A13 Cruiser Mk IVA (Desert) (BR026) with one A13 Cruiser Mk IVA tank, Besa Co-ax MG and Vickers Co-ax MG 2pdr gun options and Tank Commander figure. British Cruiser tanks were designed, as their naval title implied, to be able to manoeuvre around the battlefield, operating completely independent of the infantry, who had their own tanks to support them. Left: The A13 Cruiser Mk IVA with Besa co-axial machine-gun.

"The A13 Cruiser Mk IVA remained one of the best tanks available to the Desert Rats until the arrival of the A15 Cruiser Mk VI Crusader tank in North Africa in the middle of 1941."

With their speed, Cruiser Squadrons could quickly react to opportunities present in battle and punch through gaps in the enemy’s lines. In many ways their tactical doctrine represented the glory days of the British heavy cavalry, and hence their design emphasised speed over armour. Check out the A13 Cruiser Mk IVA (Desert) in the online store here...
"For the period they had great speed and were considered well armoured and well armed, having an OQF 2  pounder gun (Anti-tank 7) that was still capable of penetrating any German tank."

	These decisions meant that British tankers bravely went into battle knowing that they were fighting better armoured opponents. Initially A9 Cruiser tanks built before the war made up the bulk of the armoured regiments, but newer A10 and A13 Cruiser tanks eventually replaced them. The A13 Mk IVA was one of these replacements.
"The A13 Cruiser Mk IVA is rated as a Fast Tank. Fast tanks can move up to 32"/80cm At the Double. However, they still only go 12"/30cm during normal movement."

The A13 Mk IVA was in essentes a uparmoured version of the A13 Cruiser Mk II. The A13 Mk IV enjoyed a maxium of 30mm of armour witout any drop in performance despite the weight of the tank increasing by my than 1,200lbs. This was due to the outstanding power-to-weight ratio of the basic design.
“The A13 Cruiser Mk IVA is rated as Unreliable. This must be taken into account if you plan on moving At the Double to take advantage of its extra movement or try moving into rough terrain. Either can lead to the vehicle breaking down.”

	Much of the extra armour was added to the nose, glacis and turret front of the vehicle. It also featured the distinctive V-shaped armour plate on the side of the turret which provided the spaced armour effect that was utilised in many later German designs.
"The A13 Cruiser Mk IVA uses the Tally Ho! nad Broadside special rules on page 156 of Hellfire and Back."

The Mk IVA designation was give to the later production vehicles which had the Vickers co-axial machine-gun replaced by a Besa version. There was also a CS version produced; the 2pdr gun was replaced by a 3.7” mortar. Designed by Evan Allen Painted by Matt Parkes
A13 Cruiser Mk IVA in Flames Of War
Armour     Name Mobility Front Side Top Equipment and Notes Weapon Range ROF Anti-tank Firepower   A13 Cruiser Mk IVA Fully-tracked 2 1 1 Co-ax MG, Fast tank, Unreliable. OQF 2 pdr gun 24"/60cm 2 7 4+ Broadside, No HE, Tally Ho.

"The OQF 2 pdr gun of the A13 Cruiser Mk IVA gun has No HE. The lack of a High Explosive (HE) round means that hits from the 2 pdr gun cannot be allocated to any Infantry or Gun teams."