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  • British tank names

    Hi all was out ploddin about the country side today, and as i'd no music with me i was thinkin bout random stuff, and it occurred to me any british made MBT i ever heard of had a name beginning with the letter "C", Centaur, Comet, Churchill, Cromwell, Centurion, Chieftain, Challenger 1&2 etc etc.

    Does this hold some significance or is it pure co- inkydink, any input as usual is greatfully appreciated.

    Thanks TC.
    But there's no danger
    It's a professional career
    Though it could be arranged
    With just a word in Mr. Churchill's ear
    If you're out of luck you're out of work
    We could send you to johannesburg.

    (Elvis Costello, Olivers Army)

  • #2
    I wondered about that too. But in WW2 they had Matilda and Vickers Tanks. And one called a Whippet in WW1.

    But I have a theory



    Perhaps the C is just a carry on from the Cruiser concept.
    Last edited by Groundhog; 23 October 2006, 01:08.
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    • #3
      Probably down to the manufacturer more than anything. Same people(Vickers Defence Systems)) have been building Tanks in the UK for years. However those vehicles that look like tanks but are not, Made by Alvis, begin with S.
      Scorpion, Scimitar,Sabre etc.
      Vickers still do tanks.


      Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Goldie fish View Post
        S.
        Scorpion, Scimitar,Sabre etc.
        .
        are these not recce vehicles as opposed to MBT's?

        but you could be right about it being manufacturer related
        But there's no danger
        It's a professional career
        Though it could be arranged
        With just a word in Mr. Churchill's ear
        If you're out of luck you're out of work
        We could send you to johannesburg.

        (Elvis Costello, Olivers Army)

        Comment


        • #5
          Read the line before where i mentioned them.....


          Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Goldie fish View Post
            Read the line before where i mentioned them.....
            i did my question was about mbt's not recce vehicles.

            anywho didnt alvis do a whole series of light vehicles beginning wih the letter "S" scorpion, saladin, scimitar, and cos they were fast they did an APC/AFV which was tracked so it could kep up with these vehicles, called spartan?
            Last edited by turbocalves; 23 October 2006, 02:09.
            But there's no danger
            It's a professional career
            Though it could be arranged
            With just a word in Mr. Churchill's ear
            If you're out of luck you're out of work
            We could send you to johannesburg.

            (Elvis Costello, Olivers Army)

            Comment


            • #7
              From the Bovington Website FAQs:

              Why do the names of British tanks all begin with C?

              Well in fact they don't; one only has to think of Matilda, Tetrarch or Valentine for instance. However the practice began in 1940 and it is attributed to the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. He felt that tanks should have names, just like aircraft, so that they would sound more glamorous, although the first tank to be named under this system was the Covenanter, a name hardly anyone had ever heard of. Apart from the Churchill tank itself, which was a coincidence, all wartime tanks that had names starting with C were Cruisers, and that may well be the original explanation. Since the war it has been adopted for virtually all tanks, including some experimental prototypes, and has now gone about as far as it can go with suitably martial words starting with C.


              Yes, all the CVR(T)s begin with 'S'. Scorpion, Scimitar, Sabre, Shielder, Stormer, Samson, Smaritan, Sultan, Spartan, Striker, Sturgeon, Salamander, Streaker (Prototype only).

              Things get a bit quirky with the wheels though. Ferret, Fox, and Saracen, Saladin, Saxon, Stalwart, now Panther. Tracked APCs are another matter, FV-432 was sometimes known as 'Trojan', and of course "Warrior" is the only 'W' Artillery had a brief flirtation with religion: Priest, Sexton, Bishop, Abbot.

              NTM
              Last edited by California Tanker; 23 October 2006, 06:59.
              Driver, tracks, troops.... Drive and adjust!!

              Comment


              • #8
                Dont forget insects: "Firelfly"

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by California Tanker View Post
                  From the Bovington Website FAQs:


                  Yes, all the CVR(T)s begin with 'S'. Scorpion, Scimitar, Sabre, Shielder, Stormer, Samson, Smaritan, Sultan, Spartan, Striker, Sturgeon, Salamander, Streaker (Prototype only).
                  fook me theres a hell of a lot more of them than i figured are they all alvis?

                  Ps thanks for the info Cal tanker i can see i'm being put in my place rught and proper!!
                  But there's no danger
                  It's a professional career
                  Though it could be arranged
                  With just a word in Mr. Churchill's ear
                  If you're out of luck you're out of work
                  We could send you to johannesburg.

                  (Elvis Costello, Olivers Army)

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Vickers still do tanks.
                    [/QUOTE]

                    They are now called Alvis Vickers or so says the branding outside their plant on Tyneside. Mind you the gate guardian is a Challanger I.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hi all
                      A Chally 1 as a gate guard?! Effin' hell. The standards of gate guards has gone up. Beats a mouldy oul Comet any day?...remember also, that British units traditionally named individual tanks, ie; each Troop had a letter and each tank was named by the crew but it used to get a bit out of hand; Phartarce (genuine!!), Phlatulence,etc. The French often name their tanks after places, especially places associated with French battles. Can't wait to see a Mowag with "Newtownmountkennedy" or "Skeheenarinky" or "Mweenreenacliste " on it. Although, the Kerry PDFers might have a bit of a thing about "Dingle-Daingean"....American tanks, sadly, look like New York subway cars during the baddest graffitti days.
                      regards
                      GttC

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by turbocalves View Post
                        fook me theres a hell of a lot more of them than i figured are they all alvis?
                        Yes, they're all on the same chassis, slight exception of Stormer.

                        In detail:
                        Scorpion: Large bore gun. 76mm, 90mm
                        Scimitar: 30mm cannon.
                        Sabre: Scorpion with turret replaced with that of the Fox CVR(W)s.
                        Shielder: Minelaying vehicle.
                        Stormer: APC based on a slightly elongated chassis (One extra roadwheel). Current production variant.
                        Samson: Recovery Vehicle. One went to the Falklands with the Scorps and Scims.
                        Samaritan: Ambulance Variant.
                        Sultan: Command Variant. (High roofline)
                        Spartan: APC version. (Also can be equipped with Starstreak SAMs)
                        Striker: ATGM version, with Swingfires. Only vehicle with missiles currently in British service.
                        Sturgeon, Salamander: Opfor variants in use in Canada. One based off Scorpion, one off Scimitar.
                        Streaker: Never entered service, some form of high-speed Spartan variant, I believe. (But would need to look it up)

                        A Chally 1 as a gate guard?!
                        There's one out front of Bovvy camp as well. Remember, they're all out of British service.

                        NTM
                        Last edited by California Tanker; 23 October 2006, 23:15.
                        Driver, tracks, troops.... Drive and adjust!!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by California Tanker View Post
                          Yes, they're all on the same chassis, slight exception of Stormer.

                          In detail:
                          Scorpion: Large bore gun. 76mm, 90mm
                          Scimitar: 30mm cannon.
                          Sabre: Scorpion with turret replaced with that of the Fox CVR(W)s.
                          Shielder: Minelaying vehicle.
                          Stormer: APC based on a slightly elongated chassis (One extra roadwheel). Current production variant.
                          Samson: Recovery Vehicle. One went to the Falklands with the Scorps and Scims.
                          Samaritan: Ambulance Variant.
                          Sultan: Command Variant. (High roofline)
                          Spartan: APC version. (Also can be equipped with Starstreak SAMs)
                          Striker: ATGM version, with Swingfires. Only vehicle with missiles currently in British service.
                          Sturgeon, Salamander: Opfor variants in use in Canada. One based off Scorpion, one off Scimitar.
                          Streaker: Never entered service, some form of high-speed Spartan variant, I believe. (But would need to look it up)


                          There's one out front of Bovvy camp as well. Remember, they're all out of British service.

                          NTM
                          This one is outside the factory.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            And the other one is outside Bovvy Camp.

                            The problem being?

                            NTM
                            Driver, tracks, troops.... Drive and adjust!!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Wasn't there a WW2 era British tank called the Valentine? And there was the Grant, the British version of the US Lee. Some more non "C" ones !!!

                              Sometimes I even amaze myself with some of the useless crap I can come up with !!!


                              Later.
                              No-one, I think, is in my tree...

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