hide immediately! Relocation after being spotted is always advisable, but if you cannot relocate, wait until the enemy has become preoccupied with other members of your team.
 +
 
 +
'''Flanking:''' Flanking is the most dangerous maneuver of all because at times you have to expose the vehicle to get to the enemy's rear but it’s very effective when orchestrated properly. Early on in the battle, often enemy units are preoccupied with trying to get to their positions that they might not notice someone flanking, depending on the map and route taken. If a flank is attempted later on, be sure that all enemy vehicles are focused away from, or cannot see the path you are planning to take. When flanking, attacking lone targets will yield the best results. If you fire carelessly into a group of tanks, they will see you and likely point you out on the map for their entire team to see. On the other hand, if you kill a lone tank, they typically do not tell their teams where they were shot from, and this gives you some degree of protection. If they happen to spawn again, be sure to watch likely avenues of approach from the closest spawn and listen for aircraft, as they likely are trying to get vengeance.
 +
 
 +
'''Avoid flat terrain:''' Flat terrain means that the Ru-251 will become an easy target for virtually any vehicle by exposure, especially when not moving or when moving in a straight line. Open plains are the death of the Ru-251. Whenever possible, one should try to stay amongst hills or within buildings.
  
 
=== 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:'''
−
*
+
*As with all premium vehicles, the Ru-251 is fully upgraded, and comes with a talisman.
−
 
+
*Is very, very quick, and has great maneuverability.
 +
*Utilizes a very similar gun to the one found on the M47, however is at BR 6.7, not 7.3.
 +
*Has (likely) the fastest reverse speed in the game.
 +
*Reload (With full crew + Expert training) is very quick for the caliber and potency of gun.
 +
*Little armour (Advantageous for BR 7.0+ battles, where mobility is favored).
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
*While acceleration is quick, it is not necessarily fast.
 +
*Huge ammo rack that sits at the front of the hull
 +
*Little armour (Disadvantageous for BR 6.3- battles, where more armour can lead to bouncing).
 +
*Has very poor top armour, extremely vulnerable to artillery.
 +
*Has the least lions reward of all the other Rank IV German Premiums (390% vs 420%)
  
 
== 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.''-->
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
[https://warthunder.com/en/news/4524-development-sp%C3%A4hpanzer-ru-251-the-fastest-on-land-en/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Spähpanzer Ru 251: The Fastest on land]
  
 
== Read also ==
 
== Read also ==
Line 51: Line 274:
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
 +
 +
{{Germany light tanks}}
 +
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Revision as of 01:10, 17 November 2018

Rank VII | Premium | Golden Eagles
Challenger DS Pack
Ru 251
germ_ru251.png
Ru 251
Germany flag.png Germany
IV Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
7.0 7.3 7.3
Class:
PREMIUM
Purchase:7 480 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage Ru 251.jpg


The Spähpanzer Ru 251 is a premium Rank IV German light tank with a battle rating of 6.7. It was introduced in Update 1.67 "Assault". A very mobile light tank developed for the Bundeswehr to replace their M41 Walker Bulldogs, the Ru 251 boasts great mobility and firepower for its users.

The Ru-251 has a relatively small profile for a tank, but for a light tank its profile is average. The Ru-251 utilizes a 90mm BK-90, the same gun as on the Kanonenjagdpanzer. It is capable of firing HEAT-FS, a potent round, and has a reasonably quick reload. Best for medium range engagements, but can fulfill close range and long range applications as well. Similarly to the Leopards, it has a raised engine deck at the rear, which messes with the gun depression. While it has 9 degrees of gun depression for about 130 degrees of turret rotation to the left or right (Gun pointing straight ahead), for the rear 100 degrees of angle, the gun depression is only a degree or two.

The bigger the map (provided it has cover), the more successful the Ru-251 will be. This is because it can use its speed to reach places early in battle that the enemy would not suspect an enemy tank already occupying.

The smaller the map (Even with cover), the less successful the Ru-251 will be. This is because it cannot make use of the single biggest advantage it has, speed. Essentially it will be forced into slugging matches, and the enemy will always have a pretty good idea of where the Ru-251 will be.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret hatches)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Driver's bulge)
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 30 mm (60°) Frontal glacis
30 mm (38°), 12.7 mm (69°) Lower glacis 		20 mm (35°) Top
20 mm Bottom 		8 mm (45°) Top
8 mm (41°) Bottom 		10 mm
Turret 20 mm (23-38°) Turret front
15 + 30 mm (12-37) Gun mantlet
30 mm (0-78°) Gun mantlet border 		20 mm (30-35°) 20 mm (30-32°) 10 mm
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 30 mm 30 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels, torsion bars, and tracks are 15 mm thick
  • Lower part of gun mantlet have additional 20 mm underneath
  • Belly armour is 9.5 mm thick.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armour
weight (tons) 		Max speed (km/h)
25.5 N/A 89 (AB)
80 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 1,023 1,259
Realistic/Simulator 584 660
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 40.12 49.37
Realistic/Simulator 22.90 25.88

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: BK 90 (90 mm)
90 mm BK 90
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance 		Stabilizer
61 -10°/+20° ±180° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 14.30 19.76 _.__ _.__ _.__
Realistic 14.30 16.80 _.__ _.__ _.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
9.75 _.__ _.__ _.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
DM502 HESH 102 102 102 102 102 102
M71 shell HE 13 13 13 13 13 13
M431 shell HEATFS 320 320 320 320 320 320
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%
DM502 HESH 853 11.0 0.4 0.1 3,050 +0° 73° 77° 80°
M71 shell HE 823 11.0 0.1 0.5 925 +0° 79° 80° 81°
M431 shell HEATFS 1216 5.8 0.0 0.1 712.64 +0° 65° 72° 75°
Ammo racks

Last updated: 1.77.1.40

File:Ammoracks Ru251.png
Ammo racks of the Ru 251
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		7th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
61 57 (+4) 51 (+10) 41 (+20) 31 (+30) 21 (+40) 11 (+50) 1 (+60) No

Turret empty: 51 (+10)

Machine guns

Main article: MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm MG 3A1
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
2,500 (1,000) 1,200 N/A N/A
Pintle mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
2,500 (1,000) 1,200 -10°/+25° ±60°

Usage in the battles

The Ru-251 is a very quick light tank, but it is not always fast. While it is true that the tank has a very high road speed, it can only make use of it in certain situations, much like the M18 Hellcat. That being said, thanks to almost 26 horsepower per ton, it can maneuver much more quickly over smooth and rough terrain than most other tanks. An important thing to remember is that just because you have the capability of covering large distances quickly, doesn’t mean it is advisable. This tank, like many german post-war vehicles, has virtually no armour, and a huge ammo rack located in the front of the hull.

This tank is highly effective in ambushes, and sniping from cover and the sides of maps. As mentioned prior, this vehicle is not being played to its fullest extent when the enemy knows where you are, or in slugging matches.

Because the Ru-251 enjoys a gun similar to the M47 Patton and Jagdpanzer 4-5 that utilizes HEAT-FS, HESH, and HE, which are extremely potent at 6.7. There are virtually no enemies that can withstand the power of the HEAT-FS, even if it only penetrates 320mm of armour compared to later HEAT-FS that can penetrate 380mm of armour or even more.

It should be noted that thanks to the transmission in the Ru-251, it can travel as fast forward as it can backwards. As many German tanks have poor reversing speed, this is a welcome change. Another wonderful feature of the transmission is the neutral steer. Unlike other tanks that are sluggish in their neutral-steering abilities, the Ru-251 will turn quickly when the input is made (Unlike the M41, which feels sluggish when neutral-turning, and at times feels hesitant).

Tactics

Even though the Ru-251 is a light tank, it utilizes advanced HEAT-FS that allows it to penetrate even the most challenging of opponents, such as the Maus. Upon contact with ammo racks and fuel tanks, serious damage will be done, if it does not outright kill your opponent.

Before all, avoid colorful or bright decals. Camouflage is a main part of your defense. Your chances for good performance in battle are: be "invisible", fast and effective. Your speed is your best ally. This speed has to be used for flanking maneuvers and relocate. Not for trying to cross open field. That`s a poor tactic.

Relocate: You will have to do this movement again and again. Choose wisely a good spot, if you need to clear it of trees for better visibility of the battlefield use your machine gun in short bursts. Remember, your tracers can easily reveal your position. When in your shooting spot, use your gun depression and keep your hull down until you find a target. Once you have acquired your target, aim at critical components by firing into the fuel tanks or the ammo storage. If you miss, but are sure the enemy hasn't discovered you, try another shot. Keep in mind, even if your target is oblivious, other members of the enemy team may have seen you, so be careful. If you´ve been detected, hide immediately! Relocation after being spotted is always advisable, but if you cannot relocate, wait until the enemy has become preoccupied with other members of your team.

Flanking: Flanking is the most dangerous maneuver of all because at times you have to expose the vehicle to get to the enemy's rear but it’s very effective when orchestrated properly. Early on in the battle, often enemy units are preoccupied with trying to get to their positions that they might not notice someone flanking, depending on the map and route taken. If a flank is attempted later on, be sure that all enemy vehicles are focused away from, or cannot see the path you are planning to take. When flanking, attacking lone targets will yield the best results. If you fire carelessly into a group of tanks, they will see you and likely point you out on the map for their entire team to see. On the other hand, if you kill a lone tank, they typically do not tell their teams where they were shot from, and this gives you some degree of protection. If they happen to spawn again, be sure to watch likely avenues of approach from the closest spawn and listen for aircraft, as they likely are trying to get vengeance.

Avoid flat terrain: Flat terrain means that the Ru-251 will become an easy target for virtually any vehicle by exposure, especially when not moving or when moving in a straight line. Open plains are the death of the Ru-251. Whenever possible, one should try to stay amongst hills or within buildings.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • As with all premium vehicles, the Ru-251 is fully upgraded, and comes with a talisman.
  • Is very, very quick, and has great maneuverability.
  • Utilizes a very similar gun to the one found on the M47, however is at BR 6.7, not 7.3.
  • Has (likely) the fastest reverse speed in the game.
  • Reload (With full crew + Expert training) is very quick for the caliber and potency of gun.
  • Little armour (Advantageous for BR 7.0+ battles, where mobility is favored).

Cons:

  • While acceleration is quick, it is not necessarily fast.
  • Huge ammo rack that sits at the front of the hull
  • Little armour (Disadvantageous for BR 6.3- battles, where more armour can lead to bouncing).
  • Has very poor top armour, extremely vulnerable to artillery.
  • Has the least lions reward of all the other Rank IV German Premiums (390% vs 420%)

History

Media

[Devblog] Spähpanzer Ru 251: The Fastest on land

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.


Germany light tanks
Pz.II  Pz.II C · Pz.II C (DAK) · Pz.II C TD · Pz.II F · Pz.Sfl.Ic
Sd.Kfz.234  Sd.Kfz.234/1 · Sd.Kfz.234/2 · Sd.Kfz.234/2 TD
Marder  Marder A1- · Marder 1A3 · Begleitpanzer 57 · DF105
SPz PUMA  PUMA · PUMA VJTF
Wheeled  Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41) · Class 3 (P) · Radkampfwagen 90 · Boxer MGS
Other  Ru 251 · SPz 12-3 LGS
Argentina  TAM · TAM 2C · TAM 2IP · JaPz.K A2
Czechoslovakia  Pz.35(t) · Pz.38(t) A · Pz.38(t) F · Pz.38(t) n.A. · Sd.Kfz. 140/1
France  Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK
Lithuania  Vilkas
USA  leKPz M41
USSR  SPz BMP-1

Germany premium ground vehicles
Light tanks  Pz.II C (DAK) · Pz.Sfl.Ic · Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK · Sd.Kfz. 140/1 · Sd.Kfz.234/1 · Ru 251 · SPz 12-3 LGS · TAM 2IP
Medium tanks  Nb.Fz. · Pz.III N · Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J · ▀M4 748 (a) · ▀T 34 747 (r) · Ersatz M10
  mKPz M47 G · Turm III · Leopard A1A1 (L/44) · Leopard 2 (PzBtl 123) · Leopard 2A4M
Heavy tanks  ▀Pz.Kpfw. Churchill · ▀KV-IB · ▀KW I C 756 (r) · ▀KW II 754 (r)
  VK 45.01 (P) · ␠Tiger · Pz.Bef.Wg.VI P · Tiger II (H) Sla.16
Tank destroyers  Sd.Kfz.234/3 · Sd.Kfz.234/4 · Sd.Kfz.251/10 · Sd.Kfz.251/22 · 15 cm Pz.W.42
  Brummbär · Panzer IV/70(A) · VFW · Bfw. Jagdpanther G1 · Elefant · 38 cm Sturmmörser

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