FV4101 Charioteer

Story of tank FV4101

After World War II (1939-1945), Germany was divided into east and west halves by the victorious powers, with the east controlled by the communist Soviet Union and the west influenced by Britain and its allies. The divided country represents what many believe will be the focal point of World War III in Europe, prompting military development and production to keep up with the ongoing threat.

For the British, the evolution to a capable tracked armoured vehicle gave birth to the "Centurion" - essentially the world's first main battle tank (MBT) - which combined armour protection, mobility and firepower to counter the threat of Soviet armor.

Despite the arrival of the Centurion, the British authorities realized that the required number of tanks would not be available in the short term, which inspired plans to build a makeshift Tank Destroyer (TD) that could be used to fill the expected stockpile waiting for the Centurion time gap. The Cromwell cruiser tank, born in the latter part of WWII, is in abundance (approximately 4,016 were produced), and this chassis seems to serve the new TD design well.

Melee defenses are complemented by a powerful 20 lb (83.4 mm) Ordnance QF main gun, provided by a coaxially mounted 0.30 caliber machine gun.

However, the existing Cromwell turret presented design challenges when mounting a more powerful gun. An entirely new turret design was ordered in which armor protection was reduced to save weight - a fatal design flaw for a vehicle that directly defends against enemy armor. Nonetheless, the need for a new tank destroyer remained and the "Fighting Vehicle" was born - officially known as the "FV4101 Cromwell Heavy Anti-Tank Gun" - Robinson & Kershaw Ltd applied the modification to the existing Keren Will Tank.

The vehicles were modified at a factory in Dukinfield, Cheshire, and 442 tanks were eventually produced.

All in all, Cromwell's origins have been affirmed in the full tank. Located on one side of the fuselage are five twin tire wheels (via a traditional sprocket arrangement), with the drive sprocket at the rear and the chain idler at the front (no idler). The power unit is located aft of the hull for maximum survivability, and the crew from four crew positions are located in the front central section of the vehicle.

The Charioteer's top speed is 32 mph (under ideal conditions), while the suspension is provided by a modified Christie arrangement. Twelve smoke grenade launchers (six in two rows, one on each side of the turret) are used for self-checking measures.

The Charioteer served in the Territorial Regiment of the British Army's Royal Armoured Corps, but only for a relatively short period of time - in fact, the car had a lifespan from 1951 to 1958 when it was eventually scrapped. Some examples were sold to interested buyers in Austria, Finland, Jordan and Lebanon, which were used well in the 1970s before being officially removed from their respective services.

Some served in the 1978 South Lebanon War (March 1978) and the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990).

A few examples have survived as museum exhibits, including a well-preserved example (in Jordanian colours) from the Bovington Tank Museum, UK.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

32 x 84mm bullets

2,500 x .30 card ammo

12 x Smoke Grenade

Changes