Centurion Mk5 AVRE 165

[joseyclosey]

The Centurion tank was developed in the late 1940`s as the British Army`s Main Battle Tank. This design variant is the Assault Vehicle Royal Engineers. Introduced in 1963, the main duties of the Centurion AVRE included attacking fortifications and mine clearance. The main gun was replaced by a 165mm demolition gun which fired a 29kg. HESH round.A bulldozer blade was fitted and some were fitted with extra armour, towed mine clearing equipment could also be used.

This example served in the 1991 Gulf War with 32 Regiment Army Engineers and still wears its desert paint scheme. It was then used as a mobile OP on a Ministry of Defence training range. It was then donated in 1993 to The Imperial War Museum.

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Crew, 4

Weight, 114,221 lbs

Engine, Rolls Royce V=12 petrol,650 hp

Armament, one 165mm (6.5in.) L9A1 demolition gun

Two 7.62 MGs

Max speed, 21.5mph

Max armour, 6ins.

[TaosBob101]

Any one remember "Dinky Toys" metal-casted vehicles made in England ? I still have my Centurion tank model. Rubber tracks that really roll. Also a Panhard Scout car.

I hear those tanks get around,still being used after some ungrades. Israel,SA (got from India).Called the Oliphant. Here's an Aussie version and the upgraded SA one. The list of countries is big...

[joseyclosey]

Got to admit i thought the Centurions went to the scrapyards years ago, i was really surprised to hear they are still in service.

Dinky toys, i used to have a tea chest full of them when i was a kid.

Joe

[TaosBob101]

Joe, those toys are very,very collectable now. I beleive the founder/owner of that company, just died in England. He was forced to sell the company due to Mattell toys (US) and a number of makers of vehicles from Japan grabing market share.Do an ebay or Dinky Toy search. I bet you have enough Dinkies to sell for another rare Enfield if your "ticket" is not full. Or what ever you guys call you permit book ????

After I typed in "Centurion" The hits were large. Even downloaded some cool Isreali,Aussie Armor Corp sites. Maybe some of the Forum members might remember them in Viet Nam. I was very surprised to know they were there. I have some very nice Australian Infantry badges,etc from that era. Given to me by a friends dad who was US CORRDS ? Cdr (Civilian ) in II Corps area for awhile.

The tank full-0-troops is from Korea 1950's Above post.Enfields a plenty there.

Here's an Israeli one... I heard these were just good tanks for their type. Who would charge one today on foot ? Even with an AT weapon.Not a missile system ,but something hand-held in the open Not me boy...

Two more PICS : Isreali issue and one more Aussie with M113 APC with it. Viet Nam

[joseyclosey]

Unfortunately all my Dinky toys went into the bin many years ago Bob

Heres another Centurion on the Thorneycraft Tank Transporter, took this pic at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford.

Joe

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[Aughnanure]

Anyone remember how much room there was in a Centurion?

When I first climbed into one it was possible to move from the turret down to the left and move forward to the driver.That was in 1953.

By 1970, the last time I was in an opperational Cent. there was so much extra gear in there that there was no spare room at all and the only communication between the commander and the driver was via the head-sets or a hammer on the hull ! !

Eoin.

[joseyclosey]

I have never seen the inside of a Centurion Eoin, been inside a Chieftain in 1973, seemed a bit claustrophobic from what i can remember. The quick look i had didnt make me want to be tankie, must admit.

Remember having a look round a submarine in Liverpool, and definitely didnt want to be a submariner neither

Joe

[Niner Delta]

Have never been in a tank, but when at Arty NCO school at Ft. Sill, we did do a lot of training with the self-propelled howitzers. At the time we had 105mm, 155mm, 175mm (long tom) and the 8" SPs.

We got to drive them all around a course, fire them all, and use a recovery track vehicle to drag a tank chassis out of a mud bog. (had never been so dirty in my life).

Also, they broke us up into small teams and we drove an SP into the shop in the morning, had to remove the engine, set it on the floor, and reinstall it and drive it out before we could go home. But these engines had been in and out so many times, it was really quite easy.

If I remember right, the engine was a 8V71T, 8 cylinder, V configuration, 71 cubic inches per cylinder, turbocharged. Funny how some of the most obscure things can be remembered.

Luckily in those days I was a tall skinny kid that didn't have any trouble getting into the driver seat, no so sure I could do that now.

Vern.

[Aughnanure]

My entry into tanks was just for info, never was in them as a tankie (and never wanted to be !!) Had a lot to do with M113s in workshops and was in charge of a project where we fitted them with Caddilac, manual, twin .30 Browning turrets in place of the singgle .50. This was after an incident in Vietnam when .5o Br penetrated the Aluminium armour plate. Very embarrassing apparently.

Spent a lot of years in submarines... in the dockyard. Used to tell myself that I'd like to go down in one, but never bothered to ask the favour

Eoin

PS. Have ridden on the outside of a Cent. as part of a combined Infantry/tank attack and when that 20mm gun goes off