War Thunder News

Meet the new Steel Baron naval event. In this one, you can get the British HMS Barham, themed decals and a profile icon of Vice-Admiral Arthur Craig Waller, who commanded this ship in the Battle of Jutland!

[h3]When: From September 5th (11:00 GMT) until September 23rd (11:00 GMT), earn mission points in Naval Battles, unlock stages and receive rewards![/h3]

[h2]HMS Barham — an event vehicle Battleship for Great Britain at Rank VI[/h2]

Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham, was a prominent British politician and admiral in the 18th and 19th century. Several ships were named in his honor, including the Queen Elizabeth-class battleship HMS Barham, which fought in both world wars. She was the squadron flagship at the Battle of Jutland in 1916, and at the beginning of World War II, she took part in the Dakar operation and the evacuation of the Allies from Crete.



[h3]HMS Barham bicolor deforming camouflage[/h3]


Also among the event prizes is a trophy, where you can obtain one of the following:

• 50,000 - 100,000 Silver Lions
  
• SL and RP Boosters
  
• Random wagers and orders
  
• Universal backups (1 - 3 of)
  
• Random camouflage for purchased vehicles of any type
  
• 1 day of premium account
  

[h2]How to get all rewards[/h2]
Each stage can be obtained for 45,000 mission points, where every new stage obtained will give you a new reward.

[h3]Please note: After finishing a stage, you need to collect the reward manually. To do this, click on your name in-game, go to “Steel Baron” and click the “Get Reward” button.[/h3]

You’re able to earn mission points in Naval Battles at Rank III or above in Arcade and Realistic Battles. The number of mission points to complete a stage depends on the game mode and the maximum Rank of the vehicle that you use in battle. There’s a multiplier for earning mission points, which is shown in the task description in-game.  

You can also earn mission points by using event vehicles that are Rank I and II. Event vehicles that can be used have the name of the event that they were obtainable in on their stat card.

[h3]Stages change every two days at 11:00 GMT on September 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 19th and 21st.[/h3]

[h2]Rewards are given when you complete a specific number of stages[/h2]

• For 1 Stage: trophy with a random reward
  
• For 2 Stages: one of the decal rewards
  
• For 3 Stages: trophy with a random reward
  
• For 4 Stages: one of the decal rewards
  
• For 5 Stages: trophy with a random reward
  
• For 6 Stages: “Arthur Craig Waller” profile icon
  
• For 7 Stages: trophy with a random reward
  
• For 8 Stages: non-tradable coupon for HMS Barham
  
• For 9 Stages: unique bicolor deforming camouflage and four random modifications for HMS Barham
  

Please note: You’ll only be able to receive the random modifications if you have HMS Barham activated on your account.

[h2]Discounts on purchasing stages using Golden Eagles[/h2]
Incomplete stages can be purchased for Golden Eagles, but if you’re significantly close to completing a stage, its price will now be significantly reduced.

Let’s say you have earned 85% of the required mission points to complete a stage, then the price of purchasing this stage will be halved. If you’re near the finish line for a stage and are at 95% progress, then the price will be reduced by five times. For example, if you’ve scored 39,000 mission points, then the price for unlocking this stage will be 499 Golden Eagles. If you’ve scored 43,000 mission points, then you’ll only need to pay 199 Golden Eagles. Remember to keep this in mind if you cannot complete a stage on time!


[h2]The Upgrade for a coupon [/h2]
When you complete 8 stages, you’ll receive a non-tradable coupon for HMS Barham where using it will immediately activate the vehicle onto your account. If you don’t want the vehicle and would like to sell the coupon on the Market, you’ll need the “Upgrade for coupon” item.

The “Upgrade for coupon” item can be earned in parallel with the stages throughout the event from September 5th (11:00 GMT) until September 23rd (11:00 GMT) for 750,000 mission points.

After receiving the “Upgrade for coupon” item, you can convert a non-tradable coupon for the vehicle into a tradable one and sell it on the Market. The tradable coupon can be sold after 6 days from the moment it’s created.

The "Coupon Upgrade" item is valid until 11:00 GMT on August 29th. Until then, you can use it for its intended purpose or exchange it for War Bonds, otherwise it will disappear from your inventory.

To make a tradable coupon, select the “Coupon HMS Barham (Great Britain)” in your inventory and click the “Modify” button.

The “Upgrade for coupon” item is valid until 11:00 GMT on September 26th. Until this time, you can use it or exchange it for War Bonds. Afterwards, it’ll disappear from your inventory.

You can track the progress of completing stages and receiving the “Upgrade for coupon” by clicking on your Nickname > Achievements > Steel Baron. If you don’t manage to complete a stage on time or would like to purchase a stage, until September 26th from the Achievements window, you can purchase each stage with Golden Eagles which will give you the corresponding rewards.

The Belarusian strategic offensive operation, named after the a general in war of 1812, Prince Pyotr Bagration, successfully ended on August 29th 1944. As part of it, the Wehrmacht suffered its greatest defeat in the entire military history of Germany. Its losses amounted to around 400,000 combat soldiers.

[h2]Get the “Mound of Glory” decal and “Tank Forces General’s Cap (USSR)” decoration![/h2]
Both of these are available for this anniversary.

When: From today until September 2nd (07:00 GMT).

Task: Play 3 battles using USSR vehicles at rank III or higher to receive the “Mound of Glory” decal.

Task: Win 5 battles using USSR ground vehicles at rank III or higher to receive the “Tank Forces General’s Cap (USSR)” decoration!

Additional details:

• Your activity must not be below 70%.
  
• You can complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions, and [Assault] mode.
  
• Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → Completion of Operation Bagration.
  
• You can find the decal in the “Holidays” tab and the decoration in the “Helmets" tab in the Customization menu.
  

[h2]Bundle discount in the store![/h2]
The Vindictive bundle is available at a 50% discount featuring four Soviet vehicles and a unique title.

When: Available from today until September 2nd (07:00 GMT).

[h3]“Vindictive” Bundle -50%[/h3]

• T-34-85E, 1945 Pack
  
• IS-2 Revenge for the Hero brother Pack
  
• Peshka Pack
  
• IL-2 Avenger Starter Pack
  
• Unique title: “Victory Marshal”
  

Note! You can also get the unique title if you log in to the game from the 29th of August until the 2nd of September and gain three victories, and at the same time you have previously purchased all vehicles which are included in the list above.  

Bonuses will be assigned after the 3rd of September to all users who have fulfilled these conditions.

Note! The offer is available to PC users only.

[h2]Aircraft[/h2]

• AV-8B Plus (Italy) — incorrect ammunition count shown on the HUD has been fixed. (Report).
  

[h2]Interface[/h2]

• A bug that caused the Standard camouflage to be selected even though the Auto selection could have selected a more appropriate camouflage for the current location has been fixed. (Report).
  

[h2]Other[/h2]

• The incorrect zoom effect for ultra-wide monitors such as 32:9 has been fixed. (Report).
  

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.

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. 

[h3]

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.

[/h3]


[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
[expand]
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.
[/expand]

[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.