Centurion Tank Breakdown and Recovery by CRARRV with Live Commentary at Tankfest 2021

Full footage of the Friday recovery of the Centurion 'Duchess' in the arena at Tankfest!
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norfolktankmuseum.co.uk
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Film credit: CM + Enrico Micheli
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[@eaglesquadrongaming9151]

Ah the Centurion a more elegant tonk for a more civilized tanker. I really enjoy your content ma'am

[@chrisvandecar4676]

“A few micro adjustments” as the microphone picks the clear sound of a sledge hitting metal!😄. Thanks for upload Queen of Tanks,

[@Zajuts149]

Great opening shot between the Matilda and the Daimler Armoured Car.

[@ED-ti5tc]

Regardless of the minor breakdown, it's still good to see these machines moving. Thanks

[@kajlennartsson4234]

Thank you Sofilein. The Centurion tank is one of the greatest tanks ever. A tank units heros is the recovery teams.

[@bted72]

A great example of a legendary Centurion class tank and how recovery, with the proper support vehicle, can be relatively quick and "easy." Great demonstration and video. Thanks, CM, Enrico, and Sofi for this great video!

[@petertripp3153]

not as easy when using a centurian AVRE

[@docvaliant721]

I can share a story of a recovery I was apart of with abrams during the battle of sadr city. I wasnt even a tanker but me and a tank gunner did it in 30min which is remarkably fast. I mean the amount of danger made it important to be fast. The worst part is the heat out of the exhaust on the abram turbine engine. The only thing that can pull a abram is another tank.

[@paulgdunsford7469]

Pity the announcer didn’t mention to the lads to stand aside so we could see lol would have been nice to actually be able to see what was going on 😎

[@daguard411]

I loved this episode, and how the crew and recovery crew didn't do as I normally have watched. I was 3rd and 4th echelon repair for all wheeled and tracked vehicles in the US Army. Normally both the tank and M88 crew are bitching and cursing up a storm. While I was still in the grunts, while in the USMC, we were in Kenya and we marched by an M60 Tank that got stuck in a bog. To extract it there were 2 M88's that were hitched up and overhead was a CH46 trying to help with a lift cable. While we were still near, the M60 was pulled free, but I was astounded that the amount of power each vehicle revved up to do so. Honestly, by the sound I was amazed that the two M88's hadn't blown their engines.

[@eze8970]

Great story, thanks for sharing!

[@danhill6333]

Wish I could be there. Thanks for sharing.

[@wtfeatapples2101]

thankful that so many people put the effort in to keep these machines running and filming them.

[@kevindeckert31]

that fact that these pieces of history run at all is a Tribute to all those who whose hard work makes it possible!

[@GUNGHO402]

Even though I was Mortars, still love old and new tanks. Great video Sofi!

[@ianlogan1150]

In my time in the British army (REME) I recovered dozens of armoured vehicles. All I can say is that was a very simple tow and they didn't half take their time

[@jeffho1727]

Yeah, I can say Ive never used a winch for an A Frame tow bar before.. Or saw anyone else until now.. Its a kindler, gentler Army. By the way, Greeting, Brother from the same Mother!!

[@ianlogan1150]

@@jeffho1727 I know a winch for the A frame. What's the world coming to. Salutations to you my friend.

[@shifty389]

Jezzzz that was painful to watch.... hi guys another mech from gods chosen trade

[@Zajuts149]

Norf Norfolk Tank Museum Team: "Luv me tanks, Luv me repairing tanks. Simple as."

[@Sofilein]

No armoured cars, am not racist ah jus don't like em simple as

[@charlesemerson6763]

That was great. Funny how it's nearly always a $2 part that buggers up your day. Yeh I know it's probably a $50 bit of hose.

[@nriqueog]

How many times do you get to witness a Classic Tank breakdown AND get recovered right in front of you WITH play by play from the pros at Tank Fest?

[@jfig2052]

The CRARRV lacks the delicate, potato bug like features of the M88 HERC! Lol 😂 cool vid Sofi!

[@keithclark6122]

Another great vid Sofilein!

[@DanielWW2]

I heard everything, I understand it all, but I will still decide to ignore it and poke fun at yet another British tank that clearly can't have a proper and functional drivetrain. 😅 Centurion is arguably the best tank the British ever made, but even Centurion had its issues there. Because the engine quite frankly was a bit of a joke. A Centurion its 650HP engine has about 550L of petrol available and it should do around 100km on the road with that amount of fuel. This with 87 octane fuel. Meanwhile the Tiger I its 650PS HL210 with fuel tanks of some 530L, does nearly double that range on the road with a lower 74 octane rating. By comparison, 87 octane for the Germans was already the primary fuel for fighter planes (B4 fuel) for most of the war. They simply could not afford such fuels for the tanks with their limited oil situation. Overall picture thus is not good at all. Then some more from my master thesis about the Dutch army selecting the Leopard 1 over the Chieftain and also why I like to make fun of British tank drivetrains. Because that one was special. You have to imagine that most of the Dutch army was stationed in the Netherlands itself with a very limited forward deployment inside Germany. Basically if the "red horde" would come, the Dutch sector would have to be covered by German units because the Dutch army would need a few days to reach the battlefield. Don't ask, no idea who thought this was a good idea. So reliability was quite important in the requirements. Because to fight in a nuclear wasteland, you first need to arrive in the nuclear wasteland. Make no illusions about it, both sides where fully committed to turn western Germany into a nuclear wasteland. Now the Dutch army really wanted the MBT-70, but by 1968 they where getting clear signs that this project might turn out to be a failure. Meanwhile the Centurion Mark 3 tanks who still had the 20 pounder guns at this point and where getting old and worn out. And even if MBT-70 worked out, the price per tank or even the price for the ammunition was just unaffordable. A single Shillelagh missile was quoted at fl. 10,000 where as the base cost of a whole Leopard 1 or Chieftain tank without munition or equipment was quoted around fl. 500,000. Thus the Dutch army carried out trials in the summer of 1968 with Leopard 1 and Chieftain, just in case the MBT-70 would indeed not be affordable. They had already discarded the AMX-30 as a very cramped tank for all crewmembers in the turret on top of such large muzzle flash that both the gunner and commander could not observe fall of shot. Further also the S-tank which they found to be a decent concept and vehicle, but not for the open fields of Northern-Germany. As far as I could ascertain, they never even considered the M-60. Well this trial turned out to be a good decisions because the order for 415, later enlarged to 468 tanks would be placed late in 1968 because of what happened in Czechoslovakia that year. As for the trials, well they carried out a lot of tests. Everything from gunnery to ergonomics, endurance to maintenance etc. And they wrote a very long rapport about everything. Just to pick out some points of note: -Changing an engine from a Leopard 1 took 30 minutes with four men. For the Chieftain it was 4 hours with three men. -It took 20 minutes for the crew to change the barrel on a Leopard. For Chieftain it was a higher echelon job that took 4 to 5 hours. And Chieftains barrel was rated at 120 EFC where as the L7 was rated at 220 EFC. Costs where fl. 50,000 vs. fl. 20,000 per barrel. -The requirement for a power train lifecycle was 6000 km. Leopard 1 reached that, Chieftain was claimed at 4000km. Claimed because it couldn't do that. -Wading depth was 1,07m vs 2,25 meters without preparation. -Leopard 1 could do some 600km on the road with one fuel tank. Chieftain 400km. -Leopard 1 tracks lasted for 5 to 6000km. Chieftain for 3 to 4000km. And it goes one like that with the Leopard 1 being the more reliable and better preforming vehicle in most regards. The nail in the coffin really was reliability. The trials included an 300 hour driving program over eight weeks. In those weeks, the Leopard 1 did drive for some 240 hours, Chieftain barely did 200. The Leopard 1 its biggest issue suffered was an incidental failure of its transmission. Sadly the rapport didn't mention what happened, but it wasn't a structural design issue. Further the Leopard 1 needed repeated maintenance on its suspension system. Four drive sprocket where replaced, thirteen new road wheels where installed along with five new shock absorbers, one track link along with two pins was also replaced and then they preformed track tensioning seven times. Chieftain however had a lot more issues. We got: (this only covers the major drive train related issues) -Engine replaced. It further used a lot of engine oil and antifreeze. -Transmission replaced. -APU replaced. -Fuel injection to the engine replaced. -Engine fan belt replaced five times. -One sprocket replaced. -Twenty track links replaced. Twenty one rubber pads replaced. The links further had issues with bits of rubber and steel shooting off when driving at speed over concrete. -Entire sets of tracks replaced, twice. -And finally 48 times track tensioning adjustments. So Chieftain (Nicholas Moran) must truly love his Chieftain tanks. Constant track tensioning is required. 🤣 Combined time in repair was: -31 hours for the Leopard 1. 17,1 hours was for the transmission and it seems also one set of the drive sprockets along with shock absorbers. The rest was more like usual maintenance of at most a few hours a week. -115,7 hours for the Chieftain with a lot of major repairs. See: (Driving hours is on the vertical axis, time spent on the horizontal. The symbols go down from major to minor issues and the time is how many hours was spend fixing per week) imgur.com/PMlgfK5 imgur.com/4YGadh9 The one thing Chieftain did better was its gun platform. It was found to be several seconds faster to get on target and a bit more accurate alongside the penetration advantage. That however was not considered important enough because of the emphasis on shorter ranges and manoeuvre warfare and thus flanking that the Dutch army had as standing doctrine. Thus the Leopard 1 won the trials fairly convincingly. Not because it was perfect, far from it. Leopard 1 even largely did not meet the mobility requirement set by the Dutch army, let alone requirements for armour etc, but it defiantly bested the Chieftain and no alternative was present. Another interesting bit I dug up was that apparently the Dutch army already experimented with fitting the power pack off a M-60 into the Centurion somewhere in the 1960s. A few years later Israel would carry out this retrofit for their Centurions. I still wonder if the IDF was given the results of that trial. The Dutch army never carried out this retrofit. Further when the Leopard 1 tanks where phased in, a lot of Centurion tanks where phased out and handed over to the USA, who technically still owned them (MDAP). I suspect that is where the serious increase in Centurion numbers of the IDF in the Yom Kippur came from. Meanwhile the remaining Centurions in Dutch service where up gunned to the L7 and replaced by Leopard 2 in the early 1980s.

[@patverum9051]

Very interesting, I served with 43 ZVE 't Harde, cdr AMX13. I remember the Leopard tests well in 1968-1969, they ran on the tank circuit Leusderheide besides the Bernhard kazerne, we were jealous if it because the AMX was technically way behind. The two Leopards were parked in the garage next to our building, and there was a situation one day because a hole was cut in the fence that borders the NS rail emplacement,right beside the garage. No russian spies were involved, it was just some Hussars from 102 Tankbat who wanted a shorter route to the NS station.

[@stuartbrown1677]

Well done Sophie Brilliant example of recovery , this is all part and parcel of hood tank experience Stuart in Ireland ☘️

[@henriknilsson7851]

This really is great stuff! Thanks for all the recent videos, genuine quality content!

[@gwilymmorgan5115]

I was at Tankfest on Monday. I think that that was the same Centurion that I saw, up and running then. Great footage and many thanks.

[@Sofilein]

Yes it was!

[@gwilymmorgan5115]

@@Sofilein All tanks ought to look like Centurions.

[@JJ_LL]

The passion and anticipation leading up to insertion....... good lord 10:08 ........... That's a thorough colonoscopy

[@frankieblue1945]

Thank you once again Sofi, I like all the different flags that are there representing. Ooh Rah!

[@jeremycox571]

had to help recovery a M1A2 Abrams but we had the M88 , we did everything by hand , in a combat situation

[@eze8970]

Wonder what 'short cuts' they'd use in battle, & the fastest recovery recorded is 🤔 Thanks for sharing Sofi!

[@KannixKostnix]

Only seconds with a modern ARV since the tow bars would be attached to the towing vehicle and adjusted and snapped in using hydraulics. That's how Büffel does it, anyway. Until recently by using an attachment at the Dozer blade, and they're now refitting them with a dedicated system at the rear. All that matters is pulling the vecicle back into cover where you can properly hook it up for the long haul. 😉

[@KannixKostnix]

There you go... at about 8:40 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fl6bkImBpd2ciK8

[@eze8970]

@@KannixKostnix Thanks for info, didn't think anyone would want to hang around long in the danger area!

[@mrhamburger6936]

Excellent video you have to love these armored vehicles

[@koehlerrk1]

Job well done by all involved!

[@Stuka87]

Really cool to watch!

[@guyfawkes5291]

Just goes to show reality from fiction. If anything it was a bonus of a great show being better. Awesome to see this side SOF.

[@fireabend_1226]

good pictures again, thanks for showing

[@neddo66]

I was there just behind the camera saw it live a great video just as it happened

[@Marshallpassmore]

Thanks for your new video I appreciate your educational videos

[@kasha1702]

Great video Sofi !!! ✌✌✌👍

[@MisteriosGloriosos922]

Thanks for informative video!!!

[@yksikaksikolmen]

We all want so se "more" of Sofilein :)

[@mrains100]

Thank you.

[@thedoctorofstyleirondeadpaul]

Awesome and really cool

[@lesthiele7645]

One of the best tanks ever produced, and if it has a 'hic-up' in a show like this, so what, give the beast a break, thanks to all that maintain these vehicles.

[@ryanthorne5432]

At least they didn’t have to disconnect drive shafts to tow it.

[@whpruitt1]

One word: Cool!

[@paulfollo9470]

Good video!

[@ericlakota1847]

They do great job any thing with tracks is going to give you problems daily never stop fixing the and I can't imagin how old they are

[@Kozu604]

Norfuk to the locals lass. The tank from my neck of the woods! I didn't know there was a tank museum here... Learning that from an American seems weird.. TONKS

[@vut_zarco]

In my 1 year if driving Centurion based Olifant tanks in the South African army we never had any mechanical issues and we put them through hell. Did throw a track, break an idler sprocket and blew off the air intake filters after a bogey wheel hit an ARDVARK hole. 😂

[@byronrudrow7938]

One guy running around really working……..one guy holding a chain……….and four guy’s just standing around “Supervising”! Like a well oiled machine! 🤣 As Oddball said………geez, I only ride in them. I don’t know what makes them work???🤣 Seriously this is a very interesting video. Great to see and a great tank!👍

[@TescoVee]

That CRARRV is cool and all, but Bovington really needs a Blue Moose for this kinda work.

[@charlieB69]

How do you find the classics and are able to attend them so easily?!! I salute you for sharing these great videos of fine human machinery and you present it so well! Need an assistant to help you record and document on these awesome trips?

[@Mercnotforhire]

The dude in the background around 8:30 is enjoying the hell out of this

[@MrLeo2A6]

This is a cool vid

[@Blitz9H]

Had a kettenkrad break down during a parade one time. We had to push it off the road out of the way. Worked alright until the auto break kicked in when we steered it aside.

[@johnbarnes6832]

The prototypical work situation where one man does the job and three to four tell him how not to do it.

[@darthfader733]

Way Cool.

[@joeshmoe9978]

Interesting 👍

[@martingardener90]

Well here's one for the Guinness Book Of Records - the slowest recovery ever! We would have had a suspended tow on a Stalwart done in less time and that would have included removing the rear hub sun gears!

[@lancsladgaming7146]

well how many times do you think a craarv crew has towed a centurion? You do realise that the final drive has to be disconnected on the centurion as well....

[@martingardener90]

@@lancsladgaming7146 I would be amazed if they managed to remove the quill shafts without even lifting the engine decks and they had the Holleybones on the Cent in a couple of minutes which makes you wonder what they were doing for the rest of the time.

[@Deadpigeon87]

Hahaha! The Tank museum boss wouldn't let it be manoeuvred into place as he didn't want the grass churned up. So when it was slightly out of alignment it took ages to get QRP in. Still painful to watch though! Back in your day...blah, blah, blah, SLR, DM's n Putties.... hahaha!

[@martingardener90]

@@Deadpigeon87 Oh, how I miss my Putties!

[@douglasorr7799]

CRARRV engine noise is great

[@Sofilein]

it IS!

[@wolfenstein8315]

Tonk time!

[@simonrooney7942]

Got to love those accents!😋

[@teranovski]

if my brand new car could have a breakdown why wouldn't an old tank? good work all inwolved.

[@teranovski]

@Ford i didn't drive a ford if that is what you are asking :-P

[@beanhavok2287]

Centurion Tank :O STOP LIKING WHAT I LIKE!!

[@sbbrink6770]

When do you make some Videos in Tank Museum Munster ?

[@OlSgtLove]

Always a fun job ,hooking up with the heavy tow bars ....disconnect the final drives and away we go ....lolololol.....No sleep for the next 2 to 3 days if it was a pack replacement....

[@55nimrod55]

Sofi would you do a video about your experience traveling overseas to the U.K. with the current pandemic situation

[@Sofilein]

I didn't. The footage as credited in the description was filmed by friends who attended

[@chrisclarke3965]

R.E.M.E. Lads out on the pull😆

[@mrfancypanzer549]

Does it have the OG meteor engine or is it a diesel?

[@JJ_LL]

4:14 lol pulling off a wench in the back rflmfao

[@petertripp3153]

am i right in assuming you are in merry england enjoying our sun. if i had known i would have taken my time to scan the crowd for your beautiful face. xx

[@Harley.Davidson]

It's always a $5 part! 😒 CRARRV to the rescue!!!

[@GC-Jo]

Yep, make sure there is extra hose clamps.. 🛠

[@Chiller01]

So I’m thinking that’s not a purposeful smokescreen he’s throwing. I guess some coolant burning off. I think if I were driving the recovery vehicle I’d be thinking the public address announcer could sod off. There’s enough pressure doing this in front of a big audience. Thanks for the content. I thought that was really interesting.

[@Sofilein]

I'm sure they expect it! A breakdown happens every year and they're the pros 😎

[@Parktonman]

Well that took forever.

[@Edward1312]

The Centurion was one of the best tanks of the post war period but were not infallible, no tank is, the Israelis used some effectively though on the Golan heights even when they were damaged and couldnt move.

[@willivonfromhold4524]

Wow... That mobility enhancement is not banned where you are...

[@Vince_A_Bull]

I missed it live because I had a PM ticket :why:

[@ABrit-bt6ce]

Very nearly the best tank of WWII. In so much that it just missed seeing action.

[@georgesmith8113]

👍👍👍👊😎

[@trainerred974]

75

[@m35benvids87]

Yes this is what happens with MIL stuff. They fail it happens. The first time we had a Soviet vehicle catch fire a few museums welcomed us to the club.

[@josefkrakel9136]

Who recovers the recovery vehicle when it breaks down?

[@ryanthorne5432]

Another recovery vehicle

[@jeffho1727]

@@ryanthorne5432 Beer, lots of beer...Thats the price for Maint breaking down..

[@markcherriman6136]

It would have been a perfect video if the old git in the yellow top had moved out of the way and gone and done something useful like make tea .

[@jimbo9305]

If it hasn't broken down, you haven't used it enough.

[@Nashoba432]

yah ya know???... those dam radiator hoses blow all the time, I mean I have to change mine at least once a month. Centurions ya know? Sheesh.

[@davidjames1063]

The Israelis learned about these in the 6 Day War. Egyptian Sagger teams blew them to bits. Rats fried inside.

[@hansulrichboning8551]

A Chieftain(the Tank of course) would fit better in the role than a Centurion.

[@blitfire]

what role?

[@hansulrichboning8551]

@@blitfire To break down

[@blitfire]

@@hansulrichboning8551 ah, you're not wrong

[@Tinderchaff]

What's the betting Sofi would like a spin in a CRARRV as well, totally for comparison's sakes, no pleasure in it at all...

[@Sofilein]

I'm only a bit obsessed yes

[@Tinderchaff]

@@Sofilein I think we all are :). Maybe at the next Tankfest you could ask very, very nicely ;)

[@paulcarter2663]

Hats off to mechanics, but to be real even a brand new million dollar car can blow a coolant hose.

[@Sofilein]

A fair point

[@A55Hol3_Actual]

"They are doing this bling as the driver can't see" Totally see a camera on the back of the CRAAV lmao 🤣 Bro the CRAAV isn't that old.... 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@cvdheyden]

Centurion, the greatest ever tank! 1.) It is still in service 2.) It was a bestseller 3.) Best combination of firepower, armor and mobility for a very long time 4.) The hidden fact that makes this tank really great: You could modify it very easy. There are more than 13 versions out there.

[@xxxlonewolf49]

That's as dumb as saying the M4 the Israelis used after WW2 was still a great tank instead of just too cheap to replace or unable to replace it. Pull your head from your 3rd/4th point of contact & do research before spouting nonsense

[@cvdheyden]

@@xxxlonewolf49 Hi thanks for your reply. Do you need anything? Are you ok? Just one advise, don't get angry so often, it is not good for your blood pressure. Also you seem to be very lonely and depressive. If you need help on that, just let me know. I will do what I can to help you. Thanks again for the very detailed reply that was full of facts.

[@jsma9999]

Look bad and if think that Blew an Engine up you stop and get tow home.

[@johnknapp952]

I skipped through the middle 12 minutes of video. Did I miss anything??? 😎😂🙄

[@martingardener90]

In a word - NO!