Difference between revisions of "Centurion Mk.5 AVRE"

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{{About
 
{{About
−
|about= medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
+
|about= British medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
−
|usage=other uses
+
|usage=other variants
 
|link=Centurion (Family)
 
|link=Centurion (Family)
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
−
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
+
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
−
{{break}}
+
{{Break}}
−
The '''{{Specs|name}}''', or simply the '''{{Specs|pseudonym}}''' is a gift Rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]].  
+
The '''{{Specs|name}}''', or simply the '''{{Specs|pseudonym}}''', is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]].
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
−
<!--Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat?
+
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
−
 
 
−
If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.-->
 
  
 
Overall, the armour on the AVRE is similar to that on the [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion Mk 3]] gun tank with three major differences: ROMOR-A ERA, composite side skirts and a dozer blade. The ERA provides additional protection (300mm HEAT, 30mm KE) on key areas of the tank, namely the turret face and upper glacis plate, but this has little impact against most opponents due to the majority of shells at this rank being of the kinetic energy (KE) variety. It also changes the visible profile of the turret, obscuring the weak points beneath the standard Centurion turret. The composite side skirts provide a significant increase in protection against small calibre HEAT and auto-cannon fire, increasing it to the point where rounds can no longer penetrate the side armour. They do not change the effect of MBT rounds however as the additional protection simply isn't enough to stop them. The dozer blade may seem unimportant at first glance as it consists of 70mm of structural steel, not RHA, but this is not the case. The blade acts as spaced armour against most rounds aimed at the hull, adding around 60mm against KE and 200mm against HEAT. This can also be added to by the ERA on the front plate, overall providing greater than 400mm of protection against HEAT rounds.
 
Overall, the armour on the AVRE is similar to that on the [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion Mk 3]] gun tank with three major differences: ROMOR-A ERA, composite side skirts and a dozer blade. The ERA provides additional protection (300mm HEAT, 30mm KE) on key areas of the tank, namely the turret face and upper glacis plate, but this has little impact against most opponents due to the majority of shells at this rank being of the kinetic energy (KE) variety. It also changes the visible profile of the turret, obscuring the weak points beneath the standard Centurion turret. The composite side skirts provide a significant increase in protection against small calibre HEAT and auto-cannon fire, increasing it to the point where rounds can no longer penetrate the side armour. They do not change the effect of MBT rounds however as the additional protection simply isn't enough to stop them. The dozer blade may seem unimportant at first glance as it consists of 70mm of structural steel, not RHA, but this is not the case. The blade acts as spaced armour against most rounds aimed at the hull, adding around 60mm against KE and 200mm against HEAT. This can also be added to by the ERA on the front plate, overall providing greater than 400mm of protection against HEAT rounds.
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
  
−
{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 1007|rbMinHp= 575}}
+
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,007|rbMinHp=575}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
−
<!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
+
<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
−
{{main|Ordnance BL 6.5in L9A1 (165 mm)|l1=ORD BL 6.5in L9A1 demolition charge projector (165 mm)}}
+
{{main|ORD BL 6.5in L9A1 (165 mm)}}
  
−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
−
|-
 
−
! colspan="6" | [[Ordnance BL 6.5in L9A1 (165 mm)|165 mm ORD BL 6.5in L9A1 demolition charge projector]]
 
−
|-
 
−
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 
−
|-
 
−
| colspan="3" | 53 || -10°/+18° || ±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'' || 17.1 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''Realistic'' || 10.7 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
+
! colspan="5" | [[ORD BL 6.5in L9A1 (165 mm)|165 mm ORD BL 6.5in L9A1]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 
|-
 
|-
−
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
+
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
 +
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 +
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
|-
 
|-
−
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
+
! ''Arcade''
−
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
+
| rowspan="2" | 53 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 17.1 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || rowspan="2" | 27.7 || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
−
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 
−
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 27.7 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
+
! ''Realistic''
 +
| 10.7 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
===== Ammunition =====
+
==== Ammunition ====
−
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 
|-
 
|-
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
−
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
+
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
−
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
+
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
! 10m
+
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
−
! 100m
 
−
! 500m
 
−
! 1000m
 
−
! 1500m
 
−
! 2000m
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| L33A1 || HESH || 203 || 203 || 203 || 203 || 203 || 203  
+
| L33A1 || HESH || 203 || 203 || 203 || 203 || 203 || 203
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
−
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
−
! colspan="11" | Shell details
+
! colspan="10" | Shell details
 
|-
 
|-
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
−
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
+
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
−
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
+
! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
−
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
+
! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
−
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
+
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
−
''in m:''
+
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
−
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
+
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
−
''in mm:''
+
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
−
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 
−
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 
−
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! 0%
+
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
−
! 50%
 
−
! 100%
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| L33A1 || HESH || 259 || 30.6 || 0.4 || 2.0 || 20,310 || +0° || 73° || 77° || 80°
+
| L33A1 || HESH || 259 || 30.6 || 0.4 || 2.0 || 20,310 || 73° || 77° || 80°
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
+
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
−
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|Ammo racks of the {{PAGENAME}}.]]
+
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
−
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
|-
 
|-
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
+
! Full<br>ammo
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br /> rack empty
+
! 1st<br>rack empty
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br /> rack empty
+
! 2nd<br>rack empty
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br /> rack empty
+
! 3rd<br>rack empty
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br /> rack empty
+
! 4th<br>rack empty
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th<br /> rack empty
+
! 5th<br>rack empty
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th<br /> rack empty
+
! 6th<br>rack empty
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
+
! 7th<br>rack empty
 +
! 8th<br>rack empty
 +
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
|-
 
|-
−
|| '''53''' || XX&nbsp;''(X+)'' || &nbsp;''(+)'' || &nbsp;''(+)'' || &nbsp;''(+)'' || &nbsp;''(+)'' || &nbsp;''(+)'' || style="text-align:left" | no
+
| '''53''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
−
<!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''-->
+
<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
 
{{main|L3A1 (7.62 mm)}}
 
{{main|L3A1 (7.62 mm)}}
  
−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
−
|-
 
−
! colspan="7" | [[L3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm L3A1]]
 
−
|-
 
−
! colspan="7" | ''Pintle mount''
 
−
|-
 
−
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="4" | 1,250 (250) || 500 || -10°/+80° || ±180°
+
! colspan="5" | [[L3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm L3A1]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
+
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 
|-
 
|-
−
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
+
| Pintle || 1,250 (250) || 500 || -10°/+80° || ±180°
−
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="4" | 3,250 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
+
| Coaxial || 3,250 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
−
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
+
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
  
−
The Centurion Mk.5 AVRE, despite the additional armour, is still essentially a Centurion in terms of survivability and mobility. The tank must be driven carefully to take full advantage of the environment and avoid being shot until it is able to close in to the enemy and take full advantage of its 165mm gun. It's relatively low speed for a medium is not ideal with flanking, so simply getting into a safe position and ambushing unaware enemy tanks often leads to success. Your long reload speeds and lack of stabilizer limits your ability to advance and fire at the same time, and so coupled with your relatively weak armour means you should only advance when the area is clear, so that you can move to a new ambush position. A Mk.5 AVRE that ambushes a lone enemy will almost always win, assuming your first shot connects.  
+
The Centurion Mk.5 AVRE, despite the additional armour, is still essentially a Centurion in terms of survivability and mobility. The tank must be driven carefully to take full advantage of the environment and avoid being shot until it is able to close in to the enemy and take full advantage of its 165 mm gun. Its relatively low speed for a medium tank is not ideal with flanking, so simply getting into a safe position and ambushing unaware enemy tanks often leads to success. Your long reload speeds and lack of stabilizer limits your ability to advance and fire at the same time, and so coupled with your relatively weak armour means you should only advance when the area is clear, so that you can move to a new ambush position. A Mk.5 AVRE that ambushes a lone enemy will almost always win, assuming your first shot connects.
  
−
While the rangefinder can be used in conjunction with gun-sight range adjustment, the tank will struggle in medium to long distant combat, as the HESH shells lack any semblance of accuracy past around 400 meters, with shells arcing such that shell placement becomes quite difficult along with shell travel time becoming increasingly high. However, against a completely static target and with good rangefinding crew skill, it is not impossible to land a direct hit up to 800 meters. However, if you miss, your long reload speed means you may completely miss your chance at destroying your target., which can easily maneuver away without threat of damage, or simply return fire freely.
+
While the rangefinder can be used in conjunction with gun-sight range adjustment, the tank will struggle in medium to long distant combat, as the HESH shells lack any semblance of accuracy past around 400 meters, with shells arcing such that shell placement becomes quite difficult along with shell travel time becoming increasingly high. However, against a completely static target and with good rangefinding crew skill, it is not impossible to land a direct hit up to 800 meters. However, if you miss, your long reload speed means you may completely miss your chance at destroying your target, which can easily manoeuvre away without threat of damage, or simply return fire freely.
  
−
The tank is best played as a support tank in conjunction with the rest of your team. Becoming isolated while playing the Mk.5 AVRE is extremely dangerous, as your long reload speed, low speed, and weak armour means that you cannot withstand an attack by anything more than a single tank. If you fire at an enemy tank and are then caught by another tank, you are most likely done for. Additionally, failing to instantly destroy a target with your first shot is also extremely dangerous, whether your missed or have damaged an enemy. In that situation, you will want an allied tank to cripple the enemy or finish them off until you are able to either reload or retreat with your two smoke grenade barrages. The extra crew member over the other Centurion models may allow you to survive an extra shot, but an isolated Mk.5 AVRE is a dead Mk.5 AVRE. At the same time, the Mk. 5 AVRE's ability to help teammates repair increases its usefulness as a support tank.
+
The tank is best played as a support tank in conjunction with the rest of your team. Becoming isolated while playing the Mk.5 AVRE is extremely dangerous, as your long reload speed, low speed, and weak armour means that you cannot withstand an attack by anything more than a single tank. If you fire at an enemy tank and are then caught by another tank, you are most likely done for. Additionally, failing to instantly destroy a target with your first shot is also extremely dangerous, whether you missed or have damaged an enemy. In that situation, you will want an allied tank to cripple the enemy or finish them off until you are able to either reload or retreat with your two smoke grenade barrages. The extra crew member over the other Centurion models may allow you to survive an extra shot, but an isolated Mk.5 AVRE is a dead Mk.5 AVRE. At the same time, the Mk. 5 AVRE's ability to help teammates repair increases its usefulness as a support tank.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
+
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 +
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
−
* Has a powerful 165mm gun that fires shells with the explosive mass of 15.87 kg, equal to 20.31k g TNT, one hit can always deal serious damage to the enemy vehicles
+
* Has a powerful 165 mm gun that fires shells with the explosive mass of 15.87 kg, equal to 20.31k g TNT, one hit can always deal serious damage to the enemy vehicles
 
* ROMOR-A ERA equivalent protection against 30 mm kinetic energy munitions and 300 mm chemical energy munitions
 
* ROMOR-A ERA equivalent protection against 30 mm kinetic energy munitions and 300 mm chemical energy munitions
 
* The dozer blade in front it can provide additional protection, especially protect the lower glacis
 
* The dozer blade in front it can provide additional protection, especially protect the lower glacis
Line 184: Line 144:
 
* Low top speed
 
* Low top speed
 
* Centurion is a large tank = larger target
 
* Centurion is a large tank = larger target
−
* Side armor is still very weak
+
* Side armour is still very weak
 
* Only has HESH as its only ammunition
 
* Only has HESH as its only ammunition
 
* Based on Centurion Mk 5, which is similar as the Centurion Mk 3, so it has the similar weak spots as the Centurion Mk 3 (like the turret ring)
 
* Based on Centurion Mk 5, which is similar as the Centurion Mk 3, so it has the similar weak spots as the Centurion Mk 3 (like the turret ring)
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== History ==
 
== History ==
−
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article.''-->
+
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
−
In the 1960s, the British army felt the need for a modern multi-functional engineering vehicle. They chose the Centurion Mk 5 main battle tank base to replace the outdated engineering tank, which used a Churchill chassis. Since the engineering vehicle’s tasks were rather specific, the Centurion chassis was given special equipment: the tank received a bulldozer scoop, a device was mounted above the scoop for laying fascines, the altered rear armour plate was equipped with a tow hitch, and a seat was installed next to the driver’s seat for a new, fifth crew member – a navigator. The engineering vehicle, which was called the Centurion AVRE (abbreviated from Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) was designed to carry a special engineering gun capable of destroying fortifications, pillboxes and other fortified defensive positions. That gun was the short-barreled L9, a 165 mm caliber cannon with low recoil. The vehicle received an ammunition complement of 53 shots with high-explosive squash head (HESH) shells with huge destructive force – each charge contained almost 16 kilograms of explosives. The Centurion AVRE became the standard engineering vehicle for the British Army and participated in several armed conflicts, including the 1991 Gulf War. In the 80’s, Centurion AVRE’s were modernized, receiving additional armour including ROMOR reactive armour - this modification was used in operation “Desert Storm”. The vehicle was retired in 1993.
+
In the 1960s, the British army felt the need for a modern multi-functional engineering vehicle. They chose the Centurion Mk 5 main battle tank base to replace the outdated engineering tank, which used a Churchill chassis. Since the engineering vehicle's tasks were rather specific, the Centurion chassis was given special equipment: the tank received a bulldozer scoop, a device was mounted above the scoop for laying fascines, the altered rear armour plate was equipped with a tow hitch, and a seat was installed next to the driver's seat for a new, fifth crew member – a navigator. The engineering vehicle, which was called the Centurion AVRE (abbreviated from Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) was designed to carry a special engineering gun capable of destroying fortifications, pillboxes and other fortified defensive positions. That gun was the short-barreled L9, a 165 mm caliber cannon with low recoil. The vehicle received an ammunition complement of 53 shots with high-explosive squash head (HESH) shells with huge destructive force – each charge contained almost 16 kilograms of explosives. The Centurion AVRE became the standard engineering vehicle for the British Army and participated in several armed conflicts, including the 1991 Gulf War. In the 80's, Centurion AVRE's were modernized, receiving additional armour including ROMOR reactive armour - this modification was used in operation "Desert Storm". The vehicle was retired in 1993.
  
 
''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5513-development-centurion-avre-engineer-at-war-en Devblog]''
 
''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5513-development-centurion-avre-engineer-at-war-en Devblog]''
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
<!--''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''-->
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
  
 
;Skins
 
;Skins
−
 
 
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=britain&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=uk_centurion_mk_5_avre_era ' '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the Centurion Mk.5 AVRE from live.warthunder.com.]
 
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=britain&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=uk_centurion_mk_5_avre_era ' '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the Centurion Mk.5 AVRE from live.warthunder.com.]
  
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== See also ==
 
== See also ==
 
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* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
  
 
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* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5513-development-centurion-avre-engineer-at-war-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Centurion AVRE: Engineer at War]
 
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5513-development-centurion-avre-engineer-at-war-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Centurion AVRE: Engineer at War]

Revision as of 21:41, 11 May 2020

Centurion Mk.5 AVRE
uk_centurion_mk_5_avre_era.png
Centurion Mk.5 AVRE
Britain flag.png Britain
V Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
8.0 7.0 7.0
Class:
PREMIUM
Purchase:8 200 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
STORE
This page is about the British medium tank Centurion Mk.5 AVRE. For other variants, see Centurion (Family).

Description

GarageImage Centurion Mk.5 AVRE.jpg


The Centurion Assault Vehicle, Royal Engineers Mk.5, or simply the Centurion Mk.5 AVRE, is a premium gift rank V British medium tank with a battle rating of 8.0 (AB) and 7.0 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.79 "Project X".

General info

Survivability and armour

Overall, the armour on the AVRE is similar to that on the Centurion Mk 3 gun tank with three major differences: ROMOR-A ERA, composite side skirts and a dozer blade. The ERA provides additional protection (300mm HEAT, 30mm KE) on key areas of the tank, namely the turret face and upper glacis plate, but this has little impact against most opponents due to the majority of shells at this rank being of the kinetic energy (KE) variety. It also changes the visible profile of the turret, obscuring the weak points beneath the standard Centurion turret. The composite side skirts provide a significant increase in protection against small calibre HEAT and auto-cannon fire, increasing it to the point where rounds can no longer penetrate the side armour. They do not change the effect of MBT rounds however as the additional protection simply isn't enough to stop them. The dozer blade may seem unimportant at first glance as it consists of 70mm of structural steel, not RHA, but this is not the case. The blade acts as spaced armour against most rounds aimed at the hull, adding around 60mm against KE and 200mm against HEAT. This can also be added to by the ERA on the front plate, overall providing greater than 400mm of protection against HEAT rounds.

Mobility

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 39 14 52.2 1,007 1,240 19.29 23.75
Realistic 35 13 575 650 11.02 12.45

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: ORD BL 6.5in L9A1 (165 mm)
165 mm ORD BL 6.5in L9A1 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 53 -10°/+18° ±180° N/A 17.1 __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__ 27.7 _.__ _.__ _.__
Realistic 10.7 __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
L33A1 HESH 203 203 203 203 203 203
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
Mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive Mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
L33A1 HESH 259 30.6 0.4 2.0 20,310 73° 77° 80°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Centurion Mk.5 AVRE
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
53 __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __

Machine guns

Main article: L3A1 (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm L3A1
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 1,250 (250) 500 -10°/+80° ±180°
Coaxial 3,250 (250) 500 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

The Centurion Mk.5 AVRE, despite the additional armour, is still essentially a Centurion in terms of survivability and mobility. The tank must be driven carefully to take full advantage of the environment and avoid being shot until it is able to close in to the enemy and take full advantage of its 165 mm gun. Its relatively low speed for a medium tank is not ideal with flanking, so simply getting into a safe position and ambushing unaware enemy tanks often leads to success. Your long reload speeds and lack of stabilizer limits your ability to advance and fire at the same time, and so coupled with your relatively weak armour means you should only advance when the area is clear, so that you can move to a new ambush position. A Mk.5 AVRE that ambushes a lone enemy will almost always win, assuming your first shot connects.

While the rangefinder can be used in conjunction with gun-sight range adjustment, the tank will struggle in medium to long distant combat, as the HESH shells lack any semblance of accuracy past around 400 meters, with shells arcing such that shell placement becomes quite difficult along with shell travel time becoming increasingly high. However, against a completely static target and with good rangefinding crew skill, it is not impossible to land a direct hit up to 800 meters. However, if you miss, your long reload speed means you may completely miss your chance at destroying your target, which can easily manoeuvre away without threat of damage, or simply return fire freely.

The tank is best played as a support tank in conjunction with the rest of your team. Becoming isolated while playing the Mk.5 AVRE is extremely dangerous, as your long reload speed, low speed, and weak armour means that you cannot withstand an attack by anything more than a single tank. If you fire at an enemy tank and are then caught by another tank, you are most likely done for. Additionally, failing to instantly destroy a target with your first shot is also extremely dangerous, whether you missed or have damaged an enemy. In that situation, you will want an allied tank to cripple the enemy or finish them off until you are able to either reload or retreat with your two smoke grenade barrages. The extra crew member over the other Centurion models may allow you to survive an extra shot, but an isolated Mk.5 AVRE is a dead Mk.5 AVRE. At the same time, the Mk. 5 AVRE's ability to help teammates repair increases its usefulness as a support tank.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Has a powerful 165 mm gun that fires shells with the explosive mass of 15.87 kg, equal to 20.31k g TNT, one hit can always deal serious damage to the enemy vehicles
  • ROMOR-A ERA equivalent protection against 30 mm kinetic energy munitions and 300 mm chemical energy munitions
  • The dozer blade in front it can provide additional protection, especially protect the lower glacis
  • Low muzzle velocity can allow the trajectory to hit some enemies hide behind the slope, especially in AB
  • Composite side skirts
  • Acceptable reload time
  • Can help repair teammates
  • Very useful in the close range combat, especially in urban warfare
  • Good reverse speed
  • Smoke grenade can be released twice
  • A five-man crew, unlike other Centurion designs

Cons:

  • Terrible muzzle velocity makes this vehicle not very useful in the open area, especially in RB
  • Low top speed
  • Centurion is a large tank = larger target
  • Side armour is still very weak
  • Only has HESH as its only ammunition
  • Based on Centurion Mk 5, which is similar as the Centurion Mk 3, so it has the similar weak spots as the Centurion Mk 3 (like the turret ring)
  • Top of the engine deck can be easily penetrated by planes

History

In the 1960s, the British army felt the need for a modern multi-functional engineering vehicle. They chose the Centurion Mk 5 main battle tank base to replace the outdated engineering tank, which used a Churchill chassis. Since the engineering vehicle's tasks were rather specific, the Centurion chassis was given special equipment: the tank received a bulldozer scoop, a device was mounted above the scoop for laying fascines, the altered rear armour plate was equipped with a tow hitch, and a seat was installed next to the driver's seat for a new, fifth crew member – a navigator. The engineering vehicle, which was called the Centurion AVRE (abbreviated from Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) was designed to carry a special engineering gun capable of destroying fortifications, pillboxes and other fortified defensive positions. That gun was the short-barreled L9, a 165 mm caliber cannon with low recoil. The vehicle received an ammunition complement of 53 shots with high-explosive squash head (HESH) shells with huge destructive force – each charge contained almost 16 kilograms of explosives. The Centurion AVRE became the standard engineering vehicle for the British Army and participated in several armed conflicts, including the 1991 Gulf War. In the 80's, Centurion AVRE's were modernized, receiving additional armour including ROMOR reactive armour - this modification was used in operation "Desert Storm". The vehicle was retired in 1993.

- From Devblog

Media

Skins
Videos
Premium Vehicles: Centurion Mk.5 AVRE - War Thunder Wiki

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


Britain medium tanks
Valentine  Valentine I · Valentine IX · Valentine XI
Cromwell  Cromwell I · Cromwell V · Cromwell V (RP-3)
Cromwell derivatives  Challenger · Avenger · Comet I · Comet I "Iron Duke IV" · Charioteer Mk VII
Centurion  Centurion Mk 1 · Centurion Mk.2 · Centurion Mk 3 · Centurion Mk.5 AVRE · Centurion Mk 10 · Centurion Action X · FV4202
Vickers MBT  Vickers Mk.1 · Vickers Mk.3 · Vickers Mk.7
Chieftain  Chieftain Mk 3 · Chieftain Mk 5 · Chieftain Mk 10
Challenger 1  Challenger Mk.2 · Challenger Mk.3 · Challenger DS
Challenger 2  Challenger 2 · Challenger 2 (2F) · Challenger 2 TES · Challenger 2 OES · Challenger 2E · Challenger 2 Black Night
Challenger 3  Challenger 3 TD
Australia  A.C.I · A.C.IV · Centurion Mk.5/1
South Africa  Olifant Mk.1A · Olifant Mk.2 · TTD
India  Vijayanta · Bhishma TWMP
Israel  ▄Sho't Kal Dalet
Jordan  Khalid
Sweden  ▄Strv 81 (RB 52)
USA  Grant I · Sherman II · Sherman Firefly · Sherman IC "Trzyniec"

Britain premium ground vehicles
Light tanks  A13 Mk I (3rd R.T.R.) · A13 Mk II 1939 · AEC Mk II · Crusader "The Saint" · Rooikat 105
Medium tanks  A.C.I · Grant I · Cromwell V (RP-3) · Sherman IC "Trzyniec" · A.C.IV · Comet I "Iron Duke IV"
  Centurion Mk.2 · ▄Strv 81 (RB 52) · Centurion Mk.5 AVRE · Centurion Mk.5/1 · ▄Sho't Kal Dalet · Centurion Action X
  Vijayanta · Khalid · Challenger DS · Challenger 2 OES
Heavy tanks  Independent · Matilda Hedgehog · Excelsior · TOG II · Churchill Crocodile · Black Prince
Tank destroyers  Alecto I · Achilles (65 Rg.) · QF 3.7 Ram

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