T-80
| This page is about the Soviet light tank T-80. For the T-80 MBT, see T-80 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The T-80 was a Soviet light tank developed from the T-70. As the crew of T-70 was only two men, this proved difficult when operating, as the commander was also gunner, loader, and radio operator at the same time, causing an overwhelm of duties and inability to perform all of the tasks at the same time. The Soviets tried to solve this issue by adding a third crew member into the T-70, the redesigned turret allowing for higher elevation and more space to fit the additional crew member was added to the existing T-70 hull. Unlike the T-70's turret, the turret of the T-80 was less armoured with 35 mm thick armour overall, however, the hull sides were strengthened from 15 to 25 mm; the rest of the armour remained unchanged. The increased weight was compensated by installing a stronger version of the engine used in the T-70. Unfortunately, by the time the T-80 appeared, lend-lease equipment was abundant and the scouting role was given to armoured cars instead. All light tank production was ceased in October 1943 after 120 T-80 tanks were built. After the reorganization of the Red Army in November 1943, the light tanks were replaced by T-34 medium tanks. No new light tanks were designed until the post-war period with the PT-76.
The T-80 was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. An upgrade over the T-70, the T-80 introduces a larger turret, allowing for an extra crew member to shorten the reload time and increase the tank's survivability in the battlefield. As the armour of T-70 was already inadequate at times, the opponents the T-80 faces make the armour protection even more meaningless. The crew placement allows for disabling the tank by killing entire crew in single hit centre mass into the vehicle. The tank also suffers from very poor traverse speed of only 4.2° per second.
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour
- Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
| Armour | Front | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 35 mm (62°) Front glacis 35 mm (33-71°) Driver's port 45 mm (31°) Lower glacis |
25 mm | 15 mm (70°) Top 25 mm (43°) Bottom |
15 mm |
| Turret | 35 mm (4-67°) Turret front 45 mm (12-59°) Gun mantlet |
35 mm (6-23°) | 35 mm (28°) | 15 mm |
Notes:
- Suspension wheels are 10 mm thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
While the front glacis offers a good sloped armour, the turret has several weak spots: it is bulkier, making it easier to hit, it has less protection than the previous T-70 turret and the turret ring can be a large shot trap all around the turret.
Mobility
The acceleration and top speed of the T-80 are good enough for it to perform in its combat role on all types of terrain. The reverse speed is a bit lacking: it won't get you out of a dangerous situation quickly enough but it isn't a handicap either. The T-80 reaches 16 km/h when fording and 12 km/h when driving uphill. The lack of neutral steering makes turning on the spot difficult: make sure to build a little speed before turning. Light and medium obstacles (metallic fences, wooden/concrete posts, bushes and small trees) are not a problem for the T-80.
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 51 | 7 | 11.6 | 263 | 324 | 22.67 | 27.93 |
| Realistic | 46 | 6 | 150 | 170 | 12.93 | 14.66 | |
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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The T-80 is damaged very easily, and as such, having the "Parts" modification should be the first priority. After that, researching AP and APCR rounds is very useful, since it allows the tanker to be much more of a threat to well-armoured opponents, being much more versatile.
Armaments
Main armament
The T-80 has an adequate cannon for its BR. Stock round BR-240 has a maximum penetration of 70 mm. Combined with the 29 g of TNT filler, it is almost certain that the T-80 will knock out most tank upon penetration. Even at more than 500 m away from the target, it still has 40-50 mm of penetration which is still enough to go through a lot of light tanks' armour. The 3.3 seconds reload (stock) is one of the fastest reload time for non-automatic guns, allowing the player to quickly fire more shells if the first shot didn't kill. The turret rotation speed is extremely slow however, as it is manually operated. It can be a real handicap in case your hull is immobilised. The gun has 8 degrees of depression which is enough for most terrain. At its BR, facing heavily armoured tanks becomes a common thing, so the player should get comfortable with using the BR-240P APCR which penetrates more but lacks damage.
| 45 mm 20-K | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 94 | -8°/+65° | ±180° | N/A | 5.71 | 7.91 | 9.60 | 10.62 | 11.29 | 3.25 | 2.87 | 2.65 | 2.5 |
| Realistic | 3.57 | 4.2 | 5.10 | 5.64 | 6.0 | ||||||||
Ammunition
The available choice of ammunition offers a complete range to engage all types of targets:
- BR-240: APHEBC; a shell with explosive filler that will knock out any tank that it penetrates with a single shot but has an average penetration power.
- BR-240SP: APBC; a solid shot with a better penetration but no explosive filler.
- BR-240P: APCR; a composite round with the best penetration but no explosive filler and that will only penetrate flat vertical surfaces. Has a very narrow margin between 50% chance and 100% chance of ricochet.
- O-243: HE; useful for destroying open and lightly armoured vehicles.
| 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 | ||
| BR-240 | APHEBC | 70 | 67 | 58 | 47 | 39 | 32 |
| BR-240SP | APBC | 73 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 41 | 34 |
| BR-240P | APCR | 94 | 87 | 64 | 43 | 29 | 20 |
| O-240 | HE | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 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% | ||||||||||
| BR-240 | APHEBC | 760 | 1.43 | 1.2 | 9 | 29.26 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
| BR-240SP | APBC | 757 | 1.43 | - | - | - | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
| BR-240P | APCR | 985 | 0.85 | - | - | - | 66° | 70° | 72° | |||
| O-240 | HE | 335 | 2.14 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 118 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94 | 84 (+10) | 74 (+20) | 62 (+32) | 50 (+44) |
| 5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
7th rack empty |
8th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
| 38 (+56) | 26 (+68) | 14 (+80) | 0 (+94) | No |
Notes:
- Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.
- To go into battle with the turret empty of ammo, pack 74 (+20) shells (racks 1 and 2 emptied).
- To drastically reduce chances of ammunition explosion, pack 26 (+68) shells (racks 1 to 6 empty).
Machine guns
| 7.62 mm DT | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 1,071 (63) | 600 | N/A | N/A |
The small calibre of the DT 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. The clip capacity of the machine gun is quite poor, as it relies on a magazine of 63 bullets instead of a belt like similar machine guns from other nations.
Usage in battles
The T-80 is a little different from most light tanks. Like all light tanks, it has excellent speed and mobility. Unlike most light tanks it has great, sloped frontal armour and good turret armour, making it highly resistant to most tier 1 gun. Pair this with its fast firing 45 mm gun and it becomes an excellent vehicle for hunting lightly armoured foes. The addition of APCR allows you to fight more heavily armoured vehicles. You may come across Matilda and Valentine tanks, which are highly resistant to the APHEBC round but can be more easily penetrated by the APCR (at the expense of less damage).
In order to take full advantage of this tank's strengths, you should aim to use one of two distinct tactical options. Option one is to operate as a frontline tank in urban combat. Your frontal armour is of great use here. However, this strategy should be avoided if you are not near or at the top of this tank's matchmaking range. The other option is to work as a flanking tank. Your gun is more than capable in this role, and unlike most flanking role tanks, the surprise isn't always necessary for survival. Thanks to your strong frontal armour, you can do well under incoming fire if your attempt at flanking is discovered, or if your opponent is determined to survive and providing stiff resistance. Few tanks offer the level of flexibility in terms of combat approach that is granted to the T-80.
While targeting low-flying aircraft, turn the hull for any large corrections as the turret can struggle to traverse at an adequate speed.
When taking the tank into battle, a mix of APHEBC and APCR is favourable. The BR-240 AP shells against flanked opponents and structural weaknesses (e.g. Pz.IV E turret), while the BR-240P APCR role is for close range combat (<400 m, due blunt nose cone) and engaging heavy armoured box tanks, especially the M3 Lee, StuG III A and up-armoured T-28E. As usual, having a few rounds of pure HE is great against any SPAAG.
In battle, you must beware of some of the high calibre guns found at the tier. Tank destroyers such as the Panzerjäger I, M3 GMC and the Japanese Ho-Ni III will all be able to take the T-80 out easily. SPGs armed with howitzer type guns like the Type 4 Ho-Ro also pose a high threat. Also, beware German vehicles armed with the long barreled 50 mm gun, like the Pz.III J and Sd.Kfz.234/2 Puma. The best way to play the T-80 is to use it as a light tank. Do not be overconfident. Avoid direct combat and assume that enemy tanks will be able to penetrate you. Attacking from an advantageous position will allow your tanks great armour and gun to shine.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Fastest reload speed in the game for a non-automated cannon
- Small target
- Co-axial MG suitable against unarmoured vehicles
- Capability to shoot APCR rounds
- Frontal turret and hull armour is surprisingly good, and can easily bounce shots from same Br opponents
- First Soviet light tank to feature more than two crew, meaning you can now afford to lose a crew member
- Awesome vertical traverse limit of 65°, allows for some anti-air potential, though it is unreliable in this role
- Some guns will really struggle to penetrate your armour at this tier. Japanese 37/57 mm and other 45 mm guns (without APCR) pose very little threat.
- Often underestimated. Many players will aim poorly and their shells will ricochet
- Ability to scout in low rank
Cons:
- Very slow traverse speed for turret (hand cranked)
- Slow gun elevation speed
- Front shot trap, although decently protected, is a serious weak point
- Low calibre gun
- Easily damaged by careless driving
- Gun is inaccurate at long range.
- Tank wobbles when you stop, meaning you will have to wait a few seconds before you can fire accurately.
- Easily knocked out due to the small crew count
History
The T-80 light tank was a redesign of the T-70 light tank in an attempt to make the design relevant again.
During World War II, the concept of the light tank was deemed obsolete, they were too lightly armoured, too lightly armed, and sometimes don't go that much faster than the 1940s medium tank designs which had better armour and guns. Plus, the smaller profile of the tank meant that the crew are not necessarily given enough comfort room and the constraint would force turret design to be a one or two-man turret, restricting the commander to perform other duties as well.
The T-80 tried to remedy this by giving the tank more armour and a two-man turret so the commander could coordinate more efficiently than the one-man turret on the T-70. However, the role of the light tank in the Soviet Union could be fulfilled by the incoming supplies of Lend-Lease equipment available from Britain and America in the form of M3 Stuarts and Valentine tanks, which are better than the T-70 and T-80 designs. In October of 1943, the light tank production were all cancelled, resulting in only 120 T-80s being produced in its brief production life.
| Archive of the in-game description | |
|---|---|
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This tank was created based on the T-70M, with the aim of eliminating its main flaws. An analysis of the use of this tank in battle showed that a tank equipped with a cannon needs more than two crew members: the tank commander had to fulfill the role of both a driver and a loader, which negatively affected the tank's manoeuvrability and firing rate in battle. In addition, the constantly developing array of anti-tank weapons meant that stronger armour was required. So in 1943, the GAZ design bureau developed the new T-80 light tank with stronger armour and a three-man crew. One of the tank's key elements was its 45 mm cannon's high angle of fire. To allow for high-angle firing, e.g. during battles in urban conditions, the tank was equipped with a K-8T collimator sight. This sight provided the ability to fire at both air and ground targets. By September 1943, factory No. 40 in the town of Mytishchi had produced 81 vehicles of this type in total. The T-80 tank had an assembly typical of Soviet-produced light tanks. The transmission compartment was located at the front, and the engine at the back. This caused increased vulnerability, since it was the front of the tank that was most often subjected to fire from the enemy. The T-80's fuel tanks were located outside of the fighting compartment in an armoured partition, which reduced the risk of a hit starting a fire. This arrangement increased the survivability of the tank's crew. The tank's effectiveness in combat was reduced by the unreliability of its high-powered engines and its low mobility due to its increased weight. The new vehicles entered service in self-propelled artillery regiments as command tanks and were used until 1945. | |
Media
- Skins
See also
- Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| USSR light tanks | |
|---|---|
| T-26 | T-26 · T-26 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-26-4 · T-26E |
| BT | BT-5 · RBT-5 · BT-7 · BT-7 TD · BT-7M · BT-7A (F-32) |
| T-50 | T-126 · T-50 |
| T-70 | T-70 · T-80 |
| PT-76 | PT-76B · PT-76-57 · Object 906 |
| BMP | BMP-1 · BMP-2 · BMP-2M · BMP-3 |
| BMD | BMD-4 |
| 2S25 | 2S25 · 2S25M |
| Wheeled | BA-11 · BTR-80A |
| Other | T-60 · Object 685 · 2S38 |
| China | ▂Type 62 |
