Škoda T 50

## Basic Information

The **Škoda T 50** is a Czechoslovakian tier 9 medium tank.

A further development of the post-war concept for the Czechoslovakian general purpose tank. The project was developed by Škoda in 1947. In 1948, significant changes were introduced to the project. There were plans to mount a 100 mm gun. The project was discontinued after one full-size wooden prototype had been built.

The Škoda T 50 leads to the TVP T 50/51.

## Pros & Cons

##### Pros:

* Excellent shell velocity and shell cycling with the top gun
* Good gun depression
* Very good acceleration with the top engine, retains speed well
* Good viewrange
* Hull sides are covered with spaced armor, can occasionally absorb enemy shots

##### Cons:

* Large for a medium tank, with poor camouflage
* Poorly armored, expect only rare bounces or ricochets
* Top speed is merely average
* Lowest burst potential of all Tier 9 and 10 autoloaders
* Frequent module damage and crew injury

## Performance

Like several of its Tier 9 peers, the Škoda T 50 is yet another papery medium tank that does away with survivability in exchange for firepower. In this it is somewhat unique as its top gun, the 100mm AK1, is an autoloader featuring a 3-shell magazine with a reasonably quick reload speed and, most importantly, an excellent shell cycling speed.

Indeed, said shell cycling is perhaps what defines the Škoda T 50. Whereas autoloaders of other nations, such as the French Bat-Chat 25t AP, deliver potentially massive burst damage but need to stay exposed for a long time to do so, the Škoda T 50 empties its clip in a mere 3,6 seconds, which is fast enough for some effective trading - depending on the enemy tank, one can poke out of cover, get shot at once, deliver a three-round burst for an average of 960 damage, and then retreat to safety while the clip gets reloaded. Obviously, such a strategy cannot be executed in any situation and is a calculated risk and is up to the player to determine when to gamble, and when to play cautious.

As an autoloader, the Škoda T 50 becomes more threatening the more it stays alive. Prolonged matches can leave damaged enemy tanks scattered all over the map, which is great as they make for juicy picks where even the modest burst damage of the Škoda becomes a significant threat. It is therefore recommended to play safe and supportive to more heavily armored and armed teammates until mid to late game, where there will be less enemies to deal with and flanking maneuvers can be more safely executed.

Lastly, the Škoda T 50 enjoys good view range and excellent shell velocity with its top gun, as well as acceptable accuracy. It is therefore possible to act as a mobile second line sniper and engage distracted or unaware enemies, though fully committing to such a role is not advised.

Overall, the Škoda T 50 is a solid Tier 9 medium tank and, like all autoloaders, and opportunistic predator. Refuse fair fights and focus on assassinating or wounding enemy tanks wherever possible before slipping away to reload the clip and repeat the process.

## Historical Information

Based on the preliminary works on the TVP concept from January 1948, in January 1949, the HQ of the army issued an official request for a tank project to Škoda and Praga. For Škoda, the project had designation T-50 (task 181 B), for ČKD (Praga), the designation was T-51 (task 181 A).

## Historical Accuracy Errata

It should be noted that the model of the Škoda T 50 in game does not represent the any of the plans found in archives of the TVP project. Instead, it is based off of a drawing by Czech historian Ivo Pejčoch that represented the Škoda T 50. This drawing is believed to be fake, as it incorporates elements from two different projects. In particular, Pejčoch's Škoda T 50 combines the hull of a TVP-based tank destroyer from 1949 and an enlarged version of the turret of the Škoda T-17 light tank.