War Thunder News

[p][/p][p][/p][p]The American destroyer Helm was one of the first vessels to take action and fight back at Pearl Harbor. It’s coming as a new premium for the US Bluewater fleet in the next major update![/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h3]Vehicle History[/h3][p]The destroyer USS Helm (DD-388) was built at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and commissioned in October 1937. By the start of World War II, she already had solid experience, having performed exercises and maneuvers in both the Atlantic and Pacific. On the morning of Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941, Helm was the only ship underway at the time of the attack. While leaving the burning harbor, Helm detected and attacked a Japanese midget submarine, marking one of the first U.S. combat engagements of the war. In 1942, she participated in the evacuation of civilian personnel from the Howland and Baker Islands before being dispatched to the southwestern Pacific. In August, she took part in the landing on Guadalcanal and the Battle of Savo Island, where she assisted heavily damaged American cruisers and evacuated survivors.[/p][p][/p][p]Throughout 1943 and 1944, Helm performed a wide range of duties ,escorting convoys off the coasts of Australia and New Guinea, providing naval gunfire support for landings on New Britain and New Guinea, and anti-submarine screening for carrier groups. Her combat service culminated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the monumental Battle of Leyte Gulf, where she contributed to carrier screening and the sinking of the Japanese submarine I-46.[/p][p][/p][p]In 1945, she continued to perform carrier screening, and supported the capture of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. She was decommissioned in 1946 and used as a target ship during the atomic tests at Bikini Atoll, before being sold for scrap in 1947.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Introducing USS Helm![/h3][p]Joining the lower ranks in the next major update, this new premium is an excellent way to start your journey through the American Bluewater fleet. She is an absolutely quintessential destroyer, fast, reactive, versatile, and on top of that, she comes with premium bonuses too! Let’s dive deeper into USS Helm.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]USS Helm is a member of the Bagley class, the lead ship of which is already available at rank II of the US Bluewater fleet. Helm will be arriving to the game in her 1944 configuration, from the period of the most intense combat in the Pacific Theater, featuring more diverse armament. Helm’s main battery consists of four 127 mm dual-purpose guns; the forward pair in enclosed single mounts, while the aft pair are in open mounts. These classic cannons have an excellent rate of fire, equipped with SAP and HE shells with contact fuzes, and proximity HE shells as well for aircraft. Speaking of anti-aircraft capabilities, Helm’s arsenal has been drastically improved! The lackluster machine guns have been replaced with automatic cannons: a twin 40 mm Bofors mount and six 20 mm Oerlikons. The torpedo armament is also particularly formidable, consisting of a pair of quadruple launchers on each side for a total of 16 compact Mk.15 torpedoes.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]She’s quick and nimble when she needs to be, reaching a speed of 71 km/h (over 38 knots) in a short time. Her versatile armament will let her combat any enemy at the rank effectively, and as a premium she’ll arrive completely kitted out and ready for action! If you choose her you’ll not choose wrong, Helm is definitely a very approachable ship. So if you’re interested in giving the tree a try, she’s the perfect partner to start your journey into depths of heavier ships in the higher ranks.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]That’s all from us today! Make sure to pick up Helm in the next major update for Golden Eagles (be quick, she’s impatient!), and stay tuned for more dev blogs. See you soon![/p][p]Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus (Happy St. David’s Day)![/h2][h3][/h3][p]March 1st is St. David’s Day in Wales! On this day, people go on parades, enjoy music festivities and wear the daffodil and leek. What better way to celebrate than to place this flag on the new British Ajax, which is built in Wales![/p][p][/p][h2]The Welsh flag decal is temporarily available to purchase for 500 Golden Eagles![/h2][p][/p][p]When: From February 26th (11:00 GMT) until March 2nd (11:00 GMT).[/p][p]Where: You can find this decal by going to Nickname → Decals → Common → World Flags.[/p][p][/p][p]“Wales” flag decal[/p]

[p][/p][p]In the next major update, we’ll introduce two visually redesigned maps for Ground Battles: Ardennes and the long-awaited White Rock Fortress![/p][p][/p][h2]White Rock Fortress[/h2][p] [/p][p]White Rock Fortress is one of the oldest Ground Battle maps, and it’s returning to the rotation in the next major update! We’ve recreated this legendary location from scratch, made some gameplay-enhancing changes to it, all while preserving the familiar navigation for those who played on it years ago. The fortress itself has also been rebuilt, this time from light stone to emphasize the map name. Be ready to meet at its white walls with the first rays of sun![/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h2]Ardennes[/h2][carousel][/carousel][p][/p][p]The spacious autumnal Ardennes location has also been completely redesigned. Abandoned fire positions, collapsed houses, puddles and mud, and of course trees covered in autumn gold, all now rendered in modern graphics standards with a wealth of fine detail. All general navigation remains unchanged, with all approaches, bypasses, and terrain remaining the same. There’s some new features, including abandoned equipment, bulldozers and tractors, which can now be used as temporary, mobile shelters when pushed forward.[/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Today we’re checking out China’s premium ZTZ96B MBT, which serves as the transitional link between the ZTZ96 and modern ZTZ99 families.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p][p][/p][h3]Vehicle History[/h3][p]Facing the need of operating tanks in high-altitude environments and growing requirements, the Chinese military determined that the existing variants of ZTZ96 are becoming less effective on the modern and ever evolving battlefield. On top of that, several issues surfaced during the Tank Biathlon in 2014. An attempt to improve the mobility performance of ZTZ96A failed, as a result, China started to conceive a more comprehensively upgraded variant of ZTZ96, called ZTZ96B.[/p][p][/p][p]Drawing from past experience, ZTZ96B was heavily redesigned, firepower was increased to the level of the ZTZ99A by installing a modernized 125 mm tank gun, enabling the use of modern ammunition. [/p][p][/p][p]Despite the short development cycle, due to the change of requirements as well as military doctrines, ZTZ96B was not put into mass production. Only a few dozen entered service, and were mainly used to participate in Tank Biathlon.[/p][p][/p][p]In the late 2010s, the Iraqi army expressed interest in the tank. Based on the ZTZ96B, NORINCO developed an export version, the VT-2B, which featured a remote-controlled weapon station in place of the anti-aircraft machine gun. However, despite passing tests, Iraq ultimately declined to purchase this vehicle.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Introducing the ZTZ96B![/h3][p]The upcoming War Thunder major update brings a very unique tank to rank VII of the Chinese ground forces tree, combining all the key advantages of the 96 and 99 series MBTs! Today we present the ZTZ96B, an effective and well-balanced MBT capable of handling any task in battle. Pre-orders for this vehicle have gone live today, where you can get yourself some neat pre-order bonuses. Let’s check it out![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Let’s firstly compare this vehicle! Ultimately, the ZTZ96B is a modernization of the ZTZ96A main battle tank, featuring a new turret which still houses a large carousel-type autoloader. It does however feature a modernized gun. The ammunition complement now includes new types of ammunition, the highly effective DTC10-125 APFSDS round with over half a meter of penetration, and a tandem ATGM![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The ZTZ96B comes in with FY-4 explosive reactive armor blocks. The ZTZ96B’s main advantage over its predecessor however is its improved mobility. It features a new engine and transmission that not only improve the tank’s overall mobility, but also addresses the issue of its slow reverse speed![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]That’s it for this one! The ZTZ96B is an excellent, versatile MBT with great combat performance. Pre-order before the update’s release and you’ll receive the tank itself, a unique decal and title, days of Premium, and a supply of Golden Eagles![/p][p]Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][h3]Aircraft[/h3]

• [p]Mirage 2000 (all variants) — a bug that caused the MAWS chaff counter to decrease twice for every used chaff has been fixed.[/p]

[p] [/p][h3]Ground Vehicles[/h3]

• [p]ELC 901 — the artillery strike capability has been added. (Report).[/p]

[p] [/p][h3]Locations and Missions[/h3]

• [p]\[Ground Strike] Rocky Pillars — a bug that caused the inability to spawn in the mission on sessions with Battle Ratings of 2.3-3.3 has been fixed.[/p]

[p][/p][hr][/hr][p]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.[/p]