- Yes
- No
General Description & History:
The A30 Challenger I was a British tank developed during World War II as a response to the need for increased firepower against heavily armored German tanks. Based on the chassis of the Cromwell tank, the Challenger was classified as a cruiser tank and was upgraded with a more potent 17-pounder anti-tank gun.
To accommodate this large gun, the Challenger received a new turret design and an extended hull, resulting in a larger, heavier tank. This adjustment, however, made it somewhat slower and less maneuverable than the Cromwell.
While the Challenger frequently operated alongside Cromwells within armored units, its limited production of 200 units hampered its use during the war. Its high profile and increased size also made it more vulnerable to enemy fire. Although the Challenger’s armament was formidable, newer tank models, such as the Sherman Firefly, soon surpassed it in utility and impact.
By June 1944, only 34 Challenger tanks had been produced, with just 18 assigned to combat units. Of these, five were deemed substandard, making it clear why they did not see action during the Normandy invasion.
However, the tanks were deployed with the 11th Armoured Division during the 1944 campaign in the Netherlands, including Operation Market Garden. During the battles around Arnhem and Nijmegen, the 11th Armoured Division, supported by A30 Challenger tanks (including early variants like T271940, pictured above, which served with the 15/19 King’s Royal Hussars), engaged German forces in fierce combat. Though the operation ultimately failed, the tanks provided valuable support to the airborne divisions and contributed firepower to the effort.
Other early A30 Challenger I tanks, such as T271910 and T271912, served with the Polish 1st Armoured Division. These tanks were active in Belgium and the Netherlands, notably in areas like Den Hout and Moerdijk.
Vehicle Specifications:
Role in game:
The only difference between this A30 Challenger I and the one currently in game is the reduced mantlet armour. That being 63mm compared to the 102mm that the current version has. As a balance suggestion I’d remove the APDS vehicle from this vehicle as well, and then we’d have a perfect 5.0 variant of the A30 Challenger I. This would be another easy vehicle for Gaijin to implement as the 3D model is largely the same, except for the circled cast budge as explained below.
You can visually spot the difference between the early and mid production variants by the lack of the cast budge around the gun sight. Bottom image is the mid production variant currently in-game.
Sources:
- Tank Archives: Cruiser with a Big Head
- Cruiser Mk.VIII Challenger (1943)
- https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c5268/271
- A30 Challenger Tank A Technical History, P.M. Knight, ISBN-10: 1326483455
