Difference between revisions of "Crusader "The Saint""
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{{About | {{About | ||
| − | | about = | + | | about = British light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}''' |
| usage = other versions | | usage = other versions | ||
| link = Crusader (Family) | | link = Crusader (Family) | ||
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{{Specs-Card | {{Specs-Card | ||
|code=uk_crusader_mk_2_the_saint | |code=uk_crusader_mk_2_the_saint | ||
| − | |images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}} | + | |images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_001.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_002.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_003.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}} |
|store=9265 | |store=9265 | ||
}} | }} | ||
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== Description == | == Description == | ||
<!-- ''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.'' --> | <!-- ''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 ''' | + | The '''Tank, Cruiser Mark VIA, Crusader II "The Saint" (A15)''' was a particular [[Crusader II]] assigned to the 10<sup>th</sup> Royal Hussars regiment, which was part of the 2<sup>nd</sup> Armoured Brigade, 1<sup>st</sup> Armoured Division during the North African Campaign. The 10<sup>th</sup> Royal Hussars (Prince of Wale's Own) was a British Army cavalry regiment formed in 1715. It served for three centuries, during World War I and II, before combining with the 11<sup>th</sup> Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) in October 1969 to form the Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own). When World War II broke out, the 1<sup>st</sup> Armoured Division was sent to France. It fought in northern France and Belgium before returning to England in June 1940 without any vehicles. A group of personnel were transferred in December 1940 to create the cadre of the 23rd Hussars. The regiment moved to North Africa with the 2<sup>nd</sup> Armoured Brigade in November 1941, joining the 7<sup>th</sup> Armoured Division. It saw action in Operation Crusader, the Battle of Alam el Halfa in August 1942, and the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, now armed with Crusader II tanks. The regiment seized General Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma, the German Deputy Commander, at El Alamein. During the Italian Campaign of 1944 and 1945, the regiment fought both as an armoured unit and as dismounted infantry. |
| − | + | Introduced in [[Update "Regia Marina"]], the Crusader II "The Saint" is a capable short-range light tank. It is the same as the standard [[Crusader II]] used by the British Army's ground forces. It is armed with a fast-firing 40 mm Ordnance QF 2-pounder tank gun, which is suitable for destroying tanks with a crowded interior and crew close to each other. Along with its quick reload, primitive vertical gun stabilizer, and excellent handling, it is a fun light tank to play with. Handling is greatly improved over the [[A13 (Family)|A13 cruiser tanks]] due to improved cross-country performance and the vehicle not sliding during abrupt breaking. Because of its low profile and lack of armour, driving and fighting in the open field should be avoided unless there is enough cover or the terrain is shaped in such a way that the hull-down tactics, which this tank excels at, may be used. The tank also boasts good gun depression and a difficult-to-hit turret. | |
== General info == | == General info == | ||
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The turret armour is the thickest on the cheeks, and the angled sides can also block or bounce rounds if correctly angled and baited. The mantlet is a clear weakspot, often resulting in the turret crew being completely wiped out. The armour on the tank is supplemented by the 5 crew members, which can save players from a one-shot. In the case of the mantlet, the three turret crew may be knocked out, but the tank will survive if the driver and machine gunner remain, allowing those positioned away from the enemy a chance to get away. Additionally, the gun, coaxial machine gun, and optics in the mantlet can also block shots, though this shouldn't be relied on. | The turret armour is the thickest on the cheeks, and the angled sides can also block or bounce rounds if correctly angled and baited. The mantlet is a clear weakspot, often resulting in the turret crew being completely wiped out. The armour on the tank is supplemented by the 5 crew members, which can save players from a one-shot. In the case of the mantlet, the three turret crew may be knocked out, but the tank will survive if the driver and machine gunner remain, allowing those positioned away from the enemy a chance to get away. Additionally, the gun, coaxial machine gun, and optics in the mantlet can also block shots, though this shouldn't be relied on. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Armour type:''' | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Rolled Homogeneous Armour (hull, turret) | ||
| + | * Cast Homogeneous Armour (gun mantlet, MG mantlet, driver viewport) | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
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! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof | ! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | Hull || 9-32 mm ( | + | | Hull || 9-32 mm (27-81°) ''Frontal plates'' <br> 22.22 + 18 mm (1°) ''Driver's box'' <br> 32 mm ''Driver's viewports'' || colspan="2" | 14 mm || 7-12 mm |
|- | |- | ||
| Turret || 31.75 mm ''Turret front (9-73°'') <br>30 mm ''Gun mantlet (7-83°)'' || 14 mm || 17 mm || 12.7 mm | | Turret || 31.75 mm ''Turret front (9-73°'') <br>30 mm ''Gun mantlet (7-83°)'' || 14 mm || 17 mm || 12.7 mm | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | Machine gun turret || 30 mm ''Turret Front'' <br> 20 mm ''Mantlet'' || colspan="2" | 30 mm || 9 mm | ||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
| + | '''Notes:''' | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick. | ||
| + | * Mudguards, sideskirts and storage boxes are 4 mm thick. | ||
| + | * Belly armour is 6.35 mm thick. | ||
=== Mobility === | === Mobility === | ||
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==== Ammunition ==== | ==== Ammunition ==== | ||
| − | { | + | {{:QF 2-pounder (40 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.1 AP/T, Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T, Shot Mk.1 APHV/T, Shell Mk.1 AP/T}} |
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==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ||
[[File:Ammoracks_Crusader_II.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]] | [[File:Ammoracks_Crusader_II.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]] | ||
| + | <!-- '''Last updated:''' --> | ||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||
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|} | |} | ||
| − | + | '''Notes''': | |
| − | Notes: | ||
* Turret & center empty: 45 ''(+65)'' shells. | * Turret & center empty: 45 ''(+65)'' shells. | ||
| Line 150: | Line 122: | ||
== Usage in battles == | == 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).'' --> | <!-- ''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).'' --> | ||
| − | '' | + | |
| + | '''Characteristics''' | ||
| + | |||
| + | Being a light tank, the Crusader features high mobility at the cost of armour. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The largest downside to the Crusader is the relatively thin armour, even on the front. Most tank guns that the Crusader will face will penetrate the frontal armour, and the side and rear armour can even be penetrated by heavy machine guns. As such the Crusader's armour can not be relied upon, which makes utilization of the gun depression - to reduce the visible and hittable profile of the tank - more important. On the other hand, shots can sometimes ricochet off the frontal armour due to the complex armour scheme with many angles. | ||
| + | |||
| + | On the bright side, the Crusader II has sufficient firepower to deal with most enemy tanks that it can face from the front, but there are tanks (especially heavy tanks) that may have too much armour on the frontal arc to penetrate. These tanks must be flanked - which is not too hard to do with the Crusader's mobility - in order to destroy them. The rapid reload of this tank's gun often allows a second shot before the enemy can even get their first shot off. The vertical stabilizer used on the gun also allows accurate firing on the move at low speeds, which can be handy in a frontal engagement. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Another strength of the Crusader is the above average 15 degrees of gun depression. This allows the Crusader to poke its turret over a hill without exposing the hull, and also allows it to fire over hills that other contemporary tanks could not dream of firing from. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Crusader also features a smoke grenade mortar in the turret. When activated, the mortar launches one smoke grenade in the direction the turret is pointed, allowing for a smoke screen to be made very quickly. The smoke grenades allow the Crusader to hide while repairing, retreat when under heavy attack, or to capture a point without the enemy able to lay accurate fire upon it. Just remember that the smoke grenades fire in the direction the turret is facing so make sure to point the turret in the direction the smoke is needed in. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Ammunition''' | ||
| + | |||
| + | There are only two out of the four rounds available that are worth taking into battle - Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T (APCBC) and Shell Mk.1 AP/T (APHE). These two shells both have their uses on the field of battle. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The APHE round is most useful against lightly armoured targets or against the sides of tanks because despite the lesser penetration it has explosive filler which gives it the highest post-penetration damage. If carrying this as the first round loaded just beware that you may have to switch to the APCBC round in order to penetrate the target. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The APCBC round has the highest penetration of all the ammo types which makes it ideal because it gives the highest chance of penetrating the target, and therefore doing damage. The downside of this round is it has no high explosive filler so if it is loaded just make sure to aim so that the shot will penetrate and take out crew members, rather than not aiming well enough and not taking out crucial crew members. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Playstyle''' | ||
| + | |||
| + | When using "The Saint", many players will perform to the vehicle's best by using it as a point capper and hit-n-runner. The mobility can be used to rush around the battlefield, capturing points and destroying enemy tanks as it goes. This playstyle prevents the enemy from pinpointing your location because you are always moving, but it also means that there is a chance that you overextend and cannot retreat when necessary or that you may run into too many enemies to deal with at once. Additionally, beware that despite your high mobility there are other highly mobile tanks such as the BT-7s or M3/M5 Stuarts that are just as fast or faster than you. These tanks are highly dangerous, so be careful not to rush too far forwards too early. Also make sure to use the gun depression as often as possible because it reduces the surface area of your tank that the enemy can shoot at, making it harder for the enemy to shoot your tank. Remember, in cases where the enemy assault is overwhelming or you are disabled and possibly will be fired upon, use the smoke grenade launcher in order to mask your tanks location. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Note: when facing a tank with armour too heavy to penetrate from the front, use the high mobility to outflank or outturn that tank in order to put shots into its thinner side armour. | ||
=== 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".'' --> | <!-- ''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:''' | ||
| − | * | + | * Great manoeuvrability and speed, almost as fast as the [[M5 Stuart (Family)|M5 Stuarts]] |
| + | * Good cannon with fast reload and adequate penetration | ||
| + | * Amazing -15° gun depression allows hull-down over almost any hill | ||
| + | * Has a low profile, harder to be seen and shot at | ||
| + | * Turret rotation is quite fast | ||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
| − | * | + | * Thin armour, easily penetrable by common foes like [[Panzer III (Family)|Pz.III]], [[Chi-Ha]], [[BT-7]] |
| + | * Cannon has limited damage especially against large tanks like LVT(A)(1) | ||
| + | * Poor reverse speed won't save it from danger | ||
| + | * Narrow tracks worsens its agility on loose terrain like snow | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
<!-- ''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).'' --> | <!-- ''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).'' --> | ||
| − | '' | + | '''<big>Crusader "The Saint"</big>''' |
| + | |||
| + | "The Saint" was a Crusader II cruiser tank of the British A squadron of the 10th regiment of Royal Hussars, 2nd Armoured Brigade of the 1st Armoured Division. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''1st Division''' | ||
| + | |||
| + | The 1st Division, understrength at the time, was sent to France as part of the 2nd British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in 1940. It saw combat during the Battle of France, after landing on 14 May 1940, but suffered heavy losses and was forced to evacuate at Dunkirk on 16 June 16. The division then stood in England until August 1941 in anticipation of a German invasion, which never came. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The 1st Division shipped out to Egypt in November 1941. In Africa, the 1st Division saw combat against the German Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) in battles such as Gazala, Mersa Matruh, First El Alamein, Second El Alamein, Tebaga Gap, Mareth Line, Akarit, El Kourzia and Tunis. After the Afrikakorps surrendered in May 1943, the 1st Division remained in Africa until May 1944 when it shipped to Italy. Due to heavy losses among the 2nd Armoured Brigade during the battle of Coriano, the 1st Division ceased operations in October 1944 and was broken up and officially disbanded on 11 January 1945. | ||
== Media == | == Media == | ||
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;Skins | ;Skins | ||
| − | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/? | + | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_crusader_mk_2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.] |
;Videos | ;Videos | ||
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* ''other literature.'' --> | * ''other literature.'' --> | ||
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | ||
* ''topic on the official game forum;'' | * ''topic on the official game forum;'' | ||
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* ''other literature.'' | * ''other literature.'' | ||
| + | {{TankManufacturer Nuffield}} | ||
{{Britain light tanks}} | {{Britain light tanks}} | ||
{{Britain premium ground vehicles}} | {{Britain premium ground vehicles}} | ||
Latest revision as of 09:34, 22 October 2023
| This page is about the British light tank Crusader "The Saint". For other versions, see Crusader (Family). |
Contents
Description
The Tank, Cruiser Mark VIA, Crusader II "The Saint" (A15) was a particular Crusader II assigned to the 10th Royal Hussars regiment, which was part of the 2nd Armoured Brigade, 1st Armoured Division during the North African Campaign. The 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wale's Own) was a British Army cavalry regiment formed in 1715. It served for three centuries, during World War I and II, before combining with the 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) in October 1969 to form the Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own). When World War II broke out, the 1st Armoured Division was sent to France. It fought in northern France and Belgium before returning to England in June 1940 without any vehicles. A group of personnel were transferred in December 1940 to create the cadre of the 23rd Hussars. The regiment moved to North Africa with the 2nd Armoured Brigade in November 1941, joining the 7th Armoured Division. It saw action in Operation Crusader, the Battle of Alam el Halfa in August 1942, and the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, now armed with Crusader II tanks. The regiment seized General Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma, the German Deputy Commander, at El Alamein. During the Italian Campaign of 1944 and 1945, the regiment fought both as an armoured unit and as dismounted infantry.
Introduced in Update "Regia Marina", the Crusader II "The Saint" is a capable short-range light tank. It is the same as the standard Crusader II used by the British Army's ground forces. It is armed with a fast-firing 40 mm Ordnance QF 2-pounder tank gun, which is suitable for destroying tanks with a crowded interior and crew close to each other. Along with its quick reload, primitive vertical gun stabilizer, and excellent handling, it is a fun light tank to play with. Handling is greatly improved over the A13 cruiser tanks due to improved cross-country performance and the vehicle not sliding during abrupt breaking. Because of its low profile and lack of armour, driving and fighting in the open field should be avoided unless there is enough cover or the terrain is shaped in such a way that the hull-down tactics, which this tank excels at, may be used. The tank also boasts good gun depression and a difficult-to-hit turret.
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour protection on the Crusader "The Saint" is the same as the Crusader II, and as a cruiser tank is understandably poor in most areas. The hull is generally very penetrable, only averaging 30-40 mm of equivalent protection. However, the two protrusions for the driver and machine gunner have hatches which can easily block a shot or in some cases reduce spalling, only knocking out 1-2 crew with APCBC. Side and back armour are predictably weak.
The turret armour is the thickest on the cheeks, and the angled sides can also block or bounce rounds if correctly angled and baited. The mantlet is a clear weakspot, often resulting in the turret crew being completely wiped out. The armour on the tank is supplemented by the 5 crew members, which can save players from a one-shot. In the case of the mantlet, the three turret crew may be knocked out, but the tank will survive if the driver and machine gunner remain, allowing those positioned away from the enemy a chance to get away. Additionally, the gun, coaxial machine gun, and optics in the mantlet can also block shots, though this shouldn't be relied on.
Armour type:
- Rolled Homogeneous Armour (hull, turret)
- Cast Homogeneous Armour (gun mantlet, MG mantlet, driver viewport)
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 9-32 mm (27-81°) Frontal plates 22.22 + 18 mm (1°) Driver's box 32 mm Driver's viewports |
14 mm | 7-12 mm | |
| Turret | 31.75 mm Turret front (9-73°) 30 mm Gun mantlet (7-83°) |
14 mm | 17 mm | 12.7 mm |
| Machine gun turret | 30 mm Turret Front 20 mm Mantlet |
30 mm | 9 mm | |
Notes:
- Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
- Mudguards, sideskirts and storage boxes are 4 mm thick.
- Belly armour is 6.35 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 | 47 | 8 | 16.3 | 527 | 649 | 32.33 | 39.82 |
| Realistic | 43 | 7 | 301 | 340 | 18.47 | 20.86 | |
Modifications and economy
2 × 40 / 40 / 40 % 2 × 112 / 112 / 112 % | Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
Main armament
| 40 mm QF 2-pounder | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 110 | -15°/+20° | ±180° | Vertical | 34.27 | 47.44 | 57.60 | 63.69 | 67.76 | 3.64 | 3.22 | 2.97 | 2.80 |
| Realistic | 21.42 | 25.20 | 30.60 | 33.84 | 36.00 | ||||||||
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 AP/T | AP | 72 | 68 | 52 | 37 | 27 | 19 |
| Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T | APCBC | 89 | 86 | 77 | 66 | 57 | 50 |
| Shot Mk.1 APHV/T | AP | 80 | 75 | 58 | 41 | 30 | 21 |
| Shell Mk.1 AP/T | APHE | 66 | 62 | 49 | 36 | 26 | 20 |
| 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.1 AP/T | AP | 792 | 1.08 | - | - | - | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
| Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T | APCBC | 792 | 1.24 | - | - | - | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
| Shot Mk.1 APHV/T | AP | 853 | 1.08 | - | - | - | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
| Shell Mk.1 AP/T | APHE | 792 | 1.08 | 1.2 | 9 | 20.9 | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | 89 (+21) | 67 (+43) | 45 (+65) | 23 (+87) | 1 (+109) | No |
Notes:
- Turret & center empty: 45 (+65) shells.
- Racks disappear after all shells in the rack have been shot or loaded.
Machine guns
| 7.92 mm BESA | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 3,375 (225) | 600 | N/A | N/A |
| Turreted | 4,950 (225) | 600 | ±10° | ±50° |
Usage in battles
Characteristics
Being a light tank, the Crusader features high mobility at the cost of armour.
The largest downside to the Crusader is the relatively thin armour, even on the front. Most tank guns that the Crusader will face will penetrate the frontal armour, and the side and rear armour can even be penetrated by heavy machine guns. As such the Crusader's armour can not be relied upon, which makes utilization of the gun depression - to reduce the visible and hittable profile of the tank - more important. On the other hand, shots can sometimes ricochet off the frontal armour due to the complex armour scheme with many angles.
On the bright side, the Crusader II has sufficient firepower to deal with most enemy tanks that it can face from the front, but there are tanks (especially heavy tanks) that may have too much armour on the frontal arc to penetrate. These tanks must be flanked - which is not too hard to do with the Crusader's mobility - in order to destroy them. The rapid reload of this tank's gun often allows a second shot before the enemy can even get their first shot off. The vertical stabilizer used on the gun also allows accurate firing on the move at low speeds, which can be handy in a frontal engagement.
Another strength of the Crusader is the above average 15 degrees of gun depression. This allows the Crusader to poke its turret over a hill without exposing the hull, and also allows it to fire over hills that other contemporary tanks could not dream of firing from.
The Crusader also features a smoke grenade mortar in the turret. When activated, the mortar launches one smoke grenade in the direction the turret is pointed, allowing for a smoke screen to be made very quickly. The smoke grenades allow the Crusader to hide while repairing, retreat when under heavy attack, or to capture a point without the enemy able to lay accurate fire upon it. Just remember that the smoke grenades fire in the direction the turret is facing so make sure to point the turret in the direction the smoke is needed in.
Ammunition
There are only two out of the four rounds available that are worth taking into battle - Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T (APCBC) and Shell Mk.1 AP/T (APHE). These two shells both have their uses on the field of battle.
The APHE round is most useful against lightly armoured targets or against the sides of tanks because despite the lesser penetration it has explosive filler which gives it the highest post-penetration damage. If carrying this as the first round loaded just beware that you may have to switch to the APCBC round in order to penetrate the target.
The APCBC round has the highest penetration of all the ammo types which makes it ideal because it gives the highest chance of penetrating the target, and therefore doing damage. The downside of this round is it has no high explosive filler so if it is loaded just make sure to aim so that the shot will penetrate and take out crew members, rather than not aiming well enough and not taking out crucial crew members.
Playstyle
When using "The Saint", many players will perform to the vehicle's best by using it as a point capper and hit-n-runner. The mobility can be used to rush around the battlefield, capturing points and destroying enemy tanks as it goes. This playstyle prevents the enemy from pinpointing your location because you are always moving, but it also means that there is a chance that you overextend and cannot retreat when necessary or that you may run into too many enemies to deal with at once. Additionally, beware that despite your high mobility there are other highly mobile tanks such as the BT-7s or M3/M5 Stuarts that are just as fast or faster than you. These tanks are highly dangerous, so be careful not to rush too far forwards too early. Also make sure to use the gun depression as often as possible because it reduces the surface area of your tank that the enemy can shoot at, making it harder for the enemy to shoot your tank. Remember, in cases where the enemy assault is overwhelming or you are disabled and possibly will be fired upon, use the smoke grenade launcher in order to mask your tanks location.
Note: when facing a tank with armour too heavy to penetrate from the front, use the high mobility to outflank or outturn that tank in order to put shots into its thinner side armour.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Great manoeuvrability and speed, almost as fast as the M5 Stuarts
- Good cannon with fast reload and adequate penetration
- Amazing -15° gun depression allows hull-down over almost any hill
- Has a low profile, harder to be seen and shot at
- Turret rotation is quite fast
Cons:
- Thin armour, easily penetrable by common foes like Pz.III, Chi-Ha, BT-7
- Cannon has limited damage especially against large tanks like LVT(A)(1)
- Poor reverse speed won't save it from danger
- Narrow tracks worsens its agility on loose terrain like snow
History
Crusader "The Saint"
"The Saint" was a Crusader II cruiser tank of the British A squadron of the 10th regiment of Royal Hussars, 2nd Armoured Brigade of the 1st Armoured Division.
1st Division
The 1st Division, understrength at the time, was sent to France as part of the 2nd British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in 1940. It saw combat during the Battle of France, after landing on 14 May 1940, but suffered heavy losses and was forced to evacuate at Dunkirk on 16 June 16. The division then stood in England until August 1941 in anticipation of a German invasion, which never came.
The 1st Division shipped out to Egypt in November 1941. In Africa, the 1st Division saw combat against the German Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) in battles such as Gazala, Mersa Matruh, First El Alamein, Second El Alamein, Tebaga Gap, Mareth Line, Akarit, El Kourzia and Tunis. After the Afrikakorps surrendered in May 1943, the 1st Division remained in Africa until May 1944 when it shipped to Italy. Due to heavy losses among the 2nd Armoured Brigade during the battle of Coriano, the 1st Division ceased operations in October 1944 and was broken up and officially disbanded on 11 January 1945.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
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.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Nuffield Mechanizations and Aero Limited | |
|---|---|
| Cruiser Tanks | |
| Tank, Cruiser, Mk III (A13 Mk I) | A13 Mk I · A13 Mk I (3rd R.T.R.) |
| Tank, Cruiser, Mk IV (A13 Mk II) | A13 Mk II · A13 Mk II 1939 |
| Tank, Cruiser, Mk VI, Crusader (A15) | Crusader II · Crusader "The Saint" · Crusader III |
| Tank Destroyers | Tortoise |
| SPAAs | Crusader AA Mk I · Crusader AA Mk II |
| Export | ▄Crusader Mk.II |
| Britain light tanks | |
|---|---|
| A13 | A13 Mk I · A13 Mk I (3rd R.T.R.) · A13 Mk II · A13 Mk II 1939 |
| A15 | Crusader II · Crusader "The Saint" · Crusader III |
| A17 | Tetrarch I |
| IFV | Warrior · Desert Warrior (Kuwait) |
| Wheeled | Daimler Mk II · AEC Mk II · Fox · Vickers Mk.11 |
| Other | VFM5 |
| South Africa | |
| SARC | SARC MkIVa · SARC MkVI (2pdr) · SARC MkVI (6pdr) |
| Ratel | Ratel 90 · Ratel 20 |
| Rooikat | Rooikat Mk.1D · Rooikat 105 · Rooikat MTTD |
| Other | Concept 3 · Eland 90 Mk.7 |
| USA | Stuart I · Stuart III |
| Britain premium ground vehicles | |
|---|---|
| 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 |
