Cruiser Tank Mk VIII Cromwell

 

In the United Kingdom the differential between 'Cruiser' and 'Infantry' tanks peristed almost until the end of the war despite the fact that most other nations had never entertained the notion. It persisted even after the unfortunate experiences of the early 'Cruiser' designs had highlighted the drawbacks of producing a lightly armed and armoured main battle tank, and continued even when when a replacement for the Crusader was being sought.

The need for more armour and a bigger gun was finally realized (and a more powerful  engine would be required) and in 1941 a new specification was issued. It was answered by two main entrants to the same basic A27 design, one the A27L with a Liberty engine (this was to become the Centaur) and the other the A27M with a Rolls-Royce Meteor that was to become the Cruiser Tank Mk VIII Cromwell.

The first Cromwells were produced in January 1943. The first three marks (Cromwell I with one 6-pdr and two Besa machine-guns, Cromwell II with wider tracks and only one machine-gun, and Cromwell III produced by re-engineering a Centaur I) all had as their main armament the 6-pdr (57-mm/2 244-in) gun, but by 1943 it had been decided that something heavier would be required and a new 75-mm (2.95-in) gun was demanded. For once things were able to move relatively swiftly on the production lines and the first 75-mm (2.95-in) Cromwell Mk IV tanks were issued to the armoured regiments in October 1943. Thereafter the 75-mm (2.95-in) gun remained the Cromwell's main gun until the Cromwell Mk VIII, which had a 95-mm (actually 94-mm/3.7 in) howitzer for close support.

  Perhaps the main value of the Cromwell to the British armoured regiments during 1943 was a training tank, for at last the troops had a match for its German counterparts. There was better armour (8.76 mm/0.315- 3in) on the Cromwell than any previous 'Cruiser' tank and the 75-mm (2.95 -in) gun, which shared many components with the smaller 6-pdr, at last provided the British tankies with a viable weapon.
But by the time they were ready for active service the Cromwells were in the process of being replaced by the readily-availible M4 Sherman for purposes of standardization and logistic safety. But the Cromwell did see service. Many were used by the 7th Armoured Division in the campaigns that followed from the Normandy landings. Here the excellent performance provided by the Meteor engine made the Cromwell a well-liked vehicle: it was fast and reliable and the gun proved easy to lay and fire.

The Cromwell was but a stepping stone to the later Comet tank which was to emerge as perhaps the best all-round British tank of the war years. But the Cromwell was an important vehicle, not just as a combat tank but for several other roles. Some were used as mobile artillery observation posts (Cromwell OP) with their main gun removed and with extra radios installed. Others had their turrets entirely removed and replaced by all the various bits and pieces required for the Cromwell to be used as the Cromwell AVR armoured recovery vehicle. The Cromwell was also used as the basis for a heavily armoured assault tank that became known as the A33 which was ready by May 1944 but never got into production.

Specifications
Cromwell IV
Crew 5
Weight. 27942kg (61,600lb)
Powerplant  one Rolls-Royce Meteor V-12 petrol engine developing 570bhp (425kW)
Dimensions length overall 6.42m (21ft 0.75 in); Width 3 948m (10ft); height 2.51m (8ft 3in).
Performance maximum speed 61km/h (38mph); road range 278km(173 miles); fording 1.219m (4ft); vertical obstacle 0.914m (3ft); trench 2.286m (7ft 6in).