Carro Armato Inglese A.16 Crusader III, Carro Incrociatore Mk.VI

Between 1941 e 1943 a total of 5,300 carri armati Crusader were produced, of which 144 were the more heavily armed ed armoured A.16 Crusader III version. The Crusader III first saw action at the Second Battle of El Alamein in ottobre 1942. The vehicle was very popular con equipaggi dei carri armati, ed it sported a variety of schemi mimetici which make it an interesting subject for modellers. Following the Allied victory nel Nordafrica nel 1943, all remaining Crusaders were withdrawn, to be replaced by Sherman tanks. Some Crusaders continued to serve as carri contraerei in NW Europe, mounting the cannoni contraerei da 40 mm Bofors o twin Oerlikon da 20 mm, others were used as tractors for 17 pdr. cannoni anticarro, but their career as a carro da combattimento had ended.

Modellini Disponibili

A.16 Crusader III, 1:35 Italeri 219
- Crusader Gun Tractor Conversion Kit, 1:35 Accurate Armour C041
A.16 Crusader III, 1:35 Revell 03075
A.16 Crusader III, 1:72 Hasegawa MT26
A.16 Crusader III, 1:76 Hinchliffe 20/1988
A.16 Crusader III, 1:76 Airfix 02310
A.16 Crusader III, Cruiser Tank Mk.VI, 1:87 WTD 20
A.16 Crusader III, 15 mm Battlefront Miniatures BR034
A.16 Crusader III, 1:285 GHQ UK30
A.16 Crusader III, 1:300 Heroics & Ros B008

Caratteristiche Tecniche

A.16 Crusader III
Tipo: Cruiser Tank Mk.VI
Motore: Nuffield Liberty L-12 con 254 kw (340 hp)
Velocità: 44 km/h sulle strade, 24 km/h fuori strada
Suspension: Christie
Autonomia: 322 km
Lunghezza: 7570 mm
Larghezza: 3080 mm
Altezza: 2680 mm
Peso: 2210 kg
Armamentoo: QF 6 Pdr. Tank Gun (57 mm L.45), co-axial mitragliatrice da 7.92 mm Besa
Perforazione della carrozza a 0-100 m:
- 84 mm con A.P./T. (1941)
- 106 mm con A.P.C.B.C. (1943)
Equipaggio: capocarro/caricatore, guidatore, cannoniere
Year: marzo 1942–1943

Utilizzo Storico

Armata Britannica, North Africa 1942
- 2nd Armoured Brigade (1st Armoured Division), 2nd El Alamein, Oct. 1942
- 8th Armoured Brigade, 2nd Battle of El Alamein, ottobre 1942
- 9th Armoured Brigade, 2nd Battle of El Alamein, ottobre 1942
- 22nd Armoured Brigade, 2nd Battle of El Alamein, ottobre 1942
- 24th Armoured Brigade, 2nd Battle of El Alamein, ottobre 1942
Armata Britannica, 26th Armoured Brigade (6^a Divisione Corazzata), Tunisia 1943
- 16th/5th Lancieri
- 17th/21st Lancieri
- 2nd Lothians e Border Horse

Conversione

A.14 Crusader I, using the internal gun mantlet e 2 pdr gun of the Matilda tank. Road wheels need to be filled in solid. The Crusader I had a secondary MG torretta on the left forward hull, which proved a liability in combat. Some torrette were removed in the field.

A.15 Crusader II. A more complicated conversion, requiring full side skirts, e the unique gun mantlet for the 2 pdr. gun. Early Crusader II had the secondary torretta on the hull front, but later versions did not.

Crusader III contraerei, Mk.II, NW Europa 1944

Crusader III contraerei, Mk.III, NW Europa 1944

17 pdr Anti-Tank Gun Tractor, NW Europa 1944

Carri armati Crusader III put up a good fight against Panzer III e IV at El Alamein, ed in the Tunisian campaign. The Crusaders of 6^a Divisione Corazzata were more heavily armoured than earlier Crusader I e II models, e they mounted the more powerful 6 pdr. gun which offered 106 mm of armour penetration at 100 metri range e 0 degree inclination of armour. In contrast to slow-moving carri fanteria like the A.12 Matilda, the carri incrociatori Crusader were designed to take the initiative in fast-moving tank battles.

Domande più frequenti

Per ulteriori informazioni, per favore contatta la redazione di Rivista Military Miniatures nel Miniatures Forum.

Soldatini Britannici della Seconda Guerra Mondiale