Cruiser Mk. III
Cruiser Mk. III
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[Client Values; Actual values in
38,000  Cost |
| 37078 HP Hit Points |
| 14.19/14.57.78/17 t Weight Limit |
- Commander (Radio Operator)
- Gunner
- Driver
- Loader
| 340395 hp Engine Power |
| 48/20 km/h Speed Limit |
| 3235 deg/s Traverse |
| 23.9650.77 hp/t Power/Wt Ratio |
| NoNo Pivot |
| // mm Hull Armor |
| 14/14/1414/12/14 mm Turret Armor |
AP
AP/APCR/HE Shells |
1/0
30/800/15 Shell Cost |
| 9//45/45/60 HP Damage |
| 27//49/71/23 mm Penetration |
|
102.3 r/m ▲
22.86 r/m Magazine-fed Gun ▲ Rate of Fire Magazine-fed Gun |
|
172.26 ▲
351.45 Magazine-fed Gun
▲
Magazine-fed Gun
▼
Magazine-fed Gun
▲ Damage Per Minute Magazine-fed Gun |
|
0.53 m ▲
0.45 m With 50% Crew: 0.657 m ▲ Accuracy With 50% Crew: 0.557 m |
| 1.9 s 2.3 s Aim time |
| 4642 deg/s Turret Traverse |
| 360° Gun Arc |
| -15°/+20°-15°/+20° Elevation Arc |
| 720320 rounds Ammo Capacity |
| 2020 % Chance of Fire |
| 320 m 330 m View Range |
| 350 m 400 m Signal Range |
III
38000
The Cruiser Mk. III is a British tier 3 light tank.
The vehicle was developed on the basis of the M1931 Christie tanks, purchased by the British Army in 1936. The vehicle was intended to be a fast, lightly-armored breakthrough tank. The modified design was deemed successful and became the basis for other cruiser tanks. A total of 65 vehicles were built. They saw combat in France and North Africa in 1940–1941.
Bumped up to Tier 3 in 1.9, the Cruiser III is a departure from the first two tanks in the British Tech Tree. Boasting greatly improved mobility at the cost of armour, this tank excels as a flanker, and can even do well as a sniper with the decent accuracy and penetration on its QF 2-pdr. Mk IX.
The Cruiser Mk. III leads to the Cruiser Mk. IV.
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 (  )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 15 mm Machine Gun BESA | 27 | 9 | 102.38 | 0.53 | 1.7 | 70 | 1900 | |
| III | QF 2-pdr Mk. IX | 64/121/23 | 45/45/60 | 22.22 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 130 | 6000 | |
| IV | 40 mm Pom-Pom | 49/71/23 | 45/45/60 | 22.86 | 0.45 | 2.3 | 160 | 20000 |
Engines
| Tier | Engine | Engine Power (hp) |
Chance of Fire on Impact (%) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IV | Nuffield Liberty Mk. III | 395 | 20 | 383 | 11500 | |
| III | Nuffield Liberty Mk. II | 340 | 20 | 383 | 500 |
Suspensions
| Tier | Suspension | Load Limit (т) |
Traverse Speed (gr/sec) |
Rmin | Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| II | Cruiser Mk. III | 14.5 | 32 | B/2 | 4500 | 660 | |
| III | Cruiser Mk. III* | 17 | 35 | B/2 | 4500 | 1220 |
Radios
| Tier | Radio | Signal Range (m) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VI | WS No. 19 Mk. I | 400 | 40 | 15000 | |
| V | WS No. 9 | 375 | 40 | 3600 | |
| III | WS No. 11 | 350 | 40 | 600 |
Compatible Equipment
Compatible Consumables
Player Opinion
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Good power/weight ratio
- Upgraded turret provides spaced armor
- High view range
- 15 degrees of gun depression
Cons:
- Weak armour and below average HP
- Horrifyingly poor hull traverse at high speed
- Vulnerable to ammo rack damage from frontal shots, as ammo rack is located in the front
- Auto cannons and HE shells are very effective against this tank
Performance
Stock, this tank turns poorly at high speed, similar to the USSR A-20. However, once you're going in the right direction you will reach top speed rather quickly thanks to the tanks engine power.
Unfortunately, with the jump to Tier 3 in Update 1.9, the Pom-Pom is no longer a viable long-term option for this tank; its penetration is lacking when fighting against even some other Tier 3 tanks, let alone Tier 4's. The Cruiser III also does not get the upgraded 40 mm Bofors gun that the Cruiser IV had at Tier 3, meaning the only truly viable gun is the QF 2-pdr Mk. IX. Though the DPM and gun handling are a bit worse than they were at Tier 2, The penetration is unchanged, and the gun fits right in with those on the other Tier 3 Light Tanks.
While it doesn't have much in the way of armour, it has very good gun depression, allowing it to easily hull down on hilly terrain. The second turret also has spaced armour on the sides, which helps absorb HE damage.
One interesting thing to note is that every British radio, all the way up to tier 10, has the same weight. So, radio upgrades will never factor into any weight capacity considerations you may have when it comes to your British tanks.
Early Research
- The 40 mm Pom-Pom carries over from Cruiser II and should be mounted immediately.
- First, research the Nuffield Liberty Mk. III engine for a nice boost to horsepower without any added weight.
- The suspension should be researched next for improved hull traverse speed.
- The turret gives extra health and view range at the cost of turret traverse speed.
- Finally, research the radios. The WS. No. 19 Mk. I carries over to the Cruiser IV.
Suggested Equipment
Gallery
Historical Info
Development history
Orders for the Mk I and Mk II Cruiser tanks were restricted, since the British Army had decided to produce a more advanced and faster cruiser tank which would incorporate the Christie suspension designed by American inventor J. Walter Christie and have better armour. In 1936, General Martel, a pioneer in tank design who had published works on armoured warfare and pioneered the lightly armoured "tankette" to enhance infantry mobility, became Assistant Director of Mechanization at the War Office. Later that year Martel witnessed demonstrations of Soviet tank designs including the BT tank, which had been influenced by Christie's work. He urged the adoption of a tank that would use the suspension system and also follow Christie's practice of using a lightweight aircraft engine such as the Liberty Engine. The government authorized purchase and licensing of a Christie design via the Nuffield Organization rather than contact the Soviet authorities.
The vehicle obtained from Christie became the basis of the Cruiser Mk III (A13). It had to be extensively redesigned by Morris Commercial Cars as it was too small and had several faults Christie had not addressed. A new company Nuffield Mechanization & Aero Limited was formed for the development and production of the design. At a meeting of the General Staff, an official specification was determined. This included 30 mm (1.2 in) armour, a 2 pdr gun, road speed of 30 mph. A subsequent review of the specification by Martel and Hobart approved 30mm armour all round provided cross-country speed could be kept at 25 mph. Pending the delivery of the A13, an interim design was approved - of the A7, A9 and A10, the A9 was selected.
The first prototype (the A13-E1) was delivered in 1937. Following testing of the two prototypes, the A13 was ordered into production and a total of 65 were manufactured. The Mk III weighed 14 long tons (14,200 kg) had a crew of 4, a 340 hp engine which gave a top speed of 30 mph (48 km/h) and was armed with a 2 pounder gun and a machine gun. However, when it was introduced into service in 1937, the Army still lacked a formal tank division. Sixty five were built, the original order being for 50. The order was completed by mid 1939.
Combat history
Like most British cruisers, the A 13 was fast but under armoured and proved unreliable mechanically. Most were lost in the French campaign in 1940, but a few were used in Greece and the North African campaign in 1940-41. The basic design was used for the Cruiser Mk IV. As part of the British Expeditionary Force sent to France, the Cruiser Mark II equipped units in the 1st Armoured Division. In the Western Desert 1940-1941 (Libya) they were in the units of the 7th Armoured Division.
Historical Gallery
Historical Accuracy Errata
*The 40 mm Pom-Pom and 15mm BESA gun configurations are fake.
