Today we are reviewing the premium level seven anti-tank self-propelled gun M56 Scorpion. The guide will be based on personal impressions. Currently, according to unofficial statistics, this PT is owned by 59,000 people. Which is quite small, even though the tank has promotional status. At the same time, according to the same statistics, the M56 Scorpion tank in World of Tanks is in 6th place in terms of victory percentage among all seventh level anti-tank self-propelled guns, that is, it cannot be called a bad vehicle.
Characteristics
Now it’s worth briefly touching on the list of characteristics of the tank presented above:
- Durability: 820 HP.
- Specific power: 28 hp/t.
- Maximum speed: forward 45 km/h and 17 km/h reverse.
- Chassis turning speed: 40 degrees/s.
- Armor penetration: 219/275/45 mm.
- Damage: 240/240/320 Hp.
- Damage per minute: 1920 HP/min.
- Ammunition: 60 pcs.
M56 "Scorpion" is an American premium vehicle of the seventh level, which has a turret with incomplete rotation. The total angle of rotation of the turret is 60 degrees, which is a plus, while it rotates quite slowly and sometimes it’s easier to tighten the tank’s hull, fortunately time allows.
As for the crew, the Scorpion consists of four people:
- Commander (Radio Operator).
- Gunner.
- Driver mechanic.
- Charging.
Unfortunately, this fact can cause some difficulties when upgrading the crew on this tank, since many upgraded tank destroyers have a second loader and radio operator, which makes this matter much easier.
Story
The M56 was designed between 1948 and 1953 and was mass produced from 1953 to 1959 as part of an order for a new mobile self-propelled anti-tank gun that could be parachuted in the initial stages of an army airborne operation and had the firepower of a tank gun. Two samples of such a machine, under the designation T101, were built by General Motors Corporation. In 1953, these vehicles entered military testing. As a result, in 1955 the M56, also referred to as the "Scorpion", was adopted by US Army airborne combat teams, primarily in the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. The M56 could be transported by a number of then-current transport aircraft and gliders, and could also be dropped by parachute.
The M56 body was riveted, made of aluminum (to save weight); the engine and gear are in front, the gun is in the center, and the crew compartment is in the back. The engine worked on a transmission with one rear and two forward gears manufactured (a division of General Motors), then the voltage was supplied to the drives on both sides of the car. The suspension is torsion bar; the unarmored chassis of the M76 floating cargo transporter was used, which had four running wheels on each side, a guide roller at the rear and a drive sprocket at the front; there were no tension rollers. Each caterpillar consisted of two belts made of rubberized fabric and reinforced with steel cables. The belts are connected to each other by stamped steel crossbars with rubber cushions. The main components and assemblies of the machine were sealed, and the electrical wiring was made waterproof.
The gun was mounted on a small carriage on top, the 90-mm M54 gun had a muzzle brake, a vertical wedge breech and a gun shield. Its manual drive made it possible to change the vertical angle of guidance from -10 to +15° (example in the picture), and the horizontal angle - by 30° to the right and left. To aim the cannon at the target when firing direct fire, an optical sight with variable magnification was used, and when firing from closed positions, appropriate sighting devices were used. A pair of cylinders of hydraulic recoil devices were attached to the breech of the gun, on top. The ballistic data was consistent with the gun of the M48 Patton III tank. The range of actual fire was 1820 meters. The commander and loader were located to the left of the gun, and the driver to the right. The ammunition was transported directly in the vehicle and placed in a separate waterproof aluminum container, and included 29 unitary projectiles, including armor-piercing tracer, cumulative tracer, high-explosive, high-explosive tracer, and high-explosive armor-piercing.
The main drawback of the gun, which had much greater firepower than the M41 light tank with its 76 mm gun, was that the chassis was too light. As a result, after firing a 90 mm cannon, the vehicle would often jump back several feet, and the target would no longer be visible due to the cloud of dust raised by the muzzle flash.
Another drawback was the complete lack of armor protection for the vehicle's crew, apart from a small gun shield. The driver sat behind the wheel to the left of the gun, and behind him was a shooter equipped with a sight with x4.1 or x8 magnification. To the right of the driver's seat there was a box with a walkie-talkie, on which the commander sat. The other two less fortunate crew members were placed on the starboard side, next to the exhaust pipe.
The tank was equipped with a gasoline 151-kilowatt six-cylinder 205 hp. an air-cooled Continental engine with an opposing cylinder arrangement and a direct fuel injection system, which provided a maximum speed of up to 50 km/h with a power reserve of 225 km. The power transmission is a “Cross Drive” hydromechanical transmission, which was attached to the engine and formed one unit with it. The chassis was silent, light and provided low specific ground pressure, which made it possible to overcome muddy, sandy, swampy and snowy soil. To drive a car at night, night vision binoculars were used, which are worn on the driver's helmet.
The M56 was withdrawn from service in 1960 due to the adoption of the M551 Sheridan light tank. Small numbers of M56s were supplied to Spain and Morocco, and they were also used by the US Army in Vietnam, where they were used primarily for fire support.
Booking
One of the features of the tank is the 1 mm thick circular hull armor. The most protected area is, of course, the tower with 5 mm of armor. Accordingly, it will not be possible to tank enemy shots, since the vehicle absorbs all enemy shells without exception. Of course, it is possible that a high-explosive shell sometimes will not penetrate the armor of our tank. However, if the high-explosive projectile is of large caliber, then you should be especially afraid of it. After all, even if it falls nearby, it can cause serious damage. Also, due to the small dimensions of the tank, along with ordinary damage, critical damage to the crew and internal modules will often be received. This is very noticeable when you find yourself at the bottom of the list, where you will end up quite often.
Historical reference
The M56 Scorpion was designed between 1948 and 1953 and was mass produced from 1953 to 1959 as part of an order for a new mobile self-propelled anti-tank gun that could be parachuted in the early stages of an army airborne operation and had the firepower of a tank gun.
Two samples were built. In 1953, these vehicles entered military testing. In 1955, the M56, also referred to as the Scorpion, was adopted by the US Army. The M56 could be transported by a number of then-current transport aircraft and gliders, and could also be dropped by parachute.
How to play
The most effective thing in this PT is to play from distance and disguise. The M56 "Scorpion" has good camouflage performance at the level, which can be further enhanced with a camouflage net and camouflage. This will allow you to play quite effectively from the bushes, remaining undetected for a long time, even when playing against levels nine. In this case, you need to be careful and keep a safe distance from the enemy. At a greater distance, it is much more difficult to hit Scorpio, especially if you play from the terrain. The small size and good declination angles of the gun make it quite comfortable to shoot at the enemy at long distances. The visibility of 350 meters spoils all sniper ambitions in the M56 “Scorpion”. It’s a stretch to call it normal; you definitely need to carry a stereo tube with you.
Review
The M56 Scorpion is lightweight and miniature in size, as it was developed specifically for airborne troops.
The main advantage of the self-propelled gun is its 90 mm gun with excellent performance. Excellent accuracy and armor penetration allow you to cope with the armor of any enemy, including those of a higher level.
Good horizontal and vertical aiming angles, as well as low visibility, increase the comfort of the game and partially compensate for the lack of armor protection.
As mentioned above, there is no armor at all (with the exception of a 5 mm thick gun screen), but there are compact dimensions, high visibility and a good gun declination angle.
In terms of play style, the M56 Scorpion is an ambush tank destroyer with a good camouflage rating and a weapon balanced in all respects.
About the weapon
Excellent armor penetration for the seventh level, the main shell allows you to penetrate even “nines”, but if penetration is not enough, then gold shells with a penetration of 275 come to the rescue. Gold shells here are cumulative, which is not very good, since they are not capable of causing damage , hitting the tracks or tank screens. The gun has excellent vertical aiming angles, dropping to -10 and rising to +15. The accuracy of 0.33 allows for fairly accurate shooting over long distances. The scatter caused by the movement of the chassis greatly limits the game; it is almost impossible to shoot on the move. To shoot accurately, you need to stop. The main drawback of the gun is its rate of fire. With a one-time damage of 240, the stock gun takes 7.8 seconds to reload. According to DPM, the tank loses to some level seven tanks by about 400 damage.
Ammunition 60 pcs. It is worth equipping it mainly with AP shells; you should take 10 cumulative shells for heavily armored opponents and a couple of land mines to shoot down a grapple.
TTX
- Tech Level: 8 Premium.
- Fight level: 8-10
- Number of HP: 1050 units.
- Weight: 7.144 t.
- Power: 200 l/s.
- Specific power: 28 hp/t.
- Forward and reverse speed: 45/12 km/h
- Soil resistance: 1.055 / 1.247 / 1.726
- Body rotation: 34 degrees
- Review: 400
- Radio: 500
- Armor: 0/0/0 (only 10-20 mm will be armor in the gun area. The rest is cardboard)
- Gun: 90mm.
- Penetration: 219
- Damage: 240 beats.
- Damage per minute: 1854
- Cooldown: 7.7s
- Accuracy: 0.288
- The spread on the move is minimal.
- Mixing time: 2.01s
- Gun rotation: 60 degrees
Additional equipment and gear
The equipment for this tank is standard: a first aid kit, a repair kit and, of course, a fire extinguisher.
On the M56 Scorpion it is necessary to install:
1. Stereo tube - this will increase your visibility when stationary. It makes no sense to install coated optics because of the standstill gameplay.
2. Gun rammer - will reduce the reload time of the gun.
3. Camouflage net - will increase stealth while stationary.
Also, to increase camouflage, camouflage should be applied to the tank.
Conclusion
The result is a well-balanced, inexpensive premium car at level seven, which copes well with the main task - farming silver. Thanks to its good penetration in battle, gold is rarely used, and hence the good performance of silver with average damage dealt. Approximately 40-50 thousand per battle will be taken out by the M56 Scorpion.
Feedback from players is mostly positive, as the tank is well balanced. The gameplay of the M56 Scorpion is similar to the Rhm.Borsig Waffentrger, a German level eight upgradeable anti-tank self-propelled gun. Only the M56 Scorpio does not play against tens. The tank cannot be called skill-dependent, but it is also impossible to advise a beginner to buy it. This tank is suitable for people who are at least a little familiar with the mechanics of the game and the basics of playing the tank destroyer class.
What's the result?
The tank is not suitable for 80% of the players in the game. This is exactly how many players, in my opinion, will not be able to unlock the potential of this machine. In the upcoming updates, a more universal premium tank of tier 8 will appear -
During World War II, the US Army made extensive use of its air force. A wealth of experience has been accumulated in the use of this type of troops. An analysis of the operation using the Airborne Forces showed that the landing force is extremely vulnerable in confrontation with enemy tank units. It was necessary to strengthen the Airborne Forces units with more powerful anti-tank weapons.
At the end of World War II, American paratroopers had only RPGs and recoilless rifles as anti-tank weapons. This was clearly not enough. After all, the Cold War had already begun and in a likely conflict, the American Airborne Forces had to repel the attacks of the communist tank hordes. Here, bazookas alone are clearly not enough.
The American military took a radical approach to solving the problem. The M54 gun was chosen as the main barrel. This 90 mm anti-tank gun penetrated 220 mm armor at a distance of 1 kilometer. All that remained was to give this weapon maximum mobility. And this implied the creation of a tank destroyer. Because anything larger could not fit into the belly of transport aircraft of that time.
The creation of the M56 Scorpion lasted for six long years, from 1947 to 53. Not a short period of time, considering that outwardly the bird doesn’t look very complicated. Such a long development period is explained by specific requirements for weight and dimensions. The landing platform added quite a few problems.
The development and then production of the M56 was carried out by Cadillac Motor Car. The first Scorpions began to enter service with the troops in 1953. Production continued until 1959.
The M56 Scorpion had the following characteristics. Weight 7.7 tons. Crew of four people. The Scorpion's armor is purely formal, it can be penetrated by a heavy machine gun. M56 torsion bar suspension. The design of the Scorpion rollers is specific. The tires of the rollers are large, they are practically closer to car tires. Such a specific design of the bandages was needed to soften the impact on the ground during landing. At the same time, the noise when driving was reduced.
Engine Scorpion Continental A01 -403 - 5. The power unit is six-cylinder, petrol, opposed. Power 205 hp The maximum speed of the M56 Scorpion is 45 km/h. Power reserve 230 hp
We can say that the M56 Scorpion is largely the fruit of a compromise between the desire to get a powerful weapon and reduce the weight of the bird to an acceptable parameter. As a result, the Scorpion squatted heavily when fired. There was no talk of any shooting right away. By the way, the M551 General Sheridan light tank that replaced the M56 Scorpion had the same problem.
The only war that Scorpios were involved in was Vietnam. The 173rd Airborne Brigade was based in Vietnam and was armed with the M56 Scorpion. These birds didn't have to fight tanks. The main work was the suppression of enemy firing points, bunkers, bunkers. At the same time, the Scorpion crew was very vulnerable to enemy fire. As Sheridan tanks arrived, Scorpions were handed over to South Vietnamese troops. There is no exact information about how the M56 was used by the South Vietnamese. It is only known that the last two birds were burned by North Vietnamese T-54s on the approaches to Saigon.
Well, especially for fans of World of Tanks. Soon WG will please us with a new premium bird and it will be the M56 Scorpion. Here, some heads immediately dubbed the Scorpion the new M18 Hellcat. There's no harm in dreaming. Scorpio has a maximum speed of only 45 km/h. Which is much lower than the Hellcat. Most likely it will be like “Borshchik”. Probably the bird's level will be seventh. The armament is most likely like that of the Super Pershing. Same gun in terms of penetration and alpha, but maybe with a higher rate of fire. The only person I would recommend this device to is fans of equipment from the Vietnam War, for collection.
A new Tier 7 premium self-propelled gun, the M56 Scorpion, has been added for testing, which will most likely have a preferential battle level. According to the latest data, the tank will appear in patch 0.9.6. Specifications are not final.
