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Churchill Crocodile (Churchill Mk VII)

1943 COLD WAR KOREAN WAR WORLD WAR 2

History of Churchill's Crocodile (Churchill Mk VII)

The proven value and quantity of the classic Churchill infantry tank made it an ideal candidate for many projects during World War II (1939-1945). A particularly successful modification was the Churchill "Crocodile", which combined existing firearm armor with a flame projection system. The flame unit replaced the coaxial machine gun unit at the front of the turret, and a trailer was installed at the rear of the vehicle to carry the required flame fuel and propellant. Basic Churchill tanks were rebuilt using a kit, 800 of which were built during the war.

Crocodiles were used on the western and eastern fronts as well as in the Italian campaign.

The British experimented with Spitfire tanks from the very beginning of the conflict, and these projects were both partially successful and partially unsuccessful. The Churchill "Oke" represents the Churchill Mk II designed to carry the flamethrowers used in the disastrous Dieppe raid in France (1942). The Crocodile is a follow-up form originally intended to use the Churchill Mk IV as a delivery vehicle.

When the crocodile was shown at a demonstration in 1943, it caught the attention of General Percy Hobart, who urged the system to be widely used. The Hobart name was associated with many special tank projects, giving rise to the name "Hobart Fun".

In service, the Churchill Crocodile model chosen became the Churchill Mk VII. The conversion process can be done on-site rather than on the factory floor, allowing crews to retrofit any existing Churchill tanks to flamethrowers/required if circumstances warrant. The kit includes a fuel/propellant trailer and reinforced piping. The trailer is towed behind the vehicle while the pipes run under the vehicle floor.

The coaxially mounted BESA machine gun in the turret has been removed and replaced with a projector unit. One positive aspect of the conversion process was that the Churchill tank retained the full capabilities of its 75mm main gun, allowing it to continue to provide general long-range heavy fire if needed.

Once within range of the flamethrower - about 120 meters - the projector unit comes into play. Transported 400 gallons in the detachable trailer section.

This vehicle has proven to be a powerful psychological weapon against entrenched enemies who would rather surrender than be burned. While range is a limiting factor for the projector, its devastating firepower has never been questioned. The flames may penetrate weak links in the cover structure, or burn down the entire cover.

If the flames don't convince stubborn enemy soldiers, the intense heat from the weapon will. The British took their crocodile technology so seriously that all abandoned crocodile tanks had to be destroyed before they fell into enemy hands.

After serving in World War II, the Crocodile successfully conducted further combat operations in Korea during the Korean War (1950-1953). They continued until the series was withdrawn from front-line service in 1951.