Wednesday 20 March 2013

Tank week... tank 4 Centurion

the Centurion is the oldest of the tanks that arrived in the box. This centurion is also 1/76 scale so is also quite small. the design for the Centurion was started in 1943 and it entered service in 1945, sadly to late to see combat in WW2... But never the less the tank proved successful, its final notable action was in 1991 in the gulf war! a great British tank, with a long history, the Centurion looks its age when compared to other tanks.

this Gladiator named "long John Silver" follows the Swedish Strv 103's down the road.

Being 1/76 scale the model is not of a Centurion but a Gladiator, not a very original name but back in 1950 when Oronegro began its own production of the Centurion the name for this small tank didn't seem that important. the Gladiator like most small versions of large tanks in those days was not primarily designed for urban warfare, but jungle combat and bunker assault. Oronegro firmly believing at the time that tanks must be able to fit into the tunnel systems of underground bunkers... though this meant that the Gladiator was armed with a rather silly and infective short barrelled gun the Tank was built in large enough numbers that only in 1980 was the Gladiator finally retired from service (after 15 years being in reserve, and 20 years after the Centurion itself was retired.

the Gladiator an old relic the old Oronegrean military.
 the Gladiator turned up quite a bit during the civil war. though the government claimed that the rebels had got them from tank graveyards in cities like El Granproyecto, it seemed evident that due to the tanks good condition  that some at least came from over the boarder in the Pan Andean People's Republic, which had acquired some in the 1980's as part of a treaty. Also the fact the Government had some lent credit to the idea that the Government never really gave up tanks it saw as useful in the first place.

the rebel hides, the Gladiator may be old but the rebel is still no match for it.

There you go guys one more tank to go! the 1/76 scale Challenger 1 tank. Have a nice day guys I hope that you have enjoyed tank week so far.

6 comments:

  1. Looks good and I think the 1/76 kits are fitting in nicely in their new capacity as urban tunnel fighters.

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    1. I hope so. but I guess I'll have to see how they fare in miniature warfare.

      thanks and have a nice day.

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  2. It is quite possible that the Pan-Andean People's Republic acquired a few Centurions, very late in the Latin Wars, and by some very murky and roundabout routes. Gran Bolivaria might have picked up one or two as well. That the People's Republic flicked them on to Oronegro might have had more to do with their lack of maintenance facilities and expertise for these sorts of tanks, favoring instead the Russian makes that they knew more about. Maybe.

    The eclectic collection of AFVs is rather what you might expect of a none-too-wealthy state of limited means. I like your rationale for the difference scale sizes, too. Incidentally, here are plenty of unused 'c' words if you want them for your 'cruiser' tanks: Cheetah, Cougar, Cannibal and Curmudgeon (my favorite); Carbuncle, Corsair and Calamity.

    Just imagine a squadron of Calamity tanks roaring into the attack, supported by the heavy guns of a troop of Carbuncles...

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    1. I think you might be right. Though the centurion was a pretty reliable tank. I think half and half, though I think the Pan-Andean People's Republic may have liked to have seen the Soviet Backed rebels in Oronegro take over the government.

      Certainly Gran Bolivia may have got some. As for the wealth of Oronegro think a middle class sort of nation, but an oppressed one, all that wealth is going into paying the bills and it has very little money left over for itself.

      our families situation actually, pretty well off but still have to worry about the finances.

      those names are very cool! I should have used them.

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