Crusader Tanks in North Africa

Image size: 1600 x 950 pixel. 547 KB
Date: Thursday, 1 January 1942
Place: North Africa
Photographer: Unknown

Crusader Mark IIs of the British 8th Army on the move. While the Crusader was plagued with mechanical unreliability and lack of firepower and protection, it could move fast, and travel over ground that would bog down other tanks. Crews lived in their tanks; the lead vehicle has helmets, storage boxes, and packs slung around its hull. Tank crews would add railings to the outside of tanks, form a tent, and live in the desert during campaigns. Because of the mechanical issues, tanks had to be transported on trucks from the storage depots to the battlefield to prevent wear. Cruiser Mk VI Crusader (A15) tanks were designed by Nuffield Mechanisation somewhat based on the Mk III Covenanter (A13) design. Some of the major differences between Covenanter and Crusader tanks include Crusader tanks' use of five road wheels on each side for better weight distribution, different engines and engine cooling systems, different steering systems, and hand-traversed machine gun turrets on the left-front side of the Crusader hulls (although these auxiliary turrets were often removed in the field). Against their German counterparts, they were relatively lightly armed and thinly armored, and they lacked high explosive rounds, but their higher speed somewhat made up for the difference. The Crusader tanks first saw combat during Operation Battleaxe in North Africa, where they effectively served as the main cruiser tanks. In 1942, an attempt was made to upgrade Crusader tanks' armament to 6-pounder guns, but the eventual availability of M4 Sherman and Cruiser Mk VIII Centaur/Cromwell tanks relegated the now inadequately-armed Crusader tanks to secondary roles, such as anti-aircraft (with twin Oerlikon 20-mm guns) or artillery towing. Between Nov 1940 and 1945, 5,464 Crusader tanks were built.

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii0058

Crusader Mark I Cruiser Tanks

Image size: 1600 x 898 pixel. 339 KB
Date: Monday, 1 April 1940
Place: Aldershot, Hampshire, England
Photographer: Unknown

Crusader A15 Mark I tanks. Note auxiliary turret with 7.92 Besa machine gun in front hull. The Crusader A15 was the sixth version of the British cruiser series of tanks, which favored speed over armor. The Crusader was a fast tank, but it was mechanically unreliable and lacked firepower and protection. When a shipment of Crusaders and a shipment of Lend-Lease M3 Stuart light tanks were sent to North Africa with the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays), the British crews initially favored the Crusader because it was more comfortable and easier to fight. However, within a few days, the Stuarts were functioning without maintenance, while the Crusaders were breaking down at the rate of six per day and needed constant technical attention. On the Crusader I, the main turret hatch had to be locked open or it would cause injury to the driver when he stood in the turret and rough ground or shell fire knocked the hatch closed. The auxiliary turret was found to be cramped, uncomfortable for occupation, and had a limited field of view; when the auxiliary turret's hatch was open, the main turret could not traverse. The auxiliary turret was deleted in favor of additional ammunition in future versions. The Crusader entered combat as part of Operation Battleaxe on June 15, 1941 with the 6th Tank Regiment. The Crusader's armor was defeated by the long 50mm (1.97 inch) main gun of its principal adversary, the Panzer III. The 2-pounder 40mm (1.57 inch) main gun of the Crusader bounced off the Panzer III's armor, while the Panzer III could engage at longer distances and their rounds went right through the Crusader. Twenty-seven Cruisers and sixty-four Matilda IIs were lost during the battle, which failed to achieve British objectives. After Operation Crusader in November 1941, which was named after this tank and achieved limited objectives (most notably the temporary relief of Tobruk), Crusader was withdrawn as a primary battle tank from other theatres, but remained in front line use in North Africa through 1943. After the North African campaign Crusaders served the rest of the war as a platform for anti-aircraft defense. Date and Location Estimated. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii0057