File:Tanks_and_Afvs_of_the_British_Army_1939-45_KID1265.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Churchill
Sign in to saveAlso known as Tank, Infantry, Mk IV (A22), A22 Churchill, Churchill tank, Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill, Mk IV Churchill, Churchill Mk VII (A22F)
1941 heavy infantry tank
Key facts
- Type
- Infantry tank
- Place of origin
- United Kingdom
- In service
- 1941–1952 ( British Empire )
- Used by
- See Operators
- Wars
- Second World War , Korean War
- Designer
- Harland & Wolff (A20) Vauxhall Motors (A22)
- Manufacturer
- Vauxhall Motors and others
- Produced
- 1941–1945
- Number span no built
- ~5,640
- Variants
- See Variants
- Mass
- 39.1 t (38.5 long tons) (Mark I) 40.7 t (40.1 long tons) (Mark VII)
- Length
- 24 ft 5 in (7.44 m)
- Width
- 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m)
- Height
- 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)
- Crew
- 5 (commander, gunner, loader/radio operator, driver, co-driver/hull gunner)
- Armour
- For Churchill I–VI: 102 mm hull front, 76 mm hull side, 51 mm hull rear, 89 mm turret front, 76 mm turret side and rear Mark VII–VIII: 152 mm hull and turret front, 95 mm hull sides and turret sides and rear, 51 mm hull rear
- Main armament
- QF 2 pounder (Mark I and II) QF 6 pounder (Mark III and IV) QF 75mm (Mark VI and VII) QF 95mm (Mark V and VIII)
- Secondary armament
- one coaxial 7.92mm Besa machine gun 3 inch howitzer (Mark I) or one Besa MG (other marks)
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Mass
- 39.1
- Image
- Churchill IV.jpg
- Height
- 2.48
- Width
- 3.25
- Length
- 7.44
Show 5 more facts
- Commons category
- Churchill tanks
- Commons gallery
- Churchill tank
- service entry
- 1941-01-01
- service retirement
- 1952-01-01
- total produced
- 5640
via Wikidata · CC0
~40 min read
Article
The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV (A22) Churchill was a British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple bogies, its ability to climb steep slopes, and its use as the basis of many specialist vehicles. It was one of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war.
The origins of the Churchill's design lay in the expectation that war in Europe might be fought in conditions similar to those of the First World War, and thus emphasised the ability to cross difficult ground. The Churchill was hurried into production in order to build up British defences against a possible German invasion. The first vehicles had flaws that had to be overcome before the Churchill was accepted for wide use. After several marks (versions) had been built, a better-armoured specification, the Mark VII, entered service with the British Army. The improved versions performed well in the later stages of the war.