M6A2E1

This page is about the American heavy tank M6A2E1. For other versions, see M6 Heavy (Family).

M6A2E1

M6A2E1

USA

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
6.7	6.7	6.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Heavy tank

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

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Description

America's primary heavy tank for the majority of World War II was the Heavy Tank M6 that saw production in 1942. However, the US Armored Force saw no need for a heavy tank and so the M6 heavy tank production was cancelled after 40 vehicles were produced. Despite that, Ordnance Department continued to envision new utilities for the heavy tank and developed an upgunned M6A2E1 with a 105 mm T5E1 gun in anticipation of fighting fortifications in Europe. Planning to convert their existing heavy tanks with a new gun and uparmoured front hull for this role, it was ultimately rejected by General Eisenhower in August 1944 as impractical for the European theater. Only two M6A2E1s without the uparmoured front hull were constructed in order to test components for the T29 heavy tank.

The Heavy Tank M6A2E1 in War Thunder, a premium vehicle introduced during Update "Ixwa Strike" as a reward for Battle Pass: Season III, "Strength athletics", presents itself in its full might with the 105 mm gun and a stronger front hull glacis. The profile of the tank is large, with the gun and turret being gigantic compared to the size of the hull. The 105 mm can handle the majority of the enemy the Heavy Tank M6A2E1 will encounter, though this is balanced by the fact that the hull is very vulnerable.The only respectable armour plate of the M6A2E1 is the hull and turret front, but the former can be rather easily penetrated by other heavy tank armament except in very long ranges. The best armour on the Heavy Tank M6A2E1 is the turret front, which pairs well with a hull-down gameplay and the turret's -10 degree gun depression for fighting the enemy. The main complication then for players is to find a suitable enough terrain that can hide the majority of the vulnerable hull while giving the turret the clearance needed to attack the enemy.

However, one may chose to forgo the "traditional" hull armour of the M6A2E1 entirely by using the huge engine block as a crude yet effective form of protection. This is because engine block is so large and thick that it can dissipate most rounds before it could harm the vulnerable crews. Because of this, the engine block be further exploited by driving the tank in reverse and facing your engine towards the enemy at all times, with a comparatively minor downside of increasing the chance of being immobilized.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull140 / 60 / 41

Turret229 / 89 / 208

Crew5 people

Visibility214 %

The M6A2E1 has overall a good armour: the round turret is extremely thick, stops most shells, with the exception of APDS and HEATFS projectiles. Taller than the M6A1, the M6A2E1 will be easily spotted and targeted by enemy players with its huge turret.

The reinforced front hull armour can bounce a shot: the UFP lower section is surprisingly thick (thanks to the hull's shape) and can absorb the common 88 mm Tiger II shells when hit there, making hull down tactics even more effective. Being a large vehicle, a hit to the hull will usually mean only losing one crew member as the crew sits well spaced. The M6A2E1 has a thick turret rear that makes destroying this tank from behind a tough task, leaving the player a chance to respond to the attack. The engine and the transmission are all positioned in the back, absorbing shells from the rear and making frontal shots unable to immobilize the tank. Due to the fuel tanks were placed separately from the engine, the tank can withstand fire damage for a few minutes should the fuel tanks were on fire.

However, several weak spots are easy to penetrate. The angled hull cheeks of the frontal hull armour prevent effective angling and are so thinly armoured that even low tier tank destroyers can penetrate. The turret ring itself is a weak spot easy to target from any direction, most likely immobilizing the tank if the penetration is successful. The left upper front part of the turret, while small and thus difficult to target, is also a weak spot (thin and flat).

Ironically, despite the addition of frontal armour, the M6A2E1 can absorb much more rounds by facing the rear towards the enemy rather than its front, not dissimilar to the Soviet IS-2. This is due to the huge and thick engine and transmission act as a thick volumetric armour that would dissipate most rounds on impact. This is especially true when facing an enemy with HEAT shell, as the engine block will absorb all the fragments, leaving the crew unharmed. While your engine will be most likely disabled when hit and immobilizing the tank, the extra protection granted by this unorthodox tactic is often more than enough to bide the time for repair and counter-firing at the enemy. When combined with the electric drive that allows the M6A2E1 to be as fast in reverse as in forwards, one may chose to drive the tank in reverse at all times to exploit the extra protection given by the engine block.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (sideskirts, hull front - appliqué armour , hull roof - engine compartment, cupola roof)
• Cast homogeneous armour (hull, turret, gun mantlet, cupola)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	50.4 mm (44°) + 112 mm (29°) Upper glacis 50.4 mm (46°) + 133 mm (cylindrical) Lower glacis 70 mm (26°) Corners	58 mm (30°) Top 51 + 25.4 mm Bottom	42 mm (16°) Top 22-105 mm Bottom	16 - 22 mm 25.4 mm Engine compartment 5 mm Engine vents
Turret	230-275 mm Turret front 133-235 mm Gun mantlet 84 mm Upper turret front	65-89 mm	210-230 mm Top 125-220 mm Bottom	25-32 mm 27-31 mm Front
Cupola	76.2 mm	76.2 mm	76.2 mm	25.4 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, tracks are 30 mm thick, and bogies are 10 mm thick.

Mobility

Reverse gearbox

Forward and backward movement is possible at the same maximum speed

Speedforward / back

AB31 / 31 km/h

RB and SB29 / 29 km/h

Number of gears6 forward

6 back

Weight69.9 t

Engine power

AB1 526 hp

RB and SB800 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB21.8 hp/t

RB and SB11.4 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	31	31	69.9	1,033	1,526	14.78	21.83
Realistic	29	29		708	800	10.13	11.44

Due to the larger turret and add-on armour, the M6A2E1 is noticeably slower than its predecessor, with sluggish acceleration. The tank is still decently mobile however thanks to the electric transmission that allows it to be as fast in reverse as in forwards. Thus allowing decent reflex mobility in close quarters.

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB3 725

RB3 858

SB5 280

Crew training10 000

Experts440 000

Aces1 100

Research Aces1 380 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 150 / 210 / 240 %

2 × 196 / 196 / 196 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Suspension Brake System Filters Transmission Engine	Improved Parts Improved FPE Crew Replenishment	Horizontal Drive 105mm_us_T13_APCBC_ammo_pack Adjustment of Fire 105mm_us_T29E3_APCR_ammo_pack Elevation Mechanism

Armaments

Main armament

105 mm T5E1 cannon

Ammunition60 rounds

First-order12 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

20.0 → 15.4 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 15°

105 mm T5E1					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	60	-10°/+15°	±180°	N/A	14.6	20.2	24.5	27.1	28.8	20.02	17.71	16.32	15.40
Realistic					10.7	12.6	15.3	16.9	18.0

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
T32	APCBC	256	253	238	221	205	190
T13	APCBC	253	250	236	219	204	190
T29E3	APCR	292	287	266	242	220	200
T30E1	HE	27	27	25	23	21	20

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%
T32	APCBC	914	17.7	-	-	-	48°	63°	71°
T13	APCBC	899	18.59	1.2	19	177.38	48°	63°	71°
T29E3	APCR	1,128	11.2	-	-	-	66°	70°	72°
T30E1	HE	945	15.2	0.2	0.1	1,550	79°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M6A2E1

Full ammo	Ammo type	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
60	Projectiles Propellants	49 (+11) 37 (+23)	37 (+23) 25 (+35)	25 (+35) 13 (+47)	13 (+47) 1 (+59)	1 (+59) N/A	No

Notes:

• The M6A2E1 uses two-piece ammunition, composed of projectiles (yellow) and propellant bags (orange). Both have separate racks.
• As they are modeled by sets of 2, projectiles and propellant bags disappear from the rack only after you fire both shells in the set.
• To keep the hull empty of ammo, pack 13 (+47) shells.
• For projectiles:
  • Rack 5 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 12 projectiles and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
  • This racks is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 5 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4.
  • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-4 into racks 5. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
• For propellants:
  • Rack 4 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 12 propellant charges and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
  • This racks is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 4 - 1 - 2 - 3.
  • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-3 into racks 4. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition600 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 50°

Horizontal guidance-120° / 120°

7.62 mm M1919A4 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition4 000 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	600 (200)	577	-10°/+50°	±120°

7.62 mm M1919A4
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	4,000 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

When driving the M6A2E1, one will easily notice the tank's turret is near indestructible: it can resist many shots as long as they aren't aimed at a trap shot or to the upper turret. The hull, however, isn't as indestructible: it may bounce a shot or two but it's not really reliable, especially with weak hull cheeks that any shot with explosive filler will instantly penetrate.

The M6A2E1 can do reasonably well in not extremely uneven terrain thanks to the depression angle of -10° and the tank's height can also be beneficial for shooting over cover that other vehicles wouldn't be able to, sometimes taking enemies by surprise.

With this tank, one of the most suitable strategies is to snipe. You have two ammunition options, APCBC with extra penetration or APCBC with explosive filler, both being devastating (105 mm shells create a lot of spalling). Find a suitable spot, try to expose only the turret, and deal with enemies coming at you. Most enemies will hopelessly shoot at your mantlet, some players will exploit your weak spots on the turret or may have high penetration HEATFS or APDS (uptiers are very dangerous for this tank and should play much more defensively). Your reload time is considerably long, so staying behind cover is the best thing possible when reloading. Your reverse speed thankfully lets you get away from a lot of dangerous situations faster than other tanks. The quick reverse gear also allows for decently responsive corner peeking and ambushing, but it is essential to keep in mind that the lengthy T5E1 barrel and muzzle brake are an easy target if you aren't mindful of enemy sight lines.

Despite having imperfect armour and notable weak spots, a lot of enemies in a downtier won't know how to penetrate with such a big target (only 4 weak spots presented, both hull cheeks, turret ring and turret upper front, with the trap shot being a matter of luck) and planes won't have an easy time damaging the M6A2E1 with their cannons. Use that to your advantage should it come to close quarters combat, aim the gun at them, facing your rear hull towards them, and whatever you do, don't stay still, wiggle your hull left and right to increase chances of ricochet to ensure survival. However, be careful not to angle yourself too much as the hull has beveled edges that aren't covered by the applique hull plate.

In downtiers your armour (even the hull) begins to shine, but so does the fact most enemies at that BR use way more explosive filler APCBC shells preventing angling of any sort, making you way tougher at distances beyond 500 m, where hitting your weak spots is way harder. In case you can't hide your hull, attempt to make it face straight at your enemy, most common guns won't be able to get through your hull, let alone your turret, don't push it though, only rely on your armour if there's no alternative, because despite distances, weak spots are still a thing, and so is the trap shot to your mantlet.

Conversely, due to its fast reverse speed, the M6A2A1 can execute the "rear-facing" tactics of the IS-2 but to the much more extreme degree. By using the huge engine block as an improvised armour to absorb incoming rounds, this will effectively eliminate the frontal hull cheek weakness as the fuel tanks and engine will dissipate any fragments before your crew could be hurt. Since the tank can go just as fast in reverse, you may chose to drive into battle with your engine facing the enemy at all times, increasing your survivability. However, care must be taken to not expose your side, as some enemy would still be able to overmatch it and killing the crew instead.

It could be said that the M6A2E1's role is similar to that of its younger brother the M6A1, with the exception that the turret is stronger, is slightly slower and, although with fewer guns, it has a really hard hitting one on the turret, it can take a few lucky hits and punish those who cross its path from long ranges.

One method of increasing your chance of surviving a penetrating round in the M6A2E1 is to only load 13 rounds of ammunition. This empties the hull of its ammunition stores, leaving the only possibility for an ammo rack in your extremely armored turret. In this configuration, a large margin of the tank's hull is empty space. However, it is important to note that 13 rounds may be a limiting factor to some strategies such as sniping far from a capture point. Another defensive possibility is provided by the transmission - the M6A2E1 can drive in reverse at 31/29 km/h (AB/RB), which means using the engine to soak up damage is a viable strategy.

Some of the most dangerous enemies to the M6A2E1 are the Russian tanks equipped with 122 mm caliber weaponry and the German vehicles equipped with the 128 mm gun. Both of these guns will easily outmatch the overlapping front armor plates of your upper glacis and result in a penetration. On top of this, these guns will frequently crew wipe your tank due to the high HE filler of their APHE rounds. The German long 88 mm is also dangerous at close and medium ranges, but may bounce at longer ranges due to the smaller caliber and may not entirely knock out the crew of the M6A2E1. Any tank firing HEAT or HEAT-FS will have little difficulty penetrating the M6A2E1's hull or turret, but the large size and spaced crew of the tank allows for some level of survivability against rounds without explosive filler, especially when facing the rear towards the enemy. The tank is very well-suited to handle fire from anti-aircraft and machine guns, and frequently takes little damage from high-caliber HE due to the overall armor profile being over 50mm over most of the tank.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful 105 mm gun with access to APCBC, both with and without explosive filler, and APCR shells
• Extremely thick armour in some places
• Huge engine block can absorb large amount of rounds, which can be exploited by facing the rear towards the enemy instead of the front
• Has a reverse gearbox, can go same speed backwards as forwards
• Good gun depression allows for hull down tactics
• .50 cal MG on the roof allows fending off planes and soft targets
• Its tall profile allows to shoot over obstacles other tanks are usually blocked by

Cons:

• The armour presents several weak spots that are easy to target for enemy players
• Poor top speed of 31/29 km/h (AB/RB)
• Mediocre acceleration
• Tall profile, huge target
• Long reload time
• Trap shot on the turret that can easily take out the entire crew in a single hit

History

Devblog

In the midst of World War II at the American Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) began production of an experimental series of heavy tanks, which were supposed to form the image of the new American "heavies" both for the US Army service, and for lend-lease to the Allies. The initial design for all three versions was the M6 ​​heavy tank, on the basis of which they tested new hull features, improved transmission, better armour protection and increased firepower. In August 1944, the factory received a recommendation to modernize the most promising of their experimental projects - T1E1 heavy tank, which was to be assigned the M6A2 index.

The modernization involved the installation of additional armour plates on the frontal part of the hull, as well as the installation of a new turret to accommodate a new 105mm cannon. The first two M6A2E1 units from the experimental series were sent to field tests, where they showed low dynamic qualities. Even an incompletely loaded tank ((63,5 tons out of the designed 69,8)) could not overcome a 24 degree slope and literally got stuck in the ground. The second unit, intended for firing tests, revealed the need for radical improvements in the turret and gun, which were later implemented for the T29 heavy tank. As a result, by December of 1944, all three BLW designed experimental versions of the tank based on the M6 were declared obsolete. Both M6A2E1 prototypes were scrapped, with the only surviving T1E1 currently on display at the US Army Ordnance Museum in Aberdeen.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the M6A2E1 from live.warthunder.com.

Images

• 

Videos

Battle Pass: Strength Athletics discusses the M6A2E1 at 03:19 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

Related development

• T1E1 / M6A2 - Heavy tank prototype that was the basis of the M6A2E1.
• T1E3 / M6A1 - Heavy tank production variant

External links

• [Devblog] Battle Pass vehicles: M6A2E1

USA heavy tanks
M4 Jumbo	M4A3E2 · Cobra King · M4A3E2 (76) W
M6	M6A1 · T1E1 · T1E1 (90) · M6A2E1
T26	T26E1-1 · T26E5
T29/30/34	T29 · T30 · T34
T32	T32 · T32E1
M103	M103
Others	T14