Detail
The Conqueror was designed as a heavy gun tank in response to the appearance of the Soviet JS3 Stalin.
Conqueror came into service in 1954; it mounted a 120 mm gun and had an impressive amount of armour and an advanced commander’s fire control station in the form of an independently rotating cupola.
With an all-up weight of 65 tons, the tank was too heavy for any of the in-service bridges.
The fuel-injected Meteor engine produced considerable power, but the tank was never designed for speed.
Hard work for the crew, particularly the loader who had to handle the 2 piece ammunition including a heavy brass shell case. Conqueror was never popular.
Only ever fielded in small numbers and with inadequate mobility, it was withdrawn from services in the early 1960s.
Its place was taken (eventually) by the Chieftain.
Technical Specifications
| Crew: | 4 |
| Armament: | 1 x 120mm 2 x .30 Browning Machine-guns |
| Engine: | Rolls Royce Meteor developing 850 bhp |
| Max Speed: | 21mph |
| Year into service: | 1954 |
