The Challenger Tank (A.30)

The Challenger Cruiser Tank (A.30)

The Challenger was the first British tank to mount the 17 pounder gun and was essentially a modified Cromwell with a larger turret. Due to the large turret size the vehicle was very top heavy but it retained most of the Cromwells high speed and agility. Only around 200 of the vehicles were ordered with 197 being completed by the time war ended in Europe. Additional 25mm armour plates were welded to the front of the vehicle to provide extra protection.

Name	Challenger
Type	Cruiser

Production Date	March 1944

Crew	5
(In turret)	3

Length	23'-6”
Width	9'-6.5”
Height	9'-1.25”

Weight	32.5
Ground pressure	13.25
Ground clearance	1'-4”

Track type	Webbed & Spudded
No per track	127
Weight of one Track
Track width	15.5”

Engine	Meteor
B.H.P/Ton	18.4
Max road speed	31.8
Average road speed
Cross Country Speed
Gear box type	Z5 Constant Mesh
Gears	5 Forward 1 Reverse


Fuel consumption (road) – MPG
Fuel consumption (cross country)
Petrol
Auxiliary capacity
Radius of action (road)	120
Radius of action (cross country)
Trench Crossing	8'-6”
Vertical obstacle	3'
Fording height	4'-6”
Gradient	30

Main Armament	17 Pounder
Ammunition	48
Secondary Armament	Browning .300
Ammunition	3750
Transverse type	Electric
Max elevation	20
Max depression	10
Turret Ring Size	66.75”
Optics	No. 43 x3

Armour

Lower Hull Nose	57(I.T.90)
Upper Hull Nose	30(I.T.80)
Hull Front	64(I.T.80)
Hull Sides Upper	51(I.T.80)
Hull Sides Lower	14(I.T.100)+14(I.T.120)
Hull Rear Lower	38(I.T.80)
Hull Rear Upper	38(I.T.80)
Hull Roof (Front)	20(I.T.80)
Engine Deck	14(I.T.100)
Hull Floor Front	10(I.T.120)

Turret Mantlet	102(I.T.90)
Turret Front	63(I.T.80)
Turret Roof	20(I.T.80)
Turret Sides	40(I.T.80)
Turret Rear	40(I.T.80)
Turret Floor	22(I.T.120)

Appliqué Armour	25(I.T.80)
	Turret Front
	Turret Box
	Hull Front
	Hull Nose

Production of Challenger Tanks by year (UK Only)

	1944	1945(End of May)
Challenger	145	52

Last Updated on Sunday, 12 August 2012 13:37

Comments (1)

Thickness of armor is given as 22(I.T.80). I assume 22 is the thickness in mm. What does the I.T. number represent? Angle or armor hardness, etc.?

By the way. The crew layout in the article is wrong. The 5-man crew had 1 man in the hull, the driver, and 4 men in the turret. It had two loaders. Like the Firefly the hull LMG position was removed to provide added ammunition storage. It also had a lengthened Cromwell chassis with one extra road wheel. If I am reading the numbers right your listing shows about 90mm (89mm) with the combined basic and applique armor to the front hull and 55mm for the Hull upper nose (did the Applique apply to the lower Hull nose too?). Turret Front was 102mm Mantlet and 88mm Turret Front, 40mm turret side and rear. Hope I have that right. I am looking at the FOW Challenger armor figures and trying to determine if they are correct. I thought they weren't but it looks like they are due to the applique.