Airfix Cromwell Mk.IV 1:35 A1373
£36.99
Airfix Cromwell Mk.IV 1:35 A1373
Airfix Cromwell Mk.IV 1:35 A1373
One of a series of fast and relatively well armed cruiser tanks
developed by the British during the Second World War, the Cromwell can
trace its history back to late 1940 and the decision to find a
replacement for the widely used Crusader tank. Due to a relatively
protracted development however, there can be some confusion with these
tanks, as similar looking machines were named Centaur and Cromwell, with
both being derived from the A24 Cruiser Mark VII Cavalier, the name
given to the original intended Crusader replacement programme. The main
reason for the different names refers to the three different engine
types which were used to power the individual vehicles. The A27M
Cromwell Mk.IV was the most heavily produced version of the new Cruiser
Tank Mk.VIII and matched the Centaur hull with the highly effective
Rolls Royce Meteor engine (A27Meteor), which allowed the tank to travel
at impressively high speeds.
The tank also featured a quick firing 75mm
gun, which was a re-bored version of the British 6 pounder gun and
allowed the commander to have the option of using American produced
armour piercing or high explosive rounds. Although originally introduced
in November 1943, persistent problems with the new guns operation meant
that the Mk.IV would not make its combat introduction until the
Normandy landings in June 1944, where its speed and mobility would
complement the Sherman tanks, which were available in greater numbers.
During the savage fighting in the narrow hedgerow lined lanes of the
Normandy battlefield, the excellent mobility of the Cromwell was
somewhat nullified and even worse than that, as tanks were forced to
climb these steep banks, they exposed their vulnerable undersides to
potential armour piercing Panzerfaust attack. The simple solution was to
attach a steel blade hedge cutter to the front of the tank, which
allowed the commander to scythe through the obstacle, keeping his tank
level and still able to bring his guns to bear. This addition even
provided some welcome natural foliage camouflage for the tank, as long
as the bushes it didnt obstruct his gun aiming sights.
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