Ian carter

Cromwell& centaur

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THE OLIVERPUBLISHINGGROUP

ISBN 978-0-9806593-2-0

PRINTED IN AUSTRALIA

Cromwell & centaurIan carterISBN 978-0-9806593-2-0

Copyright The Oliver Publishing Group 135 Koloona Avenue, Mount Keira NSW 2500Australia

All rights reserved. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright, Design and Patent Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of The Oliver Publishing Group. All enquiries should be addressed to the publisher.

AcknowledgmentsThe author wishes to thank Peter Brown for his invaluable help throughout. Thanks also to Kevin Tucker, and my IWM colleagues Laura Clouting and Gordon MacLeod for their kind assistance.

All the photographs here are reproduced by permission of the Imperial War Museum, and copies are available from the Photograph Archive (www.iwm.org.uk). The captions are derived in the first instance from Ministry of Information files, and unsurprisingly these are often vague, sometimes inaccurate and always subject to wartime censorship. In certain cases the photographer's notes made at the time still exist and these occasionally provide useful snippets of information relating to units and locations.

Publishers NoteThe illustrations in this book were all created using contemporary photographs as a reference and we have attempted to create as faithful a reproduction as possible - including the shape and position of any camouflage pattern, markings and the style of lettering used. In the few cases where we have been forced to speculate we have tried to make this clear.

SubmissionsAuthors who wish to submit material should contact the editor at the address shown above

Printed in Australia byPrintmedia32 Swan Street Wollongong NSW 2500

Front Cover: Centaur Mk IV HUNTER of H Troop, No. 2 Battery, 1st Armoured Support Regiment, Royal Marines.

The Centaur and Cromwell originated in July 1940, when specifications

were issued for a new heavy cruiser tank with 75mm of frontal armour

and a turret able to take the new 6pdr gun. Experience in France had

shown that although speed was an advantage, adequate armour

protection and a powerful gun were even more vital considerations.

The two cruiser tanks then under development, the A13 Mk III

Covenanter and the A15 Crusader, were unfortunately inadequate in

both regards. Vauxhall Motors and BRCW - Birmingham Railway

Carriage and Wagon Company - both offered designs for the new tank,

but the company that won the day was Nuffield Mechanisation and

Aero with a development of its own Crusader. Six pilot models were

ordered by the Ministry of Supply's Tank Board in January 1941 under

the designation A24 Cruiser Mk VII.

Meanwhile, Leyland Motors and Rolls-Royce had been co-operating on

adapting the renowned Merlin aircraft engine for tank use. Known as

the Meteor, this un-supercharged 600hp V12 unit offered a huge power

increase over the standard tank engine of the day, the Nuffield Liberty,

which dated back to the First World War. Tests in a Crusader were

dramatically successful, and in April 1941 it was adopted for the new

cruiser tank programme. The Meteor wouldn't be ready immediately

though, so the first A24s would be fitted with the Liberty. As for

transmission, the Tank Board favoured an efficient system designed by

Henry Merritt of the David Brown tractor company (as used in the

Churchill), over the Crusader's more primitive Wilson epicyclic system.

By September 1941 development of the new tank was following two

paths. Nuffields were producing 500 Liberty-engined A24s with Wilson

transmission, and BRCW were developing the Meteor-engined version

with Merritt-Brown transmission, improved suspension and a revised

cooling system under the designation A27 Cruiser Mk VIII. Confusingly,

both tanks were given the name of Cromwell.

Unfortunately, by the spring of 1942 the Nuffield A24 was suffering a

catalogue of mechanical and cooling problems, whereas BRCW's A27

had completed its trials satisfactorily. Orders for the A24, now clearly

destined to be a failure, were cut back and the main production effort

directed towards the A27. Meteor engines were in short supply

however, so it was decided to complete some A27s with Liberty

engines. This third Leyland-built design, which differed in other minor

ways too, was designated A27L to distinguish it from the Meteor-

engined A27M.

Thus, in the summer of 1942 there were three Cromwell tanks in

development. To avoid confusion they were renamed as follows:

A24 Cruiser Mk VII Cavalier;A27L Cruiser Mk VIII Centaur;A27M Cruiser Mk VIII Cromwell.

By 1943 the Cavalier was a dead duck, to be used solely for training as

an artillery observation post (AOP) vehicle. Only the Centaur and

Cromwell were considered as gun tanks. The designated 57mm 6pdr

had by now been superseded by a version re-bored to 75mm, able to

take American ammunition and also fire an effective high-explosive

round, but production delays meant that both tanks were initially

fitted with existing 6pdrs. In addition, a proportion of tanks would be

armed with the promising new 95mm close-support howitzer, based

on the 3.7inch AA gun and 25pdr field gun.

Although the Centaur could be re-engined with a Meteor engine, it is

unlikely that this was ever carried out on finished vehicles. Confusion

on this subject has probably been caused by changes that took place

during production runs, when tanks intended to be Centaurs were

actually completed as Cromwells. For example, at the end of 1942

English Electric switched to fitting Meteors into their Centaur hulls,

producing the rest of the contract as Cromwells.

The first tanks were delivered to 9th Armoured Division in the UK in

April 1943. The Cromwell showed promise and was well-regarded by

the troops, but reliability issues still plagued the Centaur. Production

was again cut back, and the decision made that, like the Cavalier, it

would be demoted to auxiliary roles. Yet despite its limitations,

production carried on until early 1945, the last ones built as AA tanks.

In the end, 1,821 Centaurs and 2,494 Cromwells were produced

between 1942 and 1945. Only the Cromwell would go to war as a gun

tank in the armoured divisions, armed with either the 75mm or the

95mm gun. There were just enough to equip the regiments before D-

Day, and their baptism of fire in Normandy.

The qualitative disparity between German and Allied AFVs has

sometimes been overstated, but there is no doubt that by the time it

entered service the Cromwell had been outclassed by the latest

German tanks.

1

The first officially released photograph of the Centaur, taken at a demonstration at the Royal Armoured Corps training establishment at Lulworth in

Dorset, 25th April 1943. T183805 has a Type A hull, with four trackguard stowage lockers, and was one of the first production Mk Is. It was armed with a Mk

V 6pdr gun. The same month, 9th Armoured Division became the first formation to be equipped with the Centaur and Cromwell. IWM H 28346

Its medium-velocity 75mm gun was the main problem. Crews were only too aware that they had to get within 500 yards of a Panther or Tiger to have a realistic chance of penetrating its armour, whereas the German tanks had an effective reach of up to 2,000 yards. The older and more numerous PzKpfw IV, as well as the various Jagdpanzers, also enjoyed a measure of superiority in this regard. The situation was not helped by the fact that, in Normandy especially, the Germans inevitably enjoyed the tactical advantage of fighting from camouflaged, defensive positions, where flanking moves were sometimes impossible.

The Cromwell was however fast and reliable, qualities which were particularly exploited during the breakout into France and Belgium. It was generally popular with its crews, but they were under no illusions as to its limitations. In common with many other British tanks of the time, the Cromwell was essentially out of date when it finally saw action. Though tactics, training and morale played a crucial role in any action, many crews would perish as a direct result of its inadequacies, the result of production and procurement decisions made years before.

VARIANTSThe Cromwell Mk IV was the principal version, serving alongside lesser numbers of the Mk V and Mk VI CS (with 95mm gun). All earlier marks were effectively rendered obsolete, and consigned to training use only. The Cromwell Mk VII was an upgraded Mk IV with wider tracks and suspension changes, but only small numbers were delivered to units before the end of the war. Some Mk Vs and Mk VIIs had welded instead of riveted hulls, a measure which made for a stronger and more waterproof tank. Partial welding was adopted on many riveted tanks too.

Command and control Cromwells with extra radios equipped HQs at various levels, and Observation Post (OP) variants were issued to armoured brigade HQs and field artillery regiments for forward observation duties. A Cromwell Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV) was based on the Mk IV tank, and issued on the basis of one per squadron.

As for the Centaur, only the 95mm Mk IV CS saw action, most famously with the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group. A Centaur anti-aircraft tank armed with a pair of 20mm Polsten cannon was developed, but never saw service with the armoured divisions, which instead retained their Crusader AA tanks. There was little need for such vehicles as the campaign progressed. A number of turretless Centaur dozer conversions were delivered to 87 Assault Dozer Squadron, 79th Armoured Division, in the last weeks of the war.

As well as these different marks, the Centaur and Cromwell were further classified through a series of hull types. Identified by a letter - A or F - this type designation indicated various modifications to the hull escape hatches, floor plates, stowage bin layout and engine compartment armour.

ORGANISATIONThe Cromwell was the main equipment of 7th Armoured Division, and the armoured reconnaissance regiments which saw action in the NW Europe campaign.

By this time, the main fighting elements of a British armoured division comprised the following: an armoured reconnaissance regiment; two field artillery regiments (one with towed guns and one with self-propelled guns); an anti-tank regiment; a light anti-aircraft regiment; an armoured brigade of three armoured regiments and a motorised infantry battalion; a brigade of three motorised infantry battalions.

Official war establishment for an armoured regiment was a regimental headquarters with four command tanks, a HQ squadron - comprising six AA tanks, nine scout cars and a 'recce' troop of 11 light tanks - and three Sabre squadrons, each with a HQ troop of four tanks - including two CS - and five troops of three tanks. A structure of four troops of four tanks was later adopted, and of course numbers fluctuated as a result of losses and breakdowns.

An armoured reconnaissance regiment's official war establishment was originally slightly different. RHQ had four command tanks, HQ squadron comprised five AA tanks and 19 scout cars, and the three squadrons each consisted of a HQ troop of four tanks - including two CS - and five troops of four tanks - a mix of cruiser and light tanks. By D-Day however, troops of three Cromwells were the norm.

Armoured regiments were equipped with 17pdr Sherman Fireflies on the basis of one (later two) per troop. With their vastly more effective guns, the Fireflies provided extra hitting power, and could take on German armour at normal battle ranges. The armoured reconnaissance regiments had none on strength in the first months of the campaign. It was intended that in Cromwell-equipped units, the A30 Challenger, which also carried a 17-pdr, would fulfil this role. The first unit to receive

it was 15th/19th King's Royal Hussars, in early August 1944, but due to reliability problems numbers were always very limited. Sherman Fireflies were allocated instead, once enough were available, and remained the principal hole punchers in the armoured divisions.

UNITS7th Armoured Division, the famous Desert Rats, was the only formation to be entirely equipped with the Cromwell. The other principal users were the armoured reconnaissance regiments of 11th Armoured, Guards Armoured and 1st (Polish) Armoured Divisions, and the regiments of 1st (Czech) Independent Armoured Brigade Group. A small number also served with 6th Airborne Division's Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment. The Centaur Mk IV CS had a special role with the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group during the D-Day landings.

7th Armoured DivisionA veteran formation, this division formally came into being in 1940, and saw action with various regiments under its command in North Africa and Italy. At the end of 1943 it returned to the UK to prepare for the invasion of Europe. Its armoured reconnaissance regiment was 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, and the three regiments within 22nd Armoured Brigade were 1st Royal Tank Regiment, 5th Royal Tank Regiment and 4th County of London Yeomanry.

In Normandy the Division received a bloody nose in its first major action at Villers Bocage in mid-June, suffering heavy casualties and struggling to live up to its reputation. In July it took part in Operation Goodwood, the massive armoured attack east of Caen, after which 4th County of London Yeomanry left the division to be replaced by 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. The Division then took part in Operation Spring, another drive towards Falaise, and Operation Bluecoat, the offensive south from Caumont towards Auny-sur-Odon and Mont Pinon, in support of the American breakout in the west.

At the end of August, as other forces were trapping the remnants of the German forces at Falaise, 7th Armoured reached the Seine, and began its Great Swan through northern France and into Belgium, liberating Ghent on 5 September. The Division wintered in Holland, holding the line on the River Maas. In January 1945 it was involved in clearing the west bank of the River Roer during Operation Blackcock. The end of March saw Operation Plunder, the crossing of the Rhine and the start of the advance into northern Germany. 7th Armoured headed through the Teutoburger Wald to the River Weser, and then to Hamburg, taking the surrender of the city as the war came to an end.

11th Armoured DivisionThis division was formed in the UK in March 1941, and served only in NW Europe. Its armoured reconnaissance regiment was 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry. The armoured regiments in 29th Armoured Brigade consisted of 23rd Hussars, 3rd Royal Tank Regiment and 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, all equipped with Shermans, although some Cromwells were on strength with Divisional HQ.

The Division was blooded in Normandy, taking part in Operation Epsom, a large-scale assault west of Caen at the end of June which resulted in the capture of Hill 112, and Operation Goodwood in mid-July.

As a result of their losses, 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry was replaced by 15th/19th King's Royal Hussars in August 1944. During Operation Bluecoat, 11th Armoured led the advance south , capturing Le Bny Bocage and then pursuing the German forces retreating through the Falaise Gap. At the end of August it crossed the Seine and set off on its own Great Swan to Antwerp, which was liberated on 4 September. After helping to guard the right flank of Operation Market Garden, the Division was involved in clearing the west bank of the Maas, before being taken out of the line to re-equip with Comet tanks. This was interrupted by the German offensive in the Ardennes, during which it was called upon to hold a defensive line on the Meuse.

29th Armoured Brigade received its Comets in early 1945, as well as Cromwell VI CS tanks for close support. At the same time the divisional artillery regiments also swapped their Sherman OP tanks for Cromwells. 15th/19th Hussars re-equipped with Comets in March 1945, retaining some close-support Cromwells and Challengers.

The Division crossed the Rhine at the end of March, and encountered fanatical resistance at Ibbenburen in April during its advance to the Weser. It reached the River Elbe near Lneburg on 18 April, and occupied Lbeck at the beginning of May.

Guards Armoured DivisionThe Guards Armoured Division was formed in the UK in 1941 with two armoured brigades (5th and 6th Guards Armoured Brigades). In 1942 6th Guards Armoured Brigade was posted away and 2nd Armoured Battalion, Welsh Guards, joined as the divisional armoured

2

reconnaissance regiment. The Guards landed in Normandy in late June 1944, but suffered heavy losses in their first battle as a division during Operation Goodwood. The Division then took part in Operation Bluecoa. In Late August the Guards crossed the Seine and drove into Belgium, liberating Brussels on 2 September 1944.

In Normandy, Guards Armoured was structured like any other armoured division, with one armoured and one infantry brigade. After 2 September 1944, the division was re-organised into four mixed battlegroups, each comprising one tank battalion and one infantry battalion of the same parent regiment. The all-arms battlegroup concept, which gave greater tactical flexibility, was adopted by other armoured divisions as well, especially during the return to mobile warfare in the last months of the war.

The advance was now delayed by a network of canals and rivers in eastern Belgium and Holland. On 17 September, Field Marshal Montgomery launched Operation Market Garden, his audacious but ill-fated plan to use airborne and ground forces to forge a route into the Ruhr area of Germany. Guards Armoured led XXX Corps' thrust on a so called one-road front from the Meuse-Escaut canal through Eindhoven and Nijmegen towards the bridge over the Lower Rhine at Arnhem. The Guards were stopped 6 miles short of their objective, and were forced to defend their lodgement north of Nijmegen from German counterattacks.

After helping to cover the north flank of the German salient during the Battle of the Bulge in December, the Division took part in Operation Veritable, the large-scale offensive to clear the area between the Maas and the Rhine in February 1945. The Guards crossed the Rhine on 30 March and continued their advance into northern Germany, facing stiff resistance to the very end.

1st (Polish) Armoured DivisionThe 1st (Polish) Armoured Division was formally established in the UK in February 1942. It arrived in Normandy on 1 August 1944, and was attached to First Canadian Army. Its armoured reconnaissance regiment was the 10th Mounted Rifle Regiment (10 Pulk Strzelcow Konnych, or '10 PSK').

The Poles first saw action on 8 August during Operation Totalize, the thrust south of Caen, and played a key role in closing the Falaise pocket. The Division then took part in the advance along the Channel coast and into Belgium and Holland, liberating the city of Breda on 29 October. In the spring of 1945 it was fighting in eastern Holland, crossing into Germany in April. It ended the war by taking the German port of Wilhelmshaven on 6 May 1945.

1st (Czech) Independent Armoured Brigade GroupThe CIABG was formed in September 1943, and trained and organised along British lines. Its two regiments were equipped with Cromwells, Challengers and Sherman Fireflies. In the winter of 1944, a third regiment was formed from an expanded reconnaissance squadron, and equipped with Churchills. Cromwells were also on strength with the armoured reconnaissance squadron.

The Czechs were despatched to France in September 1944, and from October until April 1945 were involved in containment operations around the port of Dunkirk, which had been by-passed during the Allied advance on Antwerp. The Brigade served initially with the First Canadian Army, and then came under 21st Army Group control.

Royal Marines Armoured Support GroupThe RMASG was created in the spring of 1944 to provide additional fire support for the infantry and commando brigades in the first stages of

3

Newly-built Centaurs lined up for despatch to units in the issue park at No. 6 AFV Depot at

Slough, near London, March 1943. These are Mk IIIs with 75mm guns and Type C hulls.

Points to note are the lack of engine deck air intake and deleted hull-gunner's periscope. The

vehicles are painted in Standard Camouflage Colour (SCC) No. 2 Brown with a disruptive

pattern of SCC No. 14 Blue-black. IWM H35017

4This Centaur Mk I was put on display to the public in Peckham, South London, during Salute the Soldier Week, March 1944. T184716 is armed with a 6pdr gun, but has no bow machine gun. The cap badge of the soldier on the right is that of the Royal Artillery, so this vehicle may have been used in the OP role, although more likely it was just taken from stocks for display purposes. The vehicle is in SCC 2 Brown with a darker disruptive colour, either SCC 1A Dark brown or SCC 14 Blue-black, softly sprayed over the top of the turret and parts of the hull. IWM HU 99803

Close-up of three Centaurs at No. 6 AFV Depot, March 1943. Two ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) girls are brushing mud off the turrets, while a third uses a spray gun to touch up the camouflage paint. IWM H 35016.

Winston Churchill inspects BLENHEIM, a Cromwell Mk IV of No. 2 Squadron, 2nd (Armoured Reconnaissance) Battalion, Welsh Guards, at Pickering in Yorkshire, 31 March 1944. A textbook application of markings includes the unit serial for an armoured reconnaissance regiment - 45 on a green over blue square - bridge classification marking, white/yellow tactical sign - the 'A' denoting the CO's tank - and the formation badge for the Guards Armoured Division. It also has a red-white-red RAC flash on the glacis, rarely seen on Cromwells. Note the PLM mounting for a Vickers K gun on the turret. This tank was the mount of Major John Ogilvie Spencer, commanding No. 2 Squadron, and later killed in Belgium on 9 September 1944. IWM H 3717

5

the D-Day landings. The original plan was for the tanks - with engines removed - to fire statically from LCTs offshore, but this was later amended and standard Centaur Mk IVs would be driven ashore to act in a more conventional support role. The Group was formed from 1st and 2nd Armoured Support Regiments, and 5th (Independent) Armoured Support Battery, Royal Marines. The regiments consisted of two batteries, each with four troops. Each troop had one Sherman command tank and four Centaur IVs with 95mm guns. Drivers were seconded from the Royal Artillery, with Marines forming the rest of the crews.

The plan was for 1st Armoured Support Regiment to support 50th Division's assault - which included 47 RM Commando - on Jig and King beaches in GOLD area, while 2nd Armoured Support Regiment went in with 3rd Canadian Division - including 48 RM Commando - on Mike and Nan beaches on JUNO. The 5th (Independent) Battery was to come ashore on Queen beach on SWORD, in support of 3rd Division - with 45 RM Commando and 41 RM Commando.

In the event, only 20 out of 80 Centaurs landed in the first hour. Some were lost when their LCTs foundered at sea, while others were quickly put out of action on the beaches. On Jig beach, for example, only two made it ashore with the leading elements. Those that survived the initial assault or arrived later (40 tanks had arrived by D+1) fought on for another two weeks far longer than anyone envisaged - supporting 6th Airborne Division to the east of the River Orne.

When RMASG personnel were withdrawn on 24 June, 12 of their Centaurs and three Shermans were passed on to X Battery, 53rd (Worcester Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment RA, and thence, on 6 August, to 1st Canadian Centaur Battery, both attached to 6th Airborne Division. Four tanks were also passed on to No. 6 Battery, 27th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment of 51st Highland Division and used in the counter-mortar role.

6th Airborne Division

6th Airborne Division dropped in the early hours of D-Day to secure the left flank of the British invasion bridgehead, and held this position until the end of August. Its armoured reconnaissance regiment was derived from the Airborne Light Tank Squadron - formerly C Special Service Squadron, RAC - and was to be carried into action in Hamilcar gliders. By 1944 the Regiment comprised A Squadron with Tetrarch light tanks, B or Recce Squadron with carriers and jeeps and Support Squadron, also

with carriers. A Squadron and part of the Recce Squadron flew into the landing zone on the afternoon of D-Day, with the rest following by sea. The Regiment supported the airborne troops in their bridgehead, and thereafter during the breakout to the Seine in August. By then, A Squadron had received 12 Cromwell tanks - probably cast-offs from 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry - as well as four ex-RMASG Centaur IVs from 1st Canadian Centaur Battery.

The Regiment was returned to England in early September, but was shipped back to Europe at Christmas to help hold the line of the River Meuse in Belgium during the German Ardennes offensive. It continued to serve in Holland and Germany until the end of the war, with at least eight Cromwells on strength.

CAMOUFLAGE

During the period of the Cromwell's development and entry into service, British military vehicles were painted in accordance with the War Office's Military Training Pamphlet No. 46 - issued in 1941 and subsequently amended up to 1944 - and various Army Council Instructions (ACIs). In 1942, due to a shortage of chromium oxide for pigments, the base colour was changed from the early war Khaki Green No. 3 to a shade of brown called Standard Camouflage Colour (SCC) No. 2, over which disruptive camouflage of SCC No. 1A Dark brown or Dark Tarmac No. 4 was applied. By 1943 SCC No. 14 Blue black was the preferred disruptive colour, as it provided greater contrast.

In April 1944 ACI 533 specified a new basic colour called SCC No. 15 Olive Drab, intended to match the colour of American-built vehicles, and avoid the need for time-consuming repainting. This new colour was applied to newly-built British vehicles and American lend-lease equipment that had to be extensively modified for British use. Disruptive camouflage was not officially recommended, though it seems some units did apply the standard disruptive colours, as illustrated by some of the photos in this book. SCC No. 2 was not replaced overnight, and many vehicles especially softskins were never repainted. Centaurs and Cromwells completed just before the new paint instructions came into force may well have served for a time in the old colours. It is likely that most of the Centaur Mk IVs of the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group went to Normandy painted in SCC No.2.

MARKINGS

British vehicles used what at first glance appears to be a bewildering system of markings, intended to assist identification and traffic control,

6A line of Cavalier Mk I Type B OP tanks being de-kitted

before servicing and storage at No. 8 AFV Depot,

Leicester, 25 April 1944. The foreground vehicle is

T129758, and bears the unit serial - 184 on a red over

blue square, with white lower bar denoting army

level troops - of 65th (Highland) Medium Regiment,

RA. Barely visible to the left of this is a tactical sign

consisting of a blue square with red first quadrant,

indicating the 1st Battery - in this case 222 Battery. A

troop marking is painted on the hull MG blanking

plate. IWM H 37811

individuality, 7th Armoured Division often used a combined AoS and formation sign, a practice that went back to its days in North Africa. 22nd Armoured Brigade's tanks were also often seen marked with two formation signs - the Division's famous Desert Rat badge and the Brigade's own Stag's head sign. This too was usually combined with the AoS marking.

Tactical signs were geometric symbols used to denote the squadron and troop of a tank within its regiment. The Cromwells of an armoured reconnaissance regiment used white tactical signs, while those of the armoured brigades used colours. - red, yellow or blue in order of regimental seniority. Vehicles of A Squadron used triangles, B Squadron used squares and C Squadron used circles. HQ used a diamond shape. Troop numbers, if displayed, were normally painted in white within the squadron marking. In practice, many tanks could be seen without any such markings displayed.

The Royal Artillery used a complex system of tactical markings, and some of these could be seen on Centaur and Cromwell OP tanks. Examples are regiment HQ (Z), battery commanders (X) and troop commanders (RA, RB etc).

Other markings commonly seen were the bridge classification mark, which displayed the vehicle's weight on a yellow circle (26 or 27 for the Cromwell), the War Department (WD) number or census mark (a number with a T prefix), and air recognition sign (a white Allied star on the roof of the turret). Stars were sometimes seen on the rear of the turret, and in the case of Polish and Czech units, on the side of the stowage bins.

Photos of tanks shortly before and after D-Day often show the mobilisation and landing ship numbers used for transportation and shipping purposes. These were usually painted or chalked on the hull front or trackguards. In similar vein, 7th Armoured Division's tanks displayed distinctive weights and measures sheets pasted on the turret or hull.

and to some extent disguise the identity of units from the enemy. Essentially, each vehicle carried a formation sign identifying the common parent formation (brigade, division or corps) and a coloured arm of service square superimposed with a unit serial number to identify its role and unit (battalion or regiment) within the formation. This arm of service sign - or AoS - also reflected the seniority of brigades within a division, and that of individual units within a brigade according to the regimental system.

Vehicles in an armoured division's headquarters carried a black flash with 40 unit serial. The armoured reconnaissance regiments used a green over blue flash with a 45 unit serial. The three tank regiments in an armoured brigade wore red flashes marked with the unit serials of 51, 52 or 53, in order of regimental seniority. Brigade headquarters carried a 50 unit serial. Artillery OP tanks in the two field artillery regiments were marked with a 74 or 76 on red over blue squares.

It is the combination of formation sign and AoS sign - and knowledge of the order of battle - that allows a specific unit to be identified. The date is important too, because units were sometimes disbanded or moved between formations. For example, in June 1944 a Cromwell marked with a 45 AoS sign and 11th Armoured Division's charging bull badge would be from 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry. But by September 1944, 2nd Northants Yeomanry had been replaced by 15th/19th King's Royal Hussars. Similar movements within an armoured brigade might necessitate a change in AoS signs to reflect the new order of unit seniority. As this would only involve changing one number in the unit serial, it was not a difficult task, and seems to have been carried out in accordance with instructions.

The principal AoS signs seen on Cromwells are shown in the diagram on page 33. Note that signs in 22nd Armoured Brigade changed after 4th County of London Yeomanry was replaced by 5th Dragoon Guards, reflecting the new order of seniorities. In keeping with its reputation for

C e n t a u r M k I ,

T183933U, with Type A

hull and Mk III 6pdr

gun, being prepared for

storage with other

vehicles at No. 8 AFV

Depot, 25 April 1944.

The significance of the

U suffix to the WD

number is not fully

u n d e r s t o o d , b u t

possibly indicated that

t h e v e h i c l e w a s

u n a r m o u r e d o r

u p g r a d e d . T h i s

particular vehicle had a

raised 'Cromwell-type'

air intake cover on the

rear deck. IWM D 20397

This press photo of Cromwell

Mk V, WD number T121303,

was released for publication

in September 1944 under the

title the tank that chased the

Nazis out of France. The

v e h i c l e i s n a m e d

CAMERONIAN II and has a red

or blue C Squadron sign and

white troop number painted

on the turret sides. No other

unit markings are visible. The

tank was serving in a training

capacity with No.100 RAC

OCTU (Officer Cadet Training

Unit) at the Royal Military

College, Sandhurst.

IWM HU 99811.

7

REME fitters being trained on

the Rolls-Royce Meteor engine

at a tank factory in the UK in

1944. The Cromwell Mk I Type

A next to them, T121158U,

was used for instructional

purposes. It is armed with a Mk

V 6pdr gun, but the hull

machine gun and its mounting

have not been fitted. The

Meteor was a 27 litre, 12-

cy l inder V-type engine,

developing about 600bhp. It

gave the tank a top speed on

the road of 40mph, but fuel

consumption was 1.5 miles per

gallon. The red triangle on the

hull front warned of sub-

standard armour p late,

unsuitable for front-line use.IWM HU 99806.

Right: Close-up shot of the driver's vision port, and the

periscopes in the compartment roof. The visor incorporated

a wicket door which could be opened to reveal an armoured

glass vision block. The original escape hatches for the driver

and hull-gunner could be blocked if the turret was rotated in

certain positions. A side-opening hatch was quickly

developed for the hull-gunner, but the driving compartment

could not be so easily modified, so an interim solution was a

hatch with diagonally split flaps, the rear of which was loose

and could be pushed aside in an emergency. Vauxhall Motors

came up with their own one-piece hatch design. Later Type F

hulls featured side-opening hatches for the driver as well.

IWM HU 99801. Below: A line-up of Cromwells at No. 100

RAC OCTU at Sandhurst. T189827, nearest the camera, is a

Mark IV Type C. Next is T121311, a Mk V Type C. Third in line

is T189809, another Mk IVC. Note the variations in track

guards. The purpose of the frame on the glacis is not clear.

IWM HU 99808

Centaur Mk IVs of 5th (Independent)

Armoured Support Battery, Royal

Marines Armoured Support Group,

at Emsworth in Hampshire, 29 April

1944. The foreground vehicle is

T185075 and named 'SEAWOLF'. The

name MARGARET has been painted

inside the driver's visor. The

distinctive turret markings were

bearing indicators, designed to allow

artillery observers to direct fire, and

for several tanks to align their guns

on the same target. The Centaurs

were supposed to engage targets

from their LCT(A)s during the run-in,

but in the event the smoke and

confusion prevented this until they

were virtually ashore. The crews are

wearing blue berets rather than

green, because they were not trained

commandos.

IWM H 37999

8

9Centaur Mk IV (T185082) HOOD of H Troop, No. 2 Battery, 1st Armoured Support Regiment, Royal Marines, during operations near Tilly-sur-

Seulles, Normandy, 13 June 1944. This vehicle has a red-white-red RAC flash on the hull front. Many of the RMASG Centaurs retained their SCC 2

Brown paint rather than the new standard SCC 15 Olive Drab, though some may have received rough coats of the latter colour. The surviving

RMASG Centaurs continued to serve for several weeks after D-Day, before their crews were withdrawn. IWM B 5459

A Royal Marines Centaur of

No. 4 Battery, 2nd Armoured

Support Regiment, in action

on the morning of 6 June

1944, after coming ashore

with the Canadian North

Shore Regiment in JUNO

area. It was one of a pair

supporting the assault by 48

RM Commando on the

German strongpoint WN-26

at Langrune-sur-Mer. The

attack stalled when the tanks

were disabled by mines. The

other Centaur, which had just

lost a track, is barely visible

behind the head of the soldier

in the left background.IWM B 5145

An abandoned Centaur Mk IV of No. 4 Battery, 2nd Armoured Support Regiment, Royal Marines, on Nan Red beach, JUNO area at

St Aubin-sur-Mer, 6 June 1944. Note the deep wading trunk over the exhaust. The hull air intakes were sealed over, and air drawn

in through the turret. Engineers are sweeping for mines in the background. IWM B 5224.

Troop Commander, Captain

Centaur No 3. Lt., Troop 2 ic

Centaur No 1. Troop S/Maj

GROUP HEADQUARTERS

A TROOP

HEADQUARTERS WING

AND HOLDING BATTERY

1st ROYAL MARINE

ARMOURED SUPPORT REGIMENT

5th (INDEPENDENT)

ROYAL MARINE ARMOURED

SUPPORT BATTERY

2nd ROYAL MARINE

ARMOURED SUPPORT REGIMENT

1st BATTERY 2nd BATTERY

B TROOP

C TROOP

D TROOP

E TROOP

F TROOP

G TROOP

H TROOP

R TROOP TROOP HQ

1st SECTION

2nd SECTION

J TROOP

1st BATTERY 2nd BATTERY

K TROOP

L TROOP

M TROOP

N TROOP

O TROOP

P TROOP

Q TROOP

Centaur No 2. Sgt

Centaur No 4. Sgt

ROYAL MARINE ARMOURED

SUPPORT GROUP JUNE 1944

BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS

ADMINISTRATIVE

GROUPHQ SQUADRON

ARMOURED BRIGADE

JUNE 1944

ARMOURED REGIMENT ARMOURED REGIMENT ARMOURED REGIMENT MOTOR BATTALION

OFFICE & RECCE

GROUP

FIGHTING

GROUP

5 X Motorcycle, 6 x Car2 x Jeep, 10 x 3 ton truck,1 x Half-track, 1 x Trailer 1 ton,1 x Carrier, 1 x Water Trailer

4 x Motorcycles, 3 x Cars,4 x Jeeps, 1 x 15 cwt truck,1 x 3 ton truck

7 x Scout Car, 3 x Command Tank,2 x AA Tank,7 x Tank (Sherman or Cromwell),3 x Bridgelayer

Squadron HQ

A SQUADRON C SQUADRONB SQUADRON

Squadron HQ

TroopTroopTroopTroop

AdminTroop

TroopTroop

AdminTroop

RecceTroop

AATroop REME Light

Aid DetachmentBrigadeSignals

2 x CS Tank, 2 x Tank,1 x jeep, 1 x ARV

1 x half-track,3 x 15 cwt trucks,1 x 3 ton truck,1 x Carrier,1 x Water Trailer,1 x Trailer Compressor

3 x 15 cwt truck, 2 x 3 ton truck,1 x Half-track, 2 x Recovery 6x4

3 x 15 cwt truck, 1 x 3 ton truck

6 x AA Tank

8 x Motorcycle6 x Jeep6 x 15 cwt truck2 x Half-track15 x 3 ton truck1 x Carrier2 x 20mm AA gun

11 x Stuart Tank

CommTroop

9 x Scout Car

Each section was transported on a

Landing Craft, Tank (Assault) - LCT (A) - as

shown here. Two Centaurs were positioned

side by side at the front and the Sherman V

of the troop commander accompanied the

1st Section. An ammunition team of one

NCO and four ammunition handlers was

included in each ship. Some of these teams

remained with the tanks after 6 June but

most returned to England. Note that in

some sections and batteries Corporals

replaced Sergeants as Centaur commanders.

10

*

Originally organised as shown here with five troops of 3 tanks and later changed to four troops of 4 tanks including a Firefly.*

S TROOP

T TROOP

V TROOP

Cromwells of 22nd Armoured Brigade, with M10 tank destroyers of 65th Anti-Tank Regiment (Norfolk Yeomanry), 7th Armoured Division, massed

west of the River Orne awaiting the start of Operation Goodwood, the attempt by the British armour to break out south-east of Caen, 18 July 1944.

The Cromwell in the foreground has its turret roof painted white, a recognition feature ordered specifically for this operation. IWM HU 99813

Tanks of B Squadron, 1st RTR,

moving up to cross London

Bridge, a Bailey bridge over the

River Orne, 18 July 1944. The

Cromwell is T190031, a Mark IV

Type C, and bears the name

DIANA on the hull stowage bin.

Unit and formation markings

have been obscured by the

censor. Part of a large Allied star

turret marking can be seen on

the loaders hatch.IWM HU100030

Tanks of 1st RTR moving forward

to cross the Orne at the start of

Operation Goodwood. Markings

are obscured on the lead

Cromwell, but the Firefly behind

has the unit serial 51 on a red

square painted on a stowage

box on the hull front. The tanks

are laden with personal kit,

extra jerricans of fuel and foliage

for camouflage. IWM HU 99797

11

12

Tanks of 1st RTR head for their assembly area during Operation Goodwood. The foreground vehicle

has a 4 Troop, A Squadron tactical sign on the rear, next to the first aid box and infantry phone. The

crew's huge pile of groundsheets and bedrolls has been tied to the back of the turret, thus keeping the

hull air intake clear. The turret top is painted white, which can be seen on the loader's hatch. Note the

non-standard Normandy Cowl over the exhaust, probably made from discarded deep-wading

trunking. This was designed to prevent exhaust fumes being drawn back into the tank. IWM HU

A Cromwell of 1st RTR passing through the village of Canteloup, south of Caumont, during Operation Bluecoat, 31 July or 1 August 1944. The WD

number, T255310, is just visible on the hull front beneath the hessian tape camouflage. It is believed this tank was the only welded Cromwell built

by English Electric, and is a Mk V Type E with appliqu armour. Close examination of the photograph indicates it may also have had a welded turret.

The name BETTY is painted above the driver's open vision port. Loyd carriers of 7th Armoured Division's 3rd Independent MG Company can be seen

in the background. IWM B 8369.

13

A Cromwell IV, T189451, of No. 1 Troop, B Squadron, 10th Mounted Rifle Regiment, 1st Polish Armoured

Division, rumbles past a knocked-out Panther in the village of St Lambert-sur-Dives, 19-21 August 1944. St

Lambert was situated astride the last German escape route out of the Falaise pocket, and was captured by

Canadian forces after desperate fighting on 19 August. On the same day, a Polish battlegroup,including the 10th Mounted Rifles, linked up with elements of the US 90th Infantry Divisionadvancing from the south at nearby Chambois, effectively sealing the pocket and trappingwhat was left of the German Seventh Army. The Polish emblem andunit serial number are just visible behind the ammo box on the glacisof this Cromwell, but the white squadron marking can be clearly seen.IWM PL 35035

Left: A troop of Cromwells of 10th Mounted

Rifles use a hedge for cover, August 1944. The

open, rolling tank country south-east of Caen

was well-suited for an armoured attack, but

favoured the German defenders as well,

since their dug-in tanks and anti-tank guns

had superior range and hitting power. The

Polish 1st Armoured Division lost 16

Cromwells during the Normandy campaign.

IWM HU 99807Below: Cromwells and Sherman Fireflies

waiting to move forward for Operation

Goodwood. 7th Armoured was held up by the

log-jam of vehicles trying to get over the

Orne, and only 5th RTR saw action on the first

day of the offensive, duelling at long range

with German tanks and guns sited in the

village of Four. IWM HU 99812

A shot taken at 22nd Armoured Brigade Workshop near Villers Bocage on 13 August 1944, showing a newly-repaired Firefly

passing a Cromwell of 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars covered with net and Hessian tape camouflage. The combined 45 unit

serial and Desert Rat formation badge for the recce regiment of 7th Armoured Division has been applied to both the front of

the right side stowage box, and in front of the hull gunner's position. The WD number T187702 is just visible on the lower hull.

Note too the white-painted turret roof and commander's all-round vision cupola. IWM B 9102.

14

A heavily camouflaged Cromwell Mk IV OP

tank of 7th Armoured Division, T 18782?, in

Canteloup, 31 July or 1 August 1944. Visible

are the combined unit serial - 76 on a red

over blue square - and formation badge for

5th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery. The

tactical sign of RB on a blue square with red

first quadrant denotes the commander of B

Troop, 1st Battery - G Bty in the case of 5

RHA. Typically, a French phone number is

scrawled on the hull front. Note too the

driver's diagonally split hatch. IWM B 8372.

A REME fitter working at the same location. The Corps of

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was created in

1942 to take over the maintenance and repair of the British

Army's vehicles and equipment, a task formerly shared

between the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and Royal Army

Service Corps. This Cromwell has a white turret top, a

Crusader-style stowage box and a captured German MG42

with AA sight. IWM B 9095

T a n k s o f 2 n d

N o r t h a m p t o n s h i r e

Yeomanry, 11th Armoured

Division, driving through

Vassy, 15th August 1944.

11th Armoured was making

good progress at this time,

advancing south as part of

VIII Corps on the British right

flank. Note the twin exhaust

cowls on the left-hand

Cromwell. At the end of the

m o n t h 2 n d N Y w a s

disbanded and most of its

tanks and crews posted to

7th Armoured Division. Its

place in 11th Armoured

Division was taken over by

15th/19th King's Royal

Hussars. IWM B 9230.

A Cromwell Mk V of 1st RTR firing on enemy positions with its co-axial BESA in support of infantry of the 1/5th Queens Regiment, during the advance towards Aunay-sur-Odon, part of Operation Bluecoat, 31 July or 1 August 1944. The census number, T121763W, identifies a vehicle with a welded hull. The name GLADYS is just visible above the driver's visor. This tank has appliqu armour on the hull front and an all-round vision cupola for the commander. IWM B 8378

Cromwell OP tanks and Humber scout cars of 5th RHA, 7th Armoured Division, climb the hill into Lisieux, 23 August 1944. Note the unit serials on the scout cars. The tank has the older style perforated tyres, which are just visible on the original print. On the right is a Royal Artillery battery commander's half-track of the 51st Highland Division, and in the centre, a wounded Highlander shot by a sniper is being carried to safety.IWM HU 99805

15

16

7th Armoured Division enters Lisieux, 23 August 1944. A line of Cromwells and

Sherman Fireflies from 1st RTR snakes up the hill towards the imposing

structure of the Basilica of St. Thrse, which survived intact though much of

the town was ruined by shelling. The Cromwell nearest the camera still retains a

white-painted turret top. IWM HU 99796.

A Belgian resistance fighter escorts a group of German prisoners past

a column of Cromwells of 2nd Welsh Guards, during the advance to

Brussels, 3 September 1944. IWM BU 394

With XXX Corps advancing on British Second

Army's right flank, XII Corps was moving

almost as swiftly on the left. Here a Cromwell

of 7th Armoured Division is welcomed by the

local populace into Gournay-en-Bray, during

the Great Swan through north-eastern

France, 31 August 1944. The tank is festooned

with stowage in typical Desert Rats fashion,

including extra fuel in jerricans - a necessity

when the fighting troops were out-running

their own supply echelons. Note too the

unusually elaborate exhaust cowls.IWM BU 321

French civilians greet a Cromwell of 2nd

Welsh Guards on the outskirts of

Beauvais, 31 August 1944. Guards

Armoured Division was part of XXX Corps'

rapid advance to the Somme, during

which the Cromwell's speed and reliability

came into its own. By nightfall, the Guards

were over the river, having advanced 90

miles from Vernon to Villers Bretonneux in

the course of a day. IWM BU 296

17

The crew of a Cromwell Mk IV of 2nd Welsh Guards on

the drive into Brussels, 3 September 1944. Despite

sporadic resistance from the Royal Palace and Gestapo

HQ, the city's capture went smoothly: ' ...the chief

difficulty being to cope with the populace who were very

effusive in their welcome...'. As the battalion's war diary

put it with typical understatement. IWM BU 531

A Stuart light tank passing a Cromwell during the advance of 2nd Welsh Guards to Brussels, 3 September 1944. The prisoners in the foreground were captured after the Guards shot up a German convoy that blundered into their path, 20 km from Brussels. The HQ Squadron's recce troop later exchanged its Honeys - as the Stuart was known to the British - for Cromwells, effectively a d d i n g a f o u r t h s a b r e squadron to the battalion. IWM BU 546.

18

After the capture of Brussels

and Antwerp, British Second

Army's headlong advance was

halted as German resistance

stiffened. In early September

XXX Corps, with Guards

Armoured Division in the lead,

battled to cross the Albert and

the Meuse-Escaut canals and

reach the Belgian-Dutch

border. This Cromwell of 2nd

Welsh Guards, photographed

on 10 September, was knocked

out during fierce fighting to

take the village of Hechtel.

Unusually for an official

photograph, it records one of

the crew lying dead on the

turret. IWM BU 848

Cromwell Mk IVs of HQ Squadron, 10th Mounted Rifle

Regiment, 1st Polish Armoured Division, advance on the

Dutch village of Gilze, during an offensive to outflank

and capture the city of Breda, 27 October 1944. A white

diamond marking indicating HQ Squadron can be seen

on the rear of the tank. The small, inverted Allied

recognition marking on the stowage box is unusual.

IWM MH 1474

Cromwells of A Squadron, 10th Mounted Rifle Regiment, passing an imposing windmill in the

village of Terheijden, 6km north of Breda, Holland in early November 1944. Typically for Polish

vehicles both carry spare track for extra protection on the hull front, and the Mk VI in the lead also

has sections of Sherman track welded to the turret. Such measures were rarely seen in Normandy,

but became more common during the advance into Holland and Germany. IWM MH 1446

19

Tanks of 8th Hussars parked in the Dutch town of Dongen, 1 November

1944, after a week's heavy fighting clearing the River Maas. In the

foreground is a Cromwell Mk IV Type F. The only markings visible are the

census number, T188206, and B Squadron tactical sign on the turret

stowage bins. An A30 Challenger can be seen in the background. 22nd

Armoured Brigade's limited number of Challengers were passed on to

8th Hussars in mid-August, thereafter 22AB used Cromwells and

Fireflies only. IWM B 11577

Dutch civilians watch a 7th Armoured Division Cromwell

Mk VI, T120518, passing through Dongen, 1 November

1944. The jeep in the foreground has the unit serial 846

on a diagonally-split red over green square with white

diagonal bar, denoting an RASC unit in 21st Army Group.

IWM B 11593

20

Above: A Cromwell Armoured Recovery Vehicle extricates a

bogged tank of 1st RTR near Echt in Holland, during

Operation Blackcock, the clearing of the west bank of the

River Roer, January 1945. The Cromwell ARV was based on

the Mk IV tank, and one vehicle was assigned to each

squadron. White bed sheets have been used here to help

camouflage the stricken vehicle while it lay immobile.IWM HU 99802.Left: A Cromwell Mk VI, T120542, and four Mk IVs with

other replacement armour on flatcars in Belgium,

November 1944. The delivery of new equipment became

problematic as the Allied advance stretched supply lines.

After early September tanks were no longer shipped from

Normandy, and until Antwerp docks were finally opened in

late November, they were brought in through Ostend and

Boulogne. IWM HU 99800

A troop of tanks of 15th/19th King's Royal Hussars, 11th Armoured Division, photographed in heavy rain during the advance on the oddly-named village of America in Holland, 25 November 1944. The division had just forced a crossing over the River Maas, but was being held up by mines and the appalling weather. The lead Cromwell appears to be a virtually new Mk IV Type F and third in line is a Challenger with its imposing 17-pdr turret. In the background, a Sherman Firefly negotiates the quagmire that is the road. IWM B 12085.

21

A 1st RTR Cromwell uses

a SBG bridge to cross a

mine crater on the road

into Susteren, Holland,

17 January 1945. The

7th Armoured Division

and 22nd Armoured

B r i g a d e f o r m a t i o n

badges are visible either

s ide of the census

number T189446 on the

rear hull, with the unit

serial - 51 on a red

square - above. In heavy

fighting 1st RTR lost

s e v e n t a n k s t o

panzer fausts wh i le

supporting the assault

on Susteren.IWM B13745

Above: A Cromwell of 1st RTR

passing through the village of Sint

Joost, during Operation Blackcock,

23 January 1945. The tank - and

some of its stowage - has received a

very patchy coat of whitewash and a

bed sheet has been used on the

turret. A combined 51 unit serial -

denoting the senior regiment - and

formation badge can be seen on the

rear hull. IWM BU 1630. Right:

Cromwells of the 1st Regiment,

Czech Independent Armoured

Brigade Group firing on a German

observation post on the outskirts of

Dunkirk, January 1945. The tank on

the right has the census number

T188041 and a 51 unit serial

marking. IWM HU 99798.

22

Czech crews exchange jokes for the benefit of the photographer, January 1945. The Cromwell has the name CORSAIR painted on

the turret front, and a German minefield sign has also been added as decoration. Note the driver's Vauxhall hatch and the crews'

pixie suits. IWM HU 99799.

Cromwells of the 1st Regiment, Czech Independent Armoured Brigade Group move

into action during the siege of Dunkirk, spring 1945. The foreground vehicle's census

number is T188321. Note the smoke generator on the rear of the hull, and the extra

aerial mount on the turret, indicating a command tank. These are Mk IV Type Fs, but

in this case some of the distinctive turret stowage boxes appear to have been

replaced by welded-on ammunition boxes. IWM HU 99810

23

24

The command tank of Lt Col R B T Daniell, CO of 13th Royal Horse Artillery (Honourable Artillery Company), early 1945. The regiment was equipped with Sexton 25pdr SP guns and served with 11th Armoured Division throughout the NW Europe campaign. This appropriately clean and tidy Cromwell, T188884, is a Mk IV Type F, and displays the unit serial - 76 on red over blue square - the Division's formation badge and the RA tactical sign of a red square over Z on a blue square, denoting the CO of an artillery regiment. The gun is a dummy, the space in the turret given over to map boards and radios.IWM HU 62175

A Cromwell of 15th/19th King's Royal Hussars, 11th Armoured Division, with infantry aboard, advances through the rubble of Uedem, Germany, 28 February 1945. All the markings on the tank appear to have been painted out, possibly indicating that this was a repaired and reissued vehicle. IWM B 14938

A Cromwell of 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards supporting infantry of the 9th Durham Light Infantry and their Kangaroo APCs in Weseke, 29

March 1945. 7th Armoured Division had been reorganised into battlegroups in February, and the Skins had been matched with 9th DLI, together

with K Battery of 5th RHA, a troop of flail tanks and some RE Churchill bridgelayers. By the end of the month, British Second Army had advanced 70

miles from its bridgehead over the Rhine. IWM BU 2823.

The 8th Hussars gathered at Brnen, east of the Rhine, in preparation for the next stage of the advance into Germany, 29

March 1945. The combined unit serial and formation sign - a red jerboa on a white square over 45 on a green over blue

square - are clearly visible on each vehicle. A large white recognition star can be seen the turret top of the Mk VI in the

foreground. Note too the disruptive camouflage on the Challengers in the background, and possibly on some of the

Cromwells. IWM BU 2729.

25

A US Army Signal Corps photo of

two Dutch boys helping out with

basic maintenance on a veteran

5th RTR tank at Maasbracht in

Holland, February 1945. Lance

Corporal Harry Carter and

Corporal Harry Bragg adjust the

track tension, while Corporal

Gordon Johnson sponges out the

75mm gun. A spare idler wheel is

stowed on the hull front. The

photographer noted that this

Cromwell was one of the few

remaining within 7th Armoured

Division to have come ashore in

Normandy in June 1944. The

cable reel for telephone wire on

the turret indicates its use as a

command tank. IWM EA 54382.

A Cromwell of 5th Royal

Inniskilling Dragoon Guards

negotiating a typical barricade in

the heavily bombed German

town of Stadtlohn, 31 March

1944. The defenders had put up

stiff resistance before being

overwhelmed. The turret of this

tank has been camouflaged

using chicken wire and foliage.

Census number is T188397.IWM BU 2888

Right: A Cromwell OP tank of 3rd Royal Horse

Artillery, 7th Armoured Division, trundles

through Borken, 30 March 1945. The census

number is T188464. Visible on the hull front

are the combined formation sign and 74 unit

serial, and a tactical sign denoting the

commander of M Battery - X on a blue square

with red third quadrant, and a small Gothic M

above. The name PEGASUS V appears on the

front of the turret. IWM BU 2828.Below: A troop of 1st RTR tanks passing

through the ruins of Stadtlohn, 31 March

1944. The lead Cromwell is a command tank -

note the extra aerials and map board on the

turret. The combined unit serial and 22nd

Armoured Brigade sign is barely visible on the

left of the hull front, with the Desert Rats

formation badge on the right. IWM BU 2889.

26

Infantry of 1st Battalion, Herefordshire Regiment, hitch a lift on a

Cromwell Mk VI CS of 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, during 11th

Armoured Division's crossing of the River Weser at Petershagen, 7 April

1945. It had become the norm for each tank regiment to operate closely

with an infantry battalion for support. The armoured regiments of 11th

Armoured were now equipped with Comets, but each squadron had two

close-support Cromwells. Their 95mm guns fired a far more effective HE

shell than the Comet's 77mm, and were in fact superior to the 25pdr field

gun.. IWM BU 3201.

A command tank near Tecklenburg during 7th

Armoured Division's drive through the

Teutoburger Wald, April 1945. The name

EXMOUTH is just visible on the side of the

turret, as is a random application of darker

paint blotches for camouflage. The underside

of the barrel is counter-shaded white. Note

too the mountain of kit carried by this tank,

and the captured German periscope

binoculars. IWM HU 66533.

27

Tanks of 5th RTR, and cheerful infantry of the 1/5th Queen's - note the full mess tins - in the village of Leeste, four miles south of Bremen, during 7th Armoured Division's German Swan, April 1945. IWM HU 66500.

8th Hussars' tanks advance

past German refugees near

Bremen, 12 April 1945. The

Cromwell is named ABBOTS

PRIDE II, and appears to be a

Mk V with Vauxhall hatch. A

disruptive camouflage can be

seen on the turret, whereas the

front hull is obscured by a layer

of dried mud and dust. A

Chal lenger can be seen

following behind.IWM HU 66494.

Command tanks of 22nd Armoured Brigade in the German village of Syke, south of Bremen, 12 April 1945. The Cromwell Mk IV on the right, T187617, is that of the brigade commander, Brigadier A D R Wingfield, DSO, MC. The dummy barrel was made from a wooden pole. Note the extended radio aerials, mapboards and the frame on the top of the turret, which supported a canvas awning. IWM BU 3348

28

Cromwell Mk IVF command tank - WD number T188730 - of 5th Royal Horse Artillery in a farmyard in Sstedt, April 1945. Markings are a

combined 7th Armoured Division formation badge and unit serial of 76 on a red over blue square with a RA tactical sign, Z on a red over blue square

denoting the CO of an artillery regiment. Again, the gun is a wooden dummy - note the metal stays. Unusually, a Browning .30in machine gun is

fitted to the turret. A Sten gun is close to hand on the track guard. IWM HU 66534.

Despite the pace of Second Army's

a d v a n c e , fa n a t i c a l G e r m a n

resistance continued to the very

end. Mines, panzerfausts and anti-

tank guns were the main killers at

this stage of the war. These two

tanks of 2nd Welsh Guards were

knocked out on the approach to

Westertimke, near Bremen, 28 April

1945. T188289 in the foreground

displays the Guards Armoured

formation badge, tactical sign for

No. 2 Troop, No. 1 Squadron and 45

unit serial on its rear. Note the

ammo boxes welded to the vehicle

for extra stowage, and the usual

collection of pots and pans hanging

off the rear.

29

Two Cromwell Mk VIs of C Squadron, 1st RTR, guard a bridge in Hamburg on the afternoon of 3 May 1945, the day the city formally surrendered to

the British. Both tanks exhibit a hard-edged disruptive camouflage, presumably SCC 14 Blue-black over the basic Olive Drab. The 52 unit serial and

7th Armoured Division formation badge are visible on the hull of the nearest tank, either side of the census number, T120480. This vehicle was

named CHAMP II, and was a veteran of the entire campaign, having been issued to the Regiment before D-Day. IWM BU 5103.

30

Welsh Guards Cromwells at Westertimke, 28 April 1945. The Guards had just liberated

the nearby POW camp for merchant seamen and Royal Navy prisoners - Marlag und

Milag Nord. A group of German prisoners can be seen in the background. Both tanks

have replacement roadwheels with perforated tyres, and one has the early-style

sloped mudguards, rarely seen in NW Europe. As usual, Bren guns are close to hand on

the turrets. IWM BU 4671.

German civilians gather round a Cromwell and Challenger of B Squadron, 8th Hussars,

outside Dammthor railway station in Hamburg, 5 May 1945. Note the very faded and

weathered paint on the Cromwell, and the German camouflage material stretched around its

turret stowage boxes. IWM BU 5411.

A battered Cromwell of A Squadron, 1st RTR, in position by the Elbbrcke in

Hamburg, 3 May 1945. The tank clearly shows a pattern of disruptive

camouflage on the turret stowage box. In this case, the weathering of the

exposed edges and the fact that the WD number just visible below the turret

box has been masked off at some stage, would indicate that a lighter colour

may have been applied over the Olive Drab. IWM BU 5077.

31

The war is over, and tanks and transport of 7th Armoured Division pass over the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal near Steenfeld, 9 May 1945. The lead

Cromwell flies the Union Flag from its radio aerial. Half-tracks and 6pdrs can be seen on the left. IWM BU 6129.

The Berlin Victory Parade of 21 July 1945 was led by 3rd Royal Horse Artillery Regiment, 7th Armoured Division. These are OP Cromwells of D

Battery - note the Gothic D on the side of the turret of the left-hand tank - and M Battery. The tank in the centre is PEGASUS V, seen earlier on page

26. Note the difference a bit of spit and polish makes. In the background are the regiment's 25-pdr field guns and Quad tractors. IWM BU 9068.

32

UNIT INSIGNIA AND ARM OF SERVICE MARKINGS 1944-45Note that this list shows only those units equipped with Cromwells or Centaurs. All numbers and letters are in white - the sole exception to this were the unitsof the Royal Corps of Signals which used red numbers. Further explanation of the meaning of unit serial numbers and arm of service signs can be read on pages5 and 6 and throughout the photo captions.

7th Armoured Division

(A) Formation badge red and white; (B) Division HQ, black background. (C) Armoured recce regiment , 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, 45 on green over blue. (D) HQ 22nd Armoured Brigade 50 on red with the brigades distinctive Stags head badge.(E-G) To July 1944 - 1st Royal Tank Regiment, 5th Royal Tank Regiment, 4th County ofLondon Yeomanry. From August 1944 - 5th Royal Iniskilling Dragoon Guards, 1st RoyalTank Regiment, 5th Royal Tank Regiment. (H) HQ Divisional Royal Artillery, red over blue.(I) 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. (J) 5th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.

Guards Armoured Division

(A) Formation badge, blue fieldwith red border and white eye.(B) Armoured recce regiment,2nd Battalion, Welsh Guards.

Royal Marine

Armoured Support Group

(A-D) 1st to 4th Batteries.(E) 5th Independent Battery.Blue field with red centrestripe and green and yellowstripes above that.

1st (Polish) Armoured Division

(A) Formation badge, black Hussarshelmet on white rectangle.

(B) Division HQ. (C) Armoured recceregiment, 10th Mounted Rifle

Regiment.

6th Airborne Division

(A) Formation badge, sky blue onmaroon background. (B) Armouredrecce regiment,41 on green over blue.

79th Armoured Division

(A) Formation badge, yellow field, bullshead in black, red and white. (B) 87 AssaultDozer Squadron, cobalt blue square.

1st (Czech) Independent Armoured Brigade

(A) Formation badge, light blue cross on red backgroundwith white lion. (B) Brigade HQ. (C-D) 1st and 2nd (Czech) Armoured Regiment. All on red squares.

A B

A B C

A B

C D

E

A B A B C DA B

Royal Artillery Tactical signs. (A) Regimental HQ. Red over blue square; (B) 1st Battery; (C) 2nd Battery; (D) 3rd Battery; (E) 4th battery; (F) Regimental CO;(G) Battery Commander, 1st battery; (H) Troop Commander, A Troop, 1st Battery; (I) Troop Commander, E Troop, 3rd Battery; (J) In addition to the officialsystem of tactical signs the batteries of 3rd Royal Horse Artillery - D, J and M - displayed their identifying letters in gothic script as shown here.

A B C D E F G H I J

33

REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS

A SQUADRON B SQUADRON C SQUADRON

SQUADRON HQ

1 TROOP 2 TROOP 3 TROOP 4 TROOP 5 TROOP

2 x Cromwell, 2 x 95mm CS1 x Car, 2 x half-track,1 x 15 cwt truck, 12 x 3 ton truck1 x Scout Car, 1 x Carrier,1 x ARV, 1 x Water trailer

HEADQUARTERS SQUADRON

ADMIN TROOP

AA TROOP

RECCE TROOP

LINK TROOP

2 x Car, 1 x 15 cwt truck

3 x 15 cwt truck1 x 3 ton truck

3 x 15 cwt truck,2 x 3 ton truck,1x Half-track,2 x Recovery 6x4

6 x Motorcycle, 1 x Carrier, 1 x Jeep, 8 x 15 cwt truck, 10 x 3 ton truck, 2 x half-track

5 x AA tank

12 x Scout Car

7 x Scout Car

SIGNALS REME LIGHT AID DETACHMENT

ARMOURED RECONNAISSANCE

REGIMENT JUNE 1944

A B C

D E F G

H I J

D E F G

A B C

11th Armoured Division

(A) Formation badge, yellow background, black bull with red details. (B) Division HQ, black square. C) Armoured

recce regiment to August 1944, 2nd NorthamptonshireYeomanry. After August - 15th/19th King's Royal Hussars.

Green over blue.(D) HQ 29thArmoured Brigade 50 on red

square. (E-G) 23rd Hussars, 51;3rd Royal TankRegiment,52;

2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry,53. All on red squares.

Note that this brigade operated Shermans until early 1945 when it was re-equipped with Comets and Cromwell CS tanks.

Isbn 978-0-9806593-2-0 The Oliver Publishing Group

Below and right: Cromwell Mk VIs, C Squadron, 1st RTR. Germany, May 1945.

Both tanks are shown here in a disruptive camouflage scheme of SCC 14 Black on theSCC 15 base coat. The WD number shown as T120542 is not visible in the photographon which our illustration is based but was allocated to a 95mm armed Cromwell.These tanks can be seen on page 30.

At left: The Stags Head formationbadge of 22nd Armoured Brigadecombined with the AOS sign for thebrigades second senior regiment,in this case 1st RTR. Also shownis the famous Desert Rat formationbadge of 7th Armoured Division

Above: Cromwell Mk IV, C Squadron, 2nd Northamptonshire

Yeomanry, Normandy 1944. Showing what may have been theBritish equivalent of zimmerit paste, the tanks of this squadronhad strips of rubber applied to the turret. and sometimes the hull. The name AGAMEMNON, can be seen above the 11th Armoured Division formation badge.

Cromwell Mk IV, C Squadron,

1st RTR. Germany, May 1945.

During the winter of 1944/45,British tanks were camouflagedwith a coat of whitewash whichseems to have been applied tothe turret only of this vehicle.Of note is the troop numberpainted inside the C Squadronsign carried on the turretstowage box.

Above: Centaur Mk IV, H Troop, No 2 Battery, 1st Armoured Support Regiment, Royal Marines.

Although most of these tanks almost certainly retained their SCC 2 paint schemes, photographicevidence suggests that some received patchy coats of SCC 15 Olive Drab

Below: Cromwell Mk IV, 1st Troop, B Squadron, 10th Mounted Rifle

Regiment, 1st Polish Armoured Division. Normandy, August 1944.

This tank is shown and discussed further on page 15.

Above : RMASG Centaur markings. A) S Troop, No 5 Independent Battery; b) A Troop,No 1 Battery, 1st Armoured Support Regiment; c) V Troop,No 5 Independent Battery.

A

B

C