AUTHOR | Michael K. Cecil |
---|---|
LANGUAGE | English |
BINDING | Hardback |
NO OF PAGES | 244 |
ILLUSTRATIONS | Photos & Illustrations |
ISBN | 9781999886721 |
PRODUCT CODE | 86721MIL |
PUBLISHER | Trackpad Publishing |
The Australian Cruiser tank project was an audacious venture for a country with
limited heavy industrial capacity – and no experience in the design or manufacture of
a modern cruiser tank.
The genesis of the project was a technical intelligence report prepared in mid-1939 by
Major Ronald Hopkins about the strength of the Imperial Japanese Army’s tank force.
The report was so alarming that the Chief of the General Staff called for the design
and construction of a light cruiser tank to combat a possible Japanese invasion of the
Australian mainland. Initial design work was commenced by Army design staff in late
1939, but with the creation of the Department of Munitions in mid-1940, the
responsibility for tank manufacture passed to that department. From there, the project
brought together a consortium of Munitions, Army and private industry which
together developed the Australian Cruiser tank, with the Mark 1 version called the
‘Sentinel’.
It was not without its problems, a project hampered by constant changes in
specification and fraught with overly optimistic delivery estimates, rivalries that were
both inter-departmental and personal, questionable management decisions, and a total
dependence on the supply of vital components from the USA.
Conversely, there was also remarkable innovation and ingenuity. An unconventional
formula for Nickel-free cast armour and the hull cast as a single piece were worldfirsts, as was the mounting of a 25-pdr main armament, followed soon after by the
formidable 17-pdr tank gun.
However, by July 1943, with more tanks having arrived from overseas than the Army
needed, and with little prospect of the delivery of combat-ready tanks from local
production any time soon, the Australian Government decided in principle to the
cessation of the Australian tank programme, making the final decision to terminate in
February 1944. Despite the enormous resources devoted to the project, only 65 AC1
Sentinel tanks were ever manufactured.
We endeavor to keep our carriage charges as low as possible.
We dispatch using Royal Mail or a courier company, depending on the weight and value of your order. We are unable to deliver to PO Boxes in the UK and abroad. Please ensure we have an up to date contact number and email address so that Royal Mail or a courier company can send updates on your delivery.
Please note that our standard delivery charges are for titles which are currently available. Forthcoming titles will be dispatched when available, postage charged as at the date of despatch.
Once items are placed in your basket, the website will calculate the delivery charge for your order. A standard delivery charge is applied to the majority of UK post codes, but remote areas and islands may incur a higher charge. We aim to deliver your order within 5-7 days, delivery times stated are an indication only, we often find deliveries are much quicker than estimated.
Once items are placed in your basket, the website will calculate the delivery charge for your order, dependent on country, and any surcharges we would be charged within the UK at the point of despatch. This does not include any charges made in the country of delivery at the time of delivery. We aim to deliver your order within the delivery times stated, Europe 7-10 days, Worldwide, 15-20 days, these are provided as an indication only, we often find deliveries are much quicker than estimated.
Delivery times quoted are provide by our delivery partners and are as an indication only. These times can vary from country to country and dependent on prevailing conditions that a shipment may encounter on its journey to you.