British Mk.IV "Churchill" - infantry tank, not officially named after Winston Churchill

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In 1940, Britain began developing a new tank... The British authorities believed that there was a high probability of German troops landing on the islands, and therefore it was necessary to solve the problems of not only air defense, but also ground defense. And the very next year, the British industry began production of the 38-ton infantry tank "Churchill" - Mk.IV "Churchill".

This combat vehicle was supplied not only to the British army. The new tank, as part of the Lend-Lease program, began to be supplied to the Soviet Union.



In total, over 5,5 thousand of these combat vehicles were produced during the war years. This is one of the most massive British tanks of the Second World War. The Churchill tanks did not differ in maneuverability and speed, but in terms of protection they could give odds to many other armored vehicles.

The maximum speed of such a tank was about 25 km / h, while the cruising range was limited to about 250 km.

It is noteworthy that the official assignment of the name "Churchill" to the tank referred to John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough. This is a British commander of the 40th-XNUMXth centuries. At the same time, in the XNUMXs of the XX century in Britain, everyone understood who really is the person in whose honor this car got its name. The "culprit" himself - Winston Churchill - allegedly deigned to joke: "Yes, this Churchill has more flaws than me."

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    1. +6
      7 August 2021 06: 20
      the official assignment of the name "Churchill" to the tank referred to John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough. This is a British commander of the XVII-XVIII centuries



      A little about the person who gave the name to this car, and what connects it with Russia:

      The brightest personality, John Churchill was rightfully considered one of the most capable land military leaders in England.

      Queen Anne Stewart converted the earldom of Marlborough into a ducal one and appointed Churchill commander-in-chief of the British army on the continent.

      Here Marlborough earned himself pan-European fame with loud victories over the French and deservedly took a place in the gallery of the greatest military leaders in history.
      Until the end of the nineteenth century, the name Marlborough (Malbrook) remained widely known in Russia as well - mainly due to the translation of the satirical French song about him “Malbrook was going on a campaign”.

      Then, at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, many European monarchs tried to win over the Duke of Marlborough and use his talents. Among them is the Russian Tsar Peter I, who waged a difficult war with Sweden and its talented King Charles XII, an outstanding commander, for access to the Baltic Sea.


      The military campaign of 1706 was particularly unfortunate for Peter. Charles drove the Russian troops out of Poland, after which he turned to Peter's ally - the Saxon and Polish king Augustus - and inflicted a complete defeat on him.

      In such conditions, Peter had a plan to attract the famous Duke of Marlborough to an alliance with Russia. The king was already partly familiar with the appetites of this lord, and therefore some tempting offers were needed that could interest the greedy duke.

      Since Peter did not have enough money in the treasury to interest Lord Marlborough, and then it was decided to bribe the English politician and commander by granting him large possessions in Russia. He was offered a choice of the title of Prince of Kiev, Vladimir or Siberian. Moreover, these were not empty titles, but associated with real independent ownership and receipt of income from these lands.


      From any granted principality, Peter, as the Soviet historian of diplomacy Vladimir Potemkin writes, promised Marlborough an annual income of at least 50 thousand Efimki (33,3 thousand rubles). In addition, he was ready to give the Duke a huge ruby ​​and present the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Matveyev was also allowed to promise the Duke a one-time bribe of up to 200 thousand rubles.


      Why was Peter the Great going to give the English lord and his descendants an eternal possession of a vast area of ​​the Russian kingdom, and even so much money to boot? For favorable mediation in concluding peace with Sweden, and if Karl renounces the peace, then for the command of the Russian army, or for Britain's opening of military operations against Sweden. Peter was then ready to cede all his conquests to Karl, except for one - the mouth of the Neva with St. Petersburg founded by him.

      But this did not correspond to the views of Marlborough and England. Marlborough himself, on the contrary, preferred in the same 1707 to visit Charles in Saxony occupied by him and persuaded him not to oppose England on the side of France, but to focus on the war against Russia. This was a failure of Peter's plan, which turned, however, to the glory of himself and Russia.

      The Northern War was ultimately ended victoriously by Peter himself, without the help of the British commander and mediator, and the integrity of Russia was not damaged.

      1. +1
        7 August 2021 07: 12
        Quote: PiK
        Until the end of the nineteenth century, the name Marlborough (Malbrook) remained widely known in Russia as well - mainly due to the translation of the satirical French song about him “Malbrook was going on a campaign”.



        Well, this is also ... no less "romantic" times!
        1. 0
          7 August 2021 07: 35
          Quote: Nikolaevich I
          Well, this is also ... no less "romantic" times!


          From 01 min 03 sec, motive "Once upon a time there was Henri the Fourth"sounds much more fun and perky laughing good
    2. 0
      7 August 2021 06: 29
      The speed, of course, is amazing! And the mechanic is the driver ... What could he see from his seat from the "tunnel" between the tracks !?
      1. +1
        7 August 2021 07: 19
        Quote: Yuriy71
        What could he see from his seat from the "tunnel" between the tracks !?

        The periscopes were still standing. But with a course angle of about 30 °, the forehead was reliably shielded.
        All in all a bizarre design
      2. +6
        7 August 2021 08: 00
        Quote: Yuriy71
        What could he see from his seat from the "tunnel" between the tracks !?

        Here's how to say ... And you were sitting in a living tank in place of mech-water? Even in a modern tank, the view from it to optical instruments is so-so. And at that time ... Our T-34 mech-water had to slightly open its hatch to the width of the palm, so that at least something could be seen, since observation devices did not provide visibility
      3. mvg
        +2
        8 August 2021 22: 18
        The speed, of course, is amazing!

        But the forehead of the tower is 154 mm of English armor, which is 8-10% more interesting than the KRUPP one, i.e. roughly like the Royal Tiger, and the rest of the booking is not like the T-34. It is also infantry, not cruising. Like Matilda, and they didn't need speed. Their task is to crawl alongside the infantry
    3. 0
      9 August 2021 02: 12
      Quote: Yuriy71
      The speed, of course, is amazing! And the mechanic is the driver ... What could he see from his seat from the "tunnel" between the tracks !?

      Here the saying "I see the goal, I see no obstacles" is more relevant than ever laughing

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