Dear friends!
Since the development of War Thunder began, we have strived to diversify all of the in-game content available to our players. We have added new aircraft and new locations, we added new ground vehicles for the USSR and Germany. We introduced a research tree for US ground vehicles. Of course, we didn’t plan to stop there, and so, we would like to proudly present to you a project that the development team has been working on diligently for a long time – British ground vehicles!
Fast and deadly, heavy and protected, beautiful and powerful, here they are! – ground vehicles for a fourth nation in War Thunder. The manufacture of ground vehicles from Great Britain proved to have an unusual approach in combining armour and weaponry. Often, they created unique vehicles, of which no counterpart anywhere else in the world could match.
In the first Devblog about British ground vehicles, we would like to introduce players to three prominent British developments, which were in the armed forces of Great Britain during and after WW2. Just from the examples of these three vehicles that have been shown here, you can already see how different and diverse the British manufacturing techniques of ground vehicles was, techniques which led to superb vehicles that will soon be available for our players in War Thunder. So let’s put away our tea mugs and see what we’ve got!
Medium “cruiser” tank A34 “Comet”
The A34 “Comet” was the further development of the “Cromwell”. An incredible vehicle, which was recognized by the British command as the best in its class. At a weight of only 33 tons, its firepower was greater than the firepower of any other Allied medium tank of its time. The only other comparable vehicle within the British Ground Forces, the Sherman Firefly, was greatly inferior to the “Comet” in all characteristics, except the cannon’s penetration.
The “Comet” was upgraded and modified to fit the 77 mm – HV antitank cannon, which already proved its effectiveness as a field cannon. Besides that, the armour on the vehicle turret was improved, while the chassis was taken from the “Cromwell”. In game, the vehicle shows its strengths against opponents at rank III and IV, but tankers should not rely on armour protection, as non sloped armour may lead to poor survivability. The proper use of its excellent combination of mobility and cannon performance transform the “Comet” into a dangerous hunter against enemy tanks and self-propelled guns behind enemy lines.
Heavy infantry tank Churchill Mk.III
The “Churchill” is a legendary British infantry support tank. Thanks to its successful design and excellent armour protection, which was further enhanced as the vehicle was modernized, the “Churchill” successfully participated in various theaters of World War II, including even parts of the Battle of Kursk and the Korean War. Its extremely low maximum speed on roads and cross country is made up for by very good armour protection. The Mk.III comes equipped with a 6-pounder (57mm) anti-tank cannon, which may sometimes be lacking in penetration to combat some enemy vehicles on medium to far distances. Thus, the driver of the “Churchill” has to adapt his tactics by steadily approaching the enemy and attacking from short distance. At the same the Churchill can provide cover to nearby allied vehicles using its massive hull.
Medium tank Centurion Mk.3
This third modification of the British “Centurion” tank was equipped with the QF 20 (83.8mm) pounder cannon, which is a very unique weapon indeed: It was an extremely powerful main cannon produced in opposition to the infamous German 88mm KwK.43 cannon. It came equipped with a cannon that utilised the so-called “sabot” rounds, in which the projectile was encased in a detachable holder – the sabot. While it came too late to actively participate in World War II, it proved its effectiveness in other conflicts like the Korean War and Vietnam. In War Thunder, this vehicle will take its rightful place at rank IV, where it will be a worthy opponent for the late modifications of the Panther and T-44.
