Cruiser Mk II – Photos & Videos

Tank, Cruiser, Mk II (A10), е крайцерски танк, разработен заедно с крайцера A9, и е предназначен да бъде по-тежка, пехотна танкова версия от този тип. На практика той не е счетен за подходящ за ролята на пехотен танк и е класифициран като "тежък крайцер".

Източник: Крайцер Mk II в Уикипедия

The A10 Cruiser Mk.II was a British tank that was designed in the 1930s as a heavier version of the A9 Cruiser Mk.I. It had thicker armour, but also slower speed and less armament. It was intended to be used as an infantry tank, but it was not suitable for that role because of its weak protection and poor mobility. It was then classified as a “heavy cruiser” tank, but it still performed poorly in combat against more advanced enemy tanks.
The A10 Cruiser Mk.II had a crew of five and a main armament of a QF 2-pounder gun in a turret. It also had two machine guns, one coaxial with the main gun and one in the hull. The tank weighed 14.3 tonnes and had a maximum speed of 16 mph on road and 8 mph off-road. The tank had a triple wheel bogie suspension with coil springs, which gave it a smooth ride but also made it vulnerable to mines and anti-tank guns.
The A10 Cruiser Mk.II saw action in the Battle of France, where it was outmatched by German tanks like the Panzer III and Panzer IV. It also served in North Africa until late 1941, where it faced superior Italian and German tanks like the M13/40 and the Panzer III Ausf.F. The A10 Cruiser Mk.II was gradually replaced by more modern cruiser tanks like the Crusader and the Cromwell.