Review of the American Tier 6 tank destroyer: history, technical characteristics, game tips
Introduction
The Hellcat is an American Tier 6 tank destroyer. In the olden days, the name of this machine alone made a random shiver. Some hated him terribly, others selflessly loved. The machine did not forgive curvature, but at the same time it gave incomparable fun. Like a ghost in the night, she appeared at different ends of the map and hit enemies out of nowhere. But as time went on, “Azzkiy cat” was tamed by nerfs and now it is just a good machine that, in the right hands, can turn the tide of the battle.
Historical reference
After the North African campaign, when the American Shermans first encountered German tanks, the US Army began to think about developing a mobile anti-tank weapon. The project was supposed to be made on the basis of the Christie chassis and armed with a 37-mm cannon. However, in the end, the M18 acquired a torsion bar suspension and a 76 mm gun.
A big breakthrough for its time was the modular design of the transmission and engine. The compartment was installed on a kind of rail, which made it possible to quickly repair and replace it in the field. An open turret gave both pluses (good visibility) and minuses (crew vulnerability). The hallmark of the “witch” was speed. In some places it reached 95 km / h – it’s almost like a racing car!
The first baptism of fire of the Hellcat took place on the fields of Italy, where it proved itself to be excellent in the maneuverable phase of the landing operation. The domination of the American machine ended only with the appearance of the German ” Tiger ” and ” Panther “. Duels with them were strictly contraindicated, and ambush tactics in the “hit and run” style were recommended to the crews.
In general, the self-propelled gun turned out to be quite successful and unpretentious in operation. Until October 1944, 2507 copies of the “witch” were built, after which the US military doctrine changed. The fight against enemy armored vehicles was shifted to artillery and tanks. Nevertheless, they honestly served until the end of the war, and after that they were used as all-terrain vehicles and tractors. Some of the decommissioned self-propelled guns were sold to third world countries, where they were relevant until the 70s of the last century.
Landing in Italy
Game characteristics
Protection
Self-propelled guns have practically no armor. Only the top turret boasts a solid 76mm mask and a sturdy 127mm stern. The rest is sewn anywhere and by anything. Therefore, it is necessary to take positions that hide the cardboard case, otherwise 570 units of strength will quickly sink into oblivion. Fear the artillery – it will not miss the chance to drive a land mine into your open tower. One such hit can destroy the Hellcat .
Firepower
But the cannon is the undoubted merit of the machine. True, to unlock a top gun, you have to play with fairly mediocre guns for a long time. Unless it will be difficult to choose between the 76-mm AT Gun M1A2 and the 90-mm AT Gun M3 . The reason lies in the drop in rate of fire from 19 to 7 rounds per minute. However, the rate of fire can be neglected, since armor penetration will increase from 128 to 160 mm, and one-time damage will overcome the bar of 240 units. For many Tier 6 tanks, this is half the safety factor. Another drawback will be the limited ammunition load for 30 rounds, but it is quite enough for one battle.
The rest of the gun Hellcat pleases with characteristics: fast convergence (1.7 seconds), good horizontal and vertical aiming angles from -10 to +20 degrees. The excellent muzzle energy of the barrel provides the projectile with a flat trajectory and good accuracy at distances. The sub-caliber ammunition with 243 mm of penetration does not allow anyone to live in peace at levels 6-8.
Dynamics
The top 460 hp engine. with. gives us an amazing top speed of 72 km / h. But only in a straight line. True, he has a big drawback – he often gets crits, even if the projectile hits the forehead of the car. But the turning speed is no longer so impressive, and it is not recommended to wobble too much during acceleration. The tower also turns tightly, which negatively affects the “hand-to-hand-carousel” battles. It became impossible to shoot on the move after the weapon stabilization nerf – remember this!
Discovery and communication
The view is not the best at 370 meters. But it is treated with a stereoscopic tube. The communication range with the top-end SCR 619 radio station is 750 meters, which is quite enough for long-range shooting. Stealth for tank destroyers is decent, but specialized perks and a cloaking net will make the Hellcat completely invisible to heavy tanks.
Bleeding and equipment
There are two ways to get to the Hellcat – via the T67 or the M10 Wolverine . In the first case, you will save on a pre-top radio station, in the second – on a compatible engine. It’s up to you, but most players go through T67 , as it is generally more comfortable and has a large win statistics.
First of all, you need to grit your teeth and pump the chassis and engine to the maximum. You will be damaging later, the main thing is not to be a sedentary barn for unpunished execution. If you went through the T67 , then you can not touch the radio and immediately go to improve the guns. At the end, download the top radio station and start the carnival of death.
For the crew, we make the standard initial format of the tank destroyer perks: for the commander – “Sixth Sense”, for the rest – “Disguise”. At the second level of perks, we add disguise to the commander, and let the gunner study the “Sniper”. The rest is up to the player’s taste. At the third level, tankers can have a multiplier effect from the “Combat Brotherhood”.
The purchase of special equipment is reduced to the following setup: “Camouflage network”, “Stereotube”, “Dosylatel”. Everything else by the World of Tanks community, after numerous trials, was recognized as a perversion.
Before the top gun will have to suffer
Tactics tips
Previously, the Hellcat combined two concepts at once – a medium tank and a self-propelled gun. After extensive nerfs, the developers tipped the scales in the direction of the tank destroyer, although the dynamics of this vehicle still allows for a breakthrough. But this is only for risky comrades, so the main tips will relate to standard group tactics and play from the second line.
The “Witch” is loved by both novice tankers and seasoned ones. Beginners love it for its rotating turret, which gives it a bonus to stealth in the bushes, since you don’t have to move the hull and reset the effect of the cloaking net. Advanced “yuzver” value more mobility, armor penetration and high damage per minute. Not once or twice, the “wild cat” saved the whole battle, returning to the base and knocking down the capture.
You can work with passive light by quickly taking over the key bushes in the center of the map. The main thing here is to determine – do you want flash damage or are you going to shoot yourself? If the first, then we stand and do not breathe. If the second, then shot – flippers in hand and run. In general, when shooting out of bushes, try to change position often, or at least position. There are masters who shoot at tracers.
When there are no wide open spaces on the map, choose a group of heavy tanks and follow them in the second line, without too much substitution. And only when the front is broken, rush to the rear and cut out the art. This maneuver is also relevant for the opposite. As soon as your flank has collapsed, do not try to hold back the steel avalanche with your frail carcass – it is better to turn on the afterburner, rush to the enemy base and again kill Artoo. You won’t win, but you will be pleased with the screams in the chat.
The value of the self-propelled gun rises sharply towards the end of the battle, when all fireflies and especially greyhound medium tanks are dead. Your agility will come in handy here. You can rush around the map and punish everything that moves. The “witch” is especially good at the “shot from the other side” technique. First, enter from one flank, inflict damage, light up and leave with a wide hook to the other flank. The enemy will be turned in the other direction, which will give you the necessary seconds to aim and shoot.
Hellcat strives for defenseless art
An overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the tank. Outcomes
Pros :
- The tower allows for a circular bombardment from the bushes without glare
- Accurate penetrating weapon
- Good elevation angles
- Excellent dynamics
Cons :
- Weak booking
- Slow turn of the tower
- Frequently knocked out engine
Hellcat is a legend from the past, a prominent representative of the American tank destroyer branch. Despite the increased level of battles (including the eighth), it is comfortable to play on it even at the end of the list. On the contrary – the more fat opponents, the more credits and experience will fall into your hands. The main thing is that these hands are not crooked.