Pre-order: T58

The T58 is an American experimental heavy tank developed in the mid-1950s as part of the U.S. Army’s effort to counter the latest Soviet heavy tanks during the early Cold War.

Vehicle History

During WWII, American armor had relied on numbers, mobility, and combined-arms tactics rather than direct superiority in firepower or armor. However, the appearance of newer Soviet heavy tanks, like the IS-3, caused deep concern as existing U.S. medium tanks would struggle against it. In response, the U.S. initiated a heavy tank program that eventually produced the M103 heavy tank. Yet even as the M103 entered service, U.S. planners worried it might already be insufficient to deal with future Soviet designs intended to succeed the IS-3.

The T58 project, which began in the mid-1950s, was intended as an answer: it took the M103 chassis and paired it with an experimental oscillating turret mounting a 155 mm gun. The oscillating turret idea was inspired by contemporary French tanks, particularly the AMX-50 series, and was seen as a way to manage the weight of such a large cannon while incorporating an autoloader to offset the difficulties of handling massive shells. The 155 mm gun was designed to defeat any heavy armor the Soviets could produce. However, the T58’s development coincided with a major shift in U.S. and NATO doctrine, which moved away from specialized heavy tanks toward the main battle tank (MBT) concept. This was primarily due to logistical concerns and the belief that nuclear weapons on the battlefield reduced the need for heavily armored behemoths. As a result, the T58 was never pursued beyond the prototype stage, with the project being canceled in 1957.

Introducing the T58!

Well protected, powerful and packing a mighty punch; a description befit to practically all early Cold War American heavy tanks. The T58 represents the pinnacle of American heavy tank design and the last behemoth of its kind before the MBT concept was widely adopted. It’s available starting today in the Gaijin store as a pre-order pack, coming in with special pre-order bonuses! Let’s go into the details of this beast.

The T58 represents a further development of the M103 heavy tank in which engineers sought to “future proof” the American heavy tank design against more advanced Soviet counterparts. The most important aspect of this undertaking was to equip the T58 with a monstrous 155 mm cannon, capable of breaching through even the most heavily protected enemy encountered on the battlefield. As such, the T58 will join the gang of “big guns” in ground battles, possessing the capability to utterly devastate its foes with its lethal HEAT and HESH rounds.

Despite the large caliber however, the T58’s T180 cannon features good ballistic properties overall, and thanks to the presence of an autoloading mechanism the rate of fire is also very fast for its caliber. However, as the autoloader is limited to just six rounds, you may often find yourself quickly expending the available ammo and having to undergo a lengthy reload to replenish the magazine. So it’s best to take this into account during intense combat!

The gun is not the only thing that makes this titan so impressive. As with other American heavy tanks, the T58 boasts excellent protection. It inherits the M103’s well protected hull and couples it with a unique oscillating turret design with complex geometry, resulting in excellent protective qualities. However, a major limiting factor of the turret is the limited elevation angles which may put the T58 at a disadvantage on more uneven terrain.

With its combat weight sitting at an impressive 60 tons, the T58 is also one extremely heavy unit to shift around on the battlefield. Outfitted with a 810 HP engine, the T58 can reach top speeds of up to 35.4 km/h on paved roads. As a result, you may find yourself behind the front line at the start of battle, and may get caught out when repositioning. On the other hand, the T58 will be a true force to be reckoned with in urban environments where mobility plays less of a deciding factor! 

The T58 can be obtained by purchasing a pack in the Gaijin store and will become available with the release of the next major update. Thanks for joining us in today’s devblog and we hope you’re excited as we are for the arrival of this new American titan to War Thunder ground battles! We’ll see you in the next devblog and until then, happy hunting tankers!

Please note that these vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before they are added to the game.