British "Cruiser" Tanks
Between World Wars I and II, the British were in quite a quandary
over the tactical significance of their new "mechanical toy," the tank.
While German strategicians were deciding that war was going to go to the mobile and tanks
would provide the required mobility, the British figured that future war was going to
resemble World War I with entrenched lines. Thus they channeled their tank
development in two directions: "infantry" tanks, having a top speed at about a
doughboy's run, were to support infantry across no-man's land while "cruiser"
tanks, like their naval brethren, were to engage and destroy other tanks (cruiser and
infantry).
British "cruiser" tanks tended to be far faster than their
"infantry" counterparts and were usually heavy armored whenever possible,
befitting the British design philosophy.
CRUISER TANK A15
"Crusader" |
Crusader Mk I, North Africa Colors
|
DIMENSIONS |
Mass
(mt):
12.2 -19.3 |
Length (m):
5.8 - 5.97 |
Width (m):
2.5 - 2.76 |
Height (m):
2.5 - 2.23 |
TIME
PERIOD:
1940 (A15 Crusader Mk I)
to
1943 (A15 Crusader Mk III) |
| The A15
Crusader evolved to replace the aging 1930's-era A9 Cruiser Tank Mk I as the primary
medium tank of the British Army. Easily recognized due to its blocky hexagonal
turret, the Crusader was fast with average armor and an average armament of a 2pdr main
gun. The Crusader was generally a good match for a Panzer III. |
CRUSADER CRUISER TANK MK
I |
Max. Speed:
44 kph |
Range: 200km |
| Front Bottom |
Front Driver |
Hull, Side |
Hull, Rear |
Hull, Deck |
Gun Shield |
Turret Front |
Turret Side |
| 19mm |
19mm |
16mm |
16mm |
7mm |
28mm |
28mm |
16mm |
| 40mm "Two-Pounder" Tank Gun |
Max. Range: 1140m |
Mx. Penetrate: 64mm |
| BESA 7.92mm Coaxial Machine Gun |
Max. Range: 450m |
Medium Machine Gun |
| BESA 7.92mm Bow Machine Gun |
Max. Range: 450m |
Medium Machine Gun |
CRUSADER CRUISER TANK MK
II |
Max. Speed:
44 kph |
Range: 160km |
| Front Bottom |
Front Driver |
Hull, Side |
Hull, Rear |
Hull, Deck |
Gun Shield |
Turret Front |
Turret Side |
| 38mm |
40mm |
28mm |
28mm |
7mm |
49mm |
49mm |
24mm |
| 40mm "Two-Pounder" Tank Gun |
Max. Range: 1140m |
Mx. Penetrate: 64mm |
| BESA 7.92mm Coaxial Machine Gun |
Max. Range: 450m |
Medium Machine Gun |
| BESA 7.92mm Bow Machine Gun |
Max. Range: 450m |
Medium Machine Gun |
CRUSADER CRUISER TANK MK
III |
Max. Speed:
44 kph |
Range: 160km |
| Front Bottom |
Front Driver |
Hull, Side |
Hull, Rear |
Hull, Deck |
Gun Shield |
Turret Front |
Turret Side |
| 33mm |
50mm |
28mm |
28mm |
7mm |
51mm |
49mm |
24mm |
| 57mm "Six-Pounder" Tank Gun |
Max. Range: 1360m |
Mx. Penetrate: 92mm |
| BESA 7.92mm Coaxial Machine Gun |
Max. Range: 450m |
Medium Machine Gun |
| BESA 7.92mm Bow Machine Gun |
Max. Range: 450m |
Medium Machine Gun |
CRUISER TANK A27
"Cromwell" |
Cromwell Mk IV
|
DIMENSIONS |
Mass
(mt):
27.4 -28.4 |
Length (m):
6.3 |
Width (m):
2.9 |
Height (m):
2.5 |
TIME
PERIOD:
1943 (A27 Cromwell MkI)
to
War's End |
| A
replacement for the too-light Crusader, the Cromwell was the most important British medium
tank of the war. Similar in size and purpose to an American M4, the Cromwell was a
surprisingly fast tank that stood on a relatively equal footing to the Panzer IV.
One of the first British tanks to use a 75mm gun that could fire different
types of rounds (like the M4 Sherman) was the Cromwell Mk IV, which shared the
characteristic "rivited box" turret of all Cromwells. A Cromwell variant
called the Challenger carried a 17-pounder gun but was extremely rare. |
CROMWELL CRUISER TANK MK
IV |
Max. Speed:
64 kph |
Range: 140km |
| Front Bottom |
Front Driver |
Hull, Side |
Hull, Rear |
Hull, Deck |
Gun Shield |
Turret Front |
Turret Side |
| 65mm |
75mm |
33mm |
33mm |
20mm |
55mm |
80mm |
65mm |
| 75mm (Modified Six-Pounder) Tank Gun |
Max. Range: 1820m |
Mx. Penetrate: 96mm |
| BESA 7.92mm Coaxial Machine Gun |
Max. Range: 450m |
Medium Machine Gun |
| BESA 7.92mm Bow Machine Gun |
Max. Range: 450m |
Medium Machine Gun |
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