They were easy to replace and to maintain, but they also procured a rougher ride. The Hortsmann suspension, widely used before on the whole Vickers light tank series, had other advantages. The forward bogie set was further apart than the others. So the entire roadwheel train was made of three bogies with two double-wheels each. By nature, these were housed outside of the hull, allowing more internal space. The original Christie suspension vertical spring coils sandwiched between side armor plates were replaced by a Hortsmann suspension. The first step was creating a longer hull, with by the same set of long-travel five-wheel suspension, lengthened by a sixth pair. In short, it had to be superior to the Comet, while retaining the same mobility. All was to be encompassed within a strict 40-ton limit. Protection minimal specs included the ability to resist a frontal direct hit of an 88 mm (3.46 in) shell or the blast of a mine. For firepower, the 17 pounder still seemed up to the task of dealing with German heavy armor. It followed precise specifications that tried to erase faulty past designs and enhance durability, reliability, protection and mobility. The Centurion was born as the A.41 Cruiser tank, under the pen of the Directorate of Tank Design. If you spot anything out of place, please let us know! Hello dear reader! This article is in need of some care and attention and may contain errors or inaccuracies. Fifty years after, the Centurion is still around, in many shapes and colors. Just like the Soviet IS-3 and American M26 Pershing, the Centurion came too late for World War Two, but right on time as a precursor of today’s main battle tanks. At the very roots of this evolution was the Christie suspension, the British 17-pounder anti-tank gun and late the German tanks designs. Compared to prewar designs, like the Cruiser I, the incredible technological acceleration that culminated in the Centurion says it all. It was one of the most influential design in history, the embodiment of Darwinian evolution in solid cast steel, summed up in a few years of bloody fighting. The Centurion was simultaneously the last of the cruiser type and the first main battle tank. Main Battle Tank – 4,423 Built Too late for WW2
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