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Cruiser Tank (A41) "Centurion"
Description
20
Centurion I
s were produced, with various changes especially the secondary armament, before the production version - the Centurion II (A41A) - was initiated in 1945-01. The secondary armament of the Centurion I was:
- Vehicle 1 through 10: 20 mm Polsten cannon
- Vehicle 11 through 15: One 7,92 mm BESA machine gun
- Vehicle 16 through 18: Two 7,92 mm BESA machine guns (one coaxial and one in rear turret, as on the
KV-1
)
- Vehicle 19 and 20: Two 7,92 mm BESA machine guns (one coaxial and one in the hull front)
Furthermore, the last five vehicles were equipped with a Powerflow gearbox and the 77 mm tank gun of the
Comet
, and were designated A41S. The Centurion II had a cast turret, additional armour and other minor changes.
The first six Centurion Is were shipped to Germany, but arrived too late to see any action.
Photographs provided by Brian.S711.
Technical Details
| Cruiser Tank (A41) "Centurion"
|
| Crew
|
| Crew (total)
|
4
|
| Physical characteristics
|
| Weight
|
48.77 t
|
| Length
|
7.67 m
|
| Width
|
3.35 m
|
| Height
|
2.95 m
|
| Armour
|
| Armour (range)
|
17-152 mm
|
| Performance
|
| Speed (max)
|
34.45 km/h
|
| Armament
|
| Main weapon
|
QF 17 pdr (1)
|
| Secondary weapon
|
BESA Machine Gun (2)
|
Images
- Right side of a Cruiser Tank "Centurion II"
- Front and left view of a Centurion II
- Front and left view of a Centurion I (with a 20 mm Polsten cannon)
Sources
- 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.
Further Reading
Forum discussion of the Cruiser Tank (A41) "Centurion"
Preserved Cruiser Tank (A41) "Centurion"
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This page was last updated 2010-02-19 18:03:27.