Thunderbolt tank

Australian Cruiser Tank Mk. 3 "Thunderbolt"
[An AC3 tank.]
The pilot production AC MkIII tank
TypeCruiser tank
Place of originAustralia
Production history
Designed1942
ManufacturerNew South Wales Government Railways Workshops
Produced1943
No. built1
Specifications
Mass29 long tons (29.5 t)[1]
Length20 feet 9 inches (6.32 m)
Width9 feet 78 inch (2.77 m)
Height8 feet 4+34 inches (2.56 m)
Crew4 (Commander, Gunner, Loader/Operator, Driver)

ArmourHull front 65 millimetres (2.6 in)
sides and rear 45 millimetres (1.8 in)
Turret 65 millimetres (2.6 in) all round
Main
armament
25 pounder tank gun, 120 rounds
Secondary
armament
One .303 (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun, 2,500 rounds
EnginePerrier-Cadillac
397 horsepower (296 kW)[1]
Power/weight13.7 hp/ton
SuspensionHorizontal Volute Spring
Operational
range
200 miles (320 km)
Maximum speed 35 miles per hour (56 km/h)

AC3 Thunderbolt (Australian Cruiser III)[2][3] was a cruiser tank designed and built in Australia in World War II as the successor to the AC1 Sentinel. Like the Sentinel the AC3 featured a one piece cast hull and turret. The AC3 featured a much improved design over the AC1 with better armour protection, a more powerful engine, and most importantly increased firepower.

The program was terminated in 1943 before any production vehicles were completed.

  1. ^ a b MP730/13, 7 A) Australian Tank Production Report by Colonel G A Green: B) Related Documents (Report). National Archives of Australia.
  2. ^ MP392/36, 269/12/1713 Tanks: Australian Cruiser, Mark 3 (Experimental). National Archives of Australia.
  3. ^ Beale 2011, p. 143.