The first variant of the Ram will be making its way to the British ground forces tree to help reinforce the early ranks with some Canadian power!
Ram I: A Medium Tank for Great Britain at Rank II |
At a glance:
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Vehicle History
During the British retreat from Dunkirk, most of their armored vehicles had to be abandoned. As a result, Britain’s ability to field tanks was severely reduced, and they called on Canada for help. Canada was considering manufacturing American M3 Medium tanks at the time, but identified several shortcomings that would reduce the longevity of the design, making it impractical to produce long-term. Canada had access to many M3 parts however, this combined with the request from Britain helped revitalize Canada’s plans to build their own domestic tank.
The new design would incorporate many elements of the M3, including the engine, suspension, and chassis. The tank was built with Britain in mind, which further directed the design. It featured a driver position on the right of the hull, and a small British-influenced auxiliary turret housing a single machine gun on the left. The main turret was intended to mount the British 57 mm 6pdr gun, but due to short supply, the first 50 tanks would be fitted with the more readily available 40 mm 2pdr. This initial design became the Ram I.
Introducing the Ram I!
The Ram I will be joining the British ground forces tree in the next major update as a researchable vehicle, adding a strong versatile option to the early ranks. Let’s have a look!
Aside from the turret, the Ram I is functionally the same as the Ram II, so lets go over those more familiar details first. Mobility is comparable to early Sherman models, the Ram is a similar weight and also uses the same engine, so traversing around the map will feel fairly comfortable. It won’t win many races, but the mobility overall is sufficient across the board, and certainly isn’t a drawback.
Armor is equally respectable. The hull’s asymmetrical and somewhat vague layout makes it more resilient against poorly aimed or rushed shots. When angled, the upper hull can potentially withstand some of the stronger cannons at the rank, making it quite an effective brawler! The drivers port is a weak spot however, so when you play the Ram you should always angle your armor to make this port harder to hit. The turret face is also fairly well armored, and houses a 40 mm cannon.
Did you know? |
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No gun-tank variant of the Ram ever saw combat during the Second World War, but its chassis proved successful in other roles. The Kangaroo APC became one of the war’s most effective armored personnel carriers, and the Sexton self propelled artillery vehicle saw wide success as well. |
While the 40 mm cannon is not immensely powerful, it does have its advantages. The reload speed is very fast at under 3 seconds per shot on a good crew, and the smaller cannon also allows for more gun depression when compared to the Ram II at a modest -10 degrees, allowing the Ram I to work more effectively on hills and elevated terrain.
A variety of AP rounds are available, along with an APHE shell. The APHE option lacks significant penetration, but is perfect for lightly armored vehicles and side shots. The top AP shell offers a max pen of only 89 mm, which does mean the Ram I can struggle against more heavily armored opponents.
Due to this, this Ram shines at closer ranges where the cannon will be more effective. The impressive armor combined with the rapid fire rate and shoulder stabilizer for the gunner make it an effective brawler, and a valuable asset for early British lineups!
That’s all for today! We hope you’re looking forward to giving this tank a try when it arrives in the next major update, keep an eye out for more news and we’ll see you soon!
Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.