War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Cromwell I

2023-02-11T23:37:22Z

U76613875: /* Survivability and armour */ Added Note that Turret has 12.7mm basket around the entire inside of the turret (except roof)

{{About
|about= British medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage= other versions
|link= Cromwell (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_a27m_cromwell_1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (or just '''{{Specs|pseudonym}}''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was released along with the initial British ground tree in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]].

The Cromwell Mk I uses the 6-pdr, which provides higher penetration than the 75 mm on the [[Cromwell V|Mk V]]. It is also slightly faster and more manoeuvrable, thanks to the addition of an engine governor on the Mk. V that lowered its maximum output. However, these advantages are offset by the higher BR which means the Cromwell will be facing some tanks that are a good match for the Cromwell in terms of speed, like the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]], and some tanks that are largely invulnerable, like the [[KV-2 (1939)|KV-2]].

The Cromwell I is one of the fastest tanks in the game, due to its Meteor engine derived from the famous Rolls-Royce Merlin of Spitfire fame. It can outrun almost every other tank, including most low-rank light tanks like the [[BT-5|BT]] [[BT-7|series]] or [[M3 Stuart|M3]], but has adequate armour for a medium tank and a reasonable gun. Generally speaking, it can easily outfight most tanks that can keep up with it, and outrun anything that is a serious threat. Just don't sit still; anyone can snipe if given the chance, and the Cromwell's armour makes it a one-hit-wonder.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Driver's port, Side armour, Compartment hull roof)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 63.5 mm ''Front plate'' 25.4 mm (74°) ''Front glacis'' 57 mm (13°) ''Joint plate'' 25.4 mm (68°) ''Lower glacis'' ||44 mm ''Top front'' 32 + 14 mm ''Bottom front'' 38 (0°) + 32 mm (34°) ''Top rear'' 25.4 + 14 mm ''Bottom rear'' || 32 mm (0-7°) ''Top'' 20 mm (47°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm ''Compartment'' 14 mm ''Engine''
|-
| Turret || 64 mm + 12.7 mm ''Turret front'' 63.5 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 51 mm + 12.7 mm || 44 mm + 12.7 mm || 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* 12.7mm Armour basket behind Turret front, sides and rear.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 930|rbMinHp= 531}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|6pdr OQF Mk.III (57 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[6pdr OQF Mk.III (57 mm)|57 mm 6pdr OQF Mk.III]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 75 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 23.8 || 32.9 || 40.0 || 44.2 || 47.1 || rowspan="2" | 5.20 || rowspan="2" | 4.60 || rowspan="2" | 4.24 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.9 || 17.5 || 21.3 || 23.5 || 25.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:6pdr OQF Mk.III (57 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.5, Shot Mk.5 HV, Shot Mk.8, Shot Mk.9, Shell Mk.10}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''75''' || 66 ''(+9)'' || 56 ''(+19)'' || 46 ''(+29)'' || 37 ''(+38)'' || 28 ''(+47)'' || 19 ''(+56)'' || 10 ''(+65)'' || 1 ''(+74)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}.]]
==== Optics ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
|-
! Which ones
! Default magnification
! Maximum magnification
|-
! Main Gun optics
| x1.8 || x3.5
|-
! Comparable optics
| colspan="2" | [[M10 GMC]]
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|BESA (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[BESA (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm BESA]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,950 (225) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


'''Overview:'''

The Cromwell I is a fast tank with a good cannon and acceptable armour protection. Commanders should play it like a light tank, but be careful of the slow reverse gear. It excels in close quarters combat due to the excellent gun and hull handling characteristics, as well as the fast reload rate. Commanders should avoid long range fights due to the slow reverse gear. This lack of a reverse gear makes it difficult to return to cover after exposing your tank to fire on the enemy. The best strategy in the Cromwell I is to hug the map corners and try to flank, outmanoeuvring enemy forces. The tank is very rewarding to players who have experience with the map that is being played, and are able to predict enemy movements. It is a true Cruiser tank, able to exploit gaps in the enemy defenses by disrupting the enemy back line.

'''Firepower:'''

The best shell to use is the Shot Mk.9 APCBC due to its penetration characteristics. Generally this is a great round due to the fast reload and shell velocity. However this round struggles against angled armour, most notably against Soviet T-34 tanks. Against this enemy Cromwell gunners will have to aim for the turret or machine gun port, as the upper front plate will bounce the Shot Mk.9 easily.

'''Staying alive:'''

In terms of armour, the Cromwell I is in a better situation than many players would assume. While the front armour is not particularly impressive, the design is very square and the side armour is acceptable. This means that the Cromwell I is an excellent tank to angle your hull and turret armour in. When the enemy fires, a quick turn using the impressive handling and acceleration can cause a bounce. Generally Cromwell I commanders should seek to move unpredictably when under fire and create angles that are difficult to penetrate.

One somewhat unconventional tool that the Cromwell has access to is an abundance of smoke grenades. Commanders can use these grenades to shut down enemy firing angles and protect themselves from being shot in the side. However, be careful not to spam these too much as they may get in the way of your teammates as well.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very fast for a medium tank
* 57 mm is a good gun in dealing with many vehicles that it may face
* Above 2 combined make it excellent for seizing zones and destroying the lighter tanks from other nations that are usually the first there
* Great gun handling
* With judicious use, the tank can often end up with the most formidable tank in a lower rank game
* Can easily hide behind obstacles and surprise passing enemies with a flanking manoeuvre
* If played correctly, it can outflank and destroy even higher ranking tanks
* Has a speed of 64 km/h on flat terrain

'''Cons:'''

* Terrible reverse speed
* Neutral turning does not like any terrain sloping
* Poor at peeking shots
* Not well armoured when up-tiered and the 57 mm gun is marginal
* Sensitive steering in forward travelling gears
* Boxy, vertical armour on hull and turret makes angling critical
* 57 mm struggles to penetrate sloped or angled (or both) armour. T-34s and KV-1s are an issue at this rank as they are very difficult to penetrate at long range
* Gunner is frequently knocked out from frontal shots

== History ==

===Development===
Development for the tank started back in 1940, just around the time the [[Crusader Mk II|Crusader cruiser tank]] was being put into service in the British Army. The development of a stronger cruiser tank was initiated due to the belief that that the Crusader would become obsolete in the face of more advanced German tanks as the time pass. The initial plans was for the tank to mount the OQF 6-pounder gun and was to be completed in 1942. The project was taken up by three companies who submitted their designs. Vauxhall developed the A23, a scaled down [[Churchill Mk III|Churchill tank]] with 75 mm of armour and a 12-cylinder Bedford engine. Nuffield developed the A24 based off the Crusader that was powered by the Liberty engine and had an advantage of being put into production quickly. Leyland and Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon developed a design that was similar to Nuffield's, but with different suspension and track designs. All these designs were examined in January 1941 and it was decided that Nuffield's A24 would become the vehicle of choice for the project. Six prototypes of the vehicle, now called Cromwell I were ordered for delivery in the Spring of 1942, but arrived four months late, with current events making the tank designs outdated. Despite that, the tank was put into production and experienced an unsatisfactory performance history as being an under-powered tank. The lack of available tanks led to the demands for more 6-pounders on the battlefield, which were used to be mounted on the older tank designs.

When Britain entered the war, Rolls-Royce stopped producing cars and set up a team to find ways to use their production lines. The team was made under Roy Robotham at Clan Foundry near the city of Belper. Meeting with Henry Spurrier of Leyland, they talked tank designs and a project began of fitting a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine onto a tank. A Leyland-built Crusader was used for the test, removing the supercharger from the engine before installing it in the tank. The result was an absurdly fast tank, able to reach a speed of 80 km/h, estimated since timing the speed runs was difficult. The impressive performance had Leyland organize a production for 1,000 units of the engine, renamed as the Meteor. This plan was changed after concerns of the engine's cooling was raised, Leyland decides to produce their own version of Meteor which was weaker (350 hp) compared to the Rolls design (500 hp). Thus, the Tank Board decided to just order the engine straight from Rolls-Royce for the Meteor engine. The A24 tank design with the Meteor engine was redesignated as the A27. During the development, Leyland suggested that the tank should be made to fit both the Meteor and the American-designed Liberty engine, thus the designation expanded to A27M (Meteor) and the A27L (Liberty) and were called Cromwell III and Cromwell II respectively. Leyland's attempt at building their own engine was abandoned. The A27M tank was made into a prototype and delivered on January 1942, it proved extremely mobile with its 600 hp engine and orders were placed for both engine versions. This proved difficult due to production difficulties with the Meteor and soon Leyland took over production of both versions. Production lines for the Meteor engine continued to be strained until late 1942, where Ernest Hives of Rolls met with Spencer Wilks of the company Rover made a deal in January 1943 to exchange factories, with Rolls establishing a Meteor engine factory at Barnoldswick, Lancashire.

Production of the tank began in November 1942 with new names given out the tanks. The original A24 Cromwell I from Nuffield was renamed the Cavalier, the Liberty powered Cromwell II became the Centaur, and the Meteor powered Cromwell III retained the name as the '''Cromwell'''. The actual Cromwell tank production was delayed until January 1943 due to low supply of Meteor engines until the Rover factory began producing it. With more Meteor engines being produced, the Centaur tanks were often converted to use the Meteor engine, turning them into Cromwells. Field tests with the tanks took place in August to September in 1943 alongside the [[M4A2|M4A2]] and M4A4 Shermans. The tests proved the Shermans to be more reliable than the Cromwell and Centaurs, needing only about 0.03 hours of mechanical attention every mile compared to the Cromwell's 0.07 hours per mile and the Centaur's 0.08 hours per mile. The two tanks were thus given time to iron out these deficiencies, the Cromwell suffered from oil leaks along with brake and clutch failures. While the tank suffered from these defects, the crews expressed their satisfaction with the designs for their speed and handling, but the Centaur was not given the same attention as the Cromwell. The second test in November had the Cromwell perform with improved results while the Centaur was still experiencing the same problems. The production model was finalized on February 2, 1944, after a specifications for a "Battle Cromwell" came in from Leyland, which included some design changes, an increase of 6 mm on the bottom of the tank, seam welding the joints, and the standard usage of the Meteor engine and the Merritt Brown transmission. The Centaur was relegated to training roles or modified for specialist roles such as anti-aircraft guns or engineering vehicles. Total production for the A27 tank series is 4,016 tanks, of which 950 are Centaurs and 3,066 are Cromwells.

===Design===
The Cromwell's frame used a riveted construction in its initial production models, but this later changed to welding. The frame was strengthened with bolted armour plates. Companies involved in the A27 production were LMS Railway, Morris Motors, Metro-Cammell, Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company, and English Electric. Some of these models were not consistent in construction, such as some variants built with 360 mm wide tracks and some with 393 mm tracks. The suspension was a Christie suspension derived from the earlier cruiser tank designs. Four of the tanks' road wheels have shock absorbers, and no return rollers are available, the tracks are supported on the top of the large road wheels. The gearbox has five forward and one reverse gear, with the first forward gear made for confined areas and sharp turns. While the Meteor engine is capable of going faster, it is restricted to 540 hp output with a governor to avoid straining the engine and suspension. The Cromwell's armaments changed over a few times, it's initial model mounted the 6-pounder gun, but the later models [[Cromwell V|mounted the 75 mm gun]]. The adaption was easy due to the 75 mm gun being a 6-pounder bored for the larger calibre. A 7.92 mm BESA machine gun was available for coaxial firing on the turret. The armour on the Cromwell started as a 76 mm plate, which increased gradually to 83 mm and 100 mm overtime for additional protection.

The '''A27M Cromwell I''' was exactly the same as Centaur I, with the biggest difference being that it was powered with a Meteor engine. It featured a 6-pounder as its main armament, but only a few were produced before the Cromwell changed armament to the [[Ordnance QF Mk.V (75 mm)|75 mm gun]]

===Combat usage===
The British, at the time of Operation Overlord, primarily service the [[M4|M4 Sherman]] as the main tank of their armoured units, only the armoured brigades of the 7th Armoured Division were equipped with the Cromwell tanks. Although the Cromwell also saw use as armoured reconnaissance regiments in other British divisions such as the Guards Armoured Division and the 11th Armoured Division. Compared to the Sherman, the Cromwell was much faster, so fast that it earned the title as the fastest British tank in World War II. The Cromwell also presented a smaller profile, making it a lower target, and has a thicker frontal armour plate. However, the Cromwell's armour was not sloping, was not as reliable in comparison to the Sherman, and a slightly smaller crew space inside the tank. Nevertheless, the Cromwell proved very mobile and effective on the battlefield alongside the Sherman, often outflanking German armour with their superior speed to hit the tanks on their sides or rear. Since the Cromwells are not able to mount the larger and more powerful 17-pounder and a derivative, the [[Challenger|A30 Challenger]], met with production issues, Cromwell units were equipped with [[Sherman Firefly|Sherman Fireflies]] in order to supplement the firepower of the 17-pounder. Later in the war, these units began to be succeeded by the [[Comet I|Comet tank]] which had more armour and a more powerful 77 mm gun derived from the 17-pounder.

During the war, the Cromwell chassis was used in various specialized roles on the battlefield. The A30 Challenger is a tank design that attempted to mount the 17-pounder on a lengthened Cromwell chassis, the [[Avenger|A30 SP Avenger]] was another attempt to equip the 17-pounder, but used a lighter turret instead. Some were made into observation posts or command tanks. The Centaur saw a wider conversion with some becoming engineering vehicles, armoured recovery vehicles, and armoured personnel carriers. After the war, the British attempted to up-gun the Cromwell into the [[Charioteer Mk VII|Charioteer]], which was designed in the 1950s to supplement tank units before the [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion]] was mass-issued.

The Cromwells were also given out to Allied units such as the 1st Polish Armoured Division and the 1st Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade. These units served in Northern Europe with the Allies as they breakthrough deeper into Europe. After World War II, some Cromwell stayed in service and saw service in the Korean War with the 7th Royal Tank Regiment and the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars. The Cromwells also were given to Greece, where it had the distinction of being the first tank put into service by the Greek Army. 52 Centaurs were given to Greece in 1946 to fight in the Greek Civil War, but these were stored due to lack of crews with adequate training. Formal training began in Greece began in 1947 with the return of trained officers from Britain. The Centaur saw limited service in the Greek Armoured Corps, fighting in the Greek mountains. These units kept the Centaurs up until 1963 where it was replaced by the American [[M47|M47 Pattons]].

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_a27m_cromwell_1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
File:Cromwell I desert charge.jpg|Cromwell I in the desert.
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|CHvo6EIIlKk|'''Pages of History: A27 Cromwell''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


* [[Cromwell V]]
* [[Cromwell V (RP-3)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/846/|[Devblog] Cromwell I]]
* [[wt:en/news/3549-profile-cromwell-mk-i-en|[Vehicle Profile] Cromwell Mk I]]

{{Britain medium tanks}}

Crusader III

2022-11-25T20:26:26Z

U76613875: /* Survivability and armour */ Added Detail about Secondary Front Plate

{{About
| about = British light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Crusader (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_crusader_mk_3
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

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"]].

The low-profile Crusader is amongst the first light tanks on the British tech tree with the ability to perform scouting, which is a much relevant role amidst battles.

Although classified as a light tank, the Crusader is only light because of the low armour. Neither the speed or the gun fit in this light category, since the 57 mm 6-pounder is very efficient and in many regards, better than the previous 40 mm 2-pounder found on the [[Crusader II]]. This translates into decent firepower capable of engaging most tanks by the front. Yet the same early, now underpowered, engine struggles with the new heavier cannon, bringing the total weight from 16 tons in the earlier Crusader Mk II now to over 20 tons. Thus the performance of fast attacks or quick flanking manoeuvres is somewhat impeded by this low-power to weight ratio.

Despite these shortcomings, the vehicle should be a more uncomplicated and easy to learn playstyle than similar ranked vehicles as the slow advancing [[Valentine IX|Valentine]] or [[Matilda III|Matildas]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Like the previous Crusader II, the Crusader III's armour is just like other common light tanks. The hull front glacis is only 20 mm, which is not enough to stop pretty much any round unless angled at an extreme. The most noticeable difference is the absence of the MG turret next to the driver, which directly exposes the unsloped hull armour behind, reducing its sturdiness. The hull side is ~30 mm, which can deflect some low-penetrating rounds when angling, but generally it is still very weak. The turret front loses the huge rounded gun mantlet of the Crusader II. Although it now looks cleaner and uncluttered, the flat 30 mm armour becomes truly untrustworthy against any vehicle as it simply cannot bounce anything. The turret side is sloped but thin, at 14 mm it will not stop any shell unless the shell happens to hit a heavily angled part. Overall the Crusader III has poor armour protection and can only resist MG bullets and some autocannon shells. Even SPAAs (e.g. [[Wirbelwind]], [[M15 CGMC]], etc) can penetrate it frontally.

The post-penetration survivability is a lot worse than the Crusader II. Because of the lack of MG turret, the MG gunner is also gone, leaving only 3 crew members, 2 of which are closely packed inside the turret. At this BR there will be a lot more vehicles using explosive-packed shells (e.g. [[M24]], [[Pz.IV F2]], [[Chi-Nu]], [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 1942]], etc) and they will easily penetrate the Crusader III and wipe out all the crew. Make use of your smoke grenades when needed to increase your low survivability.

'''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 || 31.75 mm (1°) ''Turret front''
19.05mm (1°) ''Behind 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 rolled homogeneous armour.
* Extra 19.05mm plate behind 31.75mm Turret Front.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

The Crusader III is about 4 tons heavier than the preceding Crusader II but has no engine upgrades, lowering its power-to-weight ratio. This is on par with most medium tanks but lower than most light tanks, resulting in a more sluggish acceleration especially on bad terrains like mud and snow. The maximum forward speed is unaffected, though the Crusader III now needs more time to pick up speed, limiting its tactical agility. The hull traverse remains satisfactory.

The reverse is still bad, at -7 km/h. You must be extra aware about potential enemies as the reverse and acceleration of the Crusader III will not let you escape very quickly. In general, the Crusader III somewhat feels a lot more like a fast medium tank (e.g. [[M4A4 (1st PTG)|M4A4]], [[Pz.IV G]]) rather than a light tank (e.g. [[M24]], [[Sd.Kfz.234/2]]) which may affect its playstyle.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=527|rbMinHp=301}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|6pdr OQF Mk.III (57 mm)}}
The Crusader III is upgunned with a more powerful 57 mm QF 6pdr Mk.III cannon. Despite the increased calibre, the cannon still has an impressive short reload time of ~5 seconds. This makes up for its lack of explosive shells and allows the Crusader III to fire more rounds to finish an enemy. The gun depression is -12°, although it is 3° less than the Crusader II it is still excellent, meaning that the Crusader III can peek over most ridges in most maps, giving it more flexible engagement opportunities. A vertical shoulder stabiliser assists your aiming when the tank is slower than ~7 km/h, giving you a significant advantage over the non-stabilised opponents like the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]], [[Pz.IV F2]], [[Chi-Nu]], etc.

Do watch out for any [[M4]] and [[M24]] as they have proper vertical stabiliser and can stabilise their guns at slightly higher speeds. The turret rotation is just as fast as the Crusader II, at ~24°/s the Crusader III will be able to respond to fast moving targets as well as engage targets at multiple directions easily.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[6pdr OQF Mk.III (57 mm)|57 mm 6pdr OQF Mk.III]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 65 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Shoulder || 34.3 || 47.4 || 57.6 || 63.7 || 67.8 || rowspan="2" | 5.20 || rowspan="2" | 4.60 || rowspan="2" | 4.24 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.4 || 25.2 || 30.6 || 33.8 || 36.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
The default Shot Mk.5 ammo is just enough to destroy light and medium tanks within normal combat distance (0-600 m). With a well placed shot lining up crew compartments, the solid ammo can actually result in some one-shots especially when the target tank is compact (e.g. [[M24]], [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]]).

When dealing with heavier armoured targets, the researchable Shot Mk.9 with its maximum 122 mm penetration becomes useful. It can penetrate heavy tanks like a [[KV-1 (L-11)]] when they are not angling. Other targets include the [[Pz.IV H]] and the [[StuG III G]] which have 100 mm flat frontal hull armour. One drawback is that it is the slowest travelling AP shell the Crusader III has (~800 m/s), so more lead is needed when shooting moving targets.

The other 3 unlockable ammo types - Shot Mk.5 HV, Shot Mk.8, and Shell Mk.10 - are not of much use. They do not offer better penetration than the Mk.9 APCBC, and the HE is useless given its small calibre and the fact that most of the times the player will not have time to switch ammo when engaging unarmoured targets like the [[GAZ-MM (72-K)]] and the [[Sd.Kfz. 6/2]].

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Shot Mk.5 || AP || 101 || 97 || 82 || 66 || 53 || 43
|-
| Shot Mk.5 HV || AP|| 108 || 104 || 87 || 70 || 57 || 46
|-
| Shot Mk.8 || APC || 110 || 106 || 89 || 72 || 59 || 48
|-
| Shot Mk.9 || APCBC || 122 || 118 || 101 || 84 || 70 || 58
|-
| Shell Mk.10 || HE || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| Shot Mk.5 || AP || 815 || 2.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| Shot Mk.5 HV || AP || 853 || 2.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| Shot Mk.8 || APC || 853 || 2.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Shot Mk.9 || APCBC || 801 || 3.23 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Shell Mk.10 || HE || 655 || 2.72 || 0 || 0.1 || 590 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''65''' || 46 ''(+19)'' || 31 ''(+34)'' || 16 ''(+49)'' || 1 ''(+64)'' || No
|-
|}

==== [[Optics]] ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} Optics
|-
!
! Default magnification
! Maximum magnification
|-
! Main Gun optics
| x1.9 || x3.5
|-
! Comparable optics
| colspan="2" | [[AMR.35 ZT3]]
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|BESA (7.92 mm)}}

The Crusader III loses the MG turret on the hull, leaving one coaxial 7.92 mm BESA MG. This MG is only good at knocking out completely exposed crew on open vehicles like the [[Sd.Kfz. 6/2]] and [[GAZ-AAA (DShK)]] trucks. Its fast rate of fire of 600 rounds/min makes it quite effective at this. It can also destroy map obstacles like wooden fences and barrels, and mark enemies out on the minimap. Apart from these, the BESA MG cannot possibly hurt even lightly-armoured vehicles like the [[BTR-152A]] and [[Marder III]] due to its low penetration.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[BESA (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm BESA]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,375 (225) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

[[File:Crusader MkIII Poland rain.jpg|thumb|A Crusader III heading to combat on [[Poland (Ground Forces)|Poland]].]]

The Crusader tank was designed to be fast and highly mobile, exploiting gaps in 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 57 mm 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. When uptiered, it is a good sneaky flanker in later rank matches with the gun being still effective.

The tank's low profile is its main advantage. You can hide easily among vegetation and obstacles like walls, shooting from a concealed position or retreating under smoke 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 unless in a supporting role. The armour is sloped on some areas, 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.

While the battle is about staying alive in the tank, do not forget about the allies. This Crusader is a great support tank, not just in firepower, but is also capable of scouting and repairing for the team.

In recap, preferably play as a faster medium tank in a support role amidst the frontline during early module research, additionally players can act as flankers and either eliminate the threats themselves or scout the enemy tanks for allies in SPGs or Strike Aircraft.

=== Enemies worth noting ===

* [[T-34 (1940)]] - You will begin encountering early models of T-34s 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 76 mm L-11 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.
* [[Pz.IV F1]] - The rapid-fire 75 mm short-barrelled 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 500 m. Hit it before it hits you and you will most likely come out on top.
* [[Pz.IV F2]] - You may have to 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
* [[KV-1 (L-11)]] - 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.III L]] - This Panzer III has a great, high-velocity gun and excellent frontal armour. The extra 20 mm 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.
* [[StuG III G]]: the StuG III tank destroyers have powerful anti-tank guns and low silhouette, making them deadly hunters. The G model features 30 mm add-on armour at the front, plus the option to use 20 mm add-on tracks, increasing the total thickness to 100 mm. Though it is poorly angled, this thickness can still resist quite some shots at this BR especially when taking hits from far away. However its sides are very thin, only 30 mm plus 5 mm side skirts which can be easily penetrated by the Crusader III even when angling. The Crusader can frontally penetrate the StuG III G's non-sloped armour up close (<400 m). Shoot the right side to knock out the gunner and commander in one go. Avoid the sloped parts between the flat parts. Be careful as its 75 mm cannon can easily knock you out in return with a single shot, at any range.

Almost every tank can kill you easily, even with Rank I guns. Stay mobile or hidden, 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:'''

* Low profile acts as first way of protection
* Lethal semi-stabilized and also quick firing gun; capable of fighting higher rank vehicles as [[T 34 747 (r) (Germany)|▀T 34 747 (r)]], [[Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J]] or [[KV-IB (Germany)|▀KV-IB]]
* Armour is thin but has odd angles, causing some rounds to bounce
* Reverse speed is much better than the Cromwell chassis, though still only average
* Good manoeuvrability
* Carries 50 smoke grenades, can lay down long smoke screens to cover allies on large areas

'''Cons:'''

* Low power to weight ratio; not as fast as other light tanks at this rank
* Weak armour overall, turret is flat and easily pierced by most guns at the rank
* 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 ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_crusader_mk_3 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|qdn6Q8vxOQQ|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|NEPCgdqjTUA|'''{{PAGENAME}}, British Tier-2, Light Tank''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''}}

== 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;''
* ''other literature.''

{{TankManufacturer Nuffield}}
{{Britain light tanks}}