The Road to War… the Cruiser Mk III Tank

HIGH SPEED TANK: the Cruiser Mk III A13-E1 (1937)

As the inevitable World War approached, Britain scrambled to reinvent her military to face the challenge from Nazi Germany. While the 1936 Spitfire clearly played a huge role in winning the war for the Allies, the Cruiser Mk III had less success on the battlefield. But it was a milestone in British tanks, an important pioneer.

Car manufacturer Morris was set the challenge of designing a high speed tank and they wisely bought a second hand tank from American fast tank pioneer, J. Walter Christie. With a Christie suspension, oversized wheels and a V12 340hp Nuffield Liberty aircraft engine, the Cruiser Mk III managed 30 miles an hour. Useful as the British Expeditionary Force retreated as fast as they could to Dunkirk.

TIMEWARP... When the first Mk III prototype was produced in 1937 Britain didn’t even have a tank division

WHAT MAKES IT GREAT... A great pioneer - the Mk III paved the way for the Mk IV, Mk V, Crusader and other tanks that had to be developed incredibly quickly during wartime.

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[Jan_]

"I'm removing The Speed Limiters"

[chippledon]

I always believed this to be one of the best looking tanks. Must have looked quite modern in its day.

[graemesydney]

"Dangerously unreliable" - a WW1 designed engine with exposed tappets being used in dusty conditions of the dessert - well that's hard to believe or predict.

[chippledon]

One of the best looking tanks of its day if nothing else.

[bluesrocker]

I've been looking for this clip for ages. Love the sound of that Nuffield Liberty.

[rgplastic]

I love these engines running and the sound of the tracks!

[nathancardon]

Yeah it's cool but where can i buy this remote control tank ?

[Corristo]

Christie basically built tanks on wheels which could be fitted with tracks. In fact you could rhen them on their wheels like cars and race around, at least if you were running on flat ground like a paved road.
The Crusader was a good idea on paper, making up for its weak armor with high speed. And it is difficult to track a fast tank with a slow moving anti-tank gun or a turret on another tank. But speed can't stop a shell if it hits and more speed usually comes with the price of mechanical problems. If that situation occured, then the Crusader was a sitting duck.

[t.wcharles]

It followed Jeremy Clarkson's philosophy on vehicles
SPEED AND

[craigross]

Wouldn't have thought that aero engines had great cooling or torque. So you'd need loads of cooling and heavy and complex gears.

[JesusGonzalez-gscd]

Never let Darjeeling's precious tea go cold

[nickdanger]

"As World War II loomed, Nuffield, producing British Cruiser tanks, licensed and re-engineered the {Packard} Liberty {aircraft engine} for use in the A13 (produced as the Cruiser Mk III) and later Cruiser tanks." "The reconfiguration of the Mk. III Liberty engine into a flatter format to fit into the Crusader {Cruiser, Mk VI} engine compartment had badly affected the tank's water pumps and cooling fan arrangements, both of which were critical in the hot desert temperatures."

[anoncrazynonevilgooddecent]

Also suspensionand chassis of Soviet T34 and BT series was from Christie

[sdg]

the crusader wasn't that unreliable, it only got that reputation because the air filters kept clogging from the dust in Africa.

[thesnazzycomet]

British cruiser tanks are some of the best looking tanks

[treyriver]

A lot of Tanks & Armored vehicles used Aircraft engines, or derived from Aircraft Engine here is a partial list.

US
M3 Grant/Lee - Continental R975
M18 Hellcat- Continental R975
M4 Sherman Continental R975
Early M3 Stewart Continental W-670-9A

UK
Cromwell -Rolls-Royce Meteor
Challenger -Rolls-Royce Meteor
Avenger -Rolls-Royce Meteor
Comet -Rolls-Royce Meteor
Centurion -Rolls-Royce Meteor
Charioteer -Rolls-Royce Meteor
Conqueror -Rolls-Royce Meteor

USSR
BT-7 Mikulin M-17 (Lic Built BMW-VI)
T-28 Mikulin M-17 (Lic Built BMW-VI)
T-35 Mikulin M-17 (Lic Built BMW-VI)

[deanmurphy]

Praises the engine through out the video. The last words said are "dangerously unreliable"

[Military_Clips_Restored]

One of the MOST beautiful tank ever built the

[Turgineer]

A13 Mk II (Cruiser Mk IV) My favorite tank in War Thunder and World of Tanks, it's an amazing tank.

Rozehip from Girls und Panzer liked this video.

[Ocrilat]

No mention of the chicken soup dispensers in those thanks? Weird.