Jump to content

Archer (tank destroyer): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→Service: rep[hrase
slightly normalized descriptive name; no need for over-capitalization or hyphen omission if you look to sources
 
(19 intermediate revisions by 15 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|British self-propelled anti-tank gun}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}

{{More citations needed|date=April 2024}}

{{Infobox weapon
{{Infobox weapon
|name=SP 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer
| name = SP 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer
| image= Archer SP 17 pdr Tank Destroyer.jpg
| image = Archer SP 17 pdr Tank Destroyer.jpg
| image_size = 300
| image_size = 300
|caption=SP 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer <br> front (and direction of driving) to left, engine to right
| caption = SP 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer <br> front (and direction of driving) to left, engine to right
|origin= United Kingdom
| origin = United Kingdom
|type=[[Self-propelled artillery]] [[anti-tank gun]]
| type = [[Self-propelled artillery]] [[anti-tank gun]]
|is_vehicle=yes
| is_vehicle = yes
|is_UK=yes
| is_UK = yes
|service=September 1944 - early 1950s (UK)
| service = September 1944 - early 1950s (UK)
|used_by=United Kingdom, Egypt, Jordan
| used_by = United Kingdom, Egypt, Jordan
|wars=[[World War II|Second World War]], [[Suez Crisis]]
| wars = [[World War II|Second World War]], [[Suez Crisis]]
|designer= Vickers-Armstrongs
| designer = Vickers-Armstrongs
|design_date=
| design_date =
|manufacturer=[[Vickers-Armstrongs]]
| manufacturer = [[Vickers-Armstrongs]]
|unit_cost=
| unit_cost =
|production_date= March 1943 – May 1945<ref>http://www.onwar.com/tanks/uk/farcher.htm Onwar.com Archer accessed 21 March 2008</ref>
| production_date = March 1943 – May 1945<ref>http://www.onwar.com/tanks/uk/farcher.htm Onwar.com Archer accessed 21 March 2008</ref>
|number= 655
| number = 655
|variants=
| variants =
|weight=15 long tons (15 tonnes)
| weight = 15 long tons (15 tonnes)
|length=21 ft 11 in (6.7 m)
| length = 21 ft 11 in (6.7 m)
|width=9 ft (2.76 m)
| width = 9 ft (2.76 m)
|height=7 ft 4 in (2.25 m)
| height = 7 ft 4 in (2.25 m)
|crew=4 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver)
| crew = 4 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver)
|armour=14 - 60 mm (.55–2.36 in)
| armour = 14 - 60 mm (.55–2.36 in)
|primary_armament=[[Ordnance QF 17 pounder|QF 17 pounder]] (76.2 mm) gun <br> 39 rounds
| primary_armament = [[Ordnance QF 17 pounder|QF 17 pounder]] (76.2 mm) gun <br> 39 rounds
|secondary_armament=.303 [[Bren light machine gun]]
| secondary_armament = .303 [[Bren light machine gun]]
|engine=[[Detroit Diesel Series 71|GMC 6-71]] 6-cylinder diesel
| engine = [[Detroit Diesel Series 71|GMC 6-71]] 6-cylinder diesel
|engine_power=192 bhp
| engine_power = 192 bhp
|transmission=
| transmission =
|fuel_capacity={{convert|50|impgal|L|abbr=on}}
| fuel_capacity = {{convert|50|impgal|L|abbr=on}}
|pw_ratio=10.1 hp/t
| pw_ratio = 10.1 hp/t
|suspension=coil spring bogie
| suspension = coil spring bogie
|vehicle_range={{convert|140|mi|km|abbr=on}} on roads
| vehicle_range = {{convert|140|mi|km|abbr=on}} on roads
|speed= 20 mph (32 km/h)<br>off road: {{convert|8|mph|abbr=on}}
| speed = 20 mph (32 km/h)<br>off-road: {{convert|8|mph|abbr=on}}
}}
}}


The '''Self Propelled 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer''' was a British [[tank destroyer|self propelled anti-tank gun]]<ref>{{cite book | last = Bishop | first = Chris | title = The illustrated encyclopedia of weapons of World War II : a comprehensive guide to weapons systems, including tanks, small arms, warplanes, artillery, ships, and submarines | publisher = Amber Books | location = London | year = 2016 | isbn = 978-1-78274-388-0 |page=51}}</ref> of the [[Second World War]] based on the [[Valentine tank|Valentine]] [[infantry tank]] [[chassis]] fitted with an [[Ordnance QF 17 pounder]] gun. Designed and manufactured by [[Vickers-Armstrongs]], 655 were produced between March 1943 and May 1945. It was used in North-West Europe and Italy during the war; post-war, it served with the [[Egyptian Army]]. This vehicle was unusual in that its gun faced the rear of the chassis instead of the front.
The '''self-propelled 17-pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer''' was a British [[tank destroyer]]<ref>{{cite book | last = Bishop | first = Chris | title = The illustrated encyclopedia of weapons of World War II : a comprehensive guide to weapons systems, including tanks, small arms, warplanes, artillery, ships, and submarines | publisher = Amber Books | location = London | year = 2016 | isbn = 978-1-78274-388-0 |page=51}}</ref> of the [[Second World War]] based on the [[Valentine tank|Valentine]] [[infantry tank]] [[chassis]] fitted with an [[Ordnance QF 17 pounder]] gun. Designed and manufactured by [[Vickers-Armstrongs]], 655 were produced between March 1943 and May 1945. It was used in north-west Europe and Italy during the war; post-war, it served with the [[Egyptian Army]]. This vehicle was unusual in that its gun faced the rear of the chassis instead of the front.


==Design and development==
==Design and development==
The [[Ordnance QF 17 pounder|17 pounder anti-tank gun]] was very powerful but also very large and heavy and could be moved about the battlefield only by a vehicle, which made the gun more effective in defence than in the attack. An improvised modification to the [[Churchill tank]] had been tested in 1942 as a self-propelled gun; the ''[[Churchill tank#Gun Carrier, 3-inch, Mk I, Churchill (A22D)|3-inch Gun Carrier]]'' and the US was expected to be able to provide the 76&nbsp;mm armed [[M10 tank destroyer]] through [[Lend-lease]]. Other projects were considered using obsolete tank chassis, including the Valentine for its reliability and low profile and the [[Crusader tank|Crusader]] for its good power-to-weight ratio. In development were tank designs using the 17-pounder, which led to the [[Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger]] tank (and its post-war variant the Avenger SP gun) derived from the [[Cromwell tank|Cromwell]] cruiser tank and the [[Sherman Firefly]] conversion of the Sherman tank.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}
The [[Ordnance QF 17 pounder|17 pounder anti-tank gun]] was very powerful but also very large and heavy and could be moved about the battlefield only by a vehicle, which made the gun more effective in defence than in the attack. A variant of the [[Churchill tank]] had been built in 1942 as a self-propelled gun—the [[List_of_specialist_Churchill_tank_variants#Gun_Carrier,_3-inch,_Mk_I,_Churchill_(A22D)|"3-inch Gun Carrier"]]—and the US was expected to be able to provide the 76&nbsp;mm armed [[M10 tank destroyer]] through [[Lend-lease]]. Other projects were considered using obsolete tank chassis, including the Valentine for its reliability and low profile and the [[Crusader tank|Crusader]] for its good [[power-to-weight ratio]]. In development were tank designs using the 17-pounder, which led to the [[Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger]] tank (and its post-war variant the Avenger SP gun) derived from the [[Cromwell tank|Cromwell]] cruiser tank and the [[Sherman Firefly]] conversion of the Sherman tank.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}


The Valentine chassis was soon chosen, as it was in production but obsolescent for British use and was also one of the few chassis that could accommodate such a large gun.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} The engine in the Archer had a higher power rating than in the Valentine.<ref>{{Book-Fletcher-Universal Tank|page=}}</ref> Since the Valentine had a small hull and it was not possible to use a turret, the gun was mounted in a simple, low, open-topped armoured box, very much like the early ''[[Panzerjäger]]'' German self-propelled guns in appearance, with the gun facing to the rear, which kept the length of the Archer short. The mounting allowed for 11 degrees of traverse to either side, with elevation from -7.5 to +15 degrees.<ref>''British Anti-tank guns 1939–1945'' Osprey p. 22</ref>
The Valentine chassis was soon chosen, as it was in production but obsolescent for British use and was also one of the few chassis that could accommodate such a large gun.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} The engine in the Archer had a higher power rating than in the Valentine.<ref>{{Book-Fletcher-Universal Tank|page=}}</ref> Since the Valentine had a small hull and it was not possible to use a turret, the gun was mounted in a simple, low, open-topped armoured box, very much like the early ''[[Panzerjäger]]'' German self-propelled guns in appearance, with the gun facing to the rear, which kept the length of the Archer short. The mounting allowed for 11 degrees of traverse to either side, with elevation from -7.5 to +15 degrees.<ref>''British Anti-tank guns 1939–1945'' Osprey p. 22</ref>
Line 51: Line 55:
Production started in mid-1943 and the Archer entered service in October 1944. It was used in [[Western Front (WWII)|North-West Europe]] and (in 1945) [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|in Italy]].<ref>White p. 17<!--pages not numbered but is the 17th page--></ref> By the end of the war, 655 of them had been produced.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}
Production started in mid-1943 and the Archer entered service in October 1944. It was used in [[Western Front (WWII)|North-West Europe]] and (in 1945) [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|in Italy]].<ref>White p. 17<!--pages not numbered but is the 17th page--></ref> By the end of the war, 655 of them had been produced.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}


Under military doctrines prevalent in Commonwealth armies at the time, vehicles such as the Archer were "self-propelled anti-tank guns" and operated by the [[Royal Artillery]] (RA), rather than [[Royal Armoured Corps]] (RAC). This was the same for two vehicles of US origin, that were initially conceived as "tank destroyers" though not used as such by the British: the [[M10 tank destroyer|3&nbsp;in. Self-Propelled Mount M10]] and [[17pdr SP Achilles|17&nbsp;pdr Self-Propelled Achilles]].){{citation needed|date=November 2020}}
Under military doctrines prevalent in Commonwealth armies at the time, vehicles such as the Archer were "self-propelled anti-tank guns" and operated by the [[Royal Artillery]] (RA), rather than [[Royal Armoured Corps]] (RAC). This was the same for two vehicles of US origin, that were initially conceived as "tank destroyers" though not used as such by the British: the [[M10 tank destroyer|3&nbsp;in. Self-Propelled Mount M10]] and [[17pdr SP Achilles|17&nbsp;pdr Self-Propelled Achilles]].){{citation needed|date=November 2020}}


Post-war, the [[Egyptian Army]] received 200 ex-British Archers after the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Steven J. |last=Zaloga|title=Armour of the Middle East Wars 1948-78|volume=Vanguard series 19|publisher=Osprey Publishing Ltd|place= London |year=1981|isbn=0 85045 388 7|page=9}}</ref> Some were successfully used against [[Israel]]i armour in 1956.<ref>{{cite book|title=Key to the Sinai, The Battles for Abu-Ageila in the 1956 and 1967 Arab-Israeli Wars|series = Combat Studies Institute, Research Survey no.7 |first=George Walter |last=Gawrych|url=http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/cgsc/carl/download/csipubs/KeytotheSinai.pdf|page=40&58}}</ref> The Archer served with some units of the Royal Armoured Corps in the [[British Army of the Rhine]] (BAOR) in the early 1950s.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}
Post-war, the [[Egyptian Army]] received 200 ex-British Archers after the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Steven J. |last=Zaloga|title=Armour of the Middle East Wars 1948-78|volume=Vanguard series 19|publisher=Osprey Publishing Ltd|place= London |year=1981|isbn=0-85045-388-7|page=9}}</ref> Some were successfully used against [[Israel]]i armour in 1956.<ref>{{cite book|title=Key to the Sinai, The Battles for Abu-Ageila in the 1956 and 1967 Arab-Israeli Wars|series = Combat Studies Institute, Research Survey no.7 |first=George Walter |last=Gawrych|url=http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/cgsc/carl/download/csipubs/KeytotheSinai.pdf|page=40&58}}</ref> The Archer served with some units of the Royal Armoured Corps in the [[British Army of the Rhine]] (BAOR) in the early 1950s.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}


[[Jordan]]ian [[Arab Legion]] and National Guard were supplied with 36 ex-British Archers in 1952.<ref>{{cite book| first=Peter|last=Young|series=Men-at-Arms|title=The Arab Legion| url=https://archive.org/details/arablegion00youn| url-access=limited|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]|year=1972|isbn=0-85045-084-5|pages=[https://archive.org/details/arablegion00youn/page/n33 26]-28}}</ref>
[[Jordan]]ian [[Arab Legion]] and National Guard were supplied with 36 ex-British Archers in 1952.<ref>{{cite book| first=Peter|last=Young|series=Men-at-Arms|title=The Arab Legion| url=https://archive.org/details/arablegion00youn| url-access=limited|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]|year=1972|isbn=0-85045-084-5|pages=[https://archive.org/details/arablegion00youn/page/n33 26]-28}}</ref>
Line 62: Line 66:
* [[Overloon War Museum|National War and Resistance Museum, Overloon]] in the Netherlands
* [[Overloon War Museum|National War and Resistance Museum, Overloon]] in the Netherlands
* [[The Tank Museum]] in the UK
* [[The Tank Museum]] in the UK
* [[The Wheatcroft Collection]] in the UK, awaiting restoration
* [[Cavalry Tank Museum, Ahmednagar|Cavalry Tank Museum]], [[Ahmednagar]], India. One Archer with a short-barrelled gun minus gun mantlet
* [[Cavalry Tank Museum, Ahmednagar|Cavalry Tank Museum]], [[Ahmednagar]], India. One Archer with a short-barrelled gun minus gun mantlet
* [[Australian Armour and Artillery Museum]] in Cairns, Australia
* [[Australian Armour and Artillery Museum]] in Cairns, Australia
* [[The Royal Tank Museum]], Amman, Jordan


==References==
==References==
Line 69: Line 75:


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* Camfield, Christopher. ''Self-Propelled 17-Pounder Archer. Rearwards into Action!'' Trackpad Publishing.
* {{cite book |last=Chris Henry |title=British Anti-Tank Artillery 1939–1945 |publisher=Osprey |series=New Vanguard }}
* {{cite book |last=Chris Henry |title=British Anti-Tank Artillery 1939–1945 |publisher=Osprey |series=New Vanguard }}
* {{cite book |title=Valentine Mk III |series=AFV No. 6 |publisher=Profile Publishing |last=White |first=BT }}
* {{cite book |title=Valentine Mk III |series=AFV No. 6 |publisher=Profile Publishing |last=White |first=BT }}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commonscat}}
{{commons|Archer tank destroyer}}
* [http://www.onwar.com/tanks/uk/farcher.htm OnWar]
* [http://www.onwar.com/tanks/uk/farcher.htm OnWar]
* [http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68:archer-tank-destroyer&catid=39:tanks&Itemid=56 The Archer Tank Destroyer] wwiiequipment.com
* [http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68:archer-tank-destroyer&catid=39:tanks&Itemid=56 The Archer Tank Destroyer] wwiiequipment.com
Line 83: Line 90:
[[Category:World War II tank destroyers]]
[[Category:World War II tank destroyers]]
[[Category:Vickers|Archer]]
[[Category:Vickers|Archer]]
[[Category:Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944]]

Latest revision as of 03:24, 19 October 2024

SP 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer
SP 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer
front (and direction of driving) to left, engine to right
TypeSelf-propelled artillery anti-tank gun
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In serviceSeptember 1944 - early 1950s (UK)
Used byUnited Kingdom, Egypt, Jordan
WarsSecond World War, Suez Crisis
Production history
DesignerVickers-Armstrongs
ManufacturerVickers-Armstrongs
ProducedMarch 1943 – May 1945[1]
No. built655
Specifications
Mass15 long tons (15 tonnes)
Length21 ft 11 in (6.7 m)
Width9 ft (2.76 m)
Height7 ft 4 in (2.25 m)
Crew4 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver)
Armour14 - 60 mm (.55–2.36 in)
Main
armament
QF 17 pounder (76.2 mm) gun
39 rounds
Secondary
armament
.303 Bren light machine gun
EngineGMC 6-71 6-cylinder diesel
192 bhp
Power/weight10.1 hp/t
Suspensioncoil spring bogie
Fuel capacity50 imp gal (230 L)
Operational
range
140 mi (230 km) on roads
Maximum speed 20 mph (32 km/h)
off-road: 8 mph (13 km/h)

The self-propelled 17-pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer was a British tank destroyer[2] of the Second World War based on the Valentine infantry tank chassis fitted with an Ordnance QF 17 pounder gun. Designed and manufactured by Vickers-Armstrongs, 655 were produced between March 1943 and May 1945. It was used in north-west Europe and Italy during the war; post-war, it served with the Egyptian Army. This vehicle was unusual in that its gun faced the rear of the chassis instead of the front.

Design and development

[edit]

The 17 pounder anti-tank gun was very powerful but also very large and heavy and could be moved about the battlefield only by a vehicle, which made the gun more effective in defence than in the attack. A variant of the Churchill tank had been built in 1942 as a self-propelled gun—the "3-inch Gun Carrier"—and the US was expected to be able to provide the 76 mm armed M10 tank destroyer through Lend-lease. Other projects were considered using obsolete tank chassis, including the Valentine for its reliability and low profile and the Crusader for its good power-to-weight ratio. In development were tank designs using the 17-pounder, which led to the Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger tank (and its post-war variant the Avenger SP gun) derived from the Cromwell cruiser tank and the Sherman Firefly conversion of the Sherman tank.[citation needed]

The Valentine chassis was soon chosen, as it was in production but obsolescent for British use and was also one of the few chassis that could accommodate such a large gun.[citation needed] The engine in the Archer had a higher power rating than in the Valentine.[3] Since the Valentine had a small hull and it was not possible to use a turret, the gun was mounted in a simple, low, open-topped armoured box, very much like the early Panzerjäger German self-propelled guns in appearance, with the gun facing to the rear, which kept the length of the Archer short. The mounting allowed for 11 degrees of traverse to either side, with elevation from -7.5 to +15 degrees.[4]

On firing, the gun breech recoiled just shy of the driver's space, with the driver staying in position, in case the vehicle needed to move quickly. The rear mounting combined with its low silhouette made the Archer an excellent ambush weapon, allowing its crew to fire, then drive away without turning round. The first prototype was completed in 1943, with firing trials carried out in April 1943. Vickers were given orders for 800 vehicles.[citation needed]

Service

[edit]
An 'Archer' in position at Rafah, Sinai War, 1956.

Production started in mid-1943 and the Archer entered service in October 1944. It was used in North-West Europe and (in 1945) in Italy.[5] By the end of the war, 655 of them had been produced.[citation needed]

Under military doctrines prevalent in Commonwealth armies at the time, vehicles such as the Archer were "self-propelled anti-tank guns" and operated by the Royal Artillery (RA), rather than Royal Armoured Corps (RAC). This was the same for two vehicles of US origin, that were initially conceived as "tank destroyers" though not used as such by the British: the 3 in. Self-Propelled Mount M10 and 17 pdr Self-Propelled Achilles.)[citation needed]

Post-war, the Egyptian Army received 200 ex-British Archers after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.[6] Some were successfully used against Israeli armour in 1956.[7] The Archer served with some units of the Royal Armoured Corps in the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) in the early 1950s.[citation needed]

Jordanian Arab Legion and National Guard were supplied with 36 ex-British Archers in 1952.[8]

Surviving vehicles

[edit]

Surviving vehicles are preserved at

References

[edit]
  1. ^ http://www.onwar.com/tanks/uk/farcher.htm Onwar.com Archer accessed 21 March 2008
  2. ^ Bishop, Chris (2016). The illustrated encyclopedia of weapons of World War II : a comprehensive guide to weapons systems, including tanks, small arms, warplanes, artillery, ships, and submarines. London: Amber Books. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-78274-388-0.
  3. ^ Fletcher, David (1989). Universal Tank: British Armour in the Second World War - Part 2. HMSO. ISBN 0-11-290534-X.
  4. ^ British Anti-tank guns 1939–1945 Osprey p. 22
  5. ^ White p. 17
  6. ^ Zaloga, Steven J. (1981). Armour of the Middle East Wars 1948-78. Vol. Vanguard series 19. London: Osprey Publishing Ltd. p. 9. ISBN 0-85045-388-7.
  7. ^ Gawrych, George Walter. Key to the Sinai, The Battles for Abu-Ageila in the 1956 and 1967 Arab-Israeli Wars (PDF). Combat Studies Institute, Research Survey no.7. p. 40&58.
  8. ^ Young, Peter (1972). The Arab Legion. Men-at-Arms. Osprey Publishing. pp. 26-28. ISBN 0-85045-084-5.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Camfield, Christopher. Self-Propelled 17-Pounder Archer. Rearwards into Action! Trackpad Publishing.
  • Chris Henry. British Anti-Tank Artillery 1939–1945. New Vanguard. Osprey.
  • White, BT. Valentine Mk III. AFV No. 6. Profile Publishing.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Archer tank destroyer.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Archer_(tank_destroyer)&oldid=1251973181"