Post on 24-Jan-2016
Issue 50 • December 2013 1 • GameOn Magazine
Battlefield 4 Review
Introduction to War Thunder
Within the heart of War Thunder is
a multiplayer online combat game
for aircraft and armored vehicles.
Developed by Gaijin
Entertainment, this game is
available across a variety of
platforms: from Windows to
Macintosh OS X to Linux, as
well as on the Playstation 4
console, with casual game
modes in arcade battles
to realistic and simulator
battles for the enthusiasts.
The game spans the era from the
Spanish Civil War to the Korean
War, with a huge emphasis
on the Second World War.
Players cross swords in historical
maps of impressive scale
ranging from the city outskirts
of Stalingrad to the vast oceans
surrounding Pearl Harbor.
With hundreds of accurately-
rendered vehicles available
and more being added with
every update, players are spoilt
for choice when it comes to
cutting-edge planes to take
to the skies, or menacing
tanks to tear up the earth.
Relive the action in huge
aerial dogfights and armored
spearhead clashes with friends,
learn about the rich historical
significance behind the wars
through War Thunder.
2 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
letter from the generalHow fast time flies when you are
having fun, we are already at the
fourth edition of the War Thunder
Community magazine and the
content just seems to be getting
more interesting each time as our
writers explore different ideas.
As usual we still have the War
Thunder 101 tutorials this month,
this time focusing on German
Research and Lineup. In addition,
we have also added a new tank
series, beginning with Tanks 201,
which will feature Knowledge
Articles for tank combat, giving
you more in-depth knowledge
about tank games in War Thunder.
More in-depth articles about
War Thunder gameplay are in
the works, so stay tuned!
April Fools has come and gone,
but we have a special article
by Cade covering what Gaijin
Entertainment has done in the
past for the gamers for those who
just joined War Thunder to get up
to speed. Of course, the rubber
tanks and mechs this year make
for something unforgettable and
we have it covered as well for
people who missed the event,
or for those who participated in
the events that day to reminisce
the good time they had.
Allen has carried on this month
with the real life Guadalcanal
Diaries entry which gives
an insight to the life of a
soldier, reading a real life
diary entry really does make
you think about the War.
John touches on the development
of World War II aircraft guns,
this month looking at the
Luftwaffe. The German Air
Force deployed a wide range
of weapons during the war.
This month we interview YouTube
personality BohicaIce. He’s the
man behind Bo Time Gaming
channel, well worth a look into.
Plus, in this month’s issue,
Ted has written a fantastic
fictional story based on life as
a POW in WWII. This Month in
History covers April 1940. covering
the developments of WWII in a
chronological order, Martin has
carried on this comic series and
we have reviews of the A-20G-25
Havoc and a Marder III Ausf. H.
With the word search plus much
more inside, put your joystick
down and start turning the pages
to enjoy this month’s edition.
Remember, this magazine is
made totally free of charge,
we need your support, just by
simply sharing it will help us.
Do you know someone who has
a story from WWII? They don’t
have to have be in the war, we
are interested in their story if
they are willing to share it.
Please contact us warthunder@
gameonmag.com
- The Editor
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 3
Contents PageLuftwaffe 6
Of Mechs and Rubber Tanks 18
Silly Snails - A Gaijin April
Fools’ History 22
A-20G-25 Havoc review 24
Marder III ausf. H review 26
Guadalcanal: Two Sides of Hell
Entry Three 30
Guns of the Luftwaffe, 1935-1942 38
Guns of the Luftwaffe, 1942-1945 44
Tank Definitions 52
Interview with BohicaIce 56
Historical Fiction - Life as a POW 62
This Month in WWII: 68
April 1940 68
World War 2 Facts #4 70
Wordsearch 72
KEEP IN TOUCH!
ContributorsEditor-in-Chief Steve Greenfield
Editor Kris West
Production Mgr Chock Wee Boon
Writer Allen Reynolds
Writer Bryce “Freighttrain448” Hale
Writer Cade “Taize” Rosenbalm
Writer Christian “Yuriegh” Madsen
Writer Daniel “Heinkel280” Hoffman
Writer David “HJFarnsworth” King
Writer Emmanuel “MasterKnips”-
-Cardozo
Writer John “Zoso” Moore
Writer Rafal “Rainmaker” Gac
Writer Ted “Extreme_360” Thesinger
Photos Alex ‘Fodder09’ Beard
Artist Martin “Marty” Gutierrez
4 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
CONTENTS
LUFTWAFFE
PROS
• Strong fighter and heavy fighter
lines that are potently armed
• Good mix of bombers in earlier tiers; fast bombers
at later tiers somewhat reduce the vulnerability of
late-war bombers against cannon-armed fighters
• Has the best of both worlds for end-game fighter
jets with the CL-13A Sabre Mk. 5 and MiG-15bis
CONS
• Choice of good fighters is somewhat
limited up till late BR 3
• Flight performance of late-war jets are lacking
against post-war jets they are matched up against
• BR rises relatively quickly for the Fw 190
Anton series and care should be taken
when using them in arcade lineups
So far, we’ve covered Russian and British planes’
research and lineup, and today we continue with
one of the more versatile sides, the Germans,
with an impressive array of planes at most tiers
to cater to different play styles. As with previous
suggested lineups, they will be presented according
to a 5-plane format, mostly with a balanced setup
of fighters and bombers. The lineups are optimized
according to the Battle Rating and matchmaking
system and the information below is accurate as
of early April 2015 (Planned Changes 14 April).
The Luftwaffe, at the start of World War II, was the most technologically-advanced air force in the world, supporting the Nazi war effort on multiple fronts. Even as the war progressed and German forces were overwhelmed by the Allied
forces, they continued to produce superior and revolutionary designs, although they were too late to change the outcome of the war. Today, in War Thunder 101, we look at the planes of one of the most versatile sides available in the game.
WAR THUNDER 101 - GERMAN PLANES RESEARCH & LINEUP
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RESERVE TO BR 1.3
Suggested Lineup: He 51 x 3, CR.42
Falco, He 112 V-5 (5 fighters)
The reserve planes you have in your lineup are
pretty mediocre, with two forward-firing machine
guns. For early tier battles, you will be looking at
clearing ground units quickly to win the game,
so go with belts with predominantly AP rounds,
such as the Tracer belt with AP-T rounds.
The He 112 V-5 available after the He 51 biplanes is a
slight upgrade, offering higher acceleration and top
speeds in exchange for maneuverability. It gives an
introduction to the handling of the He 112 airframe you
will be using later, which is a fairly competent fighter
when armed with cannons in later variants. The Italian
CR.42 Falco is a biplane that offers better firepower in the
form of two 12.7 mm MG, although it is uncharacteristic
for a biplane in that it has a poor turn rate.
Recommended Research: CR.42 Falco → He 112 V-5
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 7
BR 1.7
Suggested Lineup: M.C.200 Series 3, M.C.200 Series 7, Bf
109 E-1, He 112 V-5, Ju 87 B-2 (4 fighters, 1 dive bomber))
The Italian M.C.200 series are relatively good at BR 1.7
with the 12.7mm machine guns. However, do note that
the Italian Breda-SAFAT machine guns have relatively
lower muzzle velocities compared to other machine
guns of the same caliber and should only be used at
shorter ranges when engaging enemy planes. It is
definitely worthwhile to advance down the M.C.200 tree
to get the M.C.202 Folgore at BR 2.0 to use later on, as
it is a big upgrade in terms of flight performance and a
modest boost to firepower (with a pair of 7.7 mm MGs)
compared to the earlier M.C.200 and quite capable of
matching up to most fighters you will meet in BR 2+.
The Ju 87 series are fairly durable dive bombers at lower
tiers, able to withstand multiple hits from small-caliber
machine guns, and the first one available is certainly very
effective against the opponents it will be match-made
against. These planes clean up ground targets quickly
with their bomb load; use the 50 kg bombs on single
units and the 250/500 kg bomb to take out clusters of
ground targets, and mop up other soft targets using your
forward firing machine guns. The Ju 87 can pull off sharp
turns and has excellent low-speed maneuverability to
throw off the less maneuverable cannon-armed fighters
you will encounter (although it loses a lot of energy while
doing so, therefore only do that during crucial moments).
By now, Tier II should be available. The Bf 109 E-1
will be the first Bf 109 you get, combining a powerful
engine with a light airframe. The Bf 109 series will get
continually upgraded in terms of flight performance,
with a powerful motorkanone installation firing through
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the propeller hub in later variants that
is relatively accurate even at long range.
Generally, Bf 109s possess excellent climb
rate and energy retention, while having a
mediocre turn rate especially for later variants,
so you will want to use them to fight using
vertical maneuvers and play to its strength.
Recommended Research: M.C.200
Series 3 → M.C.200 Series 7 → M.C.
202 → Bf 109 E-1 → Ju 87 B-2
EARLY BR 2+
Suggested Lineup: He 112 B-0,
M.C.202 or Bf 109 E-1, Bf 110 C-4, Ju
87 R-2, He 111 H-3 (2 fighters, 1 heavy
fighter, 1 dive bomber, 1 bomber)
The Bf 110 C-4 is the first heavy fighter you’ll
get your hands on, and is potently armed
at BR 2.3 with two MG FF/M cannons and 4
7.7 mm MG in the nose, giving a devastating
concentration of firepower. It also has a
bomb load that can be used in a pinch to
eliminate the last few tank targets. At this
bracket, it is quite well protected against
small caliber machine gun fire. Played
carefully using Boom and Zoom tactics,
the Bf 110 can take out most fighters in
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 9
one pass, especially with the Air Targets belt for the
20 mm cannons throwing out deadly ‘mineshells’.
The He 111 series of bombers are the first low-tier
medium level bombers you get. They typically come
with bomb loads of around 2000 kg, a fairly decent
bomb load at this tier, but are easy targets for enemy
interceptors as they are fairly slow, fragile and poor
defensive armaments. At lower tiers (such as BR
2+), this is not that big of a problem as interceptors
take some time to climb and cannon armaments
are not widespread yet. Just fly them with caution by
climbing high and avoid a direct path to the target,
while avoiding any enemy interceptors making their
way up and grab a friend to fly escort for you.
The He 112 B-0 is a well-armed fighter at BR 2.3 as well
with 2 x 20 mm MG FF wing-mounted cannons and 2 x 7.7
MG in the nose, if you are willing to research down the He
112 branch. The engine does seem a little underpowered,
so it will not be the fastest plane around in a chase. There
is also the He 112 A-0 at BR 2.0, but the nose-mounted
MG C30/L has a relatively slow fire rate that makes it a
little tricky to use against highly maneuverable planes.
The Ju 87 R-2 is a slight upgrade from the B-2 version,
with a larger centerline bomb but it does not have
the smaller 50 kg bombs mounted on the wings.
Recommended Research: Ju 87 R-2 → He 112
A-0 → He 112 B-0 → Bf 110 C-4 → He 111 H-3
BR 2.7
Suggested Lineup: He 112 B-0, Bf 110 C-4,
Ju 87 D-3, Ju 88 A-4, SM.79 1939 (1 fighter, 1
heavy fighter, 1 dive bomber, 2 bombers)
BR 2.7 for Germany is quite bomber-centric when it
comes to new planes. The Ju 87 gets upgraded with the
D-3, offering a better loadout of bombs (500 kg + 2 x
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250 kg). The Ju 88 A-4 is slightly faster than the He 111
and its airframe can take more punishment, making it
more ideal for attacking ground targets as opposed to
larger bases. The SM.79 is of a similar nature, carrying
a mediocre bomb load that is more suited for ground
targets and most variants are armed with a single
forward-firing 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun to
clear soft targets that invariably accompany tanks.
Recommended Research: Ju 87 D-3 → Ju
88 A-4 → SM.79 1936 → SM.79 1939
BR 3.0
Suggested Lineup: Bf 109 F-1, Bf 109
E-3, Ju 87 D-3, SM.79bis/L, Fw 200 C-1 (2
fighters, 1 dive bomber, 2 bombers)
The Bf 109 series is updated with the F-1 variant, which
mounts the MG FF/M cannon in the motorkanone
configuration firing through the nose that is characteristic
of later planes in the series. The cannon carries only
60 rounds and you’ll run dry relatively often early on,
so make your shots count in controlled bursts. The Air
Targets belt with the mineshells should take out most
fighters with only a few hits. There’s also a Bf 109 E-3 at
BR 3.0 in a similar weapons configuration as the He 112
B-0, and this can be used as a backup fighter to the F-1.
The Fw 200 C-1 Condor, recently added in patch 1.47,
is also available at BR 3.0. The bombload of the Condor
(3000 kg) is enough to level bases quickly if left alone,
although this is offset by its slow speed, large size and
poor defensive armament. The He 111 series is also
updated with the H-6 variant, with larger bombs (2 x
1000 kg + 250 kg) for base bombing. The SM.79 series
get slight incremental updates too, with torpedoes
added, although bombload capacity stays the same.
Recommended Research: Bf 109 E-3 → Bf 109 F-1 →
SM.79 1941 → SM.79bis/L → He 111 H-6 → Fw 200 C-1
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 11
BR 3.3
Suggested Lineup: Bf 109 F-1, Bf 109 F-2,
Me 410 A-1, He 111 H-16, Fw 200 C-1 (2
fighters, 1 heavy fighter, 2 bomber)
BR 3.3 opens the German lineup to a few new
aircraft types, and some quirky ones. You’ll
probably want to experiment with some of
them to see which one is to your liking.
The Bf 109 F-2 becomes an efficient ground attacker
with the 15 mm MG 151 cannon armed with the cermet
core shells (Ground Target belt), and rocket pods
via upgrades. It is still relatively deadly as a fighter,
although the smaller caliber motorkanone loses
quite a bit of killing power without the mineshells.
Hs 129 B-3 is an option as well at BR 3.3 if you can
master the 75 mm cannon, although you do need
to research past the Hs 129 B-2 at BR 4.0, which
in my opinion is a better aircraft, with 20 mm MG
151 for self-defense and can mount one 37 mm
cannon with HVAP-T rounds which are easier to
aim. The Ju 87 G offers a similar gun platform
with twin wing-mounted 37 mm cannons.
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The Do 217 J-1 and J-2 heavy fighters are an option too
with nose-mounted 4 x 20 mm MG FF/M cannons and
4 x 7.7 mm MG. Alternatively, you can research past the
Do 217 J and N variants and go for the Me 410 heavy
fighters. The Me 410 A-1 heavy fighter has less guns (2
x 20 mm MG 151 and 2 x 7.7 mm MG) but has a more
useful bomb load (2 x 500 kg) and slightly improved
speed, giving it more utility as a fighter/bomber.
The He 111 H-16 receives a slight upgrade to the
defensive armament, but it is still relatively fragile
and much easier to take down as it is matched
up against more potent interceptors.
Recommended Research: Bf 109 F-2 → Ju 87 D-5 → He
111 H-16 → Do 217 J-1 → Do 217 J-2 → Do-217 N-1 → Me
410 A-1 → Ju 87 G series → Hs 129 B-2 → Hs 129 B-3
BR 3.7
Suggested Lineup: Bf 109 F-4, Fw 190 A-1, Me
410 A-1, Ju 87 D-5, He 111 H-16 (2 fighters, 1
heavy fighter, 1 dive bomber, 1 bomber)
The Fw 190 series becomes available with the A-1 variant.
The Fw 190 A (nicknamed Anton) variants are interceptors
with heavy armament and heavily armored, ideally suited
for Boom and Zoom engagements, with high roll rates and
diving speeds. The Fw 190 A-1 (and its significantly up-
gunned bigger Anton brothers later on) can pretty much
take bombers out with just a few hits, complementing
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 13
the more maneuverable but lightly-armed Bf 109.
The Bf 109 F-4, although at BR 4.0, can be used in this
suggested lineup to give an average of 3.7 if the best 3
planes have a BR of 4.0, 3.7, 3.3. It has a 200-round MG
151/20 motorkanone mount, giving the plane a very
powerful punch. The 200 round belt feed negates the
ammunition shortage problem in the F-1 version, and
the MG 151/20 cannon with mineshells gives reliable
damage against fighters and bombers alike. This new
armament combines very well with its impressive energy
retention and good climb rate, ensuring its longevity
in the German fighter line through constant upgrades
all the way into late war. The Bf 109 F-4 can be further
upgraded with a pair of 15 mm MG 151 cannons, while
not as lethal as the 20 mm version against air targets.
gives the F-4 a relatively good ground attack option with
the cermet core rounds against moderately armored
targets such as medium tanks and light pillboxes.
The Ju 87 D-5 is a further upgrade on the aging
airframe, albeit one that brings several interesting
options. While the poor flight performance means
that you will be a vulnerable target if caught out by
cannon-armed fighters, the bomb load is relatively
decent for ground attack. The more interesting option
is the 20 mm gunpods, up-gunning the Ju 87 D-5 to
one with 6 x MG 151 20 mm cannons, making it very
potent for unsuspecting fighters expecting an easy
kill during head-ons, and for bomber-hunting.
Recommended Research: Bf 109 F-4 → Fw 190 A-1
BR 4.0 AND BEYOND
Planes to take note of: Bf 109 G series, Fw
190 Dora series (D-9 and D-12), Fw 190
A-8, Dornier Do 217 E/K/M bombers
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Beyond 4.0, the Fw 190 Anton series get continually up-
gunned, with the A-4 at BR 4.3 being in a relatively sweet
spot of involving good flight performance, armament
and favourable matchmaking. Later Fw 190 Antons (like
the A-5 and the A-5/U2) have significantly higher BR
(at 5.3 and 6.0 respectively), so you will see significantly
more powerful planes if you use them in your lineup.
These planes are perfectly able to compete, just that
when these planes are available in Tier III, newer players
might make the mistake of immediately including these
in their lineup once researched without having other
planes that are capable of matching up to higher BR
opponents. Among the later Anton series, my personal
favourite is the Fw 190 A-8, with 4 x 20 mm cannons
being more than adequate for bomber hunting without
sacrificing too much of flight performance, and four of
the same MG 151 cannons for better convergence.
The Fw 190 Dora series are an optimization on the earlier
Anton series while retaining the earlier advantages,
allowing it to perform high-altitude interceptions with a
high climb rate and top speed. The Fw 190 D-9, although
after the entire Anton series, have a relatively lower
BR of 4.7 (compared to the BR 5.3-6.0 range most late
Antons are in) and is quite a monster when played to
its strengths due to its excellent flight performance,
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 15
although it is unusually lightly armed for a Fw 190. The
final optimization in the Fw 190 Dora series would result
in the Ta 152 H-1, also a high-altitude interceptor.
The Bf 109 Gustav series are more of incremental
upgrades compared to the Friedrich (Bf 109 F)
series. The Gustav series also gain the ability to carry
the MG 151/20 gunpods, taking a hit to the flight
performance but become incredibly deadly with three
20mm cannons, making them somewhat closer to
a lighter Fw 190 without the dive capabilities.
The Me 410 series mainly evolve with different
armament systems, although their poor climb rate
and low maneuverability means that survivability
becomes a problem against late-war props and
their viability in-game becomes diminished. The
Fw 190 series is a much better option when heavy
firepower is required, and housed in an airframe
that is competitive against other fighters.
The Dornier Do 217 E/K/M bombers are relatively fast
bombers with a decent payload (4000 kg upgraded),
with moderate defensive armament and average
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durability. They are also more accurate in a dive than
heavy bombers for pinpoint bombing against smaller
targets. They depend on their speed to survive rather
than their structural strength and defensive armament,
which can make them more viable compared to other
heavy bombers at their tier which is plagued with
survivability problems against well-armed fighters.
CLOSING
Once past the earlier tiers, the German plane lineup
is pretty much one of the best across Tier III-IV. The
very potent mix of the maneuverable Bf 109 and the
heavily-armed Fw 190 series allow the player to choose
the most suitable plane to use depending on the
enemy lineup. The late-tier bombers remain perfectly
viable due to their speed and give the German lineup
some added versatility compared to other nations.
The Germans also have relatively interesting late-
war jet aircraft, although matching them up against
other planes remains a challenge (in part due to a
lack of production jet aircraft from other nations late-
war to compete, effectively dropping the German
jet planes right in a performance-timeline twilight
zone between late war props and post-war jets).
The German plane tree remains one of the most
fleshed-out lineups among the nations represented,
yet so many different designs are still not featured
in the lineup. There are numerous designs to look
forward to, like the Ju 188 and Do-335 ‘Pfeil’. Of course,
there’s also an independent Italian tree coming soon
(some Italian planes are currently under the German
tree, like the G.50 and M.C.200 fighters and the SM.79
bombers), although hopefully sooner than later! ■
By Chock Weeboon
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 17
OF MECHS AND RUBBER TANKS
A few days prior to April Fools, hype was already
building on the forums, with the players guessing
what the Gaijin developers would come up with this
year. After My Little Pony and Gaijilla events in the last
two years, one would be hard pressed to imagine that
Gaijin developers could top those in terms of creativity,
but boy… one would never imagine that the developers
actually went to this extent to create something
this complex just for a day, even with the clue that
appeared on the War Thunder Facebook feed.
UNREALISTIC BATTLES
The first event that came up was Unrealistic
Battles, with a dummy rubberized Sherman firing
vegetables being the poster boy of the day. Taking
inspiration from dummy tanks used to deceive
German reconnaissance prior to the Normandy
beach landings, Gaijin decided to recreate these
cute rubber tanks complete with squeaky sounds,
powered by bicycles and firing potatoes and carrots
using a slingshot through a floppy barrel.
For the April Fools’ event of 2015, Gaijin’s developers showed that they still love the players very much with walking mechs
in Ground Forces, although they certainly couldn’t resist taking a dig at their competitors with the Unrealistic Battle mode.
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Being the cheeky developers they are, they couldn’t
help but be proud of their own realistic creations of
the damage model in Ground Forces and decided to
poke fun of other tank games with ugly health bars,
one giant simplified hit box without any particular
weak points, because ‘they are all equally weak’, and
two types of vegetable-inspired ammunition that are
‘not that different from one another’, all in the name
of ‘helping users from other projects to adapt’.
Cheeky, Gaijin. Cheeky. Looks like Gaijin developers
fired a broadside of their own after the recent release
of a naval warship game by a ‘war games’ developer.
Of course, the potatoes and carrots were just the
appetizer for something really big coming up…
[IN DEVELOPMENT] ST-1 GROUND VEHICLE IN WAR THUNDER
Earlier in the day, an article about a walking tank
ST-1 appeared on the devblog as part of the April
Fools’ joke, complete with doctored historical images
showing the walking tanks alongside ground troops
and tanks, described in all seriousness, such as this:
“Not only did it have an extremely high cross-country
ability, the ST-1 also was almost immune to anti-tank
hedgehogs and mines. Even more so, thanks to it
unique looks, it would spread fear and panic in enemy
infantry ranks. 152mm howitzer allowed to destroy
concrete pill-boxes with a minimal ammo expenditure.
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 19
Finnish 37mm cannons could not penetrate the battle
compartment’s armour and Molotov cocktails were
also useless due the high profile of the machine.”
It even came with hypothetical battle reports
from Wehrmacht units, such as “... For the first
time in the Eastern campaign we faced a new
type of battle machine, it was hard to miss the
complete superiority of a 55 ton walking tank…..”
It was a pretty funny read, but surely Gaijin developers
won’t actually be implementing this in-game right,
with Unrealistic Battles already up for April Fools?
ST-1 ALPHA TEST
Then, it happened. A second event dropped for the
players. With a Spawn Point system reminiscent
of Realistic Ground Forces battles, players
began with conventional tanks, but could quickly
earn enough points to summon the mech, with
planes being added into the lineup to prevent the
walking tanks from being too overpowered.
The hilarity of the dummy tanks was quickly overtaken
by the real surprise for April Fools’ 2015, the high-
octane mech combat battles. These walking tanks
dueled in Eastern Europe, prowling the streets
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menacingly for targets to unleash hell on. With a
main gun styled after that from the KV-2’s turret, the
walking tanks quickly made short work of conventional
ones, turning the streets into full-on mech vs
mech slugfests in a death-match for supremacy.
In the midst of the adrenaline-pumping action
involving walking tanks among the American,
German and Soviet ranks running crazy, for that
one day, I think the point that Gaijin developers
really wanted players to enjoy War Thunder really
hit home. Gaijin has certainly outdone themselves
with this latest effort, setting an even higher bar
for April Fools’ pranks in the gaming industry.
Oh, and if Gaijin decides to make a MOBA mech game,
sign me up and take all my money. This is seriously
amazing, even if it only lasted for only one day. ■
By Chock Weeboon
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 21
SILLY SNAILS - A GAIJIN APRIL FOOLS’ HISTORY
One day of the year, it is acceptable (and expected)
that jokes and pranks will abound in society, and
War Thunder is no different. Since April 2012, the
developers of Gaijin Entertainment have created
different scenarios and ideas for their players to enjoy.
It began with the teaser trailer for Star Thunder before
War Thunder was officially released that year. Very
similar to Independence Day, giant alien craft came
down to Earth in search of resources, and a flight
of Spitfires is seen racing towards the monstrous
craft for an epic confrontation between humans and
aliens. This teaser, sadly, never quite made it to a
playable form for the War Thunder community.
In April 2013, the Ponyland Air Force was introduced
with War Thunder 6 months old, and was available
on the developmental server for War Thunder pilots.
The ponies brought the fury of the Brony movement
in full force to War Thunder’s young skies, with
bright, multicolored cannons and sugary candy
bombs of extraordinary power and destruction. The
ponies themselves move at supersonic speeds, with
exemplary handling for a weapon of such speeds.
With very positive feedback (aside from a few pony
haters), Gaijin decided that April Fools was to become
a spectacle of creativity and player enjoyment.
To continue the trend, in 2014, Gaijin released
it’s monster- the Daikaidzu GD11a, otherwise
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known as “Gaijilla”. This gargantuan gastropod
wrought havoc on the Dev server of War Thunder,
blasting its enemies’ ground units to dust with
powerful lasers fired from its antennae. Though
nearly impervious to attack, it had limited weak
spots that allowed the monster to be destroyed
before the next major patch. The players defeated
the monster after lots of hard work, and kept
the live servers safe from impending doom.
With April Fools Day again behind us, the players of
War Thunder will be left to speculate and wonder
for another year before Gaijin delights us with their
next outrageous surprise. The developers have
successfully engaged their players, and hopefully will
continue to do so as the years (and jokes) go by. ■
By Cade ‘Taize’ Rosenbalm
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 23
A-20G-25 HAVOC REVIEWOrdered on the 1st of June, 1942, the Douglas A-20G
Havoc first entered service with the United States
in February the following year. The first A-20Gs
went on to see combat in the Pacific, strafing and
bombing Japanese positions with later aircraft
eventually seeing service in Africa, Europe, and
even in Russia with the Soviet Air Force under
the Lend-Lease Act. The A-20G was well liked by
its crews for its good visibility as well as its great
handling characteristics at lower speeds. By the
time the final A-20G rolled off the factory floor
in mid-1944, a total of 2,850 had been produced,
making the A-20G the most produced A-20 variant.
Unlike previous variants which had featured a
glazed nose to accommodate a bombardier, the
A-20G housed a solid nose armed with four 20mm
Hispano cannons (later production versions were
armed with six 12.7mm M2 Browning machine
guns instead as the cannons were found to be
unreliable and jammed easily). In later production
models of the A-20G, the single 12.7mm Browning
machine gun found in the rear turret was replaced
with a power-operated Martin turret housing
two 12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns.
24 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
REVIEW
PROS AND CONS
+ Crazy defensive firepower
+ Front guns can make short work of
ground targets and/or unlucky bombers
+ Great low speed performance
+ Good climb rate for its size
+ High top speed makes it difficult
for fighters to intercept
+ Beautiful model (Not really a Pro
but still… It’s gorgeous.)
+ Good acceleration
- Weak elevator
- Locks up in steep dives
RATING
Firepower: 8.5/10 (Devastating combination
of offensive and defensive weaponry.)
Speed: 10/10 (Top speed is surprisingly
excellent at low altitude.)
Climb Rate: 10/10 (Can easily pull off a 10 degree
climb to 2,000m in roughly 3 minutes.)
Maneuverability: 8.5/10 (Makes it easy to
destroy large groups of lightly-armored targets
in a relatively short period of time .)
Overall Rating: 9.25/10 (Excellent performance
and a ton of fun to fly with no major flaws.)
SUGGESTED STRATEGY
Strafe and Bait: Relatively simple guide. Start off by
climbing/descending to roughly 1,000m, proceed to
target, drop your bombs, and then start heading back
to base making sure to attract as many unwanted
guests as possible. The defensive guns on the A-20
are more than capable of picking off multiple enemies
at a time with the only thing you really have to worry
about being enemies with high-calibre guns such as
Yak-9Ts and Ju-87Gs. The offensive 12.7mm guns
firing Ground Target ammunition can easily take out
Light Tanks and even Light Pillboxes at close ranges.
HOW I RATE THINGS
After I choose the aircraft I am going to be reviewing
I look at its BR for Realistic Battles then look at
all aircraft of the same/similar role with a BR up
to +1 or -1 of the aircraft being reviewed. (In this
case I looked at the Beaufighter, B-25, Ki-49, Do-
217N, and Pe-2/3 to come up with my rating.) ■
By Daniel “Heinkel280” Hoffman
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 25
MARDER III AUSF. H REVIEWHISTORY
The Marder (Marten) III series was derived from the
Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) to serve as an “interim
solution” until more effective tanks could be produced
to combat the T-34 and KV series. Tanks of the
original Marder series were based on obsolete but
proven chassis of captured French tanks. The Marder
III ausf. H took advantage of the normal fighting
compartment of the Pz. 38(t), which lowered the crew,
thus lowering the silhouette of the tank. This also
provided better protection than the SdKfz. 139 (Marder
III). The crew consisted of one gunner, one loader,
one driver, and one machine gun operator. This tank
was used on all fronts until being retired in late 1944.
IN-GAME
In the game of War Thunder, the Marder III ausf. H
sits at tier 2 with a battle rating of 3.0. This is a very
interesting tank with great gun traverse range for
a tank with fixed superstructure. It is also one of
the first tanks to have a firable bow machine gun.
However, the armour will hardly protect the crew from
anything larger than a .30 caliber round with 15 mm
for the superstructure, but most APCBC rounds will
over penetrate and will do nothing. It does not protect
the top and back of the tank. With 50 mm of frontal
hull armour, the hull can also easily be penetrated.
The gun is the definite strong point of this tank.
With 117mm of penetration at 10 m and 84mm
26 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
REVIEW
at 1000 m using the APCBC round and 152 mm at
10 m and 99 mm at 1000 m using APCR, this tank
destroyer can penetrate almost any tank that it can
go up against. The gun can also rotate 30 degrees
to the right and 30 degrees to the left. However, the
gun depression is abominable with only 2 degrees.
PROS & CONS
+ Great gun
+ Gun traverse is more that most in game tank destroyers
+ Superstructure armour is too thin to ignite
the fuse on most APHE and APC shells.
+ Good mobility
+ Crew less exposed than previous tank destroyer
- Tips over at high speeds
- Vulnerable to HE and HEAT
- Little gun depression
- Crew is exposed in the rear and from the top
- Armour can’t hold up to anything
bigger than small arms fire.
RATING
• Firepower: 10/10 - This gun will penetrate
everything that will come its way.
• Precision: 9/10 - This gun, like most German
guns, is accurate and will only miss if the barrel is
damaged. However, it may not land on the same
spot your cursor is aiming at at great distances.
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 27
Also the gun depression makes shooting
from hull-down positions impossible.
• Speed: 6/10 - This tank has a nice top speed
and will get from place to place quickly.
• Maneuverability: 4/10 - The tank has the tendency
to tip at high speeds because the gun and crew
are placed high on such a narrow tank.
• Armour: 3/10 - The armour on the hull
is not bad, however the armour on the
superstructure is downright awful.
• OVERALL RATING: 6.4/10 - This tank is
great at hiding behind other tanks and
giving supporting fire, but the armour, gun
depression, and the maneuverability are
issues that keep this tank at this rating.
SUGGESTED STRATEGY
Support heavies. Most people will not
prioritize targets and ignore you.
Long distance sniping is recommended with the
gun. Most guns at this BR will be not be accurate
enough to hit and do serious damage repeatedly.
Don’t rush, find a friend that will serve as a shield. ■
By Bryce ‘Freighttrain448’ Hale
28 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
REVIEW
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 29
GUADALCANAL: TWO SIDES OF HELL
PROLOG
In Issue 2 we introduced you to Corporal James “Rube” Garrett
and last month we took our first look at the story as seen from
the Japanese side. Today, we continue with the story.
----
June 7
It was after noon yesterday that the vanguards of the Combined Fleet found the
strong enemy planes and fleet. They said the 2nd Fleet would attack the enemy
from behind, and the 2nd Destroyer Squadron made a sally. We are 160km SW from
Midway. The good news may not come until this evening when the main force comes to
the theater. Enemy planes seem stronger than we expected. Received news of Hiryu
going up in flames but no trouble.
June 8, 09:00
The Ceremony of Allegiance to
the Imperial Message to the
Company on the upper deck. We
strengthened our determination
to give our life for the Empire.
They say our cruiser Mikuma was
unable to steer and evacuating
ENTRY THREE
30 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
REAL LIFE
from enemy planes. We have not heard our main force was in the battle
yet. The landing will be forced to put off no sooner than 2 weeks.
June 9
U-turned convoy is still to the SW of Midway. The landing force of the
Navy was dissolved. Ichiki-shitai was transferred from 2nd Landing
Force to under direct control of 2nd Fleet, and bound for Guam.
In the transport I heard we had lost 4 carriers. The news
came not from my Captain but from a soldier. It’s amazing
that ‘soldier’s news’ is always quick and correct.
June 10
I met my father in my dream. He was on a business trip and wore a cloak with a lapel
badge of Dutch Paymaster Lt. Col. He looked fine and was in a car. A strange dream.
June 11
Suddenly a squall! Soldiers sprang out on the deck naked. Out of the steam bath
into rain shower. They were all white from head to toe with spread soap. One
who was ready began washing in the water falls from tarpaulin. I got naked too,
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 31
and shouted ‘All hands on the Deck!’ Then a scream! The rain had slacked off.
‘More, more! It’s stopping too soon!’ Someone was struggling to wash half-spread
lather off, and they burst out laughing. Fortunately it rained for a while.
June 13
Got to Guam.
To Ichiki-shitai were allotted barracks near Apra
H. about 7 or 8 km SW to Agana city. We learned we had
suffered a crushing defeat at Midway, and were too
committed to the Battle of Solomon 2 months later, and
there we painfully realized the impact that Midway had
caused. But who knew that then? We can’t stop a violent
change of the general situation. After a long time on the
seas, a life on shore was unbearably cheerful for us.
We had no choice but to rush into new duties and life.
June 14
1st Lt. Nemoto went ashore with part of the company in
charge of a construction gang. The peace and order on
Guam seems well kept by naval government. For instance,
islanders don’t lock doors when they are out in the farm.
The most precious property is coconut palm trees. Navy
bought an islander’s estate to expand an airfield and
paid a good price, but they cried when their coconut trees
were cut down with heavy thud. Don’t expect too much of sweet life on the island.
June 15
Landed near 13:00 after duties on board. Went up about 1500m through coconut
groves, looking down the naval ensign of the Rising Sun fluttering on the rooftop
of the HQ of the Navy. Then got to barracks on a slope facing toward Apra Bay.
The interior is good and suitable for US soldiers, but unfortunately the eaves
are very low and obstruct the seascape. By the way, it was amazing that soldiers
had excellent skill and a knack at interior decorating. They do their best for
32 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
REAL LIFE
themselves. Unexpected beer for dinner! No wind
in the night and a violent attack of mosquitoes.
June 18
Went to the movies at Lecture Hall of the
Navy. Saw 3 news films. ‘The war bereaved
worshipping a spring ritual in Yasukuni-
shrine’: I recalled Miss Kamiya who was one
of those bereaved. ‘The Battle Taking the
Fortress of Corregidor’: Many friends of mine
in Kyoto Regiment must have died there. I
was almost moved to tears. No other barracks will give us such a fine seascape
in the morning and in the evening. I wish I could be stationed here longer.
June 19, 14:00
Swim training. It’s amazing that 33 of the NCO’s and soldiers can’t
swim, though swimming was a pleasure for me. It was troubling that
9 men were stung by sea urchin or jelly fish in the shallows of
the reef, yet the training must be continued. Came back singing a
martial song merrily. The first day of duty on the island.
June 21
Went to Agana city by bike with 2nd Lt. Taniguchi to buy fishing tackle. Bought
fish hooks at Sayama’s shop (*Japanese). The daughter of the owner was a real
cutie. She speaks broken Japanese taught by her father and sailors. On our way
back, we found a canoe in mangroves. As the owner was unknown, we used the canoe
without permission. (Taniguchi went back by bike) It was lighter than I expected,
but hard to steer because of the outrigger. I took shortcut across the bay, but
the bamboo pole didn’t reach the bottom of the sea! Helpless, and in a panic, I
paddled the canoe with my hands forgetting to roll up my sleeves. 20 or 30 strokes
moved the canoe slowly to the shore. I shouldn’t have gone alone not knowing the
tide and the bottom. Gave a sigh of relief when I got to the shore near barracks.
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 33
June 22
In the lecture hall of the Navy, we officers heard
a general explanation about the development of the
battle on Guam, then made an on-the-spot inspection by
2 buses. Landing place: a landing force found treads
of tanks, and made a tragic but brave resolution. It
turned out to be a tractor for road repairing, and all
burst out laughing! The reef: 8 men sprained from wading
500 or 600m on the reef. Landing place of the Army, a
bathing resort, and an imposing white palace behind
the city: Suikosha (Clubhouse of the Navy). Looked at
colorful roofs of the city from the terrace, the flaming
red of bougainvillea, the Pacific Ocean merging into the sky, and the white
wave line of the coral reef. Refreshments were provided by Islander girls.
June 22, 14:00
Came back to the Company. Called for the canoe which soldiers
had been playing with and went fishing. The canoe was stranded
by ebb tide, and we pushed it to the wharf. Thank heavens!
June 23
Forgetting yesterday, on the canoe again with Captain and Taniguchi.
But no catch. On the way back, ebb tide again. I am sick of it!
June 27
An excellent sumo ring was completed. I took charge of ritual opening of the
ring. An Inter-Platoon Match was won by 4th platoon with Pv. 2nd Wakayama
the Yokozuna(*grand champion) of the 8TAS. Have a slight cold, feel ill.
June 28 (Sunday)
The Moon is bright and clear, night breeze is so cool, and its Sunday
night. We are dying for a drink and girls, and Captain doesn’t mind.
34 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
REAL LIFE
The planning for Amusement Show of Ichki-shitai was completed.
The night record concert under palm trees was so nice.
June 29
Captain said suddenly ‘Don’t care about me’. It’s
all the more difficult for us to go.
July 1
There were a lot of responses to ‘The Song of 8TAS’ contest. Many admirable works.
July 1, 13:00
An examination with Company Commander. The 1st prize was given to words by
8th squad having individuality and expressing war services of 8TAS in it.
Though the music was from ‘The New Japanese Army’ and lacked freshness. I
had my Captain look at the site of the amusement show before the day of the
show. The Harmonica Band, Isao Rhythm Boys, and ‘Kanzaki goes to Edo’(*a
scene of the Kabuki) will make something. ‘O-some and Hisamatsu’(*Kabuki) is
troubling. With all their effort, the play looked unsuccessful. I helped them
adapt the story so that they can cheer up. I hope the program will succeed.
Back in my room, Captain, Nemoto and Taniguchi showed me 20 or more fish
over 20cm in length. They were beaming with triumph from a good catch.
July 2, 14:00
Prelims of the Amusement
Show. Over 50 programs all
out of Ichiki-shitai are a
wonder! All programs from
8TAS are a flop, and it gets
on my nerves! Sat and heard
good and bad performances
for 5 hours, tired.
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 35
July 3
Went to Agana city with my drinking companions by jeep. In the
moonlight, driving along the seaside near the city was so nice.
July 5
The 1st Ichiki-shitai Amusement Show was performed with Col. Ichiki
as a guest. Many good programs. We program directors worked hard,
and the show closed with success but ran 2 hours over time.
1st prize: ‘The Magic Show’ by Goto unit
2nd prize: ‘Kanzaki goes to Edo’ by 8TAS
3rd prize: ‘The Family of the Lighthouse Keeper’ by Wada unit
4th prize: ‘Recruiting the Acrobat’ by Ohkubo unit
5th prize: ‘An Elegant Unit’ by HQ
Soldiers were cheerful.
36 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
REAL LIFE
Col. Ichiki enjoyed the show from beginning to end.
July 6
8TAS got 2nd prize. 2 bottles of Sake, 5 bottles of
beer, 5 paper bagged beans as a snack.
July 7
To demonstrate the great power of the Imperial Army to Islanders, we performed
shooting practice on the beach near
Syowa-machi. We had lunch at primary
school, and found villagers are eager
to learn Japanese and make painful
efforts. Swim Training again. In the
evening, staff of the amusement show
dined together at Ohmiya-hall. Being
mellow, slightly drunk and unsteady,
the twilight driving was nice.
The site was perhaps near Nimitz beach
SW to the Apra H. We practiced target
shooting with live shells for the
first time since we had test-fired
on a destroyed US tank in Manila. 2nd
platoon hit all the floating targets
set at 600 and 800m offshore. And it
was the last time I gave a command
for firing our anti-tank guns.
Written by Genjirou Inui
Sourced by Allen Reynolds
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 37
GUNS OF THE LUFTWAFFE, 1935-1942
LIGHT MACHINE GUNS
In 1929, the German firm Rheinmetall acquired
the Swiss arms company Solothurn. This allowed
them to produce weapons outside the restrictions
of the Treaty of Versailles, such as the Rheinmetall-
designed Solothurn MG (Maschinengewehr) 30 7.92
mm machine gun. With relatively minor modifications,
the MG 30 became the standard weapon of the
early Luftwaffe as the MG 15 (fed from ammunition
drums for flexible mounts) and MG 17 (belt fed
for fixed installations, often synchronised to fire
through propellers). The MG 30 was also developed
by Mauser into the famous MG 34, which in turn was
adapted for aircraft as the fast-firing (1,600 rounds
per minute) MG 81. A pair of MG 81 guns could be
linked together with a single trigger in a Zwilling
(twin) mount as the MG 81Z, giving a combined rate
of fire of 3,200 rpm; these replaced the single MG
15 of the rear gunner in later variants of the Bf 110
and Ju 87. Normally used as defensive armament,
one noteworthy installation of the MG 81Z was the
Waffenbehälter (literally “weapon container”, or
gun pod) WB 81 containing no less than three pairs
of MG 81 guns, nicknamed “the watering can”.
Standard 7.92 mm ammunition included Spitzgeschoß
mit Kern (SmK) armour piercing with steel core;
Phosphor mit Stahlkern (PmK) armour piercing
incendiary, adding phosphorous around the steel core;
and Beobachtungs Patrone (B-Patrone) observation
rounds that had a small detonating capsule behind
phosphorous filling, giving a bright flash and puff of
smoke on impact in addition to incendiary effects,
allowing a pilot to verify hits on a target (these are
classed as “Adjustment Incendiaries” in War Thunder).
The second in our series about the development of World War II aircraft guns, this month looking at the Luftwaffe. The German
Air Force deployed a wide range of weapons during the war, so this first part looks at pre-war weapons up to about 1942.
38 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
ARTICLE
7.92 MM GUNS IN WAR THUNDER
In War Thunder, the 7.92 mm guns are fairly standard
light machine guns, generally adequate in Tier I but
not much further. Once ammunition upgrades are
unlocked, the Tracer belt is slightly unusual: most
other MG Tracer belts have incendiary elements,
but the German 7.92 mm belt consists entirely of
Armour Piercing Tracer (APT). Therefore, it has has
less chance of setting fire to enemy planes than
the Universal or Stealth belts with incendiaries.
For ground attack, you’re limited to the usual
machine gun targets: artillery, AA and armoured
cars. The Ju 87 D5 can equip a WB 81 pod under
each wing, but is unlikely to get into matches with
significant ground targets that can be destroyed
by machine gun fire; the sheer volume of fire can
be quite entertaining against enemy aircraft, but
unless you’re in a “who can carry the most rifle-
calibre machine guns” competition with a Typhoon
Mk. Ia (you win, thanks to the rear gunner) the 20
mm gun pods are a better option once unlocked.
EARLY CANNON
In 1934, the German Air Ministry issued requirements
for a single seat fighter armed with two machine
guns or one cannon, with the Messerschmitt Bf
109 winning the resulting competition against
the Heinkel He 112, Arado Ar 80 and Focke-Wulf
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 39
Fw 159. Messerschmitt’s designers considered
several armament configurations including an
engine-mounted 20 mm cannon, along the lines
of French “moteur-cannon” designs, with two
candidate weapons: the MG C/30L and the MG FF.
The MG C/30L was based on an anti-aircraft gun
and used the powerful “Long Solothurn” 20 mm
cartridge, resulting in a large and heavy gun with
high muzzle velocity but a slow rate of fire. A single
example was mounted on an He 112 prototype,
known as the Kanonenvogel (cannon bird) and
used in the Spanish Civil War where it was found
to be more suited to attacking ground targets than
other aircraft, prefiguring later “tank busters”.
The MG C/30L was not used on other aircraft.
The MG FF, by contrast, was a compact and
lightweight cannon. Its design dated back to one of
the earliest airborne automatic cannon, the 20 mm
Becker gun used in small numbers by the German
Air Force in World War I. After the war, with the
restrictions on armament manufacturing of the
Treaty of Versailles, rights to the gun were acquired
by the Swiss firm SEMAG, who further developed
the weapon but were not financially successful.
Another Swiss firm, Oerlikon, took over in 1924, and
by the mid-1930s were offering a range of cannon
including aircraft weapons designated “FF” for
Flügel Fest (wing mounted). Ikaria Werke of Berlin
acquired the license for the FF Type F, putting a
modified version into production as the MG FF.
There were difficulties with installing engine
cannon in early models of the Bf 109, so although
the wings had not originally been intended to
mount weapons, the Bf 109 E-1 carried one MG 17
machine gun in each wing, the Bf 109 E-3 replacing
these wing-mounted guns with MG FF cannon.
40 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
ARTICLE
CANNON AMMUNITION AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
The MG FF used fairly standard 20mm ammunition
including Panzerbrandgranate (Armour Piercing
Incendiary), Brandsprenggranate (High Explosive
Incendiary) and Brandgranate (Incendiary) rounds.
The conventional technique for manufacturing
cannon shells was to drill a hole in a solid steel
projectile to create space for explosive or incendiary
material, but by the end of the 1930s Rheinmetall-
Borsig had perfected an alternative method, whereby
the shell was drawn from a disc of steel, similar to
the way cartridge cases were drawn from brass.
The result was a very thin-walled shell with a lot
more space for explosive filling, given the name
Minengeschoß (M-Geschoss), mine shell. A 20 mm
M-Geschoss contained 3-5 times the quantity of
explosive of a standard HE shell, and was around
30% lighter. The lighter shell had different recoil
characteristics, requiring a minor modification
to the MG FF gun mechanism, resulting in the
MG FF/M that replaced the MG FF from 1940.
Even with the powerful punch of M-Geschoss the MG
FF/M was not an ideal weapon. It had a comparatively
low muzzle velocity and rate of fire, and ammunition
supply was limited to 60 rounds per gun due to
the drum feed. Before the war Mauser had started
development on a new 15mm aircraft gun, the
MG 151, and by late 1940 it was ready for service.
The MG 151 offered a roughly 50% improvement
in muzzle velocity and rate of fire over the MG FF,
though it was 50% heavier. The MG 151 was also
designed from the start with a belt feed mechanism,
allowing for more ammunition to be carried.
Combat experience with the MG 151 was generally
positive, but a 15 mm bullet could only be packed
with a limited quantity of explosives, especially
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 41
when compared to the new M-Geschoss rounds.
With relatively minor modifications, the MG 151 was
adapted to fire a 20 mm cartridge using the same
projectiles as the MG FF/M; the heavier projectile
and shorter cartridge case reduced the muzzle
velocity, but this was felt to be a worthwhile sacrifice.
The modified weapon received the designation MG
151/20 (the 15 mm version sometimes retrospectively
labelled MG 151/15). Once introduced, the MG
151/20 became the primary fighter weapon of the
Luftwaffe, though the MG FF/M still saw limited
use, particularly if size or weight was an issue.
In parallel with the new weapons a new variant of
the Bf 109 was entering service, the Bf 109 F, finally
resolving the issues with installing a gun in the
engine; the Bf 109 F-1, F-2 and F-4 demonstrated
the evolution of armament, respectively mounting
a 20 mm MG FF/M, 15 mm MG 151 and 20 mm MG
151/20 firing through the propeller shaft. Unable to
fit a gun within a radial engine, most Focke-Wulf
Fw 190s from the A-2 variant onward mounted an
MG 151/20E (Elektrish) cannon in each wing root
firing through the propeller. These cannon used
electrically-primed ammunition, rather than the
percussion-primed ammunition of the regular
MG 151, to assist with synchronisation. Many
aircraft could also carry single or twin MG 151 gun
pods under each wing for heavier firepower.
As 20 mm M-Geschoss rounds did not carry tracer
elements, MG FF/M and MG 151/20 belts also
typically included conventional High Explosive
or High Explosive Incendiary shells with either
a bright tracer (Leuctspur) or dimmer tracer for
night use (Glimmspur). Belts could also include
Armour Piercing rounds for sturdier air targets
or strafing, though the comparatively low muzzle
velocity of the 20 mm guns meant the AP rounds
were not a major threat to tanks. The high velocity
42 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
ARTICLE
of the 15 mm MG 151 gave a more impressive
armour piercing performance, particularly when
using Hartkern-Panzergranate (hard core armour
piercing) ammunition with tungsten carbide core.
15/20 MM GUNS IN WAR THUNDER
For air-to-air combat, the “Air Targets” belt of
German cannon is, unsurprisingly, a good choice, or
the “Stealth” if you prefer not to alert opponents with
tracer fire; both belts contain a good proportion of HEI
M-Geschoss shells for the guns that can use them. For
ground attack, the two higher velocity guns, the MG
C30/L of the He 112 A-0 and 15 mm MG 151 of the Bf
109 F-2 (and gun pods of the F-4) can be used against
light and medium tanks and light pillboxes with AP
rounds. For the MG 151, this means the “Armored
Targets” belt with AP-I(c) cermet rounds (it looks a
bit like ‘cement’ at first glance, but it short for the
ceramic metallic tungsten carbide core) Other 20 mm
guns are limited to soft targets and armoured cars.
Most German aircraft have cannon mounted close
to the centreline, so pilots do not have to worry too
much about harmonisation (adjusting guns so that
fire converges on a single point in space) via the ‘Gun
Targeting Distance’ option. This also gives them an
advantage in a long-range head-on attacks against
an opponent with wing-mounted weapons, but head-
on attacks are something of a lottery regardless;
the comparatively low velocity of the MG FF also
results in significant shell drop over long range, so
it is more suited to short range engagements. You
need to pay a little more attention to Gun Targeting
Distance for the wing-mounted guns of the Bf 109
E-3, Fw 190s and any aircraft with gun pods under the
wings; 250 – 400 metres works best for the MG FF,
the MG 151 can extend this to 300 – 500 metres. ■
By John ‘Zoso’ Moore
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 43
GUNS OF THE LUFTWAFFE, 1942-1945
THE MG 131
As the MG 17 entered service Rheinmetall started
work on a weapon of larger calibre, the 13 mm MG
131. Designed from the outset as an aircraft weapon,
the MG 131 was lighter, more compact and faster
firing than the American .5″ (12.7 mm) Browning M2,
though it used a less powerful cartridge. From 1942
the MG 131 supplemented or supplanted the MG
15 and MG 81 as defensive armament for bombers,
in turrets or flexible mounts. It also replaced the
fixed MG 17 in later variants of the Messerschmitt
Bf 109 (resulting in distinctive bulges in front of the
cockpit on some models to fit the larger breech
block of the MG 131) and Focke-Wulf Fw 190. An
unusual feature of the MG 131 was that it used
electrically primed ammunition, allowing for more
efficient synchronisation, so maintaining a high
rate of fire even when firing through a propeller.
13mm ammunition included Panzergranate (armour
piercing), Brandgranate (incendiary), and fused
Brandsprenggranate (high explosive incendiary)
rounds, though less than two grams of explosive
could be packed into such a small cartridge.
In War Thunder fighters with the MG 131 also mount
at least one heavier weapon, so in Arcade Mode the
machine guns are mostly there to give you something
to do while the cannon reloads. In Realistic or
Simulator modes, where gun pods have more of an
impact on aircraft performance and there’s no mid-air
reloading, the MG 131 are more important, especially
if your only other weapon has very limited ammunition
The second in our series about the development of World War II aircraft guns, this month looking at the Luftwaffe. The
German Air Force deployed a wide range of weapons during the war, this second part looks at late war weapons up to 1945.
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such as the 65 30 mm rounds available to the Bf 109
K-4. It’s worth binding machine guns and cannon
to separate firing buttons, so you can save cannon
ammunition until you’re really certain of a shot.
The MG 131 is only slightly more effective against
ground targets than 7.92 mm guns, able to destroy
light tanks with AP ammunition but not heavier
targets. Against aircraft, the high explosive incendiary
rounds (classed as Immediate Action Incendiary
(IAI) in War Thunder) should be reasonably effective,
but currently seem to have some modelling issues,
so better to use the mixed “Air Target” or AP-I
“Stealth” belts for now, but keep an eye out for
promised damage overhauls, possibly in patch 1.49.
MK 101/103
The first 30 mm cannon used by the Luftwaffe
was a powerful Rheinmetall-Borsig weapon
originally designated the MG 101, later changed to
MK (Maschinenkanone) 101. It used a very large
cartridge resulting in a high muzzle velocity, but
was a bulky and heavy weapon. Initially it was
mounted in an under-fuselage gondola on a small
number of Bf 110s designated the C-6. One Staffel
of Erprobungsgruppe 210, an operational testing
group tasked with developing fighter-bomber
techniques, were equipped with the Bf 110 C-6
for a time in 1940 and used them on anti-shipping
strikes in the English Channel, but there was little
interest in more widespread use of the cannon.
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 45
Following the German invasion of Russia in 1941, and
encounters with heavily armoured Soviet tanks, the
MK 101 was dusted off. Testing with tungsten carbide
cored Hartkern ammunition found the gun was
capable of penetrating the side armour of the KV-1,
so in 1942 a Rüstsatz field modification was devised
for the Henschel Hs 129 ground attack aircraft to fit
a MK 101 cannon in a gun pod under the fuselage,
significantly enhancing anti-tank capabilities.
Rheinmetall-Borsig developed the MK 101 into the MK
103, using (almost) the same cartridge, improvements
including a higher rate of fire and improved feed
mechanism. A range of munitions were available for
use against ground and air targets including both
Hartkern armour piercing and M-Geschoss high
explosive shells, but it was difficult to install such
a large gun in single engine fighters. Experimental
under-wing pods for the Fw 190 were not very
successful, neither were trials of a slightly more
compact engine-mounted version (MK 103M) with
the Bf 109. The most practical installations were in
twin engine aircraft such as the Hs 129, replacing
the MK 101, or in the bomb bay of the Me 410.
THE PNEUMATIC HAMMER
In 1942 the German Air Ministry sought an effective
weapon against the Allied bombers that were
attacking in increasing numbers, particularly the
heavy four-engined (viermot) bombers. Tests showed
that the 30 mm M-Geschoss shell was devastating,
about five times more effective than a 20 mm shell,
but the MK 103 cannon was too large and heavy to
easily mount on single engine fighters. Rheinmetall-
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Borsig therefore developed a new weapon, the MK
108 cannon, using a much shorter cartridge. The
MK 108 was less than half the weight of the MK 103
and even shorter than the MG 131, with a reasonable
rate of fire for a large calibre weapon. The trade-
off for the reduced size was much lower muzzle
velocity and consequently a downward-curving
trajectory of fire, making the MK 108 better suited to
close-range attacks against large, slow targets than
dogfights with small, rapidly manoeuvring targets.
The MK 108 was simple to construct, and from 1943
was installed in several types of aircraft for anti-
bomber work including the Bf 109, Bf 110 and Fw 190;
the MK 108 was also the standard armament of most
Me 262 jet fighters and Me 163 rocket fighters. Allied
ordnance men nicknamed the MK 108 the “pavement
buster” as the steady, pounding fire sounded like
a pneumatic power tool. Ammunition included
Brandgranate incendiary shells, and several variants
of high explosive M-Geschoss. 30 mm M-Geschoss
shells could carry either a bright or dim tracer, and
later variants contained slightly less explosive filling
in a more streamlined shape for improved ballistics.
30 MM CANNON IN WAR THUNDER
The two 30 mm cannon are very different weapons
in War Thunder. The MK 108 is strictly for air-to-air
combat, ineffective against most ground targets;
choice of ammunition belt is largely down to taste,
the only difference between “Universal”, “Night” and
“Stealth” being bright, dim or no tracer. With low
muzzle velocity, the MK 108 works best at close range
or against large targets. The MK 103 is an excellent
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 47
dual-purpose gun; with the “Armored Targets” belt of
High Velocity Armour Piercing rounds it can destroy
light pillboxes, and even heavy tanks if attacking
the weak rear armour from close range. With the
“Air Targets” belt it can destroy heavy bombers with
a short burst, and the high muzzle velocity makes
long range engagements much more practical.
PANZERKNACKER AND PULKZERSTÖRER
As Soviet tank armour improved through the
war the Luftwaffe sought more powerful guns
in response for its Panzerknacker (tank buster)
aircraft. The 37 mm Bordkanone (onboard
cannon) BK 3,7 was developed from the 3.7 cm
Flak 18 anti-aircraft gun; with tungsten Hartkern
ammunition the BK 3,7 could penetrate almost
twice as much armour as the MK 103.
An anti-tank trials unit under the highly experienced
close-support pilot Otto Weiß evaluated several
aircraft fitted with the BK 3,7; the Ju 88 P and Bf 110 G
were deemed unsuitable for close-support work, but
the Ju 87 G, with a BK 3,7 gun pod under each wing,
was met with Weiß’s approval. Increasingly vulnerable
in its traditional dive-bombing role, the venerable
Stuka gained a new lease of life as a tank buster,
resurrecting the Kanonenvogel nickname first used in
the Spanish Civil War. A small number of Hs 129 B-2s
also received the BK 3,7 in an under-fuselage pod, but
a new weapon was developed for the B-3, the BK 7,5.
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One of the most powerful aircraft guns of World War
II, the 75 mm BK 7,5 was based on the 7.5 cm PaK
40 anti-tank gun and fired a massive six kilogram
armour-piercing projectile, capable of penetrating any
tank. Already considered underpowered, the additional
weight of the large cannon made the Hs 129 difficult
to fly and highly vulnerable to enemy fighters, but the
B-3 was effective against even heavy Soviet tanks.
Only a small number of Hs 129 B-3s were built before
production was brought to a halt in 1944 when Allied
bombing and the Normandy landings stopped the
supply of the French-built Gnome-Rhône engines.
When the USAAF started daylight bombing
raids in 1943, their massed formations of heavy
bombers, bristling with defensive machine guns,
posed a different threat to the RAF’s night attacks.
Weapons such as rockets and large calibre guns
offered the possibility of engaging bombers
from beyond the effective range of their .50
calibre machine guns, breaking up formations to
allow lone bombers to be more easily engaged.
Aircraft in this role were sometimes known
as Pulkzerstörer (formation destroyers).
Ju 88 Ps and Bf 110 Gs with BK 3,7 cannon were
tested, but the heavy gun pods had an adverse effect
on aircraft performance making interception quite
challenging. An even bigger cannon, the 50 mm BK
5, was developed for the Me 410. Based on the 5 cm
KwK 39 tank gun, with the addition of an automatic
loader, the BK 5 was an effective weapon against
bombers; somewhat ironically the BK 3,7, based on
an anti-aircraft gun, was mostly used against tanks,
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 49
By John ‘Zoso’ Moore
whereas the BK 5, based on an anti-tank gun, was
mostly used against aircraft. The Me 410 was no
match for Allied single engine fighters, though, and
suffered badly once aircraft such as the P-51 Mustang
had sufficient range to reach Germany, forcing the
Luftwaffe to withdraw the Me 410 and other twin-
engine aircraft from daylight anti-bomber operations.
The Me 262 jet fighter was tested with a BK 5 cannon
mounted in the nose, with the idea of mounting the
similar 50 mm Mauser MK 214 cannon, but managed
no successful engagements before the end of the war.
In addition to the armour piercing and high
explosive rounds used by the original tank gun, a
50 mm M-Geschoss shell was developed for the
BK 5 containing 335 grams of high explosive.
BORDKANONE IN WAR THUNDER
The three Bordkanone can all equip High Velocity
Armour Piercing ammunition that can destroy light
pillboxes and all tanks; the BK 3,7 works best at
shorter range against weaker armour, the BK 7,5
doesn’t really care, as long as you land the shot on
target. All three guns also have some form of High
Explosive shell if you plan on attacking aircraft (or
end up on an Air Domination map and have no choice)
and can be effective, particularly against bombers,
but have a slow rate of fire so dogfighting should be
a last resort. Long range head-on attacks can work
well - if an opponent is foolish enough to fly directly
towards an aircraft with a large, high velocity centre-
mounted cannon they deserve everything they get! ■
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TANK DEFINITIONS
ACCURACY
Accuracy is how well a gun can hit a target. The
more accurate your gun, the farther you can
shoot and still hit your target. This is helpful for
shooting at weak spots and exposed crew.
AMMUNITION RACKING
Ammunition racking, commonly referred to
as ‘ammo rack’, is when a round damages the
ammunition inside a tank,detonating the ammunition
casings which results in their destruction.
ARMOUR ANGLING
Armour angling is when a tank is turned to
increase its effective armour and increase
the chances of a shell bouncing.
BOLT-ON ARMOUR
Bolt-on armour is armour that was either bolted on
after a tank was manufactured, or is a type of armour
that is meant to be taken off to improve mobility. Either
way, the armour has no spacing so all you have to
do to determine the effective armour thickness is to
add the two different armour thicknesses together.
T his is the first in a series of article that will contain many ways to improve your game in War Thunder Ground Forces including: identifying tanks and weak spots on many tanks. This article, however,
will discuss many common terms that will be used throughout this series of articles.
TANKS 201 - KNOWLEDGE ARTICLE
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DAMAGED MODULES
Broken modules happen when a module, e.g. the gun
barrel, gun aiming drive, track, etc., are hit by a round or
by shrapnel. When a module is damaged, it will decrease
the effectiveness of the module. In some cases it can
even destroy the tank, kill the crew or injure them.
EFFECTIVE ARMOUR THICKNESS
Effective armour thickness is how thick the armour
is in its current state. If the armour is angled in any
way, the effective armour thickness will be greater
than the actual armour thickness. However, the
effective armour thickness could also refer to the
effectiveness of spaced or bolt-on armour.
FLANKING
Flanking is when a tank goes around the front line to get
to an enemy’s side. This maneuver is usually performed
by light tanks and fast mediums. If performed correctly,
the enemy will have little to no protection on their flanks.
GUN DEPRESSION/GUN ELEVATION
Gun depression is how far down the gun will go, while
gun elevation is the opposite. This is often limited by
turret height, turret basket depth, gun breech length,
tank size, gun position and mantlet traverse range. War
Thunder gives gun depression and gun elevation values
in the vehicle descriptions under vertical guidance.
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 53
HULL DOWN
Hull down is when the tank’s turret is the only
thing to stick up over a rise in the terrain.
This allows for better hiding characteristics,
minimizing the parts of a tank that can be hit..
FIRE RATE
Fire rate is the number of rounds that can be fired
per minute (r/m). Fire rate is displayed for all SPAAs
and can be found under vehicle characteristics.
However, every other tank in game as of late March
would require the use of this formula: 60/R=F. R
being the reload rate and F being the fire rate. R
can be found in the vehicle characteristics.
SIDE SCRAPING
Side scraping is when you keep your frontal armour
behind cover, only exposing the side armour at an
extreme angle, i.e. ensuring that a round will bounce
off your hull and decreasing your silhouette. This
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was popularized by Tiger tank players in World of Tanks and is an very effective
technique. This will allow minimal damage to a tank while maximizing damage to the
enemy. Also, the ability to pull forward into cover is effective for tanks that have poor
reversing capabilities. However, you will not be completely hidden from the enemy.
SPACED ARMOUR
Spaced armour is armour with two or more plated spaced at a distance.
When sloped, spaced armour decreases the penetration power of solid
core rounds because they tend to tumble, disintegrate, deform, or deflect
after penetrating a plate. When the armour is not sloped, it increases the
protection from explosive projectiles because it detonates before penetrating
any inner plates. In game this translates to greater effective armour.
SUPERSTRUCTURE
The word superstructure refers to the structure built on top of something else.
In the context of tanks, however, it usually means the part of a tank or tank
destroyer that supports the gun and shields the crew from debris. This is not to
be confused with a turret that rotates as a whole along with the crew, gun, and any
ammunition stored in the turret. A superstructure does not rotate as a whole.
TRAVERSE
Traverse is how fast a tank or a turret turns. This is measured in degrees/second. To
figure out the how fast a tank will turn, go to the lowest gear the tank that a tank will
turn in. Then turn towards a tree or other landmark that will determine the 0°/360°
mark. Afterwards, record the time it takes to turn back to the mark that was chosen.
Finally, divide the time by 360 to get the degrees/second of the traverse speed. ■
By Bryce ‘Freighttrain448’ Hale
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INTERVIEW WITH BOHICAICEQ: Where did the name BohicaIce come from?
A: I have always been known “Ice” for as long
as I can recall. The Bohica part was added to be
different. I wanted to have something based on
military lingo that was not necessarily mainstream.
Q: How long have you been doing
War Thunder videos?
A: Almost a year and a half now.
Q: What made you want to do fail
montages and side chat podcasts?
A: The “Fail Montages” started because I play with a
few “special” individuals. We would have these funny
and/or sometimes catastrophic events occurs that
may have never found their way onto the channel.
Consider it like a bloopers reel for a movie. The
Podcasts project started due to a realization that
you have some War Thunder Pilots who were very
knowledgeable about their aircraft and the history
For our interview this month, we talk to popular YouTube personality BohicaIce. He’s the man behind Bo Time
Gaming channel and makes videos of fail-worthy moments and in-depth analysis of vehicles in War Thunder.
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of the era - while others showed serious
gaps in their factual knowledge. I wanted to
help those who wanted to learn more about
the history of their aircraft and one of the
greatest conflicts this world has ever seen. I
attempt to tailor these factual/history based
Podcasts to relate the real world facts to the
digital battlefield we all love. My podcasts are
also used to talk about the gaming industry,
direction of War Thunder, and anything else
that may concern myself and listeners.
Q: How long does it take to do research on
the vehicle for the side chat podcast?
A: A typical podcast may take 4-10
hours of research and fact citing/
checking depending on what it is. Certain
nations/manufactures kept marvelous
paperwork... while others, not so much.
Q; What source material do you
use for your research?
A: Cobey from my channel has a massive
aircraft library in his home. I will usually end
up doing a finale question and answer with
him to find certain facts, dates, and events. I
rely a lot on books I can get access to but also
reaching out to certain museums/collectors
in the States has been really helpful. There
are a handful of really good websites out there
as well but they are not always correct.
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 57
Q: How long does it take for you
to do the Fail montages?
A: Since opening the Fail montages to
community submissions. It typically takes
about 2 weeks to collect what I need.
Q:What is the worst fail you have ever
seen in creating the montages?
A: A full squad of Corsairs that all died in different
tragic ways trying to take off a carrier deck.
Q: You mentioned that you enjoy building computers
yourself. What is your current PC setup?
A: Current PC Setup is a I7-4770K Haswell CPU,
with a recently installed Nvidia GTX 980. I use
a variety of Solid State Drives for games and
recording. I typically try to upgrade/replace my
PC every 2 years. The hardware side is one of
the many things I love about PC gaming.
Q: Is being popular among the War Thunder crowd
a hindrance when trying to play the game? (Like
being team-killed/singled out/too much attention?)
A: The War Thunder community has been
amazing to me. I will not change my username
to hide until absolutely necessary. I love having
the chance to say Hi and Thanks to any fans
I may happen to come across in game.
Q: Many players feel there is a bias towards the
allies in War Thunder. What do you believe?
A: I see their concerns. Especially after the battle
rating system was implemented, the U.S. and
Russia had some very generous battle ratings
on particular aircraft. I personally have never
thought the developers sit there and do it on
purpose. There is always going to be bias towards
some nations in this current match maker.
Balancing several hundred vehicles is a tough
task and needs to be addressed appropriately.
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Q: Do you believe certain vehicles are broken
(under-performing/over-performing)
A: I have surely seen some broken vehicles in my
time on War Thunder. Corrected and balanced
flight models was one of my biggest issues since I
started playing. We may not necessarily be close to
having consistent and correct flight models... but
we are worlds apart from what we used to have.
Q: If you could make one improvement
to War Thunder in its current state,
what would you choose to do?
A: If you asked me three weeks ago. It would have
been matchmaking. Now, the new daily rewards
system has really sucked the motivation for me
to play daily. Every night I would hop on for at
least a bit and try to capitalize on x2 bonuses.
Now I consistently login to see a 10% Silver Lions
booster and end up closing the game. I still enjoy
War Thunder but grinding out Tier 4 and 5 Planes/
Tanks gets tedious without the old bonus system.
Q: What is your favorite vehicle in War Thunder?
A: The Boomerang will always be
near and dear to my heart.
Q: Is there anything you think Gaijin could do better?
A: The biggest aspect I would love to see Gaijin do
better is communicate and be more friendly to its
player base. I have always received the feeling that
they would rather justify things, then really explain
the details behind the decision. There are always
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 59
these situations that continually pin the community
against the devs. (Most recently the purchasing
of World Flags) We are all here because we enjoy
and believe what they are creating. Although, it can
really feel like we are being shut out of the decisions
that determine the future of this game at times.
Q: What would you like to see added into
the game? (vehicle/gameplay wise)
A: Fleet Air Arm for the British and Tank Destroyers for
the U.S. It has been difficult to find games that include
airplanes such as the Sea Fury. What I love about War
Thunder is the huge amount of warbirds that it can
bring to life on your screen. I cannot wait for the Fleet
Air Arm addition to the British tree. One of my favorites
from World War II is the M18 Hellcat. That is one sexy
tank destroyer that I cannot wait to get my hands on.
Hopefully both of these come sooner rather than later.
Q: Is there anything you would
like to say to our readers?
A: First off thank you for taking a moment and
reading this. My greatest piece of advice for War
Thunder players; have fun. If a certain tank or
plane isn’t working out due to various reasons,
use something you love. I have to remind
myself to do this from time to time and take
a break from the vehicle/module grind. ■
By Christian ‘Yuriegh’ Madsen
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HISTORICAL FICTION - LIFE AS A POW
Each morning we would parade and have our
numbers counted. Lined up in ranks of three we
would be as awkward as we could, not keeping in
clear lines, making it as difficult for the Germans as
possible; sometimes people might even slip from
one rank to another. It would always take the guards
several counts before being satisfied that we were
all present. More often than not they would count too
many. They never seemed to twig what was going on.
Sometimes we would be called outside for parades
so the Germans could undergo random searches
in our huts. If they found any small stocks of food it
would be confiscated. They claimed that we were
saving up for an escape attempt as an excuse. On
one occasion when I had a small stock of food, a
random search was ordered. Whilst on parade
outside I saw one of the windows to our room was
open, I took my chance, jumped in, and retrieved
This 2-part fictional story is about life as a British POW in Germany. Based off historical research
and information, Part 1 puts the reader in his shoes to experience the everyday life under the
watchful eyes of his German captors. To find out his eventual fate, stay tuned for Part 2!
62 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
FICTION
my food. While inside I could hear the ‘ferrets’
in the next room, so I was out just in time.
As Christmas approached we tried to save a little
extra food for the occasion. One group made some
‘hooch’ wine from prunes and sugar. I made a cake
by crumbling up some black bread and adding
chopped prunes and diced carrots boiled up in sugar
to serve as fruit, some butter and even vitamin
tablets because the pack claimed they contained
some yeast. After cooking the top was decorated with
powdered milk and pieces of sweetened carrot.
On 27 December the camp sirens sounded, warning
us of an air raid. The nearby village also had a
siren that sounded very similar. It was difficult
to tell which was which when we were confined
in our huts and a warning sounded. A few of the
men were suffering with dysentery. One of these
men thought that the ‘all clear’ had been sounded
and dashed out to the latrine. He was shot. He
staggered back to the hut but fell dead in the
doorway from stomach wounds. The excuse the
Germans gave was that only the village siren had
sounded the ‘all clear’ and not the camp siren.
To retaliate we refused to salute the German
officers. This was a punishable offence. We also
tried to ignore the other Luftwaffe personnel. The
Germans, feeling some guilt at what they had
done, did not counter retaliate. After several days
the situation gradually returned to normal.
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 63
In January 1945 the weather turned bitterly cold. A
group of P.O.Ws from another hut made a request
to build an ice rink. This request was granted and
they were provided with shovels to do the work.
In one of the huts a crack appeared across the
concrete plinth supporting the stove. This plinth
was supported from below the hut by a hollow brick
base, making it possible to dig down through the
hut. Disposal of the earth was easy; it was put into
the earth walls of the ice rink. Props, wall cladding
and lighting were stolen from an unused ablution.
It was possible to hide up to sixteen men in this
chamber. In the event of the Russians advancing
and the camp being evacuated, they could hide
until the Russians arrived. The time had almost
arrived for this chamber to be used, when a guard
looking around happened to stand on the plinth,
the plinth collapsed and he fell through into the
chamber. The excavation was so large the Germans
had to call on the fire brigade to deal with it.
Two or three days later, on the 18th January,
late at night, we were roused and hurriedly
marched off, away from the Russian advance.
After walking several miles we were housed in a
school hall to get a little sleep. We had only settled
down for a short while when we were roused again
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for another spell of walking. After walking most of
the day we camped in a barn and were told we would
be there for 48 hours. This did not happen. The next
night we were marching again through a blizzard.
The temperature being -20C. We were warned that
anyone trying to escape would result in three others
being shot. That night we crossed the River Oder.
It was said that the ice was thick enough to carry a
tank. Our next stop was a brick factory. We had the
same promise of a stay for 48 hours but the Germans
suddenly became alarmed and got us on the move
again. I was with John Lovatt and found that we were
the last two in the building except for one guard who
was rushing around looking for stragglers. I suggested
to John that we hide. He said he did not think it was
worth chancing it in view of the warnings given, and
that the war was nearly over. I was carrying what food
we had between us so we departed with the rest.
We later heard, via our secret radio that twelve
had escaped that night. There were no reprisals.
The amount of food we had soon ran out. We now
had to rely on what food the Germans gave us, which
was practically nothing for the next two weeks.
There was one P.O.W, a man named Thompson, who
one day was walking up and down the column urging
us on. I wondered where he was getting his energy.
I was later informed that he was a collaborator and
that he had been an assistant to William Joyce helping
him in earlier days with his broadcasts from Berlin.
Thompson was tried for treason with Joyce when
the war ended. While Joyce was sentenced to
death Thompson got a few years hard labour.
Seventeen days after leaving Bankow we arrived
at Goldberg having walked for 256 kilometres.
It was Sunday, the 4th of February. We held a
service on that day. I experienced an extraordinary
silence during prayers. Our Padre prayed for an
easement in the weather as it was still very cold
and the ground was still covered with snow.
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 65
Later that day we had a meeting with our padre
and Medical Officer. It was agreed that from now
on we would only respond to our own officers
and the Germans must give all instructions
via them. The Luftwaffe were also told that
we refused to walk any further because of the
loss of eighty-eight men en-route unable to
walk, and matters could only get worse.
The next morning the sun was shining, the snow
had all but disappeared and it was remarkably
warmer. I heard several men say they thought it was
a miracle. The Germans informed us that the rest of
the journey would be by train. We were shepherded
to the station where we boarded enclosed cattle
trucks; similar to those used for transporting Jews.
On average there were fifty-three of us to a truck.
When the doors closed we were in semi-darkness.
There was not enough room for us all to sit on the
floor, several of us had to stand in turn. Someone
produced an empty dried milk tin, which served
as a chamber pot. There was a small crack in the
floor where the liquid could be poured away. No
one required to get rid of bulk waste because we
had not eaten anything substantial for days.
On the second day in these cramped conditions
the train stopped. We hammered on the doors
and complained of people being ill. Eventually
we were let out to stretch our legs.
For a meal we were given half a cup of raw
uncooked porridge oats. I found this difficult to
swallow, the oats sticking to my mouth. After
being given a drink of water we were again locked
in the trucks for another day’s journey. ■
By Ted ‘Extreme_360’ Theisinger
66 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
FICTION
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THIS MONTH IN WWII:APRIL 1940
On April 3, 1940, Winston Churchill, First Lord of
the Admiralty, replaced Lord Ernle Chatfield as the
chairman of the Military Coordinating Committee.
This position granted him oversight on matters
concerning the British army and air forces, in
addition to his authority over the Royal Navy.
On the same day, a number of covert supply
vessels departed Germany for Norway in advance
to prepare for the primary invasion force. Two
days later, an Allied force of twelve destroyers
under the command of Admiral William Witworth
of the HMS Renown set out from the naval base
at Scapa Flow to begin Operation Wilfred.
On April 8, Operation Wilfred, the codename given
to the mining of the Vestfjorden, took place. The
operation was only partly successful, as it was
interrupted by the oncoming German invasion
force. The British destroyer HMS Glowworm was
confronted by the German heavy cruiser Admiral
Hipper; the former managed to ram the Admiral
Hipper, but was badly damaged and sank afterwards.
68 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
ARTICLE
The heavy cruiser survived. The following day, April 9,
German forces made landfall in several Norwegian
port cities and eventually take control of Oslo.
On the same day French military intelligence
received just over four hundred pounds of “heavy
water” from the Vemork hydroelectric plant
outside of Rjukan, Norway. The plant agreed to
“loan” the water to France, which was transported
from the Vemork facility to Oslo before making
its way to Scotland and eventually France.
On April 10, the German occupation forces
created a new government to control Norway.
They placed pro-Nazi politician Vidkun
Quisling in charge of the new government.
On April 12, in an effort to maintain control of the
north Atlantic and counter the German invasion
of Norway and Denmark, a British force under the
command of Colonel T.B.W. Sandall and the HMS
Suffolk began the occupation of the Faroe Islands.
On April 14, French and British forces landed on
Norway. A battle ensues for control of the city of
Trondheim. By April 27, the Allied commanders
made the decision to pull their forces out. The
city remained under the control of Germany
throughout the war, and became a major naval base
housing the Kriegsmarine’s submarine pens.
In April 1940 there were major advances in the
breaking of the Enigma code at Bletchley Park. The
general Luftwaffe “Red” key had been broken a short
time earlier, but thanks to naval code documents found
aboard the captured German vessel Polares, several
other German codes were deciphered. These advances
eventually led to the Allies ability to break new German
codes almost as quickly as they were implemented. ■
By David “HJFarnsworth” King
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 69
WORLD WAR 2 FACTS #4 JAPAN - Prior to widespread use of radar, acoustic
locators were used to detect aircraft. The impressive
“Type 90 Large Aerial Acoustic Detector” mobile
units have become known as “Japanese war tubas”.
BRAZIL - After Brazil declared war on the Axis,
many were sceptical that a Brazilian Expeditionary
Force would actually be deployed in combat, leading
to the saying, “It’s more likely for a snake to smoke
a pipe, than for the BEF go to the front and fight.”
When the BEF deployed to Italy in 1944, they wore a
shoulder patch showing a snake smoking a pipe.
FINLAND - Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä gained
the nickname “White Death” during the Winter
War between Finland and the Soviet Union,
killing over 500 men in less than 100 days.
70 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
FACTS
USA - Behaviourist B.F. Skinner developed a
missile guidance system in which trained pigeons
would peck at a screen showing the target.
The project was cancelled in October 1944.
FRANCE - Development of the first French jet aircraft,
the Sud-Ouest Triton, started as a secret project in
occupied Paris during World War II. The team was led
by Lucien Servanty, who would later become one of the
key figures behind the Concorde supersonic airliner.
UK - The last prisoner held at the Tower of London
was Rudolph Hess, Deputy Führer of Nazi Germany,
who was held in the Queen’s House in May 1941.
By John ‘Zoso’ Moore
War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 71
WORDSEARCHClick anywhere on this page to download the wordsearch
72 // War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine
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War Thunder Community Magazine The GameOn Magazine // 73
Issue 48 • October 2013 74 • GameOn Magazine
Brothers: The Thoughts of Two Gamers
Have a safe flight!See you in next issue.