Vehicle:Sherman Firefly

1 Cromwell Command Tank Veterancy
2 Tactics
3 History
4 Requires
- 4.1 Cromwell Command Tank
5 Built From
- 5.1 Armor Command Truck
6 Support Abilities
- 6.1 Hull Down Position
7 Vehicle Upgrades
- 7.1 Tank Crew Commander
8 Vehicle Weapons
- 8.1 17 Pounder Firefly
- 8.2 Besa Coaxial Vehicle
- 8.3 Besa Hull MG

Sherman Firefly
	Health	550	Max Speed	5	Sight	35
	Cost	450100	Acceleration	1.5	Detection	0/0
	Time	65	Deceleration	5
Hotkey: F	Population	10	Rotation	35	Target Type	armour_sherman
	Upkeep	9	Crush Human	true	Critical Type	armour
			Crush Mode	crush_medium	Rear Damage Enabled	true

Cromwell Command Tank Veterancy						[Expand][Hide]
	Sight Radius	Vehicles	Stackable	+5	0 Vet-Exp
	Weapon Reload	Vehicles	Stackable	x0.75	0 Vet-Exp
	Weapon Range	Vehicles	Stackable	+2.5	0 Vet-Exp
	Weapon Reload	Sherman Firefly	Stackable	x0.8	0 Vet-Exp
	Sight Radius	Vehicles	Stackable	+5	48 Vet-Exp
	Weapon Reload	Vehicles	Stackable	x0.9	48 Vet-Exp
	Weapon Range	Vehicles	Stackable	+2.5	48 Vet-Exp
	Weapon Reload	Sherman Firefly	Stackable	x0.8	48 Vet-Exp
	Veterancy Level 1	N/A	N/A	Nothing	24 Vet-Exp
	Veterancy Level 2	N/A	N/A	Nothing	48 Vet-Exp
	Veterancy Level 3	N/A	N/A	Nothing	72 Vet-Exp

Tactics

While the armor is not great, the Firefly has a great range and penetration. As a result keeping the tank at max range allows it put out very respectable damage without taking any itself.
Another reason to keep the Firefly at maximum range is a set of range modifiers applied to its reload time. As strange as it sounds, the main gun reloads faster at long range and gets significant short range penalties.
With the 2.3 patch it is also necessary to keep a Command Tank in range to get the most out of it.
Using hulldown on your Firefly is often a fatal mistake, as the enemy can then easily close in and exploit the reload time penalties as well as the weak rear armour.
The Panther is often considered to be the archenemy of the Firefly. Since both units have enough firepower to penetrate the enemy's frontal armour with every single shot and both have comparable mobility, the aforementioned short range penalties of the Firefly become the most important factor in such a duel. In close combat, the Panther will usually slaughter the Firefly without much resistance, while at maximum range, the opposite might be true (the Firefly outranges the Panther).

History

Fireflies were introduced to armored brigades and divisions in 21 Army Group in 1944 just in time for the Normandy landings. After experience in the Battle of Normandy, it was decided to employ them by assigning one (later two) to each four-tank troop instead of concentrating them in Firefly-only troops or squadrons.

They were among the few Allied tanks capable of taking on the German Panther and Tiger tanks at normal combat ranges. Though they were no better-armored than most M4 versions, the 17-pdr anti-tank gun offered far better performance than the standard 75 mm gun which had been chosen for the infantry support role. Even using the regular APC round it could penetrate the front armour of a Tiger I at up to 1,000 meters; with the more advanced APCBC and APDS rounds that became available towards the end of the war, it could penetrate at over 2,000 meters. The principal disadvantages of the Firefly were its low rate of fire (about half that of a 75 mm Sherman), due to the cramped nature of the turret and difficulty in reloading a gun turned on its side, and the very large, bright muzzle flash of the 17-pdr gun.

Requires

Cromwell Command Tank				[Expand][Hide]
	Health	636	Population	8
	Cost	30050	Max Speed	5
	Time	50	Target Type	armour_cromwell
Hotkey: T	Effects: The unarmed Command Tank uses a dummy gun barrel to mask its true identity from the enemy. Massive radios crowd the turret, allowing communication with nearby tank squads and other command elements. ESee Vehicle:Cromwell Command Tank for details.

Built From

Armor Command Truck				[Expand][Hide]
	Health	750	Population	0
	Cost	20565	Max Speed	3
	Time	70	Target Type	hqs_mobile
Hotkey: A	Effects: The Armor Command Truck coordinates and deploys Heavy Armor on the battlefield. ESee Vehicle:Armor Command Truck for details.

Support Abilities

Hull Down Position				[Expand][Hide]
	Cost		Activation	toggle
	Duration	_	Target	tp_any
	Recharge	0
Hotkey: D	Effects: Tank can be toggled into and out of a Hull Down Position, which offers more protection to the vehicle. ESee Ability:Hull Down Position for details.

Vehicle Upgrades

Tank Crew Commander				[Expand][Hide]
	Cost	10	Time	10
Hotkey: T	Effects: The tank crew commander will emerge to survey the battlefield, improving sight range. ESee Upgrade:Tank Crew Commander for details.