Main Menu
Britain's Cruiser Mk I4, A94
Cruiser Mk I, A9: |
Cruiser Mk I, A9: Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum |
Design
The Cruiser Mk I (A9) was designed at Vickers Armstrongs in 1934 by Sir John Carden.4,9 Initially the Cruiser Mk I was to support the Vickers Medium Mk IIs but it soon replaced them. He designed it during the depression and had many cost cutting measures.
The original engine was a Rolls-Royce car engine but it was underpowered and an AEC bus engine9 was substituted.
Engine was located in rear and a central power turret, which was a first in British tanks. Much of the armor was vertical and many angles for shots to get trapped in. There was an auxiliary engine that was used to start the main engine, charge the batteries, and drove a fan in the fighting compartment.
The driving and fighting compartment were together. Each of the MG gunners were on each side of the driver in turrets. The steering brakes were mounted on the outside of the rear sprockets. This allowed them to cool faster.
The suspension was later used on the Valentine with some minor modifications.
Had a hydraulic powered turret traverse, which was a first for British tanks.1
Prototype
The first prototype was completed in April 1936.8
Production
Trials started in July 19369 and an order was placed for 125 was placed in August 1937.
Deliveries were first made in January 1939.8
- Cruiser Mk I: July 1936 -1941:
1258,9
- Production: 1936 - 1941
- Manufacturer: Vickers (50)1,4, Harland & Wolff (75)4, Wolff of Belfast1
Variants
- Cruiser Mk I: There were 2 forward "sub-turrets" that had the other MGs which were unpopular with crews.
- Cruiser Mk I CS: Had 3.7" (94 mm) howitzer installed in turret.
Usage
The Cruiser Mk I was found in some regiments of the 1st Armored Division in France.4 This exposed the design weaknesses of this tank to be thin armor and too slow.1
The Cruiser Mk Is were used by the 2nd and 7th Armored Division in North Africa until 1941.4
| Cruiser Mk I | Cruiser Mk I CS | |
|---|---|---|
| Crew | Commander, gunner, loader, driver, MG gunner (2).3 61,3,4,5,7,8,9 |
62 |
| Physical Characteristics | ||
| Weight | 28,728 lb3 12 tons1,4,5,8,9, 12.5 tons7 12,190 kg1,9 |
12.7 tons2 |
| Length w/gun | 19'3,4,9, 19' 3"1,5,8 5.79 m1,9 |
5.79 m2 |
| Length w/o gun | ||
| Height | 8' 4"1,5,8,9, 8' 8.5"3,4 2.54 m9, 2.654 m1 |
2.65 m2 |
| Width | 8' 2.5"3,4, 8' 4"1,5,8,9 2.5 m1, 2.54 m9 |
2.5 m2 |
| Width over tracks | ||
| Ground clearance | 1' 4" | 0.46 m2 |
| Ground contact length | ||
| Ground pressure | 10.8 psi | 0.76 (kg/cm2)2 |
| Turret ring diameter | ||
| Armament | ||
| Main | 2 pdr OQF3 2 pdr (40 mm)1,4,5,6,7,9 |
3.7" L/15 howitzer 3.7" Howitzer3,5,7,8 94 mm L/152 3.7" Mortar4 |
| Secondary | ||
| MG | 3: Vickers MG5 | 3 MGs2 |
| MG - coaxial | 1: MG4 1: 0.303 cal Vickers MG1,3,8,9 1: 7.7 mm Vickers MG1,8,9 |
|
| MG - forward turrets | 2: MG4 2: 0.303 cal Vickers MG1,3,8,9 2: 7.7 mm Vickers MG1,8,9 |
|
| Side arms | ||
| Quantity | ||
| Main | 1003 | 402 |
| Secondary | ||
| MG | 3,0003 | 5,0002 |
| Side arms | ||
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 6 - 141,4,5, 10-149 63, 143,8 |
|
| Hull Front, Upper | 10-14 | 10-142 |
| Hull Front, Lower | 10-14 | |
| Hull Sides, Upper | 10 | 102 |
| Hull Sides, Lower | 10 | |
| Hull Rear | 10 | 102 |
| Hull Top | 5 | 52 |
| Hull Bottom | 7 | 72 |
| Turret Front | 14 | 142 |
| Turret Sides | 12 | 122 |
| Turret Rear | 14 | 142 |
| Turret Top | 4 | 42 |
| Engine (Make / Model) | AEC Type A1791,3,4,9 AEC5,8 |
AEC2 Water cooled2 |
| Bore / stroke | ||
| Cooling | ||
| Cylinders | 64,8,9 | 62 |
| Capacity | 9.64 liter9 | |
| Net HP | 1504,5,8,9 | 1502 @ 2,200 rpm2 |
| Power to weight ratio | ||
| Compression ratio | ||
| Transmission (Type) | 5 forward, 1 reverse | 5 forward2, 1 reverse2 |
| Steering | ||
| Steering ratio | ||
| Starter | ||
| Electrical System | ||
| Ignition | ||
| Fuel (Type) | ||
| Octane | ||
| Capacity | 86 gallons | 327 liters2 |
| Road consumption | ||
| Cross country consumption | ||
| Performance | ||
| Traverse | 360°3, hydraulic9 | 360° |
| Max speed | 25 mph3,4,5,7,8,9, 24.84 mph1 40 kph1,9 |
39.6 kph2 |
| Cross country speed | 15 mph3 | |
| Road radius | 100 miles4, 150 miles3,9, 149 miles1 240 km1, 241 km9 |
202 km2 |
| Cross country radius | ||
| Turning radius | 26' | 7.9 m2 |
| Elevation limits | ||
| Fording depth | 3'3 | 0.91 m2 |
| Trench crossing | 8'3 | |
| Vertical obstacle | 3' | |
| Climbing ability | ||
| Suspension (Type) | Triple wheel bogies on springs with Newton hydraulic shock absorbers.1,3,9 "Slow motion"9 |
Coil Springs2 |
| Wheels each side | 62 | |
| Return rollers each side | ||
| Tracks (Type) | ||
| Length | ||
| Width | 14"3 | 267 mm2 |
| Diameter | ||
| Number of links | ||
| Pitch | ||
| Tire tread | ||
| Track centers/tread | 7' 3"3 |
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
- Panzer Truppen The Complete Guide to the Creation and Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1933-1942, Thomas L. Jentz, 1996
- British and American Tanks of World War Two, The Complete Illustrated History of British, American, and Commonwealth Tanks 1933-1945, Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis, 1969
- World War Two Tanks, George Forty, 1995
- Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
- Allied Armour of World War Two, Ian V. Hogg, 2000
- Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
- The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006
