Ensign’s Q&A #7

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Old-time FTR readers should know how this works, but, if you’re just joining us, here’s how this works. You send questions to tankarchives@gmail.com, and I will periodically answer them. My area of expertise is tank battles on Eastern Front and Soviet tanks, so keep your questions in that general area.

Previous answers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

 

Q: Why does the BL-9 in-game have a muzzle brake? Is it a real gun?

A: The recoil generated by shooting a 25 kilogram shell at 1000 meters per second is considerable, and if you didn’t have a muzzle brake, the recoil mechanisms would have to be huge, and it wouldn’t fit into a tank. The BL-9 on the ISU-122BM doesn’t have a muzzle brake, since it has more room to recoil in, similar to how the A-19 fit into the ISU-122 without a muzzle brake.

The BL-9 is a real gun. The tank version of the gun is also a real, but slightly different gun (the TD version was the OBM-50, the tank version was the OBM-51), with the same characteristics.

Q: Are the IS-8 and Object 268 sized correctly in-game?

A: In relation to each other? Yes. The hulls are different sizes in real life.

Q: Is the ST-II (twin-gun ST-I) real? What tier would it fit best at?

A: Yes, it is.

As for the tier, it’s an interesting question. The tank was built with a very high ROF in mind, 15 RPM, from the D-30 or D-10 gun. These guns have horrible penetration in game. It could be a tier 8 (since it would be a faster firing, more accurate IS-6), but I can’t see it doing too well at higher tiers without some kind of penetration buff. Seeing as how the current ST-I is languishing at tier 9 with a fictional gun that robbed it of all of its advantages, the ST-II’s fate will probably be all around poor, unless that part of the tree is significantly rebalanced.

Q: Do you think the IS-4 should be renamed to the IS-4M?

A: It would be a more correct name, but the elited version doesn’t fully represent the IS-4M, so it doesn’t really matter.

Q: Was the Object 263 an SPG?

A: Not much information is available on it, but, seeing as how many Soviet TDs were equipped with artillery sights, it is possible that it could be used in an SPG role.

Q: I noticed that the IS holds less than 30 122 mm shells, and the KV-1 can hold 50. Are howitzer shells smaller?

A: Not all shells of the same caliber are the same length. A howitzer shell often holds less propellant than an equivalent caliber gun shell, and, as a result, does not need to be as long.

Q: Did the KV-1S have the D-25T historically?

A: Historically, the KV-1S was able to mount the IS turret as a modernization measure, before enough ISes could be built. I think only one KV with a D-25T was actually built, though. A high powered 122 mm gun was also developed for it (almost as good as a BL-9), so if the D-25T isn’t historical enough, I’m sure the developers can bump it up a little.

kv-1s-122

That’s it for this edition! Send in your questions to tankarchives@gmail.com

27 thoughts on “Ensign’s Q&A #7”

  1. “15 RPM, from the D-30 or D-10 gun. These guns have horrible penetration in game.”
    Give it APCR shells by default (217 pen) and HEAT as premium (300mm pen -> Just like the pen from the chinese 122mm gun).

    Due to the insane rof there should be no problem. I mean…15*390= 5850…. Isn’t this insane dpm enough? Even that the pen is low….It’s a fair trade i think.

    Now that i calculated the DPM I don’t really want to see HEAT ammo on this thing….175mm AP pen and 217APCR is still fine.
    Just flank….and use the insane rof to blast away anything.

    You will be able to chew an E75 in about 20 seconds…. from full HP….So please, 175mm pen standard is just fine.

    • Remember it’s an ST, not IS, it can’t go that fast to flank properly.
      And who said it would keep the 15 rpm?
      IS-7 has a slower RPM than IRL, ST-II can have it too.

      • I don’t mind having a 15RPM in a ST-I with the 122mm gun. I know it’s not that fast, but if it had better pen it would be way too op. This way the 122mm gun would work only in some cases. (when you manage to get side shots at an enemy).

        And as far as i know 175 mm should be enough to pen some weakspots, not reliable, but it’s possible.

        Anyway, i would love a line of tanks that have insane rof , very good damage per shot but low pen and good accuracy…
        Japanese maybe? AFAIK they were using naval cannons on most of their tanks….

        Would be soooo op in good hands :D

        • Those would mostly have been naval *AA* cannon you know – high-velocity jobs readily enough converted into tank-killers. Think something like the 88mm or any number of other heavy flak pieces repurposed for AFV use.

  2. “Seeing as how the current ST-I is languishing at tier 9 with a fictional gun that robbed it of all of its advantages”

    Wtf? St-1 is one of best heavies on tier9, only e-75 is better.

    • Exactly, and this is why i wouldn’t mind if they will make a ST-II at tier 9 with dual 122mm guns and 15rof….It could even be tier 10…Who cares, you would just chew any tank you manage to get side shots at it.

      You could kill a Maus (3000HP) in about 40-50 seconds. If this isn’t amazing…..

        • You can still pen the rear of the Maus. 5000 dpm is worth the trouble of getting behind a Maus.
          Also, the Maus would be your hardest tank to kill….All others have thinner armor. So yep, 175 pen would do just fine with 15 rof.

          • This thing would be damn op vs the french tanks. 175 pene on ap and 21? on apcr is enough to smack everything from sides and would eat every french tank from every side.

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  5. While only one KV-1S had the 122 mm gun IRL (which was probably little more than a mere prototype), the number of them in WoT is just endless.

          • SerB only needed a experimental prototype to justify hundreds of players playing the KV-1S with the 122 mm. Great.

          • So remind me again, how many Tigers were running around with 88mm L/71 IRL?

          • Tiger with the long 88 was little more than a paper project, but that was all the proof SerB needed. Otherwise it would have been a tier 6 tank instead. Tiger on viagra I call it.

          • You can enlarge a turret ring if you need to, as long as the hull allows it. Besides, the KV hull could fit a KV-2 turret with no modifications to the turret ring. The IS turret is not that massive.

          • The Tiger II needed a brand new turret and a new crew member to mount the 105 mm guns, and in the game, it needs neither. Ahnenerbe working as intended.

  6. Just kick this tool off your site. All he does is linking to his moronic little blog about tanks. He already made himself a laughing stock on the US forums.

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