Tankopedia
WW2MediumMedium TankUnited Kingdom

Cromwell

In service 1943 - 1950s

Fast, reliable and powered by a de-rated Spitfire engine: Britain's best cruiser tank of the war.

Built byBirmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon, Leyland

Cromwell
Cromwell (A27M) front-right 2017 Bovington — Morio, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Development history

The Meteor engine finally gave British armour the power it had lacked, making the Cromwell quick across country and mechanically dependable. Its riveted-then-welded hull and 75 mm gun were adequate rather than outstanding, and armoured reconnaissance regiments valued its speed most. It led the dash across France in 1944 and paved the way for the Comet and, ultimately, the Centurion.

Photo gallery

Period photographs with source and licence details.

1 images

Variants

One canonical record, 4 recorded variants.

  1. Cromwell Mk I-III

    1943

    6-pdr gun, riveted hull, early Meteor installation.

  2. Cromwell Mk IV

    1944

    75 mm ROQF gun; the standard Normandy version.

  3. Cromwell Mk VI

    1944

    95 mm howitzer close-support version.

  4. Comet

    1944

    Redesigned development with the 77 mm HV gun and stronger hull.

Notable actions

  • Normandy (1944)
  • Villers-Bocage (1944)
  • Advance to Brussels (1944)