Black Prince
Black Prince
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[Client Values; Actual values in
1,400,000  Cost |
| 1450290 HP Hit Points |
| 50.65/5121.91/53 t Weight Limit |
- Commander
- Driver
- Radio Operator
- Gunner
- Loader
| 350600 hp Engine Power |
| 20/12 km/h Speed Limit |
| 1820 deg/s Traverse |
| 6.9127.38 hp/t Power/Wt Ratio |
| NoNo Pivot |
| // mm Hull Armor |
| 240/95.2/101.6240/95.2/101.6 mm Turret Armor |
AP/APCR/HE
AP/APCR/HE Shells |
150/2800/75
175/3200/75 Shell Cost |
| 140/140/190150/150/190 HP Damage |
| 148/208/38171/239/38 mm Penetration |
|
14.29 r/m ▲
12 r/m Standard Gun ▲ Rate of Fire Standard Gun |
|
2000.6 ▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲
1800 Standard Gun ▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲ Damage Per Minute Standard Gun |
|
0.34 m ▲
0.34 m With 50% Crew: 0.421 m ▲ Accuracy With 50% Crew: 0.421 m |
| 2.3 s 2.3 s Aim time |
| 3030 deg/s Turret Traverse |
| 360° Gun Arc |
| -8°/+20°-8°/+20° Elevation Arc |
| 14084 rounds Ammo Capacity |
| 2020 % Chance of Fire |
| 370 m 370 m View Range |
| 450 m 700 m Signal Range |
VII
1400000
The Black Prince is a British tier 7 heavy tank.
Developed from 1943 through 1945 on the basis of the Churchill tank. It featured a wider and elongated hull to carry the upgraded turret with a 17-pounder gun. A total of six Black Prince prototypes were produced from 1944 through 1945. A few vehicles underwent trials but never saw action.
The question on the lips of everyone moving up the British heavy line will be: "Is the Black Prince better than the Churchill VII?" For most players, particularly those who enjoyed the Churchill I or have experience in other heavily armoured, slow-moving tanks like the British AT line, the answer is yes: the Black Prince is much better to play than the Churchill VII. There are caveats to this, as the tank's first engine is woefully inadequate and must be upgraded. You also start with the Churchill VII's top gun, which some would consider barely adequate at tier 6, although APCR ammo will make you competitive in some matches due to the BP's reliable gun handling.
Consider the Black Prince to be a larger, up-gunned and up-armored Churchill VII. While the powerful engine makes the vehicle respectably agile while maneuvering, partially due to its excellent terrain resistance, it retains the terrible cruising speed of the Churchill VII, traveling at a maximum speed of 20 kph. Strongly consider fitting a turbocharger as it will help you keep up with your team. As with other Churchills, the BP possesses a decent turn rate and turret traverse, so it is not as easy to flank as some might believe. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER must the Black Prince be driven into an open area, because its size and speed makes it an easy target for artillery and tank destroyers.
The Black Prince features very thick but very flat front and side armor that must be angled to be effective. Even some higher-tier tanks will have trouble penetrating an angled Black Prince without the use of premium ammunition. It is possible for a skilled or lucky player to bounce significant damage, turning the Black Prince into a roadblock that will consume the attention of the enemy team.
The top gun, one of only two available to the BP, is much more competitive than its starting gun and you will notice the difference immediately. The loading time of approximately 6 seconds feels like an eternity for a British tank but the alpha and penetration are acceptable. A gun rammer should be strongly considered, as your alpha is still relatively low.
When ported to HD, the tank suffered a reduction in its frontal turret armor, making it somewhat less effective. However, its good armor and excellent hit point pool make it a tough adversary when driven by a skilled tanker. If fully upgraded and driven a someone who really knows what they're doing, the Black Prince can be something of a nightmare for the enemy.
The Black Prince leads to the Caernarvon.
Modules / Available Equipment and Consumables
Modules
Guns
| Tier | Gun | Penetration (mm) |
Damage (HP) |
Rate of fire (rounds/minute) |
Dispersion (m/100m) |
Aiming time (s) |
Weight (kg) |
Price (  )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VII | OQF 17-pdr Gun Mk. VII | 171/239/38 | 150/150/190 | 12 | 0.34 | 2.3 | 826 | 70000 | |
| VII | OQF 77 mm Gun Mk. II | 148/208/38 | 140/140/190 | 14.29 | 0.34 | 2.3 | 681 | 63000 |
Engines
| Tier | Engine | Engine Power (hp) |
Chance of Fire on Impact (%) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | Rolls-Royce Meteor | 600 | 20 | 744 | 14000 | |
| IV | Bedford Twin-Six | 350 | 20 | 1531 | 11000 |
Suspensions
| Tier | Suspension | Load Limit (т) |
Traverse Speed (gr/sec) |
Rmin | Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VI | Black Prince | 51 | 18 | B/2 | 10000 | 13000 | |
| VII | Black Prince Mk. II | 53 | 20 | B/2 | 10000 | 18000 |
Radios
| Tier | Radio | Signal Range (m) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VII | WS No. 19 Mk. II | 450 | 40 | 21000 | |
| VIII | WS No. 22 | 700 | 40 | 25000 | |
| VIII | WS No. 19 Mk. III | 550 | 40 | 22000 |
Compatible Equipment
Compatible Consumables
Player Opinion
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Low tiers will struggle against the armor.
- Tracks absorb a lot of damage; sidescraping can be effective.
- Armor is very effective when angled.
- Good rate of fire, accuracy, and depression (-8°); good when hull-down.
- Large hit point pool.
Cons:
- Worst Alpha and penetration amongst T7 heavy tanks.
- Second worst DPM amongst T7 heavy tanks.
- Very low top speed.
- Extremely painful grind to research this tank from the Churchill VII.
- Armor is very flat and will struggle to withstand even concurrent tanks (like Tiger 1).
Performance
The Black Prince has a similar playstyle to the preceding Churchill series of tanks. It used to be the only tank of the Churchill series that had working armor, but sadly the HD transformation did change that. Not to mention that credible threats will simply load gold and easily penetrate your average armor.
Unlike the first two UK heavies, the Black Prince has better agility than it seems on paper (most likely due to its better terrain resistances), and when used tactically it can make a brawler in a pinch, though it is generally a better idea to avoid close combat in order to fully utilize the advantages of your gun, what little there are. It is vital especially in close quarters to angle your armor, preferably slightly to the right at around thirty degrees. If you can jam your front end against a rock or other cover with just your sharply angled side and your turret exposed to enemy fire, you can also become a frustrating blockade for any tank at your tier (this tactic is known as sidescraping). While the Black Prince's armor can often bounce shots from KV-3' and IS's 122 mm gun..
Note that once you're set in a direction, it will be rather difficult to backtrack as the Black Prince's awful top speed won't get you there in time; instead, you should consider where your allies are going and where you can be of most use. If you are close to the bottom tier, stick to the second line and provide support with the accurate 17 pounder, which can penetrate weak spots on most high tier tanks easily thanks to its great accuracy and aim time and good penetration with premium rounds. The damage will seem lacking but the rate of fire is acceptable and the gun will drain all but the largest health pools in a short time. Be ready to take the initiative though and to lead an assault through where the enemy lines are weak. Given the fast reload of your gun, you can charge through enemy fire and get into their faces as your allies follow you up.
No matter what the fight, don't stray too far from your support. The Black Prince can fight a lot of opponents and win head to head, but if you enter combat with more than one agile, well-armed tank in close quarters your chances of victory plummet. Shots to your exposed sides and rear carry a high chance of injuring a crew member, track your tank, or worse destroy your ammo rack. This will more than double your reload time and make your cannon far less potent due to its low alpha damage.
Take note that when cornering or making tight turns your sides will be exposed long before your turret and gun, allowing enemies to potentially cause extensive damage to your exposed hull. Instead of making tight turns, you should take corners from far off the edge and angle yourself diagonally. This makes it harder for enemies hiding around the corner to penetrate you due to the shallow angle of your sides, and will leave your gun clear to fire at the enemy. This tactic is valid on all Churchill Tank Models.
Despite it's flaws though, Black Prince is basically a TOG that has thicker armor, more health, a tier higher, more mobility, and the same gun. So if you like the TOG, this is for you. When put into tier 7 battles, it is usefull. Above that not so much, the 17 Pdr has no business being on a Tier 7 heavy tank.
Early Research
The tank doesn't have many research options, and those don't make any big differences, including the unrequired suspension. The choices will depend if you favour fire-power over mobility, but once again, no change will have outlandish results. The 2nd engine is MUCH lower weight than the first, so you can easily mount a full set of equipment without ever upgrading the weight limit. The upgrade to your gun seems small on paper but the performance in battle is noticeably improved, especially against thick armor.
Suggested Equipment
Gallery
Historical Info
Development
As a development from the Churchill, the Black Prince was a continuation of the line of Infantry tanks, that is slower, heavier tanks intended to operate in close support of infantry. The parallel development in British tank design were the Cruiser tanks, which were intended for more mobile operations. A43 was the General Staff Specification number issued in 1943, for an interim tank that would eventually be superseded by a "Universal tank" that would replace both Infantry and Cruiser tanks.
The cruiser line led to the Cromwell tank (and the 17 pounder armed Challenger variant) and then the Comet tank, (which had a variant of the 17 pounder gun) entering service during the war. While not as heavily protected as the Churchill, the Comet showed the way tank development was going. This led to the last of the cruiser line and the first of the Universal tanks, the very successful Centurion tank.
A larger gun than a conventional Churchill required a larger turret on a wider turret ring and consequently a widening of the tank hull to carry this. The Black Prince weighed around ten tons more than the Churchill so the suspension was modified and the tracks widened by 10 inches to carry the extra load. However, the Churchill's 350-horsepower (260 kW) engine was retained, leading to the tank being underpowered and slow, with maximum speeds of 10.5 mph (16.9 km/h) on roads and 7.5 mph (12.1 km/h) cross country. This was so slow that the tank's tactical usefulness would have been limited. Consideration was given to the use of the Rolls-Royce Meteor engine; this would have increased the available power to 600 hp (450 kW), but the idea never left the drawing–board. Likewise, plans to fit the Black Prince with the turret from the Centurion were never carried out.
By the time the Black Prince prototypes had appeared in May 1945, the Sherman Firefly had acquired a proven combat record, the Comet tank was in service and the introduction of Centurion was imminent. All these tanks carried the QF 17-pounder or a derivative; all had better mobility than the Black Prince and the Centurion had frontal armour of comparable effectiveness. The Black Prince had become redundant and the project was abandoned.
The Black Prince marked the end of the development of the Churchill tank, and the end of the Infantry tank concept in British tank design.
Survivors
The only surviving Black Prince tank is held by the Bovington Tank Museum in Bovington, UK; it is the fourth of the six prototypes that were built. It has recently been restored to running condition.
Historical Gallery
Historical Accuracy Errata
The OQF 77 mm Gun Mk II gun was only mounted on the Comet tank. Its configuration on the Black Prince is fake.
- The Rolls-Royce Meteor engine was merely a proposal that never left the drawing board.
- Actual top speed is 16.9 km/h, not 20 km/h.
- Actual gun depression is -10°, not -8°.
