T54E1

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Rank 6 USA
F-5C Pack
T54E1
us_t54e1.png
T54E1
AB RB SB
8.0 8.0 8.0
Purchase:8 560 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage T54E1.jpg


The T54E1 is a premium rank V American medium tank with a battle rating of 8.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.81 "The Valkyries".

At first glance this tank looks very similar to the M48 and M103, since it's built on an M48 hull, but with a rather different turret. The reason for this is because it is an oscillating turret, like the ones found on contemporary french tanks like the AMX-50. The main feature which sets this tank apart from other Rank V American tanks is the automatic loader. This tank features a drum-type automatic loader, similar to the ones found on french tanks like the AMX-50 and Lorraine 40t.

Thus, the T54E1 inherits the hull armour of the M48, but combines it with a powerful 105 mm gun, and an automatic loader.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Cast homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret)
  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Rear (low), Roof)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 85-200 mm (59-74°) Front glacis
63-200 mm (13-60°) Lower glacis
76 mm (8-43°) Front
51 mm (0-43°) Rear
35 mm (26-32°) Top
25 mm (61-62°) Bottom
25.4-57 mm
Turret 90 - 127 mm (0-65°) Turret front 64-127 mm (13-23°) 51 mm (0-80°) 25-100 mm
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 64 mm 25 mm

Notes:

  • Parts of the turret side armour are also protected by an additional layer of 64 mm
  • The turret ring is 127 mm thick all-round
  • The mantlet ring is 200 mm thick
  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, and tracks are 20 mm.
  • Belly armour is 38 mm.

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 48 10 54.4 1255 1,545 23.07 28.4
Realistic 44 9 716 810 13.16 14.89

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: T140E2 (105 mm)
105 mm T140E2
Capacity Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
Stabilizer
36 -8°/+13° ±180° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior +
Full crew
Prior +
Expert qualif.
Prior +
Ace qualif.
Arcade 17.14 23.72 28.80 31.85 33.88
Realistic 10.71 12.6 15.3 16.92 18
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior +
Full crew
Prior +
Expert qualif.
Prior +
Ace qualif.
5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00

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
T182E1 APBC 265 262 245 226 208 191
T279 APDS 318 317 310 290 269 264
T298E1 HEATFS 380 380 380 380 380 380
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
Mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive Mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Normalisation at 30°
from horizontal
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
T182E1 APBC 1,067 15.9 N/A N/A N/A -1.0° 47° 60° 65°
T279 APDS 1,554 6.2 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 75° 78° 80°
T298E1 HEATFS 1,128 10.2 N/A 0.1 1572 +0.0° 65° 72° 75°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the T54E1
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
36 29 (+7) 19 (+17) (+27) (+35) No

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB
Commander cupola mount
Capacity
(Belt capacity)
Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
600 (200) 576 -10°/+30° ±60°
7.62 mm M1919A4
Coaxial mount
Capacity
(Belt capacity)
Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
3,000 (250) 500 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

Since this tank is based on the hull of the M48, it inherits that tank's mediocre armour and top speed. But unlike the M48, this tank features a powerful 105 mm gun, meaning you'll have no problem penetrating the armour of enemy tanks. Unlike tanks with the 105 mm L7/M68 gun, this tank also has a powerful APBC round, which can be used to destroy opponents with weaker armour, like the Leopard I, or when shooting tanks from the side. This round, when it penetrates, is much more damaging than the HEAT-FS round because it creates much more spalling. For opponents with armour the APBC round can't pen, like the frontal armour on most Russian tanks, the HEAT-FS round is the most effective. Thanks to its very fast automatic loader this reloads almost twice as fast as most manually loaded tanks, meaning you'll be able to dish out serious damage in a very short time. It also means you're much better at recovering from a missed shot, since you'll be able to shoot again in just five seconds. You will have to make sure you won't empty the drum magazine of the automatic loader, since it takes more than 20 seconds to reload a single round from one of the other ammunition racks into the autoloader.

Knowing this, this tank is best played in a support role, destroying tanks for your teammates, but not actively participating in close-range brawls with enemy tanks. It can be used in a flanking role, but due to its mediocre top speed it's vulnerable to being flanked itself and isn't capable of reaching good ambush positions before the enemy does.

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tracks Parts Horizontal Drive
II Suspension Brake System FPE Adjustment of Fire
III Filters Crew Replenishment Elevation Mechanism T298E1 NVD
IV Transmission Engine Artillery Support T279 Rangefinder
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Very fast reload, thanks to its auto-loader this tank has a 5.0 second reload
  • High-penetrating HEAT-FS plus a hard-hitting solid shot round
  • Good acceleration
  • The APDS round is slightly better than the ones found on the M60 and other 105 mm L7/M68 armed tanks
  • Like most other American tanks, this tank is fitted with a 50 cal machine gun, which is effective against lightly armoured vehicles and planes

Cons:

  • Once the first-stage ammunition stowage has been depleted, the reload time increases drastically. This can be avoided by reloading at a capture point, since rounds replenished on a capture point automatically go into the first stage ammunition rack
  • Mediocre top speed, most contemporary tanks outpace it
  • The armour doesn't really protect against HEAT-FS and APDS, both of which it'll commonly face
  • No stabilizer, making aiming while on the move difficult
  • No thermal optics

History

No sooner than the M48 Patton began being issued to armored units, American engineers already started working on potential improvements to its design. In particular, engineers focused on upgrading the vehicle's firepower. This in turn, lead to the creation of the T54, a new vehicle based on the M48’s chassis.

Initially, two versions of prototypes were planned, but a lighter and cheaper third one was proposed in 1952. All three versions of the T54 were armed with a modified version of the T5 105 mm gun, but featured different turrets and gun loading methods. The T54E1 was the second prototype, equipped with an oscillating turret similar to the ones found on contemporary French tanks, and a drum-fed autoloading mechanism with a capacity of 9 rounds.

By 1957, all three prototype versions had undergone comprehensive testing at Fort Knox and the Aberdeen proving grounds. However, as the interest of the Army shifted towards the more promising T95 project, the decision was made to cancel the T54 project in 1957. A total of less than a dozen T54s were constructed, of which two were T54E1s.

- From Devblog

Media

Skins
Videos

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


USA medium tanks
M2  M2
M3  M3 Lee · ▃Grant I
M4  M4 · Calliope · M4A1 · M4A1 (76) W · M4A2 · M4A2 (76) W · M4A3 (105) · M4A3 (76) W · M4/T26
M26 Pershing  T20 · T25 · M26 · M26 T99 · M26E1
M46/47/48 Patton  M46 · M46 "Tiger" · M47 · M48A1 · T54E1 · T54E2
M60  M60 · M60A1 (AOS) · M60A1 RISE (P) · M60A2 · M60A3 TTS · M728 CEV · 120S
MBT-70  MBT-70 · XM803
M1 Abrams  XM1 (Chrysler) · XM1 (GM)
  M1 Abrams · M1 KVT · IPM1
  M1A1 · M1A1 HC · M1A1 Click-Bait
  M1A2 Abrams · M1A2 SEP · M1A2 SEP V2
Other  T95E1
Australia  M1A1 AIM
Canada  M4A5
Israel  ▃Magach 3 (ERA) · ▃Merkava Mk.1 · ▃Merkava Mk.2B · ▃Merkava Mk.3D
Turkey  M60 AMBT

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