Pz.Sfl.Ic

Description

The 5 cm Pak38 auf Pz.Kpfw.II Sonderfahrgestell 901 is a premium gift rank German light tank with a battle rating of (AB), (RB), and (SB). It was introduced as a premium pack in Update 1.43 as the Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. H (shortened to Pz.II H). In Update 1.89, the vehicle was renamed to the current designation. It was purchasable from the store until the 2021 May sale after which it was removed from sale. It has since been made available for purchase in-game with Golden Eagles temporarily for the 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 "German Unity Day" mini-events.

General info

Survivability and armour

Having 30 mm of frontal armour, this tank isn't made for the frontline. The three crew members mean that single-shot destruction is a common possibility. Worse still, this tank has no roof protection with the cloth covering being only cosmetic. Unfortunately, this also means that you are very vulnerable to aircraft attacks too. Your demure silhouette will let you easily hide in the small nooks and crannies of maps and lets you cover your entire tank with bushes for extra concealment.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and torsion bars are 10 mm thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 5 mm thick.
• A 5 mm thick plate separates the crew compartment from the engine compartment.
• Mudguards are 4 mm thick.

Mobility

The Pz.Sfl.Ic has a power-to-weight ratio of nearly 20 hp/ton which translates to a very mobile and nimble tank. The top speed of 56 km/h (RB) is good but still pales in comparison next to the 90 km/h of the Puma armoured cars. However, its tracks handle much better at high speeds than the Puma's wheels, and it is able to make far tighter turns and faster stops. The maximum reverse speed is -10 km/h, which for a tank is decent and will let you easily get out of perilous situations where other tanks of the same rank struggle when retreating.

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Main armament

The 50 mm PaK38 is probably the best gun you can find at this battle rating. The shells have decent penetration, good post pen damage and an incredible APCR round makes this tank able to punch way above its weight. Don't be afraid to take this tank into higher rank battles. Beware, though, it will struggle against the upper front plate of T-34s and Shermans, so remember their frontal weak spots. Not that you should be engaging those tanks frontally anyway. Always bring high explosive rounds, as the lack of any secondary armament makes lighter vehicles harder to fight effectively.

Ammunition

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Pz.Sfl.Ic

Notes:

• Racks disappear after all shells in the rack have been shot or loaded.
• The visual discrepancy concerns the number of shells per rack:
  • For rack 1, 20 shells are modeled for 14 available.
  • For racks 2 & 3, 11 shells are modeled for 13 available.

Usage in battles

In battles, it performs well as a scout vehicle with its high mobility in all game modes. It can also function well as a tank destroyer with its high penetration power. It has very little gun depression, which means you won't be able to reliably shoot over hills. It also lacks a machine gun to combat planes and open-topped vehicles, which can be a burden.

It's advised that you keep on the move while using the Pz.Sfl.Ic as any aircraft with guns can take out your turret crew which will knock your vehicle out. Most SPAAs at your BR will also be able to penetrate your hull even frontally, so try to stay out of sight. You are generally safe from .50 cal HMGs although from the rear and non-angled sides they can still penetrate.

In the Pz.Sfl.Ic, you should avoid well-protected tanks like the KV-1 (L-11), the T-34 (1940) or the M4A3 (105) as their armour will make it difficult for your 50 mm cannon to penetrate in an uptier. Your cannon still can go through any of their weak spots. Generally, you should stay on the move and make sure you're not spotted, try to stay off the frontline, but don't be afraid to use your gun if you have to since it's very potent at its BR except against the most armoured targets.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Has a gun that will reliably penetrate pretty much any of its expected enemies
• Very fast (max speed off-road of around 56 km/h)
• Has a decent reload speed
• Has the scouting ability, which can earn you some extra silver lions and valuable intel for your team
• Because of lack of armour, some shells will pass right through you
• Can change positions very quickly if needed
• Can get to the cap points and good positions early in the match

Cons:

• Weak armour - trade-off of speed for less weight
• Open-top, planes can destroy the vehicle with machine guns when strafing very easily
• Has very bad depression angles
• Can get slowed down in difficult terrain

History

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Pz.Sfl.Ic from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the vehicles;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.