- Yes
- No
Introduction
By the end of WW2, or even prior to this depending on who you ask, the British 75mm Cromwell was considered completely ineffective as a fighting vehicle. Soviet heavies were rolling through Berlin and 75mm APCBC was not going to cut the mustard any longer. As Britain had such a surplus of these tanks, and the Centurions were rolling off the production lines rather slowly, it was seen prudent to up-gun the existing fleet of Cromwell tanks.
Such was born the FV4101 ‘Charioteer’, a stopgap solution to enhance the firepower of the aging Cromwell tanks by mounting a more powerful 20-pounder (84 mm) gun, which was standard on the Centurion tank from the Mk 3 onwards. Production began in 1952, with 600 units being ordered initially, and approximately 442 units were built by the early 1960s.
The Charioteer was primarily intended for service with the British Territorial Army, where it replaced older tanks like the Challenger and Sherman Firefly. However, it also saw significant export use. Countries including Austria, Finland, Jordan, and Lebanon acquired the Charioteer for their armed forces. The tank performed a dual role as a mobile fire support vehicle and a tank hunter, although its thin armor, a remnant of the Cromwell design, limited its effectiveness in high-intensity combat. The Charioteer saw action during the Lebanese Civil War in the 1970s and 1980s, where it was used by various factions.
This specific variant, armed with the ubiquitous Royal Ordnance L7 105mm, was built in the UK in 1969, with aims of attracting export customers and securing sales. It underwent successful testing and trials, but no interest was gathered, and the vehicle survives today in a rather poor state of care in a private collection. The vehicle previously survived in a private collection, but it has since been taken apart, with the hull being used as the base for a Cromwell AFV rebuild.
Specifications
Images
Spoiler
Charioteer 105 in a private collection. Looking pretty rough but still intact.
Charioteer 105 being cannabalised for its Cromwell hull
Sources
Spoiler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po8OpNu00ts
Charioteer, published in Wheels & Tracks, Number 60, 1997
