Let’s take a look at one of the lesser known types of Bf 109, the model C! This variant saw one of the lowest production runs of any Bf 109 model, with only around 50 examples of the C variant being produced.


Features:

• Four 7.92 mm machine guns.
  
• Fuel injection Jumo 210G engine.
  
• Decent agility.
  
• No suspended weaponry.

Vehicle History
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While taking on experience from combat in the Spanish Civil War, one evident drawback of the Bf 109B was its armament. With a pair of twin 7.92 machine guns being its only offensive weaponry, this was quickly deemed outdated, and efforts to improve its weaponry began.

Designers quickly came across several hurdles in this process, experiments were trialled equipping these early 109s with a nose mounted cannon or machine gun to no success, with the only remaining space being the wings. Though even equipping the wings with additional weaponry proved difficult. Accommodating for the comparatively low wing area in addition to the spars and wheel wells, only space for one gun in either wing was possible. But with some adjustments and ingenuity, the designers managed to cram in two machine guns into each wing, effectively doubling the firepower of the Bf 109 at the time.
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This new C model of the 109 most closely resembles the current B model we have in game with some notable improvements. The C features a new engine, the Jumo 210G, which offers a fuel injection system, plus two more machine guns. It’s coming in the Alpha Strike major update — let’s take a further look!

The most apparent change though will be the two extra guns in the wings which add a much greater spread of fire, allowing your bursts to do much more damage. The two wing machine guns have slightly less ammo than the nose mounted guns at 420 RPG instead of 500 RPG. If you see the wing guns start to run dry, it’s time to head back and rearm!




Interesting: While specific 109 variants lacked official names, they were sometimes referred to by their model letter in relation with the German phonetic alphabet, C for Cäsar (Caesar), D for Dora and E for Emil.

While it does lack wing cannons found on the later E models, these machine guns are no slouch, featuring a high rate of fire and a good mix of armor piercing and incendiary ammo. As aircraft around this era are comparatively much more fragile, they’re much easier to dispatch with just machine guns alone, and generally hold a much longer firing time than contemporary cannons, which often only have a small amount of ammo.

The C model is an all around improvement on the previous 109B, adding greater combat reliability across the board. It’s a powerful and fast fighter, allowing you to comfortably maintain a great amount of speed against your somewhat slower opposition. This speed is very important however — you may be very fast, but your opponents are often very agile, and can easily chew you up if you’re caught out on low speed. If you feel your energy start to waver, it may be time to disengage from the fight to build up more speed before heading back into the fray.

In your matches by Tom, Lead Community Manager: “The Bf 109C is a strong fighter for its rank, but as aircraft around this era are often very agile it’s even more important to maintain a good amount of speed and altitude. If you get too close to one of these enemies while at low speed you’ll struggle to shake them off. Focus on climbing well and maintaining your speed and altitude — don’t engage too early, it can be tempting to dive on the first attacker you see but you forfeit your advantages by doing this. Stay high and focus on Boom and Zoom attacks, once the higher altitude fighters have been dispatched or pushed down, then you can safely drop altitude and mop up what's left.”

That just about wraps up our blog for today! The Bf 109 C-1 will make for a powerful interim model between the B and E variants, we hope you like trying out this rarer Bf 109 model in the skies of the next major update, Alpha Strike. Until then, keep an eye on the news to read all about interesting vehicles like this one!

On March 6th, 1913, Alexander Pokryshkin was born and was one of the most successful aces of the USSR. Pokryshkin worked as an aircraft technician for several years, dreaming of becoming a pilot, and secretly completed a one-year civil pilot program in 17 days. He participated in battles throughout World War II, shooting down more than 50 enemy aircraft. He was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title three times.

In honor of this Soviet Ace, you can get his aircraft for 1,300 Golden Eagles.

When: From March 6th (13:00 GMT) until March 9th (07:00).
Where: USSR > Aviation > Premium vehicles.

• Pokryshkin’s P-39N-0 differs from the regular Airacobra version, with the absence of machine guns on the wings, which means its flight characteristics are slightly better. The 37 mm M4 cannon can destroy enemy fighters with one hit, and if its ammunition runs out, 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns can be used.

The Finnish Air Force is one of the oldest in the world, turning 106. It was formed on March 6th 1918, shortly after Finland declared its independence. Finland’s air force took part in the Finnish Civil War, and the Soviet-Finnish War during World War II. Today, the Finnish Air Force operates more than 150 aircraft, some of which include the American F/A-18 C and D, and the British Hawk Mk.51.

By completing the task below you’ll be able to get yourself this decal.



“Emblem of the Satakunta Air Command” decal

In the Alpha Strike major update, we’ll be introducing the North Holland location for ground battles. Let’s take a closer look!

We’ve taken Eastern Europe, one of War Thunder’s most popular ground forces maps according to the number of likes, and created North Holland based on it, set in the Zaandam region.

In this location are similar spawn points and routes to capture points, plus a canal that cuts through the city, which can be driven-through as the water is not too deep. You’ll be familiar with the general gameplay, timings and layout of this map, but the differences are that it has been transformed 50 years into the future, giving it a modernized touch. Additionally, the largest mission on this map is still not as large as European Province, but overall will still be more spacious for higher ranks.





Driving through the city, you’ll be greeted with modern looking buildings and cars. Near the middle is a large mall that you’ll be able to drive through with your vehicles, knocking down broken walls, allowing you to have some interesting encounters with the enemy!




Near one area are red street lamps that illuminate the surrounding buildings, creating an atmospheric scene. All-in-all, this new location features streets and open fields, overall making it great for short, medium and long-range combat engagements.



North Holland is going to be part of the map rotation when the Alpha Strike major update releases. Be on the look out and give it a try!

• Information about the lack of tracers in an aircraft belt has been added to the tooltip in the modification window.
  
• A message about the need to select a weapon to be able to change its belts has also been added to the tooltip.

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.

In our game, we strive to reproduce all of the features of weapons and military vehicles that gives players a new and interesting experience. The more modern technology that comes under a player’s control, the more systems require mastering to effectively use this technology. Guided missiles, radar and other sensors require some knowledge that is not always available through the game. In order to solve this problem, we’ve decided to add the ability to see the operation of sensors and missile weapons using a new sensor vision system.

This system visualizes the operation of the radar, other sensors and various weapons and presents it to the player in a clear and understandable form. At the first stage of integrating this system into the game, it’ll be available to players in client and server replays. A new button will be added to the top of the replay control menu called “Sensor view”.


To change the render type in replay, click on “Sensor view”

In this mode, the visualization of the world changes — vehicles, the terrain, water and all other objects in order to conveniently monitor the progress of the battle; a display of the operation of the aircraft radar and weapon seeker is added. Special markers also appear containing new information — for vehicles this is the radial speed relative to the player’s vehicle, and for weapons the current flight parameters including the speed, lifetime, distance traveled, a current available overload, and angle of attack. You’re able to customize the display of information using a set of filters, leaving data that’s most interesting to you at a given time.







This feature will be available for client and server replays, however we’d like to note that in order to optimize the size and traffic consumed, the client replay does not save all information about the progress of the battle. The parameters of objects that are far away or not visible to the player may be recorded with less accuracy or be absent altogether. For example, a client replay contains information about the operation of the radar of only the client itself, as well as radars of those vehicles that track the player’s aircraft. The server replay however will store more complete information.

We’re hoping that this innovation will help you better understand what is happening in battle and improve your skills and abilities, and will also help us find various errors in the operation of missiles and sensors and quickly correct them.

In the future, we’re planning to expand this functionality and use it to create a new missile “kill camera”, which would allow the player to observe a fatal hit by an enemy missile from the moment of its launch to impact directly in battle.

Meet the Zerstörer 45! This is an experimental German SPAA armed with 30 mm autocannons, capable of inflicting deadly strikes into enemy vehicles, and is coming in the next major update. 


Features:

• Quadruple 30 mm turret!
  
• Excellent ballistic properties.
  
• Open fighting compartment. 

Vehicle History
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In parallel to the development of the Flakpanzer IV ‘Wirbelwind’, equipped with a quadruple 20 mm turret, the Ostbau Werke company also produced a second variant in November 1944. This version was then outfitted with the same quadruple mount but armed with modified 30 mm MK 103 cannons instead. Initially, firing tests of the turret were conducted on a Flakpanzer IV ‘Möbelwagen’ chassis. In December however, two dedicated prototypes were constructed using the chassis of the existing Panzer IV Ausf. H medium tanks.

Despite the work done however, the Zerstörer 45 never made it past the prototype stage as the factories of the Ostbau Werke got destroyed in the final months of the war and thus a full-scale production became impossible.
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The Zerstörer 45, is in fact in many aspects quite similar to its close relative — the Wirbelwind — but is distinctly different from it in terms of firepower and layout. Keen to find out more about what this vehicle entails when it arrives in the Alpha Strike major update? Let’s take a look at all of the details! 
 
You may already be familiar with the no less infamous Wirbelwind, which is an outstanding SPAA that the Zerstörer 45 is quite close to. There are some differences though, as instead this vehicle is not equipped with 20 mm cannons, but rather 30 mm cannons. These new cannons, which are modified Mauser MK 103 guns, possess practically the same ballistic properties as their aerial counterparts. As a result, the Zerstörer 45 can not only down enemy aircraft with greater ease than the Wirbelwind, but can also pose a significant threat to ground targets as well!




Thanks to the availability of subcaliber rounds, you’ll also be able to effectively engage even more heavily armored targets without necessarily needing to outflank opponents and hitting them in the sides or rear. This substantially increases the Zerstörer 45’s versatility in battle and allows it to support allies in more ways when hostile aircraft are currently not present above the battlefield.

You may have noticed some changes in the layout of the fighting compartment of the Zerstörer 45 compared to something like the Wirbelwind. Unlike a regular turret, the quadruple guns were covered by side skirts that provided anti-fragmentation protection at best. In the combat position, these skirts would open to allow for the guns to traverse horizontally. This is the position that we’ve decided to model the Zerstörer 45 in War Thunder, which provides better aiming angles, but also means the crew inside are extremely vulnerable to all types of fire. Bear this in mind!

In your matches by Egor, Ground Forces Game Designer: “If spawning this as the first vehicle, take cover behind rocks to remain hidden, keep close to your teammates to provide support. Only fire at enemy tanks if you know you can kill them fast, if you can’t, support your allies by covering and shooting at enemy tracks, barrels and anything to block the enemy’s view. When playing its intended role of an AA, make sure to prioritize and pick your targets, especially aircraft with larger bomb loads that can pose a bigger threat to your team. Fire in short bursts and stay near capture points, as they typically attract enemy aircraft.”

With that, we’ve reached the end of today’s blog. Coming in the next major update, the Zerstörer 45 is going to provide the German SPAA line with another excellent windbreaker — make sure you give it a try once it arrives. Until that happens though, keep an eye on our website for other dev blogs, and happy hunting!

Meet the IJN Mutsu, which was the second of two Nagato-class battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the aftermath of WWI. Being the first battleships to equip 16’’ main guns, Mutsu is sure to redefine battleship standards in War Thunder naval battles!


Features:

• Enormous 410 mm main battery.
  
• Decent armor protection.
  
• Light AA protection.
  
• Decent mobility.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
As part of the naval rearmament program leading up to and during WWI, the Japanese navy was constructing a number of new battleships and battlecruisers, incorporating the latest technologies. IJN Mutsu was one of these ships, being ordered into construction in June 1918 and seeing completion in 1921. Along with her sistership, IJN Nagato, they were the first warships in the world to be fitted with 16’’ cannons, which greatly increased their firepower and range. Being subject to several upgrades and modernizations in the interwar period, Mutsu entered WWII as one of the most powerful battleships in the world. However, this warship only saw limited combat action and was tragically lost in 1943 while at port due to a catastrophic magazine detonation which destroyed the ship and caused many losses.
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In War Thunder, Mutsu will be the new top battleship that will be awaiting you in the next major update, Alpha Strike! Being among the last and most advanced battleships constructed for the IJN before the outbreak of WWII, Mutsu brings with it notable upgrades over preceding designs, the most important of which we’ll cover in today’s devblog. Ready to dive straight in?
 
While appearing quite similar to older Japanese battleship designs on the surface, Mutsu actually represents a major step forward. Much of that can be traced back to the ship being fitted with an incredibly powerful primary battery consisting of eight 16’’ (410 mm) cannons. You’ll not only be able to engage targets more reliably at a greater distance, but the increased shell weight will also result in improved ballistic properties as well as increased damage potential upon landing a successful hit.




Interesting: Upon its release, Mutsu’s primary guns will become the largest caliber weapon available in War Thunder!

In addition to this, Mutsu traditionally features decent protection, with its most critical components and modules being shielded with up to 305 mm of steel armor. A high crew count rounds off Mutsu’s good survivability and ensures that this battleship can absorb enemy damage and stay in the fight for longer than other ships.

Mutsu will arrive to the game in its early configuration, meaning that this battleship can’t boast about excellent anti-air protection and is reliant on its allies for robust defense against aerial threats. Lastly, with all that firepower and armor, this battleship may claim an impressive displacement but this does come at the cost of maneuverability. So plan your tactical maneuvers some time in advance. On the other hand, being fitted with an improved propulsion system means that Mutsu is able to attain a top speed of 26.5 kts (49 km/h), thus being faster than some of its predecessors.

In your matches by Igor, Naval Game Designer: “IJN Mutsu is an evolution of the Kongō-type battlecruisers / fast-battleship of the Japanese navy of the interwar period. Using armor-piercing main caliber shells and increased gun reloading speed, you’ll be able to achieve better results in battle. Its armor may not be enough to consistently hold off 14-15” battleship shells as well as the fire of post-war battlecruisers, so minimize the hits you receive by maintaining a maximum distance if possible in combat.”

IJN Mutsu will soon be joining the top rank of the Japanese navy’s Bluewater fleet with the release of the Alpha Strike major update. In the meantime, be on the lookout for more news regarding the upcoming update. Until then, calm seas and happy hunting!

Let’s have a look at the ZBD-04A light tank, coming in as one of the most advanced vehicles of this class. Meet an awesome vehicle for War Thunder’s top ranked battles, still currently in service with the People’s Liberation Army of China.


Features:

• An anti-tank guided missile!
  
• 30 mm cannon with APFSDS rounds.
  
• Thermal imaging for the commander and gunner.
  
• Good mobility.
  
• Amphibious.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
The ZBD-04 which has a fighting compartment from the Russian BMP-3 was developed in China in the late 1990s and began entering service in the early 2000s. The next model of this vehicle was the modernized ZBD-04A, featuring additional armor and improved electronics. This vehicle was first presented to the general public at a parade in 2015. Today, the ZBD-04A is in service with units and is the most modern vehicle of this class in the People’s Liberation Army of China.
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The ZBD-04A is a light tank that’s going to be arriving to the game in the next major update, Alpha Strike. Fast, furious and deadly in general, it’s going to offer you great flexibility at the higher ranks for China. Let’s take a further look!

Interesting: ZBD translates to IFV (loosely “Armored Infantry Tracked”).

You may have noticed something familiar about the ZBD-04A, which is that it closely resembles the Russian BMP-3, including some of its features like the 100 mm gun and coaxial 30 mm autocannon. That’s right! This vehicle is indeed based on a Russian design, however its main differences lie internally. First up is its 100 mm cannon which can fire two types of HE shells, although its main advantage is the ability to fire a powerful anti-tank guided missile from its barrel. This vehicle can take up to 8 of these in battle where each can penetrate up to 600 mm, usually enough to send an MBT to the hangar if it successfully hits!

Next up is the 30 mm autocannon, which has received a brand-new APFSDS round not seen on the BMP-3. Thanks to the addition of this round and its ability to be fired from a rapid-firing gun, you’ll be able to effectively flank enemies and take them out from the sides or rear. To further assist you with this, the commander and gunner both have modern thermal imaging sights, particularly handy to help see enemies at dusk and in poor weather.




Did you know? In order to reduce the total mass of the ZBD-04A after additional armor was added, Chinese engineers opted to not use water jets. Instead on water, this vehicle maneuvers around by using its tracks.

One important difference between the ZBD-04A and its previous variant is additional protection. The hull of this vehicle is made up of regular armor, but its front and side is protected by composite screens, allowing it to withstand some heavier machine guns and auto cannons. As expected however, this armor is not going to be stopping typical rounds fired from main battle tanks, but is still going to provide sufficient protection against other light vehicles and aircraft that will be shooting at it.

The addition of more armor typically means more mass, which is indeed the case with the ZBD-04A compared to the BMP-3 for example. In general, this vehicle’s driving characteristics and max top speed are still good, allowing it to swiftly drive around on roads, overcome small inclines and uneven terrain without issue!

In your matches by Tom, Lead Community Manager: “My favorite thing about vehicles like this is the map versatility, as it has effective short and long range weaponry it can basically play anywhere. If you feel confident with your map routes you can rush in and focus on the 30 mm at close range. If not though, you can comfortably fall back to sniping and scouting with the ATGM. Keep your hull hidden and stick around ridge lines using your thermals, the turret is comparatively tiny so at range you can be tricky to hit.”

That’s it for now. The ZBD-04A is going to be arriving to the game in the first major update of 2024, where it’s going to provide good reconnaissance capabilities in top ranked ground battles for China. Be on the look out for other development blogs coming your way soon, but until then happy battles ahead!

• A bug where severely damaged enemies finished off by allies did not count towards progress for tasks, wagers, challenges and battle tasks etc has been fixed.
  
• Severely damaged enemies finished off by allies have been added to the “Destruction of aircraft” item in the battle results. In the “Finishing off” column, the value “By another player (no reward)” is indicated, making it easily distinguishable from your own destruction of enemies.
  
• A bug that caused the client to crash on Ubuntu 20.04 when running via Steam has been fixed.

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.