The Commander Series Forum

Last night I was painting up some of my British forces, Chieftain and FV432 carriers and then got thinking about the time frame that I have planned for a good cold war battle. So then I looked up in the British equipment and online for when the Chieftain tank came into service and when the Centurion tank was nearing its end. The time frame I'm thinking of is the late 60's to early 70's...but I'm also wanting to know how different the Chieftain tank is to the MkV and how different the Centurion is from its Mk 1 to Mk10 series.

This will all be in 6mm, so I'm thinking it won't really matter, but just curious is all.

Doug

The only differances with Cheiftain would be internal, except deleting the RMG between Mk3 and Mk5. Other than that Kuwaiti Chefies have no searchlight box, and the Jordanian Kalid has a higher engine deck. Mark no's after 1947/8 are arabic, so ythe MkV Cheiftain is incorect.

If you want to detail the 432's you can add stowage boxes (beer carriers) on the Flat Tops. Peak Turret dont appear until 73/4 I think, may be later in general use.

Cents as battle tanks went by 72, but gunners kept theirs as OP's, and some 105's were issued as there were insufficent AVRE conversions.



IanS

I thought there were some Centurions in the 1st Gulf War?

AVRE's only Pete.

So then the looks of the Centurion's and Chieftain's were not that much different with the different Marks, with the exception of the Centurion from the 17 pdr, 20prd to the 105mm. This what I'm pretty much getting at.
I was thinking of getting some GHQ Centurion Mk1 hulls and their Israeli Ben Gurion 105mm turrets. Only a few of each though...its just an idea I have.

Doug

Doug - no - the Mk I (Roman is CORRECT for that mark), is a sligthly diffent size. The Mk 2 is a Mark 3 with 17pdr, Mk 5 to Mk 7 20pdr, Mk 8 20pdr up-armoured, 5/1 - 7/1 uparmoured, /2 - upguned, 8/1 up-armoured, 8/2, both, 9 both up-armoured and up-gunned, 11, 12 and 13, earlier marks fitted with all up-grades, RHMG, IRNF, 105 and applique armour. And that is a simplification, honest. The TTG 1960's lists gives a list, and Ian Allen's MBTs on the Centuruion has a matrix covering it.

In 6mm you wont see much differance between models, just the gun barrel, and engine block/ re-active armour for Israeli ones, which thye called Mk 5 for the basic version It is thought these do have Brit mark nos, but dont know em.

IanS