M18 (Italy)

This page is about the Italian tank destroyer M18 (Italy). For other uses, see M18 Hellcat (Family).

▄M18

Breda 501

AUBL/74

▄M18

Breda 501

AUBL/74

Italy

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.3	5.7	5.7

Class:

Light tank

Research:54 000

Purchase:185 000

Show in game

Description

The Cannone da 76/52 Semovente M18 is a rank IV Italian tank destroyer with a battle rating of 5.3 (AB) and 5.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Starfighters". The M18 "Hellcat" was the epitome of the American tank destroyer doctrine, it was very fast, very mobile, and has a powerful gun, though with a large trade-off with only 12.7 mm (0.5 inches) of armour.

The M18 "Hellcat" compensates the lack of anti-tank capability by having absurdly fast maneuverability. While it looses access to APCR, this is justified seeing how it doesn't face very armored vehicles, the likes of Panther D, Tiger H1.

Unlike the other tank destroyers known in the game, the M18 "Hellcat" has access to a 360° traversable turret, allowing players to have a greater arc of fire than a typical casemate tank destroyer like the StuG III, but at the expense of a slightly higher profile. Americans tank destroyers also have very high maneuverability compared to other nation's tank destroyers, allowing it to flank the enemy.

The main weak point of M18 is its very thin armor, a feature that actually allows the M18 to reach its high speed. The thin armour makes it possible for any enemy tanks to penetrate the vehicle. A single hit would destroy many critical components in the M18 or cripple the crew. The only saving grace with this extremely thin ammunition is that standard AP rounds may over-penetrate the armor, doing minimal damage to the internals. Thus, when facing the M18, it's best to use AP rounds with explosive fillers or HE and HEAT rounds while avoiding usage of pure AP rounds.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull12 / 12 / 12

Turret25 / 12 / 12

Crew5 people

Visibility82 %

The M18 (Italy) has extremely thin armour throughout its construction. As such, a player with the M18 should throw away any notion of trying to survive a shot and instead aim to avoid being hit at all. With an open-top construction and the placement of certain crew members, even enemy machine gun rounds can knock out the crew members inside and lower combat efficiency.

The thin armour is also both a blessing and a curse for the vehicle. It is a curse as it means the vehicle can suffer through the hull-break mechanics. A single shell has the potential of knocking out the M18 instantly regardless of how many crew member it defeats. The blessing is that if the enemy kinetic round hits the M18 and does not meet the requirements for a hull-break, the M18 may end up with minimum critical damage such as a damaged module or crew member. As such, there can be second chances for this vehicle, but as mentioned, this should not be relied upon as a combat strategy.

With five crew members, the M18 has a standard amount of crew to survive off of. Three are essential for combat efficiency: the gunner, loader, and driver. The commander operates the cupola machine gun and if knocked out will cause the machine gun to no longer function. This will be a constant occurrence due to the position of the commander model with the torso exposed above the turret, and so enemy machine gun rounds can hit and incapacitate the commander from the vehicle's functions.

The M18's module configuration is rather standard with the transmission in front and engine in the back. The spread out nature means there are more "wiggle room" for kinetic shells to hit and pass through around the modules, but it also means that any part of the M18 exposed can be hit and induce a hull-break.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour
• Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	12.7 mm (39-64°) Front glacis 12.7 mm (23-52°) Lower glacis	12.7 mm (23-26°) Top 12.7 mm Bottom	12.7 mm (12°) Top 12.7 mm (36°) Bottom	8 mm
Turret	25.4 mm (15-26°) Turret front 19 mm + 25.4 mm (0-55°) Gun mantlet	12.7 mm (1-21°)	12.7 mm (7°)	N/A Open-top 8 mm Bustle and Front

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 5 mm thick.
• The hull underside right above the tracks are only 8 mm thick.
• Tracks are attached the turret rear, granting some 15 mm in thickness.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB90 / 29 km/h

RB and SB81 / 26 km/h

Number of gears6 forward

2 back

Weight17.7 t

Engine power

AB763 hp

RB and SB400 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB43.1 hp/t

RB and SB22.6 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	90	29	17.7	653	763	36.89	43.11
Realistic	81	26		407	400	22.99	22.6

Though the previous section on armour may imply poor survivability, the M18 (Italy)'s shining trait will be in its mobility. It produces enough engine horsepower to become a speed demon on the battlefield, quickly traversing through rough terrain to get to advantageous positions to ambush enemies that are just starting to get to the fight.

The vehicle displays great mobility when driving forwards and backwards, and so it can perform quick exits from a compromised position.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB2 099 → 2 863

RB2 703 → 3 686

SB3 174 → 4 329

Total cost of modifications46 900

85 400

Talisman cost1 500

Crew training52 000

Experts185 000

Aces710

Research Aces480 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

100 / 150 / 190 %

166 / 166 / 166 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 195 Suspension Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 300 115 Brake System Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 300 115 Filters Research: 2 900 Cost: 5 300 185 Transmission Research: 3 800 Cost: 6 900 240 Engine Research: 3 800 Cost: 6 900 240	Improved Parts Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 195 Improved FPE Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 300 115 Crew Replenishment Research: 2 900 Cost: 5 300 185	Horizontal Drive Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 195 Adjustment of Fire Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 300 115 Airstrike Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 300 115 76mm_usa_APCBC_ammo_pack Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 300 115 Elevation Mechanism Research: 2 900 Cost: 5 300 185 Improved optics Research: 2 900 Cost: 5 300 185 Artillery Support Research: 3 800 Cost: 6 900 240 76mm_us_M88_Smoke_ammo_pack Research: 3 800 Cost: 6 900 240

As with every ground vehicle Parts and FPE are an absolute top priority. Following that, depending on player preferences, one of 3 should be researched: Horizontal Drive (close-range, flanking), Suspension (medium-range) or Adjustment of Fire (long-range of a typical engagements). Following this the goal is to get rank IV mobility improvements in order Filters -> Engine -> Transmission. On rank III, along the way, the Crew Replenishment should be prioritized, as its an open-top vehicle, so it will suffer significant causalities from enemy airplanes. If your preferred engagement range is above 700m then the Elevation Mechanism should be researched. Otherwise: Mobility upgrades are the most important, shells are the lowest priority, as even the situational advantage of the M93 shot is not worth researching over improved mobility, or even accuracy.

Armaments

Main armament

76 mm M1 cannon

Ammunition45 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

7.9 → 6.1 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 20°

76 mm M1 is an extremely capable gun with a high damage potential and a very good gun handling. It can be found on tanks used up to battle rating 6.0, making it one of the most widely used guns throughout the battle ratings and with M18 being the first tanks to use it - it gives it a very high staying power throughout battle ratings. Once upgraded, the turret has very fair guidance in both: horizontal and vertical axis allowing to quickly catch pot-shots, though given exceptional mobility of the platform even it struggles to catch up with the near-instant hull rotation.

76mm M1					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	45	-10°/+20°	±180°	N/A	21.13	29.25	35.50	39.30	41.79	7.93	7.02	6.47	6.10
Realistic					14.28	16.80	20.40	22.60	24.00

Ammunition

M18 comes with an exceptionally good stock shell, allowing it to unleash its full potential pretty much right off the bat. Additional unlocks are more specialized.

• M62 shell - APCBC - The best anti-tank shell, also the stock round. It has very good penetration and an excellent post-penetration effect.
• M42A1 shell - HE - The best round for dealing with unarmored targets or unarmored sections of vehicles. It should be used carefully, as everything over 10 mm armour can negate its effects. Typically M62 is superior.
• M79 shot - AP - Round inferior in every way to the M62, it's in-game largely for historical reasons.

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
M62 shell	APCBC	149	146	133	119	106	95
M42A1 shell	HE	7	7	7	7	7	7
M79 shot	AP	134	132	121	109	99	89

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%
M62 shell	APCBC	792	7.0	1.2	14	63.7	48°	63°	71°
M42A1 shell	HE	800	5.84	0.1	0.5	390	79°	80°	81°
M79 shot	AP	792	6.8	N/A	N/A	N/A	47°	60°	65°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
M88	274	3.44	13	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M18 (Italy).

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
45	37 (+8)	27 (+18)	17 (+28)	9 (+36)	1 (+44)	No

Turret empty: 37 (+8)

When fighting in downtiers it's best to take only 17 shells, which allows the turret and sides of the tank to be empty of shells, notably increasing survivability. Otherwise, it doesn't matter how many rounds are loaded, as most hits against the tank will prove deadly regardless.

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition1 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 70°

Horizontal guidance-60° / 60°

12.7 mm M2HB
Pintle mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
800 (200)				576	-10°/+70°	±60°

Usage in battles

Before all, avoid colourful or bright decals. Camouflage is the main part of the M18's defence. Chances for good performance in battle are: be "invisible", fast and effective. The M18's speed is its best ally. This speed has to be used for flanking manoeuvres and relocate. Not for trying to cross an open field, that will leave it open to enemy fire, speed is not a substitute for armour.

Relocate:

• This movement will have to be done again and again. Choose a good spot wisely, remove the foliage if necessary to get a clear field of fire. When in the fire spot, use the gun depression and stay in a hull-down position until a target is located. Once a target is locked on, aim at critical components. Try to immobilize the enemy by firing at the engine or transmission, or remove their firepower by shooting the gun or breech, or for instant destruction with a shot to the ammo storage. The last option can work very well or not, as skilled players only carry a few rounds of ammo.

• If positive that the enemy hasn't discovered the firing spot, go for another shot. Stay attentive that none of the enemy's teammates has also located the firing spot. If detected, hide immediately and relocate.

Flanking:

• Flanking is the most dangerous manoeuvre of all because the vehicle will have to be exposed as it moves to the enemy's rear, but it is very effective when it's coordinated with other vehicles. A distraction is needed to gain the enemy's attention while the M18 makes its move. Isolated enemy units are very vulnerable to this tactic. Using the M18 speed to get to the rear and as the enemy heads toward the objective, the firing perspective should give a very clear view of the enemy's side armour. A good shot with the M62 APCBC shell could knock out the enemy rather quickly, but if using solid AP shots like the M79, aim at critical components on mobility and firepower before knocking out the crew or ammo stowage.

Avoid flat terrain

• Flat terrain means that the Hellcat will become an easy target for virtually any vehicle by exposure, especially when not moving or when moving in a straight line. Open plains are the bane of the Hellcat. Whenever possible, one should try to stay amongst hills.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Overall mobility is superb, with very responsive manoeuvring that allows the Hellcat to excel in flanking manoeuvres
• Fast reload speed and turret traverse
• Stock APCBC round has great penetration and lots of explosive fillers, rarely requiring more than one penetrating shot to kill common tanks like T-34-85, M4A3, Cromwell, IS-1 and IS-2
• Low profile, reducing target size and allows it to hide behind small bushes or rocks easily
• The nature of its thin armour means AP rounds have a tendency to pass straight through without damaging modules, and an APHE fuze may not even be triggered. For example the Russian 122mm tend to over-penetrate, dealing little damage.

Cons:

• Thin armour means rapid-fire autocannons, heavy machine guns, and aerial weapons could easily shred it. Beware of the ZSD63 and the GAZ trucks!
• Commander is exposed at the 0.50 calibre machine gun mount, and knocking him out would render the weapon useless
• Open-top construction means aerial strikes and artillery could rain havoc onto the crew
• Gun has poor penetration in an uptier, often can't penetrate anything frontally unless hitting a weak spot. The M4A3E2 and M26 are frontally immune to this 76mm M1.
• Doesn't have access to APCR unlike its American counterpart.
• Rarely reaches 50 km/h in Realistic Battles, even in a straight line, therefore can be outran by the Sd.kfz.234 series
• A moment of immobility due to a damaged engine or transmission could be a sign of impending doom for the M18
• Hull-break mechanics mean any explosions, HEAT or well-aimed AP round could instantly destroy the vehicle

History

Procurement

In the post-war period, many European countries had to deal with the reconstruction of their national defence forces. The immediate solution for the USA and the European countries was the surplus of equipment that the US Army still had available, either remaining from wartime production or from the contingent of occupying forces in Europe when those materials were replaced and phased out. The M18 Hellcat was thus proposed to and bought by several countries in Europe: France, Italy, Yugoslavia, etc. In that context, the Italian Armed Forces received 130 of them in July 1952.

Combat usage

The Hellcats were allocated to the 155th Artillery Regiment of the 5th Army Corps which garrisoned the regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia near the Eastern border and never saw combat action.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the M18 (Italy) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The M18 Tank Destroyer (Italy) - Orangefan

See also

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;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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