As the Second World War was ending in Europe in the spring of 1945, a new tank was being tested by the British Army – the Centurion. Though developed too late to join the war effort, it was a major success in British engineering, inspiring the modern Main Battle Tank, and familiar to children around the world as one of the flagship Dinky Toys.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the launch of the Centurion, one of the most important tanks in the history of British Armoured Fighting Vehicles.
Introduced in the spring of 1945, the Centurion was designed as a result of the British Army’s experience of the fighting in the North African deserts between 1940 and 1942, where a balance of firepower, armour and speed were essential in defeating the enemy.
The Centurion entered combat with the British Army in the Korean War in 1950, in support of UN forces and went on to have 13 marks, and many specialist variants, with some seeing service into the early 2000s.
Chris Copson, Content & Research Officer and one of our YouTube presenters, said:
“The Centurion is a hugely significant tank of the Cold War era. Designed as a Heavy Cruiser, it became the first Universal Tank, a tank capable of taking on a wide variety of roles on the battlefield.
“Serving with the British Army in Korea and the Australians in Vietnam, it was one of the most widely used and influential tank designs for armies around the world.
“The Tank Museum is the perfect place to see the Centurion up close, with several vehicles on display, including to a cut-in-half Mark III, which visitors can walk through, giving a unique view of the inside of a tank.”
