Difference between revisions of "S-38b"

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(Usage in battles)
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{{main|2 cm/65 C/30 (20 mm)|2 cm/65 C/38 (20 mm)}}
 
{{main|2 cm/65 C/30 (20 mm)|2 cm/65 C/38 (20 mm)}}
  
While good but not excellent, the 20 mm cannons are capable guns for shredding lightly armored boats and low-flying aircraft. However, the short clip capacity tends to be an issue. While using these guns, it is important to note that because of the boat's size, the guns are aimed relatively easily, due to the stability imbued by the length. Being lightweight guns, the turning speed and aiming speed are fast and accurate. This should be used as an advantage as this reduces the risk of being flanked and surprised attacked by enemy boats and aircraft.  
+
While good but not excellent, the 20 mm cannons are capable guns for shredding lightly armoured boats and low-flying aircraft. However, the short clip capacity tends to be an issue. While using this guns, the aiming must be really accurate. Being lightweight guns, the turning speed and aiming speed are very fast and accurate. This should be used as an advantage as this reduces the risk of being flanked and surprised attacked by enemy boats and aircraft.
  
 
There are three ammunition types available:
 
There are three ammunition types available:
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'''1 meter depth:'''
 
'''1 meter depth:'''
  
This is the depth when you want your torpedos to be able to hit enemy PT boats or other small vessels, one of the disadvantages is the fact that it will leave a very visible trail, and it wont do as much damage to destroyers, as it is less likely to hit the fuel reserves, or ammunition, which are often stored at the bottom or 2m below the waterline.
+
This is the most universal depth used for all types of engagements, being in deep water or at shallow waters. This depth is capable of hitting all sorts of vessels, including PT boats. The main downside is that enemy ships can see the water trail made by the torpedo which can make enemy vessels evade or fire at the torpedo.
  
 
'''4 meter depth:'''
 
'''4 meter depth:'''
  
This is the recommended depth when trying to deal with heavier ships like destroyers. This is one of the riskier techniques as there is no way to launch them in shallow waters (most shallow water maps have water depth of 2-3 m), and because of the fact that it probably wont be able to hit enemy PT boats. Only the captain and the team will be able to see the torpedo symbol while traveling close to them, and it will not leave any visible water trail compared to the 1-meter depth torpedo.
+
This is the recommended depth when trying to perform long range sneaky engagements of large ships in deep waters. This is one of the riskier techniques as there is no way to launch them in shallow waters (most shallow water maps have water depth of 2-3 m). Only the captain and the team will be able to see the torpedo symbol while travelling close to them, and it will not leave any visible water trail compared to the 1-meter depth torpedo.
  
 
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The S-38b can be armed with WBD depth charges. you can use these to destroy destroyers or frigates. If you're close enough, you can cause catastrophic damage often ending with a kill. it is recommended that you place a 3 sec fuse, as the fuse starts as soon as you press that button, and by the time it has hit the water 1-1.5 seconds would already have passed. But if you are short on time, and you havent sneak attacked the destroyer, you may want to choosed the 5-7 sec fuse, if this happens often, or you are on a open map with little cover. But most of the time you will want to sneak attack destroyers in order to get close enough to let loose, or to lead ahead with a 5-7 sec fuse so they run into it ( in which case it does more damage if the WBD charges are under the ship, not next to it).
+
The S-38b can be armed with WBD depth charges. It is not recommended to load them in the ship as they do not have any practical use in-game besides being a last resort weapon.
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
  
The S-38b has a similar play style to the S-38: a fast, agile, lightly-armored but well-armed craft. The main purpose of this vessel is to rush capture points, support other boats, and to try to ambush other ships and destroyers. This ship should never face enemies alone due to its light armour that can be easily penetrated by the guns seen at the battle rating, specially the 3-in guns mounted on American and British sub-chasers. Instead, the S-38b should travel with other ships, essentially making the enemy engage in a single target while being engaged by 2-3 or more. If you are talented enough you can try to solo it and ambush enemy ships. It is NOT essential that you travel with others, because lets face it, 40% of the time you are alone, and you have enough armament to destroy enemy ships, but if a duo or above is engaging you, it is recommended to retreat or try to finish your objective as fast as possible.
+
The S-38b has a similar playstyle to the S-38: a fast, agile, lightly-armoured but well-armed craft. The main purpose of this vessel is to rush capture points and support other boats. This ship should never face enemies alone due to its light armour that can be easily penetrated by the guns seen at the battle rating, specially the 3-in guns mounted on American and British sub-chasers. Instead, the S-38b should travel with other ships, essentially making the enemy engage in a single target while being engaged by 2-3 or more.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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* Does not do well in numerical inferiority
 
* Does not do well in numerical inferiority
 
* Even with additional MG 34s, anti-air coverage is minimal
 
* Even with additional MG 34s, anti-air coverage is minimal
 +
* The speed is not very fast
 +
* Due to the size, do not expect to survive long when spotted by enemy ships
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==

Revision as of 12:39, 27 September 2023

Rank VI Israel | Premium | Golden Eagles
Merkava Mk.2D Pack
S-38b
germ_s38b.png
GarageImage S-38b.jpg
S-38b
Research:7 900 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:10 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The S-38b is a rank II German motor torpedo boat with a battle rating of 1.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.79 "Project X" as part of the fleet closed beta test.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull40 mm (wood)
Superstructure4 mm (steel)
Number of section3
Displacement115 t
Crew31 people

The S-38b is nearly identical to the S-38 in terms of survivability. The S-38b has the same hull construction and composition, yet the bridge is constructed of 10 mm thick anti-fragmentation armour. This means the bridge is more resilient to damage on the S-38b than S-38.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB106 / 33 km/h
RB76 / 24 km/h

The S-38b is quick and agile.. It is also nearly identical to the S-38 in terms of mobility: the difference is that the S-38b is slightly quicker forwards at 106 km/h (66 mph).

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode Upgrade Status Maximum Speed (km/h) Turn Time (s) Turn Radius (m)
Forward Reverse
AB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 106 33
RB/SB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 76 24

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB340 → 426 Sl icon.png
RB505 → 633 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications6 910 Rp icon.png
6 730 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost530 Ge icon.png
Crew training3 000 Sl icon.png
Experts10 000 Sl icon.png
Aces125 Ge icon.png
Research Aces160 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
40 / 50 / 100 % Sl icon.png
112 / 112 / 112 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
Mods new ship hull.png
Dry-Docking
Research:
460 Rp icon.png
Cost:
450 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship rudder.png
Rudder Replacement
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship screw.png
Propeller Replacement
Research:
580 Rp icon.png
Cost:
560 Sl icon.png
115 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship engine.png
Engine Maintenance
Research:
560 Rp icon.png
Cost:
550 Sl icon.png
110 Ge icon.png
Mods ship damage control crew.png
Damage Control Division
Research:
460 Rp icon.png
Cost:
450 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods ship fire control crew.png
Fire Division
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
Smokescreen
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship pumps.png
New Pumps
Research:
560 Rp icon.png
Cost:
550 Sl icon.png
110 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
20 mm HET magazines
Research:
460 Rp icon.png
Cost:
450 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods new aux caliber turrets.png
Auxiliary Armament Targeting
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
20 mm APT magazines
Research:
310 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods new main caliber turrets.png
Primary Armament Targeting
Research:
580 Rp icon.png
Cost:
560 Sl icon.png
115 Ge icon.png
Mods depth charge.png
Depth Charges
Research:
580 Rp icon.png
Cost:
560 Sl icon.png
115 Ge icon.png
Mods torpedo.png
Torpedo Mode
Research:
560 Rp icon.png
Cost:
550 Sl icon.png
110 Ge icon.png
Mods ship art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
560 Rp icon.png
Cost:
550 Sl icon.png
110 Ge icon.png

Armament

Primary armament

Turret2 cm/65 C/30 automatic cannon
Ammunition2000 rounds
Belt capacity20 rounds
Fire rate276 shots/min
Vertical guidance-5° / 50°
Turret2 cm/65 C/38 automatic cannon
Ammunition2000 rounds
Belt capacity40 rounds
Fire rate480 shots/min
Vertical guidance-4° / 60°

While good but not excellent, the 20 mm cannons are capable guns for shredding lightly armoured boats and low-flying aircraft. However, the short clip capacity tends to be an issue. While using this guns, the aiming must be really accurate. Being lightweight guns, the turning speed and aiming speed are very fast and accurate. This should be used as an advantage as this reduces the risk of being flanked and surprised attacked by enemy boats and aircraft.

There are three ammunition types available:

  • Universal: AP-T · AP · HEF-T · HEF
  • 20 mm APT magazines: AP · AP-T · AP · HEF
  • 20 mm HET magazines: HEF · HEF-T · HEF · AP

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
HEF-T 2 2 2 2 2 2
AP 36 35 27 20 15 11
AP-T 36 35 27 20 15 11
HEF 2 2 2 2 2 2
Shell details
Ammunition Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
HEF-T 835 0.12 0 0.1 10.54 79° 80° 81°
AP 785 0.15 - - - 47° 60° 65°
AP-T 785 0.15 - - - 47° 60° 65°
HEF 835 0.12 0 0.1 10.54 79° 80° 81°

Secondary armament

Turret2 x 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun
Ammunition3000 rounds
Belt capacity150 rounds
Fire rate900 shots/min
Main article: MG34 (7.92 mm)

The main difference between the S-38 and the S-38b is the presence of MG34 machine guns. These machine guns are more suited towards firing upon aircraft instead of ships; citing their meagre calibre. The machine guns are mounted behind the bridge and are initially aimed upwards. The location of these machine guns allows them to fire on either side of the ship, and fire upon aircraft.

Additional armament

Setup 12 x 533 mm G7a torpedo
Setup 26 x WBD depth charge
Setup 32 x 533 mm G7a torpedo
6 x WBD depth charge

The S-38b is armed with two torpedoes that have a max range of 6 km (14 km with torpedo mode). They can be used almost at point-blank, the torpedoes must travel 50 m at minimum to be armed (most of the time "point blank" engagements will be between 100-500 m). Depending on the map, game mode and captain's discretion, the torpedo depth can be adjusted in order to target specific ships.

1 meter depth:

This is the most universal depth used for all types of engagements, being in deep water or at shallow waters. This depth is capable of hitting all sorts of vessels, including PT boats. The main downside is that enemy ships can see the water trail made by the torpedo which can make enemy vessels evade or fire at the torpedo.

4 meter depth:

This is the recommended depth when trying to perform long range sneaky engagements of large ships in deep waters. This is one of the riskier techniques as there is no way to launch them in shallow waters (most shallow water maps have water depth of 2-3 m). Only the captain and the team will be able to see the torpedo symbol while travelling close to them, and it will not leave any visible water trail compared to the 1-meter depth torpedo.

Torpedo Characteristics
Torpedo Mode Mass (kg) Maximum speed in water (km/h) Travel distance (km) Depth stroke (m) Arming distance (m) Explosive type Explosive mass (kg) TNT equivalent (kg)
No 1528 81 6.00 1 50 SW39a 280 358.4
Yes 1528 55.8 14.00 1 50 SW39a 280 358.4

The S-38b can be armed with WBD depth charges. It is not recommended to load them in the ship as they do not have any practical use in-game besides being a last resort weapon.

Usage in battles

The S-38b has a similar playstyle to the S-38: a fast, agile, lightly-armoured but well-armed craft. The main purpose of this vessel is to rush capture points and support other boats. This ship should never face enemies alone due to its light armour that can be easily penetrated by the guns seen at the battle rating, specially the 3-in guns mounted on American and British sub-chasers. Instead, the S-38b should travel with other ships, essentially making the enemy engage in a single target while being engaged by 2-3 or more.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Very close to the S-38, one can switch from the S-38 with no special learning required
  • Very mobile
  • Cannons offer effective stopping power for single target engagements
  • Torpedoes are very viable in combat, as they are mounted conveniently and deal significant damage
  • Inexpensive to operate
  • Good crew size

Cons:

  • Hull offers minimal protection
  • Key components are close together (ammo is near engines, radio room is near the bridge)
  • Cannons have limited capacity per magazine
  • Does not do well in numerical inferiority
  • Even with additional MG 34s, anti-air coverage is minimal
  • The speed is not very fast
  • Due to the size, do not expect to survive long when spotted by enemy ships

History

S-38b was a subclass of S-38 class Schnellboots (S-boots), these being later production ships. The S-38b class added an armoured bridge to the design due to the lack of protection for the bridge on the original S-38 class. It was known as the Kalotte (Eng: skull cap) because of its round shape. The S-38b class was eventually equipped with more powerful Daimler Benz MB 501 diesel engines, increasing the maximum speed.

Media

Skins

See also

Related development

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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


Lürssen Werft
Schnellboot 
Type S-38  S-38 · S-38b · MC 485*
Type S-100  S-100 · S-100 (1944) · S-204 Lang
Fast Attack Craft 
Jaguar-class  Jaguar
Albatros-class  Albatros · Bussard
  *S-67 in post-war Italian Service

Germany boats
Motor torpedo boats  LS 3 · LS 4 Esau · KM-5 · VS-10
  S-38 · S-38b · S-100 · S-100 (1944) · S-204 Lang · S-701
  R-301
  V-990
  Jaguar · Hugin · Pfeil
Motor gun boats  R-41 · R-130 · Krischan der Große
Motor torpedo gun boats  Albatros · Bussard · MZ1 · Pr. 206
Minelayers  VS-8