The Black Prince weighed around ten tons more than the Churchill so the suspension was modified and the tracks widened by 10 inches to carry the extra load. This led to the last of the cruiser line and the first of the Universal tanks (now more widely known as Main Battle Tanks), the very successful Centurion.Ī larger gun than that carried by a conventional Churchill required a larger turret on a wider turret ring and consequently a widening of the tank hull. While not as heavily protected as the Churchill, the Comet showed the way British tank development was going. These tanks entered service during the war. The cruiser line led to the Cromwell and its 17 pounder-armed Challenger variant, eventually followed by the Comet equipped with the 77 mm gun derived from the design of the 17 pounder. A43 was the General Staff Specification number issued in 1943, for an interim tank that would eventually be superseded by a "Universal tank" that would replace both Infantry and Cruiser tanks. The parallel development in British tank design were the Cruiser tanks, which were intended for more mobile operations. It also was able to work closely with other tanks. It was named after Edward, the Black Prince, a famous 14th century military leader.Īs a development from the Churchill, the Black Prince was a continuation of the line of Infantry tanks, that is slower, heavier tanks intended to operate in close support of infantry. Tank, Infantry, Black Prince (A43) is the name that was assigned to an experimental development of the Churchill tank with a larger, wider hull and a QF 17-pounder (76.2 mm) gun.
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