Black Prince (tank)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tank, Infantry, Black Prince (A43) | |
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 Tank, Infantry, Black Prince (A43) |
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| Type | Infantry tank |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 49 t |
| Length | 7.7 |
| Width | 3.4 |
| Height | 2.7 |
| Crew | 5 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver, co-driver/hull gunner) |
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| Armor | 152 |
| Primary armament |
QF 17 pdr |
| Secondary armament |
2 x 7.92 mm Besa MG |
| Engine | 2 x Bedford Flat 12 350 |
| Suspension | sprung bogie |
| Operational range |
~100 miles |
| Speed | 11 mph (off-road 7 mph) |
The Tank, Infantry, Black Prince (A43) was the name assigned to an experimental development of the Churchill tank with a larger, wider hull and a QF 17-pounder (76 mm) gun. It was named after a 14th century figure, Edward, Prince of Wales, who fought at Crécy.
As a development from the Churchill, the Black Prince was a continuation of the line of Infantry tanks, that is tanks intended to operate in close support of British infantry. The parallel development in British tank design were the Cruiser tanks which were intended for more mobile operations.
The cruiser line of tanks led to the Cromwell tank (and the 17 pounder armed Challenger variant) and then the Comet tank, (which had a variant of the 17 pounder gun) entering service during the war. While not as heavily protected as the Churchill the Comet showed the way tank development was going and the last of the cruiser line and the first of the "Universal tanks", the Centurion tank was approaching completion.
In the light of the slow speed of the Black Prince, and the 17 pounder armament of the Centurion the Black Prince project would be limited. Only six prototypes were completed while the first Centurions were rushed to Germany to try to beat the wars end.
Black Prince tanks are held by the Imperial War Museum Duxford and the Bovington Tank Museum.
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| Light tanks | Vickers 6-Ton • Mk II • Mk III • Mk IV • Mk V • Mk VI • Mk VII Tetrarch |
| Cruiser tanks | Mk I • Mk II • Mk III • Mk IV • Mk V Covenanter • Mk VI Crusader • Mk VII Cavalier Mk VIII Centaur • Mk VIII Cromwell • Challenger • Comet • Sherman Firefly • Ram (Canada) • Sentinel (Australia) |
| Infantry tanks | Mk I Matilda • Mk II Matilda • Mk III Valentine • Mk IV Churchill |
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| Bishop • Sexton • Deacon • Archer |
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| Universal Carrier • Loyd Carrier • Kangaroo • Terrapin |
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| Scout Cars | Daimler Dingo • Dingo Scout Car (Australia) • Humber Scout Car • Lynx Scout Car (Canada) • S1 Scout Car (Australia) |
| Light Reconnaissance Cars | Humber LRC • Morris LRC • Otter LRC (Canada) |
| Armoured Cars | AEC Armoured Car • Coventry Armoured Car • Daimler Armoured Car • Fox Armoured Car (Canada) • Guy Armoured Car • Humber Armoured Car • Lanchester Armoured Car • Marmon-Herrington Armoured Car (South Africa) • Morris CS9 • Rhino Heavy Armoured Car (Australia) • Rolls-Royce Armoured Car • Rover Light Armoured Car (Australia) • Standard Beaverette • Armoured Carrier Wheeled Indian Pattern (India) |
| Armoured Trucks | Bedford OXA • C15TA Armoured Truck (Canada) |
| Armoured Command Vehicles | AEC ACV • Guy Lizard ACV |
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| Avenger • Black Prince • Centurion • Excelsior • TOG 1 • TOG 2 • Tortoise • Valiant • Harry Hopkins • Alecto • Thornycroft Bison |
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| Artillery tractors | AEC Matador • Morris C8 Quad • Scammell Pioneer • Canadian Military Pattern |
| Trucks and lorries | Bedford QLD • Austin K2 • Morris 15 cwt |
| Tank transporters | Diamond T tank transporter • Scammell Pioneer Semi-trailer |
| Utility and cars | Car, Heavy Utility 4x2 Ford C11 • Car, Light Utility ("Tilly") • Car, 4-Seater 4x2 |
| British armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II | |
| British armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II |
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