In Box Review of Tamiya 1/35th Scale
Cromwell Mk. IV
British Cruiser Tank Mk.VIII.A27M
Kit no. MM-221
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1997
Available at Hobby Linc for $36,80 or at Squadron for $39.00 or at Mega Hobby for $30.80 or at 1001 Hobbies for $44.99 or at Kit Linx for $38.39. Also from one person in the USA and 4 locations overseas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1997
Available at Hobby Linc for $36,80 or at Squadron for $39.00 or at Mega Hobby for $30.80 or at 1001 Hobbies for $44.99 or at Kit Linx for $38.39. Also from one person in the USA and 4 locations overseas on the web.
HISTORY:
The Cromwell tank, officially Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell (A27M), was one of the series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second World War. Named after the English Civil War-era military leader Oliver Cromwell, the Cromwell was the first tank put into service by the British to combine high speed from a powerful, reliable engine (the Rolls-Royce Meteor) and reasonable armour.
The intended dual-purpose high velocity gun could not be fitted in the turret, so a medium velocity dual purpose gun was fitted instead. Further development of the Cromwell combined with a high velocity gun led to the Comet tank.
The name "Cromwell" was initially applied to three vehicles during development. Early Cromwell development led to the creation of the A24 Cavalier. Later Cromwell development led to the creation of the competing Centaur tank (officially the Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Centaur (A27L)). This was closely related to the Cromwell, both vehicles being externally similar.
The Cromwell and Centaur tanks differed in the engine used; the Centaur had the 410 hp Liberty engine, the Cromwell had the significantly more powerful 600 hp Meteor; Centaur hulls were converted to Cromwells by changing the engine.
The Cromwell first saw action in the Battle of Normandy in June 1944. The tank equipped the armoured reconnaissance regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps, in the 7th Armoured Division, 11th Armoured Division and the Guards Armoured Division.
While the armoured regiments of the latter two divisions were equipped with M4 Shermans, the armoured regiments of the 7th Armoured Division were equipped with Cromwells. The Centaurs were not used in combat except for those fitted with a 95 mm howitzer, which were used in support of the Royal Marines during the amphibious invasion of Normandy.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Cruiser tank
Place of origin: United Kingdom
In service: 1944–1955
Used by: British Army, Israeli Army, Greek Army, Portuguese Army
Wars: World War II, 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Korean War
Designer: Leyland, then Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company from 1942
Manufacturer: Nuffield Mechanisation and Aero
Unit cost: £10,000
No. built: 4,016
Mass: 27.6 long tons (28.0 t)
Length: 20 ft 10 in (6.35 m)
Width: 9 ft 6+1⁄2 in (2.908 m)
Height: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)
Crew: 5 (Commander, gunner, loader/radio operator, driver, hull gunner)
Armour: 64 millimetres (2.5 in) on the hull front, 76.7 millimetres (3.02 in) on the turret front
Main armament: Ordnance QF 75 mm with 64 rounds
Secondary armament: 2 x 7.92 mm Besa machine gun with 4,950 rounds
Engine: Rolls-Royce Meteor V12 petrol of 600 hp (450 kW)
Power/weight: 21.4 hp (16 kW) / tonne
Transmission: Merritt-Brown Z.5 gearbox (five forward and one reverse gear) driving rear sprockets
Suspension: Improved Christie
Ground clearance: 16 inches (410 mm)
Fuel capacity: 110 imp gal (500 L) + optional 30 imp gal (140 L) auxiliary
Operational range: 170 miles (270 km) on roads, 80 mi (130 km) cross country
Maximum speed: 40 mph (64 km/h) maximum with 3.7:1 final reduction drive, 25 mph (41 km/h) on roads, 18 mph (29 km/h) cross-country
The Cromwell tank, officially Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell (A27M), was one of the series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second World War. Named after the English Civil War-era military leader Oliver Cromwell, the Cromwell was the first tank put into service by the British to combine high speed from a powerful, reliable engine (the Rolls-Royce Meteor) and reasonable armour.
The intended dual-purpose high velocity gun could not be fitted in the turret, so a medium velocity dual purpose gun was fitted instead. Further development of the Cromwell combined with a high velocity gun led to the Comet tank.
The name "Cromwell" was initially applied to three vehicles during development. Early Cromwell development led to the creation of the A24 Cavalier. Later Cromwell development led to the creation of the competing Centaur tank (officially the Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Centaur (A27L)). This was closely related to the Cromwell, both vehicles being externally similar.
The Cromwell and Centaur tanks differed in the engine used; the Centaur had the 410 hp Liberty engine, the Cromwell had the significantly more powerful 600 hp Meteor; Centaur hulls were converted to Cromwells by changing the engine.
The Cromwell first saw action in the Battle of Normandy in June 1944. The tank equipped the armoured reconnaissance regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps, in the 7th Armoured Division, 11th Armoured Division and the Guards Armoured Division.
While the armoured regiments of the latter two divisions were equipped with M4 Shermans, the armoured regiments of the 7th Armoured Division were equipped with Cromwells. The Centaurs were not used in combat except for those fitted with a 95 mm howitzer, which were used in support of the Royal Marines during the amphibious invasion of Normandy.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Cruiser tank
Place of origin: United Kingdom
In service: 1944–1955
Used by: British Army, Israeli Army, Greek Army, Portuguese Army
Wars: World War II, 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Korean War
Designer: Leyland, then Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company from 1942
Manufacturer: Nuffield Mechanisation and Aero
Unit cost: £10,000
No. built: 4,016
Mass: 27.6 long tons (28.0 t)
Length: 20 ft 10 in (6.35 m)
Width: 9 ft 6+1⁄2 in (2.908 m)
Height: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)
Crew: 5 (Commander, gunner, loader/radio operator, driver, hull gunner)
Armour: 64 millimetres (2.5 in) on the hull front, 76.7 millimetres (3.02 in) on the turret front
Main armament: Ordnance QF 75 mm with 64 rounds
Secondary armament: 2 x 7.92 mm Besa machine gun with 4,950 rounds
Engine: Rolls-Royce Meteor V12 petrol of 600 hp (450 kW)
Power/weight: 21.4 hp (16 kW) / tonne
Transmission: Merritt-Brown Z.5 gearbox (five forward and one reverse gear) driving rear sprockets
Suspension: Improved Christie
Ground clearance: 16 inches (410 mm)
Fuel capacity: 110 imp gal (500 L) + optional 30 imp gal (140 L) auxiliary
Operational range: 170 miles (270 km) on roads, 80 mi (130 km) cross country
Maximum speed: 40 mph (64 km/h) maximum with 3.7:1 final reduction drive, 25 mph (41 km/h) on roads, 18 mph (29 km/h) cross-country
THE KIT:
Tamiya is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Shizuoka City, Japan. They make all manner of plastic model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of a Cromwell, posed against one of Tamiya’s SIGNATURE all-white backgrounds that they use for the box arts of the majority of their kits.
The tank is overall olive-drab. It has a yellow circle, above a white serial number T190041 on the sides of the turret. On the bow’s left side there is a vertical rectangle divided into a white upper-half and red bottom-half. On the white half there is a black reindeer’s head illustration.
In the center of the bow the white serial number is repeated. Followed by a white circle on the right that has a black illustration of a desert rat on it.
The tank commander is standing and looking out of the upper turret hatch. He wears a green uniform and black beret. He has a pair of ear-phones on his head.
Tamiya is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Shizuoka City, Japan. They make all manner of plastic model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of a Cromwell, posed against one of Tamiya’s SIGNATURE all-white backgrounds that they use for the box arts of the majority of their kits.
The tank is overall olive-drab. It has a yellow circle, above a white serial number T190041 on the sides of the turret. On the bow’s left side there is a vertical rectangle divided into a white upper-half and red bottom-half. On the white half there is a black reindeer’s head illustration.
In the center of the bow the white serial number is repeated. Followed by a white circle on the right that has a black illustration of a desert rat on it.
The tank commander is standing and looking out of the upper turret hatch. He wears a green uniform and black beret. He has a pair of ear-phones on his head.
One side of the box has 3 color profiles of the left side, front and rear of the tank. It is a tank of B Squadron, 2nd Armoured Battalion, Welsh Guards, Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment of Guards Armoured Division. Beside this is the Tamiya logo and address.
The other has a side view color profile of a Cromwell in a winter camouflage scheme. Next is Japanese writing and beside that is a color profile of a tank commander. Next is the Tamiya logo and address repeated.
The inside tray of the box contains black and white photos of Tamiya reference books.
The kit contains 185 parts in dark green plastic on 5 trees, a clear sprue with searchlight lens and 6 bottles and goggles, plus two lengths of track and 2 pieces of string for the tow ropes, a section of black mesh screen and vinyl poly-caps. A loose
The screen for the engine exhaust is the standard Tamiya mesh, the extra PE engine air-intake grills Set (#35222) really adds to the kit.
There are 2 identical dark-green letter A trees. They hold: road wheels, drive sprockets, idler wheels, axles, tow cable ends, storage lockers etc. (48 parts)
The screen for the engine exhaust is the standard Tamiya mesh, the extra PE engine air-intake grills Set (#35222) really adds to the kit.
There are 2 identical dark-green letter A trees. They hold: road wheels, drive sprockets, idler wheels, axles, tow cable ends, storage lockers etc. (48 parts)
Dark-green letter B tree holds: the hull top, crewman figure (divided into separate head, full body and arms etc. (18 parts)
Dark-green letter C tree holds side armor panels etc. (24 parts)
Dark-green letter D tree holds: turret parts, main-gun parts etc. (42 parts)
Loose dark-green hull tub wall is next.
Next is the steel PE set of engine air-intake screens (5 parts), vinyl mesh screen
The black vinyl treads (2 runs), poly caps (16 parts) and string for the tow cable are next.
The clear tree holds lenses (13 parts)
The decal sheet and parts are packed into 5 sealed clear cello bags.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 7 ¼”x 10 ¼” page format.
Page 1 shows a black and white photo at the top of the model make up in the box art scheme, over the history of the Cromwell Mk. IV in Japanese.
Page 2 repeats the history in English, German and French, with a black and white illustration of a Crusader III tank.
Page 3 gives a division’s breakdown in 8 languages, including English.
Page 3 through to page 10 gives a grand total of 19 assembly steps.
The bottom of page 10 has an aftermarket service coupon on it.
A second instructions is a single-sheet, printed on both sides in the same page size as the main instructions. It is a painting and marking guide.
The face side shows two 4-view profiles and one 3-view of the Cromwell.
All are overall olive-drab.
The 1st 4-view has white serial no. T187796 on the sides of the turret, large circled star atop the turret, a square that is divided into red and blue with a white circle on the upper red half that has a black desert-rat on it on the center of the bow. A divided red and blue square with a white number 45 on it on the right of the bow and left of the rear. Repeat of the white serial no. on the center of the nose and rear. White serial no. 16030 above 3515/LCT on the front of the left fender and a bunch of maintenance info in white on the right.
It was an Armoured Observation Post tank, 5th Royal Artillery, 7th Armoured Division.
The 2nd 4-view has white serial no. T187921 on the sides of the turret and in the center of the nose and rear of the tank. A black square with a stenciled white 40 on it on the left of the nose, followed by a yellow circle with a black 30 on it. On the right of the nose there is a white vertical rectangle with black flaming ball on it. A white oval with black PL on it is high on the left rear of the tank and the white 40 and flaming ball insignias are on the right rear again.
It was with Division Headquarters Squadron, 1st Polish Armoured Division.
The 3-view has a large white circled star atop the turret. Black square with stenciled white 40 on it on left side of the front and right side of the rear. White serial no.T187816 in the center of the front and rear. A yellow square with a black buffalo illustrated on it on the left side of the rear and again on the right side of the front. The front one has a red banner atop it with white “TAUREG ii” on it.
It was a Division Headquarters' tank, 11th Armoured Division.
The reverse side of the instructions begins with painting and the decal instructions in multiple languages, including English.
Over 4 view of the Cromwell in the box art scheme (already described above)
It was with C Squadron, 5th Royal Tank Regiment, 22n Armoured Brigade, 7th Armoured Division.
The bottom of the page there is a top view of a Cromwell in overall olive-drab, with a large circled white star on the top of the turret.
It was with B Squadron, 2nd Battalion, Welsh Guards, Armored Recon. Regiment of the Guards' Armoured Division.
Page 1 shows a black and white photo at the top of the model make up in the box art scheme, over the history of the Cromwell Mk. IV in Japanese.
Page 2 repeats the history in English, German and French, with a black and white illustration of a Crusader III tank.
Page 3 gives a division’s breakdown in 8 languages, including English.
Page 3 through to page 10 gives a grand total of 19 assembly steps.
The bottom of page 10 has an aftermarket service coupon on it.
A second instructions is a single-sheet, printed on both sides in the same page size as the main instructions. It is a painting and marking guide.
The face side shows two 4-view profiles and one 3-view of the Cromwell.
All are overall olive-drab.
The 1st 4-view has white serial no. T187796 on the sides of the turret, large circled star atop the turret, a square that is divided into red and blue with a white circle on the upper red half that has a black desert-rat on it on the center of the bow. A divided red and blue square with a white number 45 on it on the right of the bow and left of the rear. Repeat of the white serial no. on the center of the nose and rear. White serial no. 16030 above 3515/LCT on the front of the left fender and a bunch of maintenance info in white on the right.
It was an Armoured Observation Post tank, 5th Royal Artillery, 7th Armoured Division.
The 2nd 4-view has white serial no. T187921 on the sides of the turret and in the center of the nose and rear of the tank. A black square with a stenciled white 40 on it on the left of the nose, followed by a yellow circle with a black 30 on it. On the right of the nose there is a white vertical rectangle with black flaming ball on it. A white oval with black PL on it is high on the left rear of the tank and the white 40 and flaming ball insignias are on the right rear again.
It was with Division Headquarters Squadron, 1st Polish Armoured Division.
The 3-view has a large white circled star atop the turret. Black square with stenciled white 40 on it on left side of the front and right side of the rear. White serial no.T187816 in the center of the front and rear. A yellow square with a black buffalo illustrated on it on the left side of the rear and again on the right side of the front. The front one has a red banner atop it with white “TAUREG ii” on it.
It was a Division Headquarters' tank, 11th Armoured Division.
The reverse side of the instructions begins with painting and the decal instructions in multiple languages, including English.
Over 4 view of the Cromwell in the box art scheme (already described above)
It was with C Squadron, 5th Royal Tank Regiment, 22n Armoured Brigade, 7th Armoured Division.
The bottom of the page there is a top view of a Cromwell in overall olive-drab, with a large circled white star on the top of the turret.
It was with B Squadron, 2nd Battalion, Welsh Guards, Armored Recon. Regiment of the Guards' Armoured Division.
The detail is very good.
Recommended.