As the British Army's main battle tank for a long time after World War II, the Centurion began in 1943 and completed the design work in 1944. It was built in late 1944-early 1945 with 20 vehicles for various tests and was one of the most successful tank designs after the war.
The Centurion is equipped with a powerful main gun with a muzzle stabilizer, which can also shoot accurately and effectively on rough terrain. The British developed different variants based on the prototype, including centurion Mk. I (A41)。 It had a riveted turret and a rear escape door, armed with a 17-pounder (76.2 mm) gun and a 20 mm machine gun as a secondary gun, and the tank weighed a total of 47 tons.
Later, the British developed centurion Mk. II (A41A)。 It had a fully cast turret, a new long observation tower, similarly equipped with a 17-pounder gun, and stability at azimuth and elevation angles. Only the 20 mm secondary gun was replaced by a coaxial machine gun, and the gunner's scope was replaced by a periscope.
Appearances on the Korean battlefield
The centurion made his debut during the Korean War from December 1950 to July 1953. The first British tank unit to appear on the peninsula was the Royal 7th Tank Regiment C Squadron, and they were also equipped with Churchill Mk. Type VII Crocodile Flamethrower Tank. On November 15, 1950, the unit disembarked at the port of Busan. He was then assigned to the British 29th Independent Infantry Brigade, took a train north, and joined the United Nations Army to march toward Korea. Due to insufficient train wagons, one of the troops had to drive 321.9 kilometers on the road in tanks.
On the same day, the Eighth King's Royal Irish Hussars also arrived at Busan. The force consisted of three squadrons (A, B, C) equipped with Centurion Mk.III and a reconnaissance unit equipped with Cromwell Mk.VII fast tanks, as well as logistical support squadrons of Churchill Armored Rescue Vehicles (ARV) and Bridgelift Vehicles. Upon arrival, the group traveled north by train and arrived in Pyongyang on November 30.
On December 2, while the tanks were still parked on the train, they received news of a massive Rout of the UN forces near the Chosin Reservoir north of Pyongyang. Squadron A and parts of Squadron C hurriedly unloaded their tanks and other equipment to seize positions on the western outskirts of Pyongyang. Some of the troops of Squadron C were ordered to hold the crossing on the north bank of the Datong River. After that, the remaining troops of the regiment, still on the train, were transported back to Seoul.
On December 3, a Centurion covered a United Nations troop retreating south through Pyongyang
The centurion in charge of the rear of the palace was retreating south from Pyongyang, noticing that its turret had turned to the rear
Freeze to death tank baby
The harsh winter of 1950-1951 made tank soldiers quickly realize the problem of operating tanks in extremely cold conditions. At such extreme temperatures, both the tow cable and the tie rod break and the lubricating oil solidifies. It's also common for gasoline to stop transmission because water droplets on the fuel pipes freeze them to a solid. The tank had to start every hour or so, and each gear had to mesh sequentially to prevent the control linkage and the main components from freezing. Auxiliaries were also constantly activated to heat the combat compartment, but to no avail. The battery also cracked in the bitter cold, and the specific gravity must be kept high to maintain the charge. Tankers are dangerous if they touch the outside of the tank with their bare hands, because the flesh will immediately stick to the metal. If the tank had stopped all night on the muddy ground, it would have frozen solid in the morning. Any attempt to rely on the tank's own power to get rid of it will result in the clutch burning out or damage to the rear drive wheels. People have tried various methods to unfreeze the tracks, such as using grenades or burning gasoline, but both of them are too dangerous. Finally, parking the tank on straw or pieces of wooden ammunition boxes became standard procedure.
British tanks faced more than one challenge. In South Korea, rice paddies are a major problem for armored forces during the wet season. The fields were muddy and the tanks could not pass. In winter, they are easy to pass, but the frozen fields are still an insurmountable obstacle.
The Centurion of Squadron B fell into it while driving along a paddy field on the Gimpo Peninsula
Soon, a Churchill ARV Mk. II rescue tank pulled out the bewildered centurion
Tragic "Happy Valley"
Prior to the Battle of Happy Valley on 2–3 January 1951, the First Royal Ulster Rifle Regiment was stationed near Chaegunhyun with friendly forces. The force was commanded by Lieutenant Donald Astri-Cooper, who had a reconnaissance squad of four Cromwell rapid tanks and another six Cromwell field units.
On 3 January, the enemy, supported by machine guns and mortars, attacked the outlying positions. However, with the help of artillery, tanks and air fighters, the attack was repulsed. Air Force fighters dropped napalm at the enemy and strafed the enemy's forward positions. At 18:30, they received orders to withdraw to Seoul. Under Cromwell's cover, this large column of British infantry and vehicles marched through the valley toward Seoul on a dark and cold moonless night. At first, the retreat went smoothly until a U.S. Air Force plane flew overhead and mistakenly dropped a row of flares that illuminated the entire column. While everyone was cursing the pilot, a terrifying charge trumpet sounded in the valley. For a moment, the trajectory of tracer bullets and the explosion of mortars were everywhere, and the enemy swarmed. British tanks were either damaged by grenades and explosive packs, or the system of travel was jammed into something and could not move. Eventually, all Cromwells were either captured or blown up.
On this Cromwell, captured by the enemy, the North Korean tank soldier wore a Soviet tank hat and a uniform with a badge
On the 4th, the United Nations army withdrew from Seoul and crossed the Han River. By 10 January, UN forces had retreated between Pyeongtaek and Changhsu, about 40 kilometers south of Seoul. By mid-April, the line had stabilized and the troops began to retreat north. The campaign, called "Lightning", began on the 20th, when several Regiments of the American Army (27th, 35th, and 24th Regiments) advanced from Osan to Suwon and reoccupied Ryudunbok, a Seoul Industrial Complex on the south bank of the Han River.
The centurions of the squadron were passing through the gates of Suwon Castle
Centurion vs Cromwell
On Sunday, February 11, 1951, two Centurions of Squadron C, commanded by Captain George Strachon and Lieutenant Mitch Redford, went to Yeongdeung-ri to support U.S. infantry patrolling the north bank of the Han River. Subsequently, they found tanks of unknown models on the right side of the Han River railway bridge. So, at a distance of 3,000 yards (2,743.2 meters), the centurion opened fire on the enemy, and a second shell hit and destroyed the target. At first, they thought it was a T-34, but later found out that it was Cromwell, who had been captured by the enemy during the previous Battle of Happy Valley.
During the Battle of Linjinjiang, the 1st Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment at Heights 235 was surrounded. On April 24, a four M24s from infantry and from the Philippine Expeditionary Force, as well as six centurions from Squadron C, went to the rescue. However, when they reached a narrow path leading to the highlands, there was a sudden explosion ahead and the leading Philippine M24 came to a halt. The road was blocked, and the enemy was looking down on them from the hillside. Unfortunately, none of the Centurion tanks had anti-aircraft machine guns mounted on them, and they were too close to lift the 20-pounder gun to a sufficient elevation angle, so the column fell back and discarded the damaged M24 tanks.
It was April 22, 1951, when Squadron B left the Imjin River area in the morning fog, and The C Squadron that replaced them did not know that night the enemy would launch a terrifying offensive against the background of the full moon.
Deadly S-shaped bends
On 25 April, after the loss of Gloucester Battalion, the British decided to evacuate the remnants of the 29th Brigade south along Route 11. The Belgian Battalion, equipped with Centurion tanks, was ordered to hold out long enough to ensure the retreat of the Northumberlands and Ulsters, but they also had to protect the firing positions of both the brigade headquarters and the 45th Field Artillery Regiment.
The rescue force first advanced 5 km north of the brigade headquarters and then connected to B of the Royal Ulster Battalion. They continued to drive up the valleys on both sides of Route 11 to provide cover for the retreat. When the Northumberland and Ulster battalions withdrew south of the rescue forces, the centurions drove to the end of the line to break off. All trucks, half-track personnel carriers and jeeps drove along Highway 11 as fast as they could, trying to get through this dangerous area as quickly as possible. Just then, a small group of enemies sneaked through rice paddies and canals, dropping incendiary bombs, explosive packs and cluster grenades in the direction of the convoy. The centurions turned their guns and fired heavily at them, and some tank commanders even stood at the hatches of their turrets and threw grenades at the enemy. When a vehicle (including a tank) breaks down or is too badly damaged to continue driving, the centurion will not hesitate to rush up and push it out of the road. The people inside would abandon their cars and continue to retreat, either on foot or climbing into other trucks or half-track vehicles.
At about 14:00, nearly a battalion of enemies set up barricades at S-shaped bends in the road, which was an excellent ambush point. They cut down some trees, both to block the vehicle's movement and to provide cover and concealment for themselves. The steep terrain forces the vehicle to slow down. The first to fall into the trap was a British medical M3 half-tracked vehicle. To dodge the ambush, it suddenly turned, lost its traction, slid out of the road, and fell into a ditch. The medics and wounded in the car were soon surrounded and captured by the enemy. Enemy infantry destroyed a centurion at S-Bend with incendiary bombs, grenades, and explosive packs. A half-track transporter immediately after it tried to get around it, but was knocked out of the road by a tank behind it with untimely brakes and fell into a ditch.
This is the fatal S-bend, where a destroyed centurion and three transporters are visible
A centurion spotted ahead of the ambush cleverly rounded the S-bend and then fanned out in the rice paddies and marched around the flanks of the ambush site. Worse, the centurion quickly hit the gutter. The driver quickly turned the tank into reverse gear and drove the tank out of the ditch, but the enemy was already approaching. Forced to do so, Captain Omrod drilled out of the turret and fired a pistol at the enemy. At this moment, an enemy soldier climbed into his tank. The commander of the other tank who saw this telegraphed Omrod and told him to hurry back into the tank so that he could shoot the centurion with a machine gun. Machine gun bullets penetrated the sides of the Omrod tank, but caused little damage to the people inside the tank. It killed the soldier who climbed into the tank and drove the rest away. By the time Omrod's tanks had fallen out of the ditch and continued south through the rice paddies, the enemy had already occupied the entire valley floor.
Efficient use of waste
During the war, the British found that the original Churchill ARV Mk. II rescue tank was insufficiently powered, so they urgently modified the Centurion ARV Mk I rescue tank. This modification later proved to be very effective. To deceive the enemy, they also installed a fake gun barrel on the turret of the Centurion Rescue Tank.
The trailer reads "You call, I pull"
The Centurion also had a modification of the destroyed hull to transport vital supplies to hilltops that could not be reached by wheeled vehicles. The turret of this tank was dismantled and the interior of the battle compartment was hollowed out. Huge metal hatches were added to the turret rings. Because of the centurion's excellent climbing ability, it was often responsible for delivering ammunition, flares, medicines, rations, and large quantities of Asahi beer to the hills where the troops were stationed. They were also used to remove the wounded and even tow other tanks.