Experimental heavy tanks Durchbruchswagen (Germany). DW I \ DW II Heavy tank Equipment, equipment and ammunition

Official designation: Durchbruchwagen
Alternative designation: DW I, DW II
Year of commencement of work: 1936
Year of construction of the first prototype: 1937
Completion stage: two prototypes have been built.

At the end of January 1937, the German High Command formed technical requirements for a 30-ton prototype as part of the development of a heavy tank for the Panzerwaffe at the end of January 1937. The initiative came from engineer Ernst Knickamp of WaPruf 6 (WafTenprufungsamt 6, tank design bureau Heereswaffenamt), who led the work on heavy tanks. The order was issued to Henschel und Suhn, which chose not to design a new machine from scratch, but to use ready-made developments. The heavy tank prototype received the designation Durchbruchwagen I or for short DW I.

The heaviest German production tank Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A was chosen as the initial sample, which weighed 17,300 kg and had good reserves for modernization. The hull shape was borrowed from it almost without changes, but the armor was significantly strengthened. The armor plates were connected mainly by welding and had practically no rational angles of inclination. The thickness of the vertical frontal surfaces was increased to 50 mm. The sides were also made of armor plates 50 mm thick. The roof and bottom had 20-25 mm armor. The layout of the case has also not changed. In the bow there was a transmission, behind which there was a driver's seat and controls. The fighting compartment, which occupied the entire middle part of the hull, housed the tank commander, gunner and loader. The engine was installed longitudinally in the stern, offset to the starboard side. Apparently, it was a 280-horsepower Maybach HL 120 - V-shaped, 12-cylinder, four-stroke, carburetor, liquid cooled. Probably the number and location of fuel tanks did not change. As with fours, there could be three of them, with a capacity of 140, 110 and 170 liters respectively, which were located in the engine compartment. The transmission included the following components: a driveshaft, a three-disc main dry friction clutch, a five-speed manual gearbox (5+1), a planetary rotation mechanism, two onboard clutches and onboard brakes.

The general design of the turret for the DW I was planned to be taken from the experimental BW tank (VK 2001), which existed only in the form of full-size mock-ups. The turret had a seven-sided shape with a large frontal armor plate 50 mm thick, in which a cutout was made for installing a cannon and machine gun. The side surfaces were made of 30 mm (or 50 mm?) armor plates. The two front side surfaces received a reverse bevel, and one observation device was installed in their central part. Immediately behind them on both sides there were emergency hatches intended for the evacuation of the crew. At the stern of the tower there was a high cylindrical commander's cupola with 8 viewing slots and a round top hatch.

The armament was to include a 75 mm KwK 40 tank gun with a 24-caliber barrel and two 7.92 mm MG34 machine guns, one of which was installed next to the gun, and the second was located in the hull on the right side.

Only the chassis was re-created. Instead of eight small road wheels, they decided to install five rubber-coated rollers of increased diameter with individual torsion bar suspension on each side. The total number of support rollers has been reduced to six. The drive wheels were in the front, the guides were in the rear. For German tank building, the DW I tank turned out to be an experimental tracked propulsion device, because there were teeth on the tracks of a large-link caterpillar, and the drive wheel had slots at the end.

The first prototype of the DW I was assembled quite quickly and entered testing at the end of 1937. This tank did not have a turret with weapons, since the Krupp company, responsible for its production, missed the delivery schedule. Instead, it was necessary to install ballast of a similar mass. During sea trials, the DW I performed well. In terms of overall technical qualities, it was almost as good as the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A and Ausf.B, possessing comparable mobility and a maximum speed of up to 35 km/h. However, some problems arose with the tracked engine, which did not live up to the hopes placed on it.

At the same time, a new order was received from WaPruf 6, ordering the creation of a heavy tank weighing 33 tons. The DW I project was modernized and built in 1938. In fact, it was the same tank with a modified hull and an improved power plant with a ZW-38 transmission. In addition, the tank now has a traditional caterpillar track with a drive wheel with teeth. The crew was increased to five people - the radio operator's position was located to the right of the driver's seat. It is also indicated that the thickness of the frontal armor of the hull and turret was increased to 60 mm.

As soon as the second prototype ( Durchbruchwagen II) was presented for testing; further work on these machines was stopped. The reason was the emergence of new projects of the VK 3001 series, which had better potential. As a result, the DW development program was officially closed in September 1939, but the prototypes were not scrapped. The Henhscel company, having never received the desired turret with 50 mm armor, installed a turret from the serial Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B tank on the DW II, which made it possible to conduct fire tests.

In general, if WaPruf 6 agreed to produce at least a small number of DW IIs, this would make it possible to receive the first batch of “transitional” heavy tanks next year and begin training crews. Such vehicles could not be sent to the front - as practice has shown, the presence of a short-barreled 75-mm cannon would make Durchbruchwagen tanks weaker opponents for the T-34 or Matilda II, not to mention the KV-1. In medium-range combat, the Soviet 76.2 mm cannon had superior performance, and even 50 mm armor would hardly have saved the German tank. Subsequently, the prototypes DW I and DW II were actively used for various tests until 1941 inclusive and played a positive role in the design of new generation machines, which led to the creation of the famous “Tiger”. None of these interesting machines have survived to this day. Apparently, both tanks were dismantled for metal during the war.

Sources:
P. Chamberlain, H. Doyle “Encyclopedia of German tanks of the Second World War 1933-1945” (translation by I.P. Shmelev), AST\Astrel\Harvest, Moscow\Minsk, 2003
Janusz Ledwoch “Czolgi niemieckie 1933-1945”, Warszawa, Militaria, 1994

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEAVY TANK
DW I model 1937

At the end of the thirties and in the first half of the forties, the German military industry created several projects for promising heavy tanks. Several of these vehicles went into production and were actively used on the main fronts of World War II. Other projects never progressed beyond testing experimental equipment, and some of them were initially experimental and intended solely to test new ideas. The first versions of the German heavy tank were created as part of the Durchbruchswagen project - DW I and DW II.

Work on the creation of heavy tanks began in January 1937. The Armament Directorate ordered the industry to develop a new project, followed by the construction and testing of an experimental vehicle. Henschel was selected as the contractor for the new project. During the new project, a number of important design and technological issues had to be resolved. In addition, it was necessary to create the appearance of a car with the required characteristics. The promising tank received the designation DW I (Durchbruchswagen 1 - “Breakthrough Tank, First”). Also, some sources indicate that the prototypes of the Durchbruchswagen project also received the additional designation Pz.Kpfw.VI, which was subsequently assigned to the Tiger heavy tank.

The requirements for the new DW I project specified the main parameters of the promising machine. The tank was to be protected by armor plates 50 mm thick. This could lead to a significant increase in combat mass compared to existing equipment. The combat weight of the DW I tank was supposed to be 50% higher than the corresponding parameter of the average Pz.Kpfw.IV armored vehicle (18.4 tons) and reach 25-30 tons. The issue of armament was not initially considered, but some proposals were made in this regard. However, the main task of the first Breakthrough Tank project was to create and test a new chassis.

DW I chassis with turret weight simulator. Drawing "Heavy tank "Tiger"" // Armored collection

When creating the DW I project, Henschel specialists had to face some production problems. Thus, the technical specifications required the creation of a tank with all-round 50-mm armor, but the technology and production capabilities of that time did not allow these plans to be fully realized. The main problems of this kind were associated with the limitations imposed by the equipment of metallurgical plants on the dimensions of manufactured parts. For this reason, in particular, it was not possible to make the sides of the hull in the form of single parts of the required dimensions.

When creating the hull for the new heavy tank, the basic ideas used in previous projects were used. It was decided to keep the frontal part of several sheets located at an angle to each other. The top sheet was mounted almost vertically and was used to install crew viewing devices. Vertical sides were used, which had to be made in two parts. The first part of the side began in the frontal part of the hull and reached the stern of the fighting compartment. The sides of the engine compartment were made from separate parts of the appropriate shape.

The top of the building was covered with a horizontal roof. The aft part of the roof was made inclined back and down. It was initially proposed to place a shoulder strap for installing a turret on the roof, but the fighting compartment for the tank was not developed. Therefore, instead of a tower, several metal sheets of appropriate weight should be installed on the roof of the hull, which were supposed to serve as a simulator.

It was proposed to assemble the hull of the DW I heavy tank from 50 mm armor plates of various shapes and sizes. The main part of the connections of the parts was made by welding. The joint of the side parts behind the fighting compartment had to be assembled with rivets. A characteristic feature of such a hull was the same level of protection when fired from any angle. In addition, the idea of ​​a housing consisting of several separate units subsequently received some development.

The project planned to use the proven hull layout, which had already become traditional for German tanks of various classes. Transmission units should be located in the front of the car, next to which there was a control compartment. The central part of the hull was allocated for the fighting compartment, and it was proposed to place the engine in the stern. The engine compartment and transmission had to be connected using a driveshaft passing through the fighting compartment.

Due to the large combat weight, the new chassis had to receive a relatively powerful engine. It was proposed to install a Maybac HL 120 gasoline engine with a power of 280 hp in the aft compartment. The front of the body housed a Maybach Variorex manual gearbox and a Cletrac steering mechanism. Such a power plant had to ensure rotation of the front drive wheels and give the vehicle the required mobility characteristics.

Scheme of DW I with a turret from a Pz.Kpfw.IV tank and a 75 mm gun. Figure Wikimedia Commons

The chassis of the Durchbruchswagen 1 tank was supposed to have five medium-diameter road wheels on each side. The rollers had an individual torsion bar suspension. In addition, the front and rear pairs of rollers should have received additional shock absorbers for strengthening. In the front part of the body there were drive wheels, located with a significant excess over the road wheels. In the stern there were guide wheels, slightly raised above the supporting surface. There were also three pairs of support rollers. The tank was supposed to use a 300 mm wide metal track with ridge gearing.

The size of the crew should have depended on the type used. However, the DW I was not planned to be equipped with a full-fledged fighting compartment, which was supposed to lead to various consequences. It was planned to place two workplaces for tank crews inside the armored vehicle's body. In the front part of the hull, on the left side, there was a place for the driver. The driver had to get into the car through a hatch in the roof of the hull. An inspection hatch was provided in the front plate.

To the right of the driver was the radio operator's position. Like the driver, it had its own hatch in the roof, and there was a machine gun mount in the front plate. Also, at the right workplace of the control department there should have been a radio station of one of the existing models.

Powerful armor and the use of ballast instead of a turret led to the total weight of the experimental DW I tank chassis reaching 30 tons. In this form, the project received customer approval, after which construction of the prototype began. In mid-1937, the vehicle entered testing, the site for which was one of the German testing grounds.

According to available data, tests that lasted several months made it possible to determine both the advantages and disadvantages of the new project. Certain problems were identified with the existing transmission and its individual units. The “prefabricated” design of the body, created due to the inability to produce parts of the required sizes, was also criticized. There were other comments that should have been taken into account in the further creation of heavy tanks.

During the tests, it was found that the existing 280-horsepower engine is capable of providing fairly high mobility characteristics, but in the future the power plant might need to be replaced. With a combat weight of 30 tons, the specific power of the tank was only 9.3 hp. per ton, which is why the maximum speed of the armored vehicle on the highway did not exceed 35 km/h. This satisfied the requirements existing at that time, but in the future it was necessary to take measures aimed at increasing mobility.

A modern model of the prototype DW I chassis. Photo: Webshop.lamaquette.be

Testing of the experimental DW I tank, according to various sources, continued until mid-1938. After this, it was decided to stop testing the first prototype and begin creating a new armored vehicle with an improved design and increased characteristics. The first prototype, no longer needed, was sent to the manufacturing plant, where it remained for some time.

The new version of the “Breakthrough Tank” was supposed to be an improved version of the previous DW I. A number of measures were proposed to improve the design of the hull and transmission. In particular, during the work on the Durchbruchswagen topic, the industry managed to develop technologies for the production of large-sized armor plates of the required thickness. This made it possible to optimize the design of the armored hull. In addition, new components and assemblies have appeared that could be used to improve the transmission. The updated tank was to receive the appropriate designation - DW II.

The general contours of the armored hull in the new project remained the same. The thickness of the armor has also not changed. Due to the emergence of new technologies, the sides of the hull were made from single sheets, without any additional joints. Thanks to this, in particular, the body received an all-welded structure. Riveted connections of the main parts were no longer used.

The composition of the hatches on various parts of the armored hull has undergone some changes in the new project. For example, near the workplaces of crew members located in the hull, it was now proposed to install semicircular hatches with movable covers on the sides instead of the existing small slots. Between the upper branch of the caterpillar and the second pair of road wheels there were now additional escape hatches.

The DW II tank retained the general architecture of the power plant and transmission of its predecessor, and was also supposed to be equipped with a similar engine. At the same time, changes were made to the composition of the transmission, and its individual elements were also modified. The gearbox, final drives and parking brake have been redesigned. The list of such changes was formed based on the test results of the first prototype.

The general design features of the chassis remained unchanged, but some of its parts were redesigned. The independent torsion bar suspension was changed and strengthened. The drive wheels were also redone. The caterpillar design has undergone some modifications. Other parts of the chassis, as well as their location, remained the same.

As part of the DW II project, it was not planned to develop a new turret for mounting weapons. This unit was planned to be borrowed from the existing Pz.Kpfw.IV medium tank. Several armor plates of different shapes and thicknesses of up to 50 mm were supposed to be connected to each other and form a polygonal structure. The front plate provided an embrasure for a gun and a machine gun, and the sides had viewing devices and hatches for boarding the vehicle. There was also a commander's cupola at the rear of the tower.

Schematic of the second DW II prototype. Drawing World-of-ru.livejournal.com

Along with the turret, the entire range of weapons was borrowed from the existing tank. The main weapon of the promising heavy tank was to be the 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 cannon. The 75-mm gun was equipped with a short 24-caliber barrel. The gun could accelerate a projectile to speeds of about 450 m/s and penetrate up to 35 mm of armor at a distance of 1 km (with an armor-piercing projectile). When using cumulative ammunition, the thickness of the armor penetrated reached 100 mm.

The tank's additional armament was to consist of 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns. One of them was mounted in a common installation with the gun, and the second was placed in the embrasure of the front hull plate. They were to be controlled by a gunner and a radio operator, respectively.

In 1939, a new prototype of a heavy tank was built and soon entered testing. According to various sources, the ground tests used a chassis equipped with a turret from a production medium tank. There are also references to the use of metal blocks that played the role of a weight simulator for the tower. One way or another, the experimental Durchbruchswagen 2 entered the test site and showed its capabilities. In addition, it demonstrated the correctness or incorrectness of the modifications applied.

An undoubted advantage of the new project was the use of solid sides that were not divided into two parts. In addition, improvements to the transmission and chassis have paid off. Such changes were made based on the results of testing the previous combat vehicle, and were also based on real experience, which made it possible to correctly change the project. The general characteristics of the DW II tank, primarily mobility indicators, remained at the same level. At the same time, the reliability of the equipment has increased, and its management has also improved.

Results

In 1937-39, the Henschel company developed two projects for promising heavy tanks of the Durchbruchswagen family. This technique was tested and made it possible to establish the prospects of certain ideas and solutions that underlay it. In addition, the emergence of two new projects became a kind of incentive for the development of technologies for manufacturing armor with the necessary parameters.

The DW I and DW II projects were not considered from the very beginning as a means of rearmament of the army. Only two experimental heavy tanks were built, which were tested and then returned to the manufacturer. There was no talk of serial construction. For some time, two prototypes remained at one of the sites of the Henschel plant, but later they were dismantled and sent for smelting as unnecessary.

In the near future, based on the ideas laid down and tested within the Durchbruchswagen project, several new versions of promising armored vehicles were created. The first of the new tanks were the VK 3001(H) and VK 3001(P) from Henschel and Porsche respectively. Further development of this technology, which led to the emergence of several more projects, ultimately allowed Germany to create the required heavy tank, which went into production and entered service with the troops. However, this was still several years away.

Based on materials:
http://armor.kiev.ua/
http://pancerium.pl/
http://aviarmor.net/
Chamberlain P., Doyle H. Complete reference book of German tanks and self-propelled guns of the Second World War. – M.: AST: Astrel, 2008.
Baryatinsky M.B. Heavy tank "Tiger" // Armor collection. 1998. No. 6.

10-03-2017, 19:05

Good day everyone and welcome to the site! Friends, today we are focusing on a vehicle with a name that is absolutely unpronounceable for a Russian person, a German heavy tank of the fourth level, in front of you Durchbruchswagen 2 guide.

The abbreviation of this terrible word looks like D.W. 2, which is much easier to pronounce and understand, because this is how the car is signed in the ears of the teams during the battle. Generally D.W. 2 World of Tanks is a rather interesting machine, it is one of the few heavyweights at its level and let's take a closer look at it.

TTX D.W. 2

I would like to start our acquaintance with an interesting fact, the fact is that the heavy German tank D.W. 2 has a reduced level of battles (4 and 5), meaning you will never have to fight against sixes. In addition, we have at our disposal the standard safety margin for a TT-4 and a good basic overview for this level.

Talk a lot about what D.W. 2 characteristics You won’t have to make a lot of reservations, since the German “quadratish practical good” explains everything. This means that both in the turret and in the hull we have 50 millimeters of armor all around without any slopes.

All this suggests that D.W. 2 World of Tanks should always become a diamond to increase its reduced armor, or tank the gusli, again showing the side at an angle. In addition, we have a 50mm gun mantlet, followed by another 50mm of main armor, meaning this section is more robust.

In general, Durchbruchswagen 2 tank It’s capable of perfectly tanking vehicles at a lower level, and copes well with its classmates, but the A’s beat us effortlessly, that is, at the bottom of the list, this device cannot boast of good security.

As for mobility, in this regard the German turned out to be more than mediocre. Maximum speed D.W. 2 WoT maybe not bad for a heavy vehicle, but the dynamics are frankly weak, but with maneuverability, on the contrary, everything is very good.

gun

I would like to call the situation with the weapons incomprehensible or unclear, although, by the standards of the fourth level, the gun is quite ordinary, not distinguished by particularly strong or weak points.

First of all, at D.W. 2 gun has a small alpha strike by the standards of most of its classmates, as well as a high rate of fire, which allows it to inflict about 1750 units of damage per minute, this is a decent indicator.

In terms of penetration, things are mediocre, that is heavy tank D.W. 2 capable of confidently fighting with most of his classmates, using only armor-piercing shells. But against fifth-level heavies you will always have to load golda, that is, you need to have 30-40 sub-calibers with you.

Accuracy in our case is also far from perfect, the gun D.W. 2 World of Tanks is endowed with a large scatter, poor stabilization, and its convergence speed is not the best; these parameters need to be adjusted.

But the vertical aiming angles D.W. 2 tank received very good results, we have the ability to lower the barrel 10 degrees down, which allows you to play comfortably depending on the terrain.

Advantages and disadvantages

It is quite difficult to clearly divide the parameters of this device into pros and cons, if only because in battle against the fifth levels it is very weak and, in general, its performance characteristics are average. But to complete the picture, it is still worth highlighting the most important strengths and weaknesses D.W. 2 WoT, comparing this tank with its classmates.
Pros:
Good safety margin;
Decent all-round booking;
High rate of fire and damage per minute;
Excellent vertical aiming angles;
Preferential level of battles.
Minuses:
Barn dimensions;
Low mobility;
Mediocre accuracy;
Weak penetration with a basic projectile;
Poor competitiveness of the fifth levels.

Equipment for Durchbruchswagen 2

To make the gaming experience on this device more comfortable, you have more opportunities to realize its potential and achieve good results, you need to select the right additional modules. In our case, there is plenty to choose from, so D.W. 2 equipment let's put the following:
1. – in our game there is practically nothing more important than the amount of damage caused, that is, increasing this parameter will never be superfluous.
2. – we have already talked about the mediocre accuracy of the gun, which needs improvement, so everything is obvious.
3. is a win-win module, because it gives a good increase to several very important characteristics at once.

However, there is still a very worthy replacement for the third point -. The fact is that only this option will allow us to completely correct the situation with the missing overview and gain an advantage over most opponents.

Crew training

Another effective, but thorny way to improve the initial parameters of a combat vehicle. Fortunately, we have a universal crew of 5 people at our disposal, so we don’t have to sacrifice anything, that is, for D.W. 2 perks download in the following order:
Commander - , , , .
Gunner – , , , .
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Radio operator - , , , .
Loader – , , , .

Equipment for D.W. 2

In this aspect, there are no restrictions, however, as well as changes, because the purchase of consumables is carried out according to the standard scenario, where if you have little silver, you can take , , . But when everything is in order with loan reserves, there is no need to skimp, that is, on D.W. 2 equipment It’s better to carry it in the form of , , . Yes, by the way, the tank does not suffer from frequent fires, that is, if you wish, you can speed it up by buying it for the crew.

Tactics of the game on Durchbruchswagen 2

To achieve good results on the battlefield, you should always try to use the tank's strengths and mitigate its weaknesses. It's very good that D.W. 2 tank has a preferential level of battles, but even so, when we get to the bottom of the list, we feel extremely uncomfortable; needless to say, a lot depends on this factor.

So, when it comes to fighting at the top, on D.W. 2 tactics combat may well consist of contact combat. To tank opponents of levels 4-3, we set up a diamond and try to dance a little. However, it is even more effective to hide the main part of the hull behind some kind of cover, showing only part of the side at a good angle.

Regarding dealing damage, you need to remember that D.W. 2 World of Tanks There is an excellent rate of fire, but the accuracy is not the best and you will have to lose a little time before the shot to get it right. Otherwise, we are able to perfectly keep any enemy on the harp, not giving him a chance of salvation.

At the bottom of the list, the actions change, if only because here heavy tank D.W. 2 no longer looks armored. You need to play much more carefully, forget about tanking and fire from the second line. In addition, you will often lack penetration, that is, in order to deal damage to the fifth levels, you will have to often charge gold.

As a result, I would like to say that German tank Durchbruchswagen 2– this is an interesting and strong car when it comes to the top of the list. Here we can deal a lot of damage, use our armor well and influence the outcome of the battle. But our German has a hard time with A’s and that’s a fact.

Otherwise, for a more effective game you should always keep an eye on the mini-map, beware of artillery and remember your large dimensions.

Durchbruchswagen II (DW 2) in WoT— the smallest (level 4) heavy tank the Germans have in the game. It has a number of advantages and disadvantages among its counterparts, which you will learn about from this article.

Durchbruchswagen 2 - pumped up Pz 3

Description:

At the end of January 1937, the German High Command formed TTT (tactical technical requirements) for a new heavy tank for the Panzerwaffe. The vehicle had to have good armor, decent speed and weigh no more than 30 tons. The father of the project was engineer Ernst Knikamp from WaPruf 6 (tank design bureau), the creation of a new vehicle began at Henschel, which at that time did not yet have experience in creating tanks.

They decided to compensate for the lack of experience with old developments, so they decided to make a new tank based on the chassis from the already proven Pz. 3. The device received a name Durchbruchswagen or for short DW, which translated means “breakthrough tank.” He wore armor reinforced to 50 mm and had to overcome protected enemy lines. In the long term, the DW would replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV medium tanks.

The first prototype had 50 mm all-round armor. Krupp was responsible for creating the turret, which was similar to the turret from the Pz. 4. Armed with the DW 75 mm KwK 37 L/24 gun. The movement of the vehicle was provided by a power plant Maybach HL 120, with a power of 280 hp, which allowed it to reach a maximum speed of 35 km/h. They only created the DW chassis because the Krupp company (as often happens with them) missed the delivery date for the turret.

While the chassis was being tested (ballast was used in place of the turret), where the vehicle generally performed well, new TTTs arrived from WaPruf 6, which envisaged the creation of a heavy tank weighing 33 tons. They gave him a name Durchbruchswagen 2. The differences from the first car were minor: the transmission was replaced with a ZW-38, the traditionally shaped track tracks were returned, and the crew was replenished with one more person - a radio operator.

The Durchbruchswagen 2 project was canceled at the end of 1938. The two prototypes were likely scrapped, but that doesn't mean all the effort was in vain. Henschel gained invaluable experience, which later helped them create such heavy machines as Tiger tank.

Schemes Durchbruchswagen 1/2

Durchbruchswagen 2 in WoT

Description:

DW 2 in World of Tanks— a heavy tank of Germany of the fourth level with another language-breaking name :). In shape it resembles the Pz. 3, because on its basis it was created and will be downloaded from it in the game, namely from the lungs Pz. III A(3rd level). We will be provided with a standard set of modules, you can verify this by looking at the picture below. Upgrading a tank will not be a big problem, and you can make it a top one in a few battles.

Weapons:

There are two top-end (aka stock) Tier 4 guns, so there will be a choice. One of the guns is a 75 mm high-explosive stump, and the other is a 50 mm long “sewing machine,” although calling it that would be a slight exaggeration. You must choose the right gun for yourself, since each of the guns radically changes the tactics of playing on a tank. I will help you with this, below, under the spoiler, there is a comparison of both weapons, so weigh the yes and no and buy what you like more. I'm leaning towards the 5 cm option.

If you encounter an enemy of level five or higher, confidently load the golda, the armor penetration of the guns is simply disgusting.

Comparison of DW 2 guns

Reservations:

The Durchbruchswagen 2 has excellent all-round armor on all sides, the hull and turret have 50 mm each, so you can tank either stern or sideways. but the best option is to position it in a diamond shape, with a slight “dancing” of the car.

After playing on a tank, we can say with confidence that its armor will save you from enemies of the same level and lower. If you are thrown to the bottom of the list, and this will happen quite often, since the balance weight of the DW is too high, immediately hide in the bushes and do not catch the enemy’s eye.

Booking DW 2

Positive and negative sides:

• Good all-round booking;
• Not large machine sizes;
• Decent dynamics and speed;
• Good rate of fire.

• Low armor penetration of the gun;
• Increased balance weight;
• Frontal armor is weak.

Equipment, gear and ammunition:

I recommend installing a fan, stabilizer and rammer on the tank. Create a real lead hail for your enemies :). Although the configuration options are very large, including the installation of lugs.

conclusions:

The main weapons in a tank are mobility and armor, DW 2 can only boast of the latter, so you are a king and a god when you are at the top of the list or a piece of metal when you are at the bottom. I didn’t really like the tank, the speed of 35 km/h and fairly good dynamics will not help you quickly get to the desired shelter, and the gun will only allow you to fight fast cardboard enemies, or allies, it all depends on your orientation :).

The tank burns very often, setting it on fire will not be difficult, and it burns due to criticism of the engine, namely from a hit on the transmission, which is located in the front part of the chassis.

If we compare the DW 2 and the average Pz 3, then the “groove” clearly wins: the speed is faster, the frontal armor is better!!!, it burns less often.

Below I will present to you the stock and top characteristics of Durchbruchswagen 2 in WoT:

Stock characteristics

Top characteristics

Gameplay:

Screenshots: