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M103

M103

USA · Heavy tank · Rank 5

Battle Ratings

Arcade7.7
Realistic7.7
Simulator7.7

These are archived ratings; check the game for current values. The history below shows recorded ratings and announced changes.

Vehicle Overview

Nation
USA
Class
Heavy tank
Rank
5
Acquisition Type
Tech Tree

View official War Thunder Wiki entry ↗

Battlefield Role

Fight from cover with teammates nearby to watch your sides. When the enemy fires, use their reload to take a shot and pull back.

Strengths

Your gun and armor can lead a push when they match up well against the enemy.

When to spawn

Bring it when you can hold a lane from cover. In an uptier, rely more on your position than your armor.

Common Mistakes

  • Repeating the same peek. Once an enemy has your range, move to another angle before firing again. A second shot from the same opening is easier to anticipate.
  • Firing without a retreat. Choose cover you can reach during the reload. Do not cross into an enemy firing lane just to finish a damaged target.

Survivability and Armor

Crew
5 persons

Keep your sides and rear out of view. The lower hull and area around the gun may also be weak spots, depending on the tank and the shell hitting it.

Positioning

Use terrain to conceal the hull and solid cover to shield the sides. Expose the turret only long enough to fire, then retreat along the covered route.

Keep exposed sides and the fighting compartment behind cover. Check the incoming round and impact angle in Protection Analysis before relying on the armor.

Ammunition

M358 shot · APBC

Use against armor and aim for crew or critical modules. A penetration alone may leave the enemy able to return fire.

M356 shell · HE

Use against exposed crews, aircraft where applicable and lightly protected targets. Avoid spending the shot on heavy frontal armor.

M469 shell · HEATFS

Use against armor where the jet can reach the crew. Composite armor and ERA can defeat it; fences and other obstacles may trigger the shell before impact.

M357 · Smoke

Place smoke between the enemy and a crossing or retreat route. It blocks sight; it does not stop incoming fire.

Ready Rack and Carry Load

Maximum capacity
33 rounds

Carry enough for the route and resupply plan. A listed first-stage capacity alone does not establish a safe spawn load or prove that another rack is empty.

Mobility

Maximum forward speed
33 km/h
Maximum reverse speed
8 km/h
Power-to-weight ratio
14.3 hp/t
Engine power
810 hp
Weight
56.7 t

Top speed is not cross-country pace. Check the reverse route before taking a firing position.

Optics

Gunner

Night equipment
Not Equipped
Magnification
6.0×–7.5×

Commander

Night equipment
Not Equipped
Magnification
1.9×

Driver

Night equipment
Night vision device

Target Acquisition

Commander Override
Equipped · dual control
Rangefinder
Rangefinder

Armaments

Primary weapon
120 mm M58 cannon
Secondary weapons
12.7 mm M2HB machine gun · 2 x 7.62 mm M1919A4 machine gun (coaxial)
Reload
19.4 → 14.9 s

Economy

Crew training
86,000 SL
Expert crew
300,000 SL
Ace crew
1,200 GE
Ace crew research
720,000 RP
Reward multiplier · SL (AB/RB/SB)
150/200/240%
Reward multiplier · RP
196%
Total cost of modifications · RP
87,700 RP
Total cost of modifications · SL
146,400 SL

Battle Rating History

M103 · confirmed changes
DateGame modeBattle rating
No confirmed battle rating changes are recorded.
Archived rating records
Recorded snapshots
Date / sourceArcadeRealisticSimulator
October 8, 2026Site profile snapshot7.77.77.7
November 26, 2024Observed · Wiki archive ↗7.77.77.7
Sources and data checks

Vehicle data checked October 8, 2026. Crew optics checked October 22, 2026. Speeds use Realistic Battles values. Reload depends on crew skills and qualification; damage can reduce performance. Unknown equipment is not a confirmed absence.

Community discussion

M103 vehicle guide · 0 comments

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