Churchill V: Howitzer Heavy

WalletWorrier · May 5, 2024, 9:36pm

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Overview
The Churchill V was a close-support variant of the Churchill IV. Like other British close-support armoured vehicles, it replaced the Mk IV’s 6-pounder with the 95mm Howitzer Mk I. 241 were produced and they served in the Italian and Western fronts.

History

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The Churchill was an infantry tank developed in the late 1930s, being intended to engage both armoured vehicles and soft targets. To accomplish this, the Churchill I of 1940 mounted a 2-pounder anti-tank gun in its turret and a 76mm howitzer in the hull. The limited-traverse hull gun was found to be ineffective, so from the Mk II onwards it was replaced by a machine gun. In order to still provide effective anti-tank and anti-infantry/emplacement capabilities, Churchills would be designed in two versions- 90% would be standard tanks with anti-tank cannons, and the remaining 10% would be Close Support vehicles armed with howitzers.
Development of the Churchill V began in 1942. A close support variant of the Churchill IV being developed at the same time, it was intended to replace the Churchill II CS. The Mk IV and V were identical except for the gun, both incorporating a new cast turret that was cheaper and quicker to produce than the welded one of the Mk III. The Mk V mounted the new OQF 95mm Mk 1, a substantial upgrade in firepower over the OQF 3-inch Mk I of the Churchill II CS. This cannon could fire HE, HEAT, or smoke munitions.
241 Churchill Vs were produced to 2,297 Churchill IIIs and IVs.
The Churchill V served alongside its 6-pounder brothers in the Italian and Western European fronts. They were allocated to the Squadron HQ troops and primarily tasked with providing smoke cover for the cannon Churchills. The Mk Vs were also responsible for taking out soft targets such as anti-tank guns and emplacements, against which the 6-pounder would be ineffective. A single Mk V was trialed in Burma from April 1945. The Churchill V continued to serve after the war into the mid-50s, but only in secondary roles and none were deployed to Korea. Foreign operators included India and Australia, both in very small numbers.

Specifications

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General
Mass: 39.6tonne
Length: 7.44m
Width: 2.74m
Height: 3.28m

Automotive
350hp engine
28/3kmph maximum forward/reverse speed
8.83hp/tonne

Armour
Hull front: 38-178mm
Hull sides: 64-76mm
Hull rear: 25-51mm
Hull roof: 16mm
Turret front: 89-104mm (cast)
Turret sides: 76-80mm (cast)
Turret rear: 76-80mm (cast)
Turret roof: 35-40mm (cast)
*Armour identical to Churchill NA75, except for the mantlet which is similar to Mk III
Add-on track armour on hull front, turret front, turret sides

Armament
Ordinance Quick Firing 95mm Howitzer Mk I
Max 7RPM (8.6s reload)
-12.5/+20 degrees elevation
47 rounds
Shell HE/AT: 502m/s, 110mm penetration
Shell Mk Ia: 320m/s, 10mm penetration
Shell SE Mk I: 320m/s, smoke

7.92mm BESA, coaxial
7.92mm BESA, hull-mount

The Churchill V in-game

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The Churchill V would make an excellent 3.7 heavy tank to compliment the lineup there. It features exceptional armour, poor mobility, and a cannon with high penetration though low damage. The Mk V would likely play very similarly to the Mk VII, eating shells and providing cover for better-armed allies.

Gallery

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Many Churchills in Best, Netherlands. Note the track armour on the Mk V (second vehicle)

Mk V at Dunkirk, October 1944

Churchill V alongside several Mk VIIs. The clean (and common) track armour configuration of this vehicle would probably be best for the game

Mk V in Reichswald, Germany, 1945

Churchill Crocodile passes a disabled Mk V in northern France, 1944

Churchill V on the Italian Front. For some reason, there are far fewer photos of the Mk V in Italy than in western Europe

Mk V at the Overloon War Museum, Overloon, Netherlands

The same Mk V (after restoration and relocation) showing where a mine disabled it

Sources

MajorFooFoo · May 5, 2024, 11:45pm

Turret-front armour is actually a decent bit better than the post says, and there’s the 20mm hull-side applique too though I’ve not seen any images of it on Mk.Vs specifically.

With all this plus extensive track armour it’d have good armour for 3.7, but bigger guns like the German 75 can still go clean through you at the close ranges most WT maps, and the howitzer, force you into, plus there’s that brutal side weakspot that even weaker guns like the Soviet 76 can go right through when you’re angled; The Mk.V definitely wouldn’t play similarly to the Mk.VII. The Mk.VIII would though since that’s a Mk.VII with the same 95mm howitzer - It’s the image of a “Mk.V” you used to talk about the Italian front.

With all the aforementioned extra armour I’d put it at 3.3 max. It’s well protected against most threats but with plenty of available counters, whilst the gun would be very awkward to use outside of knife-fights that negate a lot of your armour advantage just to hit opponents with painfully inconsistent HE or HEAT rounds.

JamesPond1200 · May 6, 2024, 10:59am

“Angling? What the deuce is that? Just make it thicker, dear chap, it surely won’t affect mobility and whatnot!”

MajorFooFoo · May 6, 2024, 11:27am

Angling is for cowards and communists!

Jarms · September 26, 2024, 12:04am

I’ll need to report this for the NA75 some day.

Churchill Mk V would be great fun.

jon_man1199 · September 27, 2024, 1:47am

A +1 from me! More Churchill’s are always appreciated!