Comet A-34 | |
|---|---|
| Pays | UK |
| Catégorie | Véhicules blindés |
| Type | Char |
| Description | Album de 36 photos walkaround du char «Comet A-35» |
Le A-34 Comet est le dernier char d’assaut de l’armée britannique à entrer en exercice vers la fin du conflit de la Seconde Guerre mondiale en Europe, il sera aussi en service au cours de la Guerre de Corée.
Source:Char Comet sur Wikipedia
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The A34 Comet (formally Tank, Cruiser, Comet I) was a British cruiser tank that saw action in the final months of World War II, starting in 1945. It was developed from the earlier Cromwell tank to finally give British forces a tank with the speed and reliability of a cruiser design, coupled with firepower capable of challenging the heavily armored German Panther and Tiger tanks.
Key Design Features
The Comet was a significant evolution of the cruiser tank concept, designed to integrate a powerful anti-tank gun onto a mobile and reliable chassis:
- Chassis and Engine: It retained the excellent mobility of the Cromwell, utilizing the powerful Rolls-Royce Meteor V12 petrol engine. Its Christie suspension was improved with the addition of return rollers to address the track-throwing issues of the Cromwell at high speeds.
- Armour: Protection was increased compared to its predecessors. It featured a new, all-welded hull and a redesigned, well-sloped, and partially cast turret.
- Speed: Although capable of higher speeds, the road speed was deliberately limited to about 32 mph (51 km/h) to enhance mechanical reliability and reduce wear.
Firepower: The 77 mm HV Gun
The Comet’s defining feature was its main armament, which was a vital response to the German threat:
- Main Gun: The **Ordnance Quick-Firing 77 mm Gun Mk. II** (often called the 77 mm HV for High Velocity). This gun was essentially a slightly less powerful version of the famous 17-pounder gun.
- Ammunition: It fired the same 76.2 mm projectile as the 17-pounder, but used a shorter, more compact cartridge case for easier loading and stowage inside the turret.
- Anti-Tank Capability: The 77 mm HV, especially when firing Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) rounds, was effective against the frontal armour of late-war German heavy tanks.
- Secondary Armament: Two 7.92 mm Besa machine guns were carried (one co-axial and one in the hull).
Operational Impact
Although it arrived too late in the war to have a massive impact, the Comet was well-liked by its crews and performed reliably during the final offensives. It provided the British Army with an excellent balance of firepower, speed, and protection for the first time in the conflict.
More importantly, the Comet served as a crucial interim design and its successful features and gun system directly led to the development of the post-war British Main Battle Tank, the legendary Centurion.
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