A34 Comet 17pdr | |
|---|---|
| Pays | UK |
| Type | Cruiser Tank |
Galerie photo sur un A34 Comet 17pdr Cruiser Tank, Le Comet A-34 est un char de combat britannique entré en fonction à la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale et utilisé aussi durant la Guerre de Corée.
Source: A34 Comet sur Wikipedia
| A34 Comet 17pdr Cruiser Tank – Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Photographer | Unknow |
| Localisation | Unknow |
| Photos | 92 |
See also:
The Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34) was the final and arguably best British cruiser tank to see service in World War II. Developed from the earlier Cromwell tank, it was specifically designed to mount a gun capable of reliably defeating late-war German heavy armor like the Panther and Tiger tanks. It served as a critical interim step before the legendary Centurion tank.
Key Features and Specifications
- Role: Cruiser Tank (similar to a Medium Tank), intended to provide better anti-tank capability than earlier British designs.
- Derived From: The successful Cromwell tank, inheriting its excellent mobility.
- Main Armament: The 77 mm High Velocity (HV) gun (Officially **Ordnance QF 77 mm Mk. II**). This was a modified version of the powerful 17-pounder (76.2 mm) anti-tank gun. To fit the Comet’s turret, it used a shorter, more compact cartridge case, making it easier to handle inside the tank while retaining most of the 17-pdr’s penetration power.
- Armor: Armor protection was improved over the Cromwell, with frontal armor up to **102 mm** on the turret and **76 mm** on the hull.
- Engine: Rolls-Royce Meteor V12 petrol engine, providing **600 hp**.
- Mobility: Excellent for a tank of its weight, with a top road speed of about **32 mph (51 km/h)**.
Effectiveness and Impact
The Comet successfully addressed the shortcomings of earlier British tank designs, particularly their weak main guns. Its 77 mm HV gun, especially when firing Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) rounds, was a genuine match for any German tank it encountered.
Performance and Timing
- Effectiveness: It was reliable, fast, and, thanks to the 77 mm gun, possessed genuine anti-tank capability against heavy German tanks like the Panther. Its combination of mobility and firepower made it highly popular with its crews.
- Too Late: Despite its superior performance, the Comet was introduced too late to have a major impact on World War II. It began to enter service in **December 1944** and only saw significant combat with the 11th Armoured Division during the crossing of the Rhine and the final push into Germany in March 1945, when organized German resistance was already severely weakened.
- Legacy: The Comet’s design directly influenced the development of the Centurion tank, which became one of the most successful post-war tank designs in history. The Comet itself remained in British service until 1958 and was exported to several other nations.
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C’était un canon HV de 77 mm et non un canon de 17pdr sur l’A34 Comet
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