MacCaulay
Banned
...after World War II, the South African army was able to purchase a fair number of A-34 Comet cruiser tanks from the British at rock bottom prices. They'd had previous experience with the vehicles in Italy against the Nazis, and were quite impressed with the vehicle's speed and reliability.
With the purchase of a few dozen Centurion Mk. 3s from Britain in the 1950s, South Africa was able to receive a tank that was a generation beyond what the Comet was. The Panzer School fell in love with the Centurion, buying hulks from India and surplus wrecks from Israel to recondition and put into service first with an upgraded engine as the Semel, then with a new gun and aiming system as the Olifant.
But in many ways, this South African connection with the Centurion started because of the initial purchase of those used Mk. 3s from Britain, which gave the SADF's School of Armour (Panzer School) a reason and ability to switch from the Comet.
So...what if they hadn't made that first purchase? WWII buffs: could the Comet have been upgraded to anywhere near the capability (new engine and transmission, 20 pdr and then L7 105mm gun, addon armour, laser and night sights) that the Centurion would later be upgraded to?
With the purchase of a few dozen Centurion Mk. 3s from Britain in the 1950s, South Africa was able to receive a tank that was a generation beyond what the Comet was. The Panzer School fell in love with the Centurion, buying hulks from India and surplus wrecks from Israel to recondition and put into service first with an upgraded engine as the Semel, then with a new gun and aiming system as the Olifant.
But in many ways, this South African connection with the Centurion started because of the initial purchase of those used Mk. 3s from Britain, which gave the SADF's School of Armour (Panzer School) a reason and ability to switch from the Comet.
So...what if they hadn't made that first purchase? WWII buffs: could the Comet have been upgraded to anywhere near the capability (new engine and transmission, 20 pdr and then L7 105mm gun, addon armour, laser and night sights) that the Centurion would later be upgraded to?