Difference between revisions of "Conqueror"
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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.--> |
| + | |||
[[File:GarageImage_Conqueror.jpg|420px|thumb|left]] | [[File:GarageImage_Conqueror.jpg|420px|thumb|left]] | ||
{{break}} | {{break}} | ||
| − | The ''' | + | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was released along with the initial British tree line in [[Update_1.55_"Royal_Armour"|Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]]. Meant to defeat the Soviet [[IS-3]], the Conqueror gives the British tree line an emphasis in armour and firepower, with a [[M58 (120 mm)|120 mm gun]] able to contest the Rank V competitors. |
| − | The Conqueror shares the same hull as the [[Caernarvon]], but features a completely new turret armed with the Ordnance QF 120 mm L1A1 gun | + | The Conqueror shares the same hull as the [[Caernarvon]], but features a completely new turret armed with the Ordnance QF 120 mm L1A1 gun. |
| − | + | == General info == | |
| + | === 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 helpful for survival in combat? | ||
| − | + | If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.--> | |
| − | The | + | The turret is significantly better armoured than the Centurion turret used by the Caernarvon. In a hull-down position where the weak lower front plate is hidden, it can be a very difficult vehicle to destroy from the front. Unfortunately, the side and rear hull armour is very weak, although it is covered by a lot of spaced armour. Flanking the Conqueror usually results in its swift destruction. |
| − | |||
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| − | |||
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'''Armour type:''' | '''Armour type:''' | ||
* Rolled homogeneous armour | * Rolled homogeneous armour | ||
| Line 43: | Line 41: | ||
=== Mobility === | === Mobility === | ||
| − | <!-- | + | <!--Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.--> |
| + | |||
| + | The mobility of the Conqueror is fair enough for a 65 ton heavy tank, and is actually comparable to the Centurion. | ||
| + | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Line 52: | Line 53: | ||
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h) | !colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h) | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | |rowspan="2" | | + | |rowspan="2" | 64.9 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | 1.1 || colspan="1" | 37 (AB) |
|- | |- | ||
|34 (RB/SB) | |34 (RB/SB) | ||
| Line 77: | Line 78: | ||
|- | |- | ||
|''Arcade'' | |''Arcade'' | ||
| − | | | + | |16.12 |
|__.__ | |__.__ | ||
|- | |- | ||
|''Realistic/Simulator'' | |''Realistic/Simulator'' | ||
| − | | | + | |11.03 |
| − | |12. | + | |12.48 |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
| Line 88: | Line 89: | ||
== Armaments == | == 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 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|L1A2 (120 mm)}} | {{main|L1A2 (120 mm)}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | The 120 mm gun used by the Conqueror is essentially a version of the American 120 mm Gun M58 used by the M103 heavy tank. Unfortunately, the British version does not have access to the extremely lethal American solid shot AP or HEAT ammunition. The Conqueror is thus forced to choose between the anaemic APDS or unreliable HESH ammunition, while also sharing the same long reload as the American gun. | ||
| + | |||
| + | In general, the APDS is quite accurate at long ranges thanks to its high velocity, and the high penetration usually means it will not have too many problems penetrating most things the Conqueror will encounter. However, the post-penetration effects of APDS tend to be very poor compared to full-bore AP, and it is very rare to one-shot opponents. This problem is further exacerbated by the Conqueror's long reload, which is longer than the time it takes to replace a crewmember if facing a opponent with good crew skills. The HESH round will do a lot of damage ''if'' it hits and penetrates, but is easily frustrated by spaced armour and external components like tracks or suspension elements. It also has a relatively low velocity and is harder to use at long ranges. | ||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||
| Line 111: | Line 116: | ||
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif. | ! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | ''Arcade'' || | + | | ''Arcade'' || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ |
|- | |- | ||
| ''Realistic'' || 9.7 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ | | ''Realistic'' || 9.7 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ | ||
| Line 192: | Line 197: | ||
=== 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.--> |
| + | |||
{{main|L3A1 (7.62 mm)}} | {{main|L3A1 (7.62 mm)}} | ||
| Line 219: | Line 225: | ||
|} | |} | ||
| − | == 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 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 Conqueror performs best at longer ranges as a support tank where it can make the best use of its accurate, high-penetration 120 mm gun as well as its and heavy frontal armour, especially in terrain that allows it to go hull-down. | The Conqueror performs best at longer ranges as a support tank where it can make the best use of its accurate, high-penetration 120 mm gun as well as its and heavy frontal armour, especially in terrain that allows it to go hull-down. | ||
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=== 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:''' | ||
| − | * 361 mm | + | * 361 mm close-range penetration with the high-velocity APDS stock ammunition |
| − | + | * Turret is well armoured and well shaped to deflect rounds | |
| − | * Turret is well armoured and well shaped to deflect rounds | + | * HESH ammunition with good explosive filler for chemical effect |
| − | * HESH ammunition with good explosive filler | ||
* Extremely sloped and well-armoured upper glacis | * Extremely sloped and well-armoured upper glacis | ||
| − | * Both APDS and HESH ammunition rarely ricochet off tanks | + | * Both APDS and HESH ammunition from 120 mm rarely ricochet off tanks |
| − | * The coaxial MG can be used as a ranging gun, its bullets land where the HESH shell will approximately hit | + | * The coaxial MG can be used as a ranging gun, its bullets land where the HESH shell will approximately hit |
| − | * | + | * Has add-on armour, which offers more protection to the sides and front |
| + | * Large volume within tank mean all crew may not be knocked out in one hit | ||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
| − | * Poor lethality with APDS | + | * Poor lethality with APDS |
| − | * Unreliable HESH ammunition that is harder to aim due to lower velocity | + | * Unreliable HESH ammunition that is harder to aim due to lower velocity |
| − | * Long reload time. | + | * Long reload time, though appropriate for the calibre |
| − | * Very weak side hull armour | + | * Possesses only 7.62 mm machine guns to handle other threats |
| − | + | * Weak lower glacis plate | |
| − | * Top speed is subpar (33 km/h) | + | * Very weak side hull armour of 51 mm without add-on armour |
| − | + | * Top speed is subpar (33 km/h) with poor acceleration | |
| − | * | + | * Ammunition rack is strewn all over turret |
== 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 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></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== Encyclopedia Info ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).--> |
| + | |||
===Development=== | ===Development=== | ||
| − | In 1944, General Staff started a project called ''A45 Infantry Support Tank'', which started around the same time as the development of the [[Centurion Mk 1|A41 Centurion]] cruiser tank. This project, after the war, was redesignated from a typical "Infantry Tank" and instead focused on a new role of a "Universal Tank" design in the form of the FV 200 series. The "Universal Tank" | + | In 1944, General Staff started a project called ''A45 Infantry Support Tank'', which started around the same time as the development of the [[Centurion Mk 1|A41 Centurion]] cruiser tank. This project, after the war, was redesignated from a typical "Infantry Tank" and instead focused on a new role of a "Universal Tank" design in the form of the FV 200 series. The "Universal Tank" concept was to design a vehicle that would have a mobility comparable to that of cruiser tanks, but with the armour and firepower of heavy tanks. The FV 200 series designation was adopted and was to serve as a line of vehicles that used the same hull and chassis in different roles like armour recovery vehicles and self-propelled guns. The first tank of this series was to be the FV 201, which would be 55 tons and use the 20-pounder gun. |
In 1949, a new requirement for the project called for the use of a 120 mm gun, possibly in response to the reveal of the Soviet [[IS-3]] heavy tank in the Berlin Victory Parade in 1945. This new requirement would delay the initial deadlines for the tank as no gun of that caliber had been developed yet. As a interim development before such a gun could be made, the FV 201 hull was mounted with a turret from the Centurion tank and this created the ''[[Caernarvon|FV 221 Caernarvon]]'', with ''Mark I'' for a 17-pounder armament and a ''Mark II'' for a 20-pounder armament. However, the success of the lighter Centurion tank made the Caernarvon unsuitable in a "Main Battle Tank" role. Further development on the Caernarvon, with emphasis on the armour and armament, would develop the '''FV 214 Conqueror''' tanks, some were straight up conversions of Caernarvon Mark II's. About 185 Conquerors were produced in Mk.1 and Mk.2 variants from 1955 to 1959. | In 1949, a new requirement for the project called for the use of a 120 mm gun, possibly in response to the reveal of the Soviet [[IS-3]] heavy tank in the Berlin Victory Parade in 1945. This new requirement would delay the initial deadlines for the tank as no gun of that caliber had been developed yet. As a interim development before such a gun could be made, the FV 201 hull was mounted with a turret from the Centurion tank and this created the ''[[Caernarvon|FV 221 Caernarvon]]'', with ''Mark I'' for a 17-pounder armament and a ''Mark II'' for a 20-pounder armament. However, the success of the lighter Centurion tank made the Caernarvon unsuitable in a "Main Battle Tank" role. Further development on the Caernarvon, with emphasis on the armour and armament, would develop the '''FV 214 Conqueror''' tanks, some were straight up conversions of Caernarvon Mark II's. About 185 Conquerors were produced in Mk.1 and Mk.2 variants from 1955 to 1959. | ||
| Line 263: | Line 271: | ||
===Usage=== | ===Usage=== | ||
| − | The Conqueror were all stationed in West German in the armoured regiments stationed there. Each regiment received 9 Conquerors and were organized in groups of three as tank troops to support the Centurions in any conflict that arise from the tense situation of the Cold War. As history played out, the Cold War never became "hot" and no hostile conflicts arise in the borders of Germany, thus the Conquerors never saw any use aside from training as they were all exclusively stationed on the German borders. The Conqueror's intention to provide a long-range anti-tank capability for the Centurions, became less significant when the Centurions began to arm themselves with the more powerful 105 mm L7 gun, such as the [[Centurion Mk 10]]. The lower tactical value of the Conqueror and further development on heavy tanks in Britain had the Conquerors replaced in 1966 with the much more powerful and armoured, yet lighter, | + | The Conqueror were all stationed in West German in the armoured regiments stationed there. Each regiment received 9 Conquerors and were organized in groups of three as tank troops to support the Centurions in any conflict that arise from the tense situation of the Cold War. As history played out, the Cold War never became "hot" and no hostile conflicts arise in the borders of Germany, thus the Conquerors never saw any use aside from training as they were all exclusively stationed on the German borders. The Conqueror's intention to provide a long-range anti-tank capability for the Centurions, became less significant when the Centurions began to arm themselves with the more powerful 105 mm L7 gun, such as the [[Centurion Mk 10]]. The lower tactical value of the Conqueror and further development on heavy tanks in Britain had the Conquerors replaced in 1966 with the much more powerful and armoured, yet lighter, [[Chieftain Mk 3|FV 4201 Chieftain tank]]. |
== Media == | == Media == | ||
| − | '' | + | ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' |
| − | == | + | == 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;'' | ||
| + | * ''encyclopedia page on the tank;'' | ||
| + | * ''other literature.''--> | ||
* [https://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/850/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Сenturion Mk III and Conqueror Mk II] | * [https://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/850/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Сenturion Mk III and Conqueror Mk II] | ||
* [http://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/870 [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Conqueror Armor Investigation] | * [http://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/870 [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Conqueror Armor Investigation] | ||
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{{Britain heavy tanks}} | {{Britain heavy tanks}} | ||
Revision as of 01:16, 7 May 2019
Contents
Description
The Tank Heavy Gun Conqueror Mk 2 is a rank V British heavy tank
with a battle rating of 7.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was released along with the initial British tree line in Update 1.55 "Royal Armour". Meant to defeat the Soviet IS-3, the Conqueror gives the British tree line an emphasis in armour and firepower, with a 120 mm gun able to contest the Rank V competitors.
The Conqueror shares the same hull as the Caernarvon, but features a completely new turret armed with the Ordnance QF 120 mm L1A1 gun.
General info
Survivability and armour
The turret is significantly better armoured than the Centurion turret used by the Caernarvon. In a hull-down position where the weak lower front plate is hidden, it can be a very difficult vehicle to destroy from the front. Unfortunately, the side and rear hull armour is very weak, although it is covered by a lot of spaced armour. Flanking the Conqueror usually results in its swift destruction.
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour
- Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)
- Structural steel (Side skirts)
| Armour | Front | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 130 mm (60°) Front glacis 76.2 mm (44°) Lower glacis |
50.8 + 4 mm | 38 mm Top 20 mm (61°) Bottom |
44 mm Front 17 mm Crew hatches 17 mm Rear |
| Turret | 152-313 mm (0-68°) Turret front 140-200 mm (0-78°) Gun mantlet |
89-313 mm (1-48°) | 50 mm (1-34°) | 50.8 mm 31 mm Square area near gun |
| Armour | Front | Rear | Roof | |
| Cupola | 203 mm (0-17°) | 70 mm (12-14°) | 50.8 mm 17 mm Crew hatches |
Notes:
- Suspension wheels and bogies are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick.
- Front of turret vary in armour thickness, from 152 mm to 313 mm, but it is all very sloped due to turret design.
- The front of the turret roof has an additional armour plate of 31 mm in thickness.
Mobility
The mobility of the Conqueror is fair enough for a 65 ton heavy tank, and is actually comparable to the Centurion.
| Mobility characteristic | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weight (tons) | Add-on Armour weight (tons) |
Max speed (km/h) |
| 64.9 | 1.1 | 37 (AB) |
| 34 (RB/SB) | ||
| Engine power (horsepower) | ||
| Mode | Stock | Upgraded |
| Arcade | 1,046 | ____ |
| Realistic/Simulator | 716 | 810 |
| Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | ||
| Mode | Stock | Upgraded |
| Arcade | 16.12 | __.__ |
| Realistic/Simulator | 11.03 | 12.48 |
Armaments
Main armament
The 120 mm gun used by the Conqueror is essentially a version of the American 120 mm Gun M58 used by the M103 heavy tank. Unfortunately, the British version does not have access to the extremely lethal American solid shot AP or HEAT ammunition. The Conqueror is thus forced to choose between the anaemic APDS or unreliable HESH ammunition, while also sharing the same long reload as the American gun.
In general, the APDS is quite accurate at long ranges thanks to its high velocity, and the high penetration usually means it will not have too many problems penetrating most things the Conqueror will encounter. However, the post-penetration effects of APDS tend to be very poor compared to full-bore AP, and it is very rare to one-shot opponents. This problem is further exacerbated by the Conqueror's long reload, which is longer than the time it takes to replace a crewmember if facing a opponent with good crew skills. The HESH round will do a lot of damage if it hits and penetrates, but is easily frustrated by spaced armour and external components like tracks or suspension elements. It also has a relatively low velocity and is harder to use at long ranges.
| 120 mm L1A2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Vertical guidance |
Horizontal guidance |
Stabilizer | ||
| 35 | -7°/+15° | ±180° | Two-plane | ||
| Turret rotation speed (°/s) | |||||
| Mode | Stock | Upgraded | Prior + Full crew | Prior + Expert qualif. | Prior + Ace qualif. |
| Arcade | __.__ | __.__ | __.__ | __.__ | __.__ |
| Realistic | 9.7 | __.__ | __.__ | __.__ | __.__ |
| Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||
| Stock | Prior + Full crew | Prior + Expert qualif. | Prior + Ace qualif. | ||
| 19.4 | __.__ | __.__ | __.__ | ||
Ammunition
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration in mm @ 90° | |||||
| 10m | 100m | 500m | 1000m | 1500m | 2000m | ||
| Shot L1G | APDS | 362 | 361 | 359 | 354 | 339 | 321 |
| Shell L1TK | HESH | 152 | 152 | 152 | 152 | 152 | 152 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity in m/s |
Projectile Mass in kg |
Fuse delay
in m: |
Fuse sensitivity
in mm: |
Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent): |
Normalization At 30° from horizontal: |
Ricochet: | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||
| Shot L1G | APDS | 1493 | 7.6 | N/A | N/A | N/A | +1.5° | 75° | 78° | 80° |
| Shell L1TK | HESH | 792 | 16 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 3,100 | +0° | 73° | 77° | 80° |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Recommendations | Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 31 (+4) | 21 (+14) | 16 (+19) | 11 (+24) | 6 (+29) | 1 (+34) | No |
Keep ammo at around 16 (+19) or 11 (+24)
Machine guns
| 7.62 mm L3A1 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coaxial mount | ||||||
| Capacity (Belt capacity) | Fire rate (shots/minute) |
Vertical guidance |
Horizontal guidance | |||
| 3,750 (250) | 500 | N/A | N/A | |||
| Pintle mount | ||||||
| Capacity (Belt capacity) | Fire rate (shots/minute) |
Vertical guidance |
Horizontal guidance | |||
| 3,750 (250) | 500 | -10°/+30° | ±90° | |||
Usage in battles
The Conqueror performs best at longer ranges as a support tank where it can make the best use of its accurate, high-penetration 120 mm gun as well as its and heavy frontal armour, especially in terrain that allows it to go hull-down.
Modules
As per usual,"Parts" and "FPE" should be the focus first for modifications to increase combat survivability. Everything else is fair game after those two.
It is then recommended to head for the "Additional Ballistic Protection Package" in order to increase the armour of the Conqueror to stand up to more lethal rounds.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- 361 mm close-range penetration with the high-velocity APDS stock ammunition
- Turret is well armoured and well shaped to deflect rounds
- HESH ammunition with good explosive filler for chemical effect
- Extremely sloped and well-armoured upper glacis
- Both APDS and HESH ammunition from 120 mm rarely ricochet off tanks
- The coaxial MG can be used as a ranging gun, its bullets land where the HESH shell will approximately hit
- Has add-on armour, which offers more protection to the sides and front
- Large volume within tank mean all crew may not be knocked out in one hit
Cons:
- Poor lethality with APDS
- Unreliable HESH ammunition that is harder to aim due to lower velocity
- Long reload time, though appropriate for the calibre
- Possesses only 7.62 mm machine guns to handle other threats
- Weak lower glacis plate
- Very weak side hull armour of 51 mm without add-on armour
- Top speed is subpar (33 km/h) with poor acceleration
- Ammunition rack is strewn all over turret
History
Development
In 1944, General Staff started a project called A45 Infantry Support Tank, which started around the same time as the development of the A41 Centurion cruiser tank. This project, after the war, was redesignated from a typical "Infantry Tank" and instead focused on a new role of a "Universal Tank" design in the form of the FV 200 series. The "Universal Tank" concept was to design a vehicle that would have a mobility comparable to that of cruiser tanks, but with the armour and firepower of heavy tanks. The FV 200 series designation was adopted and was to serve as a line of vehicles that used the same hull and chassis in different roles like armour recovery vehicles and self-propelled guns. The first tank of this series was to be the FV 201, which would be 55 tons and use the 20-pounder gun.
In 1949, a new requirement for the project called for the use of a 120 mm gun, possibly in response to the reveal of the Soviet IS-3 heavy tank in the Berlin Victory Parade in 1945. This new requirement would delay the initial deadlines for the tank as no gun of that caliber had been developed yet. As a interim development before such a gun could be made, the FV 201 hull was mounted with a turret from the Centurion tank and this created the FV 221 Caernarvon, with Mark I for a 17-pounder armament and a Mark II for a 20-pounder armament. However, the success of the lighter Centurion tank made the Caernarvon unsuitable in a "Main Battle Tank" role. Further development on the Caernarvon, with emphasis on the armour and armament, would develop the FV 214 Conqueror tanks, some were straight up conversions of Caernarvon Mark II's. About 185 Conquerors were produced in Mk.1 and Mk.2 variants from 1955 to 1959.
Design
The FV 214 Conqueror, also known as the "Tank, Heavy No. 1, 120 mm Gun, Conqueror", was intended to provide a mobile, long-range anti-tank support for the lighter and more numerous Centurion tanks stationed in Germany. As a response to the heavy IS-3 tank in Soviet service, the tank's armament and armour is taken up and beyond extreme to typical NATO armour development. The armour, with a frontal plate of about seven inches (178 mm), made the tank one of the most protected tanks stationed in West Germany. The abundance of armour made the tank heavy, weighing 64 tons, and this impeded the tank's top speed and made it mechanically unreliable. However, the tank was very mobile in cross-country terrain, seen as equal as the lighter and faster Centurion tank.
The gun was the very large 120 mm cannon, the largest caliber tank gun available when it was introduced. The gun was American-developed, the same 120 mm cannon that would arm the M103 heavy tank. The gun uses a two-piece ammunition and the tank allowed for a ammo stowage of 35 rounds. Another notable feature of the Conqueror aside from its large cannon and thick armour was the unique and rotatable commander's cupola. In the cupola was the Conqueror's fire control system and had many features that made it ahead of its time. Being able to be rotated independent from the turret, plus with a coincidence rangefinder, the commander could align the cupola to a target, measure its range, and direct the gunner to the designated target. While the gunner located and engage the target, the commander could go and find a different target to designate and range.
Usage
The Conqueror were all stationed in West German in the armoured regiments stationed there. Each regiment received 9 Conquerors and were organized in groups of three as tank troops to support the Centurions in any conflict that arise from the tense situation of the Cold War. As history played out, the Cold War never became "hot" and no hostile conflicts arise in the borders of Germany, thus the Conquerors never saw any use aside from training as they were all exclusively stationed on the German borders. The Conqueror's intention to provide a long-range anti-tank capability for the Centurions, became less significant when the Centurions began to arm themselves with the more powerful 105 mm L7 gun, such as the Centurion Mk 10. The lower tactical value of the Conqueror and further development on heavy tanks in Britain had the Conquerors replaced in 1966 with the much more powerful and armoured, yet lighter, FV 4201 Chieftain tank.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
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
| Britain heavy tanks | |
|---|---|
| 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 |
