Difference between revisions of "P40"

From War Thunder Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
(Edits.)
(Fleshing out of the page)
Line 11: Line 11:
 
<!--''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?''
 
<!--''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.''-->
The armour on the P40 can be described as “decent”. While the actual armour values are not high, sufficient slope on the upper glacis and upper side armour sloping are very similar to the sides of T-34’s. The turret is a weak area, the side cheeks are only 50mm thick, angling the turret can alleviate this somewhat. You can reliably survive smaller calibre shells, but do not seek out confrontation. While the armour can bounce the 75mm M3 cannon, on Shermans and is almost completely resistant frontally to the Sherman 105’s HE, HEAT will obliterate the P40, and the crew is packed inside. Full penetrations are generally fatal.
+
'''Adequate'''. This is the word that comes to mind when thinking of the P40's armour. It's protection is enough for most medium ranged engagements but is able to be easily penetrated by most guns at close range. The front plate is a 50 mm plate sloped at 45° allowing for 65-67 mm of total protection, and the drivers hatch on the left side is 76 mm also sloped at 45° allowing for nearly 100 mm of protection. Most shots to the upper glacis won't penetrate thanks to the radical sloping angle of the plate offering 95 mm of armour, but it is possible for it to deflect a shot into the UFP. The gun mantlet is very well protected, with two rounded plates, which each offer roughly 50 mm of protection, stacked on top of each other allowing for a total of 100 mm. Be weary that the turret is a very vulnerable spot due to the nearly flat plate that only has 50 mm of armour.  
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability as well as the maximum speed forward and backwards.''
+
<!-- Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability as well as the maximum speed forward and backwards. -->
 +
Mobility is below average for the tier, but is faster than some common tanks like the early Sherman's and Chi-Nu. However, almost every other tank in the tier will easily outrun you (Such as the early T-34's, [[Cromwell (Family)|Cromwell's]], [[Pz.III M|Pz.III]] and the [[Pz.IV F2]]). Your offroad speed is quite good, able to reach 43 kmh/27 mph on dirt and get to that speed quite quickly. The hull traverse is also very good and the tank is very responsive while in motion, allowing for a very mobile playstyle.
  
 
== 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 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.''-->
The 75 mm Ansaldo 75 L/34 cannon mounted on the P40 is appropriate armament for its tier, it combines a decent reload with flexible munitions. A 75 mm APHE round with 79 mm of penetration and a HEAT round with 100 mm of penetration. It is worth noting, either ammunition is usable, however, a mix is preferable. Most enemies will easily fall prey to your APHE round, but T34’s, M4 Shermans, KV1s, are all enemies that require heavier hitting rounds, like the HEAT round. Note turret rotation is abysmal, and traversing the hull is necessary. Low velocity will make longer range combat difficult and the penetration drop off of the APHE round becomes quite noticeable.
+
* [[Ansaldo 75 L/34 (75 mm)]], 63 shells total.
  
=== Additional armament ===
+
The 75 mm Ansaldo 75 L/34 cannon mounted on the P40 is appropriate armament for its tier, combining a decent reload with flexible munitions. You have access to a 75 mm APHE round with 79 mm of penetration and a HEAT round with 100 mm of penetration. It is worth noting, either ammunition is usable, but a mix is preferable. Most enemies will easily fall prey to your APHE round, but T-34’s, M4 Sherman's, KV1's, are all enemies that require heavier hitting rounds, like the HEAT round. Note turret rotation is mediocre, and traversing the hull is necessary during close range engagements. The average round velocity will make longer range combat difficult and the penetration drop off of the APHE round becomes quite noticeable.
''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.''
 
  
 
=== 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. -->
 +
* [[Breda Mod. 38 (8 mm)]] x 2 (One pintle mounted and one mounted co-axially, 576 rounds total)
  
 
== Usage in the battles ==
 
== Usage in the 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 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). -->
 +
The P40 is a tank that excels in medium ranged engagements thanks to its decent armour and adequate gun. Due to the relatively small size and good mobility, it can however be played as an ambush tank that can sneak around and plant a shot in the enemy's sides, allowing for an easy kill because of the large explosive filler in your APCBC shell. Be weary that while your armour may protect against many lower tier cannons, cannons at your BR (Namely the Pz.IV's long barrelled cannon) are easily capable of sending you back to the garage from most ranges.
 +
 
 +
You should always be with your teammates, as the P40 is easy prey when separated from its team. Stick with the heavier tanks such as the KV-1's, Churchill's and Matilda's, as they can soak up shots for you and draw attention away from the weak little P40, allowing you to sneak around and get a few kills. If there are no heavy tanks, your best bet is to support a Sherman or Pz.IV, as both of them can deal with enemies that you cant.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
Line 36: Line 40:
 
* Decent frontal armour
 
* Decent frontal armour
 
* The gun possesses satisfactory performance at its rank
 
* The gun possesses satisfactory performance at its rank
 +
* Has access to HEAT shells with 100 mm of penetration
 +
* Stock shell has a lot of explosive filler, making one shots very common
 +
* Relatively small for a medium tank
 +
* Very good in medium ranged performance
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
* Overall penetration is not that good
+
* Overall penetration is not that great
 
* Pitifully low ammo count for each machine gun belt
 
* Pitifully low ammo count for each machine gun belt
* Armor can still be penetrated by a few enemies of rank II, most notably by the long-barreled Panzer IVs
+
* Armour can still be penetrated by a few enemies of rank II, most notably by the long-barreled Panzer IVs
 +
* Breda Mod. 38's have a very low magazine count
 +
* Lower than average speed
 +
* Mediocre turret traverse
  
 
== 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 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 main template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article. -->
 +
The Carro Pesante P26/40 was Italy's best tank that saw service in the war. Despite only weighing 29 tonnes, which is significantly less than almost every other country's heavy tanks, it was classed as a heavy tank due to Italy's tank design doctrine. In early 1940, the Italians started working on a 25 tonne "heavy" infantry support tank that was intended to fight alongside the "M" class medium tanks. The recent Africa campaign showed the massive problems the Italian tanks in production had, namely a lack of armour and insufficient firepower, prompting the army to make some changes. Initially designated as "P75" due to the 75 mm short barrelled 75/32 mm cannon that was changed to a longer barrelled 75/34 with higher potency. The initial prototype was powered by a 330 hp diesel engine, but was changed to a traditional petrol-fueled engine due to the unimpressive performance of the diesel engine, which forced the Ansaldo engineers to delay the program until the necessary modifications to the chassis and body could be made to fit the petrol engine. This eventually produced a petrol engine titled "V-12 SPA 342" delivering 420 hp. The vehicle was adopted and was named "P26/40", 26 for the weight and 40 for the year it was designed.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==

Revision as of 15:56, 20 August 2019

Rank VI | Premium | Golden Eagles
Chinese A-5C Pack
it_p_40.png
P40
AB RB SB
3.3 3.3 3.3
Class:
Research:14 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:32 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage P40.jpg


The Fiat-Ansaldo P40 is a rank II Italian medium tank with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.85 "Supersonic".

General info

Survivability and armour

Adequate. This is the word that comes to mind when thinking of the P40's armour. It's protection is enough for most medium ranged engagements but is able to be easily penetrated by most guns at close range. The front plate is a 50 mm plate sloped at 45° allowing for 65-67 mm of total protection, and the drivers hatch on the left side is 76 mm also sloped at 45° allowing for nearly 100 mm of protection. Most shots to the upper glacis won't penetrate thanks to the radical sloping angle of the plate offering 95 mm of armour, but it is possible for it to deflect a shot into the UFP. The gun mantlet is very well protected, with two rounded plates, which each offer roughly 50 mm of protection, stacked on top of each other allowing for a total of 100 mm. Be weary that the turret is a very vulnerable spot due to the nearly flat plate that only has 50 mm of armour.

Mobility

Mobility is below average for the tier, but is faster than some common tanks like the early Sherman's and Chi-Nu. However, almost every other tank in the tier will easily outrun you (Such as the early T-34's, Cromwell's, Pz.III and the Pz.IV F2). Your offroad speed is quite good, able to reach 43 kmh/27 mph on dirt and get to that speed quite quickly. The hull traverse is also very good and the tank is very responsive while in motion, allowing for a very mobile playstyle.

Armaments

Main armament

The 75 mm Ansaldo 75 L/34 cannon mounted on the P40 is appropriate armament for its tier, combining a decent reload with flexible munitions. You have access to a 75 mm APHE round with 79 mm of penetration and a HEAT round with 100 mm of penetration. It is worth noting, either ammunition is usable, but a mix is preferable. Most enemies will easily fall prey to your APHE round, but T-34’s, M4 Sherman's, KV1's, are all enemies that require heavier hitting rounds, like the HEAT round. Note turret rotation is mediocre, and traversing the hull is necessary during close range engagements. The average round velocity will make longer range combat difficult and the penetration drop off of the APHE round becomes quite noticeable.

Machine guns

Usage in the battles

The P40 is a tank that excels in medium ranged engagements thanks to its decent armour and adequate gun. Due to the relatively small size and good mobility, it can however be played as an ambush tank that can sneak around and plant a shot in the enemy's sides, allowing for an easy kill because of the large explosive filler in your APCBC shell. Be weary that while your armour may protect against many lower tier cannons, cannons at your BR (Namely the Pz.IV's long barrelled cannon) are easily capable of sending you back to the garage from most ranges.

You should always be with your teammates, as the P40 is easy prey when separated from its team. Stick with the heavier tanks such as the KV-1's, Churchill's and Matilda's, as they can soak up shots for you and draw attention away from the weak little P40, allowing you to sneak around and get a few kills. If there are no heavy tanks, your best bet is to support a Sherman or Pz.IV, as both of them can deal with enemies that you cant.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Decent frontal armour
  • The gun possesses satisfactory performance at its rank
  • Has access to HEAT shells with 100 mm of penetration
  • Stock shell has a lot of explosive filler, making one shots very common
  • Relatively small for a medium tank
  • Very good in medium ranged performance

Cons:

  • Overall penetration is not that great
  • Pitifully low ammo count for each machine gun belt
  • Armour can still be penetrated by a few enemies of rank II, most notably by the long-barreled Panzer IVs
  • Breda Mod. 38's have a very low magazine count
  • Lower than average speed
  • Mediocre turret traverse

History

The Carro Pesante P26/40 was Italy's best tank that saw service in the war. Despite only weighing 29 tonnes, which is significantly less than almost every other country's heavy tanks, it was classed as a heavy tank due to Italy's tank design doctrine. In early 1940, the Italians started working on a 25 tonne "heavy" infantry support tank that was intended to fight alongside the "M" class medium tanks. The recent Africa campaign showed the massive problems the Italian tanks in production had, namely a lack of armour and insufficient firepower, prompting the army to make some changes. Initially designated as "P75" due to the 75 mm short barrelled 75/32 mm cannon that was changed to a longer barrelled 75/34 with higher potency. The initial prototype was powered by a 330 hp diesel engine, but was changed to a traditional petrol-fueled engine due to the unimpressive performance of the diesel engine, which forced the Ansaldo engineers to delay the program until the necessary modifications to the chassis and body could be made to fit the petrol engine. This eventually produced a petrol engine titled "V-12 SPA 342" delivering 420 hp. The vehicle was adopted and was named "P26/40", 26 for the weight and 40 for the year it was designed.

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

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

ETC.

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Italy medium tanks
  Italy
M13/40  M13/40 (I) · M13/40 (II) · M13/40 (III)
M14/41  M14/41 · M14/41 (47/40)
M15/42  M15/42
M16/43  Celere Sahariano
P26/40  P40 · P40 "G.C. Leoncello"
OF-40  OF-40 · OF-40 Mk.2A · OF-40 (MTCA)
Ariete  Ariete (P) · Ariete · Ariete PSO · Ariete AMV
Germany  ▄Pz.III N · ▄Pz.IV G · ▄Leopard 1A5
Allied powers  ▄Sherman I Composito · Sherman Ic · ▄Sherman Vc · ▄Sherman V · M26 "D.C.Ariete" · M26A1 · M47 (105/55) · M60A1 "D.C.Ariete"
  Hungary
Turán  Turan I · Turan II · Turan III
Germany  ◔Leopard 2A4
USSR  ◔T-72M1