War Thunder News

In this month’s Pages of History, you’ll be at the center of events that took place in different theaters of war. Iran and India, USSR and Germany: take part in battles with the vehicles corresponding to these historic battles and receive prizes. 

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From September 1st until September 30th, you’ll be offered 8 tasks consecutively. Completing each will reward you with a trophy, and completing all of them will earn you a unique player icon.

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[h3]Lev Mikhailovich Roshchin[/h3]
Lev Mikhailovich Roshchin arrived at the front at the age of 19 in December 1941. He was a skilled pilot and quickly earned the rank of lieutenant, becoming a squadron commander. During the war, he fought in the Caucasus, Crimea, Leningrad and the Baltics, completing 565 combat sorties. For exemplary performance of combat missions in the Baltic operation, he was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title.

You can immediately purchase this profile icon for Golden Eagles until October 3rd, 11:30 GMT without completing tasks. To find it, go to your Nickname → Achievements → Pages of History.

[h2]Trophy reward for each task[/h2]

Completing each individual task will give you a trophy with one of the following rewards:

• 20-50% RP booster for 3-10 battles;
  
• 20-50% SL booster for 3-10 battles;
  
• 3-5 universal backups;
  
• Premium account for 1 day;
  
• A random camouflage for ground vehicles (out of the selection of camouflages currently obtainable in game for completing tasks, or purchasing with Golden Eagles).
  

[h2]Other terms[/h2]

• Tasks are available from 11:00 GMT until 11:30 GMT on the final day of each task.
  
• Tasks can be completed in random battles except for “Assault” mode.
  

You can read a detailed description of which task is for which day and your overall progress by going to your Nickname → Achievements → Pages of History.

[h2]September 1st — September 4th [/h2]
[h3]Bryansk Operation[/h3]
After the victory in the Battle of Kursk, the USSR seized the strategic initiative from Germany and advanced on Bryansk. After a series of initial failures, the Red Army managed to go on the offensive in September 1943 and drive the Germans out of Bryansk on September 17th, and out of the Bryansk region by early October.

[h2]September 5th — September 8th [/h2]
[h3]Victory Parade in Berlin in 1945[/h3]
On the initiative of Marshal Zhukov, a victory parade was held at the Brandenburg Gate in Allied-occupied Berlin on September 7th 1945, with the participation of the USSR, Great Britain, France and the USA. It was nicknamed the “forgotten parade” because it was not covered as much in the Western press, and the Allied commanders-in-chief (except Zhukov) refused to participate, sending their deputies instead.

[h2]September 8th — September 11th [/h2]
[h3]Battle of Asal Uttar [/h3]
The largest tank battle of the Second Indo-Pakistani War took place on September 8th-10th 1965. Pakistani tanks attacked without infantry support, and the Indian army took advantage of the tactical advantage to achieve a confident victory. Pakistan lost almost a hundred tanks in the battle, a third of which were captured by India in combat-ready condition.

[h2]September 12th — September 15th [/h2]
[h3]Baltic Operation [/h3]
On September 14th 1944, the Red Army began a strategic operation to expel German troops from the territory of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It included the Riga, Tallinn, Moonsund and Memel operations and took place on a front line a thousand kilometers long. By the end of autumn, the Wehrmacht had been driven out of the territories of all three Baltic countries, with the exception of the Courland pocket.

[h2]September 16th — September 19th [/h2]
[h3]Battle of Arracourt[/h3]
The Battle of Arracourt in northeastern France took place from September 18th to 28th 1944. It was one of the largest tank battles on the Western Front. Germany sent 262 tanks and assault guns to counterattack the American forces, but did not provide them with reconnaissance, which gave the United States the tactical advantage. The Americans were able to shell the enemy from advantageous positions and outflank them. In the end, with relatively small losses, they disabled almost 200 units of German equipment.

[h2]September 19th — September 22nd[/h2]
[h3]Battle of Hürtgen Forest[/h3]
On September 19th, the longest battle in the history of the American army began which lasted for several months. The Germans successfully held the Hürtgen Forest, repelling attacks by the Allies. From this region, the Wehrmacht then organized the Ardennes counteroffensive. During numerous attempts at an offensive, the Americans lost several tens of thousands of men. The Battle of Hürtgen Forest was one of the most severe defeats of the Allies.

[h2]September 23rd — September 26th[/h2]
[h3]Tuapse Defensive Operation[/h3]
On September 25th 1942, Soviet troops began a defensive operation in southern Russia. They managed to hold back the superior forces of the Wehrmacht, preventing the Germans from taking Tuapse, breaking through to the Georgian Military Road and the oil deposits in Azerbaijan. By the beginning of winter, Germany’s forces in the region were tied down, and the USSR went on the offensive.

[h2]September 27th — September 30th[/h2]
[h3]Operation Samen-ol-A’emeh[/h3]
From September 27th to 29th 1981, Iran carried out an operation to lift the siege of Abadan, a small city near the border with Iraq that Iraqi forces had been besieging for 11 months since the start of the war but had failed to take. The Iranians struck along the front line toward the Iraqi city of Basra to force the enemy to redeploy forces to defend their own territory. As a result, the Iraqi troops besieging Abadan were left without reinforcements and, although they outnumbered the Iranian forces, they fled in panic as a result of the attack, abandoning hundreds of vehicles.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at a real classic with a fresh coat of paint, the Finnish captured KV-1 Model 1942! The m1942 was one of the last conventional KV-1 variants constructed, chiefly it features improved armor protection at the cost of around one ton of extra weight. This new premium tank will be arriving in the next major update!

[h2]KV-1 m1942: A Premium Heavy Tank for Sweden at Rank III[/h2]

At a glance:

• Impressive survivability, well armored all over!
  
• Powerful APHE rounds: average pen but great against angled armor.
  
• Low mobility but not incredibly slow, can still get around the map easily.
  

Vehicle History
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The KV-1 Model 1942 was the final production variant of the early KV-1 models. As their development continued, it was clear that armor improvements had to be made in order to keep up with the more powerful German cannons (notably the PaK40). This culminated in the Model 1942 which received a rounded cast turret at 100 mm thick, while still inheriting the extra armor plates applied to the KV-1 ZiS-5, making it effectively the most well defended KV-1. Finland captured two KV-1 tanks during the war, and this particular model is said to have been recovered by the Finns near the Lower Svir Hydroelectric Station in early 1942. It was captured in good condition, and would serve with several Finnish tank companies throughout the Second World War. Interestingly, Finnish KV tanks are noted to have been active up until 1954, though it’s likely they only saw sporadic use. Today, both KV-1s can be seen resting at the Parola Tank Museum in Finland.
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[h2]Meet the KV-1 m1942![/h2]

The KV-1 m1942 is one of the last modifications of the original KV-1 design, before being replaced by the KV-1S and more advanced heavy tanks. Finland captured two KV-1 models with this version being the second, up-gunned and up-armored it represents one of the strongest KV-1s. Let’s get into the details!



Ultimately, the KV-1 m1942 is functionally very similar to previous variants with effectively the same advantages and drawbacks. This version however features an improved turret. Instead of the angular design of previous models, the turret is rounded with 100 mm on the side and 82 - 90 mm on the front, it offers a lot of reliable protection against common cannons at the rank. Angling the turret can also prove effective as it increases the thickness of a lot of turret elements and makes the profile more vague overall, making it harder to hit weaker sections of armor.

Did you know? The Finnish nickname for the KV-1 is “Klimi”, an almost cute shortening of the full tank name of military officer and politician Kliment Voroshilov.



Regarding firepower, this tank is equipped with the familiar 76 mm ZiS-5 with a wide array of ammo options, including several types of APHE with a high amount of explosive filler. While its penetration power doesn’t look impressive on the surface, its performance against angled armor is very effective, which keeps the gun relevant.

So, as far as its armor and firepower are concerned, it’s a real brute! However, it’s hardly outstanding regarding mobility with just 34 km/h max speed. Though, despite the speed not being immensely impressive, it’s still enough to allow the KV-1 to do what it needs to do, it won’t be winning any races but it doesn’t need to in order to still be effective. The KV-1 has very workable armor as its thick on the sides as well as the front, which means it can angle and brawl very effectively.



The key to keeping the KV-1 in the fight is to keep on the move, as when being static it’s an easy target — but if continuously moving (ideally at an angle to your enemy) its armor profile keeps changing, and as such the best spot for an enemy to aim for keeps changing, which makes landing a lethal hit much harder. The KV-1 is great for aggressive playstyles like this, putting pressure on enemies and giving them very little time to aim for weakspots is what the KV-1 does best.



This quintessential heavy tank will be joining the Swedish ranks as a premium for Golden Eagles in the next major update! Thank you for reading as always, and we’ll see you very soon for more devblogs on upcoming vehicles and features, until then, all the best tankers!

Please note that this vehicle's characteristics may be adjusted before being added to the game.

USS Tennessee (BB-43) is an American battleship of the so-called ‘standard type’, built close to the end of WWI and incorporating several improvements over the New Mexico-class preceding it.

[h2]USS Tennessee (BB-43): A Battleship at Rank VI for the USA[/h2]

At a glance:

• Powerful 14’’ primary guns!
  
• Enhanced protection.
  
• Powerful anti-air arsenal.
  
• Mediocre mobility.
  

Vehicle History
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USS Tennessee was laid down in 1917 as the lead ship of a class of two battleships, representing a further development of the preceding New Mexico class. Continuing the by then established standard type design philosophy of American battleships, USS Tennessee was built with a particular emphasis on improved torpedo and mine protection while also increasing the range of its main battery guns through an updated turret design. These, as well as other improvements, soon resulted in the commissioning of the most advanced battleship of the U.S. Navy at the time, taking place in 1920.

After entering service, USS Tennessee took part in numerous fleet exercises and went on goodwill tours until the outbreak of WWII. After the U.S. entered the war in 1941, USS Tennessee underwent repairs following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Soon after, the warship was modernized, undergoing a major refit which substantially upgraded the ship’s capabilities. Throughout the rest of the war, USS Tennessee took part in many key operations in the Pacific theater and was involved in almost every major battle in the final stages of the war. After the war’s end, USS Tennessee, like many warships, was put in reserve until it was finally decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1959.
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[h2]Meet USS Tennessee (BB-43)![/h2]

Arriving to the game in the next major update in her late war configuration, USS Tennessee is going to offer you the American battleship signature combination of excellent firepower and protection, placing particular emphasis on improved anti-air protection. Let’s take a look!



In its essence, USS Tennessee represents a further development of the New Mexico class battleship. Therefore, it should come as a surprise that USS Tennessee shares some of its features with its direct predecessor, USS Mississippi. One of these features can be found in its primary arsenal. Consisting of a battery of 12 x 14’’ (356 mm) cannons, USS Tennessee inherits its predecessor’s deadly firepower while introducing design optimizations to its turrets which allow the cannons to reach targets at even greater distances.



Furthermore, USS Tennessee is equipped with up to 8 x dual 5’’ dual-purpose cannons as well 10 x quadruple 40 mm and 43 x single 20mm cannons. In other words, pilots and captains of smaller vessels ought to think very carefully about launching attack runs on this floating fortress. On the other hand, thanks to such an extensive arsenal complemented by access to air search radar, USS Tennessee is ideally suited for supporting more vulnerable allied vessels in fending off enemy attacks, thus making it a great warship to team up with!



Interesting USS Tennessee took part in the famous Battle of Surigao Strait, representing the last major battleship duel in naval history.

As is standard for battleships and even more so for American ones, USS Tennessee features superb protection, similar to the already familiar USS Mississippi. Thanks to its 343 mm thick belt armor, extensive compartmentalization and large torpedo bulges, USS Tennessee can withstand a great deal of enemy fire before suffering critical damage. Even then, its large crew ensures that damage can be controlled and repaired in a timely manner. Additionally, you’re able to launch a scout plane to gain a better overview of the battlefield, seize strategic points and even lay a smoke screen to break line of sight with the enemy, if needed.



On the other hand, all this comes at the expense of a large displacement and with that, an impact to the ship’s mobility. Similar to the USS Mississippi, USS Tennessee is able to obtain a top speed of just 20.5 knots (38 km/h), which prevents it from spearheading the attack in most cases. Due to her sluggishness and comparatively low reload time, USS Tennessee should keep at distance and destroy enemy ships with precise deadly 12-rounds salvos.



USS Tennessee has set course for War Thunder naval battles and will dock in ports with the arrival of the next major update. In the meantime, keep your binoculars at hand and keep scanning the news section as we continue to release more information on the upcoming update. Until then, calm seas, captains!

Please note that this vehicle's characteristics may be adjusted before being added to the game.

Your screenshots shared with us last week were super! When the cannons are quiet, many of the locations seem prime for a relaxing break. This week, take a picture of one of your amphibious vehicles or vessels! The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

[h2]Let’s begin the 134th edition of our competition![/h2]

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen134. You have time until the 30th of August to submit your screenshot.

After that date, 6 winners will be selected (3 of which will be the highest rated by the community and 3 selected by our judges), each of which receive a reward of 300GE.

[h3]Terms:[/h3]

Your screenshot must include a player vehicle that floats!
You must add the #WTscreen134 tag (title cannot have any other text in it).
Artists may only win by popular vote once per four screenshot competitions.
• Screenshots need to be compliant with the War Thunder rules.
  
• You need to be the author of the screenshot.
  
• Screenshot needs to be new. You cannot use those which have previously been published or used in other competitions.
  
• We will only accept raw screenshots from the game. You cannot use any editing software nor any other visual enhancements (like Nvidia Ansel filters).
  
• You can use filters and settings built into War Thunder.
  
• You can use the replay functionality built into War Thunder.
  
• Rewards will be delivered to the author's account within 14 working days.
  

[h2]And now, time for the winners of the competition’s 133rd edition – Vacation Time![/h2]

[h3]Winners selected via community votes:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3311189020
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3310962613
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3238679265

[h3]Winners selected by our judges:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3312644254
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3314056172
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3315021873

Each winner will get 300GE! Congratulations and see you next week!

Let’s take a look at the ZSU-23-4M2 (also known as the Shilka-M2), which is a special variant of the Shilka SPAA, used for accompanying tank columns during the Afghan War.

[h2]ZSU-23-4M2 “Shilka-M2”: An SPAA for the USSR at Rank V[/h2]

At a glance:

• No radar compared to the other Shilkas.
  
• High rate of fire on the 23 mms!
  
• Increased ammunition: 4,000 rounds instead of 2,000.
  

Vehicle History
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During the course of the Afghan War, the 23 mm Shilka SPAA proved to be a good escort vehicle for tank columns, where its high firing automatic guns were used to fend off ambushes. Soon after, a special variant of the Shilka with no radar and an increased ammunition capacity of 4,000 rounds was developed and produced at the Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant. In total, 18 ZSU-23-4M2 vehicles were produced, and in 1999, several more were modified to the M2 level to equip the Russian Army.
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[h2]Meet the ZSU-23-4M2![/h2]

This good old trusty Shilka will be arriving to the USSR ground forces tree in the form of a special Afghan variant without a radar and more ammunition. Let’s take a look at what kind of vehicle this is going to be when it comes to the game in the next major War Thunder update!



The ZSU-23-4M2 differs from the familiar rank VI Shilkas in two main aspects — it has no radar of any kind, but an increased ammo capacity of 4,000 rounds (2,000 ready to fire, with 2,000 to reload). At rank V, the ZSU-23-4M2 will be less reliable overall in the anti-tank role, as it will more commonly encounter opponents with strong frontal and side armor, which will often be functionally immune to the 23 mm guns. Despite this though, the ZSU-23-4M2 will be easily able to counter late prop and early jet aircraft with its sheer volume of fire. Even early helicopters won’t be safe, as they will generally have to get within range of the Shilka to use their more rudimentary weaponry.



Did you know? The name “Shilka” is derived from the Shilka river in southeast Russia.

Let’s take a look into its destructive and rapid-firing 23 mm cannons — as you’re probably aware, these cannons are continuously belt fed and have rather effective cooling. And as mentioned, instead of the traditional ammo capacity of 2,000 found on other Shilkas, the ZSU-23-4M2 has an increased ammo capacity of up to 4,000 rounds! In addition to the high rate of fire, this vehicle can also aim horizontally and vertically very quickly, making shooting and reacting to targets as easy as pie.



Despite the lackluster penetration power, you’re still going to be able to act as a support vehicle — in between keeping an eye on the sky, you’ll be able to assist your teammates on the ground with your incredible fire rate to tear off enemy tracks and barrels. Make sure to stick close to friendlies however, as you’re barely protected from light machine guns and will be an easy target at close range on your own.



That’s this blog done! All-in-all, the ZSU-23-4M2 should be a good alternative to the already familiar rank VI Shilkas in the game just at a lower rank. What do you think about this one? Let us know and in the meantime keep an eye on the news for more dev blogs covering new additions for the next major update!

Please note that this vehicle's characteristics may be adjusted before being added to the game.