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Infantry Tank Churchill (A43) Black Prince

1945 WORLD WAR 2 X-TANK

History

The Black Prince Infantry Tank is the ultimate evolution of the British Army's famous Churchill Infantry Tank, which served during World War II. The original Churchill entered service in 1941, and 7,368 were produced until 1945. The last one was retired in 1952.

The type was in service with British and Commonwealth forces in North Africa, continental Europe and Eastern Front campaigns with the Soviet Army through Lend-Lease agreements - its range made it one of the most important tanks of the war, competing with the American M4 Sherman and the Soviet Union The medium tank T-34. The "Black Prince" takes its name from Edward of Woodstock (1330-1376), a British military commander better known in history as "Edward the Black Prince".

Faced with the need to develop a more powerful tracked gun platform, it was proposed to use the existing Churchill series as an interim solution until a more modern, competitive model was available against the Germans. So far, the British military has adopted a two-tank concept, powered by "cruiser" and "infantry" tanks. Cruiser tanks are lighter in armor and are designed to be fast enough to break through enemy defenses while attacking the more vulnerable flanks and rear. Conversely, the hoisted infantry tank was designed with heavier armor in mind to support slower infantry formations.

The original Churchill falls into the latter category, and its evolution - "The Black Prince" - follows the same concept. The British were already working on an entirely new tank concept, the "Universal Tank", which would combine features from both tank types - this would become the famous Cold War-era Centurion main battle tank of 1943, designed in 1945 and Coming into service in 1945, Centurion started the Black Prince as a project in 1943, for which it received the specification number "A43".

Its official long form name is "Panzer, Infanterie, Schwarzer Prinz (A43)".

Armour protection for 5 crew members up to 152 mm (6 in). The crew consisted of the driver in the forward fuselage (right), the bow gunner (also in the fuselage, left), the tank commander, the gunner and the loader - all three were located in the turret.

Ammunition storage on board is 89x76mm projectiles. The vehicle is defended by 2 x 7.92mm BESA tank machine guns, one mounted on a flexible mount at the front of the fuselage and the other on a coaxial mount next to the turret main gun.

Externally, the Black Prince appeared successfully, very similar to the legendary Churchill series. There are many vertical and horizontal lines that give the font a more functional, boxy outline.

The long-distance track wheel system spans both sides of the fuselage and consists of multiple dual-tire wheels, with the drive sprocket at the rear and the track wheels at the front. The side sections are protected by armored skirts along the upper part. The front of the fuselage has a well-sloped but short front panel leading to a completely vertical panel in front of the driver and the fuselage gunner.

The top cover of the fuselage is flat and relatively featureless. The tower sits above the design and is centered for maximum balance. The front of the tower slopes gradually towards the top line, while the sides are vertical. The main gun protrudes from the front and hangs above the forward fuselage, while being covered by a double-baffle muzzle brake.

The engine is housed in a compartment at the rear of the vehicle and follows the traditional layout of the widely accepted main battle tank. There are two hatches on the top of the turret (one reserved as the commander's dome, raised slightly), as well as two hatches above the front hull and round hatches on the sides of the hull.

Vauxhall Motors, the manufacturer of the original Churchill, known for its many contributions to the automotive world since 1897, was naturally commissioned to produce the Black Prince. Six pilot vehicles were introduced in 1945. This delay proved to be another factor hindering the Black Prince's success on the battlefield. At this stage of the war, heavily armed Sherman tanks proved adequate against shrinking German tanks. The British and Commonwealth armies in particular have mastered their Sherman Firefly, which tends to pit the battlefield against more powerful tanks - Panzer IVs with guns and armor, mid-level Panthers, and heavy Tigers and Tigers II (Tiger King).

The 75mm armed Cromwell cruiser tank was also supplied in large quantities to the UK after its debut in 1944, and the 77mm armed Comet cruiser tank arrived in December of the same year, further strengthening the ranks. Until 1945, with German plans faltering every month and the Centurion main battle tank hitting the market, the Black Prince was destined to be a mass-produced main battle tank. The war in Europe ended in May 1945, and the Black Prince's career was over before it even started.

All told, only six prototypes exist, and only one of the six complete units survived the following war years and became a museum piece in Bovington, England - the birthplace of the tank.

If the Black Prince ever goes into service, its bulky, flimsy design and high-profile turret will hinder it. Much was lost in the sloping armor around the hull and turret.

Its roadwheel configuration would give it good ground traversal capabilities, and the inherent penetration of its main gun would be useful. The tank is likely to be used with support armor to increase the success rate, and the type is likely to do well in the final months of the war. However, it became increasingly clear that as the war unfolded, Churchill's design had become a limited product and that its best days of combat were over - especially with the new main battle tank "Main Battle Tank". Come, the representative becomes a centurion.

The last British operation with Churchill tanks took place in the Korean War (1950-1953), when Churchill "Crocodile" units were sent to fight the North and China. Many existing Churchills serving around the world in the postwar years were replaced by centurions.