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Cruiser Mk III (A13 Mk I) , Cruiser Mk IV (A13 Mk II) british cruisers tanks of the Second World War. It was the first British cruiser tank to use the Christie suspension system which gave higher speeds and better cross-country performance, previous models of cruiser tanks having used triple wheeled bogie suspension. Tank was built by Nuffield Mechanisation & Aero and carried a turret similar to that of the A9 but with a commander’s cupola added. The Mark II was an up-armoured version of the Mark I with the extra armour bolted on. Extra steel plates gave added protection and eliminating shot traps. Hollow V-sided plates were added to the original turret. With Christie suspension and powered by a Nuffield Liberty V-12 engine (an American World War I aero type), tank reached the remarkable speed of 56.3km/h (35mph). This produced some mechanical problems, and so the speed was reduced to 48km/h (30mph). The engine could be started electrically or by compressed air.
It was used by the 1st Armoured Division in France 1940 and in small numbers with the 7th Armoured Division in the Western Desert in 1940-41, but was too lightly armoured when compared to its German contemporaries. They were also used for training purposes by the Army in Britain.
Main armament: 40 mm quick-firing semi-automatic 2-pdr; maximum rate of fire: 22 rds/min; maximum range on sight: 1,371 m; gun length: 2,083 mm.
Production: 65 tanks (Cruiser Mk III), 655 tanks (Cruiser Mk IV).

Bibliography:

• Panzer Tracts 19-2: Beute-Panzerkampfwagen: British, American, Russian and Italian Tanks Captured from 1940 to 1945 – Thomas L Jentz, Werner Regenberg
• British and American Tanks of World War Two: The Complete Illustrated History of British, American and Commonwealth Tanks, 1939-45 – Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis
• The Great Tank Scandal: British Armour in the Second World War Part 1 – David Fletcher
• B. T. White – British Tank Markings and Names, Squadron Specials series No. 6021
• British Tanks: The Second World War – Images of War, Pen and Sword Military 2012
• David Fletcher – British Tanks of WWII (1): France & Belgium 1944, Concord Armour at War 7027
• Bryan Perrett – British Tanks in North Africa 1940-42, Osprey
• B.T. White – British Tanks 1915-1945
• British North Africa – Focus On Armour Camouflage & Markings 2
• Norm E. Harms, Steve Clayton, Uwe Feist – British Armour in Action, Squadron/Signal Publications
• British Cruiser Tanks of World War 2 – The War Archives, Kelsey Publishing 2014
• Richard Doherty – British Armoured Divisions and Their Commanders, 1939-1945