In the interwar period, light, medium, infantry and cavalry tanks were developed and produced in England. Light tanks were represented by Mk. VI with light armor and machine gun armament, medium - Medium Mk. II with light armor and a 47-mm cannon, cavalry - Mk. II, Mk. III, Mk. IV, Mk. V with medium armor (8-30 mm) and 40 mm cannon. Only the infantry Matilda I differed in powerful armor (60 mm), but it was armed with machine-gun armament.
With the beginning of the war, none of these tanks showed themselves, all of them were inferior in their class to the German Pz. II, Pz. III and Pz. IV. British tank builders had to develop and launch a new generation of tanks during the war, which took part in the European theater of operations in North Africa. A significant number of them were supplied under Lend-Lease to the Soviet Union.
Light tank Mk. III Valentine
The most successful light and most massive British tank of the Second World War was developed in 1938 and put into mass production in 1940; a total of 8275 tanks of various modifications were produced.
The layout of the tank is classic with the placement of the engine compartment in the rear of the tank. The crew of the tank is three people, the driver was housed in the hull, the commander and gunner in the turret. On some modifications of the tank, the crew was 4 people, the commander, gunner and loader were housed in a three-man turret. In order to reduce the weight, the hull and turret of the tank were significantly squeezed in size, which significantly worsened the habitability of the crew members.
By design, the hull and tower were riveted, but they were not assembled on the frame, but by fastening the parts to each other with bolts and rivets, which required high precision in the manufacture of parts. The hull and turret were assembled from rolled armor plates; in some modifications, the hull and turret foreheads were cast; in the latest modifications, the tank structure was completely welded. Weighing 15.75 tons for a light tank, it had satisfactory armor resistance, the armor thickness of the hull's forehead and sides was 30-60 mm, the turret was 65 mm, the bottom was 20 mm, and the roof was 10 mm. The tower had a cylindrical shape and was installed on the turret platform.
For the landing of the driver, there were two hinged hatches in the upper side plates on the sides of his workplace, in addition, for observation, he had an inspection hatch in the middle of the upper frontal armor plate. round on a spinning chase. The seats of all crew members were equipped with periscopic observation devices.
The tank's armament consisted of a 40-mm long-barreled QF2 L / 52 cannon and a 7, 92-mm machine gun. The latest modifications of the tank were equipped with a 57 mm QF6 cannon or a 75 mm OQF 75mm cannon.
A 135 hp diesel engine was used as a power plant, providing a speed of 25 km / h and a cruising range of 150 km.
The undercarriage on each side consisted of six rubberized road wheels, two large diameter and four small, and three rubberized carrier rollers. The track rollers of three were interlocked in two bogies, the large roller of each bogie is located on the primary balancer, attached to a bracket on the tank hull. The secondary balancer is pivotally attached to the primary balancer, with a rocker located on it with two small rollers. Each bogie was sprung with a spring spring with a telescopic hydraulic shock absorber.
The tank was widely used on many fronts in Europe and North Africa, including the Red Army. Until the end of the war, under Lend-Lease, 3,782 Mk. III Valentine tanks of various modifications were delivered to the USSR.
In general, the tank received a positive assessment from tankers, while the reliability of the power plant based on a diesel engine, low visibility on the battlefield, and good mobility were noted. Among the shortcomings, it was noted weak armament with a 40-mm cannon, the absence of high-explosive fragmentation shells for the cannon and the low reliability of the chassis; if at least one road roller failed, the tank could not move.
Medium infantry tank Mk II Matilda II
The Mk II Matilda II medium tank was designed to support the infantry, developed in 1938 and began to enter the troops in 1939 on the eve of the war, took part in the first battles with the Germans in France. In total, by 1943, 2987 Matilda II tanks of various modifications were produced, this was the only British tank that went through the entire war.
The layout of the tank is classic, with a crew of 4 people. The hull was assembled mainly from rolled armor plates and partially cast armor parts (bow, turret box and stern), connected to each other by goujons. The tower was cylindrical in shape with small angles of inclination, it was made from one curved armor plate, on later samples it was cast. On the roof of the tower there was a commander's cupola with a two-piece hatch.
The tank was distinguished by its powerful armor at the level of the Soviet KV heavy tanks and was nicknamed the "thick-skinned lady" from the British tankers. At the beginning of the war, it could not be hit by any German tank. Armor with a tank weight of 26, 95 tons provided protection at the level of a heavy tank, the thickness of the armor of the hull forehead top / middle / bottom 75/47/78 mm, the top of the sides 70 mm, the bottom of the sides 40 + 20 mm, the tower is 75 mm, the bottom and the roof 20 mm.
The armament of the tank consisted of a 40-mm QF2 L / 52 cannon and a coaxial 7, 7-mm machine gun, a significant disadvantage of the gun was the absence of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile. Subsequently, a 76, 2-mm 3 inch Howitzer Mk. I howitzer with a powerful high-explosive fragmentation projectile was installed on the CS modification.
As a power plant, two Leyland diesel engines with a capacity of 87 (95) hp each were used, providing a highway speed of 24 km / h and a cruising range of 257 km.
The undercarriage on each side included ten road wheels assembled in pairs in five bogies, five support rollers. Each of the bogies had a balancing interlocked "scissors" suspension with horizontal spring springs. Almost the entire chassis was protected by side armored screens.
The Mk II Matilda II tank was distinguished by its high reliability and very powerful armor for its time, increasing the survivability of the tank and the crew on the battlefield. The German 37mm anti-tank gun was powerless against his armor. At the initial stage of the war, until the Germans had more powerful anti-tank guns, this tank remained an invulnerable enemy.
The Mk II Matilda II tank was supplied to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease, a total of 918 tanks were delivered. The first deliveries were made at the end of 1941 in frosty weather. The tanks were not adapted for these conditions, the fuels and lubricants froze. and the tracks did not provide the necessary traction in winter conditions. Subsequently, these problems were resolved, and the tank was confidently operated in the Red Army until mid-1943.
Heavy infantry tank A22 Churchill
The A22 Churchill tank was the most protected British tank of the Second World War, developed in 1940 and produced in 1940-1945; a total of 5,640 tanks of various modifications were produced. The tank required high firepower, survivability and maneuverability to support the advancing infantry, suppress firing points and repel counterattacks by enemy tanks.
The tank was of a classic layout with a crew of 5 people, the driver and machine gunner were housed in the hull, and the commander, gunner and loader were in the turret. The hull structure was welded from rolled armor plates. The structure of the tower was of a hexagonal shape, in various modifications it was cast or welded from cast parts. Weighing 39, 57 tons, the tank had powerful anti-cannon protection. The thickness of the armor of the hull forehead is 101 mm, the sides are 76 mm, the turret forehead is 88 mm, the roof and bottom are 19 mm.
On the Mk. I and Mk. II modifications, the 40mm QF2 L52 cannon was used as the main armament. The ammunition load included only armor-piercing shells, there were no high-explosive fragmentation shells. The 57 mm QF6 L43 cannon was installed on the Mk. III and Vk. IV modifications, and the 57 mm QF6 L50 cannon on the Mk. V modifications. On modifications Mk. VI and Mk. VII, the 75-mm OQF 75mm L36, 5 was installed, which had armor-piercing and high-explosive fragmentation shells in the ammunition load. As additional armament, two 7, 92 mm BESA machine guns were used, one coaxial with a cannon, the other course in the body of the tank, as well as an anti-aircraft 7, 7-mm machine gun.
As a power plant, a Twin-Six engine with a capacity of 350 hp was used, providing a speed of 27 km / h and a cruising range of 144 km.
The undercarriage on each side contained 11 small-diameter road wheels with individual balancer suspension on cylindrical spring springs. The upper part of the chassis was covered with an armored screen.
The A22 Churchill tank has been supplied to the USSR under Lend-Lease since 1942. A total of 253 tanks were delivered. The tank was used in battles in the Battle of Stalingrad, on the Kursk Bulge and during the lifting of the blockade of Leningrad. The Red Army commended its powerful booking and good handling. Difficulty of operation in winter and poor cross-country ability in off-road conditions were noted as disadvantages.
Cruising tank Mk. VI (A15) Crusader
The tank was developed in 1939-1940 and went to the troops mainly to replace the same class of the cruiser Mk. V (A13) Covenanter tank. The tank was produced in 1940-1943, a total of 5300 (5700) tanks were produced.
Tank of classic layout with a crew of 5 (4) people, weighing 19.3 tons. In the hull on the right side there was a driver's seat, over whose head a box-type cabin with a double-leaf upper hatch, three viewing devices and a Besa machine gun was installed. To the left of the wheelhouse was a cylindrical turret, also equipped with a Besa machine gun and an upper hatch that reclined to the starboard side.
During the operation of the first samples of the tank in the army, the machine-gun turret, due to its inexpediency, was dismantled by the forces of field workshops, and the cutout under it was welded with an armor plate. During the modernization process, both machine guns were removed from the hull due to their low efficiency, respectively, the crew was reduced to four people by excluding the machine gunner in the tank hull. On the roof of the hull, a three-man turret of a complex shape was installed, unified with the turret of the A13 tank. At the rear of the turret roof was a commander's hatch that could be moved back.
The structure of the hull and turret was riveted from rolled steel sheets. The armor protection was not high, the thickness of the armor of the front of the hull was 22-34 mm, the sides of the hull were 18-20 mm, the front of the turret was 32 mm, the bottom was 16 mm and the roof was 14 mm.
The tank's armament consisted of a 40-mm QF2 L / 52 cannon and a coaxial 7, 92-mm machine gun, on later models the 40-mm cannon was replaced by a 57-mm QF6 cannon, on the CS series tanks a 76, 2-mm howitzer was installed.
The Liberty Mk. III engine with 340 hp was used as a power plant, providing a road speed of 44 km / h and a cruising range of 255 km.
The chassis of the tank was based on the Christie's suspension, on each side there were five rubberized double rollers of large diameter with shock absorption on vertical spring springs.
The Crusader tank had good mobility, but poor protection. Many of its modifications were widely used at the initial stage of World War II as part of the French and British armies. In 1940, most of the tanks of the first and second modifications were abandoned at Dunkirk and captured by the Germans. In North Africa, the Crusader was the main tank of the British army until the Battle of El Alamein, when the incoming American M3 Li tanks began to displace it.
Cruising tanks Mk. VII (A24) Cavaler, Mk. VIII (A27L) Centaur and Mk. VIII (A27M) Cromvell
At the end of 1940, England began to design a new cruising tank A24 Cavaler, developed on the basis of components and assemblies of the cruising tank A15 Crusader as part of the Cromvell program. The tank was put into production without testing; 500 tanks of this type were produced in 1942-1943.
The tank was of a classic layout, weighing 26, 95 tons and a crew of 5 people. The three-man tower housed the commander, gunner and loader. To the hull, the driver-mechanic and the driver's assistant - a machine gunner.
The design of the hull and turret was rectangular without any rational angles of inclination and was assembled from rolled armor plates and fastened to the frame with bolts. To the left of the driver, a course machine gun was installed in the frontal sheet. The crew landed through two hatches in the turret roof and one hatch in the hull roof.
The tank had satisfactory armor, the thickness of the armor of the hull forehead was 57-64 mm, the sides were 32 mm, the turret forehead was 76 mm, the roof was 14 mm, and the bottom was 6.5 mm.
Armament consisted of a 57-mm QF6 cannon and two 7, 92-mm BESA machine guns, one was coaxial with the cannon, the other course was installed in the hull.
The 400 hp Liberty L12 engine was used as the power plant, providing a highway speed of 39 km / h and a cruising range of 265 km.
The undercarriage was borrowed from the A15 Crusader tank with Christie's suspension, containing five large diameter rubberized road wheels on each side with individual reinforced vertical spring suspension.
Tank A24 Cavaler practically did not take part in hostilities. It was mainly used as a training tanker and became the base for the A27L Centaur tank.
The A27L Centaur tank was designed as a simplified intermediate version between the A24 Cavaler and the A27M Cromvell with the Meteor engine, which has not yet been completed. In total, 3,134 A27L Centaur tanks were produced from 1942 to 1944. The first samples of the A27L Centaur were virtually indistinguishable from the A24 Cavaler. On the Centaur III modification, a 75-mm Mk VA L50 cannon was installed, and on the Centaur IV infantry support tank modification, a 95-mm howitzer was used for firing high-explosive fragmentation projectiles.
Tanks A27L Centaur also practically did not participate in hostilities, a small batch of Centaur IVs were involved during the landing in Normandy in 1944, the rest of the tanks were upgraded to the Cromvell level.
The A27M Cromvell tank was one of the most famous tanks of the Second World War. With the new Meteor engine, it began to be produced only from 1943, until 1945, 1070 of these tanks were produced. Also, a considerable number of A27L Centaur tanks were upgraded to the Cromvell level. In total, the army had 4016 tanks of all series of the Cromvell family. In the hull of the tank, the machine gun was removed and the crew was reduced to four people. The armor of the roof was increased to 20 mm, the bottom to 8 mm, the weight of the tank increased to 27.9 tons. On the Cromvell Vw modification, the hull and turret were welded and the frontal armor of the hull was increased to 101 mm; on the Cromvell VI modification, a 95 mm howitzer was installed.
The A27M Cromvell was powered by a 600 hp Rolls-Royce Meteor engine providing a highway speed of 64 km / h and a cruising range of 278 km.
Tanks A27M Cromvell participated in many operations in North Africa and the European theater of operations. In terms of firepower, they were seriously inferior to the German and American tanks of that period.
Cruising tank A30 Challenger
The A30 Challenger medium cruiser fighter tank was designed as a support tank designed to combat German tanks at long distances in addition to the Cromvell tank. The tank was developed on the basis of the extended chassis of the Cromvell tank with a six-point suspension and armed with the most powerful 76, 2-mm cannon at that time. In 1943-1944, only 200 tanks of this type were produced, since with the advent of the American Sherman tank with better characteristics, the need for Challenger tanks disappeared.
In terms of design, the Challenger was not much different from the Cromvell. The layout was classic, only the driver was placed in the hull, the course machine gun was excluded, the larger tower housed four people - the commander, the gunner and two loaders, the main attention was paid to the maintenance of weapons.
The hull and turret were welded. The armor was reinforced, the thickness of the armor of the hull's forehead was 102 mm, the sides were 32 mm, the turret's forehead was 64 mm, the roof was 20 mm, the bottom was 8 mm, and the tank's weight reached 33.05 tons.
The armament of the tank consisted of a long-barreled 76, 2-m QF17 L55 cannon and a coaxial 7, 62-mm machine gun.
As a power plant, a Rolls-Royce Meteor engine with a capacity of 600 hp was used, providing a speed on the highway 51.5 km / h and a cruising range of 193 km.
The undercarriage of the tank was a modification of the extended undercarriage of the Cromvell tank with a Christie suspension and six road wheels.
The A30 Challenger tanks were distinguished by the convenience of the crew in a large turret and high efficiency of destruction of enemy armored vehicles. But due to the small number of tanks produced, they did not have a serious impact on the hostilities.
Cruising tank A34 Comet
The A34 Comet tank was a further development of the Cromvell tank, created on the basis of the components and assemblies of this tank and was the most advanced British tank that took part in the hostilities of World War II. The tank was developed in 1943, taking into account the experience of using the Cromvell tank in hostilities; in 1944-1945, 1186 samples of this tank were produced.
The tank has a classic layout, a crew of 5 people, a driver and a machine gunner were housed in the hull, the commander, gunner and loader were in the turret. The design of the hull and turret was welded, the tank had satisfactory anti-cannon armor with a tank weight of 35, 78 tons. The thickness of the armor of the forehead of the hull is 76 mm, the sides are 43 mm, the forehead of the tower is 102 mm, the roof is 25 mm, and the bottom is 14 mm.
The armament of the tank consisted of a 76, 2-mm QF77 L55 cannon and two 7, 92-mm BESA machine guns, one was installed in the turret, the second in the hull.
As a power plant, a Rolls-Royce Meteor engine with a capacity of 600 hp was used, providing a speed of 47 km / h and a cruising range of 200 km.
Christie suspension undercarriage with five reduced diameter rubber rollers and four carrier rollers. Individual suspension on cylindrical spring springs with hydraulic shock absorbers.
In general, the A34 Comet in terms of firepower, excellent visibility, protection and mobility was rated as the best English tank of the war period and one of the best tanks used by the opposing sides in World War II.
Heavy cruiser tank A41 Centurion
The A41 Centurion tank was developed in 1944 as a vehicle that combines the qualities of cruiser and infantry tanks with significantly enhanced and improved weapons and protection. One of the tasks was to ensure comfortable working conditions for the crew, and therefore, due to the spacious layout, the tank's weight reached 42 tons and its mobility was limited. The tank did not take part in the hostilities.
The tank was of a classic layout with a crew of four. It was created using advanced components and assemblies of the Cromvell and Comet tanks. The hull and turret were welded from rolled armor plates; in some modifications, the turret was cast.
The armament of the tank consisted of a 76, 2 mm QF17 L55 cannon and a twin installation of a 20 mm cannon and a 7, 92 mm BESA machine gun mounted in a ball bearing to the left of the main cannon, and a 95 mm howitzer was installed on the Mk. IV modification.
As a power plant, a Rolls-Royce Meteor engine with a capacity of 600 hp was used, providing a speed of 37 km / h and a cruising range of 176 km.
The chassis used a suspension of the Hortsman type with three bogies with pairwise interlocked medium-diameter road wheels, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, two for each bogie and six support rollers. The upper part of the chassis was covered by armored bulwarks.
The A41 Centurion tank was developed at the end of the war and did not participate in hostilities, but it remained in service with the British army for decades and was constantly improved by installing more powerful weapons and strengthening armor, which led to a decrease in its mobility.
Production and level of tanks in England during the war
In England, in contrast to the unsuccessful experience in the development of tanks in the interwar period during the war, tanks of all classes were developed, which proved themselves well in hostilities at the first stage of the war. During the war years, mass production was organized and about 28 thousand light, medium and heavy tanks were produced. British tanks were distinguished by good armor, satisfactory mobility, but weak armament. Subsequently, this drawback was overcome and the last cruiser tank A34 Comet met the requirements of the military in all basic characteristics and was successfully used in hostilities and, according to experts, was one of the best tanks of the Second World War.
British light tanks Mk. III Valentine, medium infantry Mk II Matilda II and heavy infantry A22 Churchill were supplied under Lend-Lease to the Soviet Union and were successfully used on many fronts throughout the war. A total of 4,923 tanks were delivered, including 3,782 Mk. III Valentine tanks, 918 Mk II Matilda II tanks and 253 A22 Churchill tanks.
