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T-26 (1st Gv.T.Br.)

2019-10-26T10:47:43Z

U24204813: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_t_26_1940_1st_GvTBr}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{specs|rank}} Soviet light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.41#19.06.2014 - 1.41.27.12|Update 1.41.27]]. Essentially a premium version of the [[T-26|original T-26]], it boasts all its benefits and weaknesses. It costs 250 [[Golden_Eagles|Golden Eagles]]

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

This is definitively the worst characteristic of this vehicle: armour is flat and thin on all sides. Do not expose yourself to enemy fire. Crew placement is not lined up from the front, meaning shells without HE filler can take up to 3 shots before being destroyed. Beware HMG and autocannons.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 15 mm (22°) ''Front plate'' 7 mm (64-80°) ''Front glacis'' 15 mm (6-52°) ''Lower glacis'' || 15 mm (21-23°) ''Top'' 15 mm (0°) ''Bottom'' || 15 mm (0°) ''Top'' 15 mm (12°) ''Bottom'' || 10 mm ''Hull'' 6 mm ''Rear''
|-
| Turret || 15 mm (13-15°) ''Turret front'' 15 mm (5-44°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 15 mm (17-19°) || 15 mm (17°) || 10 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes'''

* Suspension wheel are 10 mm thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 6 mm thick

=== Mobility ===

While being a light tank, its mobility is one of a medium. It will carry you where you want to be, provided you choose your route well and avoid tricky manoeuvres. Reverse speed, while not great (-6 km/h), can save you from some bad situations, provided cover is not too far behind.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
|-
! Weight (tons)
! colspan="1" | Add-on Armor weight (tons)
! colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
|-
| rowspan="2" | 9.8 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 33 (AB)
|-
|30 (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
|-
! colspan="1" | Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|141
|174
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|80
|91
|-
! colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
! colspan="1" | Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|14.39
|17.75
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|8.16
|9.28
|-
|}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|20-К (45 mm)}}

The [[20-K (45 mm)|20-K]] is the typical Soviet rank 1 gun, players should get used to it since it will be your main armament up until rank 2. This gun has a good amount of HE filler, meaning penetrating shells will do good damage, sometimes even one-shot enemies. In longer ranges, shells begin to lose penetration and accuracy: it is not made for sniping. Try to bring ~10-15 BR-240SP (pure AP shells) for heavier targets. This gun is very forgiving to beginners since it has very fast reload speed and turret traverse.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[20-К (45 mm)|45 mm 20-K]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 205 || -5°/+28° || ±180° || N/A
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 9.50 || 13.20 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 9.50 || 11.20 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 3.80 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| BR-240 || APHEBC ||69||68||59||50||42||35
|-
| BR-240SP || AP || 73 ||71||62||52||44||37
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| BR-240 || APHEBC || 760 || 1.4 || 1.2 || 15 || 32.3 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-240SP || AP || 757 || 1.4 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_T-26.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the T-26.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''205''' || 165 ''(+40)'' || 124 ''(+81)'' || 83 ''(+122)'' || 42 ''(+163)'' || 1 ''(+204)'' || style="text-align:left" | Yes
|-
|}

Turret empty: 124 ''(+81)''

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The T-26 is an excellent support and flanker type of tank. Other light tanks at this battle rating typically are faster but lack the bouncy and generally average armour. With this vehicle holding a point or pushing with your team is crucial as this vehicle is very good at that at its battle rating. With its gun, it can pack quite the punch while still remaining a good distance as its APHE shot will be your best friend. Try to not compete in closer combat as you will see how other tanks use their speed advantage to flank you and catch you off guard, instead try to stay at a relatively medium range where you have a chance to bounce a shot or two and the enemies maneuverability isn't that much of a worry. German tanks are your easiest targets, but also one of your worst enemy. Meanwhile the American LVT can just eat your shot and is best to try to avoid them. In general, the best way to play this vehicle is to follow your teammates and support them or cover the flanks from any enemies.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Good penetration even at distance
* Decent reload time
* The ammo rack is difficult to destroy
* Good camouflage when it is placed behind bush in winter map

'''Cons:'''

* Awful maneuverability
* Exposed driver, prone to be injured
* Thin armour compared to the [[Pz.II C|PzKpfw II Ausf.C]]
* Tall profile compared to the [[Pz.II C|PzKpfw II Ausf.C]]
* Very weak roof armour, vulnerable to machine gun fire from airplanes
* Poor top speed, woeful reverse

== History ==


===Development===
The '''[[T-26]]''' light tank was a design is derived from the British Vickers 6-ton tank. In early 1930s, a Soviet buying committee traveled to Britain and purchased tanks, tractors, and cars for use in the Soviet Union, of which the Vickers tank was chosen. Fifteen Twin-turreted Vickers tank arrived into the Soviet Union in May 1930, equipped with only machine guns. Four more Vickers were delivered at the end of 1930, these being the single-turret variants with a 47 mm gun, and the deliveries were finished by 1932. The Vickers-produced tanks were designated as the ''V-26''.

The Vickers 6-ton tank competed with several Soviet designs for the "most suitable" tank design for Soviet use. One such competitor was the Soviet ''T-19'' light tank, which had advantages over the Vickers design, but also disadvantages. The T-19 designer, S. Ginzburg, suggested for a "hybrid" tank to be built off the features of the T-19 and the Vickers tank. But in January 1931, intelligence picked up that Poland bought up many foreign tanks from Britain and France with license to mass-produce them. As Poland was considered an enemy to the state, the pressure caused by this intelligence caused the Soviet military council to adopt the foreign tanks into Soviet usage, thus the Vickers 6-ton tank, under the designation as the '''T-26''', was accepted into service in February 13, 1931 as the main-stay of the Red Army's armoured forces.

Although outclassed later in the war, it was considered one of the more successful and widely produced tank model in the 1930s. It, along with the [[BT-7|BT]] light tanks, composed of the majority of Russia's armoured forces in late 1930s. It weighed just a little under 10 tons, had 15 mm thick armour in front, with a 45 mm 20K gun , and had a crew of three people. The Bolshevik Factory in Leningrad was the first factory to start producing the T-26 from June 1931, and production of the tank lasted from then until 1941.

===Variants===
During its production life, many variants of it was made for different purposes, up to '''53''' different ones to fit different roles, though only 23 would see service in production. Such designs included changes like a twin-turreted version (some with only machine guns and some with cannons), command tanks, added armour, artillery tanks (such as the [[T-26-4]]), flamethrower tanks, remote-controlled tanks, or just armoured carriers to tow artillery and such. Others were simply modified variants of the normal variants such as the [[T-26E]], which was the base single-turreted T-26 design with 30-40 mm applique armour made during the Winter War, which made them more resilient to the Finnish anti-tank weapons.

All these tanks produced in the span of 1931 to 1941 made up a total 10,300 tanks, and 1,701 other variants of it, for a total of 12,001 units produced.

===Combat usage===
The T-26 first saw combat in the Spanish Civil War, where it showed its superiority over the current tanks of the period fielded by Italy and Germany. Then it saw combat against the Japanese in the Soviet-Japanese border conflicts at Lake Khasan and Khalkhin Gol, which exposed some of the design defects such as poor armour welding and the disadvantages of riveted constructions (the rivet would break off and could harm the crew inside). After that, the T-26 saw service in the Invasion of Poland and the Winter War against Finland. The Winter War effectively showed the Soviets that the T-26 was obsolete, as the 37 mm guns and anti-tank rifles and Finnish have could penetrate the light armour of the T-26. When World War II for Russia finally broke out in Operation Barbarossa, the T-26 proved inferior to the German's [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]], plus the air supremacy of the Luftwaffe ensured many tanks were lost in the opening stages of Barbarossa.

The T-26 at this point also were breaking down and the lack of spare parts made repairs hard, resulting in multiple T-26 units also being knocked out for being irrecoverable. The T-26 was gradually phased from service by the new, venerable [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] medium tanks, which gave Germany a run for their money. The T-26 still saw service in the war as a second-line unit, as it was still fighting in the Battle of Moscow of 1941, Stalingrad of 1942, and in Manchuria in 1945. Some T-26 even saw action in the '''1st Guards Tank Brigade''' (1st Gv.T.Br.), but these were quickly replaced by the more venerable T-34.

===Survivors===
A number of survivors exist today in different museums, about 45 of them are still intact. A majority of them are in Russia, Spain, and Finland, where they saw most of their services.

== Media ==

<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200px">
T-26_(1st_Gv.T.Br.) Side.jpg|Right side of the T-26, which shows the insignia of the 1st Guards Tank Brigade.
</gallery>

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
* ''other literature.''

{{USSR light tanks}}
{{USSR premium ground vehicles}}

Crusader III

2019-10-26T10:38:09Z

U24204813: just a adition of a name

{{Specs-Card|code=uk_crusader_mk_3}}
{{Notice|''This page is about the light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''. For other uses, see [[Crusader (Disambiguation)]]''}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_Crusader Mk III.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} British light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced along with the initial British tree line in [[Update_1.55_"Royal_Armour"|Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Driver's port)
* Structural steel (Side skirts)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (33°) ''Front plate'' 9 mm (78-85°), 20 mm (61°) ''Front glacis'' 20 mm (26-64°) ''Lower glacis'' || 4 + 14 + 14.27 mm || 14 mm (44-50°) ''Top'' (14-52°) 14 mm ''Bottom'' || 7 mm
|-
| Turret || 30 mm (1°) ''Turret front'' 30 mm (0-44°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 14 mm (50°) || 17 mm (28-53°) || 12.7 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Interior 14.27 mm side armour is made of structural steel.

=== Mobility ===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
|-
! Weight (tons)
! colspan="1" | Add-on Armor weight (tons)
! colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
|-
| rowspan="2" | 20.3 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 47 (AB)
|-
|42 (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
|-
! colspan="1" | Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|527
|649
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|301
|340
|-
! colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
! colspan="1" | Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|25.96
|31.97
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|14.83
|16.75
|-
|}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|Ordnance QF 6-pounder Mk.III (57 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder Mk.III (57 mm)|57 mm OQF 6-pounder Mk.III]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 65 || -12°/+20° || ±180° || Vertical
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 9.5 || 13.2 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 9.5 || 11.2 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 5.20 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| Shot Mk.5 || AP || 101 || 100 || 83 || 67 || 51 || 45
|-
| Shell Mk.10 || HE || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
| Shot Mk.5 HV || AP|| 112 || 111 || 92 || 74 || 57 || 50
|-
| Shot Mk.8 || APC || 94 || 92 || 83 || 72 || 63 || 52
|-
| Shot Mk.9 || APCBC || 113 || 112 || 100 || 90 || 84 || 80
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| Shot Mk.5 || AP || 807 || 2.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| Shell Mk.10 || HE || 807 || 3.0 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 153 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| Shot Mk.5 HV || AP || 853 || 2.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| Shot Mk.8 || APC || 853 || 2.9 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Shot Mk.9 || APCBC || 801 || 3.2 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_Crusader_Mk_III.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the Crusader Mk III.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''65''' || 49 ''(+16)'' || 33 ''(+32)'' || 17 ''(+48)'' || 1 ''(+64)'' || No
|-
|}
Center and front rack empty: 33 ''(+32)''

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|BESA (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[BESA (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm BESA]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 3,375 (225) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in the battles ==

[[File:Crusader MkIII Poland rain.jpg|thumb|A Crusader MkIII heading to combat on [[Poland (Ground Forces)|Poland]].]]
The Crusader tank was designed to be fast and highly mobile, exploiting enemy battle lines by penetrating the flanks and disrupting the enemy from behind. In the game, the Crusader should be used in a similar fashion. It is quick, well armed and highly manoeuvrable, making it great at rushing capture points and exploiting the enemies flanks. The 57mm gun is excellent for its tier, with high penetration and good ballistics. Very few tanks can withstand a hit from this gun without major damage or worse.

The tanks low profile is its main advantage. You can hide easily among vegetation and obstacles like walls, shooting from a concealed position or retreating if the situation is looking a little too dangerous.

Of course, you can't have everything. The tank has thin armour, so it isn't suitable as a front line tank. The armour is sloped, however, so you may bounce some smaller calibre shells. Explosive shells are your worst nightmare, so avoid getting hit by them.

The 57 mm gun has great penetration, but the Crusader has very thin armour. There are still plenty of enemies that can give you some trouble.

* T-34 (1940)- You will begin encountering early models of T34s at this tier. You can penetrate their turret easily and drivers port easily, but they can pose a serious problem when angled properly. Also, the 76mm L11 gun can easily take you out with its massive explosive power. Try to take out the gunner first and then deal with the rest of the crew members for a safe kill.
* Panzer IV F1- The rapid-fire 75mm short barreled gun can fire HEAT or APCBC rounds, which can penetrate and cause serious damage to the Crusader. Luckily, the F1 has flat armour which can be easily penetrated from the front. Range is your friend with these tanks. Their gun is very difficult to aim accurately over 500m. Hit it before it hits you and you will most likely come out on top.
* Panzer IV F2- If you get up-tiered then you will face off against the dreaded Panzer IV F2. Its gun is accurate, high penetration and causes massive damage upon penetration. It will kill you easily at range. Fortunately, it has the same weak flat armour as the F1, so can be easily dealt with if you get off the first shot
* KV1-L11 - These heavy tanks are rare at your battle rating, but can still be faced. They have great, bouncy armour and a deadly gun. Try to hit the turret cheeks or the side/rear armour.
* Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. L - This Panzer III has a great, high-velocity gun and excellent frontal armour. The extra 20mm high hardness plates make a massive difference to the frontal armour, making it more bouncy and harder to penetrate. Fortunately, your gun can reliably penetrate the Panzer III L. If you are unsure, aim for the drivers port to kill the driver, gunner and commander.

Almost every tank can kill you easily, even with Rank I guns. Stay mobile, take advantage of the tanks low profile and shoot only when you know you can penetrate. This can make you a formidable tank on the battlefield.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Good penetration for a Rank I light tank
* Diverse selection of shells
* Low profile
* Gun is very lethal at close/mid range. It can easily get through the armour of any vehicle at its rank and beyond
* Gun already has a quick fire rate and no loader, so if a crew member dies you cannot lose much of your fire rate advantage
* Makes a good sneaky flanker in later rank matches. The gun remains effective and your low profile can come in handy
* Armour is thin but has odd angles all over the place, causing some rounds to bounce
* Reverse speed is much better than the Cromwell tank, though still only average
* Good manoeuvrability
* Carries 50 smoke grenades, can lay down long smoke screens to cover large areas

'''Cons:'''

* Not as fast as some of the other light tanks at this rank
* Weak armour
* Face of the turret is flat, making it quite easy to kill the gunner
* Only 3 crew members, relatively easy to kill in one shot

== History ==

===Development===
In 1938, the General Staff of the British Army requested for a cruiser tank that was lighter and more affordable than the heavier A16 cruiser design developed by Nuffield Mechanizations & Aero. One of these designs was the designation ''Tank, Cruiser Mk.V'' based off the [[A13 Mk I|A13 cruiser tanks]], named the "Covenanter", and Nuffield was invited to become part of its development team, but they refused due to interest in developing their own cruiser tank. Their tank was designated the '''Tank, Cruiser Mk.VI Crusader''' and fell under the General Staff specification of ''A15''. The Crusader was a parallel design to the Covenanter but was ready six weeks earlier than the Covenanter despite starting at a later time. The Crusader was adopted into service with the British Army in 1941 and the 5,300 units were manufactured between 1940 to 1943.

===Design===
The Crusader features a new design that differs from its cruiser tank predecessors. The Christie suspension system on the Crusader had five road wheels for it instead of the usual four, which improves weight distribution of the increased 20-ton weight of the Crusader compared to the 14 tons of the A13 cruisers. The engine, steering system, and cooling system on the Crusader was different as well, but the Covenanter and Crusader use the same main turret. The polygonal shape of the turret gives the crew inside more room for the turret ring diameter.

The Crusader Mk.I and ''[[Crusader Mk II|Mk.II]]'' were equipped with the 2-pounder, which was aimed by the gunner inside with a padded shaft that allows them to elevate the gun by simply adjusting his own height. Later in the war where an up-gun of the tank armament was necessary and newer tanks such as the [[Cromwell V|Cromwell]] was delayed, the Crusader was upgraded into the '''[[Crusader Mk III]]''' variant with a 6-pounder instead, which restricted turret space, requiring the turret crew to be reduced from three to two. These first saw action in the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942.

===Combat usage===
The Crusader first saw action at North Africa, right after the British had been pushed back to the Egyptian border by Axis forces. The Crusaders were part of the huge shipment in the Malta Convoys to reequip the British forces there. Enough Crusaders arrive that the entire 6th Royal Tank Regiment was refitted with them, which joined up with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment to form the 7th Armoured Brigade "Desert Rats". The brigade's first action was in Operation Battleaxe, though it was delayed due to adapting the tanks for the desert environment. The operation, which called for the relieve of the siege of Tobruk in June, was initiated in June to which 11 Crusader tanks were lost to anti-tank guns, plus many more to mechanical faults. While more Crusader tanks came in to reinforce the cruiser tank forces, there were never enough to supply the continuously expanding armoured units as 7th Brigade was combined with the 7th Hussars, the 2nd Armoured Brigade was added to the 7th Armoured Division, and the 8th Hussars was combined with the 4th Armoured Brigade. Overall, the Crusaders proved effective in the North African Campaign, the Crusader was faster than any tanks on the opposing side and the 2-pounder was lethal to the [[Pz.III J|Panzer III]], but the tank suffered from its thin armour, mechanical problems in the desert, and the growing deficiency of the 2-pounder, which didn't have enough range to destroy farther tanks. The Crusader design also caused the ammo racks on the tank to easily ignite due to unprotected racks and shot traps on the turret design. Anti-tank guns continue to be the main reason the Crusader units suffer losses, rather than to enemy tanks.

By the end of 1941, only the 2nd Armoured Brigade retained the Crusaders, the rest of the other tank units were being refitted with better tanks, such as the [[Grant I|M3 Grant medium tank]] from the American Lend-Lease. Crusader units were also refitted with the more powerful Crusader Mk.III with the 6-pounder, which improved the Crusader's ability to destroy the gradually stronger German tanks. After General Bernard Montgomery took command of the British Army in 1942, more British tank units were re-equipped with the Grant and [[M4|M4 Sherman]] tanks while the Crusaders were relegated from the front-lines to "light squadrons" meant to flank the enemy and attacked at its exposed sides. When the British 1st Army engaged the Axis at Tunisia, some tank regiments still use Crusaders mixed in with [[Valentine Mk I|Valentine tanks]]. These units in the 26th Armoured Brigade, code-named "Blade Force", worked alongside the 78th Infantry Division as an independent armoured column. During Tunisia, the 1st Army was already converting the tank regiments into Shermans, but the 8th Army continued to use the Crusaders for much longer, which would see use at the Battle of Wadi Akarit and Mareth Line.

After the North African Campaign, the Crusaders no longer saw any use in the front-lines and were used in other roles such as gun tractors with 17-pounders or anti-aircraft mounts such as the ''[[Crusader AA Mk I|Crusader AA Mk.I]]'' and ''[[Crusader AA Mk II|Mk.II]]''. Some Crusader tanks equipped the tank regiments that stayed back at the British Homelands such as the 11th Armoured Division.

===Survivors===
About 21 Crusaders still exist intact in various parts of the world. The most notable places with the Crusaders are South Africa with 8 known survivors, a running Crusader Mk.III at Bovington Tank Museum at England, and an anti-aircraft version at Musée des Blindés of Saumur in France

== Media ==

[[File:Crusader MkIII Poland rain.jpg|thumb|A Crusader MkIII heading to combat on [[Poland (Ground Forces)|Poland]].|none]]

== Read also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

''ETC.''

== Sources ==
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* ''topic on the official game forum;''
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{{Britain light tanks}}