Saetta P-494

Saetta P-494

Alano

Saetta P-494

Alano

Italy

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.7	4.7	4.7

Class:

Motor torpedo gun boat

Heavy boat

Boat

Research:280 000

Purchase:780 000

Show in game

Description

The MC 590, Saetta P-494 is a rank V Italian motor torpedo gun boat with a battle rating of 4.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Starfighters". As of Update "Starfighters", it is the only naval vessel in the game to be equipped with guided weapons.

General info

Survivability and armour

The only armour on this vehicle surrounds the two 40 mm main cannons, which can be useful for keeping the guns operational when coming under fire. However, the rest of the vehicle has no armour protection.

The Saetta can survive a number of hits when dealing with gunboats, but higher-calibre cannons such as those on destroyers will have no trouble sinking it.

The hull of this vessel is made up of 8 mm of steel, and the superstructure is made up of 4 mm of steel.

Mobility

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode	Upgrade Status	Maximum Speed (km/h)		Turn Time (s)	Turn Radius (m)
		Forward	Reverse
AB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded	99	39
RB/SB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded	74	29

The Saetta has the highest top speed of any tier 2 italian boat. With such speed, it is often able to reach desirable locations on the map before the enemy is able to.

Armament

Primary armament

Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: {{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.

Special armament

Depth charges, mines, rocket launchers and missiles are also effective in skilled hands and can take an off-guard opponent by surprise. Evaluate the ammunition of this type of armament and rate its performance in combat. If there are no special armaments, remove this section.

Usage in battles

The guided missile is the Saetta's most unique feature. This missile can be used to attack ships quite effectively (usually it can destroy a smaller vessel in one hit), and is also very capable of destroying enemy aircraft, thanks to its proximity fuse. When using the missile, remember that the launcher cannot point directly forwards, and that the enemy must be near the sides or rear of the vessel before a firing solution is achieved. Also keep in mind that the missile is not very fast, and that it takes a considerable amount of time to reach the target.

As for the main cannons, the Saetta's 40 mm Bofors are great for dealing with smaller boats. They can be used to sink destroyers, but it will usually take a considerable length of time to do so. The Saetta is equipped with a radar, and has a lead indicator for use in an anti-air role. The lead indicator, when used with the vehicle's 40 mm cannons, makes dealing with aircraft a breeze.

This vessel has quite a high top speed, and is often able to reach favourable positions on the map before the enemy. This speed can also be used to help the vessel outflank the enemy and take them by surprise.

Since the Saetta is unable to survive more than a few hits from an enemy destroyer, it is recommended to stay away from their firing lines, and to keep to cover if possible. Certainly, it is almost never a good idea to engage an enemy destroyer at ranges above one or two kilometres.

Modules

Tier	Seakeeping	Unsinkability		Firepower
I	Dry-Docking	Tool Set
II	Rudder Replacement	Fire Protection System	Smokescreen	40 mm HE-PFF
III	Propeller Replacement			Primary Armament Targeting	Rocket Launcher
IV	Engine Maintenance	New Pumps		Artillery Support

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Equipped with guided missiles
• High speed
• Radar with lead indicator

Cons:

• Lightly armoured
• Unsuited for fighting destroyers
• Unable to use torpedoes

History

The motor convertibles were fast attack coastal units of the Italian Navy which served between the late 1950s and early 1980s. These were versatile units to be used, through a rapid conversion of the armament, according to four versions: gunboat, gunboat / torpedo and minelayer. The armament could include 40/70 mm cannons and / or torpedo tubes in different configurations, which could be changed, going from one configuration to another, with a few hours' notice. The first of this type of unit was the Folgore, built in the Monfalcone shipyard, whose armament could not be defined as fully convertible, as the different operational predisposition did not contemplate the temporary landing of weapons and equipment, a factor that was reflected negatively during use, on the displacement and with the footprint of the bridge. The motorcycle and torpedo boat configuration did not include the loading of mines from the bottom, while the torpedo and minesail configuration did not ship torpedoes.

The first truly convertible units of new design were those of the Lampo class followed by those of the Freccia class which, by embarking antisubmarine hoppers, could also carry out antisubmarine lookout duties.

The CRDA motor torpedoes, known with the abbreviation for having been made by the CRDA, the Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in the factories of Monfalcone used as assault vehicles by the Royal Navy during the Second World War and derived from the German skeletons were also reconfigured as motor-convertible Lürssen type. [2] The surviving units became part of the Navy and some of these were modernized and refitted as motor convertible, the last of which was dismantled in 1979.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motocannoniera_convertibile

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

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• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the ship;
• other literature.