WoT: Churchill Crocodile War Stories and Extra Equipment

Churchill Crocodile

“I knew little of France before the war, to be perfectly honest. Manchester’s closer to Ireland than it is France. Father had fought in Belgium, though. Not that he talked about it much.

It’s strange to think how we used to call it the Great War—the only one, as if there could never possibly be another like it. Perhaps it was naive to think so. The history of man is a history of war. And I knew that, when the time came—when the war came—I’d have my part to play in it. King, country, duty, honour—that’s what I was brought up to believe in, and that’s what I was taught to defend. At all costs.”

Tracks on Armor. Tankers went to great lengths to improve their vehicle’s protection, even mounting tracks on their vehicle’s armor to improve its durability. They used both standard tracks and tracks scavenged from defeated enemy vehicles.
Flamethrower Nozzle. The bow machine gun was replaced
with a flamethrower that used liquid fuel.
Tents Stowed in Covers. Tankers often had to spend the night outside, whatever the weather, so tents were a necessity.
Crew Equipment (M37 Backpacks, MkVI Gas Mask Bags, Mkl and MKIV Helmets). Each soldier was provided with a standard set of equipment regardless of their specialization. The equipment included backpacks, gas masks, and steel helmets. .303 cal Ammunition Crates. Supplies didn’t always arrive on time, so tank crews used to load additional ammo. In addition, they could replenish ammunition in battle.
Sack Pillows. A tank isn’t the most comfortable means of transport, so the landing party could use mattresses or sacks stuffed with hay.
Equipment for Liquid Fuel Container Trailer. Churchill Crocodile flame-throwing tanks had liquid fuel stored in a special trailer instead of in the hull. If the trailer was damaged, or the tank ran out of liquid fuel, the trailer could be detached, keeping the vehicle operational. This solution increased crew survivability dramatically. Cable Coil. Cables were used to establish wired communication between vehicles during prolonged encampments or for demolitions. Or simply as ropes.