A34 Cruiser Tank Comet

Tank, Heavy Cruiser, Comet (A34)

Source
Own photo

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Zdroj
Vlastní foto

ADAMANT (the museum of the RAC at Bovington) and GYNAEOLATOR (museum in Duxfordu, Land Warfare Hall) are the tanks with the post-war modifications (the"fishtail" exhausts, mounting-thrower zadýmovacích grenades on the tower,...).
Don't be fooled - duxfordský GYNAEOLATOR has in place of the original mounting missile launchers - - thrower zadýmovacích grenades just přehozenu camouflage net (of course, they are dismantled, but "something" there on the sides of the tower left of them...).
Vehicles of the first series had a "box around the exhaust" without the holes for the exhausts in the rear wall (such as Cromwelly), later from the manufacture made the holes, but you have been pulled over square plates, přišroubovanými on the back wall of the "box muffler"...
Vehicles in the war should (in most cases, of course - the exception proves the rule) the "Normandy Cowling" - some sources claim that always typically "cometovské" - that is, a two-piece... never SAY NEVER - you can always find evidence, such a statement refuting the...
Thus, it cannot be excluded that the "Normandy Cowling" was on Cometech the first series one-piece (as on the Cromwellech) and only later (but still during the fighting on the Western front) montovaly covers two-piece...
Other see the attached images...

Source:
The Imperial War Museum.

Dvě další válečné fotky, ta druhá by měl dokonce být prototyp.

Spíše bych řekl, že na druhém (kovranově) snímku je tzv. technologický demonstrátor, na kterém se zkoušely prvky koncepce vozidla - všimněte si, že věž je sice "cometovská" se 17 pdr kanónem, ale strojový spodek je z Cromwellu (chybí nosné kladky pásu).

Tak - "mikrowalkaround" na téma A34 COMET Mk.1B, (dnes již neexistující) Museum of Army Transport, Beverley, North Yorkshire...
Jde skutečně o verzi Mk.1B - na věži jsou vidět patky na upevnění vrhačů zadýmovacích granátů...

"Miniwalkaround" - na téma A34 COMET Mk.1A, (dočasně uzavřené) vojenské muzeum v Drážďanech.
Na tanku toho dost chybí - třeba držáky dýmovnic na zádi, celá schránka na zadní straně věže a "klecoid" velitelova zaměřovače pro rychlé navedení střelce na cíl, ale není se čemu divit - roky a roky stál jako "gate guard" u jedněch kasáren BAOR v tehdejší SRN. Jde však zcela jistě o verzi Mk.1A s "cromwellovským" výfukovým systémem, i když člověk nemůže vyloučit, že jde o "skládačku".
Samozřejmě, nic nemůže být bez chyby a tak i přes to, že vozidlo je ve variantě Mk.1A, tak nese loukoťová napínací kola (typická až pro „béčka“ – tedy pro tanky vyrobené po válce). Navíc je vidět, že marking 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry (3.obrněný pluk ze sestavy 29.obrněné brigády) 11.obrněné divize není nejdokonalejší – na přídi je stranově přehozen (znak divize – černý býk na žlutém obdélníku – má být u levého pásu a znak útvaru u pásu pravého). Na zádi vozidla je to správně…

Tady se vrátíme zpátky do Duxfordu, do Land Warfare Hall k tanku A34 COMET Mk.1B pojmenovanému GYNAEOLATOR. Tank je zcela jistě ve variantě Mk.1B, tedy v zásadě poválečné i přes to, že se tváří jako Mk.1A (o tom, že na věži jsou pod maskovací sítí patky pro montáž vrhačů zadýmovacích granátů, jsem se přesvědčil osobně)… Vozidlo se zdá být ve vcelku slušném stavu i uvnitř.
GYNAEOLATOR vcelku nenápadně změnil marking (nenechte se zmást řazením fotografií) – snímky vozidla v markingu 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry (3.obrněný pluk ze sestavy 29.obrněné brigády) 11.obrněné divize byly pořízeny v roce 1999, snímky, jež předkládá Admin, byly pořízeny později a zachycují vozidlo v markingu, jenž byl používán (v Britských ozbrojených silách) od roku 1949.
Musím se přiznat, že se mi dosud nepodařilo „rozluštit“ význam divizního (brigádního) znaku se slepicí…


Omlouvám se za kvalitu některých z fotografií – byly pořízeny klasickým fotoaparátem…
Jak vznikal v roce 1999 tenhle „walkaround“ může povyprávět třeba bitaxe – ten u toho byl a viděl potom následky, které jsem nesl po celou dobu návštěvy muzea.

At least 15 vehicles of the type A34 Comet was purchased by the regime of Fulgencio Batista after what was to Cuba imposed the u.s. embargo on imports of weapons.

The tanks were delivered at the end of 1958 (probably in December) and hit (allegedly) already just in the fight against under castro's "Barbudos", the besieging of the city of Santa Clara.

The tanks remained in service quite a short time, practically immediately after the arrival of heavy equipment from the soviet arms deliveries were scrapped with the exception of a single vehicle. It lasted until 1986 as part of a monument at the castle of Punta on the coast of Havana, where the cost as a "guardian" of the entrance to Havana bay. In 1986, his footprints disappearing...

Supposedly there are two more photos of the "cuban" Cometů, loaded on rail wagons (1. image) and aligned to the havana airport (2. frame), taken shortly before the fall of the regime of Fulgencio Batista. Both images are (allegedly) poorly detailed due to the fact that they were taken from a great distance.

Source information: http://www.geocities.com/urrib2000/Tanques1-e.html
This information is in the unchanged form literally cited the other online resources.

A-34 Comet kubánské armády. Fotografie byla pořízena v Havaně v lednu 1959.


Zdroj snímku: LIFE

The next slide on one of the cuban tanks A34 Comet in January 1959.
Vehicles bear the typical characteristics of the post-war production (the brackets with the hurlers dýmových grenades on the sides of the tower, the "fishtail" exhausts).
For interesting can be considered armed vehicles, anti-aircraft machine gun Browning M2 HB mounted on a rack on the ceiling of the tower between the (prior) hatches commander and loader.
Image not clearly documented/added details markingu (around the stars in a red and blue field is the inscription EJÉRCITO REBELDE REPÚBLICA DE CUBA), the inscription on the stern of the tower will probably be the same, vehicle carrying the original british registration marks (?? ZR ??).
According to some sources they were at the front of the vehicle used the little white stars placed on the fenders (not verified).

Source:
online database of Life magazine.

A34 COMET as the type wasn't produced in specialized versions (OP, COMMAND, REAR LINK, CLOSE SUPPORT, etc.), as the previous british tanks.
Exceptions usually prove the rule.

At least 1 vehicle (on the attached image) from the assembly headquarters company 2nd Bn Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) was regulated to the role of the command (COMMAND) tank...

The vehicle was deprived of the main equipment, including the coupled machine gun and the drive system of the tower was after the removal of the electric motor is blocked in position "12 hours".

To make the vehicle too neodlišovalo from the usual battle tanks, was fitted with a wooden dummy howitzer caliber 95 mm OQF Mk.Also. The lower machine gun BESA in the hull of the vehicle was maintained.
Furthermore, the turret and the hull of the tank exempted holders of ammunition and inside the vehicle they were installed the other connecting means (Wireless Set No.19 HP and LP) and the seats for the radio operators, the map table for the commander and the entire internal "working space" has been rigged "trim" with the aim to increase the comfort of the working environment.
In the vehicle, further, there were additional water tanks, the minimum resources for the modification of the diet in the field, folding chair, field of folding beds, a tent shelter and (even!) ladder for the commander... the Vehicle was (according to the available photos), probably due to the volume of vezeného material, equipped with an enlarged deposit box, navěšenou at the stern of the tower.

Although it cannot be determined with certainty "Census Number" of the vehicle, it can be assumed that the vehicle bore the following marking:
White number 51 on the red box always on the right on the vehicle
The character belonging to the superior volume (2nd Armoured Bde) yellow "twinkling" on the black box always left on the vehicle
Nb.: It cannot be excluded that on some vehicles the Queen's Bays remained even after the abolition of the 1st Armoured Division of the original character belonging to the superior connector in the form of a white galloping rhinoceros on a black oval field
Tactical vehicle designation headquarters company of the unit in the form of red rhomboidu on the sides of the tower

Another tank A34 COMET, which was converted to the version of the COMMAND, belonged to the assembly headquarters company 6th RTR (in fact, 6th BN RTR) and was named FEARNAUGHT, the tower bore the tactical symbol of a headquarters company (rhomboid) battalion in yellow color and was photographed just after the war to cargo plošinovém car when transporting unit by rail in Italy...

Sources:
http://www.arrse.co.uk
http://www.forum.fun-online.sk
http://www.qdg.org.uk/index.php
Fletcher, David; Harley, Richard c., Cruiser Tank Cromwell 1942-1950, nakl. Osprey, Well.104, ISBN 1-84176-814-6.

Muzeum Duxford

Vlastní foto

vlastni foto, muzeum Munster

Detailed tour of the Comet from the outside and the inside.







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Vehicles of the first series (without the "fishtail" exhausts and free-thrower zadýmovacích grenades on the sides of the tower) was and are referred to as a Heavy Cruiser Tank A34 COMET Mk.1A, vehicles with post-war modifications are then referred to as the COMET Mk.1B.

I note that soon after the termination of the 2.world war ii in the labelling of the tanks have stopped using roman numerals (because of the Churchill Mk.VII soon became the Mk.7 ).

(See above): A34 Comet in Saumuru also has a "fishtail" exhausts - verified by the photos on the Internet...

Further, it is necessary to take into account that almost all tanks, which now we can see in (any) museum, are stacked "like a puzzle" and bear in most cases how the elements, typical for the Mk.1A, so for a version of the Mk.1B..