Crusader

One of the primary cruiser tanks of the United Kingdom during World War II, the Tank, Cruiser, Mk VI Crusader (A15) was perhaps the most important British tank of the North African Campaign. However, due to its reputation for unreliability and relatively thin armor, it was replaced by American tanks for the invasion of Italy. Over 5,300 were built.

History
In 1939 Nuffield Mechanisation and Aero was offered the opportunity to take part in the production of the A13 Mk III (later to become the Tank, Cruiser Mk V "Covenanter") tank, which was still in design stage. Nuffield, however, preferred to work on its own version of the A13. This new tank was adopted as Tank, Cruiser, Mk VI Crusader, under General Staff specification A15. Although Crusader is often referred to as an improved version of the Covenanter, in fact it was a parallel design. Despite a later start, the prototype of the Crusader was ready six weeks before the first Covenanter.

Unlike earlier "Christie cruisers", Crusader had five road wheels each side to improve weight distribution. It had a different engine than the Covenanter, different steering system and a conventional cooling system with radiators in the engine compartment. At the left hand side of the front hull - a place occupied by the engine radiator in the Covenanter - was mounted a small hand-traversed auxiliary turret armed with a Besa machine gun. The auxiliary turret was awkward to use and was often removed in the field or remained unoccupied. Both (A13 Mk III) and (A15) designs shared the same main turret. Early production vehicles had a "semi-internal" cast mantlet, which was quickly replaced in production by better protected big cast mantlet with three vertical slits - for the main gun, for a coaxial Besa MG and for a sighting telescope.

Combat history
The tank first saw combat during Operation Battleaxe and played a crucial role in the following Operation Crusader which was named after it.

Although the Crusader was faster than any tanks it opposed, its potential was limited by a relatively light QF 2-pounder gun, thin armour and mechanical problems. A particular tactical limitation was the lack of an High Explosive (HE) shell for the main armament - these existed but were never supplied. Axis tank forces developed an extremely effective tactic of engaging Commonwealth tank forces by retiring behind a screen of concealed anti-tank (AT) guns. The pursuing tanks could then be engaged by the artillery. With the German anti-tank guns out of range of the tanks' machine guns and without a high explosive shell to return fire, the tanks were left with the equally unpalatable options of either withdrawing under fire or trying to overrun the gun screen.

After the completion of the North African Campaign, the availability of better tanks such as the Sherman and Cromwell relegated the Crusader to secondary duties such as anti-aircraft mounts or gun tractors. In these roles it served for the remainder of the war.