- Yes
- No
Churchill tanks crossing a Bailey bridge over the Antwerp-Turnhout canal at Rijckevorsel during the attack north of Antwerp, 22 October 1944. - IWM (B 11112)
TL;DR - Late-war Mk. III with applique armour, 6pdr Mk. V, and APDS.
Not to be confused with the 75mm-armed Mk. III*
For the purpose of this suggestion I’ve given it the ‘Late’ designation to differentiate it from the Mk. III that’s already in the game but, unlike the Mk. III*, these late-war versions weren’t given any special designation and were still just referred to as Mk. IIIs.
History
In the run-up to D-Day, a number of Churchill IIIs and IVs were having their 6-Pounders swapped out for the Vickers ROQF 75mm Mk. V with the new Mk. VI and VII being armed with it from scratch. It was a good dual-purpose gun, with decent AP and excellent HE capability, and with it the Churchill really turned into the Infantry Tank that it was meant to be.
However, with the reduction in AP performance compared to the 6pdr, and because the Churchill couldn’t mount the 17pdr and Fireflies were needed for the Sherman-equipped units, the Churchill-equipped Tank Brigades would be lacking in organic anti-tank firepower.
As such, the decision was made that a number of Churchills would retain their 6pdrs for its better armour-piercing capability and would essentially act much like the Fireflies and Challengers did in the Sherman and Cromwell Troops and would have similar numbers of one 6pdr to two or three 75mm. Though the 75mm was capable of taking on most of what it would face, the 6pdr was undeniably superior as an anti-tank gun and one tank in a Troop losing some of its HE performance for greatly improved AP performance was a small price to pay.
As mentioned, 242 Mk. IIIs and 242 Mk. IVs were swapped to 75mm tanks with another 500 or so being converted into AVREs (unsure on exact split between III and IV). With all of these conversions in mind, as well as the differences in production numbers, the majority of 6pdr tanks ended up being Mk. IVs but a fair number of Mk. IIIs (possibly around 150) kept their 6pdrs.
Early Mk. IIIs were equipped with the shorter 6pdr Mk. III L/43 but the creation of the longer 6pdr Mk.IV L/50 towed anti-tank gun led to the Mk. V tank gun which was fitted to IIIs and IVs.
The increase in muzzle velocity gave the Mk. V improved AT performance but what was possibly the most significant upgrade was the introduction of its APDS ammunition in 1944. Priority for distribution of the new ammunition was first given to the Anti-Tank Regiments but the tank units did also receive it, though I’m unsure as to whether or not the tanks received them before or after the invasion had begun.
As with the Mk. III* and AVREs, these 6pdr tanks were also reinforced with applique armour on the turret front (31.75mm), turret front sides (20mm), and the hull sides (20mm).
Seeing service from D-Day throughout the North-West European campaign, they seem to have been given to 31st Tank Brigade and 34th Tank Brigade alongside the Mk. III*.
In-game
With its 6pdr Mk. V, APDS, and applique armour, the Mk. III Late would be a very effective upgrade over the Mk. III and provide a good stepping stone towards the Mk. VII.
I think it would fit in best at a BR of 4.3 as, even though it’s up-armoured, it doesn’t reach the same level of protection as the Mk. VII with more weakspots and a much weaker hull front. Additionally, while the gun would be the main selling point of this tank (especially if it did receive the APDS rounds), it is still only a 57mm and would lack the really damaging post-pen effects that some of the higher calibre guns have.
The Mk. III, as it currently stands in-game, has the stats of the 6pdr Mk. V despite being modelled as an earlier tank with the shorter Mk. III. If this ‘Late’ version were to be added, and the Mk. III given the correct stats and moved down to 3.7, it would feel like even more of an upgrade that was worth unlocking and playing.
Personally, I also think that the NA75 could be moved down in BR and that this would be the perfect replacement to take its spot at 4.3.
Specifications
Crew - 5
Weight - 39t
Length - 24’-1”
Width - 9’-5”
Height - 8’-2”
Engine - Bedford Twin-Six 12-cylinder (350hp)
Max speed - 17mph
Armament
OQF 6-Pounder Mk. V
2xBESA 7.92mm MG
Max elevation/depression - +20/-12.5
Ammunition
85 shells
6,975 rounds 7.92mm BESA rounds
Figures taken from War Thunder Wiki
Armor penetration (mm) at a distance:
10m / 100m / 500m / 1000m / 1500m / 2000m
Shot Mk.8 - APC: 116 / 111 / 94 / 76 / 62 / 50
Shot Mk.5 - HV AP: 115 / 111 / 93 / 75 / 60 / 49
Shot Mk.9 - APCBC: 132 / 127 / 110 / 91 / 75 / 63
Shell Mk.10 - HE
APDS
This had a muzzle velocity of 3900ft/sec (1188m/sec) and at 30 degrees to vertical could penetrate:
500 yards/457m - 131mm
1000 yards/915m - 117mm
1500 yards/1371m - 108mm
2000 yards/1828m - 90mm
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
Infantry of 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers, 15th (Scottish Division), advance through waist-high corn behind a Churchill tank of 9th Royal Tank Regiment at the start of Operation ‘Epsom’, 26 June 1944. - IWM (B 5956)
Tank and infantry officers confer on a Churchill tank of 7th Royal Tank Regiment, 31st Tank Brigade, during Operation ‘Epsom’, 28 June 1944. - IWM (B 6113)
Churchill tanks inside a building at 22nd Advanced Base Workshops, near Brussels, 19 May 1945. - IWM (BU 6534) The central tank with its turret turned to the right is a Mk. III with the 6pdr Mk. V
Churchill wrecks photographed in Normandy after the war.
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
