A10 MK.IA BRITISH CRUISER TANK

Cruiser Tank A10 (also known as: The Cruiser Tank Mark II) was a British high speed / pursuit tank from the interwar period and World War II. The first prototypes of the vehicle were made in 1936, and serial production continued in the years 1938-1940, ending with the production of about 200 examples. The wagon length was about 5.6 m, with a width of about 2.5 m and a height of about 2.65 meters. The tank was powered by an engine AEC A179 with 150 hp . The basic armament of the vehicle consisted of a single 40 mm 2-pounder cannon and 2 Vickers and BESA 7.7 and 7.92 mm machine guns. The Cruiser Tank A10 was developed as a highly modernized version of the A9 car. Compared to its predecessor, it was distinguished mainly by the dismantling of the turrets at the front of the car, which housed machine guns, and by strengthening the armor, especially in the front part of the turret and the hull. At the same time, however, the same drive unit was retained, which with the increased weight of the car meant that its performance decreased compared to the A9 model. The Cruiser Tank A10, like its predecessor, was not a particularly successful tank, but it was characterized by high mechanical efficiency, it was reliable (also in desert conditions), and its main armament allowed it to destroy virtually any German or Italian tank at the beginning of World War II. The vehicle underwent its baptism of fire during the fighting in France in 1940, and was later used during the fighting in Greece in 1941 and during the initial period of the campaign in North Africa (1940-1943).