Heavy Cruiser Tank A.34 Comet I
The Comet I heavy cruiser tank was similar in layout to the A.27 Cromwell cruiser tank, except that it had a welded hull and turret. The Comet carried a shortened 17 pdr gun, capable of defeating enemy Tiger and Panther tanks, especially when using the new A.P.D.S. tank round which was introduced in 1945. Comet tanks were first issued to the 11th Armoured Division in December 1944, and they took part in the Rhine crossings in March 1945. The Comet became the main battle tank of the British army after the war, it served in the Suez Canal Zone, Palestine, and West Berlin until 1958, when it was replaced by the Centurion tank. Many Comet tanks were sold, and remained in service with other armed forces until the late 1970s.
Available Scale Model Kits
- 1:76 Matchbox 40072
- 1:285 GHQ UK23
- 1:300 Heroics & Ros B019
Technical Specifications
- A.34 Comet I
- Type: Heavy Cruiser Tank
- Motor: Rolls-Royce Meteor V-12 cylinder, 447 kw
- Transmission: 5 Forward, 1 Reverse
- Speed: 52 km/h on roads
- Fuel Capacity: 527 l
- Range: 200 km
- Length: 6558 mm
- Width: 3050 mm
- Height: 2682 mm
- Weight: 33500 kg
- Armament: 77 mm L.50 Tank Gun (modified 17 pdr), 7.92 mm Besa Turret and Hull Machine Gun, 2″ Bomb Thrower
- Crew: Commander, Driver, Gunner, Loader, Radio Operator
- Production: 1944– (1.200 units)
Historical Employment
- British Army 1944–1958
The Comet was the best British tank of World War Two, it proved a good match for enemy Tiger and Panther tanks. However, in terms of armoured vehicle design, the Comet was a step back: it had vertical armour plate like the German Tiger I tank, rather than the more protective sloped plate of the Panther, T-34 medium tank, or A.16 Crusader.