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My GMC on tank overhaul


Jack

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I watched that last night. I had hoped to catch a glimpse of my 15/19H forebears, but sadly all the wartime film they showed featured the Armoured Farmers (3RTR), our colleagues in 11 Armd Div.

 

I liked the spin at the end. Comet's coming into service was delayed by the Ardennes Offensive so the regiments had to climb out of the shiny new Comets they were boresighting and firing, climb back into their recently-discarded Shermans and head for the front.

 

They crossed the Rhine at the end of March and on the Berlin Victory Parade were eclipsed by the Russians' secret new IS3 which rendered them obsolete after just 47 days' service.

 

I understand that the Army of the Irish Republic (as opposed to the Irish Republican Army) continued to use Comets until 1985. Finally we got our tank design right, but too late.

 

Interestingly it's my understanding that also unveiled on that victory parade was the Centurion.

 

And I was intrigued to see when they removed the side armour that one or more of the suspension units had been damaged and replaced in the field ... with struts from a Centaur!

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i found it very interesting, fully explained to me how Christie suspension works.:idea:

 

Bazz.

 

When DRAC invited me to Bovvy last year, the gadgy voicing over the tanks on display told me the reason Christie suspension fell out of use was because, for some fundamental reason, it would only work at speeds up to about 30 mph (and this website:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A24732245

 

tells me the Cromwell's Meteor engine was limited to keep its top speed down to 32 mph).

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I believe the reason Christie fell out of use was because of increasing weights. Mind you, the complexity of having to remove side armour to get at them may have had a bearing!

 

The advantage Christie gave was its speed potential. Cromwell was governed to 38mph, Mk 7 and 8 having different final drives which dropped it to 32mph. This was done, I understand, because the vehicles were driving too fast over rough ground. This could be a suspension issue or a crew comfort problem.

 

When the meteor was first developed, it was fitted in a Crusader which easily managed 50 mph and post war, a Cromwell was test run with disabled governers and that managed 56mph....till one track broke!

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