Ground Vehicles
The unusual Rarden cannon found on a few British light vehicles is something of a Marmite weapon. It is either loved or loathed by most who use it and by those who face it in battle. In this article I’ll cover the history behind this unusual piece of equipment and share a few tips on its use in War Thunder.
The Sturer Emil is a German tank destroyer designed to engage and destroy enemy heavy tanks. It was equipped with a powerful 12.8 cm cannon, similar to the main guns of the Jagdtiger and Maus. Its armor-piercing shells had excellent penetration and could effectively engage heavily armored vehicles. However, this formidable firepower came with many drawbacks, which limited its production and combat use. So, how is the “Stubborn Emil” like in War Thunder, and how can you make the most of its strengths? Read on to find out.
The SMK is a very unique vehicle. Featuring a highly unusual layout and weapons complement, presenting a very large profile and offering surprisingly adequate mobility, it can be very challenging to use for new owners. The aim of this article is therefore to help the reader understand how to best utilize and combat this monster of a tank.
The rapid development of tank building in the USSR began in the second half of the 1920s. At first, Soviet engineers relied heavily on foreign experience, studying and adapting ideas developed abroad. Their own design school was still taking shape, so borrowing from others was standard practice. Even basic standards for appearance and equipment were not fully established until the end of the decade.
The Garford was a Russian armored car with a 76 mm cannon that saw service in World War I. It was very different from the armored cars of the era, which were typically light vehicles armed with machine guns. The Garford entered service a year before the British Mk. I, and despite its underpowered engine and poor weight distribution, it was popular with crews and effective in combat.
The Scimitar is a Cold War Light Tank in the British tech tree. It is part of the CVR (T) series of vehicles. The Scimitar is a variant of the CVR (T) platform fitted with the 30 mm L21A1 autocannon, also known as the RARDEN, and was utilized in the role of an armed reconnaissance vehicle, and as a light tank. With a top speed of 50 mph, a reverse gearbox, an APDS-firing autocannon that can penetrate up to 110mm of armour, along with its small size, it is a master of flanking and fast, precision strikes. However, a slow fire rate and a exceptionally high fixed zoom for the gunner’s sight, combine to make it difficult to use against fast moving targets at close range.
The 9K35 Стрела-10 (Arrow-10) “Gopher” is a Soviet-made, mobile surface-to-air missile launcher conceived in the late 1960s and 1970s. It utilizes the 9M37 and 9M333 surface-to-air missiles. The launcher system is mounted onto a modified amphibious MT-LB chassis. Despite being put into service in the 1970s, the Strela-10 is still in service today in over 10 countries!
The Panhard 178, officially designated the Automitrailleuse de Découverte Panhard modèle 1935, also known in the game primarily as the AMD.35, was a French 4×4 armoured car designed for French Army Cavalry units. The AMD.35, alongside being equipped with various cannons, was also used by Nazi Germany and converted to use the 5 cm KwK 38 L/42 (used as the main armament of the Panzer III) or the 5 cm PaK 38 L/60 (primarily used as a towed anti-tank gun). The Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK 39/1 is fitted with the 5 cm KwK 39. The AMD.35 became the first mass-produced 4×4 armoured car for a major country and was considered very advanced for its time, with its variants, including the Panhard 178B, remaining relevant until the 1970s.
World War I left a lasting mark on military doctrine. Breaking through trenches and networks of fortified positions proved to be a very important but incredibly difficult challenge, and for a long time, no one could find the perfect solution. There was artillery, there was air power, there were other long-range strike options, but what the reality of the battlefield really demanded was a protected, reasonably mobile vehicle that could punch through enemy lines. Over time, that need gave rise to the idea of the super-heavy tank, a kind of “mobile fortress”. One such vehicle was the Tortoise, a true moving bunker wrapped in thick armor and armed to the teeth.