Pz.38(t) n.A.

This page is about the German light tank Pz.38(t) n.A.. For other versions, see Pz.38(t) A and Pz.38(t) F.

Pz.38(t) n.A.

Pz.38(t) F

Pz.38(t) n.A.

Pz.38(t) F

Germany

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.3	2.3	2.3

Class:

Light tank

Research:3 000

Purchase:6 300

Show in game

Description

The Pz.38(t) n.A. is a rank I German light tank with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "La Royale".

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull30 / 25 / 20

Turret30 / 25 / 20

Crew4 people

Visibility72 %

The Pz.38(t) n.A. has similarly bad survivability as the Pz.35(t) and Pz.38(t) A. It boasts 30 mm of armour on the front hull and turret front. This makes it frontally vulnerable to most guns, staying out of sight is key to not get destroyed by the enemy.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)
• Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet, sights)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	30 mm	25 mm Top 25 mm Bottom	20 mm	10 - 20 mm
Turret	30 - 50 mm Turret front 50 mm Gun mantlet	12 - 25 mm	12 - 20 mm	12 mm
Cupola	20 mm	25 mm	20 mm	12 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 15 mm thick.
• Add-on tracks on the front hull are 15 mm thick.
• Mudguards are 4 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB68 / 10 km/h

RB and SB61 / 9 km/h

Number of gears5 forward

1 back

Weight11.5 t

Engine power

AB420 hp

RB and SB220 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB36.5 hp/t

RB and SB19.1 hp/t

As a light tank, the Pz.38(t) A accelerates decently and is able to reach its top speed of 46 km/h in a dozen of seconds. Braking happens quickly but the hull wobbles for a full second afterwards.The narrow tracks will grant you a decent mobility on hard terrain (solid ground, roads) but poor mobility on soft terrain (mud, snow, sand). Light obstacles (fences and bushes) are not a problem but medium to large obstacles (posts, trees, concrete blocks and parked vehicles) will reduce your mobility: avoid them.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	68	10	11.5	_,___	420	__.__	36.52
Realistic	61	9		_,___	220	__.__	19.13

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB257 → 330

RB294 → 378

SB368 → 473

Total cost of modifications5 970

4 500

Talisman cost410

Crew training1 800

Experts6 300

Aces75

Research Aces135 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

20 / 20 / 20 %

106 / 106 / 106 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 300 Cost: 230 55 Suspension Research: 270 Cost: 200 50 Brake System Research: 270 Cost: 200 50 Filters Research: 500 Cost: 380 95 Transmission Research: 640 Cost: 480 120 Engine Research: 640 Cost: 480 120	Improved Parts Research: 300 Cost: 230 55 Improved FPE Research: 270 Cost: 200 50 Crew Replenishment Research: 500 Cost: 380 95	Horizontal Drive Research: 300 Cost: 230 55 37mm_kwk_38_t_APCBC_ammo_pack Research: 300 Cost: 230 55 Adjustment of Fire Research: 270 Cost: 200 50 37mm_kwk_36_APCR_ammo_pack Research: 270 Cost: 200 50 Elevation Mechanism Research: 500 Cost: 380 95 Artillery Support Research: 640 Cost: 480 120

Armaments

Main armament

37 mm KwK38(t) cannon

Shoulder stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in one plane while moving

Ammunition60 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

4.3 → 3.3 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 25°

The KwK38(t) gun offers a below-average penetration power at its battle rating. Its average muzzle velocity allows for a rather flat firing trajectory but the accuracy drop is noticeable from 700 m distance and becomes a handicap over 1,000 m. The rotation speed of the turret is slow but average compared to other tanks at the same rank or battle rating. Elevation and depression angles of the gun are important, allowing you to fire from unusual positions (behind a ridge, on a slope, etc.). The shoulder-stop stabilizer allows for a good targeting but at very slow speed (under 8 km/h). The reload time of the gun is short, in line with other tanks equipped with a 37 mm cannon at the same BR. Your recoil is non-existent: coupled with the short reload time, this allows you to make rain shells on a target. The average penetration power of the APC shot and the important loss of penetration of the APCR above 500 m are the biggest weaknesses of the Pz.38 n.A. regarding its armament. This will force you to get close to enemy tanks to have a chance at penetrating them, nullifying your increased armour advantage in the process.

37 mm KwK38(t)					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	60	-10°/+25°	±180°	Shoulder	18.45	__._	__._	__._	26.35	4.29	_.__	_.__	3.33
Realistic					9.8	__._	__._	__._	14.0

Ammunition

The ammunition available to the Pz.38 n.A. allows for engaging all types of targets:

• Pzgr. 34(t): APC; a shell with explosive filler but an average penetration power. It should be the main ammunition used in battle.
• PzGr 40: APCR; a composite round with the best penetration but no explosive filler and that will only penetrate flat vertical surfaces. Pack a few of these shells to use against heavily armoured foes that the Pzgr. 34(t) can't penetrate. This round however becomes fairly ineffective above 500 m distance.
• Pzgr.(t) umg.: APC; a shell offering a penetration power similar to the Pzgr. 34(t) while being a bit faster and slightly lighter.

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
Pzgr. 34(t)	APC	62	59	45	32	23	17
PzGr. 40	APCR	86	77	47	26	14	8
Pzgr.(t) umg.	APC	61	58	44	31	22	15

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%
Pzgr. 34(t)	APC	741	0.85	1.2	9	22.1	48°	63°	71°
PzGr. 40	APCR	1,020	0.37	-	-	-	66°	70°	72°
Pzgr.(t) umg.	APC	750	0.82	1.2	9	22.1	48°	63°	71°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Pz.38(t) n.A.

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
60	37 (+23)	31 (+29)	25 (+35)	19 (+41)	13 (+47)	7 (+53)	No

Notes:

• Turret empty: 37 (+23) shells.
• Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.

Machine guns

7.92 mm MG34 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition2 100 rounds

Belt capacity150 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate900 shots/min

The small calibre of the MG34 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment.

7.92 mm MG34
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	2,100 (150)	900	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

Pros and cons

The Pz.38 n.A. is used in much the same way as the Pz.38(t) F. It is less armored and faster than its predecessor. The gun is the same, but the high battle rating pits it against better armoured threats that it cannot deal with easily, even with its APCR shell.

Where to go?

The Pz.38 n.A. is not a front-line tank. This is the most important aspect of playing this tank, this tank does not brawl well. Use its mobility to get to an ambush position that the enemy will not expect it to be at, but do not rush too far forward, as the armour will likely not save you if you come up against an enemy tank. From an ambush position you will hopefully be able to hit the enemy in the side with the Pzgr. 34(t) round. The HE filler in the round should be able to disable an enemy tank in 1-2 well placed shots, and it is likely to cripple the enemy tank with only 1 shot, if not outright destroy it. Don't drive out in the open, unless you are absolutely sure it is clear, or if the situation requires it. Most enemy tanks can penetrate the Pz.38 n.A.'s frontal armour at range, so do not expose it to them.

Hull-down

Do not stray to far from hard cover. The armour will not protect you from anything more than machine gun fire. If you spot an enemy that is looking in your direction, assume they are going to fire, and try to either shoot first, or take cover, or both - if your shot does not take out the enemy's gun. Do not risk your tank to enemy fire, as it will often end badly for you. In order to reduce the chances of the enemy hitting your tank, hull-down tactics can be quite successful. The Pz.38 n.A. has 10 degrees of gun depression, allowing the use of a ridge or hill to fire upon the enemy with only the turret showing to the enemy tanks. This is the ideal position to be in, especially if side shots of the enemy present themselves from that hull-down position.

Which rounds to carry?

You should use the Pzgr. 34(t) as your main round, as it can reliably penetrate most, if not all, of the tanks of your BR. It has a better post-penetration damage than the APCR if you can penetrate the target because it has high-explosive filler. Always carry a few PzGr 40 rounds additionally to the APC shell. The APCR has the most penetration out of all the available shells, so it should be carried, just in case you meet a heavily armoured target.

Enemies worth noting

Regardless of distance, the Pz.38 n.A. will have trouble penetrating heavily armoured enemies

• the Valentine I, the B1 bis or ter, the Matilda III, the Churchill I and the M4A3 (105).

How to defeat a Pz.38 n.A.

In a frontal encounter, shoot right in the front plate if the Pz.38 n.A. did not angle its hull. This will knock out the gunner and the commander at least as the crew is cramped in a very tight space. If the tank is angled, aim for the gun mantlet. When flanking, the plate right under the turret or the turret itself are the weakest spots.

Pros:

• Shoulder stabilizer
• Adequate Speed
• Being a light tank it has access to Scouting

Cons:

• Inadequate gun at its BR
• Poor Armour
• The small crew compartment provides low survivability

History

Devblog

Experimental light tank Pz.Kpfw.38 (t) n.A. was developed in 1941 by the Czech company BMM to participate in the reconnaissance tank contest for the German army. The tank was built on the chassis of the light Czechoslovak tank LT vz.38 and was distinguished by a more powerful gun, a new 8-cylinder engine, bigger wheels and wider tracks. Despite the best results in mobility trials, the tank was denied mass production due to high fuel consumption, a cramped turret and a 37 mm gun, which was considered excessive. Developments under the program Pz.Kpfw.38 (t) n.A. were further developed into light tank destroyer Jagdpanzer 38(t), also known as the Hetzer.

Development

By 1942, action in Operation Barbarossa had seen the Pz.38(t) lose its capability as a regular tank, instead preforming reconnaissance missions, but production capacity for Pz.38(t) chassis still remained. As a solution Pz.38(t) n.A., which stood for Neuer Art, was a proposed modernized version of the Pz.38(t), but was rejected and Pz.38(t) chassis were instead used to build other vehicles such as the Marder III and Hetzer.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Pz.38(t) n.A. from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #360 - Pages of History section at 03:21 discusses the Pz.38(t) n.A..

See also

Related development

• Pz.38(t) A
• Pz.38(t) F

External links

• [Devblog] Pz.Kpfw.38 (t) n.A.: The New Type