Tank black prince in world of tanks. Black Prince - "black prince" of Great Britain. Equipment for Black Prince

Creation heavy tank Black Prince was due to the urgent need to equip the British army on the eve of the Normandy landings with a combat vehicle that would have sufficient firepower and would be able to effectively deal with the latest Wehrmacht tanks. The creation of such a tank, later called the Black Prince, began in 1943.

Description

Prior to the creation of the Black Prince, the British made active attempts to modernize their main heavy tank, the Churchill, in order to increase firepower tools. This led to the rearmament of the Churchills with more powerful guns, as well as the creation of a self-propelled gun based on these tanks. artillery mount with the same name. All these solutions were unsuccessful, and the Churchill design no longer had the potential for an even more radical modernization - the too short hull did not allow a turret with an even more powerful gun to be placed on the tank. It was then that the British designers came up with the idea of ​​​​creating a tank with an expanded hull to eliminate the above disadvantages. The A43 tank project, which would later be called the "Black Prince", was essentially an improved modification of the Churchill and a temporary option for the British army, since more advanced tanks, such as the Centurion, were still in a state of initial development. Alternatives to the Black Prince, such as the Challenger, did not suit the army due to a number of shortcomings that did not allow them to quickly expand their production. Under these conditions, the A43 project was developed, as it was the fastest option for installing a powerful 17-pounder gun on a well-armored hull. This gun would allow the tank to successfully fight against any German technology, including "Tigers" and "Panthers". The tank largely repeated the design of the latest modifications of the Churchills, it used many units and components previously installed on these tanks. In particular, "Black Prince" used the same engine, with a capacity of 350 Horse power, as the "Churchill VII", and this had a very bad effect on the already weak mobility parameters, since the "Black Prince" had an even more impressive mass than the "Churchill". There were also a number of differences from the Churchill, the main of which was, of course, the increased width of the hull, which made it possible to install a more powerful gun in the extended turret. Perhaps "Black Prince" would be a good temporary solution for the British army during the fighting in Europe, but to establish mass release the British did not have time for this tank until the end of the war. It was assumed that initially about 300 "Black Prince" tanks would be produced. However, with the end of the war, the urgent need for a tank with a 17-pounder disappeared, and only six were actually produced. Further production of the Black Prince tanks was curtailed, since the British had a more promising model - the Centurion. Concerning overall assessment of this tank, its design was typical for many British combat vehicles of that period - pretty good armor, though without rational tilt angles that increased projectile resistance, very big mass and low speed. Again, a bet was made on booking, but unlike the Churchills, this tank had reinforced weapons. However, all positive features were practically nullified by extremely low speed and maneuverability, which limited tactical options and turned the tank into a convenient target on the battlefield. Conclusion: the tank could hardly be fully compared with the latest German heavy tanks, such as, for example, the "King Tiger", but theoretically it had the opportunity to fight them due to a more powerful gun than its predecessors. However, as mentioned earlier, it was planned as a temporary interim solution in the context of the war, and accordingly its history ended in May 1945, along with the end of the Second World War.

The heavy infantry tank Mk IV Churchill, actively used by Great Britain and friendly states, had a number of characteristic flaws that seriously limited it. combat capabilities. First of all, the claims were not enough powerful weapons early modifications and a relatively weak engine. To get rid of the existing shortcomings, modernization of the existing machine was repeatedly carried out. In addition, new projects of armored vehicles with improved performance were proposed, based on the existing Churchill. One of the attempts to carry out a deep modernization of the existing tank was the A43 Black Prince project.

By 1943, it became clear that current form infantry tank Churchill does not meet the requirements of the time. Several of the first modifications of this machine carried guns of 45 and 57 mm caliber, the power of which no longer allowed to fight different purposes on the battlefield, primarily with existing enemy tanks. The simplest and most obvious solution to this problem was to use more powerful weapons. As part of the development of the Churchill, several new modifications were soon created with guns up to 95 mm in caliber. In addition, in parallel with the improvement of the existing machine, it was proposed to create new model tank with the required characteristics.

Experienced tank A43 Black Prince. Photo Weaponsandwarfare.com

The development of a new project was entrusted to Vauxhall specialists. The objective of the project was to create a new infantry tank based on the design of the existing Churchill armored vehicle and having more powerful weapons. It should be noted that new project eventually became last try creation of the so-called. infantry tank. Soon the British military became disillusioned with the existing concepts of armored vehicles, as a result of which work began on the so-called. universal tanks.

A promising tank capable of replacing the Churchill machine received working designation A43 and the name Super Churchill. Subsequently, the project was renamed Black Prince - in honor of the English historical figure Edward Woodstock, nicknamed the "Black Prince". It was under the new name that the latest project of an infantry tank became widely known.

Front view, the forehead of the tower is not covered by a cover. Photo by C Ward / Flickr.com

The goal of the new project was quite simple. Designers were required to equip an existing heavy tank with a new Ordnance QF 17-pounder gun with increased power. To install a larger gun, certain changes had to be made to the design of the tank. preliminary analysis opportunities showed that to install new gun it will be necessary to rework not only the existing tower, but also the armored hull. As a result, the promising A43 tank was indeed based on the design of the existing Mk IV, but at the same time it had to differ from it in size and other features.

To install a 17-pound gun in the framework of the A43 project, a new larger turret with a larger diameter shoulder strap had to be developed. The last feature of the new project led to the need for some increase in the width of the hull. Other features of the hull design remained almost unchanged. The existing design was corrected only in connection with the installation of one or another new equipment.

Outwardly, the tank looked like a serial Churchill car. Photo aviarmor.net

The result of this approach to the creation of a new model of armored vehicles was the preservation of the existing shape of the hull while changing its size. In addition, it was proposed to increase the level of protection of the machine by using thicker bookings. The hull retained the wedge-shaped profile of the frontal part with an inclined upper part mated with a vertical sheet. The bottom sheet of the forehead was 140 mm thick, the middle one 57 mm, and the top one 152 mm. The hull of the tank had side niches located inside the track. The side parts of such units had a thickness of up to 95 mm. From above and behind the hull was covered with a 19-mm roof and aft sheets up to 51 mm thick.

The tower of the "Black Prince" was supposed to be a modified unit of the serial "Churchill". From the existing product, the dome of the new tower differed more powerful protection and increased sizes. In addition, some contours of the structure were finalized. The maximum thickness of the turret armor reached 152 mm in the frontal part, the minimum - 20 mm of the roof. The tower had a frontal unit with an inclined front and an embrasure in which there was a swinging mask internal location. The sides were formed by two sheets placed at an angle to each other. It was planned to use a small feed niche.

View of the starboard side. Photo Imperial War Museum / Iwm.org.uk

Being a deep modernization of a serial infantry tank, the new A43 was to be built according to the same layout. In front of the hull there was a control compartment, behind it was a tower and fighting compartment. The aft compartment was completely allocated for the engine, transmission units, fuel system, etc.

For some not entirely clear reasons, probably because of the desire to obtain the maximum degree of unification, the new heavy tank had to receive exactly the same engine compartment equipment as the serial Churchill. It was proposed to leave a two-row 12-cylinder Bedford gasoline engine in the rear of the hull, developing power up to 350 hp. Two radiators were placed next to the engine, it was also mated with a single-disk main dry friction clutch, a four-speed manual gearbox, a turning mechanism and other transmission units.

Car at the landfill. Photo Imperial War Museum / Iwm.org.uk

According to some reports, the issue of equipping a heavy tank with an 600 hp engine was considered. However, apparently, this proposal never left the stage of preliminary studies. As a result, the specific power of the machine remained at the level of 7 hp. per ton, although it could be increased by one and a half times with the corresponding consequences for mobility.

used chassis existing structure. Photo Imperial War Museum / Iwm.org.uk

On the side niches of the hull, 10 small-diameter road wheels with individual spring suspension were attached from below. In front of the main rollers and behind them, the project provided for the use of two similar parts suspended at a certain height above the ground. Guide wheels were placed in front of the hull, and drive wheels in the stern. Instead of traditional support rollers, special guides were used on the corresponding surface of the body. For the tank, new tracks had to be developed to compensate for the increase in combat weight. The tracks, in general, retained the existing design, but differed in width increased to 24 inches (610 mm). Increasing the track width by 10 inches reduced the specific pressure to an acceptable level.

The main idea of ​​the A43 Black Prince project was to use a powerful tank gun Ordnance QF 17-pounder. This gun had a 76.2 mm barrel with a length of 55 calibers. Provided muzzle brake and advanced anti-recoil devices. The gun was to be mounted on modified mounts in the frontal part of the turret. In the fighting compartment of a relatively large volume, it was possible to place stacks and racks for 89 unitary shells.

Front view, the tower received a cover. Photo aviarmor.net

With the help of a relatively long barrel, the QF 17-pounder gun could disperse high-explosive projectile up to a speed of 880 m / s, armor-piercing - up to 1200 m / s. Depending on the type of armor-piercing projectile, the gun at a distance of 900 m could penetrate from 130 to 190 mm of homogeneous armor. In some cases, the gun retained the ability to destroy an enemy tank at distances up to 2-3 km.

As an auxiliary weapon, the crew of the new tank was to use two rifle-caliber BESA machine guns. One of them was mounted on a gun mount and served as a pair. The second was located in the course setting of the front sheet, to the left of the longitudinal axis of the machine. The total ammunition load of two machine guns consisted of several thousand rounds.

Tank at the range. Photo Imperial War Museum / Iwm.org.uk

Being an improved version of the existing machine, new tank The A43 retained a similar crew composition. The Black Prince was to be driven by five tankmen. The driver (on the right) and the gunner (on the left) were placed in the front compartment of the hull control. The latter also served as an assistant driver and radio operator. The commander and gunner were located inside the tower, at its left side. To their right was the loader. The crew had hatches in the roof of the hull and turret: the control compartment and the fighting compartment each had two hatches. The driver's workplace also had a front inspection hatch for driving on the march. In case of emergency evacuation, the tank had auxiliary hatches in the sides of the fighting compartment.

The installation of a new, more powerful gun, with the accompanying modifications to the turret and chassis, resulted in the new tank being noticeably larger and heavier than the base vehicle. The total length of the A43 infantry tank, including the gun, was 8.81 m, width - 2.9 m, height - 3.44 m. Combat weight reached 50 tons, which was about 10 tons more than the corresponding Churchill parameter. Given the retention of the 350-horsepower engine, the increase in weight has led to a noticeable drop power density. The mobility of the "Black Prince" was to be provided with only 7 hp. per ton.

Right view. Photo Imperial War Museum / Iwm.org.uk

Insufficiently powerful engine did not allow to obtain acceptable mobility. Max speed tank on the highway was only 10.5 miles per hour (18 km / h), on rough terrain - 7.5 miles per hour (10-11 km / h). The design of the undercarriage ensured climbing a wall 75 cm high and crossing a trench 3 m wide. Without preparation, the tank could cross a ford 1 m deep.

The Vauxhall A43 Black Prince project started in 1943. The pace of development of a promising tank left much to be desired. The project was completed only by the beginning of 1945, after which the construction of the first prototype began. The prototype was brought to the test only at the beginning of the 45th. The tank went to the training ground, where it confirmed all the most serious fears. In practice, it was found that, along with the growth of firepower and the level of protection in the new project, a noticeable reduction in mobility was obtained. Due to the low driving performance, the tank could not compete with other modern armored vehicles of British or foreign design.

The turret is deployed "in marching", the gun is fixed. Photo Weaponsandwarfare.com

For testing and future testing at the front, six experienced tanks"Black Prince". By the time the fighting in Europe ended, these prototypes remained at the manufacturing plant or training ground. Equipment with enhanced combat characteristics simply did not have time for the war. At the same time, the military and industry got the opportunity to carefully study new models of armored vehicles and draw the necessary conclusions. Considering the characteristic problems of the project, it was hardly worth hoping for a positive decision from the customer.

Even before the start of testing of experimental A43 tanks, the military was considering the possibility of signing a contract for the supply of three hundred serial vehicles of this type. A similar document was supposed to appear after testing prototypes, in late spring or early summer of 1945. However, by this time, the insufficient characteristics of the equipment had been confirmed, and in addition, the end of the war made it possible to reduce the pace of development of new combat vehicles. As a result, plans to order production tanks were rejected. Vauxhall never received an official order to launch full-scale production of the Black Princes.

Machine diagram. Figure Weaponsandwarfare.com

Further development of the project was also considered inappropriate. To improve mobility, it was necessary to rework the project, which took some time. At the same time, the British army has already managed to get several hundred Sherman Firefly medium tanks with a 17-pounder gun and acceptable mobility. In addition, by 1945, the medium-weight cruising tank Comet was created and put into series, which was further development the older Mk VIII Cromwell. This tank carried a 77 mm HV gun - a shortened QF 17-pounder with slightly less high performance penetration. Finally getting ready mass production medium tanks Centurion.

All existing tanks with similar weapons compared favorably with the A43 more high speed and permeability. The only advantage of this machine was more high level protection provided by armor up to 152 mm thick. However, the combination of such armor with low speed was considered unacceptable for new technology. According to some reports, the possibility of additional modernization of the Black Prince tank was studied by installing the Centurion turret with a 76-mm cannon, but this idea did not reach practical implementation.

The only prototype in the Bovington Museum. Photo by Wikimedia Commons

By the middle of 1945, the development company and the army had six experimental A43 Black Prince tanks at their disposal. After testing and deciding to close the project, this technique began to be used as test platforms to test other new developments. As the resource developed, experienced infantry tanks were decommissioned and dismantled as unnecessary. In a few years, five tanks were disposed of. Only one prototype, built fourth in its series, managed to avoid this fate. After years idle tank transferred to the museum military equipment in Bovington. Repairs were carried out there, after which the armored vehicle again got the opportunity to move independently.

The A43 Black Prince project was a promising attempt to significantly improve the fighting qualities of the existing Mk IV Churchill heavy infantry tanks through the use of a more powerful 76 mm gun. However, in practice, the original proposal encountered a number of serious difficulties that did not allow the desired armored vehicle to be quickly obtained. The required results in the form of an increase in firepower were achieved at the cost of an unacceptable weighting of the tank and a drop in mobility. Such a machine, which has advantages over other equipment only in protection and gun power, was not of interest to the army. Moreover, by the middle of 1945, other tanks with similar combat qualities were created, which made the promising A43 simply unnecessary. Not the most successful project eventually put an end to the so-called. infantry tanks.

According to the websites:
http://tankmuseum.org/
http://militaryfactory.com/
http://aviarmor.net/
https://weaponsandwarfare.com/
http://tankimira.ru/

4 years and 10 months ago Comments: 9

Introduction

Black Prince– British heavy tank seventh level, with good all-round armor, a large margin of safety, an accurate and fast-firing gun. It is the successor of its predecessors, copes well with the support function.

Research and leveling modules

This tank is researchable on Churchill VII for 54,000 XP and costs 1,400,000 Silver. The study of the modules is as follows:

• Tool. First of all, we examine the top gun. It will increase armor penetration and damage, and besides, it is placed on the stock chassis
• Chassis. Next, we examine the top running gear. It is necessary to install a top engine and a radio station on a tank
• Engine. Accordingly, the engine goes further. It will add power to the tank, it will be a little more comfortable to move
• Radio station. Next, we examine the radio station. It gives an increase of 150 meters to the communication range. And besides, it is relevant for all TTs up to level 9 inclusive
• Well, then we’ll explore Caernarvon level 8 TT for 110,000 experience. Conclusions of characteristics and optimal tactics in different situations

Black Prince is a heavier version of its predecessor: the "prince" has more powerful armor in a circle. Thanks to this, small artillery does not bother us, but we need to be careful: the rear of the tank is poorly armored, there is a chance to get a splash right there. In addition, the dimensions, in comparison with the Churchill VII, have become a little larger, and the speed has remained almost the same.
The top gun Black Prince has a weak alpha for level 7, but this is compensated by good accuracy, fast aiming and good rate of fire. Similar guns are more common on medium tanks than on heavy ones. Here the Black Prince continues the tradition of its predecessors armed with weapons like this one.

Based on all this, we can call the "prince" as a typical medium-level heavy tank. Possessing powerful armor and a good gun, we can use the rhombus tanking tactic in a battle with level 7 tanks. Many tanks of their level cannot penetrate the Black Prince, tanks below the level even more so. From its level, the top heavy is the most dangerous AMX tank M4 45 and AMX AC 46 top-end anti-tank gun.

But everything changes when this tank gets to 8 and 9 levels.
High accuracy allows you to fight with level 8 vehicles: aiming weak spots, you can do good damage to enemies, but here you need to take into account that the "prince" alone is very vulnerable, it is better to stick to more powerful machines with more powerful guns.

In battles with level 9, Black Prince must be used for defense: the tank’s gun is almost useless here, and in terms of speed and maneuverability, it loses to absolutely all TTs. Here you can go to an unprotected flank, and keep opponents on the harp, which will allow you to win at least some time before help arrives. In battles at the bottom of the list, you should not save "gold" shells.

Equipment

Standard equipment: fire extinguisher, first aid kit and repair kit.

Equipment

From the equipment we put a rammer on the tank to reduce reloading, this will play important role in combat, a vertical stabilizer and improved ventilation to increase the effectiveness of crew skills.

Crew upgrade

The first skill will be for the commander - sixth Sense, the rest - repair. The second skill is for everyone the Brotherhood of War . The third skill will be for the commander - repair, for the gunner - sniper, for fur-water - smooth running, for the radio operator - radio interception, for the loader - intuition. The fourth skill is optional.

Outcome

The Black Prince is a tank that is generally enjoyable to play. It has a fast-firing weapon, but a small one-time damage. If you can do without mega-damage, as well as good speed and dynamics, if you can tank - then this tank is for you. That's all for me. See you soon.

Prepared by: SobolVadim

Video overview Black guide Prince World of Tanks

Tank Black Prince or A43 was born only in May 1945. And for the first time, a more powerful anti-personnel gun was planned to be installed on a Churchill tank back in September 1941, but then this led to the appearance of self-propelled guns based on Churchill with a 76-mm gun. In 1943, in connection with the preparations for the invasion of Europe, the need for an infantry support tank appeared again. Firm Vauxhall offered to return to the consideration of the tank based on "Churchill". Even at the design stage, it became clear that the base of the "Churchill" tank was too narrow for a turret with a 17-pounder gun. Then Vauxhall decides to increase the width of the Churchill base. So the first prototype appeared with the name A43 or "Super Churchill", and later "Black Prince". Although the new tank used many components and assemblies of the Churchill 7 tank, in the end it turned out to be completely new car. Outwardly very similar to his "parent", tank black The Prince World of Tanks had extended 24 inch tracks, air intake grilles were on the roof of the hull, and the engine was in the stern. The first samples of the A43 were presented in May 1945, after the end of the war in Europe and the need for it disappeared. A total of 6 prototypes were produced.

TTX Black Prince

stock condition

Maximum weight: 51 tons

Engine power: 350 HP

Speed: 20 mph

Turning speed: 18/sec

Hull armor:

Forehead: 152.4 mm

Board: 95.25 mm

Feed: 25.4 mm

Hull armor:

Forehead: 152.4 mm

Board: 95.25 mm

Feed: 95.25 mm

Crew: 5 people

Armament: OQF 77mm Gun Mk. II

Penetration: 148/226/38

Damage: 140/140/190

Rate of fire: 14.29 rds / min

Spread: 0.34m/100m

Mixing: 2.3 s

Walkie-talkie: 450 m

Top condition

Maximum weight: 53 tons

Engine power: 600 HP

Speed: 20 mph

Turning speed: 20;/sec

Hull armor:

Forehead: 152.4 mm

Board: 95.25 mm

Feed: 25.4 mm

Hull armor:

Forehead: 152.4 mm

Board: 95.25 mm

Feed: 95.25 mm

Crew: 5 people

Armament: OQF 17-pdr Gun Mk. VII

Penetration: 171/239/38

Damage: 150/150/190

Rate of fire: 12 rds / min

Spread: 0.34m/100m

Mixing: 2.3 s

Walkie-talkie: 700 m

pros

• circular armor of the tower, excellent for its level, allows less distraction from the "fireflies"
• very accurate and fast-firing cannon allows you to fire from long distances
• great shooting on the go
• Highest HP at your level
• stock tower is top
• great review for your level
• easy to get to the top

Minuses

• very slow and clumsy (hello Mouse)
• huge sizes always attract art
• low gun penetration will force you to learn everything vulnerabilities enemy
• low alpha damage
• straight sides and stern rarely ricochet and will not allow you to play "swing" from around the corner
• VLD has vulnerabilities

Crew and additional skills

1. Commander
2. Driver mechanic
3. radio operator
4. gunner
5. Charging

Like any heavy, the first thing we need is repairs. Gusli perfectly eat damage, so we will shoot them down regularly. Then everyone pumps from their desires, but I would advise you to pump a “light bulb” from the commander, it often saves you from artillery, pump the mechanics off-road king or virtuoso, the gunner must pump the sniper skill, because. we hit weakly, we will knock out modules. Because we often hit from long distances, and we have a good view, then the radio operator needs to pump radio interception.

Penetration of the Black Prince of the penetration zone

Additional modules.

We have excellent rate of fire and accuracy, which is why we need to improve our strengths. I advise you to install a rammer (with it the rate of fire increases to 13.2), it also makes sense to install ventilation (the rate of fire increases to 13.86), I usually put a repair box as the third module, but after pumping the repair skill by 100%, it can be replaced with stabilizer.

Tactics

Tactics primarily depends on where you are on the list. Playing in the TOP, you can safely tank and storm, at our level we are "gods" and we are only afraid of the Frenchman. Do not forget to place the tank in a rhombus and substitute the harp, this will complicate the task of the enemy. But be also attentive to your rear, we count the feed from the "cardboard" therefore we go only with the cover of medium and light tanks, so that we would not be spun. Playing at the bottom of the list on Black Prince World of Tanks, the tactics are radically different. Our circular armor will no longer save us. It is best to play on the "second" line, having an accurate and fast-firing cannon, you can bite and annoy the heavies while they butt heads with our allies on the front line. Knowing the penetration points, we can even damage the IS-3. Separately, let's say about art, it is our main headache. As soon as you light up you are the number one target for arta. No one can resist throwing a “suitcase” at a huge and slow tank, which is almost impossible to miss. The roof of the hull in the stern has almost no armor, and even such art as can cause significant damage.

Conclusion

For our level, we got a pretty good tank that knows how to pick its opponents well. But weak weapon introduces its own adjustments to the game, we are forced to learn the enemy’s weak points and aim them more carefully, since accuracy allows us to do this. Having low mobility, it is necessary 30 seconds before the battle to be able to analyze and determine the direction of the attack of enemy forces. You should also learn all the places where art does not hit.

Review video guide Black Prince World of Tanks

Tank Black Prince or A43 was born only in May 1945. And for the first time, a more powerful anti-personnel gun was planned to be installed on a Churchill tank back in September 1941, but then this led to the appearance of self-propelled guns based on Churchill with a 76-mm gun. In 1943, in connection with the preparations for the invasion of Europe, the need for an infantry support tank appeared again. Firm Vauxhall offered to return to the consideration of the tank based on "Churchill". Even at the design stage, it became clear that the base of the "Churchill" tank was too narrow for a turret with a 17-pounder gun. Then Vauxhall decides to increase the width of the Churchill base. So the first prototype appeared with the name A43 or "Super Churchill", and later "Black Prince". Although the new tank used many of the components and assemblies of the Churchill 7 tank, in the end it turned out to be a completely new machine. Outwardly very similar to its "parent", the Black Prince World of Tanks tank had an extended 24 inch tracks, air intake grilles were located on the roof of the hull, and the engine was located in the stern. The first samples of the A43 were presented in May 1945, after the end of the war in Europe and the need for it disappeared. A total of 6 prototypes were produced.

TTX Black Prince

stock condition

Maximum weight: 51 tons

Engine power: 350 HP

Speed: 20 mph

Turning speed: 18/sec

Hull armor:

Forehead: 152.4 mm

Board: 95.25 mm

Feed: 25.4 mm

Hull armor:

Forehead: 152.4 mm

Board: 95.25 mm

Feed: 95.25 mm

Crew: 5 people

Armament: OQF 77mm Gun Mk. II

Penetration: 148/226/38

Damage: 140/140/190

Rate of fire: 14.29 rds / min

Spread: 0.34m/100m

Mixing: 2.3 s

Walkie-talkie: 450 m

Top condition

Maximum weight: 53 tons

Engine power: 600 HP

Speed: 20 mph

Turning speed: 20;/sec

Hull armor:

Forehead: 152.4 mm

Board: 95.25 mm

Feed: 25.4 mm

Hull armor:

Forehead: 152.4 mm

Board: 95.25 mm

Feed: 95.25 mm

Crew: 5 people

Armament: OQF 17-pdr Gun Mk. VII

Penetration: 171/239/38

Damage: 150/150/190

Rate of fire: 12 rds / min

Spread: 0.34m/100m

Mixing: 2.3 s

Walkie-talkie: 700 m

pros

• circular armor of the tower, excellent for its level, allows less distraction from the "fireflies"
• very accurate and fast-firing cannon allows you to fire from long distances
• great shooting on the go
• Highest HP at your level
• stock tower is top
• great review for your level
• easy to get to the top

Minuses

• very slow and clumsy (hello Mouse)
• huge sizes always attract art
• low gun penetration will force you to learn all the weak points of the enemy
• low alpha damage
• straight sides and stern rarely ricochet and will not allow you to play "swing" from around the corner
• VLD has vulnerabilities

Crew and additional skills

1. Commander
2. Driver mechanic
3. radio operator
4. gunner
5. Charging

Like any heavy, the first thing we need is repairs. Gusli perfectly eat damage, so we will shoot them down regularly. Then everyone pumps from their desires, but I would advise you to pump a “light bulb” from the commander, it often saves you from artillery, pump the mechanics off-road king or virtuoso, the gunner must pump the sniper skill, because. we hit weakly, we will knock out modules. Because we often hit from long distances, and we have a good view, then the radio operator needs to pump radio interception.

Penetration of the Black Prince of the penetration zone

Additional modules.

We have an excellent rate of fire and accuracy, so we need to improve our strengths. I advise you to install a rammer (with it the rate of fire increases to 13.2), it also makes sense to install ventilation (the rate of fire increases to 13.86), I usually put a repair box as the third module, but after pumping the repair skill by 100%, it can be replaced with stabilizer.

Tactics

Tactics primarily depends on where you are on the list. Playing in the TOP, you can safely tank and storm, at our level we are "gods" and we are only afraid of the Frenchman. Do not forget to place the tank in a rhombus and substitute the harp, this will complicate the task of the enemy. But be also attentive to your rear, we count the feed from the "cardboard" therefore we go only with the cover of medium and light tanks, so that we would not be spun. Playing at the bottom of the list on Black Prince World of Tanks, the tactics are radically different. Our circular armor will no longer save us. It is best to play on the "second" line, having an accurate and fast-firing cannon, you can bite and annoy the heavies while they butt heads with our allies on the front line. Knowing the penetration points, we can even damage the IS-3. Separately, let's say about art, it is our main headache. As soon as you light up you are the number one target for arta. No one can resist throwing a “suitcase” at a huge and slow tank, which is almost impossible to miss. The roof of the hull in the stern has almost no armor, and even such art as can cause significant damage.

Conclusion

For our level, we got a pretty good tank that knows how to pick its opponents well. But a weak weapon brings its own adjustments to the game, we are forced to learn the enemy’s weak points and aim them more carefully, since accuracy allows us to do this. Having low mobility, it is necessary 30 seconds before the battle to be able to analyze and determine the direction of the attack of enemy forces. You should also learn all the places where art does not hit.