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Britain's Cruiser, Comet I, A34
Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum
Aberdeen Tank Museum
After the initial battles in the Western Desert in 1941 and 1942 it was seen that the British didn't have guns that were able to easily defeat the German armored vehicles. By late 1943 there was an urgent need for a fast cruiser tank that could defeat German armor.
Leyland was given the task in May 1943 to design the Comet as a successor to the Cromwell.1 It was to be built with as many of the components of the Cromwell as possible.
The turret couldn't take the 17 pdr. so the smaller 77 mm gun, that was developed by Vickers-Armstrong, was installed. It could fire the same shell as the 17 pdr. but was smaller so it could fit into the turret.1
In February 1943, Leyland Motors started to design the Comet.5 By July 1943 a proposal was presented to the General Staff.5 In September 1943 a mock-up was ready.5 In October 1943 an order was placed.5 By June 1944, 20 pre-production vehicles were to be ready.5 The first prototype was ready in February 1944. After about 60% redesign it was ready for production. The first production models were delivered in September 1944.4
The hull and turret were all welded7 which were part cast and part rolled. A stronger suspension was needed and return rollers were added.1,5 The cupola for the commander was the same as on the Cromwell and provided good all around vision. The turret was traversed by electrical power from the main engine.1 Armored storage bins5 were over the tracks and behind the turret.
The bow plate was sloped, but to install a hull MG a vertical section was added.5 Some crew felt that the hull MG wasn't of much value as it wasn't used as much.5
Crew
The driver was on the right and the hull MG gunner on the left.5 The commander and gunner sat on the left of the main armament, with the gunner on the left.5 They were all in a suspended turret basket.5
Main Armament
Gun was actually 76.2 mm, but was called 77 mm to avoid confusion with the 17 pdr. It could penetrate 130 mm at 30° at 2,178 yards using APDS ammo.
Fired a 20 lb HE shell.6
Experience and Use
Based on experience in Normandy, exhaust cowls added to help reduce the visibility of the Comet at night.1 This also helped with carrying infantry.1
They were sent to Belgium in November 1944.4
First delivery was to 11th Armored Division in December 1944.4 It was the only division to have all it's units re-equiped with the Comet.4
Regiments first received them after the Rhine Crossing in March 1945.7
| Comet | |
|---|---|
| Crew | Commander, gunner, loader, driver, co-driver 51,2,5,6,7 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 72,800 lb, 78,800 lb5 33,090 kg, 33,225 kg, 35,560 kg7, 35,696 kg5, 32,223 kg1 29.25 tons3, 32.5 tons2, 32.7 tons1,4,6, 35 tons7 |
| Length w/gun | 21' 6"1,5, 25' 1.5"2,6,7 6.55 m1, 6.6 m5, 7.66 m7, 7.86 m3 |
| Length w/o gun | 6.55 m |
| Height | 8' 6"6, 8' 8"1,5, 8' 9.5"2,7 2.6 m3, 2.67 m1, 2.68 m7, 2.8 m5 |
| Width | 10'2,5,7, 10' 1"1, 10' 1.5"6 3.03 m3, 3.04 m, 3.05 m7, 3.07 m1, 3.1 m5 |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | 1' 5.5", 18"6 0.4 m |
| Ground contact length | 147"6 |
| Ground pressure | 13.8 psi6, 13.85 psi5 0.88 (kg/cm2)5 |
| Turret ring diameter | 5' 4"5 1.63 m5 |
| Armament | |
| Main | 17 pdr (77 mm) Vickers HV (High Velocity)1 77 mm OQF Mk. II 77 mm2,3,4 QF 77 mm5 77 mm Mark 2 Gun6 77 mm OQF7 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 2: 7.92 mm Besa MG1, coaxial, hull3,5,6,7 2: 7.92 mm MG2 |
| Side arms | .303 cal Bren MG6 |
| Quantity | |
| Main | 58, 615,6 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 5,1755,6 |
| Side arms | 6006 |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 14 - 1012 14 - 1025 25 - 1021 1013,4,7 |
| Hull Front, Upper | 3"@0°6 76@0° |
| Hull Front, Lower | 64 |
| Hull Sides, Upper | 1.7"@0°6 29@0° |
| Hull Sides, Lower | 14@0° |
| Hull Rear | 1"@0°6 25@0° |
| Hull Top | 14 |
| Hull Bottom | 14 |
| Turret Front | 4"@0°6 102@0° |
| Turret Sides | 2.5"@0°6 64@0° |
| Turret Rear | 57@0° |
| Turret Top | 25 |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Rolls-Royce Meteor1,2,6,7 Rolls-Royce Meteor Mark 35 |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | Water5,6 |
| Cylinders | V-125,6,7 |
| Capacity | |
| Net HP | 6003,6,7 600@2,550 rpm5 |
| Power to weight ratio | 17 hp/ton5 |
| Compression ratio | |
| Transmission (Type) | 5 forward, 1 reverse6 |
| Steering | Controlled differential6 |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | |
| Electrical system | |
| Ignition | |
| Fuel (Type) | Gasoline5,6,7 |
| Octane | |
| Quantity | 116 gallons6, 139 gallons |
| Road consumption | 1 mpg6 |
| Cross country consumption | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | 360°6 Electric or hand6 |
| Max speed | 29 mph2,6,7, 32 mph1,5 18 kph, 47 kph7, 48 kph3, 50 kph1, 51 kph5 |
| Cross country speed | 16 mph |
| Road radius | 123 miles5,6,7, 125 miles1, 156.25 miles 196 km5, 198 km7, 200 km1, 250 km |
| Cross country radius | |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | +20° to -12° |
| Fording depth | 3', 3' 8"6, (4' prepared) 1.12 m prepared |
| Trench crossing | 7' 6", 8'5,6 2.28 m, 2.4 m5 |
| Vertical obstacle | 3'6 |
| Climbing ability | 35° slope6 |
| Suspension (Type) | Improved Christie with return rollers Christie type torsion arm6 |
| Wheels each side | 5x2, 55,6 |
| Return rollers each side | 46, 55 |
| Tracks (Type) | Steel, skeleton, dry6 |
| Length | |
| Width | 15.5", 18"6 |
| Diameter | |
| Number of links | 1146 |
| Pitch | 4.4"6 |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread | 8' 1.25", 100.25"6 |
| Production | 9/44-45: 1,200 1944: Leyland Motors Corp.6 |
Sources:
- The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
- Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles The Complete Guide, Leland Ness, 2002
- Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
- Battle Winning Tanks, Aircraft & Warships of World War II, David Miller, 2000
- Tank Data 2, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, E. J. Hoffschmidt and W. H. Tantum IV, 1969
- The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006
