Crusader A15, AA Mk I

History

Crusader A15, AA Mk I
Specifications
Type	Medium self propelled Anti-Aircraft Artillery
Armament	40 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun
Gun Elevation	L/60: −5°/+90° (55°/s) L/70: −20°/+80° (57°/s)
Turret Traverse	360°
Crew	3 (Commander, Gunner, driver)
Weight	18,000kg
speed	42kmH

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Main Gun Optics
Specifications
Designation	?
Magnification	?
Field of View	?

The Bofors 40mm was a highly capable anti-aircraft gun but towing and setting up a gun takes time and troops on the move might need some weaponry to take on enemy aircraft other than their own infective rifles. The solution was self-propelled Anti-aircraft(SPAA). early SPAA were nothing more than light AA mounted onto the backs of trucks, but as the war progressed better solutions needed to be found. The answer was to use Crusader hulls since the tank had become obsolete as and armour fighting vehicle but it could still be used in other ways. the Crusader A15, AA Mk I mounted a Bofors 40mm, originally placed in a shielded top but by the time the reached the front line they had these shields had been removed.

Game Play

As a SPAA you have the advantage that you don't need tow to get that ideal AA position. to Deploy the gun press Z and that allows you to fire. remember however, that you can't fire and drive at the same time so you have to be stationary.

The Bofors is an exceptional general purpose weapon against either ground or aerial targets. You have an ample ammunition supply, no reloader pause, and a flat trajectory making it effective with little round drop all the way out to 2km. If that enemy aircraft is even remotely within what you think is hitting range, then fire away! You’ll soon learn what is and what is not considered good range to give away your position to that enemy aircraft. Crew 1, the commander, has 2-stage magnification for target acquisition as well as a crosshair and rangefinder. Crew two looks through the open ring sight. This sight is particularly useful against fast-moving air targets but the lack of a magnified gunner’s sight is particularly noticed when trying to engage ground targets at range, especially if they are somewhat camouflaged. When using the Bofors against aircraft, be aggressive. Slew rate for the 360 degree gun platform is very fast, you can engage close-flying aircraft even at high angle off and track the aircraft without too much difficulty. Against ground targets, you will notice that the dispersion of the rather lightweight 40mm HE shells is fairly high, and you will likely have to walk your fire across your target. 40mm HE doesn’t penetrate armor particularly well, but explosive effects will jar any target making it nearly impossible for them to successfully fire back at you.

Learn how to effective use the Bofors in the AA guide - AirQuake! The AA gunner's guide to an empty sky