Armour in Canada: Cromwell tank

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3225564)

Cromwell tank in action in Normandy, July 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada  Photo, MIKAN No. 3226344)

Rear view of a Cromwell alongside a Sherman Firefly tanks with their crews at dawn in Normandy, 25 July 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3225417)

Cromwell tank and armoured vehicles passing through to reinforce spearhead, Northwest Europe, 4 April 1945.

The Cromwell tank, officially Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell (A27M), was one of a series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second World War. It was the first tank put into service by the British to combine high speed from a powerful, reliable engine and reasonable armour protection and firepower. The intended dual-purpose high velocity gun could not be fitted in the turret and a medium velocity dual purpose gun was fitted instead. Total A27 production consisted of 4,016 tanks, 950 of which were Centaurs and 3,066 Cromwells. In addition, 375 Centaur hulls were built to be fitted with an anti-aircraft gun turret; only 95 of these were completed. The tank was also used by the 1st Czechoslovakian) Independent Armoured Brigade Group as part of the First Canadian Army in Dunkirk.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4233175)

Cromwell Tank moving into position for an attack south of Caen, France, June 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4233176)

Cromwell Tank moving into position for an attack south of Caen, France, June 1944.

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(IWM Photo, BU 549)

Wounded German soldiers being ferried to an aid post on the hull of a Cromwell tank of 2nd Welsh Guards, 3 September 1944. They were captured after the Guards shot up a German convoy that blundered into their path, 20km from Brussels, 3 September 1944.

(Otto Photo)

Cromwell (A27M) tank in the Bovington Tank Museum.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4233764)

A British close-support Centaur 95-mm howitzer tank used to support the Royal Marines serving alongside Canadians during the amphibious invasion of Normandy, June 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3593377)

Guardsman R.W. Ferguson of The Canadian Grenadier Guards watches two French children examining his Centaur Mk. II anti-aircraft vehicle, Elbeuf, France, 28 August 1944.

The name "Cromwell" was initially applied to three vehicles during development. Early Cromwell development led to the creation of the A24 Cavalier. Later Cromwell development led to the creation of the competing Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Centaur (A27L) design. The Centaur tank was closely related to the Cromwell, both vehicles being externally similar. The Cromwell and Centaur tanks differed in the engine used; the Centaur had the 410 hp Liberty engine, the Cromwell had the significantly more powerful 600 hp Meteor; Centaur hulls were converted to Cromwells by changing the engine. The Cromwell first saw action in the Battle of Normandy in June 1944. The tank equipped the armoured reconnaissance regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps, in the 7th Armoured Division, 11th Armoured Division and the Guards Armoured Division. While the armoured regiments of the latter two divisions were equipped with M4 Shermans, the armoured regiments of the 7th Armoured Division were equipped with Cromwells. The Centaurs were not used in combat except for those fitted with a 95 mm howitzer, which were used in support of the Royal Marines during the amphibious invasion of Normandy. (Wikipedia)

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