A27M Cromwell

The A27M Cromwell Tank was a medium tank of the British Army created in the middle of the Second World War. His project was the basis of the A34 Comet I.

With experience with Crusader tanks, the English General Staff presented an order for a new tank, better armed and more reliable than the earlier design. Fast and very agile, for using an airplane engine with reduced power, its 75 mm gun (initially 57 mm), however, was already lower than the German design when it was adopted in 1943, it should join the lousy design Ballistic its hull. Even then replaced the Shermans in many English units, being built by the end of the war.

History
The Cromwell was designed to replace the tank A15 Crusader, which became obsolete. End 1940, the Staff of UK published its specifications on this and Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company offered him his project in early 1941.

Because of early production and lack of good elements, the first tank accepted, A15 Cruzader, Proved unfit for combat. One major problem was that the American Liberty engine, built under license by Nuffield Organisation, was of insufficient power.

A new engine, the Meteor, was then developed on the basis of Rolls Royce Merlin, A jet engine used for example for Spitfire. The Meteor was developing 600 hp, or about 50% more power than the Liberty. As Rolls-Royce, manufacturer of the Merlin, was already working full time for the aviation, manufacturing Meteor was entrusted to the Rover Car Company. A new tank, the Mk VIII A27, was then developed specifically for profit.

It took considerable time to prepare Rover assembly lines for the Meteor engine, which is why the first A27 were equipped with the old Liberty engine , under the name of A27L Centaur. It was only a few months later, in January 1943, the Meteors were available and that the A27M Cromwell went into production.

The total production of the A27 was the 4016 battle tanks or 950 3066 Cromwells and Centaurs. In addition, 375 Centaur chassis were built to be equipped with a turret flak, and only 95 were actually on

The Cromwell should still be changed before entering into service, particularly in the barrel rempaçant Ordnance QF 6 pounder Centaur by Ordnance QF 75 mm ( a variant of the QF 6-pounder shells designed to draw U.S. M3 75mm ) , and it had its baptism of fire in June 1944 for the Normandy landings (Gold Beach, 7th Armoured Division). The crew gave him a mixed reception : it was faster and lower than the M4 Sherman. But its armor, with equivalent thickness, was more square, and therefore less effective. The gun could fire 75 shells high explosives that had failed as the British tanks at the beginning of the war, but was less effective against panzer that the QF 6 pounds or barrel Ordnance QF 17 pounder antitank fitted to the Sherman Firefly.

The Centaur was mainly used for training, only specialized models were sent to the battlefield. The Centaur CS (Close Support, close support ), with a howitzer 95 mm, was part of the Armoured Support Group Royal Marines for D-Day Some were also used as a basis for engineering vehicles such as armored bulldozers.

The M4 Sherman tank remained the most common weapon in the armored Commonwealth. The Cromwell completely outfitted one division, the 7th Armoured Division. It was also used as the main tank battalions of recognition of other British armored divisions, because of its high speed. It was replaced by theA34 Comet I, a model significantly improved by the adoption of the canon 77mm HV (76.2 mm), derived from QF 17 lbs.

After the war, Cromwell remained in service in the British army. It was also used in Finland.

Variants

 * Centaur I

The first design. He was armed with a gun QF 6 pounds (57 mm), with 64 missiles. It was only used for training and 1059 there were tanks.


 * Centaur II

A Mark I tracked wider and no gun in the frame. It was an experimental model. Centaur armed with a gun 75 mm Mk V ROQF. In 1943, most of the Centaur Centaur I were converted to III, but a few were not converted. There were 233 tanks.
 * Centaur III
 * Centaur IV

A Centaur armed with a 95 mm howitzer ( with 51 projectiles). This was the only known version of the Centaur who saw combat, serving in the Armoured Support Group of Royal Marines. The vehicles were equipped with fishing equipment to be landed in Normandy, as well as waterproof filters in the engine air intakes and protective covers on the arms. There were 114 tanks.
 * Centaur, AA Mk I

A frame of Centaur III Anti- Aircraft turret armed with two Mk II automatic cannon 20 mm Polster. Were used for the first time in Normandy, but was removed as unnecessary because of Allied air superiority. 95 tanks were produced. Crusader III chassis with a turret Mk III Anti- Aircraft guns armed with two 20 mm automatic Polster. Just like the Centaur I, but equipped with the Meteor engine. Only 357 were produced, due to the replacement of the barrel of six pounds (57 mm) by 75 mm. caterpillars had wider and had no gun in the chassis to increase the storage of ammunition. There was none. A Centaur I updated with a Meteor V12 engine. produce only about 200 due to the shortage of tanks Centaur I. A Centaur III upgraded with Meteor engine. It was the largest variant, with more than 1 935 tanks produced. He was equipped with the Meteor engine and chassis was built by welding. A Cromwell armed with 75 mm cannon. Its chassis was built by welding rather than riveting. A Cromwell armed with a 95 mm howitzer. 341 tanks were produced. Cromwell IV and V tanks upgraded with extra armor, wider tracks and additional gearbox. This model was introduced near the end of the war, which was not much use in combat. 1500 tanks were produced.
 * Centaur AA Mk II
 * Cromwell I
 * Cromwell II
 * Cromwell III
 * Cromwell IV
 * IVW Cromwell
 * Cromwell Vw
 * Cromwell VI
 * Cromwell VII

*Cromwell VIIw

A Vw Cromwell Cromwell upgraded to standard VII. A Cromwell VI with the same improvements VII.
 * VIII Cromwell

Operators
Israel
 * Czechoslovakia
 * Finland


 * Poland


 * Portugal


 * United Kingdom

Specifications

 * Length: 6.35 m


 * Height: 2.49 m


 * Width: 2.91


 * Ground clearance: 0.41 m


 * Weight: 28,000 kg


 * Engine: Rolls-Royce Meteor V-12 gasoline (600 hp)


 * Speed: 52 km / h (maximum), 29 km / h (off road)


 * Autonomy: 280 km


 * Shield: 57 mm (shell-101 mm with reinforcement), 76 mm ( tower), 20 mm ( top).


 * Armament: a 75 mm L40 gun Mk V or VA, a 7.92 mm BESA machine gun
 * Crew: 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, second driver.)
 * Model: A27M ( Meteor engine ), Mk I