- Yes
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Introduction
The Centurion Mk 3 (32pdr) was a prototype tank developed in the 50s and 60s in Britain, wielding a rigidly mounted Ordnance QF 32 pounder cannon. A common misconception with rigidly mounted tank guns is that they are welded into the turret like some kind of casemate abomination and they can’t move at all, not even to elevate or depress. This not the case, the goal of a rigidly mounted cannon is to mount a gun that doesn’t have to recoil back into the turret after firing a round.
Almost every other turreted tank cannon in history recoils back into the turret after firing a round, in order to dissipate the massive backwards force that the propellant gasses exert (the equal and opposite reaction to the round being fired). The space that this recoil occupies in the turret (normally between half a meter and a meter of clearance behind the gun) has a massive effect on the overall design of the tank and the maximum size of the cannon that can be installed in any given vehicle. Accounting for this recoil is one of the major difficulties that British tank designers had when trying to install the 17pdr in a turreted tank, for example.
The Centurion Mk 3 (32pdr) represents the culmination of a decade of research into rigidly mounted tanks cannons in Britain. Designing a mantlet, turret ring, and turret basket that could withstand the full recoil of a rigid cannon without the turret shearing off the tank, the mantlet cracking in half, or the crew receiving severe whiplash proved to be an immense challenge. Previous attempts include Sherman Firefly and Centurion Mk II turrets both mounting rigid 17pdrs, but neither of these were complete vehicles nor were they particularly successful.
The 32pdr Centurion successfully mounted and test fired a rigid 32pdr, with the 350mm mantlet remaining intact and the (simulated) crew not being turned to mush. The vehicle was in every way a complete tank, on a fully functioning hull with a rotating turret and an elevating cannon. The only problems arose when supercharged propellant was used, which blew all the optics and periscopes out of the tanks, but whilst firing normal rounds the project was quite a success.
The research ended up not being hugely relevant, as conventional tanks cannons were still used going forwards, nonetheless the 32pdr Centurion remains an interesting and unique part of British tank history.
Implementation in game
Spoiler
Although this vehicle was developed in the 50s, from a gameplay perspective, it’s essentially a large, unstabilised WW2 cannon put into an early Centurion chassis. The 32pdrs current performance in game (without the APDS, see the specs section below for more details) is essentially equivalent to the german long 88, with slightly more flat pen, but a longer reload and no APHE.
This vehicle would therefore be a good opportunity to give Britain a solid lineup in the 6.7 BR range, since the Centurion Mk 2, another option for this, was a battlepass vehicle that is now rather expensive on the marketplace.
Specifications
Spoiler
Hull - standard Centurion Mk 3 (the installation of the 32pdr + ammunition will add a few hundred kilograms to the final weight)
Length: 9.75 m (380 inches).
Width: 3.40 m (132 inches).
Height: 3.22 m (125 inches).
Weight: 50.800 kg (111.760 lb.).
Armour: 51 - 152 mm (2 - 6 inches) - 342mm on the mantlet
Engine: V12-cylinder Rolls-Royce Meteor Mk IV B, 27.027 cm3 (1648 cubic inches) displacement, liquid cooled.
Horsepower: 650 at 2.550 rpm.
Transmission: 5-speed Merrit-Brown Z51R Mk. F gearbox.
Transfer case: 2-speed.
Electrical system: 24 volt, negative ground.
Fuel type: Petrol.
Fuel capacity: 550 liter (121 gallons).
Crew: 4
Armament: Ordnance QF 32 pounder
The Ordnance QF 32 pounder as already in game, on the Tortoise Assault Tank.
Additionally, a sabot penetrator was developed and tested, so this could be considered. The results of the firing trials are below.
Images
Sources
Spoiler
Armoured Archives - Centurion 32 pounder experimental tank
Armoured Archives - Tortoise vs Panther - Tank Design and Development - info on 32pdr firing trials.
A.R.D Terminal Ballistics Report No 16/46 - 32pdr firing trials documentation
Centurion Family - Danish Army Vehicles Homepage - Centurion Mk 3 spec sheet.