War Thunder News

SMS Bayern was the lead ship of the last class of dreadnought battleships built for the Imperial German Navy during WWI. Armed with heavy main battery guns and shielded by strong armor, SMS Bayern will soon be making an appearance in War Thunder naval battles, docking in player ports with the arrival of the next major update!

Briefly: The most advanced German battleship from the WWI-era, sporting immense 380mm main caliber guns and strong protection to boot.

[h2]SMS Bayern, battleship, Germany, Rank V[/h2]

Features:

• One of the largest gun calibers in the game
  
• Comprehensive armor scheme
  
• Torpedoes
  
• Limited AA protection
  
• Cumbersome mobility
  

In War Thunder, SMS Bayern will be a new battleship joining the top rank of the German bluewater fleet following the release of the next major update. Sporting the heaviest primary battery of any warship currently present in the game, Bayern’s offensive capabilities are brilliantly complemented by a strong armor scheme, making it a formidable new opponent arriving soon to naval battles!



After its arrival to the game as part of the upcoming major update, the Bayern will set a new record for possessing the largest gun caliber in any combat vehicle in the game, challenged only by HMS Hood’s 381mm guns. Namely, sporting a primary battery of eight 380 mm guns, split between four twin turrets, Bayern is more than capable of breaching through the armor of other battleships at everything but extreme engagement distances. However, aside from the primary guns, Bayern also has a number of other weapons in its arsenal. For instance, the secondary battery of the warship consists of eight 150mm cannons situated in casemates above the main armored belt on each side of the ship’s hull. Furthermore, Bayern also has access to a total of five 600mm torpedo launchers, with two submerged launchers on each broadside and one on the bow, presenting an unexpected surprise for any foe that dares getting too close to this juggernaut. Lastly, Bayern is also fitted with two 88mm AA cannons, although their effectiveness may leave much to be desired, especially during close-range engagements with attacking aircraft.



Inheriting much of the general armor layout of the Kaiser - a warship already familiar to seasoned War Thunder captains - the Bayern improved upon it by thickening certain parts of the armor scheme protecting vital components. For instance, whilst the main armored belt and conning tower remained 350mm thick, the turret faces and barbettes were increased to 350mm in thickness as well. As a result, the overall protection of the vessel and its complement of 1,276 sailors increased. Moreover, the crew is now better protected by the increased to 250mm thickness of the upper armor belt. However, the heavy weaponry and strong armor naturally brings with it the drawback of high displacement and, as a result, low mobility. To compensate for the increased mass, a 25% more powerful power plant was installed, which made it possible to keep the speed in the formation up to 22 kts (40.7 km/h).



Bayern is already making its way to War Thunder naval battles and is expected to dock in player ports following the release of the next major update. In the meantime, keep your binoculars close at hand and continue scanning the horizon for news as we release more information about the upcoming update. Until then, calm seas and good hunting captains!

In this digest we would like to tell you about our continuing work on improvements and fixes in the game.

Please leave your feedback on these changes in the dedicated "It’s fixed! №52" thread

More specifically - the aircraft that is given out during aircraft events in ground AB. Previously the aircraft launch speed didn’t depend on the rank of the battle and it resulted in even very modern vehicles appearing at about 300 km/h. And immediately received a missile or burst of gunfire from the pursuers. Shouldn't be like this!

Now the speed of launch in the air will depend on the BR of the battle which should make air events more interesting and fair.






Another important improvement to the vehicles involved in air events as well as their weaponry. We have slightly revised the vehicles and weapons for air events and we even prepared a table sheet showing what you can take under your control in one or other BR. Take a look for yourself!






Suspended weapons on each aircraft are a compromise between flight characteristics and the ability to destroy as many opponents as possible! And to help you objectively evaluate these compromises we are introducing information on how weapons affect the various characteristics of an aircraft with standard presets..

Now this effect will also be displayed for the weapon presets you create in the suspended weaponry editor. Very useful data for any pilot.





Many of you have not just one or two friends in your friends list but an army of them. And it can be quite uncomfortable to find yourself at the very beginning of the list when updating the statuses of these friends. This was a bug and has been fixed. Now it will be easier to navigate the friends list.



For this digest we have prepared a large set of useful fixes and game improvements. Be sure to read the full list below - there are many interesting things.

Once again, many thanks for all your bug reports that you submitted using our special service.



[h2]Ground vehicles[/h2]

• Type 60 SPRG, Maus, E-100, BMP-3 — a bug has been fixed that disabled the machine gun while an auxiliary weapon is selected.
  
• Zachlam Tager — a bug with an underestimated firing range has been fixed.
  
• AMX-13-M24 — targeting angles have been adjusted from -10°…15° to -8°...15°(report).
  
• AMX-13-M24 — gun stabiliser has been added (report).
  

[h2]Aircraft[/h2]

• Sight point colour change option has been added for helicopter HUD
  
• J-7E — a bug has been fixed where elements of the wings or pylons remain behind when the wings are detached.
  
• F11F-1 — the number of rockets has been corrected in the pop-up info of the 52x FFAR rockets pod in the secondary weapons menu.
  
• J-8B — PL-5B missiles have been moved from the external wing pylons to the internal wing pylons. The total amount of available PL-5B missiles doesn’t change, allowing you to mount weapons to external pylons.
  

[h2]Naval[/h2]

• Twitching of the torpedo lead marker at long distances has been fixed in Arcade battles.
  

[h2]Other fixes[/h2]

• The initial speed of aircraft in tank Arcade battles now depends on the session BR and type of air battle:
  
  • 1.0-3.0 — 300 km/h;
    
  • 3.3-5.7 — 400 km/h;
    
  • 6.0-7.0 — 500 km/h;
    
  • 7.3-9.7 — 600 km/h;
    
  • 10.0+ — 700 km/h;
    
  • helicopters — 200 km/h.
    
• Aircraft and helicopter setup for tank Arcade battles has been updated (see table).
  
• A bug has been fixed where when scrolling the contact list any status change of contacts reverts to the start of the list.
  
• Timer icon has been returned for remote fuse HE rounds.
  
• A bug has been fixed where a reject message to the squadron application might be displayed outside the “Squadron journal” menu.
  
• A bug has been fixed where selecting the icon of a vehicle in the “Objective vehicles” menu might select other vehicles in the tech tree.
  

The current provided changelog reflects the major changes within the game as part of this Update. Some updates, additions and fixes may not be listed in the provided notes. War Thunder is constantly improving and specific fixes may be implemented without the client being updated.

The VBC (Pt 2) is a prototype of the modern Italian Freccia IFV, developed on the basis of the Centauro combat vehicle in the late 1990s. Based on the same chassis, yet offering completely different combat dynamics, the VBC (Pt 2) will soon reinforce the higher ranks of the Italian ground forces tree as it arrives to War Thunder as part of the next major update!

Briefly: The early design of an Italian IFV developed on the basis of the appraised Centauro combat vehicle.

[h2]VBC (Pt 2), light tank, Italy, Rank VI[/h2]

Features:

• Fast-firing 25mm cannon
  
• Potent sub-caliber rounds
  
• Superb mobility
  
• Light protection
  

In War Thunder, the VBC (Pt 2) will be a new light vehicle complementing the already excellent lineup of Italian wheeled combat vehicles, found at the higher ranks of this nation’s ground forces tree. Being based on the Centauro chassis, and fitted with a rapid-firing autocannon, this highly nimble predator is sure to mix things up for Italian tankers with its arrival as part of the next major update coming to the game. Sounds interesting, why don’t we take a closer look, shall we?

As already mentioned, the experimental VBC (Pt 2) is a prototype of the Freccia IFV and also a further development of the B1 Centauro - a vehicle already most familiar to seasoned tankers in War Thunder. Inheriting most of the Centauro’s chassis design makes the VBC (Pt 2) just as mobile as its close relative. In fact, thanks to its 550 hp engine, the VBC (Pt 2) can reach a top speed of 110 km/h on paved roads, thus being in line with the B1 Centauro. However, thanks to the slightly more powerful engine and despite its marginally higher mass, the VBC (Pt 2) has a higher power-to-weight ratio. As a result, the vehicle is able to reach its top speed faster and more easily traverse even less hospitable terrain types.



Unlike the Centauro it’s based on however, the VBC (Pt 2) is equipped with the turret fitted to the familiar Dardo IFV. As a result, the VBC (Pt 2) comes armed with a 25mm Oerlikon KBA cannon, capable of firing advanced sub-caliber munitions. Therefore, despite the cannon’s rather modest caliber, the VBC (Pt 2) can become a considerable threat to even more heavily armored opponents provided that its aspiring commanders are audacious enough to really close in on their prey. Despite being equipped with an updated Dardo turret however, the VBC (Pt 2) doesn’t get access to turret-mounted ATGM launchers as found on its tracked counterpart. While this does limit the vehicle’s effectiveness against armored targets at longer engagement distances, its fast-firing autocannon remains a formidable threat to other light vehicles as well as low-flying aircraft and helicopters.



Being based on the Centauro’s chassis also means that the VBC (Pt 2) inherited much of its relative’s protection. Tankers should avoid relying on the vehicle’s armor to shield them from enemy fire. Instead, it’s a much better tactic to be more proactive and make good use of the vehicle’s excellent mobility to stay out of the enemy’s sight and remain an elusive target on the battlefield for the enemy.



The VBC (Pt 2) is soon arriving to rank VI of the Italian ground forces tree as part of the next major update, coming soon to War Thunder. In the meantime, stay sharp and keep an eye out on the news as we continue unveiling what other exciting new vehicles and features await you in the upcoming update. Until then, good hunting tankers!

The G6 Rhino is a wheeled self-propelled gun, developed by South Africa during the 1970s in an effort to modernize the outdated inventory of their artillery regiments at the time. Soon, the G6 Rhino will charge head first into the heated ground battles of War Thunder as it arrives to the game as part of the next major update!

Briefly: A highly mobile South African self-propelled gun, featuring an impressive destructive potential thanks to its 155 mm howitzer.

[h2]G6 Rhino, self-propelled gun, Great Britain, Rank IV[/h2]

Features:

• Superb mobility
  
• Devastating 155 mm cannon
  
• Lightweight armor
  
• Limited horizontal firing angles
  

In War Thunder, the G6 Rhino will be a new SPG reinforcing rank IV of the British ground forces tree with the release of the next major update. The G6 Rhino will offer its prospective commanders a devastating destructive potential, only found with such high-caliber artillery pieces, while combining it with signature superb mobility that South African combat vehicles are known and feared for by tankers in the game.

The centerpiece of attention with the G6 Rhino is most certainly its potent 155 mm G6 canon. Featuring excellent ballistic properties, even for a howitzer, gives commanders the ability to quickly and easily engage hostile targets, even at longer distances. Furthermore, the heavy high-explosive rounds (regular and remote fuse) ensure a good effect on target even if tankers miss critical components which may have led to complete destruction of the enemy. However, commanders should also be aware of some of the gun’s limitations, such as a rather lengthy reload time as well as the limited horizontal traverse to just 40° to either side of the vehicle’s horizontal axis.



However, while the G6 Rhino can bring a quick, yet untimely demise to many of its foes on the battlefield, it’s worth noting that the Rhino itself is quite susceptible to enemy fire due to its light protection. In fact, the G6 is only adequately protected to, at most, withstand direct hits from AP rounds fired from low-caliber automatic cannons. As a result, taking the G6 into the thick of the action is a risky tactic. Therefore, tankers are better advised to keep their distance to enemy units and utilize the Rhino’s excellent gun to deliver a devastating strike from a safe distance.



Yet, despite being safer to engage from a longer distance, aspiring Rhino commanders don’t necessarily need to take part in the fighting from the second lines. Commanders may also utilize the vehicle's superb mobility - a signature feature of nearly all South African combat vehicles in the game - to position themselves on the flanks and surprise slower advancing enemy forces with precise and deadly high-caliber fire. This tactic doesn’t come without its own risks, but at least commanders might have the element of surprise on their side in this scenario compared to a full frontal brawl in densely packed urban environments.



The G6 Rhino will soon make an explosive appearance in War Thunder ground battles as it arrives to the British midranks with the release of the next major update. In the meantime, make sure to stay tuned to the news as we continue sharing with you some of the highlights awaiting players in the upcoming update. Until then, happy hunting tankers!

The Steam screenshot competition returns! It has been a while since the previous competition, but now we are back and ready to see your beautiful screenshots. The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE!

[h2]Let’s begin the 16th edition of our competition![/h2]

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen16. You have time until the 27.05.2022 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 300 GE.

[h2]Important addition: Screenshot theme - Beautiful Scenery![/h2]

[h3]Terms:[/h3]

• Beautiful sky, amazing forest, and hot desert! Add your favourite machine in a beautiful location and take a screenshot!
• Screenshots need to be compliant with the War Thunder rules, otherwise they will not be considered.
  
• 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 7 working days.
  

[h2]Winners from the 15th edition were announced back in February here![/h2]