G6
Contents
Description
The G6 is a rank IV British tank destroyer with a battle rating of 6.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Danger Zone".
Often referred to as the "G6 Rhino" or simply the "Rhino", it entered service and serial production with the South African Army in 1988. It was a self-propelled version of the G5 Howitzer series. It has been operated not only by the South African Army, but also Oman and the United Arab Emirates, a combined total of just over 100 exports. It has seen combat in the South African Border War as well as the ongoing Yemeni Civil War.
In War Thunder, it has situational utility as a support vehicle, specialising in long-range support by exploiting positional advantages earlier than other vehicles. The firepower of the G6 is exceptional, with one of the most potent high explosive rounds in War Thunder, capable of taking out almost any target in just a single hit. Despite having excellent speed, it performs quite poorly in the mobility department. It has low off-road speeds, extremely poor acceleration, and - like all wheeled vehicles - has a large turning circle which is further exasperated by the extreme size of the vehicle. This size makes it vulnerable to spotting and identification, so stealth is generally hard to pull off in this SPG. Compounding this issue, it has next-to-no armour to speak of, just barely protecting it against rifle calibre fire. High calibre machineguns, autocannons and artillery are consequentially extremely dangerous for this vehicle.
General info
Survivability and armour
The armour of the G6 is negligible. It is no thicker than 30mm, with the overwhelming majority of the vehicle being protected by 10-15mm of rolled homogenous armour (RHA). This only protects against rifle calibre machineguns. Autocannons and high calibre machineguns will tear the G6 apart. Despite this, APHE rounds fired by Soviet tanks may pass through doing minimal damage, due to a higher fuse threshold than that of the armour. Furthermore, the thin armour reduces spall from incoming solid-shot projectiles like APDS or AP rounds, which can lead to increased survivability when penetrated. The crew of 6 also means that it is difficult to whittle down the number of crew members, granting extra survivability. 8x 155mm smoke grenade launchers provide adequate cover in emergencies.
Armour type:
- Rolled homogenous armour (Hull, Turret)
- Bulletproof glass (Viewports)
- Structural steel (Miscellaneous)
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 20 mm Lower Front Plate @ 50°
10 mm Upper Front Plate, Driver Port @ 69° & 42° 15 mm Elsewhere, angle variable |
8 mm Engine Cover, angle variable 15 mm, angle variable |
10 mm @ 0°
15 mm ammunition stowage @ 0° |
15 mm @ 87-90° |
| Turret | 15 mm Turret face @ 31°-46° 10 mm Gun mantlet, angle variable |
15 mm turret
10mm storage |
10-15mm rear, angle variable | 15 mm @ 90° |
| Cupola | 15 mm @ 0° | 15 mm @ 0° | 15 mm @ 0° | 15 mm @ 0° |
Notes:
- Wheels are 10mm thick
- Gun steel is 40mm thick
- Bulletproof glass is 50mm thick
- Floor armour is 15mm thick RHA
Mobility
On paper, it would seem that the G6 would have excellent mobility, with a top speed exceeding 53 mph (86 km/h). However, this is somewhat deceiving as in reality the mobility of the G6 is very limited. It not only has very poor acceleration, but as a wheeled vehicle it severely lags behind with regards to off-road performance. Adding to this, its immense size and length means that it has a very large turning radius, and it has no neutral steering or ability to turn on the spot. It also lacks adequate breaking speed, taking a long period to come to a stop, and longer still to stabilise the primary armament.
In summary, the vehicle is fast off-road, however it lacks in off-road capability, acceleration, deceleration, responsiveness to input and turning area.
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 93 | 9 | 46 | _,___ | 1,049 | __.__ | 22.8 |
| Realistic | 86 | 8 | _,___ | 550 | __.__ | 11.96 | |
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
Main armament
The primary - and only - armament of the G6 is the 155 mm G6 L/45. It has exceptional explosive filler in both its M1 HE and M1 PF HE shells. Despite having low penetration at only 63 mm, it makes up for this with overpressure, allowing it to punch well above its weight. This allows it to kill any target in one hit, with very few exceptions. The primary armament is also able to fire smoke shells.
On the other hand, the reloading rate is abysmal, clocking in at a little under 20 seconds. This means that if a shot misses or fails to kill the enemy, it will most likely be the death of the G6. At only 5°, the depression angle of the primary armament is sorely lacking, especially if using in a hull-down position. Additionally, the G6 turret can only traverse ±40°, meaning it has a rather narrow cone of fire to the front of the vehicle, giving it a reduced effectiveness when attacked from the side or rear. The high recoil heavy barrel of the cannon relative to the rest of the SPG lends it poor weapon handling characteristics, taking a very long time for the weapon to stabilise.
The G6 also has a large first-stage ammunition stowage at 16 pieces, which is more than enough for this vehicle. It is therefore ill-advised to take more than 16 rounds into battle, since a large quantity of shells poses a risk to ammunition detonation, and 16 is more than enough given the low survivability of the vehicle, and low reload rate & high lethality of the weapon. Horizontal and vertical traverse is adequate, though nothing extraordinary. Commander optics are present, and can be an effective emergency alternative to the primary weapon optics.
| 155 mm G6 L/45 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 41 | -5°/+75° | ±40° | N/A | 25.2 | 34.8 | __._ | __._ | __._ | 19.4 | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ |
| Realistic | 17.0 | 20.1 | __._ | __._ | __._ | ||||||||
Ammunition
| 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 | ||
| M1 | HE | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 |
| M1 (PF) | HE-VT | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 |
| Shell details | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile Mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Arming distance (m) |
Trigger radius (m) |
Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (kg) |
Ricochet | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | |||||||||
| M1 | HE | 897 | 45.5 | 0 | 0.1 | N/A | N/A | 11.14 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
| M1 (PF) | HE-VT | 897 | 45.5 | 0 | 0 | 300 | 3 | 11.14 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
| Smoke shell characteristics | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile Mass (kg) |
Screen radius (m) |
Screen deploy time (s) |
Screen hold time (s) |
Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
| G6 Smoke | 897 | 45.7 | 25 | 5 | 30 | 50 |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ |
Usage in battles
It is ill advised to use the G6 in Arcade battles. At 136% visibility, it is extremely vulnerable to being spotted, and is an easy target for aircraft. While AB mitigates many of the aforementioned issues with weapon handling and mobility, the playstyle of quick and aggressive combat does not suit the G6.
In Realistic battles, it can perform better. It is best suited to being a long-range support vehicle, using mobility to reach far areas before enemy forces. It is then best to stay in position and hold common flank routes. Playing in a squad with a friend(s) is advised as the long reload rate means that players will often rush immediately after you fire, so it's best to have allies on comms to back you up in an emergency. In predominantly rural maps, it is best to stay at long range, and out of sight. In urban environments, staying with the bulk of your team is the best way to maximise survivability.
In Simulator battles, it is much the same as in Realistic. However, this time due to the more tactical and slow-paced nature of SB, you can take your time and plan out strategies to maximise effectiveness. Holding choke points and flank routes should be a priority, and staying at a range of at least 1 kilometre is best for ensuring long-term survival.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- High top speed
- Extremely powerful main armament
- Several crew lends additional survivability
- Ammo and charges separated reduces likelihood of ammunition detonation
- Long-range optics (up to 12x zoom
- Effective night vision devices (NVD)
Cons:
- Next-to-no armour
- Poor off-road handling characteristics
- Inadequate acceleration
- Limited horizontal guidance at 40° to either side
- Extreme size
- Encumbered handling of both weapon and vehicle
History
Background
The G6 Rhino is a Self-Propelled Howitzer, designed and developed by the Lyttelton Engineering Works (now Denel Land Systems, a division of Denel) throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. An indigenous design of South Africa, it was intended to replace the WWII-era Sexton of Canadian origin. The development of an indigenous design as opposed to the purchase of foreign arms is often attributed to the arms embargo (UNSC Resolution 418) on South Africa, passed unanimously by all major world powers - a response to the ongoing apartheid system of racial segregation, as well as escalation of the South African Border War with nearby countries.
Development
Development commenced in the late 1970s, and the first prototype was completed in 1981, with four additional field-test models being used by the mid-1980s. The G5 howitzer was chosen due to its preestablished presence within the South African armed forces. This meant that backwards compatibility allowed for the interchangeable use of spare parts and ammunition, as well as no radical changes to already existing manufacturing plants. The turret, as well as the G5 howitzer were manufactured by Denel Land Systems, and OMC manufactured the chassis. OMC - Olifant Manufacturing Co, was also responsible for the design, development and manufacturing of the Olifant (represented in War Thunder as the Mk.1A & Mk.2) MBT, which was a modified British Centurion tank.
The choice of a wheeled vehicle was intended to increase mine-survivability, reduce fuel consumption, allow for faster deployment times, and reduced wear-and-tear on the roads.
Two countries license-built their own versions of the G6. Chile briefly built it under the designation "CC-SP-45", though the Chilean Army promptly ceased development due to a shift in Augusto Pinochet's foreign policy. Iraq procured the rights to license build the G6 under the name "Al-Manjoon" with the assistance of Canadian artillery engineer Gerald Bull. Bull later went on to design the Al-Fao which is currently regarded as one of the most powerful artillery pieces, and is assumed to be a development of the G6 - be it directly or indirectly.
Combat History
To test its effectiveness in combat, a trial by fire was conducted in 1987, when all four field-test models were deployed in the South African Border War. One vehicle broke down en-route, so the other three saw action in Operation Hooper as part of an independent battery. It was critical in the South African success at the Battle of Cuito Cuanvale, where it bombarded an Angolan airfield, and four Angolan MiG-21s were destroyed on take-off. It was clearly demonstrated in this conflict that the G6 was a more than capable medium range SPH system, with future trials showing that it was an extremely accurate piece of artillery.
In 2015, a battery of G6 M1A3s under UAE operation was deployed in the Yemeni Civil War, and were used against militant Houthi positions.
Devblog
The G6 Rhino is a wheeled self-propelled gun, developed by South Africa during the 1970s in an effort to modernize the outdated inventory of their artillery regiments at the time.
In War Thunder, the G6 Rhino will be a new SPG reinforcing rank IV of the British ground forces tree with the release of the next major update. The G6 Rhino will offer its prospective commanders a devastating destructive potential, only found with such high-calibre artillery pieces, while combining it with signature superb mobility that South African combat vehicles are known and feared for by tankers in the game.
The centrepiece of attention with the G6 Rhino is most certainly its potent 155 mm G6 canon. Featuring excellent ballistic properties, even for a howitzer, gives commanders the ability to quickly and easily engage hostile targets, even at longer distances. Furthermore, the heavy high-explosive rounds (regular and remote fuse) ensure a good effect on target even if tankers miss critical components which may have led to complete destruction of the enemy. However, commanders should also be aware of some of the gun’s limitations, such as a rather lengthy reload time as well as the limited horizontal traverse to just 40° to either side of the vehicle’s horizontal axis.
However, while the G6 Rhino can bring a quick, yet untimely demise to many of its foes on the battlefield, it’s worth noting that the Rhino itself is quite susceptible to enemy fire due to its light protection. In fact, the G6 is only adequately protected to, at most, withstand direct hits from AP rounds fired from low-caliber automatic cannons. As a result, taking the G6 into the thick of the action is a risky tactic. Therefore, tankers are better advised to keep their distance to enemy units and utilize the Rhino’s excellent gun to deliver a devastating strike from a safe distance.
Yet, despite being safer to engage from a longer distance, aspiring Rhino commanders don’t necessarily need to take part in the fighting from the second lines.
Commanders may also utilize the vehicle's superb mobility - a signature feature of nearly all South African combat vehicles in the game - to position themselves on the flanks and surprise slower advancing enemy forces with precise and deadly high-caliber fire. This tactic doesn’t come without its own risks, but at least commanders might have the element of surprise on their side in this scenario compared to a full frontal brawl in densely packed urban environments.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
- FV4005 - similar utility in War Thunder
- Type 75 SPH - Japanese SPH with similar characteristics
External links
| Britain tank destroyers | |
|---|---|
| Infantry tank derivatives | Archer · Gun Carrier (3-in) |
| Light tank derivatives | Alecto I |
| M10 Achilles | Achilles · Achilles (65 Rg.) |
| Centurion derivatives | FV4005 · Conway |
| ATGM | Swingfire · Striker |
| Other | Tortoise · ▄M109A1 |
| Canada | QF 3.7 Ram |
| South Africa | G6 · ZT3A2 |
