Churchill tank

Tank, Infantry, Mk IV Churchill
A Churchill Mark IV tank
TypeInfantry tank
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1941–1952 (British Empire)[note 1]
Used bySee Operators
WarsSecond World War, Korean War
Production history
Designer
ManufacturerVauxhall Motors and others
Produced1941–1945
No. built5,640 approx.[1]
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass
  • 39.1 t (38.5 long tons) (Mark I)
  • 40.7 t (40.1 long tons) (Mark VII)
Length24 ft 5 in (7.44 m)
Width10 ft 8 in (3.25 m)
Height8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)
Crew5 (commander, gunner, loader/radio operator, driver, co-driver/hull gunner)

Armour
  • For Churchill I–VI: 102 mm hull front, 76 mm hull side, 51 mm hull rear, 89 mm turret front, 76 mm turret side and rear
  • Mark VII–VIII: 152 mm hull and turret front, 95 mm hull sides and turret sides and rear, 51 mm hull rear
Main
armament
Secondary
armament
EngineBedford 12-cylinder, 4 stroke, water-cooled, horizontally opposed, L-head petrol engine
350 hp (261 kW) at 2,200 rpm
Power/weight9.1 hp (6.7 kW) / tonne
TransmissionMerritt-Brown 4-speed constant-mesh epicyclic gearbox
SuspensionCoiled spring
Fuel capacity150 Imperial Gallons (682 liter) [2]
Operational
range
75–130 miles (120–210 km)[3]
Maximum speed 15 mph (24 km/h)
Steering
system
Triple differential steering in gearbox

The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV (A22) Churchill was a British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple bogies, its ability to climb steep slopes, and its use as the basis of many specialist vehicles. It was one of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war.

The origins of the Churchill's design lay in the expectation that war in Europe might be fought in conditions similar to those of the First World War, and thus emphasised the ability to cross difficult ground. The Churchill was hurried into production in order to build up British defences against a possible German invasion. The first vehicles had flaws that had to be overcome before the Churchill was accepted for wide use. After several marks (versions) had been built, a better-armoured specification, the Mark VII, entered service with the British Army. The improved versions performed well in the later stages of the war.[4]

The Churchill was used by British and other Commonwealth forces during the North African, Italian and North-West Europe campaigns. In addition, 344 Churchills were sent as military aid to the Soviet Union during the Second World War and more than 250 saw active service on the Eastern Front.


Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ Tank Museum, Bovington. Tank Infantry Mark IV A22F, Churchill VII
  2. ^ Churchill Infantry Tank by David Fletcher page 31
  3. ^ Churchill Infantry Tank by David Fletcher page 8
  4. ^ "Britain's Struggle To Build Effective Tanks During The Second World War". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 4 March 2019.