3. The British WWII Tank That Was Arguably Better than the German Panther
Britain’s WWII tanks were generally mediocre. But late in the war, Britain introduced the Comet, one of the best tanks of the conflict. Powered by a reliable engine, the Comet combined decent armor with speed. Its birth was owed to the introduction of the German Tiger and Panther tanks in 1943. Britain needed a new tank to compete with them. Thus, the A34 Cruiser Tank Comet Mark I, Britain’s deadliest tank against enemy armor. Built on a modified chassis of Britain’s then-standard tank, the Cromwell boasted a larger turret ring for a larger turret. It could accommodate the 77mm HV gun. That gun was lethal against Panthers, the Comet’s German equivalent. At most ranges, it became deadly against Tigers as well. It was also superior to the Panther’s 75mm gun.
Modernization
The Comet entered service in 1944, and its superiority over the Panther went beyond firepower. While the Panther had thicker armor, was roomier, and carried more ammunition, the Comet had a lower profile. It was also mechanically sounder, with a Rolls Royce Meteor engine – a conversion of the Merlin engine that powered P-51s and Spitfires. This made it far more reliable than the Panther’s Maybach engine. The Comet’s Christie suspension system also became more durable than the Panther’s. Weighing 11 tons less than its German counterpart, while powered by an engine that produced equivalent horsepower, the Comet had a better power-to-weight ratio that gave it greater acceleration and made it 6 m.p.h. faster. Comets continued in British service until 1958, and with other militaries until well into the 1980s. The Comet led directly to the development of the Centurion, Britain’s primary tank of the post-WWII era.
