- Yes, as a tech tree vehicle
- Yes, as a premium vehicle
- Yes, as an event vehicle
- Yes, as a squadron vehicle
- No, I would not like to see the A33/1 in game.
History
In 1941, the British had a problem. It was a large, heavy problem. And its name was Tank, Infantry, Mk.IV A22 - or as it’s commonly known, Churchill.
The Churchill’s initial showing wasn’t very impressive. It was unreliable and had poor speed - while this was baked into the design, it being an Infantry Tank, the experiences of combat in Europe had taught commanders that the Infantry/Cruiser Tank doctrine had several disadvantages. Flexibility on the battlefield was required now more than ever, and tanks like the Churchill wouldn’t provide it. Designers got to work quickly iterating through A28 to A33 - designs all based on the Cruiser Tank Cromwell, but adapted to an assault role. What exactly an Assault Tank means changes depending on who you ask, but the idea was to combine the attractive qualities of an Infantry Tank with that of a Cruiser Tank. In 1943, the first pilot A33 was constructed.
The first pilot A33 tank had some interesting features that set it apart from the A33/2 currently in game. While developing an enhanced suspension to take the greater weight of the tank, the British were keen to get the first A33 running, so they borrowed the HVSS suspension from the American T1E2 heavy tank. This would give it some different automotive capabilities compared to the second pilot. The armor profile was nearly identical, but the sides were not fully covered as on pilot 2. A33/1’s final main difference was the inclusion of a twin Vickers K .303 machine gun mount on the turret roof. This would give pilot 1 a total of four machine guns: one in the hull, one coaxial with the main cannon, and two on the turret roof.
By the time the A33 was maturing, so too had its primary enemy, the Churchill tank. The reliability issues that plagued the early Churchill tank were ironed out, and the low speed was tolerated by adapting tactics. Churchills also proved very useful for their high torque allowing them to cross terrain that other tanks, like the A33, would perhaps fail to. Of the two A33 pilots, only pilot 2 survived to the present day.
Why it should be in War Thunder
The A33/1 provides players who were unable to acquire the Excelsior, or the ones who joined the game after that event had already ended, a chance to drive this interesting vehicle. It also makes sense to go into the main tech lines as it is a natural evolution of Cromwell. Excepting event re-runs, which have not had any indication of occurring, this is the only way to get Excelsior for the player base, and I believe we should be able to have this tank. In addition, for flavor, the gun could be swappable between the 6-pounder and 75mm OQF, depending on what the user wanted - they fit the same mount after all.
Specifications
A33/1
Crew: 5
Weight: 40 tons
Engine: Rolls-Royce Meteor (620 hp)
Power/Weight: 15.5 hp/ton
Armament:
- Royal Ordnance QF 6-pounder 57 mm cannon OR Royal Ordnance OQF 75mm cannon (either had 80 rounds ammo stowage)
- 2 x 7.92 mm BESA machine gun (1 hull, 1 coaxial), 5,000 rounds total
- 2 x Vickers K .303 in machine gun (twin mount), 2,000 rounds total
Armor:
- Hull front:
- Upper front plate: 114 mm (4.5")
- Upper glacis: 55 mm (2.2")
- Lower glacis: 114 mm (4.5")
- Lower front plate: 55 mm (2.2")
- Hull sides:
- Side plate: 39 mm (1.5")
- Spaced armor: 25.4 mm (1")
- Hull rear:
- Upper: 30 mm (1.2")
- Lower: 20 mm (0.8")
- Turret front:
- Turret face: 114 mm (4.5")
- Gun mantlet plate: 63.5 mm (2.5")
- Turret sides:
- 63.5 mm (2.5")
- Turret rear:
- 63.5 mm (2.5")
Additional equipment:
- 2" smoke grenade mortar (30 smoke grenades)
Pictures
Sources