Osprey New Vanguard 104 : Cromwell Cruiser Tank 1942-1950

For most of World War II, British tank development remained faithful to the design philosophy inaugurated during World War I. Experiences in North Africa highlighted flaws in this basic design, however, and the General Staff identified the need for a new heavy cruiser that could combine speed and manoeuvrability with increased armour and armament. The Cromwell Cruiser tank was designed as a result, and soon proved itself one of the fastest and most successful tanks deployed by the Allies during World War 2. This book details the design and development of the Cromwell and its many variants, from its introduction at D-Day, through its many successes in the final year of World War 2 and beyond. Text by Andrew Berki with illustrations by Peter Sarson.

Contents

• Introduction
• Design and Development of the Cromwell
• Organisation
• Operational History
• In Combat
• Variants
• Post-war Service
• Bibliography
• Colour Plate Commentary
• Index