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The Comet Tank or Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34) was a British touring tank first used near the end of World War II, during the invasion of Germany by the Western Allies. The Comet developed from the earlier Cromwell tank and was mounted with a new 17 pdr High Velocity (HV) (3 in; 76.2 mm, sometimes referred to as "77mm") gun, in a low-profile turret. and slightly melted. This weapon was effective against late German tanks, including the Panther at medium range and the Tiger.
British Comet Tank
The Comet made the Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger obsolete and led to the development of the Cturion tank. When firing APDS shells, the 77mm HV was superior in armor handling to the 75mm KwK 42 gun on the equivalent Axis tank, the Panther.
A Cut Out Of A British Cruiser Comet Tank Which Entered Service In 1944 & Was Used In The Closing Months Of Ww2 Stock Photo
The Comet entered active service in January 1945 and remained in British service until 1958. In some cases, Comets sold abroad continued to operate well into the 1980s.
The experience of fighting the Germans in the Western Desert Campaign showed the British many shortcomings with their cruiser tanks. As a result, a new heavy tank cruiser was called for in 1941 that could achieve the battle superiority of the German models. For reasons of economy and efficiency, as many parts as possible had to be used on the Currt A15 Mk VI Crusader tank.
Early designs for the new Cromwell tank came from the A24 Mk VII Cavalier tank and the A27L Mk VIII Ctaur tank, both of which were operated by Nuffield Liberty. The design continued with the Mk VII (A27M) Cromwell, the third development parallel to the Cavalier and Ctaur, sharing many of the same features.
Under the new A27M specification, Cromwell has incorporated a number of key features. The Meteor engine proved reliable and gave the tank a good drive, but some problems arose due to the vehicle's shared heritage and the significant increase in engine power. The tank tended to lose its tracks if the traction track was not properly maintained or turned too fast or too sharply. There were also other problems with the suspension brakes, partly due to Cromwell's high speed, and various design changes were made as a result.
British A34 Comet Walk Around Page 1
The biggest complaint was related to firepower; The Cromwell was originally designed to carry the QF 57mm Ordnance 6-pounder gun, which was also fitted to Crusader tanks. In battle these were found useful against other tanks, but without a suitable high explosive charge they were ineffective against anti-tank guns or static emplacements. Before the Cromwell Tering's combat service, the Ordnance QF 75mm was introduced to equip most of the Cromwell, a modified version of the 6-pounder which fired a shell from the American 75mm gun of the Sherman. This offered lower anti-tank performance than the 6-pounder, but its much larger shell provided a greater shot load.
Many attempts have been made to further improve firepower by introducing a more powerful weapon. In parallel with the development of the Cromwell and QF 75mm gun, a new Vickers High Velocity 75mm tank gun was designed, but it proved too large for the Cromwell turret ring and left a deficiency in anti-tank capability.
The initial need for a 17 pounder armored tank led to the development of the A30 Mk VIII Challenger. Based on the Cromwell, the hull had to be lgthed and a larger turret fitted on top to allow for a second 17-pounder magazine, a requirement of the earlier specification that was believed to be necessary for larger ammunition. The Challenger's very tall turret was considered a liability and this led to experiments with the A30 Avger version of it, an anti-tank version with an op-top turret.
The conversion of Sherman tanks to the Sherman Firefly (a Sherman tank fitted with a 17-pounder gun) was much faster than production Challenger, and due to the operational requirements of the Normandy invasion, Challenger production was discontinued. Fireflies (and a limited number of Challengers) provided additional firepower for Cromwell's and Sherman's infantry. One Firefly will be released from each Cromwell team (giving three Cromwells and one Sherman Firefly). Issues have been limited due to the different maintenance requirements and supply issue associated with the two tank models, and the performance difference between the Cromwell and Sherman and Sherman's Silhouette which is larger than the Challenger. The sheer size and stark contrast of the Challenger and Firefly made them prime targets for Axis forces.
Tank A34 Comet
Realizing that a lower standard vehicle was needed to replace the mixed fleet of Cromwell, Challenger and Firefly tanks, a new tank specification was created. This eliminated Challenger's need for a second printer and installed a new Vickers High Velocity device designed for Cromwell.
With the A34 (General Staff description), later named the Comet, the tank designers chose to correct some of Cromwell's errors in armament, track design, and mounting while relying on low height, high speed, and mobility. This replaced the need for Challenger and Firefly and worked with experience gained from Cromwell's early design and implementation.
Originally, Cromwell was expected to use a Vickers-designed "high velocity 75mm" gun, but it would not fit the turret.
Gun development continued and as work began on the Comet the gun design evolved into the 17 pdr HV (high velocity).
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The gun now used the same caliber (76.2 mm) of shell as the 17-pounder, but the cartridge case was from the old QF 3-inch 20 cwt anti-aircraft gun loaded at high pressure. The resulting round was different from the 17-pound bullet, being shorter, more compact, and easier to store and handle inside the tank. Tests on the ranks of the 2nd Fife and Forfarshire Yeomanry as they moved away from the Shermans showed that the gun failed to engage the frontal armor plate of the German Panther tank.
The £17 HV was a shorty £17. This made it possible to mount the gun on a small turret ring. The gun was still able to counter the enemy and fire APDS rounds, with greater accuracy and consistency than the 17-pounder and 6-pounder APDS, which were inaccurate beyond 700m and often forgotten.
Many improvements were made and many Cromwellian design modifications were incorporated, such as safety hatches for the driver and hull gunner. The hull was fully welded as standard and armor increased, from 32mm to 74mm on the hull, while the turret went from 57 to 102mm.
A new low-profile integrated turret was created using the mantlet from the 77mm gun. The turret was powered by electric power (a design feature borrowed from Churchill's tank), with a generator powered by a primary gin rather than Cromwell's hydraulics. Ammunition for the 77 mm gun was stored in armored barrels.
Hobby Master Ground Power Series British Army Tank A34 Comet Cruiser Nina 2nd Infantry Division Hg5205 1:72 Eztoys
The Comet's suspension was stiffened and chain return rollers were added. As with later Cromwells, the Comet tank's top speed was limited from the Cromwell's 40+ mph to a slow but respectable 32 mph (51 km/h). This change saved the life of the suspension and engine components and reduced wear on the tracks.
Like later Churchills, the Comet benefited from the lessons learned from tank and infantry engagements. It was equipped as standard with two radio sets: Wireless Set No. 19, for regiment and troop communications, and No. 38 Wireless for communications with infantry units. Like many British tanks, it had a rear-mounted telephone so that the infantry could communicate with the crew.
Comet tanks were built by various British factories run by Leyland, including English Electric, John Fowler & Co., and Metro-Cammell.
A mild steel prototype was ready in February 1944 and tested. Concerns about the weapon armor and belly armor were set aside to avoid the redesign, but there were still considerable delays caused by minor tweaks and changes. Production models did not begin delivery until September 1944. The Comet was scheduled to enter service in December 1944, but crew training was delayed by the German Ardnes Offensive. During the war, 1,200 were produced.
A34 Comet Cruiser Tank
Comet tanks of the 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, 11th Armored Division, cross the Weser at Petershag, Germany, on April 7, 1945.
The British 11th Armored Division was the first in the process to receive new tanks, with deliveries beginning in December 1944 and the Sherman-equipped 29th Armored Brigade withdrew from combat in the southern Netherlands at beginning of a month of re-equipment. After arriving in Brussels and preparing to surrender their Shermans, the Ardnes Offensive began, with the brigade being forced to withdraw their Shermans to take part in fighting the German attack. The unit returned to the Brussels area in mid-January 1945 three weeks later, finally paying for its Shermans in return.
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