Mk.IV "Churchill"

  Unit Properties of  General Information
 * Nation:     United Kingdom
 * Category:   Tanks
 * Class:      Category:Heavy Tanks
 * Role:       Break-Through Tank
 * Primary Armament: 57mm (2.24inch) L/43 Ordinance QF 6 pdr
 * Secondary Armament: 2 x 7.92mm BESA Machine gun 1 x Co-axel 1 x Hull
 * Armor:     101-25mm
 * Crew:       4


 * MP price:   35
 * Speed:      21
 * Fuel:       650

Fourth in the line of British Infantry Tanks, the '''Infantry Tank Mk. IV Churchill (A22F)''' was designed with the experience of World War I in mind. This is especially evident from the layout of the tank, which bears resemblance to the first tank, the Mark IV. The Churchill was initially armed with the 2-pounder in a turret and a 3-inch gun in the hull for infantry support, but this was quickly seen to be far from ideal. The Churchill Mk. IV (which is the one used in the game) was upgunned with the 6-pounder for much better armor-piercing capability. The Churchill's main claims to fame are its heavy armor protection and amazing hill-climbing ability. All variants had at least 102mm (4 inches) of armor (as heavy as the infamous Tiger I) and the later Mk.IV "Churchill" Mk.VII had as much as 152 mm (6 inches of armor). The Churchill was also very good at climbing steep hills, and there have been many records of times when Churchills would climb up apparently "impassable" hills to surprise the Germans and Italians.

First entering service with a trials unit in time for the Second Battle of El Alamein, the Churchill proved itself to be an excellent tank for its role. It was better protected than any other Allied tank, making it very popular amongst Allied tank crews, being the first tank to claim a Tiger I in North Africa. It was also a very versatile platform for modifications and was used for a lot of engineering roles (such as the famous AVRE and Crocodile). They were also used by the Soviets under Lend-Lease, but were compared unfavorably to the KV-1.

In game
The Churchill is good for head-on confrontations against German combat tanks up to the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H, mostly due to is armor. However, its 57mm gun poor, and it usually isn't very effective in terms of destroying tanks. Because of this, one should use this tank as a sort of meat shield while a Firefly or Cromwell flanks with their better guns. The Churcill is outclassed by the Panther and Tiger I, as its gun becomes useless against the Tiger and Panther's armor. They are also useful for supporting infantry, but the underpowered HE round of the 6-pounder is a liability in this role.


 * Note
 * In real life, Churchill had a crew of 5.