Modern English tanks. British tanks. British medium tanks
Traditionally, the new research tree appears in the game not completely, but in small portions. First of all, the British will acquire the main branches of research: heavy tanks up to the tenth level and medium tanks up to the ninth.
But this is where the vaunted British tradition ends and the island eccentricities begin. For example, what does the subjects of the crown care about the fact that only light tanks are available to everyone else at the first level of development? But nothing! The British boldly start immediately from the middle. And let the Vickers Medium Mk I be “medium” only in name and only in quotation marks - but how proud it sounds: “ medium tank first level." The inhabitants of the continent are simply obliged to envy.At the second level, the research tree suddenly diverges in as many as three directions - which is also unusual for a "release" variant - two of which lead to light tanks. One of the "light" branches will eventually lead the player to a medium tank of the ninth level, and the tanks of the second suddenly gain weight when moving from the fourth level (light Valentine) to the fifth - where the heavy tank Churchill I is already located.
Armament in English
This is the essence of British tank building: take one model and start consistently producing improvements and improvements on its basis, carefully marking them “Mk I”, “Mk II”, etc. New gun - new "Mk". New engine - perhaps a new "Mk", or sometimes a completely different name.
The situation with the armament of tanks is somewhat similar: the three- (light Tetrarch) and six-pound (Churchill and medium Ram II, M7) guns already present in the game, we suspect, will pursue the player for a long time. But after that they will inevitably be replaced by something more lethal: for example, the famous 17-pounder, which was originally installed on tanks specifically to fight the German Tigers and Panthers.
Naturally, the UK tank research tree will not be limited to two and a half branches of technology. As expected, with some delay, self-propelled gunners will pull up on the battlefield - both artillerymen and anti-tank self-propelled guns. As a wife virtual war do without such a recognizable and similar to the American "sloths" T28 and T95 tank destroyers A39 Tortoise, but simply "Turtles". The ranks of the Shermans will also be replenished, since the United States during the war supplied the UK with a sufficient number of these tanks of various modifications ...
 british tanks
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On July 28, 1914, a cannonade thundered over Europe new war. Then no one imagined that this conflict would become global struggle to exhaustion. All participants planned to defeat their opponents in a few months of a decisive offensive. But more and more new states got involved in the fight, the armies suffered huge losses, and in the end Europe turned out to be crossed out by lines of trenches from northern to southern seas. The offensives brought less and less results: tens, or even hundreds of thousands of dead, were paid literally for a few kilometers recaptured. In an attempt to somehow reverse the stalemate, the participants in the war invented more and more new means of destruction. It was during these years that poison gases, flamethrowers appeared, and a fighter aircraft was first used. And it was then that the tank was invented in Britain.
For the first time, tanks participated in the battle on September 15, 1916 on the Somme River. Armored monsters broke through the German defenses, but the result was achieved only on a tactical, not operational level. In general, tanks did not play a decisive role in the First World War. More than two decades had to pass for the new military equipment to fully reveal its potential. Over the years, it was necessary not only to improve the design of tanks, but also to learn how to use them correctly. Surprisingly, the British - the pioneers of tank building - had problems with both the first and second aspects.
Normally, main reason of these problems was the human factor. Let's start with the fact that in the British War Office there were many outspoken opponents of the development of armored forces. Historian D. Brown wrote that the attitude of military officials towards the tank corps was marked by a spirit of displeasure and envy. The extreme degree of hostility was statements that tanks were a waste of the military budget.
In the camp of supporters, too, not everything was smooth. Here they could not reach a consensus on what role the tank should play on the battlefield in the future. Two points of view stood out clearly. According to the first, the tank was supposed to advance along with the infantry, cover it with armor and help fight enemy infantry. Artillery was supposed to fight the fortified points, tanks and cannons of the enemy. Supporters of the second point of view were inclined to believe that tanks should be used in the same way as cavalry. In their opinion, the tanks had to quickly break through behind enemy lines, strike at communications, warehouses, attack units that were on the march and were not ready for an effective rebuff.
Ultimately, the British decided, figuratively speaking, to sit on two chairs at once. A division into infantry and cruiser tanks was created. The former were slow and well armored, while the latter were different high speed but thin armor. At the same time, their weapons were approximately the same. Although at first it was planned to equip infantry tanks only with machine guns. Then, nevertheless, they came to equipping combat vehicles with guns. But for both infantry and cruiser tanks, the caliber of the guns was long time limited, and high-explosive fragmentation shells were not included in the ammunition load.
Let's take a closer look at both "families" of British tanks. initial period World War II.
Infantry tanks, as already mentioned, at first did not have cannon weapons. A typical example of such a machine was the Matilda I, which began production in 1937. It was a clumsy but well armored tank. When the British first fought the Germans in 1940, it turned out that German anti-tank weapons were often unable to penetrate this tank. Unfortunately, the advantage in defense was completely erased by the very low firepower of the vehicle.
In 1939, the production of the Matilda II infantry tank began, which became the most heavily armored British tank at the beginning of the war. Its 60 mm armor was guaranteed to penetrate only 88 mm anti-aircraft guns and 76 mm German guns anti-tank installations Marder II. Unlike its namesake of the previous modification, the Matilda II was armed with a 2-pounder gun. In principle, this was enough for the very beginning of the war. But by the middle of 1942, Matilda II had ceased to be any significant in the role of a gun tank. And install on it more powerful cannon was not possible due to the small size of the tower and the diameter of the shoulder strap.
the most successful infantry tank beginning of the war recognized as Valentine. This car has received baptism of fire in 1941 in North Africa. The release of "Valentines" was carried out until 1944, although already in 1942 the tank was considered hopelessly outdated. Its unambiguous shortcomings were low speed and a weak gun. Unlike the Matilda II, it was possible to strengthen the armament of the Valentine: in 1942, a turret was developed for a 57-mm (6-pound) gun. The tower was cramped and could accommodate only two people, which had a negative effect on the efficiency of the crew. Speaking of Valentine tank, it should be noted that about half of the cars built were sent under Lend-Lease to the USSR.
As for the cruiser tanks of Great Britain, by the beginning of the Second World War they were still far from perfect and were extremely unreliable. And it was typical for all equipment of this class. The ancestors of cruiser tanks were the machines of the American engineer Walter Christie.
The Vickers Mk I, produced in small series since 1934, became the first cruiser tank. He practically did not participate in the war, although a small number of these vehicles remained in the army until 1941. The rest were withdrawn to the rear and used as training.
An attempt to correct this deplorable situation was the Vickers Mk IV tank. The thickness of his armor was able to bring up to 30 mm. This was done by welding additional sheets on the tower and other vulnerabilities. This additional armor gave the Mk IV's turret an unusual hexagonal shape, later adopted by the Covenanter cruiser tank. In addition, minor work was carried out to improve the chassis. The Mk IV became more combat-ready than its predecessors, but still broke down unacceptably often.
In 1940-1941, the British suffered serious defeats on almost all fronts. France, North Africa, Greece - everywhere British tanks lost to their opponents. Sometimes this was due to technical imperfection, sometimes due to incompetent commanders. I had to draw conclusions and take action.
In the second part of the article, we will tell you how the armored weapons of Britain developed further.
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We continue to acquaint you with the whole variety of armored vehicles that can be found in Armored Warfare: Project Armata. Today we will talk about British tanks from the Cold War to the present day.
Second World War firmly established the role of the tank as the basis of an independent branch of the armed forces, but it also made its weaknesses obvious. Among the military leadership of the world powers, voices were heard claiming that the tank as a type of weapon was outdated, but no one was in a hurry to hand over the armored monsters for scrap. Let the war end, but it was too early to talk about peace: World War II was replaced by cold war, threatening to develop into a nuclear one, and tanks were preparing a key role in it. In addition to formidable weapons, they have become a sign of military presence, an impressive symbol of military power. To have your own tank and not depend on the allies has always been a matter of prestige for the great powers. Tank building continued to develop - but in each country in its own way.
The Ministry of Defense hostilely accepted the idea of a "universal" tank, and only in last years war, it gradually gained recognition and began to be put into practice. And after the end of World War II, the British army reduced tank forces up to one division, placing it in Germany as an unambiguous hint Soviet Union. By this time, the shortcomings of the British military doctrine, which strictly divided tanks into "infantry" and "cruising", which led to a cripplingly narrow specialization.
"Centurions" in the Negev desert. Photo by Fritz Cohen (1913-1981); licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
The main tank of the British army was the Centurion, put into service in 1946. He brilliantly showed himself in the Korean War of 1950-1953. His fighting qualities were valued so highly that in different time he was in service 20 various countries who bought it directly or, like Denmark and the Netherlands, received it under the American military aid. More than half of the 4423 tanks produced were exported. Discontinued in 1962, in some places it is still in service, if not the Centurion itself, then its derivatives, for example, the South African Olifant.
African "Oliphant", the younger brother of the British "Centurion".Photo by Danie van der Merwe; licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
In Britain itself, since 1966, the Centurion has been replaced by the Chieftain, a tank that is innovative in many ways. So, for the first time in the history of tank building, the driver was reclining, which made it possible to significantly reduce the height of the hull in the front and at the same time increase the slope of the frontal armor. The engine, based on the German aviation "Junkers Humo", was adapted to work on various types fuel, from gasoline to diesel, a feature that has become a mandatory standard for NATO military equipment.
"Chieften". Photo by Peeteekayy; licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
In parallel with the Chieftain, another, much more unusual armored vehicle was being developed. So, in the 60s, as part of the Project Prodigial program, a prototype of the FV4401 Contentious tank destroyer was created. Ultralight, with a team of two, it was designed for air delivery and parachuting into the conflict zone. To lighten the car, the designers got rid of the tower. The 84-mm gun, placed directly in the hull, had an extremely limited horizontal angle and zero vertical aiming angle: the gun was supposed to be guided vertically using a hydraulic suspension, tilting it along with the hull.
Prototype FV4401 Contentious.Photo by Simon Q from United Kingdom; licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Another experimental vehicle, COMRES 75, was created as part of the Anglo-German project "Main Battle Tank of the Future" and also did not have a turret: the gun was mounted on an external carriage, which reduced the weight of the vehicle and increased the crew's security. Interest in turretless tanks was sparked by the Swedish Stridsvagn 103 - a vehicle with a unique layout, whose gun, rigidly fixed in the hull, was induced, like the Contentious, by turning the tank and tilting the hull on the suspension. In the end, however, the command of the British Army spoke out against turretless tanks, preferring the classic layout of armored vehicles.
Experimental COMRES 75 with an 83.8 mm cannon on an outrigger carriage.Crown copyright 1968
Until the end of the 70s, the Chieftain remained the leader among NATO tanks both in terms of security and firepower. This was facilitated by continuous modernization. Although it was not possible to noticeably improve the instrument itself, despite hard work. The combat power of the tank has grown significantly due to the modernization of fire control systems: the tank received a laser rangefinder, an electronic ballistic computer, night vision devices, and a sight alignment system. Work was also underway to improve the armor: the tank was equipped with combined Chobham armor with ceramic inserts. The upgraded model of the Chieftain, released in 1980, was called the Challenger. In parallel, Britain produced an export version of the Shir tank for Jordan, where it was put into service under the name Khalid.
In 1998, he entered service with the British Army. new tank- "Challenger 2", equipped with an improved 120-mm rifled gun (this is the only modern MBT with a rifled gun) and a secret combined armor of the new generation "Dorchester" with the possibility of installing additional anti-cumulative screens. All this could not but affect the mass and mobility of the tank: the 62-ton Challenger 2 is developing on the highway top speed 56 km/h.
Crown Copyright 2014
"Challenger 2" performed well during Iraqi war, demonstrating excellent cross-country ability and phenomenal survivability: in 2003, during an urban battle, one of these tanks withstood a dozen and a half hits from rocket-propelled grenade launchers, keeping the crew unscathed. In the battle near Basra, a group of 14 Challengers destroyed an equal Iraqi T-55 column without a single loss. To date, the Challenger 2 remains one of the heaviest and most protected tanks in the world. However, in 2009, BAE Systems Corporation, which produced it, announced that it was phasing out Challenger production and closing factories in Britain due to a lack of orders. Perhaps, when the time comes to rearm, the British army will have to master German or American armored vehicles.
That's all for today. Similar reviews will be published soon. military equipment France and Germany.
British Tanks Challenger 1 Challenger belongs to the third post-war generation. He is further development and has been in development since the mid-1970s. Technical Directorate of military vehicles and equipment and firms oh Vickers. The prototype for it was the export Shir2, the design of which was finalized, thereby creating the Challenger I. From 1983 to 1989, 420 of these vehicles were manufactured for the British army. They were removed from service at the end of 2000, but since 1999 these tanks have been supplied to Jordan under the name ALHussein. A total of 303 units were sent.
UK Challenger tanks
"Challenger 1" - a tank of the classic layout. Combat weight 62 tons. The hull and turret are welded, made of Chobhem combined armor. The bottom of the hull has a V-shape to reduce the impact of anti-tank mines. In front of the machine is the control compartment. The fighting compartment and the tower occupy the middle part. Engine compartment in the aft. The turret has a 120mm L11A5 rifled gun. Pointing angles of the gun in the vertical plane from -10 to +20 degrees.
L11A5 120mm rifled gun, other tanks in the world use smoothbore guns
The ammunition load of 64 rounds of separate loading is located in the control compartment and in the fighting compartment. To the right of the gun is a 7.62 mm machine gun coaxial with a cannon. The anti-aircraft machine gun is located above the hatch of the commander's cupola. The machine used an automated fire control system, consisting of a laser rangefinder sight and an electronic ballistic computer. If necessary, it is possible to fire from the commander's seat. There is also a laser irradiation indicator with a signal to the crew.
The motor-transmission unit weighing 5.49 tons is located in the stern. What is typical for replacement in field conditions it takes only 45 minutes. The main engine is a 12-cylinder V-shaped Condor turbocharged diesel engine with a power of 1200 hp. There is also an auxiliary diesel engine with a capacity of 37 hp, which serves to drive the electric generator, start the main engine and recharge the batteries.
Tank Challenger 1 performed in leading role from Britain in the war Persian Gulf for Operation Granby
On the "Challenger 1" for the first time, an automatic hydromechanical transmission with hydrostatic transmission was used in the drive of the turning mechanism. It allows you to smoothly turn the machine, which improves handling.
- Speed - 56 km / h.
- Power reserve - 400 km.
- Tank suspension - unregulated hydropneumatic piston.
On each side, six double supporting and four double supporting rubberized rollers are installed. Caterpillar with metal and hinges and removable rubber pads.
The Challenger 1 has three modifications: Mk 1, Mk 2 and Mk 3. The Mk l tanks were equipped with a 120 mm L30 cannon, which included depleted uranium shells. The Mk 2 has two additional 200-liter external fuel tanks, on MKZ - additional active and passive protection of the front and sides.
The Challenger 2 is the last of Britain's main battle tanks. Weighs 63 tons
Tank UK Challenger 2 developed by Vickers in 1988. It is a modernized Challenger 1, which has changed the design of the turret, gun and weapon control system. Mass production began in 1994. Now 386 tanks are in service with the British army, 38 are in service with the army of Oman.
Challenger 2 will remain in the British Army until 2035
Royal Scottish Dragoons guards regiment. Germany. 1998 color of the combat vehicle
The hull and turret of the Challenger 2 are made of second-generation Chobham combined armor. The turret was designed based on experience in the creation of the Mk7 and . Combat weight 62.5 tons.
The ammunition load of the L30A1 rifled gun includes armor-piercing sub-caliber shells with a depleted uranium core. Ammunition - 52 shells of separate loading.
Photo shot from CHALLENGER 2
Fire control system - upgraded computer american tankМ1А1 Abrams ("Abrams"), the commander's stabilized day sight is similar to that installed on French tank Leclerk, the gunner's main sight is also French with a laser rangefinder and a thermal imaging unit.
A thermal imager is located above the Challenger 2 barrel, it can be clearly seen in the photo. This allows the crew to see thermal images of any "hotspots" Vehicle, soldier, etc
Transmission is new, hydropneumatic suspension and chassis modernized. There are two external fuel tanks on the body. The engine is the same - Condor.
Condor 1200 engine Horse power allows the tank to reach a maximum speed of 37 miles
A filter-ventilation unit and automatic fire fighting equipment have been installed. There are variants of command tanks.
Challenger 2, modified for hot climates, were delivered to Oman.
Challenger 2 on the background of burning oil wells Persian Gulf
The developer has created an export modification of the Challenger 2E, which is considered as an option for upgrading tanks in service with the British army.