Centaur turret markings

[soldieroftheline]

Can any suggest a source of decals for the range markings or whatever they are around the top of the turret on the Centaurs?

I don't fancy trying to paint them on but they are a distinctive feature of the vehicle. I can't see anything in the Bolt Action range.

[dadlamassu]

Warlord produce the RMASG Centaur.  They will probably sell you the decals separately if you ask them.  I have always found their customer service to very helpful.
https://store.warlordgames.com/products/centaur-mk-iv?variant=31468969951312

[soldieroftheline]

But it says "decals not provided" under the product information for that model.

Can anyone who has one confirm if it did come with decals for the turret?

I bought a 3d-printed one on eBay rather than the Warlord one, so I need a separate source for them really.

[Digits]

Have to say, I’m interested as to WHY they have the markings ?

[dadlamassu]

Have to say, I’m interested as to WHY they have the markings ?

The  Centaur IVCS with a 95mm gun were given to the Royal Marines as support tanks with Sherman OP tanks. It was envisaged that during the run in to the beach, while the landing craft, the Centaurs while still on board, would lay down supporting fire. This wasnot an easy task so to facilitate this, a complex compass arrangement was painted around the turret allowing the spotter to get the turret to point accurately towards targets as the tanks were not equipped with indirect fife sights. 

Each of the five Batteries was subdivided into four Troops, with each Troop equipped with four Centaur IV and one Sherman tank as (command/OP), giving a total of 80 Centaur and 20 Sherman tanks in the entire Group. RMASG was disbanded two weeks after D-Day (D+14).

Now, it's NOT a new idea. In the 18th/19th century, there were large 'boat-mortars' which used a similar marking system (on the mounting board of the mortar)

[Jemima Fawr]

^ Wot he said.    I've also discussed it on my blog: http://www.jemimafawr.co.uk/2020/05/09/the-royal-marines-armoured-support-group-in-normandy-1944/

NB The Troop commanders' OP Shermans were armed with 75mm guns.  According to the history of 1 RMASR the Battery Commanders also had a Sherman OP (probably with dummy guns), while the RHQ had Jeeps.

Sources are somewhat confused, but the compass graduations were apparently there in order to calculate the differential between the LCT(A)'s heading and the bearing onto which the guns were to be laid.  180 was painted at the front because they were going to be sailing south on approach to the beach.

[Digits]

Ok, think I get it, cheers.

[Jemima Fawr]

Ok, think I get it, cheers.

I'm not sure I do! 

[dadlamassu]

It is all to do with indirect fire.  The Centaur IVCS was a tank with its gun optimised for direct fire.  It was not a self propelled artillery piece so lacked the artillery sights. To enable the guns to engage targets that they could not see the "sight graduations" were painted on the outside of the turret. 
Thus the observers (FOO or Forward Observation Officer) on the ground's positions were marked on the Regiment/Battery/Troop HQ maps and when he gave his bearing and distance to the target this was also marked.  At the gun position or LCT in this case the known position of the gun was marked and a line from gun to target drawn.  The gun to target bearing was then calculated (allowing for LCT movement, orientation of tank and time of flight) and passed to the tanks.  The turrets were rotated to the required bearing aligning the turret "compass" to the aiming mark.  The gun was then elevated to the correct angle and the command "Shoot" given.  (The Royal Navy did not use "Fire" on ships and boats as it meant that the ship was ablaze - dates back to the old wooden walls.) 
The corrections depending on fall of shot were then passed from FOO to HQ to tank until target neutralised or destroyed.
Simple.