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Originally Posted by Weisenwolf
The Churchills used by the 8th Army in North Africa and The Italian campaign with US 75mm guns were actually 6pdr models as built with US guns fitted 'in the field' from wrecked Shermans (complete with mount as I recall!). If memory serves there were about 120 of them so converted. So again as with the Firefly is this really a British Tank?
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I like a bit of pedantry
, but if Captain Morrell's work with 665 REME & the na(75) Churchill IV's at Bone wasn't a British effort then I don't really know what is. I always love the "Hmmm, I've got an idea" way it was done. The later 'official' 75 was essentially an American gun built into a 6 pdr mount so if that criteria applied then that would have to be called a US vehicle too, which it patently isn't.
Choosing Churchills is tricky, it's important to specify which mark, as the later VII's were to many intents a very different vehicle.
To avoid a complex run-down by year & theatre and turning away from my immense soft spot for the Churchill & Tilly 2 I'm going to plump for the easy 'overall' option and select the Comet. Despite some flaws (show me a tank without flaws), a fast, reliable, well armed vehicle. It's HV75 (77mm) gun being almost on a par with the 17 pdr meant that a truly powerful gun that didn't require the really specialist ammunition to be effective was finally mounted in a coherent & fully traversable design.
Cheers,
Adam.