I have tried to make this tank work and to unlock its mysteries. I don't think it really has any. The armor has some good attributes but that isn't enough to rely on. The gun isn't anything exceptional, and the somewhat unusual armor scheme doesn't make up for the tank's deficiencies.
Now with the 59 Patton taking over as the king of Tier VIII medium DPM (because no one seriously considers the Panther 8.8 to be able to ever use the DPM), I think this tank needs a buff.
How would I buff it? Easy answer: speed. Make it faster, even if only in a straight line. The pen isn't good enough to hold a position and it isn't the sniper that is CDC. Btw I am still a lover of the CDC and I have never listened to any of the doom and gloom around that tank because I personally know exactly how to make it work. Not every disliked tank is a bad tank, but 0-47 is outclassed by almost every other Tier VIII premium med. A spood beast would make it much better, and allow that somewhat weak gun to get into positions where it would be more useful.