Difference between revisions of "Excelsior"
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− | {{Specs-Card|code=uk_a_33_excelsior}} | + | {{Specs-Card |
+ | |code=uk_a_33_excelsior | ||
+ | |images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}} | ||
+ | |market=A.33+Heavy+Assault+Tank+%27Excelsior%27 | ||
+ | }} | ||
== Description == | == Description == | ||
− | <!--''In the description, the first part | + | <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> |
− | + | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was developed after early combat experience with Churchill infantry tanks. These tanks had very poor reliability and were also very slow for the modern battlefield. Thus, while the prototype A27 Cromwell was being developed, it was decided to use the A27 as a basis for a new universal tank meant to replace the cruiser and infantry tanks and combine them into a single vehicle. In 1942, the project was approved and the '''A33 Excelsior''' was born. However, the issues with the Churchill were fixed by 1943 and cruiser tanks were replaced by American M4 Shermans, thus the Excelsior was no longer needed and the project was cancelled. | |
− | + | ||
− | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' | + | It was introduced in [[Update 1.67 "Assault"]] as a reward for the [[wt:en/news/4648-special-war-thunder-chronicles-en|2017 "War Thunder Chronicles"]] event. The Excelsior is a weird tank, since it combines reliable armour, with good mobility and decent firepower for its BR. The gun is a [[OQF Mk.V (75 mm)|75 mm OQF Mk.V]] with good penetration values, although it lacks access to APHE shells like most British tanks of WWII, the gun handling is also great at -12 degrees of depression. The tank is also fairly survivable, especially if it is angled, and also has access to smoke launchers to easily retreat or change position. However the reverse speed is very poor and it should be taken into consideration, while the armour is decent, the Excelsior is a very large target and will easily be spotted from far away. |
== General info == | == General info == | ||
=== Survivability and armour === | === Survivability and armour === | ||
− | <!--''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules | + | {{Specs-Tank-Armour}} |
+ | <!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' --> | ||
+ | '''Armour type:''' | ||
− | |||
− | |||
* Rolled homogeneous armour | * Rolled homogeneous armour | ||
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet) | * Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet) | ||
+ | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
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'''Notes:''' | '''Notes:''' | ||
+ | |||
* Suspension wheels and bogies are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick. | * Suspension wheels and bogies are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick. | ||
=== Mobility === | === Mobility === | ||
− | <!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and | + | {{Specs-Tank-Mobility}} |
− | {| | + | <!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' --> |
− | | | + | |
− | + | {{tankMobility|abMinHp=811|rbMinHp=555}} | |
− | + | ||
− | + | === Modifications and economy === | |
− | + | {{Specs-Economy}} | |
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== Armaments == | == Armaments == | ||
+ | {{Specs-Tank-Armaments}} | ||
=== Main armament === | === Main armament === | ||
− | <!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the | + | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}} |
− | {{main| | + | <!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' --> |
+ | {{main|OQF Mk.V (75 mm)}} | ||
− | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center | + | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%" |
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|- | |- | ||
− | + | ! colspan="5" | [[OQF Mk.V (75 mm)|75 mm OQF Mk.V]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds) | |
|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer |
+ | ! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced | ||
+ | ! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! ''Arcade'' |
− | + | | rowspan="2" | 80 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.4 || 26.9 || 32.6 || 36.1 || 38.4 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00 | |
− | |||
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|- | |- | ||
− | + | ! ''Realistic'' | |
− | + | | 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0 | |
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|} | |} | ||
− | + | ==== Ammunition ==== | |
− | {| | + | {{:OQF Mk.V (75 mm)/Ammunition|M72 shot, M61 shot, M48 shell, M89}} |
− | + | ||
− | | | + | ==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== |
− | ! | + | [[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]] |
− | + | <!-- '''Last updated: 2.3.0.117''' --> | |
− | + | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |
|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! Full<br>ammo |
− | ! | + | ! 1st<br>rack empty |
− | ! | + | ! 2nd<br>rack empty |
− | ! | + | ! 3rd<br>rack empty |
− | ! | + | ! 4th<br>rack empty |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | '''80''' || 55 ''(+25)'' || 50 ''(+30)'' || 48 ''(+32)'' || 46 ''(+34)'' |
|- | |- | ||
− | + | ! 5th<br>rack empty | |
+ | ! 6th<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! 7th<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! Visual<br>discrepancy | ||
+ | ! | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 29 ''(+51)'' || 12 ''(+68)'' || 1 ''(+79)'' || No |
+ | ! | ||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
− | {| class="wikitable | + | |
− | ! colspan=" | + | '''Notes:''' |
+ | |||
+ | * Racks 6 and 7 are first stage ammo racks. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Optics ==== | ||
+ | [[File:A.33 Excelsior Simulator Optics .gif|thumb|300x300px|A.33 Optics placement in Simulator Mode.]] | ||
+ | When in simulator mode the gun will fire slightly low and to the left of the aimed position due to the sight being offset, this should be kept in mind and accounted for when engaging targets. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {| class="wikitable" width="50%" style="text-align:center" | ||
+ | ! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! Which ones |
− | ! | + | ! Default magnification |
− | ! | + | ! Maximum magnification |
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|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! Main Gun optics |
− | + | | x1.85 || x3.5 | |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
− | + | ! Comparable optics | |
− | + | | colspan="2" | [[Churchill Mk I]] | |
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|} | |} | ||
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=== Machine guns === | === Machine guns === | ||
− | <!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft | + | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}} |
+ | <!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' --> | ||
{{main|BESA (7.92 mm)}} | {{main|BESA (7.92 mm)}} | ||
− | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | + | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%" |
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|- | |- | ||
− | ! colspan=" | + | ! colspan="5" | [[BESA (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm BESA]] |
− | |||
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|- | |- | ||
− | + | ! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal | |
|- | |- | ||
− | + | | Coaxial || 2,700 (225) || 600 || N/A || N/A | |
|- | |- | ||
− | + | | Hull || 2,700 (225) || 600 || ±10° || ±10° | |
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|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
− | == Usage in | + | == Usage in battles == |
− | ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' | + | <!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' --> |
+ | |||
+ | The A33 Excelsior is a fast moving highly manoeuvrable, well armoured heavy tank offering great speed of up to 40 km/h. It excels at flanking and catching the enemy of guard. To get the best from this tank in battle, use it speed and manoeuvrability to your advantage. Since the Excelsior is a heavy tank it armour offers up to 114 mm of protection and if angled it can further increase it to offer over 210 mm. Allowing the tank to become immune to virtually all enemy rounds. However, the thickest parts of the armour plate is on the front of the tank and front of the turret, so it is important to keep the front pointed towards the enemy in combat. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Combined with the 75 mm cannon, which has a reload of up to five seconds, it is able to cause mayhem on the battlefield. load M61 Shot round and fire away, always aim for the sides and rear of the enemy tanks, this is the weakest parts, when at range. However, when fighting tiger tanks get as close as you can, approach from the rear and shoot the rear of the turret, it will knock the tigers turret out allowing you to head to its side and knock it out with some precision shots. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The A33 Excelsior, does not have any turret mounted machine guns, its roof armour is only 25 mm thick allowing enemy aircraft to cause havoc. To evade the aircraft use smoke and head towards any additional smoke rounds which you may fire, this will prevent the aircraft from following you and allowing you to evade them. | ||
=== Pros and cons === | === Pros and cons === | ||
− | <!--'' | + | <!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' --> |
+ | |||
'''Pros:''' | '''Pros:''' | ||
− | * Decent front armour thickness | + | |
− | * Quite fast | + | * Decent front armour thickness |
− | * Hull machine gun works | + | * Quite fast |
− | * -12 degrees of gun depression | + | * Hull machine gun works |
− | + | * -12 degrees of gun depression | |
− | * Access to smoke | + | * Access to smoke |
+ | |||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
− | * Front armour is | + | |
− | + | * Front armour is not sloped | |
− | * Large ammo rack in turret ring makes for easy detonation | + | * Large ammo rack in turret ring makes for easy detonation |
− | * Very slow reverse | + | * Very slow reverse |
− | * Shells have no HE filler | + | * Shells have no HE filler |
− | * Weak side armour | + | * Weak side armour |
== History == | == History == | ||
− | <!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the | + | <!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' --> |
===Prompt=== | ===Prompt=== | ||
− | The early combat experience of the [[Churchill | + | The early combat experience of the [[Churchill III|Churchill infantry tank]] raised concerns on its reliability and speed, with a suggestion that production be halted while development focus on an "universal tank" for the British armoured forces to replace the cruiser and infantry tanks. However, until such a design could be formulated, they still needed a tank for the assault role the infantry tanks would take. |
− | Rolls-Royce Company, the company producing the prototype [[ | + | Rolls-Royce Company, the company producing the prototype [[Cromwell V|A27 Cromwells]], suggested that the Tank Board use the A27 as an interim design with stronger armour, suspension, and armament. The suggestion was supported with the English Electric Company, whom plan to upgrade the A27 with thicker armour and elements from the American [[M6A1|M6 heavy tank]]. |
===Development and Cancellation=== | ===Development and Cancellation=== | ||
− | On 07 May 1942<ref name="TMuseumValiant">Newsome, | + | On 07 May 1942<ref name="TMuseumValiant">Newsome, Bruce. "TANK INFANTRY A38, VALIANT (E1952.39)." Tankmuseum.org. The Tank Museum, n.d. Web. 10 May 2017. [https://web.archive.org/web/20180721133452/http://www.tankmuseum.org/museum-online/vehicles/object-e1952-39 Web Archive]</ref>, Tank Board approved for the production of these uparmoured A27 under the designation '''A33''', though it would also have the name '''Excelsior'''. English Electric Company were in charge of producing the uparmoured A27 models and produced two prototypes. The first had the M6 suspension system and a [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder Mk.III (57 mm)|6-pdr]] cannon. The second had a wider track, different armoured skirts, additional frontal armour, and a [[Ordnance QF Mk.V (75 mm)|75 mm gun]]. Both used the same V12 Meteor engine as the A27. |
Reliability issues with the Churchill were soon ironed out by 1943, to the point it became a very successful infantry support vehicle and multiple variations were made based off the chassis. The A33 Excelsior, meant to replace the Churchill, was no longer needed and the project was dropped in 1943. | Reliability issues with the Churchill were soon ironed out by 1943, to the point it became a very successful infantry support vehicle and multiple variations were made based off the chassis. The A33 Excelsior, meant to replace the Churchill, was no longer needed and the project was dropped in 1943. | ||
Line 253: | Line 175: | ||
== Media == | == Media == | ||
− | '' | + | <!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' --> |
− | == | + | ;Skins |
− | < | + | |
+ | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_a_33_excelsior Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ;Videos | ||
+ | {{Youtube-gallery|d27p2Kg06MA|'''The Shooting Range #302''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:54 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | == See also == | ||
+ | <!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:'' | ||
+ | * ''reference to the series of the vehicles;'' | ||
+ | * ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' --> | ||
+ | |||
+ | ;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[Churchill VII]] | ||
+ | * [[Churchill III]] / [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | == External links == | ||
+ | <!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | ||
+ | * ''topic on the official game forum;'' | ||
+ | * ''other literature.'' --> | ||
− | + | * [[wt:en/news/4669-development-ww2-chronicles-vehicles-a33-excelsior-gb-en|[Devblog] WW2 Chronicles vehicles: A33 Excelsior (GB)]] | |
− | * [ | ||
− | == | + | === References === |
− | + | <references /> | |
+ | {{Manufacturer EEC}} | ||
{{Britain heavy tanks}} | {{Britain heavy tanks}} | ||
{{Britain premium ground vehicles}} | {{Britain premium ground vehicles}} |
Latest revision as of 13:15, 2 December 2023
Contents
Description
The Tank, Heavy Assault, A33 (Excelsior) was developed after early combat experience with Churchill infantry tanks. These tanks had very poor reliability and were also very slow for the modern battlefield. Thus, while the prototype A27 Cromwell was being developed, it was decided to use the A27 as a basis for a new universal tank meant to replace the cruiser and infantry tanks and combine them into a single vehicle. In 1942, the project was approved and the A33 Excelsior was born. However, the issues with the Churchill were fixed by 1943 and cruiser tanks were replaced by American M4 Shermans, thus the Excelsior was no longer needed and the project was cancelled.
It was introduced in Update 1.67 "Assault" as a reward for the 2017 "War Thunder Chronicles" event. The Excelsior is a weird tank, since it combines reliable armour, with good mobility and decent firepower for its BR. The gun is a 75 mm OQF Mk.V with good penetration values, although it lacks access to APHE shells like most British tanks of WWII, the gun handling is also great at -12 degrees of depression. The tank is also fairly survivable, especially if it is angled, and also has access to smoke launchers to easily retreat or change position. However the reverse speed is very poor and it should be taken into consideration, while the armour is decent, the Excelsior is a very large target and will easily be spotted from far away.
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour
- Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hull | 114 mm (1°) Front plate 55 mm (74°) Front glacis 114 mm (18°), 55 mm (65°) Lower glacis |
39 + 25.4 mm | 32 mm (1°) Top 20 mm (18-62°) Bottom |
20 mm |
Turret | 114 mm (1°) Turret front 63.5 mm (1-41°) Gun mantlet |
63.5 mm | 63.5 mm (1°) | 20 mm |
Notes:
- Suspension wheels and bogies are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick.
Mobility
Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
Arcade | 42 | 3 | 40 | 811 | 1,198 | 20.28 | 29.95 |
Realistic | 39 | 3 | 555 | 628 | 13.88 | 15.7 |
Modifications and economy
Armaments
Main armament
75 mm OQF Mk.V | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
Arcade | 80 | -12°/+20° | ±180° | N/A | 19.4 | 26.9 | 32.6 | 36.1 | 38.4 | 6.50 | 5.75 | 5.30 | 5.00 |
Realistic | 14.3 | 16.8 | 20.4 | 22.6 | 24.0 |
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 | ||
M72 shot | AP | 91 | 88 | 78 | 67 | 57 | 49 |
M61 shot | APCBC | 103 | 100 | 89 | 77 | 66 | 57 |
M48 shell | HE | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
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% | ||||||||||
M72 shot | AP | 619 | 6.3 | - | - | - | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
M61 shot | APCBC | 618 | 6.53 | - | - | - | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
M48 shell | HE | 463 | 6.3 | 0 | 0.1 | 666 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
Smoke shell characteristics | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Screen radius (m) |
Screen deploy time (s) |
Screen hold time (s) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
M89 | 259 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 20 | 50 |
Ammo racks
Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
---|---|---|---|---|
80 | 55 (+25) | 50 (+30) | 48 (+32) | 46 (+34) |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
7th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|
29 (+51) | 12 (+68) | 1 (+79) | No |
Notes:
- Racks 6 and 7 are first stage ammo racks.
Optics
When in simulator mode the gun will fire slightly low and to the left of the aimed position due to the sight being offset, this should be kept in mind and accounted for when engaging targets.
Excelsior Optics | ||
---|---|---|
Which ones | Default magnification | Maximum magnification |
Main Gun optics | x1.85 | x3.5 |
Comparable optics | Churchill Mk I |
Machine guns
7.92 mm BESA | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
Coaxial | 2,700 (225) | 600 | N/A | N/A |
Hull | 2,700 (225) | 600 | ±10° | ±10° |
Usage in battles
The A33 Excelsior is a fast moving highly manoeuvrable, well armoured heavy tank offering great speed of up to 40 km/h. It excels at flanking and catching the enemy of guard. To get the best from this tank in battle, use it speed and manoeuvrability to your advantage. Since the Excelsior is a heavy tank it armour offers up to 114 mm of protection and if angled it can further increase it to offer over 210 mm. Allowing the tank to become immune to virtually all enemy rounds. However, the thickest parts of the armour plate is on the front of the tank and front of the turret, so it is important to keep the front pointed towards the enemy in combat.
Combined with the 75 mm cannon, which has a reload of up to five seconds, it is able to cause mayhem on the battlefield. load M61 Shot round and fire away, always aim for the sides and rear of the enemy tanks, this is the weakest parts, when at range. However, when fighting tiger tanks get as close as you can, approach from the rear and shoot the rear of the turret, it will knock the tigers turret out allowing you to head to its side and knock it out with some precision shots.
The A33 Excelsior, does not have any turret mounted machine guns, its roof armour is only 25 mm thick allowing enemy aircraft to cause havoc. To evade the aircraft use smoke and head towards any additional smoke rounds which you may fire, this will prevent the aircraft from following you and allowing you to evade them.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Decent front armour thickness
- Quite fast
- Hull machine gun works
- -12 degrees of gun depression
- Access to smoke
Cons:
- Front armour is not sloped
- Large ammo rack in turret ring makes for easy detonation
- Very slow reverse
- Shells have no HE filler
- Weak side armour
History
Prompt
The early combat experience of the Churchill infantry tank raised concerns on its reliability and speed, with a suggestion that production be halted while development focus on an "universal tank" for the British armoured forces to replace the cruiser and infantry tanks. However, until such a design could be formulated, they still needed a tank for the assault role the infantry tanks would take.
Rolls-Royce Company, the company producing the prototype A27 Cromwells, suggested that the Tank Board use the A27 as an interim design with stronger armour, suspension, and armament. The suggestion was supported with the English Electric Company, whom plan to upgrade the A27 with thicker armour and elements from the American M6 heavy tank.
Development and Cancellation
On 07 May 1942[1], Tank Board approved for the production of these uparmoured A27 under the designation A33, though it would also have the name Excelsior. English Electric Company were in charge of producing the uparmoured A27 models and produced two prototypes. The first had the M6 suspension system and a 6-pdr cannon. The second had a wider track, different armoured skirts, additional frontal armour, and a 75 mm gun. Both used the same V12 Meteor engine as the A27.
Reliability issues with the Churchill were soon ironed out by 1943, to the point it became a very successful infantry support vehicle and multiple variations were made based off the chassis. The A33 Excelsior, meant to replace the Churchill, was no longer needed and the project was dropped in 1943.
Today, the second prototype can be seen at the Bovington Tank Museum.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
External links
References
- ↑ Newsome, Bruce. "TANK INFANTRY A38, VALIANT (E1952.39)." Tankmuseum.org. The Tank Museum, n.d. Web. 10 May 2017. Web Archive
The English Electric Company Limited | |
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Jet Fighters | Lightning F.6 · Lightning F.53 |
Jet Bombers | Canberra B Mk 2 · Canberra B (I) Mk 6 |
Tanks | Excelsior |
The English Electric Company allowed the Glenn L. Martin Company to license-build Canberra bombers for the United States Air Force. |
Britain heavy tanks | |
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Matilda | Matilda III · Matilda Hedgehog |
Churchill | Churchill I · Churchill III · Churchill VII · Churchill Crocodile · Churchill NA75 · Black Prince |
Post-war | Caernarvon · Conqueror |
Other | Independent · Excelsior · TOG II |
Britain premium ground vehicles | |
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Light tanks | A13 Mk I (3rd R.T.R.) · A13 Mk II 1939 · AEC Mk II · Crusader "The Saint" · Rooikat 105 |
Medium tanks | A.C.I · Grant I · Cromwell V (RP-3) · Sherman IC "Trzyniec" · A.C.IV · Comet I "Iron Duke IV" |
Centurion Mk.2 · ▄Strv 81 (RB 52) · Centurion Mk.5 AVRE · Centurion Mk.5/1 · ▄Sho't Kal Dalet · Centurion Action X | |
Vijayanta · Khalid · Challenger DS · Challenger 2 OES | |
Heavy tanks | Independent · Matilda Hedgehog · Excelsior · TOG II · Churchill Crocodile · Black Prince |
Tank destroyers | Alecto I · Achilles (65 Rg.) · QF 3.7 Ram |