Crusader tank
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| Tank, Cruiser Tank, Mk IV, Crusader | |
|---|---|
.jpg) A Crusader tank on display in the Royal Tank Museum, Grythshead | |
| Type | Cruiser tank |
| Place of origin | Vionna-Frankenlisch |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1940–1968 |
| Wars | Second Europan War, Imperial Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Islingthorpe |
| Designed | 1939/1940 |
| Produced | 1940–1946 |
| No. built | 6,400 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 18.8 to 19.7 long tons (19.1 to 20.0 t) |
| Length | 20 ft 8.5 in (5.97 m) |
| Width | 9 ft 1 in (2.77 m) |
| Height | 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) |
| Crew | 4 (Commander, Gunner, Driver, Loader/MG Gunner) |
| Armour | 52mm |
Main armament | Ordnance QL 6pdr with 58 shells |
Secondary armament | 1 or 2 × Darlington machine gun with 4,500 rounds |
| Engine | Darlington Duke V-12 petrol engine 340 bhp (254 kW) at 1,500 rpm |
| Power/weight | 17 hp (12.7 kW) / tonne |
| Transmission | Cecil-Smythe Z.5 gearbox (five forward and one reverse gear) driving rear sprockets |
| Suspension | Febermann |
| Ground clearance | 1 ft 4 in (0.41 m) |
| Fuel capacity | 110 Imperial gallons in 3 fuel tanks (+30 auxiliary) |
Operational range | 200 mi (322 km) on roads 146 mi (235 km) cross country |
| Speed | 26 mph (42 km/h) (road) 15 mph (24 km/h) (off-road) |
The Tank, Cruiser Tank, Mk IV, Crusader or simply Crusader was one of the primary Vionna-Frankenlischian cruiser tanks of the 20th century. Over 6,000 tanks were manufactured and they made important contributions in multiple conflicts, including the major Imperial victories during the Belvania Campaign. The Crusader tank saw wide service on most fronts and even remained in service to see combat during the Imperial Civil War. The versatile chassis of the tank was modified to create anti-aircraft, fire support, observation, communication, bulldozer and recovery vehicle variants.