Cruiser Tank Mk IV (A13)

History of Cruiser Tank Mk IV (A13)

After the First World War (1914-1918) and the introduction of "tanks" as a viable battlefield, the British Army adopted the concept of a combination of "cruiser" and "infantry" tanks. Cruiser tanks will be fast-moving, well-armed, fast tanks, fighting alongside heavier, slower, but better-protected infantry tanks. Infantry tanks would create gaps in the enemy's defenses, and cruisers would then fill those gaps, taking advantage of the now vulnerable enemy flanks and rear. A number of cruiser tanks were in service before and during World War II (1939-1945), some with success and some without, one of which became "Panzer, Kreuzer, Mk IV (A13 Mk II)".

This system appeared during the battles of 1940-41. Originating from the early Mk III line, the Mk IV proved to be of limited combat value in Europe and was mostly lost, but found with more campaign use in back and forth in North Africa, like other pre-war British cruisers, the Mk IV eventually Was phased out and abandoned in favor of a more promising design.

Despite the arrival of the Mk III series, the British War Office has developed an upgraded tank with better armor protection. This effort became the Mk IV cruiser tank, built primarily on the remainder of the Mk III design.

Added sloping turret sides and additional armor up to 30mm thick (up from 15mm), while retaining the original 2-pdr (40mm) main gun (and coaxial .303 Vickers water-cooled machine gun) and Nuffield Liberty 340 hp V12 petrol engine. The hull still hangs on the Christie suspension, and at road speeds of up to 30 mph, the range is 90 miles.

The Mk IV entered service in 1940, acting in time for the French campaign. However, a tank so hastily tested and produced would naturally perform poorly in combat with a well-trained enemy crew. The British Mk IV crew greatly outnumbered their German counterparts, and many tanks fell prey to the pressure of the invading enemy. Therefore, the Mk IV series has never been successful in the volatile European environment.

If there's one bright spot in the Mk IV's resume, it's the formidable combat it provided during the North African campaign, where the system provided invaluable service under the conditions and tactics employed. It provided a good combination of speed and combat firepower on African terrain when defeating the armor of early light tanks, and held its own against early Panzer III and IV variants.

In fact, the vehicle was popular with tankers in this theater, even though its light armor was vulnerable to German artilleryincluding anti-tank (AT) personnel. The Mk IV fought alongside many of its earlier cruiser sisters in this theater, including the Mk I (A9) and Mk II (A10) tanks.

Only one Mk IV variant was made, the Mk IVA. The shroud on the bottom of the main gun was redesigned to provide better protection, and the original tank's water-cooled coaxial .303 Vickers machine gun was abandoned in favor of an air-cooled 7.92mm Bessa model.

These tanks were used in African campaigns until 1942, when their useful combat value expired.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

87x40mm bullet

3,750x7.92mm ammo

Changes