M26 "D.C.Ariete"

M26 "D.C.Ariete"

M26 "D.C.Ariete"

Italy

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
6.7	6.7	6.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Medium tank

Purchase:6 090

Show in game

This page is about the premium Italian medium tank M26 "D.C.Ariete". For other vehicles of the family, see M26 (Family).

Description

The M26 Pershing 132ª Divisione corazzata "Ariete" (132nd armored division) is a premium rank IV Italian medium tank with a battle rating of 6.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.73 "Vive la France" as a bundle vehicle, but was removed from the store after War Thunder's 7th Anniversary. It was later reintroduced for the 2020 May Sale as a premium purchasable for 6,090 Golden Eagles .

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Cast homogeneous armour (Front, turret)
• 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 (28-53°) Lower Glacis	76.2 mm (0-1°) Front 50.8 mm (0-3°) Rear	50.8 mm (7°) Top 22.2 mm (71°) Bottom	22.2 mm
Turret	101.6 mm (1-55°) Turret front 114.3 mm (1-84°) Gun mantlet	76.2 mm (2-54°)	76.2 mm (0-79°)	25.4 mm
Cupola	76.2 mm (conical)			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	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	54	18	42.5	775	954	18.24	22.45
Realistic	49	16		442	500	10.4	11.76

Armaments

Main armament

90 mm M3					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	70	-10°/+20°	±180°	N/A	22.85	31.62	38.40	42.47	45.18	9.75	8.62	7.95	7.50
Realistic					14.28	16.80	20.40	22.56	24.00

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
T33 shot	APBC	175	172	160	146	134	122
M82 shot	APCBC	173	170	159	147	135	124
M304 shot	APCR	287	281	259	234	211	191
M71 shell	HE	13	13	13	13	13	13

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%
T33 shot	APBC	853	10.91	N/A	N/A	N/A	47°	60°	65°
M82 shot	APCBC	813	10.94	1.2	14.0	137.2	48°	63°	71°
M304 shot	APCR	1,021	7.62	N/A	N/A	N/A	66°	70°	72°
M71 shell	HE	823	10.55	0.1	0.5	925	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)
M313	821	10.7	13	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M26 Pershing

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty	9th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
70	61 (+9)	55 (+15)	49 (+21)	41 (+29)	33 (+37)	25 (+45)	17 (+53)	9 (+61)	1 (+69)	No

Machine guns

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

The roof-mounted M2HB .50 cal heavy machine gun is very good at knocking out tracks, punching through lightly armoured vehicles and shooting down low-flying aircraft. Use it sparsely because of its low ammo count.

7.62 mm M1919A4
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	5,250 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

The small calibre of the M1919A4 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

Usage in battles

Combat tactics

The M26 "D.C.Ariete" can perform in many different roles in battle. It can be used for supporting heavy tanks with long reload time as IS-2 or T32 or it can take part in flanking manoeuvres: your speed and agility are not brilliant but sufficient for that role. It can also be successful in sniping and ambushing situations. Use the lower profile of Pershing compared to the Sherman's to navigate through. Your depression angle allows you to shoot from upper positions without exposing too much yourself. That´s an advantage compared to most Russian vehicles which have close to no gun depression angle.

The 90 mm M3 gun owns a wide selection of ammunition to be used. The M82 APCBC with an explosive filler is extremely deadly. Usually, successful penetration with this shell can lead to a single-shot knock-out on a vehicle. It lacks a bit of penetration for the rank this vehicle sits at, but it's great for flanking shots. The M304 APCR shot gives the vehicle the ability to penetrate thick armour (provided it is a flat surface). This means you need to target crew positions or modules and aim at (almost) vertical armour. Against a Tiger II (H), this means aiming for the turret right side if he is looking directly at you on the gunner side. At that position, you can penetrate up to a distance of 1,800 m.

Although you are moderately armoured for your class, most enemies can easily kill you at this rank if you expose your tank too much. To reduce direct impacts in frontal engagements angle the Pershing, the V-shape frontal armour can deflect some shots. Your lower glacis is a weak spot, keep it hidden from the enemy.

One downside to the Pershing is the engine: the power-to-weight ratio is poor and does not allow for very quick manoeuvring. It uses the same Ford GAF that can be found in the late series M4 Medium tanks, with nearly 8 tons more weight. Being slightly underpowered, the M26 "D.C.Ariete" has a hard time climbing hills. You will need to know the maps and areas you are operating in and use them wisely.

Urban maps (Poland, Eastern Europe, Hürtgen Forest, Cologne) are perfect for ambushing, use your moderate speed to catch off-guard heavier enemy tanks. Drop arty in front of suspected enemy positions if you need to cross a street and relocate, the smoke screen will cover you.

If you've been able to flank an enemy, your first shot is decisive. Always shoot to disable the gun first (gunner or breech). The best ammo to do this is M304 APCR round, or M82 APCBC shell. M304 will guarantee a 100% successful shot, M82 can also work very good and might deal heavy damage inside the turret. But some Germans have tracks on the hull´s sides and if the enemy is in the process of turning the turret, the M82 could bounce. Make sure you not to miss. The large sides of German heavy tanks are tempting targets but its very easy to punch through without dealing damage with the wrong ammo like the T33 or M304 rounds. If you flanked a turretless tank destroyer like a Jagdpanther or a Ferdinand, just aim at the engine and you will have virtually killed it.

Arcade Battles

In arcade battles, it is much harder to flank and ambush enemy tanks because of the tag system (player name). However, the tank is still very playable and you can do different tactics depending on the situation. For urban environments, it's best to move with the team and only poke your head out when you have a good shot and the enemy tank isn't aimed at you. In open terrain, you will still be able to use the hills to your advantage and side-shot / pot-shot enemy tanks. The main rule here is don't show your sides and stay low.

Realistic/Simulator Battles

In realistic and simulator battles, The M26 "D.C.Ariete" shouldn't be in the toughest part of the match facing very heavily armoured enemies. It's better to stay behind front lines supporting or try a flanking manoeuvre, you can´t be spotted in the mini-map. The high battle rating means you can be up-tiered and fight Cold War era tanks in simulator mode. The compression and matchmaking can put you into situations where enemies are especially hard to penetrate, even from the sides.

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	Elevation Mechanism
IV	Transmission	Engine		Artillery Support	M313
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Penetrating 90 mm M82 rounds can one-shot most tanks
• Low profile
• Nice handling at gear 5
• .50 calibre machine gun on top helps for anti-aircraft defence
• Fast reverse speed

Cons:

• Turret ring can be easily damaged
• Slow compared to other nation's medium tanks, especially acceleration
• Heavy handling at low speed
• 90 mm gun penetration not the best

History

Procurement

The Italian Army received Pershing tanks from the USA as part of the Mutual Defense Assistance Act at the beginning of the 1950s. The previously supplied M4 Sherman had become obsolete and needed replacement. The US Army armoured units stationed in West Germany transitioned from the M26 to the M47 Patton from 1952 through 1953. The M26 tanks, including the M26A1 version, were no longer needed by the US Army and thus given to Italy and France. Italy used their M26 Pershings operationally until 1963, after which they were gradually replaced by more recent M47, M60 and Leopard 1 tanks.

Armoured Division Ariete

The 132nd Armoured Division Ariete was created in 1939. Together with the 131st Armoured Division Centauro, it was one of the two main Italian armoured divisions during WW2. Both divisions fought during the North African campaign until their destruction at the 2nd Battle of El Alamein. In 1948, the Ariete Division was reconstituted at Forte Pietralata in Rome and transferred to Pordenone in the Friuli region in Northern Italy to prevent any invasion of Italy by armoured divisons of the Warsaw pact's armies.

Combat usage

The M26 were allocated to the 132nd Armoured Division Ariete at the Eastern border with Yugoslavia but never saw combat action.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the M26 "D.C.Ariete" from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #128 - Metal Beasts section at 06:50 discusses the M26 "D.C.Ariete".

M26 "D.C.Ariete" - Tank Review [Italian Premium Rank IV] - Napalmratte

M26 "D.C.Ariete" Tank Review - NUSensei

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

• M26 (Family)

Vehicles equipped with the same gun

• T25
• M36 Jackson (Family)
• Super Hellcat

External links

• [Wikipedia] 132nd Armoured Division Ariete
• [Wikipedia] M26 Pershing
• [Tanks Encyclopedia] Medium/Heavy Tank M26 Pershing