Independent

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Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
Independent
uk_a1e1_independent.png
GarageImage Independent.jpg
ArtImage Independent.png
Independent
AB RB SB
1.3 1.3 1.3
Purchase:2 100 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
Show in game

Description

The Independent (A1E1) is a premium rank I British heavy tank with a battle rating of 1.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.63 "Desert Hunters". The A1E1, with its five turrets, serve as the instigator of the multi-turreted concept that spread to the Soviet T-35 and the German Neubaufahrzeug.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull28 / 13 / 13
Turret28 / 28 / 28
Crew8 people
Visibility103 %

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 28 mm (0-27°) 13 mm Top
13 + 10 mm Bottom
13 mm (0-58°) 8 mm
Main turret 28 mm (6-48°) Turret front
20 mm (6°) Gun mantlet
28 mm 28 mm 8 mm
Secondary turrets 13 mm (0-3°) 13 mm 13 mm 8 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, tracks are 20 mm thick.
  • Belly armour is 20 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB35 / 5 km/h
RB and SB32 / 4 km/h
Number of gears4 forward
1 back
Weight31.7 t
Engine power
AB706 hp
RB and SB370 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB22.3 hp/t
RB and SB11.7 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 35 5 31.7 478 706 15.08 22.27
Realistic 32 4 327 370 10.32 11.67

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB3 621 Sl icon.png
RB567 Sl icon.png
SB1 277 Sl icon.png
Crew training2 300 Sl icon.png
Experts15 000 Sl icon.png
Aces115 Ge icon.png
Research Aces320 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 40 / 40 / 60 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 112 / 112 / 112 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Mods tank reinforcement uk.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism

Armaments

Main armament

Shoulder stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in one plane while moving
Ammunition201 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
3.9 → 3.0 s
Vertical guidance-4° / 20°

The QF 3-pounder is a somewhat unique weapon, being one of the few guns you will come across in the British tree capable of firing shells with explosive filler, indeed armour-piercing high explosive (APHE) is the only ammo type available for it. The explosive filler gives the QF 3-pounder somewhat better damage than that of the far more common QF 2-pounder, however this comes at the cost of significantly worse penetration. The reload rate is also slightly slower than the QF 2-pounder, however it still fairly quick with a shortest possible reload of 3.0 seconds (compared to 2.8 seconds for the QF 2-pounder).

The penetration of the QF 3-pounder is adequate although being lower than that of the QF 2-pounder you may find some targets harder to deal with than you were expecting. Although having fairly good damage the gun is often still not powerful enough to kill some larger tanks with a single shot.

47 mm Ordnance QF 3-pounder Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 201 -4°/+20° ±180° Shoulder 8.1 11.2 13.6 15.0 16.0 3.90 3.45 3.18 3.00
Realistic 5.9 7.0 8.5 9.4 10.0

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
Shell Mk.I APHE 49 47 38 29 22 17
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%
Shell Mk.I APHE 563 1.65 1.2 9 16.5 47° 60° 65°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Independent
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
7th
rack empty
201 181 (+20) 166 (+35) 151 (+50) 136 (+65) 121 (+80) 106 (+95) 91 (+110)
8th
rack empty
9th
rack empty
10th
rack empty
11th
rack empty
12th
rack empty
13th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
76 (+125) 61 (+140) 46 (+155) 31 (+170) 16 (+185) (+200) No

Note:

  • Turret empty: 181 (+20) shells.

Optics

The Independent has poor optics, a default magnification of x1.85 is the joint worst in the game (many other tanks have x1.85 optics, but no tank has less); and the maximum magnification of x3.5 is only marginally better than the minimum possible value of x3 (for balance reasons all tanks have at least x3 maximum magnification). Although the optics are objectively poor they are somewhat typical for tanks of this era, and many of the tanks the Independent will face have the same (or very similar) magnification values.

Independent Optics
Which ones Default magnification Maximum magnification
Main Gun optics x1.85 x3.5
Comparable optics Nb.Fz.

Machine guns

Ammunition16 000 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate390 shots/min
Main article: Vickers (7.7 mm)
7.7 mm Vickers
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Front left 4,000 (250) 390 -10°/+15° -130°/+40°
Front right 4,000 (250) 390 -10°/+15° -40°/+130°
Rear left 4,000 (250) 390 -3°/+15° 0°/+130°
Rear right 4,000 (250) 390 -3°/+15° -160°/0°

Usage in battles

Gameplay Overview:

The A1E1 Independent is a large and somewhat slow tank that has a fairly unique playstyle. The multiple turret design is rare, with only a few other vehicles having this feature. Unfortunately, the independent's turrets are only armed with machine guns, meaning they will not be useful against most enemies. However, the large size and multiple turret design allows the Independent to survive large amounts of enemy fire. This is not because it has armour capable of bouncing enemy shells, but because it is exceptionally difficult for enemies to knock out all of the crew. The crew count can be considered a sort of health bar, while on low crew the Independent will be easily destroyed. The firepower is decent, but may struggle in many scenarios. The 3 pounder cannon is one of few guns in the British tree that fires APHE, but it suffers from low velocity and an unreliable fuze. The independent is best used as a heavy tank, trying to get close to enemy tanks, and tank damage for friendly tanks.

Close Range Engagements:

At close range the Independent is at an advantage against most foes. The survivability allows it to tank multiple hits from enemies. So long as you are able to destroy the enemy tank within the first few shots, you have the advantage.

Long Range Engagements:

Long range engagements are not the strong suit of the Independent. The Independent's gun is unreliable at range, and some enemies will be able to slowly incapacitate the Independent's crew, until it is destroyed. At range, make sure to use cover and not overexpose the tank, as your crew members are your most valuable asset.The turret armour may be able to bounce shots at range.

Notable Enemies:

There are several tanks that the Independent may encounter near its BR that pose a serious threat to it. These tanks are dangerous because they are able to quickly destroy the Independents' biggest asset, the large crew count. One example is the Ho-Ro which can knock out the entire tank in a single hit due to its large artillery cannon. Similarly, the Panzer II series can quickly cut through the crew of an Independent with their KwK30 and KwK38 cannons.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • 47 mm gun is adequate
  • Large ammo reserve
  • One available ammo type makes it easier to use for beginners
  • A rare sight. Many players will not know where the critical components are
  • It has explosives in the AP rounds, very rare in British vehicles
  • Like other large tanks (e.g. T-35, T-28 and SMK) it is a very complex vehicle to destroy with plenty of turrets, big tracks and curvy/angled parts to soak up rounds and 8 crew members to boot

Cons:

  • Very long tank, hard to hide side from flankers
  • Only one ammo type
  • Armour is quite thin
  • Vulnerable to 20 mm autocannons. In many ways they are more effective than normal cannons due to their high rate of fire
  • APHE is inconsistent due to vehicles the Independent will be facing in general have less than 25 mm of armour

History

Development

During the interwar period, British General Staff requested for a heavy tank design in 1924. The project, undertaken by an engineer named Walter Gordon Wilson, was designed by the Armstrong Siddeley engineering group. The finished prototype model was delivered to War Office in 1926. The design of the tank, named "Independent", was a multi-turreted design with a total of five turrets. The one in the center held a 3-pounder 47 mm gun while the other smaller turrets at the main turret's corner held Vickers machine guns. The tank can hold 8 crew members, a driver, four machine gunners, and three in the turret. It was around 28 tons and 25 feet long, despite being only 8 feet wide. This length caused some early problems as the tracks were too thin for the width, causing the rear sprocket wheels to peel the vehicle design as it continues to turn. W.G. Wilson attempted to fix this with an epicyclic steering system, but the tracks still wore out quickly. A unique feature on the Independent was a small opening on the left side of the tank that allowed for the placement of a stretcher for wounded crew members inside the tank to be pulled out from. [1]

During the development and testing process, the Independent design was a item of espionage by the international community. Plans of the design ended up in the Soviet Union and in Germany, with a British officer named Norman Baillie-Stewart court-martialled for supplying secrets to the Germans, including the Independent plans. This espionage influenced several tank designs from these countries, with the T-28 and T-35 in the Soviet Union and the Neubaufahrzeug in Germany.

Cancellation

The Independent was tested by War Office all the way until 1935, but it was a troublesome design. Most of the tests focused on its automotive performance, not even passing along to gunnery trials. The Independent was also used in a officer school for recommendations and examinations. The only model built, the prototype, was deemed worn out in 1935 as the War Office saw no need to spend more money on the design when other vehicles were being produced. They retired the Independent and sent the model to the Bovington Tank Museum, where it sits today for display.

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

External links

References

  1. The Tank Museum. Tank Chats #24 A1E1 Independent. (3:00) YouTube. YouTube, 05 Aug. 2016. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.Video


Vickers-Armstrongs Limited
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Light Tank Mk VI  Light AA Mk I
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See also  Vickers-Armstrongs Aircraft Limited
  *Previously Armstrong Whitworth
  **Built for Japan
  ***Vickers Defence Systems
  ****Previously Vickers Limited

Britain heavy tanks
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Churchill  Churchill I · Churchill III · Churchill VII · Churchill Crocodile · Churchill NA75 · Black Prince
Post-war  Caernarvon · Conqueror
Other  Independent · Excelsior · TOG II

Britain premium ground vehicles
Light tanks  A13 Mk I (3rd R.T.R.) · A13 Mk II 1939 · AEC Mk II · Crusader "The Saint" · Rooikat 105
Medium tanks  A.C.I · Grant I · Cromwell V (RP-3) · Sherman IC "Trzyniec" · A.C.IV · Comet I "Iron Duke IV"
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Heavy tanks  Independent · Matilda Hedgehog · Excelsior · TOG II · Churchill Crocodile · Black Prince
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