Centurion Mk.13 | |
|---|---|
| Pays | UK |
| Category | Armoured vehicles |
| Type | Car |
Photo Gallery on a Centurion Mk.13, The Centurion is a tank of the British army after the war. This tank is considered by specialists to be one of the very first British tanks of quality. Its development began during the Second World War, having not arrived early enough on the ground, it did not take part in the fighting. On the other hand, he was engaged during the Korean War, where he seems to have outperformed both American and Soviet tanks.
It was one of the most widespread tanks in the world, being in service in many armies and enjoying an extraordinary longevity still being actively active in 1990s and even 2000 for some of its derivative versions. His successor will be the Chieftain model.
Source: Char Centurion on Wikipedia
| Centurion Mk.13 – Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Photographer | Unknow |
| Localisation | Unknow |
| Photos | 122 |
Spécifications techniques Équipage : 4 hommes (commandant, tireur, chargeur, conducteur) Longueur : 7,82 m Largeur : 4,30 m Hauteur : 3,01 m Masse au combat : 43,182 tonnes Blindage : 17 à 127 mm Armement principal : 1 canon – successivement : Ordnance QF 17 pounder (76 mm) Ordnance QF 20 pounder (84 mm) Royal Ordnance L7 (105 mm) Armement secondaire : 1 mitrailleuse Browning 1919 de 7,62 mm Moteur : Rolls-Royce Meteor 650 ch (485 kW) Suspension : Horstmann Vitesse sur route : 35 km/h Puissance massique : 15,05 ch/t Autonomie : 192 km
See also:
The Ultimate Centurion Variant
The Centurion Mk.13, formally known as the FV4017, represents the final major production standard of the legendary British post-war tank. It was not built from scratch but was an upgrade package applied to existing Centurion Mk.10 tanks, incorporating all the major firepower and protection improvements developed throughout the Centurion’s long career.
The Centurion series is often regarded as the world’s first true Main Battle Tank (MBT), effectively combining the mobility of a cruiser tank with the armor protection of an infantry tank. The Mk.13 version brought this design to its peak service potential for the British Army.
Key Upgrades and Features
The Mk.13 designation primarily denoted the integration of several key systems onto the Mk.10 chassis:
- Main Armament: The powerful 105 mm L7A1 rifled gun, a weapon that became the standard main armament for most Western MBTs during the Cold War.
- Ranging Gun: The addition of a .50 cal (12.7 mm) ranging machine gun co-axially mounted with the main gun. This allowed the gunner to accurately determine the range to the target by observing where the tracer rounds hit before firing the expensive 105 mm round.
- Infra-Red Equipment: The integration of Infra-Red (IR) night fighting and driving equipment, including a large IR searchlight mounted on the mantlet, providing a crucial night-fighting capability.
- Appliqué Armor: It retained the substantial base armor of the Mk.10, which included additional appliqué armor welded to the glacis plate (hull front) for increased protection against modern anti-tank threats.
General Specifications (Representative of Mk.10/13)
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Mass | Approx. 52 tonnes |
| Crew | 4 (Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver) |
| Primary Gun | 105 mm L7A1 Rifled Gun |
| Engine | Rolls-Royce Meteor V12 Petrol Engine (650 hp) |
| Max Road Speed | Approx. 35 km/h (22 mph) |
| Suspension | Horstmann (Coil Spring) |
Legacy
While the British Army replaced the Centurion with the Chieftain MBT starting in the late 1960s, the Centurion Mk.13 was a robust and highly capable tank. Its long operational life and adaptability made it a massive export success, with versions remaining in service with several international armies, like Israel and South Africa, well into the 21st century.
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Nice photos, but this is a mark 5, not a mark 13.
Ok, what are the differences?
Thks
53-81228 is a Canadian Mk 5 that served with Lord Strathcona’s Horse from 1959 until the mid 1970s. Canada did not use the Mk 13. They only used Mk 5 and upgraded some of them to Mk 11. A Mk 11 had four headlights (2 of them IR), a fitting for IR searchlight equipment and a ranging gun. 53-81228 has none of these.