Tanks of England of the Second World War. British tanks

The pioneers in world tank building are the British, for this we must thank W. Churchill. As you know, it quickly developed into a positional war. To give it at least some dynamics, in October 1914, the secretary of the defense committee, Colonel E. Swinton, proposed creating an armored tracked vehicle that could break through defense lines: cross trenches, trenches and barbed wire. The Minister of War did not react to the idea in any way, but the First Lord of the Admiralty (Naval Minister) W. Churchill supported the idea, and some time later the Land Ships Committee was created under the Naval Department.

The history of the development of British tanks by models

The commander of the British troops in France, General J. French, impressed by the unfolding battles, formulated the basic requirements for the "land dreadnought":

• Relatively small dimensions.
• Bulletproof armor.
• Caterpillar mover.
• Ability to overcome funnels up to 4 m and wire fences.
• Speed ​​not less than 4 km/h.
• The presence of a cannon and two machine guns.

In fact, these were the world's first requirements for the characteristics of tanks. And in January 1916, the committee presented the world's first tank capable of taking part in battles. So with light hand Churchill began tank building in Britain, and a few years later all over the world.

The first tanks were created exclusively to break through the defense and suppress enemy machine guns, which was facilitated by the special shape of the hull. It was a parallelogram with tracks along the outer contour to overcome vertical obstacles. It was like that.

Even after tangible successes from tanks in battle, the British military leadership considered their use to be of little promise, and only thanks to the real successes of the high-speed French Renaults, the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bmass production of tanks captured the minds of military leaders. J. Fuller, later a well-known tank theorist, for example, advocated the mass creation of high-speed tanks.

English tanks of the First World War

There were several tank qualifications in the British forces of that time.

The first is weight: up to 10 tons - light, from 10-20 tons medium and about 30 tons heavy. As you know, preference was given mainly to heavy tanks.

The second qualification concerns weapons: tanks with exclusively machine-gun armament were called "females", with guns - "males". After the first oncoming battles with German tanks, which showed the failure of machine-gun models, a combined type appeared with cannons and machine guns, such tanks were called "hermaphrodites".

As for the doctrine of the use of tanks in battle, then the opinions of the military were divided into two halves. One half wanted to create and use purely "infantry" tanks, the second "cruising".

Infantry type - used for close support of infantry, had low mobility and was well armored.

The cruising type is a kind of "armored cavalry", quite fast, and in comparison with the infantry, lightly armored. On their shoulders, together with the cavalry, fell the task of quickly breaking through the defense, girths and raids on the rear of the enemy. The armament of both types was the same, mostly machine guns.

This concept of using tanks from the British survived until the start of World War II. If you delve deeper into it, you can see that tanks play an auxiliary role, the main tasks are solved by cavalry and infantry.

Until the end of World War I in England, after the heavy MK-I, its modifications were produced up to Mk VI and Mk IX and medium ones: Mk A (unofficially "Whippet"), Mk B and Mk C.

Of course, the quality of the first production tanks was quite low.

in diaries German soldiers and in the official reports a lot interesting facts. For example, due to the gas content inside the tanks, there were frequent cases of strangulation of the entire crew. Through the primitiveness of the suspension, the tanks created such a rumble that, in order to mask the movement of tank units, the British accompanied them with artillery cannonade. Because of the narrow tracks, there were cases when the tanks got muddy in the ground right in front of the enemy trenches.

One case speaks about security.

In November 1917, in the battles near Cambrai, on the outskirts of the village of Flesquières, one German officer remained at the cannon abandoned by the servants, he, slowly, loading and shooting himself, destroyed 16 English tanks in order.

It seemed that even then it was necessary to think about strengthening the reservation, but not one of the tank manufacturers did this until the conflict in Spain.

Be that as it may, the British gave their tanks new round waging wars, they moved them to other speeds. Until the end of the war, they were the first in the world to create amphibious tanks and communication tanks.

Tanks between the great wars

England finished World War I as the leader in tank building, but very soon all the advantages came to naught.

Firstly, due to the fact that the types of tanks and their use were strictly separated: the British continued to build "infantry" and "cruising" types.

Secondly, due to its geographical location, the command gave priority to the development of the fleet, rather than the land army.

The implementation of one of the tactical ideas of J. Fuller, by the way, almost all countries “got sick” with it, was the creation of mechanized infantry. For these purposes, the Cardin-Lloyd MkVI tankette was ideal. She, in her mass, according to the plan of the strategist, was supposed to play the role of an "armored skirmisher". Despite the fact that the tankette did not receive recognition at home, although reconnaissance tanks and tractors were built on its basis, 16 countries purchased it, and Poland, Italy, France, Czechoslovakia and Japan acquired licenses for their production. In the USSR, it was produced as the T-27.

Another tank that was not appreciated by compatriots was the Vickers - 6 tons. In world tank building, he played no less a role than Renault FT at one time. Lightweight and cheap to manufacture, with a machine gun in one turret and a cannon in the other, it was the embodiment of the idea of ​​World War I tanks: machine gun tanks act against manpower, while cannon tanks support them.

Among the tanks put into service in the late 20s and early 30s were:

• medium Mk I "Vickers-12 tons",
• heavy A1E1 "Independent",
• various modifications of the Vickers-Karden-Loyd Mk VII and Mk VIII.

In anticipation of a big war, headquarters ground forces back in the late 20s, insisted on the creation and release infantry tanks, but due to the economic crisis in the country, funding was not allocated.
After the conflict in Spain and the Italian attack on Ethiopia, the British leadership, anticipating the approach of the "big conflict" and understanding the inconsistencies in the time of the equipment they had previously created, urgently financed the creation and production of new tanks.

Appear: “cruising Mk I (A9), Mk II (A10), Mk III, Mk IV and Mk VI Crusader (A15).

Mk IV and Mk VI implemented on the well-known wheeled-tracked base of the American inventor Christie, but using one propulsion unit.

In 1939, the production of the first (!) tank with anti-cannon armor began - the infantry A11 Mk I Matilda, later another tank would be called by this name. The speed of 13 km / h and machine gun armament made him a laughing stock. In general, during the period between the "great" wars, the designers of England created more than 50 real models of tanks, 10 of which were put into service.

British tanks of World War II

At the time of the start, the armored vehicles of England were noticeably outdated. Neither in quality nor quantity could it equal the technology of the USSR and Germany. The total number of all tanks in the army of England was about 1000 pieces, in a larger mass of light ones. The lion's share of which was lost in the battles for France.

During the war, British manufacturers were never able to satisfy the demands of the army, during the period 1939-1945 only 25 thousand units of armored vehicles were produced, the same number came from the USA and Canada.

All new technology was rather mediocre, she was one step behind the German and Russian.

Mostly cruising and infantry tanks were produced, and a small number of light airborne ones.

After the famous post-war phrase of Churchill, the tanks of the whole world joined the arms race, and their development, in general, is similar to each other. Conqueror is being created to counter our IS. After the adoption in the world of the concept of the main battle tank released "Chieften". The third generation tank in England is the Challenger.

In addition to the main ones, after a long break, in 1972 they began to produce light tanks "Scorpion".

The symbol of British tank building in the years between the two world wars was the heavy five-turret tank A T Independent. This machine became the object of close attention of specialists from many countries and, no doubt, served as a prototype for the creation of the Soviet heavy tank T-35 and the German Nb.Fz

As you know, the British began building tanks back in the years of the First World War. By the end of it, they had numerous and institutionalized tank troops - the Royal Armored Corps (RAC) - the Royal Tank Corps.

In the next 20 years, British tank building was almost at the "freezing point". There were several reasons for this. First of all, there has been a long discussion in the UK about the role and place of tanks in modern warfare. The uncertainty on this issue among the military hampered the development of appropriate tactical and technical requirements and the issuance of orders to industry. The geographical feature of the state also played its role - the British were not going to attack anyone, but they had a real enemy in Europe for a long time did not have.
This situation led to the fact that during this period of time the British industry produced only a few hundred tanks, the design of which can hardly be called innovative. The most interesting ideas of their creators were either embodied in experienced and experimental samples, which remained unclaimed, or simply did not find application in their homeland.

The end of the disputes in the USSR and Germany about the role of tanks and the ensuing mass deployment of tank forces in these countries forced the British military to come out of hibernation. Starting around 1934, the development of armored vehicles in the UK intensified dramatically.

By this time, the views of the military leadership on the tactical use of tanks were also largely determined. In accordance with them in England, tanks were divided into three classes: light, infantry and cruising. Moreover, the concept of cruising tanks was formed later than others. At first, their functions were to be performed by light combat vehicles - high-speed and maneuverable. The main task of the infantry tanks was the direct support of the infantry on the battlefield. These vehicles had limited speed and powerful armor. Sometimes it reached the point of absurdity: the gearbox of the Matilda I infantry tank, for example, had only one speed - it was believed that this was enough.

In 1936, the British considered it sufficient to arm tanks only with machine guns. Common sense, however, soon prevailed, and first on cruising, and then on infantry vehicles, a 2-pounder gun appeared. Its capabilities, however, were very limited - there were no high-explosive fragmentation shells in the ammunition load.

The Dunkirk disaster forced the British to reconsider their views somewhat. Light tanks were now assigned only reconnaissance functions, and even then they were gradually transferred to armored vehicles during the war. The role of infantry tanks, the only ones that proved themselves well in battles on the continent, remained practically unchanged, and efforts to improve them were reduced to increasing the power of weapons and armor protection.

At the same time, unfolding fighting in North Africa revealed the huge need of the army for a reliable and full-fledged tank for independent armored formations. HVi, one of the cruiser tanks then in service with the British Army, did not fully meet these requirements. One can only be surprised that a country that built excellent ships, aircraft and cars could not achieve the necessary operational reliability of tank engines and chassis components for several years. The British were able to resolve these issues only by 1944. By this time, the importance of infantry tanks and their share in tank units had significantly decreased. The cruising tank, on the other hand, was increasingly acquiring the features of a universal one. Shortly after the end of World War II, the British abandoned the division of tanks into classes according to their purpose.

For the 1940s, the design and assembly technology of British tanks cannot be considered progressive. Hulls and turrets (if the latter were not cast in one piece) were assembled using bolts on frames or using a frameless method ("Valentine"). Welding was used extremely limited. Armor plates, as a rule, were located vertically, without any angles of inclination. British tanks, especially in the second half of the war, could not compete with German tanks either in terms of armor protection or firepower.

Lagged behind the real needs and the pace of tank production on the eve and during the Second World War. For example, by December 1938, the industry was supposed to supply the army with more than 600 cruising and about 370 infantry tanks. However, only 30 of the first were produced, and 60 of the second. A year later, only 314 tanks of all types entered the army. As a result, Britain entered the war with just over 600 tanks, of which more than half were light. In total, during the war years, the British produced 25,116 tanks, about 4,000 self-propelled guns and SPAAGs. Moreover, a significant part of the latter was manufactured using the chassis of obsolete and decommissioned vehicles. Speaking about the production of tanks in the United Kingdom, it should be borne in mind that a significant part of the combat vehicles produced during the war period never made it to the front" and was used for training purposes.

The British began building tanks during the First World War. By its end, England had numerous and institutionalized tank forces - Royal Armored Corps (RAC) - Royal Tank Corps. In the next twenty years, tank building here was almost at the "freezing point". First of all, the discussion about the role and place of tanks in modern warfare dragged on. The uncertainty on this issue among the military hindered the development of appropriate tactical and technical requirements and the issuance of orders to industry. The British were not going to attack anyone, and for a long time they had no real enemy in Europe. This situation led to the fact that during this period the industry produced only a few hundred tanks, the design of which can hardly be called innovative. The most interesting ideas of their creators were either embodied in experimental and experimental samples that remained unclaimed, or simply did not find application in their homeland. The issue describes the history of creation, a description of the designs of English tanks during the Second World War, their modifications and vehicles built on their basis; combat use; specifications. A large number of unique photographs, drawings and drawings.

In 1940, in France and North Africa, the actions of the British tank forces showed that the Covenanter and Crusader cruiser tanks in service with the army were gradually becoming obsolete. Them negative sides become weak armor, unreliable engine and insufficient armament. The standard 40 mm weapon was inferior to the German 50 and 75 mm guns on German medium tanks.

By the end of 1942, British designers had developed a new Cromwell cruiser, a tank with high speed and maneuverability.

New engine

"Cromwell" was developed according to the classic British tank building scheme: the 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. Transmission and control compartment - the front of the tank.

Rolls-Royce Meteor V-engine with 12 cylinders and a maximum power of 600 horsepower is a Cromwell. The tank easily developed speed on the highway up 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;
• elongated cardan shaft with a multi-stage system;
• swivel mechanism with double differentials.

Hull and turret armor

The hull was made of rolled armor plates. The sheets were fastened with rivets to each other and to the frame. The thickness of the hull plates reached 64 mm, the feed and sides - 32 mm. The bottom and roof of the tank were made without a constant armor thickness, the value ranged from 6 to 14 mm.

The armor plates that formed an almost square turret were fixed without oblique corners with rivets and bolted joints. The thickness of the plates of the frontal part of the tower is 76 mm, the sides and feed are 51 mm. The new "Cromwell" (tank) was more armored than previous models of medium British combat vehicles.

Modernization

Since the end of 1943, the cruiser tank has been modernized. In the original version, there were single models by the end of the war. Both overhaul and new machines were modernized combat structures with little mileage. In the process of improving the tank from 1943 to 1945, variants of the Cromwell appeared:

• Cromwell I.
• Cromwell II is a trial vehicle with a track width of 15.5 inches versus 14.
• Cromwell III - combat weapon in 75 mm.
• Cromwell IV and IVw.
• Cromwell VIII - late model with 95mm howitzer.

Cruising "Cromwell" (tank) in the process of modification received reinforced armor and an improved gun.

Reinforced armor and an improved gun appeared in the process of modifications, but at a slower rate. Other versions of the machines were also designed.

Armament

The main armament of a cruiser tank is a 57 mm cannon with a barrel length of 50 calibers. Various modifications of the Cromwell were equipped with a 95 mm howitzer.

The gun was mounted on the front of the turret in a square mantlet with an additional armored plate. The tank was also equipped with auxiliary weapons: 27.7 mm machine guns - British modifications of Czechoslovak guns. One machine gun was fixed as coaxial to the main gun, the second - to the left side of the hull in front. The set of charges included 3000 rounds.

Exploitation

The Cromwell cruiser tank, the photo of which is presented above, participated in the battles during the Second World War in Western Europe and North Africa. In practice, the machine revealed shortcomings: weak firepower and armor.

The tank could withstand the German "Panther", but was powerless against the heavy "Tiger". During the battle near the French city of Villers-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. The custom online arcade allows you to plunge into the times of the Second World War, learn about the combat vehicles that are in service with several nations.

Tank "Cromwell" in World of Tanks - medium fighting machine sixth level. In the game to achieve best results the mobility and agility of a cruising tank is used. It is more profitable to approach the enemy from the flank or rear. The rate of fire of the machine will allow you to quickly disable the opponent.

The tank has good speed: due to this, anti-tank equipment and heavy vehicles can be illuminated.

The main enemies of "Cromwell" in the game:

• AT (anti-tank equipment) 5-6 levels.
• ST (medium vehicles) tier 6-7 with a top gun.
• TT ( heavy tanks) at long distances, in close combat there are chances of survival.

The cruising British tank "Cromwell" (reviews from users of the online game confirm this) breaks through the stern and sides well. Players note the advantages of the machine: high speed, tower mobility on good level, profitability.

Of the minuses:

• almost complete absence of armor;
• the gun has low accuracy;
• long aiming of the gun.

Also in the game, "Cromwell" often finds itself on the battlefield with tanks of the eighth level, where most of the vehicles are heavy vehicles.

It is advisable in the game the car not to stand still, but to constantly move in order to complicate the task of the enemy. The aircraft engine installed on the vehicle allows the medium tank to successfully bypass the accumulation of enemy combat vehicles and strike where the opponents do not expect it.