Crusader Mk. Iii British Cruiser Tank - 1/72 Scale

Model Description:
This download contains a highly detailed model of a Crusader Mk. III. Documentation and references for the real vehicle were rigorously studied to make the model as geometrically accurate as possible, except in the cases where printability would have to be sacrificed (such as the fender thickness).

Historical Description:
The Crusader was a cruiser tank developed by the British early in World War 2. The initial production versions, the Mk. I and Mk. II were equipped with the 40mm QF 2-pdr cannon. The later Mk. III Crusader had a modified turret and was up-gunned to the 57mm QF 6-pdr cannon, a much more capable weapon than the 2-pdr. The vehicle entered service in 1941 and primarily saw action in North Africa, after which more powerful tanks began to appear, pushing the Crusader into secondary roles. The Crusaders began development in 1939 as an alternative to the Covenanter Cruiser tank and a replacement for the A13 Cruiser tanks. The Crusader weighed almost 20 tons, which was significantly heavier than the older, 14-ton Cruisers. The vehicle's armament was upgraded when it became clear that the replacement cruiser, the Cromwell, would take longer than anticipated to be completed.

The Crusader was relatively mobile by tank standards, reaching speeds of 26mph thanks to its 340-horsepower engine and relatively low weight of only 20 tons. The Mk. III version featured up to a modest 2" (51mm) of armor, with a cannon that could itself pierce roughly 4" of RHA at close range. Later adoption of APDS ammunition further bolstered the power of the 6-pdr gun to being able to penetrate 5.5" (140mm) at a kilometer, making it able to deal with vehicles such as the Tiger I and Panther tanks.

The Crusader was originally used as a battle tank in North Africa; however, it was found that the armor and 2-pdr cannon were insufficient for this task, particularly due to the prevalence of German Anti-Tank guns. As new American vehicles such as the M3 Grant and M4 Sherman began to enter service, the Crusader was pulled from the tank-on-tank role, and moved to a more maneuver-based role, wherein the "light squadrons" of Crusaders would attempt to flank axis forces who were preoccupied with heavier allied tanks.

In Armored Advance:
In armored advance the Crusader Mk. III is a mobile vehicle boasting a potent 6-pdr cannon but is less armored than other similarly costed vehicles. The Crusader is able to compound its firepower advantage by gaining effective firing angles to further increase the chance of successful penetration of the enemy.

Contact Information:
If you face any problems with this vehicle, whether they be related to printability, integrity, or historical accuracy of the model, please contact us at .2022@. We will do what we can to rectify any issues and improve the quality of the product for everyone.