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Britain's Cruiser Mk VIII9, A27M9, Cromwell9
| Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell: 7th Armored Division:  |
Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell: In Germany in April 1945:  |
Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell: |
Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell: |
Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell: |
Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell: |
Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell: |
Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell: |
| Hobby Master 1/72 Diecast Models of Cromwell: |
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3101: |
3103:  |
3104:  |
3105:  |
Design
The General Staff drew up specifications in late 1940 for a heavy cruiser tank.
The Cromwell was the first British tank to have an all welded hull.9 It was not well liked by the crews as it didn't have good armament and lacked armor protection.9
In 1941 two designs were submitted. One with a Liberty engine that was produced by Nuffield and the other with a Rolls-Royce Meteor engine that was produced by Leyland. The Meteor engine was proven to be very reliable and based on the Rolls-Royce Merlin aero engine. Approximately 80% of the components of the engine were similar to the aero engine. The M in the A27M stood for Meteor.8 In January 1942 Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company took over the design. In January 1943 production models first appeared. Initially Rolls-Royce produced the engines, but it was contracted out so that Rolls-royce could concentrate on aircraft engines.With experience in Africa, the General Staff change the specifications to include the 75 mm gun that would allow HE ammunition to be fired at infantry and anti-tank targets. The ammunition was American made and taken from the Lend Lease supplies. Initially the gun was a bored out 6 pdr. (57 mm) which had it's problems, which were corrected in May 1944.1
Turret
23 rounds of 75 mm was stored in the turret and the rest around the walls of the fighting compartment. There was a No. 19 wireless set in the back of the turret. The turret was boxed shaped and had armor bolted onto an inner skin.1,8
Engine
The engine was placed between 2 air cleaners and 2 fuel tanks. The radiators were mounted upright in the back. There were curved flame guards on the deck.1 Some storage was lost, and local modifications often added additional storage.
Crew
Driver and co-driver/hull MG gunner sat in the forward compartment. The rest of the crew was in the turret and the loader was also the radio operator. The turret could be rotated in 15 seconds. The commander had a cupola, with early models having 2 episcopes and later models having 8 episcopes. In later models side doors were added for the driver and hull gunner to be able to exit the tank easier.
Production
Variants
- Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell:
- Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell I: 6 pdr.9 Two Besa machine guns.9
- Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell II: 6 pdr.9 One Besa machine gun.9
- Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell III, Cromwell X: Centaur I with Meteor engine.9
- Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell IV: 75 mm gun.9 Centaur II with Meteor engine.9
- Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell IVw: All welded hull.9 Meteor engine.9
- Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell Vw: All welded hull.9
- Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell VI: Had 95 mm howitzer.9
- Cruiser Mk VIII, A27M, Cromwell VII: Modified Cromwell Mk IV.9
- Cruiser MK VIII, A27M, Cromwell VIII: Had 95 mm howitzer.9
- Cromwell ARV8: Turret removed and fitted with jib and winch.1,8
- Cromwell Command/OP8: Mk IV, VI, or VIII fitted with dummy gun4,8 and extra communications equipment4,8.1
- Cromwell CIRD8: Fitted to take Canadian Indestructible Roller Device mine exploding equipment.8 Few produced.1
- Cromwell "Prong"8: Fitted with Cullin Hedgerow device in Normandy.1,8
Usage
This was the most numerous British tank in 1944-458, and replaced Shermans in many units.9 Many considered it too lightly armed and armored.
Many were used by the 22nd Armored Brigade of the 7th Armored Division.7,8 Five of the armored reconnaissance regiments of the 21st Army Groups' armored divisions.7
Not Well Liked
Many didn't like the Cromwells that replaced the Shermans.9
One driver said:
"It was fast, reliable and good to drive, but for its intended role it was a disaster."9
Another stated that after tests in March 1944 when the top brass asked for the crew's opinions:
"We told the truth which was almost unprintable."9
| Cruiser Mk VIII9, A27M9, Cromwell9 | |
|---|---|
| Crew | Commander, gunner, loader, driver, co-driver.3 51,3,4,8 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 61,600 lb3 27-28 tons4, 27.5 tons1,8 27,941 kg8, 27,970 kg1 |
| Length w/gun | 20' 10"1,3,4,8,9 6.35 m1,8 |
| Length w/o gun | |
| Height | 8' 2"3,4,8,9, 9' 4"1 2.49 m8, 2.83 m1 |
| Width | 9 ' 6"8, 9' 6.5"3,4,9, 10', 9'1 2.9 m8, 2.91 m1 |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | 1' 4" |
| Ground contact length | |
| Ground pressure | 14.93 psi, 14.7 psi |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament | |
| Main | 6 pdr (57 mm)1 OR 75 mm1 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 2: 7.92 mm Besa MGs1, coaxial, hull8 |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | 643 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 4,9503 |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 8 - 761,4,5 83, 763,8 Welded variants: 103 Applique: 1013,8 |
| Hull Front, Upper | 57-63 (101 with applique) |
| Hull Front, Lower | IV: 57 |
| Hull Sides, Upper | 32@0° |
| Hull Sides, Lower | 32@0° |
| Hull Rear | 32@0° |
| Hull Top | 20@0° |
| Hull Bottom | 6-14 (10 on welded versions) IV: 8@90° |
| Turret Front | 76@0° |
| Turret Sides | 63@0° |
| Turret Rear | 57@0° |
| Turret Top | 20@81° & 90° |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Rolls-Royce Meteor1,3,4,7,8,9 |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | |
| Cylinders | V-128,9 |
| Net HP | 6008,9 |
| Power to weight ratio | |
| Compression ratio | |
| Transmission (Type) | 5 forward, 1 reverse, Merritt-Brown |
| Steering | |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | |
| Electrical system | |
| Ignition | |
| Fuel (Type) | Gasoline8 |
| Octane | |
| Quantity | 139 gallons |
| Road consumption | |
| Cross country consumption | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | 360°3, hydraulic, rotated in 15 seconds |
| Max speed | 32 - 40 mph4, 31.67 mph1 51 kph1 |
| Cross country speed | 18 mph3 |
| Road radius | 173 miles3, 172.67 miles1 278 km1 |
| Cross country radius | |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | -12.5° to +20°3 |
| Fording depth | 3'3 4' prepared.3 |
| Trench crossing | 7' 6"3 |
| Vertical obstacle | 3'3 |
| Climbing ability | |
| Suspension (Type) | Improved Christie.3 |
| Wheels each side | 5 |
| Return rollers each side | |
| Tracks (Type) | |
| Length | |
| Width | 14"3 15.5" in later models.3 |
| Diameter | |
| Number of links | |
| Pitch | |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread | 8' 1.75"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 1943-1945, 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
- Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
- -
- Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
- The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006
- World War Two Tanks, George Forty, 1995
