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Medium tank "Centurion" Medium tank "Centurion" Military coups in Iraq

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 here), 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, the best among the ST-8 basic projectile. 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've covered everything you need to know about a 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 weak sides 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.
Minuses:
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

Even more responsible and important issue There will always be a 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 such Centurion tactics 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 use your weapons as efficiently as possible strengths and level out the weak.


Medium tank The Centurion was developed since June 1943 by AEC as a cruising tank under the designation A41. The production program adopted in August 1945 provided for the production of 800 tanks. The first 100, almost identical to the prototypes, were designated Centurion Mk.1 (A41"), the rest, equipped with a new cast turret, were designated Centurion Mk.2 (A41A). On tanks of this modification, starting from the 101st vehicle, a new 20 -pounder gun and they received the designation Centurion Mk.3. The first production Centurion Mk.1 tanks left the factory in February 1946. The Centurion tank was officially adopted by the British Army in 1947 as a medium gun tank. It was mass-produced by Leyland Motors and. Vickers Limited, as well as state arsenals (Royal Ordnance Factory) in the cities of Leeds and Woolwich From 1945 to 1962, 4423 units were manufactured.

Feature of the park Centurion tanks is that tanks of early releases were constantly upgraded to the level of later modifications. The basis of most of them is the Centurion Mk.3 modification, the most massive of all those produced.

Centurion tanks were actively exported to Australia (143 units) and Holland (343). Denmark (226), Israel (1080), India (100). Jordan (293), Iraq, Canada. Kuwait (50). Lebanon (40), Singapore (63), Somalia (30), South Africa (300), Switzerland (300) and Sweden (350). As part of the armies of a number of these states, they were actively used in military conflicts. Australian "centurions" fought in Vietnam, Israeli, Jordanian and Iraqi ones participated in numerous Middle Eastern wars.

During operation in different countries These tanks have repeatedly undergone modernization, mainly associated with the replacement of weapons, the installation of powerful diesel engines, modern fire control systems, dynamic protection, etc.

Medium tank Centurion Mk.12 The Centurion tank is made according to the classic layout with the engine and transmission compartment located aft. In the front part of the tank hull of the most common modification of the Centurion Mk.3 there is a control compartment on the right, in which the driver can sit, and on the left side there is ammunition, a box for storing property and a tank for drinking water. In the roof of the control compartment there is a driver's hatch, in the covers of which two periscope observation devices are installed. In the fighting compartment, located in the middle part of the tank, the gunner and tank commander are located to the right of the gun, and the loader to the left.

On the roof of the tower on the right there is a commander's cupola with a hatch, along the perimeter of which beveled triplex blocks are installed. A periscope is installed in the turret roof, and the loader's hatch is located to the left of the commander's turret. To observe the terrain, the loader uses a periscope viewing device. The gunner has a periscope sight. In the rear part of the tower there is a round hatch closed with a lid. Batteries are installed under the floor of the fighting compartment.

All weapons are located in the tank turret. The radio station is located in the rear part of the tower, on the roof of which three whip antennas are installed. In the front part of the turret, one six-barreled 51 mm grenade launcher is installed on the outside left and right of the movable armor for setting up smoke screens. On the sides of the tower there are boxes in which covers are placed, camouflage nets, tent, blankets, etc. A spare water tank with a capacity of 20.5 liters and cable reels are attached to the stern of the tower.

The tank's turret is equipped with an 83.8 mm (20-pound) rifled gun with an initial speed of an armor-piercing projectile of 1020 m/sec and a sub-caliber projectile of 1325 m/sec. A 7.92 mm machine gun is paired with the cannon. The tank's gun is made without a muzzle brake. The anti-aircraft machine gun is not installed on the tank. Accuracy of firing from a tank on the move is ensured by installing a weapon stabilizer in two guidance planes. The vertical pointing angles of the tank's gun are: elevation angle +20° and declination angle -10°. The gun's vertical and horizontal aiming mechanisms are electrically driven. The ammunition load is 65 rounds for the cannon and 3,600 rounds for the machine gun. The tank turret is cast. Its mass assembled with weapons is about 13 tons. The diameter of the turret ring is about 2300 mm.

The power compartment is located in the rear of the tank behind the fighting compartment. The partition separating the fighting compartment from the power compartment has a hatch that facilitates access to the engine.

The Centurion tank is equipped with a liquid-cooled 12-cylinder Meteor petrol engine, developing power up to 650 hp. at 2550 rpm. Gasoline tanks are located inside the hull on both sides of the power compartment. To the left of the main engine is an 8 hp auxiliary engine. driving a generator used to power consumers of electrical energy and charging batteries when the main engine of the tank is stopped.

The engine cooling radiators are located horizontally above the power transmission. They can rotate and take a vertical position, providing access to transmission units. From the engine to the drive wheels, power is transmitted through a clutch, a Merritt-Brown type power transmission, which is a mechanical five-speed gearbox, made in one unit with a differential rotation mechanism, and final drives. The power transmission provides the tank with five forward gears and two reverse gears. The number of turning radii is equal to the number of gears. The minimum turning radius is B/2. The final drive of the tank is a simple two-stage gearbox.

The tank's suspension uses blocking of two dual road wheels in one bogie with horizontally arranged buffer springs and shock absorbers. The tank hull is suspended on six such trolleys.

An intercom is used for internal communication between crew members. To communicate between the tank crew and the infantry directly interacting with the tanks, a telephone is installed on the rear plate of the tank hull.

The fender shelves are equipped with entrenching tools and boxes for spare parts, tools, food, portable kitchens, tarpaulins, ropes, etc.

The Centurion tank is a landmark vehicle in British tank building. It began the British departure from the concept of dividing tanks into infantry tanks (designed to support infantry operations) and cruiser tanks (designed for independent operations in operational depth as part of armored formations). For the first time in English tank building, an attempt was made to optimally combine powerful armor protection, strong weapons and fairly high mobility.

Modifications

Centurion Mk.1 (A41*) - the first production version. The tower is cast, with a welded roof. Frontal armor of the turret - 127 mm, Combat weight - 46.7 tons. Dimensions: 9035x3374x2821 mm. Armament: 17-pounder Mk 6 cannon, 7.92 mm coaxial Besa machine gun; ammunition 74 rounds, 3375 rounds. Rolls-Royce Meteor IV engine with 650 hp; Merritt-Brown Z51R manual transmission; suspension - balanced spring, Horstmann type. Crew 4 people.

Centurion Mk.2 (A41A) - large cast turret with 152 mm frontal armor, new commander's cupola. Combat weight 48 tons. Meteor IVA engine.

Centurion Mk.3 is a Centurion Mk.2 with a 20-pounder Mk I cannon. Combat weight is 49.3 tons. In addition to the newly produced vehicles, most Centurion Mk.2 tanks were upgraded to the level of the Centurion Mk.3 in 1951-1952.

Centurion Mk.4 (A41T) - support tank armed with a 95 mm Mk IV howitzer. Combat weight 45.6 tons. Not mass-produced.

Centurion Mk.5 - Browning М1919А4 coaxial machine gun with 7.62 mm capiber. An anti-aircraft turret for the M1919A4 machine gun is mounted next to the commander's hatch. The gun's ammunition capacity is 64 rounds. A significant number of Centurion Mk.3 tanks were upgraded to the Centurion Mk.5 level.

Centurion Mk.5/1 (FV 4011) is a Centurion Mk.5 with additional 45 mm thick frontal armor protection. Combat weight 50 tons.

Centurion Mk.5/2 is a Centurion Mk.5 with a 105 mm L7A1 cannon. The initial speed of an armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile is 1470 m/s.

The Centurion Mk.6 is the Centurion Mk.5 - with additional armor protection and a 105 mm L7A1 cannon. Ammunition 68 rounds, Combat weight 51 tons.

Centurion Mk.6/1 is a Centurion Mk.6 with an IR sensor.

The Centurion Mk.6/2 is a Centurion Mk.6 with a 12.7mm Browning M2HB sighting machine gun.

Centurion Mk.7 (FV 4007) - 20-pounder Mk I cannon with an ejection device for purging the barrel bore, coaxial and Browning M1919A4 anti-aircraft machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber. Ammunition 63 rounds, 4500 rounds. Additional armored fuel tank in the rear of the hull. Advanced fire control system. Combat weight 50 tons.

Centurion Mk.7/1 (FV 4012) - Centurion Mk.7 with additional armor protection.

Centurion Mk.7/2 - Centurion Mk.7 with 105 mm L7A1 cannon,

Centurion Mk.8 - new cast gun mantlet, rotating commander's cupola. Meieor IVB engine. Combat weight 50.8 tons.

Centurion Mk.8/1 - Centurion Mk.8 with additional armor protection.

Centurion Mk.8/2 - Centurion Mk.8 with 105 mm L7A1 cannon.

Centurion Mk.9 (FV4015) - Centurion Mk.7 with additional armor protection and 105 mm L7A1 cannon. Ammunition 70 rounds. Combat weight 51 tons.

Centurion Mk.9/1 - Centurion Mk.9 with IR sight.

Centurion Mk.9/2 - Centurion Mk.9 with a Browning M2NV sighting machine gun in 12.7 caliber.

Centurion Mk.10 (FV 4017) - Centurion Mk.8 with additional armor protection and 105 mm L7A1 cannon.

Centurion Mk.10/1 - Centurion Mk.10 with IR sight.

Centurion Mk.10/2 - Centurion Mk.10 with a Browning M2НВ sighting machine gun of 12.7 mm caliber.

Centurion Mk.11 - Centurion Mk.6 with IR sight and sighting machine gun Browning М2НВ - Ammunition 68 rounds, 700 12.7 mm and 4250 7.62 mm cartridges,

Centurion Mk.12 - Centurion Mk.9 with IR-priel and Browning M2HB machine gun

Centurion Mk.13 - Centurion Mk.10 with IR sight and Browning М2НВ sighting machine gun,

The “centurions” received their baptism of fire during the Korean War. 45 Centurion Mk.3 tanks of His Majesty's own 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars took part in the fighting. Subsequently, as part of the British Army, tanks of this type were used only in the Middle East. For example, On November 5, 1956, Centurion Mk.5 tanks of the 6th Royal Tank Regiment landed in Port Said as part of an Anglo-French group. At the turn of the 1960s, Centurions were used by British troops in police and counter-guerrilla operations in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. Since 1967. They began to be removed from service with the British Army and replaced with Chieftain main battle tanks.

HISTORY OF CREATION

In 1943 the British General base 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 penetration ability of an 88-mm projectile German gun. 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 Gas engine"Meteor" is a tank version of the famous Merlin aircraft engine, which was equipped with the legendary Spitfires. Tank gun in mandatory was supposed 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 liquid-cooled Meteor gasoline engine and a Merritt-Brown manual transmission. 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, in while "Panther" - 200 km, "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, a wooden model was made; 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; the mass of the experimental tank was 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 there is a 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 unit was a further development of the 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 of infantry and cruising tanks in the troops 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 in the most to a greater extent“Centurion” corresponded to these tasks. 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, design universal machine resulted in the creation of a heavy tank. By 1949, the British realized that in order to fight Soviet tanks the same class requires a gun with a caliber of at least 120 mm. 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 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 cannon, for a long time considered the best tank gun in the West. "Centurion" gave a start to life for this gun, which was installed on American tanks M-60, German - Leopard-1, Swiss - Pz-61 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 layout of the tank. 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 Ordnance Factory Leeds, Royal Ordnance Factory Woolwich and Vickers-Armstrong from 1945 to 1962. A total of 4423 vehicles were manufactured.

"Centurions" different options 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). According to data at the beginning of 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. The Swedish "centurions" (290 tanks) were withdrawn from service as the Leopard-2A5 tanks arrived, the Danish - "Leopard-2A4", the Jordanian - "Challenger 1" (locally called "Ap Hussein"), in Austria the towers served their service life tanks are installed in Alpine fortified areas and are used as long-term firing points.

Main characteristics

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 characteristics

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 located in the MTO, so the fire takes a long time to “kill” the Centurion. But don’t delude yourself - under the partition with the engine and 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 combat machines III rank. 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 armor-piercing tip and ballistic cap (APCBC) and sabot with 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 in vulnerable areas of the 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, it feels more than comfortable - excellent air-damage, good rate of fire and high speed reverse gear allows him to play off reverse hillsides. On maps with relatively flat terrain and large sizes(Kursk) The Centurion also shows itself 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 encountering German tanks, whose armor space is very spacious, some problems with destruction may arise - there simply won’t be enough cone of fragments. 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 reference

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 the new equipment, and the developers remember about the replenishment, and do not cease to please the 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 VIII level, 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 sides of the hull 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 by an 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