The Gun Carrier, 3-inch, Mk I, Churchill (A22D) was an attempt coming out of a General Staff request in 1941 to investigate fitting high velocity guns on tanks. Neither the Churchill nor Valentine could mount a turret with a high velocity gun larger than the 6 pounder, but it was proposed that a fixed superstructure could carry a larger gun with limited traverse. Vauxhall was provided with 100 guns and given the task of producing the vehicle. The pilot vehicles were ready for testing in early 1942 and found to be satisfactory, but progress with the 17 pounder Challenger cruiser tank and refocusing on a general purpose role (and 75mm gun) for the Churchill led to a reduced order.
Fifty were built in 1942, but none are known to have been used in combat as the 17 pounder anti-tank gun gave the British the necessary firepower. Some were adapted for experimentation and training with the "Snake" mine-clearing line charge device.
Battlefield V[]
— In-game description
The Churchill Gun Carrier is a tank featured in Battlefield V. Based on the Churchill Mk VII, it is available to the United Kingdom and unlocked at rank 17.
The tank shares similar health, armor and mobility statistics as the regular Churchill, with the main difference being in armament layout. The vehicle's main gun, the QF 3PDR, has only a limited traverse meaning the hull itself must be rotated to hit targets outside the horizontal arc. As the driver controls the main gun, this does not require coordination between players, unlike the Squad Reinforcement AT halftracks such as the T48 GMC and Pakwagen. With a high velocity and damage the gun primarily pertains to attacking enemy armored vehicles, but is limited by a low ammunition capacity. For infantry, the 3PDR has limited effect due to a small splash radius, although the driver has access to a similarly limited traverse coaxial Besa for such targets. The tank's two passengers, a front-facing hull and top machine gunner, can be employed to further deter soft targets.
In terms of specializations, the Gun Carrier's left side upgrade tree offers enhanced survivability. As a turretless tank, the mobility restorative Reinforced Tracks, Field Repair and Reinforced Engine may be essential for acquiring targets while under fire, while the final rank of Mine Clearing Line Charge provides both defense against mines and an impromptu area effect weapon. On the right side, the Improved Loading Mechanism, Smoke Launcher, Improved Zoom Scope and AP Round can assist in defeating enemy armour at both close and long range. Of the middle two upgrades, Increased Ammo Capacity remediate one of the tank's biggest weaknesses, namely its low ammunition supply for the main gun, while HESH Round improve performance against its primary targets - vehicles and structures.
Gallery[]
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Trivia[]
- The 3-inch main gun of Churchill Gun Carries is erroneously labelled as the QF 3PDR.
- The sights for the driver's hull machine gun are misaligned, which may hamper accuracy at range.