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Conqueror

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GB12_Conqueror (Stock)

AnnoGB12_Conqueror.png
Totals
3600000 Price
1850 Hit Points
59.96 / 65 kgWeight
Crew
  1. Commander
Armor
130/51/38Hull Armor(front/sides/rear, mm)
165/112/112Turret Armor(front/sides/rear, mm)
Maneuver
650 h.p.Engine Power
34.3 km/hSpeed Limit
24 deg/secTraverse Speed
Firepower
230 Standard Shell Damage
226 mmStandard Shell Penetration
6.9 Gun Loading
36 deg/secTurret Traverse Speed
Communication
400 mView Range
550 mSignal Range
IX
Conqueror
3600000
Developed from 1949 through 1952, this tank was intended to confront new Soviet heavy tanks. A total of 185 vehicles were mass-produced from 1955 through 1959.

A potent continuation of the support tank class of heavy British tanks, the Conqueror plays like an overcharged version of the Caernarvon, featuring a significant jump in firing speed and some small improvements to general characteristics. It is unfortunately burdened, however, by having not only the Caernarvon's sub-par hull, but also a second turret that is worse in almost all regards than the Centurion turret it first mounts. Like the Centurions, it is also highly prone to ammo rack damage. However that would appear to simply be the price one has to pay for playing one of the best and most surely damaging support tanks in the game.

The most surprising aspect of this tank is the introduction to HESH shells on its top gun, a nasty surprise for poorly armored tanks, which is basically a High Penetration HE shell which can obliterate any tank in a few shots but it can be costly, and the shell does not benefit from Normalization meaning that its effects can be neutralized if it hits even the tiniest spaced armor.

Level Turret Weight (t) Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm) Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s) View Range (m)
turret VIII Centurion Mk. III 10400 165/112/112 36 400
Level Gun Weight (t) Average Penetration (mm) Rate of Fire Dispersion at 100 m Aiming Time
gun VIII OQF 20-pdr Gun Type A Barrel 1242 226/258/42 230/230/280 8.7 0.33 2.3
Level Engine Weight (t) Engine Power (h.p.) Chance of Fire on Impact
engine V Rolls-Royce Meteor Mk. IVB 744 650 20
Level Suspension Weight (t) Load Limit Traverse Speed (deg/s)
chassis VIII FV214 12000 65.004 24
Level Radio Weight (t) Signal Range (m)
radio VIII WS No. 19 Mk. III 0 550

Conqueror Mk II

Health

Level Turret Weight (t) Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm) Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s) View Range (m)
turret IX Conqueror Mk. II 13800 152/89/70 34 400
Level Gun Weight (t) Average Penetration (mm) Rate of Fire Dispersion at 100 m Aiming Time
gun IX OQF 20-pdr Gun Type B Barrel 1282 226/258/42 230/230/280 10 0.32 1.7
Level Engine Weight (t) Engine Power (h.p.) Chance of Fire on Impact
engine IX Rolls-Royce Meteor Mk. IVC 744 750 20
Level Suspension Weight (t) Load Limit Traverse Speed (deg/s)
chassis VIII FV214 12000 65.004 24
Level Radio Weight (t) Signal Range (m)
radio VIII WS No. 22 0 700

Conqueror Mk I**

Attack

Level Turret Weight (t) Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm) Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s) View Range (m)
turret VIII Centurion Mk. III 10400 165/112/112 36 400
Level Gun Weight (t) Average Penetration (mm) Rate of Fire Dispersion at 100 m Aiming Time
gun IX OQF 20-pdr Gun Type B Barrel 1282 226/258/42 230/230/280 9.23 0.32 1.9
Level Engine Weight (t) Engine Power (h.p.) Chance of Fire on Impact
engine IX Rolls-Royce Meteor Mk. IVC 744 750 20
Level Suspension Weight (t) Load Limit Traverse Speed (deg/s)
chassis VIII FV214 12000 65.004 24
Level Radio Weight (t) Signal Range (m)
radio VIII WS No. 22 0 700

Conqueror Mk III

Speed

Level Turret Weight (t) Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm) Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s) View Range (m)
turret IX Conqueror Mk. II 13800 152/89/70 34 400
Level Gun Weight (t) Average Penetration (mm) Rate of Fire Dispersion at 100 m Aiming Time
gun IX OQF 20-pdr Gun Type B Barrel 1282 226/258/42 230/230/280 10 0.32 1.7
Level Engine Weight (t) Engine Power (h.p.) Chance of Fire on Impact
engine IX Rolls-Royce Meteor M120 744 810 20
Level Suspension Weight (t) Load Limit Traverse Speed (deg/s)
chassis IX FV214A 12000 68 26
Level Radio Weight (t) Signal Range (m)
radio X SR C42 0 750

Conqueror Mk IV

Attack

Level Turret Weight (t) Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm) Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s) View Range (m)
turret IX Conqueror Mk. II 13800 152/89/70 34 400
Level Gun Weight (t) Average Penetration (mm) Rate of Fire Dispersion at 100 m Aiming Time
gun X 120 mm Gun L1A1 2850 259/326/120 400/400/515 5.71 0.33 1.9
Level Engine Weight (t) Engine Power (h.p.) Chance of Fire on Impact
engine X Rolls-Royce Griffon 952 950 20
Level Suspension Weight (t) Load Limit Traverse Speed (deg/s)
chassis IX FV214A 12000 68 26
Level Radio Weight (t) Signal Range (m)
radio X SR C42 0 750

Conqueror Mk III*

Speed

Level Turret Weight (t) Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm) Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s) View Range (m)
turret IX Conqueror Mk. II 13800 152/89/70 34 400
Level Gun Weight (t) Average Penetration (mm) Rate of Fire Dispersion at 100 m Aiming Time
gun IX OQF 20-pdr Gun Type B Barrel 1282 226/258/42 230/230/280 10 0.32 1.7
Level Engine Weight (t) Engine Power (h.p.) Chance of Fire on Impact
engine X Rolls-Royce Griffon 952 950 20
Level Suspension Weight (t) Load Limit Traverse Speed (deg/s)
chassis IX FV214A 12000 68 26
Level Radio Weight (t) Signal Range (m)
radio X SR C42 0 750

Compatible Equipment

Vertical Stabilizer Mk 2
Large Spall Liner
Camouflage Net
Fill Tanks with CO2
Coated Optics
Enhanced Gun Laying Drive
Enhanced Horizontal Coil Springs 3 Class
Improved Ventilation Class 3
Large-caliber Tank Gun Rammer
Binocular Telescope
Toolbox
"Wet" Ammo Rack Class 2

Compatible Consumables

Automatic Fire Extinguisher
100-octane Gasoline
105-octane Gasoline
Manual Fire Extinguisher
Large First Aid Kit
Large Repair Kit
Pudding and Tea
Small First Aid Kit
Small Repair Kit

Player Opinion

Pros and Cons

Pros:


  • Incredible gun - good dispersion, very fast aim time, quick rate-of-fire, high penetration
  • Mobile and responsive, even more so than M103
  • First heavy with HESH for light-skinned vehicles to deal heavy damage


Cons:


  • Very weak armor for a heavy on most locations, frontal ammo rack weakness, zero indirect-fire HE resistance, large
  • Below average gun depression
  • Second turret is more of a downgrade - it's much larger, has less armor, turns slower, no improvement in view range


Performance

The Conqueror can be a fearsome tank once fully upgraded and is a significant improvement over its predecessor. The top L1A1 gun does a respectable amount of damage and the high ROF means that you will often get a second shot in before your enemy has a chance to reload. The decent damage and penetration on the L1A1 will allow you to engage Tier X tanks in high tier matches and still be very effective. It has the same penetration and alpha as the top gun on the M103, but is improved in terms of aiming time, accuracy and rate of fire.

The armour however is weak, and even if you angle your tank, it is unlikely to bounce many shots and is very vulnerable to artillery. While not particularly fast, it is agile enough with the top engine, and so you should use this and your high ROF to deal damage then get back to cover quickly. As top tier it is more than capable of leading the push if it needs to, but assuming a supporting role for a more heavily armoured teammate and moving with a wave will allow you to put down the high DPM whilst protecting your weak hull. The ammo rack is also prone to being damaged, and wet ammo rack is practically a must.

On balance, the Conqueror is a good tank and in the right hands is more than capable of turning the tide of battle or facing any of its tier 9 counterparts. The L1A1 gun is its strongest asset, and will not fail to reward those drivers who can protect the tank's weaknesses.


Early Research

If you can afford to buy the Enhanced Springs to increase the load capacity, this will allow you to work through the upgraded turret towards the top gun as soon as possible. The 20-pdr Type B gives a great rate of fire, particularly on the second turret, but the low penetration and alpha means you will struggle to make the most of the 2300dpm, particularly in higher tier matches.

Once you have the L1A1, the Conqueror really comes alive and feels much more like an end tier heavy tank should. The gun is fast, accurate and deals a respectable amount of damage for a tier 9 tank.

After researching the L1A1, you might want to upgrade the suspension to free up an extra equipment slot (if you didn't do suspension first). Then finally grind the top engine, assuming you already researched the Meteor M120 in the Caernarvon.


Historical Info

The FV 214 Conqueror was a British heavy tank of the post-war era. It was developed as a response to the Soviet Joseph Stalin IS-3 heavy tanks and carried a larger 120 mm gun compared to the 20-pounder (83.4 mm) gun carried by its peer the Centurion. Its role was to provide long range anti-tank support for Centurion tanks. They were issued at nine for each regiment in Germany; usually grouped in three tank troops.

Development history

The chassis for the new tank was taken from the A45 Infantry Support Tank, started in 1944 shortly after that of the A41 Centurion. After the war the project was relocated to that of the "Universal Tank" design of the FV 200 series. The 200 series was to have used a common hull for all uses (self-propelled artillery, armoured personnel carrier, different varieties of tank, etc.). One tank type was to be the heavy FV 201 of 55 tonnes, armed with an 83.4 mm gun also known as 20 pounder.

In 1949 it was decided to bring the armament up to 120 mm. As this delayed the project, in 1952 the FV 201 hull was combined with a 17 pounder-armed Centurion Mk 2 turret to give the FV 221 Caernarvon Mark I. Twenty-one were built with the Mk III 20 pounder turret as the Caernavon Mk II. The FV 221 may originally have been intended to be the "Main Battle Tank" member of the FV 201 series, but with the success of the A41 Centurion such a vehicle was no longer required. In either event, the Caernarvon was only used for chassis development work serving in troop trials. In 1955 the first Conqueror was produced. Twenty Mark 1 and 165 Mark 2 Conquerors were built including conversions of Caernavon MkIIs. Production continued until 1959. It had lost much enthusiasm once the Centurion was upgraded to an L7 105 mm gun.

The gun design was American, the same as used on the US M103 heavy tank; with separate charge and projectile, as would also be the case in the Chieftain that followed. The charge was not bagged but in a brass cartridge, which offered some safety advantages, but reduced shell capacity to 35 rounds.

The armour was very heavy for the time, especially in the front, where it was seven inches (178 mm) in the horizontal plane. Unfortunately, this, along with the weight of the huge turret required to house the large gun and the very large hull volume, made the vehicle very heavy, giving it a relatively low top speed and making it mechanically unreliable. Also, few bridges could support its weight. However, rather like the Second World War Churchill tank, the Conqueror had exceptional terrain handling characteristics and proved to be as capable cross country as the lighter (and on paper slightly faster) Centurion tank.

One feature of particular note was the rotating commander's cupola, which was at the heart of the Conqueror's fire control system, advanced for its time. The commander could align the cupola on a target independently of the turret, measure the range with a Coincidence rangefinder, and then direct the gunner on to the new lay mechanically indicated to him by the cupola. In theory, when the gunner traversed to the new lay he would find the target already under his sights, ready to be engaged. Meanwhile, the commander was free to search for the next target. (The Soviet bloc also used similar devices, such as the TPKU-2 and TKN-3, on all of their post–World War II tanks though theirs did not use a rangefinder.)

The system may have been inspired by a similar device, without range finder, installed in WII German Panzers which was apparently highly successful, but was not repeated in subsequent tanks until an updated electronic version of the same idea appeared in the American M60A2 variant of the Patton series.

Variants

FV 222 Conqueror ARV Mk II The variants of the Conqueror tank and developments directly related to its development are:

FV 214 Conqueror

- Mk I

- Mk II

- Mk II/I/H[verification needed] - rebuilt Caernarvons

- FV 215b

- Design study of Conqueror chassis with limited traverse turret mounting 183mm gun. Wooden mockup produced.


FV 221 Caernarvon

- Mk I – prototype

- Mk II - experimental series, 21 built


FV 222 Conqueror Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV)

- Mk I - 8 produced

- Mk II - 20 produced. Weight: 57 tons. Winch capacity: 45 tons (direct pull).


Surviving vehicles

In the United Kingdom, Conqueror tanks are displayed at the Bovington Tank Museum, and the Land Warfare Hall of the Imperial War Museum Duxford. Other tanks are in the collections of the Musée des Blindés in France, the Royal Museum of the Army in Brussels and the Kubinka Tank Museum, Russia. One is privately owned in the United States as part of the Littlefield Collection. There are also two MkII ARVs at the Military History Museum on the Isle of Wight in an unrestored condition. A MkII ARV is held by theREME Museum of Technology, although it is not on display. There used to be a Conqueror at Base Vehicle Depot Ludgershall - a gate guardian named "William". Now believed to be at the Isle of Wight Military Museum. A Conqueror was used at the Amphibious Experimental Establishment AXE, at Instow in North Devon UK, for beach tank recovery practise.


Historical Gallery

Sources and External Links

UK
Light Tanks IICruiser Mk. I IICruiser Mk. III IIICruiser Mk. IV IIICruiser Mk. II IVValentine IVCovenanter VCrusader
Medium Tanks IVickers Medium Mk. I IIVickers Medium Mk. II IIIVickers Medium Mk. III IVMatilda VMatilda Black Prince VICromwell VICromwell Knight VIIComet VIIICenturion Mk. I IXCenturion Mk. 7/1 XFV4202
Heavy Tanks VChurchill I VExcelsior VIChurchill VII VITOG II* VIIBlack Prince VIIICaernarvon IXConqueror XFV215b
Tank Destroyers IIUniversal Carrier 2-pdr IIIValentine AT IVAlecto VAT 2 VIChurchill Gun Carrier VIAT 8 VIIAT 15A VIIAT 7 VIIIAT 15 IXTortoise XFV215b (183)
Self-Propelled Artillery IILoyd Gun Carriage IIISexton II IIISexton I IVBirch Gun VBishop VIFV304 VIICrusader 5.5-in. SP VIIIFV207 IXFV3805 XConqueror Gun Carriage
Heavy Tanks
USA VT14 VT1 Heavy Tank VIM6 VIIT29 VIIIM6A2E1 VIIIT32 VIIIT34 IXM103 XT110E5 XT57 Heavy Tank
UK VChurchill I VExcelsior VIChurchill VII VITOG II* VIIBlack Prince VIIICaernarvon IXConqueror XFV215b
Germany IVPz.Kpfw. B2 740 (f) IVDurchbruchswagen 2 VVK 30.01 (H) VIVK 36.01 (H) VIIPz.Kpfw. VI Tiger VIIPz.Kpfw. VI Tiger (P) VIIILöwe VIIIPz.Kpfw. Tiger II VIIIVK 45.02 (P) Ausf. A IXE-75 IXVK 45.02 (P) Ausf. B XE-100 XMaus
France IVB1 VBDR G1 B VIARL 44 VIIAMX M4 mle. 45 VIIIAMX 50 100 VIIIFCM 50 t VIIIFCM 50 t Liberté IXAMX 50 120 XAMX 50 B
USSR VChurchill III VKV-1S VKV-220 VKV-1 VIKV-2 VIKV-85 VIT-150 VIIIS VIIKV-3 VIIIIS-3 VIIIIS-6 VIIIKV-5 VIIIKV-4 IXIS-8 IXST-I XIS-4 XIS-7
China VIIIS-2 VIII110 VIII112 IXWZ-111 model 1-4 X113
Japan
Czechoslovakia
Sweden
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