The Churchill Tank: Britain’s WWII Stalwart

Officially designated the Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill, this legendary British WWII tank holds a significant place in the history of armoured warfare. The brief was simple – design a tank with armour heavy enough to withstand the German 37mm Pak anti-tank guns. Despite initial setbacks, the Churchill Mark IV tank’s ability to navigate difficult terrain and provide direct support to infantry units made it indispensable during the rigours of the Second World War.

Let’s take a trip back to the battlefields of World War II and beyond to discover the remarkable story of one of the world’s most famous military vehicles, the Churchill tank.

The design of the Churchill tank began with the expectation that the conditions of World War II would be broadly similar to those encountered a generation previously in World War I. It needed to be able to handle the brutality of trench warfare and the ability to traverse difficult terrain.

A new infantry tank, named after John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, and not – as most assume – Sir Winston Churchill, was to replace the Infantry Tank Mk II Matilda and the Infantry Tank Mk III Valentine. It was hastily put into production to strengthen British defences against a potential German invasion. Initially, the first vehicles had several flaws that needed to be addressed before it could be deployed.

Harland & Wolff

The initial designs for the Churchill tank – designated A20 by General Staff – were undertaken by famous Belfast shipbuilders Harland & Wolff. However, they encountered significant problems adapting to tank production, which included issues with manufacturing processes and meeting the urgent timelines required by the British military. Additionally, the Harland & Wolff designs were based on the concept of WWI-style trench warfare. However, with France by this time under German control, this type of combat was no longer relevant, so a new tank design was needed, and quickly.

Vauxhall

Due to these challenges, the project was transferred to Vauxhall Motors, a company with more experience in automotive manufacturing and a better capacity to meet the production demands. Vauxhall successfully refined the designs – now known as the A22 – and managed to produce these tanks efficiently. The prototypes were completed by December 1940, and six months later the new iteration of the Mark IV Churchill tank was rolling off the production line with a gearbox produced by David Brown Limited (the same David Brown who bought Aston Martin in 1947 and put his name to the legendary DB series).

Interestingly, the user handbook for the Churchill tank came with an extra leaflet which said ‘Fighting vehicles are urgently required, and instructions have been received to proceed with the vehicle as it is rather than hold up production. All those things which we know are not as they should be will be put right.’

These faults included a poor gearbox, an underpowered, unreliable engine that was hard to access for servicing, and a rather underwhelming 40mm gun.

These problems were gradually refined through successive versions of the tank. By the time an upgrade was introduced in 1942, many of these mechanical issues had been addressed. However, it wasn’t until 1944 that the Churchill became a more reliable and effective vehicle on the battlefield. This version featured significant improvements in armour and overall reliability, making it a formidable asset in various combat operations during the later stages of World War II.

The Churchill’s first combat mission was during the disastrous Dieppe Raid, otherwise known as Operation Jubilee, in August 1942. Around sixty Churchill tanks from the 14th Army Tank Regiment were deployed but most got stuck on the beach. It’s believed only fifteen made it over the sea wall and none returned to England.

This famous British WWII tank also saw action in the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, as well as in Operation Ochsenkopf in Tunisia in February and March 1943.

Perhaps here more than anywhere the initial brief of being tough enough to withstand enemy anti-tank guns was realised. Of the detachment that saw action in the Second Battle of El Alamein, it’s thought just one Churchill tank was disabled by enemy fire, and another was said to have been hit eighty times by German and Italian guns and survived.

Later in the war, Churchill tanks were used in France during the Battle of Normandy, and in Germany in the forests of the Klever Reichswald during Operation Veritable in February and March 1945. They were also used on the Eastern Front by the Soviet Army during the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Kursk, the Battle of Prokhorovka, and the Fourth Battle of Kharkov.

Beyond World War II, the Churchill tank was even used during the Korean War, while the Irish Army took delivery of a handful of Churchill tanks in the late 1940s. All variants of the Churchill were retired from the British Army by 1952. In total, over 5,600 were built.

There were a number of different variants of the Churchill tank, but the figures listed below are the specifications of the original Mark 4 tank.

Weight | Approx. 40 tonnes

Length | 7.44 metres

Width | 3.25 metres

Height | 2.49 metres

Crew | 5 – commander, gunner, loader/radio operator, driver, co-driver/hull gunner

Armour Plating | Between 51 and 102 millimetres thick

Main Armament | Ordnance Quick-Firing 6-pounder

Secondary Armament | 2 x 7.92mm Besa machine guns

Operational Range | 75 – 130 miles

Maximum Speed | 15 mph

From its inception, driven by the urgent need for a robust and reliable infantry support vehicle, to its evolution through various iterations addressing early mechanical faults, the Churchill tank was an outstanding combination of adaptability and strength. Its significant role in pivotal wartime operations, alongside its ability to traverse challenging terrains and effectively support infantry, solidified its reputation as a critical asset in the Allied war effort.