- Yes
- No
History
A logical step in the Churchill’s development was to fit it with a dual-purpose gun firing AP and HE shells befitting its Infantry Tank role. Thanks to Vickers-Armstrong’s modification of the 6pdr and subsequent creation of the ROQF 75mm Mk. V, another rearmament program could be carried out for the Churchill.
In 1943, priorities were established for which vehicles would be the first to receive the new 75mm. The Churchill took precedence, then the Cromwell, followed by the Centaur and Valentine followed by armoured cars and other vehicles.
242 Churchill Mk. IIIs were converted to have the 75mm and these became known as the Mk. III*. As well as receiving a new gun, these tanks were re-inforced with applique armour on the turret front, turret front sides, and the hull sides. These can be seen on the Mk. III AVRE already in-game.
Though the AP performance was reduced compared to the earlier 6pdr, the HE performance was massively improved and allowed the Churchill to excel throughout the North-West European Campaign as the effective Infantry Tank it was meant to be.
They seem to have been given to 31st Tank Brigade (mostly 9th RTR) and 34th Tank Brigade with some potentially going to 141st RAC of 79th Armoured Division as support and Command tanks for their Crocodiles.
Though this could be a Mk. III* and is captioned as a 75mm, it is not a certainty and could’ve been a 6pdr.
In-game
I think the Churchill Mk. III* would provide a good stepping stone for players towards the Mk. VII. Their shared armament would get players used to the 75mm and the applique armour would give it a survivability bonus compared to the other Churchills while not being as well protected as the Mk. VII.
While it might be a tough nut to crack for some vehicles, I think 4.0 would be the best BR for this given that the applique armour doesn’t fully cover it and because the 75mm isn’t the most effective gun at this BR.
Specifications
Crew - 5
Weight - 39t
Length - 24’-1”
Width - 9’-5”
Height - 8’-2”
Engine - Bedford Twin-Six 12-cylinder (350hp)
Max speed - 17.4mph
Armament
ROQF 75mm Mk. V
2xBESA 7.92mm MG
Max elevation/depression - +20/-12.5
Ammunition
Around 80-85 shells
9,450 7.92mm BESA rounds
Figures taken from War Thunder Wiki
Armor penetration (mm) at a distance:
10m / 100m / 500m / 1000m / 1500m / 2000m
M72 - AP: 91 / 88 / 78 / 67 / 57 / 49
M61 - APCBC: 103 / 100 / 89 / 77 / 66 / 57
M48 - HE
M89 - Smoke
Armour
Lower Hull Nose - 76.2mm
Upper Hull Nose - 38mm
Hull Front - 89mm
Hull Sides Upper - 50.8mm
Hull Sides Lower - 63.5mm
Hull Side Doors - 76.2mm
Hull Rear Upper - 50.8mm
Hull Rear Lower - 25.4mm
Hull Roof - 19.05mm
Engine Deck - 15.88mm
Turret Front - 89mm
Turret Sides - 89mm/76.2mm
Turret Rear - 76.2mm
Turret Roof - 19.05mm
Applique plates
Turret front - 31.75mm
Turret front sides - 20mm
Hull sides - 20mm
Images
Sources
The Churchill Tank - C. Shillito, S. Osfield
British Battle Tanks - David Fletcher
Churchill Tank Vehicle History and Specification - David Fletcher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUk8AUJZGkA - Tank Chats #116 | Churchill III | The Tank Museum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXH1vAT8VC8 - Evolution of The Churchill Tank | “No Damn Good”? | The Tank Museum
Churchill tank - Wikipedia
