M46

M46

M26

M47

M46

M26

M47

USA

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.0	7.0	6.7

Class:

Medium tank

Research:71 000

Purchase:210 000

Show in game

This page is about the medium tank M46. For the premium version, see M46 “Tiger”.

Description

The Medium Tank M46 Patton is a rank IV American medium tank with a battle rating of 7.0 (AB/RB) and 6.7 (SB). It is one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals". As an upgraded version of the M26 Pershing, it features many similarities to its predecessors but is improved with a better gun and engine for increased firepower and mobility.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Front)
• Rolled homogeneous armour (Side, Rear, Roof)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	101.6 mm (42-46°) Front Glacis 162.5 mm (25-60°) Upper front glacis 76.2 mm (26-53°) Lower Glacis	76.2 mm Front 50.8 mm (0-9°) Rear	50.8 mm Top 22.2 mm (65°) Bottom	22.2 mm
Turret	101.6 mm (1-55°) Turret front 114.3 mm (1-84°) Gun mantlet	76.2 mm (3-54°)	76.2 mm (0-79°)	25.4 mm
Armour	Sides	Roof
Cupola	76.2 mm	25.4 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 25.4 mm thick.

Mobility

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)		Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse	Stock	AoA	Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	54	22	43.7	0.2	1255	1,545	28.72	35.19
Realistic	49	20			716	810	16.38	18.45

Armaments

Main armament

90 mm M3A1
Capacity				Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
70				-10°/+20°	±180°
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade	15.17	20.90	25.40	28.10	29.90
Realistic	15.17	17.80	21.60	23.90	25.40
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
11.05	9.78	9.00	8.50

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration in mm @ 90°
		10m	100m	500m	1000m	1500m	2000m
M318 shot	AP	192	191	179	165	152	139
M71 shell	HE	13	13	13	13	13	13
M82 shot	APCBC	170	169	164	151	138	127
M304 shot	APCR	264	260	245	226	210	191
M332 shot	APCR	271	270	245	217	192	170
M348 shell	HEATFS	305	305	305	305	305	305

Shell details
Ammunition	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%
M318 shot	853	11	N/A	N/A	N/A	-1°	47°	60°	65°
M71 shell	823	11	0.1	0.5	925	+0°	79°	80°	81°
M82 shot	853	11	1.2	20	137.2	+4°	48°	63°	71°
M304 shot	1021	7.6	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1.5°	66°	70°	72°
M332 shot	1178	5.6	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1.5°	66°	70°	72°
M348 shell	853	6.5	0.0	0.1	926.17	+0°	65°	72°	75°

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):
M313	821	11	13	5	20	50

Ammo racks

File:Ammoracks M46Patton.png

Ammo racks of the M46 Patton.

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	Visual discrepancy
70	61 (+9)	1 (+69)	No

Notes:

• Ammo rack 1 is a ready rack, and takes priority in being filled at the beginning of the battle, then fills rack 2.
• Full reload speed will be realized as long as ammo exists in the ready rack. If the ready racks is empty, a penalty to reload speed will occur.
• Simply not firing when the main gun is loaded will load ammo from rack 2 into rack 1, as long as there is ammo in rack 2. Firing the main gun will interrupt the loading of the ready racks.

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB
Pintle mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
1,000 (200)				576	-10°/+50°	±120°

7.62 mm M1919A4
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
4,900 (250)				500	N/A	N/A

Usage in the battles

The tank plays almost like the M26 Pershing, it's relatively fast for its size yet has a very powerful gun. In comparison, the M46 Patton features improved manoeuvrability with increased acceleration, it also has a better gun to combat the foes it will face at its rank. Due to this, the M46 Patton can fit into multiple roles like the Pershing as an offensive or supporting unit. Attack and flank enemy units with the cooperation of allied units to get their more vulnerable sides.

At this rank, the more heavy duty vehicles appears such as the IS-3, 10.5cm Tiger II, T32, and the Maus. These tanks are a menace to not just you, but possibly your entire team. Taking these tanks out in the M46 Patton require close cooperation with other allies in order to get around and hit them in their side armour. More powerful ammunition unlocked in later modifications may improve your attempts at destroying these beasts.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	M82 shot	Horizontal Drive
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	M304 shot	Adjustment of Fire
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	M332 shot	Elevation Mechanism
IV	Transmission	Engine	Add-on Armor	M348 shell	Artillery Support	M313

Get Parts and FPE like the usual routine to increase the tank's survivability. After that, work towards the APCR and especially the HEATFS round at the Rank III and IV modifications to boost your firepower against the enemy at the battle rating.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful 90mm main cannon, especially with HEATFS rounds
• Great overall mobility
• Low profile
• Neutral steering
• Rear mounted transmission
• Excellent gun depression of -10 degrees
• The additional armor (fence around turret) can fend off HEAT and HESH shells

Cons:

• Turret ring is prone to breaking
• Elevation gear is slow
• Armour can easily be pierced by other tanks at its rank
• Struggles to penetrate many opponents from the front without HEATFS

History

Development

The M46 Patton came about around the time of the Korean War. Before that, the US Army armoured units consisted of two tanks, the venerable M4 Shermans and the newer M26 Pershings. Of the two, the Pershing was originally classified as a heavy tank as it weighed 41.7 tons compared to Sherman's 30-ton weight, but a reorganization had the M26 Pershing classified a medium tank after World War II. It proved unsuitable for the role as its mobility was unsatisfactory for that role, using the same Sherman engine, plus an unreliable transmission, to propel a vehicle ten tons heavier.

Work began in January 1948 to upgrade the Pershing's mobility with a new engine and transmission. The project was initially designated the M26E2, but as newer upgrades and more modifications are installed onto the tank, it began to feel more like a completely new design rather than a Pershing upgrade, so it was decided to give the model a completely new designation. The end result was the Pershing tank mounting the mentioned upgrades, plus a new power plant and gun with a bore evacuator to expunge propellant fumes. This model was designated the M46 Patton, named after General George S. Patton, the commander of the US Third Army and played a role in the establishment of American tank forces. The rebuilding of the tanks began in November 1949 and had 1,160 Pershings rebuilt into M46s, 800 to the standard variant and 360 to the M46A1, which had better brakes, a cooling and fire protection system, a new engine and transmission, and better electrical equipment.

Combat usage

The M46 saw combat only during the Korean War. The first batch arrived on August 8, 1950, to the 6th Tank Battalion and proved superior to the North Korean and Chinese T-34-85s. About 200 M46 Pattons arrive in Korea by the end of 1950, making up 15% of the American armoured strength, though the majority was still the M4 Shermans. By 1951, all M26 Pershings in Korea were withdrawn and replaced by the M46 Pattons, and eventually, the units with Shermans were also re-equipped with the newer tanks as well. When the armistice was finally made, ending the conflict in the Korean Peninsula, the M46 Pattons were withdrawn back to the state.

By the later parts of the 1950s, the M46 Pattons in American service still were being replaced by the newer M47 Pattons and those still in the inventory were leased for no cost to Belgium, France, and Italy for training purposes, sending American instructors to train the European crews and maintenance personnel.

In-game description

"The M26, which appeared close to the end of World War II, was an excellent tank. However, power-to-weight ratio, maneuverability, and range were lacking. A special new 12-cylinder, air-cooled engine developed by Continental Motors to take care of the maneuverability issue reached 29,361 cm³, and at 2,800 rpm its 704 hp outstripped the M26's 500 hp. The 6.5-fold compression, which was large for the time, required 80 octane fuel, and the air-cooling system often overheated the engine. Giving the tank a new power plant required a replacement roof for the compartment housing the engine and transmission, resulting in the use of a single grating.

The new automatic CD-850 gearbox and steering mechanism were operated using a single lever that served both as a gearshift and steering wheel. The M46's running gear gained another small roller to keep constant tension on the tracks and prevent them from slipping between the leading wheels and rear road wheels. In addition, the front suspension points were given second shock absorbers. The tank was built for low temperatures and had water-crossing special equipment. As a result, it was heavier, though it did not suffer from reduced speed thanks to its upgraded power plant.

In 1948 the modernized tank was accepted as the M46 Patton and mass produced from 1949 through 1951. A total of 1,168 units spread across two modifications were built.

The M46 medium tank was used by US forces during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953 and also served as part of the American forces in Europe."

Media

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

Read also

• Official War Thunder forum article: [Vehicle Profile] M46 Patton

Sources

• Surviving M46 Pattons (PDF)