Comet (tank)

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Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34)
A Comet tank at Tankfest 2023 at The Tank Museum.
Type	Cruiser tank
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	December 1944–1958 (UK)
Used by	see Operators
Wars	Second World War 1964 Ethiopian–Somali War
Production history
Designer	Birmingham Carriage & Wagon Co
Designed	1943
Manufacturer	Leyland Motors
Produced	September 1944
No. built	1,200
Specifications
Mass	35 long tons (36 t; 39 short tons)
Length	Hull – 21 ft (6.4 m) Total – 25 ft 1+1⁄2 in (7.7 m)
Width	9 ft 10+1⁄4 in (3 m)
Height	8 ft 9+1⁄2 in (2.68 m)
Crew	5 (commander, gunner, loader/operator, driver, hull gunner)
Armour	.55–4 in (14–102 mm)
Main armament	77mm HV (3 in; 76.2 mm) 61 rounds
Secondary armament	2 × 7.92 mm Besa MG 5175 rounds
Engine	Rolls-Royce Meteor Mark III V12 petrol 600 hp (450 kW)
Power/weight	18.3 hp/long ton (13.4 kW/t)
Drive	Webbed & spudded tracks
Transmission	Z5 Constant Mesh (5 forward; 1 reverse)
Suspension	Improved Christie with return rollers
Ground clearance	18 in (0.46 m)
Fuel capacity	116 imp gal (530 L)
Operational range	On-road – 123 mi (198 km) Cross-country – 74 mi (119 km)
Maximum speed	On-road – 32.4 mph (52.1 km/h) Cross-country – 14.3 mph (23 km/h)
References	Chamberlain & Ellis[1]

The Comet tank or Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34) was a British cruiser tank that first saw use near the end of the Second World War, during the Western Allied invasion of Germany. The Comet was developed from the earlier Cromwell tank with a lower profile, partly-cast turret which mounted the new 77 mm HV gun. This was a smaller version of the 17 pdr anti-tank gun firing the same 76.2 mm (3") projectiles, albeit with a lighter charge, and was effective against late-war German tanks, including the Panther and Tiger.^[2]

The Comet rendered the Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger obsolete, and led to the development of the Centurion tank. When firing APDS rounds, the 77 mm HV was superior in armour penetration capability to the 75 mm KwK 42 gun of the equivalent Axis tank, the Panther.^[3]

The Comet entered active service in January 1945 and remained in British service until 1958. In some cases, Comets sold to other countries continued to operate into the 1980s.