Difference between revisions of "Charioteer Mk VII"

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{{Specs-Card|code=uk_charioteer_mk_7}}
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{{About
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| about = British medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
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| usage = the Swedish version
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| link = Charioteer Mk VII (Sweden)
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}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=uk_charioteer_mk_7
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
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''In the description, the first part needs to 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 the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
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<!-- ''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}}''' (or just ''Charioteer'') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]] alongside the rest of the initial British Ground Forces Tree. The Charioteer takes the hull of a [[Cromwell V|Cromwell]] and replaces the turret with a larger one mounting the heavy-hitting [[Ordnance QF 20-pounder Mk.I (84 mm)|84 mm 20-pdr]] cannon, which can deal with the enemies it faces at Rank IV.
  
 
== 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 helpfull for survival in combat?''
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
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<!-- ''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.'' -->
  
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''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
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'''Armour type:'''
 +
 
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret)
 +
* Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet, driver port joint, obturated MG port)
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 63.5 mm ''Upper plate'' <br> 63.5 mm (spherical) ''Driver port'' <br> 32 mm ''obturated MG port'' <br> 30 mm (70°) ''Upper glacis'' <br> 57 (19°) ''Lower glacis - Top'' <br> 25.4 mm (65°) ''Lower glacis - Bottom'' || 44 mm ''Top - Front half'' <br> 38 mm + 32 mm (30°) ''Top - Rear half'' <br> 32 mm ''Bottom - Front half'' <br> 25.4 mm ''Bottom - Rear half'' || 32 mm ''Rear plate'' <br> 20 mm (58°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm (20°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 20 mm ''Centre'' <br> 14 mm ''Rear''
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 30 mm (8-18°) ''Turret front'' <br> 20 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun mantlet'' <br> 14 mm ''Turret ring'' || 30 mm (1-18°) <br> 14 mm ''Turret ring'' || 30 mm <br> 14 mm ''Turret ring'' <br> 14 mm (69-75°)''Turret underside'' || 14 mm (0-7°)
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
 
 +
*Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
 +
*The area where the machine gun port would be has an additional 63 mm of armour placed on it.
 +
* 3 internal structural plates of 5 mm thickness separate:
 +
** the driver compartment in two,
 +
** the driver compartment from the crew compartment,
 +
** the crew compartment from the engine bay.
 +
* These plates have large openings at some places, as visible in X-ray mode.
 +
 
 +
"Lacking" is the term that comes to mind when thinking about the Charioteer's armour. 63.5 mm of non slopped frontal armour is not enough and the turret armour is only 30 mm thick all around. The turret ring technically can be penetrated by 12.7 mm HMG fire, but not many people will go for that. However, it's best to not get flanked by autocannon-armed tanks (SPAA, late light tanks, etc.).
 +
 
 +
With only 3 crew members inside, any APHE shot to the turret means instant elimination (RB) or entering crew replenishment mode (AB).
 +
 
 +
The few advantages of this vehicle are: internal shields (to ensure that at least one crew member survives) and its low ammo load (there are no huge ammo racks everywhere like with the Centurion). Another positive aspect is the presence of improved smoke launchers, equipped with 12 grenades shot in 2 salvos (one forward, one to the sides). They can create a smoke wall in seconds, hiding the Charioteer in an arc of about 200°. These smoke launchers are also found on later British tanks.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
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 +
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=930|rbMinHp=531}}
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As said earlier, the {{PAGENAME}} share the hull of a typical Cromwell tank featuring 5 wheels on each side (not like the [[Avenger]] or [[Challenger]], which have the lengthened 6-wheeled chassis). For any experienced British tanker, this tank will be very familiar as it shares the mobility with its predecessors, with maybe a little loss in power due to heavier weight. A negative aspect of the {{PAGENAME}} is its extremely poor reverse speed: only -3 km/h.
 +
 
 +
=== Modifications and economy ===
 +
{{Specs-Economy}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
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''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 flexibilty 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.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
 +
<!-- ''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|20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
The {{PAGENAME}} carries an 84 mm 20pdr gun in a lightly armoured turret protected only with 30 mm RHA box. As the gun is very consequent, the turret traverse is quite slow so one should have to preventively aim towards a corner before going around it. The high penetration power of the gun compensates the poor slewing rate. Plus, even the stock shells has as much penetration as the [[QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|76 mm QF 17pdr]]'s APDS shell found on other Rank III tanks, this only gets better with the upgraded APDS shot, which can pierce up to 363 mm of armour at 500 m distance (or a [[Tiger II (H)]]'s UFP at point-blank range).
 +
 
 +
The tank commander has the ability to control the weapon if the gunner is knocked out, which is very unusual at the rank and might allow to aggressively trade shots, or even straight up rush some tanks in AB.
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm)|84 mm 20pdr OQF Mk.I]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
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! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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|-
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! ''Arcade''
 +
| rowspan="2" | 25 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+10° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 19.0 || 26.4 || 32.0 || 35.4 || 37.6 || rowspan="2" | 8.19 || rowspan="2" | 7.25 || rowspan="2" | 6.68 || rowspan="2" | 6.30
 +
|-
 +
! ''Realistic''
 +
| 11.9 || 14.0 || 17.0 || 18.8 || 20.0
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
==== Ammunition ====
 +
{{:20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.1, Shot Mk.3, Shell Mk.1, 20pdr Shell SS Mk.1}}
 +
 
 +
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
 +
<!-- '''Last updated: 2.23.1.33''' -->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! Full<br>ammo
 +
! 1st<br>rack empty
 +
! 2nd<br>rack empty
 +
! 3rd<br>rack empty
 +
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
| '''25''' || 21&nbsp;''(+4)'' || 11&nbsp;''(+14)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+24)'' || No
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
'''Note''':
 +
 
 +
* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
−
''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.''
+
{{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|L3A1 (7.62 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
The small calibre of the L3A1 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="5" | [[L3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm L3A1]]
 +
|-
 +
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 +
|-
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| Coaxial || 5,000 (250) || 500 || - || -
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
== 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 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 Charioteer, as with most western tank destroyers, is fitted with a very powerful gun, has good mobility, but is very lightly armoured. As such, it is best to play with its mobility to evade the enemy until the opportune moment. As it uses the same hull as a Cromwell, the reverse speed is atrocious that can make any withdrawal very hard once discovered by the enemy. It is recommended that the Charioteer be used with the forward movement more often, and back up by rotating the entire vehicle before whistling away since the armour back and front is inadequate to deal with any of the tanks you face at its battle rating.
 +
 
 +
'''Flanking'''
 +
 
 +
This is a classical sniper/flanker tank: fast, a good gun but no armour. One should never engage in front line fights since most tanks at the rank use APHE and will just blast the Charioteer away. The best way to play this tank is to use range and/or speed as armour, only stopping to take a shot and speed up again. Do not worry about sniping, this cannon has been made for that: shells have a very low ballistic trajectory, and keep good penetration values even at distances. When fired at, move into safety while blasting out these smoke cannisters on the move, creating a large smoke wall for the enemy, leaving some space for your allies to manoeuvre without being noticed.
 +
 
 +
In urban maps, pre-aim before getting around corners since turret slewing rate is slow. One could also use its engine/transmission as an armour when ambushed: quick reaction shots will often "only" ignite the tank without damaging the crew too much, plus, if the shot is missed, you are already in a position to escape swiftly since frontwards speed is good. When zipping past an alley, blast a smoke screen to cover allies from enemy fire while shooting a hasty shot in the general direction of the enemy. Some enemies will turn their turret in order to protect themselves from flanking only to get shot by allied tanks. Your best weapons in close-range fights are both surprise and speed.
  
−
== Usage in the battles ==
+
;Enemies worth noting:
−
''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).''
+
 
 +
* [[M41 Walker Bulldog (Family)]] Walker Bulldog - The M41 is a consistent threat from a number of tech trees, it is likely that there will be at least one on each team. What it lacks in sheer firepower compared to the Charioteer, it makes up for in gun handling and mobility. Since the Charioteer is thinly armoured, it poses a threat to you from any range. In a duel, the advantage is held by the M41 in a duel as it is a lot more reactive and can get a shot on you much more quickly and reliably retreat away from attacks. Try to remain undetected when fighting it and, when it is distracted, shoot centre-mass.
 +
* [[T34]]/[[T29]] - These heavies are difficult to penetrate from the front, so do not engage them when the hull is facing you as you will not be able to reliably destroy them. If they are angled from the front in any way then shoot their front sprocket, the sides are so thinly armoured that the shot will travel straight through into the turret crew and, if not destroying them, will seriously cripple them.
 +
* [[BTR-80A]] - The sheer speed and the amount of empty space in the BTR makes it almost impossible to deal with if the user is on open ground and, due to the poor gun handling of the Charioteer, can be easily overrun and shred to pieces. Remain undetected when it is around, and engage with extreme prejudice to avoid being detected.
 +
* [[IS-3]] - The IS-3 is extremely well armoured, and has a few "red-herring" weak spots. The most obvious would be the lower front plate, however shooting this will only reliably knock the driver out. The same goes for the turret ring and turret cheeks, which will often catch the shot and do little to no damage. When facing the IS-3 in a head on, do your best to disable its gun and preferably after it has already fired. This will leave it out of the action for nearly a full minute which is ample time to deal with it. A shot into the side will easily dispatch it.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
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<!-- ''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:'''
−
*
+
 
 +
* Good reload speed without an autoloader
 +
* 20-pdr has access to powerful rounds - AP which can destroy [[Panther D|Panther]] in a single hit and APDS with extreme muzzle velocity and even more penetration, can potentially be played in higher BR games
 +
* Has no ammo in the turret, and commander can use the gun instead of gunner, meaning that even if intercepted, the Charioteer still has an extremely high chance of taking down enemy tanks with itself (even more likely in AB)
 +
* Decent gun optics for the rank, but difficult to use with APDS
 +
* Very speedy tank due to Cromwell chassis, can fill a role of a medium support tank for rushing capture points
 +
* Arguably the best turreted tank destroyer at Rank IV, with benefits of a medium tank (can call artillery)
 +
* Good smoke screen system with a useful spreading angle; great for retreats
 +
* Very low risk of fire due to rear mounted transmission and no fuel tanks on the front of the tank
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
 
 +
* As with all Cromwell chassis, reverse speed is awful
 +
* Extremely vulnerable to APHE, even the angled roof top which is supposed to bounce shots will not stop it
 +
* Only 3 crew members, easy crew knock out in RB
 +
* Low post-penetration damage with APDS due to punctual damage
 +
* Poor gun depression and elevation (-5­° to 10°)
 +
* Unstable gun platform; must short-stop or slow down before firing precisely
 +
* Very poor ammo capacity; on the co-op Tank Assault mode, this forces to stay close to repair bonuses, which can eventually backfire
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
<!-- ''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).'' -->
 +
 
 +
===Development===
 +
After World War II, the Western Allies prepared plans to repel a possible invasion by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Britain called for its Royal Armoured Corps formation to be stationed at West Germany with their tank units. However, due to the low number of the newer [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion tank]], the armoured corps were to be equipped with the more plentiful [[Cromwell V|Cromwell]] cruiser tank. Due to the deficiency of the Cromwell in the face of the much stronger Soviet tanks, it was required to upgrade the tank with a 20-pounder gun, the same one used on the Centurion at the time. However, the gun mounting required a new turret to accommodate the gun, and the limited space restricted the turret crew to only two crew members. This vehicle with the 20-pounder turret would be known as the '''Charioteer'''.
 +
 
 +
===Design===
 +
The improvement on the Cromwell focused only on its offensive armaments. Armour was not taken into priority and the turret used very thin armour ranging from 20 to 30 mm thick. Some Charioteers were given additional welded armour over the hull for improved protection. The turret mounted the 84 mm 20-pounder gun with a 7.62 mm Browning machine gun as a coaxial weapon. Smoke dischargers were attached to the left and right of the turret, and a flap on the rear of the turret allow the removal of fired ammunition casings from the turret interior. To mount the larger turret, the turret ring was increased to the limits of the Cromwell's hull width, requiring the turret to have a larger profile to make up the room needed for it. Despite this enlargement, ammunition stowage was limited, the hull machine gunner position was removed to make additional room for the large ammunition, but only allowed 25 rounds to be carried inside the tank. Primary ammunition carried in the tank were high-explosive and armour-piercing discarding-sabot (APDS) rounds.
 +
 
 +
The Cromwell tanks were converted to Charioteers at the Robinson & Kershaw Ltd at Dukinfield, Cheshire. The first order was for 630 vehicles in 1951, but the production was cut short at a later time. The first 200 were delivered in March 1953 and another 200 the next year. The total number produced is believed to be around 442 vehicles.
 +
 
 +
===Service life===
 +
The Charioteers were assigned to the Royal Armoured Corps unit in the British Territorial Army in West Germany. In practice, the vehicle's three man crew was increased to a fourth additional man due to the restricted visibility inside the tank. The fourth crew member was to act as an external observer like a commander to pick out targets. The high profile turret on the Charioteer was beneficial in providing a good hull down position to fire at the targets. Despite that, the Charioteers never saw combat action in the British forces before being fully replaced by the [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion]].
 +
 
 +
The surplus vehicles were sold to Austria, Finland, Jordan, and Lebanon. The vehicles saw more action in the Six-Day war in the middle east in the Arab countries surrounding Israel. It is suspected that the Charioteers continue to see action in the many conflicts in the middle east region.
 +
 
 +
During its service life, the Charioteer saw many upgrades, such as one using an improved 20-pounder which has a fume extractor along the barrel. In Jordanian use, the Charioteer upgraded the turret traverse motors and also allowed a mounting of a .50 caliber machine gun. In 1969, the Charioteer saw an up-gunning with the Royal Ordnance L7 105 mm gun, though only one was produced for trials. This was intended for export, but never saw service.
 +
 
 +
===Survivors===
 +
About six Charioteers exist in intact condition in the world. One is in Austria in the Museum of Military History. Two are in Finland in outdoor display in the Parola tank museum and the Army Academy in Lappeenranta. One is in Israel in the Yad la-Shiryon Museum. Two more are in the United Kingdom, with one normal one in the Bovington Tank Museum and the 105 mm Charioteer variant at the East of England Tank Museum.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
  
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== Read also ==
+
;Skins
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+
 
 +
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_charioteer_mk_7 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
 
 +
;Videos
 +
{{Youtube-gallery|o8cbjw-Izo4|'''I Shouldn't Have Ignored This Tank: Charioteer Mk VII Tank Destroyer''' - ''Virus''}}
 +
 
 +
== 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;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
−
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
+
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
−
''ETC.''
+
 
 +
;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
 +
 
 +
* [[Cromwell (Family)]]
  
−
== Sources ==
+
;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
−
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+
 
 +
* [[Avenger]]
 +
* [[Challenger]]
 +
 
 +
== External links ==
 +
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
−
* ''page on the Wikipedia;''
+
* ''other literature.'' -->
−
* ''other literature.''
+
 
 +
* [[wikipedia:Charioteer_(tank)|[Wikipedia] Charioteer (tank)]]
 +
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/UK/FV-4101_charioteer_tank_destroyer.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Fv 401 Charioteer]
 +
 
 +
{{Britain medium tanks}}

Latest revision as of 18:51, 16 July 2024

Rank VII | Premium | Golden Eagles
Challenger DS Pack
This page is about the British medium tank Charioteer Mk VII. For the Swedish version, see Charioteer Mk VII (Sweden).
Charioteer Mk VII
uk_charioteer_mk_7.png
GarageImage Charioteer Mk VII.jpg
ArtImage Charioteer Mk VII.png
Charioteer Mk VII
Britain flag.png Britain
IV Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
6.0 6.3 6.0
Class:
Research:54 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:185 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Tank Medium Gun Charioteer Mk VII (or just Charioteer) is a rank IV British medium tank with a battle rating of 6.0 (AB/SB) and 6.3 (RB). It was introduced in Update 1.55 "Royal Armour" alongside the rest of the initial British Ground Forces Tree. The Charioteer takes the hull of a Cromwell and replaces the turret with a larger one mounting the heavy-hitting 84 mm 20-pdr cannon, which can deal with the enemies it faces at Rank IV.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull64 / 46 / 32
Turret30 / 30 / 30
Crew3 people
Visibility89 %

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet, driver port joint, obturated MG port)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 63.5 mm Upper plate
63.5 mm (spherical) Driver port
32 mm obturated MG port
30 mm (70°) Upper glacis
57 (19°) Lower glacis - Top
25.4 mm (65°) Lower glacis - Bottom 		44 mm Top - Front half
38 mm + 32 mm (30°) Top - Rear half
32 mm Bottom - Front half
25.4 mm Bottom - Rear half 		32 mm Rear plate
20 mm (58°) Lower glacis 		30 mm (20°) Front glacis
20 mm Centre
14 mm Rear
Turret 30 mm (8-18°) Turret front
20 mm (cylindrical) Gun mantlet
14 mm Turret ring 		30 mm (1-18°)
14 mm Turret ring 		30 mm
14 mm Turret ring
14 mm (69-75°)Turret underside 		14 mm (0-7°)

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
  • The area where the machine gun port would be has an additional 63 mm of armour placed on it.
  • 3 internal structural plates of 5 mm thickness separate:
    • the driver compartment in two,
    • the driver compartment from the crew compartment,
    • the crew compartment from the engine bay.
  • These plates have large openings at some places, as visible in X-ray mode.

"Lacking" is the term that comes to mind when thinking about the Charioteer's armour. 63.5 mm of non slopped frontal armour is not enough and the turret armour is only 30 mm thick all around. The turret ring technically can be penetrated by 12.7 mm HMG fire, but not many people will go for that. However, it's best to not get flanked by autocannon-armed tanks (SPAA, late light tanks, etc.).

With only 3 crew members inside, any APHE shot to the turret means instant elimination (RB) or entering crew replenishment mode (AB).

The few advantages of this vehicle are: internal shields (to ensure that at least one crew member survives) and its low ammo load (there are no huge ammo racks everywhere like with the Centurion). Another positive aspect is the presence of improved smoke launchers, equipped with 12 grenades shot in 2 salvos (one forward, one to the sides). They can create a smoke wall in seconds, hiding the Charioteer in an arc of about 200°. These smoke launchers are also found on later British tanks.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB63 / 4 km/h
RB and SB57 / 4 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
1 back
Weight30.0 t
Engine power
AB1 145 hp
RB and SB600 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB38.2 hp/t
RB and SB20.0 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 63 4 30 930 1,145 31 38.17
Realistic 57 4 531 600 17.7 20

As said earlier, the Charioteer Mk VII share the hull of a typical Cromwell tank featuring 5 wheels on each side (not like the Avenger or Challenger, which have the lengthened 6-wheeled chassis). For any experienced British tanker, this tank will be very familiar as it shares the mobility with its predecessors, with maybe a little loss in power due to heavier weight. A negative aspect of the Charioteer Mk VII is its extremely poor reverse speed: only -3 km/h.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB2 569 → 3 475 Sl icon.png
RB3 165 → 4 282 Sl icon.png
SB4 008 → 5 422 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications46 600 Rp icon.png
84 600 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost1 500 Ge icon.png
Crew training52 000 Sl icon.png
Experts185 000 Sl icon.png
Aces710 Ge icon.png
Research Aces480 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
100 / 160 / 190 % Sl icon.png
166 / 166 / 166 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 600 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
2 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 300 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
3 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 900 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
3 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 900 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 600 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement uk.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
2 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 300 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 600 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
84mm_britain_20pdr_APDS_ammo_pack
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
2 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 300 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
2 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 300 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
3 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 900 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
84mm_britain_Smoke_ammo_pack
Research:
3 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 900 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

84 mm 20pdr OQF Mk.I cannon
Ammunition25 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
8.1 → 6.3 s
Vertical guidance-5° / 10°
Main article: 20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm)

The Charioteer Mk VII carries an 84 mm 20pdr gun in a lightly armoured turret protected only with 30 mm RHA box. As the gun is very consequent, the turret traverse is quite slow so one should have to preventively aim towards a corner before going around it. The high penetration power of the gun compensates the poor slewing rate. Plus, even the stock shells has as much penetration as the 76 mm QF 17pdr's APDS shell found on other Rank III tanks, this only gets better with the upgraded APDS shot, which can pierce up to 363 mm of armour at 500 m distance (or a Tiger II (H)'s UFP at point-blank range).

The tank commander has the ability to control the weapon if the gunner is knocked out, which is very unusual at the rank and might allow to aggressively trade shots, or even straight up rush some tanks in AB.

84 mm 20pdr OQF Mk.I Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 25 -5°/+10° ±180° - 19.0 26.4 32.0 35.4 37.6 8.19 7.25 6.68 6.30
Realistic 11.9 14.0 17.0 18.8 20.0

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
Shot Mk.1 APCBC 232 229 216 201 187 173
Shot Mk.3 APDS 384 380 363 343 324 306
Shell Mk.1 HE 15 15 15 15 15 15
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Shot Mk.1 APCBC 1,000 9.1 - - - 48° 63° 71°
Shot Mk.3 APDS 1,430 3.22 - - - 75° 78° 80°
Shell Mk.1 HE 600 7.5 0.2 0.1 1.13 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)
20pdr Shell SS Mk.1 250 9.3 9 5 20 50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Charioteer Mk VII
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
25 21 (+4) 11 (+14) 1 (+24) No

Note:

  • Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.

Machine guns

7.62 mm L3A1 machine gun (coaxial)
Ammunition5 000 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate500 shots/min
Main article: L3A1 (7.62 mm)

The small calibre of the L3A1 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

7.62 mm L3A1
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 5,000 (250) 500 - -

Usage in battles

The Charioteer, as with most western tank destroyers, is fitted with a very powerful gun, has good mobility, but is very lightly armoured. As such, it is best to play with its mobility to evade the enemy until the opportune moment. As it uses the same hull as a Cromwell, the reverse speed is atrocious that can make any withdrawal very hard once discovered by the enemy. It is recommended that the Charioteer be used with the forward movement more often, and back up by rotating the entire vehicle before whistling away since the armour back and front is inadequate to deal with any of the tanks you face at its battle rating.

Flanking

This is a classical sniper/flanker tank: fast, a good gun but no armour. One should never engage in front line fights since most tanks at the rank use APHE and will just blast the Charioteer away. The best way to play this tank is to use range and/or speed as armour, only stopping to take a shot and speed up again. Do not worry about sniping, this cannon has been made for that: shells have a very low ballistic trajectory, and keep good penetration values even at distances. When fired at, move into safety while blasting out these smoke cannisters on the move, creating a large smoke wall for the enemy, leaving some space for your allies to manoeuvre without being noticed.

In urban maps, pre-aim before getting around corners since turret slewing rate is slow. One could also use its engine/transmission as an armour when ambushed: quick reaction shots will often "only" ignite the tank without damaging the crew too much, plus, if the shot is missed, you are already in a position to escape swiftly since frontwards speed is good. When zipping past an alley, blast a smoke screen to cover allies from enemy fire while shooting a hasty shot in the general direction of the enemy. Some enemies will turn their turret in order to protect themselves from flanking only to get shot by allied tanks. Your best weapons in close-range fights are both surprise and speed.

Enemies worth noting
  • M41 Walker Bulldog (Family) Walker Bulldog - The M41 is a consistent threat from a number of tech trees, it is likely that there will be at least one on each team. What it lacks in sheer firepower compared to the Charioteer, it makes up for in gun handling and mobility. Since the Charioteer is thinly armoured, it poses a threat to you from any range. In a duel, the advantage is held by the M41 in a duel as it is a lot more reactive and can get a shot on you much more quickly and reliably retreat away from attacks. Try to remain undetected when fighting it and, when it is distracted, shoot centre-mass.
  • T34/T29 - These heavies are difficult to penetrate from the front, so do not engage them when the hull is facing you as you will not be able to reliably destroy them. If they are angled from the front in any way then shoot their front sprocket, the sides are so thinly armoured that the shot will travel straight through into the turret crew and, if not destroying them, will seriously cripple them.
  • BTR-80A - The sheer speed and the amount of empty space in the BTR makes it almost impossible to deal with if the user is on open ground and, due to the poor gun handling of the Charioteer, can be easily overrun and shred to pieces. Remain undetected when it is around, and engage with extreme prejudice to avoid being detected.
  • IS-3 - The IS-3 is extremely well armoured, and has a few "red-herring" weak spots. The most obvious would be the lower front plate, however shooting this will only reliably knock the driver out. The same goes for the turret ring and turret cheeks, which will often catch the shot and do little to no damage. When facing the IS-3 in a head on, do your best to disable its gun and preferably after it has already fired. This will leave it out of the action for nearly a full minute which is ample time to deal with it. A shot into the side will easily dispatch it.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Good reload speed without an autoloader
  • 20-pdr has access to powerful rounds - AP which can destroy Panther in a single hit and APDS with extreme muzzle velocity and even more penetration, can potentially be played in higher BR games
  • Has no ammo in the turret, and commander can use the gun instead of gunner, meaning that even if intercepted, the Charioteer still has an extremely high chance of taking down enemy tanks with itself (even more likely in AB)
  • Decent gun optics for the rank, but difficult to use with APDS
  • Very speedy tank due to Cromwell chassis, can fill a role of a medium support tank for rushing capture points
  • Arguably the best turreted tank destroyer at Rank IV, with benefits of a medium tank (can call artillery)
  • Good smoke screen system with a useful spreading angle; great for retreats
  • Very low risk of fire due to rear mounted transmission and no fuel tanks on the front of the tank

Cons:

  • As with all Cromwell chassis, reverse speed is awful
  • Extremely vulnerable to APHE, even the angled roof top which is supposed to bounce shots will not stop it
  • Only 3 crew members, easy crew knock out in RB
  • Low post-penetration damage with APDS due to punctual damage
  • Poor gun depression and elevation (-5­° to 10°)
  • Unstable gun platform; must short-stop or slow down before firing precisely
  • Very poor ammo capacity; on the co-op Tank Assault mode, this forces to stay close to repair bonuses, which can eventually backfire

History

Development

After World War II, the Western Allies prepared plans to repel a possible invasion by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Britain called for its Royal Armoured Corps formation to be stationed at West Germany with their tank units. However, due to the low number of the newer Centurion tank, the armoured corps were to be equipped with the more plentiful Cromwell cruiser tank. Due to the deficiency of the Cromwell in the face of the much stronger Soviet tanks, it was required to upgrade the tank with a 20-pounder gun, the same one used on the Centurion at the time. However, the gun mounting required a new turret to accommodate the gun, and the limited space restricted the turret crew to only two crew members. This vehicle with the 20-pounder turret would be known as the Charioteer.

Design

The improvement on the Cromwell focused only on its offensive armaments. Armour was not taken into priority and the turret used very thin armour ranging from 20 to 30 mm thick. Some Charioteers were given additional welded armour over the hull for improved protection. The turret mounted the 84 mm 20-pounder gun with a 7.62 mm Browning machine gun as a coaxial weapon. Smoke dischargers were attached to the left and right of the turret, and a flap on the rear of the turret allow the removal of fired ammunition casings from the turret interior. To mount the larger turret, the turret ring was increased to the limits of the Cromwell's hull width, requiring the turret to have a larger profile to make up the room needed for it. Despite this enlargement, ammunition stowage was limited, the hull machine gunner position was removed to make additional room for the large ammunition, but only allowed 25 rounds to be carried inside the tank. Primary ammunition carried in the tank were high-explosive and armour-piercing discarding-sabot (APDS) rounds.

The Cromwell tanks were converted to Charioteers at the Robinson & Kershaw Ltd at Dukinfield, Cheshire. The first order was for 630 vehicles in 1951, but the production was cut short at a later time. The first 200 were delivered in March 1953 and another 200 the next year. The total number produced is believed to be around 442 vehicles.

Service life

The Charioteers were assigned to the Royal Armoured Corps unit in the British Territorial Army in West Germany. In practice, the vehicle's three man crew was increased to a fourth additional man due to the restricted visibility inside the tank. The fourth crew member was to act as an external observer like a commander to pick out targets. The high profile turret on the Charioteer was beneficial in providing a good hull down position to fire at the targets. Despite that, the Charioteers never saw combat action in the British forces before being fully replaced by the Centurion.

The surplus vehicles were sold to Austria, Finland, Jordan, and Lebanon. The vehicles saw more action in the Six-Day war in the middle east in the Arab countries surrounding Israel. It is suspected that the Charioteers continue to see action in the many conflicts in the middle east region.

During its service life, the Charioteer saw many upgrades, such as one using an improved 20-pounder which has a fume extractor along the barrel. In Jordanian use, the Charioteer upgraded the turret traverse motors and also allowed a mounting of a .50 caliber machine gun. In 1969, the Charioteer saw an up-gunning with the Royal Ordnance L7 105 mm gun, though only one was produced for trials. This was intended for export, but never saw service.

Survivors

About six Charioteers exist in intact condition in the world. One is in Austria in the Museum of Military History. Two are in Finland in outdoor display in the Parola tank museum and the Army Academy in Lappeenranta. One is in Israel in the Yad la-Shiryon Museum. Two more are in the United Kingdom, with one normal one in the Bovington Tank Museum and the 105 mm Charioteer variant at the East of England Tank Museum.

Media

Skins
Videos
I Shouldn't Have Ignored This Tank: Charioteer Mk VII Tank Destroyer - Virus

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

External links


Britain medium tanks
Valentine  Valentine I · Valentine IX · Valentine XI
Cromwell  Cromwell I · Cromwell V · Cromwell V (RP-3)
Cromwell derivatives  Challenger · Avenger · Comet I · Comet I "Iron Duke IV" · Charioteer Mk VII
Centurion  Centurion Mk 1 · Centurion Mk.2 · Centurion Mk 3 · Centurion Mk.5 AVRE · Centurion Mk 10 · Centurion Action X · FV4202
Vickers MBT  Vickers Mk.1 · Vickers Mk.3 · Vickers Mk.7
Chieftain  Chieftain Mk 3 · Chieftain Mk 5 · Chieftain Mk 10
Challenger 1  Challenger Mk.2 · Challenger Mk.3 · Challenger DS
Challenger 2  Challenger 2 · Challenger 2 (2F) · Challenger 2 TES · Challenger 2 OES · Challenger 2E · Challenger 2 Black Night
Challenger 3  Challenger 3 TD
Australia  A.C.I · A.C.IV · Centurion Mk.5/1
South Africa  Olifant Mk.1A · Olifant Mk.2 · TTD
India  Vijayanta · Bhishma TWMP
Israel  ▄Sho't Kal Dalet
Jordan  Khalid
Sweden  ▄Strv 81 (RB 52)
USA  Grant I · Sherman II · Sherman Firefly · Sherman IC "Trzyniec"

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