A27L Centaur Mk. IV
Comments
James CThanks mate 🙂
Still a fair bit left to do on the upper hull surfaces and turret, and am considering adding a little stowage as the engine deck looks a little bare at present.
Will see what I can find in my spares box.
James CWas hiding in plain sight 🙂
The basic tank is finished, but I'm still undecided on adding some stowage items to the rear engine deck, so I'm going to make a start on the A27M Cromwell while I think it over a little more. It's basically the same tank, but with different engine and main gun and obviously different paint scheme.
I will take and post some pictures of the completed builds together once done 😉
James CMany thanks андрей хаустов 🙂
I finally finished it off yesterday.
First released by Tamiya in 1999 as a retooled version of the A27M Cromell kit from 1997.
Due to its age, the finer details are not up to todays standards, but are still quite acceptable, and I believe that it's the only kit currently on the market that's still readily available of the subject.
The single length tracks included in the kit can be glued using ordinary plastic cement rather than CA.
The decals for the bearing markers at first glance appear to be a little daunting, but are quite thin by Tamiya standards, and have holes in the transfer film to lay around the large protruding bolts of the turret armor, doing away with having to resort to using copious amounts of setting solutions to get them to settle down.
While this makes it "easier" to place them, you still need to take a lot of care as you only get one chance to get it right. Tamiya really should have included a second set just for mishaps.
Decal Tip - I found it best to start on the rear of the turret, then do the rear quarter panels, followed by the right side, front, then left side. The right side overlaps onto the front panel, and the front panel overlaps onto the left side slightly. To aid in positioning, I also found it best to trim the carrier film on the upper edges of each decal flush with the bearing markers so that each decal sits flush with the upper edges of the turret otherwise the holes for the bolts will not line up properly.
All up, and excluding the intricate turret decals, it's an easy and enjoyable build that can be assembled over a weekend. Definitely recommended.
Cheers! 🙂
NeulingTruly a state of the art build. Very well done! I like the moderate weathering. And thanks for the interesting infos!
Simon NagorsnikYou have succeeded in a nice end result 👍
The markings for the bearing on the turret give the whole thing something special.
Maybe I should do one in '72...
Album info
The British A27L Centaur, was developed from an earlier "cruiser" tank design; the A24 Cavalier, which itself was a further development from the A15 "Crusader" which saw extensive service in North Africa. The A24 Cavalier would only see a limited production run of approx. 500 units, and would not see frontline service in Europe.
Most were held in reserve for training purposes or for axillary roles as reserve units.
It was powered by the American V-12 "Liberty" engine (first produced in 1917 during WW1) which was licensed and produced in Britain during World War II by the UK Nuffield car manufacturer. By 1942, the Nuffield Liberty tank engines were showing their age, with reliability and overheating issues caused by stresses put on them from increasingly heavier tank designs.
The first A27's off the production line in late 1943 would receive an improved version of the Nuffield Liberty engine (producing around 410 hp) and designated the A27L "Centaur". However, it would continue to be plagued by reliability and performance issues during its brief service life, and only 800 were ever produced.
Other A27L hulls would be used as armored recovery units and bulldozers, as well as mobile anti-aircraft guns.
Its main armament was a QF 95 mm (quick firing) howitzer, which was capable of firing 7 rounds per minute. Ammunition consisted of a combination of Smoke, HE (High Explosive), HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) and Hesh (High Explosive Squash-Head) rounds.
On "D-Day" 6th June 1944, the Royal Marine Armored Support Group (RMASG) equipped with their A27L Centaurs, would support the allied infantry landings at Gold, Sword and Juno beaches and was tasked with knocking out enemy bunkers, mortar and machine-gun positions.
To aid in this, the turret was painted with bearing markers, which was a concept used by the Royal Navy during WW1 to aid ships travelling in formation to bring all their guns to bear on the same target.
On D-Day, this principle was the same and allowed spotters equipped with binoculars to direct its main gunfire on to any targets of opportunity; even while still aboard the landing craft!
Once ashore the RMASG was ordered to remain on the beaches in continued support of the infantry, but this order was ignored, and after regrouping, would head some 12 miles inland in pursuit of elements of the German 711th and 716th Infantry Divisions, which also resulted in clashes with the 21st Panzer Division.
Once the beachheads were secured, the RMASG Centaurs would be recalled back to England with all units being withdrawn by the end of June 1944.
There is some confusion about what colour the RMASG Centaurs were painted.
Some suggest that after being delivered from the factory painted in "SCC 2" service drab, the Royal Marines would have repainted them khaki green (a much darker brown colour) in line with their other equipment. However, with the passage of time, nobody is really certain for sure, as both arguments are quite possible.
I chose to go with SCC 2 purely for aesthetic reasons, and because of a WW2 picture I found of the actual tank in France appearing to be a much lighter shade etc.
Post war:
Fifty-two Centaur tanks were donated in early 1946 to the Greek Army, during the opening stages of the Greek Civil War, but they were kept in storage due to a lack of trained personnel.
In 1947, the first Greek officers returned from training courses in the United Kingdom, and training of tank crews began.
In April 1948, the Centaurs were organized into three Centaur tank companies, initially numbered II, IX and XI, but a year later were renumbered 381, 382, 383 and temporarily attached to Reconnaissance Regiments 391, 392, and 393. The Centaurs saw limited service in the war because battles were fought mainly in mountainous terrain, but proved useful in supporting infantry units and in defense of inhabited areas.
After the end of the war, in October 1949, the three Centaur companies were organized into the 391st Tank Regiment. The Centaurs were eventually replaced by US built M47s, and in 1962 were sold and scrapped.
One Centaur remains preserved in the Greek Army and Tank Museum.
The story of the A27 doesn't end here, and is continued on my next build... the A27M Cromwell.
The kit:
First released by Tamiya in 1999 as a retooled version of the A27M Cromell kit from 1997.
Due to its age, the finer details are not up to todays standards, but are still quite acceptable, and I believe that it's the only kit currently on the market that's still readily available of the subject.
The single length tracks included in the kit can be glued using ordinary plastic cement rather than CA.
The decals for the bearing markers at first glance appear to be a little daunting, but are quite thin by Tamiya standards, and have holes on the transfer film to lay around the large protruding bolts of the turret armor, doing away with having to resort to using copious amounts of setting solutions to get them to settle down.
While this makes it "easier" to place them, you still need to take a lot of care as you only get one chance to get it right. Tamiya really should have included a second set just for mishaps.
Assembly Tip - I found it best to start on the rear of the turret, then do the rear quarter panels, followed by the right side, front, then left side. The right side overlaps onto the front panel, and the front panel overlaps onto the left side slightly. To aid in positioning, I also found it best to trim the carrier film on the upper edges of each decal flush with the bearing markers so that each decal sits flush with the upper edges of the turret otherwise the holes for the bolts will not line up correctly.
All up, and excluding the intricate turret decals, it's an easy and enjoyable build that can be assembled over a weekend. Definitely recommended.
Completed 9th October 2022
