Difference between revisions of "Leopard A1A1 (L/44)"

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{{Specs-Card|code=germ_leopard_a1a1_120}}
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{{About
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| about = gift German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
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| usage = other variants
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| link = Leopard 1 (Family)
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}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=germ_leopard_a1a1_120
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Leopard_A1A1_(L_44).jpg}}
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|store=6384
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
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<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
[[File:GarageImage GarageImage Leopard A1A1 (L 44).jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]].
{{break}}
 
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating|1}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]].
 
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat?''
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
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<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
  
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
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Players who have purchased the Leopard A1A1 L/44 should be familiar with the armour of non-premium Leopard 1s. If not, the Leopard may not be what people expect a tank to be. It was developed before composite materials were discovered at a time where HEAT shells were so effective that in order for armour to be effective, it would be so thick that it would not be practical. Hence, the designers of Leopard 1s, knowing that there was no possible way of stopping HEAT rounds, removed the concept of armour. In essence, the Leopard A1A1 has no armour. The front hull, accounting slope, is only some 130 mm thick. The turret and gun mantle are some 100 mm depending on the angle. The [[BMP-2]]'s autocannon, for instance, loaded with APDS, will penetrate your turret and will cause major damage. Any HEAT projectile impacting the tank will likely result in instantly being destroyed. However, the engine block can at times reliably save the crew from HEAT shells. APDS and APFSDS are a different story. The armour on the Leopard A1A1 is so thin that most non-explosive-filled shells will seldom cause spalling upon penetrating the side of the tank. Frontal penetrations will cause much more damage, as the armour is just enough to cause spalling.
 +
 
 +
The ready rack ammo is stored vertically within your turret to the left side of the tank. So AP penetrations to the right side of your tank may not set off the ammo. But, 3/4 of your crew are sited in a single file on the right side. So a penetration will knock you out nonetheless. Try to take no more than 18 shells, as it will increase the likelihood of ammo cook-off. The point is not to get hit, because if anything hits you, it will go through, and it will cause damage.
 +
 
 +
In some cases, you could operate the tank backwards and use your engine block as a shield, as most HEAT shells will be absorbed by your transmission, radiator and engine, although in this position you have limited depression as the engine block forces the gun upwards. Despite these limitations, the tank can be surprisingly survivable, provided it is played carefully rather than relying on the armour. Also, it will usually take 2 hits to kill this tank, so if you are hit, pop smoke, retreat, repair, and re-appear somewhere else on the map.
 +
 
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
 
 +
*Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
 +
*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides (Slope angle) !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
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| Hull || 70 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' <br /> 50 mm (50°) ''Bottom glacis'' || 35 (39-41°) mm ''Top hull side'' <br /> 30 + 5 mm ''Bottom hull side'' || 25 mm (8-48°) || 30 mm ''Front area'' <br /> 15-25 mm ''Rear area''
 +
|-
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| Turret || 45-200 mm (0-60°) ''Turret front/Gun mantlet'' || 37-45 (21-49°)+ 10-20 (0-34°) mm || 38-52 (22-54°) + 10 (9-10°) mm <br> 25 mm (65°) ''Bustle belly''|| 25-35 mm ''Turret roof'' <br> 20-25 mm ''Cupola area''
 +
|-
 +
|}
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'''Notes:'''
 +
 
 +
* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
 +
* The turret mantlet has a varying thickness of 45 - 200 mm thick. It is thickest near the center.
 +
* 10 mm of track armour added onto front hull glacis
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,286|rbMinHp=734}}
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The mobility of the {{PAGENAME}} is between the [[XM-1 (GM)|XM-1]] and [[T-55AM-1]]. Forward speed off-road, expect some 40-50 km/h. The reverse is about -15 km/h off-road. The neutral steering is absolutely amazing, you are able to swivel your tank easily. The suspensions are also great, very soft with great dampening effects, so expect a smooth drive. Overall, manoeuvrability is excellent, and should be used to your advantage since the tank has limited armour.
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 +
=== Modifications and economy ===
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{{Specs-Economy}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
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{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
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<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
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{{main|Rh120 L/44 (120 mm)}}
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The legendary 120 mm Rheinmetall L44 cannon does not fall short of its name. You get access to only two types of shells, DM13 APFSDS and DM12 HEAT-FS, with both being highly competitive and effective at its battle-rating. The DM13 APFSDS round has a whopping 390 mm of penetration and is capable of defeating any armour of any tank this tank may potentially face, bar the [[T-64B]]. The round also travels extremely fast at 1,650 m/s, making long-range shooting and hitting moving targets exceptionally easy. The HEAT-FS, on the other hand, will result in hull-breaks on lightly armoured targets while also being free of cost. The 120 mm HEAT with its 480 mm penetration is able hull-break [[Object 120]]s and [[Object 906|906]]s and anything that's not a main battle tank. For example, you can hit the tracks of an anti-aircraft vehicle, and it will hull-break. The 1,140 m/s velocity may, however, make long-range engagements more difficult, especially when dealing with moving targets.
 +
 
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The L44 also features a decent reload time of 8.7 seconds stock and 6.7 seconds spaded, which is comparable to its 105 mm armed counterpart. The gun also features a stabiliser, making firing on the move a definite capability. However, it only works up to around 30 to 40 km/h. Beyond that, the gun becomes quite jittery and hard to aim.
  
=== Additional armament ===
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[Rh120 L/44 (120 mm)|120 mm Rh120 L/44]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
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|-
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! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
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! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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|-
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! ''Arcade''
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| rowspan="2" | 41 || rowspan="2" | -9°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 22.8 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.5 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
 +
|-
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! ''Realistic''
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| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
 +
|-
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|}
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 +
==== Ammunition ====
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
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|-
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! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
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! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
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! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
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|-
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! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
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|-
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| DM13 || APFSDS || 393 || 390 || 384 || 376 || 367 || 359
 +
|-
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| DM12 || HEATFS || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480
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|-
 +
|}
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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! colspan="10" | Shell details
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|-
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! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
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! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
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! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
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! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
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! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
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! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
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! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
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! colspan="3" | Ricochet
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|-
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! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
 +
|-
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| DM13 || APFSDS || 1,650 || 4.44 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
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| DM12 || HEATFS || 1,140 || 13.5 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 2,150 || 65° || 72° || 77°
 +
|-
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|}
 +
 
 +
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks_Leopard A1A1_(L_44).png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
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<!-- '''Last updated:''' -->
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|-
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! Full<br>ammo
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! 1st<br>rack empty
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! 2nd<br>rack empty
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! Visual<br>discrepancy
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|-
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| '''41''' || 12&nbsp;''(+29)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+40)'' || No
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|-
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|}
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
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<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
 +
{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}
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The {{PAGENAME}} mounts one coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and one pintle-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun. These both have particularly high rates of fire, while these are more of deterrents to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, as the small calibre bullets will rarely cause critical damage to aircraft, they can also be useful to clear light obstacles and crew in open-top vehicles.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]]
 +
|-
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! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 +
|-
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| Coaxial || 4,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
| Pintle || 2,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || -8°/+20° || ±120°
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== 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 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).''
+
<!-- ''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).'' -->
 +
==== Arcade battles ====
 +
The Leopard A1A1 (L/44) sports an excellent 120 mm L/44 cannon which can make short work of any vehicle that it sees without any issues. However, its armour is extremely lacking and the mobility while good is not as good as an OF-40 (MTCA) or AMX-30 Super. Playing in Arcade battles, it's best to make sure that you are always the first to fire, ensuring you get the jump on your enemies first. What's best done is to hull down and take advantage of the rather good 9 degrees of gun depression and ensuring that you are currently covering a relatively active zone of combat. With its cannon, it can be a very effective sniper or defensive vehicle as those both styles usually involves getting the jump on the enemy while remaining stationary in a concealed position. If done right, the Leopard A1A1 (L/44) can be an extremely effective weapon in Arcade Battles. It's still best to prioritize targets by targeting the most dangerous ones first in order to be of most help to your team. The tank's mobility does allow for flanking however avoid direct confrontation as much as possible.
 +
 
 +
==== Realistic battles ====
 +
The primary role of the Leopard A1A1 (L/44) should be that of a long-range sniper and flanker. Its incredible firepower with its 120 mm gun makes it easy to engage and destroy any tank from long distances while remaining concealed and thus protected from enemy fire. The good mobility on this vehicle allows you to reach good positions to snipe from and the laser rangefinder makes long-range targeting easy. The lack of armour on this tank makes direct engagements very risky and often nonviable so keeping at a distance maximizes your chances of survival and opportunity to inflict damage. Alternatively, the Leopard can be employed in flanking manoeuvres, using its good mobility to encircle the enemy and destroy them while they are unaware, again removing the danger of enemy fire destroying your tank. If you want to take a risk, you could rush a cap circle at the beginning of a match, if you tag along with other, better armed MBTs. However, this will almost always result in being destroyed, especially since the vehicle is vulnerable to artillery.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
<!--''Summarize 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 - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
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<!-- ''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:'''
 
  
* Good mobility
+
'''Pros:'''
* Effective gun with well-performing HEATFS
+
 
* Good reverse speed
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* Good mobility with excellent hull traverse and reverse speeds
 +
* Effective gun with powerful ammunition able to defeat any opponent at its battle-rating
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* The reload speed hasn't changed despite its new 120 mm cannon
 +
* Laser rangefinder
 +
* Despite the addition of bigger gun, the mobility hasn't changed
 +
* Thermal sight for gunner
 +
* Excels at long-range engagements
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
* Inadequate armor
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* Armour does not reliably protect against even autocannons
* Engine prone to fire
+
* No available heavy machine gun, often helpless against helicopter attacks
* Ammunition exposed
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* Huge ammo rack in hull, any penetrating shot at the area will destroy the tank
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article.''-->
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<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 
Development of a Leopard 1 fitted with the 120mm L44 cannon began as a private venture of the Rheinmetall company, hoping that such a Leopard 1 variant would be of interest, not just to the German army due to logistical commonalities with the Leopard 2 and higher performance of the gun, but also to international customers seeking third generation MBT features on older machines.
 
Development of a Leopard 1 fitted with the 120mm L44 cannon began as a private venture of the Rheinmetall company, hoping that such a Leopard 1 variant would be of interest, not just to the German army due to logistical commonalities with the Leopard 2 and higher performance of the gun, but also to international customers seeking third generation MBT features on older machines.
  
Line 51: Line 187:
 
Although there were several different prototypes based on Leopard 1 outfitted with the 120mm Rheinmetall cannon, none of them managed to justify a costly large scale upgrade effort of existing Leopard 1s. The upgrade was largely considered redundant due to the already more advanced Leopard 2 being in service.
 
Although there were several different prototypes based on Leopard 1 outfitted with the 120mm Rheinmetall cannon, none of them managed to justify a costly large scale upgrade effort of existing Leopard 1s. The upgrade was largely considered redundant due to the already more advanced Leopard 2 being in service.
  
''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5724-development-leopard-1-with-the-rheinmetall-120mm-l44-en Devblog]
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''- From [[wt:en/news/5724-development-leopard-1-with-the-rheinmetall-120mm-l44-en|Devblog]]''
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 +
{{Youtube-gallery|VSCwCJOW4-Q|'''The Shooting Range #117''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:53 discusses the Leopard A1A1 (L/44).|Vm0waTJnLrM|'''Downtiered and More Competitive''' - Leopard A1A1 L/44 - War Thunder RB Gameplay'' - Jim Chamberlin''|nwskQP2t5Io|'''WT: Leo A1A1 (L/44) - Tank Review'''<br>''- Napalmratte''|Gta_R82mUXg|'''Premium Vehicles: Leopard 1A1A1 mit L/44''' - ''War Thunder Wiki''.}}
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
+
<!--''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 +
 
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
+
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''-->
 +
; Related developments - [[Leopard 1 (Family)]]
 +
* [[Leopard 1A5]] - Base model of the L/44 installation
 +
 
 +
;Similar vehicle of the era that were up-gunned
 +
* [[M60 AMBT]] - Upgunned [[M60A3 TTS|M60A3]] with a 120 mm
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
<!--''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
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<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on tank;''
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* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
* ''other literature.''-->
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* ''other literature.'' -->
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5724-development-leopard-1-with-the-rheinmetall-120mm-l44-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 1 with the Rheinmetall 120mm L44]
+
 
 +
* [[wt:en/news/5724-development-leopard-1-with-the-rheinmetall-120mm-l44-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 1 with the Rheinmetall 120mm L44]]
  
 
{{Germany medium tanks}}
 
{{Germany medium tanks}}
 
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}
 
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Revision as of 11:21, 1 January 2021

This page is about the gift German medium tank Leopard A1A1 (L/44). For other variants, see Leopard 1 (Family).
Leopard A1A1 (L/44)
germ_leopard_a1a1_120.png
GarageImage Leopard A1A1 (L 44).jpg
Leopard A1A1 (L/44)
AB RB SB
9.3 9.3 9.3
Show in game
STORE

Description

The Leopard A1A1 (L/44) is a premium gift rank VI German medium tank with a battle rating of 9.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.81 "The Valkyries".

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull70 / 35 / 25
Turret65 / 45 / 52
Crew4 people
Visibility95 %

Players who have purchased the Leopard A1A1 L/44 should be familiar with the armour of non-premium Leopard 1s. If not, the Leopard may not be what people expect a tank to be. It was developed before composite materials were discovered at a time where HEAT shells were so effective that in order for armour to be effective, it would be so thick that it would not be practical. Hence, the designers of Leopard 1s, knowing that there was no possible way of stopping HEAT rounds, removed the concept of armour. In essence, the Leopard A1A1 has no armour. The front hull, accounting slope, is only some 130 mm thick. The turret and gun mantle are some 100 mm depending on the angle. The BMP-2's autocannon, for instance, loaded with APDS, will penetrate your turret and will cause major damage. Any HEAT projectile impacting the tank will likely result in instantly being destroyed. However, the engine block can at times reliably save the crew from HEAT shells. APDS and APFSDS are a different story. The armour on the Leopard A1A1 is so thin that most non-explosive-filled shells will seldom cause spalling upon penetrating the side of the tank. Frontal penetrations will cause much more damage, as the armour is just enough to cause spalling.

The ready rack ammo is stored vertically within your turret to the left side of the tank. So AP penetrations to the right side of your tank may not set off the ammo. But, 3/4 of your crew are sited in a single file on the right side. So a penetration will knock you out nonetheless. Try to take no more than 18 shells, as it will increase the likelihood of ammo cook-off. The point is not to get hit, because if anything hits you, it will go through, and it will cause damage.

In some cases, you could operate the tank backwards and use your engine block as a shield, as most HEAT shells will be absorbed by your transmission, radiator and engine, although in this position you have limited depression as the engine block forces the gun upwards. Despite these limitations, the tank can be surprisingly survivable, provided it is played carefully rather than relying on the armour. Also, it will usually take 2 hits to kill this tank, so if you are hit, pop smoke, retreat, repair, and re-appear somewhere else on the map.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides (Slope angle) Rear Roof
Hull 70 mm (60°) Front glacis
50 mm (50°) Bottom glacis
35 (39-41°) mm Top hull side
30 + 5 mm Bottom hull side
25 mm (8-48°) 30 mm Front area
15-25 mm Rear area
Turret 45-200 mm (0-60°) Turret front/Gun mantlet 37-45 (21-49°)+ 10-20 (0-34°) mm 38-52 (22-54°) + 10 (9-10°) mm
25 mm (65°) Bustle belly
25-35 mm Turret roof
20-25 mm Cupola area

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
  • The turret mantlet has a varying thickness of 45 - 200 mm thick. It is thickest near the center.
  • 10 mm of track armour added onto front hull glacis

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB73 / 28 km/h
RB and SB66 / 26 km/h
Number of gears8 forward
4 back
Weight43.0 t
Engine power
AB1 584 hp
RB and SB830 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB36.8 hp/t
RB and SB19.3 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 73 28 43 1,286 1,584 29.91 36.84
Realistic 66 26 734 830 17.07 19.3

The mobility of the Leopard A1A1 (L/44) is between the XM-1 and T-55AM-1. Forward speed off-road, expect some 40-50 km/h. The reverse is about -15 km/h off-road. The neutral steering is absolutely amazing, you are able to swivel your tank easily. The suspensions are also great, very soft with great dampening effects, so expect a smooth drive. Overall, manoeuvrability is excellent, and should be used to your advantage since the tank has limited armour.

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB3 145 Sl icon.png
RB3 217 Sl icon.png
SB3 976 Sl icon.png
Crew training10 000 Sl icon.png
Experts1 010 000 Sl icon.png
Aces2 100 Ge icon.png
Research Aces2 020 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 150 / 200 / 240 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 226 / 226 / 226 % 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 ger.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Mods tank ammo.png
120mm_NATO_APDS_FS_ammo_pack
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Mods tank laser rangefinder.png
Laser rangefinder
Mods thermal sight.png
NVD

Armaments

Laser rangefinder
Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder
Night vision device
Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.
Thermal imager
Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

Two-plane stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving
Ammunition41 rounds
First-order11 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
8.7 → 6.7 s
Vertical guidance-9° / 20°
Main article: Rh120 L/44 (120 mm)

The legendary 120 mm Rheinmetall L44 cannon does not fall short of its name. You get access to only two types of shells, DM13 APFSDS and DM12 HEAT-FS, with both being highly competitive and effective at its battle-rating. The DM13 APFSDS round has a whopping 390 mm of penetration and is capable of defeating any armour of any tank this tank may potentially face, bar the T-64B. The round also travels extremely fast at 1,650 m/s, making long-range shooting and hitting moving targets exceptionally easy. The HEAT-FS, on the other hand, will result in hull-breaks on lightly armoured targets while also being free of cost. The 120 mm HEAT with its 480 mm penetration is able hull-break Object 120s and 906s and anything that's not a main battle tank. For example, you can hit the tracks of an anti-aircraft vehicle, and it will hull-break. The 1,140 m/s velocity may, however, make long-range engagements more difficult, especially when dealing with moving targets.

The L44 also features a decent reload time of 8.7 seconds stock and 6.7 seconds spaded, which is comparable to its 105 mm armed counterpart. The gun also features a stabiliser, making firing on the move a definite capability. However, it only works up to around 30 to 40 km/h. Beyond that, the gun becomes quite jittery and hard to aim.

120 mm Rh120 L/44 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 41 -9°/+20° ±180° Two-plane 22.8 31.6 38.4 42.5 45.2 8.71 7.70 7.10 6.70
Realistic 14.3 16.8 20.4 22.6 24.0

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
DM13 APFSDS 393 390 384 376 367 359
DM12 HEATFS 480 480 480 480 480 480
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%
DM13 APFSDS 1,650 4.44 N/A N/A N/A 78° 80° 81°
DM12 HEATFS 1,140 13.5 0.05 0.1 2,150 65° 72° 77°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Leopard A1A1 (L/44)
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
41 12 (+29) (+40) No

Machine guns

Ammunition4 400 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate1 200 shots/min
Ammunition2 000 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate1 200 shots/min
Main article: MG3A1 (7.62 mm)

The Leopard A1A1 (L/44) mounts one coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and one pintle-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun. These both have particularly high rates of fire, while these are more of deterrents to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, as the small calibre bullets will rarely cause critical damage to aircraft, they can also be useful to clear light obstacles and crew in open-top vehicles.

7.62 mm MG3A1
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 4,500 (1,000) 1,200 N/A N/A
Pintle 2,000 (1,000) 1,200 -8°/+20° ±120°

Usage in battles

Arcade battles

The Leopard A1A1 (L/44) sports an excellent 120 mm L/44 cannon which can make short work of any vehicle that it sees without any issues. However, its armour is extremely lacking and the mobility while good is not as good as an OF-40 (MTCA) or AMX-30 Super. Playing in Arcade battles, it's best to make sure that you are always the first to fire, ensuring you get the jump on your enemies first. What's best done is to hull down and take advantage of the rather good 9 degrees of gun depression and ensuring that you are currently covering a relatively active zone of combat. With its cannon, it can be a very effective sniper or defensive vehicle as those both styles usually involves getting the jump on the enemy while remaining stationary in a concealed position. If done right, the Leopard A1A1 (L/44) can be an extremely effective weapon in Arcade Battles. It's still best to prioritize targets by targeting the most dangerous ones first in order to be of most help to your team. The tank's mobility does allow for flanking however avoid direct confrontation as much as possible.

Realistic battles

The primary role of the Leopard A1A1 (L/44) should be that of a long-range sniper and flanker. Its incredible firepower with its 120 mm gun makes it easy to engage and destroy any tank from long distances while remaining concealed and thus protected from enemy fire. The good mobility on this vehicle allows you to reach good positions to snipe from and the laser rangefinder makes long-range targeting easy. The lack of armour on this tank makes direct engagements very risky and often nonviable so keeping at a distance maximizes your chances of survival and opportunity to inflict damage. Alternatively, the Leopard can be employed in flanking manoeuvres, using its good mobility to encircle the enemy and destroy them while they are unaware, again removing the danger of enemy fire destroying your tank. If you want to take a risk, you could rush a cap circle at the beginning of a match, if you tag along with other, better armed MBTs. However, this will almost always result in being destroyed, especially since the vehicle is vulnerable to artillery.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Good mobility with excellent hull traverse and reverse speeds
  • Effective gun with powerful ammunition able to defeat any opponent at its battle-rating
  • The reload speed hasn't changed despite its new 120 mm cannon
  • Laser rangefinder
  • Despite the addition of bigger gun, the mobility hasn't changed
  • Thermal sight for gunner
  • Excels at long-range engagements

Cons:

  • Armour does not reliably protect against even autocannons
  • No available heavy machine gun, often helpless against helicopter attacks
  • Huge ammo rack in hull, any penetrating shot at the area will destroy the tank

History

Development of a Leopard 1 fitted with the 120mm L44 cannon began as a private venture of the Rheinmetall company, hoping that such a Leopard 1 variant would be of interest, not just to the German army due to logistical commonalities with the Leopard 2 and higher performance of the gun, but also to international customers seeking third generation MBT features on older machines.

In the early 1980s, a Leopard 1A1A1 was modified with a thicker cast steel mantlet, suitable for mounting the Rheinmetall 120mm cannon, and additional interior changes to hold the respective ammunition. Further changes were applied in early 1985, with the installation of the EMES 18 fire control system from the Leopard 1A5.

Although there were several different prototypes based on Leopard 1 outfitted with the 120mm Rheinmetall cannon, none of them managed to justify a costly large scale upgrade effort of existing Leopard 1s. The upgrade was largely considered redundant due to the already more advanced Leopard 2 being in service.

- From Devblog

Media

See also

Related developments - Leopard 1 (Family)
Similar vehicle of the era that were up-gunned

External links


Germany medium tanks
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