|
Despite the disappointing performance of the Cruiser Marks III and IV the Christie suspension was deemed a success and was adopted for the rest of the Cruiser tank series.The Cruiser Mark V,or Covenanter was basically an A13 reworked in an attempt to overcome many of the mechanical difficulties to which that design was prone.The work was carried out by the London Midland and Scottish Railway Company.
The design featured a new and highly successful steering system.To achieve a lower silhouette it was fitted with Meadows-Fiat flat-12 engine in the rear with the radiator louvres on the front of the hull.This produced the required height reduction but created a new problem,the engine cooling system did not work.Four different marks were built in an attempt to solve the cooling problems but they were never overcome.
In the rush to production there had been no thorough trials and the cooling problems were not revealed until the Covenanter was coming off the lines in quantity.A total of 1,771 were built but they were never committed to battle.Covenanters served as training vehicles,the last of them being withdrawn during 1943.
|
