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This article lists British armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II.

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Contents
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1 Nomenclature
1.1 Specification Number

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1.2 Type name and mark

Page information

1.3 Name

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2 Design and production

2.1 Cruiser tanks
3 Tanks

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3.1 Tank, Infantry, Mk I, Matilda I (A11)

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3.2 Tank, Infantry, Mk II, Matilda II (A12)

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3.3 Tank, Infantry, Mk III, Valentine

3.4 Tank, Infantry, Mk IV, Churchill (A22)

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3.5 Tank, Light, Mk VII, Tetrarch (A17)

3.6 Tank, Cruiser, Mk I, (A9)
3.7 Tank, Cruiser, Mk II, (A10)
3.8 Tank, Cruiser, Mk III, (A13)
3.9 Tank, Cruiser, Mk IV, (A13 Mk II)
3.10 Tank, Cruiser, Mk V, Covenanter (A13 Mk III)
3.11 Tank, Cruiser, Mk VI, Crusader (A15)
3.12 Tank, Cruiser, Mk VII, Cavalier (A24)
3.13 Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Centaur (A27L)
3.14 Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell (A27M)
3.15 Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Challenger (A30)
3.16 Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34)
3.17 Tank, Cruiser, Centurion I (A41)
4 Armoured cars
5 Self-propelled guns

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6 See also
7 Notes
8 References

Nomenclature

[ edit ]

British tank nomenclature used a complex combination of specifications, types,

marks/models and versions. e.g.
Spec.

Type

Model

Name

Version

A27M Tank, Cruiser, Mark VIII, Cromwell IV

This allowed vehicles to be referenced under three different identification schemes:

Specification Number

[ edit ]

Firstly a General Staff specification developed by the Directorate of Tank Design e.g. A13.
These were specifications for new tanks to be designed. Not all specifications delivered
workable vehicles, and hence only a subset entered production.
The specification could apply to more than one vehicle where design was competed. If the
vehicle was privately developed it may not have a General Staff number at all.

Type name and mark

[ edit ]

Secondly by a descriptive name - e.g. "Tank, Infantry, Mark II". This reflected the type and
model of tank, i.e. "Tank, Infantry, Mark II" is a different tank to "Tank, Infantry, Mark III".
The scheme was introduced during the First World War but not always applied to earlier
designs. The descriptive name could also be modified by the inclusion of "A" denoting an
armament change or "*" denoting some other change.

Name

[ edit ]

Thirdly by a name for this model of tank - e.g. Crusader. This could have a number
associated for the version of this model of tank, e.g. Crusader Mark II (rendered as
"Crusader II") is an upgraded version of Crusader I.
In rare cases, a complete redesign could spawn a new specification number, for instance
Churchill VII was renumbered A42 after completion due to the signifant level of difference
from the original tank.
Some tanks had already picked up names, either nicknames or from project names, but in
June 1941 the Prime Minister Winston Churchill asked that all tanks be named.

Design and production

Cruiser tanks

[ edit ]

[ edit ]

Crusader and Covenanter were parallel designs for a cheaper cruiser tank than the A16
design proposed to replace the Cruiser Mark IV. Both designs were ordered in 1939 prior to
the start of the war. The first tanks were delivered in 1940. Cavalier was used for training in
the UK while Crusader was used in North Africa. When its successors were delayed the

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Crusader was modified to take the 6 pounder gun.

The tanks that received the names Cavalier, Centaur and Cromwell were all designs to meet
the same requirement for a cruiser tank to replace the Crusader tank. Design work took
place in 1941 and 1942. The Cavalier and Centaur used the Nuffield Liberty engine while
Cromwell used the more powerful Rolls-Royce Meteor. Cromwell was first used in action in
June 1944.

Tanks

[ edit ]

Tank, Infantry, Mk I, Matilda I (A11)

[ edit ]

The Matilda I was a machine gun armed infantry support tank. It had been built down to a
price and for quick delivery. Those not lost during the fighting of the battle of France were
abandoned at Dunkirk. The few left in the UK were retained for training only.
Total production 193740: 140.

Tank, Infantry, Mk II, Matilda II (A12)

[ edit ]

The Matilda II was produced by Vulcan Foundry, John Fowler & Co., Ruston & Hornsby, the
London, Midland and Scottish Railway, Harland and Wolff, and the North British Locomotive
Company
As well as Marks I, II, III, IV and V of the Matilda, some were rebuilt with the Canal Defence
Light
Total production 193743: 2,987.

Tank, Infantry, Mk III, Valentine

[ edit ]

Valentine was a private development by Vickers that was accepted by the War Office. It
used the suspension of their pre-war A10 Heavy Cruiser design with heavier armour.
There were eleven marks of Valentine.
Total production 193945 of Valentine Mks I, II, III and IV: 8,275.

Tank, Infantry, Mk IV, Churchill (A22)

[ edit ]

Churchill tank production

Model

Years

Production

Churchill I

194145

303

Churchill II

194145

1,127

Churchill III

675

Churchill IV

1,622

Churchill V

194145

241

Churchill VI

194145

200

Churchill VII

1,600

Churchill VIII 194145

1,600

Total production 1941-45: 7,368

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Tank, Light, Mk VII, Tetrarch (A17)

[ edit ]

Total production: 177.

Tank, Cruiser, Mk I, (A9)

[ edit ]

Total production: 125.

Tank, Cruiser, Mk II, (A10)

[ edit ]

Total production 193840: 175.

Tank, Cruiser, Mk III, (A13)

[ edit ]

Total production 193839: 65.

Tank, Cruiser, Mk IV, (A13 Mk II)

[ edit ]

The initial production of the Mark IV was by adding extra armour to Mark III. Later production
included the extra armour at the time of construction. On top of those converted from the
Mk III, 665 of the Mk IVA (with the BESA rather than a Vickers machine gun) were built.

Tank, Cruiser, Mk V, Covenanter (A13 Mk III)

[ edit ]

The Covenanter was an unsuccessful design suffering from engine cooling problems. Total
production: 1,700. Note that no A13 Mk III saw combat as all but one (which was sent to
North Africa) were stationed in Great Britain during the war and used for training.

Tank, Cruiser, Mk VI, Crusader (A15)

[ edit ]

The last production Crusaders were produced without turrets as they were to be converted
to artillery tractors or self-propelled anti-aircraft guns.
Total production 194043 of Crusader Mks I, II and III: 5,300.

Tank, Cruiser, Mk VII, Cavalier (A24)

[ edit ]

Total production 194143: 500.

Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Centaur (A27L)

[ edit ]

Total production 194243: 950.

Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell (A27M)

[ edit ]

Cromwell was produced in several marks: I, III (II was a design not preceded with), IV, IVw,
Vw, VI, VII, VIIw, VIII. Some of these were reworks of earlier Cromwells, some of reworked
Centaurs.
Total Production 194344 3,066

Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Challenger (A30)

[ edit ]

Total production 194344: 200.

Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34)

[ edit ]

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Total production 194445: 1186.

Tank, Cruiser, Centurion I (A41)

[ edit ]

Total production 194445: 6.

Armoured cars

[ edit ]

Scout cars
Daimler Dingo (6,626)
Humber Scout Car (4,300)
Light Reconnaissance Cars
Humber Light Reconnaissance Car
Morris Light Reconnaissance Car
Armoured Cars
AEC Armoured Car (629)
Coventry Armoured Car (220)
Daimler Armoured Car (2,694)
Guy Armoured Car (101)
Humber Armoured Car (5,400)
Lanchester Armoured Car
Morris CS9 (99)
Standard Beaverette

Self-propelled guns

[ edit ]

This section requires expansion.

(September 2010)

Bishop
Sexton (Canada)
Deacon
Archer
Achilles (1,100)

See also

[ edit ]

Comparison of early World War II tanks

French armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II
German armored fighting vehicle production during World War II
Soviet armored fighting vehicle production during World War II
American armored fighting vehicle production during World War II

Notes

[ edit ]

References

[ edit ]

Fletcher, David, The Great Tank Scandal - British Armour in the Second World War, Part
1, HMSO, ISBN0-11-290460-2

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v t e

British Commonwealth armoured fighting vehicles of

World War II

v t e

Tanks

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v t e

Self-propelled artillery

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v t e

Armoured personnel carriers

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v t e

Scout cars and armoured cars

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v t e

Experimental vehicles

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v t e

British unarmoured vehicles of World War II

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British armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II

Categories: World War II armoured fighting vehicles of the United Kingdom

World War II armoured fighting vehicle production

Tanks of the United Kingdom

This page was last modified on 11 January 2016, at 23:15.

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