Excelsior tank
| Tank, Heavy Assault, A33 (Excelsior) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Assault tank/infantry tank |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | English Electric |
| No.built | 2 |
| Specifications (Second pilot) | |
| Mass | 40 tons |
| Length | 22 ft 8 in (6.91 m) |
| Width | 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m) |
| Height | 7 ft 11 in (2.41 m) |
| Crew | 5 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver, co-driver) |
| Armour | 20 to 114 mm (0.79 to 4.49 in) |
Main armament | Ordnance QF 75 mm 64 rounds |
Secondary armament | 2 x 7.92 mmBesa machine gun |
| Engine | Rolls-Royce MeteorV12petrol 620 bhp (460 kW) |
| Suspension | Improved Christie |
Operational range | 99 mi (160 km) |
| Maximum speed | 24 mph (39 km/h) off-road: 12 mph (19 km/h) |
TheTank, Heavy Assault, A33 (Excelsior)was a British experimentalheavy tankbased on theCromwell(A27) design developed in theSecond World War.It was developed when there were concerns as to performance of theChurchill tank.
Development[edit]
After theDieppe Raidin August 1942, there was concern that the Churchillinfantry tankwas slow and too unreliable and it was suggested that production of the Churchill stop in 1943 in order to manufacture more of the A27 (Cromwell) design, which was performing well in trials. While two lines of tanks were still policy, there was interest in a "universal tank chassis" from which infantry tanks,cruiser tanks,and other vehicles could be built. Until then an interim design based on the A27 to replace the Churchill as an infantry tank was considered.[1]
Rolls-Royceproposed an up-armoured A27M (Cromwell): A31 was a Cromwell with more armour and A32 was a more thorough redesign of the A27 with stronger suspension and armour equivalent to the Churchill.English Electric,contracted to build Cromwells, proposed using the A27 hull and turret with extra armour[note 1]and the track and suspension of the 50-ton USM6 Heavy Tankwhich had been developed for both US and British use.[1]This scheme received the General Staff number A33.
English Electric built two prototypes on aCromwell tankhull, the first with the suspension and T1 track of the M6 tank in 1943 but with a6-pounder gun.The second was built with a widened Cromwell track and suspension by LMS and different armoured skirts. The design included extra armour and an Ordnance QF 75 mm gun. When the problems of the early Churchill models were worked out, the A33 was no longer required and the project was dropped.[2]
Survivors[edit]
The second pilot vehicle is in the collection ofThe Tank MuseuminBovington,UK.
See also[edit]
- A38 Valiant– a heavily armoured lightweight assault tank
- Comet– a fastcruiser tankalso developed from the Cromwell
Tanks of comparable role, performance, and era[edit]
- BritishChurchill– heavy tank, entered service in 1941
- American-BritishT14– another prototype heavy assault tank with similar specifications to Excelsior
- AmericanM6– heavy tank, saw trials but never entered service
- SovietKV-1– heavy tank, entered service in 1939
Notes[edit]
- ^The armour on the Cromwell was bolted to the outside of the turret
References[edit]
- ^abChamberlain & Ellis (1969) p80
- ^Fletcher, David(1993).The Universal Tank.HMSO,forREMEMuseum. p. 87.ISBN0-11-290534-X.
Bibliography[edit]
- White BT,British Tanks 1915-1945Ian Allan p68-69
- Chamberlain, P and Ellis, CBritish and American Tanks of World War II1981 Arco publishing
- Fletcher, David(1989).Universal Tank: British Armour in the Second World War - Part 2.HMSO.ISBN0-11-290534-X.