User:Oberiko/Crusader tank
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[edit] Weapons of World War II
The Cruiser Tank Mk VI that became known as the Crusader had its origins around the same time as the Covenanter, but was a Nuffield design and therefore used the Nuffield Liberty Mk III engine and a Nuffield gearbox.
In overall appearance and layout the Crusader resembled the Covenanter, but there were several differences. One was that the Crusader had five road wheels on each side instead of the Covenanter's four.
The prototype was known as the A15. It had the unusual feature of two forward miniature turrets, one in front of the driver's hood and the other for a gunner seated in the front hull. Each of these turrets was fitted with a 7,92-mm (0.312-in) machine-gun, but after early trials the driver's gun and turret was eliminated. These early trials once more highlighted that engine cooling was inadequate and that the gearchange arrangements were unreliable. These problems, and others, took a long time to remedy and, indeed, many were still present when the Crusader was withdrawn from service.
The first production model was the Crusader I, which had a 2-pdr (40-mnV 1.58-in) gun and armour with a 40-mm (1.58-in) basis. When Crusader Is entered service in 1941 they were already inadequate for combat, and as the new 6-pdr (57-mm/2.24-in) gun was still in short supply the armour alone was increased in thickness to a 50-mm (1.97-in) basis to produce the Crusader II, and it was not until the Crusader III that the 6-pdr gun was fitted, This turned out to be the main 'combat' version of the Crusader during the North African campaigns before it was replaced by the American M4 Sherman.
In action the Crusader proved fast and nippy, but its armour proved to be too thin, and the Crusaders armed with 2-pdr guns were no match for their German counterparts. Their reliability problems did little for Crusaders' chances of survival under desert conditions, but gradual improvements were effected. The Crusader IICS was fitted with a 76.2-mm (3-in) howitzer.
Once they were no longer combat tanks the Crusaders were used for a variety of special purposes. Some were converted as anti-aircraft tanks mounting either a single 40-mm (1.58-in) Bofors gun (Crusader III AA I) or twin or triple 20-mm (0.787-in) cannon (Crusader III AA II). There was a Crusader ARV armoured recovery vehicle version without a turret (but with an A' frame jib) and another turretless version featured a dozer blade for combat engineering purposes (Crusader Dozer). Many Crusaders were fitted with an open box superstructure for use as high-speed artillery tractors (Crusader Gun Tractor), and were widely used in Europe during 1944 and 1945 to tow 17-pdr (76,2-mm/3-in) antitank guns. Many more were used for trials that ranged from engine installations via mine warfare devices to wading trials that led to the 'Duplex Drive' tanks.
The Crusader was one of the 'classic' British tanks of World War II, and had a dashing and attractive appearance that belied its lack of combat efficiency. Despite its low and aggressive silhouette it was outclassed as a battle tank on many occasions, but saw the war out in several special-purpose variants.
The Crusader III was the first British tank to be armed with an effective gun, the 6-pdr. Its other great strongpoint was its suspension, which was so tough that the theoretical maximum speed could often be exceeded.
[edit] Henk of Holland
Crusader MKI, MKII and MKIII The Crusader concept stemmed from the "Fast Tank"concept, designed and produced around 1930 by the American Walter Christie, and could have evolved to generate an all-round fine tank. Instead, Crusader paid the consequenses of ill-defined high command theories and uncertain piecemeal decicions, hastily made by committee, and suffered from unfortunate shortcomings for most of its existence.
Crusader came from a lineage of "Cruiser Tanks" produced to complement the heavier armoured and slow going "Infantry Tanks" Then in service, such as the Matilda. Conceived to exploit the latter's break through, cruisers were characterised by a light armour, a good range and speed and a running gear and suspension designed for fast going. Their main armament invariably consisted of the ubiquitous two-pounder or 40mm gun.The narrow and long hull was of simple rectangular section, stiffened with cross-braces and bulkheads to withstand the starins and stresses provoked by the fast riding on rough terrein and the consequent rolling and pitching. The multifaceted turret was given its characteristic hexagonal cross section -developing into an octagonal one towards the centre- to afford more internal space, limited otherwise by the narrow hull and small ring diameter. The suspension, a slightly improved version of the American Christie design, consisted of one spring unit for each of the wheels, enclosed in an individual housing within the double-walled vertical sides of the hull. Like most other British tanks of the period, Crusader was armed with a two-pounder anti-tank gun, a 7.92mm Besa mg (derived from an original Czechslovakian design, the Zb-model 53) coaxially mounted at the right of the main gun, a two-inch bomb thrower further to the right, and a second Besa MG installed in a small auxiliary turret, set in the left side of the glacis, next to the driver's compartiment. The latter had a pistol port in the armoured hood, for the use of his side arm.
The crew was also provided with a fairly comprehensive variety of optical devices; there was a side look-out and a prismatic visor for the driver, a telescopic sight for the auxiliary machine-gunner, a front look-out and a telescopic sight for the main gunner, a periscope for the loader and finally, for the commander, a periscope in the centre of the roof and two look-outs, one in the left and one in the right side of the turret.
For external communication, the commander had at his disposal a No.9 radio set, fitted behind him in the rear turret bustle. This was later replaced with a No.19 wireless, characterised by two aerial masts. Power came from a Liberty engine and a gearbox manufactured by Nuffields, who also designed and produced the Cruasader. Being the direct descendant of the cruisers A13 and Covenanter, Crusader retained several of their features and consequently their shortcomings as well as their advantages. Its Christie-type suspension, large dished wheels, the design of its hull and the exellent power-to-weight ratio gave the tank good speed and mobility, particularly in the North-African desert, where it spent all of its service as a cruiser tank. These characteristics and the low, sleek silhouette made Crusader a diffecult target to hit when charging. Unfortunately this was offset by several inadequacies. Although longer than its predecessors, its ground pressure was not entirely satisfactory, due the narrow wide of its tracks which, in addition, the tank tended to shed a bit too often. Mechanical breakdowns also caused the loss of an inordinate number of tanks, while in action. The armour was too thin to withstand shots from the Italian 47mm or the German improved 50mm guns. The turret, because of its particular shape, presented dangerous shot traps.Ventilation was poor all round and when the secondary machine-gun was fired,both the gunner in his tiny auxiliary turret and the driver on his right, suffered badly from cordite fumes. The two-pounder gun had only anti-tank capabilities and could not fire high explosive shells. Crusader was also plagued during most of its operationale life, in the desert with air filters problems, defective coolingfan systems, etc., all shortcomings that basically were the consequences of illdefined specifications, hasty development and insufficient trials in times of emergency. But, given the circumstances and the situation in those fatefull years 1941 and 1942, it was the best that could be made available and rushed to the embattled British armoured units in Egypt.
In conclusion one must say that, all considered, Crusader acquitted itselfs fairly wll in the face of Axis force equipped with 88mm, 75mm, 50mm and 47mm anti-tank guns, whether in defensive emplacements or mounted on heavier and better armoured tanks.
By 1943, the Crusader series of Cruiser tanks was being phased-out of the combat role, and a new source of chassis became available. With the larger capacity of the Crusaders, larger weapons could be mounted, and the British were quick to seize the opportunity. Experiments were made with the excellent 40mm Bofors AA gun and with a triple 20mm Oerlikon mount. Originally, the 40mm field mount simply replaced the turret on the Crusader III tank. This became the Crusader III,AA, Mark I; and later modifications included a lightly armoured turret, surrounding the gun. The triple 20mm version was never mass-produced: however, a new mark, with a fully enclosed turret, soon appeared. The Crusader III, AA, Mark II, as this variant was called, carried a twin 20mm mount, similar to the weapons used for anti-aircraft defense on naval vessels. An additional modification to the new turret resulted in a third Mark of the Crusader II, AA; however the changes were primarily internal, and principally involved moving the radio from the turret to the hull.
The Crusader Gun Tractor were converted from the Crusader MKII cruiser tank and used as armoured tractor for 17-pounder AT-gun. 600 were produced from March 1944 to April 1945. They were converted by Ruston & Hornsby Ltd. Also were many Crusader II and III converted to AVR's (Recovery Vehicles) From the AVR vehicles were many variants, with dozer blades and / or crane's.
The Full range of Crusader variants:
- Crusader I :...Initial production model.
- Crusader I and II CS:...3-inch howitzer in place of the 2pnd gun
- Crusader OP and Command :...Fitted with a dummy gun for use as observation post or for general command post with extra radio.
- Crusader III, AA Mark-I :...Normal turret replaced by 40mm Bofors gun behind shield.
- Crusader III, AA Mark-II and -III :...As Aa Mark-I but with 20mm twin Oerlikons.
- Crusader with triple Oerlikon :...A few vehicles were fitted with a special open mount fitted with three Oerlikons.
- Crusader II, Gun Tractor Mark-I :...A special conversion of the Crusader hull for use as a tractor to pull the 17pdr anti-tank gun. In service 1944-45.
- Crusader ARV :...Turretless version with a jib crane on front.
- Crusader Dozer :...Turretless version used by the Royal Engineers.
- Crusader with AMRA Mark 1d :...Mine clearing device -not used in action.
[edit] LemaireSoft
The Crusader was by excellence the tank of the desert. It first saw fire in June of 1941 on the Libyan border and then made up the bulk of the armored forces of the British forces until the end of 1942, sharing the successes and the defeats. It was the tank best represented in Montgomery's army at the battle of El Alamein.
The availibility of American built tanks, able to fire antipersonnel as well as antitank shells meant that the Crusader left the frontline after the end of the campaign in North Africa. Some were converted to repair tank, commanding vehicle, etc....
Crusader I Named Crusader I or A-15 or Cruiser Mark VI. It was an enlarged version of the A-13 Mark II and of the Convenanter, with a more powerful armor. Like many British tanks, it had mechanical teething troubles but they could be solved though before its first combat. The Crusader saw action for the first time during the disastrous operation "Battleaxe" on the Libyan border but played also a major part in the successful offensive "Crusader" at the end of 1941.
Identification: The first version of the Crusader had an auxiliary turret with two (later a single) MG. That auxiliary turret is absent on the next Crusader II.
Crusader II The first combats against German panzers in Africa proved the need for a thicker armor. The second version of the Crusader had thus a front armor increased from 40 to 50 mm. It took part in the successful "Crusader" offensive but had to face Rommel's counter-offensive towards El Alamein the next year. The Crusader formed the bulk of Montgomery's armor force during the crucial battle of El Alamein.
Although slightly superiror to the German Panzer III, the Crusader was outclassed by the newly rearmed Panzer IV F2. Its 2-pounder gun, unable to fire high-explosive shells, was almost powerless in front an antitank gun.
Identification: Very similar to the Crusader I, except that it had no secondary turret.
Crusader III New version of the Crusader, rearmed with a 6-pounder gun in a new turret. It arrived on the front on June 1942 and took part in the battle of El Alamein and in the campaign in Tunisia.
Identification: The model III had a bigger gun and a turret with a flat front plate, which, for ther rest, is similar to the previous Crusader II
[edit] Nase noviny
The Crusader tank came up from a design ordered by the War Office in 1936. Early in 1939, after the purchase of an American Christie tank by the Nuffield company and a detailed inquiry into the good and bad points of the unique Christie "fast tank" suspension, a fast cruiser tank was designed, based on the previous A13 tank, known as Covenanter. It was named A15 and mounted a turret with a 7.92mm Besa machine gun on the left side of the hull, next to the driver, which distinguished it from the A13. The engine was the Nuffield Liberty V-12, a licensed American design. The engine was water-cooled and provided the tank with approximately 340 HP.
The original Mk. I variant, delivered to British troops in late 1940 and early 1941, had the weight of 18 tons and a quick firing 2-pounder (40mm) anti-tank gun. The Mk. II had thicker armour, Mk. III came in May, 1942, with a 6-pounder (51mm) gun, which was originally planned for the Cavalier design. Also, the armour plating of the Mk. III version was thickened and the turret crew was reduced to only two by the size of the new gun. Commander and loader became one person, the gunner remained on the left of the main weapon. The Mk. II and III were arriving to north Africa during 1942, the Mk. III in due time for the battle of El-Alamein.
Soon after the fielding of the tank in 1940 and 1941, the crews began pointing out the weak points of the construction. The armour was too thin to compete with German Panzers, the gun had too small a calliber to pierce the armour of the opponents. Improvements were made, but the Crusader tank remained fast, yet unreliable and uncomfortable to use. Yet it performed well, before the end of the war some 5,300 Crusader tanks were built and remained in service until it was replaced by the American Grant and Sherman designs. After it ceased to serve as a battle tank, numbers of Crusader tanks were rebuilt for auxiliary and special roles, such as mine-clearing, artillery observers, anti-aircraft tanks with 40mm Bofors guns, armoured recovery vehicles, anti-tank gun tractors, and armoured bulldozers, which it performed successfully until the end of the Second World War.
[edit] WWII vehicles
Nuffield designed at about same time of the Covenanter but had a Liberty engine.1 Prototype had small turrets in front of driver and gunner. These were removed after trials. Hull was lengthened and another road wheel was added. The turret hatch slid back to open. However, it would sometimes close on the commander unexpectedly. An initial order for 200, plus a pilot model, was placed in July 1939. The pilot was delivered in March 1940. In June 1940 the order was increased to 400, and then to 1,062.
A total of 9 companies produced the tank
Fuel tanks were located on each side of the engine with radiators fitted vertically between the tanks and the engine. Two cooling fans were fitted in the rear bulkhead. The drive chains were exposed and this posed problems in the desert and were replaced by a form of a shaft. The exhaust pipes went on each side of the engine, over the transmission, and ended inside the rear hull louvres. The concertina type air cleaners were mounted on the rear track guards in early models and were replaced by an oil bath type.
A pump provided compressed air for the steering and braking, while hydraulics were used for the turret power traverse. The gun is manually elevated by the gunner.
In early models the crew communicated through one way Tannoy speakers. This was later replaced by No. 19 wireless set which had an intercom.
On early models the auxiliary machine gunner sat on a small saddle which went round with the turret. There was a traversing handle on the left. The Besa ammunition boxes were stored in front of him. When closed down he could only see through the sighting telescope. In the desert many went into action without the auxiliary gunner.
Early models of the Crusader's engines would overhead as the cooling fan broke its drive shaft quite often. Some vehicles in North Africa had their engine governors opened and the Crusader was able to achieve speeds up to 40 mph which was very hard on the engine.
- Crusader I (Mk VI): Original production vehicle.
The commander sat at the rear with the wireless equipment. He also had to be careful as he could have his head knocked off by the unstable hatch. The gunner was on the left and usually stood as they could more accurately aim the gun and use their weight on the elevating arm. On the right was the loader and he sat on top of the ammunition bin and was also responsible for the smoke discharger. Crusader I CS (Mk VI CS): With 3" howitzer.
- Crusader II (Cruiser Mk VIA): Same as I but without machine gun turret. Extra armor on turret and hull.
- Crusader II CS (Mk VIA CS): With 3" howitzer.
- Crusader III: Final production vehicle with 6 pdr. Increased armor on hull and turret. The turret was longer and taller to handle the 6 pdr. The front plate was vertical, with a rectangular opening for the gun with an internal mantlet. A coaxial Besa MG on the left. There was a smoke discharger to fire through the roof.
The turret hatch was replaced by a pair that opened outwards. One flap had the periscope for the commander. Two additional periscopes were mounted forward as well as an extractor fan. To allow for more ammunition to be carried the auxiliary turret was removed as well as one of the turret crew. The commander acted as loader and the gunner acted as wireless operator too. Production from May - July 1942 (144).
- Crusader OP: Dummy gun and extra communications. Used only after rest of class was withdrawn from front line service. Issued to Royal Artillery batteries and carried Forward Observation Officers. Two No. 19 and one No. 18 wireless sets were installed.
- Crusader III, AA Mk I: Turret replaced by Bofors 40mm AA.1 Open topped shield.
- Crusader III, AA Mk II: Turret replaced by twin 20mm Oerlikon AA.1 Turret replaced by new enclosed turret. First tests occurred in June 1943. Had a crew of 4, and carried 600 rounds of ammunition.
- Crusader III, AA Mk III: Same as AA Mk II but with radio equipment by driver instead of turret.
Crusader AA with Triple Oerlikon: Used for training. Originally intending for every HQ squad in invasion of Europe, but not used because of air superiority. Disbanded in June 1944.
- Crusader II, Gun Tractor Mk I: Crusader II chassis with open topped superstructure. Used to tow 17 pdr AT.1 Used by AT regiments in NW Europe (1944-45).1 Side extensions used for wading. Used by assault divisions in Normandy.
- Crusader with AMRA (Anti Mine Roller Attachment) Mk. 1D: The Mark 1D weighed about 1.5 tons and had 4 heavy duty sprung rollers suspended from a frame. The tank could detach itself on the battlefield if necessary by setting off an electrically fired fuse. On sand it could detonate most anti-tank mines. On harder ground weight had to be added by removing a cap and filling the roller with anything that was available (sand, earth, rubble, water).
Not sure if used in combat.
- Crusader ARV: Inspired by the Germans ability to recover vehicles in the battlefield the British formed a Recovery Committee in the summer of 1942. Removed turret and added a 5-ton portable jib. Had a crew of 3. It is believed only 1 was made.
- Crusader Dozer: Turret removed, winch and jib fitted for working dozer blade.
- Crusader Dozer and Crane (ROF): Used by Royal Ordnance Factory in bomb disposal.1
- Crusader Amphibious: Two large pontoons were attached to each side of the hull. Special blades were attached to the tracks to propel the vehicle in the water.
[edit] Spartacus
In 1936 the British War Office ordered a new infantry and cruiser tank. The Crusader was ready by July, 1939. It could reach 40mph and was well armoured and was was used in Tobruk in June 1941.
Tank crews soon found out that the Crusader was uncomfortable to operate and the engine was unreliable. However, it remained the standard British tank for the remainder of the Desert War. Between 1939 and 1943 over 5,300 Crusader tanks were built. The development of the superior Cromwell Tank brought an end to the production of the Crusader.
[edit] British Air Borne
As a testament to British habit of rushing tanks into production without thorough testing, the Crusader Mark I was mechanically unreliable. Its 2-pounder(40 mm) was well outclassed by 1941 and for some reason it had a machine gun in a small turret on the front hull. The latter was removed on the Crusader Mark II but only on the Mark III was the main armament at last up-gunned to a 57 mm 6-pounder which allowed it to fight German armour on fairly equal terms. There was also a Crusader IICS armed with a 3-inch(76.2 mm) close support howitzer. The Crusader formed the main equipment of the armoured divisions fighting the Desert Campaigns; over 5,300 were produced. Once withdrawn, Crusaders were used for a variety of special purposes including observation post and command tank, ARVs and mine-clearing. Turretless Crusaders were used as 17-pounder(76.2 mm) anti-tank guns tractors and air defense models with either a single 40 mm (1.58 in) Bofors Gun or twin or triple 20 mm(0.79 in) cannon.
[edit] A world of tanks
The Crusader II formed the main equipment of the British armoured divisions in the Desert Campaigns. It was a fairly reliable vehicle, specially if one considers the disappointing performances of its predecessors (the Cruiser Mk III and IV, the Covenanter, and the Crusader I). Total production amounted to 5,300 units. Crusaders were used also for a variety of special purposes including observation post, command tank, ARVs, mine-clearing, anti-tank gun tractors, and more..
[edit] British tanks of World War II
Introduced in 1939 as a cruiser tank for cavalry type use, 5,300 Crusaders were built during the war until they were phased out beginning in 1943. A Christie suspension provided a good ride and could travel at up to 40 mph, but early models were underarmed with the 2 pounder gun which was eventually replaced by the 6 pounder. First used in North Africa in June 1941, the 6 pounder version was used at El Alamein, but it too was under-armed and few Crusaders were used after the North Africa campaign.
[edit] Armoured Vehicles
In 1936 a British mission visited the Soviet Army maneuvers where it was extremely impressed by the performance of the BT tanks which had been adapted from a design by the US inventor Walter Christie. Upon returning to Britain and making it's report, a Christie tank was purchased by the Nuffield Organization and work began on development of a fast cruiser tank using the Christie suspension system. Extensive redesign was needed, since Christie's tanks were merely demonstration vehicles and never carried heavy armour or armament, but by December 1938 the first production models of the A15 Covenanter tank were leaving the factory. It weighed about 14 tons and was armoured with 14 mm of plate, and it was felt that a somewhat heavier design would be a good thing. The Nuffield Company set to wor to produce a slightly larger version, powered by one of their engines, and this, the A15 Crusader tank appeared late in 1940. The chasis had been lengthened and additional wheels fitted, the armament was a two-pounder gun, the armour was 30 mm thick, and the tank weighed about 18 tons. A later model was produced with 51 mm armour and a 6 pounder gun. Crusader became the standard British tank until replaced by the US Grant and Sherman design.
Although dogged with mechanical unreliability, a legacy of its rapid development, the Crusader performed well. It first saw action in June 1941 in Operation Battleaxe, the abortive attempt to relieve Tobruk and it was extensively employed throughout the remainder of the North African campaign. Although it ceased to be a battle tank after that, numbers were rebuilt to become specialist vehicles; mine clearing, artillery observers, anti-aircraft tanks (fitted with 40 mm Bofors guns): armoured recovery tanks; anti-tank gun tractors; and armoured bulldozers. In these roles the Crusader continued to play a useful roll until the end of the war.
[edit] German modelling site
A US of the experience of the France disaster was schmerzlichst conscious to the British war Ministry the striking absence of an useful armored fighting vehicle that out against the German vehicles to exist could. One of hopes of the British armor branch (Royal tank Corps) was the "Crusader" (cross driver). A hope, which did not fulfill itself to the largest part.
The "Crusader" was developed to a large extent from the "Covenanter", to which it saw also outside light similar. Unfortunately the "Covenanter" was a Vorkriegsentwurf of 1937. Many important realizations, which were won by the study of the blitzkrieg campaigns against Poland and France, could not flow yet into the concept. The hour of the "Crusader" came in the Africa campaign. Actually it should be used as "heavy clearing-up tank". That was not to be fulfilled however under the given conditions, even with an easy 2-Pfuender cannon as armament. Altogether 5300 "Crusader" were built by a consortium of firms under the direction of Nuffield Mechanisations Ltd.. The chassis suspension after the "Christian IE system" was the largest preference/advantage, which the "Crusader" had. It permitted far higher speeds than the 43 Km/h demanded by the Ministry. During the tank mechanics the Liberty engines on highest numbers of revolutions and the combat cars brought Africa campaign on speeds of up to 64 Km/h (!). the chassis could this load well stand - the actual weak point was so often, like with the British tanks this time, the engine. The vehicle tub was divided in the classical handle into three ranges. Sat in front drive. Into first two designs it divided the place with nose mg contactors. The nose mg was attached in the first version into small tower on the tub top side, the second building lot shifted the mg into a ball screen in the front plate. In the Mk.III version the mg was void completely. The place was used for additional ammunition. Available space for the crew was very modest. The commander had to take over occasionally the function of the radio operator and load contactors with - the usual disadvantages two-man tower evenly. As engine the older, for it however fully developed Nuffield Liberty was used. An old aircraft engine from the First World War, that besides a throttling of 400 to 350 HP. The first "Crusader" had a quantity of problems with this engine. The Teperaturprobleme was most frequent in the changeful North African climate. Sinnigerweise broke the Vetilator axle and to the air cleaner were only very bad very often to cleaning. With the time the problems were solved, fact are: the "Crusader" was placed over-hurried into the service - probably from lack of others, suitable vehicles and with its first employment in June 1941 in the context of the operation "Battlaxe" more "Crusader" failed because of technical problems as by enemy action. Nevertheless the "Crusader" participated in all substantial engagements of the Africa campaign. Starting from ElAlamein the "Crusader" was combat clear with the 6-Pfuender. The installation of this cannon required substantial changes in the tower. Now additional place for a 75mm was garnet thrower - which was not however often used. After end Africa campaign was deactivated the "Crusader". Some to Italy and some few still went with a Flakturm were equipped, but its days were counted. New and better types as for example of the "Cromwell" or from the U.S.Panzer "Sherman Firefly" "developed" took over the follow-up.
In summary can be written over the "Crusader": It was during Africa campaign at its crews much likes, offered it opposite the other types "Mathilda" and "Valentine" due to its high speed substantially more chances tank combat with the German types Pz.III and Pz.IV to project. Its armament and its armoring had not grown the German types however and with appear the Panther and tiger hopelessly underlaid. Which the used "Christian IE chassis" however to borders was able from the Russian T-34 deutlichst was proven.
[edit] AFV Interiors
Early in 1939, Nuffield Mechanization, Ltd. procured a Christie tank from the US and after studying the good and bad points produced a proposal for a heavy cruiser tank to the British Army. Nuffield proposed to use their version of the Liberty engine and gearbox, and the new tank was to be based on the previous A13 Mk.III, known as the Covenanter. This new A15 design (General Staff Specification A15) was quickly accepted by the War Office and in August of that year Nuffield received the first orders for production. This new tank was similar to the earlier A13 Cruiser but it mounted an auxiliary machine gun turret on the left bow of the hull, next to the driver. Thicker armour was installed and the hull was also lengthened; an extra pair of road wheels were added to carry the extra weight and reduce the overall ground pressure.
Initially, the Crusader armor had a maximum thickness of only 40mm, but in time a second version, the Mk.II, was produced with thicker 47mm armor. It is possible that some Mk.I vehicles were upgraded to the Mk.II armour standard with additional armour plates welded to the front of the hull and turret. Both the Crusader Mk.I and II utilized the Quick Firing 2pdr (40mm) anti-tank gun as the main weapon, along and a 7.92mm Besa machine gun in a coaxial position. Although the 6pdr anti-tank gun was brand new at that time, it was not originally planned to mount it in the Crusader because a new tank, the Cavalier, was slated to be the first with it. Due to delays with fielding the Cavalier however, Nuffield was asked to begin mounting the new 6pdr in the Crusader, and when these vehicles began rolling off the production line they had 51mm armor plating and were designated the Crusader Mk.III, delivery beginning in May of 1942.
The turret crew of the Mk.I and II included a gunner to the left of the main weapon, a commander centered at the rear of the turret, and a loader to the right of the guns. This arrangement changed with the substitution of the larger 6pdr gun in the Mk.III, for then the turret only had room left for the commander/loader on the right and gunner on the left. There were major and minor differences in the exterior and interior of all three Marks and in these three pages I will attempt to show you the most important interior ones. This Imperial War Museum image illustrates the standard production Crusader Mk.I, with 2pdr gun and auxiliary bow machine gun turret. Note the coaxial Besa MG visible at the right side of the 2pdr (our left), and the driver's raised hood next to the MG turret. The raised driver's hood was necessary due to the restricted space in the sloped bow area. Because of the well-sloped armour plates and the low stance of the Crusader, it looked very dangerous indeed. But, because of its thin armour and small 2pdr gun, the Crusader cruiser tank turned out not very well suited to fighting German Panzers on the deserts of North Africa. The first Crusaders (Mk.I) were delivered to British troops in the UK in late 1940/early 1941 and then arrived in Egypt with the Tiger Convoy on the 12th of May, 1941. The Mk.II versions began arriving in North Africa early in 1942, and the Mk.III Crusaders landed in the Middle East in time for the El Alamein battles in the autumn of '42. This is the first of four web pages exploring the interior of the Crusader tank. The first three will examine the interior through photos and drawings, and Part 4 will explore the turret and engine of a preserved Mk.II.