Char 25t
Contents
Description
The Batignolles-Chatillon Char de 25 tonnes (shortened as Char 25t) is a Rank V French light tank with a battle rating of 8.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.81 "The Valkyries".
The Char 25t is similar to other French light tanks in that it is a small, closed tank with a compact autoloader turret in the rear of the tank. It is a bit wider than traditional French lights, but not by much. Its armour design is more akin to the AMX-50 or the Panther with a flat front and angled cheeks on the chassis. On the top of the turret is an oddity for cold war French designs, a machine gun. Though only a 7.5 mm machine gun that can be used for spotting targets or to deter some planes along with the coaxial.
General info
Survivability and armour
The Char 25t has more armour than other French light tanks, at steeper angles. With distance, it may be able to bounce the 40 mm Bofors, though it will be rare. The top of the tank is well armoured and will easily defeat .50 cal (12.7 mm) rounds from airborne enemies though anything bigger will go through. The sides and rear are nonexistent comparatively and anything "antitank" will go through with ease. Most APHE shells fired at thinner parts of the tank may fail to detonate inside, it may save your life once or twice but don't rely on it. The driver has a 50 mm plate in front of him so that will help once or twice.
Armour type:
- Cast homogeneous armour (hull cheeks, turret base, turret, cupola)
- Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof, cupola roof)
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 30 mm (64°) Front glacis - Left 50 mm (64°) Front glacis - Right 50 mm (36°) Lower glacis |
25 mm | 30 mm Top (53°) 20 mm Fuel Cover 30 mm Bottom (24°) |
30-50 mm (26°) Front glacis 20 mm Centre and rear 15 mm Driver's hatch |
| Turret | 50 mm (53-56°) Turret front 30 mm (20-59°) Turret base 50 mm Barrel shroud |
25 mm Turret 30 mm (0-22°) Turret base |
20 mm Turret bustle 20 mm (11-21°) Pivot ball 15 mm Turret underside |
20 mm |
| Cupola | 20 mm (conical) | 20 mm (conical) Outer ring 20 mm Centre | ||
Notes:
- Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 15 mm thick.
- Belly armour is 20 mm thick.
- 8 mm Structural steel firewall separates the driver from the engine.
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 | 73 | 73 | 25.4 | 775 | 954 | 30.51 | 37.56 |
| Realistic | 66 | 66 | 442 | 500 | 17.4 | 19.69 | |
The Char 25t is very fast, both in top speed (even in reverse) and acceleration. With a top speed of 65 km/h and great hp/ton, it will take you anywhere you want to go. The wide tracks compared to its low weight are just another cherry on top. The transmission has 12 gears, 6 forward and 6 backward, and then a neutral. The reverse gears are identical to the forward gears, so driving in reverse is no problem (except for the more exposed crew). Also, the Char 25t can neutral steer quickly.
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
|
Armaments
Main armament
| 90 mm SA45 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds)* | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 52 | -6°/+11° | ±180° | N/A | 22.9 | 31.6 | 38.4 | 42.5 | 45.2 | 6.70 | 6.70 | 6.70 | 6.70 |
| Realistic | 14.3 | 16.8 | 20.4 | 22.6 | 24.0 | ||||||||
Note:
- The main armament is reloaded by an autoloader, therefore the loader's weapon reloading skill doesn't change the reloading rate of the vehicle.
The gun is decent for its BR and role. Although it lacks a HEAT-FS shell like its nearby cousin the AMX-13-90, it still boasts the 90 mm SA45 cannon used on the AMX M4 with the same ammunition. It carries only APC, which can easily take out multiple crew if aimed correctly, though can be a tough one to master if new to solid shot. The HE shell is mostly useless though it can be useful if used against really light vehicles. 1 kg of TNT isn't nothing to scoff at.
The reload time is short, 6.7 seconds between shots (even with a knocked out loader)! It carries 7 shots in the drum, like the AMX M4, allowing for a sustained fire at multiple enemies. Make your shots count though! The solid shot will not be very forgiving to players who do not target crew positions or modules on enemy vehicles.
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 | ||
| 90 mm Obus de rupture | APC | 215 | 212 | 201 | 188 | 175 | 164 |
| 90 mm Obus explosif | 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% | |||||||
| 90 mm Obus de rupture | APC | 1,000 | 10.6 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 48° | 63° | 71° |
| 90 mm Obus explosif | HE | 700 | 11.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 945 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 44 (+8) | 35 (+17) | 26 (+26) | 17 (+35) | 8 (+44) | 1 (+51) | No |
Notes:
- Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
- Rack 6 (autoloader magazine) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 7 shells.
- This racks get filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
- As it is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
- Once the autoloader magazine has been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
- Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 5 into rack 6. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
- The depletion order at full capacity is: 6 - 1 - 2 up to 5.
Machine guns
| 7.5 mm MAC 31 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 4,950 (150) | 1,350 | N/A | N/A |
| Pintle | 1,200 (150) | 1,350 | -10°/+80° | ±180° |
The small calibre of the MAC 31 machine guns makes them largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. They 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
The Char 25t is a very fast flanking tank that can take on multiple foes if it has to. Engaging other tanks frontally is not advised as the main shell has a maximum pen of 193 mm, and even then there is no explosive filler, so hitting obscure weakpoints may not even disable heavier tanks. Against lighter tanks, be sure to avoid relying on armour as it only protects from some autocannon fire.
The following tactics could be used proficiently with the Char 25t:
Long range sniper/flanker: Start off the match by heading for one of the flanks. If it's an open map, hide behind hills and passively scout as you drive or head for the outermost capture point. Be wary of the speedy M18 tank destroyers, any of the Sd.Kfz. 234 series, or any other quick tanks that may be trying the same thing as you. Once in a nice position (shadow cover, somewhere to retreat, nice sight lanes), sit and wait for someone to pass by. Don't stay tunnel visioned! Slower tanks may be approaching and they will be able to instantly destroy the Char 25t if it gets the chance. If you notice enemies at a far distance, first scout them using the scout key so your team knows where they are in case you miss or are destroyed. Next, either range-find, or just go for the shot if they are close enough. Neutralize the target, and either change position and then rinse and repeat.
Brawler: Surprisingly, this tank makes a decent brawler with its compact size, incredible speed, and great reload rate. Keep near the outer flanks of any main road or capture point, and drive around looking to shoot out engines/turrets. Try not to engage any heavier tank frontally, as you will be wiped out quite quickly, and you will rarely penetrate through their frontal armour. If you manage to get the first shot, you will have the superior reload for the follow-up shot, especially if their gunner is knocked out from the first shot. Be wary though, and assume the enemy always has a shot loaded, so either be prepared to go back into cover if they're gunner gets replaced.
Support: Due to the new repair mechanics, light tanks can help repair teammates if a friendly repair has been initiated. Stick near teammates, especially heavier ones like the T95 or Maus which may occasionally meet. When they engage in a firefight, either flank around the enemy to disable their gun/movement, or if your teammate already finished off the enemy(s) and is repairing, help them. Go around and help your teammates repair and disable/destroy enemies.
Mixed: Mix and match the tactics above and of other French lights. Try to flank and don't get destroyed. The roof machine gun can allow the Char 25t to harrass planes trying for a ground strike at the team, so there's always a role that the Char 25t can play as.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Low profile.
- Thin armour will sometimes cause APHE to penetrate straight through without detonating.
- Has smoke launchers (high arc of fire).
- Can reach its top speed quite fast.
- As fast in reverse as forward.
- Gun performance is comparable to the British QF 17-pounder's.
- Fast turret rotation.
- Good gun depression value: high gun placement make hull-down positions very efficient.
- Short reload time thanks to the 7-round autoloader: 1 shot every 6.7 seconds, comparable to reload times at low ranks.
- Has scouting ability.
Cons:
- Thin sides will get shredded easily by nearby SPAAs.
- Bad at stop-and-shoot due to oscillating turret design.
- Gun penetration rates are often subpar: relies heavily on flanking manoeuvres.
- Poor gun elevation angle of 11 degrees.
- Ammo is stored everywhere, a single penetrating shot can easily cause an ammo rack detonation.
- Restocking the autoloader is very slow once it has been depleted and it limits severely your combat performance.
History
Design
The Batignolles-Châtillon 25t or project Super AMX-13 was designed in the 1950s for a weight class twice bigger than the AMX-13. It reused many parts from the AMX-13 like the oscillating turret and the autoloader. Its primary armament was a 90mm cannon capable of shooting the same ammunition as US M47 and M48 tanks. It was equipped with a 500 HP engine and could reach 65 km/h. It was operated by 4 crew members.
Development
Two prototypes were made in 1954 before the project was abandoned. The hurdles of the concept were the impossibility to guarantee NBC protection on the oscillating turret, the external reload of the autoloader exposing the crew during combat, an unreliable hydraulic suspension and external shot traps on the turret. Proofs of concept and technologies developed in this program were however later reused on other French tank projects, especially the AMX-30 (transmission).
Combat usage
It never saw service or combat action in the French Army.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Vehicles equipped with the same gun
- Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
External links
- [Devblog] Char 25t and T-80B
- [Wikipedia] Batignolles-Chatillon Char 25T
- [Tanks Encyclopedia] Bâtignolles-Chatillon Char 25 tonnes
| France light tanks | |
|---|---|
| AMC.34/35 | AMC.34 YR · AMC.35 (ACG.1) |
| H.35/39 | H.35 · H.39 · H.39 "Cambronne" |
| AMX-13 | AMX-13 (FL11) · AMX-13-M24 · AMX-13 · AMX-13 (SS.11) · AMX-13-90 · AMX-13 (HOT) |
| Wheeled | AML-90 · AMX-10RC · Vextra 105 |
| AMD.35 | AMD.35 · AMD.35 (SA35) |
| E.B.R. | E.B.R. (1951) · E.B.R. (1954) · E.B.R. (1963) |
| Other | FCM.36 · R.35 (SA38) · Char 25t · MARS 15 · VBCI-2 (MCT30) |
| Austria | SK-105A2 |
| Great Britain | ▄Crusader Mk.II |
| Netherlands | CV 9035NL |
| USA | LVT-4/40 · ▄M3A3 Stuart |
