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Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank Cruiser Weights:
The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
by Wayne Turner

When we think about tank warfare today it is so easy to categorise roles of the tanks of WWII into light, medium and heavy. However, during the 1930s the British Army’s thinking about armoured warfare broke the role of tanks into two categories.
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
The first category was that of the Infantry tank. These tanks were designed to support the infantry. They were well armed to give the infantry firepower support, as well as having good armour to withstand any enemy fire from anti-tanks guns. Tanks such as the A11 Matilda, A12 Matilda, Valentine and Churchill were all designed for this role and filled it well.

The second category, and the subject of this article, was the Cruiser tank. These tanks were designed with speed in mind, as their role was to breakthrough the gaps created by the infantry and Infantry tanks.

Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
They were to speed through the enemy’s lines, attack their rear areas, and engage the enemy’s tanks in reserve. To achieve this armour was sacrificed for the benefit of speed, so the Cruiser tanks were nowhere near as heavily armoured as the Infantry Tanks. The name Cruiser owes much to Navy’s Cruiser ships and the types of naval gun duals that ships would engage in on the high seas.

The basic concept behind the two types of tanks reflects the thinking that came out of the First World War. Tanks had developed as infantry support weapons and the Infantry tank was the natural progression of this. On the other hand, the Cruiser tank concept owes much to the cavalry tradition of the British army. During much of the First World War British cavalry formations waited behind the lines of the Western Front for that final breakthrough to be unleashed through the lines so that they could ride deep into enemy territory. With the arrival of the tank the cavalry saw this kind of exploitation move as a more likely prospect.
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
Designations
Sometimes British tank designations can be a little confusing at first glace. Most tanks had an ‘A’ number designation. These were allocated with the design specifications by the British government. When the government asked for a Cruiser tank design from Vickers in 1935 the contract was given the A9 designation. However, some tanks, like the Valentine, never got an ‘A’ number as they were not a government order, but were a design undertaken on manufacturers own initiative. Each ‘A’ number could also have different marks. For example, the A13 had both Mark I and Mark II variants.

After the fall of France it was decided that the proliferation of ‘A’ numbers was too confusing with the different types of Cruiser and Infantry tanks mixed up in the sequence, so the Cruiser and Infantry tank marks were used instead.

Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
Each tank design also was given a designation by the Army defined by its type. So an A9 became a Cruiser Mark I. Variants within the types of tanks were also indicated with a letter, usually ‘a’ or ‘A’, added to the mark number. This could be added to the ‘A’ number mark or the tank type mark. For example an A10 Mk Ia (Cruiser Mk IIA) tank has a hull machine-gun, while an A10 Mk I (Cruiser Mk II) doesn’t.

Finally, as the development of the tanks went on the tanks also received official names. For example, the Cruiser Mk VI was also known as the ‘Crusader’. The named tanks also had variants, which were marked by roman numerals placed after the name, like the Crusader III (the version with a 6 pdr main gun).
A9 Cruiser Mk I:
The Birth of the Cruisers

The first British Cruiser tank was the A9 Cruiser Mk I. The A9 was a prewar design developed by Vickers at a relatively slow pace. The first prototype was completed in 1935. After trials, it was accepted into service in 1937. Like all of the early Cruiser tanks it was armed with the excellent 2pdr gun, probably the best anti-tank gun available anywhere in the world at that point.

Right: The A9 Cruiser Mk I.
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
Close Support versions were also produced armed with 3.7” howitzers to fire smoke, and eventually, high explosive rounds. It was also amply armed with machine-guns, with two mounted in twin turrets fitted on the hull front and a third in a co-axial position next to the turret’s 2pdr gun. To retain good speed it was lightly armoured, with just 14mm on the hull front and as little as 6mm elsewhere. It weighed just 13 tonnes and could achieve a speed of 25 mph (40 kph). It had a relatively large crew of six men, a driver and two machine-gunners in the hull, and a commander, gunner and loader in the turret.
The A9 Cruiser Mk I Vital Statistics
Production: 125
Crew: 6
Weight: 13 tonnes
Length: 5.79m (19' 0")
Width: 2.5m (8' 2½")
Height: 2.65m (8' 8½")
Speed: 40km/h (25mph)
Front Armour: 14mm (0.6")
Main Armament: 2 pdr gun
Secondary Armament: 3x Vickers 0.303" MG
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
A10 Cruiser Mk II:
The Heavy Cruiser
A10 Cruiser Mk II was a simple development of the A9. The A10 was up-armoured to 30mm on the front as an Infantry tank, but when the specifications for the Infantry Tanks were upgraded to 60mm of front armour the A10 was re-designated a Heavy Cruiser. The additional armour increased the weight of the A10 to 14.4 tonnes and reduced the tanks speed to 16 mph (25.7 kph).

Left: The A10 Mk I.
The A10 Mk I Vital Statistics
Production: 160
Crew: 5
Weight: 14.4 tonnes
Length: 5.58m (18' 4")
Width: 2.52m (8' 3½")
Height: 2.65m (8' 8½")
Speed: 27.5km/h (16mph)
Front Armour: 30mm (1.2")
Main Armament: 2 pdr gun
Secondary Armament: 1x Vickers 0.303" MG
The hull machine-gun turrets were removed and the A10 Cruiser Mk II had no hull machine-gun, but later production models were fitted with a single hull machinegun mounted on the right of the hull (A10 Cruiser Mk IIA).
The removal of the machine-gun turrets made the hull a little shorter. The driver’s position was moved from the centre to the left of the hull front.
The A10 was mostly armed with a 2pdr gun, though numbers were also made as Close Support tanks armed with 3.7” howitzers. It retained the same three-man turret as the A9, but the A10 Mk Ia (Cruiser Mk IIA) model replaced Vickers .303” water-cooled with 7.92mm BESA machine-guns. The A10 Mk Ia (Cruiser Mk IIA) turret mantlet also changed to accommodate these modifications.

Right: The A10 Mk IA.
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
The A10 Mk IA Vital Statistics
Production: (included in A10 Mk I production)
Crew: 5
Weight: 14.4 tonnes
Length: 5.58m (18' 4")
Width: 2.52m (8' 3½")
Height: 2.65m (8' 8½")
Speed: 27.5km/h (16mph)
Front Armour: 30mm (1.2")
Main Armament: 2 pdr gun
Secondary Armament: 2x BESA 7.92mm MG
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank A13 Cruiser:
The First Fast Cruiser
Like the Soviet BT and T-34 tanks, the A13 Cruiser owes much of its drive and suspension design to the American Christie tank. This suspension design first impressed the British military mission to the Soviet Union in 1936 where they viewed the BT tank in action.

Left: The A13 Mk I.
The A13 Mk I Vital Statistics
Production: 65
Crew: 4
Weight: 14.2 tonnes
Length: 6.02m (19' 9")
Width: 2.54m (8' 4")
Height: 2.59m (8' 6")
Speed: 48km/h (30mph)
Front Armour: 14mm (0.6")
Main Armament: 2 pdr gun
Secondary Armament: 1x Vickers 0.303" MG
They were impressed by its high speed and suggested a British tank be designed along these lines as a replacement for the A9 Cruiser then in development. The British purchased a Christie tank in 1936 to begin various trials. Further variants with larger hulls were ordered in 1937.
Trials continued into 1938 while the design was modified and mechanical bugs were ironed out.

The first production model was the A13 Mk I (later designated the Cruiser Mk III). Its turret was armed with a 2 pdr gun and a co-axial Vickers water-cooled machine-gun. It had 14mm of armour on its front and at least 6mm of armour elsewhere, making its weight 14.2 tonnes.

Right: The A13 Mk II.

Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
The A13 Mk II Vital Statistics
Production: 270
Crew: 4
Weight: 15 tonnes
Length: 6.02m (19' 9")
Width: 2.54m (8' 4")
Height: 2.59m (8' 6")
Speed: 48km/h (30mph)
Front Armour: 30mm (1.2")
Main Armament: 2 pdr gun
Secondary Armament: 1x Vickers 0.303" MG
Early on it was decided to up-armour the A13 by increasing the front to 30mm and adding sloped armour to the turret sides. This increased its weight to 15 tonnes. The up-armoured version of the A13 became the A13 Mk II (Cruiser Mk IV). From June 1940 the Vickers watercooled machine-gun was replaced by the air-cooled BESA machine-gun and the new model designated the A13 Mk IIa (Cruiser Mk IVA). The A13 was powered by a British built Liberty engine, giving is a top speed of 30 mph (48 kph).
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank Like the A9 and A10 Cruiser tanks it saw it’s first combat in France in 1940. The A13 Mk IIA (Cruiser Mk IVA) saw extensive service in North Africa in 1940 and 1941 where it preformed admirably against the Italians, but suffered when the better armed and armoured Germans arrived in 1941. The harsh desert conditions also severely tested the mechanical reliability of the A9, A10 and A13 Cruiser tanks.

Left: The A13 Mk IIA.
The A13 Mk IIA Vital Statistics
Production: (included in A13 Mk II production)
Crew: 4
Weight: 15 tonnes
Length: 6.02m (19' 9")
Width: 2.54m (8' 4")
Height: 2.59m (8' 6")
Speed: 48km/h (30mph)
Front Armour: 30mm (1.2")
Main Armament: 2 pdr gun
Secondary Armament: 1x BESA 7.92mm MG
Crusader:
The First of the Named Cruiser Tanks
The next Cruiser tank off the design boards was the Cruiser Mk V Covenanter. The Covenanter was a further improvement on the A13 design and was originally designated the A13 Mk III.


Right: The Crusader I.
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
This tank proved mechanically unreliable and was never deployed in the field, despite over 1700 tanks being produced. Instead they were used in Britain for training until 1943.
The Crusader I Vital Statistics
Production: (Total 2000 Crusader I and II)
Crew: 5
Weight: 18.8 tonnes
Length: 5.96m (19' 6½")
Width: 2.61m (8' 6½")
Height: 2.22m (7' 3½")
Speed: 44km/h (27mph)
Front Armour: 40mm (1.57")
Main Armament: 2 pdr gun
Secondary Armament: 2x BESA 7.92mm MG
However, the experiences and lessons learned from the development of the Covenanter were utilised in the design of the A15 Cruiser, which would eventually become the Cruiser Mk VI Crusader. Testing of the Crusader prototype began in March 1940. By mid 1940 the order for the Crusader had increased to 400 and then eventually 1062.
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
They overcame some of the mechanical issues of the Covenanter by continuing to use the Liberty engine of the A13, rather than the Flat-12 engine that had given so much trouble in the Covenanter. The Crusader was more heavily armoured than the A13 with 40mm on the front, but armament remain the same with a turret mounted 2 pdr gun and co-axial BESA machine-gun. Another machine-gun was mounted in a small turret to the left of the hull front.

Left: The Crusader II.
The Crusader II Vital Statistics
Production: (Total 2000 Crusader I and II)
Crew: 5
Weight: 19 tonnes
Length: 5.96m (19' 6½")
Width: 2.61m (8' 6½")
Height: 2.22m (7' 3½")
Speed: 44km/h (27mph)
Front Armour: 49mm (1.9")
Main Armament: 2 pdr gun
Secondary Armament: 1x BESA 7.92mm MG
The machine-gun turret was removed from later production models and from those in the field. Extra armour was added to the hull and turret front to bring it up to a maximum of 49mm. This improved model was known as the Crusader II.

Both the Crusader I and II had Close Support models mounting 3” howitzers for firing smoke or high explosive rounds in place of the 2 pdr gun.

The final production model was the Crusader III, produced from May 1942. The Crusader III had further additional armour added to the hull and turret to a maximum of 51mm. The Crusader III was also fitted with the excellent 6 pdr gun.

The top speed of the Crusader was 27 mph (44 kph) and the heaviest of the three, the Crusader III, weighed 19.7 tonnes. By 1943, over 3600 Crusader tanks of all types had been produced.


Right: The Crusader III.
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
The Crusader III Vital Statistics
Production: 1678
Crew: 5
Weight: 19.7 tonnes
Length: 5.96m (19' 6½")
Width: 2.61m (8' 6½")
Height: 2.22m (7' 3½")
Speed: 44km/h (27mph)
Front Armour: 51mm (2")
Main Armament: 6 pdr gun
Secondary Armament: 1x BESA 7.92mm MG
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank Cavalier, Centaur and Cromwell:
The Brand New Heavies
The lessons learnt from the actions in France and Libya with the current models of Cruiser tanks led the British government to request work begin on a new heavy Cruiser tank at the end of 1940. The design would have to overcome the inherent flaws in the current designs.

Left: The Centaur.
The Centaur Vital Statistics
Production: 1408
Crew: 5
Weight: 28.8 tonnes
Length: 6.35m (20' 10")
Width: 2.89m (9' 6")
Height: 2.49m (8' 2")
Speed: 44km/h (27mph)
Front Armour: 76mm (3")
Main Armament: 6 pdr gun or 95mm howitzer
Secondary Armament: 2x BESA 7.92mm MG
It would require heavier armour of at least 65mm, a larger turret ring so it could take a larger gun than the 2 pdr, but still retain the speed of current Cruisers (minimum requirement was 24 mph). Importantly it had to be mechanically reliable.

The first design offered under these requirements was a development of the Crusader under the designation A24. The A24 retained much of the mechanical components of the Crusader. At the same time a similar design, designated the A27, was also offered and it was decided to rationalise these two design, the main difference being the type of engine they were going to take. The A24 retained the same engine as the Crusader, eventually became the Cruiser Mk VII Cavalier. Because it was heavier, with a maximum Cavalier, Centaur and Cromwell - The Brand New Heavies armour of 76mm, it performance was inferior to the Crusader with a top speed of 24 mph. It was armed with a 6 pdr gun and hull and co-axial machine-guns. 161 Cavaliers were built and used for training.

The A27 was initially designed to take the much more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine (as found in the Spitfire fighter), but the engines were needed for aircraft production, so an interim model was built with the less powerful Liberty engine from the Crusader. This new tank was designated the A27L (L for Liberty). It suffered from the same underpowered problems of the Cavalier. The A27L was named the Centaur.

Right: The Cromwell IV.
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
The Cromwell IV Vital Statistics
Production: 2568
Crew: 5
Weight: 27.9 tonnes
Length: 6.35m (20' 10")
Width: 2.9m (9' 6½")
Height: 2.49m (8' 2")
Speed: 40km/h (25mph)
Front Armour: 76mm (3")
Main Armament: 75mm gun or 95mm howitzer
Secondary Armament: 2x BESA 7.92mm MG
The first prototype model was completed in June 1942. However, 1406 were made, but some were refitted in 1943 when the Rolls-Royce engines became available. It had 76mm of armour like the Cavalier. Despite having the same engine as the Cavalier it utilised a new gear box giving it slightly better performance with a top
speed of 27 mph. Variants were made armed with a 95mm howitzer, a 6 pdr gun and 75mm gun. The 95mm howitzer models (Centaur IV) were famously used by the Royal Marines on D-Day to give close support fire from the landing ships and on the beaches.
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
The fully realised A27 design was the Cruiser Mk VIII Cromwell (A27M, M for Meteor). When the Rolls-Royce
engines became available finally they were de-rated to make them suitable for the tanks and to make them last longer. The modified engine was named the Rolls-Royce Meteor. Though some Cromwells were armed with the 6 pdr (Cromwell I), most combat vehicles were 75mm armed Cromwell IV and V, or close support Cromwell VI with 95mm howitzer. A total of 2489 Cromwells were build with another 39 Centaurs converted to Cromwell III tanks. The Cromwell saw extensive service from D-Day 1944 onwards fighting with the Armoured Recce Regiments of the 11th, Guards and Polish Armoured Divisions, as well as providing all the Cruiser tanks for the 7th Armoured Division alongside the Sherman Firefly.
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank The Challenger:
The Bruiser Cruiser
Even while plans and designs were being considered for other Cruiser models, ideas for mounting a bigger gun on a Cruiser design were under consideration. As early as 1941 the setbacks in North Africa had the British General Staff considering better-armed tanks to deal with the Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks in service with the German Afrikakorps.

Left: The Challenger.
The Challenger Vital Statistics
Production: 200
Crew: 5
Weight: 33 tonnes
Length: 8.14m (26' 8¾")
Width: 2.5m (8' 2½")
Height: 2.72m (9' 1¼")
Speed: 51km/h (32mph)
Front Armour: 101mm (4")
Main Armament: 17 pdr gun
Secondary Armament: 1x BESA 7.92mm MG
Both the 17 pdr and A27 Cruiser were in development at the time and it was decided to bring both these concepts together. Because of the size of the 17 pdr and its recoil mechanism the basic A27 had to be widened and lengthened to fit the large turret required. Prototypes were produced in 1942, designated the A30, and testing began. Trails had finished by January 1943, but it didn’t get into production until March 1944. The A30, now named the Challenger, was designed to provide heavy anti-tank capability to fight alongside the Cromwell.

In the meantime the Sherman Firefly, also fitted with a 17 pdr gun, entered service and was ablily filling the role the A30 was designed for. However, the Challenger did get into service providing the 17 pdr gun armed tank for the Armoured Recce Regiments of the armoured division who were armed with the mechanically compatible Cromwell tank. They saw service during Operation Market Garden and later.
A34 Comet:
The Last Cruiser
The Comet combined all the elements of the successful Cruisers to produce a well-armed, armoured, fast and agile Cruiser tank. The Comet fulfilled most of the desires of those early advocates of the Cruiser concept. It was armed with a cutdown 17 pdrs gun, the 77mm OQF HV gun. Secondary armament was provided by two 7.92mm BESA machine-guns, in hull and co-axial mounts. It had a maximum of 101mm of armour on the turret front and 76mm on the hull front.


Right: The A34 Comet.
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank
Despite the improved armour it retained its Cruiser speed with a maximum speed of 32 mph (51 kph). It entered full service in March 1945 with the 11th Armoured Division, though some had been issued in the field as early as December 1944.

~ Wayne.
Cruiser Weights: The Evolution of the British Cruiser Tank


Last Updated On Thursday, March 22, 2012 by Blake at Battlefront