Comet (tank)
The Comet tank or Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34) was a British cruiser tank that first saw use near the end of the Second World War, during the Western Allied invasion of Germany. The Comet was developed from the earlier Cromwell tank and mounted the new 17 pdr High Velocity (HV) (3 inch; 76.2 mm – sometimes referred to as "77 mm") gun, in a lower profile, partly-cast turret. This gun was effective against late-war German tanks, including the Panther at medium range, and the Tiger.
| Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34) | |
|---|---|
A Comet tank at tankfest at The Tank Museum. | |
| Type | Cruiser tank |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | December 1944–1958 (UK) |
| Used by | see Operators |
| Wars | Second World War 1964 Ethiopian–Somali War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Birmingham Carriage & Wagon Co |
| Designed | 1943 |
| Manufacturer | Leyland Motors |
| Produced | September 1944 |
| No. built | 1,200 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 35 long tons (36 t; 39 short tons) |
| Length |
|
| Width | 9 ft 10+1⁄4 in (3 m) |
| Height | 8 ft 9+1⁄2 in (2.68 m) |
| Crew | 5 (commander, gunner, loader/operator, driver, hull gunner) |
| Armour | .55–4 in (14–102 mm) |
Main armament |
|
Secondary armament |
|
| Engine | Rolls-Royce Meteor Mark III V12 petrol 600 hp (450 kW) |
| Power/weight | 18.3 hp/long ton (13.4 kW/t) |
| Drive | Webbed & spudded tracks |
| Transmission |
|
| Suspension | Improved Christie with return rollers |
| Ground clearance | 18 in (0.46 m) |
| Fuel capacity | 116 imp gal (530 L) |
Operational range |
|
| Maximum speed |
|
| References | Chamberlain & Ellis |
The Comet rendered the Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger obsolete, and led to the development of the Centurion tank. When firing APDS rounds, the 77 mm HV was superior in armour penetration capability to the 75 mm KwK 42 gun of the equivalent Axis tank, the Panther.
The Comet entered active service in January 1945 and remained in British service until 1958. In some cases, Comets sold to other countries continued to operate into the 1980s.