The Churchill Mk VII is a tier 3 British heavy tank.
Background Story
Just before the start of WW2, the British Army issued a call for designs which would supplement the Matilda II and the Valentine tanks. In accordance with British infantry tank doctrine, and based on the expected needs of attacking a fixed defensive line, crossing wide trenches, possibly shell-cratered ground similar to First World War trench warfare, it was to be immune to the current German 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank guns and carry an unditching beam. This would result in the A20 Heavy Tank, which weighed 32 tons, and also had limited power.[1][2]
World War 2 soon started after the designs of the A20 were complete. Yet the designs would prove now to be useless, as Germany was employing Blitzkrieg tactics, thus removing any need for trench warfare, for which Valentine, Matilda II, and the A20 were built for. The design of the A20 was revised by Dr Henry Merritt, Director of Tank Design at Woolwich Arsenal, based on the fighting from Poland and France. These new specifications, for the A22 or Infantry Tank Mark IV, were given to Vauxhall in June 1940.[1][2]
Exactly a year later, first Churchills began rolling off the production lines. There would be 11 "marks" i.e versions of the Churchill during the course of the war. In 1944, just before D-Day, a new mark was designed, the Mark VII. The Mark VII improved on the already heavy armor of the Churchill, with a wider chassis and the British 75 mm gun, which had been introduced on the Mk VI. It was primarily this variant, the A22F, which served through the remainder of war. It was re-designated as A42 in 1945. There would be around 1400-1600 units of this design produced, serving Britain till 1952.[1][2]
The Mark VII was designed to be able to be converted into the Crocodile flame-throwing variant (Gallery middle picture) without a lot of major modifications.[1][2]
Playstyle
Pros
- Good armor protection.
- Decent gun performance.
- Has slightly superior health pool over other vehicles in its tier.
- Fast 20 km/h reverse speed for a Heavy Tank.
Cons
- Somewhat sluggish maneuverability.
- Weak turret armor.
- Its tracks can hinder your view when looking down or climbing while zoomed in.
- Rather big size for its tier making it easier to hit from farther ranges.
Trivia
- The turret armor at the front is incorrect, and should be 152 mm like the rest of the front.
Gallery
A restored Mk VII, which went on display on June 2014, at the Carrickfergus Marine Gardens, Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, UK.
A freshly rolled-out Mk VII.
Churchill Mk VII Crocodile, a variant of the Mk VII with a flamethrower. Shot in Bayeux, Basse-Normandie, France.