[Development] M44: Big-Bore Bulldog - Neuigkeiten

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M44: Big-Bore Bulldog

11 Dezember 2024 Development

Today we’ll be taking a look at the American-made M44 self-propelled howitzer, making its way to several nations in the "Storm Warning" major update!

M44: A Tank Destroyer for the USA, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Italy and France at Rank III

At a glance:

155 mm howitzer with powerful HE shells!
Excellent gun traverse speed, can react to new threats quickly.
Limited horizontal aiming angles.
Weakly armored and open topped.

The American M44 self-propelled howitzer emerged in the early 1950s as part of a program to develop a new 155 mm self-propelled gun to replace the outdated M41 howitzer platform. During production, the initial vehicle designated as the T99E1 revealed several shortcomings that required a redesign. The updated model featured a new open top fighting compartment with a modified howitzer. By 1954, the U.S. Army decided to focus on exporting the M44 to other countries. The M44 later ended up in service with Germany, the UK, Italy, Turkey, Belgium and Japan.

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Introducing the M44!

The M44 self-propelled howitzer will be coming to a handful of nations in the Storm Warning major update! This surprisingly fast vehicle equipped with a hefty 155 mm gun will be a great addition to rank III lineups. Despite its drawbacks, it will always be able to effectively combat the toughest vehicles in the bracket. Let’s take a closer look at this new beast!

Mounted on the chassis of the Walker Bulldog light tank, the M44 is quite fast for a vehicle of this type. It’s able to reach speeds up to 56 km/h on roads, and can maneuver and cruise effectively off-road as well. The 155 mm howitzer is placed in an open mount and can traverse a max of 30 degrees horizontally each side, with 5 degrees of gun depression. The primary round available is the classic M107 HE shell, familiar to many of you who may play howitzer type vehicles. It can also fire a large smoke shell as well, but won’t have access to proximity HE.

Fun Fact: The M44 uses an inverted version of the chassis found on the M41 Walker Bulldog. The rear road wheels became idlers, while the drive wheels were relocated near the engine compartment.

One primary drawback of course is the thin armor and open crew compartment, making the M44 highly vulnerable to ground vehicles and aircraft. Plus, the reload speed is a bit of a limiting factor. Try to stick close to some form of vertical cover like buildings or large rocks — this will provide protection when retreating to reload, and make you harder to spot from the air. Thanks to the high mobility, an aggressive close-range play-style is definitely possible, but significantly riskier due to the reload and limited traverse angles. Despite the fragility however, the M44 is still a powerful and versatile howitzer platform, giving it a unique play-style at the lower ranks!

That’s it for this one! The M44 will be arriving to War Thunder in the Storm Warning major update at rank III, becoming available for the USA, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Italy and France. Make sure to stay tuned for more news on upcoming vehicles and features. We’ll see you soon!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.