Churchill tank

Churchill tank

 the most successful British tank used in World War II. In 1940, after the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk on the French coast, the British government commissioned Vauxhall Motors, Ltd., to design a new tank to replace the Matilda II, which had limited mobility and other deficiencies. The first Churchill model, the Mark I, was ready by June 1941 and entered large-scale production soon afterward. The Mark I was armed with a two-pounder gun in the turret and a three-inch howitzer ( artillery piece) mounted on the hull. Like subsequent Churchill models, the Mark I had good speed and turning ability, a robust suspension system, heavy armour plating, and a low silhouette. In the Mark II model, the three-inch howitzer on the hull was replaced by a machine gun.

      From the time they entered service in mid-1942, the Mark I and II tended to be outgunned by German panzers (panzer) (tanks), but their ability to climb hills served them well in the closing phases of the North African campaign. Faced with the need to upgrade their tank's main armament, the British fitted the next model, the Mark III, with a six-pounder gun. Even this gun was barely adequate by 1943, when the Mark III entered service, so later versions of this model were fitted with a 75-mm gun.

      The Mark IV closely resembled the Mark III, but its turret was welded rather than cast. The Mark IV was perhaps the most prolific Churchill tank and probably saw the most combat of any model. It was armed with either a six-pounder or a 75-mm gun. The tank weighed 39 tons, had a top speed of 27 km (17 miles) per hour, and a range of 145 km (90 miles). It was served by a crew of five and mounted two 7.92-mm machine guns in addition to its main gun. Its successor, the Mark V, was fitted with a 95-mm howitzer, but the Mark VI and VII returned to the format of the 75-mm gun. These later Churchills were still outgunned by their German counterparts, but their thick protective armour partly compensated for the inadequacy of their firepower.

      Churchill tanks took part in the Normandy Invasion and the ensuing Allied campaign across northern France and Germany. Some were adapted to mount flame throwers (flame thrower), and the rugged Churchill chassis could also be fitted with equipment for mine sweeping, bridge laying, and other specialized tasks. A total of 5,640 Churchill tanks were manufactured, and some remained in service with the British army into the 1950s.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Churchill tank — Tank, Infantry, Mk IV (A22) Tank, Infantry Mk IV Churchill IV (75mm) Type Infantry tank Place of origin …   Wikipedia

  • Churchill (tanque) — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Tanque de Infantería Mk IV (A22) Un tanque Churchill Mk IV con cañón de 75 mm Tipo Tanque pesado …   Wikipedia Español

  • Churchill (disambiguation) — Winston Churchill was a British politician who led the United Kingdom during World War II. Churchill may also refer to: Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Antarctica 1.2 …   Wikipedia

  • Tank destroyer — A self propelled anti tank gun, or tank destroyer, is a type of armoured fighting vehicle designed specifically to engage enemy armor forces, and not produced for an infantry support role. Most have been traditionally defined and produced as a… …   Wikipedia

  • Tank gun — A tank gun is the main armament of a tank. Modern tank guns are large caliber high velocity guns, capable of firing kinetic energy penetrators, high explosive anti tank rounds, and in some cases guided missiles. OverviewTank guns are a specific… …   Wikipedia

  • Churchill Crocodile — Churchill Crocodiles during the Second World War Type Infantry tank/Flame tank Place of  …   Wikipedia

  • Churchill (Panzer) — Churchill Ein MK IV Churchill Allgemeine Eigenschaften Besatzung …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Churchill County — may refer to: Places Churchill County, Nevada Churchill County, Queensland Ships USS Churchill County (LST 583), a United States Navy tank landing ship in commission as USS LST 583 from 1944 to 1946 and as USS Churchill County from 1960 to 1968… …   Wikipedia

  • Tank — For other uses, see Tank (disambiguation). Tank A former British Arm …   Wikipedia

  • Honours of Winston Churchill — Churchill s identification document as an Honorary Citizen of the United States Sir Winston Churchill received numerous honours and awards throughout his career as a statesman and author. Perhaps the highest of these was the state funeral held at …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”