In 1940, in France and North Africa, the actions of the British armored forces showed that the Covenanter and Crusader cruiser tanks in service with the army were gradually becoming obsolete. Their weaknesses were weak armor, unreliable engine and insufficient weapons. The standard 40 mm weapon was inferior to the German guns of 50 and 75 mm on German medium tanks.
By the end of 1942, British designers developed the new Cromwell cruiser - a tank with high speed and maneuverability.
New engine
"Cromwell" was developed according to the classic British tank design scheme: engine, fuel tanks, cooling systems were installed in the engine compartment, extending to the stern of the hull. Armor and fighting compartment - the middle part of the hull and turret. The transmission and control compartment are the front of the tank.
The Rolls-Royce Meteor V-engine with 12 cylinders and a maximum power of 600 horsepower is the Cromwell. The tank easily developed speeds along the highway to 64 km / h. The transmission of the new medium tank included:
- gearbox with synchronizers;
- friction clutch - part of the engine flywheel, which worked on the principle of dry friction;
- extended propeller shaft with multi-stage system;
- swivel mechanism with double differentials.
Armor of the hull and turret
The case was made of rolled armor plates. The sheets were riveted to each other and to the frame. The thickness of the hull plates reached 64 mm, feed and side - 32 mm. The bottom and roof of the tank were made without constant thickness of the armor, the value ranged from 6 to 14 mm.
The sheets of armor that formed the tower of almost square shape were fixed without inclined angles by rivets and bolts. The thickness of the plates of the frontal part of the tower is 76 mm, the sides and the feed are 51 mm. The new Cromwell (tank) was more armored than previous models of medium-sized combat vehicles in Britain.
Modernization
Since the end of 1943 there was a modernization of the cruising tank. In the original version, single models remained by the end of the war. Modernized cars as overhaul, as well as new combat structures with low mileage. In the process of improving the tank from 1943 to 1945, the Cromwell variants appeared:
- Cromwell I.
- The Cromwell II is a trial vehicle with a track of 15.5 inches wide versus 14.
- Cromwell III - 75 mm combat gun.
- Cromwell IV and IVw.
- Cromwell VIII is a late model with a 95 mm howitzer.
The cruising "Cromwell" (tank) in the process of modification received reinforced armor and an improved gun.
Enhanced armor and an improved weapon appeared in the process of modification, but at a lower speed. Other versions of machines were also designed.
Armament
The main armament of the cruising tank is a 57 mm gun, the barrel length is 50 calibers. Various modifications of the Cromwell were equipped with a 95 mm howitzer.
The gun was mounted on the front of the tower in a square mask with an additional armored plate. The tank was equipped with auxiliary weapons: machine guns of 27.7 mm - British modifications of Czechoslovakian guns. One machine gun was fixed as coaxial to the main gun, the second - in the left side of the body in front. A set of charges included 3,000 rounds.
Exploitation
The cruising tank "Cromwell", the photo of which is presented above, participated in battles during the Second World War in Western Europe and North Africa. In practice, the car showed weaknesses: weak firepower and armor.
The tank could withstand the German Panther, but was powerless against the heavy Tiger. During a battle near the French city of Ville-Bocage in 1944, a British column of Cromwell medium tanks suffered a crushing defeat from the Germans armed with Tiger tanks. At the same time, the number of German combat vehicles was three times less.
World of tanks
The game is popular with many people in the world. Custom online arcade allows you to plunge during the Second World War, learn about military vehicles that are armed with several nations.
The Cromwell Tank in World of Tanks is the sixth-level medium combat vehicle. The game uses mobility and briskness of a cruising tank to achieve the best results. It is more advantageous to approach the enemy from the flank or rear. The rate of fire of the machine will allow you to quickly disable your opponent.
The tank has a good speed: due to this, you can spot anti-tank equipment and heavy vehicles.
The main enemies of Cromwell in the game:
- PT (anti-tank technology) 5-6 levels.
- ST (medium cars) level 6-7 with a top gun.
- TT (heavy tanks) over long distances, in melee there are chances of survival.
The British cruising tank Cromwell (user reviews of online games confirm this) breaks the stern and sides well. Players note the advantages of the machine: high speed, tower mobility at a good level, profitability.
Of the minuses:
- almost complete lack of armor;
- the gun has low accuracy;
- long mixing guns.
Also in the game, “Cromwell” often finds himself on the battlefield with tanks of the eighth level, where most of the vehicles are heavy equipment.
It is advisable not to stand still in the game, but to constantly move in order to complicate the task for the enemy. The aircraft engine installed on the equipment allows the medium tank to successfully bypass the accumulations of enemy combat vehicles and strike where the opponents do not expect it.