Challenger Tank

The Challenger tank, officially the Tank, Cruiser, Challenger (A30), was Britain’s first cruiser tank to mount the powerful 17-pounder anti-tank gun, and one of the rarest British tanks of the Second World War. Developed in 1942–1943 as an interim solution until the Comet and the Centurion were ready, the Challenger was built on a lengthened Cromwell chassis with a large turret to accommodate the 17-pounder. Only about 200 examples were built, between 1943 and 1945, and the tank served in North-West Europe in 1944–1945, notably in Normandy, where its 17-pounder gun could destroy German Panthers and Tigers at long range. The Challenger was, however, a compromise: its large turret made it tall and conspicuous, its armour was thin, and its production was limited by the availability of Cromwell chassis and 17-pounder guns. The tank was soon superseded by the Sherman Firefly, which mounted the same gun in a more widely available chassis, and by the Comet, but the Challenger’s service in Normandy showed that the 17-pounder was the weapon Britain needed, and it paved the way for the Firefly and the Centurion.

1. Key Facts

Type	Cruiser tank
Origin	United Kingdom
In service	1944–1945
Number built	About 200
Crew	5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, hull gunner)
Weight	About 33 tonnes
Armour	20–102 mm
Main armament	17-pounder (76.2 mm) gun
Engine	Rolls-Royce Meteor V12 petrol, 600 hp
Top speed	About 52 km/h on roads
Operators	United Kingdom

2. Development

The Need for a 17-Pounder Tank

By 1942 the British Army knew that its 6-pounder gun was not enough to deal with the German Tiger and Panther tanks, and it needed a tank armed with the new 17-pounder anti-tank gun. The 17-pounder, introduced in 1942 as a towed anti-tank gun, was the most powerful British anti-tank gun of the war, and it could penetrate the frontal armour of the Tiger at normal ranges. The problem was fitting it into a tank: the gun was long and heavy, and it required a large turret and a strong turret ring. The War Office considered several designs, including a new tank, the A34 Comet, which was still in development, and an interim design based on the Cromwell chassis, which became the Challenger.

Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon

The Challenger was designed by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW), which had built the Cromwell, and it used a lengthened Cromwell chassis with an extra road wheel on each side to support the weight of the large turret. The turret was new, designed to accommodate the 17-pounder and a crew of three, and it was much larger than the Cromwell’s turret, which made the tank tall — about 2.8 metres high, compared with the Cromwell’s 2.5 metres. The first prototype was built in 1942, and production began in 1943, but it was slow: the Cromwell chassis was in demand for the Cromwell itself, and the 17-pounder gun was in demand for the towed anti-tank regiments and for the Sherman Firefly.

Production and Delays

Production of the Challenger was limited to about 200 vehicles, built between 1943 and 1945, and the tank entered service in 1944, just before D-Day. The low production total was a result of the competition for chassis and guns, and of the decision to prioritise the Sherman Firefly, which mounted the same 17-pounder gun in a Sherman chassis that was available in large numbers from the United States. The Challenger was, in effect, an interim tank, and its production was stopped when the Comet, which also mounted a version of the 17-pounder, entered service in late 1944. The Challenger’s short production run and its small numbers made it one of the rarest British tanks of the war.

3. Design

Hull and Chassis

The Challenger’s hull was based on the Cromwell’s, but lengthened by about 0.6 metres to accommodate the larger turret and to improve stability. The chassis had six road wheels on each side, compared with the Cromwell’s five, and it used the same Christie suspension. The hull armour was 63 mm at the front, 42 mm on the sides and 32 mm at the rear, which was thin for a tank of 33 tonnes, and the tank’s protection was its weakest feature. The driver’s position was at the front of the hull, with a hull machine-gunner beside him, and the engine was at the rear, as in the Cromwell. The Challenger’s lengthened hull made it less manoeuvrable than the Cromwell, and its turning circle was larger.

Turret and the 17-Pounder

The Challenger’s turret was its most distinctive feature: a large, boxy turret that housed the 17-pounder gun and a crew of three — commander, gunner and loader. The turret armour was 102 mm at the front, 63 mm on the sides and 63 mm at the rear, which was thicker than the hull’s, but the turret’s large size made the tank tall and conspicuous. The 17-pounder gun was mounted in the centre of the turret front, and it overhung the front of the hull by a considerable distance, which made the tank nose-heavy. The turret had a powered traverse, and the gun could elevate from -10 to +20 degrees. The large turret was necessary to accommodate the 17-pounder and its ammunition, but it was also the tank’s main drawback: it made the Challenger easy to spot and to hit.

Crew and Interior

The Challenger had a crew of five: a driver and a hull gunner in the hull, and a commander, gunner and loader in the turret. The turret crew worked in a cramped space, because the 17-pounder’s breech was large and its ammunition was long, but the three-man turret was a significant improvement over the two-man turrets of earlier British tanks. The loader had to handle 17-pounder rounds, which weighed about 7.7 kg, and the rate of fire was about 6 to 8 rounds per minute. The tank’s interior was hot and noisy, and the Meteor engine, though powerful, was loud. The Challenger’s crew generally liked the tank’s gun, but they disliked its height and its thin armour.

4. Technical Specifications

Dimensions and Weight

The Challenger measured about 8.15 metres long with the gun forward, 2.9 metres wide and 2.78 metres high, with a ground clearance of about 0.4 metres. Combat weight was about 33 tonnes, which was heavy for a cruiser tank, and the tank’s weight was a result of its large turret and its 17-pounder gun. The Challenger could cross a trench about 2.3 metres wide, climb a vertical obstacle of about 0.9 metres, and ford water up to about 1 metre deep. Its size and weight made it less agile than the Cromwell, but its gun made it a more effective tank destroyer.

Engine and Performance

The Challenger used the Rolls-Royce Meteor, a V12 petrol engine producing 600 hp at 2,550 rpm, the same engine as the Cromwell and the Comet. The Meteor was a derated version of the Merlin aircraft engine, and it was powerful and reliable. The Challenger’s power-to-weight ratio was about 18 hp per tonne, which gave it a top speed of about 52 km/h on roads and about 30 km/h cross-country, which was good for a tank of its weight. Fuel capacity was about 500 litres, giving a road range of about 160 km. The Meteor engine was the Challenger’s best feature, and it gave the tank the mobility to keep up with the Cromwell and the Sherman.

Protection and Armament in Detail

The Challenger’s armour was 20 to 102 mm thick: 102 mm on the turret front, 63 mm on the turret sides and rear, 63 mm on the hull front, 42 mm on the hull sides and 32 mm on the hull rear. The armour was mostly riveted and welded, and it was thin for a tank that was intended to fight Panthers and Tigers. The 17-pounder gun fired a 7.7 kg armour-piercing round at about 900 m/s, and it could penetrate about 140 mm of armour at 500 metres and about 120 mm at 1,000 metres, which was enough to destroy a Panther or a Tiger at normal combat ranges. Ammunition stowage was about 42 rounds, and secondary armament was a coaxial 7.92 mm Besa machine gun and a hull-mounted Besa.

5. Armament

The 17-Pounder Gun

The 17-pounder was the Challenger’s raison d’être, and it was the most powerful British tank gun of the war until the 20-pounder of the Centurion. The gun was a 76.2 mm weapon, developed as a towed anti-tank gun in 1941–1942, and it was adapted for tank use in the Challenger, the Sherman Firefly and the Archer. The 17-pounder fired an armour-piercing capped ballistic capped (APCBC) round that could penetrate the frontal armour of the Tiger and the Panther, and later in the war it fired an armour-piercing discarding sabot (APDS) round that was even more effective, though the APDS round was less accurate at long range. The 17-pounder’s performance was the reason the Challenger was built, and it was the tank’s main strength.

Firepower in Combat

In combat in Normandy, the Challenger’s 17-pounder proved its worth: it could destroy German Panthers and Tigers at ranges where the Sherman’s 75 mm gun could not, and it gave the British armoured regiments a weapon that could fight the German heavy tanks on equal terms. The gun’s long range and high velocity made it effective in the open country of Normandy, though its large muzzle flash and dust cloud could reveal the tank’s position. The Challenger’s rate of fire, about 6 to 8 rounds per minute, was adequate, though the loader’s job was hard work with the heavy 17-pounder rounds. The gun’s main weakness was its size: it made the tank tall and nose-heavy, and it limited the ammunition stowage to 42 rounds.

Machine Guns and Close Defence

The Challenger’s secondary armament was a coaxial 7.92 mm Besa machine gun and a hull-mounted Besa, both effective against infantry and soft targets. The tank also carried a 2-inch smoke mortar in the turret, and the crew carried personal weapons. The machine guns were important because the 17-pounder’s high-explosive shell was small and not very effective against infantry, and the tank needed its machine guns to defend itself at close range. The Challenger’s secondary armament was adequate, but it was not exceptional, and the tank’s main role was as a tank destroyer, not as an infantry support tank.

6. Variants

The Standard Challenger (A30)

The standard Challenger, designated A30, was the only version produced in significant numbers, with about 200 examples built. The tank had a lengthened Cromwell chassis, a large turret with the 17-pounder gun and a crew of five. The standard Challenger served in Normandy and in North-West Europe in 1944–1945, and it was the version most commonly encountered by the Germans. The tank’s design did not change significantly during its production life, though there were minor improvements to the turret and to the engine.

The Avenger (A30)

The Avenger was a variant of the Challenger with a lower, open-topped turret, designed as a self-propelled anti-tank gun. The Avenger’s turret was lower and lighter than the Challenger’s, which made the vehicle lower and less conspicuous, but it was open-topped, which left the crew exposed. The Avenger was built in small numbers — about 250 examples — and it entered service too late to see combat in the Second World War, though it served in the British Army after the war. The Avenger’s design was a response to the Challenger’s height, but it was not a success, and it was soon withdrawn.

Other Proposals

Several other variants of the Challenger were proposed, including a version with a different engine and a version with thicker armour, but none entered production. The Challenger’s chassis was also considered as a basis for a self-propelled gun and for a command tank, but these proposals were not pursued, because the Comet and the Centurion were already in development and the Challenger was seen as an interim design. The Challenger’s short production run and its small numbers meant that it did not spawn a large family of variants, unlike the Cromwell and the Sherman.

7. Combat Record

Normandy, 1944

The Challenger first saw combat in Normandy after D-Day, where it equipped the reconnaissance troops of the armoured divisions and the anti-tank troops of the Cromwell-equipped regiments. The tank’s 17-pounder gun was its main asset, and it was used to engage German Panthers and Tigers at long range, while the Cromwells and Shermans dealt with the lighter German tanks. The Challenger’s height and thin armour were disadvantages in the bocage, where the tank was easy to spot, and several Challengers were lost to German anti-tank guns and to Panthers. The tank’s service in Normandy was, however, valuable, and its 17-pounder gun accounted for a number of German tanks.

North-West Europe, 1944–1945

After Normandy, the Challenger served in the advance across France, in Belgium and in the Netherlands, and in the final battles in Germany in 1945. The tank’s 17-pounder gun remained effective against German armour, though by 1945 the Sherman Firefly, which mounted the same gun in a more numerous chassis, had taken over the Challenger’s role. The Challenger’s numbers were small, and its service was limited to a few regiments, but it fought in the battles for Caen, Falaise and the Rhine, and it remained in service until the end of the war. The tank’s last combat was in Germany in April–May 1945, where it supported the advance to the Elbe.

Assessment in Combat

The Challenger’s combat record was mixed: its gun was excellent, but its armour was thin and its height made it conspicuous. The tank’s crews liked the 17-pounder but disliked the tank’s vulnerability, and the British Army’s decision to prioritise the Sherman Firefly over the Challenger was vindicated by the Firefly’s wider availability. The Challenger’s service in Normandy and in North-West Europe showed that Britain needed a tank with a 17-pounder gun, and it paved the way for the Firefly and the Comet, but the Challenger itself was an interim solution that was soon superseded.

8. Operators

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom was the Challenger’s only operator. The tank equipped the reconnaissance troops of the armoured divisions, including the 11th Armoured Division and the Guards Armoured Division, and the anti-tank troops of the Cromwell regiments. The Challenger’s small numbers meant that it was never a standard tank, and it was used in a specialist role, as a tank destroyer within the armoured regiments. The tank remained in British service until the end of the war, and it was withdrawn in 1945–1946, when it was replaced by the Comet and the Centurion.

Post-War Use

After the war, the Challenger was withdrawn from service and most examples were scrapped. A small number were used for trials and for training, and the Avenger variant remained in service for a few years, but the Challenger itself did not see post-war service. Most Challengers were scrapped in the late 1940s, when the British Army standardised on the Comet and the Centurion, and only a handful were preserved for museums and for technical study. The tank’s short service life and its small production total meant that it did not have a post-war career, unlike the Cromwell and the Sherman, which served in many armies after the war.

Captured Vehicles

No Challengers were captured by the Germans in significant numbers, and the tank’s service was too brief and too limited for it to be used by any other army. The Challenger’s rarity — only about 200 were built — means that it is one of the least-known British tanks of the war, and its story is often overlooked in favour of the Sherman Firefly, which mounted the same gun in larger numbers. No Challenger is known to have been used by any army after the war, and the surviving examples are all in museums, where they are valued as rare illustrations of Britain’s wartime search for a 17-pounder tank.

9. Legacy

The 17-Pounder Tank

The Challenger’s main legacy is that it was Britain’s first tank to mount the 17-pounder gun, and it proved that the gun could be fitted into a cruiser tank chassis. The lessons learned from the Challenger’s design — the need for a large turret, the problems of a tall silhouette and thin armour, and the importance of a three-man turret — influenced the design of the Comet and the Centurion, which were much more successful tanks. The Challenger’s service in Normandy also showed the British Army that it needed a tank that could fight German heavy tanks, and it accelerated the development of the Firefly and the Comet.

Survivors and Memory

Only a small number of Challengers survive, and the best-known example is displayed at the Tank Museum in Bovington, England. The tank’s rarity makes it a popular subject for historians and modellers, and its distinctive large turret makes it instantly recognisable. The Challenger is remembered as an interim tank that was built in small numbers but that played an important part in the development of British tank design, and as the first British cruiser tank to mount the 17-pounder gun.

Assessment

Historians generally judge the Challenger as a flawed but important tank. Its gun was excellent, its engine was powerful and its mobility was good, but its armour was thin, its silhouette was tall and its production was limited. The tank was a compromise, and it was soon superseded by the Sherman Firefly and the Comet, which mounted the same gun in better chassis. The Challenger’s importance lies not in its combat record, which was limited, but in its role as a stepping stone to the Comet and the Centurion, and in its demonstration that the 17-pounder was the gun Britain needed.

10. FAQ

How many Challenger tanks were built?

About 200 Challenger tanks were built between 1943 and 1945, by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company. The low production total was a result of competition for Cromwell chassis and 17-pounder guns, and of the decision to prioritise the Sherman Firefly. The Firefly mounted the same gun in a Sherman chassis available in large numbers, while the Challenger was built on a lengthened Cromwell chassis. The Challenger was developed in 1942-1943 as an interim solution until the Comet and the Centurion were ready, and it served in North-West Europe in 1944-1945.

What gun did the Challenger carry?

The Challenger carried the 17-pounder (76.2 mm) gun, the most powerful British anti-tank gun of the war. The gun could penetrate the frontal armour of the Tiger and the Panther at normal combat ranges, and it was the reason the Challenger was built. The 17-pounder was also mounted in the Sherman Firefly and the Archer, and it was the weapon Britain needed, as the Challenger’s service in Normandy showed. In Normandy, the Challenger’s 17-pounder gun could destroy German Panthers and Tigers at long range, and the tank served there in 1944-1945.

Was the Challenger a good tank?

The Challenger had an excellent gun and a powerful engine, but its armour was thin and its tall silhouette made it easy to spot and hit. It was a useful interim tank, but it was soon superseded by the Sherman Firefly and the Comet, which mounted the same gun in better chassis. Its crews liked the gun but disliked the tank’s vulnerability, and only about 200 examples were built, between 1943 and 1945. The tank was Britain’s first cruiser tank to mount the 17-pounder, and it paved the way for the Firefly and the Centurion.

Why was the Challenger so tall?

The Challenger’s turret was large because it had to accommodate the 17-pounder gun and a crew of three, and the turret was mounted on a lengthened Cromwell chassis. The combination made the tank about 2.78 metres high, which was tall for a cruiser tank, and it made the Challenger conspicuous on the battlefield. The Avenger variant, with a lower open-topped turret, was an attempt to solve this problem, and the tank’s armour was thin, at 20 to 102 mm. The Challenger weighed about 33 tonnes, with a Rolls-Royce Meteor engine of 600 hp, and it could reach about 52 km/h on roads.

What was the Challenger’s crew?

The Challenger had a crew of five: a driver and a hull gunner in the hull, and a commander, gunner and loader in the turret. The three-man turret was a significant improvement over the two-man turrets of earlier British tanks, and it allowed the commander to command the tank without also loading the gun. The tank was built on a lengthened Cromwell chassis with a large turret to accommodate the 17-pounder, and it was tall, at about 2.78 metres high. Only about 200 Challengers were built, and the tank served in North-West Europe in 1944-1945, notably in Normandy.

Where can I see a Challenger tank today?

The best-known surviving Challenger is displayed at the Tank Museum in Bovington, England, and only a small number of Challengers survive. Only about 200 were built and most were scrapped after the war, which is why the tank is one of the rarest British tanks of the war. The tank is a popular subject for modellers and historians, and it was Britain’s first cruiser tank to mount the powerful 17-pounder anti-tank gun. It served in North-West Europe in 1944-1945, notably in Normandy, where its 17-pounder gun could destroy German Panthers and Tigers at long range.

11. Sources

• Fletcher, David. The Great Tank Scandal: British Armour in the Second World War. HMSO, 1989.
• Fletcher, David. Cromwell Cruiser Tank 1942–50. Osprey New Vanguard series.
• White, B. T. British Tanks 1915–1945. Ian Allan, 1963.
• Zaloga, Steven. Sherman Firefly. Osprey New Vanguard series.