Centurion Action X

Description

The Centurion Action X is a nickname of the official "Centurion Mantletless Turret" design. The Centurion Mantletless Turret was a project to create a new, heavily sloped turret design for the Centurion as a form of upgrade, taking inspiration from the Chieftain's turret design that also features no gun mantlet. The Centurion Mantletless Turret did not end up seeing widespread usage, with only one surviving example existing at the Bovington Tank Museum.

The Centurion Action X was introduced in Update 1.93 "Shark Attack" and looks similar to the FV4202, which also has new gun mantlet-less turret. There are some marked differences though, such as the thicker frontal glacis (although less sloped than FV4202), some different contours in the turret slopes, and slightly better mobility due to the stronger engine. Otherwise, the Action X plays similarly to other 20-pdr equipped Centurion types, with balanced mobility and firepower and a new, more sloped turret that can help the tank hold its own in a British Post-war line-up. In the right hands can prove to be a menace on the battlefield. It will be appreciated by aspiring tankers and veterans of the British tanks both, while also giving a little preview of what the later ranks have got to offer.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, turret roof, cupola roof)
• Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, cupola sides and centre)

Notes:

• Suspension wheels, tracks, and bogies are 20 mm thick.
• The belly is 17 mm thick.
• An internal structural plate of 17 mm thickness separates the forward ammo rack from the driver as seen in X-ray mode.
• Another internal 17 mm structural plate with large openings separates the driver compartment from the crew compartment.
• The steel boxes and the mudguards are 4 mm thick.

Mobility

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition

The ammunition available to the Centurion Action X offers a wide range of projectiles to engage most types of targets:

• Shot Mk.1: APCBC; an armour-piercing capped shell with ballistic cap that has a good penetration power but a rather average post-penetration damage effect. Make sure to target modules and crew positions to maximize the damage inflicted.
• Shot Mk.3: APDS; an armour-piercing discarding sabot shot that has a very high penetration power but a poor post-penetration damage effect. Make sure to target modules and crew positions to maximize the damage inflicted.
• Shell Mk.1: HE; a shell useful for destroying open and lightly-armoured vehicles but travelling at a low speed.
• 20pdr Shell SS Mk.1: Smoke; useful to blind enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives. However, it is a very slow shell.

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Centurion Action X

Notes:

• Shells are modelled individually and disappear from the rack after having been loaded in the breech.
• Racks 10 and 11 are first stage ammo racks. They total 12 shells and get filled first when loading up the tank.
• These 2 racks are also emptied first when firing: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 10 - 11 - 1 - 2 - etc. until 9.
• Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-9 into racks 11 then 10. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.

Optics

Machine guns

The small calibre of the L3A1 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

Usage in battles

At first glance, the Centurion Action X does not bring a significant change in playstyle. Compared to equivalent-rank vehicles, battle usage can be straightforward. But there are some meaningful lessons for future medium tanks that excel at support roles down the rank, namely the Chieftains.

One way to master this tank's capabilities is to minimize its weaknesses. Knowing the limited maximum speed, the commanders often should resort to long‑distance gunnery. This long-range shooting is, in fact, very healthy for the Centurion X. The firepower is more than sufficient to cause damage in most ranges; thus, sniping is where most mainstream British medium tanks will excel. 

The shoot-and-scoot tactic benefits the Centurion Action X. It will protect the vehicle from prolonged exposure, as the lower turret is poorly armoured to withstand serious firepower. One way to stay alive is never to expose your lower half of the turret.

An early game planning of the map positioning allows the Centurion Action X to strike lethally without being immediately obliterated. However, players should keep in mind another forte of most British MBTs down the line; this is the flexibility of the gun elevation. Therefore, slopes, cliffs, and trenches on maps such as Ash River, Carpathians or Fulda, should be used to multiply the damage the Centurion can cause. 

The sniper or support role can provide the best results eventually, as most tanks at its rank will often struggle to fire effectively when on the move or at long ranges. Meanwhile, the Centurion Action X will quickly get in and out of cover thanks to the gun stabilizer, firing whenever enemy targets are spotted.

New players may learn the best way to help your team win the game is by being in the rear, supporting the offensive of the most aggressive tanks; not only covering the fronts but also on the lookout for light flankers.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful high penetrating 20 pdr gun, available with an APDS choice
• Rapid reload time, down to 6.3 seconds per round when in full crew and ace experience
• Has good gun depression and with a gun stabilizer like other Centurions
• Sloped upper turret armour, up to 240+ mm thick in some areas

Cons:

• With only 39 (AB), 35 (RB and SB) km/h top speed, its mobility is mediocre when compared to some contemporary mediums
• Ammo rack in the front like other Centurions
• Small internal compartment (only 4 crew members), easy to knock out with one hit
• Although APDS provides high penetration even at long ranges, post-penetration damage is low
• Lower turret armour is sometimes not reliable, very thin armour
• No explosive filler on any AP shells

History

Devblog

Development of the Centurion Action X began in the early 1950s. The aim of the project was to improve the Centurion's ballistic protection by fitting the vehicle with the recently developed 'mantletless' turret design. The turret was fitted on a Centurion Mk.7 hull and featured thick, heavily sloped surfaces which further increased its effectiveness.

Furthermore, the vehicle was tested with both the QF 20-pdr as well as the 105 mm L7 cannon. In the end however, only a couple prototypes were built and tested in addition to a few turrets being used separately for ballistic trials. The Centurion Action X never passed the testing stage and was thus also not ordered into production. However, the experience gained during its development, specifically regarding the use of the mantletless turret, was later incorporated into subsequent tank designs such as the FV4202 and the well-known Chieftain main battle tank.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Centurion Action X from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

• Centurion (Family)

External links

• [Devblog] Centurion Action X - The Chiefturion
• [Tanks Encyclopedia] Centurion Mantletless Turret