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Pages of History (March): The Royal Ace



In this month’s Pages of History, you will find yourself in the midst of key historical events across different theaters of war. From the Soviet Union and Austria, Iraq and the Mediterranean — take part in battles using vehicles corresponding to these historic conflicts and earn rewards! 

[h3]
From March 1st until March 31st, you’ll have access to 8 tasks consecutively. Completing each task will grant you a trophy with a reward, completing all of the tasks will earn you a unique player icon!
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[h3]James Edgar Johnson[/h3]
James Edgar Johnson was a British Royal Air Force fighter ace who flew the Spitfire. Piloting of course required both hands, which was a challenge for James due to a previous sporting injury he sustained. He was offered a position as an instructor but declined, opting instead to undergo shoulder surgery, which caused him to miss the Battle of Britain. He would go on to more than make up for this however, completing 700 combat sorties and shooting down 34 German aircraft, making him the most successful ace on the Western Front against the Luftwaffe.

You can immediately purchase this profile icon for Golden Eagles until April 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.


[h2]March 1st — March 4th[/h2]
[h3]Rzhev-Vyazma Offensive[/h3]
In March 1943, the Rzhev salient was eliminated. For the Soviet Army, this was part of the Rzhev-Vyazma Strategic Offensive Operation, which pushed German forces back and reclaimed significant territory. Meanwhile, the Wehrmacht, seeking to shorten its defensive lines, conducted Operation Büffel, evacuating its forces from Rzhev and later redeploying them southward for the Battle of Kursk.

[h2]March 5th — March 8th[/h2]
[h3]Supermarine Spitfire first flight[/h3]
On March 5th 1936, the British Supermarine Spitfire fighter took to the skies for the first time. It was mass-produced from 1938 to 1948, with over 20,000 units built. After the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire became the primary fighter of the Royal Air Force and was also flown by pilots from the USA, Canada, Free France, and the USSR under the Lend-Lease program.

[h2]March 9th — March 12th[/h2]
[h3]Pskov Offensive[/h3]
In the spring of 1944, the Red Army launched multiple offensives to drive Axis forces out of Soviet territory. One of these aimed to liberate Pskov, a key regional city in western Russia. After six weeks however, Soviet troops only advanced 13 km, and Pskov would not be fully liberated until July.

[h2]March 13th — March 16th[/h2]
[h3]Saar-Palatinate Offensive[/h3]
On March 15th 1945, Allied forces launched an offensive between Agno and Saarbrücken, reaching the Rhine River near Karlsruhe after ten days. The Wehrmacht suffered heavy losses but managed to evacuate a large portion of its forces and equipment across the river.

[h2]March 16th — March 19th[/h2]
[h3]Vienna Offensive[/h3]
On March 16th 1945, Soviet troops launched an assault on Vienna with the support of Bulgarian forces. By April 4th, they had captured Bratislava, entered Vienna on April 8th, and fully expelled German troops by April 15th. Shortly after, Austria would declare its exit from the Third Reich.

[h2]March 20th — March 23rd[/h2]
[h3]Second Battle of Sirte[/h3]
On March 22nd 1942, a British convoy escorting transport ships to Malta encountered superior Italian forces in the Gulf of Sirte off the coast of Libya. Despite the British fleet only consisting of light cruisers and destroyers, they were able to protect the transports from the battleship Littorio and heavy cruisers Gorizia and Trento. The battle was long however, and caused the convoy to arrive after daylight, leading to all transport ships being sunk by Axis aircraft.

[h2]March 23rd — March 26th[/h2]
[h3]Battle of Najaf[/h3]
The city of Najaf in central Iraq became a major battleground during the 2003 Iraq War, where coalition forces faced fierce resistance. On March 24th, an American Apache helicopter was shot down over the city. Over the following days, ground troops surrounded Najaf, but full control was only secured by April 4th.

[h2]March 27th — March 31st[/h2]
[h3]Battle of Cape Matapan[/h3]
Between March 27th and March 29th 1941, the British Mediterranean Fleet delivered a crushing defeat to the Italian Navy near Cape Matapan, sinking three heavy cruisers. This battle outlined the importance of aircraft carriers, which Italy lacked and were never able to deploy during the war.

Pre-order: Marder CLOVIS



Today we’ll be taking a look at a new premium for Germany and France — the experimental Marder CLOVIS light tank featuring an oscillating turret!

[h2]Marder CLOVIS: A Premium Light Tank for Germany (pre-order pack) and France (Golden Eagles) at Rank V[/h2]
At a glance:
  • Drum-style automatic loader with 12 rounds!
  • Good mobility.
  • 105 mm HEAT shells.
  • Coaxial 20 mm cannon.
  • Poor armor protection.
Vehicle History
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In 1979, the Marder DF 105 prototype was built in Germany, featuring an oscillating FL-15 turret on the chassis of the German Marder IFV. To compensate for the increased weight of the turret, the vehicle was given a more powerful engine. The Marder DF 105 received the classification of “Combat Tank” and was considered for use as an IFV/APC combat support vehicle, tank destroyer and even SPG. This experimental vehicle did not go into production and was preserved as a single prototype. Further down the line, on the basis of the Marder DF 105, the Marder CLOVIS prototype was built featuring greater turret protection and a 20 mm autocannon paired with the main gun. This modification was also not accepted for serial production and never left the prototype stage.
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Pre-order - Marder Clovis Pack
Can be purchased through the store in-game. Shop > Online Store
49.99
  • Marder Clovis (Rank V, Germany)
  • Premium account for 15 days
  • 2000 Golden Eagles
  • Pre-order bonus: unique "Dial M for Marder" title
  • Pre-order bonus: M for Marder decal




[h2]Introducing the Marder CLOVIS![/h2]

Featuring an oscillating turret with a 105 mm gun and 20 mm autocannon along with good mobility, this new premium light tank is coming for both Germany and France! You’ll be able to pre-order the German one starting today to receive pre-order bonuses, and purchase the French one with the release of the next major update for Golden Eagles. Let’s take a closer look!



In general the Marder CLOVIS is similar to the DF105 in many ways, as they both feature a 105 mm gun with HEAT, HE and Smoke shells, plus two “drum” magazines in the oscillating turret with 6 shells in each. This provides automatic loading capability which in turn means a great reload speed, regardless of crew skills! There’s a rather awesome and extra addition to the Marder CLOVIS turret however, and that’s a coaxial 20 mm automatic cannon, great for taking out low-flying helicopters and lightly armored vehicles.

The Marder CLOVIS uses the same chassis as the DF105, which in turn means it has the same 720 HP engine and general mobility. Thanks to this, mobility on roads and across rough ground is going to be enough to get to some great positions on the map to take out and scout enemies for your teammates!



Primarily a support and scout vehicle, the Marder CLOVIS can also be used in close-range engagements thanks to its quick reload speed. Since the main round for this tank is the French 105 mm HEAT shell with 400 mm of penetration, this tank will have no problem penetrating steel homogeneous armor. Like all light tanks however, the Marder CLOVIS has poor armor protection, where the hull is unlikely to withstand autocannon fire, and anything that penetrates the turret will likely cause the drum magazine ammo to detonate. Stick with your teammates or move to advantageous positions with care, utilizing your speed advantage.



That’s it for today! The premium Marder CLOVIS will help you research any German or French tank up to rank VI. Thanks to this tank’s reload speed and mobility, you’ll have a fun time taking out enemies. Keep an eye out for more dev blogs coming your way!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.

Update 2.43.0.120



[h2]Other[/h2]
  • For win64 clients, the utility that collects data on game crashes and offers to send it to the developers has been replaced. Due to the dump generation, it now allows data collection on “silent” crashes that previously occurred without any messages at all. Now when sending reports, you must send the “metadata” file containing the CrashID from the “.game_logs\” folder in the root folder of the game.
Patch notes reflect only key changes, meaning they may not include a complete list of all improvements made. Additionally, War Thunder is constantly being updated and some changes may not require an update. Changes reflected in patch notes are formed by taking reactions and requests of the community from the bug reporting service, forums and other official platforms into account. Bug fixes and changes are implemented in order of importance, for example a game-breaking bug will be worked on and implemented sooner.

Unplanned Technical Maintenance



Hey everyone,

The game may not be available at the moment as we are experiencing some technical issues on our servers. We are endeavouring to fix these issues as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your understanding.

Harry Hopkins Mk.I: The Weird Fella



Today we’re taking a look at one of the more unconventional light tanks out there, the Harry Hopkins Mk.I, a new tank for Britain at Rank II! 

[h2]Harry Hopkins Mk.I: A Light Tank for Great Britain at Rank II[/h2]
At a glance:
  • Rapid fire 40 mm cannon!
  • Relatively good armor for a light tank.
  • Scouting ability.
  • Low reverse speed.
Vehicle History
[expand]
Harry Hopkins, or the Mk VIII Light Tank was designed in late 1941 in order to replace the Mk VII Tetrarch, with the primary goal of increasing the overall armor protection. This was achieved, however the tank was plagued with teething issues throughout its development and testing cycle, which resulted in long delays and a significant reduction in the number of tanks produced from the initial plan. 

The tanks were deemed relatively obsolete by the time they were ready for action, several suggestions were put forward, such as attaching wings to them and using them as tank gliders, or sending them to specialized light tank units. These plans were rejected however, and the Harrys were handed over to the RAF to act as relatively static defenses for airfields and bases. 
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[h2]Introducing the Harry Hopkins Mk.I![/h2]

Meet Harry! The final light tank design made by Vickers during World War II, coming in the next major update. Despite its relative obsolescence by the time it was finally ready for combat, it has a number of advantages, so let’s have a look!



The key feature that sets this one apart from previous light tanks is oddly the armor! It features 38 mm of protection on the turret and hull, with the latter having some decent sloping, enough to shug off hits from some of the weaker shells, which is more than most light tanks can boast! The turret ring however only offers 14 mm of protection, it is a small weak spot, but at close range will be a vulnerability.

Did you know? This tank is actually named after an American, Harry Hopkins, the chief diplomatic adviser to Roosevelt and a key figure in the Lend-Lease program which saw the U.S. give significant aid to Britain. The tank was named in honor of him and his contribution to the allied war effort. 



Mobility is lower than the previous light tanks due to the increased armor, it adds one ton of weight over the Tetrach which limits its top speed to 48 km/h. This isn’t especially high for a light tank, but the extra armor does offer more versatility for different playstyles as a compromise. The largest negative though is undoubtedly the reverse speed at only 4 km/h, which should be kept in mind when playing aggressively.



Firepower will be familiar, as it is entirely identical to the Tetrarch and Daimler, featuring the same fast-firing 40 mm cannon, a shoulder stabilizer, -15 degrees of gun depression, and a somewhat average traverse rate. Despite being an early gun, its top AP shell can get through a max of 89 mm of armor, and the APHE can be similarly destructive with its decent explosive mass. It also features a smoke discharger with a total of 10 single-shot grenades.



That’s all for today, say hello to Harry in the British tree in the next major update, and keep an eye on the news for more interesting vehicles to come!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.