Callum Dickson compares the performance of two imported, but equally classic tanks in War Thunder
Last month, I debated the quality of two iconic tanks. Although I intend to follow up on their success down the line, this month I decided to work towards unlocking more classic vehicles, this time specifically those that were used under an import licence and not created by the player nation itself.
I started by returning to an old favourite nation of mine, Sweden, which I had last left having tested out the self-propelled BT-42, before subsequently unlocking the Soviet T-28, which I had never tried before. While this tank was produced and designed for infantry support, the vehicle would only see limited service during the Winter War with Finland, where it proved grossly inefficient and unreliable, before being phased out completely. Now only three remain in existence – one is in Moscow and the other two, quite deservedly, can be found in the Parola Tank Museum in Finland, as it is their use after capture by the Fins which attaches it to Sweden’s overall focus tree.
This was the main starting point for my gameplay. Immediately, the vehicle felt more in line with other nations’ tanks – like Germany and the United States. It was very large and slow, with a powerful 76mm L-10 cannon, making it by far the hardest-hitting tank available at this stage of the game. However, its size often proved a disadvantage. In one engagement, I was bottlenecked in a city street and remained stuck between tank wrecks, rubble and enemy vehicles, before mercifully being finished off. Once on the right terrain, the vehicle found its calling, specifically open areas where turning was not an issue. Here, I found myself able to continually knock out multiple enemy vehicles. I also decided to put to the test some British tanks I had unlocked over the course of the month. I put my luck behind another interesting vehicle with its roots in a member of the British Commonwealth. The Reconnaissance Car Mk VI (2pdr), also known as the Marmon-Herrington Armoured Car, was produced in South Africa and was utilised by various countries throughout the Commonwealth during World War Two.
