T-72M

[Stuhlfleisch 3,762]

 

Beginning in 1983, the GDR recived T-72M tanks from the USSR, Poland and the CSSR. These T-72s were meant as a larger scale modernisation program of replacing the East-German fleet of aging T-72 (object 172M-E) MBTs, which were introduced during the 70s and are the export-variant of the T-72 Ural (object 172M).

 

The T-72M (object 172M-E2) was the export variant of the T-72A (object 172M-1). Compared to the T-72A, the T-72M featured the older TPN1-49-23 night-sight, a less effective turret-armor layout, a simpler NBC-system and smaller detail-changes.

 

The best way to describe the T-72M would be as a mix between the T-72 Ural and T-72A.

 

The T-72M had multiple upgrades over the older T-72 (object 172M-E) of the NVA, which consisted of:

 

- Stabilised TDK K-1 laser-rangefinder (the previous east-German T-72s only had the TPD 2-49 optical-rangefinder)

- Rubber-mesh side-skirts, which replaced the fish-ghill skirts

- Improved protection from napalm

- Upgraded W-46-6 engine, which was improved with the MAF oil-filter, a new array of said oil-filter and centrifuges, an upgraded cooling-unit (the engine was able to be reset back to W-46 standard)

- TWNE-4PA driver nigh-sight

- 902A smoke-launching system on the turret-front

- Reinforced engine-deck (which also improved cooling)

- Ammo-capacity for main cannon increased from 39 to 44 shells.

 

And other detail changes, however, the above mentioned changes are the major ones.

 

In 1983 the NVA received T-72Ms from the USSR, while Poland and the CSSR only provided the less capable transitional variant, the T-72ÜV-1, though after 1986 Poland and the CSSR were also able to supply East-Germany with T-72Ms. Though the T-72M would only briefly hold the title of the best East-German T-72, since in 1986 the GDR already started receiving the first batches of the T-72 "Übergangsvariante 2", simply called T-72MÜV-2, which was the start of the NVA being equipped with the much improved T-72M1 (object 172M-E5) MBTs as early as the same year, making the T-72Ms significance very short-lived.

The NVA received a total of 108 T-72M MBTs.

 

T-72M

 

Auto-loading mechanism:

 

 

Armor-layout:

 

 

Hull:

 

The hull-armor of the T-72M is essentially the same as the armor of the T-72A: An initial layer of rolled homogeneous armor with a thickness of 60mm, angled at 69°, with two following layers of texolite (glass-reinforced plastic), the texolite-plates were split-up into two individual 53mm thick plates, because of manufacturing restrictions. A second, 50mm thick, RHA plate follows up after the two texolite-plates.

 

The frontal hull-armor gives the T-72M a HEAT-protection of around 540-600mm and a general KE protection of around 340mm.

 

Turret:

 

The T-72M has, compared to the T-72A, weaker turret-armor. Instead of having a quartz-sand core as filler between two cast steel-layers, the T-72M's turret armor consists of only cast-steel, with a thickness of around 475mm, very similar in layout to the T-72 Ural's turret-armor, that can be seen in the cutaway below.

 

The frontal turret-armor gives the T-72M a HEAT and KE protection of roughly 350-475mm.

 

 

Specifications:

 

Crew: 3 (commander, gunner, driver)

Mass: 41,4t

Length: 9,53m w/ gun,  6,95m hull

Height: 2,23m

Width: 3,59m

Engine: W-46-6 diesel V12

Speed: 60kmh on road

Fuel-capacity: 1400l

Range: 460km and 700km w/ external fuel-drums

Reload speed: 8 seconds

Armament: 125mm 2A46 (D-81TM) with 44 shells, 12,7mm NSVT with 300 rounds, 7,62mm coaxial PKT with 1500 rounds

 

Ammo:

 

The ammo-options for the T-72M would be quite limited, since the USSR was only allowing certain 125mm ammo-types to be exported to east-Germany. The T-72M in War Thunder would therfore have these shells as possible ammo-options:

 

3BM9 (APFSDS-T)

3BM15 (APFSDS-T)

3OF19 (HE-Frag)

3BK14M (HEAT-FS)

 

More pictures:

 

 

T-72M schematic:

 

 

 

How it could look ingame:

 

 

 

I personally think the T-72M would fit quite well at a BR of 9.0, be it with Warsaw-pact match-maker for RB and SB, or not.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

If you spot a mistake or want to add/correct something, just let me know.

 

Cheers!

 

Sources:

 

"Kampfpanzer der NVA" by Jörg Siegert and Helmut Hanske

 

http://www.militaertechnik-der-nva.de/

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-72

http://www.kotsch88.de/f_uberblick.htm

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-72

 

https://www.scalenews.de/tag/t-72-panzer-bilder-zeichnungen-technische-daten/

 

https://aw.my.com/de/news/general/fahrzeuge-im-fokus-t-72-ural

 

https://below-the-turret-ring.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-armor-protection-of-t-72-tank.html

[Princess_Pinch 5,625]

Open for discussion. 

[eleks12 1,079]

Think it would be a nice Premium that can be purchased with Gold at rank 6! so +1

Edited May 5, 2019 by eleks12

[WulfPack 1,693]

+1 with the USSR in RB/SB

[Milocat 4,854]

+1 for the East German tree, I think this would be a great addition!

[ponnes 473]

-1 Germany shouldn’t get the stuff from america and russia.

[Stuhlfleisch 3,762]

Just now, ponnes said:

-1 Germany shouldn’t get the stuff from america and russia.

Even when they historically were used by west and east-Germany? I personally think all tech-trees should get all the vehicles they operated, which includes east-Germany.

[ponnes 473]

3 minutes ago, Stuhlfleisch said:

Even when they historically were used by west and east-Germany? I personally think all tech-trees should get all the vehicles they operated, which includes east-Germany.

But Russia should get a better T72 too because i don’t like the fact that a foreign Nation get better version of the same vehicle  ,for example the Cl13 or Mig19s. 

[Stuhlfleisch 3,762]

4 minutes ago, ponnes said:

But Russia should get a better T72 too because i don’t like the fact that a foreign Nation get better version of the same vehicle  ,for example the Cl13 or Mig19s. 

The T-72M is in War Thunder game-mechanics identical to the T-72A the USSR has right now.

[ponnes 473]

Do you like mixed battles?

[Stuhlfleisch 3,762]

15 minutes ago, ponnes said:

Do you like mixed battles?

That's why I included the Warsaw-pact match-maker option.

[ponnes 473]

31 minutes ago, Stuhlfleisch said:

That's why I included the Warsaw-pact match-maker option.

But this is not going to work or happen.

[Stuhlfleisch 3,762]

11 minutes ago, ponnes said:

But this is not going to work or happen.

Do you know Gaijin's plans? I also don't know if we will even get the T-72M for Germany at one point, but I still made this suggestion, because I want to help expand the game. You can do the same by supporting the suggestions you like, for example there is a suggestion that talks about how the German tech-tree could be split into west and east etc.

[WulfPack 1,693]

1 hour ago, ponnes said:

But Russia should get a better T72 too

They aren't out of T-72s to add

[ponnes 473]

58 minutes ago, Stuhlfleisch said:

Do you know Gaijin's plans? I also don't know if we will even get the T-72M for Germany at one point, but I still made this suggestion, because I want to help expand the game. You can do the same by supporting the suggestions you like, for example there is a suggestion that talks about how the German tech-tree could be split into west and east etc.

You seem kinda salty^^. I didn’t no that it is forbidden to be against a suggestion, but your reaction is typical for a german player. I hope germany wont get any russian or america vehicles in the future, because germany has more than enough own combat vehicles. Noch einen schönen Abend. Ist mein letzter Post hier.

[Stuhlfleisch 3,762]

3 minutes ago, ponnes said:

You seem kinda salty^^. I didn’t no that it is forbidden to be against a suggestion, but your reaction is typical for a german player. I hope germany wont get any russian or america vehicles in the future, because germany has more than enough own combat vehicles. Noch einen schönen Abend. Ist mein letzter Post hier.

Maybe you should look at my squadron name ^^ I simply pointed out that you can actively support more balanced matches by supporting suggestions like split match-maker for east-German vehicles etc. instead to assume it's not going to happen anyways.

[kamikazi21358 998]

21 hours ago, ponnes said:

-1 Germany shouldn’t get the stuff from america and russia.

With a Sherman in every tech tree in the game, and the introduction of the MiG-19S just last patch, I think Gaijin has already shown they don’t give a [censored].

 

An understandable but pretty much obsolete opinion now.

 

21 hours ago, Stuhlfleisch said:

Even when they historically were used by west and east-Germany? I personally think all tech-trees should get all the vehicles they operated, which includes east-Germany.

+1, 100% agree.  If it was operated in the timeframe of the game, it should be represented in some fashion.  Regardless of how unique the vehicle is, or if it is just a very minor difference, to mass produced, to prototypes [though I do like it more when they’re premiums/events/not in the main line when protos], etc.

 

The US have US-origin vehicles in every tech tree in the game, I believe it would be nice to finally see some USSR exports being represented as well, which are not apparent at all.  Which this is coming from someone which plays mostly USSR.

 

20 hours ago, ponnes said:

But this is not going to work or happen.

Why are you so confident?  We already have a visual statistic separating vehicles of different nations within their own tree, perhaps in the future, if we get a full lineup of East German vehicles, there will be enough to justify a lineup and have a matchmaker separation as well.

[Stuhlfleisch 3,762]

Added more info and integrated the T-72ÜV-1 into the suggestion, since it is almost the same tank as the T-72M.

Edited July 31, 2019 by Stuhlfleisch

[Stuhlfleisch 3,762]

Updated the name of the T-72 east-Germany used prior to the T-72ÜV-1 and T-72M from T-72A (object 172M-1) to T-72 (object 172M-E), it was the  export variant of the T-72 Ural (object 172M).

Edited August 6, 2019 by Stuhlfleisch

[Ghostmaxi 873]

Somewhere I have seen , why Not have like all of them and from nato in a split tree , left nato right Warschau packt

Would be awesome

[Stuhlfleisch 3,762]

2 minutes ago, Ghostmaxi said:

Somewhere I have seen , why Not have like all of them and from nato in a split tree , left nato right Warschau packt

Would be awesome

That would definitely be interesting to see. Maybe have a seperate, tree for NVA vehicles, similar to helicopters and if you reach rank 2 with regular Germany you unlock the east-German tech-tree. Though the way we have seen east-German vehicles being implemented until now, is probably also the way we will keep seeing them being added. Unless Gaijin thinks it should be changed, for example if Germany would receive a large quantity of GDR vehicles, that would justify either a few new tech-tree lines, or a completely new tab in the German tech-tree.

[Stuhlfleisch 3,762]

I'm sorry, I had to edit the suggestion quite heavily in the past days, as I found multiple conflicting sources on the proper designation of the T-72s east-Germany used, however, I think I now have the proper terms layed out and will keep these now.

 

Again, sorry for the inconvenience.

[Stuhlfleisch 3,762]

Finally found the armor-profile of the T-72M's turret. Updated the armor-section and added an additional source.

[Gavin_Mactavish 943]

+1 for premium

Will buy it on the spot.

T-72 has a special place in my heart (:

[Stuhlfleisch 3,762]

On 11/08/2019 at 10:36, Gavin_Mactavish said:

+1 for premium

Will buy it on the spot.

T-72 has a special place in my heart (:

A premium would be nice, though I think I personally would rather see it being implemented as a researchable tank, like the SPz BMP-1 we just recently got.

 

Either way, I'd love to see an east-German T-72 being implemented, premium or researchable!