antarmike Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 another fun one because again I don't know the answer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 19, 2009 Author Share Posted April 19, 2009 But I do have a bigger picture that shows more!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Gearbox out of tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 19, 2009 Author Share Posted April 19, 2009 Yes, final drive out of a tank, but which one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels v Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 It looks like a centurion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodge Deep Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 churchill I'da thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 I'm thinking Cromwell..........Adrian will know for sure :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Churchill I would say. The side plates and the gearbox mounted compressor make me think that anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 I see above the pupils there is the tail end of "General Lee", probably another instructional aid, but wasn't the Lee/Grant, the Lee with the Americans and the Grant with the British? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Does the drive sprocket help identification? Surely this is not a Lee/Grant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 (edited) It's a Churchill, the rubber rings adjacent to the sprocket rings confirms it. The Lee Grant thing is just because apart from the turret, they were identical. The British Army did have some Lees. The Grant was built to British orders, not lend lease and featured a larger, flatter turret with the wireless set mounted inside. The Lee, which was also named by the British Army, had the wireless in the hull. To the US Army, the Lees were just Medium, M3. Edited April 20, 2009 by Adrian Barrell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodge Deep Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 I still think Churchill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 (edited) I agree too simply because of the number of drive teeth on the sprocket. This would indicate very narrow links, but a lot of them, in the tracks, and the Churchill must have one of the narrowest plates of any wartime tank. So why is there a sign hanging from the roof of a British Training establishment worded "General Lee" if the British had Grants? Edited April 20, 2009 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 I agree too simply because of the number of drive teeth on the sprocket. This would indicate very narrow links, but a lot of them, in the tracks, and the Churchill must have one of the narrowest plates of any wartime tank. So why is there a sign hanging from the roof of a British Training establishment worded "General Lee" if the British had Grants? The Churchill had very wide plates for the time but the teeth engage the links inboard from the edges, hence narrow sprockets. The British Army also had Lees early on as that was all that was available. The Grant was simply the preferred model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 21, 2009 Author Share Posted April 21, 2009 (edited) By narrow i meanthe length of each plate ,front to back, measured along the length of the track, I know the track is wide measured across the track, ie at 90 degrees to forward motion, but i thought the actual size of the Churchill links measured front to back along the length of the track, and in the direction of motion is actually quite small. That is why the Churchill has so many plates per track, compared with other Armour. (and this is also why there are more teeth on the drive sprocket, than say a Sherman or a Grant.) Edited April 21, 2009 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 (edited) By narrow i meanthe length of each plate ,front to back, measured along the length of the track, I know the track is wide measured across the track, ie at 90 degrees to forward motion, but i thought the actual size of the Churchill links measured front to back along the length of the track, and in the direction of motion is actually quite small. That is why the Churchill has so many plates per track, compared with other Armour. (and this is also why there are more teeth on the drive sprocket, than say a Sherman or a Grant.) Ah, you mean pitch! Actually, the picture you posted is misleading as the Churchill has a pitch of around 8", depending on style of track, one of the largest at the time. For example, Sherman is 6" and Crusader only 4 1/8". Churchill looks smaller because the sprockets engage with every other tooth, or at least two teeth per link, there being an odd number to even out the wear. Hellcat uses the same principle, at least on the original steel track. Edited April 21, 2009 by Adrian Barrell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 21, 2009 Author Share Posted April 21, 2009 (edited) ingenious! Yes I assumed that there was only one tooth in each plate, Makes sense know. Edited April 21, 2009 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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