Difference between revisions of "M8A1 GMC"

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{{Specs-Card|code=us_m8a1}}
+
{{Specs-Card
 +
|code=us_m8a1
 +
|market=75mm Gun Motor Carriage M8
 +
}}
 +
{{About
 +
| about = American premium tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 +
|other
 +
|usage-1 = other uses
 +
|link-1 = M8 (Disambiguation)
 +
|usage-2 = other vehicles of the family
 +
|link-2 = M8 General Scott (Family)
 +
}}
  
 
== 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.''
+
<!--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_M8A1GMC.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]], along with all other [[:Category:USA_ground_vehicles|American tanks]], but wasn't available until Winter of the 2014 as an unlockable gift in the [[wt:en/news/2736-holiday-war-thunder-marathon-en|"War Thunder Christmas Special"]]. After that, the M8A1 became available again as a Warbond shop reward as part of [[wt:en/news/4312-shop-how-can-you-get-premium-vehicles-warbonds-en/|War Thunder's 4th anniversary]].
 +
 
 +
An upgunned [[M8 Scott]] armed with [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] gun, the M8A1 is a light tank destroyer capable of flanking & destroying enemy tanks at the same time with its outstanding mobility.
  
 
== 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 helpfull for survival in combat?''
+
<!--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.-->
 +
 
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
 
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 28.5 mm (49-50°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 44.1 mm (15-45°) ''Lower glacis'' || 28.5 mm ''Top'' <br> 28.5 + 5 mm ''Bottom'' || 28.5 + 5 mm (2-46°) ''Top'' <br> 25.4 mm (2-21°) ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 38.1 mm (6-32°) ''Turret front'' <br> 38.1 mm (13-62°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25.4 mm (20°) || 25.4 mm (1°) || N/A
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
 
 +
* Suspension bogies and wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 10 mm thick.
 +
* Tracks laid out on the turret side give an additional 10 mm of armour where they are stacked.
 +
* Sandskirts on the bottom hull give additional 5 mm thickness.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
+
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
 +
 
 +
{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 419|rbMinHp= 261|<!--AoAweight=(optional) -->}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== 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 flexibilty 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.''
+
<!--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.-->
 +
{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 46 || -10°/+30° || ±180°
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| ''Arcade'' || 7.10 || 9.90 || 12.00 ||19.60||20.90
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 7.10 || 8.40 || 10.20 || 11.28 || 12.00
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 8.71 || 7.71 || 7.10 || 6.70
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== Ammunition =====
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| M72 shot || AP || 110 || 109 || 92 || 76 || 62 || 51
 +
|-
 +
| M48 shell || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
 +
|-
 +
| M61 shot || APCBC || 90 || 88 || 81 || 73 || 65 || 59
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="10" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| M72 shot || 619 || 6.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
 +
|-
 +
| M48 shell || 463 || 6.3 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 666 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
| M61 shot || 618 || 6.8 || 1.2 || 20 || 63.7 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Ammunition
 +
! Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! ''Screen radius <br /> in m''
 +
! ''Screen time <br /> in s''
 +
! ''Screen hold time <br /> in s:''
 +
! ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
|-
 +
| M89 || 259 || 3 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
+
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
−
''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.''
+
[[File:Ammoracks M8A1.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the M8A1 GMC.]]
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
| '''46''' || 35&nbsp;''(+11)'' || 23&nbsp;''(+23)'' || 12&nbsp;''(+34)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+45)'' || style="text-align:center" | Yes
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
=== 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.''
+
<!--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|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}
  
−
== Usage in the battles ==
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
−
''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).''
+
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Pintle mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 1,000 (200) || 576 || -5°/+70° || ±180°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
== 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).-->
 +
This vehicle plays along with the American concept of the tank destroyers, fast and powerful, but lacking in armour. Using the terrain for cover is necessary to survive against the enemy shells, plus constant repositioning is needed to keep the enemy guessing where the M8A1 is located. However, if able to get the jump on the enemy, the 75 mm gun on this vehicle can destroy the vehicles at its rank and the addition of the .50 cal M2 Browning on top aids its versatility against lightly armoured vehicle and aircraft.
 +
 
 +
The main tactic for this vehicle is ''Shoot and Scoot'', constant repositioning after every shot as the armour on the M8A1 is rather thin for its battle rating. If hiding behind a rock, pop up from one side then the other rather than just from one side to force the enemy to spend milliseconds reacquiring the M8A1 in their sights, milliseconds that can put the favor of the battle to the M8A1. This involves many trick and will take some time to learn, but once learned, the M8A1 will be a huge assist to the team. Be careful to not get greedy and trigger-happy, the exposure trying to get a target may result in a loss, so play conservatively and know full well when that sometimes there will only be assist and move on. An M8A1 that is used properly is such a powerful tool that it can single handily swing the game. That being said one unlucky second and it is a pile of charred metal, due to the huge amount of ammo crammed into such a small area
 +
=== Modules ===
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
! Tier
 +
! colspan="2" | Mobility
 +
! Protection
 +
! colspan="2" | Firepower
 +
|-
 +
| I
 +
| Tracks
 +
|
 +
| Parts
 +
| Horizontal Drive
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| II
 +
| Suspension
 +
| Brake System
 +
| FPE
 +
| Adjustment of Fire
 +
| M61 Shot
 +
|-
 +
| III
 +
| Filters
 +
|
 +
| Crew Replenishment
 +
| Elevation Mechanism
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| IV
 +
| Transmission
 +
| Engine
 +
|
 +
| M89
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" |This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
=== 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. Do not 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".''
+
<!--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:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
 
 +
* Deadly firepower at its BR, penetrating the toughest tanks with ease, such as the [[B1 ter|B1]], [[Matilda Mk II|Matilda]] or even the early [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]] in an uptier. Other tanks like the [[T-80]] will easily get one-shot.
 +
* Great gun depression of -10 degrees allows hull-down shots on hills
 +
* Multirole capacity (tank destroyer / light tank) allows flexible and fun gameplay
 +
* Rapid rate of fire at 8.95 RPM (6.7 s reload time)
 +
* Great mobility: reaches top speed (56 km/h) relatively fast, and it doesn't lose speed drastically upon turning, allowing it to perform flanking maneuvers easily.
 +
* .50 cal machine gun can eliminate low flying aircraft & soft targets such as [[BT-7|BT-7]], [[Marder III|Marder]] III, [[SU-76M|SU-76]]. Also its low profile makes it easier to hide.
 +
* No ammunition is stored inside the turret, decreasing the chance of ammo detonation which increases survivability
 +
* Commonly misidentified as short-gunned M8 Scott
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
 
 +
* Thin armor plus the cramped crew gives it poor survivability. Can get destroyed easily by vehicles like [[ZiS-30]], [[SU-76M|SU-76]], [[StuG III A]]
 +
* Gun breech is often damaged when turret is penetrated, making it defenseless
 +
* Slippy maneuverability. Prone to drifting
 +
* Rather slow turret traverse (around 11 deg/s) requires good reaction for the player
 +
* Open topped turret (which exposes the crew & ammo rack) can be barraged by artillery & airstrikes
 +
* Although the gun is powerful, it still struggles to frontally penetrate the [[StuH 42 G]] especially with add-on tracks, while the StuH usually one-shots the M8
 +
* All of its ammunition are stacked in every corner inside center compartment, single explosion in the middle of the hull can explode the ammo racks.
 +
* Usually becomes a priority target when spotted due to its armament & mobility
  
 
== 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 "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
<!--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 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></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. 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===
 +
In United State's entry into World War II, the troops in the front lines require a support vehicle similar to those in use by the German forces in the form of the [[StuG III A|StuG III]]. The project for such vehicle began as a design submitted in late 1941, which was a [[M5A1|M5 Light Tank]] mated with a howitzer on the hull front, designated the ''T41''. This design didn't pass as the howitzer on the hull sacrificed crew protection. The design was revised on the same M5 light tank and instead had the M5 turret removed and replaced with an open-topped turret similar to the US tank destroyers [[M10 GMC|M10]] and [[M18 GMC|M18]], which mounted a 75 mm howitzer. This change caused the hatches for the driver and assistant driver to be placed on the glacis front rather than the hull roof. This design, called the ''T17E1 HMC'' was approved and put into production under the designation ''75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8'', or the [[M8 Scott]]. The 75 mm M2 howitzer was the initial armament of the M8 before switching to the updated 75 mm M3 howitzer on the [[M8A1|M8A1]] variant. The howitzer was capbale of firing [[Smoke screen|smoke]] M89 or high-explosive M48 rounds, the vehicle could hold 46 of these 75 mm rounds. The M8 does not have any machine guns on the coaxial or hull-mounted area, but a .50 cal Browning was mounted on the rear right corner of the turret for infantry defense. The vehicle was put into production in April 1942 and continued until January 1944, of which a total of 1,778 units were produced by Cadillac only.
 +
 
 +
===Combat usage===
 +
These vehicles would go on to serve in the Italian Campaign, European Campaign, and in the Pacific in the hands of the US Army. The M8 saw use in American service until the M7 Priest 105 mm self-propelled gun could be fielded in large numbers, which stopped the M8 production and service in American units. After being phased out of American service, the M8 was then given to the Free French forces that use them in the Western Front of the European operations. The French continue to use them all the way to 1954 in the French-Indochina conflict in use by South-Vietnamese forces. Other users of the M8 included the Khmers national army, Laos, China, and the Philippines.
  
 
== 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.''
 +
 
 +
== See also ==
 +
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
  
−
== Read 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;''
 
* ''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.''
−
''ETC.''
 
  
−
== Sources ==
+
== External links ==
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 +
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
−
* ''page on the Wikipedia;''
+
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
 +
 +
{{USA tank destroyers}}
 +
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}
 +
{{Winter Event}}

Revision as of 13:14, 26 June 2020

M8A1 GMC
us_m8a1.png
M8A1 GMC
USA flag.png USA
II Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
2.7 2.7 2.7
Class:
PREMIUM
Purchase:Bundle or Gift
Show in game
MARKET
This page is about the American premium tank destroyer M8A1 GMC. For other uses, see M8 (Disambiguation). For other vehicles of the family, see M8 General Scott (Family).

Description

File:GarageImage M8A1GMC.jpg
420px


The 75 mm Gun Motor Carriage M8 is a gift rank II American tank destroyer with a battle rating of 2.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals", along with all other American tanks, but wasn't available until Winter of the 2014 as an unlockable gift in the "War Thunder Christmas Special". After that, the M8A1 became available again as a Warbond shop reward as part of War Thunder's 4th anniversary.

An upgunned M8 Scott armed with 75 mm M3 gun, the M8A1 is a light tank destroyer capable of flanking & destroying enemy tanks at the same time with its outstanding mobility.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 28.5 mm (49-50°) Front glacis
44.1 mm (15-45°) Lower glacis 		28.5 mm Top
28.5 + 5 mm Bottom 		28.5 + 5 mm (2-46°) Top
25.4 mm (2-21°) Bottom 		12.7 mm
Turret 38.1 mm (6-32°) Turret front
38.1 mm (13-62°) Gun mantlet 		25.4 mm (20°) 25.4 mm (1°) N/A

Notes:

  • Suspension bogies and wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 10 mm thick.
  • Tracks laid out on the turret side give an additional 10 mm of armour where they are stacked.
  • Sandskirts on the bottom hull give additional 5 mm thickness.

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 71 19 15.6 419 565 26.86 36.22
Realistic 64 17 261 296 16.73 18.97

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: M3 (75 mm)
75 mm M3
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
46 -10°/+30° ±180°
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 7.10 9.90 12.00 19.60 20.90
Realistic 7.10 8.40 10.20 11.28 12.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
8.71 7.71 7.10 6.70
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
M72 shot AP 110 109 92 76 62 51
M48 shell HE 10 10 10 10 10 10
M61 shot APCBC 90 88 81 73 65 59
Shell details
Ammunition Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent): 		Normalization At 30°
from horizontal: 		Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
M72 shot 619 6.3 N/A N/A N/A -1° 47° 60° 65°
M48 shell 463 6.3 0.4 0.5 666 +0° 79° 80° 81°
M61 shot 618 6.8 1.2 20 63.7 +4° 48° 63° 71°
Smoke characteristic
Ammunition Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Screen radius
in m 		Screen time
in s 		Screen hold time
in s: 		Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
M89 259 3 13 5 20 50
Ammo racks
Ammo racks of the M8A1 GMC.
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
46 35 (+11) 23 (+23) 12 (+34) 1 (+45) Yes

Machine guns

Main article: M2HB (12.7 mm)
12.7 mm M2HB
Pintle mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
1,000 (200) 576 -5°/+70° ±180°

Usage in battles

This vehicle plays along with the American concept of the tank destroyers, fast and powerful, but lacking in armour. Using the terrain for cover is necessary to survive against the enemy shells, plus constant repositioning is needed to keep the enemy guessing where the M8A1 is located. However, if able to get the jump on the enemy, the 75 mm gun on this vehicle can destroy the vehicles at its rank and the addition of the .50 cal M2 Browning on top aids its versatility against lightly armoured vehicle and aircraft.

The main tactic for this vehicle is Shoot and Scoot, constant repositioning after every shot as the armour on the M8A1 is rather thin for its battle rating. If hiding behind a rock, pop up from one side then the other rather than just from one side to force the enemy to spend milliseconds reacquiring the M8A1 in their sights, milliseconds that can put the favor of the battle to the M8A1. This involves many trick and will take some time to learn, but once learned, the M8A1 will be a huge assist to the team. Be careful to not get greedy and trigger-happy, the exposure trying to get a target may result in a loss, so play conservatively and know full well when that sometimes there will only be assist and move on. An M8A1 that is used properly is such a powerful tool that it can single handily swing the game. That being said one unlucky second and it is a pile of charred metal, due to the huge amount of ammo crammed into such a small area

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tracks Parts Horizontal Drive
II Suspension Brake System FPE Adjustment of Fire M61 Shot
III Filters Crew Replenishment Elevation Mechanism
IV Transmission Engine M89
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Deadly firepower at its BR, penetrating the toughest tanks with ease, such as the B1, Matilda or even the early KV-1 in an uptier. Other tanks like the T-80 will easily get one-shot.
  • Great gun depression of -10 degrees allows hull-down shots on hills
  • Multirole capacity (tank destroyer / light tank) allows flexible and fun gameplay
  • Rapid rate of fire at 8.95 RPM (6.7 s reload time)
  • Great mobility: reaches top speed (56 km/h) relatively fast, and it doesn't lose speed drastically upon turning, allowing it to perform flanking maneuvers easily.
  • .50 cal machine gun can eliminate low flying aircraft & soft targets such as BT-7, Marder III, SU-76. Also its low profile makes it easier to hide.
  • No ammunition is stored inside the turret, decreasing the chance of ammo detonation which increases survivability
  • Commonly misidentified as short-gunned M8 Scott

Cons:

  • Thin armor plus the cramped crew gives it poor survivability. Can get destroyed easily by vehicles like ZiS-30, SU-76, StuG III A
  • Gun breech is often damaged when turret is penetrated, making it defenseless
  • Slippy maneuverability. Prone to drifting
  • Rather slow turret traverse (around 11 deg/s) requires good reaction for the player
  • Open topped turret (which exposes the crew & ammo rack) can be barraged by artillery & airstrikes
  • Although the gun is powerful, it still struggles to frontally penetrate the StuH 42 G especially with add-on tracks, while the StuH usually one-shots the M8
  • All of its ammunition are stacked in every corner inside center compartment, single explosion in the middle of the hull can explode the ammo racks.
  • Usually becomes a priority target when spotted due to its armament & mobility

History

Development

In United State's entry into World War II, the troops in the front lines require a support vehicle similar to those in use by the German forces in the form of the StuG III. The project for such vehicle began as a design submitted in late 1941, which was a M5 Light Tank mated with a howitzer on the hull front, designated the T41. This design didn't pass as the howitzer on the hull sacrificed crew protection. The design was revised on the same M5 light tank and instead had the M5 turret removed and replaced with an open-topped turret similar to the US tank destroyers M10 and M18, which mounted a 75 mm howitzer. This change caused the hatches for the driver and assistant driver to be placed on the glacis front rather than the hull roof. This design, called the T17E1 HMC was approved and put into production under the designation 75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8, or the M8 Scott. The 75 mm M2 howitzer was the initial armament of the M8 before switching to the updated 75 mm M3 howitzer on the M8A1 variant. The howitzer was capbale of firing smoke M89 or high-explosive M48 rounds, the vehicle could hold 46 of these 75 mm rounds. The M8 does not have any machine guns on the coaxial or hull-mounted area, but a .50 cal Browning was mounted on the rear right corner of the turret for infantry defense. The vehicle was put into production in April 1942 and continued until January 1944, of which a total of 1,778 units were produced by Cadillac only.

Combat usage

These vehicles would go on to serve in the Italian Campaign, European Campaign, and in the Pacific in the hands of the US Army. The M8 saw use in American service until the M7 Priest 105 mm self-propelled gun could be fielded in large numbers, which stopped the M8 production and service in American units. After being phased out of American service, the M8 was then given to the Free French forces that use them in the Western Front of the European operations. The French continue to use them all the way to 1954 in the French-Indochina conflict in use by South-Vietnamese forces. Other users of the M8 included the Khmers national army, Laos, China, and the Philippines.

Media

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

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.


USA tank destroyers
M10  M10 GMC
M36  M36 GMC · M36B2
T95  T28 · T95
M109  M109A1
ATGM  LOSAT · M901 · ADATS
Wheeled  M3 GMC · T55E1
Other  M8 HMC · M50 · M56
China  ▃LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2)

USA premium ground vehicles
Light tanks  LVT(A)(4) · M2A4 (1st Arm.Div.) · M3A1 (USMC) · ▃Stuart VI (5th CAD) · M8 LAC · M8A1 GMC
  M18 "Black Cat" · Super Hellcat · T18E2 · M551(76) · T114 · M1128 Wolfpack
Medium tanks  ▃Grant I · M4A5 · Calliope · T20 · M26 T99 · M26E1 · M46 "Tiger" · T54E1 · T54E2 · ▃Magach 3 (ERA) · M728 CEV
  XM1 (GM) · XM1 (Chrysler) · M1 KVT · M1A1 Click-Bait
Heavy tanks  T14 · Cobra King · M6A2E1 · T29 · T30
Tank destroyers  T28 · T55E1

Winter events
2022  Winter Quest
Pilot stars  Late 298D · ◄Tornado IDS MFG
Tanker stars  T-80UM2
Sailor stars  USS Newport News
2021  Operation W.I.N.T.E.R.
Pilot stars  C. 202D · ◊MiG-23MF
Tanker stars  A.C.I · AGS
Sailor stars  IJN Hayanami · MPK Pr.201K
2020  Operation W.I.N.T.E.R.
Pilot stars  Ro.57 Quadriarma · MiG-21PFM
Tanker stars  E.B.R. (1954) · Class 3 (P)
Sailor stars  Type K-8 No.13 · USS Baltimore
2019  Operation F.R.O.S.T.
Pilot stars  TIS MA · J6K1
Tanker stars  QF 3.7 Ram · ▃Merkava Mk.2B
Sailor stars  PT-811 · Jaguar
2018  Festive Quest
Pilot stars  M.B.152C1 · Fw 190 C
Tanker stars  SU-85A · T30
Christmas Lights  P-43A-1 · Comet I "Iron Duke IV"
2017  Festive Quest
Pilot christmas toys  P-40C · NC.900
Tanker christmas toys  AEC Mk II · Ersatz M10
Christmas Lights  Fw 189 A-1 · KV-2 (1940)
2016  Winter Holiday
Pilot stages  Ki-21-I hei · Me 262 A-2a
Tanker stages  ▃LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2) · ▂Type 62
2015  War Thunder Fulfills Your Wishes!
Pilot reward  ▂P-63C-5
Tanker reward  VK 45.01 (P)
2014  Holiday War Thunder Marathon!
Pilot reward  I-301
Tanker reward  M8A1 GMC

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