Psychology of feelings 

Centurion (tank). Medium tank "Centurion Tank Centurion Mk 1"

HISTORY OF CREATION

In 1943, the British General Staff developed tactical and technical requirements for a cruising tank capable of fighting the latest representatives of the German armored “menagerie”. The thickness of the frontal armor of a promising vehicle was specified to be at least 5 inches (125 mm) and was determined by the penetrating ability of an 88-mm German cannon projectile. The thickness of the sides was supposed to be 60% of the frontal armor. It was assumed that the shape of the hull bottom would reduce lethal effect anti-tank mines The chassis was planned to be covered with bulwarks to protect against faust cartridges. In addition, designers were instructed to install gasoline engine"Meteor" is a tank version of the famous Merlin aircraft engine, which was equipped with the legendary Spitfires. The tank gun was required to hit Tigers, and the ammunition load included armor-piercing sub-caliber shells. Vehicle mobility on rough terrain was given more importance than achieving high speeds on the highway.

The upper limit of the tank's mass was determined to be 40 tons.

The development of the project, which received the code A41, began at the AEC company. The project, first of all, took into account own experience British, but a number of design solutions were borrowed from German and Soviet tank builders (An article published in the International Defense Review magazine and dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Centurion tank directly states that they had a “hand” in its development UK technical intelligence specialists).

Just a month after the start of work, the designers came to the conclusion that it was impossible to fulfill all the requirements for armor protection within the specified mass of 40 tons. The General Staff set a new upper limit - 60 tons. Such a quick agreement of the military to a significant increase in the mass of the tank was explained quite simply: you can gain in weight, but lose in the time that will be needed to find design solutions and test them, while a machine capable the army urgently needed to resist the “tigers”.

The final terms of reference for the A41 project appeared in February 1944. In accordance with it, it was envisaged to install a 17-pounder cannon, one or two coaxial BESA machine guns of 7.92 mm caliber or a 20-mm Polsten cannon; Another BESA machine gun should have been mounted in a ball mount in the rear niche of the turret. It was necessary to create excess air pressure in the fighting compartment to reduce contamination by powder gases during firing and protect the crew from chemical warfare agents. Particularly stipulated was the abandonment of the machine gun in the vertical frontal plate of the hull and the replacement of the frontal plate itself with a flat monolithic armor plate.

When choosing the type of suspension, preference was given to a blocked Horstmann balancer suspension.

The power unit included a Meteor liquid-cooled gasoline engine and a Merritt-Brown manual transmission. The fuel tanks provided an estimated range of 170 km, but even at the project stage it was recognized as clearly insufficient (it seems that the British were more focused on Soviet requirements: for example, the range on the T-34-85 highway was 430 km, IS-2 - 220 km , while the “Panther” - 200 km, the “Tiger” - 100 km).

Evaluating the project, English experts came to the conclusion that instead of the “British Tiger” they got the “British Panther”, which, nevertheless, was also not bad at all.

The A41 project was given the green light. By May 1944 they produced wooden mockup; Based on the results of the evaluation of the mock-up commission, the General Staff ordered 20 pre-production samples. All prototypes were made of ordinary steel, not armored steel; weight experienced tank amounted to 45 tons. The first copy was ready in September 1944, the last in January 1945. In victorious May, when preliminary tests were completed, six new vehicles were sent to the continent for testing in combat units that had combat experience.

"Centurion" Mk.1

The first production tanks, designated A41 “Star” (“Star”), entered service with the troops after the end of hostilities.

Soon their name was changed to “Centurion” Mk.1 (* “Centurion” was originally the name given to the “support tank” of the AZO, designed on the basis of the “Cromwell”. After its renaming to “Challenger”, the name “Centurion” was released.). A total of 100 vehicles of the first modification were built.

The tank was designed according to the classical scheme: with a control compartment in the front part, a fighting compartment in the middle and a logistics compartment in the rear.

The body of the vehicle was welded, made of rolled armor plates; for ease of layout of the chassis, the side plates were installed with a slight camber outward. There were local widenings on the roof of the hull in the area where the tower was located.

The thickness of the armor of the frontal part of the hull was 76 mm, the sides - 51 mm. The driver's position was located to the right of the tank's axis.

The three-man tower was cast; the roof of the tower was attached by welding. The tower had a slight slope of the walls and a slightly elongated rear part. The thickness of the frontal armor of the turret was 152 mm. The turret housed a 17-pounder (76.2 mm) Mk.V cannon and a 20-mm Polsten cannon (according to the designers, it was intended to combat light anti-tank guns), and in the ball mount of the aft niche - 7.92 -mm BESA machine gun. The vertical guidance angles of the main gun are from -10° to +20°. The commander and gunner's positions were located to the right of the turret axis, and the loader's position was to the left. The turret roof was equipped with a commander's hatch with a hinged lid and a loader's hatch with a double-leaf lid. There were hatches in the left wall of the turret and in the rear for ejecting spent cartridges.

Engine - 12-cylinder petrol engine "Meteor" with a power of 640 hp. Transmission - mechanical "Merritt-Brown" Z51R. Fuel tank capacity - 550 l. The power block was further development engine and transmission of the Cromwell and Comet tanks. The engine compartment was equipped with a fire protection system.

The chassis had six medium-diameter road wheels and two support rollers per side. A spring-balance suspension connected two road wheels into one bogie (three bogies per side). Cylindrical helical springs were used as elastic elements. The suspension was mounted outside the tank hull. Hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers were installed on the first bogies of each side.

The chassis was covered with three-section steel screens 6 mm thick.

The radio equipment included a VHF transceiver radio station, a tank intercom and equipment for connecting the TPU to a field telephone line.

To overcome water barriers A waterproof rubber cover with a metal frame was attached along the upper perimeter of the hull; when crossing rivers, the frame was raised using pneumatic cylinders. The tank hull was sealed.

Vehicle weight - 48 tons, crew - 4 people.

"Centurion" Mk.2

The first copy of the Mk.2 variant was produced in the summer of 1946. Unlike the previous model, its turret was welded, with a commander's cupola equipped with viewing devices providing all-round visibility. Instead of the 20-mm cannon, a traditional 7.92 mm BESA machine gun was installed, coaxial with the main gun, and an emergency hatch was located in place of the aft ball machine gun mount.

Ammunition - 70 shells for the cannon and 4000 rounds for the machine gun. The tank was equipped with a stabilization system for the main armament in two planes with electric machine drives.

In total, more than 700 of these machines were built.

"Centurion" Mk.Z

The Mk.Z tanks were a variant of the Mk.2, armed with a 20-pounder (83.8 mm) Mk.l cannon. Their mass production began in 1947. All cars of the Mk.2 modification in 1951 - 1952 were modernized to the Mk.Z level. On Centurion tanks, starting with this variant, six 51-mm grenade launchers were installed in the front of the turret for firing smoke grenades.

FV201

The requirements for the A41 project assumed the development of a cruising tank in accordance with the British “two-tank” doctrine, that is, the presence in the troops of infantry and cruising tanks of various designs with a clear delineation of their combat missions. At the same time, the military considered it necessary to unify a number of systems and units of infantry and cruiser tanks. The Tank Department of the General Staff strongly recommended such unification back in 1942, so in parallel with the A41 project, a version of an infantry tank with frontal armor increased to 6 inches (152 mm) was created. This work proceeded, as they say, neither shaky nor slow. Field Marshal Montgomery drew the line under them, when in July 1944 he put forward the idea of ​​a universal tank that combined the qualities of infantry and cruising vehicles. In September 1946, the technical specifications for the FV200 were developed, which provided for the development of not only a tank, but also a flamethrower, bridge layer, armored personnel carrier and self-propelled guns on a single chassis.

Of all British tanks According to its characteristics, the Centurion corresponded to these tasks to the greatest extent. Its “universal” version was designated FV201. The tank's suspension was modernized, the hull walls were made vertical, the turret was equipped with an optical rangefinder, and the armament was reinforced with a second machine gun mounted on the left fender. The engine was equipped with an emergency start system. The crew has increased by one person.

As a result, designing a universal machine resulted in the creation heavy tank. By 1949, the British realized that to fight Soviet tanks of the same class, a gun of at least 120 mm caliber was required. The Centurion was not suitable for this, and the FV214-Conqueror was put into mass production.

"Centurion" Mk.4

Fire support tank armed with a 95 mm howitzer.

"Centurion" Mk.5

At the end of 1952, the Mk.5 variant appeared, to which a significant number of Mk.Z tanks were upgraded. The BESA 7.92 caliber machine gun was replaced by the American 7.62 mm M1919A4 as part of the unification of small arms of NATO countries. In addition, the shape of the turret hatches was slightly changed, and a turret for the M1919A4 machine gun was mounted next to the commander's hatch. Instead of the aft turret hatch, a plug was installed to remove shell casings.

An unresolved problem for the Centurion developers was the small power reserve. On the fifth model, they tried to increase it by installing external fuel tanks in the rear part of the hull, but for a number of reasons it was considered more successful to use single-wheeled towed armored tank trailers that could hold 200 gallons (900 l). The weight of the trailer without fuel was 1.3 tons.

"Centurion" Mk.6

This model was a Mk.5, equipped with additional armor protection and a 105 mm L7 gun, long considered the best tank gun in the West. “Centurion” gave a start to life for this gun, which was installed on the American M-60 tanks, the German Leopard-1 tanks, the Swiss Pz-61 tanks and a number of others. The combat weight of the vehicle reached 51 tons. Subsequently, Mk.6 tanks were equipped with an IR sight and a 12.7-mm sighting machine gun.

"Centurion" Mk.7

Mk.7 tanks entered service with the British Army in 1954. Before this, all the work on modernizing the Centurions was carried out by specialists from Vickers-Armstrong, and designers from Leyland Motors were already working on the Mk.7. On previous versions of the vehicle, the main attention was paid to refining the turret and armament, on the "seven" - on the layout of the hull. The developers managed to increase the capacity of the internal fuel tanks, and more efficiently place the ammunition for the gun and the driver's controls.

"Centurion" Mk.8

In 1955, a new turret was developed for the Centurion. It was distinguished by a rotating commander's cupola with a double-leaf hatch, a new sight and an elastic installation of the gun trunnions, which reduced the likelihood of breakage during sharp impacts of the tank (the Germans first used a similar design solution on the Jagdpanther). The turret housed a periscope sight and a fire control panel. Now not only the gunner, but also the commander could fire from the cannon.

"Centurion" Mk.9

The Mk.9 tank entered service in 1959. The armor of the frontal part of the hull was strengthened, and most importantly, the firepower was sharply increased due to the installation of a 105-mm L7 cannon, which did not lead to major changes in the tank's layout. The gun was equipped with an ejection device for purging the barrel after firing; the ejector was installed in the middle part of the barrel.

In the Mk.9/1 version, the tank was equipped with IR night vision devices, and on the Mk.9/2, along with a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun, another 12.7 mm machine gun was installed in the gun mantlet, used for zeroing the gun at long distances.

"Centurion" Mk.10

Mk.10 was put into service in 1960. It was a tank of the Mk.8 modification, on which a 105-mm cannon and a commander’s cupola were installed new design. The Mk.10/1 variant had IR night vision equipment, the Mk.10/2 had a sighting 12.7 mm machine gun in a cannon mantlet.

"Centurion" Mk.11, Mk.12, Mk.13

Tanks of these variants were equipped with active night vision illumination devices (for the commander and driver), as well as equipment for underwater driving. Instead of a 7.62 mm machine gun coaxial with a cannon, a 12.7 mm machine gun was installed on them. The Mk.6/9/10 tanks were converted into the Mk.11/12/13 variants, respectively.

Serial production of Centurion tanks was carried out in the UK by Leyland Motors, Royal Order Factory Leeds, Royal Order Factory Woolwich and Vickers-Armstrong from 1945 to 1962. A total of 4423 vehicles were manufactured.

"Centurions" of various variants were in service with Australia, Austria, Denmark, Egypt, Israel, India, Jordan, Iraq, Canada, Kuwait, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Singapore, Somalia, Sweden, Switzerland (under the designation Pz-55 and Pz-57) . As of early 2000, these combat vehicles remained in the tank forces only in South Africa. More recently, in the late 1990s, they were withdrawn from service in Jordan, Israel, Sweden and Denmark. Swedish "centurions" (290 tanks) were withdrawn from service as Leopard-2A5 tanks arrived, Danish - "Leopard-2A4", Jordanian - "Challenger 1" ( local name"Ap Hussein"), In Austria, the turrets of retired tanks are installed in Alpine fortified areas and are used as long-term firing points.

Engine type

Modifications

  • Centurion Mk 1 (FV 4007) - basic modification with a 76.2-mm QF 17 pounder cannon and a twin Czech modification of the 20-mm Oerlikon cannon in a cast turret. About 100 units produced
  • Centurion Mk 2 (FV 4007)- modification with a welded tower. More than 700 units were produced, in -1952 all of them were modernized to Mk 3
  • Centurion Mk 3 (FV 4007)- modification with an 83.8 mm QF 20 pounder cannon.
  • Centurion Mk 4 (FV 4007)- a “close support” tank with a 95 mm howitzer instead of a cannon. Not a single copy has been altered.
  • Centurion Mk 5- modification with a 7.62 mm M1919A4 machine gun instead of a 7.92 mm BESA and a number of small changes.
  • Centurion Mk 5/1 (FV 4011)- the hull armor has been strengthened, the coaxial BESA machine gun has been replaced with an M1919A4 and a Browning M2 has been added to zero in the 20 pound gun.
  • Centurion Mk 5/2- with a 105 mm cannon.
  • Centurion Mk 6 - Mk 5 with additional armor and a 105 mm cannon installed.
  • Centurion Mk 6/1- added night vision devices.
  • Centurion Mk 7 (FV 4007)- third internal fuel tank.
  • Centurion Mk 7/1 (FV 4012) - Mk 7 with reinforced armor.
  • Centurion Mk 7/2 (FV 4012) - Mk 7 with a gun.
  • Centurion Mk 8- a turret with a new gun mantlet and a new commander’s cupola.
  • Centurion Mk 8/1 (FV 4007) - Mk 8 with reinforced armor.
  • Centurion Mk 8/2 (FV 4007) - Mk 8 with an improved gun.
  • Centurion Mk 9 (FV 4015) - Mk 7
  • Centurion Mk 9/1
  • Centurion Mk 9/2 M2HB.
  • Centurion Mk 10 (FV 4017) - Mk 8 with additional armor and a 105 mm cannon.
  • Centurion Mk 10/1- option with night vision devices.
  • Centurion Mk 10/2- variant with a sighting 12.7 mm M2HB machine gun.
  • Centurion Mk 11- refurbished Mk 6 with the M1919A4 coaxial machine gun replaced by the M2HB, active night vision devices and underwater driving equipment.
  • Centurion Mk 12- similar Mk 11, but based on Mk 9.
  • Centurion Mk 13- similar Mk 11, but based on Mk 10.
  • Centurion Shot- a variant of the 1973 Israeli modernization of the Mk 3 - Mk 7 tanks. The power unit was replaced with a model from the American M60A1 tank, along with an AVDS-1792-2AC diesel engine and a CD-850-6A hydromechanical transmission. The electrical equipment, fire-fighting equipment system, and communications equipment were also replaced. The armament consisted of a 105-mm L7A1 cannon stabilized in two planes and with a duplicated fire control system, coaxial and Browning M1919A4 anti-aircraft machine guns. Israeli modernization significantly increased the combat characteristics of the tank. Subsequently, the surviving chassis were used to build the Puma heavy armored personnel carrier.
  • Olifant- deep modernization of the tank for the South African National Defense Forces. The Olifant Mk.1A was adopted by the Mk.1B and the Mk.2 in 2007.

Vehicles based

  • FV 3802 Self-propelled artillery, armed with an 87.6 mm cannon, with an engine at the rear like the tank's cannon, but with five road wheels on each side.
  • FV 3805 prototype self-propelled gun with a 140 mm cannon, with an engine at the front. The project was abandoned in 1960 in favor of the FV433. The only surviving prototype of FV3805 is known to be located on the Isle of Wight on south coast England. This prototype was converted into vehicle artillery observation. As of August 2015, there are currently crowd sources of a restoration project underway, with the intention of having the vehicle fully operational by 2017, where it is hoped to be capable of being driven at the 2017 Tankfest celebrations at Bovington Tank Museum.
  • FV 4004 Conway prototype of a self-propelled gun based on the Centurion Mk 3 hull, with a 120 mm L1 cannon and a machine gun in the turret, made of thick sheet metal. One vehicle was built before the project was canceled in 1951.
  • FV 4005 Stage 2 an experimental tank destroyer with a 183 mm cannon, which was a modified version of the BL 7.2-inch howitzer. The project was started in 1951/52, and developed in July 1955. It used a lightly armored, fully enclosed and walkable turret on the Centurion hull. In August 1957, the tank destroyer was dismantled.
  • FV 4202 40 ton Centurion. Used to discover various concepts that were later used on Chieftain.
  • Centurion AVRE 165 version for engineering troops with a 165 mm short-barreled gun.

In service

  • United Kingdom- about 200 units, withdrawn from service
  • Australia- 143 units, withdrawn from service
  • Austria- withdrawn from service
  • Denmark- 226 units, withdrawn from service
  • Egypt- withdrawn from service
  • Israel- 1080 units, of which 206 units remain as of 2007
  • India- 244 units, withdrawn from service
  • Jordan- 292 units, in storage as of
  • Iraq
  • Canada- 50 units, withdrawn from service
  • Kuwait- 50 units, withdrawn from service
  • Lebanon- 40 units, withdrawn from service
  • Libya- 10 units, withdrawn from service
  • Netherlands- 343 units, withdrawn from service
  • Singapore- about 80-100 units, as of 2007
  • Somalia- 30 units, modern status unclear
  • Switzerland- 300 units, withdrawn from service
  • Sweden- 350 units, withdrawn from service
  • South Africa- 334 units (141 tanks were upgraded to Olifant Mk.1A, 167 to Mk.1B and 26 to Mk.2), as of 2011

Combat use

Korean war

(1950-1953, UK)

The newest British Centurion tanks from the 8th Battalion, Royal Irish Hussars, arrived in November 1950. The British, who did not have time to unload their tanks, had to retreat under attacks from the Chinese. The return journey turned out to be very difficult - not all bridges could withstand the 50-ton Centurions. In December, one of the Centurions was captured by the Chinese, despite the fact that these secret tanks had not yet fired a single shot. The regiment retreated and took up defense on the line of the Han River. One "Centurion" knocked out a "Cromwell" from 2700 meters, which was captured and brought into battle by the Chinese. During the first period of the war, 64 Centurions were sent to Korea. By April 8, 1951, the losses of the newest Centurions amounted to 13 units. Another battle with their participation occurred during the Battle of the Imjin River at the end of April 1951. Under pressure from Chinese troops, the British Centurions covered the retreat of the 29th Brigade. By April 25, UN troops retreated.

British tanks played a key role in the defense of Hook in 1952, repelling Chinese infantry attacks. In the June operations of 1952, two platoons of Centurions raided the area of ​​Height 156. According to M. Nikolsky, 3 Centurions and 2 ARVs were shot down; According to the official Canadian version, the enemy resistance was very weak, but the attack was abandoned due to difficulties in advancing through the terrain, with five tanks getting stuck in the mud (later evacuated). Losses for 1952 are unknown, it is known that the North Koreans sent one captured damaged Centurion to Soviet Union. In general, due to the characteristics of the terrain (hills, swamps, rice paddies) and the specifics of combat operations, “Centurions” were more often used as powerful firing points, occupying heights and firing direct fire, destroying fortifications and suppressing artillery, and very successfully fought against numerous enemy infantry.

Suez crisis

(1956, UK)

In 1949, Egypt concluded a deal and paid for the purchase of 80 Centurion tanks from Great Britain. Egypt became the first country to buy these tanks. The first 7 tanks were delivered in May 1950, 2 in October and 7 in November. Subsequently, due to the deterioration of relations between the countries, the supply of tanks ceased.

There were several units armed with Centurions in the British corps in Egypt. In January 1952, fighting broke out in Ismailia between Egyptian police and British soldiers. On January 25, six British Centurions from the 4th Royal Tank Regiment stormed a police station in Ismailia. The tanks fired 23 84-mm shells at the Egyptians, and the Egyptians, in turn, threw Molotov cocktails at them.

After the normalization of relations in 1955, Great Britain supplied Egypt with 16 more tanks, and by 1956 the Egyptians received 41 Cenutrion tanks from the UK. But soon the contradictions between Great Britain and Egypt became even greater and a war began between the countries.

During the 1956 war, British tanks played important role, together with detachments of the Royal Marines and commandos, captured Port Said. A total of 14 British Centurions from the 6th Royal Tank Regiment were involved. Nothing is known about the use of Egyptian tanks. Apparently they were on the defense of Cairo. .

Civil war in North Yemen

(1962, UK)

British Centurions took part in battles with supporters of the Yemen Arab Republic.

Military coups in Iraq

(Iraq, UK, Kuwait)

Iraq ordered the first 12 Centurion tanks from Great Britain at the end of 1955. The US paid part of the cost of purchasing the tanks. Israel protested the sale of British tanks to Iraq. In total, about 55 Centurion Mk.5/1 and Mk.3 tanks were delivered in 1955-1956, which were adopted by the 4th Tank Battalion and formed the basis of the Iraqi tank forces until the end of the 1960s. There is information that a total of 120 tanks of this type were delivered to Iraq. Maybe it's total quantity ordered.

It is possible that Iraqi Centurions were involved in suppressing uprisings in the late 1950s. In May 1961, Great Britain delivered 18 Centurion tanks to Kuwait. In mid-1961, the situation on the Kuwait-Iraq border worsened. Kuwaiti tanks were clearly not enough to hold off the Iraqi army. To protect against possible attack in July, during Operation Advantageous Position, Great Britain transferred several dozen of its Centurion tanks to Kuwait (14 tanks were delivered on the Stryker large landing ship alone), another 16 tanks were transferred to Kuwait.

The first time Iraqi tanks were used en masse in battle was on February 8, 1963, during the coup d'état. Before the coup began, the 4th Tank Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Makki al-Hashimi, was located 30 kilometers west of Baghdad in the village of Abu Ghraib, not far from the al-Habaniyah military base. The rebels began their movement on the morning of February 8 from the province of al-Anbar, almost without encountering resistance they captured the location of the 4th battalion, its commander was not there. Of the more than 50 Centurions captured, only one company of 17 tanks was in combat-ready condition. The rebels divided the tanks into several groups, 2 Centurions remained to guard the location of the tank battalion, 2 to capture the radio station in Abu Ghraib, 3 to capture the government news agency building in the west of Baghdad, 3 to capture the al-Rashid government military base 10 kilometers away. south of Baghdad and 7 to capture the Ministry of Defense. The people's militia with sticks and police with pistols could do nothing to the heavily armored vehicles. Only in the capital did government troops offer worthy resistance to the rebels and a group of 7 Centurions was defeated. During the day, a group of 3 tanks was able to break through and opened fire on the Ministry of Defense building. On the morning of February 9, tank fire suppressed the last positions of government forces.

On June 10, the new Iraqi government sent tanks into the north of the country to suppress the Kurdish uprisings. Damaged during the fighting large number peaceful Kurds. A group of specialists was sent from Great Britain to Baghdad to repair tanks that had broken down and were damaged in battle. In November, Iraqi Centurions were again deployed to the streets of Baghdad, during coup d'etat. Tanks were used against the Kurds until the end of 1965.

War for water

(1964, Israel)

In the 1950s, Israel protested the British sale of Centurions to Arab countries and itself ordered several dozen such tanks. Israel received the first 16 tanks only in 1959. In 1960, 26 more tanks were delivered, several of which were armed with the latest 105 mm guns. A total of 139 Centurions were delivered to Israel from 1959 to 1962. There were no deliveries in 1963. And by the time relations with Syria worsened, the Israelis had about 150 such tanks.

During the clash on November 3, 1964, a company of Israeli Centurions armed with 105 mm cannons attacked two Syrian PzKpfw IV tanks. From a distance of 800 meters, Israeli tanks fired about 90 shells, but due to unsatisfactory training of the tank crews, they did not achieve a single hit. The Syrians returned fire by killing 8 soldiers and destroying 2 tractors. On November 13, 1964, after the Syrians attacked Jewish settlements, Centurion tanks with already retrained crews destroyed 2 Pz.Kpfw with the first shots. IV and 2 enemy recoilless rifles, after which they shot at Syrian construction equipment from a distance of up to 10 km.

The Vietnam War

(1965-1973, Australia) - the first company of Centurions arrived on February 24, 1968, despite criticism from the Australian Parliament. In total, 58 tanks went through the war, 42 of which were disabled as a result of battle damage. The tank earned the reputation of a very dangerous enemy among the Vietnamese; in their opinion, it was extremely difficult to knock it out with an RPG; the partisans tried to disable the crew by shooting from the trees above the tank, in the hope of hitting it through the slightly open hatches.

Second Indo-Pakistani War

(1965, India)

In 1955, India ordered 244 Centurion tanks from Great Britain. Before the 1965 war, India had 186 such tanks. At the same time, the Indians were significantly inferior to Pakistan in numbers modern tanks, the Pakistanis had 432 M47 and M48.

In the first major meeting of the Centurions with American tanks, the Indian side won: the forces of the 1st Division defeated the forces of the 6th Division in the Sialkot area, the Pakistanis lost more than 65 tanks, and the Indians lost 6 Centurions. Also, Indian "Centurions" became the main force participating in the defeat of the Pakistani "Patton" M47 / during the battle of Asal-Uttara, the largest tank battle war. 97 Pakistani tanks were destroyed and captured, the Indians lost 32 tanks. Pakistanis nicknamed Asal-Uttar "Patton Graveyard".

From September 16 to 23, another major tank battle took place near Chawinda. Pakistani "Patton" and ATGM crews defeated the advancing Indian "Centurions" of the 17th regiment near the village of Butur Dagrandi. During the battle, 76 Pakistani tanks were disabled (the Indians claimed 170), of which 44 were destroyed or abandoned. Indian losses were also heavy, with 70 tanks disabled (the Pakistanis claimed 120), 41 of which were repaired and returned to service.

During the war, it turned out that 84-mm shells reliably penetrated the armor of the Pattons, while 90-mm shells American tanks had problems penetrating the frontal armor of the Centurions.

Six-Day War

(1967, Israel, Jordan, Egypt)

Centurions involved:

Egyptian front: Israel - 256 tanks with 105 mm guns, Egypt - 30 tanks with 84 mm guns.

Jordanian front: Israel - 12 tanks with 105 mm guns, 10 tanks with 84 mm guns, Jordan - 44 tanks with 84 mm guns.

Syrian front: Israel - 15 tanks with 105 mm guns.

  • Egyptian front

In the first major meeting of the Centurions with Soviet tanks, the Israeli side won: 20 Israeli tanks destroyed 32 Egyptian T-54/T-55 in the Bir Lahfan area. During the battle for El Arish, the Egyptians repulsed three attacks by the Israeli Centurions of the 7th Brigade, destroying 17 tanks. Many Centurions ran out of fuel during the invasion: the Egyptians shot at the supply vehicles following the tanks. Israeli tanks, which still had fuel left, took them in tow, and right in tow they continued to shoot at the Egyptians. During the four-hour battle for Nakhla, Israeli tanks and aircraft were able to encircle and destroy at least 6 Egyptian Centurions. Subsequently, moving towards the Suez Canal in the Ismailia region, the “Centurions” of the Israeli tank brigade, fighting stubborn battles with Egyptian troops, destroyed about 100 more T-54/55s, while losing 10 of their tanks. In general, Israel lost 122 tanks of all types on the Egyptian front (63 irretrievably), including an unknown number of Centurions, Egypt - out of 935 tanks and self-propelled guns, lost more than 820 destroyed and captured as trophies, including about 30 Centurions, a significant part The car was abandoned in good condition. After the war, the brigade commander, Colonel Issachar (“Iska”) Shadni, stated that one of the most important factors for success, along with the preparation of the Israeli army and gaining air superiority, was WHAT???. More than 90% of Israeli tank losses were due to ground-based weapons. Among the Arabs, up to 75-80% of destroyed equipment was caused by Israeli aviation. [ ]

  • Jordan Front

During the battle on June 7, on the road between Kufeir and Tubas, Israeli Centurions destroyed 16 Jordanian M47/. In Tubas, Israeli tanks were ambushed and three of them were destroyed. The Jordanian side also had Centurions, but they did not have time to take part in tank battles - the 10th independent armored regiment, armed with these tanks, was “covered” by Israeli air raids and about 30 of the 44 tanks were destroyed and abandoned.

There is information that to make up for Jordanian losses, Iraq gave Jordan some of its Centurions.

  • Syrian front

Participated in clashes with the Syrian army in the Golan Heights. Suffered serious losses.

War of attrition

(1967-1973, Israel, Jordan, Egypt)

Black September

(1970, Jordan) - “Centurions” took part in repelling the Syrian invasion. During the main tank battle of the conflict, Jordanian Centurions destroyed 10 Syrian T-54/55s, losing 19 of their tanks. Only aviation was able to stop the Syrians.

Third Indo-Pakistani War

(1971, India)

Before the start of the war, India had about 200 Centurion tanks and about 300 Vijayanta (Vickers). The most famous episode involving Indian “Centurions” occurred during the battle for Basantar. During the initial phase, three Indian tanks (Centurions and T-55s), under the command of 2nd Lt. Arun Khetarpal, were able to repulse several attacks by the numerically superior Pakistani forces. At the cost of their own death, they destroyed at least 14 Pakistani Pattons. Subsequent Pakistani counter-attacks were also repulsed and the Indians continued their offensive. A total of 66 Pakistani tanks were destroyed and 20 captured; the battle cost the Indians about 10 tanks.

Operation "Machinist"

(1972, England) English "Centurion" AVRE participated in the suppression of the Irish uprising in July 1972.

Yom Kippur War

(1973, Israel, Jordan)

  • Syrian front

On the Syrian front, Israel had "Centurions" consisting of the 7th (74th, 77th and 82nd battalions and the 71st battalion of the 460th brigade), 188th (39th and 53rd battalions) , 179th (96th, 266th and 278th battalions), 679th (57th, 93rd and 289th battalions), 205th (61st, 94th and 125th 1st battalions) and 164th (104th, 106th and 183rd battalions) armored brigades, as well as in several independent tank battalions. In addition, after the truce was declared, Kuwait redeployed a brigade of 70 Vickers to Syria.

On the Golan Heights, in the first echelon of defense, Israel had 220 tanks, including 177 Centurion Shot tanks in two brigades. Syria had 846 T-54, T-55 and T-62 tanks in the first echelon. Taking into account the second echelon, the Israelis on this front had 900 tanks, the Syrians 1233 and the Moroccans 30, in addition, during the war, reinforcements arrived from 300 Iraqi tanks and 160 Jordanian Centurions of the 40th and 60th brigades.

At the beginning of the war, 177 Israeli Centurions in the front line held off the advance of 600 Syrian tanks on the northern front. By the end of the first day, reinforcements of “Shots” from the 679th brigade and a little later “Shots” of the 179th brigade (21 tanks in total) arrived to the Israelis. The following afternoon, the Israelis received reinforcements consisting of 74 Shots of the 179th Brigade, 24 679th Brigade and 47 Super Shermans of the 377th Battalion of the 9th Mechanized Brigade. By the end of the day, the Super Shermans of the 95th Battalion of the 4th Mechanized Brigade arrived. The Syrian army brought the 1st Armored Division, consisting of 230 tanks, into battle. During the battles, one “Centurion” under the command of Major Shmuel Askarov destroyed 35 T-54/55 and a large number of armored personnel carriers (The battle took place at night, but is described only from the words of an Israeli journalist and is not confirmed by the participants themselves. In the battle, the Israeli tank company lost 9 of 10 vehicles. The last "Centurion" was damaged and immobilized. As a result of the battle, about 6-8 T-54s were allegedly shot down. There are no exact data, the battle took place at night.) The feat of Lieutenant Zvi Gringold, who fought on the Centurions and destroyed at least 20 Syrian tanks, is known, while he himself replaced six tanks. On October 7, a Syrian T-62 tankman shot and killed the commander of the 188th Israeli brigade, Colonel Yitzhak Ben-Shoham, and the commander of the brigade, Lieutenant Colonel David Israeli. In the 188th brigade, only 1 combat-ready vehicle out of 77 remained; on October 7-8, the brigade destroyed more than 100 Syrian tanks and another 30, breaking through to the aid of the 7th brigade. On October 8, the Syrians brought the 3rd Armored Division, consisting of 230 tanks, into battle. The losses of the 7th Israeli brigade, which participated in the tank battle in the “Valley of Tears,” amounted to 98 out of 105 Centurion tanks; the commander of the 71st battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Mishulam Carmeli, was killed. The Syrians in the “Valley of Tears” lost 230 tanks and up to 200 other armored vehicles from the actions of the 7th Brigade. By this time, the Israelis had already received full reinforcements and launched a counteroffensive.

On the morning of October 12, 20 Centurions tried to bypass the positions of the Syrians defending Tel Shams. The "Baby" crews noticed Israeli tanks and knocked out 18 out of 20 vehicles.

On the night of October 12-13, the Centurions, together with the older Super Shermans, defeated an Iraqi tank division armed with the T-55 that was attacking; the Iraqis lost between 80 and 120 tanks. The Israelis had no losses. In the afternoon, the Nati unit (a battalion of Centurion tanks) arrived at the Golan Heights. However, after this battle, the Israeli counteroffensive was completely exhausted.

On October 16, 80 Jordanian Centurions of the 40th Brigade went on the offensive. During a tank battle with Israeli Centurions of the 179th Brigade, the Jordanians lost 28 tanks and returned to their original positions. During the second attack, the Jordanians lost another 12 tanks.

The last major tank battle in the Golan Heights took place on October 20, when Israeli positions were attacked by 120 tanks.

Losses of Israeli tanks on the Golan Heights (according to official Israeli data):

A total of 400 Israeli Centurion and Super Sherman tanks were disabled on the Golan Heights, of which 250 were lost in the first 6 days of the war. Soviet estimates of Israeli losses completely coincide with Israeli data and amount to 400 tanks disabled.

Throughout the war, 1,116 Syrian and Moroccan tanks were disabled, including 627 T-54/55 and 240 T-62, 157 Iraqi T-54 and T-55 and 54 Jordanian Centurions. Thus, during the fighting on the Golan Heights, 1327 Arab tanks were disabled, of which 850 were lost in the first 6 days of the war.

As of October 24, Israel had 450 tanks on the Golan Front (out of about 900 participating, 400 were disabled, several dozen were redeployed to the Sinai, and there were no additional supplies to the Golan Heights). By the end of hostilities on the Golan Front, the Arab coalition had 850 tanks (out of 1,700 participating, more than 1,320 were disabled; 400 Syrian tanks were supplied by the Soviet Union and 70 Syrian tanks were supplied by Yugoslavia). As you can see, by the time the truce was declared, both the Israeli and Arab armies still had sufficiently powerful groups to conduct combat operations.

  • Egyptian front

On the Egyptian front, Israel had Centurions in the 217th (113th (190th), 134th and 142nd battalions) and 500th (429th, 430th and 433rd battalions) brigades and the 198th battalion of the 460th brigade. The 164th and 179th (the 266th battalion had been destroyed by this time) brigades were transferred from the Golan Heights to Sinai.

On the morning of October 7, the 198th battalion of the 460th brigade attacked the Egyptians crossing the canal in the Kantara area. The Egyptians were able to break through and the battalion retreated to the city. At night, Egyptian T-62s of the 15th brigade and infantry stormed the city, defeating the 198th battalion, the battalion lost 37 Centurion tanks out of 44. On this day, the Israelis sent the 162nd division under the command of Abraham to help the defeated 252nd division Adana. The 217th brigade, which was part of it, was stopped twice by a company of 100 Egyptian commandos dropped from helicopters. The Israelis lost 30 Centurion tanks and several armored personnel carriers (18 tanks in the first ambush and 12 in the second) from the fire of the Malyutka ATGM and RPG-7. Adan requested air support for the 217th Brigade. Arriving Israeli planes dropped bombs on the tanks of Adana itself. As a result, by October 8, 71 tanks remained in the 217th brigade.

On October 8, on the Egyptian front, Israel launched a counterattack on the Egyptian 2nd Army with the 162nd and 143rd Armored Divisions. In total, more than 400 Israeli tanks took part in it. Near the Firdan Bridge, several battalions of Israeli tanks fell into a pre-prepared trap of T-54 / 24th Brigade tanks and infantry and were defeated. 80 "Centurions" and "Pattons" were destroyed and captured, the commander of the 190th battalion of the 217th brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Asaf Yaguri, was captured, and was replaced by Major Samuil Hermeti. By the end of the day, the 162nd Division's losses amounted to almost 100 tanks, mostly Centurions. In the offensive zone of the 3rd Army, the Israelis received reinforcements all day long from the 164th and 875th brigades, which went to the aid of the 252nd division, which had only 23 combat-ready tanks left. From the fire of Egyptian tanks and in infantry ambushes, the Israelis in the offensive zone of the 3rd Army lost 40 tanks, mostly Centurions. On October 9, the 162nd Division lost 12 tanks and the 252nd Division lost 18 tanks, mostly Centurions.

On October 10, the Egyptians stopped the offensive. On this day, the tank of the commander of the 429th battalion, Don Sapir, was destroyed, the commander died. Both sides used the pause to repair damaged tanks and bring up reserves. On October 11, one of the repair companies of the 217th brigade was destroyed by Egyptian aircraft. On this day, the tank of the commander of the 190th battalion, Samuil Hermeti, was destroyed, the commander died. On October 12, Israel launched a small counterattack, but it was repulsed by the Egyptians.

On October 14, Egyptian troops launched a general offensive in which 400 tanks participated, they were opposed by 750 Israeli tanks, as well as many anti-tank systems, during the battle 264 Egyptian tanks were disabled (210 permanently), the Israelis lost 40-60 tanks. However, the Centurions did not play a significant role in this battle; the Egyptians were stopped by ATGMs and Magah tanks. In addition to armored vehicles, Israeli aviation was actively involved in the battle.

On October 16, the "Centurions" of the 217th, 500th and 460th brigades took part in the Battle of the "Chinese Farm". During a brutal tank battle with the Egyptian 21st Armored Division, the Israelis lost 96 tanks, mostly Centurions, but were able to break through to the Suez Canal. On October 17, Israeli ATGM crews, with the support of the Centurions of the 217th and 500th brigades, stopped the advance of the Egyptian 25th Tank Brigade, armed with the T-62. On October 18, the Israeli 162nd and 143rd divisions, which crossed to the other side, began an attack on Suez and Ismailia.

On October 21, tanks of the 500th brigade of the 162nd division surrounded the Egyptians in Faida, suffering heavy losses; the commander of the 429th battalion, Arie Itzhaki, was killed. On October 22, the Israelis, violating the truce, began an assault on Suez. The 430th Battalion came under heavy Egyptian fire and retreated, abandoning 9 Centruoins out of 18. Within two days, the local Egyptian militia repelled the division's attack, destroying 40 Israeli tanks, mostly Centurions.

Many Israeli Centurions were destroyed in post-war clashes.

Following the results of the fighting, Israeli tank crews noted that the frontal armor of the Centurion Shots did not provide any protection against the new 115 mm shells used by Arab tanks. There was a positive difference in the maximum tilt angles of the Centurion gun and Soviet-made tanks, which allowed the Israelis to hit enemy tanks themselves while out of range of return fire.

In total, 600 Israeli Centurion tanks out of 1000 were disabled during the war. As trophies, Egypt captured about 35 Centurions, Syria 40 and Iraq 11. The repairability level of damaged Israeli and Jordanian Centurions was about 60 percent. The Israelis were driven out from all over the eastern bank Suez Canal and from part of the Golan Heights.

In mid-1974, Great Britain transferred 400 Centurion tanks from its army to Israel, as stated “to replace those lost in the war.” The transaction amount was 30 million pounds sterling. As a result, by the end of 1974, Israel had almost restored the Centurion fleet to the pre-war 1000 vehicles.

After the Yom Kippur War in Israel, when enlisting in the armored forces, parents used all their connections and opportunities to ensure that their sons ended up serving on Centurion tanks. The chances of surviving while fighting on this tank were much higher than on another.

War for the Ogaden

(1978, Somalia)

Falklands War

(1982, Great Britain) - crazy repair "Centurion" BARVs were involved.

Lebanon War

(1982, Israel) - The first clash with Syrian tanks occurred on June 8 during the battle for Jezzine. On the city outskirts, Israeli Centurions came under concentrated fire from T-62s and ATGMs. The battle continued until darkness, the Israelis, at the cost of considerable losses, still managed to knock the Syrians out of the city, while losing 10 Centurions, the Syrians lost 3 T-62s. On the night of June 9, the Centurion company was ambushed near the city of Ein Zhalta, organized by two battalions of T-62 tanks. In the very first minutes of the battle, two Centurions were lost. Subsequently, the column suffered even more significant losses. The Syrians also lost several tanks, but the advance was stopped, although Ein Zhalta was taken. June 22 two Israeli tank brigades attacked the Syrian positions covering the Beirut-Damascus highway and came under the crossfire of anti-tank weapons. Only after a massive air raid did the tankers manage to escape from the fire, losing 18 units of equipment (Centurions and M113 armored personnel carriers) in this clash. According to some sources, one Syrian T-72 was destroyed by a 105-mm Centurion gun; the Syrian command did not confirm any losses of T-72s from tank fire during the war.

Civil War in Angola

(1988-1989, South Africa)

In January - February 1988, South Africa used Centurion (Oliphant) tanks for the first time in Angola during Operation Hooper. During the war, 12 Oliphant tanks were shot down and destroyed.

Gulf War

(1990-1991, Kuwait, UK)

During the Cold War, the USSR received one English Centurion from Korea in 1952, three Israeli ones from Egypt in 1973, and one South African Oliphant from Angola in 1988.

Project evaluation

When the tank was created, it contained enormous opportunities for modernization. The machine, developed during World War II and released in 1945, was able to remain in service for half a century. Constant updating of weapons, firing systems, and increased armor made it possible to fight tanks of newer models until the 80s of the 20th century. Despite the installation of new engines and transmissions, it was inferior in mobility and maneuverability even to older vehicles. It had excellent reliability and survivability. It had good maneuverability, but its high weight (up to 51 tons) sometimes led to problems (British Mk3 tanks in the Korean War had great difficulty crossing bridges). "Centurion" is a universal tank. It is believed that the tank's guns are like 20 pound [ ] and 105 mm L7 confidently hit soviet tanks T-54/55 at distances up to 2 kilometers. At the same time, Soviet vehicles could hit Centurions at such distances only if they hit the front of the hull or the side projections. It is unclear where the 20-pounder Centurions met the T-54/55, but what is certain is that the 20-pounder Centurions met the M47/48 tanks, in which the shells freely penetrated the frontal armor of American tanks.

In computer games

The Centurion tank in several modifications and vehicles based on it are presented in the British research branches of the World of Tanks game.

The Centurion tank in various modifications is presented in British branch ground vehicles War Thunder.

The Centurion tank is presented in various modifications in games in the Wargame series.

The Centurion tank is presented in the multiplayer online shooter Tanktastic, released since 2012 on the Android and IOS platforms.

The Centurion tank is presented in the games of the Men Of War series (Behind Enemy Lines)

Notes

  1. The Military Balance 2007. - P. 228.
  2. The Military Balance 2010. - P. 257.
  3. The Military Balance 2007. - P. 371.

Main Features

Briefly

Details

5.7 / 5.7 / 5.7 BR

4 people Crew

Mobility

46.9 tons Weight

5 forward
1 ago checkpoint

Armament

74 rounds of ammunition

12° / 20° UVN

3,375 rounds of ammunition

225 rounds clip size

600 rounds/min rate of fire

Economy

Description

In 1943, the British General Staff developed technical specifications for a new cruiser tank that would be able to withstand the Pzkpfw. VI Tiger I and Pzkpfw. V Panther.

Centurion Mk.1 is the first representative of the Centurion series of tanks presented in the game, located at rank IV of the British research branch.

Main Features

Armor protection and survivability

The armor protection of the Centurion Mk.1 is controversial. In the frontal projection, this medium (according to the game classification) tank is armored no worse than many heavy ones: the VLD has a thickness of 76.2 mm (3 inches) and is installed at a serious angle of 57 degrees, and although the front of the turret does not have any special rational angles, but at the same time it is good for its thickness - 127 mm, moreover, both the gun mantlet and the turret are armored equally. In some places there is overlap between the gun mantlet and the frontal armor of the turret, but the area of ​​this overlap is very small, so you can’t count on it. The lower frontal part has the same thickness as the upper one, but its angle of inclination is less, which makes it a potentially vulnerable area.

If we discard the numbers and speak in fact, then from a distance of 500 meters the Centurion’s armor protects against the vast majority of guns of enemy tanks: its armor cannot penetrate the D-5T, 8.8 cm KwK36, SA45, 7.5 cm KwK40 and, with due luck and a little at the top - even 7.5 cm PaK42. Close to the VLD does not lose its protective qualities - except that the PaK42 begins to penetrate the Centurion with almost every shot, but the turret begins to actively let through shells from even such a relatively weak gun as the PaK/KwK40 - this is affected by the lack of rational angles of inclination and casting homogeneous armor as a material - in the game it has 6% less resistance to projectiles than rolled homogeneous one.

The Centurion Mk.1 side armor is one big headache. 51 mm of armor with a minuscule angle of inclination does not protect against anything; even ZSUs are quite capable of penetrating the Centurion into the side up to about 200-250 meters. From the guns of your classmates, it flies into these sides with enviable regularity, sometimes at very sharp angles, so you need to turn the hull very carefully - the slightest mistake can cost you your life.

The survivability of the vehicle is at an average level - a shell that penetrates the turret quite often leaves 2 out of 4 crew members alive. Penetrations into the hull also do not always have clear consequences - sometimes only the driver dies from the ammunition that penetrates the NLD, and sometimes the penetration of the NLD ends disabling the entire crew or, more likely, an ammunition fire. A huge block of it is contained under the VLD, therefore any penetration into the left (for the player) half of the forehead of the hull usually leads to a fire of the BC.

The fuel tanks are moved to the MTO, so the fire takes a long time to “kill” the Centurion. But don’t delude yourself - under the partition with the engine-transmission compartment there is another ammunition stowage unit, which quite often detonates during a prolonged fire of the ammunition.

Mobility

Centurion 1 pleases with its mobility. Yes, the specific power of 13.3 hp/t is not impressive, but thanks to the competent selection of transmission gear ratios, the tank moves extremely vigorously. Centurion Mk.1 quickly accelerates to a maximum of 37 km/h on a good road and confidently maintains 28-30 km/h on rough terrain. The Centurion also feels good on poor soils - the wide tracks have a good effect on cross-country ability.

Unlike earlier British tanks, the Centurion has a decent 11 km/h reverse speed, which makes life much easier for its driver in urban shootouts and allows you to play from the opposite side of a hill, briskly rolling back immediately after firing.

Armament

Main weapon

The A41 Centurion Mk.1 gun is an excellent 76 mm Ordnance QF 17-pounder gun, installed on the lion's share of British rank III combat vehicles. Despite the high (for such a gun) BR of the Centurion, this weapon copes quite well with enemy equipment, especially when it comes to Soviet and Japanese tanks. A good rate of fire and excellent high explosives, complemented by powerful projectiles, give the Centurion the opportunity to feel comfortable in almost any conditions.

The shells deserve special consideration. Once fully pumped, the main types of ammunition will be armor-piercing solid with an armor-piercing tip and ballistic cap (APCBC) and sub-caliber with a detachable sabot (APDS). The first one is good for its armor-protecting effect and quite good penetration - it is enough to hit targets up to BR 6.3 inclusive. vulnerable areas frontal projection. A sub-caliber projectile is necessary in the case when the Centurion gets to BR 6.7 - the Royal Tigers do not penetrate the forehead of the tower under any pretext, and only sub-caliber projectiles can correct the situation. Their armor effect is highly dependent on the case - for example, sometimes a sub-caliber projectile that flies inside simply destroys the contents of the tank, and sometimes kills 1-2 crew members and does nothing else. With proper luck, you can play exclusively on APDS, but from time to time you will lose a duel only because your sub-caliber projectile did not cause adequate damage to the enemy.

This device has the mechanics of first-stage ammunition storage. This ammunition rack contains 11 rounds and is located partly under the left wall of the turret, partly at the loader’s feet. After they are used up, the cooldown drops to ~10 seconds.

Machine gun weapons

This tank is equipped with the well-known 7.62 mm BESA machine gun, but here it is installed in a special ball mount, which has its own aiming angles both horizontally and vertically. The machine gun is controlled by the loader, so when he dies, this machine gun loses the ability to fire.

Use in combat

The A41 Centurion Mk.1 can show itself from completely different sides in combat. On maps with a lot of hills, like Wallonia or Winter Pass, he feels more than comfortable - excellent air-height, good rate of fire and high reverse speed allows him to win back from the reverse slopes of the hills. On maps with relatively flat terrain and large sizes (Kursk), the Centurion also performs well - the armor begins to show itself at a distance, and good dynamics will allow you to get to the position in time. City maps are not the most convenient place for the Centurion - extremely short distances allow you to easily target its vulnerable zones (NLD, ball mount for a machine gun), the turret rotation speed will not be enough, and the weak sides will constantly receive shells after each exit around the corner , although with the right skill and a bit of luck you can perform well even in the city.

Firing from a 17-pounder gun involves using exclusively solid and sub-caliber ammunition, that is, those that do not have an explosive charge inside. Yes, the armor effect of this gun’s shells is more than sufficient even at 5.7, but when meeting with German tanks, the armored space of which is very spacious, some problems with destruction may arise - the cone of fragments simply will not be enough. To a greater extent this applies to sub-caliber shells- in solid ones, the armor effect rarely disappoints.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

  • Excellent hull armor
  • Good turret armor
  • High rate of fire
  • Excellent UVN
  • Good reverse speed
  • Not bad survivability

Flaws:

  • Thin sides
  • Low turret traverse speed
  • Thin hull roof
  • Ammunition rack located under the VLD
  • A total of 11 shots in the first-stage ammunition rack
  • Not the most stable armor effect of shells

Historical background

In 1943, the British General Staff developed technical specifications for a new cruiser tank that would be able to withstand the Pzkpfw. VI Tiger I and Pzkpfw. V Panther. The thickness of the frontal armor was determined by the penetration ability of 88 mm German gun KwK36, the thickness of the side armor was supposed to be 60% of the frontal armor. The gun was supposed to successfully hit those same Tigers and Panthers head-on, and the Rolls-Royce Meteor, which had proven itself well on the Cromwells, was chosen as the engine. During development, the technical specifications for the AEC company, which was entrusted with the development, changed several times: for example, the initial weight limit was raised from 40 to 60 tons, and the Royal Ordnance 17-pdr QF was clearly approved as a weapon. At the end of 1944, the first samples of the future Centurion left the factory floor, and at the very last days war, the new cruiser tank A41 Centurion Mk.1 was adopted by the Royal Armored Corps.

Media

Review by CrewGTW

Review by Arbitr

Review by Omero


See also

Links

· British medium tanks
Valentine Series

Hello again. Significant changes are taking place in the game, but against the backdrop of general improvements, we completely forgot about new technology, and the developers remember about the replenishment, and do not cease to delight players with new units of military equipment.

Tank Centurion Mk. 5/1 RAAC is a representative of Foggy Albion, which recently appeared among the British tanks in the World of Tanks project. The vehicle is premium, belongs to the category of medium tanks and is comfortably located at level VIII.

Surprisingly, unlike most latest news, not just another “paper project” appeared in the game, but a very real and combat-ready vehicle that was in service with the Australian Army.

Despite the fact that some testers dubbed the newcomer a “kangaroo”, the tank is a typical Englishman, with an accurate weapon and good damage per minute typical for representatives of this nation. Now let's talk about everything in order.

We suggest starting the Centurion RAAC guide with brief overview main parameters. In life, a person is greeted by his clothes, but in the game, tanks immediately climb into the engine compartment and study the weapons. So, the stated strength of our guest is 1,400 XP. In general, this is a standard average indicator, so the car will not stand out much from its classmates. At the same time, in terms of visibility, WG pleasantly surprises, giving the “British” farsightedness of 400 meters.

Surprisingly, the stealth coefficient of the new tank also looks good: 20% in a static, motionless state. From this it follows that in the game the tank will be able to shine a good light on the enemy, hiding in dense bushes and receiving additional silver for the damage caused by the light. Let us add on our own that shooting in the same bushes is highly not recommended: the camouflage instantly flies off like fallen leaves, dropping to a critically dismal 4%.

Now we climb to the Centurion Mk. 5/1 RAAC WoT to the engine compartment promised above. Despite the fact that the “British” is declared at level VIII, it weighs like a full-fledged “nine”. The structural weight of the car is 51 tons, but the engine is installed accordingly: a 950-horsepower diesel engine. This ratio gives us 18.6 “horses” per ton. This is not bad, but the tank is definitely not easy to climb and maneuverable.

The car can only accelerate to 50 km/h, remaining a solid average. In addition, maneuverability is also lame: the chassis turning speed of 36 degrees/sec looks rather modest. It is logical to assume that on hills, sands and swamps the ST will lose a lot of speed and is unlikely to accelerate more than 40 km/h.

Having looked into the details, we invite you to rejoice with us at the weapons, which really look very decent. So, for the game we are offered the OQF 20-pdr GUN Type B Barrel gun, capable of making holes in armor 226 mm thick.

Let us add that armor penetration is indicated for armor-piercing shells. In this regard, the Centurion Mk. 5/1 RAAC is superior to all classmates except its own compatriots. Thanks to this feature, you can significantly save on gold, which, by the way, penetrates only 258 mm of armor.

One-time damage is 230 units, which is the absolute minimum for Tier VIII vehicles. Therefore, the DPM turns out to be relatively low: about 1,900 units. By the way, the gun is quite accurate: with a spread of 0.31 per hundred, you can quite comfortably shoot the enemy at a long distance.

The barrel closes in 2.2 seconds, tilts toward the ground by 10 degrees. The equipment recharges in 7 seconds, which allows you to fire 8 shots per minute.

Equipment

As you can see, the Centurion Mk. The 5/1 RAAC tank is very unique, so some parameters clearly need improvement. For this purpose, the game provides additional. equipment. Unfortunately, installing modules cannot increase alpha, but you can improve other characteristics. We recommend trying this gentleman's set:

  • Rammer. A standard option for many tanks, allowing to increase the rate of fire.
  • Stabilizer. Medium tanks often have to fire on the move, so stabilizing the gun is never superfluous and significantly increases the efficiency of firing.
  • Anti-fragmentation lining. Quite effective insurance, allowing you to significantly reduce damage from high-explosive shells.

There is no point in installing coated optics: the tank has good visibility. You can try "Valve", but the promised increase in all characteristics will be unnoticeable. Don't forget to load repair kits and fire extinguishers. It would be a shame to burn out at the beginning of the battle from a successful landmine hit in the engine compartment or to stand under enemy fire, unable to repair the track and uselessly wasting the already small margin of safety.


 equipment from water divers

Crew Perks

The second option to increase the efficiency of the “British” is to pump up the crew. Here you can not deviate from the standard scheme and learn skills in the traditional sequence:

  • Repair.
  • Firefighting.
  • Disguise.

After that, we reset the skills, getting 100% “Combat Brotherhood” and, for example, repairs. Then we continue training at our own discretion, giving tankers specialized perks. In our opinion, the commander needs to immediately pump up the “Lampochka”, and the mechanic-driver needs to pump up the “King of the Off-Road”.

In terms of reservations, the Centurion Mk. 5/1 RAAC in WoT will definitely not be a whipping boy. The car is protected quite well, which explains the mediocre speed performance with a fairly good engine.

The strongest part of the vehicle is the frontal projection of the turret, where there are 258 mm, well covered by a wide gun mantlet. The shape of the tower is quite ricocheting, but numerous body kits and protruding elements somewhat spoil the positive picture. The sides of the turret are also not indestructible concrete, but 89 millimeters is quite capable of tanking most projectiles flying tangentially at high angles.

The upper frontal part is protected by an impressive armor plate with a thickness of 120.7 millimeters, located at a fairly favorable angle. The tank's NLD problem is a classic problem for English vehicles, so it needs to be hidden by any means, bashfully hiding it behind piles of stones and terrain. The hull sides are weak: 50 mm and the absence of screens turns the tank into a tasty prey for many.

How to play Centurion Mk. 5/1 RAAC

You need to act as competently and carefully as possible. Firstly, do not forget that the main task of a premium tank is to generate income. The best options for this remain the damage inflicted by allies on your light and personal effectiveness. When you get to open maps, you should play more save, combining the work of a passive firefly and a fairly effective AT weapon.

Secondly, you should not rely too much on strong armor and vigorously break with cords to push the direction. If the team merges Centurion Mk. 5/1 RAAC will not have time to quickly escape from pursuit, and the clumsy “British” left without help and cover will be dismantled almost instantly. The tank is not a speed record holder, so before the start of the battle we choose not only an advantageous position, but also calculate the escape route in advance. We constantly monitor the game map so that in case of danger we can get close to allied tanks.

This vehicle is a clear support tank, the main task of which is to cover the team from the second or even third line: the accuracy of the gun is conducive to remote firefights. Those who want to get a dose of adrenaline and find themselves in the epicenter of events are advised to practice this tactic of playing in a platoon so as not to be left alone against superior enemy forces.

Let's sum it up

Unconditional positive The characteristics of the tank are:

  • Income. Good penetration armor-piercing projectile allows you to give up gold, which significantly increases the reward for the results of the battle.
  • Armor. There are some errors here, but overall the frontal projection of the car is worthy of respect.
  • Review. There can never be too much of it for medium tanks. Take it while it lasts.
  • Accuracy. Those who like to shoot from afar will certainly appreciate this characteristic of the gun.

Flaws:

  • Vulnerable NLD.
  • Low one-time damage.
  • Mediocre speed and frankly weak dynamics.
  • No preferential battle level.

Centurion Mk. 5/1 RAAC ● Honest review

29-09-2016, 12:42

Good day and welcome to the site! Dear ST-waters, today our guest is a very controversial machine, which has both very significant disadvantages and excellent advantages. Here is a British medium tank of the eighth level - this is the Centurion Mk. I guide.

TTX Centurion Mk. I

Without further ado, let's move straight to analyzing the parameters of our Briton and the first thing that catches your eye is its excellent basic visibility of 400 meters, while our safety margin is typical by the standards of our classmates.

As for survivability, in the distant patch 0.9.0 our tank received an HD model, from that moment on the Centurion Mk. I reservation characteristics have become much worse. Be prepared for the fact that all guns with a penetration of more than 150 millimeters will pierce the forehead of our hull. We have a screen along the side, but it doesn’t help much; as you can see, there is very little armor here.

Our turret is stronger, it is often capable of receiving non-penetrations and ricochets from tanks of levels 7-8 (although there are sad exceptions), but everything higher can penetrate the Centurion Mk. 1 World of Tanks into the front of the tower without any difficulty.

I would also like to note that when our vehicle is hit head-on, the ammunition rack is very often criticized, this greatly ruins our life.

Now I would like to say that this unit has very large dimensions for a medium tank and also weighs quite a lot, so get used to the fact that the Centurion Mk. I WoT has mediocre top speed, dynamics and agility. Without remorse, our Briton can be called slow.

gun

Now let's talk about much more pleasant things, because weapons in our case are really worthy of respect, although there will also be some disadvantages.

So, Centurion Mk. 1 gun has excellent penetration parameters with a basic shell, the best among the ST-8. This practically saves us from the need to carry gold, although for unforeseen situations it would not be superfluous to buy 10-15 shells, the ammunition here is huge.

At the same time, we were given a small alphastrike, but thanks to the good rate of fire of the Centurion Mk. I tank can deal about 1725 pure damage per minute, which is quite good.

One more positive feature in our case there will be comfortable vertical aiming angles, the gun goes down 10 degrees, making it convenient to play off the terrain.

And now the promised shortcomings - the British medium tank Centurion Mk. I World of Tanks received a small spread, but the stabilization here is poor and the gun takes a long time to bring down, something definitely needs to be done about this.

Advantages and Disadvantages

We have covered everything you need to know about the tank for its proper use in battle, but to make it easier for you to navigate, let’s look at the most important strengths and weaknesses separately.
Pros:
Quite a strong forehead of the tower;
Comfortable vertical aiming angles;
Great review;
Good rate of fire;
Best armor penetration at the level.
Cons:
Weak armor in general;
Poor mobility;
Barn dimensions;
Little Alphastrike;
Mediocre accuracy;
Frequent ammo crits.

Equipment for Centurion Mk. I

To increase the comfort of the game, you need to choose the right additional modules, because they can greatly enhance the existing advantages, as well as brighten up the disadvantages. In the case of the Centurion Mk. 1 equipment is installed as follows:
1. - this module is always held in high esteem, because it allows us to make our damage per minute even more dangerous.
2. - due to the fact that we have problems with accuracy and stabilization, this option is required.
3. - will give an increase in DPM, improve visibility, speed up convergence, there is everything you need for bending.

As an alternative to the last point, you can put this if you have not yet upgraded your review perks. And if you are tired of crits or even explosions of ammunition, you can even put , although this option is completely a backup.

Crew training

An even more responsible and important issue will always be the choice and upgrade of skills for the crew. In our case, there are 4 tankers in the tank, the loader performs two roles simultaneously, so on the Centurion Mk. I will download perks in the following order:
Commander - , , , .
Gunner - , , , .
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Loader (radio operator) - , , , .

Equipment for Centurion Mk. 1

Well, with consumables, as always, the situation is extremely simple. If you have limited supplies of silver or gold, you can ride with , , . But due to the large dimensions of the tank, weak armor and criticality of the ammunition rack, it is better to carry the Centurion Mk. 1 equipment in the form , , , where the last option can be replaced with , if desired.

Tactics for playing the Centurion Mk. I

The first thing you should always remember when playing with this unit is that it has weak armor and large dimensions. For this reason, wherever you go, you need to act with extreme caution.

But there is one more nuance - our accuracy is also not the height of perfection, so on the Centurion Mk. I combat tactics, after all, boil down to positioning on the first or second line.

If you decide to move closer, you need to play in tandem with more armored allies, firing from behind their strong backs and trying to protect your safety margin. In such realities, the Centurion Mk. 1 World of Tanks is an excellent support tank and, thanks to its rate of fire, is capable of making a significant contribution to pushing the direction.

Regarding the game on the second line, we need to try to take an advantageous position from which we can open a good cross, and we will be able to hide our big body from the artillery and other opponents. In this tactic, the Centurion Mk. I tank must be reduced to the end in order to shoot more effectively.

Another justified strategy would be to play off the terrain. In our case, the turret is the strongest part of the vehicle, and the vertical aiming angles make it possible to use these. Hiding in the folds of the terrain, constantly emerging, firing and hiding back, the medium tank Centurion Mk. I WoT can win duels by getting ricochets and maintaining his HP.

Otherwise, everything is as usual, watch the mini-map, beware of artillery, which easily hits our slow and large carcass, and also try to make the most of your strengths and level out your weaknesses.