T77E1
Contents
Description
The T77E1 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (MGMC) is an American self-propelled anti-aircraft gun mounted on the M24 light tank chassis and armed with six 12.7 mm M2HB machine guns. Development began in July 1943 using the hull of the M24, which was still in development and designated as the T24. This SPAA was designated as the Carriage, Motor, Multiple, Cal. .50 Gun, T77, and was armed with four 12.7 mm machine guns. The design was approved for a mock-up by the end of 1943. After inspecting this mock-up, officials requested that two additional machine guns be added to the vehicle. The first T77 was completed in July 1945, and a second prototype was also made and designated as the T77E1. However, by this time World War II had already ended. The T77 never saw active service and the two prototypes were presumably soon scrapped.
The T77E1 was introduced in Update "Firebirds", and as it is based off the M24's light tank hull, it is a very light and mobile vehicle. The .50 cal armament can potentially be useful against armoured targets on the ground, though it is not ideal to engage with tanks at its battle rating and its thin, though angled, armour. With some good precision, you can easily take down enemy aircraft with your numerous machine guns.
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret)
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 25.4 mm (60°) (upper glacis) 25.4 mm (44°) (lower glacis) |
25.4 mm (12°) (front portion) 19.05 mm (12°) (back portion) |
19 mm | 12.7 mm | |
| Turret | 12.7 mm | 12.7 mm | 12.7 mm | 12.7 mm |
Notes:
- Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
The T77E1 uses the M24's chassis, which is lightly armoured all around and can be potentially susceptible to enemy fire if used closer into the battlefield. Though this vehicle is armoured on top, it is still vulnerable to planes strafing and close air support, especially planes with autocannons or bombs.
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 | 62 | 26 | 18.4 | 420 | 565 | 22.83 | 30.71 |
| Realistic | 57 | 24 | 262 | 296 | 14.24 | 16.09 | |
Like the M24, the T77E1 is pretty fast and mobile. Though the acceleration can be slow, the top speed of this vehicle is high, as well as its reverse speed, both of which may allow you to pull out of a rough situation very quickly and easily. While using this tank against ground targets might not be the best decision, if you do find yourself in a fight with one, flanking enemies and using this vehicle's mobility to its advantage may help you to get the best outcome in a battle.
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
Main armament
| 12.7 mm M2HB (x6) | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 6,600 (1,100) | 575 | -10°/+85° | ±180° | - | 57.2 | 79.2 | 96.2 | 106.4 | 113.2 | 15.60 | 13.80 | 12.72 | 12.00 |
| Realistic | 38.7 | 45.5 | 55.2 | 61.1 | 65.0 | |||||||||
Ammunition
- Common: API-T · I · AP · API-T - This is the stock ammunition belt for this vehicle; works fairly well against enemy aircraft up until you research the next few ammo belts.
- API: API-T · AP-I · API-T - This ammo belt uses mainly armour-piercing incendiary rounds, which can be useful for setting aircraft on fire and may serve well against very lightly armoured ground vehicles.
- AP: AP · AP · API-T - This belt prioritizes armour-piercing bullets over armour-piercing incendiary rounds and can be useful against lightly armoured ground targets if utilized correctly despite its seemingly nonexistent post-penetration effects.
- APIT: API-T - This belt only uses armour-piercing incendiary bullets, which can be useful against ground targets, but can also set aircraft on fire easily if used well enough due to its incendiary effects.
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | ||||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| I | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | |
| API-T | 29 | 27 | 19 | 12 | 7 | 5 | |
| AP | 31 | 29 | 21 | 14 | 9 | 6 | |
| AP-I | 30 | 27 | 19 | 12 | 8 | 5 | |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay | Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| I | 944 | 0.04 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 47° | 56° | 65° | ||||
| API-T | 929 | 0.04 | - | - | - | 47° | 56° | 65° | ||||
| AP | 894 | 0.05 | - | - | - | 47° | 56° | 65° | ||||
| AP-I | 929 | 0.04 | - | - | - | 47° | 56° | 65° | ||||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ |
Usage in battles
Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).
Pros and cons
Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".
Pros:
Cons:
History
During World War II, the US Army mainly utilised self-propelled anti-aircraft guns based off the M3 half-track, such as the M13 and M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriages (MGMC). These half-tracks were effective and used multiple .50 cals (12.7 mm machine guns) on a power-operated turret. Even though these half-tracks were useful, the US Army ideally wanted full-tracked vehicles so as to have the potential mobility of a tank. Attempts at a full-tracked anti-aircraft vehicle included four .50 cals mounted on a Mark 17 gun mount and fitted onto the hull of an M3 Stuart light tank, which at the time was widely used by the Allies in World War II. This design, developed in 1942, was rejected, however.
With the development of the T24 prototype light tank (later standardised and redesignated as the M24 Chaffee), work had already begun developing an anti-aircraft vehicle based off the T24 in July 1943 and it was designated Carriage, Motor, Multiple, Cal. .50 Gun, T77. The M24 proved to be very effective in Europe later on during World War II, so an anti-aircraft vehicle based off this design seemed promising. Initially, the T77 was to be mounted with four 12.7 mm machine guns on the T89 quadruple gun mount, developed by the United Shoe Machinery Corporation with some help from the US Army Air Forces. This mount was fully powered and could be operated remotely to reduce muzzle flash from preventing the gunner from seeing clearly. By the end of 1943, the design was approved for a mock-up to be made, which was finished by December and inspected by military officials who requested that two more 12.7 mm machine guns be added to the vehicle.
In April 1944, two prototypes of the T77 were ordered after these changes were made. One of the two prototypes was finally completed in July 1945 and had a crew layout similar to the original M24 Chaffee light tank, albeit without a tank loader, as well as a hull-mounted .30 cal (7.62 mm) machine gun that a machine gunner could operate, just like on the original Chaffee. The hull design and armour of the T77 was practically the same as that of the M24, the only notable difference overall being the turret, obviously equipped with the machine guns, as well as the circular hatches that the gunner and commander sat into. After the first T77 was completed, it was taken to the Aberdeen Proving Ground for further evaluation and testing. The second prototype – designated the T77E1 – was also completed and had an advanced fire control system, as well as clear acrylic domes covering the gunner and commander hatches, compared to the first prototype.
These two prototypes would have been a good design that could have potentially entered service, though this never did take place as World War II ended before the T77 or T77E1 could see active service, and both prototypes were presumably scrapped.
Media
- Skins
See also
- Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
- Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
External links
| USA anti-aircraft vehicles | |
|---|---|
| M3 Half-track derivatives | M13 MGMC · M15 CGMC · M16 MGMC |
| M24 derivative | M19A1 |
| M41 derivative | M42 |
| Radar SPAAG | M163 · M247 |
| Missile SPAA | ADATS · Imp.Chaparral · LAV-AD · XM975 |
