Inside the Chieftain's Hatch: Crusader, Part 1

The Crusader. An English cruiser tank. The British engineers' view of Christie’s suspension and his concept for a fast, mobile vehicle. As a true crusader, this tank fought in the deserts of North Africa, far beyond the borders of its homeland. Its main enemy was the German PzKpfw III commanded by Rommel, the Desert Fox.
In this episode: the history of the Crusader's creation, also known as the A15 or Cruiser Mk.VI. What were the peculiarities of its armor and armament. Why did it receive the six-pound gun only after the events of Dunkirk? What was wrong with the Liberty engine?

[@kw9849]

Of all the places to put that damned music, over top of David Fletcher has got to be the most egregious.

[@seth1422]

Hear! Hear! Use less music, or add more variation to the music you do use. You make 20 min videos that use the same 45 second loop throughout.

[@scootergeorge9576]

I found the music to be rather pleasant, actually.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Oh yes, it is - the first dozen times you hear it.

[@828enigma6]

Straight up, the music sucks.

[@VikingRhys]

@@kaistzar2831 I actually like the music track on chieftain's videos!

[@Vlka_Fenryka]

David Fletcher what a treasure and what a dry wit.

[@T3hderk87]

Carl Verigotta he is literally my favorite. I certainly hope I can make it to Bovington one day before he retires!

[@georgejudge6437]

I can really say it too. In Tank Chats his videos are mandatory. :) He has a clear view of tanks and some really old time english irony in his summaries.

[@samadams2203]

I have no idea why but I really like the Crusader. Probably just because it has such a sleek look for an early-war design. Riddled with design flaws but oh well.

[@lavrentivs9891]

Sexy design^^

[@hilmansudirman9857]

I just love it's tracks, it looks so beautiful. And the back side, because it looks sporty.

[@Marc83Aus]

That angular turret front.

[@jayg1438]

Agree. I know this is largely a failure of a design, but I think it looks the part. Very handsome tank.

[@drastix123]

"..it is totally useless pulled or pushed in any direction!" Priceless! xD

[@qunt2742]

I'm a simple man, I see Chieftain or I see my favourite tank, I press like, this has both.

[@valyasochka9950]

Crusader is best girl. I mean tank.

[@qunt2742]

Stannum Crusader is by far better looking than any girl ever could be.

[@bradenross4182]

Crusader is gay

[@qunt2742]

Mr. Clean How about you Mr Clean that lying mouth of yours

[@DanielWW2]

Why is the background music always off in terms of volume? I don't mind the music itself, but I do mind it being too loud and interfering with the actual relevant stuff. Especially when to compensate, the volume of chief gets messed up with distorted and poor quality audio. :/

[@ChenAnPin]

The 3D scanning crew must be somewhere else in the Tank Museum and ordered by Chieftain to do "The Tank Is On Fire" drills on all the early war tanks.

[@TheBitwise]

RIP

[@T3hderk87]

This is a PG game. The realism of putting that in a game would disturb many of the teens that play...

[@b.elzebub9252]

@@T3hderk87 Really? That kind of thing disturbed you as a teen? I would have thought little pixel men screaming, crackling and crisping inside a tank was awesome..

[@T3hderk87]

@@b.elzebub9252 My teens were in the time of banana toss and lemmings, by the time this rolled around my mind was well and truly fortified as an adult... Also, fantastic necropost.

[@jameslewis2635]

It does strike me as odd that when they noticed the problems with the engines getting clogged with sand and dust no-one thought to move the air intakes.

[@themuckler8176]

That's "military grade" for you

[@lalucre1803]

David Fletcher is the David Attenborough of tanks.

[@xirensixseo]

That 1 dislike is by the trailer

[@imagifyer]

the second one is from David Fletcher because the video contains a Rotatrailer

[@jarroddraper5140]

No it's the 3d crew

[@tiortedrootsky]

So now its the whole crew and 2 poor lads who volunteered to help them detach the upside down rotatrailer with twisted rod))

[@ZGryphon]

Or people who are butthurt about the "aluminum" joke.

[@stephenbond1990]

The way i read about the external air intake was that they ran out of space in the engine bay and had to mount them externally, thus the first of the two big issues with the Crusader was born

[@briarus1000]

and yet the m1a2's air intake did the same thing in the desert... keep up the good work designers

[@ravenouself4181]

Meanwhile, the Yugoslav M-84's in Kuwait's service: Problem? Trivago. I am trying to say that they had no problems at all. I am fairly confident that if Yugoslavia had survived to the modern day and put the M-90 Vihor in service - Kuwait would throw money at it.

[@ciara8811]

unarmoured box full of ammunition and fuel with no suspension towed behind your tank. Nope, can't see any problems with this design...

[@kingofhogwarts9499]

Ciara I guess its better if the enemy hits your box then your tank

[@Nightdare]

"A load penetrated my box"

[@WalkaCrookedLine]

But it was really handy for providing extra ammunition for farm tractors.

[@spodula]

Some of those potatoes are really stubborn.

[@francoandres3850]

They were fighting Italian tanks mostly, they didn't need much.

[@markfryer9880]

In all of my reading about D-DAY, I have never seen mention of Military Harvest Forces before today. It could easily have been a very dangerous occupation being tasked with bringing in the harvest after a battle front has moved through an area. Unexploded ordinance, booby traps, the dead, the wounded and stragglers, mine fields, bunkers, the list goes on.

[@foo-foocuddlypoops5694]

Hold on, this isn't an Ambulance.

[@ReformedSooner24]

Foo-Foo Cuddlypoops When do we get a fire truck?

[@TheBitwise]

I want to see an ambulance with a 2-pounder now. Clearly the 3/4-ton had that towing hitch on the back for a Rota-trailer.

[@ReformedSooner24]

Bit Like that GI Joe truck that had the turret on it?

[@T3hderk87]

Bit now that is what you call a fire control group!

[@kayagorzan]

Not gonna lie This is my favourite tank in War Thunder It's super versatile even uptiered

[@SuperBobbster]

These videos are superb. Well done that man.

[@johnmichaelgavin3617]

Thanks for all the uploads chieftain!

[@davidolie8392]

The first time I ever laughed out loud, and at length, at a Chieftain video, was when I was suddenly struck by the implications of the positioning of the air intakes. There's something about bad design that I find hilarious.

[@daniel_f4050]

God but I love that tank. It is absolutely is my defining mental image for the 8th Army vs Rommel in the Western Desert.

[@vikingwarlord2453]

Great work as always

[@aiden9142]

nice video, the throwback to mr fletcher at thinktank on the rota-trailer is pure gold XD

[@JaimeWulf]

David Fletcher is a bonafide treasure to Armor history and Bovington...

[@gregkovacs6687]

Been waiting for this one. Thanks

[@TheIronArmenianakaGIHaigs]

No need to do the fire test with this tank. The crusader could never catch fire. Britsh engenring at it's finest

[@TheChieftainsHatch]

I think he was being satirical. Crusader caught fire about as much as any other tank of the time.

[@foo-foocuddlypoops5694]

Clearly German propaganda, such fine British engineering could never succumb to such a thing.

[@VictorGarciaR]

It did catch fire, but had a warm-tea safety sistem that took care of the fires by spraying warm tea and milk everywere

[@joewilson3575]

They did burn, but it was intentional, everyone in a company could heat their tea over one crusader.

[@piggy201]

Spot on, good chap! And, bloody hell, if it by some unfortunate event bloody did catch on fire, just put it out with your blooming pot of tea, what's all the fuss about? You are a BRITISH tanker, mind you, gosh darn it! Well, jolly good then, common, in the tank now, go on...

[@gavinscott8903]

David Fletcher is brilliant. Shame he's retired. Love his satirical wit

[@Spitfirefan1397]

Ayyy it’s Rosehip’s tank :DDD

[@nothingtoseehere1221]

Spitfirefan1397 the matildas were better in my opinion

[@paulleader7000]

i could gladly live in that museum and never be bored

[@MrGeorocks]

I cannot wait to see you in the drivers position, that armoured box does not look like it gives much room. A bit sadistic I know but it's the little things.

[@teeeeeey]

I have so been waiting for this one.

[@matthayward7889]

Having recently been to bovington, it’s especially fascinating to watch this!

[@knightmarex13]

I have waited for this episode for a very long time

[@alantorres7916]

Chieftain please please make a video on the cromwell not much is talked about it it's extremely underrated please

[@tommeakin1732]

4:52 **Add's fuel to the fire**

[@nathanzylla4961]

Ah got to love David Fletcher...funny and cool dude!

[@SawedOffLaser]

David Fletcher in a Chieftan video? My body can only handle so much. Also, music was fine IMO. Only was too loud for like the last 10 seconds or so, I could hear Mr. Fletcher fine. Also that 6 pounder has caused me much hurt in Warthunder. My poor Panzer III's can't take a glancing hit from one.

[@wuppieigor]

Sawed Off Laser they were actually chatting together at tankfest this year, you can imagine a crowd started to built up for that

[@ravenouself4181]

@@wuppieigor All I can see is the crowd from ATLA with the guy foaming at the mouth while cheering.

[@Sockan256]

Always a pleasure to watch a vid from the chieftain. ;)

[@ariestharp5436]

Finally my favorite tank in the world gets an Inside the Chieftain's Hatch!!!

[@user-pr3iy7no5v]

Very beautiful tank

[@okrajoe]

The cruiser tanks were always the sleekest looking tanks...

[@broadbandislife]

_stares at Cruiser "Boxes On Boxes" Mark I_ ...if you say so...

[@ravenouself4181]

@@broadbandislife We do not speak of the Mk.I

[@centurion262]

You should do a video on the Covenanter tank!that would make an interesting video!!

[@blakewinter1657]

I swear I was searching just yesterday to see if you had a Crusader video.

[@Zakalwe-01]

An Art Deco tank! So pretty.

[@kingofhogwarts9499]

Such an Iconic looking vehicle. Looks a little bit small and cramped, but I guess thats the sacrifice if you want to keep a certain weight. At least this would make a smaller taret then an M3 Medium.

[@thomashignell2444]

I'll tell you one thing, I was hoping he would feature this in a video and he did!

[@jaaksootak318]

Who, The Chieftain? Jokes aside, I too am happy with a bit of David Fletcher.

[@colindols4112]

about time lad

[@totallyaploy1824]

I'm taking off the speed limiter!

[@TheModeratorStudios]

I have heard in multiple places/articles that "American English" is actually closer to English spoken in the 1600s - 1700s compared to the modern day 'British English" is. Apparently British accents have changed quite a lot of the years; comparatively, the typical American accent has changed very little. Thus in a way you could say Americans speak it more accurately. As for Aluminum vs Aluminium, the scientist couldn't make up his mind when naming the element. First Alumium in 1807, then Aluminum, and then he finally decided on Aluminium in 1812. So that the element sound similar to how other elements ended. With the -ium. Like Potassium and Sodium (also named by the same guy). Somehow the mid version ended up in the Merriam Webster dictionary that the American's used and final version ending up in the Oxford dictionary that the Brits use. Thus its easy to imagine journalists turning to their respective dictionary's in confirmation of the spelling, thus resulting in how the spelling/pronunciation was adopted by their respective countries.

[@fdsdh1]

The Moderator except it's not really true, only the East Coast of the USA and in isolated places has a more original accent, but this is also true of areas of the UK like parts of the South West. The USA had huge numbers of German immigrants, not to mention those areas of the USA formerly under Mexican/Spanish or French control, this changed the accents a lot.

[@derekmcmanus1423]

The Moderator lol in some parts of the United States people talk almost exactly like people from Northern Ireland the accent is slightly different but the words an actual turn of phrase are nearly identical...shared history at its best.

[@lavrentivs9891]

Did those with the northern irish accent arrive in north america during the 1600's though or maybe as late as the 1900's?

[@2adamast]

Not much help as it is about a 19th century metal extracted from alum(ium) or alumin(ium)

[@fien111]

Yeah, we heard about this guy's official discovery of this metal, said it was called "Aluminum", wrote that down in all the books and dictionaries and then got very confused when everyone in Europe started telling us we're saying it wrong. That's the spelling he gave us, dammit, we're not changing it! As for the more general issue, written language shifts FAR slower than the spoken. People start to shorten, alter, and slur words as time goes on but the spelling remains the same because....well......that's just how the word is "correctly" spelled, why change it? This is why written French is so baffling compared to how it's actually pronounced and why the Yanks and Brits spell things differently. Why does "Armour" have a U in British English? Well I'm sure it was more vital for how it was pronounced hundreds of years ago, but the language shifted since then and Americans take any opportunity they can to shorten spelling so we just cut that right out (I still cringe when I see "Drive *Thru*" though, that's just too far). In the Victorian era I believe the English made an effort to try and modernize the written language a bit to cut some of this linguistic inertia out, hence why you don't spell it "Shoppe" or "Olde" anymore in either language, but it was hardly complete and proper names and titles resist it. Gloucestershire, for example. You bastards don't even use a third of the letters in that word anymore!

[@georgeoconnor7861]

9:23 Pershing and T-34-85, nice :)

[@sammni]

Bren Gun Carrier + any variants you can find in one video?

[@AmatureAstronomer]

This is a very pretty tank.

[@Boric78]

Could the track tensioning equipment be the similar from this to the T-34 - because its a hold over from the original Christie design that they both carried over?

[@isaiahnesheim2971]

All we need now is a Cheiftain video on the T95 the mighty doom turtle

[@teeeeeey]

I am not disappointed

[@oliverreeder5991]

A couple of points - regarding the excessive workload of the tank commander in the Crusader III with a two man turret, that was why troop and squadron commanders in units equipped with the 6pdr versions of the Crusader and Valentine often retained a three man turreted 2pdr version of the tank. Not really fair to say at the end of Part 2 that it can only have been British pride that led to the Crusader III being produced; the Sherman was at that point not only an unknown quantity, but also not necessarily going to be available to the British in large enough numbers, quickly enough. After all, the Shermans used at Second Alamein had been very generously donated from US stocks, as a simpler, faster alternative to sending a US armoured division to join 8th Army.

[@justforever96]

All the M4s that went to the British were "donated from US stocks". Every single piece of Lend Lease equipment was officially US inventory "loaned" to the British.

[@ChopperMeir]

I've just finished reading a book about 5 RTR through WW2. Very interesting read and it seems the Crusader was met with mixed reviews, great for recon and not bad firepower with the 6 pounder especialy once they were able to make an offensive push after Al elemain and spread out but it was unreliable like most early war British tanks. Most seemed to prefer using the Grant at the time

[@chazt8604]

Chopper Meir Crusader was liked for its speed, low profile, long range - Lee/Grant for reliability and the 75mm - Crusader was disliked for the 2pdr and aux turret (both got rid off) and poor reliability (which did improve), the M3 medium was hated for its size, inability to go hull down. Both had good and bad points. Crusader got better, the Lee/Grant was stuck with its design - but it led to the excellent M4

[@hallamhal]

I came onto KZbin looking for something to fall asleep to - it can wait 13 minutes!

[@MidlandsAirsoft]

one of the best looking tanks

[@Petequinn741]

Slick little tank .

[@DC9622]

Good point on the air filter, did the guys in the Desert do their own modifications and move them? Looking forward to seeing the Chieftain getting into it, a repeat of the comet I anticipate, looks very tight god knows what it was like in the desert.

[@fdsdh1]

DC I think the ones on the tank were the later version so it could be worse! Early Crusaders were very unreliable. They were built really fast to fill a shortage in materiel following Dunkirk, and then trying to play catch up with the current desert losses. This was also combined with a large part of the pre-war workforce being called up, not all factory work was protected.

[@DC9622]

fdsdh1 yes I watched David Fletchers video, he went into further detail on the poor reliability. Interestingly, they kept at with the tank, fitting side skirts, improving ammunition storage. A lot of funnies were built using the platform, anti aircraft, bridge layer, early crab. It will be interesting to see how he likes inside designed for 2 in the turret.

[@fdsdh1]

DC I don't think the design itself was bad, it's more that they needed tanks so desperately they built whatever was available as soon as it was available as quickly as possible. It's never a good combination of things when that happens. The original ones had a 3 man turret which is quite good, the 6pdr brought it down to two which wasn't ideal but could be worse. I reckon it would pass the tank is on fire test though because the rear hatch is huge and the driver just goes straight up. It's quite interesting that it probably would have made a good light tank in Europe 1944, however by that point the British army had moved away from light tanks (except lend lease ones) towards armoured cars for the role.

[@Tinblitz]

Any video that contains David Fletcher's facial hair is vastly improved.

[@peterson7082]

I needed this comment.

[@maastomunkki]

Hahahahaha! David Fletcher is just awesome!

[@shinybaldy]

@The_Chieftain: given your personal exp & knowledge in what's possible, logistics & cost consciousness - how would you put together a serviceable modern MBT?

[@KICKASSoBASSIST]

Hey chieftain is it possible if you can find the information to do a video of the Wirbelwind AA tank.

[@nwbackcountry5327]

Please get rid of the music.

[@goldengameA]

NWBackcountry drives everyone insane

[@despairgaming6669]

Not me.

[@TheJimbodean67]

Praise the lord and pass the ammo, chieftain’s got a new video up. Get the popcorn goin ma!

[@MarkiusFox]

Aluminum and Aluminium are both correct, Aluminum came first and the person responsible for naming the element decided to change the name following peer suggestions to maintain naming consistency with other elements of the time.

[@justforever96]

Those look more like bolts than rivets. or is the armor plate just bolted over the interior structure?

[@1337flite]

What are the white spots all over the exterior - is that paint or something else?

[@KMac329]

Nicholas Moran and David Fletcher really know their subject literally inside and out. I wonder how the Crusader did going up against the PzKpfw Mk. IV.

[@MrWiwl]

Considering there were barely any Pz 4s in Africa, and those that were there wouldn't be the L varient, not the J probably very well. This tank gets constantly shit on for it's early varients being mechanically poor. The crusader could destroy Pz3s at an equivalent range, was incredibly fast, and fairly accurate when firing on the move. Both tank Jesus and Chieftan do it a complete diservice by not talking around any of the nuances of the vehicle. They weren't designed with desert warfare in mind, so of course the air intakes wouldn't have been an issue in Europe, they were then of course fixed for later versions. Things that people just refuse to mention because lol British tanks bad

[@thechatteringmagpie]

Can you repost parts 1 & 2 as a complete film without the music?

[@nickdanger3802]

8:00 The Liberty was a WW One aircraft engine. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_L-12

[@30LayersOfKevlar]

Was there another Think Tank since 2012? Will it happen again?

[@Johnnyynf]

The trailer part is classic

[@fallout0624]

2 days in a row yes

[@totallyaploy1824]

Miss darjeeling's precious tea will go cold!

[@DavidG62]

3D scanning? Does that mean some one is doing this for a new tooled Crusader model? Tamiya 1/16th full option??

[@dumooaa6792]

4:25.. Just in case he is feeling particularly courageous.. Lol

[@redrackham6812]

Why is the front of the turret completely vertical? They sloped the front of the hull. What made them decide not to slope the turret? Was it a space-saving consideration? Making sure the barrel could elevate properly? Ease of manufacture? Or some other consideration?

[@thewaraboo2824]

I must ask, what's the story behind that "Rectified!" note on the inside of the engine compartment plate? Is that the date they restored the tank to running order or something?

[@FromMyBrain]

ask the Pearsons

[@lorinwingtips5290]

Yeah! I want to know, too. when I "rectified" my car, I did so by recktifing it into a pole. I don't want to save the date of that....

[@markfryer9880]

Lorin Wingtips I am sure that your insurance company will be asking you repeatedly about that date, better get used to it.

[@jameslewis2635]

You would have thought that all those rivets on this tank would be enough in the way of dots for the scanning crew.

[@i_nameless_i-jgsdf]

Please do inside the Type 95 Ha-Go. I know they have one in Bovington. Possibly the only Japanese tank in entire museum?

[@TheBespectacledN00b]

Sealed because it's full of asbestos.

[@billbillington7996]

4:14 my face when the cheiftan uploads a new video

[@AdamMann3D]

I'd like to know of why they are scanning it.

[@juancortapan7845]

i'm dying with the story of the trailer, oh my god this british engineering

[@trevorcollins3602]

Great vid just shows how brave those tank crews where having to take crap like that to war.

[@ericamborsky3230]

Well, it was that or the joys of being infantry.

[@ProudToBeNoob]

People complain about how difficult the overlapping roadwheel and torsion bar suspension of the Tigers and Panthers was to fix, but when compared to this it seems to be an improvement on every level (performance and fixability).

[@calvingreene90]

You do not have to deal with the springs near as often as you have to deal with road wheels. In the balance the Tiger was a bigger pain.

[@broadbandislife]

The springs also don't get frozen solid together in Russian winter...

[@robertcolbourne386]

If one Tank can be called cruiser tank , it's the Crusader. this tank just looks sleek.

[@tomalexander4327]

3D scanning for a game or film?

[@beneteus3833]

funny thing, they had the same problem with airintakes and filters on challenger 2

[@ZnenTitan]

On the inside of the engine compartment hatch: The Pearsons January 2000?

[@xenofoxx]

David Fletcher's bit without the music (plus a "Valiant" effort) kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXvRmmdooK98e8k

[@glennridsdale577]

Err... no. Humphry first named it "aluminum" in 1806, but by 1812 both he and the rest of the scientific world had adopted "aluminium" INCLUDING in the USA. Noah Webster confused the Septics with his 1828 "American Dictionary of the English Language". They haven't looked forward since.

[@f12mnb]

Did the 6 pounder have a HE shell or was it also like the 2 pounder - given only solid shot?

[@sean640307]

there was HE available for both the 2pdr & the 6pdr, but not issued to tankers. The role of HE was considered the work of artillery, so the "towed" guns would have it available.

[@mickvonbornemann3824]

Boody liberty engine. They were a nice low profile fast tank but for the unreliable powertrain. If these things were built with the same powertrain as the Churchill & came with the 6 Pounder from the start, they would've been a hell of a tank. It would be hell to sight a gun on tanks zig zaging in the desert at 40mph - By the time the gun was fired the tank would be somewhere else. BTW they did make high explosive shells for the 6 Pounder, they just rarely issued them. Bit like the Brits made both anti-tank rounds & straight high-explosive rounds for their version of the 88mm, the 3.7" anti-aircraft gun, but again rarely issued that ammo to their 3.7" gun crews.

[@williamsager805]

The Crusader which had spaced armor around the turret was retired from front line use before the Panzerfaust with it's HEAT warhead became common. I wonder if it would of protected Crusaders turrets?

[@2adamast]

They had Gewehrpanzergranate from 1942 on

[@GeneralJackRipper]

Two videos in one day?

[@kevkfz5226]

Quick list of the crusaders faults.

[@kendog84bsc]

I know it's (probably) a universal phrase, but whenever I hear the phrase "What were they thinking?" I can't help thinking of the Nerd, and it gives me a giggle.

[@davydatwood3158]

Crusader is one of those tanks that looks so cool, you wish it was better than it actually was so you can game with it.