×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Infantry Arms Warships & Submarines Military Pay Chart (2023) Military Ranks
Advertisements
HOME
ARMOR
MODERN ARMIES
COUNTRIES
MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE
BY CONFLICT
BY TYPE
BY DECADE
WORLD WAR 2
Land Systems / Battlefield

Cruiser Tank Sentinel AC (Australian Cruiser)


Cruiser Tank / Medium Tank [ 1942 ]



The Sentinel tank was designed in direct response to the expected Japanese invasion of Australia.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/10/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]
Advertisements
The Sentinel tank was an indigenous Australian design of World War 2, appearing at a time when Australia lacked the tank-design know-how, manufacturing facilities to produce a design en mass and Japanese expansion into the Pacific was becoming an even greater threat to the mainland. The Sentinel was therefore developed to fill this void and, by all accounts, was an impressive design in its own right. Since the Japanese invasion of the Australian mainland was never to happen and tanks were pouring off of assembly lines in the United States, the Sentinel appeared for a time in limited numbers and ultimately relegated to the training of Australian tank crews throughout the end of the war.

In 1939 it was decided upon by the Australian government to update their stock of inadequate armor. Japan expansion in the Pacific was at threatening reaches and an invasion of the Northern coast of Australia seemed all but imminent. Australia found itself with no powerful manufacturing infrastructure to speak of, not even enough of an automobile industry, to allow for the mass production of any one such vehicle and it seemed that her Allies would not be in a position to fit Australia's current needs with extra armor from their stock. Additionally, Australian involvement in any kind of tank design was nearly nonexistent. As such, Australia set out to rectify the problem by enlisting the help of tank engineers from Britain and observing tank engineering practices with trips to the United States.

Work set about to create a competent design utilizing as many components from the American M3 General Lee series of tank. This particular tank would be designated as the Cruiser Tank Sentinel and would follow up with the initial Sentinel AC1 (short-hand designation of "Australian Cruiser 1"). Production facilities were also being constructed and prepared while development of the AC1 ensued. The AC1 was fitted with a 40mm (2-pounder) main gun with two self-defense 7.62mm machine guns. Power was derived from an amazing setup of three Cadillac engines mated into one powerplant system. Armor was cast throughout the design (at some points reaching as thick as 2 and a half inches) and a crew of up to five personnel were required for optimal operation. The design was characterized by a solid-looking hull with six road wheels per side. The main gun was fitted into an angular turret. An attempt at improving the AC1 was made in the form of the AC2 but the former won out for production rights. One spectacular facet of the Sentinel series was that it took just 22 months to develop from paper to production.

The Sentinel AC1 was ready for prime time by 1942 and the speed of development ushered in some subtle deficiencies. Additionally, the 2-pdr main gun was woefully outclassed by the armor thickness it might be facing and as such the design was furthered in the form of the AC3. The Sentinel AC3 model series was fitted with a grand 87.6 (25-pounder) main gun, an armament with artillery origins and already in production. Despite the larger caliber the gun was still seen as inadequate. The Sentinel AC3 would be further followed up on with the AC4 prototype - this model fitted with the more Allied-standard 76.2mm main gun (the British 17-pounder), though by this time the threat of invasion along Australian shores had all but dissipated. Additionally American tanks were flying off of the assembly lines overseas and making their way into Allied hands all across the globe.

In the end, existing Sentinel units were used for training Australian tank units throughout the war. Production was stopped as abruptly as it had begun. By any regard the Sentinel is often seen as a successful endeavor, though never seeing the baptism of fire consistent with her counterparts. The system was of a sound design but more importantly it forced the Australians to search for the answer to their tank deficiencies from within their own resources, updating their production infrastructure in the process.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
Advertisements

Specifications



Service Year
1942

Origin
Australia national flag graphic
Australia

Crew
5
CREWMEN
Production
65
UNITS


New South Wales Government Railways - Australia
(View other Vehicle-Related Manufacturers)
National flag of Australia Australia
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
Infantry Support
Support allied ground forces through weapons, inherent capabilities, and / or onboard systems.
Medium Tank
Design providing enhanced armor protection and firepower over that of lightweight offerings - but lacking the general capabilities of heavier solutions.
Tank-vs-Tank
Engage armored vehicles of similar form and function.


Length
20.8 ft
6.33 m
Width
9.1 ft
2.77 m
Height
8.4 ft
2.56 m
Weight
62,722 lb
28,450 kg
Tonnage
31.4 tons
MEDIUM
(Showcased structural values pertain to the Sentinel AC1 (Australian Cruiser 1) production variant. Length typically includes main gun in forward position if applicable to the design)
Powerplant: 3 x Cadillac V-8 gasoline engines developing 330 horsepower.
Speed
30.0 mph
(48.2 kph)
Range
200.1 mi
(322.0 km)
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Sentinel AC1 (Australian Cruiser 1) production variant. Compare this entry against any other in our database)
1 x 40mm (2-pdr) main gun
2 x 7.62mm machine guns


Supported Types


Graphical image of a tank cannon armament
Graphical image of a tank medium machine gun


(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)
Not Available.


Sentinel AC1 - Initial Production Model; fitted with 40mm (2-pdr) main gun; 3 x Cadillac engines.
Sentinel AC2 - Improved AC1; never produced.
Sentinel AC3 - Fitted with 25-pounder (87.6mm) main gun.
Sentinel AC4 - Prototype Model; fitted with 17-pounder (76.2mm) main gun.


Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of the Bulge
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Kursk
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental military vehicles


Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns / operations.

Images Gallery



1 / 2
Image of the Cruiser Tank Sentinel AC (Australian Cruiser)
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
2 / 2
Image of the Cruiser Tank Sentinel AC (Australian Cruiser)
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.


Advertisements




Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies


2023 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons.

View day-by-day actions of the American Civil War with CivilWarTimeline.net. View day-by-day actions of World War II with SecondWorldWarHistory.com.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)