British medium tanks in world of tanks. English tanks and armored vehicles of the Second World War. English tanks in Africa
We continue to acquaint you with the whole variety of armored vehicles that can be found in Armored Warfare: Project Armata. Today we will talk about British tanks from the Cold War to the present day.
Second World War firmly established the role of the tank as the basis of an independent branch of the armed forces, but it also made its weaknesses obvious. Among the military leadership of the world powers, voices were heard claiming that the tank as a type of weapon was outdated, but no one was in a hurry to hand over the armored monsters to the scrap. Let the war end, but it was too early to talk about peace: World War II was replaced by cold war, threatening to develop into a nuclear one, and tanks were preparing a key role in it. In addition to being a formidable weapon, they have become a sign of military presence, an impressive symbol military power. To have your own tank and not depend on the allies has always been a matter of prestige for the great powers. Tank building continued to develop - but in each country in its own way.
The Ministry of Defense hostilely accepted the idea of a "universal" tank, and only in last years war, it gradually gained recognition and began to be put into practice. And after the end of World War II, the British army reduced tank forces up to one division, placing it in Germany as an unambiguous hint to the Soviet Union. By this time, the shortcomings of the British military doctrine, which strictly divided tanks into "infantry" and "cruising", which led to a cripplingly narrow specialization.
"Centurions" in the Negev desert. Photo by Fritz Cohen (1913-1981); licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
The main tank of the British army was the Centurion, put into service in 1946. He brilliantly showed himself in the Korean War of 1950-1953. His fighting qualities were valued so highly that in different time it was in service with 20 different countries that bought it directly or, like Denmark and the Netherlands, received it as part of American military assistance. More than half of the 4423 tanks produced were exported. Discontinued in 1962, in some places it is still in service, if not the Centurion itself, then its derivatives, for example, the South African Olifant.
African "Oliphant", younger brother British Centurion.Photo by Danie van der Merwe; licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
In Britain itself, since 1966, the Centurion has been replaced by the Chieftain, a tank that is innovative in many ways. So, for the first time in the history of tank building, the driver was reclining, which made it possible to significantly reduce the height of the hull in front and at the same time increase the slope of the frontal armor. The engine, based on the German aviation Junkers Jumo, was adapted to run on various types of fuel, from gasoline to diesel, a feature that has become a mandatory standard for NATO military equipment.
"Chieften". Photo by Peeteekayy; licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
In parallel with the Chieftain, another, much more unusual armored vehicle was being developed. So, in the 60s, as part of the Project Prodigial program, a prototype of the FV4401 Contentious tank destroyer was created. Ultralight, with a team of two, it was designed for air delivery and parachuting into the conflict zone. To lighten the car, the designers got rid of the tower. The 84-mm gun, placed directly in the hull, had an extremely limited angle of horizontal and zero angle vertical aiming: vertically, the gun was supposed to be guided using a hydraulic suspension, tilting it along with the hull.
Prototype FV4401 Contentious.Photo by Simon Q from United Kingdom; licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Other experimental machine COMRES 75 was created as part of the Anglo-German project "Main Battle Tank of the Future" and also did not have a turret: the gun was mounted on an external carriage, which reduced the weight of the vehicle and increased the crew's security. Interest in turretless tanks was sparked by the Swedish Stridsvagn 103 - a vehicle with a unique layout, whose gun, rigidly fixed in the hull, was induced, like the Contentious, by turning the tank and tilting the hull on the suspension. In the end, however, the command of the British Army spoke out against turretless tanks, preferring the classic layout of armored vehicles.
Experimental COMRES 75 with an 83.8 mm cannon on an outrigger carriage.Crown copyright 1968
Until the end of the 70s, the Chieftain remained the leader among NATO tanks both in terms of security and firepower. This was facilitated by continuous modernization. Although it was not possible to noticeably improve the instrument itself, despite hard work. The combat power of the tank has grown significantly due to the modernization of fire control systems: the tank received a laser range finder, an electronic ballistic computer, night vision devices, and a sight alignment system. Work was also underway to improve the armor: the tank was equipped with combined Chobham armor with ceramic inserts. The upgraded model of the Chieftain, released in 1980, was called the Challenger. In parallel, Britain produced an export version of the Shir tank for Jordan, where it was put into service under the name Khalid.
In 1998, he entered service with the British Army. new tank- "Challenger 2", equipped with an improved 120-mm rifled gun (this is the only modern MBT with a rifled gun) and a secret combined armor of the new generation "Dorchester" with the possibility of installing additional anti-cumulative screens. All this could not but affect the mass and mobility of the tank: the 62-ton Challenger 2 is developing on the highway top speed 56 km/h.
Crown Copyright 2014
The Challenger 2 performed well during the Iraq War, demonstrating excellent cross-country ability and phenomenal survivability: in 2003, during an urban battle, one of these tanks withstood a dozen and a half hits from rocket-propelled grenade launchers, keeping the crew unscathed. In the battle near Basra, a group of 14 Challengers destroyed an equal Iraqi T-55 column without a single loss. To date, the Challenger 2 remains one of the heaviest and most protected tanks in the world. However, in 2009, BAE Systems Corporation, which produced it, announced that it was phasing out Challenger production and closing factories in Britain due to a lack of orders. Perhaps, when the time comes to rearm, the British army will have to master German or American armored vehicles.
That's all for today. In the near future, similar reviews of the military equipment of France and Germany will be published.
British Tanks Challenger 1 Challenger belongs to the third post-war generation. He is further development and has been in development since the mid-1970s. Technical management military vehicles and equipment and firms oh Vickers. The prototype for it was the export Shir2, the design of which was finalized, thereby creating the Challenger I. From 1983 to 1989, 420 of these vehicles were manufactured for the British army. They were removed from service at the end of 2000, but since 1999 these tanks have been supplied to Jordan under the name ALHussein. A total of 303 units were sent.
UK Challenger tanks
"Challenger 1" - a tank of the classic layout. Combat weight 62 tons. The hull and turret are welded, made of combined armor Chobham. The bottom of the hull is V-shaped to reduce impact anti-tank mines. In front of the machine is the control compartment. The fighting compartment and the tower occupy the middle part. Engine compartment in the aft. The turret has a 120mm L11A5 rifled gun. Pointing angles of the gun in the vertical plane from -10 to +20 degrees.
L11A5 120mm rifled gun, other tanks in the world use smoothbore guns
The ammunition load of 64 rounds of separate loading is located in the control compartment and in fighting compartment. To the right of the gun is a 7.62 mm machine gun coaxial with a cannon. Anti-aircraft machine gun located above the hatch commander's cupola. The machine used an automated fire control system, consisting of a laser rangefinder sight and an electronic ballistic computer. If necessary, it is possible to fire from the commander's seat. There is also a laser irradiation indicator with a signal to the crew.
The motor-transmission unit weighing 5.49 tons is located in the stern. What is typical for replacement in field conditions it takes only 45 minutes. The main engine is a 12-cylinder V-shaped Condor turbocharged diesel engine with a power of 1200 hp. There is also an auxiliary diesel engine with a capacity of 37 hp, which serves to drive the electric generator, start the main engine and recharge the batteries.
Tank Challenger 1 performed in leading role from Britain in the war Persian Gulf for Operation Granby
On the "Challenger 1" for the first time, an automatic hydromechanical transmission with hydrostatic transmission was used in the drive of the turning mechanism. It allows you to smoothly turn the machine, which improves handling.
- Speed - 56 km / h.
- Power reserve - 400 km.
- Tank suspension - unregulated hydropneumatic piston.
On each side, six double supporting and four double supporting rubberized rollers are installed. Caterpillar with metal and hinges and removable rubber pads.
The Challenger 1 has three modifications: Mk 1, Mk 2 and Mk 3. The Mk l tanks were equipped with a 120 mm L30 cannon, which included depleted uranium shells. The Mk 2 has two additional 200-liter external fuel tanks, on MKZ - additional active and passive protection of the front and sides.
The Challenger 2 is the last of Britain's main battle tanks. Weighs 63 tons
UK Challenger 2 tank developed by Vickers in 1988. It is a modernized Challenger 1, which has changed the design of the turret, gun and weapon control system. Serial production began in 1994. Now 386 tanks are in service with the British army, 38 are in service with the army of Oman.
Challenger 2 will remain in the British Army until 2035
Royal Scottish Dragoons guards regiment. Germany. 1998 color of the combat vehicle
The hull and turret of the Challenger 2 are made of second-generation Chobham combined armor. The turret was designed based on experience in the creation of the Mk7 and . Combat weight 62.5 tons.
The ammunition load of the L30A1 rifled gun includes armor-piercing sub-caliber shells with a depleted uranium core. Ammunition - 52 shells of separate loading.
Photo shot from CHALLENGER 2
The fire control system is a modernized computer of the American M1A1 Abrams tank ("Abrams"), the commander's stabilized day sight is similar to that installed on French tank Leclerk, the gunner's main sight is also French with a laser rangefinder and a thermal imaging unit.
A thermal imager is located above the Challenger 2 barrel, it can be clearly seen in the photo. This allows the crew to see thermal images of any "hotspots" Vehicle, soldier, etc
The transmission is new, the hydropneumatic suspension and running gear have been upgraded. There are two external fuel tanks on the body. The engine is the same - Condor.
Condor 1200 engine Horse power allows the tank to reach a maximum speed of 37 miles
A filter-ventilation unit and automatic fire fighting equipment have been installed. There are variants of command tanks.
Challenger 2, modified for hot climates, were delivered to Oman.
Challenger 2 on the background of burning oil wells Persian Gulf
The developer has created an export modification of the Challenger 2E, which is considered as an option for upgrading tanks in service with the British army.
Hello fellow tankers! Today we will look at British branch tank development(in the World of Tanks game), or rather, I will describe to you all its pros and cons in as much detail as possible from my point of view and, perhaps, help you decide on the choice of a nation.
The popularity of British tanks in World of Tanks
Tanks to battle, gentlemen! For the queen! The following phrases have entered firmly into the thoughts of Britain in many people. After the update with the introduction of British vehicles, it became the most popular (which is usually the case after the introduction of new tanks - their popularity rises sharply against the background of other vehicles). Although British tanks do not differ much from other tanks, they still found their admirers (although there are a couple of vehicles that deserve attention and are very individual in the game). Top cars are the most popular, as well as many others, but the most striking of them are anti-tank self-propelled guns.Advantages and disadvantages of British tanks
At first glance it might seem that british tanks do not have any features or significant differences from the technology of other nations. This is not entirely true. There are features, but they are extremely poorly balanced due to the historical purpose of tanks in England. The most striking advantage of technology is the "English" accuracy. To find out the pros and cons of technology, let's plunge into the history of British tank building and why they were needed at all.A bit of history
The navy in England was the best developed (due to the geographical location of this state), and apart from the fleet, few areas were developed. Then the British command thought about the development of heavy vehicles to cover infantry in battle (during the First World War). Having built the first tanks and successfully used them in battle, it was decided to develop this industry. The first tanks of World War II had a narrow purpose: breaking through fortifications and attacking behind enemy lines. Therefore, for a breakthrough, tanks with high armor were used, and for "rear wars" they used "cruising" tanks. Cavalry (cruising) tanks include fast tanks with light armor and small guns designed to quickly penetrate behind enemy lines and inflict damage through surprise attacks. The most typical representatives of this class of tanks can be called a branch of British light tanks.And now back to the advantages and disadvantages, based on historical significance.
- A definite plus you can call it that in the "cruising" meaning, the British achieved their goal: Covenanter, Crusader, Cromwell, Comet are ideal for entering the rear at speed and carving out enemy artillery. The advantages include the frontal armor of some vehicles (such as Black Prince, Matilda, Valentine and almost all British anti-tank self-propelled guns). Medium tanks have worse armor, but a certain slope gives a chance of non-penetration, and the turret can traditionally take a good hit. The British also have good guns: they have good armor penetration, fast aiming and not too long reload. Some machines have mobility, speed and maneuverability. British tanks have good visibility.
- By cons refers to one-time damage per shot, tk. it is very small (except for high-explosives and the FV215b (183) top tank destroyer). Some vehicles have poor hull armor. The huge disadvantages of heavily armored tanks in Britain are speed, maneuverability and extensive “soft” points that are easily accessible for penetration.
General
Vehicles are divided into 4 initial WoT development branches: tank destroyers, light tanks (full fast "cruising" line), light tanks (up to heavy tanks) and medium tanks (up to heavy tanks).fri-sau
British anti-tank guns are famous for their armor, as well as good rapid-fire and penetrating guns. You can get a lot of pleasure from their penetration and armor at any level of battles, but greatly resent their speed. In general, it can be said about them that the British tank builders achieved their goals when they built these vehicles as indestructible destroyers of fortifications. They are difficult to penetrate and have fast-firing guns, so dealing with such colossus in close combat will be problematic for many players, and at long distances it will be difficult to aim vulnerabilities. However, with their low speed, British anti-tank installations become a tasty target for enemy artillery. The most interesting and popular models are AT 2, Valentine AT, Alecto and FV215b (183)."Cruising" light tanks
Light tanks of Britain of initial levels (and all tanks of Britain up to level 4 are real cardboard). Light tanks of the initial levels are completely similar to each other on both branches. They are lightly armored, have the same equipment and the same guns. Despite their armor, light tanks have penetration cannons, and also have a Pom-Pom cannon that fires two projectiles, each of which fires a doublet. "Cruising" light tanks reach the Cromwell, and medium tanks start from it. Cromwell has excellent dynamics and a good gun, extremely weak armor, and after him come less agile vehicles with better guns. The worst tank in this lane is probably the Comet, which has neither armor, nor normal speed, nor a good gun (disgusting penetration of 148 units).Light tanks (up to heavy tanks)
In general, they are very similar to "cruising" light tanks, i.e. they are also "cruising", but already lead to heavy vehicles. They have worse armor compared to the first branch of light tanks, but otherwise they are exactly the same. On the fourth level, Valentine comes across on the way (on which many do not stay long) and from the fifth level the branch of heavy tanks of Great Britain begins. It starts with the heavy tank Churchill I. The tank has a good gun. It is accurate, piercing, fast enough and deals good damage. The tank has good armor(in no way comparable with Lend-Lease Churchills), but low speed.medium tanks
Although they are average, they are still poorly armored. These tanks have mediocre dynamics, slanting, but penetrating and damaging cannons. They are interesting in everything only with guns. At the fourth level, we get a perfectly armored Matilda tank, which is too tough even for some fifth levels. Matilda has a choice of two good guns. One high-explosive, and the other is a quick-shooter-hole puncher. At the fifth level, we again go to the Churchill I heavy tank.British heavy tanks are well armored in the forehead, have good guns (except for the Black Prince) and feel good in battles with the same level "classmates".
Outcome
Summing up, we can say that british tanks are good for experienced players, because a beginner will not be able to understand the whole point (unless, of course, it is available somewhere other than anti-tank self-propelled artillery installations). It's a good idea to pump British vehicles up to level 8-10, just to ride in random battles, without much encroachment on the "terrible bend" or something else like that. They just ride it, so to speak, for the soul (again, except for the tank destroyer, there is another story). It is worth mentioning the anti-tank self-propelled guns of Britain, because. its armor and guns terrify many players and ride them like breakthrough tanks. So far, the British are deprived of artillery, but, I hope, not for long. Do not forget about the "English" jewelry accuracy of the guns, and therefore many French "gunners" may be interested in new artillery, which certainly meets British standards for accuracy.Sep 25, 2016 Game guides
Tanks are the center World games of Tanks Blitz. Understanding the differences between tanks and knowing which country's tanks are best for you is half the battle. In this guide, I will try to describe the English tank development tree in as much detail as possible, but at the same time I will not go to extremes and will not paint huge tables with numerical data for each tank. The purpose of this guide is to give you an idea of the direction in which you would like to develop your British tanks. If you would like to get acquainted with all the branches of the development of tanks in the game as a whole and in less detail, then try to refer to .
British tanks: an overview
If you have already read the general guide on tanks of different nations, then this paragraph will not tell you anything new - but otherwise, or for repetition, you should read it before we go directly to the tanks.
British tanks are quite unique - they are very heterogeneous and different from each other, although the general trend is the ability to deal high damage to the enemy in one hit, coupled with a slow reload - or use fast-firing guns with a high spread. Britain's tanks must be played carefully and scrupulously, counting each round and accurately predicting the trajectory of the enemy's movement. Want to be a sniper? Choose British tanks! Do you want to change the style of play depending on the class? Choose British tanks! Do you want to smash the enemy to pieces with unique shells in close combat? Choose British tanks! But it should be understood that such cool features will require you to concentrate as much as possible during the game - you simply won’t be able to relax and do anything if you want to win.
Now let's move on to a more detailed review of British tanks.
British light tanks
The first light tank British in WoT: Blitz - Cruiser Mk. III. He is fast and has a variety of weapons - and rapid-fire machine gun, and exact penetration cannon, and a melee weapon that allows you to shoot longer by reloading clips. For all its lethality, however, the Cruiser Mk. III will not be able to boast of strong armor, so he should bet on outflanking the enemy and quickly destroying the enemy - it is useless to rush into battle with many opponents and “enter the clinch”, throwing projectiles face to face with other tanks. The next Cruiser Mk. IV does not change its strategy much - despite a fairly solid front, its sides are still easily penetrated, but high speed and the choice of three top-end guns offset these shortcomings. The choice of Mk. IV features three cannons, of which one is accurate and penetrating, and the other two are fast-firing and powerful. An additional problem with the Mk. IV is its large size - this tank is easy enough to hit. After Cruiser Mk. IV follows the Covenanter, pushing the concept of "quick war" to the limit - it's nimble, fast and agile, and its guns deal a lot of damage. By itself, however, it is made of cardboard and is pierced by almost any projectile, which leads to frequent critical hits on modules and crew. If you want to quickly flank the enemy and kill him before he turns his guns on you, then Covenanter is for you. Britain's last light tank is the Crusader. This tank does not lose the speed of other British light tanks and compensates for the low thickness of the armor with its curves. It aims quickly and fires quickly, but its guns are by no means as powerful as the armor of other tanks of the fifth rank to which it belongs. The ideal tactic for the user of such tanks is to be a killer of everything lung. Light tanks and tank destroyers are your victims. If you can get close to them, they will not have time to react and will quickly turn into a sieve while you avoid their blows.
British medium tanks
The first British medium tank is the Vickers Medium Mk. I. Many players do not like to fight on this tank very much - and there is an explanation for this: it is large and slow, and its armor is similar to paper in its protective properties. The perfect target for any accurate gun! At the same time, the main advantage of this tank is a large supply of health, so you should fight first of all with low-rank light tanks in order to have time to blow them up with land mines before they pierce your armor and kill the crew. Vickers Medium Mk. II is not too different - it's still the same big and cardboard tank, but this time armed with excellent guns that can pierce the enemy and deal great damage. Hide behind covers and support your allies, and then you will surely survive until the end of the match on the Vickers Mk. II! The last Vickers, Vickers Medium Mk. III, completes the "torment" with large and thin Vickers. The third model differs from the previous ones by the ability to install a rapid-fire gun that can accurately shoot enemies at any distance.
A long line of not very powerful Vickers is closed by the magnificent Matilda tank - this tank, unlike its predecessors, has thick armor on all sides and is able to quickly deal a lot of damage to enemies. This is the first medium tank Britain, which can be used in a frontal attack without fear for your health! Unfortunately, it's not perfect in every way - it's slow and doesn't do much damage in one shot, but does that matter when your armor can withstand enemy hits and you can quickly pierce it with multiple projectiles in a row?
The next medium tank again returns to the “quick war” tactics already familiar from British light tanks - the fast and agile Cromwell can cross the entire map in a fairly short time, and its rapid-fire cannons with high level penetrations can cause a lot of problems to the enemy. Of course, there is a price for this - the armor of this tank is weak for its rank. Cromwell's follow-up to the Comet is a tank that's just as fast and agile, but has a solid turret that allows it to both play the role of a sniper in an ambush and flank enemies, inflicting amazing damage with a fast-firing cannon. The problems lie in the weak hull of the tank and the low penetration of its guns, so you always need to keep an eye on the environment and aim well at the enemy's weak points.
Centurion Mk. An I moving further turns into an ideal sniper rather than a fast scout - despite its weak hull and relatively large size, combined with low speed, its guns are the best for its rank. With a 20-pound gun on board, this tank is able to quickly aim at the enemy at any distance and also quickly destroy them with a couple of shots. Following after him Centurion Mk. 7/1 follows the principle of “same but stronger”, and is the same sniper, created to support the team from the flank with an accurate, powerful weapon with extremely low recoil. Britain's latest medium tank is the FV4202, an excellent balanced tank capable of piercing through enemies with unique HESH shells and destroying them one by one. At the same time, the tank cannot be called fragile as a whole - although its turret has practically no additional protection, and therefore you have to constantly move so as not to expose it to attack. However, this is not difficult, since the tank has sufficient mobility and can even bypass other, slower tanks without much difficulty, and penetrate them from the flanks.
British heavy tanks
The first heavy tank British, Churchill I at first may strongly resemble the aforementioned "Matilda" - but with the exception that his weapons are more powerful, and he himself is "healthier". The only problem is that the level of side and rear armor does not at all correspond to the fifth rank and is easily penetrated by enemies, but adds fuel to the fire monstrously low speed the first Churchill. However, its guns deal high damage quickly and pierce opponents well, so you can use your thick frontal armor and take out everyone in front of you without taking too much damage. The main thing is that your flanks are covered! The next Churchill VII after him fixes the thin armor of the flanks and becomes even stronger, turning into a real “tank”, capable of holding back a lot of opponents and taking fire. The damage dealt by his guns is not as high as it should be, and his movement speed is still as low as the first model, but he nullifies his shortcomings with his “thickness”.
This tank is followed by the Black Prince, whose tactics are practically the same - thick armor protects him from almost any opponents, but his low speed does not allow him to compete in battle with fast opponents. Its advantage over the previous model is more accurate and faster-firing guns - but the damage coming from them is extremely low and can only serve as an addition to the fire of the allies.
The further Caernarvon gets a bit faster and lighter (but don't expect the speed of even a medium tank), and in doing so, its armor gains multiple curves, allowing it to deflect enemy projectiles when positioned correctly. Otherwise, it is similar to the previous “Black Prince” and the tactics of battle on it remain the same – quickly aim, shoot quickly, deal constant damage and take hits on the frontal defense.
The next heavy tank, the Conqueror, is significantly different. He gains mobility while losing powerful armor, while being able to pierce enemies with explosive projectiles and blow them up from the inside without much trouble. His gun is gorgeous - fast aiming, fast reloading, high accuracy shooting, high penetration - everything is with her. The main thing is to watch your sides, and you will be able to inflict monstrous damage to opponents with the help of Conqueror.
The last English heavy tank, the FV215b, differs in that it plays in much the same way as a medium tank - its weak hull armor and low speed do not allow it to move in the forefront, but a powerful turret makes it possible to shoot from behind cover without fear. At the same time, his cannon is extremely accurate, fast-firing and powerful, so that such support will always be a joy to any allies.
British tank destroyers
The first British tank destroyer is the 2nd rank Universal Carrier 2-pdr. Imagine a small cardboard box moving quickly between the bushes and releasing powerful piercing projectiles from itself. It will be 2-pdr. It is not easy to spot, and while you are looking for it, it can destroy many of your allies, but if you find it, then any projectile will tear it to shreds. Moreover, you can even try to ram him - most likely he will have enough. A huge difference is the Valentine AT following it - this slow and rather large tank destroyer is well protected and, if positioned correctly, is even impenetrable and is able to take out enemies with one shot from a large-caliber cannon, which, however, needs to be reloaded for a long time. This is a great tank sniper if you have patience and concentration.
The rebirth of the “boxed” Universal Carrier is the next Alecto. It is tiny (albeit larger than 2-pdr) and inconspicuous, and its cannon can destroy enemies with one shot, but at the same time, the problem of the thinnest armor is also accompanied by the problem with the accuracy of the gun - the chance to miss is quite high. Further, unfortunately or fortunately, we will not see among British tank destroyers the same “boxes”, and the next one will be the incredibly “thick” AT 2. This tank cannot be penetrated - it is protected from all sides. He's big, but that doesn't stop him from dealing massive damage with his ultra-penetrating cannon while enemy projectiles fly off of him.
After him comes the Churchill Gun Carrier - this Churchill tank destroyer is an excellent sniper with features inherent in this role: maneuverability and armor are reduced in favor of a hefty, powerful and ultra-accurate gun with a fairly high rate of fire. Stand and destroy everyone you see, but be aware that the first enemy to sneak into your flank is likely to destroy you. Next, you will meet with AT 8 - almost a copy of the previous AT 2 with a boost in accuracy and rate of fire. The tactic is the same - conveniently position yourself at an angle to the enemies and shoot them one by one while they shower you with projectiles in vain. The same applies to the AT 7 following it - it is practically the same vehicle, but its gun is located on the right side, which allows you to hide the left side of the hull behind cover and shoot “from around the corner”. The AT 15, as you might guess, uses a similar tactic - but this time its cannon is not located on the left, and it relies primarily on a high rate of fire and curved strong armor. The problem is that the tank has a lot weaknesses and when hitting some, the enemy can easily kill your loader, which will reduce the rate of fire - so always take a first aid kit with you into battle on this tank.
The peak point of the “heavy” British tank destroyers is the rank nine Tortoise. “Turtle” has the thickest armor and deals the highest damage per minute, but it moves extremely slowly. When playing on this machine, you must choose the right tactical position in advance, take it and wait for the enemy to appear.
The last tank destroyer of this nation slightly departs from the “huge armor and hefty gun” model, focusing on the last part of this phrase - the FV215b (183) does not have such dense armor, but it does have an excellent turret with which you can defend yourself from attacks from the flank, and a cannon capable of inflicting over a thousand points of damage in a single shot. The main problem in a small number of shells is that you need to shoot as carefully as possible, otherwise you will quickly exhaust the ammunition and be defenseless against the advancing enemy. But if you do not miss, then the enemies will suffer and be afraid to lean out of cover.
Conclusion
We have covered almost everythingnon-premiumBritish tanks. Some models were considered in more detail due to their exclusivity and effectiveness, others were considered in less detail, as they are improved versions of their predecessors. After reviewing this guide, you can get a complete picture of the features of English tanks and decide how (and whether it is worth it) to develop the development branch of this nation. I hope that this knowledge will help you in battles both on the side of the Queen's tanks and in the battle against them. Fight like a pro in World of Tanks Blitz!
On July 28, 1914, a cannonade thundered over Europe new war. At that time, no one imagined that this conflict would become a global struggle for attrition. All participants planned to defeat their opponents in a few months of a decisive offensive. But more and more new states got involved in the fight, the armies suffered huge losses, and in the end Europe turned out to be crossed out by lines of trenches from northern to southern seas. Offensives brought everything less results: tens, or even hundreds of thousands of dead, were paid literally for a few kilometers conquered. In an attempt to somehow reverse the stalemate, the participants in the war invented more and more new means of destruction. It was during these years that poison gases, flamethrowers appeared, and a fighter aircraft was first used. And it was then that the tank was invented in Britain.
For the first time, tanks participated in the battle on September 15, 1916 on the Somme River. Armored monsters broke through the German defenses, but the result was achieved only on a tactical, not operational level. In general, tanks did not play a decisive role in the First World War. More than two decades had to pass for the new military equipment to fully reveal its potential. Over the years, it was necessary not only to improve the design of tanks, but also to learn how to use them correctly. Surprisingly, the British - the pioneers of tank building - had problems with both the first and second aspects.
As usual, the main cause of these problems was the human factor. Let's start with the fact that there were many outspoken opponents of development in the British War Office armored forces. Historian D. Brown wrote that the attitude of military officials towards the tank corps was marked by a spirit of displeasure and envy. The extreme degree of hostility was statements that tanks were a waste of the military budget.
In the camp of supporters, too, not everything was smooth. Here they could not reach a consensus on what role the tank should play on the battlefield in the future. Two points of view stood out clearly. According to the first, the tank was supposed to advance along with the infantry, cover it with armor and help fight enemy infantry. Artillery was supposed to fight the fortified points, tanks and cannons of the enemy. Supporters of the second point of view were inclined to believe that tanks should be used in the same way as cavalry. In their opinion, the tanks had to quickly break through behind enemy lines, strike at communications, warehouses, attack units that were on the march and were not ready for an effective rebuff.
Ultimately, the British decided, figuratively speaking, to sit on two chairs at once. A division into infantry and cruiser tanks was created. The former were slow and well armored, while the latter were distinguished by high speed, but thin armor. At the same time, their weapons were approximately the same. Although at first it was planned to equip infantry tanks only with machine guns. Then, nevertheless, they came to equipping combat vehicles with guns. But for both infantry and cruiser tanks, the caliber of the guns was for a long time limited, and high-explosive fragmentation shells were not included in the ammunition load.
Let's take a closer look at both "families" of British tanks. initial period Second World War.
Infantry tanks, as already mentioned, at first did not have cannon weapons. A typical example of such a machine was the Matilda I, which began production in 1937. It was a clumsy but well armored tank. When the British first fought the Germans in 1940, it turned out that German anti-tank weapons were often unable to penetrate this tank. Unfortunately, the advantage in defense was completely erased by the very low firepower of the vehicle.
In 1939, the production of the Matilda II infantry tank began, which became the most heavily armored British tank at the beginning of the war. Its 60 mm armor was guaranteed to penetrate only 88 mm anti-aircraft guns and 76 mm German guns anti-tank installations Marder II. Unlike its namesake of the previous modification, the Matilda II was armed with a 2-pounder gun. In principle, this was enough for the very beginning of the war. But by the middle of 1942, Matilda II had ceased to be any significant in the role of a gun tank. And it was not possible to install a more powerful gun on it due to the small size of the turret and the diameter of the shoulder strap.
the most successful infantry tank beginning of the war recognized as Valentine. This machine received a baptism of fire in 1941 in North Africa. The release of "Valentines" was carried out until 1944, although already in 1942 the tank was considered hopelessly outdated. Its unambiguous shortcomings were low speed and weak weapon. Unlike the Matilda II, it was possible to strengthen the armament of the Valentine: in 1942, a turret was developed for a 57-mm (6-pound) gun. The tower was cramped and could accommodate only two people, which had a negative effect on the efficiency of the crew. Speaking of Valentine tank, it should be noted that about half of the cars built were sent under Lend-Lease to the USSR.
As for the cruiser tanks of Great Britain, by the beginning of the Second World War they were still far from perfect and were extremely unreliable. And it was typical for all equipment of this class. The ancestors of cruiser tanks were the machines of the American engineer Walter Christie.
The Vickers Mk I, produced in small series since 1934, became the first cruiser tank. He practically did not participate in the war, although a small number of these vehicles remained in the army until 1941. The rest were withdrawn to the rear and used as training.
An attempt to correct this deplorable situation was the Vickers Mk IV tank. The thickness of his armor was able to bring up to 30 mm. This was done by welding additional sheets on the tower and other weak points. This additional armor gave the Mk IV's turret an unusual hexagonal shape, later adopted by the Covenanter cruiser tank. In addition, minor work was carried out to improve the chassis. The Mk IV became more combat-ready than its predecessors, but still broke down unacceptably often.
In 1940-1941, the British suffered serious defeats on almost all fronts. France, North Africa, Greece - everywhere British tanks lost to their opponents. Sometimes this was due to technical imperfection, sometimes due to incompetent commanders. I had to draw conclusions and take action.
In the second part of the article, we will tell you how the armored weapons of Britain developed further.
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