Centurion (A41)

History

Although requested as early as 1943 and put into production in January 1945, the British Centurion MBT arrived too late to see combat action in WWII. The war in Europe had ended in May 1945, with only six pilot vehicles stationed in Belgium for evaluation by the British Army. Although the new British tank missed out on global conflicts, it played a considerable role in subsequent wars around the world, becoming one of the most successful Cold War tank designs in the West. Combat-wise, the Centurion became the most experienced tank in the Western inventory, having fought more in the war than any other frontline main battle tank system of its kind.

The chassis proved perfect for a variety of other battlefield-focused designs that would expand the Centurion family lineup for decades to comesome of which didn't enter service until 2006.

The centurion arrives in war-torn Europe - too late

In 1943, as the war raged in Europe, the British War Office issued a request - dubbed "A41" - for a new heavy cruiser tank war, which could now be used as effectively as an anti-tank gun - forcing The British reconsidered their tank design formula and demanded a combat system that could withstand a direct hit from this weapon. In addition, the requirement called for reliable battlefield equipment with a maximum weight of no more than 40 tons that could be used with the 40-ton transport trailers then available for the British Army. As such, new tank designs need to be well protected along their critical fairings, with properly adjusted armor, which can actually result in a heavier tank.

The original 40-ton weight limit proved somewhat impractical for armor requirements and was extended due to carry restrictions on existing transport trailers (known as Mark I and Mark II) in the British Army's inventory. Rather than narrowing down the design of their actual new tank - which the War Office thought would be a hit from the start - the decision was made to build an all-new heavy-duty trailer.

Centurion Mk I

The new design uses the base 5-wheel suspension rail system of the original Comet cruiser tank. The Comet was a relatively new design that did not enter service until 1944 and saw additional combat in the upcoming Korean War. Of the 1,186 examples produced by Leyland Motors Ltd, it was fitted with a high-speed 77mm main gun in a moveable turret. However, a sixth wheel was added to the Comet's track components for a new design, and the original Christie suspension was dropped in favor of a Horstmann suspension.

The Horstmann system based on coil springs originated from an original British design by engineer Sidney Hortsmann from 1922. An all-new hull is mounted between the rail units, specially designed to help defend against the new threats of the modern battlefield. Primary armament will come from the proven 17lb (76.2mm UK) gun. Interestingly, the designers included a 20mm Polsten cannon as a secondary weapon.

The Polsten range is a cheaper but still effective Polish version of the fine Swiss 20mm Oerlikon range of cannons. To ensure outstanding weight performance, the liquid-cooled V12 engine of the Rolls-Royce Merlin aircraft has been redesigned to become the Rolls-Royce Meteor engine.

The Rover Company took over the production of this new engine (which later became the Leyland Motor Company) for the new British tank.

Centurion Mk II

While construction of the initial 40-ton pilot vehicle is already underway, newer and heavier versions are already in the works. An early pilot vehicle (prototype) emerged as a 40-ton final product, known simply as the "Centurion Mk I".

These early forms were armed with the aforementioned 17-pounder gun. Production of the Centurion Mk I proved to be rather limited, however, with the improved and upgraded Centurion Mk II coming soon, this version came with a cast turret.

The Centurion Mk II promised better protection on the battlefield through the use of more armor, and mass production of 800 government prototypes began in late November 1945. Production will come from several UK factories.

The Centurion officially entered service with the British Army in December 1946, and the first proud recipients became members of the 5th Royal Tank Regiment.

Centurion Mk III

While the Centurion Mk II took its place in the British inventory, the Centurion Mk III was in development thanks to the arrival of a new 20 lb (84 mm) tank gun from the Royal Armouries. The addition of more powerful weapons made the original Polsten 20mm gun loadouts moot in previous Centurion designs, so these were replaced with Besa tank machine guns. The Centurion Mk III is also a significant upgrade over the previous Mk II, as it features a fully stabilized artillery control system for "fire on the move", further extending the tactical range of the new British tank.

A new, more powerful engine was introduced, as well as a newly improved sun visor. Production of the improved Mk III began in 1948, replacing all previous production brands in the field.

Once in service and in available quantities, the Mk III quickly replaced the largely outdated Mk I and Mk II brands. The remaining Mk Is and Mk II then became the subject of a standardized upgrade program for the Mk III, or were converted into useful battlefield engineering vehicles to service the new Mk III and other heavy armored vehicles.

Centurion gets 105mm L7 gun

While the new 84mm gun represents a significant improvement over the original 76.2mm system, the Centurion has yet to complete its transformation into one of the best anti-tank weapons in the world. The Royal Armouries have completed work on the new, revolutionary 105mm L7 rifled main gun, which promises increased firepower through better penetration values ??than any previous British tank gun.

The 105mm gun system then quickly replaced the 84mm gun in future Centurion production examples. The Centurion Mk 7 was soon followed by the L7 at the start of production, followed by the Mk 8/1 and Mk 8/2. All told, there will eventually be 13 major Centurion brands.

Centurion variant

Centurion Mk I marked an early armed 17 lb tank based on a 40 ton prototype. The Mk II is equipped with a fully cast turret. The Mk III was first fitted with an updated 84mm gun, but later gave way to an updated 105mm L7 gun with gun stabilization and new sights. The Mk IV existed as a proposed close support model with a 95mm CS howitzer, but was never put into mass production. The Mk V/Mk 5 was the first to be equipped with a Browning machine gun in the coaxial and commander's cupola positions.

Storage compartments along the glacis boards also carry this marking. Mk 5/1 increased glacis armor thickness and introduced 2 x coaxial machine guns. One is a typical 7.62mm anti-infantry armament, and the other is a 12.7mm heavy machine gun with a range to target the main gun (84mm version). The Mk 5/2 uses the 105mm L7 gun. The Mk 6 is an unarmored version of the Mk 5 with a 105mm L7 main gun.

The Mk 6/2 is equipped with long-range artillery for increased accuracy. On the Mk 7, the engine compartment roof was redesigned. The Mk 7/1 is nothing but an armored Mk 7, while the 7/2 is an armored Mk 7 (105mm L7). The Mk 8 gets a new cape and a revised Commander's cupola.

The Mk 8/1 has more armor, while the Mk 8/2 is armed with a 105mm L7 main gun. The Mk 9 is an armored Mk 7 with a 105mm L7 gun. The Mk 9/1 is equipped with infrared equipment, while the Mk 9/2 is equipped with long-range artillery. The Mk 10 is an armored Mk 8 with a 105mm L7 gun. The Mk 10/1 was used with infrared equipment, while the 10/2 was equipped with a range gun.

The Mk 11 is the Mk 6 variant with a range gun and infrared equipment. Likewise, the Mk 12 is a Mk 9 variant with a range gun and IR support. The Mk 13 is the Mk 10 with range gun and IR support.

Armored rescue vehicles are designated Centurion ARVs (Mk I and Mk II), while Centurion Ark (FV 4016) are bridge-type vehicles, as are Centurion AVLB (Dutch Army service) and Centurion Bridgelayer (FV 4002). Centurion AVRE The 105 and AVRE 165 are combat engineering vehicles with 105mm and 165mm blaster guns, respectively.

The Centurion BARV is a "Beach Armored Rescue Vehicle". Other British Army variants continue to expand the Centurion family.

Global Centurion Carrier

Complete operators of Centurion MBTs (other than British Army) include Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, India, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Somalia/Somalia , South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland.

Olivant the Centurion of South Africa

With the help of France (due to the UN military embargo on African countries in the 1970s), the Centurion was rebuilt as "Olifant" in South Africa. The first version appeared in 1974, called the Semel, with an 810-horsepower engine.

Major versions then became the 1978 Olifant Mk I (with a 750 hp engine), the 1985 Olifant Mk 1A (laser rangefinder and image intensifier), the 1991 Olifant Mk 1B (with torsion bar suspension, Longer hull, improved armor, digital fire control, laser rangefinder and 950 hp engine) and Olifant Mk 2 (new turret and fire control system with 105mm or 120mm main gun as required). To this day, the Olifant is considered to be the most advanced main battle tank on the African continent - a fact that few dispute.

South African weapons engineers have made a habit of modernizing existing systems into more powerful forms - even in the face of sanctions on weapons and technology.

Israel's Centurion Shooting

The Israelites called their centurion Sho't. These include the Sho't Meteor, which marks the Mk V's use of the original Rolls-Royce Meteor engine, and several modernization attempts that produced the Sho't Hal Alef, Bet, Gimel and Dalet.

Nagmashot, Nagmachon and Nakpadon are armored personnel carrier modifications of the base main battle tanks. Puma means Engineered Fighting Vehicle, while Eshel ha-Yarden is a proposed Centurion development, containing 4 x 290mm battlefield missile tubes.

Swedish Centurion

The Swedish Army operates Centurion under its own internal designation Stridsvagen 81, 101, 101R, 102, 102R, 104, 105 and 106. The Bargningsbandvagn 81 is an armoured rescue vehicle.

Centurion: The Ultimate Tank

The Centurion series became one of the most successful tank designs in Cold War history. British allies were quick to stock up on this excellent post-war tank, and once in service, the tank did not disappoint. The British Army itself first used its centurions during the Korean War (1950-1953) to support UN operations against a communist Korean invasion of the South and subsequent Chinese involvement in the theater.

The Centurion saw further action in the 1956 Suez Crisis, the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War (with Indian troops), the Six Day War for Israel and Jordan, and the 1972 Bangladesh Liberation War (with Indian troops). , the Yom Kippur War with Israel and Jordan, the Vietnam War with the Australian Army, the Angolan Civil War (South African Army), Operation Autobots (British Army's anti-IRA operation in Northern Ireland), the 1982 Falklands War (only Single) BARV example) and Operation Desert Storm (AVRE in partnership with the British Army) during the 1991 Gulf War.

British Centurion in the Korean War

After North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950 and began a three-year Korean War on the Korean peninsula, the Centurion fought with the 8th King Royal Irish Hussars of the British Army under the United Nations coalition. While air combat has special historical significance -- it was the first dogfight between jet fighters -- ground warfare is still fiercely fought in harsh terrain and environments. Three squadrons of centurions arrived in Busan and were forced to operate in South Korea's extreme temperatures - especially the cold, freezing winter that wreaked havoc on nearly all machinery. At least five Centurion tanks were lost to the retreating friendly forces during the Battle of Imjin River, but these proved crucial in covering friendly matches. When the United Nations recovered from the northern invasion and retreated across the 38th line, the centurion faced the Chinese who were on the side of the defeated North.

Regardless, the Centurion made a positive and lasting impression from its first real combat mission and established itself for decades to come as the proven, ubiquitous main battle tank for the new era of modern warfare the status of the system.