T-69 II G
Contents
Description
The Medium Tank T-69 II G is a premium gift rank VI Chinese medium tank
with a battle rating of 9.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Starfighters" as a premium pack in the Gaijin store. It was removed from sale after the 2022 May sale. The T-69 II G has since been made available for purchase in-game (
) for specific Chinese events like the 2022 "People’s Liberation Army Day" mini-event.
An improved derivative of the Type 69, the T-69 II G is one of many Chinese tanks hailing from the lineage of the original Type 59, itself a version of the Soviet T-54. It has a few tricks up its sleeve and makes a good accompaniment to the similar ZTZ59D1.
General info
Survivability and armour
The armour layout of the T-69 II G is very similar to the ZTZ59D1. The base armour underneath the ERA is exactly the same as the original T-54 (1951). The turret ERA setup is identical to the 59D1, but the hull ERA setup differs. The coverage is much better, no longer having huge gaps around the tow cable attachment points, but there is no longer any notable kinetic protection, so APDS and APFSDS rounds will go through unimpeded. Seeing as how the ZTZ59D1 requires a healthy dose of luck for its hull ERA to function at all, the T-69 II G's more consistent chemical protection can be considered a reasonable sidegrade.
Post-penetration survivability is still not great, but the ammo rack next to the driver at least features wet storage like the Type 69. The tank is cramped and penetrating hits are likely to take out more than one crew member. When the turret is pointed forwards, the driver, gunner, and commander are all lined up and can be knocked out by a single penetrating hull shot.
Sometimes, if you are lucky, you will survive a penetrating shot that knocked out your gunner / driver, and your fate depends on whether if you can fight back/retreat before the enemy loads the second shell. If your crew cannot replace the dead gunner / driver on time, a split second late and you will certainly get destroyed by the next shell. Therefore it is recommended to max out the "Agility" skill on every crew, it might save your life one day.
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
- Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Gun mantlet)
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 100 mm (60°) Front glacis 100 mm (54°) Lower glacis |
80 mm | 45 mm (16°) Upper 30 mm (72°) Lower |
30 mm Front 20 mm Back |
| Turret | 160 mm (14-39°) Turret front 200 mm (4-78°) Gun mantlet |
115 mm (45-50°) Upper 155 mm (10-30°) Lower |
65 mm (9-35°) | 30 mm |
Notes:
- Suspensions wheels and tracks are 20 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 | 56 | 9 | 37 | 899 | 1,107 | 24.3 | 29.92 |
| Realistic | 51 | 8 | 513 | 580 | 13.86 | 15.68 | |
The T-69 II G retains the same 580 horsepower engine as the Type 69. Surprisingly, the upgrades only added a half ton of weight, so the overall mobility is more or less identical and an improvement over the sluggish ZTZ59D1 in terms of power-to-weight. The reverse speed of -7 km/h is still poor and the tank cannot turn in place, so mobility is not a strong suit of this tank. It can still arrive at the battlefield reasonably quickly, but other speedy 8.7 tanks like the Leopard A1A1 will arrive first.
Modifications and economy
2 × 150 / 210 / 250 % 2 × 226 / 226 / 226 % | Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
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Armaments
Main armament
The ZPL94 cannon is an upgraded version of the Type 83 cannon used by the ZTZ59D1, featuring a noticeably longer barrel. This improves the muzzle velocity of its ammunition, and the APFSDS penetration is increased slightly as a result. Unusually, it also has a faster reload than the 59D1's cannon by about 1 second, which is a welcome improvement.
The T-69 II G's optics are a fixed 6x zoom with a 12 degree field of view. This is a comfortable setting for medium range engagements, but players used to the typical 3.5-7.5x zoom and 21-10 degree FOV of the Type 59 family may find it less convenient for close quarters.
The -4° gun depression might look too poor, but due to the low height of the vehicle it is actually enough for quite some not-so-hilly terrains. On gentle hills the T-69 can peek over safely, exposing only the turret for hull down, for example certain spots in Jungle and Frozen Pass. However, this gun depression is still not great in very hilly maps like Karelia, forcing the player to ditch the hull down tactic.
| 105 mm ZPL94 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 44 | -4°/+18° | ±180° | Two-plane | 19.0 | 26.4 | 32.0 | 35.4 | 37.6 | 9.7 | 8.6 | 7.9 | 7.5 |
| Realistic | 11.9 | 14.0 | 17.0 | 18.8 | 20.0 | ||||||||
Ammunition
The APFSDS round should be the primary choice of ammunition (if ammo costs are not a concern) as it has the highest muzzle velocity and is the most reliable. The HEATFS round may have more penetration on paper, but quite a few contemporary tanks have spaced, reactive, or even composite armour that can lessen its effectiveness or stop it entirely. Even against plain steel armour, the extra penetration compared to the APFSDS round is often overkill. It can also be prematurely detonated by bushes and fences. The HESH round has destructive post-penetration effects at the cost of awful ballistics and low penetration, in addition to being soundly countered by the aforementioned special armour types. The HEATFS and HESH rounds are capable of causing overpressure damage to lightly armoured targets due to their explosive content.
New to the Chinese arsenal is the DTB-1 HE-VT round. It has a proximity fuse against air targets, similar to the WZ305's DKY-1 HE-VT rounds. The fuse only activates after 500 m of travel distance and has a trigger radius of 15 m. Since the T-69 II G does not have particularly good gun handling and the 825 m/s muzzle velocity is rather low, DTB-1 is best used against enemy helicopters as opposed to jet aircraft. It is ineffective against armoured ground targets because it only has 1.66 kg of TNT equivalent. In an emergency it can be fired at SPAAs and other lightly armoured vehicles in hopes of knocking them out with overpressure.
| 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 | ||
| Type-83 HEAT | HEATFS | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 |
| DTB-1 | HE-VT | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| Type-83 HESH | HESH | 127 | 127 | 127 | 127 | 127 | 127 |
| Type-83 APDS | APFSDS | 351 | 349 | 343 | 336 | 328 | 321 |
| 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% | |||||||
| Type-83 HEAT | HEATFS | 1,200 | 11 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 1,270 | 65° | 72° | 77° |
| DTB-1 | HE-VT | 825 | 16.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 1,660 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
| Type-83 HESH | HESH | 750 | 15 | 0.1 | 4 | 4,310 | 73° | 77° | 80° |
| Type-83 APDS | APFSDS | 1,500 | 3.79 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 78° | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 42 (+2) | 38 (+6) | 34 (+10) | 22 (+22) | 20 (+24) | 1 (+43) | No |
Notes:
- Ammo rack #5 is located in the left of the fighting compartment, opposite of ammo rack #3.
As mentioned before, the T-69 II G's ammo storage is not very tidy. Taking 38 rounds or less will empty the turret, which prevents turret penetrations from being fatal. Taking 20 rounds or less will empty the fighting compartment, leaving up to 19 rounds in the first-stage "wet" ammo rack (#6 in the diagram) next to the driver and 1 inside of the gun. This is the safest configuration, but emptying the fighting compartment completely is less of a concern since hull penetrations will typically cause a lot of damage to the T-69 regardless due to its cramped nature. Still, do not take more ammunition than necessary.
Machine guns
The T-69 features two MGs: one roof-mounted 12.7 mm heavy MG, and a 7.62 mm coaxial MG. The 12.7 mm MG, with its maximum penetration of around 30 mm, can do quite well against poorly armoured vehicles such as the R3 T20 / T106, and the AUBL 74. It can also damage or even destroy the opponent's gun barrel or track with around 5 seconds of continuous fire. Against low-flying aircraft it can easily get you some critical hits with the correct lead. However its magazine empties very quickly and it does not carry enough ammo for prolonged MG fire comparing to the infamous M2HB.
The 7.62 mm, on the other hand, can only damage fully exposed crew which are not commonly seen at this BR, or clear up light obstacles. Its low penetration greatly limits its usage in battles.
| 12.7 mm DShK | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Pintle | 500 (50) | 600 | -10°/+60° | ±180° |
| 7.62 mm SGMT | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 3,000 (250) | 600 | N/A | N/A |
Usage in battles
The T-69 II G is best played as a midfielder. It is better for close to medium range combat than the ZTZ59D1, since the mobility is noticeably better and the turret rotation speed is literally twice as good (20 deg/s max vs. 10 deg/s max). Rushing headfirst into combat is still not optimal since it lags behind in these two parameters compared to Leopards, AMX-30s, or Type 74s. On the other hand, the lack of a thermal sight makes long distance sniping more difficult than with the 59D1.
Since there are contemporary thermal-equipped tanks available in the Chinese tree (the M60A3 TTS and ZTZ59D1), the T-69 II G is a good choice for a first spawn. It fares better in aggressive combat than these two tanks, which tends to happen in the earlier stages of the battle. At the start of a match, for safety reasons, follow behind speedy teammates when rushing a cap point and let them draw some fire, then locate the opponents and deliver some powerful APFSDS to them. The reason to do so is because there are always faster opponents (e.g. Type 74G, KPz-70, Leopard I, etc) who do not cap the point first, rather they set up ambush next to a point and target whoever is coming, for example in complex maps like Cargo Port or Sweden. If you lead the rush, you will be their first victim. In the event that the T-69 is the fastest tank on the team, go for caps and keep a careful eye for enemies that might already be there or arrive shortly. Otherwise, the T-69 is a fairly rounded tank, so there are not many special strategies for it in particular. Always be on the lookout for speedy tanks like the Radkampfwagen 90, which may pop out of nowhere with little warning. If the T-69 is destroyed, the M60A3 and ZTZ59D1 are good choices to switch to laid-back sniping.
Although the T-69 performs very poorly in night battles, it might still get some kills if you are willing to try. It is equipped with a night vision device which somewhat helps your vision. In a large, flat and open map, find a smooth crater to stay within so you only need to expose your turret. Then be patient, use the binoculars and scan the battlefield. A night battle with such maps usually result in the two teams sniping & flanking each other from across the map (1.5-2.5 km apart), so if you stay hidden you will not likely to get spotted/shot at by thermal-equipped tanks (e.g. Leopard A1A1 (L/44), Type 74G). Sniping is a safer option, as the T-69 does not have the mobility or good optics to flank effectively. With the help of your night vision device, projectiles should be fairly visible. Track where your teammates' shells land, that is usually where the enemies hide. You will see a sudden flash of the muzzle as an enemy fires, find out the range of the muzzle flash with your laser rangefinder, carefully adjust your aim and fire. The T-69's APFSDS retains an impressive penetration of 300+ mm over 2 km which is enough to frontally penetrate any tank you will face. Constantly pay attention to any markers on the screen and minimap, to minimise the possibility of getting flanked. Do not poke out and shoot if you must expose your entire tank, as that will make yourself a noticeable white patch for a thermal optic. However, regardless of how careful you play, getting sniped from across the map by hidden enemies is still a common occurrence, and the T-69 cannot really take a hit, though the ERA might save you from HEAT-FS/missile once or twice.
Since the T-69 is a premium tank, HE-VT rounds are available from the start and don't need to be unlocked. Look out for helicopters; players spawning in helicopters at the start of the game are mostly limited to unguided rockets for anti-tank usage. The T-69's ERA can eat up a few glancing rockets and a lucky hit from a HE-VT shell can cripple a helicopter, though another hit might be required to finish the job. Use the laser rangefinder to get an accurate distance measurement and remember that the fuse does not work under 500 m. Do not expect to survive ATGMs, and if one is fired at the T-69, try to destroy it with machine guns. Get used to the ballistics of the round and try to place it as close as possible to the target. If the round is triggered at the edge of the proximity fuse radius, it may not do any damage at all. It also helps to stay a bit behind the front lines and/or take advantage of hills since the gun elevation angles on this tank are not the greatest. Lastly, remember that this tank has a heavy machine gun, which will do good supplemental damage against lightly armoured helicopters.
Against the T-69 II G:
Wheeled/light tank: vehicles such as Radkampfwagen 90 and CV 90105 have superior top speed especially on road. You can easily get to the flank of the entire enemy team and shoot the side of the T-69. If you are equipped with thermal optics then this will be even easier, as non-thermal-capable tanks such as T-69 II G will usually be less aware of your location. In a close encounter, you can circle around the T-69 as it has poor hull traverse rate and rather slow turret traverse speed, meaning it might not be able to keep up with you. If your vehicle fires HEAT as its primary shell, avoid the frontal hull and turret cheeks where ERA blocks are present.
Medium/main battle tank: It is easy to destroy a T-69 with a medium tank or a main battle tank like XM-1 and Leopard A1A1 L/44, however care must be taken as the T-69 can also easily destroy you with its powerful APFSDS. Shoot at its fighting compartment or the hull below the turret for an instant kill, as that can knock out the entire turret crew. If the T-69 faces you frontally, aim for the right side of the hull. The shell will take out the driver, gunner and commander all together.
Heavy tank: late war heavy tanks in a cold war/modern battlefield will feel outclassed, as their sturdy armour and punchy cannon that they were proud of are simply inferior in front of HEAT, APFSDS, spaced/composite armour, etc. Even the mightiest heavies like the Maus and M103 are just moving punchbags for modern technology. Therefore, when dealing with a T-69, do not poke out unless it is distracted. Its APFSDS can easily penetrate you frontally. But you can pierce through its frontal armour easily too, and given that late-war heavy tanks are usually using explosive-packed shells, you will knock out T-69s with a single shot more often than your MBT teammates who use APFSDS shells.
SPAA: almost no SPAA at this BR can frontally penetrate the T-69, but they are generally armed with fast-firing autocannons (e.g. M163, Gepard), allowing them to quickly trash the T-69's components like the roof MG, tracks, or gun barrel. With these modules destroyed by you, your teammates get the chance to finish the T-69 off effortlessly. One exception is the Falcon with its high-penetrating shells, it can penetrate the sides of the T-69. It is also a good idea to sabotage its ERA blocks on the turret cheeks and upper frontal plate, so it is easy to kill for your teammates whose primary ammunition is HEAT/ATGMs. Do not forget to drop an artillery strike on an immobilised T-69 if you can.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Long-barreled ZPL94 cannon leads to higher muzzle velocity and APFSDS penetration
- Proximity fused HE shell is nice against helicopters
- Faster reload and better gun handling than comparable USSR or PRC tanks
- ERA offers good protection against chemical rounds that are commonly used by tanks like M551
- Nice and broad vision through the gunsight gives good situational awareness even when sniping
- Offers a range of different shells for different purposes: APFSDS, HE-VT, HEAT and HESH
Cons:
- Does not have thermal sights, only passive night vision
- Armour is not worth much against APFSDS
- Turret ERA does not cover the front (coaxial MG port & gunsight port), offering close to no chemical protection to the front
- Not particularly mobile; reverse speed in particular is quite slow
- Reload is still slower compared to western MBTs
- Poor gun depression greatly limits its capacity in hilly terrain.
- ERA only offers one-time protection, and upon getting hit, lots of ERA will get destroyed, not just one
History
The Type 69 was intended as an improved version of the Type 59. It featured a more powerful engine, two-plane stabilizer, night vision systems, and a 100 mm smoothbore gun, and production vehicles benefited from some technology reverse-engineered from a captured Soviet T-62. However, the Chinese military was not very satisfied with the initial Type 69 variants and only used them in small numbers.
The Type 69-II variant was ready by 1982. The main improvements were to the fire control system. The original Type 69 100 mm smoothbore gun, which was found to be rather underwhelming, was replaced with the Type 59's 100 mm cannon while retaining the stabilizer. Other differences included turret storage racks and side skirts. While the 69-II did not find much domestic use either, it was a success on the export market, being used extensively by Iraq, Pakistan, and other customers.
The Type 69-IIG was an export variant for Bangladesh. While background information about it is rather sparse, it featured a 105 mm ZPL94 cannon and a new gunner's sight that combined the day/night viewing modes and laser rangefinder. After entering Bangladeshi service, it was upgraded with a wide variety of new features, including third generation ERA protection, thermal imaging sights, gun-launched ATGM capability, and a much more powerful 850 hp engine. It continues to serve in the Bangladesh Army to the present day alongside several other Chinese export tanks, including the Type 59 and VT-1/Al-Khalid.
Devblog
In 1975, China and Bangladesh established diplomatic relations and maintained a close relationship since. In 1989, Bangladesh purchased a large number of older Chinese Type 69-IIM tanks, which immediately entered service with the armed forces of Bangladesh.
Some time after their introduction to service with Bangladesh, the Chinese Type-69-IIMs underwent a major modernization program initiated by the Bangladeshi army with the support of Chinese companies. As a result, the vehicles received ERA protection, a modified domestic version of the well-known L7 105 mm cannon as well as an upgraded fire control system among other changes.
These upgraded vehicles became known under the designation 'Type 69-IIG' and the first units entered service in the mid 2000s. The Type 69-IIGs were first deployed in action as part of a response to an uprising which took place in Bangladesh's capital - Dhaka - in 2009. The vehicle has been in service with the armed forces of Bangladesh ever since and continues to serve to this day.
Media
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See also
External links
| Norinco (China North Industries Corporation) | |
|---|---|
| Light AFV/IFV | |
| WZ501 | ZBD86¹ |
| WZ131 | ▂Type 62 · Type 62 |
| WZ211 | Type 63 · ZTS63 |
| WZ502 | ZBD04A |
| MBT | |
| WZ120 | Type 59¹ · ZTZ59A · ZTZ59D1 |
| WZ121 | Type 69 |
| WZ122 | ZTZ88B · ZTZ88A · ZTZ96 · ZTZ96A · ZTZ96A (P) |
| WZ123 | ZTZ99-II · ZTZ99-III |
| WZ1001 | WZ1001(E) LCT · ZTZ99A |
| Tank Destroyers | AFT09 · PTL02 · PTZ89 · ZLT11 |
| SPH | PLZ83 |
| SPAA | ZSD63/PG87² · PGZ09 · PGZ04A |
| Export | |
| WZ121 | Type 69-IIa · T-69 II G |
| MBT2000 | MBT-2000 · Al-Khalid-I |
| MBT3000 | VT4A1 |
| Other | WMA301 · WZ305 |
| ¹ License production / Reverse engineered · ² Field modifications | |
| China medium tanks | |
|---|---|
| ZTZ59 | Type 59 · ZTZ59A · ZTZ59D1 |
| ZTZ69 | Type 69 · Type 69-IIa |
| ZTZ88/96 | ZTZ88A · ZTZ88B |
| ZTZ96 · ZTZ96A · ZTZ96A (P) | |
| ZTZ99 | ZTZ99-II · ZTZ99-III |
| ZTZ99A | ZTZ99A · WZ1001(E) LCT |
| Export series | MBT-2000 · VT4A1 |
| ROC | CM11 |
| Other | Т-34-85 Gai · Object 122MT "MC" |
| Bangladesh | T-69 II G |
| Japan | ␗Chi-Ha · ␗Chi-Ha Kai |
| Pakistan | Al-Khalid-I |
| USA | ␗M4A4 · ␗M4A4 (1st PTG) · ␗M4A1 (75) W · ␗M48A1 · ␗M60A3 TTS |
| USSR | ␗T-34 (1943) · ␗Т-34-85 (S-53) · T-34-85 No.215 · Т-62 №545 |
| China premium ground vehicles | |
|---|---|
| Light tanks | T-26 No.531 · ␗M3A3 (1st PTG) · ␗M41A3 · M64 · WMA301 |
| Medium tanks | ␗M4A4 (1st PTG) · T-34-85 No.215 · Т-62 №545 · ZTZ59A · Type 69-IIa · T-69 II G · ZTZ96A (P) · Al-Khalid-I |
| Heavy tanks | IS-2 No.402 |
