Richard Doherty examines the use of Crusader cruiser tanks in the Middle East in World War Two.
One of the Cruiser line of British tanks, Crusader was armed initially with the 2Pdr (40mm) gun, plus two Besa machine guns. Following the unsuccessful A14 Covenanter tank, the A15 Crusader (officially; Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VI), used the same lozenge-shaped turret. An elegant machine, it was speedy - up to 26mph (42kph) on road and 15mph off - but it suffered from mechanical issues.
The cruiser concept was flawed but eventually led to the Crusader, which went into service in North Africa in 1941. Its deficiencies soon became clear in its first action, with 6th Royal Tank Regiment in Operation Battleaxe in June 1941, where it proved to be both under-armoured and under-gunned. The 40mm armour of the Mk.I was replaced by 49mm in the Mk.II, but it was not until the appearance of the Mk.III that the 2Pdr was replaced by the more effective 6Pdr (57mm) weapon.
By the time of Operation Crusader in November 1941, all three regiments of 22 Armoured Brigade were equipped with Crusader tanks.
Far From Perfect
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