Gun Carrier (3-in)

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RANK 4 FRANCE
Somua SM PACK
Gun Carrier (3-in)
uk_3_inch_gun_carrier.png
GarageImage Gun Carrier (3-in).jpg
ArtImage Gun Carrier (3-in).png
Gun Carrier (3-in)
AB RB SB
3.0 3.0 3.0
Research:9 200 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:16 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Gun Carrier, 3-inch, Mk I, Churchill (A22D) is a rank II British tank destroyer with a battle rating of 3.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced along with the initial British ground tree in Update 1.55 "Royal Armour". This abomination of a vehicle is based on a Churchill chassis. It sports a 3-inch gun that they couldn't fit into a normal Churchill turret, but in the world's boxiest crew compartment. In all seriousness, you will likely see the tracks (and suspension) before you see anything else. Once you've recognized that there is no turret, then you know its a 3-inch Gun Carrier.

The 3-inch Gun Carrier is an interesting tank that can be difficult to play. Combining the aspects of an assault gun and a tank destroyer, it has a strange playstyle. At longer ranges, getting a penetration with the main gun can be difficult whilst the small arc and low turn rate makes close quarters fighting extremely hazardous. The first thing to take note of is your armour - at 89 mm on the front you are one of the toughest vehicles at this rank. However this armour is flat and unsloped. At the sides the armour drops to 76 mm and the rear is only 25 mm thick meaning that, when combined with the positioning of the crew, a penetration from either of these angles is usually deadly.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull76 / 64 / 51
Turret89 / 76 / 25
Crew4 people
Visibility104 %

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mount, Cupola)
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 38 mm (69°) Front glacis
76.2 mm (17°) Lower glacis
76.2 mm 25.4 mm Top
25.4 mm (68°)Bottom
16 mm
Superstructure 89 mm
100 mm (2-46°) Gun mount
76.2 mm 25.4 mm 16 mm
40 mm Cupola

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and chassis construction are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB28 / 3 km/h
RB and SB26 / 3 km/h
Number of gears4 forward
1 back
Weight39.0 t
Engine power
AB668 hp
RB and SB350 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB17.1 hp/t
RB and SB9.0 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 28 3 39 497 668 12.74 17.13
Realistic 26 3 310 350 7.95 8.97

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB596 → 737 Sl icon.png
RB692 → 856 Sl icon.png
SB808 → 999 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications8 460 Rp icon.png
9 580 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost640 Ge icon.png
Crew training4 500 Sl icon.png
Experts16 000 Sl icon.png
Aces160 Ge icon.png
Research Aces190 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
40 / 60 / 70 % Sl icon.png
118 / 118 / 118 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
560 Rp icon.png
Cost:
630 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
470 Rp icon.png
Cost:
530 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
470 Rp icon.png
Cost:
530 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
790 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
1 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
190 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
1 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
190 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
560 Rp icon.png
Cost:
630 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
470 Rp icon.png
Cost:
530 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement uk.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
790 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
560 Rp icon.png
Cost:
630 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
470 Rp icon.png
Cost:
530 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
790 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition65 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
8.1 → 6.3 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 15°
Horizontal guidance-5° / 5°
Main article: OQF 3in 20cwt (76 mm)
76 mm OQF 3in 20cwt Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 65 -10°/+15° ±5° N/A 3.96 5.48 6.66 7.37 7.84 8.19 7.25 6.67 6.30
Realistic 2.68 3.15 3.82 4.23 4.50

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Shot Mk.2 AP 131 125 104 82 65 51
Shell HE HE 12 12 11 10 9 9
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Shot Mk.2 AP 853 5.67 - - - 47° 60° 65°
Shell HE HE 609 7.26 0.2 0.1 530 79° 80° 81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Gun Carrier (3-in)
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
65 53 (+12) 40 (+25) 27 (+38) 14 (+51) (+64) No

Note:

  • Left side empty: 27 (+38) shells.

Optics

Gun Carrier (3-in) Optics
Which ones Default magnification Maximum magnification
Main Gun optics x1.85 x3.5
Comparable optics Marder III H

Usage in battles

The first thing you need to worry about are your flanks. If the enemy gets on to these you will usually be knocked out pretty quickly and with the pathetic turn rate you will rarely be able to respond. When positioning yourself make sure that your flanks are covered. The best way to do this is to position yourself in the centre of a narrow street or park up directly next to a large rock or building. Alternatively try to alert your comrades to your position and needs though if you have my luck then this will be a last resort.

Next angle yourself. With a bit of angling you can get your frontal and side armour to be effectively around 100 mm thick together, meaning that only F2's will be able to take you from beyond short range. Finally, try to get below a bridge or overhang. Enemy aircraft love the 3" Gun Carrier's large, ponderous form and the thin top armour can be penetrated by some of the heavier armaments carried by fighters.

You want to prioritize Panzer IV F2's as these will make mincemeat of your tank. Go for the gunners position unless you have a shot at the hull and are confident that you will take it out in a single shell. T-34's beyond 100 m are tricky as well, but they also struggle with penetrating your armour. So its best to try and ignore them unless you are confident about it. Everything else should be a relatively easy target, but watch out for the enemy manoeuvring to your sides in fast tanks. A tank on your flank is a sure way to get yourself destroyed since a single APHE shell from a German or Soviet tank could knock out the entire crew if it penetrates.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Good frontal armour, can defeat most incoming shells if angled properly
  • Good gun, with shells doing decent damage
  • Can turn in place

Cons:

  • Large vehicle, easy to target for fighter-bombers
  • Slow, acceleration and top speed is worse than the Churchill tanks
  • Four tightly packed crew members, easily knocked out with a single shot to the starboard side of the casemate
  • Vulnerable top, can be strafed by planes and set on fire
  • Flat armour and limited traverse prevent from angling
  • Gun placement is low, leaving a large portion of the casemate exposed when aiming hull down
  • Slow gun traverse makes it hard to take aim at moving targets

History

Development

In 1941, the British General Staff requested tanks that can mount a high-velocity cannon. The purpose of this is to create an "expedient design to deal with enemy tanks until the 17-pounder became widespread" due to the risk of a German invasion of the British islands. None of the tanks at the time of this request had the necessary specifications to mount a heavier and larger cannon, the Churchill and Valentine tanks could only hold the 6-pounders. To fix this, it was proposed that a casemate superstructure be used in the design to hold the heavier gun instead, akin to the typical tank destroyer used by Germany and the Soviet Union at the time. The company Vauxhall was given 100 of the obsolete 3-inch guns and was tasked to produce a vehicle able to mount these guns. Designing was finished in April 1941, a mock-up was produced in July, and the first pilot vehicles were finished in early 1942, ready for testing. During these stages, the Department of Tank Design put in an order for 100 of these vehicles. The pilot vehicle was essentially a large 88 mm armoured superstructure with the 3-inch gun mounted in a ball mount, the entire thing was propelled on a Churchill chassis. The tests proved that the vehicles performed satisfactorily and could work, but with the now reduced risk of a German invasion and better equipment becoming to be more widespread, the orders placed on the vehicles wavered to only about 49 vehicles in January 1942. Production for the Carrier, Churchill, 3-inch Gun, Mk I proceeded from May 1942 to November 2, producing 50 3-inch Gun Carriers total.

Proposed usage

The 3-inch Gun Carrier never saw combat, but it wasn't ignored during its production life. In April 1942, it was proposed that several army tank brigades of Canada be equipped with these 3-inch Gun Carriers, of which 9 would be received and would be split into three troops of three Carriers. It was proposed by Brigadier R.A. Wyman, the commander of the 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade, that these Carriers be distributed as anti-tank groups. A new company in the brigade system known as the "Heavy Support Company" would man the Carriers and the system would run like an anti-tank regiment in an infantry division. These companies would have about 97 personnel, with 28 headquarters and the rest in the troops, and these were to be assigned to army tank battalions. This was approved on June 24, 1942, by Canadian Military Headquarters and the formation of such a unit commenced.

Formation of the Heavy Support Company in the 1st Canadian Army Tank brigade drew its ranks from the brigade, with Captain G.S.G. Jones as the commander of the company, nominated by the brigade regiments. Doctrine, organization, and training were discussed on July 15. Despite the preparation, the Carriers were never delivered until September 1942. During training, it was found that the Carriers had a tendency to throw their track while turning at a speed higher than 10 mph. In October, the company was redesignated as a "squadron" to conform to armour nomenclature in the Canadian Armoured Corps. By November, there were 10 Carriers available for the squadron. In February 1943, the 1st Canadian Corps then ordered that the Heavy Support Squadron in the 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade be broken up immediately, perhaps due to the Carrier's growing obsolesce with the evolution of tank warfare. By March 1943, all the Carriers were returned or stored away and the squadron was dismissed.

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

External links


Vauxhall Motors Limited
Infantry Tanks 
Tank, Infantry, Mk IV, Churchill (A22)  Churchill I · Churchill III · Churchill VII · Churchill Crocodile
Tank, Infantry, Black Prince (A43)  Black Prince
Tank Destroyers  Gun Carrier (3-in)
Captured  ▀Pz.Kpfw. Churchill

Britain tank destroyers
Infantry tank derivatives  Archer · Gun Carrier (3-in)
Light tank derivatives  Alecto I
M10 Achilles  Achilles · Achilles (65 Rg.)
Centurion derivatives  FV4005 · Conway
ATGM  Swingfire · Striker
Other  Tortoise · ▄M109A1
Canada  QF 3.7 Ram · ADATS (M113)
South Africa  G6 · ZT3A2