Why are the External Fuel Drums missing from Soviet Tanks?
This is an issue of historical accuracy and visual representation that really needs to be addressed.
Nearly all Cold War-era Soviet tanks, and even some Western designs, featured external fuel drums as a standard part of their equipment. These drums are such an iconic detail that they’re frequently depicted in silhouette artwork, military diagrams, and Op-For training. Yet in War Thunder, many of the original vehicles that carried them do not have them modeled, while others such as the M1 KVT and ZTZ59A do. This inconsistency is puzzling, especially considering how visually and historically distinct these drums are.
Discussion:
Read More
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a question of game mechanics, but one of authenticity. The Chinese ZTZ59A premium tank in-game includes the external fuel drum model, and it works just fine. The same goes for the M1 KVT and others. If these models can include it without affecting gameplay negatively, there’s no technical reason the same can’t be done for T-54s, T-55s, T-62s, and other Soviet and non-Soviet vehicles that historically carried them. Considering that the drum mounts are already modelled.
If the mounting area is a concern, the solution is simple: the drums can be modeled as empty containers, allowing shells to pass through them without effect, or treated as thin sheet metal, a few millimeters of protection at most, just enough to stop HEAT rounds which is historically plausible. As a compromise, the fuel drums could be added to the customization menu, alongside them jerry cans, with programming adjustments made to ensure they properly fit the existing mounting brackets.
These fuel drums were mounted externally in real life: to reduce the risk to the crew and internal systems. If they were hit and ignited, the fire and fuel would spill harmlessly onto the ground or across the armor. The spilled oil/fuel has already been modelled into this game.
The crews indeed might have been instructed to have them removed before combat. However, numerous wartime and post-war photographs show destroyed or abandoned Soviet tanks, including T-34-85s, T-54s, T-55s, and T-62s, still equipped with their external fuel drums, clearly indicating that in real-world combat scenarios, these drums were often not removed before fighting. In the chaos of fast-moving or improvised engagements, taking the time to remove fuel drums simply wasn’t always practical. So when people argue, “they were always removed before combat,” it’s entirely valid to ask: “Then how do you explain the countless photos of wrecked tanks with fuel barrels still attached?” If War Thunder strives for realism and historical accuracy, the presence of fuel drums should reflect this reality. Just like with jet aircraft, where players can choose whether or not to equip external fuel tanks, tank players should have the same option.
So the question remains: if the mechanics already exist and other vehicles have them, why are they absent from historically accurate Soviet tanks in War Thunder?
And if these drums are supposedly removed before a “Warthunder battle” then why does the ZTZ59A premium still come with one modeled by default?
