Somua SAu 40
Somua SAu 40
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[Client Values; Actual values in
110,000  Cost |
| 43086 HP Hit Points |
| 24.09/24.58.02/26 t Weight Limit |
- Commander
- Gunner
- Driver
- Radio Operator
- Loader
| 220260 hp Engine Power |
| 37/12 km/h Speed Limit |
| 2830 deg/s Traverse |
| 9.1332.42 hp/t Power/Wt Ratio |
| YesYes Pivot |
| // mm Hull Armor |
AP/HEAT/HE
HE/HEAT Shells |
46/2800/38
128/4000/38 Shell Cost |
| 110/110/175410/350/175 HP Damage |
| 68/92/3853/104/38 mm Penetration |
|
15.79 r/m ▲
7.06 r/m Standard Gun ▲ Rate of Fire Standard Gun |
|
1736.9 ▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲
2894.6 Standard Gun ▲
Standard Gun ▼
Standard Gun
▲ Damage Per Minute Standard Gun
|
|
0.45 m ▲
0.53 m With 50% Crew: 0.557 m ▲ Accuracy With 50% Crew: 0.657 m |
| 1.7 s 2.3 s Aim time |
| 4444 deg/s Gun Traverse Speed |
| 15° Gun Arc |
| -10°/+30°-10°/+30° Elevation Arc |
| 6045 rounds Ammo Capacity |
| 2020 % Chance of Fire |
| 330 m 330 m View Range |
| 300 m 455 m Signal Range |
IV
110000
The Somua SAu 40 is a French tier 4 tank destroyer.
A project for an SPG to support light mechanized units. Designed from 1935 through 1937 on the basis of the S35 and S40 vehicles. The design featured a modified upper part of the armored hull with the 75-mm casemate Mle 1929 gun. The top of the cabin featured a single-seated turret with the 7,5-mm Mle 1931 machinegun. The mass production of the SAu 40 was requested in October 1939. A prototype (and, according to some historical sources, four more pilot SAu 40) were sent to the frontline and used in action in June 1940.
Contrary to what the ingame description says the SAu 40 was developed as an SPG on the basis of the Somua S35 but was later converted to a tank destroyer; one prototype was built.
The SAu 40 is not the little tankette that its predecessor, the UE 57, was. Instead it is a large, slow-moving warehouse and it may come with a steep learning curve if one is used to the playing style of the UE 57. To start with it comes with an average 75mm short-barreled gun with decent damage for its tier but with poor accuracy and sub-par penetration. Once upgraded it can equip an able 75mm long-barreled gun that will take care of any foes up to its tier, or a very powerful 105mm howitzer able to destroy or cripple any higher tier tank that it may face, so using it before moving on to the next tier can be a rewarding experience. The SAu 40's frontal armor is not very good, even by Tier IV standards, but the most glaring weakness is the small turret (also known as "The Tumor") on top, where it can be easily penetrated.
The Somua SAu 40 leads to the S35 CA, and the AMX 13 105 AM mle. 50.
Modules / Available Equipment and Consumables
Modules
Guns
| Tier | Gun | Penetration (mm) |
Damage (HP) |
Rate of fire (rounds/minute) |
Dispersion (m/100m) |
Aiming time (s) |
Weight (kg) |
Price (  )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| III | 75 mm APX mle. 1938 | 68/92/38 | 110/110/175 | 15.79 | 0.45 | 1.7 | 1020 | 22360 | |
| V | 75 mm AC SA44 | 100/129/38 | 110/110/175 | 15.79 | 0.41 | 1.7 | 1400 | 27000 | |
| V | 105 mm AC court mle. 1934 S | 53/104/38 | 410/350/175 | 7.06 | 0.53 | 2.3 | 1700 | 40700 |
Engines
| Tier | Engine | Engine Power (hp) |
Chance of Fire on Impact (%) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IV | Somua S40 | 220 | 20 | 400 | 10420 | |
| V | Somua S40 Bis | 260 | 20 | 400 | 16100 |
Suspensions
| Tier | Suspension | Load Limit (т) |
Traverse Speed (gr/sec) |
Rmin | Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| III | Somua SAu 40 | 24.5 | 28 | 0 | 5350 | 1660 | |
| IV | Somua SAu 40 bis | 26 | 30 | 0 | 5350 | 4760 |
Radios
| Tier | Radio | Signal Range (m) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| II | ER 52 | 300 | 100 | 0 | |
| V | ER 53 | 360 | 100 | 3650 | |
| VII | ER 56 | 455 | 150 | 21600 |
Compatible Equipment
Compatible Consumables
Player Opinion
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Short aim time on all guns
- Good gun elevation and depression
- Highest rate of fire and view range of any Tier IV TD offering a 105mm howitzer
- Very fast shell velocity for a howitzer
Cons:
- Fairly poor accuracy
- Poor mobility all round
- Narrow gun traverse arc
- Top 75mm's premium round gives only 29% extra penetration, making it useless against properly positioned tanks
- Poor protection against anything it might face, with a big turret on the top attracting fire
Performance
Compared to the tiny and fairly mobile Renault UE 57 that preceded it, the SAu 40 is a completely different machine. It's much slower and less mobile and has a far larger silhouette that is much more difficult to hide. In exchange, it gets thicker armor and more health, as well as far more powerful armament. The 105mm AC court mle. 1934 S deals massive damage, but requires patience and a window of opportunity to be used to its fullest. On the other hand the 75mm AC SA44 kills tanks it can penetrate faster than the 105mm, and is somewhat more accurate.
The 105mm has higher accuracy than comparable guns and has a fairly high shell velocity for a howitzer.
Depending on the gun equipped the SAu 40 can either play as a second-line support tank destroyer or an ambusher. The inaccuracy of its weapons would preclude using it as a sniper, but you have little other choice as you can not go hull down with this tank, but its view range is decent. Only fire at a distance when fully aimed, and food certainly helps. The SAu 40's thin armor also precludes its use as a front line tank destroyer. It plays similarly to the Hetzer but is much larger, and has thinner armor.
A camouflage net would be a good choice of equipment, as the SAu-40 is quite sluggish to maneuver for relocation, allowing it to get as many shots off as possible before being spotted. Improved ventilation is also a good choice for improving accuracy.
Early Research
- The ER 53 and ER 56 radios carry over from the Renault UE 57. Install the ER 56 immediately - Research the upgraded suspension first, as the additional weight capacity is required in order to upgrade the gun - Next research the 75mm AC SA44 gun for much improved penetration - Now research the Somua S-40 Bis engine - Go from there
Suggested Equipment
Gallery
Historical Info
Unlike the ARL V39, which was based on the BDR G1B tank, SOMUA derived the SAu 40 from the very promising S35 cavalry tank that proved to be the best tank in the French arsenal at the beginning of World War 2. The SOMUA SAu 40 prototype was to be finished and presented to the army in 1937. Unfortunately, since it shared the main gun with competing ARL V39, it had to wait for a full year for the both primary and secondary armament to be mounted. Main armament was to be the 75 mm APX gun, a modification of the mle. 1929 de Casemate gun originally developed for fortifications. The gun un had a semi-automatic breech, automatic shell rammer, and a very odd and unusual feature: it could be retracted inside the hull to decrease the vehicle's length. Secondary armament consisted of a 7.5 mm machine gun placed in a small turret on the roof, similar to the competing ARL project. The 75 mm gun APX 1929 gun was to have a traverse arc of 7 degrees to the left and 7.6 to the right with an excellent elevation arc from -10 to 30 degrees. Maximum effective range was to be 2000 m, with an ammunition capacity of 102 rounds. The sights were quite advanced for its time, and they offered 4x magnification, with a field of view of 125 degrees.
Historical Gallery
Historical Accuracy Errata
The Somua SAu 40 was only ever equipped with the stock 75 mm gun, not the 105 mm Howitzer nor the long 75 mm gun, the latter of which was only developed after 1940.
