| Tank, Heavy Assault, A33 (Excelsior) |
| Type |
Heavy tank |
| Place of origin |
United Kingdom |
| Production history |
| Manufacturer |
English Electric |
| Specifications |
| Weight |
40 tons |
| Length |
22 ft 8 in (6.9 m) |
| Width |
11 ft 2 in (3.4 m) |
| Height |
7 ft 11 in (2.4 m) |
| Crew |
5 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver, co-driver) |
|
| Armor |
114 mm |
Main
armament |
Ordnance QF 75 mm
64 rounds |
Secondary
armament |
2 x 7.92 mm Besa machine gun |
| Engine |
Rolls-Royce Meteor V12 petrol
600 hp (447 kW) |
| Suspension |
Improved Christie |
Operational
range |
160 km |
| Speed |
24 mph, (off-road 12 mph) |
The Tank, Heavy Assault, A33 (Excelsior) was a British experimental heavy tank based on the Cromwell (A27) design developed in the Second World War when there were concerns as to performance of the Churchill tank.
[edit] Development
After the Dieppe raid in August 1942, there was concern that the Churchill was not as good as expected and a tank to combine the infantry and cruiser tank roles was planned.
English Electric built two prototypes on a Cromwell tank hull the first with the suspension of the US M6 Heavy Tank and the second with a widened Cromwell track. The design included extra armour and an Ordnance QF 75 mm gun. With the problems of the early Churchill models worked out, the project was dropped.[1]
[edit] Survivors
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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| Scout Cars |
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| Light Reconnaissance Cars |
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| Armoured Cars |
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| Armoured Trucks |
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| Armoured Command Vehicles |
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Unarmoured vehicles
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| Artillery tractors |
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| Trucks and lorries |
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| Tank transporters |
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| Utility and cars |
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