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 |
- Comandante
- Artillero
- Conductor
- Operador de radio
- Cargador
| 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.
Un proyecto de AAP para apoyar a unidades mecanizadas ligeras. Se diseñó entre 1935 y 1937 a partir de los vehículos S35 y S40. El diseño presentaba la modificación de la parte superior del casco blindado con la casamata de 75 mm del cañón Mle 1929. La parte superior de la cabina presentaba una torreta con un solo asiento con la ametralladora 7,5-mm Mle 1931. Se solicitó la producción en serie del SAu 40 en octubre de 1939. Se envió al frente un prototipo (y de acuerdo con algunas fuentes históricas cuatro SAu 40 de producción) y se empleó en combate en junio de 1940.
Contrary to what the ingame description says, the SAu40 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 75 mm long-barreled gun that will take care of any foes up to its tier level, or a very powerful 105 mm 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 4 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 (гр/сек) |
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 (м) |
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 4 TD offering a 105mm howitzer
- Very fast shell velocity for a howitzer
Cons:
- Fairly poor accuracy
- Slowish
- Poor hull traverse speed
- Narrow gun traverse arc
- Large, poorly armored turret on top, presenting a large weakspot and severely limiting hulldown capabilities
Performance
Compared to the tiny and fairly mobile Renault UE 57 that preceded it, the SAu-40 is a completely different machine. It is much slower and less mobile, has a far larger silhouette that is much more difficult to hide. In exchange, it gets thicker armour and more HP, as well as far more powerful armament. The 105 mm Canon de 105 court mle. 1934S AC deals massive damage, but requires patience and a window of opportunity to be used to its fullest. The 75 mm Long 44 AC, on the other hand, can just about penetrate Tier 5 or 6 tanks, and is somewhat more accurate than the 105 mm Canon de 105 court mle. 1934S AC.
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 precludes using it as a sniper. The SAu 40's thin armour also precludes its use as a frontline tank destroyer. It plays similarly to the Hetzer, but is much larger, and has thinner armour.
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.
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 75 mm Long 44 AC gun for much improved penetration.
- Now research 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. 1292 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.
With tensions running high in Europe just prior to the outbreak of World War 2, France was desperate for any kind of modern armor, and the SOMUA SAu 40 was ordered into series production. An order for a total of 36 vehicles was placed. By 1 May 1940, 72 vehicles had been ordered, but only the prototype was armed with the 75 mm gun. The production vehicles were instead armed with the powerful 47 mm SA 37 anti-tank gun as tank destroyers. It is known that the prototype SAu 40 fought during the Battle for France in June 1940, probably along with a few production vehicles. The fall of France in June 1940 brought an end to all further development.
