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Britain's A43 Black Prince:
Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum
In September 1941 the General Staff issued requirements to have infantry tanks have high velocity guns installed.13 The Churchill 3" Gun Carrier was developed and not much other design work was done.13 No other progress was made and it was thought that Churchill production would end in late 1942 once Cromwell production was in full stride.13 However, in late 1943 Vauxhall was asked to design a Churchill with a 17 pdr.1,13
It was a wider Churchill Mk VII with stronger and wider tracks and suspension.1,12,13 Work started in January 1944 and 6 pilots12 were built with testing occurring in May 1945.1,13
Initially nicknamed the "Super Churchill" but was renamed the Black Prince.1 Only these prototypes were made, and the project was dropped because the Centurion A41 was available.1,13
Air intakes were placed on top of the hull.1 The hull MG had a telescope that was used for firing.1 Used a No. 19 radio.1
Black Prince (A43) |
|
|---|---|
| Crew | Commander, driver, gunner, loader, co-driver/hull gunner.3 51,3,4,12 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 112,000 lb 3 49 tons1, 50 tons4,12,13 49,786 kg1 , 50,802 kg12 |
| Length w/gun | 25' 6"1, 28' 11"3,4,12 7.7 m1, 8.81 m12 |
| Length w/o gun | |
| Height | 9'1,3,4,12 2.7 m1, 2.74 m12 |
| Width | 11' 3"1,3,12, 11' 3.5"4 3.4 m1, 3.43 m12 |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | |
| Ground contact length | |
| Ground pressure | |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament | |
| Main | 76 mm (17 pdr)1 17 pdr OQF3 17 pdr4,12 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 2: 7.92 mm Besa MGs1,3,12 2: MG4 |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | |
| Secondary | |
| MG | |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 18 - 1521 25 - 1524,5 253, 1523,12 |
| Hull Front, Upper | |
| Hull Front, Lower | |
| Hull Sides, Upper | |
| Hull Sides, Lower | |
| Hull Rear | |
| Hull Top | |
| Hull Bottom | |
| Turret Front | |
| Turret Sides | |
| Turret Rear | |
| Turret Top | |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Beford Flat 121 Bedford Twin3 Bedford4,7,12 |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | |
| Cylinders | 2x63,7, 1212 |
| Capacity | |
| Net HP | 3503,4,7,12 |
| Power to weight ratio | |
| Compression ratio | |
| Transmission (Type) | Merrit-Brown1 |
| Steering | |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | |
| Electrical System | |
| Ignition | |
| Fuel (Type) | Gasoline12 |
| Octane | |
| Quantity | |
| Fuel consumption road | |
| Fuel consumption cross country | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | 360°3 |
| Max speed | 11 mph1,3,4,12,13 17.7 kph1, 18 kph12 |
| Cross country speed | 7 mph3 |
| Road radius | 80 miles3, 100 miles1,12 160.93 km1, 161 km12 |
| Cross country radius | |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | |
| Fording depth | 3' 4" unprepared.3 |
| Trench crossing | 10'3 |
| Vertical obstacle | 2' 6"3 |
| Climbing ability | |
| Suspension (Type) | Sprung bogies.3 |
| Wheels each side | |
| Return rollers each side | |
| Tracks (Type) | |
| Length | |
| Width | 24"3 |
| Number of links | |
| Pitch | |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread | |
| Production | 612, Vauxhall12 |
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
- Battle Winning Tanks, Aircraft & Warships of World War II, David Miller, 2000
- AFV 1: Churchill, B.I.T. Mk IV, B.T. White
- Tank Data, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, 1968?
- 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
- AFV 1, Churchill, B.I.T. Mk IV, B.T. White
