V-990
Contents
Description
The Pr.131.400 Libelle, V-990 is a rank III German motor torpedo boat with a battle rating of 3.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Apex Predators".
General info
Survivability and armour
Like every PT boat, it has barely any adequate armour and only 5 crew members, which makes it a fragile boat to play with. It also has engines that can somewhat be easily set on fire, a weakness shared with Soviet torpedo boats such as the Pr.123-bis.
Mobility
Its mobility is excellent, making it perfect for hit-and-run tactics. Combined with its relatively small size, it makes the boat an extremely hard-to-hit target, especially if the opposing ship is a destroyer or patrol ship.
| Mobility Characteristics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||
| AB | |||
| Upgraded | 125 | 45 | |
| RB/SB | |||
| Upgraded | 89 | 32 | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armament
Primary armament
The main armament, a pair of 23 mm autocannons, can be used to great effect in ambush and hit-and-run situations, but at the cost of making it hard to aim in windy conditions and/or at high speed. The API-T belt can be used to destroy PT boats very quickly, though it may have trouble dealing damage to more armoured boats which are more common at its BR such as the MBK-161 early. It also has extremely small magazines, that combined with a fast rate of fire, can be depleted within 5 seconds of continuous fire, so it is best to fire in short bursts.
- Universal: API-T · HEF-I
- HEI-T: HEF-I · HEFI-T · HEF-I · API-T
- API-T: API-T · API-T · API-T · HEFI-T
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | ||||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| HEF-I | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| API-T | 51 | 48 | 36 | 26 | 18 | 13 | |
| HEFI-T | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| HEF-I | 980 | 0.18 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 28.49 | 79° | 80° | 81° | ||||
| API-T | 970 | 0.19 | - | - | - | 47° | 60° | 65° | ||||
| HEFI-T | 970 | 0.19 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 20.02 | 79° | 80° | 81° | ||||
Additional armament
The boat has space for two torpedoes and two mines. While the torpedoes, being the fastest in the game and having a reasonable explosive filler, can be used to bring down larger boats and destroyers effectively, the mines can be reserved for ambushes on larger enemy ships with an equally devastating effect if utilized properly.
Usage in battles
The V-990 overall has a similar playstyle to the Pr.123K; though with a more powerful yet inaccurate armament and worse survivability. The gun is positioned in the rear, forcing you to expose your side, which consequently makes you an easier target. However it is compensated for by its extreme mobility for an MTB, which you can use to your advantage.
The V-990 performs best in point-capturing operations: you can use its speed to your advantage to capture points quickly. Thus, it is recommended to rush to the capture points immediately at the start of every battle. Once these points have been captured, you can move to ambush tactics, taking cover behind islands to take out boats that are approaching or using your speed to approach and torpedo unsuspecting destroyers and larger ships. However, use your speed carefully as even smaller boats are able to severely damage you. A single shot from a destroyer can easily send you back to the hangar.
Against other MTBs, the 23 mm guns are usually more than enough to shred them to pieces, but they have extremely poor stability, making it difficult to hit enemies especially in windy conditions: They are reserved for ambush tactics. If you react quickly enough with them, you might almost certainly win the engagement. It also has two potent torpedoes ideal for taking out destroyers and smaller ships (e.g. HMCS Brantford), or at least incapacitating them.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Very fast, reaches its top speed in only a few seconds
- Excellent turn rate
- Decent gun with fast traverse, short bursts are sometimes enough to destroy an enemy
- Fast and powerful torpedoes
Cons:
- Poor survivability, with only 5 crew members
- Inaccurate and unstable gun
- The cabin constitutes a huge forward blindspot for the rear gun
- Long reload time
- Very fast rate of fire will deplete the small magazines quickly
History
At the end of 1960, the development of a small torpedo carrier with increased operational criteria began. During development, the experience gained from previous projects proved to be very beneficial. This resulted in Project 131 Libelle, a 30 t boat with two torpedo tubes, two mine ejectors and a twin 23 mm anti-aircraft gun. There was the possibility of dismantling the mine ejectors and turning the ship into a transport variant that could transport up to 10 people (e.g. combat swimmers).
After the construction of four prototypes at the Peene shipyard in Wolgast, mass production of these boats began. By May 1977, 30 boats had been built. There were attempts to export the project to other nations, such as the Soviet Union, Poland, Bulgaria or Cuba, but this never materialized.
From 1984 to 1989, these ships were decommissioned. After the reunification of Germany, the German Navy demilitarized the remaining boats and handed them over to several navy and military museums throughout Germany.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the ship;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
| VEB Schiffswerft Rechlin | |
|---|---|
| Fast Attack Craft | |
| Project 131 | V-990* |
| *Hull built at VEB Schiffswerft Rechlin, equipment fitted at Peene-Werft | |
| Germany boats | |
|---|---|
| Motor torpedo boats | LS 3 · LS 4 Esau · KM-5 · VS-10 |
| S-38 · S-38b · S-100 · S-147 · S-204 Lang · S-701 | |
| R-301 | |
| V-990 | |
| Jaguar · Hugin · Pfeil | |
| Motor gun boats | R-41 · R-130 · Krischan der Große |
| Motor torpedo gun boats | Albatros · Bussard · MZ1 · Pr. 206 |
| Minelayers | VS-8 |
