18. The Underrated British Tank
The Cromwell was the first British tank that combined decent armored protection with high speed, powered by a reliable Rolls Royce Meteor engine. By 1943, a new British tank was needed to handle the new Tigers and Panthers. However, the Cromwell’s turret could not accommodate the best available gun for destroying those panzers, the 77mm dual-purpose high velocity (HV) gun. It had had to settle instead for an inadequate medium gun.
That predicament led to the development of the A34 Cruiser Tank Comet Mark I, Britain’s deadliest tank against enemy armor. It was built on a modified Cromwell chassis with a larger turret ring for a wider and bigger turret that could accommodate the 77mm HV gun. That gun was lethal against Panthers, the Comet’s German equivalent, and at most ranges, against heavy German Tigers as well. It was also superior to the Panther’s 75mm gun.