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Britain's Cruiser Mk II, A10⁴; Cruiser Tank Mark II, A10 Mark IA¹¹

Cruiser Mk II, A10E1, prototype Imperial War Museum	Cruiser Mk II, A10: Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum	Cruiser Mk II, A10:	Cruiser Mk ICS (left) and two Cruiser Mk IIAs, North Africa, 194010 Imperial War Museum
Cruiser Mk II, A10, and Cruiser Mk III, A1310 Imperial War Museum	Cruiser Mk IIAs, Valentine, and Matilda IIs10 Imperial War Museum

Design

Sir John Carden⁹ of Vickers Armstrongs designed the Cruiser Mk II to be an infantry support version of the A9 in 1934.⁴ It was decided it needed to be slower and have thicker armor.¹

Twin "sub-turrets" were removed⁹ which allowed for more room for ammunition.¹ It had the same turret and shaped hull, but it had additional armor bolted on the hull and turret.^1,9 Gunner controlled the elevation of the gun with his shoulder.

Prototype

The first prototype appeared in 1936.⁸

By 1937 it was determined that the A10 did not have heavy enough armor and was cancelled.¹⁰ In 1938 it brought back and 75 were ordered.¹⁰

Production

Order for 100 was placed in 1938.¹ First delivered in December 1939.⁸

• Cruiser Mk II: 13
  • Production: 1939 - 1941
• Cruiser Mk IIA: 162
• Cruiser Mk II CS: 30
• Manufacturers: Vickers (10)¹, Birmingham Railway (45)¹, Carriage Co. (45)¹, Metropolitan-Cammell (45)¹, and Birmingham Railway Carriage Co. (75)¹
• Total: 170⁸, 175⁴

Variants

• A.10E1¹⁰: Prototype.¹⁰
• Cruiser Mk II¹⁰, A10¹⁰: It was classified as a "heavy cruiser" but it suffered from poor performance in France.⁴
• Cruiser Mk IIA¹⁰: Had Besa coaxial machine gun.¹⁰
• Cruiser Mk IIA CS¹⁰: Close support.¹⁰ Had 3.7" (94 mm) howitzer installed in turret.¹⁰
• Anti-Mine?: Could push Anti-Mine Reconnaissance Caster Roller.¹⁰ Had four rollers on a frame.¹⁰

Usage

France

31 Cruiser Mk IIs were sent to France with the 1st Armored Division.^4,9

North Africa

Cruiser Mk IIs were used in the Western Desert until late 1941.^4,10

	Cruiser Mk II, A1010	Cruiser Tank Mark II, A10 Mark IA11	Cruiser Mk IIA10	Cruiser Mk IIA CS10
Crew	Commander, loader, gunner, driver, hull MG.3 51,2,3,4,8	511	4-55, 59
Radio		Wireless Set No. 911
Physical Characteristics
Weight	31,696 lb3 12.7 tons2, 13.75 tons1,4,8, 14 tons7 13,970 kg1	13.75 tons11	13.75 tons5,9 13,970 kg9
Length w/gun	18' 1"1,8, 18' 4"3,4 5.51 m1, 5.52 m2	18' 1"11 5.51 m11	18' 1"5,9 5.51 m9
Length w/o gun
Height	8' 6"1,8, 8' 8.5"3,4 2.654 m1, 2.65 m2	8' 6"11 2.59 m11	8' 6"5,9 2.59 m9
Width	8' 2.5"4, 8' 3.5"3,8, 8' 4"1 2.527 m1, 2.58 m	8' 4"11 2.54 m11	8' 3.5"5, 8' 4"9 2.54 m9
Width over tracks
Ground clearance	1' 6" 0.44 m2
Ground contact length
Ground pressure	13.37 psi 0.94 (kg/cm2)2
Turret ring diameter
Armament
Main	2 pdr QFSA3 L/52 2 pdr (40 mm)1,4 40 mm L/522	1: 2 pdr (40 mm) OQF11	2 pdr5 2 pdr QFSA L/529	3.7" howitzer3,4,5,10 76.2 mm6
Secondary
MG	1: MG2 2: Besa MGs3		Vickers MG5
OR			2: Besa MG5
MG - coaxial	.303 cal Vickers10	1: 7.92 mm Besa MG11	Besa MG4,10 7.92 mm Besa MG8,9	Besa4
MG - hull	7.92 mm Besa1,4	1: 7.92 mm Besa MG11	Besa 7.92 mm Besa MG8,9	Besa4
Side arms
Quantity
Main	1002
Secondary
MG	4,0502
Side arms
Armor Thickness (mm)	4 - 301, 6 - 304, 15-307 63, 303,8, 506		22-309, 305
Hull Front, Upper	22.1-302
Hull Front, Lower	22.1-30
Hull Sides, Upper	22.12
Hull Sides, Lower	22.1
Hull Rear	122
Hull Top	72
Hull Bottom	72
Turret Front	302
Turret Sides	262
Turret Rear	302
Turret Top	72
Engine (Make / Model)	AEC Type A1791 AEC2,8	AEC Type 17911	AEC5 AEC Type A1799
Bore / stroke
Cooling	Water2
Cylinders	62,8	611	69
Capacity
Net HP	1508, 150@2,200 rpm2	15011	1505,9
Power to weight ratio
Compression ratio
Transmission (Type)	5 forward2, 1 reverse2
Steering
Steering ratio
Starter
Electrical system
Ignition
Fuel (Type)	Gasoline2	Gasoline11	Gasoline9
Octane
Capacity	117 gallons 441 liters2
Road consumption
Cross country consumption
Performance
Traverse	360°3
Max speed	16 mph3,7,8, 16.15 mph1 26 kph1, 39.6 kph2	16 mph11 26 kph11	16 mph5, 16.16 mph9 26 kph9
Cross country speed	8 mph3
Road radius	100 miles3, 99.36 miles1 160 km1, 225 km2	100 miles11 161 km11	100 miles9 161 km9
Cross country radius
Turning radius	26' 7.9 m2
Elevation limits
Fording depth	3'3 0.91 m2
Trench crossing	6'3
Vertical obstacle	2'3
Climbing ability
Suspension (Type)	Triple wheel bogies on springs with Newton hydraulic shock absorbers.3 Coil Springs.2
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:

1. 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
2. Panzer Truppen The Complete Guide to the Creation and Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1933-1942, Thomas L. Jentz, 1996
3. 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
4. World War Two Tanks, George Forty, 1995
5. Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
6. The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
7. Allied Armour of World War Two, Ian V. Hogg, 2000
8. Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
9. The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006
10. AFV 6: Valentine Mark III, B.T. White
11. Western Allied Tanks 1939-45, David Porter, 2009

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