A24, Cavalier I

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A24, Cavalier I

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General Description & History:

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Great view of the rear of an A24 tank showing the Crusader linage carrying over into the design.

The A24 Cavalier was created as a cruiser tank to replace the earlier A15 Crusader, aiming to offer improved speed and firepower. Its development was driven by the need for a more agile tank with a more powerful gun compared to existing models (Crusader Mk I and Mk II). Manufactured by Vickers-Armstrong, the A24 was part of the broader British initiative to enhance their tank fleet.

Designed with an emphasis on mobility, protection, and armament, the A24 featured a 6-pounder (57mm) gun, which provided better firepower than the 2-Pdr (40mm) guns found on earlier British tanks. Its armor was relatively thick for a cruiser tank, offering decent protection against many contemporary enemy weapons.

While the A24 Cavalier was designed in 1942 and began production in 1943, it did not see combat. The British Army quickly identified several drawbacks, including poor performance in difficult terrain and mechanical reliability issues.

Though the Cavalier was eventually overshadowed by more successful designs, it contributed to the evolution of British tank design during World War II. The lessons learned from its development helped inform later models, particularly the Cromwell, which became the primary British cruiser tank toward the end of the war.

In total, around 500 units of the Cavalier were produced. Despite its limited success, the A24 is remembered as an early effort to balance speed, armor, and firepower, even though it faced significant limitations in its design and performance.

Vehicle Specifications:
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Previous Canadian Microfilm specification page hidden due to inaccurate engine power, but maintained for secondary source.

Spoiler

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Just bear-in-mind that the listed HP here is net, gross power is 410hp.

Role in game:
This would essentially play as a far slower Cromwell Mk I. With a top speed of 43.45km compared to the 65km, and 410hp compared to 600hp. It’s the perfect half-way point between Crusader and Cromwell, and would fit very well around 3.0 or 3.3.

Sources:

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11 Likes
2

I’d like to see the Covenantor, Cavalier, and Centaur added to the British tech tree, so +1!

3 Likes
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+1 for every C tank

2 Likes
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+1 This would be a very good vehicle to have for 3.0 Britain, maybe it could even be 2.7, 43kph top speed, and the armor is thick but it’s also very flat

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+1 as could come before the cromwell. This could also go to the French as they operated 12 in 1945 by the 12th Dragoon Regiment.

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Just got the manual. I will edit the initial post when I get time.

3 Likes
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Wait a second - that reverse gear ratio is actually very, very nice compared to the Cromwell’s.

Could the Cavalier actually go backwards?

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Cavalier shares many components with Crusader, and Crusader has a 7km reverse speed.

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36 deg/s turret traverse 0_o
I just assumed this was an overall worse Cromwell, but its clearly got a few aces up its sleeve.

Considering the Cromwell V just got a massive buff, and that the Cromwell I still needs its gun corrected, both stand to get moved up in BR. This leaves the perfect opening for the Cavalier, alongside the Centaurs I and III, to fill the 3.3-3.7 area.

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I assume Cromwell should actually max out to similar values, as 36 degrees was shared all the way back to A9 and A10, and the Cavalier turret is near identical.

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In that case, the Cromwells definitely can’t stay at their current BRs.
All the more reason to add the Cavalier and Centaurs :D