Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)
Contents
Description
The Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany) is a Rank III premium German heavy tank with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB/RB) and 4.3 (SB). This vehicle was introduced in Update 1.55 "Royal Armour".
The Pz.Kpfw. Churchill is a German captured Churchill Mk III in the German tech tree, it has virtually no differences to its British tech-tree counterpart, other than being painted grey (with the same tone as the Panzer IV and Panzer III).
The Pz.Kpfw. Churchill is one of the best heavy tanks in rank III, sporting heavy frontal armour, a 6 pounder gun that is suitable for its rank, and 30 smoke grenades that are fired separately from the roof, great for covering great areas with smoke. The Churchill also has great gun depression and turret traverse, meaning it can fire at different targets very efficiently.
There are very few enemies which can successfully penetrate the Churchill, the M10 and the Achilles can quickly take care of this vehicle even at long ranges! Other tanks like the Jagdpanzer IV, the Jagdpanzer 38(t), and the Dicker Max can also make quick work of the Churchill, but only in arcade battles, as in realistic battles, they all belong in the same tree.
This vehicle has a few weaknesses which are important to be aware of before charging into battle. First is low acceleration with a maximum speed of only 24.9 km/h, so it’s merely jogging speed as opposed to charging. The tank is also very bulky, difficult to manoeuvre, and is also a large target. Combine those weaknesses with thin roof armour and this tank becomes the perfect prey for fighter-bombers and rocket attacks. The side armour is not as strong as it’s frontal armour, meaning it is vulnerable to flanking.
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.
Mobility
Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability as well as the maximum speed forward and backwards.
Armaments
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: {{main|Name of the weapon}}. 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.
Additional armament
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.
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.
Usage in the battles
Like it’s British counterpart, the Churchill can be used as a very efficient brawler with its excellent turret traverse and gun depression, combined with its heavy frontal armour. Though in urban environments, you should be careful in case someone tries to flank your weak side and rear armour.
If you are not in an up-tiered situation, you can effectively enter a battle and absorb all the enemy rounds which could’ve been fired at your weaker teammates and either engage the enemy with your 75 mm cannon or let your teammates return fire. Companion vehicles such as the Panzer IV F2, Flakbus and other German vehicles possess superior firepower compared to the other country vehicles in rank III (Except for other special TD’s, such as the American M10 and British Achilles) and can in most cases hold their own.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Excellent frontal and decent side armour, can be angled for better effect
- Large tracks can absorb shells fired at the side
- Gun mantlet is also well armoured
- Fast turret traverse; easy to engage people without turning
- Quick reloading 6 Pounder can deal with most enemies
- Has the ability to pivot steer
- Good acceleration
- Premium tank, earns more rewards after a match
- Less enemies that can kill you in RB and SB, as you are in the German tree
- Can be used in the same playstyle as the Churchill III as a spearhead for you lesser armoured team
- Slow speed and large weight gives it a good stabiliser for shooting on the move
- 30 individually fired smoke grenades, great for covering points and areas with smoke
Cons:
- Large target; easily spotted by bombers/fighter-bombers
- Slow speed; can take some time getting it to battle
- Horrible reverse speed, cannot get out of a sticky situation
- Pivot steering can lose a lot of energy
- Gun isn’t suitable for engaging heavy tanks
- Upgunned German vehicles still a threat in Arcade Battles
- Lack of camouflage; only Urban grey and Winter Camo
- Machine gun port is only 50mm
- Roof armour is very thin
- Engine mostly affected when hit from the side or turret
- Tracks are large, and take long to repair
- The good gun depression is hindered by tacks and can only depress in front, and in the sides
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 main template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.
Media
An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.
Read also
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- reference to the series of the vehicles;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
ETC.
Sources
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- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
