War Thunder News

Albatros is the lead ship from a class of 10 corvettes built for the Italian and other navies in the early days of the Cold War. Being the first domestically produced Italian warship of the post-war period, the Albatros will soon reinforce the top rank of the Italian coastal fleet tree, arriving in War Thunder as part of the next major update!

Albatros, gunboat, Italy, rank V
Features:

• Fast-firing 76mm cannons
  
• Compact size
  
• Up-to-date fire control system
  
• Radar
  
• Light protection
  

In War Thunder, the Albatros sub-chaser will become a new top vessel awaiting seasoned captains at rank V of the Italian coastal fleet tree in the next major update. Thanks to its powerful and highly versatile weapons, the Albatros sub-chaser can be employed in several different roles in War Thunder naval battles and as such, makes for a worthy vessel for captains to take command of after climbing to the top rank!

Having mentioned the Albatros’ weapons arsenal, it consists of several weapon systems of which the most prominent one is the ship’s primary weapon, namely the two 76mm SMP 3 automatic cannons. Possessing a high fire rate of roughly 60 rounds/min, the cannons can quickly engage and inflict serious damage to both lightly protected surface targets as well as airborne threats thanks to the availability of proximity fuze rounds. Furthermore, the Albatros’ arsenal also includes a pair of 40mm Bofors cannons, paired together in a twin mounting on the aft end of the vessel’s superstructure. Rounding off the ship’s weapons arsenal is a pair of forward-facing hedgehog launchers as well as two pairs of pneumatic depth charge launchers on the ship’s stern, which can help resolve an intense close-quarter engagement.



Albatros is powered by two 2,000 horsepower diesel engines and is therefore able to attain a top speed of roughly 20 kts (39 km/h). While this may not always match up to comparable vessels of other nations, it does enable the ship to confidently keep up with its allies and provide valuable second-line fire support. Furthermore, being a comparably small vessel allows the Albatros to easily enter more confined battlegrounds and bring its deadly firepower to bear on lighter surface targets.

However, being a relatively compact vessel means that little space is left to include any substantial protection for the vessel’s systems and 117 crew members. As a result, the ship’s hull and 76mm turrets feature only thin anti-fragmentation armour. Therefore, aspiring captains of the Albatros sub-chaser are well-advised to avoid prolonged gun engagements with enemies, particularly those that are also equipped with automatic high-calibre weapons or larger vessels such as destroyers or cruisers.



The Albatros sub-chaser will await all captains at the top rank of the Italian coastal fleet tree in the next major update coming soon. In the meantime, keep scanning the horizon for more news as we continue posting about all the interesting new additions and features awaiting players in the upcoming update. Until then, happy hunting and calm seas captains!

You can greatly speed up the research on this vehicle with Sparviero

Get ready for a series of War Thunder special events and tournaments to get unique prizes and tons of Golden Eagles! Discounts at the Gaijin Store are also available!

[h3]From February 22nd (13:00 GMT) until February 25th (13:00 GMT), complete in-game tasks and get unique decorations and decals for your combat vehicles![/h3]



“Shields” trophy, containing decals and decorations, is available for Golden Eagles in the item store.

Every “Shields” trophy can bring you a decoration that you don’t own yet. The following decorations may be found in the trophy: Shields, Round Shield, Round Shield (Lion), Gallic Shield

Track your progress by clicking your Nickname → Achievements → Defender Special.

[h2]“Defender” Tournament Series[/h2]
Join the “Defender” series tournaments with a total prize pool of 200,000 Golden Eagles and any Starter Pack of the winner’s choice! Select one of 13 available tournaments, or challenge yourself in a few, to get special decal “Protector of Sparta”, titles, Golden Eagles, and more!

Check tournaments site


The following vehicles, previously withdrawn from sale in the store, can now be purchased using Golden Eagles in-game on all platforms.

• Shielded KV-1E tank (Rank 3, USSR) - available till February 28th 11:00 GMT;
  
• IL-2M Nelson Stepanan's "Avenger" (Rank 3, USSR); - available till February 28th 11:00 GMT;
  

The Turm III is a German experimental tank, developed during the mid 1960s on the basis of the Leopard 1 main battle tank. Soon, the unique Turm III will make its way into War Thunder top ranked ground battles, arriving in the game as part of the next major update!
[h3]Briefly: An experimental design based on the Leopard 1 chassis featuring a three-plane stabilized turret, providing excellent accuracy.[/h3]

Features:

• Good mobility
  
• Fast-firing 105 mm cannon
  
• Secondary 30 mm cannon
  

[expand]During the 1960s, West Germany and the USA worked on the joint MBT-70 program which ultimately wouldn’t deliver the desired results. During its development however, German engineers also worked on other projects in parallel in order to test alternative design layouts and unorthodox technical solutions. One such project included the development of a three-plane stabilized turret, intended to greatly improve the fire accuracy of future vehicles on which it would end up being mounted.

The project dubbed ‘Erprobungsträger mit 3-achs-stabilisiertem Turm’ (eng: ‘experimental platform with a three-axis stabilized turret’) had the Rheinmetall company develop the novel turret which was then fitted onto a modified Leopard 1 chassis, in order to speed up construction time. The prototype was subsequently built in 1966 and extensively tested by the Bundeswehr. The test program concluded that the design was technically viable and also effective. At the same time however, it was considered too complex and costly to produce and further drawbacks to the vehicle were noted such as a cramped and inconvenient internal layout, limited armor protection and a large vehicle profile.

As a result of these findings, further development of the design was canceled and the project officially terminated. The sole prototype of the design was subsequently sent to the Bundeswehr’s technical museum in Koblenz, where it sits on display to the present day.[/expand]



In War Thunder, the Turm III will be a new premium vehicle awaiting tankers at rank V of the German ground forces tree in the next major update. Based on the all too familiar chassis of the Leopard 1 tank, this German panzer features an unique stabilized turret and an automatic loading system for its main gun, giving the vehicle excellent firepower and accuracy to boot!

The three-plane stabilized turret of the Turm III will give aspiring commanders of this machine the ability to accurately fire on the move. Coupled with the tank’s 105 mm L7A2 cannon - familiar to most seasoned War Thunder tankers - as well as an autoloading mechanism makes the Turm III a very dangerous predator on the battlefield. Furthermore, the Turm III features a coaxial 30 mm cannon next to the main gun, great for taking down low-flying aircraft or destroying lightly armored targets!



However, because of the Turm III’s poor hull protection without any advanced armor packages, it remains relatively susceptible to enemy fire, with automatic cannons posing the second largest threat next to high-caliber MBT cannons. Furthermore, the vehicle’s rather sizable turret gives the Turm III a large profile, making it harder for the vehicle’s commander to evade detection and subsequently, enemy fire.

Offsetting these considerable drawbacks somewhat, is the vehicle’s good mobility however. Fitted with a powerful 856 horsepower diesel engine, the Turm III can reach a top speed of 65 km/h on paved roads. As a result, the Turm III can combine its superb gun handling and fast reloads with good mobility, resulting in an excellent choice for tankers keen on wreaking havoc to the enemies’ flank. Lastly, the Turm III will also allow tankers to speed up their progression toward even more advanced German ground vehicles, thanks to its premium status.



The Turm III can be pre-ordered now in a special bundle in our online store, with the vehicle becoming available to its prospective owners following the release of the next major update. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to the news as we continue showcasing what more exciting new additions await players in the upcoming update. Until then, good hunting tankers!

You have proved that love counts! More than 130 lovely screenshots with your favourite vehicles warmed our hearts! The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300GE! We will meet again next week!
[h2]Before we announce 15th edition winners, let’s begin the 14th edition of our competition![/h2]
Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub (link for instructions) with the tag #WTscreen15. You have time until 28.02.2022 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 300GE.

[h2]Important addition: Screenshot theme - Colourful World![/h2]

[h3]Terms:[/h3]

• Blue sky, green grass, yellow desert, vermillion sea, colourful sunset or fields full of beautiful flowers? Add your favourite machine nearby and take a screenshot!
• 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 7 working days.
  

[h2]And now, time for the winners of the competition’s 14th edition - Beloved one![/h2]
[h3]Winners selected via community votes:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2759618243
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2754028812
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2753858830
[h3]Winners selected by our judges:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2753909924
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2754042181
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2757441227
Each winner will get 300GE! Congratulations and see you next week!

• A bug has been fixed where hit markers on vehicle armour did not correspond to actual armour penetration and damage caused.
  
• A bug has been fixed where a switch box on the ERA block was not detached when the block was destroyed.
  
• A bug has been fixed where the TVD might remain enabled in server replays for third-person view.
  
• A bug has been fixed that prevented artillery strikes and vehicle control during a nuclear blast.
  

• Distant sounds of aircraft engines have been changed to more distinctive and less annoying.
  
• Sound management system of the engines of ground vehicles has been reworked in order to calculate the priority of engines and tracks sounds based on their actual volume. Previously, the calculation dealt only with distance to the listener.
  
• Sound volume of the allied/enemy tank engines is now aligned along the rpm range, i.e. idle and maximum rpm are now close in volume. Previously, idle rpm was several times quieter, making hiding tanks behind obstacles silent.
  
• Sound volume of all ground vehicle engines has been equalized by the distance key points for the whole hearable range of 0-300 meters.
  
• Sound volume in the gaming environment has been reduced to improve the subjective positioning of the engines and tracks. I.e. tank 20m to the left sounds directly from the left, in the left ear
  
• The audibility range on player controlled SAMs has been increased to 4 km, but their volume and frequency balance have been changed so that they don’t deafen across the map. Thanks to this, sounds should become more audible to pilots.
  
• The management system of the sounds of ground and air cannons has been redesigned. Now the priority will be calculated based on the actual volume of the cannon (previously only the distance to the listener was taken into account).
  
• Hit sounds from 20mm-35mm rapid-fire cannons no longer stutter and disappear. The sounds, as well as the management system have been reworked.
  
• Artillery strike sound system has been reworked. Now these sounds don’t stutter or disappear in case of a massive area strike from many players.
  
• The volume of sound events such as explosions and shooting now decrease more noticeably with distance. This makes the sound events closest to the player, like enemy engines, explosions and shooting, more noticeable.
  
• The sounds of destruction of vehicles and trees have been made less loud and more noticeably diminished over distance.
  

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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.