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Cruiser Tank Mk VI Crusader

Description

The Cruiser Tank Mk VI Crusader (A15) was designed as an alternative to the Cruiser Tank Mk V Covenanter by Nuffield Mechanisation and Aero (who also worked on the Covenanter's turret). It won over competing designs to enter service as a medium cruiser tank, mainly due to it using components already in production, and because it was both more heavily armoured and had better mobility than competing designs.

The Crusader was longer than previous cruiser tanks, and had an additional roadwheel in its Christie suspension. Combined with the its thicker armour, this made the Crusader heavier than the Covenanter. This was, however, to made up for by using the lighter but more powerful Liberty engine, over the Meadows engine, making it only marginally slower.

Pressed into service in, the Crusader was mechanically unreliable. As the Germans introduced the 50 mm gun in the Pz Kpfw III, the Crusader was out-gunned and out-armoured, even after its 2 pdr was replaced by the 6 pdr. Nevertheless, it was still the principal British tank in North Africa, and its characteristic design remains an icon of the desert war.

A total of about 5 200 Crusaders were build, including a number of variants. Some of the variants build were three anti-aircraft versions armed with a 40 mm Bofors, two 20 mm Oerlikons and three 20 mm Oerlikons respectively, a recovery version and two dozer versions.

Technical Details

  I I CS II II CS III
Crew
Crew
  • Commander
  • Driver
  • Gunner
  • Loader
  • Hull gunner
  • Commander
  • Driver
  • Gunner
Physical Characteristics
Weight 19.1 t 20.1 t
Length 5.97 m
Width 2.77 m
Height 2.24 m
Armour
Armour (range) 7-40 mm 7-49 mm 7-51 mm
Performance
Speed (max) 42 km/h
Engine
Engine Nuffield Liberty
Net h.p. 340
Cylinders 12
Armament
Primary weapon QF 2 pdr (1) QF 3 inch howitzer (1) QF 2 pdr (1) QF 3 inch howitzer (1) QF 6 pdr (1)
Secondary weapon Besa 7.92 mm machine gun (2) Besa 7.92 mm machine gun (1)

Images

Crusader II in German service
Frontal view of a Crusader I
Good example of the camouflage scheme on a Crusader III
Crusader I CS (front) and Crusader I in the desert
Frontal view of the Crusader III, AA Mk II, armed with a twin 20 mm anti-aircraft gun

Further Reading

Sources

  1. CHAMBERLAIN, Peter & ELLIS, Chris. British and American Tanks of World War II : The Complete Illustrated History of British, American and Commonwealth Tanks, 1939-45. Weidenfield : Cassell, 2000. 224p. ISBN: 03-0435-529-1.