Centurion Mk. I
Centurion Mk. I
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[Client Values; Actual values in
2,350,000  Cost |
| 1350370 HP Hit Points |
| 42.36/4322.73/48 t Weight Limit |
- Commander
- Gunner
- Driver
- Loader (Radio Operator)
| 600750 hp Engine Power |
| 50/20 km/h Speed Limit |
| 3436 deg/s Traverse |
| 14.1633 hp/t Power/Wt Ratio |
| YesYes Pivot |
| // mm Hull Armor |
| 127/76.2/76.2254/88.9/88.9 mm Turret Armor |
AP/APCR/HE
AP/APCR/HE Shells |
150/2800/75
680/4400/170 Shell Cost |
| 140/140/190230/230/280 HP Damage |
| 148/208/38226/258/42 mm Penetration |
|
14.29 r/m ▲
8 r/m Standard Gun ▲ Rate of Fire Standard Gun |
|
2000.6 ▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲
1840 Standard Gun ▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲ Damage Per Minute Standard Gun |
|
0.34 m ▲
0.33 m With 50% Crew: 0.421 m ▲ Accuracy With 50% Crew: 0.409 m |
| 1.9 s 2.3 s Aim time |
| 3836 deg/s Turret Traverse |
| 360° Gun Arc |
| -10°/+20°-10°/+18° Elevation Arc |
| 9665 rounds Ammo Capacity |
| 2020 % Chance of Fire |
| 380 m 400 m View Range |
| 550 m 750 m Signal Range |
Additional Statistics
(Top Configuration)
Camouflage
- Stationary: 11.4%
- When Moving: 8.6%
- When Firing: 2.9%
Terrain Resistance
- On Hard Ground: 0.96
- On Medium Ground: 1.06
- On Soft Ground: 1.82
Dispersion Change Values
- Turret Contribution
- Rotation: 0.15
- Shot Recoil: 3.36
- Suspension Contribution
- Acceleration: 0.19
- Turning: 0.19
With 100% Crew
VIII
2350000
The Centurion Mk. I is a British tier 8 medium tank.
Development of the Centurion started in 1943. The vehicle was designed as a "universal tank" to replace existing infantry and cruiser tanks. The Centurion was the first British vehicle that featured sloped armor plates. The tank entered service in 1947. A total of 100 vehicles of this series were manufactured from 1945 through 1946.
A notable step up from the Comet, featuring a great gun selection and still very agile, just like its predecessors, the Centurion Mk. I is a good tank for its tier. Although notably bulky and with spectacularly poor hull armor, it is quick on its feet and its 20-pounder gun features equally spectacular penetration. It appears to have something of a weakness in that its ammunition rack and driver are both vulnerable to frontal hits.
The Centurion Mk. I leads to the Centurion Mk. 7/1.
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 | 14.29 | 0.34 | 2.1 | 826 | 70000 | |
| VIII | OQF 20-pdr Gun Type A Barrel | 226/258/42 | 230/230/280 | 8 | 0.33 | 2.3 | 1242 | 120000 | |
| VII | OQF 77 mm Gun Mk. II | 148/208/38 | 140/140/190 | 15 | 0.34 | 1.9 | 681 | 63000 |
Engines
| Tier | Engine | Engine Power (hp) |
Chance of Fire on Impact (%) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | Rolls-Royce Meteor | 600 | 20 | 744 | 14000 | |
| V | Rolls-Royce Meteor Mk. IVB | 650 | 20 | 744 | 16000 | |
| IX | Rolls-Royce Meteor Mk. IVC | 750 | 20 | 744 | 84000 |
Suspensions
| Tier | Suspension | Load Limit (т) |
Traverse Speed (gr/sec) |
Rmin | Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VII | Centurion Mk. I | 43 | 34 | 0 | 10000 | 20200 | |
| VIII | Centurion Mk. III | 48 | 36 | 0 | 10000 | 33000 |
Radios
| Tier | Radio | Signal Range (m) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIII | WS No. 22 | 700 | 40 | 25000 | |
| VIII | WS No. 19 Mk. III | 550 | 40 | 22000 | |
| X | SR C42 | 750 | 40 | 54000 |
Compatible Equipment
Compatible Consumables
Player Opinion
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Excellent penetration on the top 20-pdr gun
- Great gun depression
- Strong mantlet on the upgraded turret
- Good view range
- Good hp/t ratio and acceleration, good at climbing hills
Cons:
- Poor hull armor
- Large size for a medium with low camo values
- Very susceptible to module and crew damage (especially the ammo rack, which can be damaged even by frontal hits)
- Terrible stock grind due to horrible guns.
Performance
Centurion Mk. I continues the trend on British mediums line where tanks transform from fast flankers like Cromwell more to hull-down snipers starting with Comet. Centurion Mk. I is woefully under-armored on the hull, yet the cannons it has access to somehow make up for it – it has arguably the best gun complement of all Tier 8 medium tanks, being able to deal almost the same damage as a Panther II, while having more penetration, accuracy and better aim time. Even the 17-pounder (which you may research on the Black Prince or Firefly) could be considered an "adequate" gun because of its higher DPM, provided that you can stand the low penetration. Just don't be foolish enough to go head-to-head with an enemy tank with high HP or you will lose the fight.
The Centurion I is very much a long-range fighter, and thrives around hills. The reasons for this are self-evident; it is large and bulky for a medium, has atrocious hull armor, poor camouflage, and is prone to module and crew damage. The size of Centurion MK.1 even rivals some heavy tanks (its bigger than the M103) in size, which means you, like the E50, will be very vulnerable to artillery fire. However, thanks to its amazing guns, cannon depression and well-armored upgraded turret, it can make beautiful use of cover. Stock, you are going to have huge problems with performing if you do not already have the 17-pounder gun from the Black Prince or Firefly. But, when fully upgraded and properly handled, this tank can support like none other at its tier.
Early Research
- If possible, research the 17-pounder on the Black Prince or Firefly before acquiring this tank
- Upgrade the suspension
- Research the second turret
- Get the OQF 20-pounder A
- Upgrade the engine
- Go from there
Suggested Equipment
External Reviews and Opinions
Gallery
Historical Info
Development history
The department responded by extending the long-travel five-wheel suspension used on the Comet with the addition of a sixth wheel and an extended spacing between the second and third wheels. The Christie suspension, with vertical spring coils between side armour plates, was replaced by a Horstmann suspension with external horizontal springs. The hull was redesigned with welded, sloped armour and featured a partially cast turret with the highly regarded 17 pounder as the main gun and a 20 mm Polsten cannon in an independent mounting to its left. With a Rover-built Rolls-Royce Meteor as used on the Comet and Cromwell, the new design would have excellent performance.
Shortly after the programme commenced, it became clear that the requirement to withstand 88 mm weapons would be impossible to meet within the permitted weight. The original specification had been set so that the A41 could be carried on the existing Mark I and Mark II transport trailers, which were limited to a 40-ton load. The War Ministry decided it would be wiser to build new trailers, rather than hamper what appeared to be a superb design. Even before prototypes of the original 40-ton design were completed, the design of a heavier version was well under way. The new version carried armour equal to the heaviest infantry tanks, and cross-country performance was superior to even the early cruiser tanks. The A41 was the first British tank that could "do it all", leading to the new designation "universal tank". The design mockup built by AEC Ltd was viewed in May 1944. Subsequently twenty pilot models were ordered with various armament combinations: ten with 17 pdr and 20mm Polsten gun of which half had a Besa machine gun in the turret rear and half an escape door, five with 17pdr and forward Besa and escape door, and five with QF 77mm gun and driver-operated hull machine gun. Prototypes of the original 40-ton design, the Centurion Mark I, had 76 mm of armour in the front glacis, which was thinner than the then current infantry tank designs such as the Churchill which had 101 mm, but the glacis plate was highly sloped and so the effective thickness of the armour was very high—a design feature shared by other effective designs such as the German Panther tank and Soviet T-34. The turret was extremely well armoured at 152 mm. The tank was also highly mobile, and easily outperformed the Comet in most tests. The uparmoured Centurion Mark II soon arrived; it had a new 118 mm-thick glacis and the side and rear armourhad been increased from 38 mm to 51 mm. Only a handful of Mk I Centurions had been produced when the Mk II replaced it on the production lines. Full production began in November 1945 with an order for 800 on production lines at Leyland Motors, Lancashire the Royal Ordnance Factories at Leeds and Woolwich, and Vickers at Elswick. The tank entered service in December 1946 with the 5th Royal Tank Regiment.
Soon after the Centurion's introduction, Royal Ordnance finished work on the Ordnance QF 20 pounder (84 mm) tank gun. By this point the usefulness of the 20 mm Polsten had been called into question, it being unnecessarily large for use against troops, so it was replaced with a Besa machine gun in a completely cast turret. The new Centurion Mark III also featured a fully automatic stabilisation system for the gun, allowing it to fire accurately while on the move, dramatically improving battlefield performance. Production of the Mk 3 began in 1948. The Mk 3 was so much more powerful than the Mk 1 and Mk 2 that the earlier designs were removed from service as soon as new Mk 3s arrived, and the older tanks were then either converted into the Centurion Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV) Mark 1 for use by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers or upgraded to Mk 3 standards. Improvements introduced with the Mk 3 included a more powerful version of the engine and a new gunsight and gun stabiliser. The 20 pounder gun was used only for a short time, until the Royal Ordnance Factories introduced the now legendary 105 mm L7 gun. All later variants of the Centurion, from Mark 5/2 on, used the L7. Design work for the Mk 7 was completed in 1953 with production beginning soon afterwards.
The Centurion was used as the basis for a range of specialist equipment, including combat engineering variants with a 165 mm demolition gun Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE). It is one of the longest-serving designs of all time, serving as a battle tank for the British and Australian armies from the Korean War (1950–1953) to the Vietnam War (1961–1972), and as an AVRE during the Gulf War in January–February 1991.
Historical Gallery
Historical Accuracy Errata
The Centurion Mk. I entered service in 1946, not 1947 as the in-game description says.
- British Centurions were powered by a 600-650 hp engine. More powerful engine configurations were only done by foreign users of the Centurion like South Africa and Israel, but these were diesel and not gasoline. Thus the 750 hp engine configuration is fake.
- The OQF 77 mm gun was only fitted to the Comet. Its configuration on the Centurion is fake.
- Due to the lack of multi-gun controls in World of Tanks, the independently elevating 20 mm Polsten autocannon on the stock (Centurion Mk. I) turret is merely cosmetic.
- The Royal Armoured Corps recognition mark (or flash) was only used until mid-1942; the Centurion Mk. I entered service in December 1946.
- Overall dark green paint scheme is missing.
- United Nations white star recognition mark is also missing.
