Page 14 - History of War - Issue 25-16

Frontline

ANKS

From the tracked triumphs that rumbled
across battlei elds in the wake of WWII, to
the sophisticated modern-day

armoured monsters, the MBT
dominated most of the 20th
century’s major war zones

COMPOSITEARMOUR

Above: The Centurion saw PROVIDING GREATER PROTECTION AND LIGHTER WEIGHT
combat in the front lines into First introduced: 1955 Country: United States
the 1980s
Composite armour revolutionised the development of armoured vehicles, particularly
CENTURION TANK the main battle tank. Conceived and applied for the irst time with the US Army’s T95
experimental tank series, the
THE FIRST MAIN BATTLE TANK, OR UNIVERSAL TANK initial composite armour was
First introduced: 1945 Country: Great Britain noted for its “siliceous core”
In response to the combat experience of British and included fused silica
armoured forces during World War II, particularly against glass between rolled steel
the heavy German Tiger tank, specii cations were issued plates for better protection
for a new tank incorporating speed, i repower, armour and lighter weight.
protection, and a modicum of weight. The Centurion was
produced in no fewer than a dozen variants, or marks.
Right: The experimental T95
medium tank was the i rst to utilise
composite armour

“WIDELY ACCLAIMED AS

BRITAIN’S MOST SUCCESSFUL
TANK WEAPON AND ONE OF

THE WORLD’S BEST”

L7105MML/52GUN

HEAVY WEAPON, WITH A LIGHTER PLATFORM
First introduced: 1956 Country: Great Britain
The main battle tank gained signiicant traction with the
realisation that it was capable of carrying increasingly
powerful main weapons. Widely acclaimed as Britain’s
most successful tank weapon and one of the world’s
best, the Royal Ordnance L7 105mm L/52 riled gun was
The L7 105mm ril ed gun has been adopted by several countries, including Germany, the
mounted on the main battle tanks of United States and Japan.
numerous countries

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