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Crusader
Crusader tank


"It looks like a crab!"
―Anzu
"Cruiser tanks are fast and mobile, so be careful."
―Erwin
"I'm removing the speed limiter!"
―Rosehip

The A15 Cruiser Tank Mk VI Crusader (or just Crusader) was one of the primary British cruiser tanks during the early stages of the Second World War.

History[]

Development[]

In 1938, Nuffield Mechanizations and Aero Limited produced their A16 design for a heavy cruiser tank based on Christie suspension. Looking for a lighter and cheaper tank to build, the General Staff requested alternatives. To this end, the A13 Mk III cruiser tank, which would enter service as the "Cruiser Tank Mk V Covenanter," was designed. Nuffield was offered the opportunity to take part in the production of the Covenanter in 1939.

Nuffield, however, preferred to work on its own version of the A13 – though it still provided design work for the Covenanter's turret. 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, it was in fact a parallel design. Both tanks were ordered "off the drawing board" without building prototypes first. Despite a later start, the pilot model of the Crusader was ready six weeks before the first Covenanter.

Unlike the previous Cruiser Tanks (A13, Marks III and IV, and the Mark V Covenanter) that were built with four road wheels, the Crusader had five road wheels each side to improve weight distribution in a tank that weighed almost 20 tons instead of the 14 tons of the previous cruisers. The Crusader also had a different engine, steering system, and also a conventional cooling system with radiators in the engine compartment. The Crusaders were also known for a comfortable ride and fairly good stability while firing on the move. Very few Crusaders would explode when hit, due to the addition of armored storage bins for ammunition and fuel.

The first version, the Crusader Mk.I, used the same turret as the Covenanter fitted with a 2-pdr gun. It also featured an additional turret on the left side of the hull with a BESA machine-gun which was often removed by the crew. The Crusader Mk.II had its front armor increased and the auxiliary turret was removed, allthough some still had it installed. The last version, the Crusader Mk.III, was upgunned with a 6-pdr gun with its turret remodeled to carry the gun and was equipped with the Mk.IV Liberty engine. Some Crusaders were converted into AA tanks (with a 40mm Bofors for the AA Mk.I or a twin 20mm Oerlikon gun for the AA Mk.II), some were equipped with 3-inch howitzer for close support, and others were converted into utility tanks such as armored recovery vehicles or gun tractors.

Operational History[]

The Crusader only served during the North African campaign. The Crusader fought among a vast variaty of different Tanks in North Africa, some of these were Cruiser Mk.Is, Mk.IIs, and Stuarts. Crusaders first took part in Operation Battleaxe, where they proved to be faster than thier German counterparts, but its potential was limited by its unreliability in desert environments and its relatively light 2-pdr gun. Those issues were fixed with the later Crusader Mk 3 variant. The Crusaders gun was, with the Mk.III variant, upgraded to a 6-pdr gun, due to the long barreled 5cm KWK 39 L60, which was put into the later variants of the Panzer 3 Ausf. J. The engine reliabilty issues were mostly fixed with the upgrade to the Mk.IV Liberty engine. They last served during the Tunisian Campaign in the Battle of the Mareth Line and the Battle of Wadi Akarit.

After the North African Campaign, the Crusaders were relegated to secondary duties such as anti-aircraft tanks in North West Europe; however, with the Allied domination of the air, they were largely unneeded and the AA troops were disbanded.

During the North African Campaign, the 15th Panzer Division captured and used Crusader tanks under the designation Kreuzer Panzerkampfwagen Mk VI 746(e).

In Girls und Panzer[]

Anime[]

A single Crusader Mk II can be seen behind Assam in Episode 4 after the St. Gloriana vs Oarai match.

Radio Drama[]

The Crusader was meant to participate in the training match against Ooarai but it was scrapped by Darjeeling due to Rosehip's lack of gracefulness.

Gekkan Senshado Magazine[]

St. Gloriana Girls College fielded two Crusaders Mk.III during the tournament semi-finals match against Kuromorimine Girls Academy. They were used as scouts after Nilgiri's Cromwell caught the attention and were likely destroyed as all St. Gloriana were destroyed in the match.

Girls und Panzer: Der Film[]

During the exihibition match against Ooarai Girls Academy and Chi-Ha-Tan Academy, St. Gloriana Girls College fielded four Crusaders Mk.III commanded by Rosehip. Three of them were destroyed by Miho, Rosehip's one is accidentally responsible of the destruction of Klara's T-34/85 by ramming her and making her outers fuel tanks exploding. Rosehip's Crusader was ultimately destroyed by a lucky shot from Momo (she was aiming at the Churchill).

The Crusader was among the reinforcements from St. Gloriana to Ooarai alongside the Matilda and the Churchill. It was part of Dandelion Company under the command of Miho and Darjeeling. It was often saw during the Karl bombardment avoiding massive explosions. After the retreat to the Amusement Park, the Crusader was assigned to the Eastern Utility Gate. When their opponent broke a wall to get into said Park, Rosehip and her Crusader rushed the enemy, thinking it was a Chaffee only to face the T28 Super-Heavy Tank, she narrowly dodge the shell that was fired by it. During Ooarai's disarray, the Crusader, with most of the rest of their tanks, was trapped in the amphitheater. They were saved from destruction by Rabbit Team and the ferris wheel, which Rosehip shoot at wich the Machine Gun of the Crusader. The Crusader also acted as a bait with B1 Bis to lure Pershings to Hippo Team and ultimately Rosehip remove the speed limiter of the Crusader and jumps over a little canal to shoot a Chaffee only to crush herself on a wall.

GuP: Anthology[]

Erika commanded one Crusader Mk.I during a match during her time in Hitoyoshi Elementary School fighting an unknown opponent that she managed to destroy.

Saga of Pravda[]

St. Gloriana Girls College fielded eight Crusaders Mk.III during the 61st Sensha-dō Tournament match against Pravda Girls High School. They were first used to make hit & run attacks on Pravda tanks to put them on nerve and they finally act as a diversion alongside Earl Grey's allowing the Churchill to snipe down their flag tank.

Das Finale Part 2[]

St. Gloriana Girls College fielded at least two Crusaders Mk.III (one surely commanded by Rosehip) during the Winter Continuous Track Cup first round match against Waffle Academy. It is unknown if they scored any hit during the match but the first was destroyed by an unknown tank while Rosehip's one was destroyed by Waffle's AMC-35.

Das Finale Part 3[]

During the battle with Anzio High School, St. Gloriana fielded four Crusader in total, of wich we get to see three, one of which is commanded by Rosehip. Two out of three Crusaders get taken out by Anzios L3s by dropping them into the nearby river while the last Crusader runs away and baits Anzio into a trap.

Trivia[]

  • The Crusader tank, like most other British cruiser tanks, has a name traditionally beginning with a C. This tradition most likely began due to the British similarly naming classes of destroyers after a specific letter.
  • Speed limiters were introduced in most british tanks, including the Crusaders, in order to lessen the stress that can be put onto a tanks powerpack by driving at high speeds.

Gallery[]

Crusader Mk


Main article: Crusader/Gallery
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