Churchill

Churchill Mk III

History

Churchill Mk.III
Specifications
Type	Heavy Armored Fighting Vehicle
Armament	Main gun: QF 6 Pounder 57mm Coax MG: 7.92 mm Besa LMGs (2)
Gun Elevation	?
Turret Traverse	360° (?)
Crew	4 (Driver, Commander, Gunner, Loader)
Weight	40,642kg
Top Speed	26km/h

400px
Main Gun Optics
Specifications
Designation	?
Magnification	?
Field of View	?

Churchill Mk VII

History

Churchill Mk.VII
Specifications
Type	Heavy Armored Fighting Vehicle
Armament	Main gun: 75 mm L40 M2 Coax MG: 7.92 mm Besa LMGs (2)
Gun Elevation	?
Turret Traverse	360° (?)
Crew	4 (Driver, Commander, Gunner, Loader)
Weight	40,642kg
Top Speed	20km/h

400px
Main Gun Optics
Specifications
Designation	?
Magnification	?
Field of View	?

It had already been determined as early as the mid/late period of 1939 that a replacement for the Matilda II would be needed ... the crushing loss of the BEF in 1940 and almost all the equipment, tanks and guns then in British service …led to the crash development of the Churchill as a heavy tank to stem the anticipated German invasion.

The rushed development would result in a tank with numerous reliability problems, nevertheless the Churchill went on to become one of the most widely used British tanks of the war with dozens of variants employed in all theaters. Very heavy armor and a low silhouette made it a popular tank with its crews due to its survivability under fire, but its slow road speed and lackluster gun, when compared directly to German tank guns and the armor they were employing by this time … always left it as wanting something more in terms of how it might ideally have been. In its defense it was one of the most unbeatable tanks of the war off road, being highly mobile in tight going or when climbing steep grades.

Game Play

The Churchill should be played like a bigger, badder, better Matilda II: you should remain cautious about air attack because while your heavy armor all around will give you considerable security and time when you encounter enemy tanks (if you stay anywhere very long in such a feared tank) the enemy tankers will very likely have called in the heavy air support of their bombers to eliminate you. This is something you can count on all the time, and if you are wrong, then all the better for you when you RTB.

The main threats you need to consider are the ubiquitous and ever present 88mm FlaK gun, and the Tiger tank which mounts virtually the same weapon in an extremely heavily armored turret. Your lack of speed will make maneuver tactics to flank enemy armor difficult, and it will always serve you better to use your low profile to serve you as an extremely nasty ambush tank; your armor allowing you to retreat or even advance under what could be very heavy enemy fire once they know where you are hiding. Try to keep a berm or terrain elevation between your tank and enemy fire as your tracks are as vulnerable as any other tracked vehicles tracks are, and the weak point of any tank no matter what kind it is.

The Churchill VII, almost immune from most if not all quarters of attack will be a prime target for enemy forces; be they tanks, bombers, AT guns or even anti-tank infantry. You must always assume you are the number one unit in the British armored forces that the enemy wants to see killed in battle. The 75mm gun is a low velocity gun, firing the same 75mm rounds as the Sherman. But it is in actuality a QF6pdr gun bored out to accept the 75mm ammunition of the Sherman. It performs slightly better than the Sherman M3 does due to a slightly longer barrel granting it a small increase in muzzle velocity. This improvement over the M3 is only very slight, and it is no match for the high velocity Axis 75mm guns it will be facing. The Crusader III 57mm is actually better against enemy armor.