M47 (105/55)

This page is about the Italian medium tank M47 (105/55). For other versions, see M47 (Family).

M47 (105/55)

M26A1

OF-40

M47 (105/55)

M26A1

OF-40

Italy

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.7	7.7	7.7

Class:

Medium tank

Research:105 000

Purchase:300 000

Show in game

Description

The M47 (105/55) OTO is a rank V Italian medium tank with a battle rating of 7.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.85 "Supersonic".

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull101 / 76 / 25

Turret121 / 63 / 76

Crew4 people

Visibility120 %

The M47's armour is a middle point between the M26 and an M48, it has decent hull armour which is able to stop full calibre solid shots from almost all vehicles it will face. However, it is not able to withstand sub-calibres like British APDS. Turret is inconsistent when it comes to full calibre and sub-calibres. Turret mantlet is able to withstand calibres lower than 105 mm but cheeks may even stop 122 mm. However they may not be able to stop sub-calibres from almost all calibres. Armour should not be relied on most of the cases due to inconsistency against threats seen in combat. However, this does not mean the armour should not be used at all. When facing Russian and American tanks, armour is sufficient to completely shatter or partially stop the shell, this is due to full calibre APHE and APCBC have relatively low penetration (215 mm - 250 mm). The story changes when facing British APDS from 20-pdr (84 mm) to 120 mm. They have an equivalent or higher penetration than the M47 (105/55) APDS, meaning they will easily penetrate you without effort. Now, there are some aspects when it comes to APDS. Due to being sub-calibre, they have penetration over post-penetration effects. All the spalling is dependent on the armour thickness. This can be considered good or bad depending on where the APDS is being fired at. Hits to the hull frontal plate will most likely kill your driver and loader (if hit on the right side seen from the front) or gunner and commander (if hit on the left side seen from the front). Turret hits are often single-shot kills if fired in the right places. In a 60° frontal arc, all hits will take at most 2 crew members unless it is a high calibre round like the Conway's 120 mm. Past 60°, all hits are most likely to be single-shot kill, specially if the hit is made at a turret side as the breech is not big enough to stop the spalling. Hits on the turret back are confirmed kills, however, hits on the engine deck can be painful due to fire but will not instantly destroy the M47. The engine and transmission are big enough to stop all spalling and rounds it will see except darts.

Armour type:

• Cast homogeneous armour (Front hull, turret, cupola)
• Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull sides, rear and roof, turret roof, cupola roof)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	101.6 mm (59°) Upper glacis 75 mm (24-76°) MG port bulge 170 mm obturated MG port 90 mm (52°) Lower glacis - Top 76.2 mm (27-54°) Lower glacis - Bottom	76.2 mm Top - Front 38-50.8 mm Top - Rear 25.4 mm (67°) Bottom	25 mm Upper plate - Centre 22.2 mm (1-64°) Lower glacis - Centre 38-50.8 mm Sides	22.2 mm (0-16°) 25.4 mm (spherical) Front hatches
Turret	121 mm (spherical) Turret front - Centre and Bottom 101.6 mm Turret front - Top 62-74 mm Gun mantlet	63.5 mm (22-27°) 16 mm (spherical) Optics port	76.2-90 mm	25.4 mm
Cupola	76.2 mm (cylindrical)			76.2 mm (conical) Outer ring 25.4 mm Centre

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 30 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 25.4 mm thick.
• Storage boxes and mudguards are 5 mm thick.
• Turret bustle rack is 15 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB53 / 22 km/h

RB and SB48 / 20 km/h

Number of gears6 forward

2 back

Weight46.3 t

Engine power

AB1 431 hp

RB and SB750 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB30.9 hp/t

RB and SB16.2 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	53	22	46.3	1,162	1,431	25.1	30.91
Realistic	48	20		663	750	14.32	16.2

Mobility wise, the M47 is a fatter M26. Not too fast but not too slow either. It has a powerful engine that is able to pull and push almost all tanks in the battlefield while being able to maintain adequate mobility. It does not have neutral steering per se as it is not fully on its own axis. However it does have a really good reverse speed (for its size) as well as acceleration for both forward and reverse gears. Top speed is higher than the M26 but is not too fast, expect from a Patton tank.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB4 307 → 5 642

RB4 815 → 6 307

SB6 791 → 8 896

Total cost of modifications87 700

147 200

Talisman cost2 100

Crew training86 000

Experts300 000

Aces1 200

Research Aces720 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

130 / 200 / 220 %

196 / 196 / 196 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 6 100 Cost: 9 800 250 Suspension Research: 4 100 Cost: 6 600 165 Brake System Research: 4 100 Cost: 6 600 165 Filters Research: 5 700 Cost: 9 200 230 Transmission Research: 7 400 Cost: 12 000 300 Engine Research: 7 400 Cost: 12 000 300	Improved Parts Research: 4 000 Cost: 9 800 250 Improved FPE Research: 2 700 Cost: 6 600 165 Crew Replenishment Research: 5 700 Cost: 9 200 230	Horizontal Drive Research: 6 100 Cost: 9 800 250 Adjustment of Fire Research: 4 100 Cost: 6 600 165 105mm_usa_HESH_ammo_pack Research: 4 100 Cost: 6 600 165 Elevation Mechanism Research: 5 700 Cost: 9 200 230 Rangefinder Research: 5 700 Cost: 9 200 230 Artillery Support Research: 7 400 Cost: 12 000 300 105mm_usa_HEAT_FS_ammo_pack Research: 7 400 Cost: 12 000 300

Armaments

Rangefinder

Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder

Main armament

105 mm OTO Melara 105/55 cannon

Ammunition70 rounds

First-order10 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

8.7 → 6.7 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 19°

This specific M47 is armed with the OTO Melara 105/55 cannon, the only M47 in-game to have a 105 mm gun. It is similar to the L7A3 Royal Ordnance 105 mm gun seen on other vehicles (Centurion Mk 10, Leopard 1, Vickers MBT) and the M68 105 mm gun (M60A1-A3). However, its handling is similar to the OTO Melara 105/52 of the Centauro, mainly for using exactly the same ammunition.

105 mm OTO Melara 105/55					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	71	-5°/+19°	±180°	N/A	28.6	39.5	48.0	53.1	56.5	8.71	7.70	7.10	6.70
Realistic					17.9	21.0	25.5	28.2	30.0

Ammunition

This M47 is the most powerful M47 seen in-game firepower-wise. It has the same ammunition as the Centauro.

• M392A2: despite being APDS and the stock round, this round is one of the most powerful sub-calibre rounds the Italians have access to at Rank 5. The penetration, flight speed and post-penetration effect are really great for beating almost all tanks it faces with exception of the T-55AM-1. This round is underestimated for the fact it does not have the same penetration the M456 has. However it comes more in handy to use APDS most of the time than HEAT-FS mainly for the fact that it can be used easier for longer engagements and will not detonate with trees and bushes.
• M393A2: the HESH round is 90% of the time useless unless trap shots are involved. The use for it is really situational and it is much better to carry APDS or HEAT-FS for all anti-tank purposes.
• M456: this is the pinnacle of heavy armour destroying, mainly for the fact that it has a continuous penetration through all its flight time. This is not recommended to be carried as the main shell for the previous statements. However it is recommended to carry some to defeat heavy armour the APDS is unable to penetrate.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
M392A2	APDS	303	302	296	277	257	252
M393A2	HESH	127	127	127	127	127	127
M456	HEATFS	400	400	400	400	400	400

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M392A2	APDS	1,478	4	N/A	N/A	N/A	75°	78°	80°
M393A2	HESH	732	14.85	0.05	0.1	4,310	73°	77°	80°
M456	HEATFS	1,173	10.5	0.05	0.1	1,270	65°	72°	77°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M47 (identical).

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
71	42 (+29)	12 (+59)	10 (+61)	7 (+64)	1 (+70)	No

Notes:

• As they are modeled by sets of 2, shells disappear from the rack only after you fire both shells in the set.
• Shells are modeled by sets of 2 and disappear from the rack after both shells in the set having been shot or loaded.
• Racks 3 to 5 are first stage ammo racks. They total 11 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
• These racks are also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 3 - 4 - 5 - 1 - 2.
• Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-6 into racks 8 then 7. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition1 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 50°

Horizontal guidance-120° / 120°

7.62 mm M1919A4 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition5 000 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	1,000 (200)	577	-10°/+50°	±120°

7.62 mm M1919A4
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	4,900 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

The M47 is a slow pushing tank with a powerful anti-tank gun. It should not be used as frontline tank but rather as support tank. Its powerful gun is more than capable of dealing with 90% of the tanks it will see at any range. However, as you don't have enough armor to sustain HEATFS shells at that tier, you need to stay aware of your surroundings at all times. This will impact your combat performance and you'll have to adapt your tactics depending on the map. Search for sniping spots with available cover nearby, watch the inclination because your gun can't depress too much (-5°).

List of opponents important notes when facing frontally:

• Panther/M48/Pershing: all front can be penetrated with APDS
• M60: gun mantlet can be penetrated by APDS, hull has to be penetrated by HEAT-FS
• Tiger II: all front can be penetrated by all rounds
• Centurion: all front can be penetrated with APDS and higher penetration rounds
• M103: hull has to be penetrated by HEAT-FS, center of mass shot has to be done frontally as the hull and turret are curvy, hull is impenetrable by all rounds
• T32/T32E1: gun mantlet and hull have to be penetrated by HEAT-FS or APDS, aim at lower half of the frontal glacis to fire at ammunition rack
• Maus/E-100: gun mantlet has to be penetrated by HEAT-FS, hull is impenetrable by all rounds. Side shots have to be done with APDS or HEAT-FS.
• Jagdtiger: all front can be penetrated by all rounds
• Leopard 1/AMX-30: all front can be penetrated with APDS and higher penetration rounds
• T95: gun mantlet and hull have to be penetrated by HEAT-FS

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Better main gun than on the original M47.
• Decent frontal armour.
• Has a .50 cal machine gun for warding off incoming airplanes.

Cons:

• Shot trap can deflect shells off the bottom of the turret mantlet and into the hull's roof.
• Armour can still be penetrated by most enemies, especially by HEATFS and Sabot rounds.

History

The story of the Italian M47 (105/55) starts during the 5th October 1952, Italy was modernizing its tanks and replacing the old M46 tanks they had in service. The M47 came from America in the form of the MAP (Military Assistance Program), which saw Italy getting equipped with new M47 tanks up until the 29th of December of that year, when deliveries would finally be complete. Italy would end up using over 1,000 units in various different regiments. They would go on to serve in the Italian army for many years, until they were put out of service in favour of the American M60.

The story of the M47 (105/55) upgrade would happen during the 1970s, OTO Melara had proposed to modernize Italian M47s by replacing its original M36 90 mm cannon with an OTO Melara 105 mm cannon. The 105 mm cannon was originally a 90 mm that was modified by OTO engineers, making the cannon longer and wider, which ended up allowing the new cannon to have a length of 55 calibres, instead of the 52 calibres of the 105 mm L7 cannons. This was mainly done to save money as OTO didn't want to pay for rights for the construction. The new cannon installed onto the M47 could fire a variety of munitions, such as HEATFS, APDS and HESH. Other changes included a new Continental ADVS 1750 diesel engine, already present on M60 tanks, that replaced the older more unreliable one. The new ADVS engine would have a more efficient diesel propulsion system, which was favoured. Although it was inferior in terms of overall output from the original engine, it being diesel-powered was the main reason it was chosen. Lastly, there would be installation at the rear of the vehicle that gave the hull a thermal suppressor that would reduce IR signatures of the tank. The tank was a great success during tests, with both Spanish and Pakistani crowds viewing the progress, who would be very interested in this vehicle, sadly the M47 upgrade never got picked up by the Italian army. It is unknown as to why, some have said due to costs, others have said it was political as Italy was setting its sights for the M60 tank, so it would've been much better to keep ties with America stronger by purchasing their vehicles, which Italy eventually bought later down the line to replace the M47.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the M47 (105/55) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #226 - Metal Beasts section at 00:28 discusses the M47 (105/55).

Best experimental vehicles discusses the M47 (105/55) at 3:41 - War Thunder Official Channel

The Patton Family discusses the M47 (105/55) at 4:42 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

• M47
• mKPz M47 G

External links

• [Tanks Encyclopedia] M47 Patton in Italian Service