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!
Briefly: An experimental design based on the Leopard 1 chassis featuring a three-plane stabilized turret, providing excellent accuracy.
Turm III, main battle tank, Germany, premium, rank V
Features:
- Good mobility
- Fast-firing 105 mm cannon
- Secondary 30 mm cannon
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.
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!
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