The arrival of Tongde’s Centurion invigorated my desire to do another build. The Australian Army had operated the Centurion as Mk3 and Mk5/1 versions for two decades, including a three-year stint in Vietnam, and if ever there is Australian armour to build, this is the one.
The Tamiya version costs a bit more than I could justify spending, meanwhile the Tongde is cheap but I have doubts about its durability. Sitting in Goldilocks territory is the Haya version that can be bought as a kit and without a radio combo. I watched Haya’s assembly videos and was impressed by the thought that had gone into the design of the parts. Seeing Louis’ M60 and Centurion builds, I decided that Haya’s Mk5 options would give me more of what I needed as a hassle-free base to begin.
A bit of history as a background to the Australian Centurions.
During the 1960s Australia became involved in the Vietnam War, an armed conflict that would be controversial in the short-term, but one of a number of conflicts aimed at halting the tide of communism in South East Asia. Australia’s involvement in Vietnam saw the successful deployment of the British-made Centurion tank to support the infantry fighting in a jungle theatre of war.
Many here felt it was a folly to send in heavy armour designed for the plains of Europe. The Vietnam conflict was seen as an infantry war supported by air power and artillery. It was argued by some that a 50 tonne tank would sink in the paddy fields and that they wouldn’t be able to get through the thick jungle. It was also thought they were at risk of ambush by the capable Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army armed with modern hand-held anti-tank weapons.
However, with experience in the jungles of New Guinea, and more recently in Malaya and Borneo, the Australian Army was adept in assessing the nature of the conflict, modifying the Centurion, and using it to advantage in the right circumstances. The Centurion provided much need mobile fire support in critical situations, and sustained minimal losses. 58 Australian Centurions served in Vietnam; 42 suffered battle damage with six beyond repair, and two tank crewmen were killed in action.
After the Second World War, Australia was looking to replace its aging tanks and had negotiated to buy the Centurion from the British government. By 1952 Australia started to receive the first of 60 Mk3 Centurions, which were upgraded to Mk5 specs in 1956 when a further 57 Mk5s came on board.
While most British Mk5s were upgraded with a 105mm main gun from the new Mk7, the Australian Army kept the original 20 pdr gun (84mm) as they could not see themselves facing T55s. They were however uparmoured with appliqué armour to the glacis plate and in this specification would be known as the Mk5/1. They also received various other new Centurion parts along with modifications to suit Australian operational experience, so that a typical Vietnam War Centurion also featured:
- a 100 gallon auxiliary fuel tank,
- a 50 cal Ranging Machine Gun,
- 30 cal co-axial machine gun,
- 30 cal commander’s pintle machine gun,
- additional 30 cal ammunition racks,
- repositioning of spare wheels onto the glacis plate,
- a massive infra-red spotlight for night operations,
- a stowage basket across the rear of the turret,
- cut-back track guards to prevent mud build-up,
- items such as smoke grenades and headlights were deleted due to damage in the jungle, and
- American radios were supplemented for troop commanders to be able to access the US command network.
The Ranging Machine Gun (RMG) was normally used via a foot switch by the gunner only when ranging for the main armament engagement. It was integrated with a solenoid to fire three slower than normal shots and then stop and had a barrel shorter than a normal M2 50 cal. The standard M2 barrel length was apparently designed to produce a harmonic that would provide a conical spread of rounds. A combination of a shorter barrel, different rounds and slower rate of fire were designed to improve accuracy and to provide an optimum ballistic match between the RMG and the 20 pdr. However the 50 cal hitting power meant that it was a very effective weapon in penetrating jungle and engaging bunkers and light buildings. Although not officially condoned, it was possible for the loader to lean forward, disengage the solenoid and use the rear trigger for continuous fire. (*edited here to fix my incorrect ID on the MGs) The 30 cal coaxial was relocated into a modifed mantlet mounting.
As well as the usual high explosive and armour piercing rounds, the Australians also made effective use of canister shells. These rounds were filled with half inch pellets, like a shot gun round on steroids. These were very effective in stripping back vegetation and in anti-personnel use. In addition to being trained at Puckapunyal school of armour, crews received pre-deployment training at Canungra, the Army’s jungle training centre and learned to work in co-operation with infantry troops. Used with good effect, Centurions became a vital part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) operations in the Phuoc Tuy province of South Vietnam.
Quite a few are now on display as gate guards, but they must be viewed with caution as they were updated during the post-Vietnam era. Fortunately there are a few sources of contemporary photos to check the numerous walk-around references. I also have a AFV Club Mk5/1 kit as a reference.
More next week after the Postman arrives with the Haya kit…
