Centurion photos

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Dan,

Yes, please PM me if you wish.

To answer your questions and queries, the closest tank is armed with a 20-pdr: no 'ifs' or 'buts'. Besides the fume extractor being a 20pdr type (and with the counterweight welded along the top), the mantlet is not fitted with a .50 cal Ranging Machine Gun as were most Mks of Cent fitted with the L7 (the exception is the Brit Mk.6).

As to the change over date, like most changeovers, it took time. In the case of the Canadian Army, Dingwall states that not all were changed to the 107mm L7 tank gun anyway. Is this/are these Canadian images? Both Mk.5 (and Mk5/1) with 20pdr and Mk.11 with 105mm were in service at the same time until the Centurion fleet was finally withdrawn from service in the 1970s. So it would be possible to have both on a train somewhere, I suppose.

The Type A was not converted to Type B. Type A production stopped when Type B production started. I believe Type C was the conversion of Type A to using a fume extractor, but as Type C were never used in Australia, I have not investigated this aspect in detail .

The 105mm L7 does not have a type letter: it came in only one configuration with the eccentric fume extractor. These were all new production barrels. They do fit the 20-pdr breech block. Except for the breech fit portion, I believe the L7 is a slightly larger external diameter at any given point than the 20pdr Type B barrel, and are also larger than the same given point on a Type A barrel (based on a comparison of 105mm L7 fitted to Leopard AS1 and type B barrels fitted to Centurion Mk.5/1).

Regards

Mike C