Re: Hitler's Major Blunders - Top Three

In article
<c6e47117-ba73-4c35-b601-dd29331294e1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
RichTO90@xxxxxxx (Rich) wrote:

Hi Ken, a question, I always have understood that the first six
prototypes were the Mark I and that from January 1945 onwards the
prototypes were completed to Mark II

According to British and American Tanks of WW2. Twenty pilot models
were ordered. Models 1-10 had a Polsten cannon in the coaxial mount with
a rear turret escape door. Pilots 11-15 had Besa MG instead of Polstens.
Pilots 16-18 had an additional Besa in a ball mount in place of the
escape door and 19-20 had provision for mounting a Besa in the hull
front reverting to a rear turret escape door. The last five vehicles had
"Powerflow" gearboxes and were designated A41S. The first six vehicles
completed, later called Centurion I, were delivered in May 1945and
rushed to Germany for combat testing.

Meanwhile in January 1945 an up-armoured vehicle, designated A41A,
Centurion II was produced as a prototype. This had a new cast turret and
numerous detail improvements.

So you had the original pilot series production of which started in
1944 with delivery in 1945, followed by another prototype which resulted
in the first production version with improvements indicated by
assessment of the pilot vehicles.

One reason for this was the Centurion was almost a complete break from
earlier cruiser designs with the only carry over being the engine.

Ken Young

.

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